No / The English End of Life Care Strategy promises that all patients with advanced, life limiting illness will have the opportunity to participate in Advance Care Planning (ACP). For patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), the barriers to this being achieved in practice are under-explored. Five focus groups were held with a total of 39 health care professionals involved in the care of patients with COPD. Participants reported that discussions relating to ACP are very rarely initiated with patients with COPD and identified the following barriers: inadequate information provision about the likely course of COPD at diagnosis; lack of consensus regarding who should initiate ACP and in which setting; connotations of comparing COPD with cancer; ACP discussions conflicting with goals of chronic disease management; and a lack of understanding of the meaning of 'end of life' within the context of COPD. The findings from this study indicate that, for patients with COPD, significant service improvement is needed before the objective of the End of Life Care Strategy regarding patient participation in end of life decision-making is to be achieved. Whilst the findings support the Strategy's recommendations regarding an urgent for both professional education and increased public education about end of life issues, they also indicate that these alone will not be enough to effect the level of change required. Consideration also needs to be given to the integration of chronic disease management and end of life care and to developing definitions of end of life care that fit with concepts of 'continuous palliation'.

No / We report patients, family members and health professionals' experiences of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) in Barnsley, northern England. A widespread belief that having "bad lungs" is part of normal ageing shapes everyday experience in this former mining town. People with COPD, and their families, link its cause to the areas industrial past and are sceptical of a medical orthodoxy that attributes cause to smoking. They doubt doctors' objectivity. Encouraging uptake of care, promoting smoking cessation, and developing care planning would be enhanced by engaging with the significance of place in the social narrative of health evident in this town.

Yes / Patients have the potential to provide a rich source of information on both organisational aspects of safety and patient safety incidents. This project aims to develop two patient safety interventions to promote organisational learning about safety - a patient measure of organisational safety (PMOS), and a patient incident reporting tool (PIRT) - to help the NHS prevent patient safety incidents by learning more about when and why they occur. METHODS: To develop the PMOS 1) literature will be reviewed to identify similar measures and key contributory factors to error; 2) four patient focus groups will ascertain practicality and feasibility; 3) 25 patient interviews will elicit approximately 60 items across 10 domains; 4) 10 patient and clinician interviews will test acceptability and understanding. Qualitative data will be analysed using thematic content analysis.To develop the PIRT 1) individual and then combined patient and clinician focus groups will provide guidance for the development of three potential reporting tools; 2) nine wards across three hospital directorates will pilot each of the tools for three months. The best performing tool will be identified from the frequency, volume and quality of reports. The validity of both measures will be tested. 300 patients will be asked to complete the PMOS and PIRT during their stay in hospital. A sub-sample (N = 50) will complete the PMOS again one week later. Health professionals in participating wards will also be asked to complete the AHRQ safety culture questionnaire. Case notes for all patients will be reviewed. The psychometric properties of the PMOS will be assessed and a final valid and reliable version developed. Concurrent validity for the PIRT will be assessed by comparing reported incidents with those identified from case note review and the existing staff reporting scheme. In a subsequent study these tools will be used to provide information to wards/units about their priorities for patient safety. A patient panel will provide steering to the research. DISCUSSION: The PMOS and PIRT aim to provide a reliable means of eliciting patient views about patient safety. Both interventions are likely to have relevance and practical utility for all NHS hospital trusts.

The primary research strategy of this study was to elicit meaningful answers from viewers by means of a focus-group procedure; this is a method associated with qualitative research (see Creswell, 1998; Berg & Lune, 2011) The group consisted of ten adults, whose visual literacy in terms of narrative films, was described as high (they frequently watch films at home, or in the theatre). The researcher acted as the moderator; and a set of semi-structured questions, based on meanings attached to camera-angle codes as defined by Mascelli, were answered by the participants. The codification scheme of Mascelli was applied to the unconventional camera angles in Avatar and The English Patient. These were compared with the viewers’ responses. Finally, the results were interpreted, in order to establish whether a meaningful relationship exists between the viewers’ responses and the interpretation of unconventional camera angles by such a seminal figure as Joseph V. Mascelli. The literature study focused on a media aesthetic explanation of cinematography, which included media aesthetics theory, framing, and composition, as well as the general codes and conventions relevant to cinematography. The literature overview includes a study of books, academic articles, internet sources, legislation, and training videos. A Nexus and EbscoHost search (Academic Search Premier and Jstor) was conducted on cinematography in general, and on camera angles in particular. Chapter 5 indicates the viewers’ overall interpretations of the unconventional camera angles used in Avatar and The English Patient. The graphs in Chapter 5 indicate that the viewers found the unconventional camera angles used in the films to represent the meaning of the shots appropriately, and that they understood why each unconventional camera angle had been used. The viewers’ responses correspond with the meanings of the unconventional camera angles, as stated by Mascelli. To ensure the effectiveness of a film and the accurate representation of the meanings of camera angles and camera sizes, the way it is described by Mascelli should ideally be taken into consideration by all future producers. Mascelli’s descriptions of camera angles and camera sizes, combined with the media aesthetics, as described by Zettl – when successfully applied – could lead to the production of a good quality film and images within the film. / MA (Communication Studies), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

