A major challenge to contemporary education is to meet the Government’s directive, depicted in OFSTED guidelines and the Department for Education’s Teacher Standards that all our learners make progress, are autonomous and are able to engage in independent learning. However they offer no guidance as to how this can be achieved. The research has built on earlier theories to close the gap between Government measurements of the quality of teaching and twenty-first century educational theories, with particular focus on learning talk. The primary intention of this research was to determine the impact that dynamically dialogic learning conversations, that is learning talk, have on deepening learning, and how they may be used to enable teachers to meet OFSTED’s requirement for all students to make progress. The data for this case study was collected through a process of lesson observations, interviews and focus-group discussions over a period of one year. Sixteen lessons were video-recorded for a variety of topics and the recordings were analysed in depth against established theories of learning and the complex patterns and relationships between the different types of student and teacher learning talk observed in the classroom. The outcome of the analysis is a set of observable characteristics of learning talk which form an Observation Database. The findings support the premise that learning talk in the classroom leads to deeper learning. The Observation Database contains of a set of tools for observing, evaluating and enabling learning talk in the classroom and therefore offers teachers the opportunity to demonstrate OFSTED criteria. The process of developing the Observation Database and the tools developed have been shared both locally and nationally to heighten awareness of learning talk in the classroom and its link to deeper learning.

Thesis advisor: Diana Pullin / A number of scholars are examining factors hindering student performance. Scholars suggest that understanding these factors is critical knowledge for leaders to cultivate as they work to address elements within their school or district that need to change if student learning is to improve. What is often overlooked in the literature is how educators understand the achievement gap and the impact this understanding has on the learning environment. Exploring how district- and school-level leaders understand disparities in student performance and how these understandings then influence the work of leadership may offer insight into factors hindering student performance. The study was conducted in a small, diverse urban district designated by the state as low performing based on state indicators. Many scholars have explored interactions among leaders as a factor hindering student performance. These researchers indicate the significance of the role that interactions between district- and school-level leaders play in school improvement efforts. Although this is a central focus area in the literature, there is limited scholarship on how those interactions specifically impact leaders' understanding of barriers to students' opportunity to learn. Therefore, analyzing these relations may result in an increased awareness of their impact on the learning environment. This single case study uses document reviews and interview data to analyze leader relations and practice. Findings reveal interactions among leaders resulted in an understanding of barriers in the learning environment; lack of trust hindered some relations but despite this, all leaders engaged in tasks intended to enhance student learning. / Thesis (EdD) — Boston College, 2014. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Leadership and Higher Education.

Thesis advisor: Diana C. Pullin / As district- and school-level leaders face increasing pressure from federal, state, and local accountability mandates there has been increased dependence on using and analyzing student data to help improve student performance. While the reporting of disaggregated data by student subgroup confirms that achievement gaps exist, it does not provide district- and school-level leaders with the diagnostic data needed to identify key factors inhibiting student performance. Identifying and understanding factors hindering student performance is critical knowledge for leaders to cultivate as they work to address elements within their school or district that may need to change if student learning is to improve. This research study examined specific ways district- and school-level leaders go about challenging and helping their community to face the problem of student performance disparities, as well as specific aspects of the situation that may be contributing to the community's collective capacity, to address student performance disparities. Without proper district-level leadership, effectively addressing operational conditions that may lead to disparities in student learning is unlikely. Yet, little is known about which structures and routines district- and school-level leaders perceive to be important when analyzing student data. This single case study presents the results of an examination of student data analysis structures and routines within a small diverse urban Massachusetts district designated by the state as low-performing based on state indicators. In order to further understand structures and routines, interview and document data were reviewed. Four primary findings identified the district leadership's response to educational inequities: (1) a mandate for using data war-rooms and student data walls; (2) a traveling cabinet to ensure uniform review of student data across the schools in the district; (3) a mandate for individual school improvement plans; and (4) the use of school-based instructional coaches. / Thesis (EdD) — Boston College, 2014. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Leadership and Higher Education.

