Service learning is a pedagogy designed to teach democratic skills to prepare students to become civically engaged members of society. One of the challenges in the field of service learning is to demonstrate the effectiveness of this pedagogy. Common methodological problems include small sample sizes, difficulty differentiating correlation from causation, self-selection bias, and use of primarily qualitative and experiential outcome measures. The literature review failed to reveal any quantitative scales designed for the health professions. The purpose of this study was to develop and test a quantitative scale to measure service learning outcomes among health professions students, before and after an academic service learning activity. Phase 1 of the study, the development phase, involved an extensive review of the literature to develop the conceptual framework and identify the operational indicators to be measured. Items were adapted from existing scales that were consistent with the personal and social responsibility dimensions and found to possess at least minimally acceptable reliability and validity. Items were adapted to add the health professions perspective which resulted in the preliminary twenty-two item scale, divided into four subscales: Civic Responsibility, Self-Efficacy Toward Service, Civic Participation, and Social Justice Attitudes. Psychometric testing of this preliminary PSR Scale was done in 3 studies. Study 1 involved evaluation of content validity with subject matter experts utilizing a Content Validity Index. The scale was modified based on the results of the CVI and recommendations of the subject matter experts. The S-CVI/Ave for the entire scale was .84 suggesting content validity of the PSR Scale. Study 2 utilized principal components analysis of the subscales to validate the dimensions and operational indicators. Data was constrained to four factors which accounted for 60.56% of the total variance. Items with factor loadings less than 0.4 were deleted. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was calculated for internal consistency. Based on these results, the scale was further revised by deleting items that decreased the Cronbach’s alpha. This resulted in a 16 item scale, containing four subscales, each with four items. The Cronbach’s alpha for the entire revised scale PSR Scale was .94. Study 3 involved testing the final 16 item version for sensitivity. Wilcoxon signed rank analysis revealed statistically significant changes pre and post service learning activity in the Civic Participation Subscale. Civic Participation Subscale items that were significant included “volunteering time to support my community”, “being involved in programs and activities that improve my community”, and “being involved in activities that improve the health of my community”. These findings suggest that participation in a service learning activity can increase civic participation. Psychometric testing of the Personal and Social Responsibility Scale (PSR) support preliminary validity, reliability and sensitivity of the instrument and the premise, consistent with prior research that changes in civic participation can occur as a result of service learning. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2018. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Dissertation submitted in partial compliance with the requirements for the Master's Degree in Technology: Chiropractic, Durban University of Technology, 2010. / Background: A headache is a common complaint in daily practice and occurs across all ethnicities and both genders. These headaches can cause a decrease in productivity and quality of life. Studies carried out in defined population groups are useful in developing an understanding of the factors that influence headaches, however these are limited. Objective: To determine the prevalence of primary headaches in Allied Health students at the Durban University of Technology (DUT), identify the factors that influence the prevalence of these headaches and to determine the association of these headaches with activities of daily life and productivity. Methods: The study was an epidemiological, cross sectional survey of primary headaches with a study population of ±420. Each willing participant received a Letter of Information outlining the study and a questionnaire for completion. Results: Three hundred and eleven questionnaires were used for statistical analysis. Of these 24.1% (n=75) did not experience headaches and the remaining 75.9% (n=236) were classified as having had either non-primary headache, migraine-type headache (MTH), tension-type headache (TTH) or cluster-type headache (CTH). Headaches were prevalent amongst the student population and several factors were associated with the headaches. CTHs tended to have the most impact on the student as an individual, due to its intensity. MTHs and TTHs tended to have a greater effect on the student population, mainly due to their high incidence. / Durban University of Technology.

There is no abstract available for this dissertation. / Department of Educational Leadership

Thesis (D. Ed.)--Ball State University, 2009. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Nov. 11, 2009). Includes bibliographical references (p. 109-120).

The objectives of this study are: (1) To compare the effectiveness of two dosing schedules of hepatitis B vaccine in achieving compliance within the vaccines; (2) To determine the immunization requirements in U.S. pharmacy schools both at admission and before the students begin clinical clerkships; and, (3) To design an immunization program for pharmacy students at the University of the Pacific in an attempt to enhance compliance.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2006. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 64-67).

