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1
Karlidag-Dennis, Ecem. "Basic education and hegemony in Turkey : thinking on ideology, policymaking and civil society." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 2018. http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/49691/.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis is concerned with the latest education reform, called 4+4+4 (4+), and overall educational changes in the basic education system (K12) since 2002 by the governing Justice and Development Party (AKP). The study investigates the role that education plays in state formation processes as well as looking at how dominant groups’ ideologies influence education policies. The research problem is the extent to which the state uses education policies to create a new public ideology. There are three key research questions that this thesis addresses. The data for this research was obtained from fifteen semi-structured interviews conducted with teacher trade unions, journalists and policy makers, focusing on their experiences and views not only about the 4+4+4 education system but also about the policymaking process in Turkey. The interviews present the pressing issues within the education system and indicate how education works a state apparatus for the government to gain and secure society’s consent. Located in a critical tradition, the research draws its theoretical framework from the Italian theorist Antonio Gramsci, especially focusing on his concepts of hegemony, civil society and consent. Using a Gramscian theoretical framework allows this study to place the 4+ reform in a bigger picture. The thesis analyses the reform not only from a local perspective but also from an international education policy perspective, focusing on the relationship between power, ideology and schooling. The findings suggest that the state and its private associations (i.e. media, and political parties) are actively encouraging Islamisation along with neoliberalism in order to consolidate their hegemonic dominance.
2
Tzortzis, Konstantinos. "Higher education policy in the EU : an institutional account." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 2008. http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/11246/.
Full textAbstract:
This research examines the development of the EU higher education policy under the theoretical lenses of historical institutionalism. Starting from the assumption that institutions matter, this thesis follows the evolution of higher education policy in the EU premises from its emergence in the early 1970s to date. Unfolding in four phases, this case study focuses on the institutional parameters of the policy and the polity context in order to explain the critical factors that shaped the policy outcomes and the scope of higher education. In a story development full of unanticipated consequences and normative building, this thesis critically examines the relation between the levels of governance to assess their impact on the policy outcome. The main finding is that higher education has been developed as a `market-supporting' policy. The human capital role of higher education has been the main attribute identified in the EU level. As such, higher education gradually evolved from being a policy field aimed at battling unemployment to becoming one of the driving forces behind the knowledge driven society. At the same time higher education moved from the doldrums of EU competence and activity to the centre of policy action to become a policy example of applying the new modes of EU governance. In between the formal EU settings and the Bologna process, institutions and actors have withheld the idea that academic and professional mobility, recognition, comparability are the main areas for the future European workforce.
3
Ahene-Codjoe, Ama Asantewah. "The effects of education on health and fertility in Ghana." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 2012. http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/12642/.
Full textAbstract:
Using the Ghana Living Standards Survey (GLSS) conducted in 1987/88 and 1998/99, this thesis examines two thematic areas of non-monetary returns to education in Ghana. One of the primary aims is to find the differences in the effects of education over the decade (1987/88–1998/99), using standard and non-standard econometric analysis. In addition, the later survey year serves as a robustness check on the first. The first theme examines health status; measured as illness and its duration, as well as the use of anthropometric indicators. The study finds that parental education is positively associated with child’s reported illness and its duration. Further verification of this outcome using an instrumental variable (2SLS) approach that assumes possible endogeneity of parental education supports the results relating to maternal education in both survey years. In contrast, paternal primary education tends to reduce children’s reported illness; but this is only statistically significant in GLSS 1. These outcomes, although perverse are not uncommon in developing countries, and may be the result of systematic reporting bias. The analysis also reveals inconsistent results regarding adults’ health status between the two survey years. For example, we find that illness and its duration increase with personal education in GLSS 1, but the converse is true in GLSS 4, ceteris paribus. The mixed results of this study imply that the relationship between education and health status varies across health measures, and probably over time. Hence caution should be exercised before broad conclusions are drawn and policies made regarding these two vital socioeconomic indicators (education and health). The last theme analyses fertility in both structural and reduced form functions. The structural function involves a two-stage process. The first stage estimates the effect of education on three proximate determinants of fertility - the duration of breastfeeding, contraceptive use and age at cohabitation. The second stage subsequently models the fertility function by estimating three measures: the probability of having at least one birth; the unconditional number of births; and the number of births conditional on one having occurred, using the predicted values of the proximate determinants as inputs similar to the conventional production function. The reduced form fertility model estimates the impact of women’s education on the number of live births. The findings are that (1) education increases the use of contraception, delays age at cohabitation and shortens the duration of breastfeeding, as anticipated; (2) contraception and age at cohabitation subsequently tend to reduce the overall number of live births, though we observe an ambiguous outcome regarding breastfeeding; (3) education, in a fuller and direct way, also shows a strong negative association with fertility in both surveys; and finally (4) fertility appears to have declined over the period studied. We also find a structural shift in respect of the influence of women’s education from post-primary to primary level on fertility, ceteris paribus.
4
Avtzaki, Nickolaou Maria. "Education and ethnic conflict resolution : bicommunal academic links in Cyprus." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 2012. http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/12913/.
Full textAbstract:
Many contributors to the interdisciplinary field of conflict resolution have emphasised the impact of socio-psychological and psycho-cultural influences in maintaining and perpetuating ethnic conflicts. The review of the literature concerning Cyprus reveals that such factors have been active in the 37 years of ethnic separation between the Greek-Cypriot and the Turkish-Cypriot communities. Although strategies are available to bridge communities and offer prospects for a reconciliation and peace centre on facilitating interaction, contact and dialogue between communities at all levels, it is surprising how little has taken place between the two academic communities on the island. This is in contrast to the picture found in similar conflict cases, such as the ones in Northern Ireland and Israel-Palestine. Despite some notable efforts and collaborations currently in place, the numbers involved constitute a very small fraction of the two academic bodies. The research has aimed at establishing the role of higher education in divided societies, not only by examining theoretically and philosophically its importance as a part of a reconciliation process but also by depicting the opinion of academics from both parts of Cyprus. The research has shown that although they are optimistic about future links, they nevertheless identified major implications stemming out of the issues of ‘recognition’, nationalism, social pressure, the impact of media and the characteristics of the academic cultures in each respective community. These explain the contrast between much good-will and little real action. The analysis of findings includes a discussion of possible strategies to establish an open dialogue between the two academic communities and to facilitate collaborations.
5
Leung, Sui Man Anita. "The effectiveness of personal development opportunities at the Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (Tsing Yi)." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 2008. http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/10470/.
Full textAbstract:
Personal development is the cornerstone of lifelong learning and academic and professional achievement. Co-curricular activities are good learning opportunities and support people to develop. A thorough review and examination of personal development education at HKIVE is needed so that new generations of students can more effectively learn and achieve their goals, enabling them to meet the crucial challenges of the 21st century. Initially, the researcher examined course documents to identify the key areas of personal development education. Data was collected from 134 students, eight educators and six human resource practitioners so as to understand these issues deeply. The study findings indicate that personal development opportunities at HKIVE are ineffective. The College should review existing personal development training to expand learning opportunities for students. Educators are advised to adopt innovative new learning strategies to facilitate personal development. No single training programme can cover all aspects of individual development and learning should be based on personal needs and initiated by students. Furthermore, fostering good attitudes is a key factor in developing students' motivation to learn more. Peers also form an important resource to reinforce students' self-image and self-esteem within the peer group. In addition, the new method of judging competency comprises: knowledge (Stratford, 1994), performance (Summerall, Lopez, Oehlert, 2000), outcome (Proctor, 1991), attitude and self-development. Finally, assessment issues are highly controversial and may serve formative, summative or normative purposes, subject to availability of resources and staff professionalism. This study offers new personal development teaching ideas and a practical guide for educators. Moreover, this study formulates a new learning model for competency and informal learning - critical issues for the VTC in future research and development.
6
Badr, Menshawy. "Determinants of educational attainment in Egypt and MENA : a microeconometric approach." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 2012. http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/12947/.
Full textAbstract:
Using TIMSS data set on MENA countries, this study examines the determinants of educational outcome and gender inequality of learning in eight selected countries. The complicated structure of the data has been considered carefully during all the stages of the analysis employing plausible values and jackknife standard error technique to accommodate the measurement error of the dependant variable and the clustering of students in classes and schools. The education production functions provide broad evidence from mean and quantile analysis of very low returns to schooling; few school variables are significant and none have effects across countries and quantiles. In general, student characteristics were far more important than school factors in explaining test scores, but there was considerable variability across countries in which specific factors were significant. Strikingly, computer usage was found to influence students’ performance negatively in six MENA countries. Only Turkey and Iran had a significant positive effect of computer usage on maths achievements. Gender inequality of academic achievement has been investigated thoroughly using mean and quantile decomposition analysis. There is mixed picture of gender inequality across the eight countries with three pro-boys, three pro-girls and two gender-neutral. This exercise gives no general pattern of gender inequality across MENA. A detailed analysis of Egyptian students’ achievements explains the differential gap between school types, notably being single or mixed sex and Arabic or language schools. Single-sex schools perform better than mixed schools especially for girls. The single-sex language schools are more effective than the Arabic single sex school. This confirms the dominance of the language schools and is also related to the style and social-economic status of enrolled students.
