Modern technology has provided foreign language teachers with several methods of connecting their classes and students to native speakers of target languages. Much of the existing research about these online conversations is focused on changes in students' proficiency or cultural sensitivity. Although valuable, the research is lacking in understanding students' experience online including positive and negative feelings, challenges, and students' overall opinion of the exchanges' usefulness. This study was conducted in an effort to better understand students' experience communicating online with native speakers. A third semester Spanish class at Brigham Young University consisting of 18 students was selected as a sample. These students were required to speak online with native Spanish speakers for at least 20 minutes in Spanish each week. Students completed weekly surveys, a final survey, and three students were selected for a semi-structured interview. This study was conducted using a mixed-methods approach, involving both quantitative and qualitative data. The data revealed common struggles that students faced during online exchanges, methods students used for coping with these difficulties, areas of perceived growth as a result of the exchanges, and social factors that had significant impact on students' experience. The study concludes with recommendations of what foreign language educators can do to support their own classes in similar online exchanges. Areas of further investigation regarding online exchanges with native speakers are also recommended.

Doctor Educationis / Health professionals worldwide are currently inadequately trained to address the health issues of communities, particularly in developing countries where there are major health disparities. This study argues for an alternative and more appropriate education, one which would better prepare future health professionals to address these needs. The study draws attention to how the University of the Western Cape (UWC) responded to preparing its health professional graduates to better meet the needs of South African society. The thesis explores the rationale for a shift in health professions education to one which supports service-learning, locating the study within the broader developments in higher education within South Africa. The specific aim of this thesis was to evaluate a community-based interdisciplinary health promotion course offered to the undergraduate health sciences students from the faculties of Community and Health Sciences and Dentistry at the University of the Western Cape (UWC). It focused on evaluating the perceived effectiveness and the impact on the stakeholders of the Interdisciplinary Health Promotion course, with the aim of developing an appropriate framework to guide the teaching of health promotion at higher education institutions in South Africa. Ten primary schools in three disadvantaged communities in the Western Cape were used as the health promotion settings for the Interdisciplinary Health Promotion course. The study design was a program evaluation that used the explanatory sequential mixed-methods design. An evaluation matrix was developed, consisting of three core concepts (curriculum, community-based learning, and university-school collaboration) against which the course was evaluated. Indicators and criteria were developed for each core concept. Questionnaires were distributed to all the stakeholders, that is, the university students, the lecturers, the supervisors, and the school educators, involved in the Interdisciplinary Health Promotion Course during 2006. Focus group discussions with the stakeholders were also conducted at the UWC campus and in the Delft community. There was a good response from all the stakeholders who participated in the study (students (72.4%), lecturers (85%), supervisors (100%), and school educators (71.5%)). A main finding of the study was that the Interdisciplinary Health Promotion course was relevant and up-to-date with developments in the field of health promotion. Course topics were dealt with in sufficient depth and the assignments were clear, specific, and related to the course outcomes. The interdisciplinary teaching and learning approach allowed the university students to learn and develop a better understanding of the roles and contributions that the various professions played in health promotion in a community. The course was perceived as having been of value to all the stakeholders and having a positive impact on the schools. The findings revealed that the health promotion projects implemented in the schools helped the university students to learn how to plan, implement and evaluate a project in a community setting. Furthermore, the findings suggest that the schools offered an ideal placement for university students to learn about health promotion and its application. In addressing a concern about the course not making any meaningful long-term impact on the schools and the surrounding communities, the study showed that it is important to revisit the current teaching and learning approach of the Interdisciplinary Health Promotion course. It revealed that service-learning as an alternative to the field education approach would facilitate a closer relationship between theoretical and practical knowledge, where the practical application was translated into a service that met the needs of a community. The study further revealed that the collaboration model between the university and the school also needed to be reconceptualized, to include all the stakeholders as well as their needs concerning health promotion in the schools. It was recommended that the Health Promoting School framework should be seen as the overarching framework for the sustainability of school-based health promotion. In conclusion, this study showed that the recognition and establishment of university-community partnerships and reliance upon them in the educational process would provide many new opportunities for relevant and meaningful health professional education and training. These efforts would contribute to improving the quality of higher education delivered to students, thereby ensuring their competency to better meet the needs of the communities they will serve.

