M. Comm. / This research focused on the measurement of job satisfaction in two related faculties in a higher education institution comprising 300 academic staff. The research was quantitative and non-experimental. The Job Descriptive Index was used as the basis to determine the most significant factors that contribute to job satisfaction. Five factors were identified, namely the actual job, supervision, relations with co-workers, remuneration and promotion. Sub-factors relating to these factors were identified through an in-depth literature study. A questionnaire was compiled on the basis of essence of each of these sub-factors. A statistical analysis was done using forced ranking, factor analysis, reliability analysis (Cronbach alpha), Friedman tests, spiderweb plots and correspondence analysis. From the results it is apparent that academics consider their work to be interesting, rewarding and challenging. Academics feel respected in their work context. Academics are satisfied with their supervision, which includes adequate planning and communication and the acknowledgement of excellent work. Academics are satisfied with their relations with co-workers. This includes a pleasant work environment, responsible co-workers and team work. Academics do not agree about remuneration. Most of the academics feel underpaid and regard promotion as a sensitive issue. Deviations in the results include routine work, fairness in remuneration, promotions based on equity policies and infrequent promotions. On the basis of the results of the study, it was recommended that the workload of academics should be examined, fairness in remuneration should be apparent, sound communication between the institution and its employees and the benefit of equity policies in promotions should be highlighted.

The present study examines how mothering and fathering impact child academic outcomes in divorced and intact families, and if there are unique influences of mothering and fathering variables for sons and daughters. An ethnically diverse sample of 1,714 university students from Florida International University (n=1371) and Florida State University (n=343) responded to measures on a questionnaire that included the Nurturant Fathering and Mothering Scales (Finley & Schwartz, 2004; Schwartz & Finley, 2005; Finley & Schwartz, 2006), the Mother and Father Involvement Scales (Finley, Mira, & Schwartz, 2008), demographic measures, and academic outcome measures. In intact families, mothering and fathering variables were significantly correlated with each other, and positively correlated with child academic outcomes including grades, GPA, academic satisfaction, and academic importance. In divorced families, mothering and fathering variables were not correlated with each other. Furthermore, when analyzing divorced families, significant effects were found for both parent and child gender. Mothering variables were found to have the greatest positive impact for sons’ academic outcomes. Maternal nurturance and maternal involvement were correlated positively with academic outcomes for sons from divorced families and accounted for 3-4% of the unique variance explained. Consistently, desired mother involvement, how much involvement the child wished they had received, was negatively correlated with academic outcomes for sons from divorced families and accounted for 10-15% of the unique variance explained. This means that when the amount of maternal involvement that sons in divorced families received matched or exceeded their desired level of involvement, sons had more positive academic outcomes including grades, GPA, satisfaction with academics and academic importance. This suggests that in intact family forms, nurturant and involved mothering and fathering have a positive effect on academic outcomes for sons and daughters. In divorced family forms, the effects of fathering on child academic outcomes were not significant. Therefore, in divorced families, the positive effects fathering on academic outcomes of sons and daughters drop out, and mothers are uniquely important for sons’ academic success.

Technology is now the norm in our educational setting. The literature shows a vast increase in technology implementation and use both inside and outside the classroom over the past few decades. Overall, the studies show a balanced mix of positive and negative perspectives of using technology for educational purposes from students, teachers, administrators, as well as from outsiders. The literature also shows a mix of academic and social effects. Unfortunately, there is little known about how adolescents perceive their use of technology for enhancing their personal academic and social performance, two areas of developmental importance. Using mixed methods design, set in an urban junior high school in Northeast Texas,research questions addressed how much and how often technology is being used in the classroom, as well as specific ways it is being used, through educator surveys. This study also explored adolescent learners’ attitudes toward and opinions about using technology in the classroom, specific ways adolescent learners use technology for academic purposes both inside and outside the classroom, as well as how adolescent learners are engaging with peers through technology versus face-to-face, through independent interviews. Findings indicated that overall, the teacher reports align with the literature: technology is used in the classroom at a high frequency and duration, and there is a wide range of specific ways it is being used. Additionally, the majority of adolescent learners reported perceived benefits when using technology as an aid to one’s academic development. Adolescent learners expounded on the specific ways technology is being used both inside and outside the classroom. Adolescent learners also expounded on how they are engaging with peers through technology versus face-to-face, with the majority of adolescent learners claiming technology is not a perceived aid to one's social development nor is it commonly present when engaging with peers face-to-face. It is recommended that future studies look at any relevant differences between both males’ and females' specific technology use for both academic and social purposes. It is also recommended that future research be conducted on adolescents possibly multi-tasking with both academic and social technology use and any perceived effects of such behavior

No / Higher education is welcoming students from diverse educational, social, and economic backgrounds, and yet it predominantly employs middle-class academics. Conceptually, there appears, on at least these grounds alone, to be a cultural and class mismatch. This work discusses empirical interviews with tenured academics from a working-class heritage employed in one UK university. Interviewees talk candidly about their childhood backgrounds, their school experiences, and what happened to them after leaving compulsory education. They also reveal their experiences of university, both as students and academics from their early careers to the present day. This book will be of interest to an international audience that includes new and aspiring academics who come from a working-class background themselves. The multifaceted findings will also be relevant to established academics and students of sociology, education studies and social class.

