In this study, I problematize child labor policies in Kenya through narratives of childrens work and schooling. I draw from the problematics implications for educational policy and practice. In December 2002, a new government was elected in Kenya. The National Rainbow Coalition Party (NARC) promised Free Primary Education to all Kenyan children if it were elected. It fulfilled its promise and FPE came into force in January 2003. I carried out this study after the introduction of Free Primary Education in Kenya (2005) among working children in coffee farms in Nyeri, Kenya. I looked at child labor through the lens of Free Primary Education during a time when children are generally considered to have the ability to go to school. The Childrens Bill of 2002, aligned with the Convention on the Rights of the Child, prohibits the exploitation of children, including children being involved in work that will prevent them from schooling or be detrimental to their health. In this study, I look at the impact of policies on the lives of working children in Kenya. In the narratives of childrens work and schooling, it is evident that there are tensions among different groups of people in the way they view child labor and schooling, and in the way they perceive children being served by the policy of Free Primary Education and/or the concerns of the Childrens Bill. It is the interplay between policies and the reality expressed in narratives of childrens work and schooling that give rise to the problematics. I take the child labor phenomenon as a challenge that invites the people involved (policy makers, teachers, and education officers) to look at the situations and work towards transforming them. Through giving the context of child labor internationally and nationally and presenting details of the experiences surrounding it, I show the disconnect that exists between child labor policies and the reality of working children in Kenya and other third world countries. I hope that readers will envision multiple perspectives to deal with the complexities of child labor, which will in turn lead them to new paths of action.

This dissertation examines the globalization of both universities and related government organizations in the Peoples Republic of China. By using the analytical framework Allomorphism, I investigate how worldwide patterns of university governance and practices are incorporated in eight universities in the PRC. Allomorphism is an analytical framework specifically developed to examine changes of higher education institutions. It combines concepts from ¡ÈGlonacal Agency Heuristic¡É and ¡ÈWorld Culture.¡É Hence, it conceptualizes globalization at the cognitive level, that is, the spread of ideas about how universities should be organized and the role of universities in society, but allows for exploration of how organizations respond to global ideas. Therefore, according to Allomorphism, while universities and government organizations will share similar ideas about organizational structure and practices, they adapt and select global ideas in unique ways. From the literature, I identified four patterns. They are: 1) change in governance/organizational restructuring of higher education, 2) accreditation and quality control, 3) transnational higher education, and 4) internationalization. From interviews with higher education administrators, university professors, Ministry of Education officials and document analysis, I describe how these four global patterns are incorporated into the organizational structure and practices in four different types of universities and how the Ministry of Education plays a part in this process. This study has two principal findings. The MOE plays a role in how universities adopt and adapt global patterns of organizational structure and practice. For example, the MOE encourages certain universities to focus on research and self-generate funds through funding projects called Project 211 and Project 985. Second, the length of time a university has had international programs and the number of international programs at a university relate to how much a university incorporates globally held ideas into its organizational structure and practices. This study contributes to the field of globalization studies by providing systematic empirical data on the selection and adaptation of ¡Èglobal patterns¡É into the organizational structure and practices of different types of universities in the Peoples Republic of China. This study is also the first to use Allomorphism as an analytical framework.

The purpose of this study was to describe school working conditions perceived by beginning teachers about their first year of teaching in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The specific working conditions that were examined were those identified in the research as contributing to either teacher retention or attrition. The researcher developed three research questions that guided her study. The Pennsylvania State Board of Education aided the researcher in reaching a random sample of Instructional I certificate holders by mail. The letter asked potential subjects to log on to the state boards website and complete an electronic survey concerning the conditions surrounding their first year of teaching in Pennsylvania. Two hundred and seventy-nine certificate holders, who had completed one, two, or three years of teaching, completed the survey. The researcher surmised that the poor response rate was due to insufficient addresses and large numbers of certificate holders who are not currently teaching or not currently teaching in Pennsylvania. Quantitative data were analyzed using percentages, means, and standard deviations. The researcher applied qualitative analysis to interpret the data obtained from the open-ended questions concerning induction programs at the end of the survey. The results of this study indicated that approximately 26% of survey respondents said they had left teaching altogether or had migrated to another school district. The researcher also found that some of the workplace conditions identified in the literature were causes for this rate of attrition. Many respondents felt their schedule was the same or more challenging than those of veteran teachers, while over half said they taught four or more subjects a day. Many said they were unhappy with their salary and administrative support, citing these as reasons for migrating to other school districts or leaving the teaching profession altogether. Another important finding is that nearly all Pennsylvania teachers participated in an induction program. However, many respondents felt the content of the induction program was impractical and felt time spent in induction could have been better spent in preparing lessons.

