This research explored the complexity of language teacher identity from a holistic perspective involving two features: the integration of teachers’ personal and professional experiences, and the application of conscious/rational and intuitive/tacit thought processes. The study examined four ESL teachers’ beliefs, perceptions, and interpretations about the influences of their important personal, educational, and professional experiences on the development of their teacher identity. It also investigated the overall impact of an autobiographical reflective process combined with a guided visualization activity on the re-construction of participants’ perceptions of teacher identity. The interdisciplinary theoretical orientation was grounded in theories and concepts from psychology and educational research, e.g., Personal Construct Theory (Kelly, 1955, 1963), the complementary nature of reason and intuition, and the concept of “perspective transformation” (Mezirow, 1978, 2000). The methodology was heuristic research (Moustakas, 1990, 1994) and methods included reflexive autobiographical journaling, guided visualization, and in-depth interviews. The results confirm that teacher identity is deeply embedded in one’s personal biography. Participants’ beliefs, perceptions, and interpretations nurtured in the family environment strongly influenced their school experiences, career choice, instructional practice, teaching philosophy, and teacher identity. The use of the guided visualization technique, integrated with rational reflection, considerably enhanced the depth and breadth of participants’ self-understanding and personal/professional growth, which is an important methodological contribution of the study for teacher development. The results strongly suggest that it is essential to explore teachers’ personal life experiences in order to gain a holistic understanding of the dominant influences on the development of teacher identity. The study presents a model for designing a longitudinal professional development program offered in a series of workshops to raise teachers’ awareness of the implicit influences on teacher identity and instructional practice through the application of both conscious/rational and intuitive/tacit methods to access their beliefs, perceptions, and interpretations of their life experiences.

This research explored the complexity of language teacher identity from a holistic perspective involving two features: the integration of teachers’ personal and professional experiences, and the application of conscious/rational and intuitive/tacit thought processes. The study examined four ESL teachers’ beliefs, perceptions, and interpretations about the influences of their important personal, educational, and professional experiences on the development of their teacher identity. It also investigated the overall impact of an autobiographical reflective process combined with a guided visualization activity on the re-construction of participants’ perceptions of teacher identity. The interdisciplinary theoretical orientation was grounded in theories and concepts from psychology and educational research, e.g., Personal Construct Theory (Kelly, 1955, 1963), the complementary nature of reason and intuition, and the concept of “perspective transformation” (Mezirow, 1978, 2000). The methodology was heuristic research (Moustakas, 1990, 1994) and methods included reflexive autobiographical journaling, guided visualization, and in-depth interviews. The results confirm that teacher identity is deeply embedded in one’s personal biography. Participants’ beliefs, perceptions, and interpretations nurtured in the family environment strongly influenced their school experiences, career choice, instructional practice, teaching philosophy, and teacher identity. The use of the guided visualization technique, integrated with rational reflection, considerably enhanced the depth and breadth of participants’ self-understanding and personal/professional growth, which is an important methodological contribution of the study for teacher development. The results strongly suggest that it is essential to explore teachers’ personal life experiences in order to gain a holistic understanding of the dominant influences on the development of teacher identity. The study presents a model for designing a longitudinal professional development program offered in a series of workshops to raise teachers’ awareness of the implicit influences on teacher identity and instructional practice through the application of both conscious/rational and intuitive/tacit methods to access their beliefs, perceptions, and interpretations of their life experiences.

This study analyzes and reports on the characteristics of writing-triggered peak experience and other positive human experiences and explores some possible factors that can bring about such moments. Three basic questions were explored: Can writing trigger peak experience and other positive human experiences? How are writing-triggered peak experience and other positive human experiences best described? What factors influence the occurrence of writing-triggered peak experience and other positive human experiences? Participants were asked to write about their happiest moment in writing. The sample consisted of 270 students enrolled in undergraduate writing classes at a major southwestern university. Of 270 participants, 119(44%) reported having had at least one peak experience or similar positive human experience as a result of writing. Protocols reporting peak experience and other positive human experiences in writing were analyzed for content, yielding a total of 14 descriptive attributes. The participants described their writing experiences as flow of the words, the process of writing is its own reward, peak performance, clarity, disappearance of negative states of mind, and enhanced sense of power and personal worth. Content analysis also yielded 13 possible triggers of peak experience and other positive human experiences including self-expression, realization, free writing, use of writing for introspection, and creative and inspirational writing. In addition, personal orientation was explored as a possible trigger of peak experience and other positive human experiences using a 16-item questionnaire. Factor analysis results yielded four factors: (1) aesthetic creative expressive writing, (2) writing as a thinking and problem solving tool (3) self-discovery, and (4) not interested in writing. Factor one accounted for the highest variance (37%). The common elements in this factor were expressive writing, self-related writing and creative poetic writing with poetic and creative writing having the highest loading.

