Universities are losing expected tuition revenues due to attrition of international undergraduate students. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies that university leaders use to increase tuition fee revenues from international undergraduate students. The participants in this study were 3 former leaders of the European division of Laureate International Universities, a global university group with university locations in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Cyprus. The conceptual framework of this study was institutional theory as part of the change management of universities. Data collection included semistructured interviews of 3 former leaders of the European division of Laureate International Universities and a review of background and demographic information. Data analysis revealed 5 themes: business strategies, leadership, politics and governmental practice, social mobility, and attrition. These themes aligned with the institutional theory and change management conceptual framework. Recommendations for action include further research in the application of university business models to adopt or enhance a process for retaining international undergraduate students. The results of this study may contribute to social change by indicating how universities can be financially sustainable by providing international students access to an international education. University leaders may implement some of my recommendations and suggested strategies to avoid losing expected tuition revenues due to attrition of international undergraduate students. International undergraduate students may enroll in better prepared universities and therefore, succeed in completing and graduating from their selected studies.

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[pt] A presente pesquisa buscou compreender os sentidos sociais destes gastos extra-mensalidade na comunidade escolar, investigando também a existência ou não de estratégias para contornar possíveis situações de exclusão. Como referencial teórico principal recorremos ao conceito de special monies, de Zelizer; conceitos de Bourdieu, Lahire e Lareau também inspiram o trabalho. A opção metodológica foi por uma pesquisa de cunho qualitativo, ancorada em dois instrumentos: observação e entrevistas. O campo foi realizado em uma escola da zona oeste do Rio de Janeiro em 18 visitas de observação participante, focadas no primeiro segmento do Ensino Fundamental. Em seguida, foram realizadas entrevistas semiabertas com profissionais da escola e com famílias de crianças matriculadas no segmento em questão, de diferentes colégios. Foi possível perceber, na escola observada, a construção de hierarquias sociais baseadas em uma percepção pessoal do engajamento alheio. Nesse contexto, a disposição a realizar investimentos financeiros é lida como uma expressão do investimento emocional, tanto dos pais quanto das professoras. Os resultados apontam para a existência de um discurso generalizante que resulta em invisibilização das ausências de alunos que poderiam ser motivadas por impossibilidades financeiras e para o estabelecimento de um contrato implícito por parte da escola, que compreende que a opção por uma escola privada é, em última instância, a opção por uma educação privada. Assim, as mensalidades representariam apenas o valor mínimo mensal a ser investido, e gastos extras seriam, na verdade, previstos. Já por parte dos pais, o dinheiro destinado à educação de fato aparece como um special money, um valor que justifica esforços, e os dados indicam que os gastos mais incômodos seriam aqueles não respaldados por justificativas pedagógicas. / [en] This study seeks to understand the social meanings of expenses beyond tuition in the scholastic community, investigating the existence of strategies to address potentially exclusionary situations. Its main theoretical framework is Zelizer s concept of special monies; the analysis also draws inspiration from the ideas of Bourdieu, Lahire, and Laureau. The chosen methodology entailed a qualitative study anchored by two tools – observation and interviews – employed at a school in Rio de Janeiro s West Zone over the course of 18 visits as a participating observer, focused on elementary school. This stage was followed by semi-open interviews with school employees and the families of elementary schoolers from multiple schools. On-site observations revealed the construction of social hierarchies based on a personal perception of others engagement. For parents as well as teachers, willingness to make financial investments was read as an expression of emotional investment. Results indicate the existence of a broad discourse promoting the invisibility of potentially financially-motivated student absences and the establishment of an implicit contract on the part of the school, wherein opting to attend a private school ultimately means opting for a private education. Here, tuition is merely the minimum investment; additional expenses are in fact anticipated. For parents, funds spent on education emerge as a sort of special money that justifies extra sacrifices, and findings indicate that the most burdensome expenses are those without pedagogical justifications.

