Theses (Curriculum and Instruction)
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Item Reaching advanced Indigenous language proficiency: Innovative strategies for adult learners(2025) Benson, Nicki; McIvor, OnowaThis dissertation explores strategies and supports for advanced Indigenous language learning. As first language speakers pass away, Indigenous communities increasingly depend on adults with high proficiency to carry their languages forward to future generations. Yet, there are very few studies, models, or other supports to guide adult Indigenous language learners towards and through advanced proficiency levels. This study was developed collaboratively with the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Sníchim Stewardship to support their work to reach advanced proficiency. It aimed to identify promising strategies for advanced Indigenous language learning through interviews with individual speakers who have already reached advanced proficiency in their Indigenous language, and participatory research with the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Sníchim Stewardship participants as they worked on advanced language learning. The research findings are shared in an alternative dissertation format that includes a chapter detailing the history and features of Sḵwx̱wú7mesh immersion learning; an article manuscript on strategies for advanced Indigenous language learning; a chapter exploring support factors and guiding principles that sustained the participants in their journeys to reach advanced proficiency; and a photobook to showcase the work of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Sníchim Stewardship. This dissertation emphasizes the holistic and dynamic nature of language learning, and the necessary interplay between individual initiative and community-based approaches to Indigenous language revitalization. It includes practical insights and ideas for Indigenous language learners and identifies cross-disciplinary collaboration opportunities between Indigenous Language Revitalization and Applied Linguistics for the mutual benefit of both fields.Item Motivating movement: Exploring educators’ perspectives on supporting preservice elementary teachers to pedagogically integrate digital technology into physical education(2025) Little, Tatiana Alexis Watson; Wiebe, MichelleThe pandemic of physical inactivity is a critical health issue; one that is negatively impacting the health of children worldwide. The continued decrease of children engaging in physical activity is not only negatively impacting their physical health but is seriously impacting their overall wellbeing (Government of Canada, 2023a). Digital technology is a means that has shown to be useful in promoting physical activity in all ages of people, including children in elementary school (Lewis et al., 2017; Parker et al., 2017). Teachers have been both entrusted with finding effective ways of addressing the crucial need for their students to be more physically active (Government of British Columbia, 2022; Government of British Columbia, 2023e) and tasked with integrating digital technology into all aspects of education, including into physical education (Government of British Columbia, 2023b), which has the central goal of promoting lifelong physical activity (Katzmarzyk, 2019; Kretschmann, 2015). Despite the need for Education programs to be preparing elementary teachers to integrate digital technology for physical education purposes, there exists limited research on how preservice elementary teachers are being prepared (Armour et al., 2017; Baek et al., 2018b; Krause, O’Neil & Jones, 2020). Research for this study was conducted in the province of British Columbia (BC), Canada where elementary school refers to grades K–7 (Government of British Columbia, 2016). BC elementary schools have a comprehensive school approach to physical activity, which means that all elementary teachers need to be prepared to teach physical education and promote physical activity throughout the school day. This study used a multi-case descriptive case study research design to explore the perspectives of teacher-educators on supporting preservice teachers to integrate digital technology for physical education purposes. Three teacher-educators participated in this study, all of whom teach physical education to preservice teachers in Education programs at three different universities in the province of British Columbia, Canada. Data was gathered through semi-structured interviews and direct observation. The theoretical foundation of this study was Mishra & Koehler’s TPACK framework (Mishra & Koehler, 2006) and Vygotsky's Social Constructivism (Vygotsky, 1978). Armour (2011) and Casey et al. (2017a) provide the conceptualization of pedagogy that informs this study. Findings generated from this study brought to the forefront factors that are impacting teacher-educators’ ability to prepare preservice teachers to integrate digital technology. Specifically, the external factors of university resources, program structure, and sociocultural influence; and the internal factors of beliefs, embracing the facilitator role and the willingness to vulnerably explore emerged as impactful. The concept of vulnerable exploration of digital technology integration emerged as an innovative strategy for teachers to consider; this refers to teachers vulnerably exploring digital technology integration