7
Liu, Woon Chia. "A longitudinal study of academic self-concept in a streamed setting : home environment and classroom climate factors." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 2000. http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/11238/.
Full textAbstract:
The effect of streaming on students' academic self-concept and their perceptions of home environment and classroom climate was examined in a 3-year longitudinal study of a single cohort in Singapore. The subjects were 495 Secondary 1 (average age 13) students, who were streamed based on their Primary School Leaving Examination results taken at the end of Primary 6 (average age 12). The study was conducted with the use of a self-constructed questionnaire on four occasions at approximately 1-year intervals. The measures included the academic self-concept scale, made up of the students' confidence and students' effort subscales, the home environment scale, made up of the relationship with parents and academic support subscales, and the classroom climate scale, made up of the relationship with teachers, teachers' expectations and peer relationship subscales. The results revealed that the students' academic self-concept, and their perceptions of home environment and classroom climate largely declined from Secondary 1 to Secondary 3, and the declines were more pronounced for the higher-ability stream students than the lower ability stream students. In addition, the lower-ability stream students' academic self concept and their perception of classroom climate were more negative than those of their higher-ability stream counterparts immediately after streaming. Nonetheless, they were comparable if not more positive than those of their higher-ability stream counterparts three years after being streamed. Furthermore, regression analyses revealed that perceived teachers' expectations, relationship with teachers, relationship with parents and parental academic support were main predictors of students' academic self-concept. However, parental academic support tended to affect higher-ability stream students' academic self-concept more than that of their lower-ability stream counterparts, whilst teachers' expectations tended to affect the lower-ability stream students' confidence level more than that of their higher-ability stream counterparts.
8
Rose, Anthea. "How can we characterise family literacy programmes in England, Ireland and Malta : a comparative case study." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 2008. http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/10444/.
Full textAbstract:
Family literacy programmes have become an increasingly popular pedagogical tool utilised by policy makers to help address the literacy needs of families with low skill competencies and who are viewed as economically and socially underachieving. Taking a comparative case study approach, in this research I consider what benefits family literacy programmes have for the literacy skills of families. Drawing on Bourdieu's habitus (1993) and field (1977) and Bourdieu, Coleman (1988) and Putnam's (2000) notions of social capital, in this research I compare family literacy programmes in selected case study areas within England, Ireland and Malta. The objectives are to establish differences and similarities in policy rationale, the characteristics of delivery and learner engagement. Predominantly qualitative in nature, the research consisted of 94 semi-structured interviews with actors involved in family literacy programmes across the three areas including coordinators, practitioners, learners, ex-learners, non-participating fathers and children's teachers. Interviews were supplemented and triangulated by a range of other data sources including a number of classroom observations. Family literacy programmes across the three areas exhibited many similarities: the content of sessions; the underlying policy rationale for offering and funding programmes; the motivation of learners for attending; benefits reported by learners; and difficulties faced by practitioners. In addition, parents attending were mainly mothers. Some differences were also found, mainly between Ireland and the other two participating areas. For example, in Ireland different types of locations were used and children were not usually present. However, the main difference was not cultural, but political, between the desired policy outcomes, and the motivation of learners. The evidence suggests that, regardless of the cultural context, there is a mismatch or at least a lack of awareness between the two, with learners predominantly motivated to attend to help their children, whilst policy objectives primarily seek to address inadequate literacy levels, as part of wider social inclusion strategies.
9
Fry, Stephanie. "An exploration of paired reading with a peer and its impact on the reading ability and school connectedness of looked-after children." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 2014. http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/27712/.
Full textAbstract:
This study explored the impact of paired reading, when delivered by a peer, on the reading ability and school connectedness of looked-after children (LAC). Relevant theory and research in three main areas is discussed: the under-achievement of LAC, reading development and difficulties and school connectedness. It is well understood that LAC are at risk of underachievement in reading (Department for Education, 2013), however they are an under-represented group in intervention research. Additionally, despite research illustrating the potential impact of school connectedness on a range of social, emotional and academic factors (Shochet et al, 2006 & Catalano et al, 2004) few studies have explored this with the LAC population. The present study attempted to address this by implementing a reading intervention using a peer approach with LAC. A single case experimental design was used with five participants. Weekly data was collected on reading accuracy, reading fluency and self-reported school connectedness. Pre and post data was also collected from teachers using two scales from the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ): peer problems and pro-social behaviour. The results indicated a positive effect of paired reading on percentage reading accuracy, as shown in four of the five cases. Reading fluency did not significantly improve during the intervention for any of the participants. Similarly, school connectedness did not improve in three of the participants, although increased ratings were seen when paired reading was replaced with a non-reading intervention in three of the five participants. A significant difference in SDQ data was not observed. The study provides further evidence for the impact of paired reading on reading accuracy and suggests the potential for peer interventions to improve school connectedness. The discussion considered the generalizability of the findings and the nature of the measures used as potential limitations of this research. The study indicates the need for further research into school connectedness with LAC and highlights the potential role for EPs in recommending and supporting both academic and social interventions with this population.
10
Oluwaseun, Stella. "Understanding international student migration : the case of Nigerian Christian women students engaged in postgraduate studies in UK higher education." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 2016. http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/35116/.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis explores the motivations and lived experiences of Nigerian Christian women engaged in postgraduate studies in UK higher education based on 20 semi-structured interviews. For this group of women, their educational quest abroad is happening at the phase in the normative life course when they are expected by Nigerian society to be wives as well as mothers. Such cultural expectations carry social sanctions for non-conformity. This thesis investigates the immense social pressures the women come under as their educational achievements are not considered as important as the fulfillment of their social roles in their home country, and the strategies/negotiations they engage in to gain and maintain support for their educational pursuit. Being that they are studying and living in an egalitarian society like the UK, the thesis also examines why the women remain attached to Nigerian patriarchal values. Using empirical data, the thesis attempts to challenge and critique the current debates on international student migration that portray it as an individualized process and international student migrants as a homogenous group. It argues that the participants’ motivations and migration experiences are gendered and embedded in social relationships and processes. Furthermore, the thesis claims that the set of women interviewees are not just engaged in academic study alone as the literatures tend to portray international student migrants, they are also family members (wives/mothers/daughters) and workers, who consciously juggle their multiple roles in an order that seems to prioritize their social roles above the rest. The thesis asserts that the women are not victims; rather they are agentic beings whose compliant attitudes to patriarchal gender structures and roles are rooted in their religious and cultural beliefs.
11
Celikkaya, Tulay. "Justice In School Practices: 6th And 7th Grade Students'." Master's thesis, METU, 2008. http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/12610049/index.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
ABSTRACT
JUSTICE IN SCHOOL PRACTICES: 6th AND 7th GRADE STUDENTS&rsquoPERCEPTIONS OF THEIR SCHOOL EXPERIENCES Ç
elikkaya, Tü
lay M.S., Department of Educational Sciences Supervisor: Assist. Prof. Dr. Cennet Engin Demir September 2008, 65 pages This study aims to investigate primary school students&rsquo
perceptions of justice based on their school experiences and to examine whether their perceptions show significant differences with respect to certain background variables. The sample of this study consisted of 526 students from seven primary schools in different neighborhoods in Ankara. The data was gathered through a questionnaire developed by the researcher in order to measure the students&rsquo
perceptions of justice based on their school experiences. Descriptive and inferential statistics were employed for the analysis of the data. The principal component analysis extracted four dimensions of justice, namely distributive justice, interactional justice, procedural justice and retributive justice. The results of the repeated measures analysis indicated that dimensions can be listed from the most fair to least fair as procedural justice, retributive justice, interactional justice and distributive justice. Students perceived their schools&rsquo
practices most fair with respect to procedural justice and retributive justice. The results of the MANOVA indicated that gender and achievement level has significant effect on students&rsquo
perceptions of justice. Compared to males, female students perceived their school experiences more fair. Results also revealed that compared to low achievers, high achievers perceived their school environment more fair with respect to retributive justice. Principals and teachers should pay attention to the distribution of the grades, praises, punishment, since students perceived their school practices least fair with respect to distributive justice.
