The purpose of this study is to describe the extent to which a few upper secondary education students experience participation and influence in school on a daily basis. To be able to answer this, three question formulations have been used. How do the students describe their own influence and participation in their normal school days? What do the students want to influence? According to their own experiences, what can be seen as an obstacle or an opportunity for participation in school?   The study is based on semistructured private interviews with students from the Swedish national program in upper secondary education for pupils with learning disabilities. To identify the students description of their own experiences, the transcribed material has been interpreted using Roger Hart's participation ladder.   The results of the study show that the amount of influence students believe they have in school is based on how much they have a say in deciding the setup of their school days. For the most part, the students do not believe that they have that much influence, rather it is the teachers who decide almost everything that happens in school. The students believe that they have the most influence during their recesses and their free time. The students show a desire to be more involved in their school days.   The results also show that students wish to be more involved in what is going to happen in the future after upper secondary education. Despite this finding the things students want to have an influence over are few based on their age and experiences.   The results also reveal that one obstacle for student participation is that they do not tell their teachers if they have any ideas for improvement, which in turn limits their involvement.

This paper examines the role of attachment beliefs and parenting behaviors on the association between maternal and child anxiety in a community sample of mothers and their children aged 6-17 (N = 89). Maternal anxiety was assessed through the SCL-90 & STAI-T. Child anxiety was assessed through the RCMAS-C, STAIC-T, RCMAS-P, & CBCL. Attachment beliefs were assessed through the Experiences in Close Relationships (maternal) and the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment (child). Parenting behaviors were assessed through the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire and the Children's Report of Parent Behavior Inventory. Significant associations were found between maternal and child anxiety, attachment beliefs, and parenting. Multiple regression analysis indicated that Anxious Attachment Beliefs and Parental Involvement appeared to mediate the association between maternal and child anxiety. Findings are discussed in terms of elucidating the role of attachment beliefs and parenting behaviors on the association between maternal and child anxiety.

The purpose of this study was to investigate student participation in collegiate student governance, the impact of that involvement and its influence on career choice for African-American participants, and to enlighten educators about role and value of collegiate student government participation. If participation in student government and involvement in leadership activities is important in the overall development of a student, then the benefits and characteristics of that development may appear after the student graduates and enters society and the workforce (Cress, Astin, Zimmerman- Oster, & Burkhardt, 2001). Studies conducted over the last twenty years have attempted to measure the impact of involvement and leadership development on college students after graduation (Cress, et. all, 2001; Sommers, 1991) but not much has been written about the subject specifically tied to student government (Downey, Bosco and Silver, 1984; Kuh and Lund, 1994; Schuh and Laverty, 1983; Sermersheim, 1996). A qualitative case study/cross case analysis of multiple participants was utilized for this project. Following the collection of data through the use of a written participant profile and oral interviews with each of the survey participants, case studies were constructed and presented in a narrative form to allow the individual personalities of the participants to emerge. The use of cross case analysis allowed the researcher to group the data into themes and highlight patterns that cut across each case, more narrowly defining what related factors were significant to the impact of student government participation and the selection of a particular career choice. x The findings from this study indicate that while the impact of student government participation has an overall positive effect on students who participate, including greater career competency and self confidence, students attribute their choice of career to their chosen undergraduate major or other factors. Study findings revealed evidence that the impact of student government involvement was limited in its direct influence on career choice.

The purpose of this study was to qualitatively describe the factors that influence the persistence rates of White undergraduate students attending HBCUs from the students' perspectives. Applying Tinto's Model of Student Departure (1975, 1993) as a lens for persistence, the overall aim in this study was to focus on the students' social and academic integration at the institution as well as their institutional experiences at the HBCU as it relates to their decision to persist or depart the HBCU. Through the participants"lived experiences", themes emerged relative to their decision to persist at the institution. The themes were: the influences on relationships with faculty, quality of academic programs, lack of racism from faculty, staff, and peers, involvement in campus activities and organizations, and affordability. The reasons associated with White students' persistence can assist faculty members and administrators at HBCUs in developing and cultivating a culture that is conducive for a positive matriculation and progression process all the way until graduation. Persistence leads to degree completion and no matter the institutional type, all administrators want to increase the number of students graduating from their institutions.

