The purpose of the study is threefold: (1) to examine students&rsquo / attitudes toward mathematics in terms of cognitive, affective and behavioral components, (2) to examine the relationships among students&rsquo / perceptions of their mathematics teacher&rsquo / s teaching profession, their mathematics teacher&rsquo / s and parents&rsquo / attitudes toward and expectations from them as learners of mathematics, some affective variables students have and the time they spent on mathematics at home and (3) to examine the relationships between students&rsquo / perceptions of their mathematics teacher&rsquo / s teaching profession, their mathematics teacher&rsquo / s and parents&rsquo / attitudes toward and expectations from them as learners of mathematics and three components of attitude toward mathematics, namely, cognitive, affective and behavioral components. The subjects of the study consists of 1960 7th grade students enrolled in 19 different public elementary schools in Istanbul. The study was carried out during the fall semester of 2009-2010 academic year. Structural equation modeling techniques were used to test the hypothesized relationships. The significant level was set to 0.05. Major findings revealed that (1) Attitude toward mathematics is identified with the three factors namely, cognitive, affective and behavioral, (2) Students&rsquo / perceptions of their mathematics teacher&rsquo / s teaching profession, their mathematics teacher&rsquo / s and parents&rsquo / attitudes toward and expectations from them as learners of mathematics statistically and significantly explain their confidence in learning mathematics, beliefs about the usefulness and importance of mathematics, liking for mathematics, mathematics anxiety, behaviors toward mathematics and the time they spent on mathematics at home, and (3) Students&rsquo / perceptions of their mathematics teacher&rsquo / s teaching profession, their mathematics teacher&rsquo / s and parents&rsquo / attitudes toward and expectations from them as learners of mathematics statistically and significantly explain three components of attitude toward mathematics.

Since 1996, the president of Taiwan's implementation of universal suffrage since 2010 in 14 years, There have been twice to replace the regime of peace, Taiwan's policy toward mainland China in the political division of the two major political parties - the KMT and DDP and also so the identity of the ruling and opposition parties quickly converted twice. Taiwan's political environment has undergone an unprecedented rapid changes. This article by David Easton's system theory as a general theory and approaches, Looks forward to further establishing a political party as the core of the local theory, Analysis of Taiwan's political parties since 1996 in the "internal and external environment ¡÷ demand and input ¡÷ feedback and output ¡÷ re-enter to the internal and external environment" and what role in the political process? As well as how the policies of mainland China affected? ¡@This article has found, political parties in the system theory are not only pressure groups for Political authority, And active in the political system's internal, external and boundary, And can be further repression of political authority, the completion of its own expectations of mainland policy. Political parties, both ruling party or opposition parties or unified government or divided government, the political parties can control congress, congressional paralysis, cooperation with other political system, increased support by social mobilization, the creation of political controversy and use other methods to pressure on the political authority. Finally, this article believes that with the cooperation of the KMT and the China Communist Party platform, the KMT has similar status of political authority in Taiwan's policy toward mainland China.

In oncology setting, there is a range of emotions felt by patients and nurses alike such as helplessness, anger, sadness and anxiety; and this is especially the case as patients near the end of life. The literature shows there is an interest in nurses' attitudes toward caring for patients who are near the end of life. This project examines the overall attitude of Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) nurses' attitudes toward caring for patients who are near the end of life using the Frommelt Attitudes Toward Care of the Dying Scale (FATCOD) and a Demographic Data Sheet. This project investigated the demographic variables including age, gender, ethnicity, religion, Oncology Certified Nurses status, highest degree held, years of nursing experience, years of oncology experience, years of BMT experience, prior continuing education in end of life, and prior experience taking care of a terminally ill patient, to see if they contribute to these differences in attitudes. This was a descriptive project. The sample consisted of a total of 30 BMT nurses, which included 8 men, and 22 women who have worked on the BMT unit for over a year. The mean years of nursing experience was 13.9 (SD=10.10), mean years of oncology nursing experience was 8 (SD=5.80), and mean years of BMT experience was 7.2 (SD=.60). The results of this project indicate that there is a positive relationship between number of years of experience as a nurse and positive attitudes toward caring for patients who are near the end of life. Scores on the FATCOD had a possibility to range from 30-150, with higher scores indicating a more positive attitude toward care of the dying. The scores from this project ranged from 113-148 with a mean of 128.6, indicating an overall positive attitude toward caring for the dying. This project should spur further investigation into attitudes toward caring for patients who are near the end of life. Nurses strive to take the best possible care of their patients and having an understanding of their attitudes will help them recognize areas of strength and weakness. This project supports interventions that are already being done by End of Life (EOL) Committee on the BMT unit at the Moffitt Cancer Center. The EOL committee is helping to create positive attitudes about caring for patients who are near the end of life by both supportive and educational methods.

