Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Mixed methods case study'

Garden-based environmental education addresses ecological literacy in the context of schoolyard gardens. This study seeks to elucidate the topics and factors that influence student engagement while learning in these schoolyard spaces, through a mixed-methods case study at a San Francisco public elementary school. Data were collected from student work, student interviews, teacher interviews, and educator observations of the garden-based environmental education class. From the data, many themes were identified such as describing student engagement, topics that were particularly engaging, and engaged and disengaged behaviors. Student work and educator observations supported that lessons with a focus on food or animals were particularly engaging for students. The hands-on components of lessons, alignment with state standards, and the schoolyard garden space itself were also found to support student engagement in this study. Though previous research does not address engaging topics in garden-based environmental education, some studies support the engaging nature of hands-on activities, specifically in science contexts. It is my hope that this research informs garden-based environmental education practices, and continues to add to the number of studies regarding it.

From 2010 to 2016, public schools in New York City were required to affiliate with one of approximately 60 Children First Networks (CFN). These networks were designed to provide a broad range of support for instruction, leadership, curriculum, and operations in schools, as well as facilitating collaboration between schools, with the ultimate goal of raising student achievement. Using mixed methods, the research presented in this thesis investigates relationships between these networks and student achievement, and explores processes and interactions relevant to collaboration and school improvement within and between schools and their affiliated networks. The overall explanatory sequential mixed methods design began with a quantitative phase, in which secondary data were analyzed using multilevel modeling to determine whether there was an overall effect of networks on student achievement on state assessments in literacy and mathematics. Contextualised value added (CVA) school effects were also investigated at this stage, and the results were used to inform the sampling of schools for the qualitative strand of the project. Qualitative inquiry used a case study approach, with the "case" defined as the network structure as a whole, and embedded cases consisting of 10 schools in several different networks. Interviews were conducted with various stakeholders (principals, teachers, and network staff) to access multiple perspectives and experiences of network roles, participation and collaboration in networks, and how these relate to school improvement. Main findings from the quantitative analysis demonstrate little evidence of an overall effect of networks on student achievement, but show significant variation between schools' CVA effects. Qualitative findings offer insight relevant to these results, as accounts of participants at different levels of the network structure vary regarding the nature, extent and impact of schools' involvement with networks. Focusing on an under-researched network structure and applying rigorous methods from educational effectiveness research within a mixed methods design to study networking and collaboration in education, this study makes an original and substantive contribution to both of these fields. Findings have the potential to inform relevant policy in New York City, and though results from this context must be generalized cautiously, this research may provide useful considerations for policymakers in other settings by adding to the broader evidence base on the effects of school networks and the processes and interactions within them.

The purpose of the study was to understand what language and strategies instructors and students perceived as conveying caring in online graduate education. Using Nodding’s (1984, 1988, 1995, 2001, 2002) care theory, questions were crafted for structured interviews and a survey. The study was conducted at a Midwestern, midsized university. Structured online interviews were conducted with the instructors, and an online survey was offered to students in the eight participating graduate instructors’ courses with 46/222 students responding. The researcher conducted a quantitative and qualitative analysis of all data, including a document review of the instructors’ course delivery shells, investigating language usage in Announcements, Discussion Boards, and Assignment Feedback in the Gradebook for triangulation of the data. The findings supported the three major constructs of Noddings’ care theory. The first construct was mental attentiveness in which students indicated the importance of the immediacy of feedback. The second construct was affective engagement, in which students expressed that feedback include specific comments and praise with caring language and concern for the students’ personal situations. The third construct was reciprocity, which students conveyed the importance of student-instructor interaction in the discussion board and also of video conferencing in order to promote reciprocal interaction. The findings of this study may lead to actions by instructors that could convey more caring and increase student engagement, satisfaction, and achievement, thereby assisting colleges and universities in their retention efforts. Most importantly, the findings may add to the existing literature of what a caring graduate instructor-student relationship encompasses in online education.
Dissertation (Ed.D.)--Wichita State University, College of Education, Dept. of Educational Leadership

A review of academic literature revealed a dearth of published research concerning whether dramatherapy might help UK combat veterans recover from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Furthermore no published research sought to capture veterans’ perspectives during dramatherapy in the UK. My research questions addressed the gap in the research literature: What is the participant’s perspective on the use of dramatherapy in helping British combat veterans a) to recover from PTSD? and b) to adjust to civilian life? The research design was a phenomenological mixed methods case study. The qualitative measures were arts-based. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used to examine the transcripts of the dramatherapy sessions. The quantitative measures were the Clinical Outcomes Routine Evaluation (CORE) -34 and CORE-10; Short Warwick Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (SWEMWBS) and the PTSD Checklist – Military (PCL-M). The multiple methods synthesis raised questions and gave new insights rather than confirming results. The participants were 3 male veterans from the same region of the UK. I was the researcher/dramatherapist. The aim of the research was to achieve an in-depth study underpinned by a participant-centred approach. The research theme was journeying towards recovery. The choice of play-text, an excerpt from The Odyssey, reflected this. The initial 5 dramatherapy sessions were individual and the remaining 3 were group sessions. The IPA indicated that the participants’ perspectives were that dramatherapy might help other veterans towards recovery from PTS. Furthermore dramatherapy might help in their adjustment to civilian life. The use of , imagination and role rehearsal and assisted in reframing of their personal stories. The participants found the use of a novel method developed by myself, from Turner’s Model of Crisis (TMOC) (Turner, 1967) particularly helpful in moving through traumatic memories, utilising metaphor and a problem-solving approach. This led to embodiment of reprised positive military roles in overcoming obstacles on their journeys. They used this method in other situations arising outside of the research and recommended it as potentially having a positive impact on other veterans, seeking recovery. They remained in the clinically significant scoring for PTSD. However, they identified the framework of dramatherapy methods resulted in an increase in confidence, creativity and ability to manage conflict. This was supported by the IPA results.

Stress and mental health issues are now the most common cause of workplace absence. Increasing evidence points to the need for organisations to take steps to enhance well-being at work for employees. Social support has been identified as one key factor affecting employee psychological well-being, however, the definition and conceptualisation of the term continues to be debated. To date, research examining the relationship between social support and well-being at work tends to be predominantly quantitative and to prioritise work-based sources of support above other sources of support. Few workplace interventions aimed at improving employee well-being appear to have a specific focus on enhancing social support. This thesis presents findings from a mixed-methods case study of a large, public sector organisation in Scotland. The study had four phases: an online survey (n=158), semi-structured interviews (n=31), a diary phase (n=11) and a final interview (n=11). Higher levels of social support were associated with a higher level of psychological well-being. Findings highlighted the importance of various work and non-work based sources of social support, such as peer support and support from friends, and various dimensions of support too, such as ‘distant vs. proximal’ support. Potential negative effects of social support were also identified, for example, when perceived as interfering. Women reported higher levels of support and of positive mental well-being than did men. Interview and diary data revealed a range of contextual, organisational and individual factors that affected both access to and availability of social support, and the relationship between social support and employee well-being. Recent organisational changes appeared to be particularly influential. Employee opinion regarding existing organisational well-being initiatives varied on the basis of whether the support was formal or informal and in terms of perceived versus received support. Social support was valued highly by respondents with regard to improving employee well-being. Open and honest communication, physical presence of support and familiarity with context-specific knowledge were of particular pertinence. This thesis contributes to knowledge in three ways. Substantively, the importance of examining social support more holistically is highlighted in order to better understand the relationship between social support and employee well-being. Methodologically, this mixed methods approach proved fruitful in generating a richness and depth of data largely untapped by previous, predominantly quantitative, studies. Finally, the findings have practical implications for HR personnel and policy makers as they offer an insight into the contribution of various sources and dimensions of social support to employee well-being, as understood by employees.

