Thesis advisor: Philip G. Altbach / Internationalization on campus is being called for in order to adapt to a rapidly globalizing social and economic context. However, many institutions, including those across Vermont, have not yet polled their faculty to see what international experiences or background faculty members have. Few have a comprehensive understanding of faculty language competencies, or in what ways faculty members have been collaborating with foreign scholars. This study looked at attitudes and beliefs faculty members have towards bringing global dimensions into their faculty role, as well as their perceptions of internationalization on campuses. This study takes the extra step of looking at the data collected on Vermont faculty, and then slices it through multiple lenses, looking to see if there are trends and connections by demographic factors such as gender, academic rank, discipline, number of years in the field, or having a preference for student learning or research. Results of this dissertation study revealed a faculty composition that was reassuringly internationalized when looking at language abilities, international experiences, among other demographic factors. Results also revealed that faculty attitudes and beliefs as well as perceptions of campus climate towards internationalization, were overwhelmingly positive. Following comparisons to prior national and international studies, Vermont institutions have strong evidence to claim support for internationalization among their faculty. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2010. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Administration and Higher Education.

Background and aims: Pain management programmes provide effective interventions for people with chronic pain, but effects are modest, and not all participants benefit. The current study aims to investigate the role of acceptance and cognitive representations i.e. beliefs about pain, in engagement, and outcome, of this kind of intervention. Design and participants: A quantitative design was used to investigate whether acceptance and cognitive representations of pain predict engagement and outcome of intervention, whether acceptance and cognitive representations change during intervention, and the relationship of acceptance with five dimensions of belief. Participants were 116 patients referred for assessment to a pain management programme. Measures Questionnaire measures of acceptance of pain, and cognitive representations of pain were used as predictor variables. Measures of distress, self-efficacy and physical function were used as outcome measures. Pain severity and waiting time were also measured as potentially confounding variables. Results: Measures of acceptance and cognitive representations of pain did not predict who would complete the intervention. Increases in acceptance, and decreases in perceived consequences of pain, and pain identity, occurred during the intervention. Lower acceptance was related to more serious perceived consequences and greater pain identity, but not with beliefs about cause or expected duration of pain, or beliefs in control and cure. Implications: Interventions aiming to increase acceptance by changing beliefs about perceived consequences of pain and pain identity may be useful. Further research is needed to explore the nature of acceptance, and the role of different dimensions of belief in affecting functioning, in chronic pain populations.

Expatriates and tourists both represent transient markets who travel to destinations and, to differing degrees, look to understand their host destination. To date, the overlap between tourism and expatriation has received scant analysis and yet could offer useful synergies. With this premise in mind, a two-stage, mixed methods study analysed the connection between tourists and expatriates in Dubai, UAE. The results from 36 face-to-face interviews and 439 questionnaires suggested that tourism practices do benefit expatriate adjustment by providing opportunities to expatriates and nationals to meet, interact, and learn from one another. The results offered the five Arenas of adjustment – the Individual, the Destination, Exposure opportunities, the Company, and the Host – that facilitate adjustment within the expatriate. Tourism is directly referred to in the Exposure Arena, reflecting a qualitative effect of tourism in adjustment. It was through such opportunities that tourism was found to encourage expatriate adjustment by either directly teaching expatriates and nationals about one another, or providing the opportunity for them to meet, interact, and learn.

