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The need for a more sustainable approach to water consumption has increasingly gained attention in the last decade. The domestic sector accounts for over half of abstracted water in the UK and, as such, has become a major target for water efficiency interventions. Current research and water efficiency interventions are dominated by a positivist approach, focusing on a limited range of factors that can be quantitatively measured. This thesis questions the dominant approach and argues that a more holistic overview of water efficiency can be achieved through the consideration of socio-technical and behavioural theories. Taking a more constructivist approach, this research draws on four theories from socio-technical and behavioural fields and combines them to create a framework for the analysis of water efficiency interventions. The framework is applied to two case studies, exploring water users' perceptions of water, water supply, personal water use, and their responses to the water efficiency interventions. The case studies were selected to provide examples of current mainstream approaches to water demand management. Research methods used included semi-structured interviews and observation. The research findings support the argument that the current dominant approach to domestic water efficiency interventions is limited and, in some cases, ineffectual. Issues of trust, knowledge, motivation and the relationships between water users and water companies were raised. The thesis concludes that the use of a constructivist perspective could help to provide a more effective approach to understanding and improving water demand management.

Achieving resilient outcomes in the water sector is an area of emerging policy and research focus in light of a combination of threats such as climate change, increasing demand, urbanisation, and population growth. Consequences of these threats require that in order to achieve these resilient outcomes, urban water management socio-technical systems require various interventions at different levels. This includes the water user level and highlights the need for greater understanding of households in implementing coping interventions to address extreme system failures of drought and flooding. A combination of methodological approaches, data collection and analytical methods have been used to develop detailed understanding of water service user perceptions and intentions towards drought and flood coping in order to engender action for resilient water management at the household and community levels. Practitioner interviews have provided insight into core issues of household and community level participatory approaches for addressing drought and flood resilience. These include cross-cutting themes relating to modes of communication and engagement, the influence of past experience, empowerment, and the influence of social networks. Results of a questionnaire survey within the framework of Protection Motivation Theory facilitated understanding of the linkages among threat, consequences, and coping intentions. The most significant indicators of behavioural intentions were the perceived effectiveness of coping response measures, consequences of drought or flooding, and costs. These variables were significant in defining sub-groups at three different decision-stages after Trans-theoretical Model. Households were at early decision stages with regards to flood coping, namely `Pre-contemplative' and `Contemplative'. Pre-contemplatives had low behavioural intentions and were driven by low efficacy and low consequences. Contemplatives had low-medium intentions, expected either that cost would be a limiting factor, measures ineffective, or consequences too low to warrant action. `Responsives', only found in relation to drought coping, had already implemented several coping measures. Despite low drought consequences, cost was not a limiting factor and measures were perceived to be effective, illustrating the potential for increased household drought coping or more sustainable water use practices. This study provides important baseline data on household perceptions and intentions to cope with droughts and floods not yet widely explored in the UK. The innovative use of cluster analysis to identify and explore decision-stages provides methodological contributions to the literature. Finally, the thesis has led to the development of an assessment and decision framework to promote action towards resilient water management at the household and community levels. This framework is the basis of a toolkit that was co-created with communities and practitioners with the outcome of communities developing action plans to address the consequences of drought and flooding.

The purpose of this study is to examine self-perceived changes that occur over the course of the careers of three K-12 art educators located in north Louisiana and central Mississippi. Designed as a case study, this research focuses on the perceptions of three art educators with regard to perceived changes in their classrooms over the course of their teaching careers. Art teachers were chosen not only because of the researcher's background in the arts, but also because of the art educator's apparent underrepresentation in the body of academic research. The three art educators who were participants in this study were also chosen because of their many years of service in the field. Each has been teaching for 27 years or more in north Louisiana and central Mississippi. Included is a brief review of the researcher's teaching history and educational background in order to establish positionality, which also lends a degree of validity to the research (Villenas, 1996). In addition, this positionality serves to illuminate the researcher's epistemological perspectives and her personal ways of knowing as an art teacher (Cary, 2006). Each teacher's story was divided into a life history, a teaching history, teaching today, and significant perceived changes. Each story was accomplished through multiple taped interviews, document mining, maintaining a researcher's journal, and member checking. A synopsis was developed of the common themes that coalesce each of the teachers' lived experiences, as well as common significant changes that each has perceived over the course of their careers. Many changes were noted by each of the art teachers. The most noted changes were found in the areas of technology, the students themselves, parental involvement, peers, and the discipline of art. Implications for future research are suggested including: (a) more case studies of other art teachers, including more art teachers in north Louisiana and central Mississippi; (b) further development of the researcher's journal associated with this study; (c) and a study of some former students of each of these educators and the impact that these teachers have had on their lives. / text