Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2006. / 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 2, 2007) Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph.D. in History)--University of California, Berkeley, Fall 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 293-316). Also available on the Internet.

With wide adoption of on-line instruction as a new instruction format in higher education in the U.S. and the fast growing population of international students coming to pursue degrees in America, the exploration of international students’ perceived needs and expectations towards this new learning experience becomes critical. Chinese students are the second largest group of international students in the U.S., yet, studies on their learning needs and challenges in on-line learning are limited. This case study aims at exploring the experiences of three Chinese graduate students, who major in education and have taken at least one on-line course in their programs. Data were collected through three in-depth individual interviews with the participants. Three research questions guided the study: 1) How do Chinese students feel about taking an on-line course as compared with traditional face-to-face lecture? 2) How confident do Chinese students feel about their language competency when they participate in the discussions of an on-line course? 3) What is Chinese students’ understanding of the cultural issues as they participate in the discussions of an on-line course? There were four themes generated from the cross-case analysis. The themes were: a) preference of face-to-face courses over on-line courses; b) English language proficiency as a major challenge; c) enjoyment of cross-cultural interaction, and personal growth from the experience. Results revealed that: 1) Participants always have a preference for face-to-face format and regarded face-to-face interaction as an indispensible component; yet, since participants also welcome the adoption of on-line technology, they recommended a combination of two or more instruction methods such as an on-line method with face-to-face method or synchronous on-line chats with asynchronous discussion; 2) Limitation in English language proficiency is constantly a major challenge for participants as international students; 3) Participants enjoyed the cross-cultural communication with peers; and 4) Participants consolidated their knowledge base and developed the awareness of being a culturally responsive teacher.

For urban secondary students, the benefits of attending after-school programs may not be solely academic—rather, their attendance and participation may yield more fundamental development needs. A supportive network of influential and positive mentors can improve urban secondary students learning experience outside of the classroom. Urban secondary students may have access to support and assistance from mentors by attending an after-school program. This qualitative ethnographic study explored the perceptions of tutors working in an after-school program in a large urban school district. This study attempted to understand of the tutors’ motivation for working with students, the support that they provided to the students, and the needs they thought the students have. The data was collected through individual interviews and observations of the tutors during the program. Data was analyzed for common themes to support the research questions. From the interview questions, a total of twelve themes were generated to answer the three research questions. According to the participants interviewed in this study, the interactions with the tutors in the program served as catalysts that promoted student academic success and social development. While the themes originating from the questioned varied, the underlying conclusion of the interview data from this research study is that students take more of an interest in themselves and their academic ability when someone else takes a genuine interest in them and their academic ability.

This study investigated the factors that influence community college students' attitudes toward technology, particularly in teaching and learning experiences. Studies on post-secondary students' attitudes reported in the literature are limited. Factors cited previously as having an effect on attitudes towards technology and toward computers included: gender; age; presence of a computer in the home; completion of a formal technology course; and comfort with technology. The subjects in this study were 372 students in freshman level credit English classes in the five colleges of the North Harris Montgomery Community College District located in the greater metropolitan Houston area. Previous research instruments and studies to measure students' attitudes toward technology were reviewed. A modified version of the Secondary Students Attitudes' Toward Technology (SSATT) was developed for this study because of the content, reliability, and applicability to the postsecondary population. The instrument was administered in the spring of 2005. The fact that 95.4% of the participants reported having a computer at home and that 70.2% reported having had a formal technology class provided insight into the integration of technology in the lives of this community college sample. A correlation matrix of all variables and analysis of variance were performed. Factor analyses were performed to identify subcomponents of the instrument. Eight factors were identified: (1) need for technology competence, (2) technology benefits, (3) negative aspects of technology, (4) technology and the workplace, (5) impact of increased use of technology, (6) video games, (7) technology and job creation, and (8) technology and safety. A conclusion of the study was that neither age nor gender had a significant effect on the post-secondary students' attitudes toward technology, which differs from the findings in some of the previous studies. Females reported being as comfortable, if not more so, with technology in teaching and learning experiences as the males in the study. Exposure to technology, completion of a formal technology class, and the use of computers appeared to positively affect community college students' attitudes toward technology.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--Lehigh University, 2000. / Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 114-129).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2008.

Thesis (M. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 74-88).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2000. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 192-206). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.

Thesis (M.A.)--West Virginia University, 2004. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains iii, 30 p. : ill. Vita. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 23-24).