This research project aims to: - Examine how my musical identity as Music-maker can be fused with those of contributing improvising musicians, throughout the collaborative process. - Form creative methodologies/strategies to sufficiently accommodate the improvisatory approaches of others around my own work. - Develop appropriate communication methods, including original notational systems; and explore ways in which technology can be harnessed, to help fulfil the above objectives. This research intends to explore the extent to which improvisation may be incorporated into compositions, by means of practical experiment and investigation. The written commentary will accompany a portfolio of audio recordings and scores. Key works demonstrating various approaches and techniques employed will be examined in detail. An appendix disc of supplementary audio recordings and videos will also be provided to show piecedevelopment and the evolution of my music-making practice. My point of origin straddles that of a professional guitarist experienced in an array of improvised music(s), including: rock, jazz, fusion and contemporary improvisation, and that of a composer interested in collaborative projects which take advantage of the eclectic experience and skill sets of the musicians taking part.

Paauglių nuostatų savižudybių atžvilgiu ir nuo savižudybės sulaikančių priežasčių, suicidiško elgesio tarpusavio ryšio problema dar nėra išsamiai tyrinėta, tačiau, anot N. Žemaitienės (2000), vis labiau stiprėja įsitikinimas, kad nuostatos dėl savižudybės veikia savižudybių mastą ir pobūdį visuomenėje. Žvelgiant iš pozityviosios žmogiškosios perspektyvos, ne mažiau svarbu tyrinėti atsparumo veiksnius, kurie, nepaisant nevilties ar patiriamų stresinių gyvenimo aplinkybių, asmenį sulaiko nuo savižudybės veiksmo. Taigi labai svarbu klausti, kokios nuostatos lemia gyvenimo, o ne mirties motyvaciją. Yra duomenų rodančių, kad nuostatos savižudybių atžvilgiu yra susijusios su mintimis apie savižudybę, mėginimais nusižudyti ir įvykdytų savižudybių paplitimu, tačiau 16-18 metų paauglių grupės yra mažai tyrinėtos. Šio tyrimo rezultatai sėkmingai gali būti panaudoti praktinio užsiėmimo temai, diskusijai, taigi įvertinimas gali lengvai peraugti į prevenciją ir pagalbą. / The problem of suicidal behavior, teenagers attitude to suicides and the reasons that prevent suicides has not been thoroughly investigated, but according to N. Žemaitienės and other authors (2000), a conviction is increasingly growing that provisions of the act of suicide extents the scale and nature in society. Looking through a positive human perspective, it is very important to study the resistance factors, which, despite the despair and stress experiences through circumstances of life deters a person from suicidal acts. So the most important question is what provisions determine life and do not motivate death. There is evidence suggesting that the provisions are linked to thoughts of suicide, attempted suicide and commited suicide prevalence, but group of teenagers aged 16 – 18 are poorly investigated. Survey results can be successfully used as topic for practical sessions, discussions, thus assessment can be easily used as prevention and help.

In Korea, English education in kindergartens has dramatically increased in the last 15 years. As a result, almost all Korean kindergarten students are learning English today. The present study aims to understand Korean parents’, kindergarten teachers’, and kindergarten students’ perceptions of early English-language education (EEE). This study is particularly significant because thus far little research has investigated the perceptions of EEE held by the young learners themselves. Ninety-five participants - 30 kindergarten teachers, 33 parents, and 32 five- and six-year old kindergarten students - were recruited from five kindergartens in four cities in Chung-Nam province, Korea. The parents’ and teachers’ perceptions of EEE were examined through questionnaires, whereas the students’ perceptions of learning English were investigated through multiple data collection methods: a questionnaire, an interview session, and a drawing activity. Questionnaire data gathered from the parents and teachers were quantitatively analyzed, and the data gathered from the kindergarten students were analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively. The findings revealed that the parent and student groups shared more positive attitudes towards EEE than the teacher group. In addition, many more parents and students believed that English education is necessary at the kindergarten level than the teachers did. Concerning kindergarten students’ perceptions, the three data collection methods in this study showed that many kindergarten children consistently held positive attitudes towards learning English. The students were not only interested in learning English, but they also showed high self-confidence in learning English. / Graduate

