The benefits of study abroad experience in second language acquisition have evolved from unchallenged assumption to the focus of rigorous study in the past several decades. The benefits of out-of-class contact with natives have likewise been questioned. Despite conflicting evidence of its benefit, students frequently cite out-of-class conversations with natives as among the most beneficial aspects of their language acquisition experience. Reviewing the extant literature, this study narrows in on authentic communication-that is, meaningful out-of-class contact with natives, in which students are able to genuinely express themselves and their personality-as a previously unanalyzed element of study abroad research. It is suggested that such conversations contribute to the success of study abroad students, particularly as it is measured by student motivation leading to continued engagement with the language study post-study abroad and cultural understanding. Surveys and essays by 85 students in two separate Arabic study abroad programs to the Middle East were analyzed. The findings bear on the efforts of educators to design and prepare students for successful study abroad programs.

No description available.

<p>Poor food safety in informal, open-air markets remains a pressing issue in Cambodia, contributing to both foodborne illness and malnutrition. In order to design food safety programs that successfully promote positive food safety practices among the various actors involved in these markets, is important to understand their perceptions of food safety and of their own capability, opportunity, and motivation for adopting positive food safety behaviors. To that end, this research sought to explore and describe the perceptions of vegetable vendors, vegetable distributors, and vegetable growers in the Cambodian provinces of Battambang, Siem Reap, and Phnom Penh regarding food safety and their own personal capability, opportunity, and motivation for implementing specific food safety practices.  To note, this research was made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) though Cooperative Agreement No. 7200AA19LE00003 to Purdue University as management entity of the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Safety. The contents are the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government. </p> <p>The first portion of the research, which examined levels of perceived capability, opportunity, and motivation for positive food safety practices among actors involved in informal vegetable markets in Cambodia, employed a quantitative questionnaire based on the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation-Behavior model of behavior and the Theoretical Domains Framework. A pilot study using this questionnaire was performed with vegetable vendors in the Province of Phnom Penh (<em>N</em> = 55), after which the questionnaire was revised and implemented in person with vegetable distributors in Battambang Province (<em>n</em> = 37) and vegetable vendors and growers in Battambang (<em>n</em> = 26 and <em>n</em> = 27, respectively) and Siem Reap Provinces (<em>n</em> = 61 and <em>n</em> = 30, respectively). To validate the questionnaire, response data from participants in Battambang and Siem Reap were evaluated using confirmatory factor analysis. The resultant nine-factor model had a comparative fit index of .91, a Tucker-Lewis index of .89, and a root mean square error of approximation of .05. Data analysis proceeded using a fitted general linear mixed model. Results of this analysis suggested that levels of perceived motivation and capability for the target food safety practice were typically significantly higher (<em>p</em> < .05) than levels of perceived opportunity among vegetable vendors and distributors, regardless of location. Levels of perceived opportunity and perceived capability were significantly lower (<em>p</em> < .05) than levels of perceived motivation among vegetable growers in