<p> This applied dissertation will provide a deeper understanding of how high school students with nonverbal learning disabilities perceive themselves. Persons with nonverbal learning disabilities are defined primarily through performance measures with less qualitative information available. In this study, high school students identified with nonverbal learning disabilities will have the opportunity to voice their feelings about their disability. </p><p> The researcher developed open-ended questions about nonverbal learning disabilities and how it has impacted the students. Information was gathered through a narrative format and transcribed. Information was coded for important themes.</p><p>

Thesis (M.Ed.)--Regis University, Denver, Colo., 2007. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on Oct. 29, 2007). Includes bibliographical references.

<p> Previous research indicates that auditory temporal processing is related to phonological processing abilities in individuals with reading difficulties; however, additional research is needed that comprehensively investigates the relationships between specific auditory temporal processing, language, and reading skills in children. The purpose of the current study was to examine these relationships in school-aged children, using a comprehensive battery of clinically-relevant assessments. Statistically significant positive relationships were found between performance on tasks of temporal ordering and phonological awareness. No significant relationships were found between temporal resolution and phonological awareness tasks, or between temporal processing and reading tasks. This information provides additional insight into the relationship between auditory temporal processing and the phonological awareness skills that are critical for success in reading, and may contribute to the development of interventions to improve the phonological awareness abilities of struggling readers.</p><p>

Family therapy educators are currently challenged to teach their students in ways that facilitate competencies, but that are also meaningful to students. In this qualitative study, which serves as the second article of this dissertation, twelve award-winning family therapy educators were interviewed about how they facilitate educational practices that family therapy students have defined as meaningful to them. A thematic analysis of the interviews revealed seven primary themes: 1) relationship building, 2) attending to student development, 3) relevance, 4) actively engaging students in the process, 5) enthusiasm and curiosity, 6) providing and receiving honest feedback, and 7) transparency. The implications of these findings are discussed to support meaningful family therapy teaching practices as well as to offer specific suggestions for how family therapy educators can more deeply engage with their students. / Ph. D. / This dissertation consists of two manuscripts. The first manuscript outlines the current state of research in the topic area of family therapy education. After reviewing thirteen studies from the past twenty-seven years, I provide a summary of trends and findings within this area of research. In addition, I review and critique the various methods that have elicited such findings. Finally, I hypothesize about why this area of research is suffering in quality and quanitity and provide recommendations for how future research on this topic could be conducted. For the second manuscript, I interviewed award-winning family therapy educators about their teaching methods. I asked them how to facilitate meaningful learning experiences for students so that current and future instructors could strengthen their own teaching. I use the findings from these interviews to provide the following recommendations: 1) get to know students personally, 2) recognize education as a developmental process, 3) make topics and examples relevant to students, 4) learn with, but also from studentsm 5) use student-led presentations sparingly or not at all, 6) be open to giving and receiving honest feedback, and 7) share enthusiasm. I also list implications and directions for future research related to how to teach family therapy in meaningful ways.

No description available.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The development of professional behaviour is one of the core components of occupational therapy education. The assessment of professional behaviour poses a problem as the constructs and expectations are not clearly defined; this results in compromised inter-rater reliability. The purpose of the study was to investigate assessors’ understanding of the constructs and the expectations deployed during the assessment of professional behaviour of third and fourth year occupational therapy students during clinical practice. A case study design was used in the qualitative study. Clinical supervisors were involved in: (1) a focus group interview to scrutinise the usefulness of the current assessment instrument and (2) a participatory discussion to determine their understanding of the constructs of professional behaviour and the level of expectations to be set for third and fourth year students respectively. This study confirms that the development of effective assessment of professional behaviour entails a number of pivotal steps that include developing a shared definition of the constructs thereof and the expectations at different levels of undergraduate training, the refinement of the assessment instrument and training of assessors in the use of this assessment instrument. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die ontwikkeling van professionele gedrag is een van die kern komponente in arbeidsterapie opleiding. Die assessering daarvan bied egter uitdagings aangesien die konstrukte en verwagtings nie duidelik gedefinieer is nie; dit het gekompromiteerde geldigheid en betroubaarheid tot gevolg aangesien verskillende assessore die professionele gedrag van studente verskillend assesseer. Hierdie studie het die ondersoek van kliniese toesighouers se begrip van die konstrukte en hul verwagtings tydens die assessering van professionele gedrag van derde- en vierdejaar arbeidsterapiestudente tydens kliniese prakties ten doel gehad. ‘n Gevallestudie ontwerp het die basis van ‘n kwalitatiewe ondersoek gevorm. Kliniese toesighouers is betrek in: (1) ‘n fokusgroeponderhoud om die bruikbaarheid en gebruikersvriendelikheid van die huidige assesseringsinstrument te bepaal; en (2) ‘n deelnemende groepbespreking om hul begrip van die konstrukte van professionele gedrag en die verwagte vlakke van funksionering vir onderskeidelik derde- en vierdejaar studente te ondersoek. Hierdie studie bevestig dat die ontwikkeling van effektiewe assessering van professionele gedrag ‘n aantal essensiële stappe behels. Hierdie stappe sluit die ontwikkeling van ‘n gedeelde definisie van die konstrukte en verwagtinge van professionele gedrag in, asook die verskil in verwagtinge op die onderskeie vlakke van voorgraadse opleiding, die verfyning van die bestaande assesseringsinstrument en die opleiding van assessore in die gebruik daarvan.