The existing curriculum for piano lessons in West Malaysia is over-reliant on the syllabi of foreign examination boards resulting in a fragmentary curriculum which denies the student access to a wider range of musical experiences. The aim of the study was to identify and suggest solutions to problems by analysing the teaching approaches of piano teachers and to determine if there are elements which are lacking in the lessons. It also aimed to provide solutions by establishing a theoretical framework for effective piano teaching with optimal lesson plans. This study made use of mixed methods research design. A cross-sectional survey was conducted and data collection was by self-structured questionnaires. In addition, interviews were conducted for the qualitative component of this study. Twenty-five piano teachers with between one to twenty years of teaching experience were randomly selected to participate in the survey. A further fifteen interviews were conducted with teachers who were selected from the participants of the survey by purposive sampling. Interpretative phenomenology analysis was used to analyse the interviews in an effort to gain a better understanding of the nature and quality of the piano teaching in West Malaysia. The study finds that having piano examinations with regularity, usually on a yearly basis, has largely dominated the curriculum with examination requirements and has resulted in several elements being missing or absent in a typical lesson. Hence the situation is clearly not ideal as lessons are too examination oriented. Furthermore, students are generally not exposed to sufficient opportunities to display their skills and musical achievements. These findings suggest that Western classical piano music can be taught more effectively in West Malaysia if teachers re-think their approach to teaching in terms of planning for an optimal lesson. This would involve having both long-term and short–term goals in which a variety of strategies and important elements are incorporated seamlessly using the “simultaneous learning” approach advocated by Harris, Crozier and Ley. / Dissertation (MMus)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / gm2014 / Music / unrestricted

This exploratory study assessed attitudes and perceptions of smallholder farmers towards agricultural technologies in Kakamega County, Kenya. Through a mixed-methods sequential design, the study evaluated the key variables predicting farmer adoption of agricultural innovations. While social sciences provide a clear human-driven pattern explaining the process of choices and behaviors regarding technology use, there is still little clarity on the influences of adoption decisions among smallholder farmers in rural Kenya. Using the diffusion of innovations theory, the study explored the attitudes and perceptions of smallholder farmers toward technology adoption in seven sub-counties of Kakamega County (Lurambi, Ikolomani, Shinyalu, Mumias East (Shianda), Malava Butere, and Khwisero). The study design utilized a quantitative survey of 245 smallholder heads of households, followed by focus group discussions to further probe attitudes, values and practices that could influence technology adoption. The survey questionnaire tested two hypotheses: (H1) socio-demographic characteristics are related to agricultural technology adoption; and, (H2) farmer access to extension services was related to agricultural technology adoption. A binary logistic regression model was used to quantitatively estimate socio-demographic variables presumed to influence the adoption of agricultural innovations. Subsequently, four informal focus group discussions of 28 discussants was conducted across representative sub-counties (Lurambi, Shianda, Malava and Ikolomani), to elicit an in-depth understanding of farmers’ perspectives on technology adoption. The focus group participants included farmers recruited from among survey participants. The qualitative research instrument sought to answer three questions, (RQ1) what are farmer attitudes and perceptions towards agricultural technologies; (RQ2) what socio-cultural values influence farmers’ choice of agricultural technologies; and, (RQ3) what sources do farmers use for obtaining information on agricultural technology? Quantitative results included a principal component analysis (PCA) in which 14 attitudes questions were reduced to five conceptual clusters. These clusters included: challenges in accessing modern agricultural technologies (explained 19.09% of the total variance); effectiveness of agricultural technologies (11.88%); enjoyment of agricultural technologies (10.02%); social influence in use of technology (9.47%); and experience with agricultural technologies (8.13%). A logistic regression model indicated that independently age (.07), education (.10), and off-farm income (.08) were significantly associated with adoption of technology at the 90% confidence level when controlling for all other variables in the model. However, agricultural extension (.42) was not a significant predictor of agricultural technology adoption in this model. Qualitative results provided rich insights which enhanced findings from the survey data. Key insights in the thematic analysis included: farmers’ ambivalence about agricultural technologies; lack of trust in agricultural agents; low levels of agricultural technology knowledge; extension services as the main source of information dissemination to farmers; predominance of gender in determining agricultural technology adoption; and gender inequity in agricultural decision-making. In conclusion, the study results suggested that a mixed-methods approach was valuable in probing the nuances of farmers’ perceptions of agricultural extension and technology adoption among smallholder farmers. The results supported the following recommendations: the agricultural extension efforts could be more effectively structured in order to support the dissemination of agricultural information; the issue of gender should be adequately addressed by engaging male and female in collaborative agricultural efforts to help break the barrier of gender inequity; and future research would benefit from disaggregating public and private extension services as a more robust method for determining their individual effects in the promotion of agricultural innovations among smallholder farmers.

