abstract: Health care providers (HCPs) are an important source of physical activity (PA) information. Two studies were conducted to qualitatively and quantitatively examine nurse practitioners'(NPs) and physician assistants' current PA counseling practices, knowledge and confidence to provide PA counseling and providers' perceptions about their current PA counseling practices. The specific aims for these two studies included quantitatively and qualitatively identifying the prevalence of PA counseling, perceived counseling knowledge and confidence, and educational training related to counseling. In study 1, survey respondents were currently practicing NPs and physician assistants. Participants completed a modified version of the Promotion of Physical Activity by Nurse Practitioners Questionnaire either online or in person during a population specific conference. The majority of both NP and physician assistant respondents reported routinely counseling patients about PA. There were no differences in perceived knowledge or confidence to provide PA counseling between the two populations. Approximately half of all respondents reported receiving training to provide PA counseling as part of their educational preparation for becoming a health practitioner. Nearly three-quarters of respondents reported interest in receiving additional PA counseling training. In study 2, five focus groups (FGs), stratified by practice type, were conducted with NPs and physician assistants. Both NPs and physician assistants reported discussing PA with their patients, particularly those with chronic illness. Participants reported that discussing lifestyle modifications with patients was the most common type of PA counseling provided. Increased confidence to counsel was associated with having PA knowledge and providing simple counseling, such as lifestyle modifications. Barriers to counseling included having more important things to discuss, lack of time during appointments, the current healthcare system, lack of reimbursement and perceived patient financial barriers. PA recommendation knowledge was highly variable, with few participants reporting specific guidelines. FG participants, while not familiar with the American College of Sports Medicines' "Exercise is Medicine" initiative indicated interest in its use and learning more about it. The findings of these two studies indicate that while NPs and physician assistants are knowledgeable, confident and currently providing some amount of PA counseling to patients, additional training in PA counseling is needed and desired. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Exercise and Wellness 2011

The relationship between learning styles and achievement has been thoroughly studied by many researchers. However, the nursing assistant population is under represented in these studies. Hence, the purpose of this study was to understand the relationship between learning styles, demographics, and achievement of nursing assistant students in Illinois. The sample for the study consisted of 916 nursing assistant students' in Illinois. The VARK learning style inventory was used to measure the students' learning styles, and a demographic questionnaire was used to gather demographic data. The Illinois Nurse Aide Competency Test score was used to measure the achievement of students. The findings showed that there was a relationship between learning styles and achievement of nursing assistant students. Also, there was a relationship between demographics and learning styles. The dominant learning style was the multimodal all four (VARK) preference. Females were the highest representation in the sample and the majority of students were in age ranges 18-25.

Esta pesquisa emergiu de vivências práticas que geraram questionamentos a respeito da possibilidade que profissionais de enfermagem têm de conciliar cuidados de dimensões diversas. A história da enfermagem registra uma concentração em atividades tecnicistas, porém, acredita-se que o cuidado é uma atividade profissional complexa e ampliada envolvendo conciliações técnicas e subjetivas, entendido neste trabalho como cuidado continuum. Optou-se por uma pesquisa qualitativa, utilizando a técnica de grupo focal com o objetivo de descrever e analisar como os auxiliares de enfermagem enfrentam os aspectos emocionais das pessoas hospitalizadas, sendo o local de estudo o Hospital Abreu Sodré, no município de São Paulo. A análise de conteúdo, método utilizado para descrever os resultados, evidenciou uma dificuldade neste cuidado. Os relatos destacam a compreensão e a necessidade do cuidado ampliado, porém, fatores sociais, econômicos e pessoais que envolvem estes profissionais, quase o tornam inatingível. Estes fatores estão relacionados às exigências do mercado de trabalho, à necessidade de cumprir protocolos em um curto espaço de tempo, reforçando certa característica robotizada do cuidador. Os sujeitos da pesquisa consideraram o número reduzido de profissionais; excesso de tarefas; falta de tempo; baixos salários; dificuldade de manejo com a questão subjetiva; estresse físico e mental e outros como fatores impeditivos para a efetivação do cuidado continuum. O indicativo resultante da pesquisa é a criação de serviços de apoio, onde os profissionais de enfermagem poderão verbalizar seus sentimentos e “se sentirem mais leves”, viabilizando uma outra modalidade de cuidado às pessoas hospitalizadas e seus acompanhantes / This research has come from practical living which generated questions about the possibility nursing professionals have to conciliate caring in many dimensions. Nursing history registers a concentration in technical activities; however, caring is believed to be a complex and enlarged professional activity involving technical and subjective conciliations, understood in this paper as continuum care. It was opted for a qualitative research, using the focus group technique under the objective of describing and analyzing how the nursing assistants face the hospitalized people emotional aspects and this study takes place in Abreu Sodré Hospital, in São Paulo. The contents analysis, method used to describe the results, has shown a difficulty in this caring. Reports show up comprehension and necessity of enlarged caring, however, social, economical and personal facts which involve these professionals, make it almost impossible to be reached. These factors are related to the working market and the necessity of caring out protocols in shortened time, reinforcing a kind of robotized characteristic to the person in charge of caring. The participants of the research have considered the shortened number of professional; excess of tasks; lack of time; low wages; difficulties on handling the subjective matters; physical and mental stress and others as inhibitive factors to put continuum care into effect. The research indicative resultant is the creation of supporting services, where nursing professionals can verbalize their feelings and “feel lighter”, making another caring modality available to the hospitalized people and their chaperones