Syftet med denna uppsats är att göra en metodutvärdering av metoden, Reading to Learn. Utvärderingen kommer visa om metoden har några begränsningar, för- och nackdelar och om den passar i olika skolämnen. För att komma fram till ett resultat används aktionsforskning vilket innebär observationer, intervjuer och eget utförande. Genom observationer och intervjuer ficks en bra inblick i metoden och utifrån det insamlade materialet kunde metoden utvärderas. Resultatet visar att metoden är användbar enligt olika perspektiv hos lärare. Eleverna är dock inte lika entusiastiska till metoden. De anser att metoden är tidskrävande men metoden visar på ett bra resultat i prov och metoden är individanpassad. Observationernas resultat visade hur eleverna och lärarna samverkade under lektionerna. Intervjuerna medförde en bra bild av metoden och hur lärarna och eleverna anser att den hjälper dem i undervisningen. Mitt utförande av metoden gav en helhet. Den fick sammanställa alla observationer och intervjuer. Jag fick se att mina observationer och intervjuer stämde med vad lärare och elever sa. Det viktigaste med metoden är att den låter eleverna utforska texter mer på djupet.  Metoden används till att gå igenom en text noggrant och med fokus på många olika aspekter av texten, till exempel, i många vinklar som enskilda ords betydelser, meningsuppbyggnad, struktur etc.

The effects of sex and tutorial instruction were studied as they influenced the seriation ability of pre-school children. The research was conducted at the Utah State University Child Development Laboratories with 24 four year old children enrolled at that time. Twelve of the children, six girls and six boys, were given seriation tasks. The remaining 12 children, six girls and six boys, were not given any seriation training. It was found that the 12 children who had received individualized instruction seriated significantly better on every task than the 12 children who had received no training. The children who were trained in seriation tasks also correctly transferred their learning of seriation from the original set of objects used in the training sessions to two other sets of size graded objects. The remaining 12 children did not make this transfer as successfully. There was no significant difference in the seriation ability of boys and girls, although the girls receiving training improved more than the boys who were trained in seriation. This finding was attributed to the fact that the boys in both groups seriated slightly higher than t.he girls in both groups; therefore the boys who received no seriation training did not have as much room for improvement.

This case study aimed to understand adolescent Black girls’ response when becoming angry as related to verbal and physical aggression. The study focused on the triggers for anger of 7 Black girls, current strategies in place at the school to help manage their anger and aggression, and it sought to determine if the girls were able to recognize when they became angry. This information is of importance because the school suspension rate has increased for Black girls (Morris, 2013), and there are limited studies to help them manage their anger in order to feel accepted in schools, develop relationships in schools with teachers and administrators, and to perform better academically. This study used qualitative methods to acquire knowledge of why elementary age Black girls became angry and aggressive in a rural educational setting. The researcher studied anger triggers through usage of anger logs, focus groups, structured interview questions, teacher surveys, and observations. In utilizing these methods, the researcher was able to determine that the girls’ triggers to anger aligned with current research and that there were minimal strategies to help manage anger and aggression in the school setting. The data also help to shed light on how the girls felt at school. The research reveals the need for Black girls to feel safe and accepted in schools, therefore implicating the need for interventions that address the needs of Black girls with anger and aggression concerns. This research also suggested ways to improve school climate in order to foster stronger staff student relationships among Black girls and school staff. Finally, this research shed light on programs that could benefit Black girls in schools to help them feel a sense of belonging.