12
Ocal, Kubilay. "The Effects Of Interscholastic Sports Participation On Academic Achievement And Behavioral Development Of Junior High Grades Students." Master's thesis, METU, 2006. http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/3/12607180/index.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of interscholastic sports participation on academic achievement and behavioural development of junior high grades students of basic education schools in Turkey. The subjects of this study were 651 eight grade students from fifteen basic education schools which are randomly selected during 2004-2005 academic year in NevSehir. Required data were collected by student’
s data record folders (SPDRF), athletics participation licenses, high school entrance exam result sheets, provided by the schools administrations. First of all descriptive statistics were used to define demographic variables of this study. Second, one-way analysis of variance (Tukey HSD) and t-test (Pearson correlation) were used to asses the relationship between demographic variables and interscholastic sports participation on grade point average, high school entrance exam scores, attendance rate and behavioural development of students. Third correlation coefficients were applied to indicate the relation between independent variables and interscholastic sports participation. Finally regression analysis was conducted to understand how well the independent variables predict the academic achievement and behavioural development levels. Results indicate that interscholastic sports participations have positive effects on grade point average, attendance rate, individual development and high school entrance exam scores. Moreover demographic variables of students such as family income, family size, parents education level, family configuration and interscholastic sports participation are the determinants of academic success, behavioral development level, attendance rate, and high school attendance exam scores.
13
Eryigit, Arzu. "A Cross-age Study On Elementary Students." Master's thesis, METU, 2010. http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/12612870/index.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
A cross age study was conducted to investigate 6th, 7th and 8th grade students&rsquovalue orientations, environmental optimism, and environmental concern. In addition, gender and grade level differences in the environmental-related attributes were examined. A total of 938 (491 girls and 447 boys) students attending public schools located in Kelkit, the district of Gumushane, were administered a questionnaire consisting of Demographics, Environmental Attitudes and Apathy Scales, Environmental Concern Scale , Environmental Optimism Scale, Locus of Control Scale and Conservation Behavior Scale. In general, students who participated in the current study found to endorse eco-centric attitudes, and express a high degree of concern as well as optimism level about the current and future state of the environmental issues and problems. They also seemed to be interested in environmental issues and problems and perceived environmental problems as one of the two or three most important problems currently being faced. In order to examine the role of gender and grade level on students&rsquo
environmental attitudes, two separate two-way MANOVAs were conducted. The results revealed a statistically significant gender and grade level differences both on students&rsquo
ecocentric, apathy and anthropocentric attitudes and on students&rsquo
environmental optimism and concern levels.
14
Gulcu, Meric. "The Place Of The Native Culture In The English Language Classroom: A Case Study Of Eng 101 Classrooms At Metu." Master's thesis, METU, 2010. http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/2/12611968/index.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
The aim of this study is to investigate the place of the students‟
native culture in the English language classrooms in the context of the English 101 course at Middle East Technical University. In accordance with this aim, the study is concerned with revealing the opinions and beliefs of language teachers regarding the importance of integrating the students&
#8223
native cultures into their classes and their attitudes about practicing culturally responsive teaching in multi-cultural classrooms. During the process of data collection, various methods were utilized: Five teachers working in the Department of Modern Languages were interviewed to learn their ideas about the topic from different aspects of language instruction, and two teachers were observed while teaching to better understand the classroom application of their ideas and the principles of culturally responsive teaching. Further post-observation interviews and stimulated recalls were also carried out to make an in-depth analysis. The results of the study show that although the teachers believe in the importance of making use of the students&
#8223
native cultures in their classrooms through different means, they usually neglect to do so. The study also shows that what the teachers associate with the term &ldquo
culture&rdquo
in the context of language teaching is the target culture rather than the native cultures. It is also found that while the individual cultures of the foreign students are made use of to a greater degree (but still in a very limited fashion), the native cultures of the Turkish students are ignored during the instruction.
15
Kutlu, Funda. "The Effect Of Bullying Management Training On Bullying Behaviours Of Elementary School Students." Phd thesis, METU, 2005. http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/3/12606249/index.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
The present study consists of two phases. The first phase includes the development of the Turkish Bully Scale to identify bully, victim and bully/victim groups and to describe the incidence of bullying among the elementary school students. The second phase of the study evaluates the effect of the Bullying Management Training Program on reducing bullying behaviours of bully/victim elementary school students.
In the development of the Bully Scale a pilot (N=453, sixth grade students) and a main study (N=519, sixth grade students) were conducted to examine the validity evidence and the reliability estimates. Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analyses were used to analyse the validity evidence and the reliability of the Bully Scale, which is used for the selection of the subjects.
In the second phase of the study, an experimental 3 x 2 design with one training and two control groups was used to investigate the effectiveness of Bullying Management Training Program. The 19-item Bully Scale including a self-report (N=367) and peer nomination (N= 396) forms were administered to a sample of the 7th grade students. The training program was conducted with the bully/victim group. Contrary to the expectation, the results of repeated measures ANCOVA analyses were not significant, except for the victimization scores of the peer nomination form. The post hoc analyses did not indicate a significant difference for the victimization score between the training and two control groups. The Bullying Management training was not found as an effective technique to reduce bully/victim students&rsquobullying and victimization.
16
Topkaya, Nursel. "A Survey Study On Turkish Pre-service Counselors: Their Sources Of Sexuality Information, Perceived Competence, Needs To Obtain Information, And Attitudes Toward Sexuality." Master's thesis, METU, 2006. http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/12607886/index.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
The purpose of the present study was fourfold: First, to understand pre-service counselors&rsquoprimary sources of sexuality information
second, to examine pre-service counselors&rsquo
perceived competence level of providing sexuality related information to their clients
third, to identify pre-service counselors&rsquo
need to obtain more information on sexuality related topics, and finally, to assess pre-service counselors&rsquo
attitudes toward sexuality. Demographic Data Form, Sexuality Information Form, and Turkish version of the Sexual Knowledge and Attitude Test for Adolescents (SKAT-A) - Attitude Section were used as the data collection instuments. The data were gathered from 552 undergraduate students, recruited from three State universities that offer Psychological Counseling and Guidance undergraduate program in Ankara, Turkey. The results of the study revealed that mothers and peers were cited as the primary sources by pre-service counselors. School/teacher, educational materials, and TV/movie were also mentioned as the important sources of information in relatively a few sexuality related topics. Moreover, female and male pre-service school counselors&rsquo
perceived competence level of providing information to their clients was higher among students who are about to finish their education compared to those who are at first or second year of his/her education in many sexuality topics. The findings also yielded that the majority of the females primarily need more information regarding sexual activities, whereas the majority of the males mainly need more information regarding society, culture, and sexuality. The results of MANOVA demonstrated that freshman and sophomore students reported more conservative masturbation, conventional morality, and homosexuality attitudes in comparison with either of the junior and senior students. Furthermore, female pre-service counselors held more liberal homosexuality attitudes than male pre-service counselors. The results indicated no significant differences with respect to gender and mother education as well as gender and father education of pre-service counselors and their masturbation, conventional morality, pornography, and homosexuality attitudes. Additionally, results showed that pre-service counselors who received previous sexuality education endorsed more liberal masturbation, conventional morality, and homosexuality attitudes as compared with pre-service counselors who did not receive any education.
17
Ataman, Fatma. "Predictors Of Organizational Socialization Of English Instructors At Preparatory Schools." Phd thesis, METU, 2012. http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/12614963/index.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the socialization of English instructors at preparatory schools of Turkish universities at organization, department and task levels, and various individual (academic degree, teaching experience, length of employment at current work place, job satisfaction, commitment, and self-efficacy) and organizational (type of university, training, work conditions, knowledge sharing) variables.
A pilot study with 225 instructors from four universities was conducted to confirm the validity of Haueter, Macan, and Winter&rsquos (2003) Newcomer Socialization Questionnaire (NSQ) adapted into Turkish. Although the results of exploratory factor analysis in the pilot study did not reveal supportive results for the structures in NSQ, results of the confirmatory factor analysis indicated moderate fit for the structures in the scale. The main study was designed as a correlational study and the participants comprised of 737 English instructors working at 16 public and private universities selected from four cities in Turkey and Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus via cluster sampling. In order to collect the data, an inventory consisting of three parts made up of self-developed and pre-developed scales was utilized. The first part consisted personal questions about education, age, gender and length of employment of the participants. The second part included questions about training and work conditions of the participants. The items related to training and work conditions were developed by the researchers. The third and final part of the inventory consisted of five separate scales for measuring both the predicted and predictor variables. Turkish adaptation of three-dimensional Organizational Socialization Scale, which was self-developed, and the Turkish version of three-dimensional Teachers&rsquo
Sense of Efficacy Scale developed and validated by Ç
apa, Ç
akiroglu, and Sarikaya,(2005), three-dimensional Organizational Commitment Scale developed and validated by Wasti (1997), Job Satisfaction and Knowledge Sharing scales developed by Kondakç
i and Haser (2011), all of which were pre-developed were utilized to measure the predictors of organizational socialization. Both descriptive and inferential statistics techniques were used for the data analysis. Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis for the self-developed Organizational Socialization Scale, and confirmatory factor analyses for the pre-developed Teachers&rsquo
Efficacy Scale, Organizational Commitment Scale, Job Satisfaction Scale and Knowledge Sharing Scale were conducted within the scope of this study. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses was carried out in order to investigate the relationship between organizational socialization and its predictors. Descriptive, inferential and multiple regression statistical analyses were performed by the software PASW Statistics 18 and the confirmatory factor analysis was performed by the software AMOS 18. The results of the main study revealed that socialization of English instructors to the organization, department, and task are significantly predicted by several organizational and individual variables. Among organizational variables knowledge sharing and training are the most significant ones
and among individual variables, job satisfaction, self-efficacy for instructional strategies, and affective commitment are the most significant ones. In this respect, the practitioners in the field should provide necessary conditions so as to promote and improve knowledge sharing, job satisfaction, appropriate training in the work place, as well as offering opportunities for instructors to improve their self-efficacy as a teacher and satisfaction with the job, which can lead to increase in affective commitment.
