The quality of early childhood education and care programs greatly impacts children’s development and well being. The classroom environment, program content and approach and early childhood educators’ characteristics are some of the elements that influence quality and thus have effects on young children’s development. Past research has indicated that early childhood education and care programs in Quebec have received on average low/minimal or mediocre ratings of quality and were also found to lack developmentally appropriate play materials (Drouin, Bigras, Fournier, Desrosiers, & Bernard, 2004; Goelman et al., 2006; Japel, Tremblay, & Cote, 2005). The present study set out to explore elements that may influence the quality of child care classrooms in the province of Quebec. Early childhood educators’ knowledge and developmentally appropriate practice (DAP) were examined to determine the relationship between these elements. Early childhood educators’ knowledge of developmental milestones (KDM) and knowledge of appropriate play materials (KPM) were found to be weak but educators reported strong developmentally appropriate beliefs (BDAP) and practices (PDAP). Results demonstrated positive correlations between early childhood educators’ declarative knowledge of developmental milestones (KDM), knowledge of appropriate play materials (KPM) and their beliefs and practices of developmentally appropriate practice (BDAP and PDAP). Educators’ levels of declarative KDM were positively correlated with their level of declarative KPM. In addition, educators’ BDAP was positively correlated with their level of declarative KPM, but their reported DAP was not linked to their level of KDM. Implications for the field of ECEC as well as early childhood education programs in CEGEPs and Universities in Quebec and across Canada are discussed in light of the study’s findings and limitations.

Western educational policies and practices have impacted Taiwanese early childhood programs. The concept of developmentally appropriate practice has become part of the educational program for young children in Taiwan. This research study was completed to: (a) describe Taiwanese parents' beliefs about developmentally appropriate practice (DAP) in early childhood programs; (b) examine group differences between fathers' and mothers' beliefs about DAP; (c) investigate group differences between parents of different socioeconomic statuses beliefs about DAP; (d) explore group differences between parents' beliefs about DAP when their children attend different types of schools (public and private); and (e) identify salient factors related to the variability of developmentally appropriate beliefs of Taiwanese parents. Three hundred seventy-nine matched Taiwanese parent pairs (mothers and fathers) participated in this survey research study. All parents had at least one child between the ages of 3 and 6 years. Four hundred forty-eight children attended public schools, and 415 attended private schools. The Teacher Beliefs Questionnaire was modified and used to collect data in this study. Findings showed: (a) fathers' and mothers' beliefs about DAP are significantly correlated; (b) fathers' and mothers' socioeconomic statuses are significantly correlated with their developmentally inappropriate practice beliefs; and (c) parents' socioeconomic status was a significant predictor of their DAP belief scores and family, culture, and inclusion belief scores. Future studies are needed to determine the effectiveness and appropriateness of the Teacher Beliefs Questionnaire with Taiwanese parents. Including parent's age, child's gender, child's birth order, residential region, and number of children as variables in future research studies may explain variations in parents' DAP beliefs. Employing qualitative methods, such as classroom observations, case studies, and interviews may be used to verify these findings. The Taiwanese Ministries of Education and Interior may find this study's results useful in creating policies and best practices related to the education of young children. Teachers may use these results to guide their work with parents.

Magister Artium (Development Studies) - MA(DVS) / This exploratory study is based on the case of the Rusitu Valley, a low income rural community in Zimbabwe. Data was collected using largely qualitative methods and quantitative methods were used to obtain supportive descriptive statistics. Information elicited from focus group discussions conducted with members of the Rusitu Valley community as well as responses obtained from a brief structured questionnaire were used to abstract the Rusitu Valley as a complex adaptive system. Input from in-depth interviews with government representatives in energy policy, local government and non-governmental organisations as well as a review of secondary sources was used to support the analysis and confirm the contextual validity of the study. This study revealed that there is intimate connection between renewable energy technologies and sustainable community development. A key finding was that the contribution of renewable energy technologies in Rusitu Valley is mostly towards the economic dimensions of the community and is relatively limited with regard to social and environmental dimensions. Therefore, this study concluded that renewable energy technologies have not sufficiently contributed towards sustainable community development in the Rusitu Valley. This study also found that the contribution of renewable energy technologies is constrained not only by internal limitations but also external factors. A conclusion drawn from this study was that effective contribution of renewable energy technologies towards social, economic and environmental facets can be enhanced through mainstreaming of renewable energy in policy and planning, as well strengthening institutions and local capacity which would have the overall effect of sustainable community development in low income communities