both Battambang and Siem Reap. Significantly higher (<em>p</em> < .05) levels of perceived opportunity and motivation for the target food safety practice were observed among vendors in Battambang in comparison to vendors in Siem Reap; perceptions of all three behavioral determinants were higher among vendors in Battambang than among farmers in either location. </p> <p>Subsequently, a quantitative questionnaire regarding participants’ perceptions of vegetable safety was implemented in person with vegetable growers in Battambang (<em>n </em>= 41) and Siem Reap (<em>n</em> = 28) and vegetable vendors in Phnom Penh (<em>n </em>= 31). Response data were analyzed using a fitted logistic regression model. Nearly all respondents indicated that they were concerned about vegetable safety (overall mean estimate 97.4%, 95% CI = [89.7, 99.4]%), with ≤ 62.7% of respondents in all groups reporting at least moderate concern (lower bounds of 95% confidence intervals 46.2% at the lowest). Across all groups, chemical contamination was perceived as more concerning than microbial contamination (84.9%, 95% CI = [76.0, 90.9]%). The majority of respondents reported that they were familiar with the potential health effects of consuming vegetables contaminated with either chemicals (71.4% [61.5, 79.6]%) or microbes (57.3% [47.2, 66.9]%). Nonetheless, when those who reported familiarity were asked to give examples of such health effects, fewer than 50% (ranging from 7.3% to 48.4%) provided an example of a commonly understood health effect of consuming contaminated vegetables. </p> <p>Both chemical and microbial contamination were most frequently perceived as occurring mainly “at the farm”, regardless of participants’ occupation and location (≥ 76.7%, lower bounds of 95% confidence intervals at least 61.5%, and ≥ 39.3%, lower bounds of 95% confidence intervals at least 21.2%, respectively). Correspondingly, “vegetable farmers’ were most often perceived as having the greatest responsibility for chemical contamination prevention (≥ 51.6% across all groups, lower bounds of 95% confidence intervals at least 34.0%). There were significant between-group differences in participants’ perceptions of microbial contamination prevention responsibility, however (<em>p</em> = .02). With regards to practices intended to prevent vegetable contamination, 22.6% of surveyed vendors in Phnom Penh, 39.0% of surveyed growers in Battambang, and 53.6% of surveyed growers in Siem Reap described at least one commonly accepted contamination prevention practice. </p> <p>Considered as a whole, these findings indicate that food safety practice adoption may be more effectively encouraged among vegetable growers, distributors, and vendors in Phnom Penh, Battambang, and Siem Reap by emphasizing the importance of microbial contamination and integrating educational components regarding the health effects of consuming vegetables contaminated with microbes or chemicals into food safety programs. Such programs should also address the relatively lower levels of perceived opportunity present among all groups; environmental restructuring-based interventions may be one means by which to do so. Programs for vegetable vendors specifically should communicate that microbial contamination of vegetables is common and highlight the significance of the role of vegetable vendors in maintaining a safe vegetable supply. Food safety programs tailored to vegetable growers could draw on growers’ perception of their own responsibility for both vegetable contamination and contamination prevention as well as their perception of contamination as a common occurrence. Programs for vegetable growers also need to incorporate efforts to address the relatively lower levels of perceived capability present within this group. These efforts could include educational programming or hands-on demonstrations that increase participants’ perceptions of their own ability to implement positive food safety practices. </p>

