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Despite the steady growth of coaching science over the last two decades, research on coaches of persons with disabilities is scarce. This study examined how an adaptive sailing coach learned through and from experience using a single case study methodology. Jarvis’s (2009) lifelong learning approach and Gilbert and Trudel’s (2001) reflective conversation model framed the thematic analysis. The findings revealed that the coach, Jenny, was exposed to collaborative environments that optimized her learning process. Social interactions with a number of people (e.g., mentors, colleagues, and athletes) possessing different types of expertise made major contributions to Jenny becoming a coach. As time progressed and Jenny was exposed to a mixture of challenges and learning situations, she advanced from recreational Para-swimming instructor to developmental adaptive sailing coach. This study informs future research in disability sport coaching.

Despite the steady growth of coaching science over the last two decades, research on coaches of persons with disabilities is scarce. This study examined how an adaptive sailing coach learned through and from experience using a single case study methodology. Jarvis’s (2009) lifelong learning approach and Gilbert and Trudel’s (2001) reflective conversation model framed the thematic analysis. The findings revealed that the coach, Jenny, was exposed to collaborative environments that optimized her learning process. Social interactions with a number of people (e.g., mentors, colleagues, and athletes) possessing different types of expertise made major contributions to Jenny becoming a coach. As time progressed and Jenny was exposed to a mixture of challenges and learning situations, she advanced from recreational Para-swimming instructor to developmental adaptive sailing coach. This study informs future research in disability sport coaching.

Thesis advisor: Lillie R. Albert / Why do mathematics teachers’ beliefs and instructional practices differ, and why are some teachers’ beliefs aligned or misaligned with their instructional practices? This qualitative case study investigated how eight Korean elementary teachers’ sociocultural life stories shaped their mathematical beliefs and practices. The specific aim was to explore through mathematics-related life stories the relationship between the elementary teachers’ mathematical beliefs and instructional practices. The overarching research question was: “How does a theoretical model based on sociocultural theory (Albert, 2012; Vygotsky, 1978) explain the relationship among the Korean elementary teachers’ life stories, the development of their beliefs, and their instructional practices?” The findings of this study indicate that the teachers’ attribution of their unsuccessful teaching experiences contributed to their perception about the value of continuing their own learning and development, which, sequentially, influenced the construction of their current beliefs about mathematics teaching and learning. Their pedagogical beliefs for teaching mathematics were likely to have an impact on their attitude toward implementing student-centered or teacher-centered instructional practices. Additionally, the teachers’ knowledge and self-efficacy beliefs about teaching mathematics influenced this relationship, resulting in different levels of alignment and even misalignment. Thus, teachers used their past mathematics learning and teaching experiences to justify their current beliefs and practices and to explain their classroom culture. These findings resonate with scholarship pertaining to mathematics teachers’ knowledge, beliefs, and instructional practices and contribute further to their developing theory about teachers’ life stories by illustrating how teachers’ life stories play out in a complex mathematics classroom environment. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2019. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Teacher Education, Special Education, Curriculum and Instruction.

This study utilized life history as a methodological tool to explore the identity formation of Mary, a woman in her eighties who is diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. The results of this study showed that Mary's sense of self was greatly influenced by her childhood experiences. Five predominate themes emerged in the interview process: Mary's admiration for her father, her willingness to share wisdom, her career as a beautician, her role as a mother, and her devotion as a wife. The Dynamical Identity Model was constructed to help further illustrate Mary's identity development and the model served as a basis to describe possible outcomes in Mary's life, as a woman diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Her story reveals that Mary has a wonderful disposition about life and, even though she was diagnosed with this disease, she does not perceive the disease as threatening. / Master of Science

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The thesis deals with understanding the interpretation of life story, important people and agency in life story of young adult being expose to an adverse effect of their family. The theoretical part is focused on life story and life story work, namely methods of create life story book. The thesis defined young adult in institutional and foster care, their needs and rights. The special chapter is life story work with traumatized children. The empirical part consist of analysis of four autobiographical narratives collected by the method of narrative interview, life story book and lifeline. The collected information are analysed with holistic-content, holistic-formal and categorical-formal analysis. This work includes feedback participants in research probe reconstruction of life story and life story work. At the conclusion of work are recommended other methods for further research.

