The present study investigated how the issues of perceived and desired confidentiality are related to the working alliance between adolescent clients and their counselors. Fifty-one students between the ages of 14 and 18 years were recruited through two school boards in Canadian cities. Results indicated that adolescents preferred greater levels of confidentiality than they thought they would actually get in hypothetical situations, but preferred significantly less in actual situations. In addition, the level of confidentiality adolescents preferred in both hypothetical and actual situations did not impact the working alliance. The level of confidentiality adolescents thought they would get in hypothetical situations was a significant predictor of the working alliance. In actual situations, however, the level of confidentiality did not impact the working alliance. Theoretical and practical implications for counselors and other researchers, limitations of this study, and future research directions are discussed.

This thesis presents and discusses the results of research undertaken to explore the concept 'professional confidence'. The term 'confidence', is frequently to be found In previous research, yet this has not adequately been defined. The conceptions held by occupational therapists were not clear, and the events or circumstances that fostered professional confidence in occupational therapists have not been identified. Each of these aspects was identified as an area for research in the profession. Three studies were undertaken to gain greater insights and to add to the body of knowledge in terms of our understanding of 'professional confidence'. The studies included a concept analysis of the concept of 'professional confidence', a phenomenographic study of the conceptions of professional confidence that novice occupational therapists hold and finally, the sources or determinants of professional confidence beliefs in occupational therapy students were explored using an interpretative methodology. The research undertaken yielded antecedents and attributes or characteristics of professional confidence, and from these a definition was crafted. The conceptions or understanding of professional confidence held by the community service therapists, namely knowing, believing and being, were closely related to the attributes raised in the concept analysis, confirming the findings of the analysis. Final year occupational therapy students highlighted a number of determinants of professional confidence, including events, situations and circumstances within their control, the control of their clinical supervisors and/or the profession. These sources in turn had been confirmed as antecedents in the concept analysis. The research confirmed that professional identity, competence and professional confidence are inter-related and inter-dependent phenomena. Professional confidence involves a dynamic, maturing self-belief closely related to, and informed by both professional identity and competence. As such, equal attention should be given during the educational endeavour and initial employment opportunities, to the fostering of both professional identity and professional confidence while enhancing competencies. The recommendations provided within the research provide a rich source of information from which further research can be undertaken and interventions developed to assist students and novice practitioners to enhance their professional confidence. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2013.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe accurately the methods used by occupational therapy graduate students to develop self-awareness, a necessary foundation for the development of professional behaviors. Self-awareness, defined as a deep understanding of one's emotions, strengths, weaknesses, needs, and drives (Goleman, 1995), was identified in the literature as a component of or a prerequisite for the development of skills in leadership, multicultural competency, clinical reasoning, and continuing competence.Purposive sampling was used to identify student participants from a private university in the mid-west. Eleven participants completed the study. Evidence was gathered through semi-structured interviews; observations of classroom activities, professional meetings, and clinical settings; and examination of documents which included journal entries, class assignments, and professional development plans.Findings suggest that students' development of self-awareness is facilitated by a hierarchical sequence of activities which provide them with opportunities to describe features of their contexts, to recognize and define personal values and beliefs and those values and beliefs of others, and to define relationships. Reflection stimulated consideration of students' reactions in particular contexts and development of a new perspective. Students who appraised themselves realistically anticipated their responses in future events and made plans to alter undesired behaviors. Although the literature supported feedback as one way in which to facilitate self-awareness, students were reluctant to give candid feedback to peers and rarely sought feedback, unless required, for their own performance. Evaluations of behaviors, relationships, and belief systems were activities located at higher levels in the hierarchy requiring students to gain skills in recognition and description first in order to proceed to these levels.The findings point to the importance of self-awareness for personal and professional growth, and the need for educators to utilize a variety of strategies by which to facilitate self-awareness development. A revision of Fidler's checklist may provide a foundation for the development of a tool which could be a useful way in which to target behaviors necessary for development of self-awareness. / Department of Educational Leadership

