Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Dunfermline College of Physical Education'

For students with disabilities, inclusion implies more than access as stipulated through the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and its 2008 Amendments Act. It indicates the idea of a communal experience that attempts to develop a culture wherein the full participation of diverse students is established through proactive decisions and allows them to engage in aspects of campus life "in a seamless and real-time manner" (Huger, 2011, p. 5). The purpose of this study was to explore conversations surrounding disability, as understood by students with physical impairments, in order to make meaning of their lived experiences, the messages they receive, and their interpretations of those messages. Using discourse analysis as both a theory and method (Gee, 2011), seven students self-identifying with physical impairment were asked to discuss their college experiences; what factors impact their decisions regarding involvement; what it means to be "inclusive"; what they feel their institutions do to create and encourage inclusive campuses; and what they think non-disabled peers think of them.

Despite interviews designed to focus conversations on social involvement and engagement, participants often gravitated toward their educational pursuits and specific concerns based upon individual disability needs. Students de-emphasized extra-curricular involvement in favor of adherence to objectives for successful academic pursuits, often requiring they weigh the physical and wellness tolls such activities could take on their bodies. Considering how respondents speak of their university experiences, this paper argues the discourses of disability are understood as seriously academic and seriously medical or health related. Further, while participants stated overall positive experiences at their universities, analysis of the conversations revealed encounters with physical access problems and difficulties with interactions and interpersonal relationships on campus. This suggests a deeper complexity to their initial assertions, perhaps highlighting the low expectations students with physical impairments hold toward true inclusion and the degree to which bad has to be sensed as bad enough to reach the level of being truly damaging to their view of the overall experience. Implications for this study are to help the university community—administrators, faculty, and students—understand the decision-making process for students with disabilities regarding campus involvement.

The purpose of this study was to assess college student perceptions of participating in swimming as a physical activity using the theoretical framework Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen, 1991). This quantitative study examined the attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control of college student’s intentions to participate in swimming as a physical activity. The sample population was college students enrolled at an Historically Black College and University on the East Coast. The survey was distributed to 248 students enrolled in a general health education course. A total of 220 questionnaires were completed for a response rate of 60%. The sample population was made up of 164 females (75%) and 56 males (25%). To address research question One, the researcher measured the differences between genders’ intentions to participate in swimming using an Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) statistical test. For research questions Two through Six, a Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) statistical test was used to measure differences based on the established survey instrument Physical Activity Questionnaire for Diabetic Patients (PAQ-DP). Statistical significant differences were found amongst genders for perceived behavioral control and intention for measuring differences amongst genders using an alpha level of .05 for all statistical tests. Statistical significance was also found for parent’s socioeconomic status for self-identity as well as for affective attitude for geographical location. The research study utilized the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Diabetic Patients (PAQ-DP) which is an established survey instrument created by Zeinab Ghazanfari (2010) as part of a study for assessing diabetic patients’ perceptions about participating in physical activity. A slight modification to the survey instrument was used by changing physical activity to swimming.

The purpose of this quantitative study was to identify psychological and physical health factors that influence African American college students' academic achievement using secondary data from the American College Health Association's National College Health Assessment (ACHA-NCHA). Using Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory, this study explored the influence of health variables on African American college students' academic experiences. Independent sample t-tests were used to analyze gender differences between African American female and male college students. Factor analyses and a Logistic regression was used to ascertain the influence of psychological and physical health factors on African American college students' academic achievement. Findings of this study highlight personal health issues, future help-seeking behavior, and impeding emotional experiences as significant predictors of academic achievement for all African American students. Implications for practice and recommendations for future research are reviewed.

