Reading Autobiographies: An Exploration of Avid Readers\u27 Coming to Reading

This study was designed to investigate avid readers\u27 perceptions of themselves as readers, the reading act, the world of books and other printed media, the reason for their continuous desire and/or impulse to read, and the pedagogical implications of these perceptions. Sixty avid readers responded to a questionnaire designed to explore their reading autobiographies. The collected responses were categorized and descriptively analyzed according to each question. The findings from this investigation revealed that although there are myriad ways in which people come to reading, some general, common characteristics existed, to varying degrees, in the readers\u27 experiences. Among these characteristics, described as \u27conditions,\u27 were: being read to as children, observing reading behavior in the home environment, having positive reading experiences with particular materials, active library use, exposure to and availability of books in the home environment, and the impact of receiving direct encouragement to read from parents, family, teachers, librarians, and/or friends. In addition, this study demonstrated that avid reading can develop at any point in a person\u27s lifetime. The data yield support for the current direction of literature-based reading instruction and provide insight into the way in which parents, educators-society-- attempt to ensure our students an opportunity to cultivate and sustain a genuine reading interest. The data suggest that instructional reading programs reconstruct the conditions common to avid readers\u27 experiences within the school environment. Implications for future research include individual literacy development, as well as ethnographic and longitudinal studies of readers\u27 coming to reading

The effect of GM label variation on perceptions of genetically modified foods

Merged with duplicate record 10026.1/1983 on 07.20.2017 by CS (TIS)This thesis investigates the factors which are suggested to affect perceptions of genetically modified (GM) foods. It first tests the extent to which the components of the Theory of Planned Behaviour and perceived `outrage' are able to predict intentions towards buying GM foods using linear regression. It then focuses on how GM label design characteristics and linguistic variations influence perceptions of GM foods including measures of hazard perception and purchase intention using ANOVA repeated measures. Modelling is then used to identify whether label variations affect the components of the Theory of Planned Behaviour, namely attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control or whether their effect is by some other psychological process. As a result of the first six studies a model is proposed to explain the psychological process by which GM label variations affect behavioural intention for a specified product. The last two studies investigate the extent to which the previous findings generalise across products type using four different product types, two natural and two synthetic. The principle finding from this research is that some GM informational label design factors such as GM content, wording and use of the colour red have a strong stable effect across product type, whilst others such as label shape and font size are less consistent. The modelling suggests that GM label variations affect attitudes in particular, and to some extent subjective norms and perceived behavioural control which are then predictive of the behavioural intention. to buy GM foods. This thesis provides recommendations for those wishing to inform the public about the GM status of their product

What questions are MOOCs asking? An evidence-based investigation

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) are a core building block of many MOOCs. In this exploratory study we analyze a sample of MCQs from a number of MOOCs and evaluate their quality. We conducted this analysis using a framework informed by a body of empirical research, which describes several common flaws that may occur in the way MCQs are written or phrased. Studies have shown that the presence of these flaws are likely to compromise the reliability and validity of tests containing these MCQs, potentially leading to poorer pedagogical outcomes. Through our study we contribute to the broad debate of whether MOOCs are a force that can enable enhanced and improved pedagogies or whether they will be susceptible to replicating existing poor pedagogies or practises at scale

Evaluation of an electronic portfolio template system

The design, development and formative evaluation of an Electronic Portfolio Template System for Cycle 1 students in the Quebec Education System is described. The prototype is a web-based, database-driven process and showcase portfolio container that facilitates portfolio development. This system contains administrator, teacher and student environments. Each of these environments, along with the installation, set-up and documentation process was evaluated. In all, twenty-six participants evaluated the various environments and processes. Results of all evaluations are presented. The student environment received the most feedback with strengths reported relating to interface design, usability, learnability and aesthetics and weaknesses reported relating to suitability and navigation. Interface design, learnability and aesthetics were reported as strengths while marginal navigation weaknesses were reported in the teacher and administrator environments. Evaluative comments, recommendations for improvement and suggestions for further research are presented

Does More Money Make You Fat? The Effects of Quasi-Experimental Income Transfers on Adolescent and Young Adult Obesity

This paper examines how exogenous income transfers during adolescence affect contemporaneous body mass index (BMI) measures and young adult obesity rates using evidence from the Great Smoky Mountains Study of Youth. The effects of extra income differ depending on the households’ initial socio-economic status, tracing out an inverted U-shaped relationship between initial income and BMI. Youths who resided in families that had high pre-treatment annual incomes experience no change in young adult obesity rates as a result of the income transfers, while the BMI of poorer children increases. Part of this effect is due to differential increases in height, as well as weight. An exogenous annual transfer of $4,000 per adult family member results in an almost 4 cm gain in height-for-age. Adolescents coming from worse-off households experience an increase in weight only, without the corresponding change in height. The cumulative effects of the increase in household income persist for several years into young adulthood.obesity, health, cash transfer, adolescents, indigenous peoples

Parents’ Incomes and Children’s Outcomes: A Quasi-Experiment

Identifying the effect of parental incomes on child outcomes is difficult due to the correlation of unobserved ability, education levels and income. Previous research has relied on the use of instrumental variables to identify the effect of a change in household income on the young adult outcomes of the household’s children. In this research, we examine the role that an exogenous increase in household incomes due to a government transfer unrelated to household characteristics plays in the long run outcomes for children in affected households. We find that children who are in households affected by the cash transfer program have higher levels of education in their young adulthood and a lower incidence of criminality for minor offenses. These effects differ by initial household poverty status as is expected. Second, we explore two possible mechanisms through which this exogenous increase in household income affects the long run outcomes of children – parental time (quantity) and parental quality. Parental quality and child interactions show a marked improvement while changes in parental time with child does not appear to matter.quasi-experiment, criminality, cash transfer programs, difference-in-differences, educational attainment, panel data

