Listen to Their Teachers\u27 Voices: Effective Reading Instruction for Fourth Grade African American Students

This study identifies effective teaching methods that can enhance the reading skills of fourth grade African American students. Focus group interviews were conducted with 21 teachers. The teachers identified independent reading and writing, phonics and vocabulary, teacher modeling, the use of multicultural materials, engagement of parental involvement, incorporating prior knowledge, and cooperative learning as the methods they believed were most effective with this group of African American fourth grade students. This study provides a voice for educators. These findings also offer support for prior research, which has suggested that these methods are significant to enhance the reading skills of African American students

An Investigation of the Efficacy of One Urban Literacy Academy: Enhancing Teacher Capacity Through Professional Development

In order to systemically improve student achievement in elementary literacy, a large urban school district partnered with a local university to develop a model for high-quality professional development that hopefully would result in long-term changes in teachers’ literacy instructional/practices. Schools were selected based on their Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) in reading/language arts’ status. The resulting literacy academy provided approximately 150 hours of professional development over time through two semesters of graduate level course work; 60 hours of it job-embedded. The Literacy Academy was based on a capacity-building model to build teacher knowledge and expertise in reading instruction, specifically in the areas of classroom assessment and use of student data to inform instruction; effective teaching methods in such areas as phonics, phonemic awareness, comprehension, fluency, vocabulary development, and writing; adapting instruction for students having special needs; and family involvement techniques. Weekly literacy coaching supported the translation of the new learning into practice. A mixed method design was used in this study and the results of this work are presented

The placement journey: Do year one placement modules support Childhood Studies students��� professional development?

This study investigated changes made to the Childhood Studies placement journey of one post-1992 University in England. The Childhood Studies degree includes ���practitioner options��� that requires students to complete 200���h placement experience, including 50 h in year one. In 2014, the participant university responded to this expectation by developing a year one placement module. The study sought to investigate whether the placement module supported the development of student���s professional identities in the first year of their studies. The study primarily used questionnaires, with a small amount of interviews and focus groups during 2014���2015. It found three key themes that students associated with their year one placement and their professional development. These were the importance of placement, links made from theory to practice and links from practice to theory. Students did however state disparities in their experiences of placement, especially in the range of responsibilities they were given. Students commented generally on the benefits (to their professional development) of relating theory to their year one practice, but noted frustration that there were minimal opportunities to reflect on practice in module assessments. The study contributes to existing literature by questioning how theory to practice and practice to theory links can be made more explicit in year one programmes

A study of the effectiveness of a phonetic and activity approach to the teaching of spelling in grade four,

Includes appendices. Thesis (M.A.)--Boston Universit

From Training to Qualification: The journey of Level 3 early years student-practitioners.

The thesis focuses on the experiences of sixteen to nineteen year-old, full-time, Level 3 early years student-practitioners and considers how their understanding of the role of the practitioner changes from the start of their course to when they commence employment. The aim is to develop a coherent understanding of their developing knowledge, skills, attitudes and dispositions in preparation for employment. The study uses a mixed-methods approach to identify how their pre-service qualification contributes to the development of their practice. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected using an on-line survey, a focus group and semi-structured interviews. From the one-hundred and fifty-eight responses to the survey, seven student-practitioners participated in a focus group and three participants, who had taken up employment, were interviewed. Building on existing research, which has provided strong evidence to show the impact of highly qualified staff on children’s outcomes, this study concluded that young, developing practitioners are motivated, knowledgeable and passionate about their contribution to children’s learning and development. Of central importance to them were: the development of caring relationships and communication. Knowledge of child development theory was considered an essential knowledge base for ECEC practice; however, the newly qualified practitioners were unprepared for the level of responsibility of being in sole charge of children’s care, learning and development. The study has contributed a new understanding of the process of transformation of the student practitioners in three dimensions: Principles, Professional, and Practice. However, the transformations are not consistent and do not represent each student-practitioner in the same way; The constant across all student-practitioners is the Level 3 qualification, which, the thesis argues, is a proxy for what the student-practitioners know, can do, and understand, as well as a catalyst for their continued individual development

Using multi-method measures in consumer research investigating eye-tracking, electro-dermal activity and self report

