Thesis (D. Min.)--Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, 1992. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 196-199).

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Hong Kong, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 89-94). Also available in print.

The purpose of this research was to determine the effectiveness of a character education program on middle school student academic performance, effort and attitude about their school located in an international setting. Middle school students at the participating international school were assigned to either an experimental or control group. Those students in the experimental group classes received a series of 12 lessons focusing on the character trait of responsibility. Those students in the control group classes did not receive these lessons. Twelve responsibility-based lessons were presented to students in the experimental group. Student academic grades in six different academic subjects, effort scores in six different academic courses, and student attitude concerning school climate constituted the dependent variable. The literature review and the general results of this study indicate that there are many factors that may influence student academic performance, effort or attitude. Various character education programs which have been designed to be integrated into school curricula as part of pre-existing courses or as stand alone programs have had varying levels of success. There is limited quantitative data available to support the claims that many existing programs make related to their effectiveness. The data collected from this study were also inconclusive making it difficult to generalize the findings beyond the scope of this study. While certain middle school grade levels showed statistically significant improvement in some academic disciplines or effort improvement in some subjects it would not be appropriate to generalize the findings based on this investigation. Implications of this study and suggestions for future investigations are discussed.

This study is a situated qualitative investigation of the multiple languages and identities of three Japanese international school students in Japan. These students had no foreign heritage or experience living outside Japan, but had been educated completely in English-medium international schools since kindergarten. In effect, they had been socialized into another culture and language without leaving Japan--a relatively monolingual and monocultural country. The participants' complex linguistic situations and identities were investigated using narrative inquiry over a period of 19 months. Their narratives, gathered primarily by interviews, were supplemented by observations, interviews of those close to them, and other data sources. Using postmodernist-influenced concepts as analytical lenses, I was able to bring to light the students' complex views on language and identity emerging from their unique linguistic and cultural experiences. The students in this study revealed that one does not necessarily belong to a single dominant culture or have a single "first language." These students felt most comfortable with their multiple cultures and languages in a 'third space' (Bhabha, 1994), and they actively took part in creating their own hybrid cultures, languages, and identities. The students' hybrid languages and identities were nurtured and secure within the international school community. However, once outside this community, the students realized the complexities within themselves, requiring that they learn to negotiate their identities, as identity crucially involves location and relationships with others. When they were able to visualize their futures as bilingual/bicultural individuals, their identities became somewhat clearer and less contested. At that point, they felt that their linguistic and cultural hybridity was not entirely an obstacle, but something that they could also use to their advantage. It was when they had to make either-or choices between cultures, languages, and identities that they felt troubled or deficient. Through their narratives, the participants revealed the extent to which static categories and monolithic notions of language and culture were imposed upon them, and how these affected their understanding and perceptions of themselves. In conclusion, I interrogate such static views and urge researchers, educators, and bilingual/bicultural individuals to view languages and identities in more complex ways. / CITE/Language Arts

The aim of this study was to explore some of the reasons for low student enrollments at alternative schools, through a case study of a Ugandan alternative school, Heritage International School. The study was carried out in Kampala, the capital city of Uganda, in a small town called Kansanga, where Heritage International School, is located. Various people were interviewed in different categories, to find out their views on low enrollments at HIS. The literature review in the study included the theoretical perspectives on reasons for low enrolments in various schools that had the characteristics of HIS. This review was very helpful in steering the direction of the research as it highlighted various causes for low enrolments at alternative schools. This research was able to highlight the causes of low enrollment that were particular to HIS and therefore give some recommendations on to how to solve these problems. / Education / M. Ed. (Education Management)

The aim of this study was to explore some of the reasons for low student enrollments at alternative schools, through a case study of a Ugandan alternative school, Heritage International School. The study was carried out in Kampala, the capital city of Uganda, in a small town called Kansanga, where Heritage International School, is located. Various people were interviewed in different categories, to find out their views on low enrollments at HIS. The literature review in the study included the theoretical perspectives on reasons for low enrolments in various schools that had the characteristics of HIS. This review was very helpful in steering the direction of the research as it highlighted various causes for low enrolments at alternative schools. This research was able to highlight the causes of low enrollment that were particular to HIS and therefore give some recommendations on to how to solve these problems. / Education / M. Ed. (Education Management)

