This thesis focuses on learner support in Chinese distance education. It draws a picture of Chinese modern distance education, covering the major issues in the field of learner support, and small group work as peer support. The aim of the study is to find out whether or not the learner support, that distance students at university level obtained, has the tendency to support students’ deep learning. The aim has been achieved by examining learner support in six institutions of ICT-based distance education in China. Three other sources of learner support are investigated. The main objectives of the study are: 1) to describe the distance students’ characteristics; 2) to examine their learning habits, learning organizations, and their interactions; 3) to investigate the student support provided by the institutions; family support; societal support; and peer support in the form of small group work. The purpose of this study is to define current practices of learner support in the six distance education institutions, determining the extent of similarities and differences on learner support services among these institutions. The study is applying a case-study approach, using qualitative and quantitative methods to investigate the six Chinese distance education institutions. During the first stage, several field visits were conducted in different research sites with on-site participant observation, non-participant observation and interviews for obtaining knowledge of Chinese distance education. In the second stage, a survey with a student questionnaire was distributed to students present and others online, in total 587. In addition, semi-structured interviews with staff members (administrators, instructors and tutors), individual students, and student focus groups were performed. The present research is one of the few in-depth case studies that focus on the relation between learner support system and different approaches to learning. On the basis of these research findings, the importance of a well-designed learner support system for the distance learner, a system for fostering creative, critical or independent thinking skills, or deep learning, in line with Chinese cultural and social conditions, is underlined.

Certaines personnes peuvent être stigmatisées quand elles présentent un attribut relié à une identité sociale qui est dénigrée dans un contexte particulier. Il existe plusieurs stéréotypes au sujet des personnes qui ont une perte d'audition. Le grand public associe souvent la perte d'audition à des comportements indésirables, au vieillissement et à une capacité intellectuelle réduite. Ces stéréotypes affectent négativement la participation des personnes ayant une perte auditive à diverses activités. Malgré les impacts évidents et importants que la stigmatisation a sur la participation sociale des personnes ayant une perte auditive et leur propension à recourir aux services de réadaptation, on constate une pénurie relative de recherche sur le stigmate lié à la perte d'audition. Ces dernières années, les chercheurs en sciences sociales ont fait de grands pas pour conceptualiser le stigmate selon la perspective des personnes qui sont la cible des attitudes nuisibles. La plupart de ces concepts peuvent s'appliquer au stigmate social lié à la perte d'audition. Le premier article de cette thèse tente de placer le stigmate lié à la perte d'audition dans un modèle de menace à l’identité induite par le stigmate (stigma-induced identity threat model). Ce chapitre explore comment les services pourraient être modifiés pour mieux soutenir les individus qui montrent des signes que leur identité personnelle est compromise à cause de leur perte d'audition. De façon générale, les buts de ce manuscrit sont a) de dresser un bref résumé de la question du stigmate lié à la perte d'audition ; b) de présenter un modèle spécifique de menace d'identité induite par le stigmate et d’incorporer des notions propres au stigmate lié à la perte d'audition à cette conceptualisation générale du stigmate et c) de réfléchir sur la pertinence de ce modèle pour la réadaptation audiologique. L'intention de la deuxième étude est de mieux comprendre comment le stigmate affecte les comportements de recherche d’aide des adultes ayant une perte d'audition acquise. Dix personnes ayant une perte d'audition, et appartenant à des groupes de soutien par les pairs ont participé à des entrevues semi-structurées audio-enregistrées. Les transcriptions de ces entrevues ont été analysées au moyen d’analyses thématiques. Les analyses ont indiqué que les répondants montre une plus grande propension à chercher de l'aide à la suite d’étapes charnières, où l’équilibre entre le stress négatif et l'énergie positive était rompu : a) un moment où le stress était de loin supérieur à l'énergie positive (première étape charnière) et b) un moment où l'énergie positive était de loin supérieure au stress négatif (deuxième étape charnière). On propose une série de représentations graphiques qui dépeignent comment les influences positives et négatives présentes dans l'environnement social et physique du répondant influencent la recherche d'aide. Le but de la troisième étude est d'identifier les facteurs qui amènent des individus à cacher ou révéler leur perte d'audition dans leur lieu de travail. Des entrevues semi-structurées ont été menées en utilisant une technique d’élicitation par photographies pour susciter des informations liées à la révélation de la perte d'audition. Les thèmes dégagés des entrevues incluent : l'importance perçue de la situation, la perception du sentiment de contrôle, l'affiliation à la communauté, le fardeau de communication et la présence de problèmes connexes à la perte d'audition. Les résultats de cette étude offrent un aperçu du monde caché des travailleurs ayant une perte d'audition. Cette étude sert à documenter certaines stratégies que les travailleurs avec une perte d'audition utilisent