The aim of this thesis is to produce a substantive grounded theory of junior-to-senior transition and as a result of this work, to provide knowledge and guidance for coaches, sport psychologists and other personnel supporting young aspirant athletes. Underpinned by a social constructionist philosophy, the research programme was designed to capture and interpret the social world of the participants and to interpret the perceptions derived from their own lived experience of the transition. The thesis consists of three studies which, in a concatenated programme of research, are predicated one upon another. In order that understanding in social research can be advanced, the development of theory requires several rounds of fieldwork, analysis and publication (Stebbins, 1992,2006). Thus the building of theory took place over the initial two studies, the first of which involved the in-depth interviewing of nine participants from individual sports (M age = 24.5 years, S. D. = 4.3 years). As a consequence of this exercise, rich data were collected, depicting the participants' experiences of the juniorsenior transition. Grounded in these data, a preliminary model of junior-to-senior transition was constructed using Strauss and Corbin's (1998) guidelines for grounded theory analysis. More specifically, the resultant model revealed a cyclical process: of learning, identity development and progress at transition. Inception of the process is characterised by immersion in the post-transition environment during the pre-transition phase, in which significant observational learning occurs via the use of more senior role models. This process leads to the identification of discrepancies between the actual (or junior) and ideal (or senior) self. This promotes a period of adjustment in which the behaviours relevant to senior status are incorporated within the self, bringing about a sense of readiness, or ability to cope with the transition. In essence, the athletes had sought to structure their pre-transition environment to represent that which they would encounter post-transition, thereby generating stability for their self-identity. The modification of identity, through the adjustment of behaviours and roles, predicted a competitive breakthrough, at which point the athletes began to think about the subsequent step at senior level, and hence the cycle of immersion, learning and adjustment continued. (Continues...).

The primary purpose of this study was to determine the impact of a junior high school leadership program on the academic success and leadership development of its at-risk student participants. A secondary purpose, based on impact, was to evaluate the program as a potential school-based model for adolescent at-risk intervention. The leadership program investigated in this study is unique in three ways. First, the program is in a magnet school and the student population is heterogeneously mixed as to ethnicity and socio-economic status. Second, enrollment is open to all students. Third, its curriculum goals meet research-based criteria for effective intervention practices and leadership development. Academic success indicators associated with at-risk students included achievement, conduct, attendance, and school engagement. Leadership development indicators included leadership practices students had experienced and leadership positions students had held. The design of this post hoc study was the comparison of two groups of high school students who qualified as "at-risk" during their junior high years. Data collection included district or campus reports for cumulative attendance rates, grade point averages, and conduct demerits, as well as student survey responses for school activities, leadership practices experienced, and leadership positions held. Results of multivariate and univariate inferential analyses show the leadership program had a slight positive impact on the achievement and leadership experiences of at-risk student participants. Descriptive data analyses indicated a positive trend toward better conduct from program participants as well. The program did not have a significant impact on attendance, school engagement, and leadership positions students had held. While the program met criteria for effective at-risk intervention as well as exemplary leadership development, results were mixed, so evaluation of the leadership program as a model for at-risk student intervention is inconclusive. Further longitudinal research is recommended with a larger sample, using pretest and posttest measurements, group comparisons, and determination of short term and long term effects.

Over the past twenty years, an increasing amount of research has been devoted to the study of student engagement within the field of educational psychology. This led to a growing body of research touting the benefits of engaged learning—from increased student achievement to more positive school experiences for learners. However, the literature is characterized by competing theoretical frameworks and multiple definitions of the construct of student engagement. Additionally, few works seek to capitalized on the expertise of classroom teachers to hone and develop what is known about engagement from the theoretical perspective. The current study used qualitative methodology to observe and interview master teachers, as defined by their designation as a National Board Certified Teachers, to learn how expert teachers define student engagement and how these conceptualizations match up to current theoretical frameworks. It also examined the sources for their professional knowledge of student engagement. The individual teachers defined student engagement through the presence of interest, engaged behaviors, social interaction, real world connections, strategic thinking, and positive student-teacher rapport. As a group, their answers support a four-dimensional construction of student engagement including affective, behavioral, cognitive and social engagement, which aligns well with one of the major theories of engagement within educational psychology. These teachers’ beliefs include an emphasis on real world connections to learning within cognitive engagement, and student-teacher rapport within social engagement that has yet to be explored deeply in the literature. Teachers identified multiple sources for this knowledge including experience, peer interactions, the NBCT process, and guidance from school leaders. While some noted formal professional education as a source, they saw classroom experience reflective and embedded professional development as more formative. This work shows these master teachers arrived independently at constructions for student engagement close to those proposed by the research community. It supports a meta-construct of student engagement that includes affective, behavioral, cognitive and social processes, and calls for greater theoretical advocacy within the study of engagement to help more teachers fully conceptualize student engagement without the need for trial-and-error learning and extensive classroom experience.