During the 21st century banks have been going through big changes due to both digitization and increase in competition from niche banks. Furthermore, there has been a decrease in customer satisfaction during the last decade. The purpose of this study is therefore to clarify how the banks act in their work to stay competitive by cater their customers’ needs through customer involvement. The objective of this study has been to conduct in-depth interviews with two of the four big banks of Sweden. In-depth interviews were chosen to, in the best way possible, examine the underlying factors, and how they act when involving customers.The results obtained from the in-depth interviews was then analysed starting from the framework of theory found about the subject to create a perception whether the banks’ work corresponds with the contemporary research about the subject of customer involvement and customer focus. The result from the analysis then gave the authors the insights that the banks where, in a much greater extent than was thought, where working with both customer involvement and questions about digitization. This through a clear customer focus and strategic planning of how to assimilate information about their customers. The conclusion of the study is that the banks’ work is in line with what the researchers are advocating in their research about how to cater to customers’ needs through customer involvement. The banks have thereby created a foundation from which they can develop services the in the best way possible cancreate satisfied customers. / Under 2000-talet har bankerna genomgått stora förändringar med utmaningar från såväl digitalisering och ökad konkurrens från mindre nischbanker. Ytterligare har bankernas kundnöjdhet minskat under det senaste decenniet. Den här studien syftar därför till att klargöra hur bankerna arbetar för att vidhålla sin konkurrenskraftighet genom att tillgodose kundens behov med kundinvolvering. Det genom att genomföra djupintervjuer med två av de fyra storbankerna. Djupintervjuer valdes för att på ett så bra sätt som möjligt undersöka de bakomliggande faktorerna samt hur arbetet med deras kundinvolvering faktiskt ser ut. Resultatet som erhölls från djupintervjuerna har sedan analyserats med utgångspunkt från de teoretiska referensramar som sammansatts. Det för att skapa en uppfattning om huruvida bankernas arbete överensstämmer med den moderna forskningen kring kundinvolvering och kundfokus. Resultatet från analysen gav författarna insikten om att bankerna, i en långt vidare utsträckning än vad som uppfattats, arbetar med såväl kundinvolvering som frågor om digitalisering. Det genom tydlig kundfokus och strategiska planer för att tillgodogöra sig av kundens information. Studiens slutsats är att bankerna arbetar i det led forskarna förespråkar i sin forskning kring hur kundens behov till bästa sätt tillgodoses genom kundinvolvering. Bankerna har därmed skapat sig en grund till att utveckla tjänster som på bästa sätt skapar nöjda kunder.

Magister Artium - MA / Adolescence is a phase when youth engage in risk-taking behaviour, which could result in poor physical and psychological adjustment. Risk behaviour is a result of poor decision- making. Decision-making is associated with exploration and commitment, also referred to as identity styles. During the phase of developing an identity style, parenting is challenging; however, research reveals that parental involvement, as well as a more positive approaches to parenting, have been observed to influence child behaviour and outcomes. For parenting and identity styles, this is not very clear. Therefore, the aim of this current study was to assess the effect of parental involvement on the identity styles of adolescents. The study employed a quantitative, cross-sectional, correlational research design. The respondents were conveniently sampled. The final sample was Grade 10 learners in the Metro East Education District, with a mean age of 16.01 (SD=1.04). Data were collected through a self-reported questionnaire, which comprised three parts: demographic details of participants, Parent Involvement Mechanisms Measure, and Identity Styles Scale. Data were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The results revealed that informational identity style was the most prevalent identity style, which was significantly and positively predicted, with 18% of variance. For mothers, maternal modelling and maternal instruction significantly predicted the informational style. For fathers, paternal reinforcement significantly and positively predicted commitment style, with 14% of variance. Recommendations are provided based on the findings of this current study.

Crime committed by youth within South Africa is a problem of growing concern. Family environments are seen as powerful putative factors in the development of offending behaviour. On the basis of family systems theory, it was postulated that juveniles are influenced by the reciprocal interactions amongst family members as it shapes their development. Kohlberg’s theory of moral development illustrates that the formation of morals is influenced by the quality of relationships within family units. This study therefore explored juvenile delinquent’s perceptions of their families and the impact it had on their offending behaviour. The subjective world of these offenders was focused upon within the qualitative paradigm through an exploration of their experiences. This method was deemed significant as it attempted to understand these delinquents in terms of their own definitions of their family lives in order to provide an in-depth and insightful account into how they perceived their families to have influenced their behaviour. Eleven juvenile offenders, aged between 15 and 21 attending a diversion programme participated in the study. The research was conducted in the form of semi-structured individual interviews where various themes relating to the family were explored. The participants’ responses were recorded and analysed utilising thematic content analysis. The participants perceived their families to potentially act as a contributing factor in the development of their criminal behaviour. Specific aspects, namely different family forms, family relationships, patterns and response styles, as well as families levels of emotional involvement were all perceived to have impacted on their delinquent behaviour. Although none of these factors can be considered in isolation, a complex interplay of these family characteristics may significantly contribute to the development of asocial behaviour. In contrast to these findings, areas of contestation also arose from participants’ talk. Despite their delinquency and the potential contribution of the family, some participants identified the family to act as a protective factor and thus not influencing their involvement in criminal acts. Aside from the family, other influences such as peer groups and community violence were also identified as potential risk factors for juvenile delinquency. Therefore although an important contributing factor, the family cannot be considered in isolation when attempting to identify what may lead these juveniles to engage in criminal acts.

Cette thèse pourrait intéresser toute personne souhaitant penser sa vie dans sa transversalité. Elle pourrait aussi intéresser tout praticien voulant penser différemment ses pratiques pédagogiques, formatives au-delà de la seule logique hypothético-déductive. Cette thèse propose de développer une approche transductive mettant en tension deux logiques initiant ainsi un espace formatif intermédiaire : l’entre-deux. / This thesis could interest anyone wishing to think his life in its transversality. It could also interest practitioner wanting to think differently its educational, formative practices beyond the hypothetico-deductive logic. This thesis proposes to develop a transductive approach involving tension two logics heralding an intermediary formative space : in-between.