pour contrôler leur identité professionnelle et, plus spécifiquement, comment certains gèrent le dévoilement de leur perte d'audition dans leur lieu de travail. Les résultats fournissent des informations utiles pour le développement de programmes d'intervention appropriés pour des travailleurs ayant une perte d'audition. / Individuals are stigmatized when they possess, or are thought to possess, an attribute or characteristic that conveys a social identity that is devalued in a particular social context. There are several stereotypes, or commonly held (often erroneous) beliefs about people who have hearing loss. The general public often associate people with hearing loss to undesirable behaviours, ageing, and reduced intellect. Stereotypes such as these negatively impact upon activities of daily living engaged in by people with hearing loss. In spite of the obvious and important impacts that stigma has on social participation and inclination to use rehabilitative strategies, there has been a relative dearth of research on the stigma associated with hearing loss. In recent years, researchers in the social sciences have made great strides to conceptualize “stigma” from the perspective of people who are the target of prejudicial attitudes. Most of these concepts are applicable to the social stigma associated with hearing loss. The first study presented in this dissertation attempts to position hearing loss stigma within a model of stigma-induced identity threat. Overall, the goals of this paper are to a) offer a brief summary of hearing loss stigma; b) present a specific stigma identity threat model and incorporate ideas about hearing loss stigma into this general conceptualization of stigma; and c) reflect on the appropriateness of this model for the domain of rehabilitative audiology. The intent of the second study was to better understand how stigma impacted upon the help-seeking activities of adults with an acquired hearing loss. Ten people who had hearing loss, and were members of peer-support groups participated in audio-recorded semi-structured interviews. Thematic analyses of verbatim transcripts revealed that respondents experienced a heightened propensity to seek help following Critical Junctures, when negative stress and positive energy were out of balance: 1) a time when negative stress far outweighed positive energy (i.e., Critical Juncture One); and 2) a time when positive energy far outweighed negative stress (i.e., Critical juncture Two). A series of graphic representations are proposed that depict how positive and negative influences found in the respondent’s social and physical environment influenced help seeking. The purpose of the third study was to identify the factors that lead individuals to conceal or disclose their hearing loss in the workplace. We conducted semi-structured interviews using a photo-elicitation technique to aid in probing issues related to disclosure of hearing loss. Emergent themes included: Perceived importance of the situation, Perceived sense of control, Community affiliation, Burden of Communication and Coexisting issues related to hearing loss. This study serves to document some of the ways that workers with hearing loss manage their workplace identity, and more specifically, how some people manage revealing their hearing loss in workplace settings. The findings also inform the development of pertinent intervention programs for workers with hearing loss.

The rising rates of high-risk behaviours, such as substance abuse, unsafe sexual practices and violence in South African schools, have accentuated the need for intervention and prevention programmes in the education system. High-risk behaviour is related to changes and uncertainties at community level. The traditional values and behavioural codes are undermined and there is no corrective action from the community to control this behaviour. This study describes the need for support of adolescents, who are in a state of development and change and whose abilities are increasingly being tested by stress factors from a rapidly changing environment. To meet these needs for support, an experimental peer support programme was implemented in schools. Peer support involves the provision of information about healthy lifestyles and high-risk behaviour, such as substance abuse, crime and HIV/AIDS-related aspects. Through peer support, healthy lifestyles can be modelled, and a forum for the discussion of problems established. Peer supporters can assist their peers in dealing with problems and a context can be created in which new and healthier behavioural patters can develop. Peer support is important because educators and teachers are unable to manage the large number of learners who are experiencing problems and schools offer limited professional psychological support to learners. The objectives mainly entailed the prevention of high-risk behaviour related to HIV/AIDS, crime and substance abuse, as well as the enhancement of learners’ psychological well-being and the social climate in schools. The peer support system was implemented in four experimental schools and four similar schools served as a control group. The schools involved were selected by means of a stratified sampling method. A total amount of 2045 respondents between the ages of 12 and 21 years participated in this study. The peer support system was evaluated in terms of a pre and post-measurement in order to determine the impact of the system on the schools and learners in the schools, and to determine whether the set objectives have been achieved. The hypothesis was that the peer support system would have a positive effect in reducing high-risk behaviour and improving the psychological well-being of learners. A questionnaire was used as a pre and post-measurement tool to determine whether there had been significant changes and/or improvements regarding high-risk behaviour, crime, school climate and