A recent study conducted by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (2007) concluded that in January 2005 at least 754,147 people were homeless on an average day. Families with children are the fastest-growing sector of the homeless population and comprise 40% of the homeless population. Most of these families are headed by single women and reside in shelters rather than on the streets. Loss of one’s home, the conditions of shelter life, and the physical and sexual abuse that often precipitate homelessness result in diminished self-efficacy and hope. There is an urgent need to mitigate the psychological traumas faced by these homelessness families in a tangible way to help them develop increased self-efficacy and a restored sense of hope, and lend support to their efforts to escape from homelessness. The existing literature indicates that increased self-efficacy leads to improvements in academic work, predicts success in obtaining employment and permanent housing, promotes abstinence from alcohol and drug abuse, and supports effective parenting among homeless women. The literature also indicates that hope contributes to effective goal setting and the determination to actively pursue those goals, thereby lending support to homeless women’s efforts to escape from homelessness. Many authors have written about a garden as a place of transition, expectation, and hope and garden-based learning provides benefits in the intellectual/cognitive, physical, emotional/psychological, and social domains. However, little research has been conducted on the effects of participation in gardening and other horticultural activities on self-efficacy and hope among homeless individuals. The purpose of this study was to determine if participation in a garden-based learning program would positively influence women residing at a homeless shelter in South Florida with regard to their levels of hope and self-efficacy. This three-phase, sequential mixed method study used a combination of survey instruments and semi-structured interviews to investigate the levels of hope and self-efficacy in eight homeless women and the ability to modify these factors through a garden-based learning intervention. The overarching research question for this study was: What are the results and experiences of participation in a garden-based learning program for homeless women with regard to hope and self-efficacy?

The purpose of this study was to explore people-plant interactions and discover the affects of using horticulture therapy techniques with four comprehensive development classroom (CDC) students in four high school horticulture classes. The central research question addressed during the study was, “How do horticulture therapy techniques affect cognitive abilities, emotional behaviors, and social behaviors of CDC students in high school horticulture classes?” The researcher used a total of three different instruments in order to measure various capabilities of each child. These three quantitative instruments utilized during the study consisted of a General Horticulture Knowledge Test, an Emotions Face Test, and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. The General Horticulture Knowledge Test and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale were each administered to the four student participants a total of three times. The researcher administered these tests before beginning the initial study in February, again in March, and at the conclusion of the study in May. The Emotions Face test was administered before and after horticulture activities were completed. Each of the tests was read aloud by the researcher for better understanding by the participants. Observations also played a key role in this study. Interviews were conducted orally with the two CDC teachers and the four CDC students. The CDC teachers were interviewed twice, once before the study started and once at the conclusion of the study. The four students were interviewed only once, this being at the conclusion of the study. Six teacher aides, who work with the students throughout the day, were also involved in the study. They completed written questionnaires containing the same questions as the CDC teachers were asked in their interviews. This study revealed that the participants had increased levels of self-esteem, positive changes in emotional behaviors, and gains in cognitive behaviors during the four month case study. The tests results combined with interviews and observations of the four student participants, two CDC teachers, and six teacher aides supported the idea that horticulture therapy techniques are beneficial to CDC students enrolled in high school horticulture classes.