alongside their students in a symmetrical zone of proximal development. Teacher-educators in this study fostered pedagogical integration through two main strategies: 1) exposing preservice teachers to various digital technologies and 2) providing preservice teachers with guided exploration time. Teacher-educators aimed to encourage preservice teachers to critically consider how technology is impacting their students’ physical activity within and beyond the walls of the classroom. This research led to a suggested adaption of the TPACK framework, one that highlights the importance of pedagogical integration and the significance of sociocultural context; this adapted framework operationalises TPACK and presents an adaption of TPACK in a flower design to visually portray the significance of Growing with Evolving Education. The implications of these findings to practice are that teacher-educators need to constantly adapt and grow to support preservice teachers so that they remain socially relevant and maintain credibility in the lives of 21st century learners.Item An art education methods course for pre-service elementary generalist teachers: Developing competencies through the studio habits of mind(2025) Tandon, Shruti; Wiebe, MichelleABSTRACT This qualitative case study investigates the development of competency for teaching visual art in preservice generalist teachers and their readiness to use visual arts in their future elementary classrooms through a visual art methodology course at a public university. Pre-service generalist teachers’ feelings of preparedness and sense of efficacy are both important indicators of whether they will be able to meet the challenges of incorporating visual arts in their future classrooms and as effective 21st century educators. To achieve this aim, the study considered in-depth firsthand experiences of four pre-service teachers and their course instructor for the entire semester during their training. The uncertainty of understanding the role of visual arts in contemporary education, lack of personal confidence, and prior negative experience in visual arts are some of the contributing fear factors. Scholars suggest that this thinking can be changed through appropriate experiences, influences and environments provided during the pre-service training stage. This case study explored how a visual arts methods course addresses these issues to create a positive influence on generalist preservice teachers. Findings illustrate that pre-service teachers indicated an optimistic shift in their confidence to pursue visual arts with a refreshed mindset, by applying Studio Habits of the Mind within learning and teaching visual arts. Structuring the course around Studio Habits of the Mind provided a holistic experience for pre-service teachers because their self-efficacy and competency were continually reiterated and reinforced with each course activity. Even though they understood and could use studio habits themselves, they felt the need for more practical experience with young students to feel more confident operating with this approach in their future classrooms. In addition, findings point to the necessity for strategic planning and implementation of visual art methods courses by teacher educators of existing elementary pre-service training programs focusing on instructional practices that encourage positive change in pre-service teachers’ competency towards visual arts education.Item The importance of K-12 teachers’ approaches to assessment in an inquiry-based educational setting(2025) Shirdel Pour, Maryam; Paskevicius, MichaelThis research explores the impacts of teachers’ perceptions of assessment and the role of assessment practices in inquiry-based learning among K-12 teachers in Victoria, British Columbia (BC), Canada. Drawing upon constructivist theory, this qualitative phenomenological study aimed to better understand how a small group of K-12 teachers in Victoria described their assessment practices within an inquiry-driven and highly personalized learning environment. Additionally, I explored the challenges they faced in implementing inquiry-based assessments. Using snowball sampling, I collected data through semi-structured interviews and a focus group meeting with nine middle and high school inquiry-based teachers. Additionally, I gathered assessment documents and analyzed the data using an inductive approach. The findings suggested that as a student-centred learning design, inquiry-based learning honors students’ autonomy by creating personalized learning experiences. Inquiry-based learning can motivate students and foster their critical thinking skills. Moreover, teachers’ beliefs and their past experiences were identified as influential factors in embracing inquiry-based learning. The findings also showed that assessment practices were perceived as an ongoing, integrated process in which students have a voice. Although the interdisciplinary nature of inquiry-based learning is supported by the BC redesigned curriculum, challenges remain, including the persistence of product-focused assessment and gaps in competency-based frameworks. Factors such as class size, institutional alignment, and teacher education programs influence the implementation of inquiry-based learning, highlighting the need for professional development and a strong support network.Item "Imaginative complicity": Audience education in professional