Tesis sobre el tema "Mixad metod"

Bakgrund: Att bedriva hemsjukvård med hög kontinuitet har i tidigare studier visat sig medföra positiva effekter för vårdens kvalité. I lagen står det skrivet att patientens behov av kontinuitet ska tillgodoses, trots detta vittnar media fortfarande om brister kopplade till kontinuitet. Syfte: Att belysa kontinuitet från flera perspektiv utifrån ett patientfall i hemsjukvården. Metod: Mixad metod med kvantitativa och kvalitativa delar. Den kvantitativa delen beräknar kontinuiteten utifrån två formler och redovisas med deskriptiv statistik. Den kvalitativa delen består av kvalitativa innehållsanalyser av omvårdnadspersonalens dagliga noteringar samt en anhörig intervju. Resultat: Resultatet visade ett varierande värde på HHI och CoC index, Innehållsanalyserna resulterade i flera underkategorier och huvudkategorier. Syntesen kombinerar kvantitativa och kvalitativa för att få fram hur HHI och CoC förhåller sig till upplevelserna från patient och anhörig. Diskussion: Det finns styrkor och svagheter med respektive formel. Anteckningsboken ger en inblick i kommunikationen mellan vård- och omsorgspersonal. Intervjun av anhörig belyser vikten av kontinuitet från ett anhörigperspektiv. Slutsats: Studien visar hur kontinuitet kan belysas med både kvantitativa och kvalitativa implikationer. Vården kan dra nytta av att utveckla sätt för att bättre kunna belysa kontinuitet från både kvantitativa och kvalitativa data.<br>Background: Conducting home care with high continuity has in previous studies been shown to have positive effects on care. The law states that the patient's need for continuity must be met, despite this, the media still testify to shortcomings linked to continuity. Aim: To shed light on continuity from multiple perspectives from a patient case in home care. Method: Mixed method with quantitative and qualitative parts. The quantitative part calculates the continuity based on two formulas and is reported with descriptive statistics. The qualitative part contains two content analyzes, one of which is on the notebook from the patient's home and one is on an interview with a relative. Results: The results showed a varying value of HHI and CoC index, The content analysis resulted in several subcategories and main categories. The synthesis combines quantitative and qualitative to bring out how HHI and CoC relate to the experiences from patient and relative. Discussion: There are strengths and weaknesses with each formula. The notebook provides an insight into the communication between care and nursing staff. The interview of a relative highlights the importance of continuity from a relative perspective. Conclusion: The study shows how continuity can be elucidated with both quantitative and qualitative implications. Healthcare can benefit from developing ways to better illuminate continuity from both quantitative and qualitative data.

Syftet med studien var att beskriva och syntetisera erfarenheter och effekten av olika interventioner för vuxna personer med sömnsvårigheter. Metoden som användes var en litteraturöversikt, genom en mixad metod av kvalitativ innehållsanalys och narrativ sammanställning av kvantitativ data. Litteratursökning genomfördes i fyra databaser, varav 12 studier identifierades motsvara studiens syfte för inkludering. Åtta RCT-studier och fyra studier med kvalitativ metod. Sju interventioner framkom för förbättrad sömnsvårighet vid insomni. Sex av interventionerna har visat ge signifikanta positiva effekter för förbättring vid sömnsvårigheter; Digital eller internetbaserad kognitiv beteendeterapi, Sömnrestriktion, Individanpassad Homeopathy, Sömnhygien, Dreampillow och IRest meditation. Positiva erfarenheter från deltagare med sömnsvårigheter och behandlare kunde kopplas till intervention Sömnrestriktion. Intervention Digital eller Internetbaserad Kognitiv Beteendeterapi var den intervention som föredrogs av vuxna med sömnsvårigheter. Utöver de sömninterventioner som arbetsterapeuter utför kan arbetsterapeuters kompetens gällande att öka aktivitetsbalans bidra till att stötta patienter att fullfölja sömninterventioner. Utifrån resultatet dras följande slutsats att multiprofessionella team bör utformas inom vården för att ta tillvara på professioners olika kompetenser kring sömninterventioner för att genom ett personcentrerat arbetssätt kunna erbjuda bästa möjliga behandling för personer med sömnsvårigheter. Denna litteraturöversikt bidrar till inspiration för vidare förbättringsarbeten för sjukvården för att främja hälsa i samhället genom att behandla sömnsvårigheter.<br>The purpose of the study was to describe and synthesize experiences and the effect of different interventions for adults with sleep difficulties. The method used was a literature review, through a mixed method of qualitative content analysis and narrative summery of quantitative data. Literature search was performed in four databases, of which 12 articles were identified corresponding to the study's purpose for inclusion. Eight RCT-studies and four studies with a qualitative method. Seven interventions emerged for improved sleep difficulties with insomnia. Six of the interventions have been shown to have significant positive effects for improving sleep difficulties; Digital or internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy, Sleep restriction, Individualized Homeopathy, Sleep hygiene, Dreampillow and IRest meditation. Positive experiences from participants with sleep difficulties and therapists could be linked to intervention Sleep restriction. Intervention Digital or Internet-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy was the intervention preferred by adults with sleep disorders. In addition to the sleep interventions performed by occupational therapists, occupational therapists' competence in increasing the activity balance can contribute to supporting patients to complete sleep interventions. Based on the results, the following conclusion is drawn that Multiprofessional teams should be designed in healthcare to take advantage of professionals' different competencies regarding sleep interventions in order to be able to offer the best possible treatment for people with sleep difficulties through a person-centered approach. This literature review contributes to inspiration for further improvement work for healthcare to promote health in society by treating sleep difficulties.

Problemformulering: Studier har visat att frivilliga inhyrda tenderar vara mer nöjda med aspekter som arbetstillfredsställelse och stöd från arbetsgivare, medan ofrivilliga är mer otrygga i sin rörliga arbetssituation och är mer benägna att sluta. Detta är en fråga om arbetstillfredsställelse, som är avgörande för vår hälsa. Ett problem när vi vill undersöka frivillighet i valet av en anställning som inhyrd är att många studier om detta är gamla eller internationella och gjorda i länder med annan reglering för bemanning än vi har i Sverige. Det innebär att många enkäter och frågeställningar är utformade på ett sätt som inte säkert fungerar optimalt i en svensk kontext, vilket kan innebära en avsaknad av skalor som kan mäta frivillighet anpassat till bemanning i Sverige. Syftet är att utveckla, reliabilitetstesta och preliminärt validera en skala passande i en svensk kontext, som kan mäta graden av frivillighet i en anställning som inhyrd via bemanningsföretag. Som metod användes en mixad metod, med fem kvalitativa kognitiva intervjuer som hjälp för att utforma skalan, som sedan skickas ut som webbenkät till 77 bemanningsanställda, vilket genererade i 26 kvantitativa svar. Dessa låg sedan till grund för tester av skalans reliabilitet och validitet. Resultat: Skalan i sin helhet hade otillräcklig reliabilitet och delades upp i två subskalor. En med items relaterade till frivillighet och en till ofrivillighet, vilket gav acceptabel reliabilitet till skalorna. Korrelationerna mellan de båda skalorna och indexet för arbetstillfredsställelse, visade sig dock vara mycket svaga, något som kan vara en konsekvens av ett mycket litet sampel. Slutsats: Trots acceptabel reliabilitet hos skalorna, visar sig validiteten vara övergripande svag. Skalan för frivillighet visar ett svagt positivt samband mellan arbetstillfredsställelse och frivillighet som ligger i linje med i flera tidigare studier. Skalan för ofrivillighet visar däremot närmast obefintligt samband med arbetstillfredsställelse.<br>Studies has shown differences between voluntary and involuntary agency workers perceived employment security and satisfaction in their flexible work situation. This is a matter of job satisfaction, that is crucial to our health. A problem when wanting to investigate voluntariness of agency workers is that many previous studies are old or international, and as the staffing regulation may differ in different countries, this has led to a lack of surveys that measure voluntariness in adaptation to a Swedish context. The aim of this study was to develop, test reliability and preliminary validate a scale that measure voluntariness of agency workers in staffing companies, suitable in Sweden. A mixed method was used; five qualitative cognitive interviews helped design the scale, that later was sent out as a web survey. The responses underwent reliability and validity tests, which revealed that the scale had poor reliability. The scale was therefore divided into two subscales, one related to voluntariness and the other to involuntariness, which gave acceptable reliability to the scales. However, despite the approved reliability, the validity proved to be overall weak. The voluntary scale however, showed a small positive relationship between job satisfaction and voluntariness, which is in line with previous studies.