O presente estudo tem como objetivos investigar junto a pacientes de clínica médica, cirúrgica e psiquiátrica sua compreensão sobre Relacionamento Interpessoal, qual a importância desta habilidade, como ela ocorre entre os técnicos e auxiliares de enfermagem com os pacientes das referidas clínicas, o motivo que os levou a este relacionamento e a freqüência desta interação. A metodologia adotada foi a descritivo-exploratória na abordagem qualitativa. O estudo foi realizado em dois hospitais que atendem pacientes conveniados ao Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS), em Passos, Minas Gerais, sendo um hospital geral com clínicas médica e cirúrgica e o outro um hospital psiquiátrico. Fizeram parte do estudo oitenta e sete (87) pacientes dos quais quinze (15) foram submetidos à uma entrevista prévia e setenta e dois (72) foram observados por observadores treinados que a prática da habilidade descrita acima desenvolvida pelos técnicos e auxiliares de enfermagem referidos. Os resultados das entrevistas apresentaram a visão dos pacientes de como são tratados pelos técnicos e auxiliares de enfermagem que trabalham nos referidos hospitais, os conteúdos de suas conversas com esses profissionais, como essas conversas os ajudam, seus sentimentos, o que mais valorizam para o seu bem estar e suas sugestões para melhorar a assistência de enfermagem. Evidenciouse que apesar dos pacientes relatarem que são bem tratados, suas falas levam ao entendimento de que eles evitam fazer comentários negativos da assistência por medo de serem mal tratados e também por medo de ofender os profissionais. As conversas que ocorreram foram breves, superficiais e mecânicas. Constatou-se a predominância por parte dos técnicos e auxiliares de enfermagem em realizar as técnicas, deixando evidente sua formação instrumental, não sendo incluído nesta o relacionamento interpessoal como técnica. Ficou claro seu despreparo para se comunicarem ou se relacionarem com os pacientes, apesar desses relatarem que um dos fatores que mais influenciam em seu bem estar é o relacionamento interpessoal. / The objective of this present study was to investigate the relationship among patients from medical, surgical and psychiatrist clinics, their understanding about this subject, what is the importance of this hability, how it happens between nursing technicians and nursing assistants and the patients from those clinics, the reason that these professionals decided to apply this relation and how often it has been applied. The metodology adopted was the exploratory – descriptive with qualitative research. The study was performed in a psychiatrist hospital and in a hospital where there were medical and surgical clinics. Both of hospitals attend patients connected to Basic Heath Units, in Passos, Minas Gerais. 87 patients participated in this study, 15 of them were interviewed and 72 patients were observed by trained observers. The results of these interviews related what the patients really think about the way they are treated by the nursing technicians and the nursing assistants that work at those hospitals, and the content of their talks with those professionals, how these talks help them, their feelings, their well being and their suggestions to improve the nursing assistance. Even though the patients reported that they are well treated by the nursing technicians and the nursing assistants it was realized that they tend to avoid making negative comments about the assistance afraid of offending the professionals and being bad treated by them. The talks were brief, superficial and mechanic. It was showed the predominance / willingness of those nursing technicians and assistants in appling the technics, their instrumental formation clearly. Relationship was not include as a technic. What it was also clear was that they were not prepared to communicate or to have a relationship with those patients, even though the patients say relationship is one of the reasons that most brought them their well being.

