This thesis investigates the relationship which both academic vocabulary and lexical bundles have to academic performance at university. While academic vocabulary is defined in terms of the University Word List (Coxhead, 2000), lexical bundles are identified as groups of four words that commonly co-occur, such as on the other hand and as a result of. A corpus of student essay writing in a single discipline, psychology, was developed over the course of a three-year undergraduate degree. To provide a benchmark against which to compare the student academic writing, a corpus of published articles in the same discipline was developed. The VocabProfile program (Cobb, 2002) was used to establish the density of academic vocabulary in the student essays. Similarly, the density of lexical bundle use was analysed by means of WordSmith Tools (Scott, 2012). The densities were then correlated against students’ academic performance as measured by their essay results. Comparisons were also made between the use of academic vocabulary and lexical bundles by first- and additional-language speakers, and by first- and third-year students. A keyness analysis enabled comparisons of academic vocabulary and bundle usage by high and low achievers. An additional aspect of this study was the comparison of densities of academic vocabulary and lexical bundles found in the IELTS writing test and in student essays, and the correlation of IELTS reading and writing test scores to students’ academic performance. The students’ vocabulary knowledge was also tested by the application of receptive and productive vocabulary tests, and the results compared to their academic performance. Results indicate that the 10 000-word level is a stronger predictor of academic performance than either the 5000-word level or academic vocabulary, and that there is a significant relationship between the density of lexical bundle use by students and their academic performance. Both vocabulary measures are therefore arguably better predictors of academic performance than the IELTS test scores. / Linguistics and Modern Languages / D. Litt. et Phil. (Linguistics)

This convergent parallel mixed methods study based on Social Ecological Model investigated substance abuse among undergraduate university students at one of the universities in Ethiopia. For quantitative strand of study, data was collected from 422 randomly selected undergraduate students. Data were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 17. For qualitative strand, face-to-face interviews were conducted with 17 purposefully selected participants directly involved with students abusing substances. The findings revealed that factors at individual, interpersonal, institutional, community and societal levels affect substance abuse among university students. The study also uncovered loopholes in the policies, guidelines, and programme implementations in the prevention, control, and management of substance abuse at the university. Based on the findings, the researcher developed guidelines based on the findings of the study, the critical literature review, and the inputs from the experts who reviewed the guidelines. The researcher assumes that implementation of the guidelines will reduce substance use and substance abuse among university students. / Health Studies / D. Litt. et Phil. (Health Studies)

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T20:25:11Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 3883.pdf: 2717797 bytes, checksum: 640ba1f54870aea329d5f04ef4bbb07f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-07-27 / This qualitative, ethnographic-interpretative research aimed at analyzing the development of communicative competence of English Language undergraduate students of a private college in the center-western region of the state of São Paulo during their participation in a Thematic Task-Based Planning for English teaching and learning through classes guided by the use of a theme, the history of Great Britain, and communicative tasks with focus on meaning. The students' perceptions, feelings and how they behave throughout the process have also been investigated in this study. In order to collect the data, the following instruments have been used: initial and final cloze tests, three written evaluations throughout the process, audio recordings of tasks and written production of the tasks which have been previously performed orally and transcribed for analysis, plus questionnaires administered to students in different moments of the course. The framework is based on theoretical studies of theme and taskbased teaching of authors such as: Almeida Filho (1993, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2009); Barbirato (1999, 2005); Bygate, Skehan, Swain (2001); Candlin (1987, 2001); Crandall (1994, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2006); Ellis (2000, 2003); Nunan (1989, 2004); Prabhu (1987, 1990); Skehan (1998, 2001); Skehan, Foster (1997, 1999, 2001); Van den Braden (2006,2008); Willis (1996); Willis, Willis (2007), among others. The analysis has shown that the work combining theme-based teaching and communicative tasks could be an alternative for the teaching and learning of English in the context investigated, where it was previously found that most participants had limited linguistic and communicative competence in the target language. It was also possible to verify that the work with communicative tasks with focus on meaning and based on the theme of the history of Great Britain provided collaborative efforts among the students and opportunities for noticing the form, vocabulary or pronunciation of the target language. The data analysis also showed considerable improvement in the oral proficiency of the students in the target language. / A presente pesquisa, qualitativa e de base etnográfica interpretativista, teve como objetivo analisar como se dá o desenvolvimento da competência comunicativa (CC) em aprendizes de curso de Letras de contexto adverso de uma faculdade particular do centro-oeste paulista durante a sua participação em um Planejamento Temático Baseado em Tarefas para o ensinoaprendizagem de língua inglesa por meio de aulas pautadas pelo uso de um tema, a história da Grã-Bretanha, e tarefas comunicativas com foco no sentido. Também foram investigados a percepção dos alunos, os seus sentimentos e comportamentos ao longo do processo. Para a coleta de dados foram utilizados testes cloze inicial e final, avaliações escritas ao longo do processo, gravações em áudio das tarefas, posteriormente transcritas para análise, e questionários aplicados aos discentes em momentos diferentes do curso. O arcabouço teórico se fundamenta em estudos sobre tarefas e ensino temático de autores como: Almeida Filho (1993, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2009); Barbirato (1999, 2005); Bygate, Skehan, Swain (2001); Candlin (1987, 2001); Crandall (1994, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2006); Ellis (2000, 2003); Nunan (1989, 2004); Prabhu (1987, 1990); Skehan (1998, 2001); Skehan, Foster (1997, 1999, 2001); Van den Braden (2006,2008); Willis (1996); Willis, Willis (2007), entre outros. A análise dos resultados demonstrou que o trabalho em que coexistiram ensino temático e tarefas comunicativas pode ser uma alternativa para o ensino-aprendizagem de língua inglesa no contexto investigado, em que havia limitação linguístico-comunicativa prévia na línguaalvo na maioria dos participantes.Também foi possível averiguar que o trabalho com tarefas comunicativas com foco no sentido e baseadas no tema da história da Grã-Bretanha motivou os participantes e possibilitou esforço colaborativo entre eles e momentos de explicitação da forma, léxico ou pronúncia da língua-alvo. Houve indícios de que o ensino com base em conteúdo temático e tarefas problematizadoras é ponto importante para colaborar para a aquisição de LE no contexto estudado. A análise dos dados revelou ainda que o trabalho desenvolvido resultou em considerável melhora da proficiência oral dos alunos na línguaalvo.

