Examines the relationship between parent attitudes toward physical activity and physical activity in adolescents. One hundred forty-two students at Beaumont High School (Riverside County, California) completed a survey measuring their physical activity level, exercise self-efficacy, and their attitudes toward exercise. One hundred seven parents completed surveys measuring only their attitudes toward exercise. Results indicate that there is not a significant relationship between parental attitudes toward exercise and adolescent physical activity. Results also indicate that parent attitude toward physical activity is positively correlated with exercise self-efficacy in adolescents. In addition, the results indicate that gender is not a significant mediator in the effect of parental attitudes toward physical activity on exercise in adolescents.

The main objective of this study was to investigate whether parental perceptions of the emotional, behavioral and social skills functioning of children with conduct problems, differed for parents who completed the behavioral consultation process (N = 40) compared to those who prematurely withdrew ( N = 11). A series of between group analyses were conducted to examine whether parental perceptions existed. Parents who prematurely withdrew from the behavioral consultation process reported significantly greater incidences of anxious and depressed behavior in children, than parents who remained in consultation F(1,49) = 4.24, p = .0448. Similarly, using the Wilks' criterion, overall estimates of emotional and behavioral functioning, combined with social skills functioning were also significantly affected by group membership, F(3,47) = 3.22, p = .0310. Using the same variables in a logistic regression analysis, a test of the full model with all three predictors compared to the constant only model was statistically reliable phi2 (3, N = 51) = 10.26, p = .0336, indicating that the predictors, as a set, reliably distinguished the perceptions of those who completed the consultation process, compared to those who prematurely withdrew. This model accurately predicted 77.7% of parents' group membership. The results of the study will be discussed in terms of their usefulness for future consultants to identify families at risk for prematurely withdrawing from the consultation process, so that additional resources can be offered to encourage their continued participation in the consultation process.

The psychometric properties of the Parenting Beliefs Questionnaire (PBQ) were further explored. College students (176 males and 342 females) who were not parents completed the measure. Results of a series of principle components factor analyses with varimax rotation suggested retaining a two-factor solution accounting for 35.5% of the variance. Factor I measured the Promotion of Interpersonal Behaviors in children (alpha = .87), while Factor 2 assessed the Promotion of Autonomy in children (alpha = .73). A one-way MANOVA was employed to examine potential gender differences in participants' responses to the PBQ factors. A main effect was discovered whereby females rated both factors higher than males. Limitations of this study and the PBQ were discussed as were recommendations for future research and counseling. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services

In a previous study by our research group, parents and teachers of gifted children disagreed about the importance of group work in the inquiry-based classroom, with parents rating group work as less important than did teachers (Syer & Shore, 2001). The purpose of the present study was to attempt to understand this difference of opinion. Parents (n = 15), teachers (n = 11), and a group who were both parents and teachers (n = 5) of gifted children responded to a researcher-designed telephone interview. Teachers perceived parents as competitive and grade-oriented. Parents themselves, however, reported that their opinions of group work were based on their children's negative experiences. Teachers reported that their opinions were affected by their pedagogical knowledge regarding group work. Although parents' and teachers' opinions differed, they were aware of each other's point of view.

No description available.

No description available.

Ce mémoire porte sur les problématiques liées à l’expérience conjugale des beaux pères et des belles-mères. Bien que la littérature à l’intention des recompositions soit relativement riche et diversifiée, il semble que peu de recherches se soient intéressées à la perception des beaux-parents en regard à leur expérience conjugale ; quelle place accordent ils au sentiment amoureux en formant une famille recomposée, comment construisent-ils des frontières conjugales et des règles familiales au sein de la famille recomposée, quels impacts les habiletés de communication et le partage des rôles ont-ils sur leur expérience conjugale et y a-t-il des différences ou des similitudes entre l’expérience beaux-pères et celle des belles mères ? Ainsi, cette recherche qualitative exploratoire accorde une importance à ces questionnements. Pour ce faire, douze beaux-parents (six hommes et six femmes) vivant ou ayant vécu au sein d’une famille recomposée ont participé à des entretiens individuels semi dirigés. Les résultats suggèrent que l’expérience conjugale est intrinsèquement reliée au fonctionnement des frontières entre les différents sous-systèmes d’une famille recomposée.Notamment, l’expérience conjugale est plus positive pour les beaux-parents dont les frontières conjugales sont distinctes et définies. Ces beaux-parents maintiennent un sentiment amoureux plus fort, ressentent davantage de légitimité quant à leur rôle au sein de la famille et mettent en place des stratégies qui leur permettent de mieux réguler leurs attentes vis-à-vis de la relation qu’ils entretiennent avec tous les membres de la famille. Enfin, les résultats suggèrent que l’expérience conjugale des beaux-pères et des belles-mères est similaire en regard au genre. / This thesis focuses on issues related to the conjugal experience of stepfathers and mothers-in-law. Although the literature on family transitions is relatively rich and diverse,there appears to be little research into the perception of step-parents in relation to their conjugal experience; how does the feeling of love form in their relationship, how do they construct conjugal boundaries and family rules within stepfamilies’ sub-systems, what impacts do communication skills and role sharing have on their conjugal experience, and are there any difference or similarity between the experience of stepfathers and stepmothers? To address these shortcomings, this study used a qualitative methodology to investigate the stepparents’ subjective experience of their conjugal relations inside a stepfamily’s structure.Six men and six women living or having lived in a blended family underwent a semistructured individual interview. The results suggest that conjugal experience is intrinsically linked to the way boundaries between the different subsystems of a blended family are determined. For instance, the conjugal experience is more positive for step-parents whose conjugal boundaries are defined. These stepparents maintain a stronger feeling of love, feel more legitimacy in the role they play within the family and put in place strategies that allow them to better regulate their expectations about the relationship they build with all family members.Finally, the results suggest that the conjugal experience of stepfathers and stepmothers is similar in terms of gender.