psychological well-being in the school system. The experimental and control school communities were compared. Significant differences were found between the experimental group and the control group in terms of behavioural problems in the school, school climate, high-risk sexual behaviour and psychological well-being. Learners’ perception of problem behaviour in the school remained unchanged in the experimental group, whilst the control group’s measurements became statistically significantly (p<0,05) more negative over time. A statistically significant difference at the 5% significance level was found between the control group’s pre and post-measurements regarding learners’ experience of the school climate. The control group’s experience had become more negative at post-measurement, whilst the experimental group’s experience had remained unchanged over time. A statistically significant difference was found between the experimental and control groups (p<0,001) in respect of the level of sexual experience. The number of sexually experienced learners in the control group had increased at post-measurement, whilst the level of learners’ sexual experience had remained constant in the experimental group. Furthermore, a significant increase (p<0,001) was found in the level of sexual activity among the control group during the last 30 days, but not in the experimental group. This implicates that the intervention has had a preventative effect that counters the normal tendency of increased sexual activity with age. More than 60% of learners viewed their friends as sexually experienced. The perceived group norm for the experimental group remained the same over 18 months, whereas a significant increase (p<0,001) was found in the control group. No decrease was found in the psychological well-being of learners in the experimental group at post-measurement, whereas that of the control group had decreased significantly (p<0,05). No statistically significant differences were found for substance abuse and personal control of risk among learners. Although many other variables could play a role in these changes, the conclusion can be made that the peer support system probably had a preventative effect in schools. The study further indicates that approximately two thirds of all learners had been aware of the system and about 40% had used it. The peer system was generally evaluated as positive and the biggest problems were related to the implementation and organization of the system, as well as the confidentiality of information. Recommendations have been made regarding the improvement of project implementation. If enhanced co-operation from school staff can be obtained during implementation of the intervention, the peer support system could function better and a bigger impact in schools could be achieved. In conclusion, it is important that intervention programmes be promoted efficiently in schools in order to facilitate optimal functioning. / Dissertation (MA (Research Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Psychology / unrestricted

The diploma thesis called "The process of moving towards the optimal supervision system of crisis interventions of the Police of the Czech republic" is connected with the future deriving of the project within the structural fund of European Union. The aims of the project is to support, implement and move to optimal supervision for crisis interventions of the Police of the Czech Republic. The thesis is a first research step for initial ideas about supervision and its systematic implementation to individual regional directorates of the Police of the Czech Republic. The theoretical part is focused on the basic concepts in the field of crisis intervention and supervision. The main chapters are supplemented by topics with an overlap into the system of the Police of the Czech Republic. The empirical part was performed using an online questionnaire survey. The research sample was a set of police crisis interventions from all regions of the Czech Republic, where the crisis assistance is provided by the team of the crisis intervention. There are several aims in the diploma thesis. The main one is to map and to describe the current system of supervision of crisis interventions and to compare individual regions in the area of providing supervision. Another aim is to find out various psychosocial aspects such...

Contexte : En raison de l’amélioration des traitements pédiatriques, de plus en plus d’enfants atteints d’une maladie chronique deviennent adultes. La transition pédiatrique est donc devenue un enjeu majeur pour la continuité des soins offerts à cette population. Bien que diverses initiatives de préparation à la transition et de normalisation du transfert aient été tentées, il existe encore beaucoup de jeunes qui ne vivent pas un transfert harmonieux et sont donc non suivis une fois adultes. Cela entraîne des périodes d’instabilité pour leur état de santé physique, psychologique et social. Afin de mieux répondre aux besoins de santé particuliers de ces jeunes adultes, la présente recherche évalue les besoins et l’intérêt pour l’instauration d’un programme coconstruit de patients accompagnateurs dans la transition pédiatrique en gastro-entérologie, en se basant sur les expériences menées chez les adultes en oncologie, en chirurgie et en santé mentale. Objectif : L’objectif de notre mémoire est triple : 1) réaliser une revue systématique de la littérature portant sur les programmes mis en place pour favoriser la transition et mettre en évidence les effets de ces programmes; 2) évaluer les principaux défis qu’ont à relever les divers groupes d’acteurs lors du processus de transition entre un centre spécialisé en pédiatrie de la région montréalaise et un centre hospitalier quaternaire de la même région, le Centre hospitalier universitaire adulte; et 3) explorer avec les participants de la recherche leur intérêt à l’égard de la présence de