Submitted by Alison Vanceto (alison-vanceto@hotmail.com) on 2017-03-27T14:10:33Z No. of bitstreams: 1 DissALFZ.pdf: 945072 bytes, checksum: 961b2a1f6b61b8a0a691fd66c373e5bf (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Ronildo Prado (ronisp@ufscar.br) on 2017-04-03T19:50:04Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 DissALFZ.pdf: 945072 bytes, checksum: 961b2a1f6b61b8a0a691fd66c373e5bf (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Ronildo Prado (ronisp@ufscar.br) on 2017-04-03T19:50:13Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 DissALFZ.pdf: 945072 bytes, checksum: 961b2a1f6b61b8a0a691fd66c373e5bf (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-04-03T19:56:20Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 DissALFZ.pdf: 945072 bytes, checksum: 961b2a1f6b61b8a0a691fd66c373e5bf (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-04-07 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / This study aimed to investigate whether a previous history of learning by instructional control, in both the previous story of the subject or immediately following an experimental condition, could differentially affect the sensitivity to contingencies. Replicating previous studies, the authors sought to address a possible history of control by following rules, assessing the presence of flexibility or inflexibility indicator’s in their repertoire. Therefore, we evaluated 212 undergraduate students who responded to the Rigidity Scale of Rehfisch; 114 were implemented by virtual media and 98 during individual meeting. Of the 23 participants assessed who met inclusion’s criteria, 13 agreed to participate in the study, seven were recruited by personal application and six through online assessment. Eight participants were males and five females, aged 18-31; nine participants presented scores agreed as flexible and 4 others as inflexible. The experimental condition is the execution of tasks on a matching-to-sample schedule (MTS), arranged in two phases, through appropriate software. In Phase 1, the participants were divided into the training of two different instructional conditions: 1) instructions corresponding to the contingencies programmed; and 2) discrepant instructions. Considering the participants of the Group Flexible, 5 were exposed to instructional correspondence training and 4 the discrepancy; two inflexible participants were assigned to each instructional training conditions. Eleven of thirteen participants reach the learning criteria, required in Phase 1, during 69 or less trials; the two participants who did not meet the criteria were allocated in the Flexible Group (P167 and P184) and were submitted to the discrepant training. In Phase 2 was scheduled during a single experimental condition, similar to all participants, with the presentation of 80 trials, divided into 4 blocks of 20 each. The first and third blocks have been programmed accordingly to the instructions; the second and fourth block presented contingencies that were instructions’ discrepant. Six of the nine flexible participants presented a percentage of responses equal to or greater than 70% accuracy, in the first block of discrepant trials, during the Phase 2; two of the three participants presented lower percentage of correct answers, had a history of learning by discrepant instructions. Participants of the inflexible Group showed higher percentage of correct answers, when they had been subjected to a discrepancy during in training. It was addressed how these results either replicate or present differences from the literature in the area. / O presente estudo teve como objetivo investigar se uma história prévia de aprendizagem por controle instrucional, anterior às condições experimentais, ou uma história de exposição a regras correspondentes ou discrepantes poderiam afetar diferencialmente a sensibilidade às contingências. Replicando estudos anteriores, os autores buscaram endereçar uma possível história prévia de controle por seguimento de regras, avaliando a presença de indicador de flexibilidade ou inflexibilidade no repertório. Para tanto, foram avaliados 212 estudantes universitários que responderam à Escala de Rigidez de Rehfisch; 114 foram implementados por mídia virtual e 98 presencialmente. Dos 23 participantes avaliados que atingiram critério de inclusão, 13 aceitaram participar do estudo, sendo (07) recrutados por aplicação presencial e seis (06) na condição online. Oito participantes eram do sexo masculino e cinco do feminino, com idade variando de 18 a 31 anos; nove obtiveram escores convencionados como flexíveis e 4 como inflexíveis. A condição experimental consistia na realização de tarefas programadas num procedimento de escolha de acordo com o modelo (MTS), organizado em duas fases, através de software apropriado. Na Fase 1, os participantes foram divididos em duas condições de aprendizagem de seguimento de instruções: 1) instruções correspondentes às contingências em operação; e, 2) instruções discrepantes das mesmas. Dos participantes flexíveis, 5 foram expostos a treino de correspondência instrucional e 4 à discrepância; dois participantes inflexíveis foram designados para cada uma das condições de treino instrucional. Onze dos treze participantes alcançam os critérios de aprendizagem, exigidos na Fase 1, com 69 tentativas ou menos; os dois participantes que não atingiram os critérios estavam alocados do Grupo Flexível (P167 e P184), na condição de treino discrepante. Na Fase 2 foi programada uma única condição experimental, similar para todos os participantes, com a apresentação de 80 tentativas, divididas em 4 blocos de 20 tentativas cada. O primeiro e o terceiro foram programados de forma correspondente às instruções; no segundo e no quarto bloco, as contingências programadas eram discrepantes das instruções. Seis dos nove participantes flexíveis, apresentaram uma porcentagem de respostas igual ou maior que 70% de acertos, no primeiro bloco de tentativas discrepantes da Fase 2; dois dos três deste grupo com menor porcentagem de acertos tinham uma história de aprendizagem por instrução discrepante. Participantes do Grupo inflexível mostraram maior porcentagem de acertos, quando haviam sido submetidos a um treino de discrepância entre instrução e contingências. Discute-se como estes resultados replicam ou divergem da literatura na área.

