Thesis (MEd)--University of South Australia, 1996

[Abstract]: Academic standards in higher education require that all students, including L2 students, are able to write fluently, accurately, clearly, and logically. At postgraduate level, students’ competence in written communication depends on appropriate knowledge and use of the discipline-specific genre, plus awareness of the convention-specific phrasing in the discipline. In addition, students need to develop critical thinking and conceptual abilities to satisfy the faculty demands. This research aims to articulate the strong interdependence between disciplinary knowledge and writing skills at postgraduate level. Specifically, this study provides a more explicit description of the role of discourse knowledge and writing skills in academic writing in the business sector. It also provides insights into the skills and challenges of L2 postgraduate writers and their inclusion in their academic community through their writing practice. The two main methods of data collection were: (i) in-depth interviews with students and their course lecturer, and (ii) text analysis of electronic corpora of two written assignments. These methods were chosen (a) to explore students’ perceptions of the writing process and composing strategies in their academic writing production, and (2) to identify key rhetorical components recognising the complexity of the interaction among literacy and disciplinary elements in post-graduate writing. Exploration of the students’ and lecturer’s perceptions about the students’ writing practices as second language writers indicated students’ experiences, difficulties, worries, weaknesses, strengths and learning processes. Their perceptions clarified the relationship between disciplinary knowledge about Management and Organisational Behaviour and successful writing skills. Findings of this study led researcher to propose two new models: one is based on theoretical principles of academic writing in a discipline and the second addresses specific applications in second language learning and teaching. The first, “A model for L2 postgraduate writing process: A metadiscourse perspective’’ identifies the factors involved in the writing process including the metadiscourse of academic writing (Hyland, 1998, 1999a, 2001a, 2004b; Hyland & Tse, 2004a). The second is “A model of learning academic writing: the second language writing process at post-graduate level”. This second model involves the stages of knowledge development for a writer in the discipline to be accepted in the academic community. The latter model illustrates the functions, context, the role and relevance of writing within the discourse practices of an academic community.

Bibliography : leaves 321-350 / xxi, 350 leaves ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Psychology, 1990

This study was undertaken in conjunction with the Successful Integration of Learning Technologies (SILT) project in state schools in Victoria, Australia. The thesis reports an interpretative analysis of cooperative learning in computer-supported classes as it is currently conducted in selected Victorian primary schools. The framework for the study is grounded in the belief that cooperative learning encourages learning as a group as opposed to learning in a group (Slavin, 1980). The framework emphasises the importance of teachers using cooperative learning as a structure to enable students to think together. Therefore, analysis focuses on cooperative learning in a classroom context and the teachers’ units of work guiding the tasks they create. Using a mixed-method approach involving questionnaires, interviews and videotaped observations, the study was conducted in four sites with two teachers from each school and two groups of students from each class. (For complete abstract open document)

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Texas at El Paso, 2007. / Title from title screen. Vita. CD-ROM. Includes bibliographical references. Also available online.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2007. / The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on March 3, 2008) Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Dissertation (Ph. D.)--University of Akron, Dept. of Counselor Education and Supervision, 2007. / "December, 2007." Title from electronic dissertation title page (viewed 02/27/2008) Advisor, Robert C. Schwartz; Committee members, Karyn Bobkoff Katz, Cynthia A. Reynolds, Sandra Spickard-Prettyman, Fred H. Ziegler; Department Chair, Karin B. Jordan; Dean of the College, Cynthia F. Capers; Dean of the Graduate School, George R. Newkome. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2007. / Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 151-159). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.

Thesis PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--University of North Texas, May, 2007. / Title from title page display. Includes bibliographical references.