No description available.

<p dir="ltr">Institutions of higher education within the United States have not had a reputation of inclusivity. The discrimination and oppression of people with disabilities is an important topic of conversation within these educational spaces, not only to change the way that society thinks of disability on a whole, but to incite discussions surrounding the best ways to support students with disabilities and their educational goals. This paper will provide a deconstruction of what ableism is, how it impacts mental health and wellness and how it shows up within institutions of higher education. This paper will also provide details on a training course for higher education faculty members that provides practical applications of the ethical ways of creating a supportive learning environment for students with disabilities. This paper will explore how critical disability theory, the social model and some aspects of the medical model can be utilized to provide faculty and staff with the competency to understand and interact with students with disabilities in ways that not only support their learning but contribute to positive social change and the deconstruction of ableist actions.</p>

This Master of Laws dissertation is a treatise of “The efficacy of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in labour disputes: a critical comparative analysis of Botswana, South Africa (RSA) and Zimbabwe.” Alternative Dispute Resolution hereinafter referred to as (“ADR”) has attracted so much research ado worldwide with policy makers alive to its possibilities in so far as it ought to shed off the burden of the courts in handling disputes. Courts are considered inundated with unresolved cases taking many years to finalise. ADR is therefore touted, not only the panacea, but the cheaper, efficient and effective alternative to normal court process. This study was saddled with the common challenges of definition, scope and methodology as does most scientific studies, especially to locate the concept ADR in the plethora of views from prominent exponent-s of the discipline. This study labored on the considered view that ADR is essentially an ‘out of court settlement approach to dispensing with disputes involving an attempt by disputants to rope in an impartial third party to aid finality to the respective wrangle. The lack of a methodological approach to treat this subject matter, made this study more challenging. The study had to therefore rely on a hypothetical model developed after gleaning through various scholarly views 1 that sought to treat the subject of ADR efficacy in labour dispute resolution. The study contented with the strongly held view 2 that ADR is an efficacious approach in resolving disputes outside the court system. As to whether this was the case in Botswana, RSA and Zimbabwe in so far as labour dispute resolution is concerned was the major challenge this study was seized with? A model was formulated which envisaged that efficaciousness of ADR may be achieved if three conditions or criteria are present within a jurisdiction, namely (1) ADR Background Conditions that comprise (a) adequate legislative and political support; (b) Supportive institutional and cultural norms, (c) adequate and competent manpower, (d) sufficient funding support, and (e) power-parity of disputants; (2) ADR Program Design comprising of (a) Planning and preparation and (b) Operations and implementation and finally (3) ADR Measures (a) Client satisfaction; (b) Time efficient; (c) Cost saving and (d) Settlement & enforcement. This study measured the situations obtaining in the three countries using these three-pronged criteria. In all three measures3 this study found that although all the three countries still have a long way before their ADR became as efficacious as would be reasonably possible, RSA has made many strides such as legislative enactments immediately upon attaining independence that sought to address the injustices of the past and thereby installing structures for enforcing industrial democracy 4, while Botswana and Zimbabwe took 5 years 5 and over 10 years 6 respectively after attaining independence. RSA established an independent body for dispensing with labour dispute settlement7 while Botswana8 and Zimbabwe 9 are still reluctant to do so, relying rather on their labour ministries often marinated in bureaucratic bottlenecks hence stalling efficacy of ADR. While RSA makes effort to provide adequate and competent manpower because of sufficient funding, Botswana and Zimbabwe still struggle to dispense with disputes under their labour departments who are either inadequately skilled or also accused of favouritism in the case of Zimbabwe.10 All the three countries are regarded as unequal societies which tends to sway the power-parity of disputants with capitalists still wielding unbridled powers in dispute outcomes. South Africa enacted section 143 to the Labour Relations Act 11 which empowers the Director of CCMA to certify an arbitral award, giving it the same force as an order of the Magistrate Court. This has cut off the time and administrative burden of having to register an arbitral award with the court so as to obtain writs of executions and enforce it, a practice which is still prevalent in Zimbabwe. The Department of Labour in South Africa has made funding available to the CCMA to assist employees who are not in a financial position to enforce awards in their favour.12 The funding is aimed at employees who are too indigent to afford the costs of enforcement.13 These employees are deemed to be: (a) Employees who earn below the earnings threshold (currently at R205 433.30 per annum) – proof of income will be required by the CCMA. There is no record regarding enforcement or ease of enforcement of ADR outcomes in Botswana and Zimbabwe or at least this study is aware of. The governments of Botswana and Zimbabwe have been accused of using a heavy hand in determining wages, the right to strike and often curtailing union power through declaring certain sectors essential services. RSA’s Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration hereinafter after referred to as (the “CCMA”)14 runs an electronic system of case management by which cases are screened and assigned commissioners whereas Zimbabwe and Botswana still rely on manual systems often inefficiently managed especially when it comes to allocating matters to ADR interventionists.15 In Zimbabwe the challenge of resources is acute often the Labour Officers lacking a simple photocopier and postage stamps to dispense with administration of disputes. This dissertation found that Botswana and Zimbabwe lack publicly available information from which to infer the efficaciousness of ADR practices therein. Measuring client satisfaction, efficiency and cost effectiveness, enforcement and settlement has not been tackled with ease, which was different when it came to RSA. This study argues that RSA’s ADR is efficacious rated at 75% attainment of settlement of disputes, despite accusations of failing to offer disputants options and job retention at the end of ADR intervention. Botswana and Zimbabwe on the measures raised above are not yet close to achieving efficaciousness based on the above criteria. The challenges need to be addressed to ensure that in all three measures ADR affords Botswana, RSA and Zimbabwe disputants a cheaper, efficient and effective alternative to dispensing with labour disputes. This study concluded with recommendations arising from the three measures ADR Background Conditions; ADR Program Design and (3) ADR Measures could be implemented towards achieving an efficacious ADR regime for the three countries and beyond. / Mercantile Law / LL.M.