Syfte: Att testa den patientenkät som används i utvärdering av en leversjuksköterskemottagning på patienter med dekompenserad levercirros för att undersöka upplevelsen av att besvara frågorna samt frågornas relevans till patientens situation. Metod: Pilotstudiens metod var mixad. Resultat: Spridningen av deltagarnas upplevelse av oro/obehag av enkäten var stor (VAS 6-100 millimeter). Vid få sjukdomssymtom väcktes oro om framtida sjukdomsutveckling men vid längre tids sjukdom kändes samtliga symtom igen, tankar om tidigare beteende uppstod vid alkoholsorsakad sjukdom. En mindre spridning (VAS 66-92 millimeter) sågs gällande hur viktiga/väsentliga frågorna upplevdes. Frågor om bemötande ansågs viktiga och påverkade upplevelsen av rätten till vård. Kompletterande frågor om individuellt anpassad information samt upplevelsen av delaktighet vid information efterfrågades. Deltagarna visade hög uppskattning (VAS 73-95 millimeter) till att sjukdomen/situation uppmärksammades genom enkäten. Besöken till sjuksköterskan skiljde sig från läkarbesök. Sjuksköterskan fokuserade på egenvård och mer tid fanns för information. För en informant innebar försöksverksamheten ökade antal sjukhusbesök, samordning innebar för- och nackdelar. Vid symtom på fatigue och nedsatt koncentrationsförmåga upplevdes enkäten lång, tvådelad enkät efterfrågades. Vid lindrig sjukdom upplevdes enkäten inte ansträngande. Språket var enkelt att förstå och innehållet upplevdes relevant. De öppna frågeställningarna tillförde inte något för de tre informanterna.<br>Purpose: To test the patient questionnaire used in the evaluation of an intervention with nurse-led clinic for patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis to examine the experience of answering the questions as well as their relevance to the patient's situation. Method: The pilot study was conducted with a mixed method. Results: The variation of the participants' experience of anxiety/discomfort of the questionnaire was large (VAS 6-100 millimeters). Individuals with few disease symptoms had concerns about future development of the disease, in the case of long disease experience all the symptoms was familiar. Following alcohol induced disease thoughts of past behavior occurred. A smaller variation (VAS 66-92 millimeters) was seen regarding the experience of how important/essential the questions felt. Questions about treatment were considered important and affected the perception of care. Questions about individualized information was requested as well as the experience of participation in the exchange of information. The participants showed a high appreciation (VAS 73-95 millimeters) that the disease/situation was highlighted by the survey. The visits to the nurse differed from appointments to physicians. The nurse focused on self-care and more time was available for information. For one informant the intervention increased the total number of hospital visits, coordination meant advantages and disadvantages. Symptoms of fatigue and impaired concentration made the questionnaire experienced as too long, a two-parted questionnaire was requested, the size was not strain in mild disease. The language was easy to understand and the content perceived relevant. The open issues brought nothing for the three informants.

Bakgrund: Arbetsmiljölagen säger att man skall sträva efter en arbetsmiljö som ger ett rikt arbetsinnehåll, arbetstillfredsställelse, gemenskap och personlig utveckling. Forskningen har visat att missnöje med den fysiska eller psykosociala arbetsmiljön ofta ger negativa effekter för verksamheten. Syfte: Att belysa sjuksköterskors psykosociala arbetsmiljö och arbetstillfredsställelse inom psykiatrisk slutenvård. Metod: Mixad metod i sekventiell förklarande design. Kvantitativ ansats baserad på data från frågeformuläret QPS Nordic 34+ (n=19) analyserad med beskrivande statistik. Kvalitativ ansats baserad på semistrukturerade intervjuer (n=5) analyserad med kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Deltagarna var sjuksköterskor vid två allmänpsykiatriska slutenvårdsavdelningar för vuxna vid en klinik i norra Sverige. Resultat: Det kvantitativa resultatet visar att de tillfrågande sjuksköterskorna på flera punkter är tillfredsställda den psykosociala arbetsmiljön. En stor del uppskattar att ingå i arbetsgruppen, att det är en väl fungerande grupp med ett positivt och stödjande klimat på arbetsplatsen. De ser positivt på sin närmaste chef, att man av denna person får stöd och hjälp, samt uppmuntras delta i viktiga beslut. Däremot upplever ett flertal att ledningen i liten utsträckning intresserar sig för personalens hälsa och välbefinnande och att det är vanligt att det går rykten om förändringar på arbetsplatsen. Det kvalitativa resultatet visar att gemenskapen och interaktionen med andra människor är viktig för sjuksköterskornas upplevelse av arbetstillfredsställelse, men även att känna att man växer och utvecklas i sin yrkesroll. För att nå detta efterfrågar sjuksköterskorna ett ökat inflytande och en individuell planering för kompetensutveckling. Diskussion: Studien kan förhoppningsvis bidra till att sjuksköterskors arbetssituation i den psykiatriska slutenvården förbättras. På sikt kan detta bli en investering för sjuksköterskor och patienter, men även för organisationen och samhället i stort.

Depression är ett utbrett hälsoproblem som internetbaserad kognitiv beteendeterapi har visats vara en effektiv behandlingsmetod för. Hur prospektivt minne, alltså att minnas att utföra en tidigare utformad intention någon gång i framtiden, används i relation till behandling har dock inte berörts i tidigare forskning. Studiens syfte var att undersöka användandet av prospektivt minne efter psykologisk behandling samt att utveckla ett formulär som mäter behandlingsrelaterat prospektivt minne. Vi använde en mixad metod-design, med en kvantitativ delstudie samt en kvalitativ delstudie. Vi fann ett negativt samband mellan skattningar av behandlingsrelaterat prospektivt minne och BDI-II (r=-.29; p=.016). Vi fann även en positiv korrelation mellan förändring av skattning på BDI-II över tid och skattningar av behandlingsrelaterat prospektivt minne (r=.29; p=.013). Formuläret som togs fram i denna studie består av femton item. I den kvalitativa delstudien genomfördes en tematisk analys som resulterade i fyra teman: Påfrestningar påminner, Lättare när man mår bra, Automatiserad användning samt Tillbakablickande. Resultaten i denna studie påvisar en koppling mellan mående och användandet av prospektivt minne för behandlingsinnehåll samt att det finns en stor variation i hur olika personer använder prospektivt minne för behandlingsinnehåll. Studien har bidragit med en inledande förståelse för behandlingsrelaterat prospektivt minne samt implikationer för framtida forskning.

Bakgrund: Att hänvisa patienter till adekvat vårdnivå ingår i ambulanssjuksköterskors arbetsuppgifter. Det är dock ingen enkel uppgift och tidigare forskning visar att det ofta är förenat med en känsla av otrygghet. Under hösten 2018 inleddes en samverkan mellan en ambulansorganisation i södra Sverige och 1177 vårdguiden, med målet att stärka sjuksköterskors trygghet vid hänvisning av patienter från ambulanssjukvård till egenvård. I samverkan ingick ett nytt beslutsstöd samt ett uppföljningssamtal för patienterna via 1177 vårdguiden. Syfte: Syftet med studien är att undersöka och beskriva hur sjuksköterskor upplever hänvisning av patienter från ambulanssjukvård till egenvård vid samverkan med 1177 vårdguiden. Metod: En mixad metod med kvantitativa enkäter och kvalitativa intervjuer med en förklarande sekventiell design har använts. Resultat: Resultatet visar på en positiv förändring av hur sjuksköterskorna upplever hänvisning av patienter till egenvård, efter utbildningsinterventionen upplever de en ökad trygghet. De upplever det tryggt både för sig själva och för patienterna att en tredje part följer upp och kontrollerar utförda bedömningar, därigenom erfar de trygghet i ett delat ansvar. Konklusion: Ett mångdimensionellt beslutsstöd, att patienterna får ett uppföljande samtal samt att bedömningen blir kontrollerad, är faktorer som samtliga bidrar till ökad trygghet för sjuksköterskorna.<br>Background: Referring patients to an adequate level of care is included in the assignments of ambulance nurses. However, it is not a simple task and previous research shows that it is often associated with a feeling of insecurity. In the fall of 2018 a collaboration between an ambulance organization in southern Sweden and the 1177 care guide where introduced. The aim of the collaboration was to strengthen the nurses feelings of safety when referring patients from ambulance care to self-care. The collaboration included a new decision support system and a follow-up call for the patients. Aim: The aim of the study was to explore and describe how nurses experience non-conveyance of patients who gets referred from ambulance care to self-care in collaboration with 1177 care guide. Method: A mixed method with quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews with an explanatory sequential design has been used. Results: The result shows a positive change in how the nurses experience referral of patients to self-care, after the training intervention they experience increased feeling of security. They find it safe both for themselves and for the patients that a third party follows up and verify the assessments, thereby they experiencing feeling of safety in a shared responsibility. Conclusion: A multi-dimensional decision support system, that the patients receive a follow-up call and that the assessment is controlled, are factors that all contribute to increased feelings of safety for the nurses.

Classification systems constitute important tools within the field of knowledge organisation. The following bachelor thesis addresses Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) and discusses the potential of bias in the religion class. Prior to this essay, DDC has been criticised for its biased representations, and for conveying an ethnocentric conception of the world. In this era of globalization, there is a want of classification systems that reflect multicultural societies – in other words, classification systems that consist of pluralistic (world)views. This thesis focuses on the 200’s of DDC, with the purpose of illuminating the degree of religious pluralism therein; more specifically, the thesis answers the following questions: 1) what discourse(s) dominates the religion section of DDC 23?, and 2) which groups and perspectives are being marginalized as a consequence of the dominating discourse(s) within the religion section of DDC 23? In order to answer the questions stated above, the analysis is carried out by means of the theoretical framework by Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffe regarding discourses. In addition to the discourse analysis, a quantitative content analysis is also performed. This mixed methods approach outlines the frequencies and discursive formations of terms occurring in the 200’s, and accordingly generates the following implications: 1) the religion section of DDC 23 is dominated by a Christian discourse, and 2) the groups and perspectives that are being marginalized consists of all religions other than Christianity. Hence, the degree of pluralism within the religion section of DDC 23 is considered to be low.