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No. of bitstreams: 1 arroyo_rw_dr_sjrp.pdf: 4652563 bytes, checksum: ac511e55b543adadb6092331ddde7f1f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-07-15 / Selon un cadre théorique et méthodologique qui met l'accent sur les concepts développés par Bakhtine et son cercle et sur les Nouvelles Études de Littéracie, l’objectif central de cette thèse est étudier le statut du « lien web » (souvent connu comme "connexion électronique" dans l'hypertextes sur internet) comme point d'hétérogénéité des pratiques de littéracies universitaires dans le contexte numérique. En rendant compte de la pluralité de littéracies qui composent la production et la circulation des textes dans le domaine universitaire, la recherhe a été consideré como l'hypothèse que la relation établie par le sujet avec la production de ses textes dans le contexte numérique est liée à façons de concevoir (sa propre) énonciation et d'intéragir avec des Outres (avec/dans les technologies) et non seulement à l'exploitation des outils numériques dans la lecture et dans la production de ces textes universitaires. Le matériel de la recherche a été formé de soixante-douze (72) textes produits dans le Facebook, un réseau social sur internet, par des étudiants inscrits dans un cours de baccalauréat en littérature d’une université publique au État de São Paulo connecté à un réseau social sur Internet à l'année de 2012. Les procédures sont fondés sur la Méthode Indiciaire, formulée par Ginzburg (1989), une méthode qui permet déveloper une analyse interprétative de base qualitative. Comme les principaux résultats, on détache, du point de vue des enseignants en formation initiale, une projection de que l'appropriation des ressources technologiques serait une condition pour améliorer la productivité des sujets par rapport aux pratiques d'écriture universitaire. On comprend cette projection como un effet de conflits entre, d’un côté, l’imaginaire créé par des étudiants sobre l’éducation et l’utilisation des technologies numériques de l’information e de communication, et, de l’autre côté, la façon avec laquelle ces étudiants intéragent en utilisant les outils numériques. / De uma perspectiva teórico-metodológica que privilegia conceitos de Bakhtin e seu Círculo e dos Novos Estudos do Letramento, esta tese tem como objetivo investigar o estatuto do link (popularmente conhecido como “ligação eletrônica” em hipertextos da internet) como ponto de heterogeneidade de práticas letradas acadêmicas em contexto digital. Considerando-se a pluralidade de letramentos que constituem a produção e a circulação de textos na esfera acadêmica, a hipótese de partida é a de que a relação que o sujeito estabelece com a produção de texto em contexto digital está vinculada a modos de conceber o (seu) enunciado e de interagir com o Outro (com as/nas tecnologias) e não apenas à instrumentalização de recursos digitais na leitura e na produção desses textos acadêmicos. O conjunto do material é formado por setenta e dois (72) textos produzidos no Facebook, uma rede social na internet por universitários, professores em formação inicial, regularmente matriculados num Curso de Licenciatura em Letras numa universidade pública do Estado de São Paulo, no ano de 2012. Os procedimentos de investigação que direcionam este estudo estão fundamentados no Paradigma Indiciário formulado por Ginzburg (1989), o qual permite análise qualitativo-interpretativa dos dados. Dentre os principais resultados encontrados, destaca-se a projeção, da perspectiva desses professores em formação inicial, de que a apropriação de recursos tecnológicos seria condição para melhor produtividade dos sujeitos em relação a práticas letradas acadêmicas. Essa projeção é entendida, nesta tese, como resultante do imaginário construído pelos universitários sobre educação e uso de tecnologias digitais de informação e comunicação em práticas letradas acadêmicas e o modo pelo qual estes alunos interagem com tais práticas ao fazerem uso de recursos digitais. / From a theoretical-methodological perspective which privileges Baktin’s concepts and New Writing Skill Studies, this doctoral thesis has as objective to investigate the status of link (commonly known as ‘electronic connection’ in internet hypertexts) as a point of heterogeneity in academic literate practices, in the digital context. Given the plurality of writing skills that constitutes the production and circulation of scientific texts in the academic setting, the starting hypothesis of this study is that the relation that the subject establishes with the production of texts in the digital context is related to specific ways of conceiving (its own) enunciated and interacting with the Other (with/in the technologies), and not just the instrumentalization of digital recourses in the reading and production of these academic texts. The set of materials consist of seventy two (72) texts produced within Facebook, an online social network by undergraduate students of Linguistics enrolled in a public State University of São Paulo, on an online social network, in the year of 2012. The investigative procedures that guide this study are based on the Evidential Paradigm formulated by Ginzburg (1989), which allows the qualitative interpretative analysis of the data. Among the main results obtained, we highlight a projection from the perspective of these teachers in initial training that the appropriation of technological resources would be provided for better productivity of the subjects in relation to academic writing practices. Such projection is understood here as resultant of the imaginary constructed by undergraduate students about education and the use of digital technologies of information and communication in academic writing practices, and the mode by which these students interacts with these practices.