Informal public transport (IPT) has emerged as an adaptive alternative to formal public transport in developing countries. The informal public transport service has both positive and negative impacts on the wellbeing of urban dwellers. As such, there are varying discourses on whether IPT should be considered an urban resource or a problem. The impact of urban growth in terms of population increase and urban spatial sprawl creates public transport challenges in developing countries. It is against this backdrop that this study explored the perceptions of informal public transport stakeholders on the quality of service (QoS) experienced in the City of Ibadan, Nigeria. A pragmatist philosophical approach is adopted in this study in order to explore the stakeholders' perceptions of the QoS of IPT in Ibadan. A convergent mixed methods research design was employed to explore the set objectives seeking to understand how the impact of urban growth in Ibadan has developed a demand for public transport, more so against the backdrop of the diminished public investment in transport services and infrastructure. The study seeks to identify and explore stakeholders' perceptions on the established IPT in Ibadan. The study developed a multi-criteria evaluation model to explore and analyse such perceptions on QoS on identified three Local Government Authorities (LGAs) in Ibadan. The identified issues are discussed using culture sensitisation of governance in the context of Ibadan and reflecting such perceptions against the ideals for individuals and public. Findings from the study reveal mixed stakeholders' perceptions. The descriptive analysis and narratives of the stakeholders reveal that some of the criteria are positively perceived. The application of the Kruskal Wallis Analysis for variability across the three studied local authorities reveal that there is insignificant influence of the socioeconomic characteristics of the users on perceptions of IPT. However, an analysis of individual criteria established in the multi-criteria evaluation model reveals a low users' perceptions of the QoS provided by IPT users. The study concludes that the positive perceptions attributed by users of the IPT, despite its otherwise poor QoS, is explained by the fact that the use of IPT in Ibadan is not out of public choice but a necessity given that there is no other alternative mode of public transport. Consequently, the study concludes that perceptions of informal public transport relate to the impact on individuals and public wellbeing. This is alternative thought from discourses that perceive urban growth in terms of population growth and physical spatial sprawl to the shift towards explaining the impact of urban growth and need for transport in terms of public wellbeing. Following on to this, the study draws a recommendation for a transport policy and practice developed from the nexus of the regulatory state, the informal transport sector and the users of informal transport driven by the view that informal transport is a key contributor to public wellbeing in cities of the developing world. Thus, the IPT should be sensitised as a permanent and 'formal' element for the City of Ibadan and not perceived as illegal and targeted for withdrawal from the urban.

It is evident from research studies that deaf youth in South Africa have limited knowledge or, rather, are misinformed about issues related to HIV/AIDS (Barnett & Whiteside, 2002). This is not a pure South African problem as Heuttel and Rothstein (2001) note those international studies on differences in HIV/AIDS knowledge between deaf and hearing youth indicates that deaf youth do not have the necessary knowledge about HIV/AIDS. To address this problem the South African government made a commitment to render and strengthen effective HIV/AIDS education to deaf learners (The White Paper 6 on Inclusive Education, 2001). Therefore, this study was aimed at exploring deaf youth’s perceptions about HIV/AIDS, the impact of HIV/AIDS, as well as the role that deaf youth play in the fight against HIV/AIDS in schools. A qualitative research approach was used for this study and a convenience sample of forty participants from two schools for the deaf in the Eastern Cape Province was used. The sample comprised twenty learners from each school, ranging from 14-21 years of age. Interviews were used as a data collection tool. The study has four findings, that is: deaf youth do not have critical knowledge about HIV/AIDS; deaf youth access information through conversations (with peers) and television; life skills teachers put more emphasis on religious education than talking explicitly about HIV/AIDS and discussions about HIV/AIDS are seldom held for fear of stigmatisation and due to various perceptions about HIV transmission. The study concludes that it is imperative for deaf youth to have the right knowledge and skills to reduce their vulnerability to HIV/AIDS therefore; this dissertation recommends that there is a need to address issues related to knowledge improvement, access to information and the social stigma against HIV/AIDS. The study further notes that there is a need to research, reasons why HIV/AIDS is not incorporated in all learning areas; other factors that may be causing teachers not to be able to offer in-depth HIV/AIDS education to deaf youth and to determine the extent to which SLED materials are being put to use by teachers of deaf learners.

The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate general education teachers’ perceptions of being prepared to work with students identified with autism, grade level assignments, time concerns, and the presence of an ancillary attendant in their classrooms. Participants in this study were located in one city school system in North East Tennessee. All data were collected through an online survey distributed to 230 teachers, of whom 79 responded. Four research questions were analyzed, 3 with single sample t tests and 1 with a one-way ANOVA. Results indicated no statistical significance regarding grade level assignments and general education teachers’ perceptions of inclusion of students identified with autism. General education teachers who participated in this research indicated significant negative perceptions of feeling prepared to manage social issues, communication issues, and aggressive behaviors associated with autism as well as having adequate time to work with students identified with autism. Significant positive perceptions were indicated for the presence of an ancillary attendant in their classroom to assist with students identified with autism.

