This thesis examines the teaching and learning of deaf primary-school learners in Kenya in order to explain their poor examination performance and to find ways of better supporting their learning. While language and communication are perceived as the main problems encountered by deaf children, it is assumed that if teachers and learners are able to communicate through sign language, deaf learners can learn. The main argument of this thesis is that although proficiency in sign language among teachers does play a great role in the education of deaf learners, it is not sufficient in offering quality education in this context. Other needs of deaf learners should be addressed during the teaching and learning process through appropriate teaching and learning materials and teaching and assessment approaches. The thesis reviews literature looking at the relationship between language, thought and learning in the education of deaf learners. The study was partly informed by Vygotsky's theory of social learning and language which recognises that children learn through their interaction with the social environment. A discussion on the difference between the concepts: ‘special education', ‘integration', and ‘inclusive education' is raised in the review of literature leading to the discussion of whether deaf learners require ‘special' pedagogy. Different views have been held regarding the type of pedagogical approach used in the teaching and learning of deaf learners in Kenya who learn in specialist units attached to mainstream schools: whether this is ‘special', integrated or inclusive education. The research took an exploratory approach and focused on the teaching and learning of Social Studies in specialist units in urban and remote rural areas in Kenya. Data were collected mainly through lesson observations and semi-structured interviews with deaf and hearing education stakeholders including learners, teachers, education officials and representatives of deaf people's organisations. Kenyan Sign Language and English were the main languages used in data collection. The study found that although textbooks were mostly available for learners in the units, they did not benefit from them due to their design which did not respond to their learning needs. However, some textbook design features that would benefit the learners were identified by the deaf teachers and learners. In addition, while deaf teachers did not generally encounter communication problems in teaching, most hearing teachers lacked sufficient proficiency in Kenyan Sign Language (the language of instruction), a phenomenon that affected dialogue in teaching,. Assessment practices seemed not to be suitable for deaf learners to express what they knew. Although teaching and learning took place in sign language, assessment was through reading and writing in English. A combination of a general quality improvement of educational resources which would be relevant for all learners and some deaf-specific interventions for deaf learners is an approach that would support deaf learners to achieve more in their learning. Recognising the expert knowledge of deaf teachers gained from their experiences as teachers and formerly as deaf learners, and their proficiency in sign language would contribute towards providing the learners with opportunities to learn more.

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<p>Over the last decades intense debates have taken place, in the mass media, regarding the child-parent relation within sport. Questions have been raised if parent’s involvement can be a source of pressure for children and youth. In Sweden relatively little research have been undertaken to study this problem.</p><p>Therefore the aim of this thesis is:</p><p>- to describe and analyse children’s and youth’s experiences of parental involvement within the sport milieu, focusing on parental pressure.</p><p>The purpose has also led to the following formulated problems:</p><p>- How do children and youth experience parent’s presence, actions and open reactions toward young athletes in the sport milieu?</p><p>- What does it mean for young athletes to experience parental pressure?</p><p>Parents can unintentionally impose pressure on children just by trying too hard to be a good sport parent. Earlier research has proposed that young athletes experience pressure from parents when there is an imbalance between the experienced intensity in the parental involvement and what they desire. Given this background parental pressure was defined as: young athlete’s experiences of feelings of insufficiency in sport, which is emanated from parent’s, both hidden and outspoken, demands and expectations to achieve within the sport milieu”. For this thesis a critical factor in the theoretical framework is young athlete’s subjective experiences of parents, and especially parental pressure, in the public sport milieu.</p><p>The data collection consisted of both questionnaires and interviews. The respondents (n=601, age 8 to 16) were selected from twelve of the most popular sports for children and youth (football, handball, swimming, equestrian sport, tennis, floor hockey, athletics, golf, ice hockey, gymnastics, figure skating and table tennis. The data from the interviews was collected from a sample of twelve young athletes (age 10 to14).</p><p>The results showed support for how children in general are happy and satisfied with their parent’s involvement (81%). However it was also found that there was a minority group of 19% that indicated experiences of high parental pressure. In the results there were also tendencies that showed how certain sports (tennis, swimming, golf and equestrian sport) scored higher on the parental pressure scale than others. The respondents who scored low (under the mean) on the self-perception scale showed tendencies to score high on the parental pressure scale (Rho= -.38, p<.01). The factors connected to parental pressure, highlighted in the interviews, were also emphasized in an open-ended question.</p><p>Stronger guiding principles, reinforced motivation and designed education dealing with these subjects in organised sport are inevitable. Otherwise organised youth sport will never succeed in oppressing the primary sources of children’s experiences of parental pressure.</p>