theatre(2001) Prendergast, Monica M.; Miller, CaroleBelfry 101 is an arts partnership in education between the Belfry Theatre and both public and private senior secondary schools in and around Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. This partnership seeks to address questions around the development of cultural/aesthetic literacy and its relationship to audience education in the professional arts. This audience education project is also an example of synthesis between drama education and theatre education. Drama education strategies deepen students' interest, involvement and understanding of adult-audience professional theatre productions. Employing drama strategies in a professional theatre setting - in cooperative and interactive partnership with the theatre company involved - supports emerging theatre artists and may encourage future youth theatre attendance.Item Effect of students' engagement with Calculus I on students' success(2025) Oshkai, Svetlana; Francis-Pelton, Leslee; Milford, ToddThe purpose of the study is to analyze the association between students' engagement in the first-year Calculus courses and students' success in the concurrent and following Mathematics courses using quantitative and qualitative methods of statistical analysis. I used Design-based research (DBR) analyzing data collected in Math 100, 109 (Calculus I) and Math 101 (Calculus II) courses in the 2015 - 2020 years. The data was collected by the University of Victoria through the anonymized Course Experience Surveys, and by the course instructors through the assignments and assessments. I describe an approach to a cyclic course design and improvement that should allow instructors and course coordinators to identify desirable area for improvement and gradually increase students' engagement and satisfaction with the offered courses through sustainable changes. Quantitative analysis of the data shows that: 1) There exists association of the course grade with the number of attempts on the not-for-grades practice tests; 2) Multiple iterations of communicating the pedagogical intent of the specific course design (based on the existing level of preparedness and existing previous experience with calculus; importance of the Tutorials) to the students is required for the students' buy-in; 3) Successful course redesign requires full support and ownership of the course by the entire teaching team (including all instructors and Teaching Assistants) as well as the Administration of the University. This thesis ends with recommendations to the students and the instructors related to positive outcomes in first-year Calculus courses through increased engagement.Item Experiencing connectedness to place through self-reflective learning: A participatory phenomenological study involving students on UVic campus.(2024) van Zijll Langhout, Anja C.; Riecken, TedUniversity students often come to live on or near the university campus for the duration of their studies. The University of Victoria (UVic) is located in an area with a variety of natural places students frequently spend time in and may feel connected to. Student connectedness to place is often not integrated into course curricula. However, with the increasing urgency of environmental and climate change issues, awareness of oneself in place is prioritized in universities’ action plans for sustainable development and decolonization. This dissertation describes my research that involved ten UVic students and ten outdoor locations on or near campus. In a phenomenological study I explored student experiences with connectedness to place, while they engaged in various self-reflective activities, ranging from active, arts-based reflection to simply visiting and being in place. The research is grounded in a perspective of relationality, nonlinearity and self-awareness, inspired by the writings of Jiddu Krishnamurti, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, and North American Indigenous scholars such as Gregory Cajete, Sean Wilson, Umeek (Richard Atleo) and Margaret Kovach. Mark Vagle’s post-intentional approach matches this perspective where both self and place are non-static and learning happens through interaction between theory, data and self-reflections. In this process, I used dance and painting as self-reflection tools, which led to a description of connectedness to place that is experienced through memory as awareness in the moment, beauty as awareness of what is, and time as being in relationship. Based on student experiences in this research, the following suggestions were discussed as elements of what I call “place-based self-reflection”: being physically present; intentional observation; inviting different perspectives; connecting and layering experiences; learning with others; receiving prompts and questions; connecting our creative self; choosing our tools; and considering right timing. The research contributes to discussions of place-based education, slow pedagogy and reflection in higher education. Continuing questions inspire further thinking for exploring connectedness to place through self-reflection that can be applied in different study disciplines, levels of education and our personal lives.Item A case study of teachers’ beliefs in supporting grade four English language learners’ reading proficiency(2024) Fawole, Oyebisi Ajibola; Anderson, TimThe rising population of immigrants in Canada has increased the