Counseling and psychology have experienced a conflicted relationship with the issue of spirituality over the last century. Spirituality is a construct that has been receiving more attention in counseling over the last fifteen to twenty years. More counselors and educators are affirming its place and value in the counseling relationship. Yet, there is a disparity between this and what counselors-in-training are being taught regarding spirituality, its value to clients and counselors, and its role in the counseling relationship. Very little research has been done examining spirituality and its relationship to counseling students level of confidence and competence in their work--their self-efficacy. This study investigated the relationship of perceived spirituality to counseling self-efficacy for graduate counseling students in faith-based and secular institutions. Additionally, the researcher studied the relationship of spirituality and counseling self-efficacy to the following demographic variables: age, gender, graduate course hours completed, and practicum versus internship status. The results from a sample of 135 students demonstrated a relationship between spirituality and counseling self-efficacy for students in faith-based and secular universities. The four demographic variables studied-- age, gender, graduate course hours completed, and practicum versus internship status--showed a relationship with counseling self-efficacy but not spirituality. Implications for counseling pedagogy and clinical work are offered. Areas of future research are discussed.

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This study was designed to determine the levels of computer anxiety, computer self-efficacy, and computer applications usage among members of the Faculty of Accountancy at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Malaysia. The importance of the role of technology and information systems in economic development has grown significantly throughout the globe, thus affecting how nations educate students in order to produce a more technologically literate workforce. With the implementation of the smart schools concept in Malaysia, whereby these facilities are equipped with multimedia technology and world-wide networking, educators in higher learning institutions have to prepare themselves for high school graduates who will be technologically literate. While there have been much research in this area conducted in the United States at many different levels, it has never been conducted in Malaysia, specifically with the accounting faculty at UiTM. Therefore, a total of 368 full-time accounting faculty members who were teaching in the 2006/2007 academic year were surveyed, using questionnaires. The questionnaires were focused on obtaining information with regard to participants and computer: (a) anxiety, (b) self-efficacy, (c) and software usage, as well as (d) general information. At the end of the data collection period, 262 responses were received from the population. A test of the nul1 hypothesis revealed no evidence to imply that the respondent group's gender and UiTM location distributions were significantly different from the population distributions based on the same attributes. Together with a high response rate (71%), these findings add credibility to the belief that the sample was representative of the population. This study showed that a majority of the faculty had low levels of computer anxiety and high levels of computer self-efficacy. Statistical analysis showed no significant mean differences between gender and age categories nor was there an interaction between the two said variables related to computer anxiety. However, pertaining to computer self-efficacy, the study found a statistically significant mean difference between age categories. Furthermore, the results from stepwise multiple regressions also indicated that the most efficient model for predicting the level of computer anxiety was composed of a single variable, computer self-efficacy. / Ph. D.

This thesis is formed of two papers. The first paper is concerned with the construction and design of the Spelling Self-Efficacy Measure (SSEM), based upon the constructs that children have about learning to spell and findings from a literature search. The second paper further develops the SSEM, carrying out a large test administration and validation, and then exploring relationships between perceived efficacy beliefs and spelling ability. The rationale to create a measure of spelling self-efficacy originally stemmed from conversations with teachers during my placement experiences as a trainee educational psychologist. It was often the case that children in schools were not making progress in literacy, despite ongoing and high quality intervention and support. I carried out a literature review and found that the majority of spelling support packages were focused on building children’s mastery of skills rather than any focus on the emotional aspects of learning. I had many conversations with teachers about ways in which they could support children’s beliefs in their capabilities to learn, and had positive reviews with lots of school staff about how this had helped them make interventions more personalised to the child. The two papers in this thesis outline the steps taken to develop and construct the Spelling Self-Efficacy Measure. There were originally five domains underpinning the Spelling Self-Efficacy Measure: Belief in Own Ability to Learn to Spell; Belief in Learner Characteristics; Belief in the Need for Help from Others; Belief in Phonological Awareness; and Belief in Technical Understanding of Spelling. These five areas were condensed through analysis in both Paper 1 and Paper 2 to propose a revised Spelling Self-Efficacy Measure underpinned by three domains: Phonological Awareness, Learner Independence and Optimism in Abilities; Learner Confidence and Resilience. The Spelling Self-Efficacy Measure has been found to be a reliable and valid scale to explore children’s perceived efficacy beliefs about learning to spell. Consistent with existing research, significant correlations have been found between a child’s spelling ability and their level of spelling self-efficacy, as measured by the SSEM.

published_or_final_version / Clinical Psychology / Master / Master of Social Sciences