The demands on health and social care organisations require professions to work more collaboratively. During pre-registration training, health care and social work students learn within practice settings, supported by practice mentors. These settings are rich learning environments to experience interprofessional working (IPW) and for students to learn together through interprofessional practice learning (IPPL). There is, however, evidence that students' experiences of both are varied or limited. The value placed on IPW, and IPPL, is therefore of interest. This thesis will investigate practice mentors' attitudes to IPW and IPPL, and explore their perspectives of the enablers and barriers to these occurring in practice settings. A mixed-methods case study approach was used to measure the attitudes of practice mentors from health and social work, and to identify enablers and barriers to IPW, and IPPL for students. Online surveys and semi-structured face to face interviews were carried out with a range of professions within one Scottish health board and associated local authority. Results showed that attitudes to IPW, and IPPL for students were generally positive. Attitudes were not significantly affected by governing body, gender, area of work, years of experience, or prior experience of IPE. IPW was perceived to be enabled by shared processes and policies, IPPL for staff, effective communication, established teams, and shared processes and policies. Proximity to other professions and shared spaces encouraged informal communication and positive interprofessional relationships. Regular structured IPPL opportunities for students were limited. However, where opportunities did occur, this was linked to areas where practice mentors perceived that there was a strong interprofessional team identity. Although attitudes to IPW, and IPPL for students are positive, further work is needed to identify systems for improving IPW, to strengthen professions' identity as interprofessional teams, and to increase IPPL opportunities for students.

The purpose of this study was threefold: (a) to describe the impact the SLS courses had on the retention and success rates of students who were taking developmental English courses at FSCJ-Kent Campus, (b) to explain how students taking developmental English felt the SLS courses impacted them, and (c) to find out what elements of the SLS program were most and least valued by students. In order to understand how the SLS program impacted students in the developmental English program at FSCJ-Kent Campus, I conducted a mixed methods case study using FSCJ–Kent Campus as the research site. The case study included a quantitative stage, during which I examined archival data from fall 2008 to summer 2010 to determine the impact of the SLS program on student success and retention, and a qualitative stage, during which I conducted a survey and two focus groups to get an understanding of participants’ perspectives. The evidence that the SLS program affected the success and retention rates of students in the developmental English classes at FSCJ-Kent Campus was not conclusive. However, students reported that the program was extremely beneficial to them and provided insight into why they thought the program contributed to their success. The study was significant because I was able to get a deeper understanding of students’ perspectives and provide a framework for understanding those perspectives. I concluded that the SLS program was a mechanism to transition and integrate students into the institution. This study may affect the way leaders in educational institutions approach developmental English, the SLS program, and all other developmental programs.

The purpose of this study was to identify and examine pre-service teachers’ concerns relating to their teaching practicum in Zimbabwe and to suggest strategies that could be used to support them in a digitalised era. This study was necessitated by the desire to understand the concerns that pre-service teachers experience during teaching practicum in a fast changing world and in a depressing, unstable socio-politico-economic environment. The study employed a meta-conceptual approach comprising constructivist and social cognitive epistemology as its theoretical framework. A concurrent mixed methods research design was utilised to address the research questions. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used to design the study, collect, and analyse data. Thirty participants comprising of 24 pre-service teachers and six college supervisors were purposively selected for the qualitative study from United College of Education in Zimbabwe. Qualitative data was collected by means of interviews and analysed through a thematic analysis. For the quantitative phase, 300 pre-service teachers were chosen through stratified random sampling from the same institution and were asked to complete a questionnaire. One hundred and ninety-three questionnaires were returned and usable, giving a return rate of 64%. Data from the survey were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings from the study revealed that pre-service teachers experience diverse concerns during teaching practicum that included classroom management, teacher knowledge, socio-economic factors, workload, interpersonal relationships and assessment anxiety. Findings from the quantitative phase revealed some differences in the levels of concerns among the year groups. A general downward trend in the levels of concerns was detected except for teacher beliefs concerns that remained constant. Findings from the qualitative phase of the study revealed that the concerns that pre-service teachers experienced during teaching practicum had negative impact on their classroom practice. Most of the student teachers had devised some coping strategies to deal with their concerns and they were satisfied with the quality of support from mentors and peers, but not that from their supervisors. In an increasingly globalised world, the researcher felt that teaching practicum related concerns could be minimised by exploiting the benefits of digitalised knowledge and communities of learning.

Farm-to-school (FTS) programs are supported at federal, state, and local levels as a cross-sectoral intervention to curb rising levels of obesity, strengthen local food systems, and improve school climate and academic outcomes. Comprehensive FTS programming, according to the “3-C” approach embraced by leaders in the FTS movement, includes interventions in three domains: the cafeteria, classroom, and community. FTS programming in these domains may include procurement of local food; school gardens; and education related to food, agriculture, and nutrition. Existing research supports the comprehensive FTS approach, illustrating that multi-component programs with strategies that are integrated across these environments improve outcomes for students. FTS programs have potential impacts in the sectors of public health, economic development, education, and environmental sustainability, and they involve a diverse range of stakeholders including students, teachers, school leadership, food service staff, local farmers, and state and national policymakers. However, literature on FTS programs is largely in the areas of health behavior and nutrition outcomes for students, and further investigations of other aspects may lead to improved programming. The three distinct papers in this dissertation represent an unsequenced descriptive case study, in which each article explores one of the three FTS domains. The case study methodology allowed for in-depth mixed-methods data collection about a bounded system using multiple sources of information. The case for this research was a school district in northern California with a comprehensive FTS program supported by partnership with a local non-profit partner. The first study examines the classroom through teacher involvement in FTS programming using qualitative methods. Social cognitive theory is used as a framework to understand factors that impact classroom teacher involvement and propose strategies to support teacher involvement in FTS. The second study examines the cafeteria through research of a new school lunch program connected to the district FTS programming. Through mixed-methods data collection and analysis, the second article examines the factors that supported a school district in overcoming the barriers to instituting healthier meal options as well as a broad range of student outcomes. The third study examines the community through a qualitative exploration of the relationships between schools, families, and community partners at the case study site. Specifically, it examines FTS programming as an avenue for community partner involvement and family engagement in schools. This research may support teachers, administrators, and non-profit partners in improving comprehensive FTS programming. These studies fill gaps in the research around the three domains of FTS, particularly the classroom and community, and they may contribute to further studies that seek to explore and compare the different aspects of FTS that lead to outcomes for students and schools. Each chapter may also be a resource for researchers in the fields of food, agriculture, and nutrition education; curriculum innovation; school food; and community-school partnerships.