Esta Dissertação tem por objetivo realizar estudo empírico que possibilite compreender a distribuição das oportunidades de aprendizagem para alunos do 5º e 9º do Ensino Fundamental de diferentes grupos socioeconômico, étnico-raciais e residentes em distintos estados brasileiros. O referencial teórico da pesquisa está alicerçado i) no conceito de Opportunity to Learn (OTL) e ii) na discussão do papel dos fatores extra e intraescolares no aprendizado dos alunos. Dessa análise, concluiu-se que os fatores que mais influenciam a aprendizagem dos alunos são i) características observáveis dos professores; ii) professores preocupados com um ambiente de aprendizagem; iii) professores com altas expectativas e iv) gestão de sala de aula e abordagem pedagógica na disciplina de matemática que promovam a aprendizagem profunda nos alunos. Portanto, com base na importância nestes fatores de OTL, este trabalho utiliza os dados do SAEB 2015 e desenvolve dois modelos: i) regressão multivariada, para entender a correlação dos fatores de OTL e a proficiência dos alunos no SAEB 2015 e ii) modelo logit, para calcular a probabilidade dos alunos do 5º e 9º anos de diferentes grupos socioeconômicos, étnico-raciais e estados brasileiros terem acesso à oportunidade de aprender matemática. Os resultados da regressão multivariada apontam que, controlando as características pessoais dos alunos, há uma correlação positiva entre os fatores de OTL e a proficiência em matemática tanto no 5º EF quanto para o 9º EF. Além disso, dentre todos os fatores de OTL analisados, a magnitude do coeficiente é maior no caso de professores que cumprem mais de 80% do currículo e professores que acreditam que quase todos os alunos irão entrar na universidade. Os resultados do modelo logit para cada fator de OTL analisado mostram desafios diferentes para a educação brasileira. Os fatores da categoria características observáveis do professor não são um grande desafio, pois ou a probabilidade de acesso é alta para todos os subgrupos de alunos ou quando a probabilidade não é tão alta, praticamente não existe desigualdade entre os níveis socioeconômicos e os grupos étnico-raciais. Já os fatores da categoria professores com alta expectativa são um desafio tanto em termos de aumento da probabilidade de acesso quanto de diminuição da desigualdade. Na categoria professores comprometidos com um ambiente de aprendizagem é preciso diminuir as desigualdades entre os subgrupos de estudantes e aumentar a probabilidade de acesso para todas as subpopulações, mesmo as mais privilegiadas. Por fim, na categoria gestão de sala de aula e abordagem pedagógica na disciplina de matemática é necessário aumentar a probabilidade de acesso a fatores que aumentam as OTL e diminuir a probabilidade de acesso a fatores que diminuem as OTL para todos os níveis socioeconômicos, inclusive para os alunos mais privilegiados. Portanto, é essencial investir em políticas educacionais que foquem suas ações nos de fatores de OTL, principalemente, os diretamente relacionados a sala de aula, a fim de aumentar as oportunidades de aprendizagem dos alunos brasileiros e reduzir as desigualdades existentes entre as subpopulações de estudantes. / This paper aims to conduct an empirical study that allows to understand the distribution of learning opportunities for 5th and 9th grade students from different socioeconomic, ethnic-racial and resident groups in different Brazilian states. The theoretical framework of research is based on i) the concept of Opportunity to Learn (OTL) and ii) the discussion concerning the role of intra and extra-school factors in students\' learning. From this analysis, it was concluded that the factors that most influence students\' learning are i) observable characteristics of teachers; ii) teachers committed to a learning environment; iii) teachers with high expectations and iv) teachers classroom management and pedagogical approach in mathematics. Therefore, based on the importance of these OTL factors, this paper uses SAEB 2015 data and develops two models: i) multivariate regression to understand the correlation of OTL factors and student proficiency in SAEB 2015 and ii) logit model, to calculate the probability of 5th and 9th grade students from different socioeconomic, ethnic-racial, and Brazilian states having access to the opportunity to learn mathematics. The results of the multivariate regression indicate that, by controlling the personal characteristics of the students, there is a positive correlation between the OTL factors and the mathematics proficiency in both the 5th EF and the 9th EF. In addition, among all OTL factors analyzed, the magnitude of the coefficient is higher in the case of \"teachers declare that they teach more than 80% of the curriculum\" and \"teachers declare that they believe that almost all of them students will enter the university\". The results of the logit model for each OTL factor analyzed show different challenges for Brazilian education. The factors of the category \"observable teacher characteristics\" are not a great challenge because either the probability of access is high for all subgroups of students or when the probability is not so high, there is practically no inequality between socioeconomic levels and groups ethnic-racial relations. On the other hand, the factors of the category \"teachers with high expectations\" are challenging both in terms of increasing access probability and decreasing inequality. In the category \"teachers committed to a learning environment\" is necessary to reduce the inequalities between the subgroups of students and increase the probability of access for all subpopulations, even the most privileged ones. Finally, in the category \"classroom management and pedagogical approach in mathematics\" is necessary to increase the probability of access to factors that increase OTL and decrease the probability of access to factors that decrease OTL for all socioeconomic levels, including for the most privileged students. Therefore, it is essential to invest in educational policies that focus their actions on OTL factors, mainly those directly related to the classroom, in order to increase the learning opportunities of Brazilian students and reduce the existing inequalities among subpopulations of students.