The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between student perceptions of classroom climate and student growth in high-poverty schools. More specifically, this study analyzed the relationship between Tripod Student Perception Survey classroom favorability ratings and Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System (TVAAS) gain scores for students in grades 3 through 8 in a medium-sized school district in Northeast Tennessee during the 2012-2013 academic year. The data were gathered from approximately 1,500 fourth and fifth grade students from 6 elementary schools and 2 K-8 schools as well as approximately 1,300 sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students from 3 middle schools and 2 K-8 schools. The analysis of data found statistically significant relationships between student perceptions of caring and reading TVAAS gain scores among students in grades 4 and 5, student perceptions of conferring and math TVAAS gain scores among students in grades 4 and 5, as well as student perceptions of captivating and math TVAAS gain scores among students in grades 4 through 8. The study did not reveal statistically significant relationships between student perceptions of challenging, clarifying, consolidating, or controlling and reading or math TVAAS gain scores.

This study explored mothers’ perceptions about kindergarten readiness and practices in preparing their child for kindergarten. The relationship between maternal educational level and the developmental appropriateness of their perceptions and practices in preparing their children for kindergarten was examined. The relationship between the child’s birth status and the developmental appropriateness of mothers’ responses was also investigated. A questionnaire asking parents about their perceptions and practices with their child entering kindergarten was sent home to 60 families who had enrolled their child in the Adele and Dale Young Child Development Laboratory at Utah State University during the 2010-2011 academic year; 33 mothers returned completed questionnaires. The questionnaire contained statements for the parents to rate in importance and in frequency of their child participating in an activity. A variety of developmental areas such as literacy, math, motor, and social were included in the statements. The findings from the study suggest that mothers were more developmentally appropriate in their responses to their perceptions of kindergarten readiness than they were in their responses about their actual practices in preparing their child for kindergarten. However, mothers were mostly developmentally appropriate in their responses in all areas. They seemed to understand the importance of literacy and mathematics in young children’s lives, but they may not understand how wide the spectrum is for a child learning about literacy and mathematics in developmentally appropriate ways. The participants had low means with their responses to some of the literacy practices, such as with how children should be taught letter and word recognition. Mothers were most developmentally appropriate in their perceptions of being involved in their child’s education. They appeared to understand that being involved in their child’s education will help their child transition to and be more successful in school than if they were not involved. Overall, it was found that mothers had a reasonably good understanding of what is developmentally appropriate to prepare children for kindergarten; however, they were not as clear about what is less developmentally appropriate for preparing children for kindergarten. Limitations, implications, and suggestions for future research are discussed.

This study was designed to reveal the self perception of unwed fathers . Ten men participated in the project; nine of them IDre 25 years of age or younger. To measure self perception an instrument was constructed in the form of a questionnaire . Each um18d father was then interviewed to discover his perceptions, particularly as they relate to their common plight of unwed fatherhood. The men perceived themselves as normal young Americans , and felt their conduct and intentions were in compliance ,nth peer expectations . Some of the subjects responded to the interview ,nth descriptive and detailed accounts while others were either unconcerned or hesitant and replied in fe,[ ,rords . None of the me!1 W The emergence of a clearer picture of the unwed father , through the attempt to reveal his interests, problems, and concerns , may assist in the development of strategies and programs to prevent illegitimacy and to effectively aid those involved in it . Perhaps this study of the self perception of unwed fathers will be helpful in this regard.

Despite the efforts to shorten the time youth spend in foster care, every year about 37, 362 youths emancipate from the foster care system without reaching permanency. Permanency for foster youth has not received adequate attention from the child welfare community due to the belief that youths are unadoptable. Using a qualitative approach, this study will explore the social workers’ perceptions related to permanency planning for youth with behavior problems and/or juvenile involvement in foster care and analyze the influence of the social workers’ perception on permanency planning for these youths. This research study found that social workers considered the mental health of youths as most important in considering placement and permanency options. They believe that reunifying the youths with their families of origin was the optimal permanency outcome. However, when this option was not available, they felt that placing the youths with extended family members or family friends under legal guardianship was a good permanency outcome. This study also found that most of the participants limited the youths’ permanency options to only those known family members or friends already named by the parents; they did not consider reinstating reunification services to the parents, reaching out to incarcerated parents, searching for maternal and paternal extended family, or searching for lost siblings. Implications for social work research and practice are discussed.