Educational leaders are at the forefront for implementing policies and practices that promote rigorous teaching and learning. In order to plan, implement, and evaluate appropriate programming, educational leaders, especially principals, must make data driven decisions. Educational leaders can afford themselves the opportunity to make informed decisions through the acceptance and use of technology. Through the utilization of technology, educational leaders can incorporate appropriate educational planning through the obtainment of information and knowledge in an efficient and effective manner. This study attempts to investigate to what extent a principal's decision style influences his/her acceptance and use of technology. The study surveyed 97 K-12 public school principals in western Pennsylvania. The survey consisted of four parts: 1) initial questions, 2) Technology Acceptance/Use Inventory, 3) Decision Style Inventory, and 4) demographics. The technology inventory investigated the acceptance and use of five technology applications--the Internet, email, word processing, database, and spreadsheet. The decision style inventory categorized each principal as analytical, behavioral, conceptual, or directive. The findings indicate that a principal's decision style has no bearing on his/her acceptance and use of technology. A large number of the principals surveyed were characterized as having an analytical decision style. Further, the study did find that the most widely accepted and used technology application by K-12 principals is email. The study concluded that most principals feel comfortable using technology, use it on a daily basis, and attend a variety of technology trainings. Lastly, of the principals surveyed, the majority stated that they use technology the most to make decisions regarding student achievement. Although the findings did not support the research tenets of the study, there are several recommendations to be offered. Technology can be an important tool to assist with data driven decision making. However, educational organizations should support the acceptance and use of technology. Educational leaders should embrace the use of technology and be willing to use it as an assistive tool for decision making. If educational leaders are not affording themselves this opportunity, then they may be inhibiting the ability to provide the most optimal learning environments for their students.

Elementary, middle, and retired teachers, from the Montour School District, volunteered to participate in a research study of teachers attitudes and beliefs pertaining to academic standards and inclusion of autistic students in the general curriculum. Fourteen participants completed two surveys and a personal interview with an independent observer present. Survey responses were analyzed and further clarified during the interviews. Teacher profiles were developed, which shared personal experiences and beliefs regarding the standards and inclusion. Although experiences and attitudes varied greatly between individuals, all of the participants recognized the need to participate in individualized education planning and the need for additional training regarding autism and inclusion. Participants also acknowledged the emphasis on teaching the Pennsylvania academic standards and the increased pressure to have all students become proficient in the areas of reading, writing, and mathematics.

Abstract This study focuses on the creation of a charter school and public school partnership in Pennsylvania. Developing a partnership between a charter school and public district requires careful planning and specialized legal assistance. Successful partnerships can result in significant benefits to the charter school and public school district in the partnership. This study documents in detail the creation and operation of the Beaver Area Academic Charter School, the development of the partnership with Beaver Area School District and the innovative instructional programs that have been created as a result of this partnership. Additionally the study documents the financial benefits and the opportunities to share and consolidate services. The implications of this study for other educators in Pennsylvania can be divided into two themes: (1) Guidelines for those planning to create a charter school partnership with a public school district; and (2) benefits, possibilities and consequences of charter school and public school partnerships operating in Pennsylvania. As the primary founder of the Beaver Area Academic Charter School and as the principal researcher in this study, this dissertation is a documentation of my own learning in this about charter school and school district partnerships. It is my hope that other educators in Pennsylvania can create such partnerships to enhance the academic achievement of students. this study provide guidelines to creating successful public school partnerships.

