Siblings demonstrate variable psychosocial adjustment to childhood cancer, ranging from cancer-related post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) to resilience. Theoretical frameworks suggest that PTSS are influenced by appraisals (e.g., fear of mortality) and coping. Siblings’ presence within clinical settings and participation in cancer treatment may allow them to appraise cancer-related experiences as less threatening and utilize engagement coping strategies, but the nature and effect of siblings’ involvement in cancer treatment remains unknown, especially in the context of COVID-19. This mixed-methods research (a) characterized siblings’ involvement in cancer treatment, (b) investigated how siblings’ involvement in cancer treatment, demographics, cancer characteristics, appraisals and coping relate to PTSS, and (c) characterized COVID-19’s impact on siblings. Thirty-eight participants (22 siblings, 16 parents) from 16 families of youth with cancer completed qualitative interviews and quantitative measures. Study 1 qualitatively illustrated treatment involvement. Within the hospital and clinic, siblings emotionally supported patients, observed treatment, and learned about cancer. At home, siblings continued to support patients, assumed helper roles with treatment, and adjusted to new cancer-induced norms (e.g., family diet, cleaning practices). Study 2 used a cross-sectional, convergent, mixed methods design to identify factors related to siblings’ PTSS. Quantitative analyses revealed that siblings’ PTSS were significantly related to siblings’ age, appraisals and coping strategies. Mixed methods analyses showed that siblings who qualitatively described more consistent involvement in treatment, including access to information and opportunities to express emotions, had lower quantitative PTSS scores. Study 3 qualitatively described siblings’ treatment involvement and experience of cancer in the context of COVID-19. Siblings worried about contracting and transmitting COVID-19 to patients, but also described that cancer-related experiences prepared them for pandemic-related precautions. Due to increased time at home, siblings encountered more cancer reminders and had fewer opportunities to “take a break” from cancer. Siblings’ exclusion from clinical settings led to reduced understanding of cancer and increased cancer-related stress. Together, findings suggest that treatment involvement offers opportunities for siblings to process cancer-related cues and use engagement coping techniques, which may facilitate positive adjustment to cancer. Findings have important clinical implications related to (re)establishing family-centered care practices that explicitly include siblings.

The present research investigated the extent to which users? perceived usefulness of IT was related to: (1) the user involvement in its design and implementation; (2) the user hierarchical position in the organization; (3) user years of service in the bank; and (4) user years of experience in banking business. In addition, the researcher examined the differences between males and females regarding the user involvement in design, involvement in implementation, and perception of usefulness of Information Technology (IT). The fifty-two bank users who participated in the study were volunteers from a major bank in the State of Mississippi. Seven research questions guided the study. Literature review on the user involvement in the design and implementation of IT system and their perceived usefulness of the system is inconclusive. Some research findings showed that users perceived the information technology as more useful when they were involved in the design and implementation phases of System Development Life Cycle (SDLC). However, there were some research findings that showed that user involvement was not related to the perceived usefulness of IT. The results of this study indicated that there were relationship between users? involvement in the design of IT and their perceived usefulness; it appears that when bank users were involved in the design of IT system, they were more likely to perceive the system as useful. However, the findings showed that there was no relationship between users involvement in the implementation and the perception of usefulness of the information technology system. The results also showed that there was a correlation between users? hierarchical position and their perceived usefulness of the IT system. This could mean that users who occupy high hierarchical position tend to perceive IT as more useful than those on the lower side of the hierarchy. The results also showed that users with more years of service in the bank regard the IT system as more useful than those who have less years of service in the bank. It appears that users with long service in the bank regard the system as more useful than those who have less years of service in the bank. The results also showed that users with more years of experience in the banking business regard the IT system as more useful than those who have less years of experience in the banking business. It appears that users with long years of experience in the banking business regard the IT system as more useful than those who have less years of experience in the banking business. The findings also demonstrated that there were no gender differences regarding involvement in design, involvement in implementation, and perception of usefulness of the IT system.