This Master of Arts by research was comprised of two components: creative practice (60%) and a written thesis (40%). The creative practice was partially represented in an exhibition of paintings, drawings, photographs and artist books entitled Traces, held at WiseART Gallery, 166 Ann St, Brisbane, March 2005. The written component is represented in this manuscript. This case study illustrates the creative process of an individual artistic practice through intuitive inquiry, which utilized self-observation methods such as painting, drawing, photographing, bookmaking, exhibitions, journaling, questioning and mindfulness. Intuitive inquiry is outlined as the predominant method of both the phenomenon of art making in this case, as well as the method used to study the creative process. The concept of intuitive inquiry as a research method, by its similarity to this particular creative process, was well suited to studying its delicate, preconscious, internally reflective and reflexive activities. Intuitive inquiry also underpins the exceptional, transformative experiences of the artist, which are often excluded from conventional empirical research. The results of this study demonstrate that it is through the hermeneutic interpretations of process, product and dialogue that a deeper understanding of the creative process is gained. The hermeneutic model of creative process that emerged (Fig 4.14) will assist others in a deeper understanding of how creative process can be utilized in generating new knowledge. More importantly, it is this creative interpretive process that can lead to transformative experiences, which encourage both the artist and the audience to search for a deeper engagement with each other and the world.

No description available.

Introduction Saudi Arabia is the largest country in the Middle East occupying the majority of the Arabia Peninsula. In 1934 the exploration of oil propelled this country from one of the poorest to one of the highest in per capita income. Islamic law forms the basis of Saudi Arabia's constitution, its civil and penal codes and guides the Saudis in their daily and family lifestyles, governing morals, dress, eating habits and business dealings. Between 1970 and 1980, there was a sharp increase in the rate of population. Currently the population is estimated at 20.8 million with a projected increase to 44.8 million by the year 2025, with approximately 49% under the age of 20. This rise in population has implications for the health care industry, of which expatriates make up more that 85% of the country's health care system. Purpose The purpose of the study was to examine the social and cultural experiences associated with living and working as a registered nurse in a major teaching hospital in Saudi Arabia and to identify and understand how to develop critical thinking skills in Saudi nurses during a nursing education/intervention program in Saudi Arabia. Methodology The researcher reviewed the literature on critical thinking, which allowed the construction of a conceptual model (Appendix 1) to guide teaching and evaluation of critical thinking skills and maintained the focus on dialogue to stimulate interaction and participation in order to promote critical thinking abilities in Saudi nurses. This study adopted ethnography as a methodology and utilised Spradley's (1979)ethnographic research cyclical tasks for data collection and analysis, which are explained in the exploratory, descriptive and explanatory phases of the research. The researcher was a participant observer and collected ethnographic data in the social situation. A variety of data collection methods were employed, which included observation of students and clinical instructors, evaluation of clinical instructors teaching techniques in utilising critical thinking strategies, evaluation of students' responses in the use of critical thinking strategies, focus group interviews of students and clinical instructors and informal interviews conducted within the hospital setting with relevant informants. The use of multi-methods provided the opportunity to examine more fully the richness and complexities of the culture, by gathering data from various sources to validate the consistency of information to reflect the multiple realities of this cultural group. Cultural domains were identified after examining field notes and interviews for terms and clues repeatedly verbalised by informants, in particular students. The researcher organised the domains to formulate taxonomies, leading to cultural themes, which are answered within the research questions in Chapter 8. The research questions for this study are as follows: Research questions 1. What are the issues related to the implementation of critical thinking in a Professional Development Program to improve critical thinking in Saudi nurses? 2. What major elements are involved in creating and sustaining the Saudi Arabian nursing profession? 3. How might Saudi culture be used to support the development of professional nursing identity? Implications for the study This study has the potential to make a significant contribution to nursing education in Saudi Arabia in promoting critical thinking in nurses and in curriculum development for the following reasons. First, didactic instruction was replaced with an interactive approach by utilising critical thinking strategies and devices to facilitate the development of critical thinking abilities. Second, working with a conceptual framework or model made it easier to manage complex multifaceted concepts, such as critical thinking. The model maintained the focus on dialogue and experiential learning thereby assisting students and staff to integrate theory and practice. This model was effective for the program and if duplicated by other programs, could create a learning environment that would allow the effective development and evaluation of critical thinking. The model is reflected in Appendix 1. Recommendations for the nursing profession in Saudi Arabia * To establish the Nursing Practice Act which subsequently leads to the formation of a National Nursing Registration Board. * To transfer nursing into the higher education sectors, to be on par with their Western counterparts. To foster career incentives for men to meet the cultural needs of the people, increase Saudi nurses in the workforce and to raise the image of nursing. * To enact Saudiisation policy. * To incorporate Islamic nursing history into diploma nursing and other nursing educational programs and implemented into the workplace, government policy and the media. * To construct separate male and female hospitals to solve the gender issues. * To systematically collect, collate and analyse nursing data. * To develop continuing education programs to meet educational needs of nurses.