Over the last decades intense debates have taken place, in the mass media, regarding the child-parent relation within sport. Questions have been raised if parent’s involvement can be a source of pressure for children and youth. In Sweden relatively little research have been undertaken to study this problem. Therefore the aim of this thesis is: - to describe and analyse children’s and youth’s experiences of parental involvement within the sport milieu, focusing on parental pressure. The purpose has also led to the following formulated problems: - How do children and youth experience parent’s presence, actions and open reactions toward young athletes in the sport milieu? - What does it mean for young athletes to experience parental pressure? Parents can unintentionally impose pressure on children just by trying too hard to be a good sport parent. Earlier research has proposed that young athletes experience pressure from parents when there is an imbalance between the experienced intensity in the parental involvement and what they desire. Given this background parental pressure was defined as: young athlete’s experiences of feelings of insufficiency in sport, which is emanated from parent’s, both hidden and outspoken, demands and expectations to achieve within the sport milieu”. For this thesis a critical factor in the theoretical framework is young athlete’s subjective experiences of parents, and especially parental pressure, in the public sport milieu. The data collection consisted of both questionnaires and interviews. The respondents (n=601, age 8 to 16) were selected from twelve of the most popular sports for children and youth (football, handball, swimming, equestrian sport, tennis, floor hockey, athletics, golf, ice hockey, gymnastics, figure skating and table tennis. The data from the interviews was collected from a sample of twelve young athletes (age 10 to14). The results showed support for how children in general are happy and satisfied with their parent’s involvement (81%). However it was also found that there was a minority group of 19% that indicated experiences of high parental pressure. In the results there were also tendencies that showed how certain sports (tennis, swimming, golf and equestrian sport) scored higher on the parental pressure scale than others. The respondents who scored low (under the mean) on the self-perception scale showed tendencies to score high on the parental pressure scale (Rho= -.38, p&lt;.01). The factors connected to parental pressure, highlighted in the interviews, were also emphasized in an open-ended question. Stronger guiding principles, reinforced motivation and designed education dealing with these subjects in organised sport are inevitable. Otherwise organised youth sport will never succeed in oppressing the primary sources of children’s experiences of parental pressure.

The importance and benefits of involving community members in health policy making-­-from the first step of needs assessment through to actual policy development--are increasingly being recognized. This thesis describes the evaluation of a community consultation process which was part of a needs assessment conducted by Saskatoon District Health, in Saskatchewan, Canada. In September 1995, a Children and Youth Working Group was formed, made up of volunteers representing service providers, users, and families. Their mandate was to develop and priorize recommendations on ways to improve the health status of children and youth in the District, which has a total population of approximately 300,000. In addition to a comprehensive epidemiological assessment, the Working Group engaged in a community consultation process which solicited input from the general community, with a specific emphasis on key groups such as youth, Aboriginal, immigrant/refugees, and service providers in health, education, social services, and justice. In this process, information on perceived needs of children and youth was collected through 20 focus groups (n=213) and a questionnaire (n=1,985). Based on a synthesis of the quantitative and qualitative data, the Working Group drafted a set of recommendations, which were then discussed at a community meeting for input and feedback. <p> This research evaluates the effectiveness of the consultation process in facilitating community participation using three sources of data: the entire consultation process was observed (from January 1996 until February 1997), including the focus groups, Working Group meetings, and the final community meeting; interviews (2) were held with the Working Group (n=9), with selected individuals who had participated in the consultation (n=7), and with non-participants (n=2); and documentation produced by the Working Group (i.e., minutes, notes, background material) was reviewed. These data were analyzed thematically according to criteria established jointly by the representatives of the member groups of the Population Health Project (Working Group, Coordinating Group, Research Advisory Group) and the researcher. The effectiveness was gauged by comparing the findings with the criteria and with the components of meaningful community consultation as defined by the Working Group (appropriateness, timeliness, completeness, accuracy, representativeness, relevance). The themes which emerged from the analysis deal with the participants' feelings about their participation or non­participation, the success of the consultation process, the nature of the data collected; by-­products of the process, and the consultation's influence on the outcome of the needs assessment. The results of this analysis are presented and conclusions drawn regarding factors that contribute to or impede effective public participation in health needs assessment.