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / Previous research conducted in regular public and private schools has shown that parent involvement in a child's schooling is positively related to student outcomes (Henderson and Mapp, 2002). Though the creation of charter schools has purportedly expanded the possibilities for families to participate in their children's schooling, little is known about actual practices of parent involvement in charter schools. This case study explores the nature of parent involvement in a sixth- through twelfth- grade, urban charter school in order to verify and extend findings from research conducted in other school settings. The data come from surveys of and group interviews with faculty members, families, and students; observations of parent involvement events; and individual interviews with the school's founders. Two prevalent themes emerged from this study. The first reveals a sharp contrast between the founders' philosophical orientations with respect to home-school relationships and those of the families, students, and faculty members. The founders believe that the school and home are, and should be, distinct and separate institutions of support for student achievement and adolescent development. The second theme uncovered in this study concerns the faculty's citations of "cultural difference" as a key justification for why involvement at the school has proven challenging. The study shows that these perspectives shape the school's practices of partnership with families and that the philosophical and ideological positions taken by school personnel are best understood against a broader socio-historical context. The problems with parent involvement exhibited in this study are viewed as both a product of the underlying philosophical assumptions about school and family partnerships held by the founders, as well as a continuation of historically grounded patterns of home and school interaction as articulated by the faculty. The case study of this charter school verifies previous research and extends our understandings of home-school partnership into the new context ofthe charter school. / 2999-01-01

The relationship between involvement in children's health care, the moderating effects of parenting beliefs between involvement and child health status and use, and the mediating effects of family integrity in fathers' involvement and child health were examined in two separate studies. The first study includes 760 fathers from a national survey project. Involvement, parenting beliefs, and demographic variables were used to predict child health and health use. Fathers' residency status was correlated with the number of times the doctor was consulted and predicted the child's height-to-weight ratio. Participation in fun activities and shopping was associated with sickness and child height-to-weight ratio. No moderation effects were found for parenting beliefs. The second study uses a mixed methods design to which fathers' perceptions of involvement, motivations, barriers, and support by their child's mother are examined qualitatively. The associations between father demographic variables, barriers to attendance, family integrity, and modernity in predicting involvement are and child health status are tested. The mediating effects of family integrity between involvement and child health were also studied quantitatively. Seventeen fathers were included in the qualitative analysis. Fathers perceived that participation in their child's health care is important and felt supported by their child's mother. Barriers to involvement included work-related difficulties and a poor relationship with their child's mother. A total of 52 fathers were included in the quantitative analysis. Fathers' biological relationship to the child was associated with involvement. Additionally, family integrity and parenting beliefs predicted involvement. No evidence was found for mediation effects of family integrity between involvement and child health. These results have implications for community programs and practitioners with the aim of improving child health. / Ph. D.

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The cultivation of parent involvement in America's public schools is no longer an option. Under the provisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act: No Child Left Behind (Elementary and Secondary Education Act, 2001), it is now a mandate. Moreover, in the current climate of emphasis upon student performance and school accountability, schools need not just the support of parents, but also their full involvement in meaningful partnerships. The purpose of this qualitative study was to develop a better understanding of the factors that significantly affect the level of parent involvement during the middle-school years. This was accomplished through the use of open-ended interviews with 24 participants in Northeast Tennessee comprised of 4 elementary and 4 middle-school principals along with 16 middle-school parents who were identified by their child's principal as having been highly involved when their child was in elementary school. The findings from this study suggested that the parent and principal perceptions regarding the factors that influence the decline in parent involvement during the middle-school years are often quite different. In general, perceptions of parents and principals that were held in common were those associated with the role of the parent, the positive effects of parent involvement upon student success, and the role of the principal in modeling the encouragement of parent involvement. The finding suggested, however, that there was significant disparity between parent and principal perceptions with regard to how well middle schools encourage parent involvement. Major recommendations included middle schools communicating with feeder elementary schools to identify highly involved parents of rising middle-school students, a system of personally contacting such parents as a means to encourage their continued involvement, and the establishment of a dialogue among parents and educators with regard to developing an action plan based upon best practices.

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