I dedicate this thesis to my parents, my beloved sister, Neshat, and my best friend, Paniz. Without their patience, understanding, support, and most of all love, the completion of this work would not have been possible. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENT I wish to thank the members of my committee, Professor Saxena, Agarwal, Chen, Cheng and Andrian, for their support and patience. Their gentle but firm direction has been most appreciated. Finally, I would like to thank my major professor, Dr. Yu Zhong. From the beginning, he had confidence in my abilities to not only complete a degree, but to complete it with excellence. I have found my coursework throughout the Curriculum and Instruction program to be stimulating and thoughtful, providing me with the tools with which to explore both past and present ideas and issues.