The intertwining of political, economic, societal and global changes has resulted in accentuating even more so the 'Muslim question', both domestically and globally. Research has shown that the negative focus Muslims and Islam receive in the West is becoming increasingly mainstreamed, not only through the media, but principally through mainstream political discourse. This mainstreaming is within a global and local narrative of a 'war on terror'. The former followed 9/11 at the outset of this millennium and the latter is represented in the myriad of 'anti-terrorism' initiatives recently augmented in the UK by the Prevent duty. This intensely hostile backdrop has nurtured 'normative truths' about Muslims/Islam. Although Islamophobia did exist long before 9/11, it has now become commonplace and, even, legitimised within the context of tackling terrorism, affecting the experiences of the majority of Muslims in the West and elsewhere in diverse ways. British academia has opened its doors to non-traditional academics, including those from racial and/or ethnic minority backgrounds. Equality policies have been developed, particularly subsequent to the Race Relation Amendment (2000), which has sought to fulfil the recommendations of the Macpherson report (1999). Nevertheless, inequalities do permeate British academia and the experiences of non-traditional academics have been tainted by institutional racism, in both quantity and quality. Statistics attest the former, highlighting the underrepresentation of non-traditional academics in British academia, more particularly in senior leadership and professorial positions. Empirical research findings attest the latter through citing several factors, including career trajectory barriers and the double standards racial bias that operates in a subtle way within higher education institutions (HEIs). These broader and institutional dimensions set the scene for this thesis, the aim of which is to examine the experiences of Muslim academics. The particular experiences of this group of academics have been ignored in previous research, as faith/belief matters have largely been overlooked in studies that explored the experiences of minority academics. This thesis adopts a qualitative approach utilising theoretical bricolage that principally draws on Critical Race Theory (CRT). The notion of race in CRT is, however, expanded to include faith/belief. The thesis also draws on Post-colonial and De-colonial theories, Bourdieu's concept of 'habitus' and Fraser's model of 'status recognition'. It explores the perceptions of Muslim academic participants regarding their own personal/professional identities and how Muslim academics negotiate their Muslim-ness in academia and considers how wider narratives have influenced how they speak about their 'Muslim identity'. The views of the participants are particularly important to examine the extent to which, if any, the 'normative truths' have penetrated academia. This thesis also examines the perceptions of the participants regarding their career experiences and considers whether the experiences of this group of Muslim academics corresponds to, or differs from, the experiences of their fellow non-traditional academics. The Whiteness of the academy was an overarching theme, under which the participants' experiences of racism vis-a-vis job opportunities, career advancement and the multi-faced forms of epistemic racism were discussed. Exceptionalism seemed to be a pre-requisite of gaining a positive experience. Not only did exceptionalism temper perceptions of 'otherness', but being exceptional was an aspect that advanced the career trajectories of some of the participants. Silence was another major theme that recurred in various forms across the fieldwork. These silences appear to have been a consequence of the wider stigmatisation of the Muslim identity, which became evident in the ways some of the participants chose to go about interpreting, or declaring, their Muslim-ness in their workplace. While being Muslim created challenges and required some of the participants to exert substantive negotiations and efforts to fit in, it was advantageous for others, in terms of their career trajectories. Religious micro-aggressions were habitual to the participants with regards to their interactions with staff, and this was particularly acute for females wearing the hijab, where the religious micro-aggressions in HEIs took on a gendered aspect of the 'Muslim problem'. Silence also penetrated the narratives in relation to issues of institutional racism. Networking with other non-white academics was another main theme that featured in the accounts. Muslim academic participants, like other non-traditional academics seek support and mentorship from other minoritised academics to be able to survive in academia. The current study concludes by suggesting that there is a need for more consideration to be given to the aspects of faith/belief in HE policy and practice. This needs to be conducted within a framework that acknowledges the existence of religious microaggressions and the overwhelming normativism of Whiteness in academia.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / This study set out to investigate the social and institutional factors which impact on the retention and progression of female academics in four universities in Zimbabwe. Drawing on a qualitative research methodology the aim of the study was to understand the social and institutional factors related to the retention and progression of female academics in four institutions in Zimbabwe. In seeking to unpack the factors that shape the low representation of female academics in occupational spheres, the study finds unequal gender-based patterns in Zimbabwean society as a key condition that finds its way into the four institutions. In this regard, the patterns and shape of gender relations, based on the principles of kinship, become the platform for unequal relations among male and female academic staff. This manifests itself in different ways, including the (negative) role played by the extended kin family in the progression of married women academics to higher level management posts, resistance to women's authority by both men and women, the culture of male domination within institutions which works to the disadvantage of female academics and stereotypical behaviour by men within the institutions.

