Thesis advisor: Gustavo Morello / Given the endless times I have heard “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know”, the value of social networks became the forefront of this sociological study. Throughout this study I investigate the relationship between social capital and self efficacy. I interviewed ten undergraduate, low income students at medium sized school in the Northeast on their social connections throughout high school and college experience. These same respondents then took a General Self Efficacy scale to measure their perceived self efficacy. The study finds that those with higher measures of social capital also demonstrate higher perceived self efficacy. More importantly, social capital seemed to be more effective in providing resources and building self efficacy when there was a shared identity or experience between the student and the resource. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2023. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Departmental Honors. / Discipline: Sociology.

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Research indicates that music teachers generally did not nurture student self-efficacy beliefs for musical performance, suggesting three possible reasons. It might be that teachers lack knowledge about self-efficacy, do not have a valid or reliable method to evaluate or measure student self-efficacy, or possess insufficient strategies for developing self-efficacy beliefs (Zelenak, 2011a). In light of these findings, Zelenak (2011a) developed the Music Performance Self-Efficacy Scale (MPSES) (see Zelenak, 2011b) to provide teachers a way to measure the strengths and/or weaknesses of the four sources of self-efficacy information as reported by their students in relation to music performance. The theoretical framework for this study draws from Bandura’s (1986) construct of self-efficacy, a derivative of social cognitive theory, which is based upon the interactive relationship among behavior, cognitive factors, and environmental influences, with forethought as a crucial factor. The purposes of this study were to discover to what extent the teaching experiences, education, and self-efficacy beliefs of teachers influenced student self-efficacy beliefs, and to discover to what extent student self-efficacy beliefs changed between pretest and posttest with teacher intervention of using self-efficacy enhancing teaching methods in the classroom. Participants were currently enrolled music students in middle or high school (N = 242) and their respective music teachers (N = 5) in one school district in West Virginia. Results were compared according to the students’ grade level as well as to the teachers’ teaching experiences, educational backgrounds, teachers’ reported self-efficacy beliefs, and teacher intervention. Due to small teacher sample, the current findings cannot be generalized Analysis of raw score data provided some insight into whether the independent variables affected the students’ pretest and posttest MPSES scores. All student participants’ scores improved from the pretest to the posttest, with the greatest changes being found in the teachers’ years of experience, educational background, and teacher self-efficacy categories; however, the statistical analysis of the data was found not to be significant. Future studies, especially those including qualitative data from teachers’ classroom experiences, would provide a wealth of knowledge for continued research on how music teachers can help nurture their students’ music performance self-efficacy beliefs.

The inclusion of students with disabilities in music education has become an everyday part of of school culture in the United States, through childhood, high school, and continuing to post-secondary study. Although researchers have extensively examined music education methods and strategies for students with disabilities in early childhood and grade school, little is known about the experiences of university music majors with disabilities and the factors that affect their music degree completion. According to the USDE, 19.4% of undergraduate university students and 11.9% of post baccalaureate students report having a disability diagnosis, and students with disabilities complete undergraduate degree programs at a rate of 42%, compared with 54% of the general population. Music majors with disabilities presumably face the same types of academic and social challenges as students with disabilities across undergraduate degree areas, with the addition of rigorous musical performance requirements. In his theory of self-efficacy, Bandura (1997) indicated that the ways in which students develop and exercise their personal efficacy, and their beliefs about their own self-efficacy, play a key role in their career path and adult life. During the transition to post-secondary university life, students must rely more on their own strengths and a sense of self-efficacy with regard to collegiate academics and activities, which may be key in supporting their persistence toward completing a degree. The purpose of this study was to examine the lived experiences of three music majors with disabilities and the factors contributing to their self-efficacy beliefs related to completing a university music degree program. Bandura’s four sources of self-efficacy were used to identify common themes gathered from participant interviews. The study was designed to shed light on the motivations and self-beliefs of these students, and findings may inform music educators in preparing students with disabilities for transition to undergraduate music study.

Principals today face greater job complexities and more diverse challenges than ever before because of decreases in resources, funding, and district support, along with increases in accountability expectations, student diversity, and unfunded federal and state mandates. Principals today are tasked with myriad responsibilities ranging from facilities management and fiscal and legal concerns to instructional leadership and stakeholder relationships. The purpose of this study is to examine the role of formal, structured leadership coaching and engage in further inquiry to determine the effect of leadership coaching on principal efficacy in a complex and challenging educational environment. This convergent parallel mixed-method research approach is meant to determine if elementary principals' participation in formal leadership coaching programs increases their level of efficacy, as well as how different districts structure and implement these programs for the benefit of their administrators.