Forensiska tekniker såsom fingeravtryckstolkning har under senare år genomgått stora förändringar vad gäller exempelvis tekniska hjälpmedel, dock är människans roll i tolkningen fortfarande central i processen. Denna studie syftar till att öka kunskaperna om individernas kognitiva processer i tolkning av fingeravtryck genom ett experiment där fingeravtrycksforensiker, forensiker från andra fält än fingeravtryck samt noviser fick avgöra huruvida ett antal fingeravtryck härrörde från samma finger eller ej.  De kognitiva processerna studerades utifrån att testpersonerna fick rapportera sin tankar verbalt i form av att ”tänka-högt”. Resultaten transkriberades och analyserades sedan med mixade metoder (mixed methods), det vill säga med både kvantitativ och kvalitativ metod. Resultatet visar att fingeravtrycksforensiker signifikant bättre kan lösa denna typ av problem jämfört med övriga forensiker och noviser, men att det fortfarande finns kognitiva processer hos fingeravtrycksforesnikerna som medför risker i form av bias i förfarandeprocessen.

Bakgrund: Intrahospitala transporter (IHT) genomförs ofta av anestesi- och intensivvårdssjuksköterskor. Studier visar att momentet är förenligt med hög risk för mortalitet och morbiditet med upp till 71% risk för komplikationer hos patienten. Idag saknas det internationella och nationella underlag, utbildning och konkreta riktlinjer för intrahospitala transporter. Syfte: Att ur ett patientsäkerhetsperspektiv beskriva anestesi- och intensivvårdssjuksköterskors erfarenheter gällande intrahospitala transporter av vuxna patienter med kritisk sjukdom. Metod: En mixad metodstudie valdes för att besvara studiens syfte. Totalt deltog 66 specialistsjuksköterskor inom anestesi och intensivvård. Kvalitativa data analyserades med stöd av Graneheim et al., (2017) innehållsanalys för manifest innehåll. Den kvantitativa data analyserades med beskrivande statistik.    Resultat: Två kategorier och fyra subkategorier framkom. Första kategorin var “Att skapa goda förutsättningar” med tillhörande subkategorier “Vikten av att vara riskmedveten” och “Vikten av noggranna förberedelser”. Andra kategorin var “Betydelsen av rutiner och utbildning” med subkategorier “Vikten av att följa rutiner” och “Vikten av utbildning”. Slutsats: Intrahospitala transporter beskrevs som ett moment med hög risk för hotad patientsäkerhet och komplikationer. Rutiner med god följsamhet och utbildning anses stärka patientsäkerheten. Genom att införa checklistor och scenarioträning kan anestesi- och intensivvårdssjuksköterskor förbereda sig bättre och hantera komplikationer som kan uppstå under IHT. Därmed kan patienter få en säkrare vård.

Syfte: Pröva en integrerad metod av den transteoretiska modellen och begreppet känsla av sammanhang hos ungdomar gällande munhygienbeteende och upplevelse av intervention och reflektioner kring oral hälsa. Metod: Studien utfördes med en mixad metod. Urvalet bestod av 20 ungdomar där 11 valde att delta. Deltagarna randomiserades till två grupper där experimentgrupp vid base-line fick ta del av den beteendevetenskapliga interventionen och kontrollgrupp av en mer traditionell tandvårdsbehandling. Plack och gingivit mättes vid base-line och efter en månad. Experimentgrupp intervjuades vid uppföljning om upplevelse av att ha fått ta del av intervention och inställningar till oral hälsa. Statistiska analyser av kvantitativa data gjordes för att räkna ut skillnader inom respektive grupper samt mellan dem gällande plack och gingivit. Dataanalysen utfördes med deskriptiv statistik och icke-parametriska test. En kvalitativ innehållsanalys gjordes av intervjuerna och sedan jämfördes kvantitativa och kvalitativa resultat och presenterades i en metaslutsats. Resultat: Mellan base-line och en-månads uppföljning minskade plack och gingivit signifikant hos experimentgruppen. I jämförelse mellan grupperna minskade plack och gingivit mer hos experimentgrupp än kontrollgrupp. Frågeställningen kring deltagarnas upplevelse av interventionen resulterade i huvudkategorierna ”positivt bemötande” och ”begriplig och motiverande kunskap”, med fyra underkategorier. Frågeställningen om reflektioner kring oral hälsa resulterade i ”oral hälsa ur en social kontext” och ”munnens betydelse för att fungera och se bra ut” också med fyra underkategorier. Slutsats: Den integrerade beteendevetenskapliga interventionen gav ett bättre resultat på munhygienbeteende hos deltagarna än den mer traditionella tandvårdsbehandlingen. Upplevelsen av att ha tagit del av interventionen var positiv vilket stärker interventionens användbarhet. Mer forskning behövs för att utreda nyttan och användbarheten av interventionen inom tandvården.

Bakgrund: Hälso- och sjukvårdens personal har till uppgift att arbeta sjukdoms-förebyggande, genom att ge information och råd till patienter med otillräcklig fysisk aktivitet. Förskrivningen av FaR är fortfarande låg trots att det i dag är många som är stillasittande. Fysisk aktivitet på recept, FaR har under flera år funnits som arbetsverktyg och är en bra metod för att öka den fysiska aktiviteten. Syfte: Syftet är att kartlägga distriktssköterskornas och sjuksköterskornas arbete med och inställningar till fysisk aktivitet på recept, FaR. Metod: Enkätstudie på vårdcentraler i Västmanlands län. Analysen utförs med en ansats av mixad metod där numeriska data bearbetas via kvantitativ design och textdata med en kvalitativ ansats Resultat: Det framkom i resultatet att de flesta distriktsköterskorna och sjuksköterskorna hade en positiv inställning till FaR, dock saknades tid, kunskap och resurser för att förskriva FaR. Hälften av distriktssköterskorna och sjuksköterskorna har förskrivit FaR under det senaste året och 98% rekommenderade fysisk aktivet utan att förskriva FaR. Slutsats: Hälso- och sjukvården i Sverige måste fortsätta implementeringsarbetet med att förespråka och möjliggöra förskrivning av FaR genom att se över organisationen angående resurser, rutiner och riktlinjer för hur arbetet med FaR ska gå framåt. Fokus behöver sättas på utbildning, både i grundutbildningen och fortbildning.<br>Background: The healthcare personnel have the task of working with disease prevention by providing information and advice to patients with insufficient physical activity. The prescription of FaR is still low, although today there are many who are sedentary. Physical activity on prescription, FaR has been used as a tool for many years and is a good method for increasing physical activity. Aim: The aim is to map nurses work with and attitude towards physical activity on prescription, PaP. Method: Surveillance study at health centers in Västmanland County. The analysis is performed using a mixed-mode approach where numerical data is processed through quantitative design and text data with a qualitative approach Results: In the result it was found that most district nurses and nurses had a positive attitude towards FaR, but there was insufficient, knowledge and resources to prescribe FaR. Half of district nurses and nurses have prescribed FaR over the past year and 98% recommended physical activity without prescribing FaR. Conclusion: Healthcare in Sweden must continue its implementation efforts to advocate and enable prescription of FaR by reviewing the organization regarding resources, routines and guidelines for how the work on FaR will go forward. Focus must be placed on education, both in undergraduate and continuing education.

Sexuella trakasserier inom vårdbranschen är vanligt förekommande, och kan ha allvarliga konsekvenser för både individen och arbetsplatsen. Enligt tidigare studier är patienter en vanlig förövare för sexuella trakasserier, men trots det har arbetsgivaren ingen åtgärdsskyldighet utifrån Diskrimineringslagen. Däremot kan sexuella trakasserier ifrån patienter röra sig om en allvarlig arbetsmiljöfråga, vilket arbetsgivaren har yttersta ansvaret för. Det saknas generellt kunskap om sexuella trakasserier ifrån patienter, och i synnerhet kunskap i hur chefer på sjukhus upplever sitt arbete med att förebygga samt hanterar sexuella trakasserier ifrån sjukhus, vilket motiverar genomförandet av föreliggande studie. Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka första linjen-chefers upplevelser av att arbeta emot sexuella trakasserier ifrån patienter mot vårdpersonal på sjukhus. Studien är en mixed-method studie med kvalitativ ansats, som består av två delstudier: policystudien och intervjustudien. Policystudien bestod av en kartläggning över policydokument om sexuella trakasserier ifrån patienter inom en specifik region. Endast en relevant policy fanns och denna analyserades med hjälp av en policyanalys av Carol Bacchi: WPR. Data till intervjustudien samlades in via intervjuer med tio första linjen-chefer på sjukhuset som hade den relevanta policyn. Intervjuerna analyserades med hjälp av en kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Resultatet av studien visar att den analyserade policyn i liten utsträckning handlar om sexuella trakasserier, och framställer patienter som inte har förtroende för en arbetsgrupp kännetecknad av mångfald som ett problem. Första linjen-chefer i föreliggande studie upplever en viss mättnad i hur mycket som fenomenet går att förebygga, och de tror att de flesta incidenter hanteras av vårdpersonalen själva.<br>The aim of this study was to examine first line managers experiences of working against sexual harassment from patients against clinicians in hospitals. The study was qualitative using mixed methods gathering data. The study was conducted in two substudies. The first by mapping out policys on sexual harassment from patients within a specific region, then analysed by using the policy analysis method What’s the problem represented to be? The second substudy was carried out by conducting interviews with ten first line managers in a hospital, and analysed by a qualitative content analysis. The results show that the analysed policy does not include sexual harassment to a great extent, and presents patients distrust to a workgroup characterized by diversity as a problem. First line managers experience some saturation in how much they can prevent sexual harassment from patients, and feel that most incidents are handled by the clinicians themselves. First line managers experience the policy as some what “black and white” but at the same time a good basic support tool, and therefore the managers experiences of preventing and handling sexual harassment from patients could give a more nuanced picture of the phenomenon.