The purpose of this study was to identify the complete scope, cognitive, affective and psychomotor, of clinical competencies required for the successful practice by entry-level associate degree respiratory care graduates entering the workforce. The study was conducted using a Delphi technique. American Association for Respiratory Care House of Delegates nominated a panel of experts to participate in the study. A total of 55 individuals were nominated and 21 agree to participate in the study. The individuals represented both college-based educators and hospital managers and educators. The initial questionnaire requested that each panel member list those cognitive, affective and psychomotor clinical competencies that they believed to be required for successful entrylevel practice. The responses from the first round were grouped into like categories and returned to the panel members to be rated on a four-point scale during the second and third rounds of the study. Consensus was achieved with the third round resulting in a final list of 26 cognitive, 20 affective and 28 psychomotor clinical competencies. The final list of competencies includes the most basic cognitive and psychomotor skills of the profession and did not include many of the areas listed by the National Board for Respiratory Care exam matrix. The study also lists 20 affective attributes as essential for successful practice. There are no current standardized methods in use to evaluate affective skills. Research will need to continue to clarify the skills needed for competent and successful entry-level practice. / Department of Educational Studies

Dubin's and Cohen's (1970) Empirical Motivational Model of Updating (EMMPU) guided the design of this research, leading to the examination of the relationships among lifelong learning characteristics, job satisfaction, and engagement in professional updating activities for occupational therapists. Occupational therapists completed the Characteristics of Lifelong Learners in the Professions Questionnaire (Livneh, 1986), the Index of Organizational Reactions (Smith, 1976), the Professional Activity Engagement Survey, and participated in qualitative interviews.Statistically, no relationships were found among job satisfaction, characteristics of lifelong learning, and engagement in professional updating activities. The qualitative data suggested that these relationships existed. Characteristics of lifelong learning significantly predicted 7% of the variation in time spent engaged in professional updating activities. There were significant differences found on characteristics of lifelong learning and engagement in professional updating activities among therapists with varying educational 1eve1s.Utilizing grounded theory methodology, a theory of Professional Learning Management emerged from the data, contributing to the understanding of professional updating that was not addressed by the EMMPU model. In the theory of Professional Learning Management, patient treatment interaction triggered the need for updating by occupational therapists. The patient interaction determined the specifics of the necessary learning in regards to the content, timing, context, and methods. Occupational Therapists were reliant upon off-the-job learning in order to provide quality patient care. There was a cyclical feedback loop between off-the-job learning and application of that learning on the job within the patient treatment situation.Unlike the EMMPU model, updating occurred under both positive and negative contexts. The high engagers in professional updating were able to learn in spite of the barriers restricting learning efforts. The barriers to learning were not managed as well by the medium and low engagers in professional updating activities. Regardless of level of updating, occupational therapists utilized a variety of updating methods in accordance with the way in which the learning needs were defined by the patient treatment situation.3 / Department of Educational Leadership

This study concerns the decisions and expertise of speech and language therapists (sits) working with preschool children, in particular, the selection and prioritisation of newly referred youngsters for therapy. The literature review covers three aspects: the difficulties of identifying communication disorders in preschool children; the nature of speech & language therapy knowledge; the nature of the selection and prioritisation task. These three aspects provide the theoretical foundations of the study and gave rise to the selection of a multimethod and predominantly qualitative methodology. Using a series of knowledge elicitation tasks, the selection and prioritisation decision was explored. A small group of expert slts participated in semistructured interviews, case history analyses, focus group discussions and card sorting exercises. The results are summarised under three headings: the child, the process and the expertise. The study identifies areas considered significant in the discrimination of priority children. In particular, the co-consideration of the child's communication skills and the supporting communicative context emerged as the key categories. Features within these categories associated with priority and nonpriority children were identified. The process emerged as one whereby sits collected and evaluated baseline descriptions of the child and context. As these findings accumulated, they were judged as to their diagnostic and prognostic significance, as evidence of progress and as potential causes for sit concern. Substantial consensus was demonstrated between sits suggesting that the knowledge elicited emanated from a body of knowledge rather than being idiosyncratic. Even where variation occurred, patterns were evident, reflecting the possible existence of theories-of-action related to differing working contexts. The results are presented as theories-of-action which underpin slts decisions. As such they will be of support to junior sits in their understanding of the selection and prioritisation task and to more experienced slts in making their own decisions explicit.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Sydney, 2007. / Title from title screen (viewed 17 Apr. 2007). Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy to the School of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Sciences. Includes bibliographical references. Also available in print form.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Toronto, 2004. / Adviser: Joel Weiss.

Thesis (Ed.D.)--University of Tulsa, 1981. / Bibliography: leaves 43-46.

Thesis (Ed.D.)--University of Tulsa, 1981. / Bibliography: leaves 43-46.