Thesis advisor: David Scanlon
Classroom accommodations are a primary means of providing an appropriate education for students with disabilities. While there is value in student involvement in the accommodations process, the process continues to be teacher-driven, so we need to teach students to be strategic in selecting and utilizing their own accommodations. This problem holds true across disabilities, and students with visual impairments are no exception. The Student Self-Accommodation Strategy (SSA) was developed to support students with high-incidence disabilities in strategically selecting and utilizing their own accommodations. This study investigated SSA learning and performance for students with visual impairments and how learning the SSA impacted their classroom accommodation practices. The learning experiences of four students with visual impairments were compared using comparative case studies (Cresswell, Plano Clark, Gutmann, & Hanson, 2003) within a sequential explanatory design (Hanson, Creswell, Plano Clark, Petska, & Creswell, 2008). Mixed methods data were collected before, during, and after strategy instruction pertaining to accommodations knowledge and practices, strategy learning and performance, metacognition and self-regulated learning, and student perceptions of the SSA. Cross-case analysis revealed key findings regarding strategy instruction, strategy learning and performance, and metacognition and self-regulated learning. These key findings have implications for educating students with visual impairments and future research on the SSA. Ultimately, this study indicates that the SSA is a valuable tool for strategically selecting and utilizing accommodations; however, characteristics of individual students and their learning environments have a considerable impact on the development of strategic thinking
Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2019
Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education
Discipline: Teacher Education, Special Education, Curriculum and Instruction

In the UK, urban parks face a precarious future and, with projected cuts of over 65% to local authority discretionary funding (Local Government Association, 2012:2), it is ever more important to understand their value. This study interrogates the value of these resources from the perspective of the individual and, through a mixed method comparative case study of two community parks in Leeds, West Yorkshire, identifies four key challenges to existing framings of their significance. Drawing on primary observational, social survey and interview data, boundaries constructed between forms of value are, firstly, problematized with fluidity recognised between use and non-use aspects. Secondly, a range of previously-omitted past-related values are identified. Negative elements of significance are, then, thirdly, highlighted as heavily interwoven with positive accounts of importance and emphasised as key omissions in prior representations of value. Before, finally, value is stressed as spatially relative, with comparison with other leisure resources noted as an inherent facet of accounts. Taken together, these challenges demarcate an individual perspective of value as notably distinct from those levelled at other scales, such as the firm or community, as it emphasised that, from this perspective, the value of a resource must be rethought as a relational property created in the interaction between people and their environment, rather than an absolute property assigned to a space. Organisations, such as Nesta (Neal, 2013:21) have emphasised a need to ‘rethink' the funding and management of urban parks, moving towards “mixed funding models”, incorporating some level of community voluntarism. This assumed involvement is, however, premised on community engagement which is far from certain. As such, there is a pressing need to understand the value attached to urban parks to understand the scope for expectations of voluntarism to be truly fulfilled.

This mixed methods, case study research examined the teacher education program at Illinois State University (ISU-Normal, Illinois) as related to the views and assessment practices of the dispositions of its teacher candidates. Five years of quantitative and qualitative data from ISU’s Disposition Concern form was collected and analyzed currently and formulated the basis for a sequential qualitative study through interviews in order to gain a more holistic picture of dispositions and the dispositional process at this university. In teacher education, content knowledge and pedagogical skills are easier to teach and assess than the subjective nature of dispositions. This grounded theory study found that the very system that views and assess dispositions of teacher candidates may augment the subjectivity of dispositions and its essentials for “responsive” (Thornton, 2006) teaching which systematically should include clear definitions, assessment practices, communication, and support for both faculty/staff and students.

Purpose: The purpose of this thematic, mixed-methods case study was to identify and describe the behaviors that exemplary female chief executive officers (CEOs) use to create personal and organizational meaning for themselves and their followers through meaning-making domains: character, vision, relationships, wisdom, and inspiration. Additionally, it was the purpose of this study to determine the degree of importance to which followers perceived behaviors within the meaning-making domains.

Methodology: The exploratory mixed-methods case study was selected to gather insight into the behaviors of four female chief executive officers through interviews. Twelve of their employees were asked to complete an online survey. The results of both the qualitative interviews and quantitative surveys were then compared for triangulation.

Findings: The qualitative findings of this research suggest that exemplary female CEOs demonstrate behaviors from each of meaning-making domains (character, vision, relationships, wisdom, and inspiration), with character and vision as most significant to meaning making. Followers concurred with their quantitative input, finding the domains of character and relationships to be the most significant in creating meaning within the organization.

Conclusions: The study’s findings support the need for CEOs to integrate behaviors from each of the meaning-making domains (character, vision, relationships, wisdom, and inspiration) in order to create meaning for themselves and their followers. CEOs wishing to develop behaviors across these domains should make decisions based on a moral compass, invest in strategic planning, as well set aside time for reflection and self-development.

Recommendations: There is a need for further exploration in this area of study. Replication studies could identify differing populations, exemplary male CEOs, or look at other geographical locations. For a deeper look into this topic, a pure qualitative design approach is suggested. The 21 emerging themes also need a deeper understanding and each could contribute to its own study. Finally, it is highly advisable that studies be conducted in order to add to the body of knowledge on meaning-making leadership.

This mixed methods study employed an instrumental single-bounded case approach to explore how a policing executive develops and sustains an ethically performing organization, given the phenomenological "policing power-public trust" relationship. Policing is foundational to rule of law and ethical performance in policing is fundamental to developing and sustaining a healthy policing power-public trust relationship. A review of relevant policing literature reveals a history of tension and conflict in this complex relationship. The literature review included relevant social contract theory, history of policing and the policing power-public trust relationship, relational leadership, servant leadership, transformational learning and leadership and change management. Organizational related literature included relevant aspects of organizational learning, performance, change and transformation.

Qualitative interviews were conducted with the policing executive and a quantitative survey instrument was pilot study validated and subsequently administered to the organization's sworn personnel. From qualitative and quantitative data collected, analyzed and integrated, 26 findings emerged. Further analysis of the findings resulted in four emergent themes. Results suggest that in a highly dynamic environment, a pragmatic role-modeling and holistic leadership strategy to drive ethical performance by leveraging a culture of accountability, best practice, and change readiness has potential external ecological application. In turn, ethical performance may generate public trust when an organization leverages innovative capacity to connect with its community through a robust strategy of active communication and transparency.

Although emergent findings or themes may have limited ecological application with similarly situated chiefs, organizations and communities, external generalizability is not foreseeable. Recommendations for future research include use of a multiple case study methodology to focus on one or more themes identified in this inquiry. A study could be undertaken to identify how leaders in organizations with relatively stable environments lead their respective organizations to perform ethically and build public trust. Given this organization's current success and expected future benefits from having developed and implemented a robust community engagement strategy, a study of similarly effective external communication strategies could be undertaken to identify the relative value and community impact.

This thesis, set against the background of accounts of globalisation, aims to figure out the consumer orientation of the middle class in contemporary China, in particular how the new elements in consumer orientation operate in the Chinese context. It focuses on the contemporary middle class, including professionals, managers, business-owners and civil servants, and on the metropolitan cities, because these are the two most important factors in the rise of consumer culture in China. Data come from the China General Social Survey of 2003 and 30 interviews with middle class people in Beijing carried out in 2008. The quantitative analysis is concerned with characteristics of the middle class in the metropolitan cities and their participation in consumption practices. Qualitative analysis provides a comprehensive analysis of the consumption patterns and the consumer orientations of 30 adults and considers subjective interpretations in specific contexts. The focus is the consumption patterns from everyday consumption, taste and material culture, and the findings are interpreted in relation to major theories in the sociology of consumption. In order to understand consumption patterns, this dissertation seeks accounts of consumer orientations: the distinct or particular reasons for purchasing and using certain material goods and services. Consumption patterns are also explained against the background of globalization, and in relation to the essential features of Chinese culture, social changes and social conventions. The analysis draws attention particularly to the justifications of tastes by the Chinese middle class and exposes their concomitant anxieties and ambivalence. It is shown that pursuit of pleasure, tempered with pursuit of comfort, is a significant form of aesthetic justification; and living within one's means, i.e. keeping a balance between expenditure and income, is the main moral justification. The orientation to personal pleasure and comfort is shaped by social conventions, traditional values and the metropolitan context. Consumer sovereignty, as opposed to social discipline and authority, becomes a force. Despite anxieties and ambivalence, the interviewees generally show satisfaction and confidence with their consumption. The findings challenge the stereotype of the Chinese 'new rich' and the one-dimensional pictures of tendencies towards either conspicuous display or frugality.