The school environment is one of the most critical developmental contexts for adolescents, as it informs both academic and occupational trajectories during the first 20 years of life (Russell & McGuire 2008). Given that LGBT youth may experience more negative academic outcomes than the general population (Kosciw 2010), there is a need to better understand the support needs of sexual minority young people. This research project aims to enhance our understanding of school climate for LGBT students and their heterosexual allies by examining how victimization may mediate the relationship between school connections and academic outcomes as well as how social support may moderate the relationship between victimization and academic outcomes. The study uses data from the Preventing School Harassment (PSH) survey, which included 2,559 middle and high school students in the state of California. The data was collected in 2003, 2004, and 2005 from school GSAs. Results illustrate that verbal victimization-direct and indirect- were significant mediators for LGBT students, whereas physical victimization and LGBT specific victimization was a significant mediator for both LGBT and straight populations. For both populations, the link between victimization and both outcomes was stronger aspirations than GPA. It was only for straight students for whom direct verbal and physical victimization was associated with GPA. For the moderation analyzes, the results show that esteem support and emotional support are the strongest buffers between victimization and academics for LGBT students. For straight students, the findings are more varied. Esteem, emotional, and informational support are a useful buffer for each kind of victimization--LGBT victimization, verbal, and physical. However, none of the social support dimensions buffered the negative effect for direct verbal victimization.

O tabagismo vem sendo considerado um grave problema de saúde pública pela OMS visto que milhares de pessoas morrem anualmente vítimas de doenças relacionadas ao tabaco. O objetivo desta pesquisa foi analisar o padrão do consumo do tabaco entre os acadêmicos da área de saúde da Universidade de São Paulo Campus de Ribeirão Preto no ano letivo de 2009. Trata-se de um estudo epidemiológico, descritivo, modelo inquérito, com uma abordagem metodológica quantitativa. Participaram 745 alunos de três cursos da área de saúde: Medicina, Enfermagem Bacharelado e Enfermagem Licenciatura de ambos os sexos. Foi utilizado um questionário baseado no questionário adotado pelo INCA para avaliação do tabagismo e o Teste de Fagerström para Dependência Nicotínica utilizado para medir o grau de Dependência Nicotínica. A prevalência de fumantes foi de 57 indivíduos (7,7%). Os homens constituíram a maior parte dos fumantes (52,6%) enquanto as mulheres ficaram um pouco abaixo (47,4%). A média de idade foi de 21,9 para fumantes e de 20,8 anos para os não fumantes. A idade de experimentação do cigarro concentrou-se na faixa dos 11 aos 17 anos. Os amigos foram os maiores influenciadores na experimentação do tabaco (78,2%), seguido do cinema/TV (10,2%) e fumo dos pais (6,1%). A maioria dos entrevistados (61,8%) declarou que o pai e/ou mãe fumam ou já fumaram. Em relação à renda familiar, a maioria (48,5%) ficou acima dos seis salários mínimos vigentes à época da pesquisa. A religião mostrou-se como um fator de proteção ao vício do tabaco, pois 16,1% dos tabagistas não possuíam religião. Grande parte dos entrevistados (79,9%) acredita que pode exercer alguma influência no paciente na cessação do hábito de fumar bem como revelam-se um modelo de comportamento para seu paciente (65%). Nesse sentido, a maioria (55,7%) também acredita que os profissionais que fumam são menos propensos a aconselhar seus pacientes a parar de fumar. O desejo de parar de fumar foi manifestado por 63,2% dos fumantes e a Dependência Nicotínica avaliada ficou como Baixa ou Muito Baixa na maioria dos tabagistas. A experimentação de outros produtos do tabaco foi observada em 58,3% de toda a amostra e 86% dos fumantes declararam já ter experimentado a maconha. Entre os não fumantes esse número foi de 22,8%. Na comparação com a prevalência encontrada em 1986 houve uma queda acentuada de 14,2% neste ano para 7,7% em 2009. A tendência de declínio da prevalência de fumantes nos estudantes da área de saúde parece seguir os mesmos caminhos da sociedade em geral, mas esse percentual ainda é muito alto especialmente por tratar-se de estudantes da saúde. Espera-se que este estudo viabilize uma discussão por setores da sociedade e acadêmicos em geral para propor medidas preventivas e de controle do tabagismo entre universitários, sobretudo nos estudantes da área de saúde. / Smoking habits have been considered a serious public health