abstract: This study explores the impact of a professional development (PD) activity conducted for teachers of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) at 15 American-curriculum international schools. The intervention involved teachers utilizing the 3D-PAST screening tool to systematically evaluate the alignment of teacher-designed assessments with the constructs of the NGSS and best practices in science instruction. Data about the way the intervention enhanced or challenged teachers’ understanding of the NGSS were collected via a multiple methods approach. The New Framework of Science Education Survey of Teacher Understanding (NFSE-STU) was used in a retrospective pretest-posttest fashion to assess changes in teachers’ understanding of NGSS constructs. Subsequently, interviews were conducted with participants which provided data that expanded upon the NFSE-STU findings. The Refined Consensus Model of Pedagogical Content Knowledge (RCM-PCK) was used to interpret the findings and situate the study within the extant literature on teacher PCK. The intervention was found to have a statistically significant effect on teachers’ understanding of the NGSS in all areas measured by the NFSE-STU. Additionally, data suggest that the intervention elicited changes in teachers’ classroom practices and improved collaborative professional practices. Also highlighted in the analysis was the significance of the relationship between the intervention moderator and the participants as a strong predictor of the way the intervention was perceived by teachers. The findings strongly support the suggestion that international school administrators seeking to maximize the impact of science teacher professional development should consider PD activities that train teachers in the use of aids to align NGSS assessments, because doing so simultaneously enhances teacher understanding of the NGSS while encouraging meaningful changes to professional practice. The study contributes to the nascent body of literature utilizing the RCM-PCK to situate understanding of science-teacher PCK, and fills a void in literature examining PD in American curriculum international schools, and highlights issues with potential to serve as foci for additional cycles of action research in the areas of international schools, science teacher and NGSS-related professional development, and the use of tools similar to 3D-PAST within other teaching disciplines. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Leadership and Innovation 2020

The quality of piano education in international schools in China has been affected by an increasing number of piano students and piano teachers experiencing heavy teaching loads. The research questions in this qualitative case study included both teachers' and parents' perceptions of the quality of teaching and learning in piano classes at multicultural international schools in a suburban district of Beijing. The 4 principles of the Suzuki method provided the conceptual framework for the study. Data were collected through interviews with 10 experienced piano teachers, 10 selected parents of K-12 piano students, and observations of 3 group piano classes, 8 individual lessons, and 3 student recitals. All data were coded and analyzed using the Suzuki principles of character, use of the mother tongue, parental involvement, and positive environment. Findings indicated that school leaders, teachers, parents, and students need to understand each party's expectations to build and maintain a healthy relationship and positive learning environment as promoted by the principles of the Suzuki method. A professional development program, Piano Teaching in a Beijing Suburb: 21st Century Effective Piano Teaching, was created to engage and support local piano teachers' needs and to improve their understanding of various eastern and western teaching approaches, traditional and functional piano teaching, and effective teaching strategies to better prepare them for teaching in diverse classrooms. Implementation of the project might affect social change and benefit the local international community by providing a professional development model for all piano teachers to help international piano students during their transitional years in China.

This qualitative phenomenological study was conducted in order to better understand the multiple multicultural educational experiences TCKs have as a result of their unwanted/unpredictable international moves. The transcendental approach included semistructured face-to-face interviews based on a questionnaire with 12 TCK students at an international school in Korea. Students were asked to share their emotional, academic, and social experiences. The three research questions underpinning the questionnaire were: What are the emotional experiences of TCK high school students at a Korean international school who had multiple school disruptions? What are the academic experiences of TCK high school students at a Korean international school who had multiple school disruptions? What are the social experiences of TCK high school students at a Korean international school who had multiple school disruptions? The participants had attended at least three different schools K-12 and had attended schools in at least two different countries. Results revealed that although TCKs are fearful of moving to a new school in a new country they are excited about the new experiences they will have as they transition to a new place and new school. Academically, the International Baccalaureate Programme is the curriculum TCKs prefer and find the most suitable to their international experiences. The most unique experiences TCKs face moving from one school to another in a different country revolve around relationships. The most difficult part about moving is leaving friends and family behind. While TCKs moving to a new school in a new country face complex challenges forming close relationships, they are open-minded and are able to relate to people from a variety of different backgrounds and nationalities.

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