In this dissertation, we study the mixed finite element method for the linear plane elasticity problem and iterative solvers for the resulting discrete system. We use the Arnold-Winther Element in the mixed finite element discretization. An overlapping Schwarz preconditioner and a multigrid preconditioner for the discrete system are developed and analyzed. We start by introducing the mixed formulation (stress-displacement formulation) for the linear plane elasticity problem and its discretization. A detailed analysis of the Arnold-Winther Element is given. The finite element discretization of the mixed formulation leads to a symmetric indefinite linear system. Next, we study efficient iterative solvers for the symmetric indefinite linear system which arises from the mixed finite element discretization of the linear plane elasticity problem. The preconditioned Minimum Residual Method is considered. It is shown that the problem of constructing a preconditioner for the indefinite linear system can be reduced to the problem of constructing a preconditioner for the H(div) problem in the Arnold-Winther finite element space. Our main work involves developing an overlapping Schwarz preconditioner and a multigrid preconditioner for the H(div) problem. We give condition number estimates for the preconditioned systems together with supporting numerical results.

This research investigates airline brand equity in a sequential, mixed method study. The initial, exploratory study undertaken with the focus groups identified relevant issues that influence airline brand equity. The secondary associations of airline brands are often related to the airlines’ country of origin and culture or the intangible cues that are used in airline advertisements. These intangible cues and secondary associations play an important role in triggering airline brand awareness and the unique brand value proposition of each airline. The questionnaire-based study shows that the structure of airline brand equity is comprised of three factors. The first factor highlights the importance of airlines being able to provide suitable and innovative products and consistently good service. The second factor is a reflection of the first factor, i.e. airlines that can deliver both suitable tangible products and good services will be able to establish a large base of loyal customers. The third factor highlights the importance of establishing brand awareness. Based on the structure of airline brand equity that was found, there are four clusters of airline passengers with similar airline brand perceptions, namely: ‘Loyal customers’; ‘Asking for consistency customers’; ‘Hard to please customers’; and ‘Difficult to talk to customers’. The determinant attribute analysis shows that the determinant for the choice of airline brand is different. Each airline is different in its branding, products and service strategies. This suggests that the ways in which each airline brand can meet the needs of each group of airline passengers will also be different. This research demonstrates that the structure of airline brand equity for fullservice and low-cost carrier brands is different. For full-service carrier brands, it is the delivery of suitable tangible products and services that encourages loyalty. In contrast, when price is the most influential determinant attribute, it is the low-cost carrier brands’ resources and ability to offer consistently low fares that helps them to establish a large base of repeat customers.

Para abordar los desafíos relacionados con los combustibles fósiles y fomentar el desarrollo sostenible, los recientes progresos en el ámbito del espíritu empresarial han mostrado un creciente interés por las cuestiones de sostenibilidad y el desarrollo tecnológico respetuoso con el medio ambiente. Los adelantos prácticos y teóricos actuales bajo el nombre de emprendimiento sostenible (Schaltegger y Wagner, 2011; Dean y McMullen, 2007), eco-emprendimiento (Holt, 2011), emprendimiento ambiental (York & Venkataraman, 2010; (Hockerts & Wüstenhagen, 2010; Nikolaou, Ierapetritis, & Tsagarakis, 2011), y el emprendimiento social (Bull, 2008; Zahra, Gedajlovic, Neubaum, & Shulman, 2009) han hecho contribuciones significativas y diversas a este campo. Sin embargo, debido a la importancia primordial de este tema, la actividad empresarial en el sector de la energía necesita un mayor examen. El emprendimiento energético, estudiado recientemente por Wüstenhagen y Wuebker (2011) implica "el papel de la actividad empresarial en el desarrollo y la comercialización de tecnologías energéticas innovadoras tanto en las empresas start-up como en las establecidas" (Wüstenhagen y Wuebker, 2011, página 3). Aquí, un empresario de energía se define como una persona que aprovecha los desafíos ambientalmente relevantes de las fuentes de combustible de alto carbono como oportunidades para lograr la rentabilidad. Este nuevo concepto en la intersección de la investigación emprendedora, social y ambiental provee una iniciativa teórica para determinar cómo las oportunidades relacionadas con la sostenibilidad y la energía surgen a través de las imperfecciones del mercado (Cohen & Winn, 2007) y el papel del emprendimiento en la resolución de fallos del mercado y la degradación ambiental emergente (Dean y McMullen, 2007). Al introducir el concepto de emprendimiento energético internacional (EEI), ofrecemos una contribución adicional a la literatura sobre EE. IEE es un tema de investigación interdisciplinaria en la intersección de la EE y el emprendimiento internacional (IE). De acuerdo con la primera definición formal de McDougall y Oviatt (2000), IE es: "... una combinación de comportamiento innovador, proactivo y de búsqueda de riesgos que cruza las fronteras nacionales y tiene la intención de crear valor en las organizaciones" (página 903). Basándose en esta definición y en el concepto de EE en esta tesis doctoral, estudiamos el papel de la actividad empresarial en el desarrollo y la comercialización de nuevas tecnologías energéticas a través de las fronteras. El principal objetivo de este estudio es conocer el estado del desarrollo, comercialización y difusión de tecnologías de energía renovable en los mercados internacionales. Para examinar esta cuestión, hemos basado esta tesis en datos recogidos de múltiples casos y una encuesta en la industria de las energías renovables. Las preguntas de investigación están diseñadas en cuatro niveles de análisis: empresarios, empresas, industria y políticas. En primer lugar, estamos interesados en identificar barreras y facilitadores para que los empresarios de energía ingresen a los mercados internacionales. A nivel de empresa, queremos determinar qué recursos y capacidades se requieren, y cómo impiden o facilitan el proceso de internacionalización. Finalmente, investigamos la importancia de los factores políticos e industriales en el desarrollo de esta industria. Este estudio hace varias contribuciones avanzadas a la literatura de IE y EE. En primer lugar, desde el punto de vista teórico, proporcionamos el flujo de investigación IE con datos empíricos de la industria de las energías renovables como industria emergente. El estudio también contribuye al campo del IE examinando la literatura de emprendimiento de la sostenibilidad para entender cómo los principios de sostenibilidad podrían explicar la internacionalización de las empresas en esta industria específica. Además, aplicamos la teoría basada en los recursos, ya que la internacionalización es parte integrante de un proceso mediante el cual las empresas intentan acceder y aprovechar los recursos en su camino hacia la comercialización y el crecimiento internacional (Zahra, Matherne y Carleton, 2003). Desde el punto de vista metodológico, la realización de un análisis multinivel es otra aportación de este estudio al IE y a la literatura sobre emprendimiento sostenible. Los múltiples niveles de análisis, incluidos los empresarios, las empresas, la industria y las políticas, brindan la oportunidad de adoptar un enfoque más holístico de la internacionalización en la industria de las energías renovables. La investigación de métodos mixtos también nos permite examinar las preguntas de investigación y analizar los resultados utilizando fuentes de datos complementarias y desde diferentes perspectivas. Por último, los resultados de este estudio serán de gran utilidad para los encargados de formular políticas, ayudándolos a definir el punto de partida para la reforma y la creación de capacidad institucional, y establecer un entorno que favorezca el desarrollo de energías renovables. Además, los directivos y eco-empresarios pueden aprovechar los resultados de este estudio para fomentar el crecimiento internacional y mantenerse en el mercado.<br>To address challenges associated with fossil fuels and fostering sustainable development, recent progress in the field of entrepreneurship has shown increased interest in sustainability issues and environmentally friendly technological development. Current practical and theoretical advancements under the name of sustainable entrepreneurship (Schaltegger & Wagner, 2011; Dean & McMullen, 2007), eco-entrepreneurship (Holt, 2011), environmental entrepreneurship (York & Venkataraman, 2010; Young & Tilley, 2006), green entrepreneurship (Hockerts & Wüstenhagen, 2010; Nikolaou, Ierapetritis, & Tsagarakis, 2011), and social entrepreneurship (Bull, 2008; Zahra, Gedajlovic, Neubaum, & Shulman, 2009) have made significant and diverse contributions to this field. However, due to the paramount importance of this subject, entrepreneurial activity in the energy sector needs further consideration. The notion of energy entrepreneurship (EE), introduced quite recently by Wüstenhagen and Wuebker (2011), involves “the role of entrepreneurial activity in the development and commercialization of breakthrough energy technologies in both start-up and established firms” (Wüstenhagen & Wuebker, 2011, p. 3). Here, an energy entrepreneur is defined as a person who seizes the environmentally relevant challenges of high-carbon fuel sources as opportunities for achieving profitability. This new concept at the intersection of entrepreneurship, social, and environmental research provides a theoretical initiative to determine how opportunities related to sustainability and energy arise through market imperfections (Cohen & Winn, 2007), and the role of entrepreneurship in the resolution of market failure and emerging environmental degradation (Dean & McMullen, 2007). By introducing the concept of international energy entrepreneurship (IEE), we provide a further contribution to the EE literature. IEE is an interdisciplinary research subject at the intersection of EE and international entrepreneurship (IE). According to the first formal definition provided by McDougall and Oviatt (2000) IE is: “…a combination of innovative, proactive and risk-seeking behavior that crosses national borders and is intended to create value in organizations” (p. 903). Drawing upon this definition and the EE concept in this doctoral dissertation, we study the role of entrepreneurial activity in the development and commercialization of new energy technologies across borders. The main objective of this study is to ascertain the state of the development, commercialization, and diffusion of renewable energy technologies in international markets. To examine this question, we based this thesis on data gathered from multiple cases and a survey in the renewable energy industry. The research questions are designed at four levels of analysis: entrepreneurs, firms, industry, and policy. First of all, we are interested in identifying motivators, barriers, and enablers for energy entrepreneurs to enter international markets. At the firm level, we wish to determine what resources and capabilities are required, and how they impede or facilitate the process of internationalization. Finally, we investigate the importance of policy and industrial factors in the further development of this industry. This study makes several advanced contributions to the IE and EE literature. First, from the theoretical point of view, we provide the IE research stream with empirical data from the renewable energy industry as an emerging industry. The study also contributes to the IE field by examining the sustainability entrepreneurship literature to understand how sustainability principles might explain the internationalization of firms in this specific industry. Moreover, we apply resource-based theory as internationalization is an integrated part of a process by which companies try to access and leverage resources on their path towards commercialization and international growth (Zahra, Matherne, & Carleton, 2003). From the methodological perspective, performing a multi-level analysis is another contribution of this study to IE and the sustainable entrepreneurship literature. Multiple levels of analyses including entrepreneurs, firms, industry, and policy provide an opportunity to adopt a more holistic approach to internationalization in the renewable energy industry. Mixed methods research also allows us to examine the research questions and analyze the results using complementary data sources and from different perspectives. Finally, the results of this study will be of significant use to policymakers, assisting them in defining the starting point for reform and institutional capacity building, and establishing an environment that favors renewable energy development. In addition, managers and eco-/entrepreneurs can take advantage of the results of this study to foster international growth and survive.