This qualitative study aims to investigate the use of social media sites by university library staff to facilitate undergraduate students. Two Greek academic libraries were examined and the specific social media investigated was Facebook since it was the only common social media to both libraries. The method that was used was the interpretive method in order to gain better insight of students’ perceptions, motivations and request their suggestions regarding the use of social media by academic libraries. More specifically, twelve undergraduate students were interviewed and then the results were analyzed via Thematic Analysis. The results of this research showed that students appreciate the existence of their library’s Facebook page as an informational tool. On the other hand, improvements should be made regarding its use as a communication tool. Benefits, such as time gain, the ability to get in touch with new people, job opportunities, and reminders of important educational programs (Erasmus), were acknowledged by all students. Moreover, interesting suggestions were made, such as to increase the availability of open access books, the use of cameras for communicating with librarians via Facebook, and an increase in the number of photos of books. Other ideas were the ability to see the availability of books in the library, the ability to borrow them electronically, and the creation of a Facebook group to discuss common interests with other students.

Differences in college student's psychological well-being, extrapunitiveness, and intropunitiveness were related to the presence or absence of maltreatment during childhood years, and its acknowledgement by the student. Subjects were 56 male and 85 female undergraduate students at the University of North Texas. Subjects were given structural scale v.3 of the California Psychological Inventory (CPI), the Extrapunitive (E), and Intropunitive (I) indices of the Hostility-Direction of Hostility Questionnaire (HDHQ), and the Physical Punishment scale (PP-scale) of the Assessing Environments Questionnaire (AEIII). Results indicate no significant differences in psychological well-being, extrapunitiveness, or intropunitiveness, which would be explained by the presence of maltreatment or its acknowledgement.

"To determine the attitudes of sophomore men and women students toward service classes in health, physical education and recreation at North Texas State University."--3.

For musicians of all kinds, practice is an essential component in establishing and refining their skills. How a musician learns the art of practicing, and at what point in their musical and cognitive development can vary drastically. The purpose of this research is to understand how two groups of musicians, undergraduate vocal performance majors and undergraduate piano performance majors, developed (or consequently failed to develop) their respective knowledge pertaining to effective practice prior to entering the university setting, and how their practice habits changed (or consequently failed to change) after beginning study with a university instructor. This is accomplished by comparing the practice habits of the two groups prior to entering the university setting, and, after gaining admission into the degree program. Findings are supplemented with recent research pertaining to the study of learning and various types of practice.

No description available.