School officials in a large district adopted a research-based teacher evaluation system, the Framework for Teaching (FFT). Despite a 4-year phase-in of the FFT, teachers' evaluation ratings increased while student achievement results decreased. This disparity impacted the school district's growth targets as set by the State Department of Education. If target growths are unmet, school administrators must relinquish school operations to the state. A bounded, qualitative case study was designed to explore administrators' and teachers' perceptions of the FFT and its influence on school administrators' assessment of teachers' instructional practices. Social constructivist and andragogy theories formed the study's conceptual framework. A purposeful sample of 6 K-12 district administrators, who reviewed teacher performance, and 12 K-12 district teachers, who were evaluated using the FFT, volunteered to participate in semi-structured interviews. Qualitative data were analyzed using open and axial coding. Key results included concerns with lack of time for conferences during the evaluation process, administrators' skills to provide quality feedback to teachers, and their lack of content knowledge to improve teaching and learning in specific content areas. It was recommended that teachers receive evidence- based, constructive, and individualized feedback from the school administrator. Based on the findings, the Feedback Institute was developed to engage school administrators in professional development to learn how to provide substantive feedback using protocols and structures to support teacher growth and to use content specialists to address gaps in administrators' content knowledge. These endeavors may contribute to positive social change by restructuring the teacher evaluation process to improve instructional practice, and, thus, enhance school improvement and student learning.

The crisis in Burundi began when President Pierre Nkurunziza declared that he would pursue a third term despite a two-term limitation in Burundi’s Constitution. Opposition parties along, with some members of President Nkurunziza’s own National Council for Defence of Democracy, Forces for the Defence of Democracy (CNDD-FDD), argued that President Nkurunziza’s decision to extend his rule beyond the maximum two-terms was in direct violation of the Arusha Peace and Reconciliation agreement, also referred to as the Arusha agreement, signed in 2000. This action triggered opposition parties and civil society groups to organize peaceful protests to challenge President Nkurunziza’s third term bid. In response, government forces and Imbonerakure youth militia coordinated a campaign of repression and intimidation. The country of Burundi is characterized by political violence, targeted assassinations, and accusations of torture and rape by both government forces and armed opposition groups. The purpose of this study was to examine how the conflict surrounding presidential term limit manipulation affected the perception of peace and stability among people in Burundi. Understanding this phenomenon is extremely important because the recent hike in violence among Burundians has negatively affected the peace and stability of the nation. Through a mixed-method case study approach, the study’s main findings indicate the significant fracturing of citizen perceptions of peace and stability along identity lines, significant fear and insecurity among Burundians about the current crisis, as well as the continuing impact of the long-standing violence in the country’s past. Keywords: presidential term limits, conflict resolution, political violence, term limit manipulation, qualitative case study, and quantitative survey.

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Social and demographic changes have a tremendous effect on the care for older people to the effect that caring for older people might have become a rare commodity. Increased life expectancy during the past century has prolonged the period in which older people need care and has made family care giving an increasingly recurrent activity for adult children. After the demolition of the apartheid area in South Africa, most research focused on previously disadvantaged groups, namely Black and Brown people which resulted in a research gap regarding older White people. Little is known about older White people’s experiences of care in South Africa, as older White people are viewed as the minority group who were not previously disadvantaged. However, older White people’s vulnerability is increasing because poverty is currently escalating amongst older White South African people as a result of early retirement and retrenchment because of employment equity and the conversion goal of Black Economic Empowerment. The aim of this study was to explore older White people’s experiences of giving care to and receiving care from their children. A qualitative research approach with an explorative and descriptive nature was utilized for this study as the research question was aimed at understanding a subjective phenomenon. This research design allows the participants to give meaning to their own experiences. A case study design was followed during this research study in order to provide an in-depth description of older White people’s experience of care. The specific population for this study consisted of all White people older than 60 years, co-residing with their adult children and living in the Midvaal area of the Vaal Triangle, Gauteng. Data were collected through journaling and semi-structured interviews, with 10 older White people. Interviews were conducted on a one-on-one basis at the office of the researcher or at the houses of the participants. This ensured the preservation of the participants’ relationship with their children. The interviews were audio recorded and transcribed. Data were reduced through thematic data analysis and emerging themes and categories were identified. The principles and strategies for enhancing the trustworthiness of the data were done through crystallization and neutrality. The results indicated that older White people’s experience of care can be summarized by means of physical, emotional and financial care. Most of the participants in this study were still physically independent from their children and they could attend to their own physical care. Emotional care was identified by the participants as the ultimate indicator of caring and this component contributed profoundly to their psychological well-being. The financial care component highlighted that older White people’s vulnerability is increasing and that poverty is more prevalent in older White people than what is reflected in current research. / MA (Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

