Student incivility has become a problem in nursing schools around the country. Researchers have noted that uncivil behavior that goes unaddressed may compromise the educational environment. Nursing faculty have differing standards about uncivil behavior; thus, students experience inconsistencies in approaches to incivility. The purpose of this mixed-methods explanatory study was to explore nursing faculty experiences with, understandings of, and responses to student incivility. The conceptual framework was Clark's continuum of incivility and the conceptual model for fostering civility in nursing education. Descriptive analysis of the level and frequency of uncivil behaviors of nursing faculty members (17 full-time and 15 part-time), as measured by the Incivility in Nursing Education-Revised survey, indicated that faculty most frequently experienced uncivil behaviors at the lower end of the continuum and rarely encountered those at the higher end. A purposeful sample of 12 faculty members (10 full-time and 2 part-time) participated in semistructured interviews, and data were open coded and analyzed thematically. Stress was identified as a contributing factor to student incivility, and faculty responses varied based on the learning environment. Nursing faculty expressed the need for more consistency in responding to student incivility. Based on the research findings, a 3-day professional development workshop on promoting civility in the academic environment was created. By learning practical ways to respond to, and possibly prevent, uncivil behavior in student nurses, workshop participants have the potential to positively affect the lives of future nurses, the health care personnel with whom they will work, and the patients for whom they will care.

Improving throughput in the B. Tech. Nursing Sciences programme is a complex issue as not only the theoretical but also the practical component and undefined inner strengths of the student influence success. The purpose of this article is to report factors in the prospective students’ social background, their perceptions of nursing and nurses and their motivation that could influence their academic success in the first year of study. The research design was contextual, qualitative and exploratory. Triangulation of data gathering methods was obtained by using two instruments, a targeted selection interview and a written instrument. Data analysis was done through Tesch’s approach. The results indicate that prospective students perceive a nurse to be functioning from the affective domain, and that they judge themselves to be strong in the affective domain. The cognitive domain was rarely mentioned (7%). Due to the myths regarding the nursing profession, the profession continue to attract students who are interested in the myth and not the reality.

This study employed a survey design. 5,000 special education teachers were sampled across the nation to determine their perceptions of knowledge of substance abuse, and instructional and behavioral management skills to address students with disabilities who are abusing substances. The following research questions were addressed: (a) What are special education teachers’ perceptions of substance abuse intake among their students; (b) What are special education teachers’ perceptions of their knowledge of different substance abuse areas; (c) What are special education teachers’ perceptions of their classroom knowledge in addressing instructional and behavioral management issues of special education students abusing substances; (d) Are there differences in the teachers’ perceptions of their substance abuse knowledge and related classroom pedagogy skills across: (i) school levels kindergarten/elementary, middle, high school), (ii) school locations (rural, urban, suburban), and (iii) teacher disability assignment (as determined by their students’ primary disability). Descriptive statistics, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) repeated measures, and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was used to analyze the data. The results revealed that although special educators perceive their students abuse substances, they think it is only by a small percentage of students. Significant differences were noted in the teachers’ perception of knowledge in the six substance abuse areas assessed. Significant differences of the teachers’ perceptions of knowledge were also noted across school locations and teacher disability assignments. Future studies should focus on conducting more extensive research in this limited area of study. / text

The purpose of this research is to explore Thailand teachers’ perspectives towards the integration of ICTs into the teaching and learning process in order to better understand how teachers use technology for classroom instruction and their perceptions of the factors that influence their use of ICTs. The study applied Interactive Qualitative Analysis (IQA) approach to draw a systems thinking of teachers and to provide in-depth perspectives of teachers about their implementation of ICTs in the classroom. Eighteen computer teachers and twenty-two mathematics teachers participated in a focus group interview. Fifteen computer teachers and fourteen mathematics teachers were invited to participate in an individual interview. Results from the data analysis based on the IQA approach showed that teachers’ perspectives on their integration of ICTs encompassed several components including School management and administration, Content and curriculum, Teacher, Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), Student, Environment, Time, and Parent or guardian. The results also revealed a systems thinking of teachers that showed the interrelationships of the affinities. The statistical analysis comparing the perceptions of two teachers groups showed that there was only one affinity, which was “Student”, found to be significantly different at the .049 level. This could be because of difference in teacher perceptions of students. For other affinities, the results showed that both groups of teachers did not perceive their work experiences in a significantly different way. / text