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of conceptual change oriented instruction accompanied by demonstrations and gender on tenth grade students&rsquo / understanding of gases concepts, and attitudes toward chemistry. Hundred tenth grade students from two classes taught by the same teacher in a public high school were enrolled in the study in the Fall semester of 2003-2004. Control group students were taught by traditionally designed chemistry instruction (TI), while experimental group students were instructed by conceptual change oriented instruction accompanied by demonstrations (CCID). Gases Concept Test and Attitude Scale toward Chemistry were administered to both groups as a pre-test and post-test to assess the students understanding of gases concepts and students&rsquo / attitudes toward chemistry, respectively. Science Process Skills Test was given at the beginning of the study to determine students&rsquo / science process skills. Learning Style Inventory was also given to all students to determine their learning styles. After treatment, interviews were conducted with the teacher and several students from the two groups. The hypotheses were tested by using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The results showed that CCID caused significantly better acquisition of the scientific conceptions related to gases than TI. There was no significant effect of the treatment on the students&rsquo / attitudes toward chemistry. No significant effect of gender difference on students&rsquo / understanding the concepts about gases and students&rsquo / attitudes toward chemistry was found. Science process skill was determined as a strong predictor in understanding the concepts related to gases.

This study was conducted to explore the effectiveness of analogy-enhanced instruction accompanied with concept maps over traditionally designed chemistry introduction on understanding of acid-base concept and attitude toward chemistry as a school subject. 81 8th grade students from two classes of a chemistry course taught by the same teacher in Nuh Eskiyapan Primary School in Ankara in 2003-2004 fall semesters were enrolled in the study. There were two groups of students. During the treatment, students in the control group were instructed only with traditionally designed instruction. Students in the experimental group studied with the analogy-enhanced instruction accompanied with concept maps through teacher lecture. Both groups were administered Acid-Base Chemistry Achievement Test and Attitude Scale toward Chemistry as a School Subject as pre-tests and post-tests. Logical Thinking Ability Test was given to both groups at the beginning of the study to determine students&rsquo / logical thinking ability levels. Research data were analyzed by using (SPSS 12.0) ANCOVA and t-test. As a result of the research, it was obviously seen that analogy-enhanced instruction accompanied with concept maps caused a significantly better acquisition of scientific conception related to acid-base and produced significantly higher positive attitudes toward chemistry as a school subject than the traditionally designed chemistry instruction.

The aim of this study is four fold: (1) to determine 6th, 8th and 10th grade students&rsquo / environmental knowledge and attitudes, (2) to investigate the effect of the grade level and gender on students&rsquo / environmental knowledge and attitudes, (3) to examine environmental knowledge and attitudes of 10th grade students, exposed to &ldquo / Human and Environment&rdquo / course and those not exposed to this course, (4) to explore the relationship between participants&rsquo / environmental knowledge and attitudes. In this study the data was obtained by the administration of Turkish version of Children&rsquo / s Environmental Attitudes and Knowledge Scale (T-CHEAKS) as a measuring instrument to 2536 students from 18 randomly selected elementary schools and 10 secondary schools throughout &Ccedil / ankaya and Yenimahalle districts of Ankara in spring 2003-2004 semester. The data were analyzed by using two-way analyses of variance (ANOVA), independent-samples t test and bivariate correlations. A statistically significant effect of grade level was found on environmental knowledge and attitudes. While no statistically significant effect of &ldquo / Human and Environment&rdquo / course was found on environmental knowledge of 10th grade level students, &ldquo / Human and Environment&rdquo / course had a significant effect on attitudes toward the environment in favor of students exposed to this course. The gender difference on environmental knowledge was statistically significant for 6th grade students in favor of males. On the other hand, for each grade levels, females had more favorable environmental attitudes than males. Bivariate correlations revealed low, but positive correlation between students&rsquo / environmental knowledge and attitudes.

The main purpose of the study was to compare the effectiveness of the conceptual chance texts oriented instruction accompanied with analagoies over traditionally designed science instruction on 7th grade students&rsquo / understanding of atom, molecule, ion and matter concepts and their attitudes toward science as a school subject. In this study 70 seventh grade students from two classes of science course instructed by the same teacher from Battalgazi Elementary School took part. The study was conducted during 2004-2005 fall semester. This study included two groups which were selected randomly throughout five clasesses. One of the group was defined as control group in which students were taught by traditionally designed science instruction, while other group defined as experimental group in which students were instructed by conceptual chance texts oriented instruction accompanied with analogies (CCTI). Atom, Molecule, Ion and Matter Concepts Test (AMIMCT) was administered to both groups as a pre-test andpost-test and Attitudes Scale toward Science were administered as post-test to assesthe students understanding of atom, molecule, ion and matter concepts and students&rsquo / attitudes toward science as a school subject, respectively. The hypotheses were tested by using two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The results showed that CCTI caused significantly better acquisition of the scientific conceptions related to atom, molecule, ion and matter concepts than TDSI. The result showed that there was no significant difference between test mean scores of students taught with CCTI and those taught with TDSI with respect to their attitudes toward science as a school subject.