This project study addressed the problem of frequent turnover of nurse managers at a Northeastern community hospital. The lack of retention of nurse managers has led to attenuated support for the nursing staff who continued to hold the front line in patient care. The purpose of this qualitative bounded case study was to explore nurse managers' experiences with turnover in order to identify strategies for enhancing retention. Work empowerment and servant leadership theories served as the frameworks for the study. Research questions focused on nurse managers' perceptions of empowerment and servant leadership characteristics that were important in decisions to assume and remain in a management/leadership role. Data collection included audio-recorded interviews with seven current or past full-time nurse managers, and observation of three of the participants at a leadership meeting. Interview transcripts were open coded and thematically analyzed. Observation data were categorized according to empowerment and servant leadership characteristics. Five themes were identified that related to research questions: struggling in management transition, seeking opportunity for transformation, being committed but powerless, embarking unprepared on an unplanned journey, and having the presence to lead others by serving. The findings of this study guided development of a 12-month program for new nurse managers that integrated characteristics of servant leadership to empower leaders and others. These contributions may promote positive social change by preparing new nurse managers for their role and developing their skills to become successful nurse managers.

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現有文獻指出在程度差異大班級中的英語教學相關研究傾向將研究重點置於教師遇到的困難以及他們發現可有效解決問題的教學實務方法。少有研究會進一步研究教師的心理層面以解釋這些教學實務方法是如何以及為何被使用在特定教學時機與場域，也因此使他們的研究討論僅流於教學的表層。 為了呈現一個對程度差異大班級中的英語教學較為全面且深入的理解，本研究採用教師敘事、訪談、觀察以及文件分析來研究一教師如何在程度差異大班級中教英語、她在這樣的班級中教英語時抱有什麼教學認知以及她如何發展出這樣的認知。 研究結果顯示此研究對象之教師持有四大教學認知與實務，包括（一）瞭解並同理其學生、（二）使其教學實務多樣化以容納學生的多樣性、（三）將學習標準層級化以照顧學生的多樣性，以及（四）接納有些事情乃是其力所不逮。經分析後，研究者發現這四大教學認知與實務乃是研究對象之教師基於她所持有的廣泛經驗，不論其發生於教室內或外，所進行省思後，構成並再次構成的教學認知與實務。然而，儘管懷有這四大教學認知，研究對象之教師並非總能落實符合其認知的教學實務。事實上，研究者發現研究對象之教師能實施符合其認知之教學實務的程度乃是她個人落實其教學認知的能力與外在教學場域願意提供多大空間予其落實其認知於實務之互動下的結果。 試圖促進在程度差異大班級中的英語教學與研究，本研究向在此種班級中的四大主要族群，包括教師、教師培育者、研究者以及此班級下的其他相關人士提出相關建議。 / A review showed that existing literature on teaching English in multilevel classrooms tends to focus on the difficulties teachers encounter and practices they find to be effective in addressing the problems in teaching such classes (Chen, 2009; Chiang, 2003; Liu, 2004; Maddalena, 2002; Xanthou & Pavlou, 2008). Few studies have probed further to investigate the mental dimension of teaching that accounts for how and why certain practices are adopted in particular periods of class time and specific teaching contexts (Lu, 2011; Teng, 2009), hence rendering the discussions rather superficial touching only the surface of teaching. To present a more holistic and in-depth understanding of teaching large multilevel English classes, the present study drew on a teacher narrative, interviews, observations and document analyses to investigate how the teacher participant taught large multilevel English classes, what cognitions she held in teaching such classes and how she developed such cognitions. The findings revealed that the teacher held four major cognitions and practices in teaching large multilevel English classes, including (1) knowing and empathizing with her students; (2) building variety into teaching practices to accommodate the diversity of students; (3) adding differentiation into criteria to attend to the diversity of students and (4) admitting that things can be beyond her control. The four major cognitions and practices were found to have structured and restructured through the reflection that the teacher undertook on the vast experiences that she had accumulated both inside and outside the classroom. However, despite holding these cognitions, the teacher could not always implemented practices that conformed to her cognitions. In fact, it was found that the extent to which the teacher could implement practices congruent with her cognitions was the interactive result of her internal capacity to find spaces to realize her cognitions and the surrounding teaching contexts’ willingness to allow room for her to put her cognitions into practices. In an attempt to facilitate instruction and research in large multilevel English classrooms, the study yielded implications for four parties working in the relevant contexts, including teachers, teacher educators, stakeholders of teaching contexts other than teachers, and researchers.