18
Kaya, Nisa Gokden. "The Role Of Self-esteem, Hope And External Factors In Predicting The Resilience Among Regional Boarding Elemantary School Students." Master's thesis, METU, 2007. http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/12608375/index.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
This syudy aims to find out the role of self-esteem, hope and external factors in predicting resilience of students in Regional Boarding Elemantary Schools. The sample was 391 students in 6. 7. and 8. grades of Regional Boarding Elemantary Schools in Ankara. A demographic data form developed by the researcher, California Resilience and Youth Developmant Module (CDE, WestEd, 2001Gizir, 2004), Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale (Ç
uhadaroglu, 1985
Rosenberg, 1965), and Children'
s Hope Scale (Kemer &
Atik, 2006
Synder et al., 1997) were used to collect data. Multiple regression analysis for the total sample results revealed that predictor variables explained 69% of the total variance. According to results Hope, and some external assets (Home Caring Relationships, High Expectations, and Meaningful Participation, Community Caring Relationships and High Expectations
School and Community Meaningful Participation
Peer Caring Relationships and High Expectations) were important predictors of resilience. However, Self-esteem and two external assets (School Caring Relationships and High Expectations
and School Connectedness) did not contribute to internal assets of resilience scores. Furthermore, findings showed differences between boys and girls in terms of the predictor variables of resilience. Regression analysis indicated that the model with eight predictors explained 69% of the total variance among females and %70 for males. On the other hand, male students possesed five protective factors predicting resilience, whereas females had three.
19
Yasan, Nehir. "Exploring The Research Assistants'." Master's thesis, METU, 2011. http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/12613700/index.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
The aim of this qualitative study was to explore research assistants&rsquoopinions regarding the courses they take during their graduate study in terms of improving their science perception and research skills. The research questions include research assistants&rsquo
assessments about the effectiveness of graduate courses on research skills and science perception, their evaluation of the graduate programs in terms of improving science perception, and their suggestions on the improvement of the quality of the graduate program regarding science perception and research skills. The sample for the present study contains 12 interviewees from four different v institutes of Middle East Technical University. The interviewees are all PhD candidates at METU. The sample was chosen by using purposive sampling. In this study, the data collection instrument was a semi-structured interview guide designed by the researcher. There were 8 main questions and 9 sub-questions. The collected data was analyzed through content analysis. The results of the study are presented under four main themes, which were derived from the research questions. First theme was the assessment of research skills which was about usefulness of courses, competence about research methods, reasons for not taking courses, problems because of not taking them. The second theme was the assessment of science perception which was about contributions of courses, reasons for not taking courses. The third theme was the evaluation of the graduate programs which consisted of should-be-developed and positive aspects. The last theme was about suggestions which could be realized by university administration and by personal efforts. In conclusion, the findings revealed that the research assistants are aware of the importance of research methods course for enhancing research skills, and of effectiveness of history and philosophy of science course regarding the improving of science perception. In this respect, based on literature review and the research assistants&rsquo
views it is suggested that history and philosophy of science course utilizing explicitly-reflective inquiry approach should be included curriculum of graduate programs.
20
Byrom, Tina. "'The dream of social flying' : social class, higher education choice and the paradox of widening participation." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 2008. http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/11053/.
Full textAbstract:
Widening Participation in UK universities is currently a key political concern. Whilst the under-representation of particular groups has been a feature of higher education for many years, participation for groups identified by gender, ethnicity and disability has seen some improvement. However, the participation of students from low social class groups remains an issue. Whilst there are a number of intervention programmes that seek to increase the numbers of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds who do go on to higher education, in this thesis I work closely with a group of non-traditional students who participated in a Sutton Trust Summer School. In attempting to understand the complexities of social class participation in HE and the perceptions of an HE hierarchy, I draw heavily from Bourdieu's notions of habitus and field. The findings from this study raise numerous issues for intervention programmes such as the Sutton Trust. In presenting the findings, I explore three arenas of influence: habitus influenced by home context; habitus influenced by institutions such as school and the Sutton Trust and also the idea of living with a ‘split’ habitus - a habitus in tension. Throughout the findings sections, I draw from the experiences of the young people to argue that their ‘class’ based practices align more closely with those of the middle classes and that their decision to go to university was made early on in their educational journeys. Their pursuit of higher education with a particular focus on the types of HE institutions they were willing to consider, presents an interesting issue for those working in the widening participation arena. The students in this study were already equipped with the ability, knowledge and desire to apply to an elite institution prior to their Sutton Trust experience. I describe this position in terms of a 'trajectory interruption' where the expected trajectory of an individual can be influenced by the numerous fields of which they are a part. I draw specifically from the notion of habitus to explain how their respective 'trajectory interruptions' occurred. The 'dream of social flying'(Bourdieu 1993: 2) places these students in particular positions within the educational field - positions that are conducive to any form of trajectory interruption.
21
Simon, Amanda Rachel. "The social positioning of supplementary schooling." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 2013. http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/4160/.
Full textAbstract:
This research study constitutes an ethnographic investigation of the social positioning of 16 ‘supplementary schools’. The study incorporates positioning theory coupled with Blommaert’s approach to discourse as theoretical and analytical frameworks. The realm of supplementary schooling is complex and diverse with each school engaged in various educational projects dictated by multiple socio-political and historical factors. This complexity however is not adequately represented within current research literature. The first phase of this study investigates the key purposes of 16 diverse supplementary schools in Birmingham. This phase also encompasses the establishment of a framework in which the social positioning of schools are represented. Such a framework will challenge existing essentialised notions of supplementary schooling. This aspect of the study is achieved through semi-structured interviews with school leaders from all 16 schools. This social positioning of supplementary schools is further explored within phase 2 of the study, through an in-depth case study of an African-Caribbean school. Here, classroom observation fieldnotes, interactive recordings and staff interviews afford an exploration of the relationship between school positioning and micro-level discursive practices. Analysis of this data demonstrates that supplementary schools are complex socio-political enterprises that are situated within and respond to multiple historical, social and political storylines. The study argues that these historical, social and political contexts should be considered in order to gain a developed understanding of the role and social positioning of these institutions.
22
Levine, Diane Thembekile. "Adolescent girls, social cognition and technology." Thesis, University of Warwick, 2015. http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/75499/.
Full textAbstract:
Technology is almost ubiquitous among adolescents in contemporary British society. Despite this, we do not have a meaningful understanding of the interplay between adolescent girls’ developing social cognition and their use of digital devices. This study aims to address this gap in understanding. Four pre-pubescent and eleven pubescent young women based in the Midlands and from across the socio-economic spectrum participated between 2012-2013. Participant completed six research tools and eleven of them participated in a face-to-face interview. Three tools were adapted from the existing psychology literature, and the remainder were developed specifically for this study. The tools explored technology-mediated attachment and relationships, self and identity, attribution and Theory of Mind. The findings suggest that the moral panics surrounding technology use in adolescence are misplaced; rather, adolescent girls with a good range of personal and situational resources are likely to exert considerable choice in their uses of technology, and social media in particular. Valsiner’s Zones and life course perspectives were used to conceptualise the emerging understanding of technology-mediated social cognition in adolescent girls. This theoretical framework made it possible to do four things. Firstly, to recognize adolescents’ active choice and agency. Secondly, to articulate development opportunities within individuals, relationships and technological environments. Thirdly to locate physiological and psychological development within the broader socio-technical realm. And finally, to see technology as neither positive nor negative but as shaping, rather than defining adolescent perspectives, behaviours and relationships. These possibilities suggest that, rather than attempting to shoehorn adolescent experience into a single paradigm or model we need to ask ourselves key questions about the interplay between the individual adolescent and the technology they choose to use.