Infants born prior to 37 weeks gestation are at risk for countless medical problems and developmental delays. In order to help minimize these delays and improve the child’s potential, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Part C, funds Early Intervention (EI) Services. These services may include speech, physical therapy, occupational therapy, or developmental therapy, among others. Purpose and Objective: While numerous studies show the benefits of EI therapies, little is known about barriers to EI participation, what the parents of these children who participate in EI think, or how to improve EI services. This study attempts to answer these questions. Methods: Surveys regarding EI were posted to three preemie parent organizations social media pages, and 140 surveys were returned. These surveys were analyzed for both quantitative and qualitative answers. Qualitative answers were coded and themes were garnered. Results: A total of 148 participants took the survey, and 76% had children that had participated or currently participate in EI. Of the parents who answered their child did not attend EI, most state there was no EI services near them, their child did not qualify, or the EI services were of poor quality. Of the EI parent surveys, most parents (73%) were happy with their child’s EI and their child’s progress, and would recommend EI to others. Most children had EI therapy at least weekly, and were referred to EI prior to leaving the NICU. Parents felt as though their child benefitted in nearly all domains. In addition to the benefits to their child, EI parents also felt as though therapy helped decrease their stress level, gave them a benchmark to measure their child’s progress and connected them with other professionals for their child. Some parents also provided recommendations to improve EI: decrease eligibility requirements, improve communication with parents, provide continuity of care, and create a bridge program for children three and up until they reach school age. Conclusions: With these suggestions, providers can help improve current EI services. Primary care providers should ensure children who are at risk for delays are referred, and EI services should improve communication with parents and enhance continuity of care.

Η παρούσα έρευνα πραγματοποιήθηκε τον Ιούνιο του 2008. Στην έρευνα αυτή συμμετείχαν 54 Εκπαιδευτικοί που εργάζονται σε σχολεία γενικής εκπαίδευσης του νομού Αχαΐας, καθώς και 6 Εκπαιδευτικοί που εργάζονται στο ΚΔΑΥ του νομού Αχαΐας. Σκοπός της έρευνας ήταν να διαπιστώσουμε τις εικόνες και τις αντιλήψεις των εκπαιδευτικών της γενικής εκπαίδευσης για το θεσμό των ΚΔΑΥ, καθώς και να συγκρίνουμε τις αντιλήψεις τους με τις αντιλήψεις που έχουν οι Εκπαιδευτικοί που εργάζονται στο ΚΔΑΥ. Συμπεράναμε σε ποια σημεία συμπίπτουν και σε ποια διαφέρουν και διαπραγματευτήκαμε τους λόγους για τους οποίους ίσως να συμβαίνει αυτό. Το μεθοδολογικό εργαλείο που χρησιμοποιήσαμε για τους Εκπαιδευτικούς των σχολείων ήταν το ερωτηματολόγιο, ενώ για τους Εκπαιδευτικούς του ΚΔΑΥ ήταν η συνέντευξη. / This research took place in June 2008. The survey was joined by 54 teachers working in schools of general education of the prefecture of Achaia and by 6 teachers working in KDAI of the prefecture of Achaia. The purpose of the survey was to see the images and perceptions of teachers of general education for institution of KDAI, and to compare their perceptions with the perceptions that have the teachers working in KDAI. We draw the conclusion on which points they match or differ and we negotiated the reasons why this maybe happens. The methodological tool used for teachers of the schools was the questionnaire, while for teachers of KDAI was the interview.