In the United States, some states and higher education institutions allow undocumented students to pay in-state resident tuition at public colleges and universities. Yet, when undocumented youth apply and seek to qualify for in-state tuition, they find bureaucratic procedures and rules that may discourage them from applying at all, delay, or hamper their access to higher education. The study explores how such bureaucratic requirements impose learning, compliance, and psychological burdens on undocumented youth. Building upon administrative burdens scholarship and using qualitative and quantitative analyses of admissions applications at the institutional level, undocumented students reports' of their experiences, and surveys of college admissions officers, this study examines the admissions requirements and other factors that may shape the applications of undocumented students to colleges in the states providing ISRT benefits for undocumented youth. The findings suggest that undocumented youth navigate multifaceted institutional contexts across and within states, including requirements and rules at different organizational levels and interactions with admissions officers whose discretion may facilitate or obstruct access. Variations in ISRT requirements reflect states' patterns of immigration, demographics, political (sub) cultures, narratives about the deservingness, organizational factors as well as the discretion that college personnel has in applying the requirements. Findings suggest that factors associated with residency, notarized affidavits, tax forms, and lack of clear information and guidance from college personnel substantially increase burdens when undocumented youth seek to benefit from ISRT. Certainly, when states, institutions, and admissions officers establish and shape ISRT requirements, they implicitly influence the sense of belonging and membership of undocumented applicants and mediate intergovernmental tension surrounding legalization and inclusion of this population in society. / Doctor of Philosophy / Bureaucratic requirements and rules at some public colleges and universities in the United States may hamper the ability of undocumented immigrants to apply for admission and qualify for in-state resident tuition in the states and colleges that allow it. This study explores how such bureaucratic requirements impose learning, compliance, and psychological burdens on undocumented youth and the factors associated with such burdens. The study examines admissions applications in community colleges in the states where the benefit is available, interviews and surveys with undocumented youth as well as surveys of colleges admissions officers. The findings show that the administrative burdens that undocumented youth faces result from requirements and rules that overlap at different organizational levels, several policy interpretations, the intertwine between immigration and higher education policies, perceptions of such population's deservingness, and the discretion of admissions officers. Through these requirements, states and colleges shape the sense of belonging of immigrant youth and chart their legal and social inclusion.

Recent demographic trends indicate that the number of young Latino Catholics in the United States is increasing. In response, educators and researchers have examined the Catholic school experience of Latino families as a means to provide meaningful support for this growing constituency amid broader enrollment declines and related challenges of fiscal viability. Within this context, this study examined the leadership practices of Catholic secondary school leaders in relation to the development of tuition assistance policies and community outreach efforts intended to serve Latino families. Utilizing a theoretical frame consisting of Catholic Social Teaching (CST) and Culturally Responsive School Leadership (CRSL), this study employed an explanatory mixed-methods design. Quantitative data emerged from a cross-sectional survey, which was distributed to Catholic secondary school administrators within the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Semi-structured interviews allowed for the collection of qualitative data, which constituted two case studies representing a spectrum of demographic characteristics within the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. The findings of this study indicate that Catholic school leaders view the principles of Catholic Social Teaching and Culturally Responsive School Leadership as influential to their roles as school leaders. However, the frequency with which Catholic school leaders employ culturally responsive leadership practices to address Latino families is varied and inconsistent. The research data also indicate a higher frequency of culturally responsive leadership practices among specific demographic subgroups including Latino leaders, leaders with an advanced Spanish-speaking proficiency, and those who work at schools in which a majority of the student body consists of Latino students.

Thesis (D. Tech. (Cost and Management Accounting)) -- Central University of Technology, Free State, 2011 / The focus area of this research project is on the pricing function in an organisation. The discussion of the pricing function commences with a generic perspective and concludes with the pricing of academic programmes at a typical public higher education institution, namely the Central University of Technology, Free State. The following summary sets out the key issues addressed in this study: a) The pricing function b) The pricing plan c) Pricing and its effect on the affordability of public higher education The analyses conducted proved that a comprehensive pricing plan does not exist at the Central University of Technology, Free State for the pricing of the various academic programmes, and that higher education has, despite the increasing trend in government funding, become less affordable for students at the institution. The affordability issue at the Central University of Technology, Free State can be partly attributed to the lack of a comprehensive pricing plan with clear attainable pricing objectives, and a pricing strategy to accomplish the stated pricing objectives. Another contributing factor to the affordability issue is the lack of an integrated cost accounting system and costing policies that outline measures to address the cost efficiency of the institution. Implementation of the recommended pricing plan should assist management in determining tuition fees on a scientific basis, and will also enable the management of the Central University of Technology, Free State to explain to all relevant stakeholders how the tuition fees of the various academic programmes are calculated.

