Browsing by Subject "Academics"
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Item Academic and social influences of underrepresented adolescents' perceptions of opportunity and plans for the future(2016-08) Kyte, Sarah Blanchard; Riegle-Crumb, Catherine; Callahan, Rebecca M; Crosnoe, Robert; Muller, Chandra; Raley, KellySociologists of education have long stressed the importance of students’ expectations for their subsequent success. Yet, an insufficient amount of previous work has considered how academic and social psychological factors guide when and how students develop their expectations for the future, particularly for the socioeconomically disadvantaged and minority students attending our cities’ schools. By using rich survey and administrative data from a large, urban district serving low income and predominantly Hispanic and African American students, this dissertation identifies how these students develop expectations related to higher education in general as well as science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) in particular at the start of high school. Chapter 2 examines whether Hispanic girls hold higher college expectations than Hispanic boys because they acquire a superior toolkit of academic resources including achievement, attitudes, and relationships, and/or whether girls are better able to leverage these resources. Further, it considers the potentially gendered role of nativity, language-minority, and socioeconomic status in shaping college expectations among Hispanic students. Chapter 3 analyzes how students’ perceptions of the relevance of science outside of school contribute to gender differences in expectations to major in specific areas of STEM, namely the biological and physical sciences as compared with computer science and engineering. Chapter 4 unpacks the extent to which minority students expecting to major in STEM anticipate that gender- or race-based discrimination may act as a barrier to their goals. Taken together, the findings of these studies underscore the importance of perceptions related to schools, society, and opportunity at the intersection of gender and race/ethnicity for guiding students’ expectations, an important precursor to subsequent behavior and success.Item Beyond sports : a guidebook for potential collegiate female student-athletes(2013-05) Bauerkemper, Paige Elizabeth; Tharinger, Deborah J.Female student-athletes are a growing population on most college campuses. While incorporated into a historically male model, their experiences and outcomes are unique. This report guides potential female student-athletes in the process of deciding to participate by providing information about the female student-athlete experience. Issues to be explored include decision-making, academics, health, and stress. Sports can be a rewarding experience despite the challenge of balancing academics with athletic commitments.Item Physically active academic lessons and on-task behavior in preadolescent children : effects of physical activity intensity(2011-05) Grieco, Lauren Alexis; Bartholomew, John B.Past research has shown classroom lessons incorporating physical activity (10-15 minutes in duration) to improve on-task behavior in children (Mahar, 2006; Grieco, Bartholomew & Jowers, 2009). However, no study to date has examined the levels of physical activity required to elicit this response. As such, the present study was designed to assess the effects of physically active, academic lessons of varying intensity, set in game-type format, on academic engagement of preadolescent children in the classroom setting. Time spent on-task (measured through direct observation) served as the primary outcome variable and assessed by means of a two (time: pre-, post-lesson) x four [condition: inactive lesson (physical activity control); sedentary academic game (interest control); low-to-moderate intensity physically active academic game; moderate-to-vigorous intensity physically active academic game] repeated measures design. Participants were third, fourth and fifth grade children from two elementary schools in central Texas (7 to 11 years of age). Physical activity was measured using Actigraph GT1M accelerometers (Fort Walton Beach, FL). Demographic data were collected for each participant on gender, age, ethnicity, height and weight (BMI calculated). Results indicated that the students’ TOT decreased significantly after a traditional seated control lesson. TOT did not change following the inactive control game. Thus, the competitive, seated game was sufficient to prevent the reduction in TOT that followed the traditional, seated control. In contrast, both physically active games were sufficient to increase TOT. Both had a significant increase in TOT relative to each control condition. In addition, the effect of the MVPA game was nearly three times the effect of the LMPA game.