"You need to plan it." Practices of reducing food waste in households Anotation This diploma thesis focuses on a problem of consumers' food waste. The main goal is to find out how does the consumer behaviour of the target group look like and how does this behaviour influence the amount of food which is thrown into the trash. By using the theory of practice, therefore exploring specific practices which people use for food consumption, it was possible to tackle the problem. Moreover, this approach enabled to emphasize not only the practices themselves but also the meaning which is connected to them. Results of the qualitative research show that one of the biggest influence on the quantity of discarded food has the shopping behaviour like careful planning of food purchases with respect to real consumption. Different practices were found also in other situations, for instance, when older food accumulates at home and it is necessary to process them to prevent them from being thrown away. These strategies are influenced by different aspects like environment, availability or respondent's experience. In the text are, furthermore, introduced also respondents' motivations and barriers which affect their tendencies to reduce consumption and thus minimalize food waste.

Sweden aims to become one of the first fossil-free welfare countries in the world. In 2009, specific energy and climate policy targets were announced for 2020, which exceed the ambition of respective EU targets in some areas. The overarching objective of the thesis is to understand the role of energy efficiency in Swedish energy and climate policy frameworks, and identify the gaps that need to be addressed. In this context, energy efficiency is recognized as a challenge to address. Yet, there are reasons to believe that it is not being pursued with the same dedication as other energy and climate-related targets. This hypothesis is tested using Mixed Methods research, with cases on different sectors of the Swedish economy, namely energy intensive industry and public bus transport, as well as comparisons with energy efficiency within the EU-28. With the help of abductive reasoning, the observations are inferred to an explanation, and common themes for Swedish energy efficiency policies emerge. The evidence indicates that energy efficiency has received lower priority than other energy and climate policies. This is demonstrated by the conflict between energy efficiency, emission reduction and renewable energy targets, for example in the case of public transport. There is generally a mismatch between targets and the instruments in place. Thus more attention should be given to energy efficiency and its potential benefits for the Swedish energy system. Opportunities for energy efficiency improvements are not being fully realized, but new policy initiatives could provide the necessary support to harness the potential. In-depth evaluation of new policy instruments should be integrated in the policy-making process, in order to provide a clear picture of costs versus benefits. An example is given with a Cost-Benefit Analysis for energy efficiency obligations targeting the Swedish energy intensive industry. Simplicity and transparency in the introduction and monitoring of new instruments need to be sought for. Energy efficiency should be given first priority in relation to other energy and climate targets. The basis for future policies should be grounded now in order for energy efficiency to become the key for successful Swedish energy policy. / <p>QC 20160914</p>