Bakgrund: Provocerad vulvodyni är ett smärttillstånd som innebär smärta vid provokation av vaginan, exempelvis beröring eller penetration. Fysioterapi är förstahandsvalet vid behandling. Det saknas forskning kring vilken fysisk aktivitetsnivå (FA) de drabbade kvinnorna har och vilken tilltro de har till sin förmåga att vara fysiskt aktiva. Syfte: Undersöka och kartlägga underlivssmärta, FA och tilltro till sin förmåga att vara fysiskt aktiv hos en grupp med provocerad vulvodyni och jämföra resultatet med en kontrollgrupp. Även undersöka om det finns något samband mellan kvinnor med provocerad vulvodynis skattade underlivssmärta och FA samt FA och tilltro till sin förmåga att vara fysiskt aktiv. Metod: Tvärsnittsstudie med icke-experimentell design. Deltagarna var kvinnor mellan 18–40 år. De med provocerad vulvodyni inkluderades i undersökningsgruppen (n=29) och de utan inkluderades i kontrollgruppen (n=32). Deltagarna rekryterades via enkätutskick i fem facebookgrupper. Resultat: Undersökningsgruppen ägnade mindre tid åt vardagsmotion jämfört med kontrollgruppen, men det var ingen signifikant skillnad avseende fysisk träning samt den sammanlagda fysiska aktiviteten en vanlig vecka, skattat med Socialstyrelsens indikatorfrågor för fysisk aktivitet. Undersökningsgruppen hade en lägre tilltro till sin förmåga att vara fysiskt aktiv skattat enligt Swedish Exersice Self-Efficacy Scale jämfört med kontrollgruppen. I undersökningsgruppen fanns ett signifikant samband mellan FA och tilltro till sin förmåga att vara fysiskt aktiv men inte mellan skattad underlivssmärta och FA. Slutsats: Resultatet antyder att kliniska insatser bör fokusera på att undersöka och stärka kvinnornas tilltro till sin förmåga att vara fysiskt aktiv i syfte att öka deras FA. Vidare forskning behövs på ämnet. / Background: Provoked vulvodynia (PV) is a condition involving pain upon provocation of the vagina, for example touch or penetration. Physiotherapy is the first choice for treatment.There is a lack of research on the physical activity level (PA) of the affected women and their self-efficacy of being physically active (SE-PA). Aim: To investigate vulva pain, PA and SE-PA in a group with PV and compare the results with a control group. Also investigate whether there is any relationship between women with PV estimated vulva pain and PA as well as PA and SE-PA. Method: Cross-sectional study with non-experimental design. The participants were women between 18–40 years old. Those with PV were included in the study group (n=29) and those without were included in the control group (n=32). The participants were recruited by posting a survey in five Facebook groups. Results: The study group spent less time on everyday exercise compared to the control group, but there was no significant difference regarding physical exercise and total amount of physical activities during a normal week, estimated with the National Board of Health and Welfare's indicator questions for physical activity. The study group had a lower SE-PA asassessed according to the Swedish Exercise Self-Efficacy Scale, compared to the controlgroup. In the study group, there was a significant relationship between PA and SE-PA, but not between estimated vulva pain and PA. Conclusion: The result suggests that clinical interventions should focus on investigating and strengthening women's SE-PA in order to increase their PA. Further research is needed.

More college students are experiencing stress that negatively affects their psychological wellbeing. Many universities are reporting that more students are seeking mental health services related to stress (Miller, Elder, Scavone, 2017). The intent of this thesis is to extend the previous research findings by specifically investigating the role of mindfulness on psychological well-being of college students. Participants were asked to complete a self-administered online survey that consists of the mindful attention awareness scale (MAAS) that measures the frequency of mindfulness state, the Psychological well-being scale (PWB) that measures six aspects of wellbeing and happiness, and the generalized self-efficacy scale (GSES). The survey included a section on demographic information such as gender, age, race/ethnicity, and family income. All data was analyzed through the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) and consisted of a series of correlational analyses and multiple regression analyses. We found that mindfulness positively correlated with psychological well-being. Furthermore, we found the mindfulness and self-efficacy significantly predicted the level of psychological well-being. The findings of this study can inform college administrators in the development of more targeted intervention programs that may be utilized for the stability of students psychological wellbeing.

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