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The current study was conducted to examine the effects of telephone intervention on arthritis self-efficacy, depression, pain and fatigue in older adult patients in different clinical settings. Eighty-five subjects from two clinics were randomly assigned to either the control (n = 45) or intervention (n = 40) groups. The study was a mixed quantitative/qualitative design. Each subject completed several pre-tests including the Arthritis Self-Efficacy (ASE) scale, the Geriatric Depression scale (GDS), and numeric rating scales for both pain and fatigue. All subjects received an informational packet on self-management of arthritis and developed an action plan and personal goals for self-management of their arthritis over the next six weeks. Subjects in the intervention groups also received a brief educational session on the packet and were called once weekly for the next five weeks. The calls followed a script, addressing different sections of the informational packet. The calls were designed to be both instructional and motivational. Subjects in the control groups were not contacted until the sixth week. At that time all subjects were called and the assessment tools were re-administered. Quantitative data analysis (repeated measures ANOVA) showed a significant increase in ASE scores over time for both intervention and control groups. Qualitative data analysis revealed the emergence of several major themes that were supported by the subjects' responses. The telephone interventions helped many of the participants initiate exercise programs for the first time in their lives. Participants also indicated that they were determined to adhere to these programs, that they would make other lifestyle changes that would assist their arthritis self-management, and that the telephone interventions were helpful in facilitating medical care for arthritis exacerbations and other medical problems. Telephone intervention was helpful in promoting adherence to exercise programs and other lifestyle changes that may assist older patients in the self-management of their arthritis, and was helpful in facilitating medical care. Arthritis education classes have been developed which have been shown to enhance the self-management of arthritis in older patients. Telephone intervention may be an alternative means of enhancing self-management for these individuals.

En kvantitativ enkätstudie genomfördes med syftet att undersöka om självdisciplin, yrkesrelaterad kognitiv self-efficacy och yrkesrelaterad social self-efficacy kan predicera motivation på arbetsplatsen. Därtill kontrollerades deltagarnas kön, ålder och utbildningsnivå. Deltagarna rekryterades genom kontaktpersoner på tre olika företag i södra Sverige. Totala deltagarantalet blev 40 personer. Studien innefattade två hypoteser som testades genom en multipel regression, korrelationsanalys samt en envägsanova. Hypotes 1 var följande: Social och kognitiv self-efficacy samt självdisciplin är prediktorer till motivation på arbetsplatsen. Hypotes 2 var: Det finns en korrelation mellan kön, ålder eller utbildningsnivå och motivation på arbetsplatsen. Regressionsanalysen visade ett signifikant resultat och att självdisciplin är en valid prediktor till motivation på arbetsplatsen. Ingen annan variabel visade ett signifikant resultat i de olika statistiska testerna. Detta diskuteras vidare då resultatet delvis stödjer tidigare forskning och teorier. Efter metodologiska övervägande och slutsatser kan resultatet inte generaliseras till övriga populationen (arbetare) i Sverige utan härleds endast till deltagarna som utgör urvalet i denna studie. / A quantitative survey was conducted with the purpose to investigate if selfdiscipline, occupational cognitive self-efficacy and occupational social selfefficacy can predict motivation at work. The participants age, gender and education level were also controlled. The participants were recruited through contacts at three different companies in southern Sweden. The number of participants were 40. The study had two hypothesis that was tested through a multiple regression, correlation analysis and a one-way anova. Hypothesis 1 was: Social and cognitive self-efficacy as well as self-discipline are predictors of motivation in the workplace. Hypothesis 2 was: There is a correlation between gender, age or level of education and motivation in the workplace. The regression analysis showed a significant result and self-discipline as a valid predictor to motivation at work. The other variables did not show a significant result. It leaded to a discussion due to that the result partly supports previous research and theories. After methodological considerations and conclusions, the result cannot be generalised to the population (company workers) in Sweden, it can only derive to the participants in the sample of this study.

In 2011, 5 million Americans had dementia and this number is predicted to increase. As the number of people with dementia increases, the need for quality nursing care, education, and treatment for patients with dementia increases. To address the need, nurses not only must be prepared with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to care for patients with dementia, but they must also have the self-efficacy to provide quality care. The practice focused question guiding the project was to determine the level of self-efficacy for caring for dementia patients among long-term care nursing staff. Using Bandura's social cognitive theory, the purpose of this project was to gain information about the self-efficacy of nurses caring for dementia patients at one long-term care facility. Forty nurse participants each completed the 25-item, 5-point Likert scale Self-Efficacy in Dementia Care Survey. The quantitative data were descriptively analyzed to identify nursing training needed for tasks related to dementia patient care. Administrating medications, providing early management information, educating patient families, maneuvering the environment, and influencing the emotional response of patients were areas of knowledge and skill deficit for nurse participants. Findings from the project will be used to guide education and training to improve nurse self-efficacy in working with dementia patients. When nurses in long-term care facilities enhance their skills and knowledge, they may be able to provide better care to dementia patients, therefore promoting social change.