Background: Concussion in adolescent american football occurs frequently and can give serious damage, especially to the younger brain. SAFF has guidelines for management and rehabilitation. The guidelines to be followed are called “Hjärntrappan”.  Purpose: To investigate a group of coaches experiences of management and rehabilitation after concussion, in adolescent american football in Sweden. Design and method: Qualitative exploratory design, based on semi structured interviews. Five coaches were included in the study. The data was analyzed using content analysis according to Graneheim and Lundman. Results: The coaches experienced limited skills in management and rehabilitation in concussions. There was a major responsibility for the medical staff, were competence varied widely and there was no requirement regarding education about concussion. There was limited knowledge of the work of the football association and its guidelines were not fully implemented. The coach education contained a limited part regarding concussions. A mandatory part about concussion for both coaches and medical staff was suggested to improve current management and rehabilitation. Conclusion: Treatment and rehabilitation regarding concussion need to be expanded in the coaches education courses. A knowledge certificate should be introduced for the medical staff for management and rehabilitation of junior players as well. Future research could study how rehabilitation is followed after concussions, or mapping risks in the management and rehabilitation of brain shocks in junior teams. / Bakgrund: Hjärnskakning inom amerikansk fotboll, i ungdomsleden, är ett känt problem och sker frekvent. Svenska Amerikansk Fotbollförbundet har riktlinjer för hantering och rehabilitering vid hjärnskakning, som kallas Hjärntrappan. Syfte: Undersöka vilka upplevelser och erfarenheter juniortränare, till pojk- och flicklag mellan åldrarna 14 - 19 år inom amerikansk fotboll i Sverige, har av hantering och rehabilitering vid hjärnskakningar. Metod: Kvalitativ explorativ design, som baserades på semistrukturerade intervjuer. Fem tränare ingick i studien. Datan analyserades med hjälp av innehållsanalys enligt Graneheim och Lundman. Resultat: Tränarna upplevde en begränsad kompetens gällande hantering och rehabilitering vid hjärnskakning. Ett stort ansvar låg på den medicinska personalen där kompetensen varierade mycket och det saknades krav på utbildning angående hjärnskakningar. Det saknades kunskap om förbundets arbete och dess riktlinjer var inte fullt implementerade. Tränarutbildningen innehöll en begränsad del gällande hjärnskakningar. En obligatorisk del om hjärnskakningar för tränare och medicinsk personal ansågs kunna förbättra nuvarande hantering och rehabilitering. Konklusion: Behandling och rehabilitering rörande hjärnskakningar behöver utökas i tränarutbildningen. Utbildningskrav bör införas för medicinsk personal för hantering och rehabilitering även på juniornivå. Framtida forskning skulle kunna studera hur rehabilitering följs efter hjärnskakningar, eller kartlägga risker vid hantering och rehabilitering av hjärnskakningar inom juniorlag.

The general purpose of this study is to investigate the status of the mathematics teachers in the secondary schools of Kentucky. It is in detail a study to ascertain (1) the educational qualifications of Kentucky mathematics teachers; (2) the salaries of these teachers; (3) the teaching experiences and tenure of the mathematics teachers; (4) the number and kind of mathematics courses being offered in our secondary schools.

This study was conducted to identify certain effective practices currently being utilized in teaching multiple activity industrial arts classes. The study was concerned with those practices being used in middle school, junior high school, and intermediate school general shop classes where multiple activities were being taught.

The problem was to determine the significance of various relationships between job-performance ratings and selected factors associated with the college curricula of junior executive trainees. Job-performance ratings were made by personnel directors and immediate supervisors of college graduates enrolled as participants in junior executive training programs in department stores in Texas.

The problem of this study was a comparison of two methods of teaching life career planning to junior high school students. In this study, the experimental group was taught by means of the Life Career game, and the control group was taught by a teacher-directed technique using more traditional methods and materials.

The problem with which this investigation is concerned is that of comparing a learning systems approach to a lecture-demonstration-rotation approach of teaching the manipulative skills of office machines.

The problem of this study is to determine the relative effectiveness of the three counseling procedures of modeling, assertive training, and modeling plus assertive training for increasing assertive behavior in low assertive junior college students.