Cancer is devastating. Medical advances have resulted in the ability to diagnose cancer at its earliest stages and increase survivorship. Unfortunately, Black Americans possess a disproportionate cancer burden, with the highest mortality and lowest survival rate of any racial/ethnic group. Lung cancer is the most deadly, yet most treatable cancer. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact that the healthcare education program had on healthcare students’ level of cultural development and awareness of disparities regarding Black Americans and tobacco cessation. In light of the data substantiating that health disparities stem from a combination of racial and ethnic inequities in the access of the healthcare system, healthcare professionals’ low levels of cultural development, and the missed opportunities for promoting Black American tobacco cessation, the following questions were developed to frame the research: Research Question #1: How will the level of healthcare students’ cultural development change as a result of a healthcare education program? This question corresponds to the following hypotheses being tested in this study: Methods to answer this question included evaluation of findings from 1) comparison of pre and post-program Inventory for Assessing the Process of Cultural Competence Among Healthcare Professionals – Revised (IAPCC-R) mean scores by degree of study and by gender; and 3) comparison of pre and post-program Tobacco Cessation Assessment (TCA) mean scores by degree of study and by gender. Research Question #2: What is the relationship between cultural competence and increased awareness of disparities regarding Black Americans and tobacco cessation? Methods utilized to answer this question included evaluation of findings from comparison of results of knowledge gains in TCA vs. IAPCC-R mean scores, including using the Pearson’s correlation coefficient to determine existence and strength of the relationship. Findings were 1) level of cultural development increased; 2) awareness of disparities regarding Black Americans and tobacco cessation increased; and 3) weak, but statistically significant relationship between higher level of cultural development and increased awareness of disparities regarding Black Americans and tobacco cessation. This study could serve as a model for future partnerships with researchers, faculty, and healthcare professionals, linking pre-profession preparation with continuing professional education. / Department of Educational Studies

Submitted in partial compliance with the requirements for the Master’s Degree in Technology: Chiropractic, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2017. / Background The imperative of clinical education in chiropractic is to endow students with the clinical competencies and professional attributes necessary for independent practice. The clinical practicum exposes chiropractic students to the realities, demands and expectations of patient care through immersion into the clinical learning environment. Various authors emphasise the importance of obtaining a student’s perspective of their experiences within this environment as it is essential to curriculum development and improvement, delivery of quality clinical education, and student satisfaction with their standard of education. Interestingly, unlike in other health professions’ disciplines, the clinical experiences of chiropractic students who have commenced their clinical practicum have scarcely been described in international literature. This study is the first of its kind to record the clinical experiences of chiropractic students during their clinical practicum in South Africa. Aim The aim of this study was to explore and describe the clinical experiences of first-time registered Master’s chiropractic students during their clinical practicum component at the Durban University of Technology Chiropractic Day Clinic in 2016. Method A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive approach was utilised. A purposive sample of 15 first-time registered Master’s chiropractic students was interviewed. Their clinical experiences during the clinical practicum were obtained through semi-structured interviews. Seven key questions, each relating to a specific aspect of the clinical practicum, were used to stimulate discussion. The data were recorded electronically and thereafter transcribed. Thematic analysis was used to interpret the data. Results Four main themes were identified, viz. undergraduate education and pre-clinical preparation; experiences within the clinical learning environment; inter-personal relationships in a clinical learning environment, and appraisal of the clinical practicum. Participants reported that the undergraduate and pre-clinical preparatory phase needed to be more practically orientated in order to provide relevance and cohesion to clinical learning. Significant experiences in the clinical learning environment included personal and professional growth and development, perceptions of preparedness for independent practice, perceptions of patient responses to chiropractic care, administrative duties and clinic infrastructure. The interpersonal relationships that contributed to the overall clinical experience were between students and their clinical supervisors, and students and the administrative staff. The appraisal of the clinical practicum included highlights and positive aspects that shaped the attitudes, values and philosophies of students, as well as the challenges and obstacles they encountered within the clinical learning environment. Conclusion This is the first South African study to document the clinical experiences of first-time registered Master’s chiropractic students. These clinical experiences were based on a variety of organisational and curriculum-orientated factors, as well as interpersonal dynamics. While students acknowledged and appreciated the critical importance of clinical education, and valued the learning opportunities within the clinical setting, they also provided constructive feedback on matters needing improvement to enhance the overall clinical experience. The lack of exposure to patient care prior to the commencement of the clinical practicum negatively impacted the clinical experiences. It is recommended that the findings of this study be utilised by the key stakeholders within chiropractic education to enhance chiropractic clinical education in South Africa. / M

Department of Advanced Nursing Science / MCur