diversity of students enrolled in schools at all levels, and teachers have a critical role in guiding and supporting the language and literacy development of students. This dissertation used a qualitative case study methodology to investigate how the instructional practices of three teachers in public elementary schools in Victoria, British Columbia support grade four English language learners’ (ELLs) reading proficiency. The collected data includes interviews, classroom observations, and teachers’ journal responses. Findings from the three data collection methods were triangulated and show that the teachers’ personal histories influenced the development of their beliefs and, specifically, their beliefs about teaching reading. Their professional knowledge also played a significant role in their instructional practice because their teacher education programs did not sufficiently prepare them for the reality of teaching reading. Generally, a relationship was seen between the teachers’ beliefs and their instructional practices in designing a classroom that supports ELLs’ language and literacy development. The findings suggest that teachers should provide every opportunity for ELLs to connect with their language and cultural backgrounds to further support their reading proficiency. The teachers also believed that their students should become familiar with reading by exposing them to reading components such as phonemic awareness, fluency, vocabulary knowledge and comprehension, and using the students’ prior knowledge in their language and cultural backgrounds to facilitate their comprehension of text they encounter.Item Teeter-tottering between worlds: Newcomer children’s voices & stories on identity in Canada(2024) Rigonati SIlva, Tatiane; Streelasky, JodiIn recent years, a significant number of people across the globe have crossed borders in search of safer homes, better health care, education, and economic opportunities (International Organization for Migration, 2022; UNICEF, 2023). For the children who have experienced migration, they are more likely to face a discontinuity between their cultural heritage and the culture of their new society. In this study, the importance of listening to newcomer Latin American children’s experiences in Canada was addressed in relation to their sense of belonging and identity development in a new country. Framed by sociocultural theory, funds of knowledge, multimodality, and translanguaging, 4-year-old Latin American newcomer children’s experiences, (transnational) funds of knowledge, and identity development were examined across multiple contexts, such as their homes and daycare environments. Findings revealed that children combined and compared symbols, knowledge, experiences, and language from their home countries with those in Canada to develop their identities and sense of belonging in a new country. This study also provides additional insight on the significant role adult caregivers played in the children’s worlds and resettlement journeys. Findings highlighted the importance of parents and early childhood educators engaging in translanguaging practices to accommodate newcomer children’s needs and welcome their languages, knowledge, and identities in diverse environments. This study also offers recommendations for early childhood educators on potential ways to welcome and include newcomer children’s funds of knowledge, languages, culture, and identities in early learning contexts.Item c̓atswiiʔats łim̓aqsti ʔaaḥʔasaquu c̓aʔak: It flows through my inner conscience like a river: Ancestral continuity and Hesquiaht Language Flow(2024) Rorick, chuutsqa L.; Restoule, Jean-Paul; Anderson, TimThis Indigenous Hesquiaht Participatory Action Research focuses on language acquisition for teachers and learners, co-creation of language teaching materials with fluent speakers, and the design and implementation of a 100-hour ḥiḥiškʷiiʔatḥa ‘Hesquiaht language’ revitalization camp by the researcher, a community insider to Hesquiaht First Nation. The research is presented within the metaphorical concept of c̓aʔakquu ‘the river’s path’ symbolizing the organic progression, obstacles encountered and the possible reaches of language revitalization and restoration. Efforts to align with ʔiqḥmuut ‘ancient and continuing’ understandings of the inherently reciprocal characteristics of ḥiḥiškʷiiʔatḥa and the Hesquiaht world are applied to this research. Spiritual and emotional phenomena are essential components of ḥiḥiškʷiiʔatḥa learning; therefore, the researcher draws on the idea of Hesquiaht Language Flow [HLF]; a set of values drawn from learning with Hesquiaht fluent speakers in the planning and delivery of language lessons. HLF prescribes four overarching principles including oral traditions, active learning, cultural context, and connection as a primary influence over teachings at language camp. Choosing language domains and establishing camp daily speech routines in this manner, specifically within the context of Hesquiaht land and sea, the researcher centres Hesquiaht ways of knowing and being, while underscoring the communal obligation to continually restore, revitalize and sustain the interconnection between Hesquiaht language and Hesquiaht land. A few compatible Second Language Acquisition (SLA) elements are applied in camp to enhance pedagogical approaches. Additionally, experiences from the Hesquiaht language camp are shared in