Input devices are an integral part of human and computer interaction. This research explores the relationship between user ability and user performance when using input devices in real tasks in a natural environment. User performances using a mouse, a tablet-with-stylus and a touch screen were measured in browsing and dragging tasks. User cognitive, perceptual and motor abilities were measured usmg widely used and simple psychometric tests. Input devices were rated before and after the tasks. Users provided their justification and described their experience in an interview after completing the task. The psychometric tests, i.e. Mini Mental State Examination for cognitive, Identical Picture for perceptual and Simple Reaction Time for motor abilities, measured user abilities effectively. The result shows that perceptual and motor abilities influence user performance for highly complex tasks. Consistent with previous studies, the mouse is the best device for a dragging task. Content analysis of user justification indicates that users prefer the mouse because of its effectiveness, ease of use and familiarity. User self-reported behaviour illustrates an extended user behaviour model which includes detailed descriptions of the activities. The click in Simple Reaction Time and the first move in the dragging task have been successfully modelled using microstrategies.

This master thesis in optimization and systems theory is a development of two different optimization models formulated to schedule multi-skilled agents for contact centers depending on the forecasted demand, assigned by Teleopti. Four mixed integer linear programming models are created with the optimization programming language GAMS and solved by the internet based solver NEOS. Two of the models are formulated to perform an optimal scheduling that matches a forecasted demand per skill and day and the remaining two models are formulated to perform an optimal scheduling that matches a forecasted demand per skill, day and half hour. The first two models are referred to as the Basic Models and the second two are referred to as the Complex Models. The Basic Models includes seven constraints and the Complex Model includes nine constraints, describing regulations at the contact center. The main goal of the project is to find an optimal solution that results in an as even distribution of under or over scheduling. The scheduling optimization covers a period of 28 days, starting on a Monday which results in four weeks. The optimization models are based on two sets of data, there are 104 assigned agents that possesses one, two or three of the skills Channel, Direct and Product. All agents are bound to work according to a contract specified through the constraints. In the Basic Model the forecasted demand is given in amount of hours per day and skill, the demand is non-cyclical. In the Complex model the forecasted demand is given in amount of half hours per day, skill and half hour. Each day is scheduled from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. resulting in 32 available half hours. All optimization models are developed to correctly mathematically formulate the constraints specified by Teleopti. Any non-linear equation that arises are linearized to maintain linearity, this is favourable in the sense of computational time solving the models. The objective functions in this thesis are formulated to describe the main goal of even distribution as correctly as possible. The result for the Basic Model shows that an optimal solution is achieved after 34 seconds. This model contains 169,080 variables and 39,913 equations. In the Complex Models integer solutions are achieved, but no optimal solution is found in 8 hours of computational time. The larger Complex Model contains 9,385,984 variables and 1,052,253 equations and the smaller Complex Model contains 5,596,952 variables and 210,685 equations. Teleopti’s scheduler produces an integer solution matching the Complex Model in 4 minutes.<br>Detta examensarbete i optimering och systemteori är framtagningen av två olika optimeringsmodeller formulerade för att schemalägga multikompetenta agenter för kontaktcenters beroende av den förväntade efterfrågan, tilldelad av Teleopti. Fyra blandade heltals linjära programmeringsmodeller skapas med optimeringsprogrammeringsspråket GAMS och löses av den internetbaserade lösaren NEOS. Två av modellerna är formulerade för att utföra en optimal schemaläggning som matchar en prognostiserad efterfrågan per skicklighet och dag och de återstående två modellerna är formulerade för att utföra en optimal schemaläggning som matchar en prognostiserad efterfrågan per färdighet, dag och en halvtimme. De två första modellerna i detta arbete benämns de Grundläggande Modellerna och de resterande två benämns de Komplexa Modellerna. Grundmodellerna inkluderar sju bivillkor och de Komplexa modellerna innehåller nio bivillkor, vilka beskriver arbetsvillkoren på kontaktcentret. Projektets huvudmål är att hitta en optimal lösning som resulterar i en jämn fördelning av under- eller överschemaläggning. Den schemalagda optimeringen täcker en period av 28 dagar, vilken börjar på en måndag vilket resulterar i fyra veckor. Optimeringsmodellerna är baserade på två uppsättningar data, det finns 104 tillgängliga agenter vilka har en, två eller tre av kompetenserna Channel, Direct och Product. Alla agenter är bundna att arbeta enligt det kontrakt som specificeras genom bivillkoren. I grundmodellen anges den prognostiserade efterfrågan i timmar per dygn och kompetens, efterfrågan är icke-cyklisk. I den komplexa modellen anges den beräknade efterfrågan i mängd halvtimmar per dag, kompetens och halvtimme. Varje dag är schemalagd från kl. 07.00 till 23.00 vilket resulterar i 32 tillgängliga halvtimmar. Alla optimeringsmodeller är utvecklade för att matematiskt beskriva de begränsningar som Teleopti specificerar. Alla icke-linjära ekvationer som uppstår linjäriseras för att upprätthålla linjäritet, detta är gynnsamt i avseendet mängd tid beräkningen av modellerna tar. Målfunktionerna i detta arbete är formulerade för att beskriva huvudmålet för jämn distribution så korrekt som möjligt. Resultatet för grundmodellen visar att en optimal lösning uppnås efter 34 sekunder. Denna modell innehåller 169,080 variabler och 39,913 ekvationer. I de komplexa modellerna uppnås heltalslösningar, men ingen optimal lösning hittas på 8 timmars beräkningstid. Den större komplexa modellen innehåller 9,385,984 variabler och 1,052,253 ekvationer och den mindre komplexa modellen innehåller 5,596,952 variabler och 210,665 ekvationer. Teleoptis schemaläggare producerar en heltalslösning som matchar den komplexa modellen på 4 minuter.

Submitted by Maria Cristina (library@lncc.br) on 2017-12-12T10:49:35Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Thesis - Thiago Quinelato.pdf: 2369263 bytes, checksum: 6a1ac9e2d37bb0377981785cfa50683c (MD5)<br>Approved for entry into archive by Maria Cristina (library@lncc.br) on 2017-12-12T10:50:02Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Thesis - Thiago Quinelato.pdf: 2369263 bytes, checksum: 6a1ac9e2d37bb0377981785cfa50683c (MD5)<br>Made available in DSpace on 2017-12-12T10:50:14Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Thesis - Thiago Quinelato.pdf: 2369263 bytes, checksum: 6a1ac9e2d37bb0377981785cfa50683c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-03-01<br>Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)<br>Esta tese é focada no desenvolvimento e na análise de aproximações em dimensão finita das equações que descrevem problemas de elasticidade linear e poroelasticidade. A estratégia de aproximação é baseada em formulações de elementos finitos mistas hibridas desses problemas e a construção dos espaços de dimensão finita é guiada por várias propriedades desejadas: continuidade das trações (conservação do momento linear), simetria do tensor de tensão (conservação do momento angular), número reduzido de graus de liberdade globais e robustez sob distorção de malha. A principal dificuldade está relacionada com o atendimento simultâneo da condição inf-sup e da simetria do tensor de tensão. O ultimo requisito é relaxado, sendo satisfeito de maneira fraca pela introdução de um multiplicador de Lagrange. A maior contribuição é o desenvolvimento e a análise de espaços de dimensão finita estáveis para aproximação mista dos problemas de elasticidade linear e poroelasticidade em malhas quadrilaterais arbitrárias. Esses espaços são capazes de fornecer convergência com taxa ótima do campo de tensão na norma H(div) em malhas de quadriláteros arbitrários, o que é provado pela análise numérica e confirmado por experimentação.<br>This thesis is focused on the development and analysis of finite dimensional approximations of the equations describing linear elasticity and poroelasticity problems. The approximation strategy is based on mixed hybrid finite element formulations of those problems and the construction of the finite dimensional spaces is guided by several desired properties: continuity of the tractions (conservation of linear momentum), symmetry of the stress tensor (conservation of angular momentum), reduced number of global degrees of freedom, and robustness under mesh distortion. The main difficulty is related with the simultaneous fulfillment of the inf-sup condition and the symmetry of the stress tensor. The last requirement is relaxed, being enforced in the weak sense through the introduction of a Lagrange multiplier. The main contribution is the development and analysis of stable finite dimensional spaces for mixed approximation of linear elasticity and poroelasticity problems on arbitrary quadrilateral meshes. These spaces are capable of providing optimal order convergence of the stress field in the H(div)-norm on meshes of arbitrary quadrilaterals, which is proved by numerical analysis and confirmed by experimentation.

