This study investigated the relationship between student ratings of teaching and the mindfulness attributes of teaching assistants in freshmen courses consisting mostly of discussion. Regression analyses were run to determine whether teaching assistant data (n = 19), related to their teaching efficacy, trait mindfulness, mindfulness practices, self-compassion, and teacher concerns, were predictive of student ratings of teaching assistants' combined scores on three concatenated Likert-scale evaluation items--the teaching assistant is kind and respectful of me, is patient with my questions, and is receptive to my questions. As modeled, there was no significant relationship between these teaching assistant characteristics and the components that were examined. A subset of the population (n = 6), participated in follow-up interviews. A comparative and interpretative analysis of the interview data followed, which examined the teaching assistant narratives using the following variables as filters--teaching efficacy, trait mindfulness, mindfulness practices, self-compassion, and teacher concerns--in addition to the metacognitive constructs of Knowledge of Cognition and Regulation of Cognition. Overall, the interview component of the study found that teaching assistants who could better articulate their teaching processes and instructional goals reported purposefully engaging in the internal and external dialogic processes of instruction. Moreover, interview analysis suggests that teaching assistant evaluations were a poor means of assessing instructional skills, aptitude, or performance. In addition, while the tools used in this study, the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, the Mindfulness Process Questionnaire, the Self-Compassion, Scale, the Teacher's Sense of Efficacy, and the Teacher's Concerns Checklist, might reliably assess attributes of good instructors, they do not appear to capture the whole essence of one's instructional narrative. Whether it is through interviews, or intricate scenarios, instructional evaluation, especially when its purpose is to improve instruction, should have a qualitative and reflective component. / text

A study of students’ mathematical identity was carried out in February 2009 involving participants from two colleges of education, one in Dublin (Republic of Ireland) and one in Belfast (Northern Ireland). All participants were pre-service primary school teachers in the third year of their B.Ed. programme, having chosen to specialize in mathematics. Data was gathered using a questionnaire (with, mainly, open-ended questions) followed by focus groups, involving the same participants, on each campus. This paper considers how students’ exploration of their mathematical identity led them to deepen their insight into learning and teaching mathematics. Recommendations are made for how the methods used in this research might be beneficial on a larger scale, in different environments.

This study employed the theoretical framework of Albert Bandura???s social cognitive theory, to investigate how differing levels of self-efficacy impact on both the type and degree of self-regulatory behaviour employed by the students when composing music in a high school music program. The literature review revealed an abundance of related research suggesting a strong relationship between self-efficacy and self-regulated behaviour in the ???core??? academic domains of education. In contrast, there was no specific research found that had examined self-efficacy and self-regulation in the context of students composing music. An independent school in Sydney served as the research site, with sixty-eight students of varied year levels and musical experience participating in the study. Students used stand alone computers, the software ???Cubase??? and MIDI keyboards as they completed a task that involved creating an original piece of music in a genre of their own choice, over a series of four composition sessions. A mixed methodology was employed to determine if the influence of the students??? self-efficacy beliefs upon their self-regulation in a creative activity were consistent with existing research. Data were collected using a mixture of weekly measures and self-report scales, combined with a variety of questionnaires, logs, tally sheets and interviews. Eight variables, including the self-regulatory sub-processes of goal setting-strategic planning, intrinsic motivation, goal orientation, task expectation, time on task, task completion, monitoring were analysed together with an additional variable, defined as creative ability, to determine if evidence could be found of a relationship between self-efficacy and these specific behaviours while composing. The results suggest that the pre-task (Week 1) measure of self-efficacy was closely associated with the students??? use of the eight self-regulatory dimensions as well as their perceived level of creative ability. Weekly self-efficacy measures also suggested that students??? employ self-regulated sub-processes proportionally to their respective levels of self-efficacy. Importantly, the more efficacious students employed a wider and more sophisticated repertoire of self-regulated behaviour when composing in contrast to the less efficacious students. Self-efficacy was also identified as a key factor amongst students who were initially identified as being naive self-regulators, but who through the duration of the task, modified their behaviour to become more skilful self-regulators. Throughout the study, the consistent level of interaction between self-efficacy and the use of self-regulated behaviours were aligned with findings in the core ???academic??? disciplines of education.