23
Campbell, Elizabeth. "Scottish adult literacy and numeracy policy and practice : a social practice model : rhetoric or reality." Thesis, University of Glasgow, 2011. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/2948/.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis is about the story of the development of Adult Literacy and Numeracy policy and practice in Scotland. It includes some of my personal experiences over the past thirty years working in the field of adult education and particularly in literacies. However, the focus is primarily on the years 2000 –2006 when major developments took place in this field of adult learning. One of the tenets of the ‘new literacies’ policy and practice is that it is predicated on a social practice model. This thesis explores whether this assertion is rhetoric or reality. In the process the thesis outlines what the term social practice means to theorists, academics and those involved in the direct delivery of literacies. It examines the policy documents and the practices of managers and tutors and learner outcomes. The thesis argues that, while a learner centred approach is integral to any good adult education practice, it does not equate to the use of a social practice model and more requires to be done before it can be claimed that Scotland truly operates a social practice model in the delivery of Adult Literacy and Numeracy. The first five chapters of the thesis outline the historical context of literacies development in Scotland, locate my methodological approach, explore what is meant by social practices, sketch the development of policy and practice in Scotland and describe the methods used to gather data. The following three chapters explore the responses of the managers, tutors and learners that informed the outcomes of the research. The final chapters analyse the data and address three pertinent questions. Firstly, is it possible/likely that a full social practice model can become the norm in Scotland, secondly, whether it is possible to develop this model at a national level anywhere considering the current global situation and thirdly, how can the good practice recorded in this research be sustained.
24
Hart, Robert Gerald Scott. "Using video self-modelling to teach new skills to children with social interaction and and communication difficulties." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 2010. http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/1274/.
Full textAbstract:
Video self-modelling (VSM) is a behavioural intervention in which an observer views a short video of him/herself engaged in adaptive behaviour, in order to learn the behaviour and reproduce it more frequently, fluently or appropriately. While the past three decades have seen research in different domains of applied psychology which attests to the potential benefits of VSM in a variety of settings, including special education, it has received scant attention within the UK educational psychology community. An exploratory study was conducted to see if and how VSM could be integrated into the work of an Educational Psychologist working as an external consultant. VSM interventions were undertaken with two 10-year-old boys with social interaction and communication difficulties. One of these focused on developing anger management skills, and the other on improving writing performance. A mixed-methods approach was used with qualitative information from post-intervention participant and staff interviews being used in addition to experimental outcome measures. Post-intervention behaviour changes were observed in both cases, with fewer negative behavioural incidents, and more words written, respectively, however qualitative feedback raised questions about the effectiveness of VSM for one of the cases. Limitations of the research are discussed, as is the suitability of VSM as an addition to the repertoire of Educational Psychologists’ interventions.
25
O'Connor, Marie Louise. "Pupil voice-exploring the education journeys experienced by pupils labelled with behaviour, emotional and social difficulties (BESD)." Thesis, Liverpool John Moores University, 2012. http://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/6169/.
Full textAbstract:
The study aimed to develop innovative and exploratory research strategies for harnessing the pupil voice amongst young people who have received the Behavioural, Emotional and Social Difficulties (BESD) label. As such the study sought to locate the pupil at the heart of the data collection and to examine how specific turning points can impact upon the educational experiences of young people labelled with BESD. The study attempted to move away from traditional research methods which have worked to silence the voices of this group of young people. In order to achieve this aim the researcher set out on a journey of discovery alongside the pupils to develop participatory and engaging methods of data collection. The study aimed to track the educational journeys experienced by young people who have received the BESD label. In addition to being a vehicle for the voice of the young person the thesis draws together the perspectives of the adults surrounding the pupil namely their parents and teachers. The results revealed the BESD label to be complex and difficult to operationalise. The current education system continues to remove these "challenging" pupils and this leads to them experiencing extremely chaotic educational journeys. The findings indicate that the current system is not working from the perspective of the pupil, parent or teacher. Encouragingly pupils were able to offer intelligent and insightful responses to the antecedents to BESD development. The study therefore advocates the importance of "hearing" the pupil voice. It is questionable however the extent to which the study achieved its aim of "true participation". This is due to the position occupied by young people both within society and the confines of their educational journey. The study critically reflects on the challenge of unleashing the pupil voice. It is hoped the findings will provide recommendations for educational professionals and research practitioners engaging and supporting this group of young people.
26
Sarkar, Ruby. "Teaching of Asian mother tongues in Scottish schools : an analysis of their roles in cognitive, social and personal development." Thesis, University of Glasgow, 2001. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/2769/.
Full text
27
Bircan, Fatma. "Three Essays On Education In Turkey." Phd thesis, METU, 2005. http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/12606114/index.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis analyzes the pecuniary aspects of education in Turkey. It consists of three essays. The first essay deals with the demand for education, focusing on private tutoring expenditures of households. The study investigates the determinants of private tutoring expenditures of households using a Tobit model as the estimation method. It is found that wealthier households with higher levels of parental education are more likely to participate in private tutoring.
The second essay concerns the wage inequality in the male wages in 1994 and 2002. The study found that the differences in the educational attainment levels are a major determinant of wage inequality. However, returns to education declined at each school level from 1994 to 2002. Wage inequality is also found to exist within the same educational categories. The study shows that differences in returns to the same level of education at distinct points of wage distribution became more pronounced in 2002 compared to 1994. Secondary schooling is found to benefit the least able more compared to those positioned in the middle quantiles of ability distribution.
The last study in this thesis attempts to elucidate the determinants of self-employment versus wage employment choice and earnings in the two employment states. The study concludes that financial wealth and risk factor are important determinants of self-employment activity. As the educational attainment levels of individuals increase, the likelihood of becoming self-employed decrease. Education increases the earnings of both self-employed and wage earners. However, education returns are higher for the sub-group of wage employees compared to self-employed.
28
Page, Joanne. "An evaluation of the effectiveness of 'comic strip conversations' for addressing the target social behaviours of primary-aged pupils on the autistic spectrum." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 2016. http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/37964/.
Full textAbstract:
Educational provision for children with autism is increasingly being made within mainstream settings and a range of intervention strategies to cater for the diverse needs of this heterogeneous population are needed (Ali & Frederickson, 2006). This research presents an evaluation of ‘Comic Strip Conversations’ (CSCs) (Gray, 1994b) for addressing the target social behaviours of five primary-aged pupils with autism in mainstream schools. CSCs are a story-based intervention which use visual systems designed to support understanding of situations and encourage more appropriate social behaviours in individuals with autism. A systematic review of existing research into the effectiveness of CSCs highlights the limited evidence base that currently exists. A series of multiple-baseline across behaviours single-case experimental designs (SCEDs) were implemented for four participants, in which two specific behaviours were targeted through a CSC intervention. An A-B SCED was implemented for a fifth participant, targeting a single behaviour. Repeated measures were taken through structured observations to assess the frequency of target behaviours. These measures were triangulated with pre- and post- measures of staff perceptions of the target behaviours and intervention effectiveness. This research additionally explored the relative impacts on behaviours of creating single versus multiple CSCs. The repeated measures data was analysed using a combination of visual analysis and effect size analysis (Tau-U). The outcomes of this indicated mixed results, with the intervention appearing to be moderately to highly effective in addressing at least one target behaviour for three of the five participants. Outcomes in terms of changes in staff perceptions of target behaviours and ratings of intervention effectiveness were similarly mixed and did not consistently triangulate with the repeated measures data. The behaviour targeted through multiple CSCs demonstrated greater improvement than the behaviour targeted through a single CSC in three out of four participants, however the difference was negligible in one case. Therefore, no clear association between intervention frequency and outcome could be concluded. The results are considered in view of the limitations of the research, taking into account the research design, characteristics of the data obtained, and threats to internal validity. Implications for practice are outlined and suggestions are made for future research. The research concludes with some support for CSCs as a promising intervention which may aid the development of socially appropriate behaviours for some pupils with autism.
29
Husamoglu, Muserref. "Effect Of Different Levels Of Education On Economic Development In Turkey: A Panel Analysis." Master's thesis, METU, 2008. http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/3/12610316/index.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
In this study, I aimed to examine the impact of different levels of education on real GDP (and real GDP per workforce) in Turkey, and hence the relationship between different levels of education and the standard of living is estimated by panel data techniques. The panel data set in the study is constructed by pooling 67 provinces of Turkey over the period of 1975-2000. Furthermore, in the empirical work, two models are employed: the model introduced by Knowles (1997) and the augmented Solow model with different levels of education. The panel data estimation of the Knowles&rsquos model implies that the secondary level of schooling has the greatest contribution to real GDP, while the augmented Solow model implies that the higher level of schooling has the largest impact on real GDP per workforce.
30
Sewell, Alexandra. "Young social beings : an investigation into the social interactions and relationships of a Year Five class." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 2016. http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/7049/.
Full textAbstract:
The research study employed a mixed methods research design to investigate the social interactions and relationships of a Year Five, mainstream Primary School class. The first strand of the research empirically evaluated an adaptation of the Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) intervention 'The Good Behaviour Game' (TGBG), which aimed to increase the positive social behaviour of the Year Five class. TGBG is a dependent group contingency, behaviour management intervention which is implemented at the whole class level. The research employed a single case, ABAB reversal design to evaluate its efficacy for promoting behaviour change for the target social behaviours of working as a team, supporting peers and positive social interactions with a peer. Observation data was also collected for a focus participant to explore the effects of a universal intervention at the targeted level of an individual participant. The second strand of the research utilised Personal Construct Psychology (PCP) to explore participants' construing of their social interactions and relationships with others. The repertory grid interview method was used to interview 8 participants. The PCP strand to the study was perceived to add an illuminative addition to the ABA strand, which incorporated a constructivist approach to understand the unique perceptions and views of the child.