Embodiment is the experience of one's own body. It is often studied using the Rubber Hand Illusion (RHI). This illusion varies the consistency between visual, tactile and proprioceptive signals to elicit a change to embodiment. Changes to embodiment are typically measured using a single sensory outcome measure of proprioceptive drift, which is interpreted as a proxy measure of embodiment. This approach obscures the unique contribution of other modalities such as vision and touch. The work presented in this thesis uses a mixed method approach to investigate the unique contribution of visual, tactile and proprioceptive modalities within the multisensory process of embodiment. In study one, a qualitative analysis showed that when visual-tactile discrepancies were present in the RHI, participants described both body ownership and body extension type changes to embodiment, and changes to tactile perception. In study two, psychophysical measurements of the RHI showed changes to visual, tactile and proprioceptive aspects of embodiment, suggesting that embodiment in the RHI could be measured using multiple sensory outcomes. Studies three and four assessed the utility of measuring multiple sensory outcomes of the RHI, by exploring changes to embodiment following internal and external forms of body perception training. Study three showed that brief body scan meditation, as a form of internal body perception training, reduced the longevity of the visual sensory outcome of the RHI and that this reduction was negatively correlated with improvements in interoceptive sensitivity. Study four showed that learning about the body through anatomical dissection training, as a form of external body perception training, reduced the longevity of the visual sensory outcome measure and decreased interoceptive sensitivity, but only in medical students who were high in trait personal distress. Collectively, these findings suggest that aspects of the multisensory processes of embodiment can become specialised and identify some unique contributions of individual sensory modalities to embodiment. The proprioceptive sensory outcome appears to be stable over time but the visual sensory outcome is a longer-term change to embodiment, which is susceptible to interference from body perception training. In study five, confirmatory factor analysis was used to assess the psychometric properties of an embodiment change questionnaire measuring body ownership, body extension and perceived causality in the RHI. Factor scores from the questionnaire were correlated with visual and proprioceptive outcome measures of the RHI and measures of trait empathy. The results suggested factor scores had better convergent validity than the standard illusion score used in previous research. This work has improved subjective and perceptual measures of the RHI and specified ways that individual sensory modalities provide a unique contribution to embodiment. The methods developed have further applications for studying the multisensory process of embodiment and investigating embodiment in a number of clinical groups.

In Britain formal counsellor training is regarded as an essential pre-requisite for practice but its impact on the personal and professional development of trainees remains largely unexplored in the research literature. A hierarchical nested research study design (N=64) was used to investigate trainee characteristics and change processes across three BACP accredited counsellor training programmes. This study used quantitative and qualitative methods to conduct two related studies: ‘The Early Effects of Practitioner Training’ and ‘A Longitudinal Examination of Trainee Change’. The first was comprised of a cross sectional examination of trainee characteristics (n=63) and two qualitative studies: The Beginning of Training Study and a single subject Case Study of Margaret. The second consisted of one quantitative and two qualitative studies, these were: a paired sample investigation of the impact of training on one student cohort (n=20), the End of Training Qualitative Study of trainees (n=7), and an Assimilation Model Analysis of Mandy. The research was conducted from a critical realist perspective. The majority of trainees were white, female and middle aged but the experience of minority groups within cohorts was explored. Trainees had personal histories characterised by supportive relationships, loss, trauma, abuse and recovery. Practitioner training had a significant impact on personal and professional development but evidence of some negative effects, including Stressful Involvement, were found. Low levels of distress and increased emotional functioning were positively related to the completion of training. It is proposed that although the achievement of key competencies is the ultimate aim of practitioner counsellor training that it is the ability of trainees to assimilate problematic experiences and integrate different kinds of knowledge that is likely to result in therapeutic expertise.

The aim of orientation programs at tertiary academic institutions is to introduce newcomers to the attitudinal and behavioral standards of their new academic and social situation, and these programs usually have a formal and an informal component. Formal orientation is officially developed and monitored by the university. Informal orientation is associated with socially orientated initiation or hazing activities administered by senior students in the seclusion of hostels and are often not monitored by the university, resulting in human rights violations such as racial discrimination, physical abuse and psychological bullying. Because both components of orientation take place during the same time frame and in the same broader context, orientation programs as a whole have been receiving negative attention and criticism in the media. Research has, however, also uncovered many positive elements in orientation programs - in both the formal and informal components. Literature suggests that universities put in place a high quality formal and informal orientation program to ensure the well–being of first–year students. Well–being is regarded as the subjective appraisals that people make about the quality of their lives based on their experiences, relationships, feelings and overall functioning in life. Two approaches towards subjective well–being are identified: the first is the hedonic approach, focusing on emotional well–being (EWB) and is equated to positive feelings, subjective happiness and satisfaction with life; the second is the eudaimonic approach, focusing on psychological well–being (PWB) and social well–being (SWB) which not only conceptualizes well–being in terms of meaning and purpose, but also as positive functioning in life on personal and social levels. The aim of this study was to determine the shifts in well–being of first–year students during an orientation program (with both the formal and informal components included) at a tertiary institution and to explore the experiences associated with these shifts. A sequential mixed method research design was used where quantitative and qualitative research approaches were combined to provide an in–depth understanding of the phenomenon. A convenience sample of first–year hostel residing students (mean age=19 years) was used for the quantitative study. Students completed the Mental Health Continuum Short Form (MHC–SF) and the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) before (n=102), during (n=371) and after (n=358) the orientation program. Twenty–one demographically representative first–year hostel residing students (mean age=18.5 years) were purposive selected to participate in the qualitative study consisting of a focus group discussion and semi–structured in–depth individual interviews which took place after the programs’ completion. The quantitative results indicated that first–year students’ well–being remained unchanged before, during and after orientation in all facets except in SWB. First–year students’ SWB increased practically significantly over the course of the orientation program. The qualitative findings suggested that first–year students’ well–being fluctuated from high before the orientation program to low during the program’s initial phase to high again after the program’s completion. Experiences associated with SWB were perceived to be the central experience associated with an increase in well–being. Recommendations are made regarding the promotion of the social and personal well–being of first–year students during an orientation program.<br>Thesis (M.A. (Clinical Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

