A planned program for developing word perception in grade one

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston Universit

Consistent left gaze bias in processing different facial cues

While viewing faces, humans often demonstrate a natural gaze bias towards the left visual field, that is, the right side of the viewee’s face is often inspected first and for longer periods. Previous studies have suggested that this gaze asymmetry is part of the gaze pattern associated with face exploration, but its relation with perceptual processing of facial cues is unclear. In this study we recorded participants’ saccadic eye movements while exploring face images under different task instructions (free-viewing, judging familiarity and judging facial expression). We observed a consistent left gaze bias in face viewing irrespective of task demands. The probability of the first fixation and the proportion of overall fixations directed at the left hemiface were indistinguishable across different task instructions or across different facial expressions. It seems that the left gaze bias is an automatic reflection of hemispheric lateralisation in face processing, and is not necessarily correlated with the perceptual processing of a specific type of facial information

In Students\u27 Words: The Development of Student Attitudes toward Mathematics - A Social Perspective

Student interest in pursuing advanced studies and careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) has garnered much attention lately from government, business, and education leaders due to inadequate flow in the United States\u27 STEM pipeline. Existing research points to mathematical self-efficacy and to mathematical self-concept beliefs as integral to the likelihood that a student will pursue a career in a STEM field. Students\u27 identities, such as the good-math-student identity need to be verified in order for students to enact them. Both identity verification and attitude are influenced by self-efficacy and self-concept. Existing research also points to teachers, parents, and peers as influencers of attitude. The current study seeks to add student voice, to this discussion - a feature that is largely absent from the literature. Year-end mathematics grades from grade 4 on were analyzed for 588 juniors and seniors currently enrolled in Revere High School and used to assign each student to a researcher defined performance category. All students were then surveyed and forty-two subsequently participated in focus group discussions. SPSS and Weft QDA were used to analyze the quantitative and qualitative data respectively. Relationships among variables were identified using crosstab tables with Chi-Square tests. Qualitative data was coded and analyzed for trends. Analysis shows that teachers have the strongest impact on student attitude toward mathematics. Attitudes are unstable and can vary with a change in teacher. Teachers who engage students in hands-on activities with real-world applications, who make students feel supported, who demonstrate passion for the subject, and who provide one-on-one attention have a positive effect on attitude toward math. Parents, especially fathers, impact attitude to a lesser degree and peers have very little influence on attitude. Surprisingly, students report older siblings as influencing their mathematics attitudes. Students in this study report higher self-concept beliefs than they do self-efficacy beliefs. Despite a generally positive attitude orientation among subjects, data show mathematics performance declines over the first three years of high school. Regarding mathematics, boys report more positive attitudes and have higher self-efficacy beliefs; special education students have decreased self-concept and decreased self-efficacy beliefs