The importance and benefits of involving community members in health policy making-­-from the first step of needs assessment through to actual policy development--are increasingly being recognized. This thesis describes the evaluation of a community consultation process which was part of a needs assessment conducted by Saskatoon District Health, in Saskatchewan, Canada. In September 1995, a Children and Youth Working Group was formed, made up of volunteers representing service providers, users, and families. Their mandate was to develop and priorize recommendations on ways to improve the health status of children and youth in the District, which has a total population of approximately 300,000. In addition to a comprehensive epidemiological assessment, the Working Group engaged in a community consultation process which solicited input from the general community, with a specific emphasis on key groups such as youth, Aboriginal, immigrant/refugees, and service providers in health, education, social services, and justice. In this process, information on perceived needs of children and youth was collected through 20 focus groups (n=213) and a questionnaire (n=1,985). Based on a synthesis of the quantitative and qualitative data, the Working Group drafted a set of recommendations, which were then discussed at a community meeting for input and feedback. <p> This research evaluates the effectiveness of the consultation process in facilitating community participation using three sources of data: the entire consultation process was observed (from January 1996 until February 1997), including the focus groups, Working Group meetings, and the final community meeting; interviews (2) were held with the Working Group (n=9), with selected individuals who had participated in the consultation (n=7), and with non-participants (n=2); and documentation produced by the Working Group (i.e., minutes, notes, background material) was reviewed. These data were analyzed thematically according to criteria established jointly by the representatives of the member groups of the Population Health Project (Working Group, Coordinating Group, Research Advisory Group) and the researcher. The effectiveness was gauged by comparing the findings with the criteria and with the components of meaningful community consultation as defined by the Working Group (appropriateness, timeliness, completeness, accuracy, representativeness, relevance). The themes which emerged from the analysis deal with the participants' feelings about their participation or non­participation, the success of the consultation process, the nature of the data collected; by-­products of the process, and the consultation's influence on the outcome of the needs assessment. The results of this analysis are presented and conclusions drawn regarding factors that contribute to or impede effective public participation in health needs assessment.