This study investigated foster parents' reasons for deciding to continue their careers as foster parents. The participants were obtained from Koinonia Foster Homes, San Bernardino office. In addition, an effort was made to determine what unmet needs foster parents had that had those needs been addressed by the agency might have encouraged them to continue fostering children.

Thesis (MEd)--University of Stellenbosch, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This qualitative study has placed a focus upon the experiences of inclusive education of parents of learners without disabilities. As the advent of inclusive education in South Africa has been accompanied by substantial political, social and legislative changes, an ecosystemic theoretical framework has informed the process of this study in order to acknowledge and better understand the influence of various contexts on individuals in their constructions of reality. Recent South African policy documents have endorsed inclusive education as the conceptual framework within which previously disparate systems of educational provision can be united and learners of all abilities optimally accommodated. These documents have not only drawn attention to the need to recognise the rights and potential and actual contributions of parents to the process of education, but have also called for reporting on inclusive educational practice within various institutional contexts. It is against this backdrop that this study has attempted through an interpretative and constructive research philosophy and design to access and interpret the perceptions and experiences of the parents who voluntarily participated in the research process. Permission was obtained from the Western Cape Education Department to conduct focus group discussions at a school which has included learners with Down Syndrome. Two focus group discussions were conducted with groups of parents of children without disabilities in venues provided within the school buildings. Participating parents were asked to reflect on their experiences of inclusive education initially as part of a written response to the research question and later through interactive discussion within the focus group. Follow up telephonic interviews provided member checks on the initial data analysis and enabled further reflections on the research question. Data analysis was achieved through the constant comparative method of data interpretation. This process yielded patterns within the data which ultimately led to the formation of various categories which were grouped systemically to enable a holistic interpretation of the research results. The analysis of results revealed responses to various issues and a generally favourable attitude to inclusive education, particularly the degree to which the parents' children had been advantaged by an exposure to difference and the extent to which more realistic representations of disability had been constructed by the parents. Responses ranged from views concerning the implementation of government policy, difficulty with constructions of disability, concerns regarding the ability of the school system and particularly teachers to monitor and manage this change in educational policy, to more personal issues which involved the perceived benefits of socialization with learners with disabilities. The implications of the study suggest that interactive discussion is a vehicle through which democracy can be actively practised, change can be positively mediated, solutions to educational challenges collaboratively constructed and partnerships between parents and schools more firmly established. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie kwalitatiewe studie van inklusiewe onderwys plaas die klem op die ervaring van ouers van leerders sonder gestremdhede. Aangesien die instelling van inklusiewe onderwys in Suid-Afrika gepaard gegaan het met aansienlike politieke, sosiale en wetgewende veranderinge, het en ekosistemiese teoretiese raamwerk die verloop van hierdie studie aangehelp, om sodoende die invloed van verskeie kontekste op individue in hulle formulering van die werklikheid te erken en beter te verstaan. Onlangse Suid-Afrikaanse beleidsdokumente het inklusiewe onderwys goedgekeur as die konseptuele raamwerk waarbinne voorheen uiteenlopende onderwysvoorsieningstelsels verenig kan word, waardeur leerders van aile vermoens optimaal geakkommodeer kan word. Hierdie dokumente het nie aileen die aandag gevestig op die behoefte aan erkenning van die regte en potensiele en wesenlike bydraes van ouers tot die onderwysproses nie, maar het ook versoek dat verslag gedoen word oor inklusiewe onderwyspraktyk binne verskeie institusionele kontekste. Dit is teen hierdie agtergrond dat die studie gepoog het om deur en interpreterende en konstruktiewe navorsingsfilosofie en -ontwerp, die persepsies en ervarings van die ouers wat vrywillig deelgeneem het aan die navorsingsproses, te bekom en te interpreteer. Met die vergunning van die Wes-Kaapse Onderwysdepartement is fokusgroepbesprekings gehou by en skool wat leerders met Down sindroom ingesluit het. Twee fokusgroepbesprekings met groepe ouers van kinders sonder gestremdhede, is op die skoolperseel gehou. Deelnemende ouers is gevra om te besin oor hulle ervaring van inklusiewe onderwys, aanvanklik as deel van enskriftelike antwoord op die navorsingsvraag en later deur interaktiewe besprekings binne die fokusgroep. Telefoniese opvolgonderhoude met groeplede het die aanvanklike data-ontleding voorsien en het gelei tot verdere besinning oor die navorsingsvraag. Data-ontleding is gedoen deur die konstante vergelykende metode van datainterpretasie. Hierdie proses het patrone binne die data opgelewer, wat uiteindelik gelei het tot die samestelling van verskeie kategoriee wat sistemies gegroepeer IS om 'n holistiese interpretasie van die navorsingsresultate moontlik te maak. Die ontleding van resultate het reaksies op verskeie kwessies opgelewer en in die algemeen 'n gunstige houding teenoor inklusiewe onderwys geopenbaar, veral die graad waartoe die ouers se kinders bevoordeel is deur blootstelling aan andersheid en die mate waartoe meer realistiese erkenning van gestremdheid deur die ouers geformuleer is. Antwoorde het gewissel van menings oor die implementering van regeringsbeleid, probleme met formulering van gestremdheid , kommer oor die verrnoe van die skoolstelsel en veral leer- kragte, om hierdie verandering in onderwysbeleid te monitor en te bestuur, tot meer persoonlike kwessies wat menings ingesluit het oor die voordele van sosialisering met leerders met gestremdhede. Die implikasies van die studie suggereer dat interaktiewe bespreking 'n middel is waardeur demokrasie aktief beoefen kan word, verandering positief bemiddel kan word, oplossings vir onderwysuitdagings samewerkend geformuleer kan word en vennootskappe tussen ouers en skole meer stewig gevestig kan word.