31
Davies, Robert. "Identifying a weakness in the UK education system of supporting children with complex social, emotional and behavioural difficulties/ADHD : is government policy preventing effective inclusion for some pupils?" Thesis, University of Greenwich, 2010. http://gala.gre.ac.uk/6600/.
Full textAbstract:
A short attention span, impulsivity, distractibility, and hyperactivity are characteristics that are commonly found in young children and sometimes in adults. These difficulties also meet the American Psychiatric Association diagnostic criteria for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The British Psychological Society has adopted the term ‘bio-psycho-social’ to reflect the complex and multi-dimensional nature of ADHD. In young people, these symptoms interfere with learning, interpersonal relationships and self-esteem and can lead to social and educational exclusion. The use of drugs in the treatment of ADHD remains controversial and according to the 2005 prescription cost analysis (Cohen, 2006), Ritalin use has risen by 7600 per cent. Unfortunately, since the move away from the medical model following the 1978 Warnock Report on supporting children with special needs, a mindset has been created amongst teachers regarding the identification and assessment of children with certain types of complex needs as being outside of their expertise and this has resulted in teachers placing an over-reliance on external support services and specialists. This thesis proposes an enhancement to the existing over-complicated and bureaucratic system of identification and support for behavioural, social and emotional difficulties (BESD)/ADHD that develops the expertise and the role of the SENCO and thus streamlines identification of individual need and enhances educational support for ADHD sufferers. This research thesis used a case study approach with an interpretive dimension to enable the researcher to enter the working world of doctors and other medical professionals, teachers and classroom support assistants, and children as the ultimate subjects of this enquiry. The purpose of the study was to extend my knowledge of a complex childhood phenomenon and to examine the systems put in place in schools and support services that identify certain SEN and disorders that affect learning. An analysis of the role of teachers and school special needs coordinators was explored along with government policy on inclusion practices. The role of professionals from medicine and education in LEA support services was also examined and reported. A total of eighteen questionnaires were used to target key personnel in LEA support services. This was followed up with interviews at support services and in schools. A total of six medical professionals and a further nine educational professionals were interviewed. Three classroom observations were also conducted at a London comprehensive school. Analysis of the resulting data led to the identification of a series of Figures and a flowchart depicting the ‘story’ of this difficult process, with a proposed enhancement for earlier BSED/ADHD identification and support, and a range of recommendations. Although this was a small-scale research study, the literature and the comments from professionals cited from the national expert SENCO Forum indicate that my findings reflect a much wider picture locally and nationally.
32
Begley, Amanda. "The academic, physical and social self-perceptions of pupils with Down syndrome." Thesis, University of Warwick, 1999. http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/108364/.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis contains the work from two inter-related studies focusing on the self-perceptions of pupils with Down Syndrome. After a brief account of my value position in relation to the research in Chapter 1, Chapter 2 discusses the literature on self-perceptions. This discussion provides the rationale for study 1. In Chapter 3 the developmental profile of children with Down Syndrome is discussed. This provides the rationale for the choice of research instruments. In study 1 the self-perceptions of 96 pupils with Down Syndrome between the ages of 8 and 16 years were assessed in three school related domains: academic competence, physical competence and social acceptance Results from the Pictorial Scale of Perceived Competence and Acceptance (Harter & Pike, 1981/1984) and a Situations Grid suggested that pupils with Down Syndrome hold very positive self-perceptions in each school related domain, that self-perceptions become more positive with age, are more positive for female than for male pupils and remain positive regardless of school placement type (mainstream or special school). The findings from study 1 left unanswered a number of questions concerning the self- perceptions of pupils with Down Syndrome. Furthermore, examination of individual scores revealed considerable differences in the self-perceptions of individual pupils. Therefore, the aim of study 2 was to investigate factors associated with high and low self-perceptions. Study 2 also allowed pupils, teachers and parents more freedom to participate in the research. Fourteen qualitative case studies were completed. The interview and observation data arising from study 2 revealed the heterogeneity in factors associated with the self-perceptions of pupils with Down Syndrome. In the closing chapters: possible explanations for the study findings and suggestions for further research are raised, the utility of quantitative and qualitative approaches for studying pupils with Down Syndrome is discussed, and the implications of the findings for existing theories are covered.
33
Hutton, Plum. "Investigation into the prevalence of sensory processing difficulties in children identified as having behavioural, emotional or social difficulties at school." Thesis, Cardiff University, 2012. http://orca.cf.ac.uk/42131/.
Full textAbstract:
The incidence of sensory processing difficulties (SPDs) was investigated for pupils (aged 4-10 years old) with behavioural, emotional or social difficulties (BESD). Teachers provided a measure of BESD using The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Parents completed The Short Sensory Profile (SSP) and teachers completed The Sensory Profile, School Companion (SC). Data were analysed for 144 children. When total scores were calculated for the sensory measures, parents and teachers rated that 55% and 44% of the sample respectively, had sensory processing difficulties. Both parents and teachers demonstrated concerns about difficulties with overactivity, poor listening and concentration skills. Associations were found between SPDs and some background factors including anxiety and poor peer relations. When individual cases were examined, it was found that children were often rated as having difficulties at school but not at home or visa versa. The implications of this finding are discussed in relation to previous studies that have purely relied on the Short Sensory Profile, a brief parental measure of SPDs. It was cautiously concluded that the data suggest that within the BESD sample it was possible to identify a subgroup of children who may also have difficulties with sensory processing. It is suggested that it may be helpful for there to be an increased awareness of possible sensory difficulties for some BESD children among educational psychologists.
34
Mason, Paul Nicholas. "Identity and friendship : the social lives of people described as having a learning disability." Thesis, University of Warwick, 2010. http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/36752/.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis is divided into three chapters. A general theme running throughout concerns "the social lives of people described as having a learning disability". Chapter 1 is a critical review, focusing on the literature that has sought to understand how people described as having a learning disability negotiate their identities in the routine and mundane social interactions of their lives. In contrast to earlier research, that has attempted to explore how a "learning disabled identity" is perceived and experienced through direct interviews; the literature in this area offers a different perspective in that all of the studies critiqued use Conversation Analysis [CA] as a methodology. What they illustrate is the influential role of the environment, and more specifically, the roles that professionals and staff can play in relation to empowering or disempowering those whom they support. The contributions of these studies are assessed and clinical implications and recommendations for future research are considered. Chapter 2 is a qualitative study using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to explore friendship in the lives of people described as having a learning disability. For participants in the study, friendship was reported as playing an important role in their lives; however other relationships also had considerable significance. Of particular note were relationships with staff and family members. These relationships were at times spoken about as being welcomed and depended on, but at other times seen as a source of frustration. Limitations of the study are discussed, along with clinical implications and recommendations for future research. Chapter 3 is specifically related to Chapter 2, and provides a reflective account of the experience of undertaking a piece of research within the area of learning disabilities. Particular attention is given to some of the dilemmas and challenges that were encountered along the way.
35
Price, Alan Charles. "Action research in outdoor learning : promoting social and emotional learning in young people with social emotional and behavioural difficulties." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 2017. http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/7428/.
Full textAbstract:
This research applies a non-typical action research approach to design, implementation and monitoring of an outdoor learning intervention situated within a UK special school for learners with social emotional and behavioural difficulties (SEBD). The rationale for the research is based upon practitioner assumptions that an earlier skills orientated outdoor learning curriculum was inappropriate and that change was required to incorporate opportunities for the learners to develop their social and emotional learning (SEL) skills. The thesis describes the historical role of outdoor learning in relation to SEBD intervention and applies structuration theory (Giddens, 1984) to gain an understanding of previous outdoor learning interventions. The theory has also been used to create a narrative from which to describe the augmentation of SEL skills within the participant group. It was found that SEL augmentation in individuals contributed toward the production of improved social structures within the participant group. Participant attendance on the outdoor learning intervention is also reviewed in the context of alternative curriculum discourse. It was found that participants had improved attendance, punctuality and motivation on intervention days.
36
Precious, Mandy. "Social class and cultural reproduction : a study of the exceptional lives of artists working in schools." Thesis, University of Warwick, 2013. http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/57926/.
Full textAbstract:
The motivation for this research was to better understand how social class impacts on the reproduction of cultural taste on the basis that access to 'legitimate' culture is predetermined by class position. This was driven by my history as a woman with a working class cultural heritage operating as an artist in a school setting, a predominantly middle class position. The research asks, therefore, the question: what enables transgression from one class/culture to another? [...]