Background. Counselling psychologists require competency in various areas. Critical self-reflection is arguably one of the most important, and distinguishes the profession from other applied psychology. Groupwork facilitates change and understanding of the self in relation to others, offering counselling psychologist trainees a formal space for reflection, support and learning. Previous work has explored personal development and peer supervision groups for counselling psychologists and counsellours in training,but not the use of a case discussion group as part of a professional doctoral programme. Within a case discussion group, members are allocated the task of sharing their counselling practice by presenting cases in the presence of peers, with the ultimate aim of developing more effective ways of working with the issues presented. Method. A mixed methods design was used to investigate the experience of nine training counselling psychologists who had already completed a 12-week case discussion group. Before commencing, trainees completed a goal assessment form,indicating their goals and expectations. Trainees rated their goal on a Likert-type scale at regular intervals throughout the groups. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine trainees to explore how they believed participation in the group helped them reach their goals. Findings. Trainees indicated three goal types: to increase knowledge about different psychotherapeutic approaches, self-development and developing their ability to give and receive feedback within the groups. Trainees reported that participation helped them achieve their self-narrated goals. Change was most significant during the first half of group participation (between weeks three and seven). Four themes emerged from qualitative interview analysis: the experience of attending a case discussion group; establishing safety and trust within the group, engaging with boundaries and the structure of the group, and learning from being in a group and renegotiating goals. Conclusion. Identifying personal goals prior to attending a case discussion group is reported as a useful activity by counselling psychologists enrolled within a taught professional doctorate programme. Importantly, it does not interfere with how trainees experience the groups in question. However, there is a disparity between trainees' expectations and what they report gaining from attending a case discussion group. Overall trainees report benefits from attending a case discussion group although within the current context, it was found that hindering events within a group were not disclosed within qualitative interviews. This is considered in view of themethodological design whereby the researcher held dual relationships with participants. Recommendations for both counselling psychologists in training and for course trainers are presented.

The therapeutic relationship within psychotherapy is well recognised as a pertinent component of successful treatments. In particular, the alliance component of the therapeutic relationship has demonstrated a moderate and robust correlation to positive outcomes. The alliance is considered the change mechanism within the more relationally focused therapies (e.g., psychodynamic). In contrast, therapies that focus on specific techniques related to underlying theory regarding the development and amelioration of mental health difficulties, prioritise the protocols as the change mechanism. Mental health services can be seen to have moved towards offering more time-limited, protocol driven therapies (e.g., CBT) to widen access to therapy and to meet financial incentives. EMDR is a relatively new psychotherapy which has amassed evidence of efficacy since its development by Francine Shapiro in the 1980s and is now recommended within the NICE guidelines. EMDR is predominantly a protocol driven therapy based on its underlying theory which suggests that mental health difficulties are a result of dysfunctionally stored memories. Currently, little is known about the role of therapeutic relationship within EMDR and whether additional focus on relational aspects within the therapy could enhance outcomes. A single-case design with two therapist-client dyads was used to explore the therapeutic alliance within two EMDR therapy cases in a primary care setting. The study had three aims; to investigate the relationship between the therapeutic alliance and outcome; to investigate the fluctuations of the alliance throughout EMDR; and to explore how the alliance is experienced by the client and therapist during EMDR treatment. The principal findings, presented via visual analysis, display a strong alliance and positive outcomes in the two EMDR cases, suggesting the presence of the alliancewithin a predominantly protocolised therapy. This is further supported by the qualitative data, in which the alliance was a highly valued aspect by therapist and clients in both cases. Whilst this study is limited by generalisability given the small sample size and correlational design, it draws researchers’ and clinicians’ attention to the paucity of information guiding the practice of EMDR in terms of the relational imperative.

Background: Psychosocial loneliness is an unpleasant and distressing experience arising from subjective discrepancies between a person’s desired and actual social relationships. An increasingly common problem in UK society, loneliness is linked with serious adverse mental health outcomes and poses a significant risk to physical health, which several experts suggest is as great as smoking and obesity. In recent years leading cancer care organisations have raised awareness of the existence of loneliness and its potential importance in the context of cancer; however little attention has been paid in the literature or in clinical practice to understanding, identifying and alleviating loneliness. AimsThe project reported in this thesis aimed to: 1) clarify the conceptual and theoretical meaning of ‘loneliness’; 2) enhance understanding of loneliness in people living with and beyond cancer; and 3) develop an assessment tool for ‘cancer-related loneliness following treatment completion’. MethodsThe project began with a theoretical concept analysis of ‘loneliness’. This was followed by a systematic scoping review of loneliness and cancer. Gaps in the knowledge base were addressed by means of an exploratory mixed methods study. Phase 1 involved collection of quantitative data concerning loneliness from 107 individuals living with and beyond cancer. Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis of the data was conducted. Phase 2 involved the undertaking of semi-structured interviews with 12 individuals living with and beyond cancer who scored highly for loneliness in phase 1. Thematic Framework Analysis was employed to analyse the interview data. The findings of the qualitative phase, together with the initial conceptual work and the findings of the literature review were employed to develop the Cancer-related Loneliness Assessment Tool. Preliminary cognitive testing of this tool was conducted. FindingsLoneliness results from an interaction between personal and situational factors and is better viewed as an individual process rather than as a clinical condition for which specific diagnostic symptoms and cut-offs exist. The experience of loneliness appears to transcend the boundaries of cancer diagnosis, stage of disease, tumour site and treatment modality. The results of the quantitative phase indicated that participants in the study experienced, on average, ‘moderate’ levels of loneliness. In the study sample age was an independent predictor of cases of loneliness – the odds of individuals aged <30-59 being lonely were 23 times those of individuals aged 70+. Employment status was significantly associated with loneliness scores – non-employed individuals had higher loneliness scores than did employed individuals and retired individuals. The qualitative phase identified a contextual loneliness termed ‘cancer-related loneliness following treatment completion’. Such loneliness is a result of perceived social, emotional, cultural and healthcare-related relationship deficiencies stemming from or exacerbated by cancer-related sources. Loneliness emanating from deficiencies in relationships with healthcare professionals – termed healthcare-related loneliness – has not previously been referred to in the loneliness literature. The Cancer-related Loneliness Assessment Tool operationalised ‘cancer-related loneliness following treatment completion’ and preliminary cognitive testing indicated that the items generate the information intended and that individuals have little trouble completing the assessment tool. ConclusionsCancer-related loneliness following treatment completion should be addressed as part of comprehensive cancer care. Following further development, the Cancer-related Loneliness Assessment Tool could facilitate identification of loneliness in clinical practice. It could also aid with the development/adaptation and evaluation of interventions to address loneliness. Healthcare-related loneliness should be added to the existing tripartite (social, emotional and cultural) typology of loneliness, creating a quadripartite typology that encompasses all types of relationship deficits that can beget loneliness.

We have a global nursing shortage and inadequate provisions to care for our ageing population. To ensure sustainability it is vital to understand predictors of nurse wellbeing. This project began with a systematic literature review determining key concepts for understanding nurses' experiences, revealing growing evidence for secondary trauma in nurses. This is a specific form of distress resulting from witnessing pain or vulnerability in a third party. However, current understanding is limited; and nurses providing older adult care have received little research scrutiny. Mixed methodology was employed, exploring nurses' experiences using qualitative interviews, and measuring prevalence and severity of distress by quantative survey. Interview transcripts from three senior nurses were analysed systematically according to principles of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). In summary, emotional engagement with patients was not only intrinsically rewarding, but often yielded useful information which could improve patient outcomes. However this patient-centred approach may also be associated with burnout, as nurses reported feeling exhausted, especially when interactions were emotionally intense or lacked reciprocity. A quantitative survey investigated the impact further. Nurses across three NHS Trusts completed standardised measures of general health (assessed as anxiety and depression), distress from intense emotional engagement (burnout and secondary trauma) and intrinsic reward (compassion satisfaction). Multiple regression models suggested that compassion satisfaction and perceptions of the organisation as innovative predicted burnout. Therefore in this time of NHS restructure, policy makers need to be aware that staff can benefit from belonging to an organisation perceived as dynamic and entrepreneurial.

