This study investigated trainee teachers’ delivery of a targeted programme entitled ‘Special Me Time’ (SMT) whilst on teaching placements in Foundation Phase settings in South Wales, over a training year. As reflective practice formed an integral part of the research, the study also aimed to discover whether students reflected effectively on their practice by employing specific reflective practice skills. The teaching experiences of two BA Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Year 3 students and six PGCE ITT students were scrutinised, primarily through examination of student reflective diaries and lesson evaluations. In addition, the study explored the rationale for the further development of good practice in pedagogy related to Personal and Social Development, Well -Being and Emotional Literacy (PSD/WB/EL) and reflective practice in the School of Education of a large university. The analysis of results revealed two common themes: Theme one related to the development of students’ pedagogical practice and to the teaching and facilitation of PSD/WB/EL during ‘Special Me Time’ (SMT). Theme two related to students’ use of reflective practice to assess and reflect upon teaching performance and competencies relating to PSD/WB/EL as part of the SMT programme. Findings from research showed that students gained in knowledge relating to PSD/WB/EL from undertaking the ‘Special Me Time’ programme. However, students found it difficult to effectively quantify the differences that the programme made. Students were aware however, that they were spending what they termed ‘quality time’ with the children. Students appreciated the concept of reflective practice, but often did not reflect upon or credit themselves with pedagogical achievements as a result of this process. Although student reflection was evident, students did not use reflection as a fundamental part of their practice. They often viewed reflection as superfluous and either did not wholly engage in the concept or undertook it but did not document the process fully, often engaging in what I termed ‘shallow reflection’. The study concludes by recommending that further research should be conducted in this area. Further evaluation of the benefits of equipping all ITT primary students regardless of age specialism chosen, with skills and knowledge in relation to teaching/facilitating PSD/WB/EL would be pertinent. The importance of ITT students developing skills and knowledge in order to integrate reflective practice into their professional practice is particularly significant. Findings from this research will inform future delivery of ITT primary programmes.

Theoretical part of the thesis deals with the concept of well-being and life-span psychology. Classification of the concept of well-being with regard to related terms is presented, as well as main theoretical and analytical approaches to this topic. Several chapters are dedicated to analyzing results of existing research that investigates the relationship between well-being and important variables. The part dedicated to life-span psychology contains, in addition to a definition of the subject, several significant theories and subsequent field of successful development. Empirical part of the thesis concentrates mainly on relationship between life satisfaction and specific life course, particularly career stability and relationship stability. Relationships are examined with the help of combined data of participants in Brno longitudinal study on life-span development (N=78) and newly approached subjects (N=35). The empirical part continues with examination of relationship of successful development, which is operationalized into composite score with personality dimensions within five- factorial personality model and socio-cognitive variables of self-concept clarity, self-efficacy and self-esteem. A significant correlation was found only in those relationships between satisfaction with life and selected...

The Capability Approach was initially developed by Nobel laureate Amartya Sen, with the first basic articulation presented in his 1979 ‘Equality of What?’ Tanner Lecture. Since then, the approach has gained a huge amount of attention as a conceptual framework which offers a clear and insightful way to measure well-being and development. Most recently, the approach has been refined and extended by Martha Nussbaum to issues of disability, nationality, and species membership in political philosophy. This project is about the foundations of the capability approach. More specifically, this project asks whether we can, and whether there are good reasons to, strengthen those foundations. The conclusions drawn here are that we ought to think seriously about the way that the capability approach develops as a theory that responds to real world challenges and change. More importantly, this project contends – in light of the challenges of future people and indigenous peoples – that there is good reason to think of new ways to ground the approach. This project takes up this challenge and grounds the approach in a modified version of Tim Mulgan’s approach to well-being. This project demonstrates that this alternative enriches the capability approach by providing us with a way of making sense of important problems, and with options for moving forward. Overall, this project asks important questions about how the capability approach could evolve based on challenges that remain relatively under-explored in the current literature. This project contributes to this literature by demonstrating that we can and ought to strengthen the capability approach and its ability to understand, take on board, and resolve these challenges.

The need for energy and the associated economic benefits from the oil and gas deposits found mainly in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria necessitated the exploration and exploitation activities being carried out by the oil and gas Companies. However, these exploration and exploitation activities due to their unpredictable nature have a huge potential for environmental pollution as been experienced in the form of oil spills, gas flaring, irresponsible disposal of waste and several other activities that have resulted in the environmental degradation of the Niger Delta region. In the light of these, the Federal Government of Nigeria having experienced the consequences of pollution of the environment during the Koko Toxic Waste Dump incident in the then Bendel State in 1987 established a regulatory body tasked with the responsibility of harmonizing the economic interest from the oil and gas exploration and exploitation activities with the sustainability of the natural environment by developing well structured and articulated policies aimed at guiding the operations of the oil and gas operators, track their compliance and administer appropriate punitive measures for non compliance. However, this research work which is aimed at evaluating the impact of the environmental protection policies in upstream oil and gas activities in the Niger Delta region, involved the use of questionnaires and interviews. These questionnaires were completed by the management and staff of three major oil and gas companies operating within the area, the Department of Petroleum Resources and members of the Host communities. The interview was carried out to provide relevant feedback on their assessment of the impact made by the environmental protection policies on the upstream oil and gas activities in their operational areas/host communities. The study however concluded that “Although there is a regulatory body tasked with the responsibility to develop, implement and track compliance of the environmental protection policies in the upstream oil industry, the body is ineffective and as such the impact of the environmental protection policies is inadequate. Appropriate informed recommendations on the improvement strategies to the identified gaps that resulted in the unfavorable conditions were also provided. / Thesis (M.Ing. (Development and Management Engineering))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011

The need for energy and the associated economic benefits from the oil and gas deposits found mainly in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria necessitated the exploration and exploitation activities being carried out by the oil and gas Companies. However, these exploration and exploitation activities due to their unpredictable nature have a huge potential for environmental pollution as been experienced in the form of oil spills, gas flaring, irresponsible disposal of waste and several other activities that have resulted in the environmental degradation of the Niger Delta region. In the light of these, the Federal Government of Nigeria having experienced the consequences of pollution of the environment during the Koko Toxic Waste Dump incident in the then Bendel State in 1987 established a regulatory body tasked with the responsibility of harmonizing the economic interest from the oil and gas exploration and exploitation activities with the sustainability of the natural environment by developing well structured and articulated policies aimed at guiding the operations of the oil and gas operators, track their compliance and administer appropriate punitive measures for non compliance. However, this research work which is aimed at evaluating the impact of the environmental protection policies in upstream oil and gas activities in the Niger Delta region, involved the use of questionnaires and interviews. These questionnaires were completed by the management and staff of three major oil and gas companies operating within the area, the Department of Petroleum Resources and members of the Host communities. The interview was carried out to provide relevant feedback on their assessment of the impact made by the environmental protection policies on the upstream oil and gas activities in their operational areas/host communities. The study however concluded that “Although there is a regulatory body tasked with the responsibility to develop, implement and track compliance of the environmental protection policies in the upstream oil industry, the body is ineffective and as such the impact of the environmental protection policies is inadequate. Appropriate informed recommendations on the improvement strategies to the identified gaps that resulted in the unfavorable conditions were also provided. / Thesis (M.Ing. (Development and Management Engineering))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011