The primary research strategy of this study was to elicit meaningful answers from viewers by means of a focus-group procedure; this is a method associated with qualitative research (see Creswell, 1998; Berg & Lune, 2011) The group consisted of ten adults, whose visual literacy in terms of narrative films, was described as high (they frequently watch films at home, or in the theatre). The researcher acted as the moderator; and a set of semi-structured questions, based on meanings attached to camera-angle codes as defined by Mascelli, were answered by the participants. The codification scheme of Mascelli was applied to the unconventional camera angles in Avatar and The English Patient. These were compared with the viewers’ responses. Finally, the results were interpreted, in order to establish whether a meaningful relationship exists between the viewers’ responses and the interpretation of unconventional camera angles by such a seminal figure as Joseph V. Mascelli. The literature study focused on a media aesthetic explanation of cinematography, which included media aesthetics theory, framing, and composition, as well as the general codes and conventions relevant to cinematography. The literature overview includes a study of books, academic articles, internet sources, legislation, and training videos. A Nexus and EbscoHost search (Academic Search Premier and Jstor) was conducted on cinematography in general, and on camera angles in particular. Chapter 5 indicates the viewers’ overall interpretations of the unconventional camera angles used in Avatar and The English Patient. The graphs in Chapter 5 indicate that the viewers found the unconventional camera angles used in the films to represent the meaning of the shots appropriately, and that they understood why each unconventional camera angle had been used. The viewers’ responses correspond with the meanings of the unconventional camera angles, as stated by Mascelli. To ensure the effectiveness of a film and the accurate representation of the meanings of camera angles and camera sizes, the way it is described by Mascelli should ideally be taken into consideration by all future producers. Mascelli’s descriptions of camera angles and camera sizes, combined with the media aesthetics, as described by Zettl – when successfully applied – could lead to the production of a good quality film and images within the film. / MA (Communication Studies), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Text in Afrikaans / This study ascertains the extent of the experience of stress and the nature of stress management by educators. The literature showed that stress is defined from various theoretical perspectives; various approaches to stress management exist; and educators manage stress in various ways. This study defines stress from a cognitive-transactional perspective. A qualitative research method was used, descriptive data were generated by focus groups and inductively analysed. The results show that educators experienced stress ( much as seen in the literature) due to organisational, management and personal factors. According to this research, educators experience stress on the physical, emotional, social and intellectual levels. Educators' efforts to deal with stress reflect direct techniques such as seeking personal support and using confrontational techniques, as well as indirect techniques which encompass intellectual and physical techniques. Finally the development of a stress management program for educators is recommended. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Guidance and Counselling)

Xenophobia is a notoriously difficult concept to explore, especially within the complex South African environment. This exploration has two elements: the theoretical and the practical. The theoretical element focuses mainly on the theories of xenophobia in South Africa, as well as the theoretical response of the Church to the problem. The practical element is a qualitative empirical exploration using small scale focus group interviews to gain insight into the relationship between xenophobia and religion, with special reference to young Christians of The Methodist Church of Southern Africa. The findings seem to suggest that “being religious” does not prevent xenophobic attitudes and emotions and that there is potential to have xenophobic reactions in people who “perceive” themselves to be religious living in an environment of economic and social hardships. Religious involvement combined with economic and social factors may promote xenophobic reactions. In an indirect way(s) religion may be one of the “causes” of xenophobia. / Practical Theology / M Th. (Practical Theology)

This researcher investigates the role of communication satisfaction in job satisfaction in the Department of Communications, a government policy-making institution that deals with post, telecommunications, and broadcasting services in South Africa. This study describes communication satisfaction as the overall degree of satisfaction an employee perceives in his total communication environment and job satisfaction as the degree of satisfaction the individual feels with his job. Focus groups are used to explore the role of communication satisfaction in job satisfaction in the Department of Communications because they are appropriate and suitable in capturing the discussions reflecting emotions, particularly uncovering individuals' feelings about their environment. The emphasis is on finding out how communication motivates and makes employees satisfied in their jobs. Qualitative content analysis, based on transcriptions from audiotapes, is used for interpretation and analysis of the data. These transcnptions reflect the descriptive nature of the data and people's own spoken words. / Communication Science / M. A. (Communication)