No description available.

This paper depicts a U.S. veteran and graduate student’s experience using meditation, artmaking, and journaling to target the effects of trauma and its symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and dissociation. This is a self-study utilizing art as the main method for communication and knowing. The data was gathered by using a combination of Pat Allen’s Open Studio Process and elements of the Art Therapy Trauma Protocol using bilateral artmaking in a five-session process conducted in a local art studio in San Diego. The meditation was conducted as a contemplative practice with attention and intention focusing on traumatic experiences. Fragmented memories and phenomenological experiences were stimulated during the research process through metaphoric content in the art and archetypal visualizations during meditation. These were explored through the multiple phases of meditation, artmaking, observing, and journaling. This process allowed for integration and healing through meaning making, bilateral stimulation, and somatic experiencing.

Submitted by FABIANA DA SILVA FRANÇA (fabiana21franca@gmail.com) on 2017-11-23T18:06:14Z No. of bitstreams: 1 ArquivoTotal.pdf: 2427997 bytes, checksum: 6a9dabc2a7dd80db6ff32d2454cafab2 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-11-23T18:06:14Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 ArquivoTotal.pdf: 2427997 bytes, checksum: 6a9dabc2a7dd80db6ff32d2454cafab2 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-03-31 / To analyze the results of the implementation of the Electronic Journaling System (SEER), the Open Journal System customization by the Brazilian Institute of Science and Technology Information (IBICT), as part of a policy of free access to scientific information in Brazil between 2003 (Year of its creation) and 2016. It is proposed to create a context based on the concept of "open access", combining the conceptual threads of "scientific communication", intertwined with "scientific publishing", which in turn is interwoven with " Dissemination of scientific and technological information ", for a qualification of an access policy through the adoption of collaborative and free technology. The study allowed to raise important characteristics of Brazilian scientific journals. Today there are no major challenges in the Open Access Movement: a convergence of interests and needs of the editors of the SEER / OJS journals by cooperation networks; An enlargement without sharing and systematizing the successful experiences of journals with high impact indexes, perhaps the biggest challenge today is the integration of data from electronic journals with institutional repositories. Brazil along with the Cariniana preservation network has made significant progress in this integration. / Analisa os resultados da implementação do Sistema Eletrônico de Editoração de Revistas (SEER), customização do Open Journal System pelo Instituto Brasileiro de Informação em Ciência e Tecnologia (IBICT), enquanto dispositivo de uma política de acesso livre à informação científica, no Brasil entre 2003 (ano de sua criação) e 2016. Propõe-se tecer um contexto a partir do conceito de “acesso aberto”, reunindo os fios conceituais da "comunicação científica", entrelaçado ao da "editoração científica", que por sua vez está entremeado à "disseminação da informação científica e tecnológica", para a qual se propõe uma política de acesso mediante adoção de tecnologia colaborativa e livre. O estudo permitiu levantar características importantes dos periódicos científicos brasileiros. Hoje no Brasil existem grandes desafios no Movimento de Acesso Aberto: a convergência de interesses e necessidades dos editores dos periódicos do SEER/OJS por redes de cooperação; a ampliação no compartilhamento e sistematização das experiências de sucesso de periódicos com altos índices de impacto e, talvez o mais importante desafio atual é a integração dos portais de periódicos eletrônicos com os repositórios institucionais. O Brasil junto a rede de preservação Cariniana tem tido significativos avanços nessa integração.