order to advocate for continual efforts to restrengthen intergenerational transmission of Indigenous languages on their respective ancestral lands.Item Feeling at home: Sociocultural language learning and its effects on integration and belonging among adult newcomers to Victoria, Canada(2024) DeLong, Janette; Anderson, TimSociolinguistic skills are necessary for feeling comfortable and prepared when communicating in diverse contexts and thus impact newcomers’ experiences with developing a sense of belonging in their new community and society. This thesis explores the experiences of adult immigrant and refugee newcomers attending English language classes in Victoria, British Columbia and how these classes and other contexts contribute to building their sociolinguistic abilities to navigate life outside of classroom settings. I conducted this research using a case study design to complete an in-depth study at one research site: the English language learning division of a support centre for adult newcomers, the Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria (ICA). I collected data through class observations and semi-structured interviews with newcomer language learners, ICA instructors, and an ICA administrator. Findings show that English language socialization experiences both inside and outside the classroom may impact the development of a sense of belonging for new Canadians. When newcomers have positive communication experiences, their confidence and sense of belonging may grow, which contributes to the likelihood that their next interaction will be positive as well: a positive cycle may form. Therefore, it is vital for integration supports and efforts to be directed not only to newcomers, but to members of receiving society as well to increase the probability of interactions meeting the needs of both newcomers and receiving society alike.Item The problem of originality: Reading Thomas Mann's Joseph and his Brothers(2024) Bakker, Colin; McDonough, GrahamThe present study examines the problem of historical originality in order to theorize education as both the teaching and learning undergone within a society according to certain models and also the development of those models themselves. Such a study requires a method that is generated by the problem of originality itself. The present study therefore takes a reading of Thomas Mann’s Joseph and His Brothers as a unit of analysis that can simultaneously generate insights into the problem of originality and an original method of interpretation. Joseph and His Brothers is concerned with the concept of originality, takes the problem as generative of its own method of narration, and elicits a kind of reading that is developed in this study into a method. The study concludes that a ‘readerly’ understanding of the problem of originality supports theorizing education and the interpretation of historical experience without slipping into some of the pitfalls that accompany the presumption of authoritative self-knowledge.Item Characterization of the human and mouse T cell receptor gamma loci(2003) Zhou, QunItem The effect of cross-cultural content schemata on ESL reading comprehension of beginners(1993) Zhang, XiaThis study investigates the effect of cross-cultural content schemata on reading comprehension of ESL beginners. It attempts to examine whether ESL beginners comprehend and recall significantly better a text which is culturally familiar than a text which is culturally unfamiliar. Subjects were a homogeneous group of ESL Chinese upper beginners at Camosun College. All of them were literate in their first language. The actual number of subjects participating the test was twelve. Two stories representing Chinese and Western cultures respectively were chosen as the testing materials. Because the language used in the original texts was too difficult for the subjects, adaptation was necessary. The adaptation of the materials was based on the idea that both texts should contain the same number of propositions, the same type of discourse structures, and should be at the same level of linguistic complexity. The subjects were asked to read the two stories and then recall them in Chinese. To better measure their comprehension of the texts, they were also asked to answer fifteen multiple-choice and true or false questions on each text. Recall protocols were analysed for the number of propositions and inferences. Two methods of analyzing text propositions were employed. Kintsch's propositional analysis was used at a micro level, focusing on the detailed information of the texts. Brown & Yule's discourse analysis was employed for a macro level of analysis, focusing primarily on the gist information of the texts. The analysis of inferences included elaborations and distortions. Dependent t-tests were used to analyze the data. The statistical analysis of results showed that the subjects recalled and comprehended the culturally familiar text significantly better than the culturally unfamiliar text. They made more culturally appropriate elaborations and less distortions from the Chinese story than from the Western story. Moreover, they spent less time in reading the familiar story than the unfamiliar story. Finally, a close look at the data revealed high individual differences. The results of the study indicated that cultural content schemata play a significant role in reading comprehension and recall of ESL beginning