problem by the OMS (WHO em ingles) since thousands of people die from smoking-related diseases. The aim of the current report was to evaluate pattern and prevalence of smoking among public health students at the University of São Paulo (College of Ribeirão Preto) during the 2009-2010 school years. The results were statistically elaborated by using descriptive methods. This study was conducted with 745 medicine and nursing (bachelor and graduation degrees) students who answered a questionnaire adopted by INCA and the Fagerström Teste for Nicotine Dependence. The prevalence of current smoking was 7.7% (57 students - 52.6% were male and 47.4% female), where the influence of friends (78.2%), movies, tv (10.2%) and the parents (6.1%) were the most cited reason to commence such habit. Most subjects informed that they have started smoking at the age group of 11 to 17 years old. 61.8% of the interviewed had a smoking family member (father and/or mother). Religion practice is probably a factor that prevents the tobacco addiction because 16.1% of the smokers are atheist. 79.9% of the interviewed stated that they provide information to their patients about smoking risks and assume they could be a role model for their patients (65%). In addition, 55.7% of the students believe that professionals in the public health care who smoke are less inclined to advise their patients to stop smoking. 63.4% of the students reported to be willing to quit smoking and the nicotine dependence assessed was considered lower or very lower. Smokers (86%) and non-smokers (22,8%) reported having experimented pot. A significant decrease in smoking prevalence among public health student at the University of São Paulo (College of Ribeirão Preto) was observed comparing data from a study in 1986 (that reported a smoking prevalence of 14.2%). Thus, our data corroborates the world trend decline in prevalence of smokers in public health students. However, the number of smokers in health professionals is still high. Knowledge of prevalence of smoking is needed to implement adequate institutional programs to help reduction of smokerers, especially among health professional who were supposed to be a role model to our society.

Past research has confirmed that workplace design affects employee productivity. It is known to affect the employees both psychologically and professionally. Past researchers have looked at it from ergonomic, architectural and other perspectives. However, this research is limited to certain professions such as nursing and construction. However, the research indicates that sing workplace design it is possible to improve productivity of employees in other professions as well. This research aims to focus on how workplace designs can improve productivity of teachers. Teaching is an intellectual/ non manual work and hence design considerations for teachers should be more psychological in nature. Little research has been conducted on improving workplaces designs for non manual workers. Also past research has not paid sufficient attention to gender aspects of workplace design. This research looks at how designers’ consideration of culture, gender and profession of the occupants at the time of designing will affect employees’ perception of the psychological, social and functional quality of their workplace and consequently their productivity. This research primarily fills three gaps in existing literature: Firstly, it focuses on gender of occupants and how considering this during workplace design can affect the productivity of employees. Secondly, it looks at impact of workplace design on teachers, who carry out intellectual non manual work. Thirdly, this study is conducted in context of Saudi Arabia with an aim to reduce the scarcity of similar research in context of Saudi Arabia. Data or this research was collected in two stages. Firstly, female academics provided self-observation data in form of comments using a mobile app which was developed specifically for the purpose of this research. This data was quantified using thematic analysis approach and quantified data was analysed using regression analysis. The second aspect of this research included collecting quantitative data using semi-structured interviews with designers who have worked on designing all-female universities in Saudi Arabia. This research finds that by taking cultural, gender and professional factors into consideration it is possible to improve the social, psychological and functional experience of occupants of the workplace and this is likely to improve their ability to achieve organisational and personal objectives. This research, thus concludes that cultural, gender and professional consideration affect the employees; ability to contribute to employees’ and organisational outcomes.