Applied research is frequently compromised by the limitations associated with using a single source to measure complex dependent variables, such as affective and motivational phenomena. In the field of consumer psychology, customer evaluations are almost universally assessed via self reports. The limitations and biases associated with this data source are well known. This presentation reports on a study that uses a novel triangulation approach to the measurement and analysis of attentional and affective responses to tourism promotional material. The approach comprises two psychophysiological technologies (eye-tracking and electrodermal activity) as complements to more traditional self-report data. Two short promotional videos were used as stimulus materials in a study seeking to better understand potential consumer responses to such material. Respondents (N = 10) viewed video material presented on an eye-tracking screen while wearing an unobtrusive wrist-band measuring electrodermal activity. On conclusion of the video, respondents completed a self-report questionnaire. The modest associations obtained through these three sources of data are viewed as a positive outcome in that electrodermal activity (arousal), direction of gaze (interest), and self-reports (hedonic tone) are viewed as important and complementary components of consumers’ responses. The presentation explores the use of complementary data to assess attentional and affective responses, as well as the advantages and challenges associated with this triangulated approach.Griffith Business SchoolNo Full Tex

Men in Childcare: Does it matter to children, what do they say? (Stage 2)

This is a joint research project between London Early Years Foundation and the University of Wolverhampton. We asked How do children perceive male practitioners? How do children characterise their relationship with the male practitioners ? Do children consistently choose staff they like for the activities they do well rather than the associate gender connection. ( For example choosing a woman to play football because she is really good rather than a man)? This research is mainly qualitative and based in a sociocultural perspective. The methods are participatory and are based on praxeological values by involving teachers as research partners. Key findings are: Children need high quality teachers, male and female, who are ‘good at’ activities. Children associate fun activities with the person not the gender (balance) Where males are visible in the setting, seen to be engaging in all activities and, not just as ‘a novelty event’ children did not associate the activity with the gender There can be a tendency in some areas to fall back on gender stereotypes when staff or children faced with activities that are not a favourite or are unpleasant

Target: Wellbeing Evaluation - Annual Report (2010)

Target: Wellbeing (TWB) aims to help people across the North West live healthier and happier lives. TWB is delivered through a portfolio of community based programmes and projects, and has been funded by the National Lottery for the period October 2007 to March 2012 through the Big Lottery Fund, with funding linked to health outcomes. This evaluation update of the TWB portfolio provides reach analysis and evidence of behaviour change from the ten local programmes between January 2009 and August 2010, and provides an update to last year’s Target: Wellbeing Evaluation – Annual Report February 2010. The analysis relates to the area based community projects within the TWB portfolio and covers the TWB participants and their evidence of behaviour change. Reach analysis is produced via the registration database with behaviour change evidence from analysis of welcome and exit questionnaires. Forty-four projects have contributed responses to this evaluation, about half of the total number, and sixty-six have used the participant database, contributing to the reach analysis

Alfaxalone for total intravenous anaesthesia in horses

To determine the suitability of alfaxalone total intravenous (IV) anaesthesia in horses and concurrently evaluate infusion rates, cardiovascular effects, pharmacokinetics and the quality of the anaesthetic recovery period.Prospective, experimental study.Eight Standardbred horses.Horses were premedicated with IV acepromazine (0.03 mg kg) and xylazine (1 mg kg) and anaesthesia was induced with guaifenesin (35 mg kg) and alfaxalone (1 mg kg). Anaesthesia was maintained for 180 minutes using an IV infusion of alfaxalone at a rate determined by a horse's response to a supramaximal electrical noxious stimulus. Venous blood samples were regularly collected to determine alfaxalone plasma concentrations and for pharmacokinetic analysis. Cardiopulmonary variables were monitored and the quality of the anaesthetic recovery period scored.The median (range) alfaxalone infusion rate was 3.1 (2.4-4.3) mg kg hour. The mean ± standard deviation plasma elimination half-life, plasma clearance and volume of distribution for alfaxalone were 41 minutes, 25 ± 6.3 mL minute kg and 1.6 ± 0.5 L kg, respectively. During anaesthesia, mean arterial blood pressure was maintained above 70 mmHg in all horses. Cardiac index reached a minimum value (68% of baseline values) immediately after induction of anaesthesia and was maintained between 74% and 90% of baseline values for the remainder of the anaesthetic protocol. Following the cessation of the alfaxalone infusion, six of eight horses exhibited muscle tremors and paddling. All horses stood without incident on the first or second attempt with a median recovery score of 4.5 (good to excellent).Anaesthesia in horses can be maintained with an infusion of alfaxalone at approximately 3 mg kg hour. The alfaxalone infusion rates used resulted in minimal haemodynamic changes and good recovery quality. Mean alfaxalone plasma concentration was stable over the infusion period and clearance rates were similar to previously published single-dose alfaxalone studies in horses