Stories of female special school headteachers and their experience of headship: an interpretative phenomenological analysis

Leadership positions in special schools are becoming increasingly difficult to fill and there is a significant gap in the literature on special school leadership in general. This gap in the research includes a focus on the life stories of female headteachers in these settings and situated within a constructivist paradigm. Taking a narrative approach, this study will explore the life stories of female special school headteachers, building on an understanding of their leadership journey in order to potentially act as an inspiration to others. Detailing different aspects of the special school headteachers’ experiences, the themes highlighted the complexity of the women’s impressions of special school headship, the heterogeneity among the special school headteacher stories and the importance of critical reflection within their journey. Unstructured interviews were conducted with six participants. All interview transcripts were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Three subordinate themes emerged from the data: ‘managing constraint’, ‘motivating forces’ and ‘perceptions of special school headship and the future’. Drawing on Giddens’ theory of social forces and his belief about the primacy of human knowledgeability over social forces, and also Margaret Archer’s theory of reflexivity as an intercessor between structural forces and human agency, this thesis proposes three types of special school headteacher: ‘the strategic and decisive leader’, ‘the values-orientated professional’ and ‘the person-centred educator’. These ideal types illustrate the heterogeneous ways in which a small sample of women special school headteachers had reflected on, positioned themselves towards and navigated their way through the career challenges in special education. This typology together with the nuanced analysis advanced throughout this thesis offers a unique contribution to knowledge. The varying inferences for special school practice 4 and research were discussed and I conclude by arguing that the underrepresentation of women in special school headship is a complex situation, and the stories of special school headteachers merit a place at the centre of our theorising and understanding of it. The findings reported in this thesis may be of interest to potential special school headteacher aspirants, as well as those tasked with identifying and training future special school leaders

Student Perceptions of Twitters’ Effectiveness for Assessment in a Large Enrollment Online Course

During the Winter and Spring 2014 semesters students registered in the online offering of Human Kinetics and Recreation 1000 (N=589) were asked to participate in two Twitter events encompassing two of the course’s assessment activities. In each Twitter event, students were required to post, at minimum, one original tweet and respond to another student’s tweet. The use of a tweet feeder widget in the course’s learning management system provided a current summary of the dialogue. An aggregate tool was used to assist with tracking of student tweets for assessment purposes. At the end of the semester students were asked to complete an online survey that sought to ascertain their experience of using Twitter within the course, including its effectiveness as a component of the assessment, and as a means to enhance social presence within the class. The survey also inquired about students’ previous and current Twitter use, and requested recommendations on how to use it in future courses. Results of this survey data indicate students perceived Twitter as an effective means of assessment, and an effective means to integrate social presence in the high enrollment course allowing them to feel more connected to their classmates and the course content. Students suggested several ways micro-blogging could be used in future classes. Implications for the use of Twitter for assessment purposes or as a means to enhance social presence are discussed

Irritable mood as a symptom of depression in youth:prevalence, developmental, and clinical correlates in the great smoky mountains study

ObjectiveDSM-IV grants episodic irritability an equal status to low mood as a cardinal criterion for the diagnosis of depression in youth, yet not in adults; however, evidence for irritability as a major criterion of depression in youth is lacking. This article examines the prevalence, developmental characteristics, associations with psychopathology, and longitudinal stability of irritable mood in childhood and adolescent depression.MethodData from the prospective population-based Great Smoky Mountains Study (N = 1,420) were used. We divided observations on 9- to 16-year-olds who met criteria for a diagnosis of depression into 3 groups: those with depressed mood and no irritability, those with irritability and no depressed mood, and those with both depressed and irritable mood. We compared these groups using robust regression models on adolescent characteristics and early adult (ages 19–21 years) depression outcomes.ResultsDepressed mood was the most common cardinal mood in youth meeting criteria for depression (58.7%), followed by the co-occurrence of depressed and irritable mood (35.6%); irritable mood alone was rare (5.7%). Youth with depressed and irritable mood were similar in age and developmental stage to those with depression, but had significantly higher rates of disruptive disorders. The co-occurrence of depressed and irritable mood was associated with higher risk for comorbid conduct disorder in girls (gender-by-group interaction, F1,132 = 4.66, p = .03).ConclusionsOur study findings do not support the use of irritability as a cardinal mood criterion for depression. However, the occurrence of irritability in youth depression is associated with increased risk of disruptive behaviors, especially in girls

An inquiry into the attitudes of a selected group of African Americans towards the portrayal of African Americans in contemporary children's literature

This study investigated the attitudes of a selected group of African Americans towards the portrayal of African Americans in contemporary children's literature. A qualitative research design, using in-depth interviewing, autobiographical statements, and a Likert-type evaluation scale, enabled the researcher to gain insights and understandings into the world of children's literature from a minority perspective. Five participants were selected for this study. One of the five individuals served as a practice participant; she helped design and develop the questions for the interviews. The other four participants represented one of the following categories: parent, grandparent, teacher, and minister. Each participant was an important member of the educational community in a small, predominantly African American, elementary school. The participants represented various age, gender, and socio-ecomonic backgrounds