Sibling violence is a common occurrence for many children yet this form of family violence has received minimal attention in research compared to other forms of child maltreatment. With parents as an integral component in the lives of many children, parental perceptions and experiences of violence between siblings are important to understand. Furthermore, with the increased variation in family structures within society, inclusion of multiple types of families in research is necessary to encompass a broad understanding of sibling violence. This case study included seven parents from four different family structures to examine their perceptions and experiences of physical and emotional violence between siblings. Three phases of data collection including both quantitative and qualitative data gathered information about participants’ experiences with siblings in childhood, witnessed behaviors between children, behaviors associated with sibling violence and sibling rivalry, and labels used to refer to violence between siblings. Participants were also presented with several case scenarios depicting various sibling interactions in which they processed the degree to which they found the behaviors violent or non-violent. Findings indicate that family structure is less important than past and present environmental and contextual factors in understanding participant differentiation between problematic and non-problematic behaviors between siblings. Data from all three phases helped in the construction of a parental decision-making model of sibling interaction that included consideration of past experiences, children factors, the context of interaction, and family rules when classifying behaviors. Implications of the findings for social work direct practice, policy aimed at addressing violence between siblings, advocacy through parental education, social work education, and future directions for research in the area of sibling violence are presented.

Thesis advisor: Lillie R. Albert
Mathematics education is constantly at the forefront of public and academic debates during this era of increased accountability. Questions concerning teacher preparation and teaching practices that connect to pupil learning are central to these discussions. However, very few studies have examined relationships among these factors and most are confined to a short time period; thus, this dissertation studies such relationships over a two-year period. Informed by a sociocultural perspective, this study examines how preservice elementary teachers' past K-12 schooling and teacher education experiences influences their attitudes and perceptions about mathematics education over time. It also explores how teaching practices are shaped by these experiences, and are ultimately linked to pupil learning. A mixed-method design of survey and qualitative case-study research methods was employed to collect and analyze data over a two-year period. During the first year of this study, pre- and post-surveys using Likert-scale items were administered to all preservice teachers (n=75) enrolled in an elementary mathematics methods course. For a two-year period, the experiences of two participants were explored through longitudinal interviews, observations, and an examination of artifacts (i.e., teacher lesson plans, assessments, and pupil work) to develop in-depth case studies. Findings indicate that prior schooling experiences influenced teachers' initial attitudes and perceptions about mathematics. Nevertheless, over a short period, positive changes in teachers' attitudes and confidence to teach mathematics suggest that experiences in the mathematics methods course were conducive to building on teachers' prior knowledge. Survey and case-study findings also indicate that preservice teachers planned to teach mathematics with a reformed approach, which emphasizes a conceptual understanding of mathematic. However, it was challenging for case-study participants to implement a reformed approach as first-year teachers, especially if they had limited teaching models to reinforce this method. Findings also suggest that school context, classroom management, and mathematical content knowledge all influence teaching practices and pupil learning opportunities. Implications for teacher education, school reform, and future research are discussed
Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2009
Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education
Discipline: Teacher Education, Special Education, Curriculum and Instruction

Thesis (PhD)-- Stellenbosch University, 2013.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The teaching and learning of algebra in the middle school grades in Lesotho is dominated by the mechanistic approach where learners are drilled on procedures for solving certain types of problems in algebra, without making any connection to the experience learners had with arithmetic. This is one of the sources of learners’ difficulties in mathematics. Research indicates that use of spreadsheets such as Excel has a potential of bridging the gap between arithmetic and algebra and thus enhancing the teaching and learning of algebra, making it meaningful to the learners. The study sought to answer the question: How do Grade 9 learners in Lesotho experience teaching and learning of algebra through Excel spreadsheets? The research commenced with a literature review that was followed by the empirical study. The theories of instrumental genesis and instrumental orchestration were identified as the framework for the investigation. Instrumental genesis is the process in which learners develop facility with the artifact as they use it towards achieving lesson objectives; technical (conceptual, mechanical) and personal (attitudes, behavior and preferred learning styles) aspects of learners’ experiences were identified. Instrumental orchestration is the steering of learners’ instrumental genesis by the teacher and the manner in which this process is carried out, depends on the teacher’s Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPCK). The research was a multi-case study following a mixed-methods approach, where both qualitative and quantitative methods were used. The empirical study was conducted in two schools in Lesotho. In each school, fifteen learners volunteered participation. The investigation was done through classroom teaching by me as the researcher. The focus was on what challenges learners encountered and how they benefited from their “spreadsheets algebra” learning experience. Data were collected through classroom observations where field notes were recorded and an observation schedule was used by the researcher and the Assistant Observer respectively. A questionnaire was also administered to all learner participants after the whole teaching period. Six learners, representative of high, medium and low performances in class, were also interviewed with a goal of finding out their experiences. The Assistant Observer was also interviewed to reduce the bias that may result from to the researcher studying her own practice The study found that learners experiences with learning algebra through spreadsheets, comprised of both challenges and benefits. The challenges encountered by learners could be classified into those that were school-based and those that were instruction-based. The school-based challenges related to inadequate physical structures and lack of well-functioning equipment in the computer laboratories. Instruction-based challenges encountered by learners were both technical and personal. Technical challenges related to the physical manipulation of the artifact and the lack of understanding of concepts involved, where the spreadsheets meet the algebra. Personal challenges related to learners’ attitude and behavior towards use of spreadsheets for algebra teaching and learning. While school authorities could address some of the challenges, it was found that both the teacher and learners could initiate strategies that could be used to overcome the instruction-based challenges. Teaching strategies such as “technical-demo”, “explain-the-screen”, “discuss-the–screen”, “link-screen-board” and “spot-and-show” (building on learners’ responses), and the general organization of classroom environment were helpful in orchestrating algebra learning within the spreadsheets. It was also found that use of spreadsheets had both cognitive and affective values for the learners. Even though use of spreadsheets may benefit both teachers and learners in algebra teaching and learning, implementation of the practice would require critical considerations in terms of teacher preparation and infra-structural improvements in the schools.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die onderrig en leer van algebra in die middelbare skoolgrade in Lesotho word oorheers deur die meganiese benadering waarvolgens leerders gedril word in prosedures om oplossings vir sekere tipe algebraprobleme te vind en die ervaring wat leerders in rekenkunde opgedoen het, nie daarmee in verband gebring word nie. Dit is een van die oorsake waarom leerders met wiskunde sukkel. Navorsing toon dat die gebruik van sigblaaie soos Excel moontlik die gaping tussen rekenkunde en algebra kan oorbrug, en dat die onderrig en leer van algebra daardeur kan verbeter, wat dit sinvol vir leerders sal maak. Die studie was daarop gemik om ’n antwoord op die volgende vraag te vind: Hoe ervaar graad 9-leerders in Lesotho die onderrig en leer van algebra deur middel van Excel-sigblaaie? Die navorsing het met ’n literatuuroorsig begin en is deur ’n empiriese studie opgevolg. Die teorieë instrumentele genese en instrumentele orkestrasie is uitgewys as die raamwerk vir die ondersoek. Instrumentele genese is die proses waarvolgens leerders bedrewenheid in die produk ontwikkel namate hulle dit gebruik om lesdoelstellings te bereik; tegniese (konseptuele, meganiese) en persoonlike (ingesteldheid, gedrag en voorkeurleerstyle) aspekte van leerders se ervarings is geïdentifiseer. Instrumentele orkestrasie is die stuur van leerders se instrumentele genese deur die onderwyser; en die wyse waarop hierdie proses uitgevoer word, hang van die onderwyser se Tegnologiese Pedagogiese Inhoudskennis (TPCK) af. Die navorsing het ’n meervoudige gevallestudie gebruik en ’n gemengde metodebenadering is gevolg, terwyl beide kwalitatiewe en kwantitatiewe metodes gebruik is. Die empiriese studie is in twee skole in Lesotho uitgevoer. Vyftien leerlinge uit elke skool het vrywillig deelgeneem. Die ondersoek is by wyse van klaskameronderrig deur my as die navorser gedoen. Daar is gefokus op die uitdagings wat leerders teëgekom het en hoe hulle by die “sigbladalgebra”-leerervaring gebaat het. Data is aan die hand van klaskamerwaarnemings versamel, waar veldnotas afgeneem is en ’n waarnemingskedule onderskeidelik deur die navorser en die assistentwaarnemer gebruik is. ’n Vraelys is na die volle onderrigtydperk by al die leerderdeelnemers afgeneem. Onderhoude is gevoer met ses leerders, wat hoë, medium en lae prestasies in die klaskamer verteenwoordig, met die doel om hulle ervarings te bekom. ’n Onderhoud is ook met die Assistentwaarnemer gevoer om vooroordeel, deurdat die navorser moontlik haar eie praktyk kon bestudeer, te verminder. Die studie het bevind dat leerders se ervarings met die leer van algebra deur middel van sigblaaie uitdagings sowel as voordele inhou. Die uitdagings wat leerders teëgekom het, kan onderskeidelik as skoolgebaseerde uitdagings en onderrig-gebaseerde uitdagings geklassifiseer word. Die skoolgebaseerde uitdagings hou verband met onvoldoende fisiese strukture en ’n gebrek aan behoorlik funksionerende toerusting in die rekenaarlaboratoriums. Die onderrig-gebaseerde uitdagings vir leerders is beide tegnies en persoonlik. Tegniese uitdagings hou verband met die fisiese manipulering van die produk en ’n gebrek aan begrip ten opsigte van die betrokke konsepte, naamlik waar die verband tussen die sigblaaie en algebra bestaan. Persoonlike uitdagings hou verband met leerders se ingesteldheid en gedrag rakende die gebruik van sigblaaie by die onderrig en leer van algebra. Alhoewel die skoolowerhede bepaalde uitdagings kan aanspreek, is daar bevind dat onderwysers sowel as leerders strategieë kan aanvoor om onderrig-gebaseerde uitdagings te oorkom. Onderrigstrategieë soos “tegniese demo”, “verduidelik die skerm”, “bespreek die skerm”, “koppel-skerm-bord” en “vind-en-wys” (wat op leerders se reaksie voortbou), asook die algemene organisasie van die klaskameromgewing, dra tot die orkestrasie van algebraonderrig met die sigblaaie by. Daar is ook bevind dat die gebruik van sigblaaie kognitiewe sowel as affektiewe waarde vir die leerders inhou. Selfs al sou onderwysers en leerders voordeel uit die gebruik van sigblaaie in die onderrig en leer van algebra kon trek, sou die implementering van die praktyk kritiese oorwegings moet geniet ten opsigte van onderwyservoorbereiding en infrastruktuurverbetering by die skole.