In the last decade, development of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) thatsupports online learning has increased the demand for e-learning and Massive Open OnlineCourses (MOOCs). Despite their increased popularity, MOOCs are struggling with highdropout rates and only a small percentage of learners complete the courses they enrolled in. Thepurpose of this thesis is to gain knowledge about MOOC learner behaviour. The aim of thestudy is to identify the motivations of learners and how these differ between learners whocompleted a course and those who dropped out. Research on MOOC learners has mostly beencarried out using a quantitative approach. While quantitative methodologies are effective inhandling the large amount of data produced by MOOCs, qualitative methods can give deeperinsights into online learners’ motivations. Therefore, this thesis employs an explanatorysequential mixed methods research, in which sentiment analysis and topic modeling of learnerreviews from the platform Coursera are further explained by qualitative interviews with MOOClearners. In the study 28,000 reviews scraped from five courses within the fields of data sciencewere analyzed and ten interviews were held with learners who either completed, dropped outfrom or both completed and dropped out from a MOOC. In the quantitative analysis nine coursefactors were found that learners wrote about: content, delivery, assessment, learning experience,tools, video material, teaching style, instructor skills and course provider. In addition, eighteenthemes were yielded from the interviews: self-discipline, just for fun, certificates, personaldevelopment, knowledge, career, time, equipment, practical exercise, interaction, instructor,reality, structure, external material, cost, community, degree of difficulty and other. In thediscussion the empirical findings are reflected upon using the theoretical framework of theresearch and the literature review. The result does not reveal any differences in motivationsbetween learners who completed a course and those who dropped out, however, it does identifyfactors that caused learners’ to drop out and the topics that most negative learner reviews wereabout. This research contributes to the body of knowledge in the field of research on MOOClearner retention and motivations. The topic is relevant for research in education informaticsand for continued improvements in delivery of MOOCs.

An increase in reports of undesirable professional behaviour in the nursing profession has prompted the question: How could the internalisation of skills, knowledge, values and beliefs be guided in student nurses to help them become effectively socialised as professional nurses? Using a sequential exploratory mixed-methods approach, the study addressed the above question. The researcher used focus-group interviews and field notes to explore and describe the perceptions of professional nurses and experiences of student nurses regarding the professional socialisation of students. The data generated from these findings were further used to determine and describe educators’ (N=128) perceptions on their teaching and facilitation of professional socialisation of students, using a self-administered questionnaire. The findings of both the qualitative and quantitative data were integrated to develop and validate guidelines to support educators and professional nurses in the professional socialisation of students. To establish rigour, the researcher applied measures of trustworthiness and performed validity and reliability tests. The qualitative data were analysed by utilising Tesch’s method of data analysis. The themes that emerged as influential in the professional socialisation of students were related to the professional nurse as role model, clinical supervisor, the educator, clinical learning environment, values and beliefs of the nursing profession and cultural and gender orientations. The quantitative data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Educators’ teaching and facilitation strategies revealed that the educator as a role model, the clinical environment, teaching approaches and cultural awareness were important social determinants in the professional socialisation of students. The qualitative and quantitative data were integrated to develop guidelines that were validated by field and guideline experts. The guidelines for educators and professional nurses addressed issues such as the professional nurse as role model and clinical supervisor, the creation of a positive clinical learning environment, the educator as role model, the teaching and support of students, the work ethic of the professional nurse and educator, the students’ behaviour and cultural awareness. These guidelines propose recommendations for educators and professional nurses to support the professional socialisation of students. / Health Studies / D. Litt. et Phil. (Health Studies)

The aim of this study was to explore and understand how employees of a specific municipality perceive this technology and how, in what ways, the EDRMS could affect organizational processes. Emphasis was also given on evaluating the factors affecting the successful introduction and implementation of the EDRMS.   This master thesis focuses on employees’ perception of the newly introduced Electronic Document and Record Management System (EDRMS) “Irida” and how this affects organizational processes and working practices.  The data collection was conducted among employees that work in the Finance and Procurement Unit of the Municipality of Drama in Northern Greece. The empirical material was collected through conducting five semi-structured interviews. At the next phase, a questionnaire was developed based on the qualitative findings and was administered via email to all the Municipality of Drama employees that use the system. The data gathered during the qualitative and quantitative phase were analyzed and discussed, and the research findings were produced. It was found that the introduction of “Irida” had a positive effect on working efficiency, reduced contact and interaction among employees, and facilitated remote working. Training, flexibility of the system and employee participation was identified as factors that influence the successful implementation of an EDRMS.  The employees said they were satisfied with "Irida”, found it easy to use, and intended to keep using it. Most of them had varying degrees of stress during the initial implementation phase. It was also shown that employees who find "Irida” user-friendly are more likely to be satisfied and intend to keep using it and that employees who find "Irida” easy to use have a positive predisposition towards the system and do not mind that their work becomes more visible.

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