As businesses are becoming increasingly aware of their ever changing market environments; constraints and opportunities arise which result in organisations evolving and re-structuring accordingly. Therefore, their organisational spaces are evolving to follow suit. A theoretical shift has occurred in OT, from considerations of space as an 'organisation' to 'organising' viewing space as processual which involves an understanding of space as something which is continually produced and re-produced through social relations (Dale & Burrell, 2008). While in the past organisational space often referred to the interior space of an organisation, consideration of recent literature demonstrates that organisational space is not limited to the internal, but also includes the external space of an organisational building. The key points of the literature review are centred on the users in the space, as well as the materialisation of power through spatial design and space as an experience. A mixed-method approach of observation, interviews and a questionnaire are used to understand the Forum user; defined here as a form of multi-locational worker. The case study approach on the Forum Building at the University of Exeter is used to position a typology of University open workspaces in the wider context of open, public and communal [OPC] workspaces, with the intention of generating research directions that extend current theory. Key results of this study are the 'unspoken reciprocity' among Forum users and the importance of 'visuality'; the act of seeing while being seen, in motivating individuals. Furthermore, the spatial elements of 'flexible accessibility', 'flexible workspaces' and active atmosphere are major contributors to making the Forum space an attractive workspace in the current University trend of 'interdisciplinary spaces' (Coulson et al., 2014; Temple, 2014). This thesis makes both a theoretical and methodological contribution to the organisational studies literature through the holistic case study approach to viewing organisational spaces. Through a socio-spatial perspective of multi-locational users' perceptions of their changing everyday working environment, the research provides significant insight into the conceptualisation, design, operations and management of such spaces.

Secularisation is at the centre of a vibrant debate in the sociology of religion. In the last two decades, literature has started to challenge old predictions and interpretations of the future of religion, but few studies present a detailed contextual examination of religious change in contemporary societies. Offering a comparative analysis of Scotland and Sweden, two nations in the relatively secularised Northern Europe, this thesis argues that diverse historical and political trajectories shape distinct patterns of religious beliefs and practices. Scotland and Sweden are two secularising nations characterised by historically dominant Protestant churches, but which nonetheless differ largely in their experiences of religious decline. In order to discern and differentiate key aspects of religious change in each nation as well as to explore contextual meanings of religion, a mixed methods approach was adopted, comprised of secondary quantitative data analysis as well as in-depth interviews. Data analysis identified and highlighted broader patterns and individual understandings of religious beliefs as well as three dimensions of religious belonging: church attendance, religious identification and membership, and participation in rituals. Results show that on measures of religious beliefs and church attendance, Sweden appears further secularised than Scotland. Arguably, Sweden has seen rapid and relatively early secularisation, with important social structural and political changes that occurred in the second half of the 19th century. With noticeable generational differences, data on Scotland point towards the mid-20th century as a crucial time of religious decline. Additionally, the remaining functions of the national churches differ considerably in the two nations. A majority of Swedes identify with the Church of Sweden, which serves a largely secular purpose as part of a cultural heritage and as a provider of life cycle ceremonies. By contrast, the Church of Scotland has maintained a stronger commitment to religious doctrine in a nation that is more religiously diverse. The findings ultimately draw attention to the importance of context in the study of diverse and complex processes of religious change. As a result, they reveal limitations to attempts in the contemporary sociology of religion set out to generalise and dichotomise European trends of religious belief and belonging.

Existing commonly used maternal-fetal attachment instruments have not been thoroughly tested for reliability and validity; criticism can be levelled for a variety of problems ranging from lack of reliability due to an inadequate underpinning framework to facilitate objective interpretation to limited generalizability due to the sample. The aim of this study is to acknowledge the centrality of the mother, to use the experiences of pregnant women to generate a definition of maternalfetal attachment and ultimately create a tool that will act as a reliable, valid and simple measurement. A mixed method framework utilising a sequential exploratory strategy has allowed qualitative exploration of the phenomenon under investigation followed by quantitative testing of the emerging theory on a much larger and different sample. Phase 1 involved face to face open structured interviews on an opportunity sample of 10 (5 primigravid; 5 multiparous) women in the final trimester of pregnancy followed by 3 focus groups targeting specific groups – primigravid women (6 participants); multiparous women (7 participants) and teenagers (4 participants). Data analysis was through constant comparative methodology. A multidimensional, psycho-biological definition of attachment was generated from the women’s own perception of their attachment to their fetus. This was used as a framework to design a questionnaire for the measurement of maternal-fetal attachment. Phase 2 involved the validation of the questionnaire and further testing of the definition. Cohort 1 tested for reliability with 200 participants within their second or third trimester of pregnancy. Following modification of the questionnaire, Cohort 2 a sample of 150 women within the final trimester of pregnancy tested the tool for internal reliability and validity. The generated Maternal-Fetal Attachment Tool (MFAT) following rigorous testing proved both reliable and valid. Maternal fetal attachment is founded in psycho-biological theory and is a complex multi-dimensional construct. Central to the definition is the woman’s need to protect her fetus, attachment develops as the fetus becomes more tangible, it is facilitated through the woman’s intergenerational experience of attachment and through appropriate social support. Maternal-fetal attachment facilitates behavioural change to ensure a favourable intra-uterine environment.

