The requirement for affordable, secure and sustainable energy production is a pressing global challenge and the production of electricity with low carbon emissions is crucial. This usually entails large quantities of renewable energy generation, which is intermittent and often highly distributed throughout the electricity supply system. One of the proposed schemes to manage such generation is the smart grid, the transition to which forms the context for this research. The aim is to investigate the effect of certain psychological and social influences on the adoption of technology necessary to enable smart grids, in order to understand the implications for effective energy policy. In particular, the case of photovoltaic (PV) system adoption in the UK is studied. Empirical data detailing PV installations registered for the Feed in Tariff is analysed in order to understand rates of adoption and how they vary across both time and space. This analysis is combined with a review of policy intervention and literature from psychology to understand drivers for adoption among householders. The results from this study are then used to inform the design of an Agent Based Model of technology adoption within the smart grid context. The decision making of householders is modelled using an algorithm based on Social Cognitive Theory. The model is used to simulate different conditions and generate adoption scenarios in order to understand the potential effects of different parameters on adoption rates. In order to combine the analysis resulting from these methods, the multi-level perspective on transition in socio-technical systems is used to understand how a transition to a smart grid could be described and how adoption of PV in the UK under the Feed in Tariff incentive fits into such a transition. The results show that whilst economic incentive policies have had success in some areas adoption is also dependent on many non-financial parameters. Simulations show that the observability of adoption and the perceived inconvenience or urgency of adoption can have dramatic effects on rates of adoption, in some cases outweighing the rational economic effects of financial incentives. The implication for smart grid related policy is that non-financial factors should be taken into account as well as the more typical financial considerations in efforts to encourage adoption of necessary enabling technology by householders. The models developed could be used in further work to examine in detail adoption of other technologies such as smart home energy management systems and the interaction between adoption rates of multiple smart technologies.

This study focuses in the students’ perception of self-regulation in learning as influenced by the teaching-learning-environment. The study was conducted at the University of Pretoria. The participants in the study were first year students registered for a second semester module in Educational Psychology in the faculty of education. The size of the sample was nine (22,5%) male students and 31 (77,5%) female students. At the time of participation, the participants had attended university for a period of at least six months and had written tests and one examination. The Interactive Qualitative Analysis (IQA) method as described by Northcutt and McCoy (2004) was used to elicit participants’ knowledge and experiences of the research phenomenon. The participants were expected to complete an instrument that required them to indicate the direction of three relationships between all combinations of the themes which were selected on the basis of literature review. The participants were required to indicate how they perceive the nature of relationships between themes that were developed by the researcher as associated with self-regulated learning in a system of cause and effect. The main findings of the study indicate that language of instruction and student personality are primary drivers that determine the academic success of the students. The two themes exert great influence on other themes that are involved in the teaching-learning environment. Academic success emerged as primary outcome which means that it is a theme that depends to a large extent on how the other themes that exist in the teaching-learning environment are structured. The findings of the study indicate that there is no significant difference that exists in the male and female participants’ perception of the factors that influence self-regulation in learning. In both sample primary drivers were language of instruction and students’ personality and the primary outcome was academic success. / Dissertation (MEd (Educational Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Educational Psychology / unrestricted

This study focuses on educational psychology students’ self-efficacy beliefs in career counselling. The research was conducted in the Department of Educational Psychology of the University of Pretoria. An Interactive Qualitative Analysis (IQA) as described by Northcutt and McCoy (2004) was done. The constituency comprised seven students who have provided career counselling to at least one client.</p.> The IQA approach to research postulate that the ideal in qualitative research is to create a process that invite participants to produce data while minimizing the effect of the research process on the content. With the IQA approach the participants in the research have a remarkable degree of freedom and are empowered to generate and analyze their own data with minimal external influence. The role of the researcher in this process is to facilitate the process and to teach participants the process while guiding them to generate and analyze their own data. The central assumption in IQA, namely that the people closest to the phenomenon are in the best position to report about the phenomenon was confirmed by the researcher. The main findings of the study indicate that self-efficacy develops through formal and personal development. The identification of possible areas of growth and how this is communicated by the supervisor is fundamental for both formal and personal development processes of students. A positive cooperative developmental approach during feedback sessions is conducive to the growth of the career counsellor. The importance of experiential learning and modelling as a means to develop self-efficacy was confirmed by the research participants. The reduction of anxiety with the increase of self-efficacy was reported as a very important benefit of increased self-efficacy. / Dissertation (MEd (Educational Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Educational Psychology / unrestricted