This thesis considers the role of parents, teachers and peers in the school decision making processes of children at the end of compulsory education in England. This stage represents, in fact, the first and most important school transition when pupils will have to choose whether to enter post-secondary education or not, and in cases where they do, whether to choose an academic course or a vocational one, knowing that this will affect their next transition at the age of 18. This thesis is amongst the ones to most fully analyse the role of significant others in children’s education. All the quantitative analyses in this thesis are done using the Longitudinal Study of Young People in England (LSYPE). Most of the statistical modelling of this data is done using multivariate regression analysis. Some of the results are also based on evidence from qualitative interviews with children in their last year of GCSEs in two comprehensive schools in England and children attending an apprenticeship scheme in the London area. With regards to educational aspirations, minority students are those who show the highest and most stable aspirations during years 9 to 11, while White English working class students, especially boys, have lower and unstable aspirations. Among the explanatory factors for these results, along with social class and ethnicity, parental aspirations, friends’ plans and individual attitude to education have the strongest correlation with the intentions to stay on in school after year 11. Moreover, parental aspirations did not appear to differ with regards to social class, suggesting a different mechanism than the one indicated by Breen and Goldthorpe (B&G) (2000). Also, the fact that minority students have very high aspirations (and are high achievers), do not confirm the principles of the relative risk aversion theory by B&G. Among the types of parental involvement in children’s education, participation in school-related activities and feelings towards school and supervision of children’s school work seemed to have a positive impact on children’s entering A-levels in year 12, although the results did not highlight differences with regards to social class and ethnicity. Evidence from the qualitative interviews showed different results with regards to helping with homework - only educated parents do that – and with regards to supporting and encouraging their children’s aspirations, which is more effective with minority and middle class parents. Considering peer relationships, the evidence from qualitative interviews suggested a very small influence of peers, especially schoolmates, in children’s school decision processes; peers are, in fact, perceived as someone to share plans and common interests with, but not as well-informed and trustworthy sources such as family. Moreover, interviews suggest that school choices are not the results of long-term plans, and children treat school transitions as separate stages. This does not support Morgan’s model of prefigurative and preparatory commitment.

Childhood anxiety disorders are highly prevalent, cause significant distress and functional impairment, are risk factors for depression, suicidal ideation and attempts, substance abuse and smoking, yet often go unrecognized and untreated. As a result, effective prevention and early intervention have become policy and research priorities. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a universal school-based cognitive behavioural intervention in decreasing anxiety symptoms experienced by early adolescents during the transition from elementary to middle or secondary school. The role of gender, coping style, geographic location, and timing of the intervention were also assessed. Participants were 722 grade 7 and 8 students (11 – 14 years) from 41 classrooms in 20 randomly selected public schools in British Columbia. Schools were randomly assigned to either the FRIENDS for Youth program provided within regular classrooms, one hour weekly for 10 weeks or to a waitlist control group. Self-reported anxiety, depression and coping, and parent and teacher assessed difficulties were assessed at pre-, post, and six month follow-up. Results were examined universally and for children who scored above the clinical cut-off for anxiety at pre-test. Results indicate students, including those “at risk”, who participated in the FRIENDS for Youth program had lower anxiety than those in the control group at 6-month follow-up. Gender differences in self-reported anxiety as well as in response to the intervention were found, with girls, including those “at risk” reporting higher anxiety scores than boys, and intervention group girls reporting significantly lower anxiety scores at post-intervention and at 6-month follow-up compared to the control group. Teachers assessed girls as having lower difficulties scores than boys, and intervention group girls reporting significantly lower difficulties scores at post-intervention than the control group. Grade 7 elementary students had significantly lower anxiety scores than middle school students and grade 7 students in the intervention group had significantly lower anxiety scores at post-intervention than the control group. Overall, intervention effects on anxiety were small. For “at risk” participants and for girls, however, the intervention was effective. Results demonstrated a prevention effect with significantly fewer “at risk” students at 6-month follow-up in the intervention group than the control group.

In Manitoba, as elsewhere, there is a growing trend towards the use of pharmaceuticals and medical technology (pharmaceuticalization) on children and youth in care (C/YIC). As legally mandated guardians and trained experts on children and youth, social workers in Manitoba may play pivotal roles in the decision to medicate C/YIC with psychotropics. Yet there are no studies on Manitoba social workers’ experiences with medicated children/youth or on their perceptions and attitudes towards medicating C/YIC with psychotropics. Using a multilevel Social Structure and Personality analytic, I explored what Manitoba social workers from various fields of practice have to say about this trend. Data consisted of five in-depth interviews and 29 self-completed questionnaires. Findings highlighted that social workers in Manitoba are dealing with increasingly complex cases within a system of residual social welfare. Funding and resource constraints, lack of skilled medical professionals and educators quick to refer all contribute towards medicating C/YIC.