The purpose of this embedded quasi-experimental mixed methods research was to use solving simple linear equations as the lens for looking at the effectiveness of concrete and virtual manipulatives as compared to a control group using learning methods without manipulatives. Further, the researcher wanted to investigate unique benefits and drawbacks associated with each manipulative. Qualitative research methods such as observation, teacher interviews, and student focus group interviews were employed. Quantitative data analysis techniques were used to analyze pretest and posttest data of middle school students (n=76). ANCOVA, analysis of covariance, uncovered statistically significant differences in favor of the control group. Differences in posttest scores, triangulated with qualitative data, suggested that concrete and virtual manipulatives require more classroom time because of administrative issues and because of time needed to learn how to operate the manipulative in addition to necessary time to learn mathematics content. Teachers must allow students enough time to develop conceptual understanding linking the manipulatives to the mathematics represented. Additionally, a discussion of unique benefits and drawbacks of each manipulative sheds light on the use of manipulatives in middle school mathematics.

Using quantitative and qualitative data analytic techniques, the present study explores the parent-adolescent relationship from a pilot study of 15 triads (overall N = 45). First, the statistical relationship between positive relational affect and electrical brain activity was assessed during parent-adolescent conflict communication (N = 30). Specifically, using electroencephalography (EEG) technology, electrical brain activity was recorded during family problem-solving discussions between a mother, father, and adolescent child. Observational coding was used to determine participant and triad positive affect ratios (PARs). Principles of positive-to-negative affect were incorporated into an affective neuroscience framework and used as the theoretical basis for the quantitative portion of this research. Findings suggest that in relation to positive affect, hemispheric lateralization occurs during parent-adolescent problem-solving discussions. Second, the behavioral-family systems model of parent-adolescent conflict (Robin & Foster, 1989) was used to theoretically undergird the qualitative portion of the study. Based on this theoretical model, a thematic content analysis was conducted using transcripts from the triadic problem-solving discussions (N = 45). Patterns of parent-adolescent communication were assessed, and a modified grounded theory approach was applied to emergent communication themes that differed from those presented in the theory. Similarities and differences in conflict communication behaviors and positive affect ratios were compared between families. Contextual descriptions of each family are offered.

This mixed methods study investigates the influence of student characteristics and institutional support services and interventions on graduation rates. Regression analysis was conducted using a dataset constructed from multiple publically available resources to estimate graduation rates. Regression results showed High School Grade Point Average to be the highest estimator of graduation rates, among other student and institutional characteristics. The results confirmed existing findings on the influence of student pre-college and demographic characteristics on graduation rates for students with academic needs. Content analysis of survey data from office of support service personnel at public four-year institutions shows institutions implement a wide array of support services, with a focus on Summer Bridge Programs to support college readiness in underprepared students. Content analysis of interviews with Academic Support Staff indicates institutions focus attention on students with low academic credentials through support services and interventions practiced in unique ways at the institutional level. Findings from the study were used to construct a model for use by institutions to improve support services and programs provided to students with low academic credentials regardless of their pre-existing characteristics.

This dissertation contributes to the educational literature by providing new research on the achievement gap in the Southwest. For this study, a sequential mixed-methods approach was employed. The quantitative research assessed which factors influenced academic achievement among a 2012 high school graduating class (N=2,238) through analyses using correlation, ANOVA and HLM. Additionally, qualitative themes from 15 in-depth ethnographic teacher interviews and 116 teacher surveys from low income schools were triangulated with the quantitative findings to describe the multiple, interconnected factors that affected student achievement from the teacher's viewpoint. The low income schools in this study were defined as `hardship schools' because they had a high percentage of free and reduced lunch participants, a high minority population, low academic achievement, and frequent turnover in the administrative staff. The findings indicated that a statistically significant academic gap existed between high and low income schools. However, the longitudinal student standardized scores from elementary (5th grade) to high school (10th grade) revealed that the gap did not widen over time between high and low income students. Although students from low income schools lacked social capital and other resources available to their wealthier peers, they were still able to make equivalent academic growth, albeit at a lower performance level. It was argued that a pivotal reason that the gap did not widen was due to a dedicated teacher cadre that chose to work in low income middle schools. These teachers expressed a high level of self efficacy and cultural competency and identified with the students and the surrounding community. Their sense of identification came from one of three sources: similar ethnic background, including Latino culture and language; similar socio-economic upbringing, including poverty and the hardships associated with being an economic underclass; and/or cultural competency, where curiosity and love of diversity is emphasized. This identification helped teachers level the playing field by relating to students and making learning relevant to their environment.