Health information technology (HIT) aims to improve healthcare services by means of technological tools. Patient centered technologies such as personal health records are relatively new HIT tools that enable individuals to get involved in their health management activities. These tools enable the transformation of health consumer behavior from one of passive health information consumers to that of active managers of their health information. This new role is more interactive and engaged, and with such tools, patients can better navigate their lives, and exercise more control over their treatments, hence potentially also leading to improvement in the quality of health services. Despite the benefits of using personal health record systems for health consumers, the adoption rate of these systems remains low. Many free and paid services have not received the uptake that had been anticipated when these services were first introduced. This study investigates some factors that affect the adoption of these systems, and may shed light on some potential reasons for low adoption rates. In developing the theoretical model of this study, social cognitive theory (SCT) and technology acceptance model (TAM) were utilized. The theoretical model was validated through a quantitative survey-based methodology, and the results were derived using structural equation modeling techniques. The key findings of this study highlight the role of individual and environmental factors as determinants of end-user behavior in the adoption of personal health records. The results show that in addition to perceptions of usefulness and ease of use, factors such as social norms and technology awareness are also significantly associated with various factors that directly and indirectly affect intention to use PHRs Based on the results obtained in this study, recommendations are offered for technology providers, and possible directions are proposed for academic researchers.

Plant-based food has recently been a frequently addressed topic for scientific research, mainly because of its benefits for the environmental sustainability, human health and animal welfare. Nonetheless, there is limited research on how people maintain a plant-based diet, as well as research gaps on the topic in relation to media and communication studies. The purpose of this research is to provide new empirical data on how social media can inspire and/or influence a person to maintain a plant-based lifestyle. Using a qualitative method of in-depth interviews, the aim is to understand how content on social media motivates people to make sustainable movements in their real life. In other words, the research will provide insights on how a lifestyle can be upheld with the help of social media. As a theoretical basis for the study, the following theories have been applied: The uses and gratification theory, cultivation analysis theory and social cognitive theory. The findings suggest that social media is a useful tool for a person that wants to maintain a plant-based diet. Facebook, YouTube and Instagram are preferred online platforms for seeking and sharing information about the lifestyle and the most interesting contents for upholding a plant-based diet are food pictures, personal blogs and vlogs, documentaries about the environment and animal welfare, as well as product news and different discussions in virtual groups. The result also shows that people are most likely to change a behaviour after seeing content on social media that makes them emotional, in a positive or negative way.