The purpose of this study was a comparative analysis of the perceptions of parents and caregivers concerning appropriate discipline of young children enrolled in child care. A questionnaire, the Parent and Caregiver Perceptions Concerning Appropriate Discipline for Young Children Enrolled in Child Care Questionnaire (PCPQ), was designed by the researcher. Through the use of a Likert scale, respondents indicated their agreement or disagreement with statements derived from various discipline philosophies. This survey was distributed to the parents and caregivers of young children enrolled in 17 licensed child care facilities throughout the state of Indiana. Of the total sample, 1,963 persons, respondents included 592 parents and 312 caregivers. Diverse ages and educational levels were represented. Females represented the largest group of respondents. While most of the parents were married, the caregivers were evenly divided between single and married. The mean response for caregiver teaching experience was 4.57 years. Factor analysis resulted in three factors with reliability coefficients above .65. Of the 40 items on the survey, only four were eliminated from further analysis due to a lack of reliability. Factor I included items related to the Need for Discipline, Factor II was related to the Need for Consistency, and Factor III was related to the Need for Authority. The mean score for each factor was computed. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was conducted at the .05 level of significance.Results1. There was a difference in the perceptions of parents and caregivers concerning appropriate discipline of young children enrolled in child care. The hypothesis, there is no difference in the perceptions of parents and caregivers concerning appropriate discipline of young children enrolled in child care, was rejected, F(3,674) _ 4.58, R = .003.2. Univariate F-tests were conducted to determine if the independent variable (parent or caregiver) differed on all three dependent variables (Factors I, II, or III) or on just one. The difference was primarily in Factor II, The Need for Consistency, F(1,676) = 5.75, p = .017. Parents and caregivers had similar perceptions regarding Factor I; they agreed with the need for discipline. Parents and caregivers did not have similar perceptions regarding Factor II; parents agreed and caregivers more strongly agreed with the need for consistency. Regarding Factor III, they had similar perceptions in that they sometimes agreed and they sometimes disagreed with the need for authority. / Department of Elementary Education