Class size has long been recognized as a factor affecting achievement in face-to-face contexts. However, few studies have examined the effects of class size in online courses, or the effects of dividing an online class into smaller discussion groups. The current study examined the relationship between class size and the use of grouping strategies on note reading, note writing, and collaborative discussions in online graduate-level courses. This mixed-methods study analyzed tracking logs from 25 graduate-level online courses using Web Knowledge Forum (25 instructors and 341 students) and interviews from 10 instructors and 12 graduate students with diverse backgrounds. The quantitative and qualitative data analyses were designed to complement each other. Findings suggested 13 to 15 as an optimal class size and four to five as an ideal subgroup size. Not surprisingly, the results revealed that, as class size increased, the total notes that participants read increased significantly. However, as class size increased, the percentage of course notes that students read decreased significantly (i.e., students were reading a smaller proportion of the course notes). In larger classes, participants were more likely to experience information overload and students were more selective in the notes that they read. A significant positive correlation was found between class size and total notes written. Students’ note size and grade-level score were negatively correlated with class size. The data also suggest that the overload effects of large classes can be minimized by dividing students into small groups for discussion purposes. Interviewees felt that the use of small groups in large classes benefited their collaborative discussions. The preceding results underscore the importance of using small discussion groups when class sizes are large. The research concludes with a list of pedagogical recommendations and suggests new software features that may help enhance learning in online courses.

The research in this thesis focuses on the ways in which participants represent highly charged negative emotional experiences in narrative form through vocal disclosures, and the relationships between disclosure style and psychophysiological activity. This thesis also attempts to theorise some of the psychophysiological mechanisms that may be associated with the effects of emotional disclosure. Participants were randomly assigned to an emotion (disclosure) group (n = 16) in which they talked about a particular highly charged negative experience, or a neutral (control) group (n = 16) in which they talked about their typical morning. Participants undertook these tasks on three separate occasions, each separated by one week. Skin conductance levels (SCLs) were measured throughout. Statistical analyses were conducted to look at possible SCL differences between the two groups and associations between the disclosure style and SCL variations. Although there were no statistically significant differences between the two groups' SCLs, there were significant differences in SCLs with regard to disclosure style. Qualitative narrative and discourse analyses were undertaken on 4 selected participants, chosen on the basis of clinically significant SCL moves. These analyses revealed that neutral participants also engaged in forms of emotional disclosure through forms of identity negotiation that were constructed within their talk concerning their typical mornings. The qualitative analysis also identified disclosure styles that may be associated with variations in psychophysiological activity.

This thesis is involved with exploration of key changes drivers and market phenomena in the Southeast Asia and the development of new conceptual frameworks for business environmental analysis of airlines. The research is constructed under the phenomenology paradigm which adopts a coherentism approach and mainly takes airline industry’s publications, statistics, and executives as units of analysis. Hermeneutic phenomenology, a single-embedded case study, concurrent triangulation mixed method, and grounded theory are all used as methodologies. Methods using document reviews, interviews, and questionnaires are applied to surface the key changes drivers, market phenomena and the perceptions of the importance of changes factors. The collected data are analysed by content analysis, thematic analysis, cognitive mapping analysis, constant comparative analysis and descriptive analysis to classify, generalise and develop into proper forms. The research reveals that ‘market’, ‘competition/strategy’, ‘regulation/policy’, ‘infrastructure/resource’, ‘cooperation’, ‘distribution’, ‘technology, and ‘broad’ factors are discovered as key change drivers. Their different importance levels are measured by occurrences, density, centrality, and tail occurrences as root causes of changes. The characteristics of their interrelationships are based on directional and influential dimensions. There are 16 emerged changes/market phenomena and 11 generalised conceptual frameworks and 3 newly developed frameworks for analysing the airline business environment. The quantitative findings from content analysis are evaluated by inter-coder analysis which achieves kappa coefficient = 0.87 indicating high reliability of the analysis. The qualitative findings are qualified through ten criteria assessment of research quality. The deliverables provide both theoretical and methodological contributions. The research limitations are found in some sources of collected data and findings which are caused by scarce data availability and three types of biases. The recommendations for future research into financial performance, changes’ leading indicators and comparative in-depth study in other ASEAN countries and regions are made.