This research studies delegation in outpatient physiotherapy and attempts to solve its deficiency by designing a theoretical model of constructive delegation (CD model). The CD model is functional and uses a systematic and rational approach to plan the level of delegation by using task and cost-benefit analysis and it supports delegation dynamically by organising training, working partnerships, communications and the working environment. An initial survey of tasks carried out by physiotherapists and assistants at ten sites found inconsistent approaches to delegation, with 80% of physiotherapists expressing concerns. This mirrored similar experiences in the literature where there was evidence of some delegation of technical clinical tasks, but also resistance within the profession. Generally in the literature delegation was defined and eluded to, but was not constructed in order to provide a planned system. The CD model was offered as a tool to, by construction, implement delegation safely and without loss of quality to ensure appropriate skills for appropriate tasks and to analyse current practice and implicitly suggest improvements.

Research has shown that social interaction and the development of friendships is important in promoting academic, personal and emotional development. Social interaction is a core difficulty for children and young people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). An increasing number of pupils with ASD are being educated within mainstream school where it is hoped that they will benefit from social opportunities with their peers and that the professionals working with them will be confident to support them (Keen and Ward, 2004). There is however growing evidence that school staff do not feel confident in supporting these pupils (House of Commons Education and Skills Committee, 2006; Robertson, Chamberlain and Kasari, 2003) and that this population of children are vulnerable to experiencing significantly poorer academic and social and emotional outcomes than their peers (Department for Education, 2012a; Humphrey and Lewis, 2008; Howlin and Goode, 1998). Teaching assistants (TAs) are often employed by schools to support pupils with ASD however research has suggested that the deployment of TAs might actually compound social interaction difficulties (Humphrey and Symes, 2011; Blatchford et al., 2009). TAs are in a unique position to support the social interaction of the pupils they work with however there is limited research into how TAs can be best utilised to facilitate social interaction between pupils with ASD and their typically developing peers within the classroom. This study piloted a researcher developed intervention, Better Together and conducted a process and outcome evaluation in order to investigate potential outcomes for TAs and pupils and examine systemic factors which might support or impede the intervention’s implementation and sustainability. The Better Together intervention aimed to train TAs to facilitate social interaction between pupils with ASD and their mainstream peers. The study involved three TA: pupil pairings within a single mainstream primary school and a single project coordinator. An evaluation of the ‘Better Together’ intervention package was undertaking using a fully mixed, sequential, dominant status design. Information pertaining to TA confidence levels was gathered pre and post intervention through semi-structured questionnaires. Structured observations were undertaken pre and post intervention and after a school term to gather information about the rate, range, maintenance and success of facilitative strategies used by the TAs. Semi-structured interviews with the TAs and project coordinator were carried out in order to obtain information about the implementation and outcomes of the intervention. The Social Inclusion Survey was administered at three time points to ascertain whether any changes in the social inclusion of target pupils had occurred.13Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. The findings from this small scale study suggest that the TAs had an increased rate and range of facilitative behaviours following the intervention and that there was a simultaneous increase in student interactions between pupils with ASD and their peers. These gains were sustained over time. The intervention was valued by staff and plans were made to extend the principles to other schools within the area through the establishment of a TA network of support. Core facilitators and barriers to the implementation of the intervention were explored and discussed and implications for future research and the role of the Educational Psychologist (EP) are considered.

The purpose was to outline how the role of an "assisting teacher" in curriculum implementation can be defined. The role of the "assisting teacher" was defined because it is an implementation strategy used within the British Columbia context. Four sources were used to define the role of the assisting teacher in this study. 1. Research literature on implementation roles, 2. Evaluation or needs assessment reports, 3. Current and proposed curricula, and 4. A selected school district context. Because the purpose of this study was to demonstrate how these sources could be used concretely to define a role, the present (1968) and the proposed (1983) secondary social studies curricula in British Columbia, the province-wide social studies assessment (1977), and School District No. 41 (Burnaby) were analyzed selectively. The following questions guided the research: 1. What is the role of the assisting teacher as implied by selected research literature? 2. What is the role of the assisting teacher as implied by the 1977 British Columbia Social Studies Assessment 3. What is the role of the teacher and the assisting teacher as implied by the proposed (1983) social studies curriculum for British Columbia? 4. What is the role of the assisting teacher as perceived in the Burnaby School District? 5. What role description do these four sources help define? Selected research literature, social studies assessment documents, and social studies curricula were analyzed. To determine the actual and/or ideal role of the assisting teacher as perceived in the Burnaby School District, interviews were conducted with five assisting teachers, as well as their supervisor and coordinator, and with eight secondary social studies department heads. The study concluded with generalizations and a process for defining the role of the assisting teacher in curriculum implementation. This process may have generalizability for defining the role of the assisting teacher in curriculum areas other than social studies. / Education, Faculty of / Curriculum and Pedagogy (EDCP), Department of / Graduate