To pursuit as an entrepreneur is one of options of career, it is also a dream of many people. Not all the ventures are with success eventually, however, it deserves for a trial and learning a lesson. As being one of the founders of C corporation, the researcher will explore the undertaking process of starting an enterprise in this study, and investigate the issues induced by people and their influence during development of enterprise. The motivation of an entrepreneur to start an enterprise can be traced back to background of his childhood of family life, education and work experience. After setting up an enterprise, the employee will join and will get involved in managing of the organization. And the enterprise will become more complicate as a non-linear system. By investigating the key events during the venture, the role of people and problems induced at various stages of life-cycle of organization will be studied and try to find their resolution. By using narrative inquiry, the researcher will narrative himself as life story to re-entry realm of past experience of the venture of starting C corporation. Though, it is painful to recall some memory. However, the past experience is the most valuable and knowledgeable for C corporation to recreate second curve of life-cycle of organization by innovation of entrepreneurship.

This thesis reviews life stories of three lay congregations with the method of narrative inquiry. It consists of a collection of life experiences, and the searching of the values of life. The researcher reviews, reflects on, appreciates and gives meaning to these three life stories by using the theory of introspection as the main axis. And, the researcher used open-ended interview guide for reference. The purpose of this study is to explore the life story of three lay congregations, further analyzing in narrative research. Although the life stories of the three participants were all cultivated under individual context, the researcher discovered via the practice of Buddhism, three participants had evolved the spiritual side of themselves to a great extent; they therefore encouraged researcher to elaborate for the love of life, support researcher to return to her heart, searching the source of life. Trough in-depth interviews and candid retelling of their life stories, the mercy spiritual leader ¡VMaster Daoyuan - his credibility is documented. Through the appreciative method of narrative inquiry, the researcher reflect her cognitive-self by listening to the life stories of three lay congregations, to further identify with the practice of Buddhism.

Various dimensions of perfectionism are proposed, but are seldom integrated. This research develops and tests an integrative theory of perfectionism. Theory predicts personality traits (perfectionistic concerns, but not perfectionistic strivings) precede and predict changes in characteristic adaptations (perfectionistic self-presentation and perfectionism cognitions). Theory also predicts characteristic adaptations precede and predict decreases in subjective well-being (SWB), and are associated with a particular patterned form of perfectionistic narrative identity (i.e., heightened agency and lowered communion). This research tests this integrative theory. A sample of 127 emerging adults (ages 18-25) transitioning to university for the first time was recruited (78% female; 81% Caucasian). A 3-wave, 130-day longitudinal design with quantitative and qualitative components was used. Participants completed questionnaire measures of perfectionism and subjective well-being at all waves, and completed semi-structured life story interviews at Waves 1 and 3. Interviews were transcribed and coded for themes of agency (i.e., themes of achievement, status, power, and self-mastery) and communion (i.e., themes of love, dialogue, caring, and community). Results are presented in Chapters 2, 4 and 5. In Chapter 2, perfectionistic concerns led to increased perfectionistic self-presentation, which in turn led to decreases in SWB. In contrast, perfectionistic strivings did not predict longitudinal change in perfectionistic self-presentation or SWB. These findings supported hypotheses. In Chapter 4, perfectionistic concerns and perfectionism cognitions were positively correlated with agency. Perfectionism cognitions mediated the relationship between perfectionistic concerns and agency. A qualitative thematic analysis revealed themes of agency focused on performance-related concerns, with undertones of self-doubt and unrealistic high standards. These findings supported hypotheses. In Chapter 5, perfectionistic concerns and SWB were unrelated to communion, contrary to expectations. However, themes of communion exhibited good inter-rater reliability, test-retest reliability, and face validity. Hypotheses regarding communion were not supported. Overall, most hypotheses were supported. By conceptualizing perfectionistic personality as a dynamic, multifaceted, and integrated system, there are numerous implications for developmental, clinical, and personality psychology. These implications, along with the strengths and limitations of this study, are discussed.