Thesis--Gothenburg. / Summary in English. Includes bibliographical references (p. 183-192).

Thesis (doctoral)--Lund University, 1995. / Added t.p. with thesis statement inserted. Includes bibliographical references (283-292).

This dissertation is an investigation of how preschool children understand the meaning of determiner universal quantifiers such as English every and all. Although grasping the distributive force of such words, and generally showing adult-like comprehension of simple universally quantified sentences, the typical four-year-old is seen often to have a strikingly nonadult-like understanding of the meaning of such sentences. This is shown by the child's comprehension performance under certain experimental conditions. The principal claim of this dissertation is that the child comprehension phenomena in question is essentially linguistic in etiology and derives from a preference for quantification over individual events/situations rather individual objects.

This qualitative study focused on ten middle school dropouts, and their personal experiences. Ten middle school dropouts were interviewed to examine their personal experiences rather than from the vantage points of teachers and the educated professionals. Two major findings were found: (a) the causes that underlined the subjects actions and (b) methods to rectify the problem. Our technologically advanced society requires many years of schooling for its citizens. The present job market requires students to obtain an education that is equivalent to a high school diploma in order to compete in the work force. The focus of this study as forementioned was to examine the students personal experiences before making a decision to drop out of school. The data was intended to bring about an awareness of the existing dropout problems among teachers and educators. The findings indicate the characteristics and causes of the middle school dropout problem, as well as preventive measures, which revolve around greater flexibility and understanding of the needs of at-risk students in the public school system. Research indicates the need for educators to rethink and restructure the curriculums and teaching methods as well as teacher training to meet the needs of at-risk students. Research further suggests that endeavors be made to counter the dropout problem; and then attempt to prepare students for a successful and productive adult life. According to research the lack of sensitivity and preventive measures among educators have caused widespread dropout problems in public schools. In addition the dropout problem is compounded by teacher-student conflicts as well as tension and humiliation among students. The dropout population accepts unemployment as normal. Furthermore, they treat dropouts as normal, and in many circumstances, even positive. The preventive measures found in this study emphasize (a) small class size, (b) common planning and meeting time for staff, (c) collaboration with at-risk students, (d) a partnership with the outside community resources, and (e) an intimate home/school communication in an attempt to deal effectively with the dropout problem.

This study examined the effects of cross-age tutoring on the reading achievement of thirty second graders and their tutors' levels of performance. Additionally, the study assessed whether the role of tutors raised the academic performance of those younger students in the tutoring program. Participants in the study were academically, economically, and socially deficient. This study involved African American students from an urban public school in an after school tutoring program for two months. The students were paired during the tutoring sessions. They were administered the Morrison-McCall Diagnostic Spelling Scale pretests and posttests. Analysis of variance was used to compare and assess the levels of performance of the tutored and untutored groups. Overall, participants in the cross-age tutoring study produced remarkable gains of mastery in their reading achievement performances. This achievement was determined through the use of the Morrison-McCall Diagnostic Spelling Scale Test, which was administered to all students prior to the beginning of the program and at the end of the tutoring sessions. The results indicated significant gains made by the tutored group of students. Students in the study improved their reading, spelling, writing and comprehension skills. The effects of cross-age tutoring on the achievement level of the tutored group was successful. The posttest findings regarding level of reading improvement were increased. The results were used to make recommendations relative to the efficacy of cross-age tutoring as an instructional strategy for improving and measuring the achievement levels of "underachieving" African American students. Previous findings suggested that cross-age tutoring programs have been a positive choice of intervention for underachieving students in some school districts. As a result of cross-age tutoring, students elevated (independent or in a group setting) their level of academic performances. Thus, the study determined that cross-age tutoring has provided students with the academic tools to "carry over" to the daily mastery of skills at school to enhance accomplishments.

The use of puppetry to motivate and teach children in early education settings has a long tradition, yet there is very little research evidence linking puppetry training for teachers to the use of puppets in early elementary school classrooms. In this study, 120 early childhood educators completed a survey about the use of puppetry in schools and their perceived value as an educational tool. Teachers were also asked to indicate the type of training they had had in puppetry skills (college course, workshop, both college and workshop, neither), and their perceived abilities as puppeteers. The survey data were tabulated to determine overall frequency response rates. Chi Square analyses were used to examine relationships between the type of training and the following factors: the overall use of puppetry in the classroom; teachers' perceived ability as a puppeteer; the number of professional programs presented in the classrooms; and teachers' attitudes towards the effectiveness of puppetry in the classroom. Although results indicated that training by itself was not related to the use of puppets in classroom settings nor to teachers' reports on the overall effectiveness of puppetry as a teaching tool, training in puppetry was significantly related to the teachers' perceptions of their own abilities as puppeteers. And, the average frequency of use of puppets in the classroom increased with each increase in skill level. Data are also presented concerning the attitudes of the teachers toward the use of puppets in their classrooms, the various curriculum areas in which puppets have been used successfully, limitations on puppetry use and student classification (emotionally disturbed, developmentally delayed, physically challenged, "typical"). The implications of these findings as they relate to teacher inservice training are discussed. A training module to teach puppetry skills to early childhood educators is outlined as are topics for possible future research.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the use of a video camera and video printer compared to a 35-mm camera on learning by student teachers of the documentation panel-making and revisiting processes as methods of enhancing student teachers' teaching skills, and to determine which medium better assisted pre-service teachers in expanding their understanding of the role of the teacher. This study consisted of two major parts: The first studied documentation panel-making processes, and the second part studied revisiting processes. Eight hypotheses were raised in this study. It is assumed that the quality of documentation panel and revisiting would be constrained or enhanced by the medium of documentation. The participants were 12 undergraduate education majors who were in the process of completing the final preschool practicum. The participants were equally divided in two groups, the video and video printer users, and the videotaped episode and 35-mm camera users. Six student teachers used a 35-mm camera and videotaped episodes and the other six teachers used a video camera and video printer to create documentation panels and to revisit. Student teachers created two documentation panels and had two revisiting experiences. The data for this study were derived from 24 documentation panels, 24 interview tapes, and 24 revisiting tapes. Two-way analysis of variance showed that there were no statistically significant differences found in all seven dependent variables by treatment and practice conditions and their interactions. This might be because of the small number of subjects studied. As regards revisiting, the video printer group showed higher scores for both revisiting I and revisiting II than the 35-mm camera group on the quality of revisiting skills and the degree of temporality on revisiting. The results of analysis of interview responses showed that the unique aspects of each technology affected student teachers' learning in different ways in the documentation panel-making and revisiting processes. The groups using a video camera and video printer displayed a process orientation of children's learning compared to the use of a 35-mm camera and videotaped episode group. Also, the video printer group demonstrated better revisiting skills than the 35-mm camera group when they used their photographs to facilitate children's construction of knowledge and interpretation of learning processes. Overall, the video printer group demonstrated a better quality of panels and revisiting skills than the 35-mm camera group.