Orientador: Nelson Antonio Pirola / Resumo: A transição do 5º para o 6º ano é marcada por mudanças na vida escolar dos alunos que envolvem tanto os aspectos cognitivos, como os afetivos e atitudinais. Pesquisas desenvolvidas na área da Psicologia da Educação Matemática têm mostrado que tais aspectos articulam-se no processo de ensino e aprendizagem da Matemática, afetando significativamente o desempenho. A presente pesquisa teve como objetivo investigar as relações entre algumas variáveis consideradas importantes para o desenvolvimento do aluno, a saber: as crenças de autoeficácia, as atitudes e a atribuição de causalidade de alunos no período de transição do 5º para o 6º ano. A abordagem metodológica adotada na investigação foi a mista, ou seja, combinou o método quantitativo e o método qualitativo. A proposta consistiu na realização de duas coletas de dados: o primeiro momento, com os alunos cursando o 5º ano do Ensino Fundamental, e o segundo momento, com o mesmo grupo de alunos cursando o 6º ano do Ensino Fundamental. Os participantes foram 95 alunos do 5º ano e 78 alunos do 6º ano, oriundos de quatro escolas públicas estaduais do município de Bauru, SP, que ofereciam os anos iniciais e os anos finais do Ensino Fundamental, concomitantemente. Os instrumentos utilizados foram: um questionário de caracterização, uma escala de crenças de autoeficácia e uma escala de atitudes em relação à Matemática, aplicados na primeira etapa da coleta de dados, um questionário de atribuições causais e uma prova de Matemática, aplica... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: The transition from year 5 to year 6 is marked by changes in students' school life that involve cognitive, affective and attitudinal aspects. Research developed in the area of Psychology of Mathematics Education has shown that these aspects are articulated in the teaching and learning process of Mathematics, significantly affecting performance. This research aimed to investigate the relationships between some variables considered important for student development such as self-efficacy beliefs, attitudes towards mathematics and causal attribution by students in the transition period from year 5 to year 6. The methodological approach adopted in the investigation was the mixed one, that is, it combined the quantitative and the qualitative methods. The proposal consisted of two data collections: the first moment, with students attending year 5 of elementary school, and the second, with the same group of students, then attending year 6. The participants were 95 year-5 students, and 78 year-6 students from 4 public state schools in Bauru, SP, which offered the initial and final grades of elementary school, at the same time. The instruments used were: a characterization questionnaire, a self-efficacy belief scale, and an attitude scale towards mathematics, which were applied in the first stage of data collection, a causal attributions questionnaire and a math exam, applied in the second stage of the data collection, and a semi-structured interview, used in the third and last stage. ... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

I denna studie undersöktes hur sångpedagoger ser på prestationsångest och mentala blockeringar hos sina elever. Prestationsångest hos sångare är ett relativt outforskat område, men det är en känsla som drabbar de flesta som utövar musik. Syftet med studien var att undersöka hur sångpedagoger både resonerar kring och hur de hanterar sina elevers prestationsångest och andra mentala blockeringar. Arbetet genomfördes i första hand genom en enkät som sedan låg till grund för intervjuer med åtta verksamma sångpedagoger. Studien vilar på en sociokognitiv teori. Resultatet visar att alla sångpedagoger frekvent möter elever med prestationsångest och att de alla har liknande verktyg för att hantera det. En upptäckt som gjordes var att det sällan talas om prestationsångest i musikundervisning, där många paralleller gjordes till idrottspsykologi som är ett mer utforskat ämne. Sångpedagogerna använde många verktyg som tangerade mental träning men ingen av dem ansåg sig använda någon särskild metod. Det är i nuläget ovanligt att lyfta mental träning i musikundervisning men ett konstaterande som görs är att sångpedagogen måste lära sig att hantera elevers prestationsångest för att kunna hjälpa dem vidare i utvecklingen. Resultatet visar att ett gemensamt ordförråd och gemensamma verktyg att ta till vore gynnsamt. / This study examined vocal coaches’ view on performance anxiety and mental blockages in their students. Performance anxiety is a relatively unexplored area, but it’s a feeling that affects most people who practice music. The purpose of the study was to investigate how vocal coaches both reason about and how they handle their students’ performance anxiety and other mental blockages. The work was carried out through a pilot study that formed the basis for interviews with eight practicing vocal coaches. The study is based on a social cognitive theory. Results show that all vocal coaches meet students with performance anxiety on a daily basis and that they all have similar tools to work with it. A discovery that was made was that the subject of performance anxiety was rarely talked about in music education and many parallels were made to sports psychology, which is a more explored area. The vocal coaches used many tools that are used in mental training, but they all made it clear that they did not use any particular method. It is currently unusual to highlight mental training in music education, but it’s clear that the vocal coach must learn to handle the students’ performance anxiety in order to help them further in development. The result show that a common vocabulary and common tools to use would be beneficial.