The purpose of this multi-perspectival qualitative study was to examine the reasons parents/primary caregivers residing in and around the Steeltown community choose to have their preschool age children participate or not participate in quality early childhood education programs. The goal of the researcher was to examine the early childhood experiences of some of the children from the Steeltown community who reside in either of the two subsidized housing projects and/or their neighborhoods. The following research questions were formulated to examine the reasons parents/primary caregivers choose to have their preschool age children participate or not participate in quality early childhood programs, given the presence of these programs in the Steeltown community. 1) What are the early childhood programs available in the area? 2) What do these programs provide: academics, socialization, childcare, other? 3) What types of early childhood care (primarily) do parents/primary caregivers enroll their children: home (none), babysitter, daycare, nursery school? 4) On what basis is this type of early childhood care chosen by parents/primary caregivers? 5) How important is a childs prekindergarten (approximately from ages 0-5 years) experiences on kindergarten school readiness? 6) What comments or questions regarding the context of early childhood education programs in the community do the research participants have of the researcher? Data was collected from interviews and focus groups of parents/primary caregivers and the school district parent involvement coordinator along with a review of school district documents regarding early childhood programs in the Steeltown area and local demographics. The findings indicate that the communication system between parents/primary caregivers and early childhood education providers has had a major impact on participation or lack of participation in quality early childhood programs. The goals of Goals 2000 legislation, ensuring all children come to school ready to learn, and the goals of the No Child Left Behind legislation have influenced the focus on the provision of high quality early education programs for all children. The results of this study revealed that without an effective communication system, parents/primary caregivers have limited knowledge of school readiness, what quality early childhood programs offer, and that these programs are accessible.

This study investigates the challenges, responses, and the importance of socialization in public high schools and the context of principal succession in specific contexts as well as how these contexts affect succession. Additionally, investigation into transition assistance is also studied. The concern is not the rationale for the candidates reasons to change positions or schools or districts; rather to focus on the succession, as defined as the first year. The purpose of the study is to assist districts in providing better transition assistance, and to better prepare those principals who wish to have a smooth and successful first year.

This study explores how dimensions of reflexive thinking in a social foundations pedagogy facilitates an understanding of student and teacher talk and text in a social foundations classroom. Even though pedagogy is defined as both thinking and acting, discussions about teacher pedagogy in teacher education have often focused on the behavior or actions of teachers in the classroom. This study focuses on the thinking aspect of pedagogy and seeks to portray thinking in pedagogy as a way in which theoretic meaning can be derived from students talk and text in the classroom. In the study, I draw on Garmans (1998) levels of reflection and weave the concept of reflexivity through the reflective process and call this reflexive thinking. I use this framework to explore the problematics of teaching social foundations in order to come to theoretic understandings of students talk and text. This study attempts to reframe the notion of pedagogy to include reflexive thinking as a pedagogic act. This interpretive study draws on student and teacher dialogues as well as teacher journal texts from a social foundations course. Five fictive vignettes are crafted from these texts which demonstrate reflexive thinking in pedagogy. Each vignette explores a problematic encountered while teaching social foundations in order to derive theoretic meanings. This study attempts to demonstrate how reflexive thinking in pedagogy is a pedagogic act which can prepare one for future action in the classroom.

The field of Social Foundations of Education has been called upon time and time again to justify its place and curricular space in teacher education. Scholars have described the field as marginalized (Greene, 1976; Nash and Agne, 1982); in crisis (Shea, Sola and Jones, 1987); eroding (Sirotnik, 1990); in disarray (Johanningmeier, 1991); and in transit (Warren, 1998). In responding to these challenges, various scholars have attempted to reconnect (Shulman, 1990), reconceptualize (Soltis, 1991), reconstruct (Butts, 1993), reframe (Beadie, 1996), and reconceive of (Bredo, 2002) the field of social foundations in teacher education. In the past, critiquing social foundations was largely academic because states required coursework in the social foundations as one of the prerequisites to certification (deMarrais, 2005; Shields, 1968). Today, as states replace course requirements with standardized, outcomes-based tests as prerequisites to certification (deMarrais, 2005; Watras, 2006), school of education administrators and teacher educators hold extraordinary power over the place and curricular space for the field of social foundations in teacher education. In this qualitative, interpretive study, I set out to understand how school of education administrators and teacher educators at a large, urban university in the Middle Atlantic Region of the United States that I call Jefferson University conceived of the field of social foundations and how and why the field appeared to be being squeezed out of teacher education. In doing so, I come to deeper understandings about where the field of social foundations has been and might be headed, not only at Jefferson University but in teacher education writ large. I then begin to reimagine the place and curricular space for the field in teacher education. Consequently, I call for communication and collaboration between foundations scholars on one hand and school of education administrators and teacher educators on the other.