There is little research investigating factors that facilitate or inhibit timely access to palliative care medicines from community pharmacies. Though palliative care is recognised within the UK government’s strategy and community pharmacists are considered to have a role it is uncertain to what extent this aim is incorporated into local practice. This thesis uses mixed methods to investigate the time taken to access palliative care medication from five community pharmacies in one area of England. The effect of prescription errors, stock availability and other factors is examined. Furthermore, semi-structured interviews with five community pharmacists and eleven other healthcare professionals explore medication access and the community pharmacist’s role in palliative care using the Framework method. Stock availability led to delays with one in five customers going to more than one pharmacy to get urgently required palliative care medications. Legal prescription errors were more common on computer generated prescriptions but did not lead to delays. Three subthemes were identified in accessing palliative care medicines: environment and resources; communication and collaboration; skills and knowledge. The community pharmacist’s role in palliative care was limited due to reluctance from other healthcare professionals to share information, poor access to patient records and lack of integration into the primary healthcare team. This study highlights implications for professionals, commissioners and providers to improve services for those trying to access palliative medication. Community pharmacies remain a largely untapped resource for supporting patients, relatives and carers towards the end of life in both cancer and other advanced life-limiting diseases.

This paper draws on theories of gendered organizations to examine discrimination against people with disabilities in the workplace. A sample of 200 cases which document disability discrimination lawsuits was drawn from the Westlaw legal database. Each case was coded for gender, job, disability and discrimination type and analyzed using multinomial logistic models. Of those 200 cases, 34 were selected for in depth qualitative analysis. This study finds that disability type and gender do have an influence on the type of discrimination someone is likely to experience. In addition, the qualitative analysis finds that the social processes of discrimination differ based on job type and gender pointing to intersections of disability and class as well as gender and disability.
Master of Science

Purpose. The purpose of this sequential, mixed-methods exploratory case study of early childhood professionals was threefold. First, determine if a relationship exists between a learner’s readiness toward directed (DL) and self-directed learning (SDL) style and the perception of their inclination toward directed or self-directed learning, when given a choice of the two. Second, examine how self-selection of DL or SDL relates to learning achievement. Third, detect motivation of individual’s selection in directed or self-directed learning.

Methodology. Quantitative methods in the form of survey assessment were employed to determine 52 participants’ perceived inclination for SDL compared to their diagnosed readiness for SDL using the Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale (SDLRS). A pretest/posttest assessment determined achievement of skill in identifying content presented in training. Qualitative data were gathered through semistructured interviews of 24 participants representing all directed and a purposeful sample of self-directed learners.

Findings. Quantitative data showed that most participants could positively identify if they were ready for SDL, when looking at the readiness level for SDLRS. However, there was no significant relationship between their readiness for SDL and content growth of the training material. Content growth was measured using pretests/posttests. Qualitative data showed that those choosing SDL were motivated by convenience, desire for schedule autonomy, and confidence in ability to complete training independently.

Conclusions. The study data support the conclusion that adult learners are capable of identifying their readiness for SDL. SDL can be situational, and perceived barriers will motivate choosing DL versus SDL when given a choice. When barriers are mitigated, directed learners’ behavior may change and parallel self-directed learner behavior.

Recommendations. Further research is advised: (a) in applying quantitative survey to larger populations to determine more confidently the relationship between SDL and training growth; (b) in applying the research study to a more demographic diverse population that is better representative of the population; (c) applying the research study in various situations, as SDL is situational; (d) in seeking qualitative data from all participants including those not completing the study to discover the motivation and barriers to continue or withdraw from the learning experience.