La memòria d'aquesta tesi tracta sobre l'ús de la transformació digital en l'ensenyament i els processos de disseny urbà, a través de conceptes innovadors i metodologies pràctiques. L'objectiu és promoure l'ús de tecnologies digitals, en particular per avaluar la inclusió de la realitat virtual en diversos entorns d'ensenyament formals i informals del disseny urbà col·laboratiu, per tal de millorar, accelerar i augmentar el seu impacte social de forma positiva i millorar l'ensenyament universitària ajudant al fet que els estudiants consolidin amb major efectivitat les seves habilitats. Amb les característiques d’un sistema de realitat virtual, podem provar la nostra hipòtesi en funció de demostrar: (1) La implementació d'estratègies virtuals gamificades en el camp del disseny urbà generarà una millora i motivació en la participació ciutadana i dels estudiants, ja que l’entorn és més dinàmic, real i permet un disseny col·laboratiu àgil gràcies a les tecnologies visuals immersives, mentre avaluen críticament el resultat d'un disseny urbà i prenen decisions. (2) L'ús de sistemes virtuals interactius per a la comprensió de l'espai tridimensional millora en els estudiants i professionals la percepció de la comprensió de l'espai, generant major enteniment de les condicions d'ubicació, dimensions i relacions dels espais urbans, i defensar els arguments de projectes urbans i propostes urbanes definides interactivament que proven diverses estratègies d'acció. Per provar les nostres hipòtesis, fem servir un mètode quantitatiu i qualitatiu aplicat en diferents escenaris i als diferents perfils d'usuaris, estudiants, professionals i usuaris finals. Els resultats mostraran que és possible potenciar la transformació digital, millorar la motivació pública, la implicació i la satisfacció en els processos de presa de decisions urbanes, així com complementar l'adquisició de competències urbanes específiques necessàries per a la professió en estudiants d'Arquitectura.<br>La memoria de esta tesis trata sobre el uso de la transformación digital en la enseñanza y los procesos de diseño urbano, a través de conceptos innovadores y metodologías prácticas. El objetivo es promover el uso de tecnologías digitales, en particular para evaluar la inclusión de la realidad virtual en diversos entornos de enseñanza formales e informales del diseño urbano colaborativo, con el fin de mejorarlo, acelerar y aumentar su impacto social positivo y mejorar la enseñanza universitaria ayudando a que los estudiantes consoliden con mayor efectividad sus habilidades. Con las características de un sistema de realidad virtual, podemos probar nuestra hipótesis en función de demostrar: (1) El uso de sistemas virtuales interactivos para la comprensión del espacio tridimensional mejora en los estudiantes y profesionales la percepción de la comprensión del espacio, generando mayor entendimiento de las condiciones de ubicación, dimensiones y relaciones de los espacios urbanos, y defender los argumentos de proyectos urbanos y propuestas urbanas definidas interactivamente que ensayan diversas estrategias de acción. (2) La implementación de estrategias virtuales gamificadas en el campo del diseño urbano generará una mejora y motivación en la participación ciudadana y en los estudiantes, ya que es un entorno de colaboración más dinámico, real y ágil gracias a las tecnologías visuales inmersivas, mientras evalúan críticamente el resultado de un diseño urbano y toman decisiones. Para probar nuestras hipótesis, utilizamos un método cuantitativo y cualitativo aplicado en diferentes escenarios y a diferentes perfiles de usuarios, estudiantes, profesionales y usuarios finales. Los resultados mostrarán que es posible potenciar la transformación digital, mejorar la motivación pública, la implicación y la satisfacción en los procesos de toma de decisiones urbanas, así como complementar la adquisición de competencias urbanas específicas necesarias para la profesión en estudiantes de Arquitectura.<br>The memory of this thesis deals with the use of digital transformation in the teaching and processes of urban design, through innovative concepts and practical methodologies. The objective is to promote the use of digital technologies, in particular, to evaluate the inclusion of virtual reality in various formal and informal teaching environments of collaborative urban design, in order to improve it, speed up, and increase its positive social impact and improve university teaching by helping students consolidate their skills more effectively. With the characteristics of the VR system, we can test our hypothesis based on demonstrating: (1) The use of virtual-interactive systems for the understanding of three- dimensional space improve in students and professionals the perception of the comprehension of the space, generating a greater understanding of the location conditions, dimensions and relationships of urban spaces, and defend the arguments of urban projects and interactively defined urban proposals rehearsing various strategies of action. (2) The implementation of virtual gamified strategies in the field of urban design will generate improvement and motivation in citizen participation and students as it is a more dynamic, real and agile collaborative environment thanks to the immersive visual technologies as they critically evaluate the result of the urban design and make decisions. To validate our hypothesis, we use a quantitative and qualitative method applied in different scenarios and to a different profile of users, students, professionals and end users. The results will show that it is possible to empower digital transformation, to improve public motivation, implication, and satisfaction in urban decision-making processes as well as complementing the improvement of the perception of the comprehension of the space needed for the profession in Architecture students.

Alcohol use has become a public health concern in the past decade in Vietnam. Mass media and public health campaigns have focused on ways of addressing excessive consumption of alcohol, the danger of home made alcohol, and reducing alcohol· related harms such as domestic violence, physical diseases, mental health problems, and often fatal road traffic accidents. Influenced by this public health approach, alcohol research in Vietnam has focused on the social and health costs of alcohol use and has not examined the wider social and economic factors that sustain local drinking cultures. This thesis uses a mixed methods approach to understand the dynamics of drinking cultures in Muong Khen, a rural to\vn in the northwest of Vietnam. Continuous waves of immigration in the past six decades have turned Muong Khen into a multiethnic community where Kinh internal migrants and their descendants (the major ethnic group in Vietnam) and local Muong and other ethnic minorities live together. The consumption of rice alcohol produced in large quantities by local households is popular in this region. Alcohol is not only an integral part of the local economy but is also a means through which people, and men in particular, of diverse etlmic backgrounds socialise and interact. The thesis argues that interetlmic drinking is a common phenomenon in the region and is an important element of social capital there. It therefore counters a commonly-held view in Vietnam that heavy drinking is an <ethnic minority problem'. Heavy drinking occurs frequently among local men across the two dominant etlmJc groups, despite the fact that they are well aware of the negative health and other consequences of alcohol overuse. In many cases, their heavy drinking reflects local tactics to maintain hannonious relationships as well as sources of support embedded in those relationships. Understanding that their heavy drinking could be negatively judged, many local drinkers use neutralization techniques in order to defend their self-image. I 4 Applying a mixed methods approach using interviews, ethnography and surveys, this study sets out to document the complexities ofMuong Khen's local drinking cuinlre and to design and use too ls to measure the associations between this culture and two phenomena: neutralization techniques and tactics for building interethnic social capital.

The rapid development of information technology has enabled the use of virtual teams, which are teams whose members use IT to coordinate their activities from a dispersed setting. The phenomenon of virtual teams raises questions regarding issues related to this type of work, i.e. organisational identification and other problems related to virtual work. We have investigated how to best manage these teams in order for managers to be successful in the virtual environment by studying the advantages and disadvantages as well as success factors. The study has used a mixed methodology, where we have interviewed 8 managers that are active in virtual work and we have also conducted a survey to investigate how members of virtual teams perceives issues of organisational identification and issues related to virtual work. One of the most important findings of this study is that there was a positive relationship between level of organisational identification and level of virtuality, member involvement, and previous experience. The strongest predictor for organisational identification was although the level of member involvement. We can conclude that the main advantages of virtual work were cost reduction and the access to competence. The main disadvantage of virtual work was identified as lack of interpersonal relations in the workplace. Other disadvantages were found as unorganised meetings, unprioritised work as well as technological issues. The most important success factors were found to be Clear roles and Responsibilities, Pre-agreement/time plan, Defined Strategies. These three factors could be summarised as "What needs to be done, when and by who‟. Moreover, clear and distinct communication within the team in order to avoid misunderstandings, followed by User-friendly technology and to have previous experience of technology used was also identified as important factors in virtual work. Other success factors identified was the use of Face-to-Face meetings.

Thesis (MScEng)--University of Stellenbosch, 2002.<br>ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Mixed flow fans find application in an operating region between that of axial flow and centrifugal fans. The candidate investigated the working of these mixed flow fans and formulated a design algorithm. The algorithm was based on work done by previous authors, most of which have tried to modify existing axial flow fan design methods to suit the mixed flow case. A fan was designed, built and tested. Tests showed that the fan did not perform as designed, producing a lower pressure rise at a lower flow rate. A five hole probe was used to measure the exit flow vector and the results showed that most of the work was done by the lower half of the blade. Based on this discrepancy between the designed and actual fan performance, a number of changes to the design procedure were recommended. Amongst other things: the use of numerical blade modelling procedures instead of modified cascade correlations and the disregard of the Coriolis work in the design of the blade shape.<br>AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Gemengde vloei waaiers bevredig die behoefte aan 'n waaier in 'n spesifieke werksgebied waar aksiaal en sentrifugale waaiers minder effektief is. Die projek ondersoek die werking van gemengde vloei waaiers en formuleer 'n ontwerp-algoritme. Die algoritme is gebaseer op bestaande navorsing, waarvan die meeste 'n poging is om aksiaalvloeiwaaiermetodes aan te pas vir die gemengde vloei geval. 'n Waaier is ontwerp, gebou en getoets. Toetsresultate toon dat die waaier 'n laer drukstyging by 'n laer volume vloei gee as wat die ontwerp voorspel. 'n Vyfgat-anemometer is gebruik om die uitlaatvloei-vektor te meet en die resulate het bewys dat die gedeelte van die rotorlem naaste aan die naaf meeste van die werk doen. Hierdie afwyking van die ontwerptoestand is ondersoek en 'n aantal veranderings aan die ontwerp algoritme is voorgestel, naamlik: die gebruik van numeriese lemprofiel simulasie, instede van die glip- en deviasie- modelle, en die ontwerp van die lemprofiel deur die Coriolis werk te Ignoreer.

Adolescent obesity is a public health problem associated with significant immediate and long-term health complications (Kelly et al. 2013). Amongst obese adolescents, a third are severely obese (BMI >99.6th centile UK90 reference charts) (Ogden et al. 2012) with severe obesity the fastest growing classification in this age group (Wang et al. 2011). The evidence for managing and treating child and adolescent obesity generally is poor, with multidisciplinary lifestyle programmes failing to derive significant and sustained weight loss and often reporting high attrition (Luttikhuis et al. 2009). Furthermore, this evidence has predominantly focused on young people as a whole with little differentiation of treatment and outcomes by age and severity of obesity. As a result, successful treatments for severely obese adolescents are lacking with permanent bariatric surgery increasingly considered. This thesis aimed to enhance the understanding of the needs of obese adolescents, contribute to what is known about current treatment options for severely obese adolescents specifically and pilot a novel treatment approach within this population. A qualitative enquiry (Study 1) of the lived experiences of obese adolescents (n = 12) reinforced the complexity of the impact of obesity on the lives of obese adolescents across social, emotional, behavioural and cultural contexts. All participants experienced low self-esteem and feelings of shame and there were frequent accounts of debilitating bullying. Adolescents required intensive support to develop skills for coping and managing emotional choices, and the importance of family-support within treatment was highlighted. Data confirmed weight loss programmes need to consider the complex experience of obese adolescents in their design, focusing on how to implement long-term lifestyle changes into their ‘real’ lives. Informed by the findings from Study 1 and a comprehensive review of existing treatment options for severely obese adolescents, the use of an intra-gastric balloon alongside a lifestyle support programme (BOB; Study 2) to promote weight loss was piloted in 12 severely obese adolescents (5 males, 7 females; mean age 15 yrs; BMI >3.5 SD; puberty stage 4 or above). Mean weight loss at 12 months (n=9) was 3.05 kg ± 14.69; d=0.002 with improvements in psychosocial health, physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness also maintained at 12 months. Although, the use of an intra-gastric balloon as an adjunct to a lifestyle programme was well tolerated by participants, large variations in outcome data suggest alternative treatment solutions in this population are warranted. That said, the comprehensive reporting of the intervention and the focus on validated behaviour change techniques to support change is a strength of this study. The qualitative experiences of treatment for participants and their family members were captured throughout treatment (Study 3). All participants acknowledged the experience was harder than anticipated, but recognised the importance of creating shared ownership over making lifestyle changes. Single case data pointed to successful and sustained weight loss where the whole family were actively engaged in treatment, modelling positive lifestyle changes alongside the adolescent. Future studies are encouraged to explore the most effective methods for engaging family members in treatment.

