This study is based on fieldwork carried out between October 1995 and December 1996 and has two dimensions. The first dimension reflects the study of social relationships between children with and without disabilities in the regular school setting. The second dimension reflects the process involved when moving from quantitative to qualitative research methodology. This research is presented as three case studies. The first is a behaviourist case study that utilised a peer-training intervention to improve social interactions and social relationships between a six year old boy labelled 'severely disabled' and his regular classroom peers. An increase in the number and length of interactions raised some important questions about the context of social relationships. Two qualitative observational case studies then followed, with the focus on social relationships, especially the structures and people that shape and influence them in the school setting. In the first of the qualitative case studies, the first and over-riding theme was the influence of the school structure. The second theme was the opportunities to interact available to the children in the classroom and the playground. The characteristics of the social interactions and relationships that I observed between a seven year old girl with a disability and her peers were the third theme. In the second qualitative case study three themes also emerged. The first was the role the school played in children's social relationships, the second was the opportunities available to the children to interact and the third theme was the characteristics of the social interactions and relationships that I observed between an eight year old girl with a disability and her peers.

<p>The researcher’s interest regarding criminality has increased and there were many studies focusing on what may influence an individual to commit crime. There were even articles stating that family bonds have the strongest impact in influencing a child when it comes to developing future criminal behavior.  In this qualitative study the stories are told by real individuals who have shared their experiences from childhood and adolescence to help identify the insecurities that made them commit a crime.  Setting existing theories aside, the study showed that it was not the structural background that mostly impacted future criminal behavior but the individual background factors weighted the most. Individuals seemed to be more impacted by factors such as thrill seeking or bad economy.  This study reflects the individual’s real stories and all included information is believed to be genuine.</p>

The researcher’s interest regarding criminality has increased and there were many studies focusing on what may influence an individual to commit crime. There were even articles stating that family bonds have the strongest impact in influencing a child when it comes to developing future criminal behavior.  In this qualitative study the stories are told by real individuals who have shared their experiences from childhood and adolescence to help identify the insecurities that made them commit a crime.  Setting existing theories aside, the study showed that it was not the structural background that mostly impacted future criminal behavior but the individual background factors weighted the most. Individuals seemed to be more impacted by factors such as thrill seeking or bad economy.  This study reflects the individual’s real stories and all included information is believed to be genuine.

The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between pedagogy and teacher-student relationships. Researchers have hypothesized that these relationships can promote better student achievement, particularly among low-income students, and that instruction primarily shapes these relationships. Yet not enough is known about these relationships or their connection to student performance to move forward with school or teaching reforms. This study addresses this lack of knowledge. As such, it contributes to a stream of research that attempts to understand factors that contribute to student learning. The study setting is High Tech Middle North County (HTMNC), a charter school in San Marcos, CA. This case was chosen because of its unique and highly touted teaching practices based on relational and project-based pedagogies. Studying the implementation of these pedagogies and their meaning for the teachers and students at HTMNC will help researchers and educators better understand the role pedagogy plays in fostering teacher-student relationships. Through collegial relationships established by a project-based pedagogy, HTMNC teachers were able to develop positive relationships with students, allowing them to use these relationships to personalize curriculum and differentiate instruction, resulting in increased student motivation and engagement.

No description available.

No description available.

The purpose of this study is to examine how traditional school districts create online schools and how they navigate contingencies to establish online organizational structures. This study uses the theoretical framework of contingency theory to understand how school districts structurally adapt to internal and external factors, or contingencies to establish new online schools. This multiple case study collected data from three online schools in California that have opened in the past two to seven years. While some research exists concerning the challenges of creating online schools, little has been done as to the challenges and factors that traditional school districts encounter in creating and organizing online schools. The findings from this study revealed that online schools must adapt to contingencies through adaptation features. These identified features were divided into categories that included addressing the context; systems planning, management, and leadership; and in-process adaptability. These findings have important implications for traditional school districts with online schools or exploring the option of creating an online school, as well as for policy makers who help define the contingencies online schools face.

No description available.

No description available.