37
Hu, Bo. "Education for migrant children : policy implementation in the changing urban education system in China." Thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science (University of London), 2012. http://etheses.lse.ac.uk/616/.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis aims to examine the extent to which migrant children’s education policy is implemented and identifies the factors that affect the implementation of this policy in the Chinese context. In the last two decades, urban China has witnessed a rapid increase in the number of children of rural-urban migrants. It has become a public concern that migrant children do not have access to education and cannot receive as good an education as do urban children in the cities, even though there are policies formulated by the central government to tackle this issue. The thesis adopts mixed research methods to examine the implementation of migrant children’s education policy. Main sources of the evidence include semi-structured interviews, statistical data, government documents and internal reports by local schools. The thesis divides migrant children’s education policy into three parts: funding and school access policy, equal opportunity policy and school support and social integration policy. It is found that policies for migrant children are selectively or partially implemented. Some policy goals have been achieved, while others have not. Certain groups of migrant children have access to urban public schools and receive high quality education while others do not. A policy analysis shows that migrant children’s education policy is ambiguous in goals and weak in incentives, which grants local governments and schools scope to act with discretion. Non-implementation of sufficient funding and school access policy result from self-interested and habitual decisions of local governments. Implementation of equal opportunity policy is affected by the workings of the exam-oriented education system in China. Social integration policy appears to be well-implemented due to effective school support available to migrant children and good intergroup relationship between migrant and urban children. The findings imply that further policy reform is needed to improve the educational opportunities of migrant children. In particular, special attention should be focused on those policy areas not effectively implemented and more support should be directed to those migrant children who are more disadvantaged.
38
Rehal, Ashok Kumar. "The educational psychologist as a pedagogue for pupils with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties." Thesis, University of Greenwich, 2011. http://gala.gre.ac.uk/7140/.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis reflects my personal and professional journey from teacher to educational psychologist through significant periods in the education of children with Social Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties (SEBDs) in the UK. It also draws of on lessons learnt from my experience working in North America in the early years of my career. The main aims of my research were to: (1) Appraise the contribution an educational psychologist could make in assessing the learning potential of children and young people with SEBDs, and (2) Consider the „added value‟ that an educational psychologist might bring to enable these children as better learners and teachers as better teachers of children with SEBDs. 45 Children and young people with Social Emotional Behavioural Difficulties and their parents and teachers participated in the research. A mixed methods approach was employed to undertake three related case studies and a reflexive and narrative analysis was employed. Main outcomes of the research were (i) SEBDs were almost always accompanied by often unrecognised learning difficulties; (ii) A cognitive assessment by an educational psychologist had an added value in understanding the needs of the child; (iii) When parents and teachers of children who participated in an especially designed intervention, it changed their views of their children‟s behaviours. They reported significant improvement in their children‟s social skills and behaviour. I conclude the thesis by considering the implications of findings for the benefit of children with SEBDs. It is crucial that teachers identify and assess learning difficulties in all children and young people and clearly differentiate these from matters of and interventions for behaviour difficulties. Teachers and parents can be empowered to deal with their children‟s behavioural difficulties by involving the Educational Psychologist as a pedagogue, sitting as he or she does at the crossroads of education and psychology.
39
Grenfell, Michael. "The initial training of modern language teachers : a social theoretical approach." Thesis, University of Southampton, 1995. https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/365533/.
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40
Park, Deborah Louise. "Presence, participation and progress : an investigation into changes in attendance, attitudes to learning and achievement following the introduction of an alternative curriculum in a school for pupils with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 2014. http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/5055/.
Full textAbstract:
This research considers the impact of the implementation of an alternative curriculum in a school for pupils with Behavioural, Emotional and Social Difficulties, who were, in the main, disaffected with education, had low attendance, poor behavior and unsatisfactory academic attainment. This paper suggests that one of the reasons for the pupils’ disaffection lay with the curriculum that was followed at the school. In order to measure the success of the new curriculum, many types of data were analysed, including data on pupils’ attendance, their behaviour and attitudes to learning and their academic achievements. Three sets of data were compared – one set gathered before the new curriculum began, a second set whilst it was in operation and a final set once it had finished. Changes in the data were used to determine the extent to which the alternative curriculum was successful in realising improvements in these three areas. Although not all the data supported the research hypothesis, there was sufficient evidence to confirm that the introduction of a new curriculum in this particular school at this particular time did increase attendance, improve behaviour and lead to an improvement in achievement for most of the pupils who followed the new curriculum.
41
Ramshaw, Elizabeth. "Social competence and moderate learning difficulties : a comparative study of pastoral care in mainstream and special secondary schools." Thesis, University of Gloucestershire, 2014. http://eprints.glos.ac.uk/1061/.
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This study is concerned with the pastoral care of pupils with Moderate Learning Difficulties in special and mainstream secondary schools. It explores the relationship between pastoral care and social outcomes. Since the agenda to include pupils with learning difficulties in mainstream schools was introduced, research has focused on academic results, leaving a gap in the educational knowledge base regarding the personal and social development of these learners. The study was undertaken in two phases, in one Further Education College, in the first term of the academic year. Phase one comprised semi-structured interviews with learners, all of whom had Moderate Learning Difficulties and had recently left secondary school. Interviews were undertaken with 26 students. Half of the participants had previously attended mainstream and half special schools. The second phase incorporated the whole cohort of students with Moderate Learning Difficulties who had embarked on their college career that term; 68 participants, again from special and mainstream schools. The results of the initial assessments conducted by a team of specialist professional staff were analysed. Particular consideration was given to the skills relating to social confidence and self-esteem. What emerged from the study was that the students who had attended special schools had received a high standard of individual pastoral care as opposed to their mainstream counterparts who had received little or none. There were marked differences between the two groups, with the learners who had previously attended special schools demonstrating significantly higher levels of social confidence and self-esteem. The research indicated that there is an association between the quality of pastoral care and that of social outcomes for pupils with Moderate Learning Difficulties. The study concludes with recommendations to all levels of education, from policy makers to practitioners. These are intended to enable all secondary schools pupils with Moderate Learning Difficulties to benefit from robust and effective pastoral care which will produce positive social outcomes.
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Williams, Emily Louise. "An investigation into the effectiveness of social stories with photograph or symbol illustrations for addressing the specific target behaviours of children with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 2011. http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/13297/.
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This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of Social Stories utilising either photograph or symbol illustrations to address the target behaviours of children with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Multiple single-case experiments were conducted utilising an ABA design with 10 participants, all of whom were boys attending mainstream primary schools within a West Midlands Local Authority. The children ranged in age from 5-11 and all of them had a diagnosis and a primary need in relation to ASD. Personalised Social Stories were composed for each of the participants to address a specific target behaviour that had been identified by the child and members of teaching staff. The stories were written by the researcher alongside a member of staff from the Local Authority's Autism Outreach Service and all adhered to the criteria and guidelines for construction outlined by Carol Gray (2004). The format for each of the stories was identical but for the manipulation of the illustrations. The effectiveness of the intervention was monitored using a variety of measures including a Behaviour Log recording the frequency of the target behaviour across each of the experimental phases; the Strengths & Difficulties Questionnaire (Goodman, 1997); and a Teacher / Teaching Assistant Questionnaire that had been designed by the researcher and was based on items contained within the Behaviour Intervention Rating Scale (BIBS) (Elliot & Treuting, 1991). The data obtained from these measures was analysed through the visual inspection of graphical data and the calculation of effect sizes. Discussion is provided about the suitability, reliability and validity of each of the measures and the methods of data analysis. Overall the study provides evidence of the utility and effectiveness of Social Stories for addressing the target behaviours of children with a diagnosis of ASD. Furthermore it offers an original contribution to the existing literature by exploring the impact of different forms of illustration on story efficacy.
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Child, Samantha. "Social experiences and belonging : an ethnography of children in two primary schools supporting children with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties." Thesis, University of Southampton, 2014. https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/374160/.
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Pike, Nicholas Keith. "'The theory doesn't work here' : an exploratory study of child care practice in a 52-week residential special school." Thesis, Cardiff University, 2012. http://orca.cf.ac.uk/45084/.
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This thesis reports an exploratory study of a residential unit in a special school for young people with complex learning disabilities and challenging behaviour. The study, which draws on ethnographic research methods, describes a relational approach to care based predominantly on ‘common sense’ explanations of behaviour rather than on a coherent knowledge base. Residential carers drew largely on informal models of care and the nature of the child care task was constructed predominantly from the prevailing staff culture of ‘how we do things here’. Staff made very little use of formal planning mechanisms, partly because documents were inaccessible to them, partly because documents were poorly completed and did not always match the observable skills of the young people. Such plans were often predicated on a much higher staff: student ratio than was actually available, and the way shifts were organised made their execution difficult to achieve. The construction of the child care task is illustrated in depth by a detailed examination of two micro-practices: providing meals and using bedrooms. In both cases, the research demonstrated that staff were working in a complex context of conflicting ideas, principles and instructions from a variety of competing sources. However committed to the principles of ordinary living, of choice and control, or to learning from everyday life, given the severity of impairment of some young people, the complexity of the context and the shortage of staff, residential workers had to improvise and often decide for themselves how tasks were to be undertaken, without reference to such plans and programmes as were available. The research suggests that the staff operate in this way because of the anomalous, even liminal, position of the residential special school in relation to mainstream child care practice and the challenges that this poses for staff, school managers and placing authorities.