Social and demographic changes have a tremendous effect on the care for older people to the effect that caring for older people might have become a rare commodity. Increased life expectancy during the past century has prolonged the period in which older people need care and has made family care giving an increasingly recurrent activity for adult children. After the demolition of the apartheid area in South Africa, most research focused on previously disadvantaged groups, namely Black and Brown people which resulted in a research gap regarding older White people. Little is known about older White people’s experiences of care in South Africa, as older White people are viewed as the minority group who were not previously disadvantaged. However, older White people’s vulnerability is increasing because poverty is currently escalating amongst older White South African people as a result of early retirement and retrenchment because of employment equity and the conversion goal of Black Economic Empowerment. The aim of this study was to explore older White people’s experiences of giving care to and receiving care from their children. A qualitative research approach with an explorative and descriptive nature was utilized for this study as the research question was aimed at understanding a subjective phenomenon. This research design allows the participants to give meaning to their own experiences. A case study design was followed during this research study in order to provide an in-depth description of older White people’s experience of care. The specific population for this study consisted of all White people older than 60 years, co-residing with their adult children and living in the Midvaal area of the Vaal Triangle, Gauteng. Data were collected through journaling and semi-structured interviews, with 10 older White people. Interviews were conducted on a one-on-one basis at the office of the researcher or at the houses of the participants. This ensured the preservation of the participants’ relationship with their children. The interviews were audio recorded and transcribed. Data were reduced through thematic data analysis and emerging themes and categories were identified. The principles and strategies for enhancing the trustworthiness of the data were done through crystallization and neutrality. The results indicated that older White people’s experience of care can be summarized by means of physical, emotional and financial care. Most of the participants in this study were still physically independent from their children and they could attend to their own physical care. Emotional care was identified by the participants as the ultimate indicator of caring and this component contributed profoundly to their psychological well-being. The financial care component highlighted that older White people’s vulnerability is increasing and that poverty is more prevalent in older White people than what is reflected in current research. / MA (Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

語用教學研究大多專注在教學成效，並以量化研究比較跨文化語用文化規範和溝通策略之差異，然，只有少數的質化研究探討語用研究理論如何落實在外語教學師生的學習動機。準確來說，本研究檢視以英語為外語師生如何看待語用能力培養，以及學習社會語言之動機相關經驗。先前文獻已經指出，第二語言語用學習動機研究，需要投入更多的努力。 因此，本質化個案研究旨在探討臺灣以英語為外語師生學習語用動機。資料蒐集透過面訪、課室觀察和課堂筆記以及研究者的省思日誌，從學習動機的角度審視外語語用教學，洞悉多層次語言學習動機。 研究結果顯示，受訪師生均認為語用教學對第二語言發展極為重要，縱使社會政治情境因素的干擾，諸如考試領導教學、授課時數嚴重不足和偏重語法教學，然而，在學習語言禮貌和適切性方面，受訪者均偏好語言實用功能和實際生活應用，甚於傳統單一語法教學。受訪老師指出在語言四項技能統整課程，語用教學比例明顯偏低，認為語用教學在臺灣並不普及。另外，臺灣英語為外語老師普遍未能滿足學生語用學習需求。 雖然師生起初對學習外語語用似乎未注意其重要性，然而，在回顧外語學習的歷程中，受訪者提高對於文化適切表達之醒覺。本研究期許幫助臺灣學習英語為外語師生了解語用教學在溝通功能中扮演的重要角色，促進未來語用教學研究之實踐，發展語言使用者之溝通能力。 / Though much of L2 pragmatics research has focused on the effectiveness of instructional pragmatics and cross-cultural variations of pragmatic norms and strategies used in the target language via cross-sectional quantitative research, little, however, has been conducted to explore teachers’ and students’ motivational experiences of implementing pragmatics instruction in real-life teaching and learning practices in EFL contexts. Specifically, little was known about what and how teachers and students perceive the role of developing pragmatic ability and their motivations to teach and learn socio-pragmatic functions since prior research has suggested that more research efforts should be done in the line of L2 pragmatics research. Therefore, this study aims to investigate both teachers’ and students’ motivations of learning and teaching pragmatics through qualitative research. Multiple data sources were collected through face-to-face interviews, classroom observations and field notes as well as the researcher’s reflective journals, to illuminate the dynamic, multifaceted motivational experiences of L2 instructional pragmatics. The findings suggest that both teachers and students considered the role of teaching and learning pragmatics essential to second language development pertaining to the polite and appropriate use of the target language, and its learning utility, practical functions and intrinsic interest in using language for authentic communication purposes despite the sociopolitical factors, such as exam-oriented teaching, lack of top-down institutional support and the implementation of English language policy in Taiwan. Nevertheless, the teacher voiced her inadequacy of teaching L2 pragmatics in a four-skill integrated course and demonstrated her concerns about the prevalence of teaching students how to speak English in a culturally appropriate way, which is, however, contrary to students’ eager expectations to learn L2 pragmatics. Albeit both the teacher and the students tended to ignore L2 pragmatics at first, after the initial reflections they raised their awareness of culturally speaking in an appropriate way. In this study, it was hoped to empower both teachers and students to understand their teaching and learning practices by sensitizing them to L2 pragmatics in EFL contexts, to facilitate the implementation of L2 pragmatics instruction in the classroom and to underscore the importance of developing learners’ communicative competence in Taiwan.