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Det finns flera kopplingar mellan försämrad hälsa och missbruk åt båda hållen. Personer med missbruksproblematik är en särskilt utsatt grupp på flera sätt för Covid-19. Hur pandemin påverkat dessa människor i Sverige är en lucka som behöver fyllas. Syftet med denna studie är att beskriva hur missbruksbehandlare uppfattar att samhällsläget under Covid-19 pandemin påverkat behandling och förekomst av missbruk. Studien behandlar substansmissbruk gällande alkohol- och/eller narkotika. Denna studie bygger på tematisk analys utifrån fem enskilda kvalitativa intervjuer med arbetsverksamma behandlare inom öppenvårds- och slutenvårdsbehandling för missbruksproblem. Intervjuerna var semistrukturerade och studiens resultat analyserades tematiskt med hjälp av sociokognitiv teori. Studiens resultat talar för att det skett förändringar i relationer, psykisk hälsa, arbetsmiljö och förekomst av missbruk. Den ökande psykiska ohälsan kopplad till restriktioner för att minska smittspridningen av Covid- 19 med minskade sociala kontakter och ändrade vanor som följd ökar risken för att hamna i eller för att återfalla i missbruk. Restriktioner och ändrade arbetsformer har påverkat missbruksbehandlingen negativt. / There are multiple correlations between reduction in health and substance use disorder in both directions. People suffering from substance use disorder are an especially vulnerable group in many regards to Covid-19. How the pandemic has affected these persons in Sweden is a gap that needs to be filled. The purpose of this study is to describe how addiction counsellors perceive that the state of society during the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted the therapy and prevalence of substance abuse. This study deals with substance abuse of alcohol and/or drugs. This study is founded on a thematic analysis from five individual qualitative interviews with addiction counsellors, working in either in- or outpatient care mental and behavioural disorders due to psychoactive substance use. The interviews were semi-structured, and the results were scrutinized through thematic analysis with a social cognitive theory lens. The results point towards changes in both private and professional relations, mental health, the work environment, and an increased prevalence of substance abuse. Decreased mental health related to restrictions to decrease the spread of Covid-19 with changes in habits and less social contacts increases the risk of starting or relapsing a substance abuse. Restrictions and change in work conditions has had a negative impact on substance abuse treatment.

Thesis (M.Ed. (Mathematics, Science and Technology Education)) -- University of Limpopo, 2020 / The purpose of this is to investigate how teachers go about for the development of Creative Thinking Skills (CTS) in a grade 9 technology classroom. The introduction of technology in the South African curriculum by the Department of Basic Education (DBE) to develop CTS through the Design Process (DP) as the cornerstone of the learning area. Technology as a learning area should provide learners with opportunities to solve real-life problems, in the process developing their CTS (DBE, 2011). In the 21st century, CTS have been seen as skills that are crucial across the spectrum of day to day activities. However; it appears to be very complex for technology teachers to enhance the teaching and learning of CTS in a technology classroom. The literature suggests that technology teachers tend to suppress the development of learners’ CTS by limiting the process of teaching and learning to low order thinking cognitive levels rather than high order cognitive levels. This study employed a qualitative research enquiry, purposive sampling was used for the selection of the relevant participants. Qualified technology teachers who teach grade 9 technology with at least three years’ experience in teaching technology were considered. Data collection was obtained through interviews, observation and document analysis. The research finding showed that teachers lack the understanding of policies, particularly CAPS hence they continuously compromise its implementation hindering with the development of CTS of learners as it is envisaged in the CAPS document. Furthermore, the research findings reveal that the teacher has a little or no understanding of what is creative thinking (CT) and what it entails, hence they did not unpack what is it exactly that they do to support the development of learners CTS in a technology classroom This study recommends that technology teachers be familiar with the CAPS document and implement it correctly without any compromise. Furthermore; understanding of the design process is of vital importance to teachers as it is the cornerstone of teaching and learning, particularly the development of CTS of learners. Technology teachers need also to have a clear understanding of what CT is and what it entails, that will assist to arouse their CT and help to develop the CTS of learners in a technology classroom.