Denna studies syfte är att kartlägga förekomsten av fysiska besvär hos tvärflöjtlärare på Sveriges kommunala musik- och kulturskolor samt deras kunskap om, användning av och undervisning om ergonomi och förebyggande av skador. De frågeställningar som tas upp i arbetet är hur vanligt förekommande det är med fysiska besvär bland tvärflöjtlärare, huruvida de har fått adekvat ergonomikunskap för den profession de utövar, om de arbetar med förebyggande åtgärder mot fysiska besvär och i vilken utsträckning de inkluderar ergonomi i sin undervisning. Studien är en kvantitativ surveyundersökning och den genomfördes i form av en webb-enkät. Resultatet visar att 49 % av de tillfrågade tvärflöjtlärarna lider av fysiska besvär som de kopplar till tvärflöjtspelet. Besvären sitter framförallt i axlar, nacke/hals och rygg. 60 % av tvärflöjtlärarna arbetar med förebyggande åtgärder mot fysiska besvär, varav de vanligaste vardagliga åtgärderna handlar om att ta regelbundna pauser under tvärflöjtspelet och att regelbundet utöva någon fysisk träningsform. De vanligaste ergonomiska momenten som lärare tar upp med sina elever är övningsrutiner, kropps- och instrumenthållning, stretch- och avslappningsövningar samt vikten av fysisk träning. Resultatet visar även att många tvärflöjtlärare skulle vilja eller behöva bättre kunskaper om ergonomi eftersom musikutbildningar generellt förbereder musiker dåligt på de kroppsliga utmaningar som yrkeslivet innebär. I slutdiskussionen poängteras även att sjukvården behöver få bättre kunskap om musikerskador för att dessa ska kunna förhindras och botas, och att musiklärares arbetsvillkor måste uppmärksammas för att antalet skador ska kunna minimeras. / The purpose of this study is to map the occurrence of physical ailments among flute teachers in Swedish community schools of music and art, as well as their knowledge of, their use of and their teaching in ergonomics and injury prevention. The questions raised are how commonly occurring physical ailments are among flute teachers, whether or not they have received adequate knowledge in ergonomics for the profession they practice, if they work with preventive measures against physical ailments and to what extent they include ergonomics in their teaching. The study is a quantitative survey in the form of a web questionnaire. The results show that 49 % of the surveyed flute teachers suffer from physical ailments, which they connect to flute playing. The problems are mainly located in the shoulders, the neck and the back. 60 % of the flute teachers work with preventive measures against physical ailments, of which the most common everyday actions are regular breaks during flute practice and physical exercise on a regular basis. The most common ergonomic factors that teachers communicate to their pupils are practice routines, body posture, instrumental grip, stretching and relaxation exercises and the importance of physical training. The results also show that many flute teachers would want or need better knowledge of ergonomics, because music education generally prepares musicians poorly for the physical challenges of the professional life. In the concluding discussion is emphasized that healthcare needs to be better informed of musicians’ injuries for these to be prevented and cured, and music teachers’ working conditions require attention to minimize the number of injuries.

