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Each year, teachers apply and interview for posted positions. Yet little is known about what draws certain teachers to given positions or populations of students. This study aimed to determine the extent to which Manitoba teachers consider their fit with the student population when applying for postings, the characteristics of teacher-student fit as perceived by teachers and students, and ultimately if there is a difference in student success rates when teacher-student fit is taken into consideration. Using case study methodology, teachers and students were interviewed. Results from this study indicate that fit with students is not a primary factor in guiding application decisions. Both personal and professional characteristics arose as significant qualities and traits that teachers should possess to provide the most encompassing education to students. Three levels of fit emerged in this study: Characteristics required for student engagement, for relationship development, and for the implementation of culturally relevant teaching. / October 2015

No description available.

Despite a long history of providing open-door access to students who might not otherwise have an opportunity to attend college, community colleges have not been as effective in fostering student success. To counter this trend, early intervention programs have been developed to facilitate academic and social integration for first semester students to improve student success. However, there is much that is not known about the influence of orientation programs at community colleges as an intervention strategy. Therefore, this study examines the influence of one new student orientation on first semester student success. Grounded in frameworks developed by Astin (1984, 1993, 1999), Tinto (1975, 1993), and Bean and Metzner (1985), this study examines the ability of a new student orientation to academically and socially integrate students into the culture of the institution. The following research questions are posed: • Does new student orientation influence student retention; • Does new student orientation influence student success; • Does new student orientation influence student persistence; • Does new student orientation facilitate a student’s social integration into the institution? • Does new student orientation facilitate a student’s academic integration into the institution? The focus of this case study is a publicly supported, two-year, comprehensive community college that is part of a multiple college district located in a suburban area outside of a major city in Texas. Participants are students who attended a new student orientation session. Employing a mixed methods research approach, data is gathered on student success, retention, persistence, and through interviews. Findings demonstrate that there was no significant difference in first semester retention for students who participated in a new student orientation and for those who did not. However, students who participated in orientation were more likely to be successful in their first semester in college and much more likely to re-enroll for their second semester at the institution. New student orientation also facilitated students’ social and academic integration into the institution. This study concludes with recommendations for program improvement, recommendations for further research, and a discussion of implications for community college policy and practice in developing new student orientation programs. / text

Statement of Purpose. The purpose of this study was to assess junior college students' prevalence of condom use, risk behaviors, attitudes toward AIDS, and sources of knowledge regarding AIDS. Method. The descriptive survey research technique was used. Subjects. One hundred and two subjects participated. Instrument. The instrument was developed, by the writer, and field-tested. Findings. The data indicate that the subjects surveyed in these two studies, are not taking seriously the recommended life-style changes for risk reduction. Conclusions. The findings in this survey are consistent with findings in other studies regarding college students' risk behaviors, condom uses, and attitudes regarding AIDS.

The purpose of this study was to determine if the MOVE IT Math Reform model has had an impact on student achievement and teacher instruction in the area of mathematics. The data for this study were collected in an elementary school in a large metropolitan public school in Georgia, were the majority of the students receive free or reduced meals. Questionnaires were given to students and their teachers in grades first through fifth. To evaluate instruction in the classroom the Observation Based Instructional Assessment (OBIA) tool was used to assess the independent and dependent variables as well as the social interactions. The objectives in the OBIA are rated as lower order thinking skills, higher order thinking skills and dispositions. The dependent variable is the teacher and student outcomes. These are measured in terms of lower and higher level thinking skills and dispositions. The first part of the study was an ex post facto design to collect data on the variables in order to determine the ones that have the most impact on student achievement. From this analysis, a treatment was developed on the impacting variables which were implemented in the 2007-08 school year? The second part of the study was a quasi-experiment design. Teachers were trained in a staff development program on the treatment in the first weeks of the Fall semester. They implemented the treatment during the remainder of the school year. Data for the investigation were collected via teacher and student questionnaires and the OBTA. The data analyses were accomplished using the Statistical Program for Social Sciences (SPSS) package. Twenty teachers in grades 1 to 5 were selected for this study. The results showed that there was a statistical relationship between student self efficacy in math and student achievement. Therefore, there is a relationship between student self-efficacy in math and student achievement in math. The conclusion drawn from the findings suggest that student self-efficacy impacts student achievement in math. Educators at all levels need to be informed of the impact self-efficacy has on improving student achievement in mathematics and the MOVE IT Math reform model.

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

No description available.

The purpose of this study was to develop an adequately reliable and valid measure to assess five dominant life values held by adults. Additionally, by using the developed instrument, the study also compared major life values held by Anglo and black subjects. Items for the initial draft of the instrument were drawn from a pool of items obtained from surveying a group of community college students who were asked to list 10 to 20 important life values. Once these values were listed, the students were asked to rank order them in terms of their importance to their life and survival. These rank ordered values were categorized into five areas which formed the basis for the final version of the values scale. The final version of the draft included 50 items grouped into five value areas which were labeled as: moral outlook, family-mate relationships, work values, personal growth, and values related to creative use of leisure time. This instrument was then administered to a group of 723 secondary students whose ages ranged from 17 to 31 years. The data obtained from this sample was used to determine the internal consistency measure of reliability for the total as well as individual sub-scales. The reliability coefficients ranged from a low of .82 to a high of .91, indicating high reliability of the scale. The concurrent validity of the scale was developed by correlating five value sub-scales to the Taylor-Johnson Temperament Analysis (TJTA). The validity coefficients obtained by this procedure indicated a moderately high construct validity of the developed scale. The intercorrelations of five sub-scales also revealed that there was some overlap among these scales; however, low to moderate correlations provided some justification for using them as separate sub-scales of human values. For the purposes of comparing values of subjects from two ethno-cultures, 72 students were randomly selected from each group, and their responses to the value scale were analyzed by a factorial analyses of variance design. The results obtained from a three-factor ANOVA (sex x race x religion) revealed no significant differences in values of Anglo and black subjects in terms of ethnic and religious attributes. However, significant differences were observed in values held by male and female subjects. The greater sex differences occurred in the values related to creative use of leisure time. Male subjects placed significantly higher importance upon leisure time activities than their female counterparts. The significance and implications of the findings were discussed.