O envolvimento do usuário no processo de desenvolvimento do produto (PDP) é uma abordagem que visa que os produtos desenvolvidos atendam às necessidades dos usuários e que proporcionem maior segurança para os usuários. Por meio de protótipos a equipe de desenvolvimento e os usuários conseguem se comunicar de forma mais eficiente, facilitando a interação entre essas partes. Formas e técnicas de desenvolvimento de protótipos são fortemente discutidos na literatura, no entanto falta uma discussão profunda para auxiliar as empresas a utilizarem protótipos como forma de envolver o usuário. Os desafios e barreiras inerentes ao envolvimento do usuário também limitam o potencial do uso de protótipos, principalmente no desenvolvimento de produtos da saúde. O desenvolvimento desses produtos é particular por possuírem um maior número de usuários que interagem de diferentes maneiras com os produtos, terem uma exigência regulatória atrelada às questões de usabilidade e serem produtos que impactam na segurança e integridade de seus usuários. Assim, surge a seguinte questão de pesquisa: Quais são os propósitos e benefícios da utilização da prototipagem como meio de envolver o usuário no PDP do setor da saúde? O objetivo dessa pesquisa foi desenvolver uma referência para a equipe de desenvolvimento refletir e se apoiar para extrair todo o potencial do uso de protótipos na interação com usuários. Por meio de um estudo de múltiplos casos baseado em evidências, foram analisados 46 casos de projetos que utilizam o protótipo para o envolvimento do usuário. Como principais resultados foram identificados os propósitos recorrentes do uso de protótipos, os benefícios atingidos durante o envolvimento e os tipos de protótipos utilizados. Foi elaborado um framework para envolvimento do usuário utilizando protótipos. O framework, validado por meio de técnicas de mineração de textos, deve ser utilizado pela equipe de desenvolvimento para o planejamento do processo de envolvimento dos usuários. A rica descrição dos propósitos do uso de protótipos tem por objetivo assegurar que tanto os desenvolvedores de produtos experientes bem como os novatos possam atingir melhores resultados com o uso de protótipos. / User involvement in the product development process (PDP) is an approach that aims to develop products that meet the needs of users and provide greater security for users. Through prototypes, the development team and users can communicate more efficiently, facilitating interaction between these parties. Forms and techniques of prototype development are strongly discussed in the literature, however a profound discussion is lacking to help companies to use prototypes as a way of involving the user. The challenges and barriers inherent in user involvement also limit the potential of using prototypes, particularly in the development of health products. The development of these products is particular because they have a greater number of users who interact in different ways with the products, have a regulatory requirement linked to usability issues and are products that impact on the safety and integrity of its users. Thus, the following research question arises: What are the purposes and benefits of using prototyping as a means of involving the user in the health sector PDP? The aim of this research was to develop a reference for the development team to reflect and to support to extract the full potential of the use of prototypes in the interaction with users. Through a multiple case study based on evidence, we analyzed 46 cases of projects that use the prototype for user involvement. As main results were identified the recurrent purposes of using prototypes, the benefits achieved during the involvement and the types of prototypes used. A framework for user engagement using prototypes was developed. The framework, validated through text mining techniques, should be used by the development team to plan the user engagement process. The rich description of the purposes of using prototypes is intended to ensure that both novice and experienced product developers can achieve better results with the use of prototypes.

Thesis advisor: Eric Dearing / Family educational involvement has been identified as a particularly beneficial practice for the achievement and behavioral outcomes of all students, including ethnic-minority students from families who have low levels of income, education, and English language proficiency. However, despite the associated benefits and education policymakers' emphasis on increasing family-school partnerships, not all families are involved and the explanation for differing involvement patterns has not been fully explored. In general, immigrant families engage in fewer educational involvement activities in comparison to their native-born counterparts. Although they want their children to excel in school, many face socio-cultural barriers to educational involvement. Moreover, most schools are not equipped to meet their non-academic needs. On the other hand, immigrant families tend to have close family and community ties, which have been linked to family and child well-being. As a result, social capital may be an asset of immigrant families that can be leveraged to promote their educational involvement. With a selective focus on immigrant children and families from the Child Development Supplement of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (N = 189), this dissertation relied on path analyses to garner empirical support for a theoretically-based model linking social capital with family perceptions and attributions, home- and school-based family educational involvement, and student outcomes (i.e., achievement, behavior problems, positive behavior). Results demonstrated that social support was positively associated with immigrant families' self-efficacy and perceptions of opportunities for involvement. In turn, families with higher levels of self-efficacy engaged in more home-based involvement activities. Children in immigrant families with a role construction around education in alignment with the dominant culture of the U.S. demonstrated better child achievement but worse behavior outcomes than children from immigrant families with a role construction unaligned with dominant U.S. culture. Lastly, in contrast to extant literature, immigrant families' school-based educational involvement was not associated with any family perceptions or attributes or child outcomes. Implications of both significant and null findings are discussed for developmental science, practice, and policy. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2012. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Counseling, Developmental, and Educational Psychology.