Esta Dissertação tem por objetivo realizar estudo empírico que possibilite compreender a distribuição das oportunidades de aprendizagem para alunos do 5º e 9º do Ensino Fundamental de diferentes grupos socioeconômico, étnico-raciais e residentes em distintos estados brasileiros. O referencial teórico da pesquisa está alicerçado i) no conceito de Opportunity to Learn (OTL) e ii) na discussão do papel dos fatores extra e intraescolares no aprendizado dos alunos. Dessa análise, concluiu-se que os fatores que mais influenciam a aprendizagem dos alunos são i) características observáveis dos professores; ii) professores preocupados com um ambiente de aprendizagem; iii) professores com altas expectativas e iv) gestão de sala de aula e abordagem pedagógica na disciplina de matemática que promovam a aprendizagem profunda nos alunos. Portanto, com base na importância nestes fatores de OTL, este trabalho utiliza os dados do SAEB 2015 e desenvolve dois modelos: i) regressão multivariada, para entender a correlação dos fatores de OTL e a proficiência dos alunos no SAEB 2015 e ii) modelo logit, para calcular a probabilidade dos alunos do 5º e 9º anos de diferentes grupos socioeconômicos, étnico-raciais e estados brasileiros terem acesso à oportunidade de aprender matemática. Os resultados da regressão multivariada apontam que, controlando as características pessoais dos alunos, há uma correlação positiva entre os fatores de OTL e a proficiência em matemática tanto no 5º EF quanto para o 9º EF. Além disso, dentre todos os fatores de OTL analisados, a magnitude do coeficiente é maior no caso de professores que cumprem mais de 80% do currículo e professores que acreditam que quase todos os alunos irão entrar na universidade. Os resultados do modelo logit para cada fator de OTL analisado mostram desafios diferentes para a educação brasileira. Os fatores da categoria características observáveis do professor não são um grande desafio, pois ou a probabilidade de acesso é alta para todos os subgrupos de alunos ou quando a probabilidade não é tão alta, praticamente não existe desigualdade entre os níveis socioeconômicos e os grupos étnico-raciais. Já os fatores da categoria professores com alta expectativa são um desafio tanto em termos de aumento da probabilidade de acesso quanto de diminuição da desigualdade. Na categoria professores comprometidos com um ambiente de aprendizagem é preciso diminuir as desigualdades entre os subgrupos de estudantes e aumentar a probabilidade de acesso para todas as subpopulações, mesmo as mais privilegiadas. Por fim, na categoria gestão de sala de aula e abordagem pedagógica na disciplina de matemática é necessário aumentar a probabilidade de acesso a fatores que aumentam as OTL e diminuir a probabilidade de acesso a fatores que diminuem as OTL para todos os níveis socioeconômicos, inclusive para os alunos mais privilegiados. Portanto, é essencial investir em políticas educacionais que foquem suas ações nos de fatores de OTL, principalemente, os diretamente relacionados a sala de aula, a fim de aumentar as oportunidades de aprendizagem dos alunos brasileiros e reduzir as desigualdades existentes entre as subpopulações de estudantes. / This paper aims to conduct an empirical study that allows to understand the distribution of learning opportunities for 5th and 9th grade students from different socioeconomic, ethnic-racial and resident groups in different Brazilian states. The theoretical framework of research is based on i) the concept of Opportunity to Learn (OTL) and ii) the discussion concerning the role of intra and extra-school factors in students\' learning. From this analysis, it was concluded that the factors that most influence students\' learning are i) observable characteristics of teachers; ii) teachers committed to a learning environment; iii) teachers with high expectations and iv) teachers classroom management and pedagogical approach in mathematics. Therefore, based on the importance of these OTL factors, this paper uses SAEB 2015 data and develops two models: i) multivariate regression to understand the correlation of OTL factors and student proficiency in SAEB 2015 and ii) logit model, to calculate the probability of 5th and 9th grade students from different socioeconomic, ethnic-racial, and Brazilian states having access to the opportunity to learn mathematics. The results of the multivariate regression indicate that, by controlling the personal characteristics of the students, there is a positive correlation between the OTL factors and the mathematics proficiency in both the 5th EF and the 9th EF. In addition, among all OTL factors analyzed, the magnitude of the coefficient is higher in the case of \"teachers declare that they teach more than 80% of the curriculum\" and \"teachers declare that they believe that almost all of them students will enter the university\". The results of the logit model for each OTL factor analyzed show different challenges for Brazilian education. The factors of the category \"observable teacher characteristics\" are not a great challenge because either the probability of access is high for all subgroups of students or when the probability is not so high, there is practically no inequality between socioeconomic levels and groups ethnic-racial relations. On the other hand, the factors of the category \"teachers with high expectations\" are challenging both in terms of increasing access probability and decreasing inequality. In the category \"teachers committed to a learning environment\" is necessary to reduce the inequalities between the subgroups of students and increase the probability of access for all subpopulations, even the most privileged ones. Finally, in the category \"classroom management and pedagogical approach in mathematics\" is necessary to increase the probability of access to factors that increase OTL and decrease the probability of access to factors that decrease OTL for all socioeconomic levels, including for the most privileged students. Therefore, it is essential to invest in educational policies that focus their actions on OTL factors, mainly those directly related to the classroom, in order to increase the learning opportunities of Brazilian students and reduce the existing inequalities among subpopulations of students.