With so many paraeducators working in special education, it is important for teachers, administrators, and researchers to know how paraeducators are being utilized, supervised, and managed in order to create the most effective programs for students with special needs. Research is needed regarding current practices in supervising paraeducators. The purposes of this study were to (a) delineate the current practices being utilized by special education teachers of students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) who supervise paraeducators that work with students with EBD in the general education classroom and (b) determine how effective the supervised paraeducators perceive those practices to be. Current practices were revealed by answering the following questions: (1) According to special education teachers and paraeducators, what procedures and practices are being utilized to supervise paraeducators who work in the general education environment with students with EBD? (2) In what ways do teachers and paraeducators see these supervision practices as being effective? (3) What is the relationship between actual supervision practices and accepted best practices? There were 60 participants in all, 30 professional teachers and 30 paraeducators. All 60 participants completed a survey; of these 60, 5 teachers and 5 paraeducators were individually interviewed Findings from the study indicate that actual supervision practices of teachers do not represent the best practices found in the literature. The study found that each of the seven executive functions of supervision (orientation, planning, scheduling, delegating, training/coaching, monitoring/feedback, and managing the workplace) need additional attention from school districts in order to maximize paraeducator effectiveness.

The Foundation Phase in education is the most important learning years for the learners, since what happens during these years determines later academic success. The focus of this study is to obtain Grade 1 teachers' perspectives on the need for teaching assistants in the classroom. In South Africa, teaching assistants are normally reserved for preschools, institutes for learners with special needs, schools that practice inclusive education and some private schools. It is therefore needed to gain information from Grade 1 teachers on how they perceive and experience the presence or absence of a teaching assistant, and what effect it has on teaching and learning in their classrooms. It is also necessary to hear the statements of teaching assistants on how they experience this role in Grade 1 classrooms. Early Childhood Education (which includes the Foundation Phase) forms the basis of all other education; however, the South African education system is faced with numerous challenges which in various ways impede the teaching and learning of young children. These barriers include overcrowded classrooms, learner diversity and indiscipline which call for additional support in the classroom. By using a qualitative approach, this study attempts to collect and analyse the data obtained from teachers and teaching assistants, and interpret this information to gain insight into and explore various perspectives on the need for teaching assistants in a Grade 1 classroom. By making use of semi-structured interviews, data were collected from three groups of participants: teachers with teaching assistants, teachers without teaching assistants, and teaching assistants. These participants were selected from public, private and rural schools in order to allow for a broad spectrum of inputs. Findings indicate that all participants regard the presence of teaching assistants as non-negotiable in the Grade 1 classroom, as it allows the teacher to focus on teaching, whereas the administrative tasks may be channelled to the assistant. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2017. / Early Childhood Education / MEd / Unrestricted

<p>Although there have been efforts to advance undergraduate chemistry laboratory learning, how graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) negotiate their teaching within-the-moment is still underexplored. This dissertation addresses this gap by foregrounding GTA experiences and pedagogies as foci of interest. The present study is divided into two phases. The first phase consisted of understanding the contextual meaning of eleven GTA participants’ self-recognized experiences via Communities of Practice and capital D Discourse analysis. The findings suggest that although participants recognize obligations to become better chemists as opposed to better teachers, they are active sensemakers of their pedagogies. However, due to obligations, the pedagogies they enact may inadvertently hinder learners’ sensemaking in their attempts to mitigate learners’ failures. Participants’ reliance on accuracy, completion, and efficiency within the laboratory led me to delve deeper into the theoretical conceptualizations of learning from successes and from failures. After creating the <i>Play First, Reflect Later </i>(<i>PFRL)</i> conceptual framework, I endeavored to better understand the extent that the chemistry laboratory can be integrated with productive failure. Thus, the second phase takes a more fine-grained approach in which nine participants were video recorded during their teaching and were later prompted to explain their rationale via video-stimulated recall interviews. Combining both the video and interview analysis conveys overlaps and incongruities. On one hand, participants effectively enact teaching practices that draws their learners’ attention to target concepts, leverage prior experience, and boosts affects. On the other, participants must not compromise learner agency and better prepare learners for long-term learning. Theoretically, errors and direct instruction should also be reconsidered for the laboratory context. I conclude by drawing implications for both researchers and practitioners. Namely, spaces in which GTAs learn to teach should be modified to be more learner-centric, collaborative, and inquiry based like the laboratories they are expected to teach. Furthermore, laboratory curricula (e.g., protocols and experiments) can be redesigned to facilitate learners to explore the hows and whys of their experiments with both their failures and successes. Changing the context of the chemistry laboratory itself, both in terms of teaching and curriculum, may be a more sustainable approach to enhance learners’ chemistry experiences. </p>