ABSTRACTLUNNEN, KAREN YUNDT. Students' Perceptions of What Employers Consider Desirable Abilities, Attributes and Qualifications for Physical Therapists in Today's Workforce. (Under the direction of Don C. Locke.)In today's workforce, characterized by change and increasing competition for jobs, it is important for educational programs, students and practicing physical therapists to be aware of the qualities that are valued by employers. The primary purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions of physical therapy students about the abilities, attributes and qualifications that are desired by employers of physical therapists in today's workforce. Further, the study compared the perceptions of students with those of employers based on an earlier study of employers with a similar survey instrument.The population surveyed was students nearing completion of their second year of study in each of the seven physical therapy programs in North Carolina (NC) and South Carolina (SC). Students were asked to respond to the survey from the perspective of an employer of physical therapists in today's workforce, and to indicate the relative importance of items (grouped as abilities, attributes and qualifications) on a six-response Likert scale ranging from Not Important (1,2) to Important (3,4) to Essential (5,6). The student survey contained the same core questions as an earlier survey of physical therapy employers from clinical settings in NC and SC, allowing comparison of the two populations. Analysis of the students' responses resulted in rankings of abilities, attributes and qualifications. The three most valued abilities were: (1) manage time effectively, (2) problem-solve/think critically, and (3) abide by rules and regulations. The three most valued attributes were: (1) ethical behavior, (2) integrity, and (3) a positive attitude. The three most valued qualifications were: (1) broad-based knowledge and skills, (2) an advanced master's degree in physical therapy, and (3) membership in the American Physical Therapy Association. Employers had the same top three abilities as students, but flexibility was above a positive attitude in the ranking of attributes, and manual therapy certification was above an advanced master's degree in the ranking of qualifications. Additional analyses examined the correlation between students' perceptions about the relative importance of the various abilities, attributes and qualifications and the amount of prior clinical experience (in weeks) that they had.

Inclusion of students with diverse identities and addressing all forms of discrimination are critical for institutes of higher education. While progress has been made to create welcoming environments for many social groups, one has been largely ignored. Fat* students are at risk for facing weight-based discrimination with possibly detrimental effects to their physical health, mental health, and academic success. Given that there are no legal protections against weight-based discrimination, and a general acceptability of weight bias, fat students are possibly marginalized and left to cope on their own.

The purpose of this quantitative study was to explore gender and racial differences in experiencing weight-based discrimination, and examine the relationships between weight-based discrimination, self-esteem, internalized weight bias, physical health, mental health, and academic achievement. An online survey was completed by 502 students from a large public university in Southern California. The findings revealed that female college students reported experiencing significantly more weight-based discrimination than male college students. Weight-based discrimination significantly predicted lower levels of physical health and mental health. Furthermore, internalized weight bias and self-esteem were found to be significant mediators of the effect of weight-based discrimination on physical health and mental health. The results of this study provide a better understanding of the physical and psychosocial effects of weight-based discrimination of college students. Recommendations are made for the development of size inclusive policies and practices, inclusion of fat pedagogy, and a weight-neutral approach to college health so that students of all sizes may persist and successfully complete their higher educational journeys. *The term “fat” is used in a neutral, non-judgmental sense.

A gap in the knowledge of literature was found in that no research had been performed examining the effect different physical learning environments have on cognitive load levels. This is important because high cognitive load levels are known to affect learning. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study is to examine the relationship between the overall, intrinsic, and extraneous cognitive load and the physical learning environment (online and traditional classrooms) of undergraduate college students in an Introduction to Psychology class, at a medium-sized liberal arts college. Cognitive load theory provides a framework that has been used extensively to promote learning. Cognitive load refers to the total amount of mental activity imposed onto the learner. Research noted what has not been examined is how different physical learning environments may affect cognitive load. For this study, the physical learning environment is the place where learning takes place. Three research questions sought a correlation between cognitive load levels and the physical learning environment, online or traditional classroom. The Leppink scale was used to measure cognitive load. A survey was sent, one week in December, until the minimum sample size was determined. Data were determined using a Spearman correlation. The findings indicated no significant relationship exists between Overall Cognitive Load and the physical learning environment (r _s = –0.011, p > 0.05), Intrinsic Cognitive Load and the physical learning environment (r_s = –0.082, p > 0.05), and Extraneous Cognitive Load and the physical learning environment (r_s = 0.086, p > 0.05). Recommendations for future research include looking at gender differences and testing at different times during the semester.