This doctoral thesis presents the findings of a mixed methods case study of Learning Skills, a new approach to Learning to Learn that was developed and implemented at a secondary school in the south of England between 2010 and 2014, and evaluated using data collected between 2009 and 2017. Learning to Learn is a field of educational theory and practice that aims to help young people get better at learning by focusing on the processes of learning (the how as well as the what), and by enabling them to take ownership over aspects of their own learning through activities such as goal setting, self-monitoring and structured reflection. The field has developed significantly throughout the last 40 years, with a number of approaches having been implemented on a large scale in the UK. Research into metacognition and self-regulation suggests that Learning to Learn programmes should help boost academic attainment. To date however, large-scale evaluations have found mixed results, with no clear impact on academic attainment. Using an intervention design used widely in medicine and other fields, Learning Skills reconceptualises Learning to Learn as a 'complex intervention' comprised of multiple areas of evidence-informed practice. The rationale for complex interventions is that the marginal gains emerging from any individual avenue of practice stack up and interact to yield a larger effect size overall. The Learning Skills programme, which started as a year seven taught course and developed into a whole-school approach to teaching and learning, focuses centrally on three key concepts: metacognition, self-regulation and oracy. This evaluation of Learning Skills incorporates eight strands of data collection and analysis over an eight-year period, using the previous year group at the same school as a control group. These include baseline measures; attitude to learning scores; psychometric questionnaires; a language of learning evaluation; reflective learning journals; student interviews; teacher interviews; and student attainment across all subjects in years nine and 11. The primary outcome analysis - student attainment across all subject areas at three and five years - found that Learning Skills cohort one achieved significantly higher grades than the control cohort, with accelerated gains among young people from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Secondary data analysis incorporating a range of qualitative and quantitative methods indicates a causal relationship between Learning Skills and academic attainment. As well as evaluating the impact of a new and promising approach to Learning to Learn, this study generates new knowledge about the implementation and evaluation of complex interventions in education.

abstract: Bayesian Additive Regression Trees (BART) is a non-parametric Bayesian model that often outperforms other popular predictive models in terms of out-of-sample error. This thesis studies a modified version of BART called Accelerated Bayesian Additive Regression Trees (XBART). The study consists of simulation and real data experiments comparing XBART to other leading algorithms, including BART. The results show that XBART maintains BART’s predictive power while reducing its computation time. The thesis also describes the development of a Python package implementing XBART. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Statistics 2019