<p> In order to practice physical therapy, physical therapist assistants (PTAs) must graduate from an accredited academic program and pass the National Physical Therapy Examination for Physical Therapist Assistants (PTA-NPTE). The primary objective of academic programs is to prepare students to successfully complete these two milestones to become competent, entry-level practitioners. The ability of an academic program to achieve this goal begins with the admission of students most likely to complete the academic training and pass the PTA-NPTE. Although previous research has examined the relationships between certain programmatic and PTA student characteristics and the PTA-NPTE, research had yet to explore the relationships between admission processes and criteria and student achievement. The purpose of this study was to examine the existence of a relationship between the admission processes and criteria used by PTA programs and student achievement. An online survey was used to gather data from a convenience sample of 85 PTA program directors across the United States. Data collected included the process and criteria used to admit students into the technical phase of training from 2008 through 2010 and the corresponding student achievement outcomes. Statistically significant differences were identified between selective admission and open enrollment programs for both completion rates and PTA-NPTE pass rates. With regard to completion rates, statistically significant differences were identified between schools that considered completion of prior college credit and experience in the field of physical therapy during the admission process and those programs that did not. No statistically significant differences were revealed in PTA-NPTE pass rates based on the admission criteria examined. The study concluded that PTA programs that use a selective admission process would have higher completion and PTA-NPTE pass rates than those that use an open enrollment process. Within the selective admission process, consideration should be given to completion of prior college credits as well as experience in the field of physical therapy. Despite these findings, further research is needed to clearly identify the specific admission criteria correlated to both student achievement outcomes. </p>

<p> Physical therapists are licensed in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. The State Board of Physical Therapy within each state regulates licensure and the majority of the states mandate continuing professional education (CPE) as a requirement for renewal. In Pennsylvania, the practice act was amended on July 4, 2008 requiring physical therapists to complete 30 hours of CPE during each biennial renewal period. This new act became effective December 22, 2012 with the first cycle beginning on January 1, 2013. </p><p> Many physical therapists express challenges in acquiring CPE indicating barriers such as stress with caseload size, travel to courses from rural locations, time restraints and commitments to family and work. Distance education (DE), defined as the application of communications and electronic devices that enable students to receive instruction from a distant location, may offer flexibility in CPE for physical therapists. </p><p> This study investigated the use and adoption of DE to meet continuing education requirements by physical therapists using an adapted survey. Email invitations with an anonymous link to the survey were sent to 2047 Pennsylvania physical therapists and a total of 361 completed online surveys were attained. </p><p> 57% of the subjects reported incorporating some form of DE into their 30 required CPE hours over the last 24 months. On average, 12.25 of the 30 required CPE hours were completed through DE. The most frequent type of DE used by the subjects was Internet/World Wide Web, followed closely by print. When evaluating the innovation-decision process, subjects considered course content, quality and applicability of the information first, and time away from work or home last. The most commonly used provider of DE is a national professional organization. Those subjects that report using distance education confirm that their distance education experience was positive and believe that their CE experience will be positive in the future. </p><p> Using Rogers's method to determine rate of adoption, it appears that Pennsylvania physical therapists are already adopting DE. The results of this study indicate that, DE has good relative advantage, good compatibility, good observability and no evidence of complexity.</p>

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, Dept. of Higher Education, 2007. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 68-09, Section: A, page: 3756. Adviser: Nancy Chism. Title from dissertation home page (viewed May 8, 2008).

Thesis (M. Ed.)--Acadia University, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 95-96). Also available on the Internet via the World Wide Web.