Transport systems are essential to trade, globalisation, communication and other forms of interaction between people and societies (Banister, 2013). Yet they can also have negative impacts including decreased quality of life or health impacts arising from pollutants, environmental damage including climate change and a range of wider socio-economic effects (Glanz et al., 1990). Given that most car journeys are short however (57% of UK trips are under five miles), there is particular potential for active travel (i.e. walking and cycling) to both reduce the environmental externalities of modern transport systems and stimulate improved quality of life and societal wellbeing (Banister, 2013; Martin et al., 2014). Unfortunately, there is a paucity of robust evidence that examines how infrastructural interventions (i.e. those aimed at making the physical environment more conducive to active travel) actually impact on active travel levels in specific communities. In addition, there is very limited evidence of the wider effects that such interventions have on wellbeing and levels of happiness overtime. This thesis details mixed-method research undertaken in Cardiff, UK, during 2011/2012, which examined the impacts of a new piece of infrastructure - the Pont-y-Werin walking and cycling bridge - on the local community's levels of active travel and subjective wellbeing. It provides insights into the nature of constraints preventing travel behaviour change from taking place, and - through the use of the novel, 'Day Reconstruction Method' - into the consequences that different modes of travel can have for travel and wellbeing, including on moment-to-moment moods and emotions. Overall by contextualising and measuring and evaluating wellbeing, the research suggests that people experience less pleasant emotions during travel than when undertaking everyday activities, and also that for certain modes there is a decrease in happiness before and after travel compared to everyday activities. Additionally greater monitoring, evaluation and promotion of combined hard and soft measures - focusing on travel behaviour change - is needed alongside providing travellers with accessible information on the wellbeing impacts of different modes (Elvik, 2009).

194 pages
In an extension of educational attainment research, this exploratory mixed- methods case study examines the influence of institutional policies on the behavior of five cohorts (n=925) of traditional first time, full time (FTFT) freshmen – called “Last Mile” students – at one urban research university located in the Pacific Northwest. Last Milers are defined as FTFT students who persist to the fifth year of enrollment but do not graduate by the end of their sixth year; the cut point for federal graduation rates. Punctuated Equilibrium Theory (PET) was chosen as the theoretical framework for this study as the case subject is undergoing a period of internal change brought on by external forces beyond its control. In a classic PET response, the university has overcome its institutional inertia and is working to improve an area of perceived weakness – graduation rates – before resetting itself. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected for this study. Extant student and institutional characteristic data were provided by the case subject. Additional data were collected from Last Mile students via a researcher created online survey. This study supports four findings: 1) Formative interviews, contextual institutional data and student success expenditures data affirm the use of PET as the study’s theoretical framework; 2) Student survey data confirm that most of PSU’s planned interventions are supported and likely to yield the desired results of improved graduation rates, over time; 3) Difficulty obtaining complete student data supports the need for a more systematic approach to centralized data collection, particularly as PSU begins a transition to strategic enrollment management; and 4) As PSU enters the era of managing to metrics, it would be wise to consider the cautionary principle of PET; that organizations treat the time following a change as a trial rather than a reset period. While a trial-period does not guarantee the success of the organizational change, it does provide the necessary conditions for an organization to enact change when it is in the midst of punctuation. These findings have practical application to internal PSU policy and may have theoretical implications for college graduation rate research as well.
Committee in charge: Kathleen Scalise, Chairperson; David Conley, Member; Keith Zvoch, Member; Patricia Gwartney, Member

This mixed methods case study examined the effect of reduced fear of negative evaluation and self focus on behaviors related to shyness in a church environment. A sample of 239 members, regular attenders, and visitors completed a survey, consisting of the Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation-Straightforward (BFNE-S) Scale; two checklists measuring perceived acceptance and levels of comfort in situations known to be difficult for shy people; and extended response questions regarding thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in six church situations. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed the BFNE-S (General and Context-specific) had acceptable fit compared with previous studies, and descriptive statistics were similar to those of previous studies. Lower self-reported levels of fear of negative evaluation and higher levels of perceived comfort, but not acceptance, in the church setting were found to be statistically significant, although the effect size was negligible. A repeated measures ANOVA revealed no statistically significant difference for gender or race for individuals in the church setting compared to the non church setting. A multiple regression failed to reveal a statistically significant relationship between depth and breadth of involvement in church activities and reduced fear of negative evaluation. The Clark-Wells (1995) model of social phobia explained 62% of self-reported behaviors, thoughts, and feelings of individuals with high levels of shyness when in social situations in the church setting. A statistically significant difference was found between focus of attention and quality of thought scores for individuals with minimal to low levels of shyness and high levels of shyness. To explore further the validity of scores obtained with the BFNE-S, it would be useful to conduct a study in different environments and seek to understand individuals in those environments with high and low fear of negative evaluation. Future research regarding the church setting should utilize a sample with fewer long-term members and regular attenders. Additionally, future studies could probe how religious beliefs help people cope with difficult situations, in particular shyness.

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) call upon K-12 science teachers to provide authentic science and engineering practices which deepen understanding of core ideas and crosscutting concepts (NGSS Lead States, 2013). Probeware technology provides exposure to these scientific practices; however, there is a disconnect between the frequency of teacher probeware use and these current mandates. Additional research is needed to study how probeware is used to improve learning outcomes.

This descriptive mixed method case study focused on the pedagogical practices of middle school science teachers in one department, identified conditions of deep learning in probeware lessons and examined whether probeware creates a learning advantage on a state science assessment. The qualitative findings of this case study indicate that probeware provides an affordance over traditional lab equipment and allows more time for deep learning as shown in the artifacts of instruction and teacher narrative. Quantitative methods were used to compare student performance scores on the 2016 8^th Grade Science Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA): this metric allowed for the comparison in performance between students of the participating teachers who use probeware (n = 349) and students in the same district who do not use probeware (n = 332). An attempt was made to control socioeconomic and demographic variables to make a valid comparison between students exposed to the same curriculum from two middle schools within the same district. The employed methodology was the first of its kind to correlate student use of probeware technology to performance on specific sections of a state-wide science assessment.

This study found that students who use probeware had slightly higher mean scores in the Nature of Science reporting category and its three sub-sections; however, statistical differences were revealed in only one sub-section: Reasoning & Analysis. This is the section where students are required to explain, interpret and apply knowledge presented in graphical form. These findings are relevant because they suggest that the use of probeware provided a learning advantage on questions requiring an understanding of graphs. Statistical differences in mean scores were also noted in the Physical Science and Biology reporting categories, while no statistical differences were recorded in the Earth & Space reporting category.

The results of this case study benefit science teachers, science supervisors, curriculum developers, and researchers who are tasked with aligning curricula to the NGSS. The correlation between the use of probeware and higher student performance scores supports the inclusion of this technology in elementary and secondary science.

The purpose of this exploratory sequential mixed methods study was to explore organizational contextual factors important to successful interprofessional collaboration (IPC) among primary care teams. In Phase 1, a single embedded case study design was utilized to understand how primary care teams describe IPC, the organizational contextual factors identified as most important to successful IPC, and differences in context between teams. In Phase 2, a quantitative survey was administered to primary care team members at 10 organizations to objectively measure the relationship between contextual factors identified in Phase 1 and IPC. In Phase 1, primary care team members generally described IPC positively with notable challenges to consistently collaborating as a team. Teams varied in terms of their team structure, physical layout of the practice, and organizational hierarchy of the practice. Organizational contextual factors that were deemed most important included team structure and resources, including staff, time, and communication tools; supportive, patient-centered culture, including team member support and expectations for IPC as the way to provide the best care to patients; leadership, including organizational leadership support and provider leadership; and organizational structure and resources, including status as a federally qualified health center (FQHC) and academic facility. In Phase 2, a strong, positive relationship was found between IPC and team member support and provider leadership. A moderate, positive relationship was found between IPC and team resources, clan culture, and perceived organizational support. A weak, positive relationship was found between IPC and patient-centered values. No statistically significant relationship was found between IPC and status as a FQHC or presence of a physician residency program. The findings support the importance of organizational context for IPC and suggest that organizational culture and leadership hold particular importance for IPC success.