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Stone, Paula. "Confronting myself : an auto/biographical exploration of the impact of class and education on the formation of self and identity." Thesis, Canterbury Christ Church University, 2018. http://create.canterbury.ac.uk/17736/.
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This thesis is an exploration of the inter-relationship between class transition and education, in a bid to understand the impact of both in the formation of self and identity. This thesis considers that processes of recognition, deeply personal, but also located in institutional encounters, are essential to moving beyond feelings of illegitimacy and to moving across class boundaries. It is a story of one woman’s agency and greater capacity to talk truth to power. Using an auto/biographical approach, I illustrate how education has enabled me to cross class boundaries to become a senior lecturer in a university, and to confront how my class origins and family status have had an enduring impact on my epistemological beliefs. I highlight how misrecognition can become a source of agency, to the benefit of self and those whom I teach. Drawing on critical theory and feminist approaches, I argue that auto/biography provides a legitimate means of illuminating the minutiae of self/other encounters. A psycho-social multidisciplinary lens encompassing concepts of habitus and recognition, has enabled me to chronicle and theorise the lived experience of class relations and how these can be understood and transcended. This is a story of ‘une miraculée’ (Bourdieu and Passeron, 1990). Using the theories of Pierre Bourdieu and Axel Honneth, as interpretive frameworks, I present a phenomenological perspective of what it is like to be a ‘lecturer from the working class’ in class-ridden society and a neoliberal education system, and the disrespect and misrecognition these can bring. Writing auto/biographically, augmented by the use of a collaborative narrative approach (Arvay, 1998), I confront feelings of illegitimacy in academia and demonstrate how undertaking the PhD has had an impact on me personally and professionally. The aim of this thesis was to speak the truth about the dominant middle class ideology in the academy; and to challenge the academic community, in particular middle class colleagues, to confront their unconscious class prejudices. Furthermore, I anticipate that this research will make an important contribution to the existing research paradigm that uses auto/biographical approaches to show the lived experiences of people’s lives; and show that writing auto/biographically is therapeutic, educational and reflexive, as well as agentic.
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Poole, Helen Louise. "An examination of the function of education in prisons : social, political and penal perspectives." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 2016. http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/6740/.
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This study aims to examine the function of education in prisons through the application of a unique analytical model. Prisoner education has become a primary focus for the rehabilitation of offenders, evidenced more recently by the announcement and abandonment of a network of privately run ‘Secure Colleges’ to replace the existing estate for young offenders. This research aims to form a better understanding of what such education provision is designed to achieve through an examination the social, political and penal context in which it has developed. Building on the work of Foucault (1979), Markus (1993) and King (1980) amongst others, the present study triangulates data from political discourse, prison architecture, and still images of prison learning spaces using an analytical model based on research findings from philosophical, sociological, penal and educational theories. The main findings of the study are that the enduring function of prison education is the control of the prisoner-class, which is highly related to the macro-management of the penal system (reducing reoffending) and economic production. The author argues such an approach ignores individual agency, and negatively impacts on approaches to prison education through the marginalisation of educational theory and pedagogic best practice.
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Hails, Euan. "Development and delivery of cognitive behavioural therapy training in New South Wales, Australia : project undertaken in the spirit of action research." Thesis, Cardiff University, 2012. http://orca.cf.ac.uk/37090/.
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This study set out to investigate the understanding of psychological interventions and their place in practice (psychological mindedness) at an Australian mental health service and whether or not it was possible to train clinicians to introduce cognitive behavioural therapy to practice. The study investigated if, after training, clinicians' self-efficacy and readiness to use learnt skills is increased as they begin to deliver cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to patients. To do this a methodological approach was adopted, developed and delivered in the spirit of action research and conducted utilising a practice development model, that employed skills based education and experiential learning methods. A staff scoping survey was conducted to ascertain the psychological mindedness of clinical staff and to gain a picture of the availability of talking therapies across the health service. Following this survey an eight-day CBT training course was developed and delivered. A pre- and post- course questionnaire was applied to gain data on participant’s readiness to use skills and an increase in their self-efficacy pertinent to CBT that they learnt during the course. The results of the scoping survey showed that there was use of talking therapies by clinicians and that these clinicians desired training in CBT. The results of the CBT course questionnaire showed that it is possible to increase clinician’s self-efficacy and readiness to introduce skills to practice post attendance on an eight-day CBT training course. The delivery of focused talking therapy training across a mental health service can over time and with adequate levels of support and supervision, enable the delivery of CBT to service users. Principles of action research, practice development and the use of skills based education and experiential learning methods if implemented and supported actively can increase patient’s access to psychological therapies and train staff in the application of the same.
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Yotanyamaneewong, Saengduean. "Thai teachers with low/high burnout and their perceptions of teaching with Special Education Needs (SEN)." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 2012. http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/3526/.
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The primary aim of this study is to examine the phenomenon of burnout among teachers of pupils with Special Educational Needs (SEN) and how this phenomenon relates to a) teacher's career motivations; b) teacher's career motivations in relation to teaching pupils with SEN; c) their perceptions of positive and/or negative aspects of teaching pupils with SEN, and d) teachers' use of coping strategies. The data were collected from SEN teachers working in ChiangMai province (Thailand) using the burnout inventory, questionnaires, and semistructured interviews. Two groups of teachers were identified as having the lowest and highest levels of burnout. Sixteen from each group were interviewed and the data analyzed using five categories adapted from Maslow's hierarchy of needs- physiological, safety, belongingness, esteem, and self-actualisation. The main findings show that the two groups share similar perceptions in terms of the positive aspects of teaching pupils with SEN. However they differ in their motivations to teach regular pupils and pupils with SEN. The research also delves into the negative aspects of teaching pupils with SEN, and the coping strategies they used when experiencing stressful situations. Based on the five categories, esteem and self-actualization are seen to play a bigger role in differentiating the two groups. As a result, promoting teachers' esteem and self-actualization will be crucial in maintaining or increasing their efficiency. The findings suggest that this can be achieved by enhancing these teachers' skills which will subsequently raise their confidence. Other suggestions include recognizing their performance and providing opportunities for them to be more effective in performing their duties.
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Roberts, Siân Lliwen. "Place, life histories and the politics of relief : episodes in the life of Francesca Wilson, humanitarian educator activist." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 2010. http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/848/.
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This study adopts an auto/biographical approach to explore episodes in the life of the teacher, author and humanitarian activist Francesca Wilson (1888-1981). It is concerned with the process of researching and telling aspects of her life history as a means of contributing to the emerging historiography of women educator activists and Quaker women in international humanitarian relief in the first half of the twentieth century. It is structured around the concept of place as an interpretative device, and explores how three particular cities - Vienna (1919-22), Birmingham (1925-39), and Murcia (1937-39) - influenced her sense of identity and self and the trajectory of her subsequent life and activism on behalf of displaced people. Among the methodological aspects considered are issues of ‘truth’ and authorial voice, archival ambiguities and silences, and the role of networks and their representation in the archive. The study analyses her use of life histories for political and educational purposes, a theme that in itself raises other issues. Consequently, the use and exhibition of children’s art as a vehicle for giving ‘voice’ to displaced children is also considered, alongside an examination of the visual and textual representation of children by humanitarian activists and non-governmental aid agencies.
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Morgan-Rose, Faye. "The ideal classroom : perspectives of young people attending a nurture group." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 2015. http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/6239/.
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This study sought to gain the views of a very specific group of eight young people who attended a Nurture Group, within a special school. Through a multiple case study design using semi-structured interviews, and a model-making activity with personal construct psychology (Kelly, 1955), the contrasting poles of ideal and non-ideal classrooms were elicited. The rationale guiding the study was to ensure the views of the students were included in the interior design stage of a purpose built nurture group facility at their school. Methods included two model-making activities with LEGO® for each participant, with a photograph of each model annotated together, along with a series of nine questions for both models. Thematic analysis shows that employment and independence are most important as are the opportunities for kinaesthetic learning styles. The nurture group approach to schooling, when compared with overarching themes of the ideal classrooms does reflect the ideal classroom construct of the participants from this study, except in the area of language development. The implications of the study indicate LEGO and personal construct psychology can be a useful combination in exploring contrasting poles of a theme. LEGO® is a trademark of the LEGO Group of companies which does not sponsor, authorise or endorse this research.