This paper asks: Are there characteristics of child care directors that are shared among those operating high quality programs? The researcher examines quality child care and the role of directors in the delivery of quality care. Child care directors occupy a pivotal position to influence the quality of child care through their training, their experience and their roles within the center. The literature suggests a link between child care directors and program quality and this study attempts to explore that link. The researcher has conducted a comparative study of the characteristics of 282 child care administrators in accredited and nonaccredited programs within Massachusetts. A profile of directors of quality programs was developed by surveying licensed and National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) accredited child care centers in Massachusetts (n = 159). The data was then screened through seven quality criteria derived from the literature in order to arrive at a 'filtered' profile of quality administrators. These profiles were matched against the directors of the nonaccredited child care programs (n = 123). A random sample of 31 directors and their centers from both groups (22 accredited, 9 nonaccredited) was examined to establish what level of quality was actually occurring. The Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (Harms & Clifford, 1980) and the Infant Toddler Environment Rating Scale (Harms, Cryer, & Clifford, 1990) was used to score overall center quality, and additionally data were collected while on-site. The study was able to establish that directors of the high quality early care and education programs had statistically distinct characteristics, but failed to predict quality by themselves. Additional comparisons created a revised grouping which was of similar quality to both of the NAEYC accredited groups. Additionally, NAEYC accredited child care centers were operating at a significantly higher quality than the nonaccredited programs in Massachusetts, with 92% of the classrooms (n = 75) operating at a developmentally appropriate level. The study found that 72% of the nonaccredited classrooms (n = 32) were developmentally appropriate. Overall quality was demonstrated at higher than expected levels. While the study was able to make definitive statements about the quality of child care in Massachusetts, it failed to make a conclusion about the directors and quality.

Although the research evidence in support of providing phonemic awareness training for young children is substantial, its implementation in kindergarten programs has been limited. The need to bridge the gap between research and practice is clear, given the number of children demonstrating difficulties learning to read and the powerful effects specific training programs have had upon reading. This study's aim was to examine the feasibility of a comprehensive early literacy program linking research-based curricula with innovative assessment procedures in a kindergarten setting. Teachers and support staff from a small urban school system monitored early literacy skills using Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS). Local normative data was collected to establish standards of performance and to serve as a means of comparing the efficacy of the traditional system of assessment and instruction to the model used by the participating teachers. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected to address questions regarding the usefulness of DIBELS and the effectiveness of the model. The individual and overall outcomes of students receiving phonemic awareness instruction were evaluated by examining a set of descriptive statistics and conducting a repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) design. Time series analyses were also employed to illustrate the process used in making programmatic decisions. Staff members were interviewed at regular intervals to obtain feedback about the implementation process. Factors relating to the manageability of data collection and analysis, the feasibility of providing activities for a wide range of students, and the integration of this training into existing curriculum were given special attention. Although restricted by the limitations of design and nature of the data, descriptive and inferential statistics indicate that the formative assessment model was more effective in building phonemic awareness skills than the general curriculum. No significant differences were found in the development of letter naming skills. Participants indicated that DIBELS are effective assessment and teaching tools. They reported that the effectiveness of the training program lay in the high level of student involvement in the lessons. Issues related to time, space, support from personnel, and need for collaboration were raised as important factors in implementation.

Research in the area of early literacy has strongly supported instruction at the phonemic awareness level. In addition, a number of research articles have discussed the importance of involving parents in their children's education through home-based activities. This study examined the effects of a parent-training on early literacy skills in the areas of phonemic awareness and letter-identification. This study utilized a pre-experimental AB design. Thirty-nine kindergarten children from the northeast were administered early literacy measures (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills - DIBELS) ten times during both the base-line phase and treatment phases. Twenty children comprised the treatment group, and their parents participated in five training sessions and 10 weeks of interactive book reading and practice and instruction of specific skills with their children. Results were positive and significant for the three early literacy measures, (Onset Fluency, Letter-Naming Fluency, and Phoneme Segmentation). In addition, treatment integrity and acceptability were measured. Limitations to the study, implications for education and future research are also discussed.