Text in Afrikaans / The aim of the study is to describe the ecology of ideas in a family after the traumatic experience of a child. The focus is on developing a new context through which set meanings can expand. Therapeutic conversations and flexible hypnotic techniques, as part of a co-constructured process, are the "instruments" through which new ideas can be formed. The epistemological and theoretical framework of the study is postmodern, social constructionist ideas. Modernistic explanations are provided to fit in with the postmodern "both/and" focus of the study. A social constructionist position implies that the focus is placed on the multiple trauma perceptions of the family and social-cultural domain. Symptoms are viewed as part of the meaning systems in the family. The interconnection between dominant and non-dominant trauma stories is explained. Themes and relationship patterns are exposed and described according to the researcher's own epistemology, reflections and interpretations of the literature. / Clinical Psychology / M.A. (Clinical Psychology)

The thesis attempts to outline the extent to which the decision-making role of nurses is utilized, and the main factors that affect decision-making of nurses within the scope of provision of nursing care. The research has found out that nurses utilize their decision-making role to an insufficient extent hence the sense and purpose of decision-making must be emphasised again. This task may be assumed by managing nurses. Managing nurses may also contribute by more effective defending of competences of nurses. From the factors needed by nurses for effective decision-making, attention should be paid particularly to education. It is necessary to make possible for nurses to extend their knowledge and thus to obtain theoretical insight (e.g. in respect of decision-making) to be used by them while providing care to a patient/client.

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This thesis deals with the problem and subsequent diagnostics of selected didactic concepts. The main objective was to determine to what extent the perception of selected didactic concepts is connected between pedagogical faculty students and teachers at first level primary school in practice. The theoretical section focuses on the definition of concepts included in the research and a description of the semantic differential method. The practical section examines the research results and subsequently processes these using the semantic differential method.

The purpose of this study is to provide descriptions of conversations with survivors of suicide, including their relationships with the persons who committed suicide, the relationships that followed these deaths, their experiences of suicide, and the way that they made sense of these deaths. The epistemological framework of this dissertation is ecosystemic and social constructionist. This study involved in-depth interviews with three suicide survivors, exploring personal and professional domains. Thematic analysis was the method used to generate patterns of meaning. The researcher recounted the research participants' stories and punctuated emergent themes and patterns according to what she deemed important. Each story was contextualised, and included reflections of the researcher. Themes both common and unique to each participant story were highlighted and discussed. The information yielded from this study could have value to survivors of suicide and psychotherapists whose clients commit suicide. / Psychology / M.A. (Clinical Psychology)

This diploma work raises the issues and subsequently the diagnostics selected didactis koncept of Students Primary School Teachers. The aim of this work was to find out to what extent the perception of some chosen didactic concepts are related comparing students of pedagogical faculty and primary school teachers. The theoretical part aims to the technical definition of the semantic differential research method and defines of the concepts. In the practical part the data relating to conception didactic concepts were found and processed by method of semantic differential.

Dissertation thesis Acting with the Inner Partner as a Way to Develop Teacher's Personal Dispositions focuses on specifics of a psychosomatic discipline called Acting with the Inner Partner, in professional training of future teachers. This discipline represents the pedagogy of experimenting with the phenomenon of self-speech in experimental conditions. The emphasis is on the personality of future teachers, as well as on cultivation of their self-reflection. This should lead to a becoming a professional teacher with an authorial approach and authentic acting. The objective of the dissertation thesis is a deeper understanding of psychosomatic disciplines pedagogy, whereas my very own teaching experience at The Department of Psychology and Pedagogy is essential. Specifics of future teachers' personal preparation in the view of psychosomatic disciplines, represents the basic part of this work. Another part focuses on the experience with Acting with the Inner Partner, at first described by a student and later by an assistant (lecturer) and researcher. Common features of so called psychosomatic condition are discovered. The author also searches the possibility of exporting Acting with the Inner Partner out of the Department of Pedagogy and Psychology at South Bohemia University. As the methodology of video recording analysis has not been accomplished yet, the starting points for further research are described. The empirical part focuses on typology documented on students' written self-reflections. The objective is to describe the assistant's experience. The interpretation of the research results shows the need to distinguish between the terms 'written teaching self-reflections' and 'written teaching reflections, commonly described as feedback.