Institutions are recruiting new graduate nurses to fill their vacancies. The aim of this project was to create a new graduate nurse orientation program that consists of the Essentials of Critical Care Orientation (ECCO) program created by the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (2014), scenarios, and simulation that will result in an increase in nurses' sense of their ability to provide safe patient care, communicate effectively, perform skills, and increase their sense of institutional support. The theoretical framework for this mixed methods project was Benner's "From Novice to Expert." The convenience sample participants consisted of 17 baccalaureate-prepared new graduate nurses. The Casey-Fink Graduate Nurse Experience Survey was administered prior to the orientation program and again at the completion. Content analysis was used for Section I of the survey, which pertains to the top 3 skills nurses are uncomfortable performing. In the presurvey, chest tube care, ECK/EKG/telemetry, and tracheostomy were listed. However, they were not listed on the post survey. The findings resulted in a correlation between skills that were taught during simulation and scenarios. Fisher's exact test was used for Sections II, III, and IV of the survey. There was no statistically significant difference in the pre and post survey as it pertained to questions regarding safe patient care, communication, and sense of institutional support. Results of this study are inconclusive and do not fully support the orientation program. Nurse leaders have a social mandate to ensure new graduate nurses are supported and have the resources needed to provide safe patient care. The program that was created and implemented was an attempt to assist new graduate nurses with their transition into practice.

<p> The purpose of this study was to understand teacher perceptions of learning community principles, practices, and processes at Highland High School, and to determine if teacher practices had changed due to the LC framework. The study also explored teacher perceptions towards creating a more engaging and effective LC that extends beyond current practices. This mixed-methods action research study blended quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis through a faculty survey, teacher interviews, and document collection at an Illinois high school. Study results conclude: (1) teachers perceived time, support, and vision as fundamental, (2) faculty worked together to teach, learn, and share, (3) faculty viewed the LC as a top-down initiative when driven by educational mandates and reforms, which restricts shared leadership, decision-making, and teacher autonomy, (4) student engaged learning is perceived as a focal point within the LC, (5) teachers perceived professional development opportunities as necessary, and (6) teachers perceived climate and culture as important in the LC. Most teachers felt the LC framework generally supported LC practices and principles that encouraged change and action, although some indicated a focus on mandates was problematic. Study implications suggest a LC framework may be more likely to improve teaching, learning, and professional practices when it contains time for faculty to work, a clearly defined vision, cross-curricular collaboration, tri-level engagement, and shared and distributed leadership practices that empower faculty to make decisions. </p>

<p> The purpose of this study is to determine the accuracy of the Tanaka-Johnston mixed dentition analysis method and develop a new predictive model for Northern Thai population. </p><p> A total of 400 sets of dental study casts (145 males and 255 females) were obtained from the Department of Pediatrics and Orthodontics at the Chiang Mai University School of Dentistry, Thailand. The models were obtained from patients that were age 11 to 23 years that consisted of a full permanent dentition. A digital caliper was used to measure the mesiodistal widths of all teeth on dental study models. The sum of the predicted widths for the canines and premolars using the Tanaka-Johnston method in maxilla and mandible were compared with the observed widths. Models for predicting the total width of canines and premolars was generated using linear regression. The coefficient of determination and root mean square error were used to assess the fit and prediction accuracy of the models. </p><p> Tanaka-Johnston method underestimated the mesiodistal widths of permanent canines and premolars in both arches of the Northern Thai population (<i> P</i>&lt;0.0001). Sexual dimorphism was significantly different between Northern Thai males and females for the widths of mandibular incisors, canines and premolars (<i>P</i>&lt;0.05). </p><p> The data demonstrated the inaccuracy of Tanaka-Johnston method when applied to Northern Thai population. To help predict crowding in young children, new mixed dentition analysis methods were developed and validated. The data support development of these new methods which increase the predictive accuracy for Northern Thai population.</p>

The aim of this mixed method research was to evaluate the effectiveness of a Parent Drop-in Project offered by Educational Psychologists (EPs) in children's centres. The project was designed to provide parents, carers and families with immediate support and direct access to the Education Psychology Service in the form of a brief consultation service. A total of 36 parents participated in the research and provided quantitative measures of levels of concerns and confidence via the Parent Questionnaires. These questionnaires were completed before and after attending the drop-ins. The views of eight parents and a group of EPs were also gathered via semistructured interviews and a focus group discussion. The quantitative data were analysed statistically (i. e. Wilcoxon Test) while the qualitative data were analysed using Thematic Analysis. The outcomes suggested that the Parent Drop-in Project was significantly successful in reducing parents' levels of concerns and at the same time increasing their confidence. Interestingly, qualitative findings revealed that there were a number of therapeutic effects and these were mediated by the process of normalising parental concerns. This concept indicates that the act of acknowledging and validating parents' thoughts and feelings may powerfully encourage parents to reframe and change their thought patterns. This research also found a positive impact on child and familial outcomes such as enhancing family dynamics and relationships. Additionally, views of EPs emphasised that the Parent Drop-in Project promoted opportunities for professional development, joint-working as well as job satisfaction and enjoyment. Furthermore, this research has also recommended the importance of a more rigorous methodology, which includes obtaining information from a diverse sample to strengthen the research in this area. Finally, this research not only contributed to evidence-based practice, it also proposed that the Parent Drop-in Project was an effective model of service delivery in supporting parents to improve outcomes for their children.

Thesis advisor: C. Patrick Proctor<br>There is widespread agreement that language skill underpins reading comprehension (e.g. Cutting &amp; Scarborough, 2006; Dickinson, McCabe, Anastasopoulos, Peisner-Feinberg, &amp; Poe, 2003; Snow, 1991), and empirical work over the last 20 years has shown positive effects of dialogic instruction on student literacy outcomes. This suggests the importance of the engagement with others in the learning process as a scaffold for academic literacy skills (Wells, 1999). Research in this area has shown a number of important features of dialogic instruction to be positively correlated with literacy skills, but it is still not well understood how teachers guide and support students in developing language abilities for reading comprehension. Drawing on dialogic theories of language and the simple view of reading model (Hoover &amp; Gough, 1990), and using a convergent mixed method analysis, the study explores how features of dialogic instruction relate to students' reading comprehension outcomes, and identifies themes within the patterns and variations of these features during instruction. Multilevel modeling (Raudenbush &amp; Bryk, 2002) and case study analysis (Merriam, 1998; Stake, 2006; Yin, 2009) are used to identify significant talk moves for reading comprehension and to qualify the content and function of these moves in their instructional contexts. Quantitative analyses showed five significant talk moves predicted reading comprehension achievement, including the rate of uptake questions, teacher explanations, and low-quality evaluations. High rates of student explanations and high-quality questions were predictive of lower reading outcomes. Case study analyses show a preponderance of teacher talk, a lack of quantity and quality to student talk, and an efferent stance (Rosenblatt, 1994) toward reading. These findings indicate a lack of dialogic practices across the grades and classrooms. However, there were opportunities for dialogic practices that support students' linguistic comprehension. Overall, this analysis showed mixed results for the importance of dialogic instructional moves, and indicates the importance of teacher talk to facilitate linguistic comprehension, as well as the promise of talk moves that incorporate student attention and participation around texts<br>Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2014<br>Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education<br>Discipline: Teacher Education, Special Education, Curriculum and Instruction

<p> School principal preparation programs have the obligation to ensure administrators are ready for the challenges that face them on a regular basis. This study investigated the effectiveness of school principal preparation programs. The purpose was to determine specific areas for which K-12 administrators are unprepared and the role school principal preparation programs play in helping administrators feel prepared for their roles, responsibilities, and duties. Administrators are expected to lead a diverse population of students and staff members while maintaining a budget, meeting state and federal requirements, understanding education reforms, implementing technology, and being responsible for daily operations of a school. Through the use of a mixed-study, there were several areas participants identified as weaknesses in their principal preparation program. This study surveyed and interviewed administrators who were within their first three years of being an administrator. The most prepared responsibilities identified in this study were knowledge of school law, establishing and maintaining a vision and focus on a core set of organization goals, implementing research-based school improvement, maintaining a safe school, and developing high expectations for student learning. The least prepared responsibilities identified in the survey were dismissing staff members, developing the master schedule, developing the school calendar, and scheduling parent/teacher conferences. Interviewed participants identified creating a vision of learning, ethics, importance of diversity and equity, collaborating with stakeholders, creating a school culture, and addressing facilities/maintenance as the six ISSLC standards they were most prepared to handle. The five least prepared ISSLC standards were evaluating teachers to increase student achievement, using technology to increase student achievement, managing human resource and personnel, preparing a budget and managing finances, and evaluating curriculum and best practices. </p>