In response to the continued pressure placed on American public schools to increase academic achievement, some schools have begun to reorganize instructional environments in an effort to improve student outcomes. The current study examined one such elementary school that implemented a departmentalized model of instruction in fourth and fifth-grade classrooms in an effort to improve student learning. This longitudinal, cross-sectional study followed a sample of students and teachers over a two-year period in an attempt to ascertain how departmentalizing in the elementary school affected student and teacher perceptions and academic achievement among students in third, fourth, fifth, and sixth-grade. Student perceptions of their school, teachers, peers, and academic performance were measured using surveys and standardized achievement test scores were collected. Teacher attitudes toward departmentalization were also measured using surveys. A factor analysis of student survey results with Varimax rotation resulted in ten factors that revealed a consistent pattern of change in student perceptions when correlated. A consistent relationship between students' academic achievement and perceptions at each grade level was not found. Results suggested that students who began switching classes in elementary school had positive perceptions of their teachers and of themselves as social beings in school. Perceptions of their academic abilities, however, separated from their perceptions of their teachers over time. In contrast, students with one teacher in self-contained classrooms had positive perceptions of their teachers. These students' perceptions of their academic abilities and perceptions of themselves as social beings in school were connected to their perceived teacher-student relationships. Elementary teachers expressed concern over meeting their students' emotional needs, but otherwise reported positive attitudes toward their abilities to teach and meet their students' academic needs in a departmentalized setting. Teachers at the elementary school and the middle school felt that students who switched classes in elementary school were more prepared when they got to middle school and adjusted more quickly than students who came from self-contained elementary classrooms.

This thesis explores how the 2003 epidemic of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or SARS, threw into relief the myriad historical, political and economic factors that shape understandings of and responses to a new disease. The author traces how the historic "othering" of Chinese immigrants and their descendents in the United States was combined with dominant discourses of risk and blame to understand SARS and the potential for a domestic epidemic. Narratives from community members of Manhattan's Chinatown are used to investigate the local impacts of the production of these discourses during the SARS epidemic. Finally, the author explores how these dominant discourses were applied locally within Chinatown understand local and personal risk.

The study deals with the extent to which change should be implemented by institutions. It is of paramount importance that staff be at the centre of the change throughout the entire process. It is worth noting that in the absence of this serious phenomenon, there seems to be little hope of raising employee confidence, as is notable from the responses of the employees of MNet and SABC. The sociopolitical history of South Africa has played a major role in language used in the country's media: television, newspapers and radio. English is by far the most widely used language in the media, followed by Afrikaans and the African languages in that order. Except for multilingual programmes, it was relatively easy to determine the amount of airtime allocated to each individual language. A previous study shows that the distribution of airtime on South African television is strikingly uneven, with English taking up 91,95% of the total weekly airtime, Afrikaans 5,66% and all nine African languages sharing a mere 2.39% of airtime collectively. The study further deals with the origin and development of the Afrikaans language in South Africa. For many years Afrikaans took centre stage in South Africa. Especially during the apartheid years the use and power of Afrikaans increased dramatically on the SABC. Since 1994 English has gained more territorial political clout than Afrikaans in virtually all the country's institutions, including the media. The SABC took a political decision to cut vigorously on Afrikaans programming. That triggered MNet's decision to embark on a business decision to establish a dedicated Afrikaans channel. This study shows that employees at the SABC are generally unsatisfied with the broadcaster's decision and staff at MNet are in agreement with the fact that Afrikaans has lost most of its privileges and political prestige it had during the apartheid era, it could still present a challenge to the hegemony of English in all the higher domains, except diplomacy. / Thesis (M. Development and Management)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.

Vaccination, one of public health’s greatest disease prevention tools, is broadening to focus on adolescents. Now that there are more vaccines targeted specifically for adolescents, it is time to give more focus to vaccine delivery in this population. This research will increase the knowledge base to support informed changes in adolescent vaccine delivery by identifying knowledge and attitudes of adolescents toward vaccination within the context of barriers and solutions. Perceived susceptibility to disease, benefits and barriers to vaccination and other constructs were collected through a survey to 1368 high school students. In this population, a scheduled adolescent healthcare visit is feasible, vaccine education can diminishes health misconceptions, and vaccination mandates are ways to reach some students.