patients accompagnateurs pour les épauler dans ce processus. Méthodologie : Pour atteindre notre premier objectif, nous avons réalisé une synthèse interprétative des connaissances sur les différents programmes de développement des habiletés d’autogestion de la maladie (voir l’article 1 à la section 3.1). Dans le cas de nos deuxième et troisième objectifs, une étude qualitative a été menée grâce à des groupes de discussion et à des entrevues semi-structurées menés avec des adolescents, des jeunes adultes, des parents et des professionnels de la santé d’un centre tertiaire pédiatrique et d’un centre tertiaire adulte (voir l’article 2 à la section 3.2). L’analyse thématique des données a révélé qu’un soutien par les pairs serait pertinent au cours de ce processus de transition, en particulier pour les parents des adolescents et pour les jeunes adultes, auquel cas le soutien serait assuré idéalement par des jeunes adultes. Les adolescents, quant à eux, n’en ont pas manifesté le besoin. Contribution scientifique : Les résultats de notre mémoire contribuent au développement des connaissances dans le domaine de la transition pédiatrique, plus particulièrement pour les patients atteints d’une maladie inflammatoire de l’intestin (MII). En effet, bien que l’apport des pairs aidants ou des patients accompagnateurs en santé mentale et dans d’autres domaines ait été documenté, peu d’études se sont penchées sur l’intérêt d’avoir des jeunes adultes accompagnateurs auprès d’une population d’adolescents, en particulier dans le cas des MII. / Context: As a result of improved pediatric treatments, more and more children with chronic diseases are living into adulthood. As a result, the pediatric transition has become a major issue for continuity of care in this population. Although there have been various initiatives to prepare the transition and standardize the transfer, many young people still do not experience a smooth transfer, and are therefore not being properly followed when they attain their majority. This leads to periods of instability in their physical, psychological and social health. To better meet the specific health needs of these young adults, this study evaluates the need and interest in establishing a co-constructed program involving accompanying patients in the pediatric transition to gastroenterology, based on adult experiences in oncology, surgery and mental health. Objectives: Our thesis has three objectives: (1) to conduct a systematic review of the literature on programs that have been implemented to ease this transition and describe the effects of these programs; (2) to assess the main challenges faced by the various groups of stakeholders during the transition process from a centre specialized in pediatrics in the Montreal region, to a quaternary hospital centre in the same region; and (3) to explore, among the study participants, their interest in having an accompanying patient for support through this process. Methodology: To achieve our first objective, we conducted an interpretive synthesis of knowledge on the various programs for developing skills in disease self-management (see Article 1 in Section 3.1). For our second and third objectives, a qualitative study was conducted by holding focus groups and semi-structured interviews with adolescents, young adults, parents, and healthcare professionals from a pediatric tertiary centre and an adult tertiary centre (see Article 2 in Section 3.2). The thematic analysis of the data revealed that peer support would be relevant during this transition process, particularly for the parents of adolescents and for young adults, in which case the support would ideally be provided by young adults. On the other hand, the adolescents did not feel the need for such support. Scientific contribution: The results of our thesis help further knowledge in the field of pediatric transition and, more specifically, on patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Although the contribution of peer caregivers or accompanying patients in mental health and other areas has already been documented, few studies have examined the value of having young adults accompanying a population of adolescents, particularly in the case of IBD.

A short (11 page) plain language summary is available under the filename "Research Summary_Peer Support Institutionalization - Troubling Everyday Work.pdf" / This study explores how the everyday work of peer supporters working within institutionalized settings are shaped by institutional forces (“ruling relations”), through a series of four (peer support) focus groups and interviews with five peer support workers in Ontario. I explore peer supporters’ approaches to writing, reading, and verbally sharing information about their peers (“documentation work”), and reveal how their experiences and “felt troubles” relating to documentation are shaped by ideas of (clinical) confidentiality constructed in the Personal Health Information Protection Act (2004). I also explore how both lived experience and peer support are devalued through the ways organizations and clinicians determine and describe the value of healthcare roles (“de/valuing work”), and reveal how peer supporters’ experiences of being (de)valued are shaped by discourses of “professional/ism” which equate being a professional to having a post-secondary education and working through clinical frameworks. I describe the work that peer supporters, clinicians, and organizations (can) engage in to ground peer support workers within peer values and approaches (“values work”) through accessing peer community and fostering environments of peer culture. I draw on these suggestions and the findings of the study to provide recommendations for peer support workers, organizations and clinical workers, the peer support sector as a whole, and research/ers. / Thesis / Master of Social Work (MSW)

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