As the cost of higher education continues to grow at astounding rates, research shows that, in most cases, students and their families face some level of debt to pay for their undergraduate degrees (Layman, 2011). This research study will use an engaged scholarship approach to address the reason some students repay their educational debt and some students’ intent to repay their debt is quite different from the desired behavior. Additionally, we review the factors that affect students from underprivileged socioeconomic backgrounds that are, unfortunately, the largest contributor of delinquent student loan debt. Specifically, this study will identify elements using qualitative measures that influence the student’s intent and behavior to act that will assist universities in policy development to change the perceived value and the academic sustainability of the student while understanding the student’s behavior related to socioeconomic barriers and self-sacrificing influences. Additionally, two theories are used as lenses to ground this study. The theory of reasoned action (Fishbein & Ajzen, 2010) is used as the focal theory, and place attachment theory (Scannell & Gifford, 2010) is used as an instrumental theory. The empirical results of this study offer factors that influence educational debt repayment and policy design.

Syftet i denna studie är att utifrån ett sociokulturellt perspektiv utforska pianolärares syn på kreativt skapande inom pianoundervisning. Detta görs med forskningsfrågorna: Hur ser pianolärare på kreativt skapande i pianoundervisning? Hur beskriver de att de arbetar med kreativt skapande i sin undervisning? Vilka förutsättningar anser de behövs för att kunna arbeta med kreativt skapande i pianoundervisning? Studien är kvalitativ och ett sociokulturellt perspektiv används som teoretisk utgångspunkt. Den forskningsmetod som använts är kvalitativa intervjuer där fyra pianolärare har intervjuats. Intervjuerna har transkriberats och analyserats genom tematisk analys. I resultatet framgår de olika lärarnas synsätt och arbetssätt, uppdelat i tre huvudteman: Pianolärares syn på kreativt skapande, att arbeta kreativt i pianoundervisning, samt förutsättningar för en kreativ miljö. I studiens avslutande kapitel diskuteras resultatets teman med studiens teoretiska perspektiv samt tidigare litteratur och forskning. / The purpose of this study is to explore what creativity means to piano teachers at schools of culture and music, and how they consider themselves working creatively when teaching. This is performed by the following research questions: How do piano teachers see creativity in piano teaching? In what ways do they describe how they work with creativity in their teaching? What conditions do they consider is necessary to be able to work with creativity in piano teaching? This study is qualitative and a sociocultural perspective is used as a theoretical perspective. Qualitative interviews are used as research method, and four piano teachers have been interviewed.  The interviews has been transcribed and analysed through thematic analyse. In the result, the four teachers approach and working are being presented and divided into three main subjects: Piano teachers view of creativity, to work creatively in piano teaching, and conditions for a creative environment. The final chapter discusses the result, the theoretical perspective, the literature and the previous research.

Digital technology has made great progress in a relatively short time, which has led to new needs emerging to take advantage of the opportunities provided thanks to the digitization of society. The digital progress has resulted in teaching conditions being changed. The curriculum standards that all pupils should have equal opportunities to be good democratic citizens, demand today that digital competence needs to be provided to pupils. In the revised curriculum for the subject of mathematics it is written that mathematical activities must be linked to digital progress. It also says in the aim of the subject that teaching should give pupils the opportunities to develope knowledge of using digital tools. The result of the study states that the pupils´digital competence is of great significance for their development in mathematics when using digital tools and digital learning recources. The result also shows that one needs to compensate for pupils´previous knowledge regarding digital competence. / Den digitala tekniken har på relativt kort tid gjort stora framsteg, det har lett till att det uppstått nya behov för att ta tillvara på de möjligheter som ges tack vare samhällets digitalisering. Den digitala utvecklingen har gjort att förutsättningarna för undervisning har förändrats. Läroplanskravet att alla elever ska få likvärdiga förutsättningar att vara fullvärdiga demokratiska medborgare gör att lärare idag behöver ge eleverna en digital kompetens. I den reviderade läroplanen för ämnet matematik står det att de matematiska aktiviteterna ska vara kopplade till den digitala utvecklingen. Det står också i ämnets syfte att undervisningen ska utveckla kunskaper i användandet av digitala verktyg. Resultatet av studien visar att elevernas digitala kompetens har stor betydelse för deras utveckling i matematiken vid användandet av digitala verktyg och digitala lärresurser. Resultatet visar även att lärare behöver kompensera för elevers olika förkunskaper gällande digital kompetens.