O tabagismo vem sendo considerado um grave problema de saúde pública pela OMS visto que milhares de pessoas morrem anualmente vítimas de doenças relacionadas ao tabaco. O objetivo desta pesquisa foi analisar o padrão do consumo do tabaco entre os acadêmicos da área de saúde da Universidade de São Paulo Campus de Ribeirão Preto no ano letivo de 2009. Trata-se de um estudo epidemiológico, descritivo, modelo inquérito, com uma abordagem metodológica quantitativa. Participaram 745 alunos de três cursos da área de saúde: Medicina, Enfermagem Bacharelado e Enfermagem Licenciatura de ambos os sexos. Foi utilizado um questionário baseado no questionário adotado pelo INCA para avaliação do tabagismo e o Teste de Fagerström para Dependência Nicotínica utilizado para medir o grau de Dependência Nicotínica. A prevalência de fumantes foi de 57 indivíduos (7,7%). Os homens constituíram a maior parte dos fumantes (52,6%) enquanto as mulheres ficaram um pouco abaixo (47,4%). A média de idade foi de 21,9 para fumantes e de 20,8 anos para os não fumantes. A idade de experimentação do cigarro concentrou-se na faixa dos 11 aos 17 anos. Os amigos foram os maiores influenciadores na experimentação do tabaco (78,2%), seguido do cinema/TV (10,2%) e fumo dos pais (6,1%). A maioria dos entrevistados (61,8%) declarou que o pai e/ou mãe fumam ou já fumaram. Em relação à renda familiar, a maioria (48,5%) ficou acima dos seis salários mínimos vigentes à época da pesquisa. A religião mostrou-se como um fator de proteção ao vício do tabaco, pois 16,1% dos tabagistas não possuíam religião. Grande parte dos entrevistados (79,9%) acredita que pode exercer alguma influência no paciente na cessação do hábito de fumar bem como revelam-se um modelo de comportamento para seu paciente (65%). Nesse sentido, a maioria (55,7%) também acredita que os profissionais que fumam são menos propensos a aconselhar seus pacientes a parar de fumar. O desejo de parar de fumar foi manifestado por 63,2% dos fumantes e a Dependência Nicotínica avaliada ficou como Baixa ou Muito Baixa na maioria dos tabagistas. A experimentação de outros produtos do tabaco foi observada em 58,3% de toda a amostra e 86% dos fumantes declararam já ter experimentado a maconha. Entre os não fumantes esse número foi de 22,8%. Na comparação com a prevalência encontrada em 1986 houve uma queda acentuada de 14,2% neste ano para 7,7% em 2009. A tendência de declínio da prevalência de fumantes nos estudantes da área de saúde parece seguir os mesmos caminhos da sociedade em geral, mas esse percentual ainda é muito alto especialmente por tratar-se de estudantes da saúde. Espera-se que este estudo viabilize uma discussão por setores da sociedade e acadêmicos em geral para propor medidas preventivas e de controle do tabagismo entre universitários, sobretudo nos estudantes da área de saúde. / Smoking habits have been considered a serious public health problem by the OMS (WHO em ingles) since thousands of people die from smoking-related diseases. The aim of the current report was to evaluate pattern and prevalence of smoking among public health students at the University of São Paulo (College of Ribeirão Preto) during the 2009-2010 school years. The results were statistically elaborated by using descriptive methods. This study was conducted with 745 medicine and nursing (bachelor and graduation degrees) students who answered a questionnaire adopted by INCA and the Fagerström Teste for Nicotine Dependence. The prevalence of current smoking was 7.7% (57 students - 52.6% were male and 47.4% female), where the influence of friends (78.2%), movies, tv (10.2%) and the parents (6.1%) were the most cited reason to commence such habit. Most subjects informed that they have started smoking at the age group of 11 to 17 years old. 61.8% of the interviewed had a smoking family member (father and/or mother). Religion practice is probably a factor that prevents the tobacco addiction because 16.1% of the smokers are atheist. 79.9% of the interviewed stated that they provide information to their patients about smoking risks and assume they could be a role model for their patients (65%). In addition, 55.7% of the students believe that professionals in the public health care who smoke are less inclined to advise their patients to stop smoking. 63.4% of the students reported to be willing to quit smoking and the nicotine dependence assessed was considered lower or very lower. Smokers (86%) and non-smokers (22,8%) reported having experimented pot. A significant decrease in smoking prevalence among public health student at the University of São Paulo (College of Ribeirão Preto) was observed comparing data from a study in 1986 (that reported a smoking prevalence of 14.2%). Thus, our data corroborates the world trend decline in prevalence of smokers in public health students. However, the number of smokers in health professionals is still high. Knowledge of prevalence of smoking is needed to implement adequate institutional programs to help reduction of smokerers, especially among health professional who were supposed to be a role model to our society.