students. And having cultural background knowledge of the content of an L2 text may compensate for ESL students' low level of language proficiency. However, significant individual differences suggest that while cultural content schemata of a text may facilitate comprehension and recall of an L2 text, the degree to how much the prior knowledge can facilitate the understanding and remembering of the text seems to depend on the reader's second language competence and reading skills. Implications for educational practice are that reading teachers of ESL upper beginners should provide the students with appropriate background knowledge, especially cultural background knowledge. And they should attempt to choose reading materials which are culturally familiar to the students. Additionally, the importance of the linguistic aspects of L2 should be noted.Item A comparison of the computer administered and written forms of multiple choice testing(1993) Zandvliet, David BryanItem Nurses' work self-disclosure, burnout and marital satisfaction(1985) Zahradka, Rudolph AdrianDisagreement exists about whether or not workers should vent work related feelings and concerns to off-the-job support persons , such as a spouse . The present study concerned the costs and benefits , measured by workers' job burnout and marital satisfaction, involved when such work-disclosure occurred. The relationship between job burnout and marital satisfaction was also examined. A work-disclosure questionnaire , made up of 10 items taken from the 60-item Jourard Self-Disclosure Questionnaire plus two other items , the Maslach Burnout Inventory , and the Index of Marita l Satisfaction were administered to 60 nurses from three hospitals and a hospice in Victoria and Vancouver. The nurses , 58 females and 2 males , were required to have been in a marital-type relationship and working full time i n their current position for a minimum of one year. Planned testing for a non-linear relationship between work self - disclosure to spouse and marital satisfaction was prohibited, due to disproportionately high spousal disclosure scores . Alternative chi-square testing revealed no significant relationship between spousal-disclosure and marital satisfaction. The lack of significance in these results was attributed largely to shortcomings in both the self-disclosure questionnaire and the data collection procedure. Chi-square tests were conducted between nurses' work self-disclosure to 4 target persons and 6 burnout subscores. Of the 24 tests, only one chi-square value was significant, which was no greater than chance expectancy. The Spearman rank correlation coefficient was used to test for significant relationships between marital satisfaction and the burnout subscales. Although none was found, possible negative relationships were detected between marital satisfaction and the two emotional exhaustion burnout subscores. Subsiduary tests were conducted to examine the relationships that both nurses' age and number of children had with work self-disclosure, marital satisfaction and burnout. Spearman rank correlations revealed significant negative relationships between nurses' age and both work self-disclosure and burnout , while a negative relationship approaching significance resulted between age and marital satisfaction. The number of children that nurses had living at home with them was negatively related to marital satisfaction. Differences in burnout scores were also found between scores for nurses at different hospitals. These differences were partially attributed to differences in the ages of the nurses at the various institutions. During data collection, 55 of the nurses added written responses to indicate positive and negative factors affecting their lives. These factors were presented and discussed. Recommendations were made for improvements in the self-disclosure questionnaire and the data collection procedure. Areas for possible future research were suggested.Item A revision and validation study of the Howe sport behavior assessment scale(1987) Zachary, PeterItem Physiological and performance changes of elite ice hockey players in response to acute exposure to moderate altitude(1992) Wolski, Lynneth AnnThe purpose was to determine if a change in altitude from 850m to 1650m would cause acute physiological and performance changes in elite male ice hockey players and to determine if initial acclimatization to the higher altitude could be accomplished in a three day stay at that altitude. To do this, 17 trained male ice hockey players were studied at rest, during submaximal exercise and during on-ice performance at 850m and for three days at 1650m. Resting blood samples were analyzed for hematocrit (Hct), hemoglobin (Hb), total white blood cell count (TWB) and differentials. Plasma volume decreased 5% (p<0.05) during exposure to altitude and Hct and Hb both showed corresponding increases from 44±2% to 46±1 % and 15.1g ⋅ 100mL⁻¹ to 15.7g ⋅ 100mL⁻¹ respectively (p<0.05). TWB did not change significantly, however, neutrophils showed a 30.2% decrease and lymphocytes a 30.5% increase by day 3 at altitude (p<0.05). Upon exposure to altitude resting heart rate (HR) increased from 56±9 beats·min to 60±1 0 beats·min (p<0.05), but had decreased back to pre-altitude levels by day 2 at altitude. Resting percent oxygen saturation (SaO₂) did not change significantly. Submaximal exercise responses, ventilation (VE), oxygen consumption (VO₂), HR, SaO₂, and blood lactate concentration (BL) were measured using a cycling protocol. VE and VO₂ increased 5.0% and 7 .9% respectively on day 1 at altitude (p<0.05). HR was not significantly different at altitude at the same workload compared to the pre-altitude test. SaO₂ measured during the last minute of exercise decreased 3% from the pre-test value of 94% on days 1 and 2 (91%) at altitude (p<0.05), but by day 3 had increased back to the pre-altitude level. BL decreased by 1.0 mmol·L⁻¹ by day 2 at altitude (p<0.05). On-ice performance variables, agility tests, 60 and 120 ft sprint and drop-off tests and HR and SaO₂ were measured at 850m and 1450m altitude. The pre and post-sprint agility tests were slower (3% and 2% respectively) on day 1 at altitude (p<0.05). At altitude, the pre/post-sprint agility test difference was not significantly different (p>0.05). The 60 ft and 120 ft sprint times and drop-off times were not significantly altered by altitude (p>0.05). Recovery HR following the repeated sprint test was not significantly different at altitude, but SaO₂ at 15, 30 and 60 seconds recovery was significantly lower on days 1 and 2 at altitude. These findings suggest that there are some selected physiological responses in elite ice hockey players with acute exposure to moderate altitude and that some initial acclimatization does occur within 3 days of exposure. Furthermore, there did appear to be a related decrease in some of the aerobic aspects of on-ice performance.Item Cross-cultural research on reading acquisition(1984) Yanez, J. LeonardoThis thesis examines children's spontaneous use of the technical terms for letters, words and numbers, their understanding of the terms "letter" and "word", their concepts about the nature of the written language and their criteria for determining when a group of graphic symbols is writing. The subjects were 117 children 36 to 70 months old and their parents. Two questionnaires, one for parents and one for children, were designed. The questionnaire for parents explored their views about their children's literate behavior and the time they spent reading to them. The questionnaire for children consisted of three tasks , a) spontaneous use of the terms for letters, words and numbers, b) concepts of reading arid writing, their understandings of the terms "letter" and "word" and their ideas about the nature of writing, c) criteria for determining when a group of graphic symbols is writing. The results showed cultural and developmental differences in children's spontaneous use of technical terms for letters,words and numbers, their understandings of the terms "letter" and "word", and their hypotheses about the nature of writing. The responses of the Canadian children were similar to those of older children, while the responses of the Venezuelan children were similar to these of younger children. A significant gender difference was found in the spontaneous use of the term "word", but only for the Canadian sample. There also was a developmental trend in children's expectations that restrictions in quantity and variety of graphic elements prevail in writing. More older children rejected stimuli with few or repeated characters than did younger ones. The results of this study indicated that children possessed a great deal of information about the written language before they enter school. Children's hypotheses about the written language demonstrate that they possess their own system of writing which appears to be the result of their cognitive efforts to solve the conflicts produced by contrasting their hypotheses with models of writing presented to them by the environment. An insight into some family variables indicated that the family's reading behavior was associated with the child's development of the written language.Item Cloze procedure as a proficiency test of Chinese as a second language(1991) Xie, WangThe purpose of this study is to explore the usefulness of cloze procedure as an instrument to measure the proficiency of students learning Chinese as a second language. Two aspects of cloze format were tested: (a) deletion method, both every fifth word deletion and random deletion and (b) textual material, both familiar and unfamiliar material. A class of third-year university students, who were learning Chinese as a second language, provided the data for this study. There were a total of four cloze tests, and the English vocabulary sub-test from the Nelson-Denny Reading Test administered in the study. The Kuder-Richardson 20 formula was applied to calculate the test reliability. The validity of the tests was determined by correlating each of the cloze tests with the students' final exam mark and final grade. It was found that, regardless of the deletion method, cloze tests using familiar material possessed high reliability coefficients (.94 and .85). Also, cloze tests using familiar materials yielded satisfactory validities (.89, .83, 87, and .78). There was no significant correlation between the English vocabulary test and the students' Chinese proficiency. A questionnaire survey also revealed that the students involved in this study had a clear understanding of, and a generally positive attitude towards the cloze tests. The results of the study indicated that cloze tests, using familiar materials, were valid and reliable predictors of students' proficiency in Chinese as a second language.