Background: Breastfeeding confers health and social benefits on both mother and baby and is thus a key global public health priority, with exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months recommended. A variety of factors can influence a woman’s decision to initiate breastfeeding but a short duration of breastfeeding appears to be common in developed countries. In the UK, promotion of breastfeeding has been government policy since 1974 and gradually the incidence has increased. In Scotland in 2010 the incidence was 74% but by one week 17% of women had given up. A minority of women find that their babies attach easily at birth and more than half report problems at this time. The prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding falls sharply in the first few weeks and the introduction of formula is associated with a shorter duration. It is therefore crucial to understand what happens at this time to enable women to continue breastfeeding effectively. Study Aim: To use Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) to explore and help explain the expectations, knowledge and experiences of women and midwives with regard to breastfeeding initiation. Methods: A systematic review of qualitative studies synthesised using thematic analysis and SCT was conducted and afforded insight into what had been known before and highlighted further aspects that needed to be explored with a qualitative study. The qualitative study was comprised of five focus groups with ten antenatal women, eight postnatal women and eighteen midwives. Photographs included in a leaflet “Feeding cues at birth”, and the chart of “Feeding cues after the first few hours” were developed and used as focussing exercises during the focus groups and interviews. The focus groups and interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed using a hybrid process of inductive and deductive thematic analysis which integrated data driven codes with theory driven codes based on SCT. Results: Twenty one studies were included in the systematic review and identified clear differences in the experiences of women when breastfeeding was going well as compared to when it was going wrong at the start. There were also differences in the midwives’ knowledge, experience and confidence when breastfeeding was going well in contrast to when it was going wrong. The synthesis did not identify any qualitative studies relevant to initiation which explored skin contact, instinctive behaviour or strategies to resolve failure to attach in the first few days after birth, from the perspectives of mothers and midwives. These topics were therefore explored in detail in the qualitative study. Few mothers recruited to my study experienced instinctive behaviour and successful attachment (in SCT enactive behaviour) at birth. The majority of mothers did not experience attachment at birth and struggled to persist and maintain their motivation to enable breastfeeding initiation in an unfamiliar environment. Midwives’ social expectations and environmental circumstances made women centred care difficult. Midwives considered that sleepy babies who were unable to feed were normal, but women were unprepared for this, compounding the difficulties in initiating breastfeeding. The triangulation of the findings from the systematic review and the qualitative study provide a more complete picture of contributory factors to understanding of difficulties in breastfeeding initiation. Conclusion: It is recognised that behaviour interacts with emotions, perceived abilities and the environment, as in triadic reciprocal causation, which affects peoples’ decisions, experiences and abilities to enable the successful initiation of breastfeeding. Social Cognitive Theory could be used as a framework to develop strategies and materials to enhance women’s confidence both antenatally and in the postnatal period. In a minority of women, breastfeeding goes well and is more likely when the baby is an active participant and the midwife a knowledgeable and confident supporter. This is not the case for the majority of women and babies or their midwives. There is a need to consider strategies to develop appropriate skills and environmental changes that would in turn lead to changes in behaviour and successful interventions. More emphasis should be made clinically on facilitating instinctive behaviour. The current position where babies’ sleepy behaviour is considered normal in this particular environment could be challenged. Social Cognitive Theory could be utilised in research to develop strategies to increase women’s and midwives’ confidence specifically in initiation.

Values, especially the value of education, can be called a timeless theme. Changing historical periods brought about changes in the concept of educational value. Originating in Ancient Greece, the concept of educational value is as relevant as ever even today. This paper is devoted to this topic. In the Introduction - theoretical part - we aimed to look at the common values from the perspective of different disciplines. The following part discusses such terms as the system of values, its hierarchy and value orientation. This thesis also focuses on socialization and transmission of values, mostly in the family. This inherently includes parent-child relationships and educational styles. We did not avoid the issues of perceptions of moral standards specific to adolescents, their choice of vocational preparation etc. Also mentioned are the concepts related to education and educating. In the practical part, we discuss research methodology, conducting the interviews and their coding according to predetermined criteria. After this analysis, the thesis deals with the comparison of personal students' testimonies across individual classes as well as entire schools. The results of the research are presented in the Conclusion, which summarizes and compares the general and personal views on the value of...