This study was intended to further the understanding of organisational culture and climate on board a ship, it also explored the linkages that these two broad areas had with marine accidents. The study was designed to represent, as broadly as possible, the views of seafarers all around the world. An extensive literature search of databases in the maritime, education and other cognate fields, revealed only two other studies that dealt with some of the issues examined by this study. The study also examined literature dealing with investigations into maritime accidents, as many of the causal factors identified by these investigations assisted the study in its examination of the organisational culture and climate of a ship. This study addresses three key questions: What is the nature of the organisational culture aboard a ship? What is the nature of the organisational climate aboard a ship? and, Are there any aspects of organisational culture and climate that impact on the safety culture of a ship? This thesis therefore contains descriptions of the organisational culture and climate aboard ships, to facilitate a better understanding of the environment within which ships operate. In examining these two areas this study focussed mainly upon the safety culture and climate of a ship, as the span of each of the earlier described areas was large and covered many issues. This study used a research approach that combined elements of quantitative and qualitative methods. This mixed-mode was deemed the way to proceed as the researcher wished to utilise data gathering approaches that have been used in both broad research approaches, i.e., a questionnaire, metaphorical analysis, and document analysis. This mixedmode approach allowed the investigation of issues within a bounded system, but where the participants were widely dispersed and not readily accessible for extended face-to-face data gathering. The study utilised three instruments for data gathering, which generated three datasets. These datasets provided the basis on which the statistical analysis was conducted. The three instruments used in the survey were the 'Maritime Culture Questionnaire' (MCQ), 'Assumptions through Metaphor' (AtM) Questionnaire and the 'Maritime Climate Questionnaire' (MClQ). The total number of seafarers who participated in the instrument survey was over 700 persons and like most surveys of this kind there was a slight variation in the number of respondents for each instrument. Analysis of the datasets enabled the organisational culture aboard ship to be described comprehensively. This analysis demonstrated that Heads of Departments (HODs) and seafarers displayed either one of two distinct behavioural characteristics when they worked aboard ship. The first characteristic behaviour was the 'HOD Collegial Behaviour' type, here the HOD would be positive and demonstrably supportive toward subordinates. The other characteristic behaviour was the 'HOD Formalistic Behaviour' type, when displaying this type of behaviour the HOD showed indifference toward subordinates and their activities. When a HOD displayed this latter behaviour, respondents indicated that it had a negative impact on the safety climate of a ship. The addition of outcome variables to the MCQ instrument permitted linkages to be made between the organisational culture aboard ships and marine accidents. Similarly an analysis of the third dataset enabled the development of a description of the organisational climate of a ship. This examination of the organisational climate of a ship identified situations when seafarers were likely to display the described behavioural characteristics. The study also found that it is possible that these negative behaviours were displayed more often than the positive ones. The findings of this study make recommendations that will assist in improving the safety climate on board ships. This study makes recommendations that have relevance to personnel managers of shipping companies or ship-management companies, maritime regulatory authorities, maritime educators and Heads of Departments on board ships.

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Past performance ratings of government contractors are becoming a critical pathway to the $300 billion of contract dollars Congress sets aside for small businesses annually. This was a descriptive study exploring leadership strategies small business leaders use to attain positive performance ratings in government contracting, viewed through the lens of the principal-agent theory. The exploration occurred by interviewing 21 small business leaders located within 30 miles of Washington, DC, with favorable performance ratings on at least 3 government contracting opportunities. Clustering themes according to Moustakas's modified van Kaam helped organize, analyze, interpret, and provide meaning to participant accounts of the phenomenon. Findings revealed 5 overall themes: (a) leadership strategies that influence positive performance ratings, (b) behavioral or trait-based attributes of leaders, and (c) understanding bureaucratic dynamics and contract requirements, (d) resource-based capacity as an impediment, and (e) competitive intelligence as a valuable resource. The findings indicated a need for leaders to adapt approaches to contract performance that is appropriate for the situation as agencies implement the procurement process differently. The identification of strategies that positively influence performance ratings may increase the longevity of small businesses participation or excite the proliferation of small businesses aspiring or struggling to increase performance. Findings may also encourage various business leaders within socioeconomic groups to gain access to federal set-asides.

The purpose of this study was to understand the reasons, as perceived by elementary school teachers at the target Title I school, for low student achievement in reading. The conceptual framework that guided this study was the ecological theory that postulates that students' academic achievement is influenced by several subsystems that affect human growth and development: microsystems, mesosystems, exosystems, macrosystems, and chronosystems. Four research questions guided this study. The questions investigated teachers' perceptions of how effective classroom practices, differentiated instruction, professional development, and parental involvement influence student achievement in reading. Participants included 9 elementary school ELA teachers. Data collection included audiotaped interviews, classroom observations, and the examination of teacher lesson plans. Data were manually coded and organized into 7 themes. The themes were: back to basics, reading practice, classroom environment, meeting students' needs, professional development, communication, and home environment. The data indicated that the teacher participants believed that there is a need for increased parental involvement in reading. Parental involvement and the home environment were listed as two of the most important factors in student achievement in reading. Based on the research findings, a 3-day teacher facilitated family literacy program was developed. The goal of the program is to equip parents with resources and strategies to facilitate the reading achievement of their children at home. Increased parental involvement has the potential to positively affect student achievement in reading, which can bring about positive social change for families and teachers.

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