Background: Nurse practitioners are increasingly conducting consultations with patients on the same basis as medical doctors. However little is known about communication within nurse practitioner consultations. Research on communication in nurse practitioner consultations has identified nurse practitioners communicate with patients in a hybrid style, combining biomedical information with the discussion of subjective information from everyday life. Research has not fully explained why this hybrid style occurs in nurse practitioner consultations, nor determined its links to consultation duration, patient expectations, satisfaction, and enablement. This study was developed to address these gaps in research of communication in nurse practitioner consultations. Aim: This study aims to advance understanding of the discrete nature of the communication processes and social interactions occurring in the nurse practitioner consultation, including explicating the reasons for the occurrence of the particular communication processes and interaction styles observed in those consultations. Methods: The study was conducted in a nurse-led primary care clinic providing general practice care. Within a case study research approach mixed methods were utilised, combining structured analysis of video recorded observations of nurse practitioner consultations, questionnaire-based measures of patient expectations, satisfaction, and enablement, and interviews with some of the participants of the consultations. The sample for video recording comprised three nurse practitioners employed at the clinic, and 30 patients registered at the clinic. Questionnaire responses were provided by 71 patients, including 26 whose consultations had been video recorded. All three nurse practitioners participated in post-consultation individual interviews, and 11 patient / carers participated in post-consultation individual interviews. The video recorded consultations were analysed with the Roter Interaction Analysis System (RIAS), a method of quantified interactions frequency analysis. The questionnaire responses were analysed with descriptive statistics. Transcripts of the interviews were analysed using computerised qualitative data analysis with NVivo. Findings: A significant majority of observed social interaction in the consultations used patient-centred communication styles (p=0.005), with neither nurse practitioners nor patients or carers being significantly more verbally dominant. Nurse ii practitioners guided the sequence of consultation interaction phases, but patients and carers participated through asking questions and involvement in negotiations for care planning. Patient / carers were highly satisfied with their consultations, and significantly higher general satisfaction was noted when participants expected the nurse practitioners to be able to diagnose their presenting problem (p=0.043). Patient / carers expressed significantly higher levels of enablement than have been seen in previous studies of enablement with other types of clinicians (p=0.003). The mean consultation time length of 10.97 minutes is comparable with studies of general practitioners. The participants’ perceptions of nurse practitioner consultation communication processes and social interactions were represented through six themes; Consulting style of nurse practitioners; Nurse practitioner – GP comparisons; Lifeworld content or lifeworld style issues; Nurse practitioner role ambiguity; Creating the impression of time; and Expectations for safety netting. Contribution to knowledge: This study reveals nurse practitioner consultations comprise collaborative openness to peoples’ agendas and questions, expressions of everyday lifeworld experiences, expanded impressions of time, clear explanations augmented by integrated clinical reasoning, and participatory negotiations. These communicative features arise from a combination of social, ideological, and epistemological factors, prompting nurse practitioners to privilege how they interact with patients and carers, and to adopt a hybrid patient-centred style combining the nursing ideology of holism and their knowledge of biomedicine. This form of communication has been characterised as a stylistic exemplar for good consultation communication practice, which potentially facilitates shared decision-making. This research has resulted in new knowledge of the communication processes and social interactions used in nurse practitioner consultations, which demonstrates the importance of clinicians giving precedence to how they communicate and interact with patients so as to optimise their therapeutic outcomes without compromising the duration of consultations.

This mixed-methods single case study explored how outcome-based instructional design can be used to incorporate social software into an existing e-learning course. Pre-service teachers enrolled in a teacher education program at a Canadian university volunteered to participate in a study where social software was incorporated into a foundations course to facilitate digital literacy development, social objects production, and reflection on how these experiences connect to future teaching practice. The instructional design process was guided by a conceptual framework and informed by W(e)Learn, a well-tested e-learning design and evaluation framework. The quantitative and qualitative data were collected from the instructional designer’s journal, participant surveys, course records and interviews. Findings provided a comprehensive view of the effectiveness of outcome-based instructional design. In general, participants achieved the expected learning outcomes for this study. There were also unexpected outcomes. For example, some learners created a virtual community of practice. Some learners had an influence on their in-service teacher’s use of social software in teaching and learning. The findings supported the literature that states an outcome-based instructional design approach can facilitate learning. The findings also revealed why participants used social software in their teaching (e.g. awareness, usefulness, and school environment). In addition, these findings can inform school board policy with regard to supporting the use of social software in teaching and learning. The integration of qualitative and quantitative findings revealed convergence and divergence between the two types of data. In addition the findings informed directions for further research, including the relationship between learners’ satisfaction and learning experiences as well as the achievement of learning outcomes. The corroboration of data also identified specific effective and iii imperfect areas of the instructional design strategies, which, in turn, informed the revision of the conceptual framework for outcome-based instructional design. This study found W(e)learn to be effective in guiding outcome-based instructional design and analyzing the achievement of expected learning outcomes. The study also contributes to theory by recommending the inclusion of two new elements into W(e)learn. Painstakingly recording the instructional design process in a journal resulted in documented practical information and lessons learned that may guide and benefit instructional designers and educators who want to incorporate software into their learning activities.

This doctoral thesis presents the findings of a mixed methods case study of Learning Skills, a new approach to Learning to Learn that was developed and implemented at a secondary school in the south of England between 2010 and 2014, and evaluated using data collected between 2009 and 2017. Learning to Learn is a field of educational theory and practice that aims to help young people get better at learning by focusing on the processes of learning (the how as well as the what), and by enabling them to take ownership over aspects of their own learning through activities such as goal setting, self-monitoring and structured reflection. The field has developed significantly throughout the last 40 years, with a number of approaches having been implemented on a large scale in the UK. Research into metacognition and self-regulation suggests that Learning to Learn programmes should help boost academic attainment. To date however, large-scale evaluations have found mixed results, with no clear impact on academic attainment. Using an intervention design used widely in medicine and other fields, Learning Skills reconceptualises Learning to Learn as a 'complex intervention' comprised of multiple areas of evidence-informed practice. The rationale for complex interventions is that the marginal gains emerging from any individual avenue of practice stack up and interact to yield a larger effect size overall. The Learning Skills programme, which started as a year seven taught course and developed into a whole-school approach to teaching and learning, focuses centrally on three key concepts: metacognition, self-regulation and oracy. This evaluation of Learning Skills incorporates eight strands of data collection and analysis over an eight-year period, using the previous year group at the same school as a control group. These include baseline measures; attitude to learning scores; psychometric questionnaires; a language of learning evaluation; reflective learning journals; student interviews; teacher interviews; and student attainment across all subjects in years nine and 11. The primary outcome analysis - student attainment across all subject areas at three and five years - found that Learning Skills cohort one achieved significantly higher grades than the control cohort, with accelerated gains among young people from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Secondary data analysis incorporating a range of qualitative and quantitative methods indicates a causal relationship between Learning Skills and academic attainment. As well as evaluating the impact of a new and promising approach to Learning to Learn, this study generates new knowledge about the implementation and evaluation of complex interventions in education.

Makerspaces are a popular, new concept being implemented in public, academic, and school libraries, and as stand-alone spaces. The literature reflects the newness of the topic with a limited number of articles and studies and even less about the users of makerspaces themselves. This study explored information sharing behaviors in the Dallas Makerspace as an informal learning environment and described their preferred method of information transfer from one member to another. It employed a mixed methods methodology using surveys, interviews and observations. The study identified how the rules and policies in place at the makerspace influence the information seeking process and how the Dallas Makerspace exchanges information effectively. Dallas Makerspace is one of the largest non-profit work groups in its size, and this research study answers how information is exchanged in an informal environment.