Orientadores: José Euclides Stipp Paterniani, Túlio Assunção Pires Ribeiro / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Agrícola / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-29T00:00:03Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Santos_FlaviaFerreiradeSouzados_D.pdf: 6754875 bytes, checksum: 9a804a4e184846e60d2063d6b1aa1326 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015 / Resumo: O nãotecido sintético é um material de fácil obtenção e baixo custo, cujo uso na filtração lenta juntamente com areia acarretou em resultados satisfatórios, em termos de qualidade de água produzida e facilidade de operação. Esta pesquisa teve como objetivo avaliar o desempenho de um filtro lento com meio filtrante constituído exclusivamente por nãotecido sintético em diferentes espessuras e compará-lo ao desempenho de um filtro lento de areia tradicional. Construiu-se um sistema piloto de filtração em que os dois filtros lentos operavam em paralelo sob influência de três taxas de filtração (3, 6 e 9 m3.m-2.dia-1). No decorrer das carreiras de filtração foram monitorados a evolução da perda de carga de cada filtro, os parâmetros físico-químicos e bacteriológicos da água bruta e água tratada pelo filtro de areia e por cada uma das 12 espessuras (entre 1 e 40 cm) do filtro de nãotecido. O filtro lento de nãotecido proporcionou carreiras de longa duração, quando comparado ao filtro de areia, além de reduzir a frequência e a complexidade do processo de limpeza do filtro. A formação da schmutzdecke foi observada na camada superficial do filtro de nãotecido, o qual teve período de amadurecimento semelhante ao filtro de areia, aproximadamente 15 dias. O desempenho satisfatório do filtro lento de nãotecido abrangeu as três taxas de filtração avaliadas. Em termos de remoção de cor aparente e turbidez da água bruta, atendeu os padrões de potabilidade de água designados pela legislação vigente. E, em termos de remoção de bactérias heterotróficas, coliformes totais e E. coli, o filtro de nãotecido alcançou eficiência superior a 99,5%, estatisticamente similar ao filtro lento de areia. Os resultados obtidos indicam que a espessura ótima de nãotecido sintético para remoção de cor aparente e turbidez da água seria de 25 cm, e sugerem que a espessura de 15 cm de nãotecido seria suficiente para remoção de bactérias, com possibilidade de emprego de taxa de filtração considerada elevada para o tratamento por filtração lenta (9 m3.m-2.dia-1). Desta forma, concluiu-se que o meio filtrante constituído exclusivamente por nãotecido sintético de 25 cm de espessura tem potencial para substituir a areia no tratamento de água por filtração lenta, uma vez que obteve desempenho similar ao filtro lento de areia, além de simplificar os procedimentos operacionais e de manutenção do filtro / Abstract: Non-woven synthetic fabric is an easily available and low-cost material which has brought satisfactory results in terms of both the quality of produced water and its operational value. The aim of this research is to assess the performance of a slow filter made up exclusively of non-woven synthetic fabrics of a number of different thicknesses and to compare it to that of a traditional sand filter. A pilot filtering system was built where the two slow filters operate in a parallel way under the influence of three filtering rates (3, 6 and 9 m3.m-2.d-1). Along the filtering runs the evolution of the headloss and the physical-chemical and bacteriological parameters of both raw water and water treated through the 12 thicknesses (ranging from 1 to 40 cm) of non-woven were monitored as well as that filtered through sand. The slow non-woven filter yielded long-term runs when compared to the sand filter, as well as reducing the frequency and complexity of the filter¿s cleaning process. The formation of schmutzdecke was observed on the superficial layer of non-woven filter, a process which had a similar maturing period to that of the sand filter, approximately 15 days. The satisfactory performance of the slow non-woven synthetic fabric filter covered all three filtering rates. In terms of the removal of apparent color and turbidity of raw water it met the drinkability standards set by the existing legislation. In terms of the removal of heterotrophic bacteria, total coliform and E. coli the non-woven filter obtained an efficiency level above 99,5%, statistically similar to the slow sand filter. The results indicate the optimal thickness of non-woven synthetic fabric for apparent colour and turbidity removal to be 25 cm, and suggest that a 15cm thickness would be enough to remove, with the possibility of using filtering rates considered elevated by slow filtering treatment standards (9 m3.m-2.d-1). Therefore, it concludes that the filter medium constituted exclusively of 25-cm-thick non-woven synthetic fabric has the potential to substitute sand in slow-filtering water treatment once it has obtained similar performance to the slow sand filter / Doutorado / Agua e Solo / Doutora em Engenharia Agrícola

The development of technologies and structures providing energy for household use in South Africa have for many years been dominated by the needs of "white" households. While these needs have been comprehensively met through cheap and efficient energy supplies, the needs of those in the "homelands" and townships have effectively been ignored. Thus, for roughly two-thirds of the population in South Africa, the struggle to meet basic energy needs for cooking, water heating, space heating and lighting is time consuming and expensive. The planning of a national energy strategy for the future can no longer overlook the energy needs of underdeveloped areas. While the immense task of building institutions and techniques for providing all with adequate and affordable energy supplies will require substantial technical intervention and a large amount of capital, ignoring these problems will incur even greater political, social and environmental costs. Interest in the field of energy for underdeveloped areas has been increasing in recent years, and has led to research on various appropriate energy technologies and the highlighting of energy problems in various locations. However, there has been no overview of experience to date, nor any comparative assessment of these technologies and their potential role in an energy supply strategy. By drawing together the body of research into one publication, this thesis hopes to provide an overview, to allow different energy technologies and supply options to be assessed and compared, and to provide a starting point for debate on suitable energy strategies for underdeveloped areas.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / Studies on rational medicine use (RMU) have mainly focused on identifying, quantifying, and addressing irrational use without exploring reasons behind this irrational use. In addition, minimal work has been conducted on irrational use of medicines in the context of the growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). This PhD research examined medicine use in Eswatini, (previously Swaziland) between April 2017 and March 2019, with a focus on prescribing practices linked to specific diagnoses. It further explored factors influencing RMU, which included testing the effects of a short intervention - prescription audit and feedback coupled with small group education - on prescribing practices in health facilities.

No description available.

Assessment is a foundational part of counseling practice, which includes the process of providing assessment feedback to those tested. Millions of children are assessed across the United States through the public-school system, hospital, agency, and private practice settings. Though millions of children are assessed yearly, there has been little research surrounding providing assessment feedback with children. In this study, the author qualitatively explored children's experiences with a developmentally appropriate feedback model, the young children's assessment feedback (YCAF). Participants included ten 6 to 10-year old children, who had not previously gone through psychoeducational testing within the last year. Participants completed a battery of psychoeducational assessments and the YCAF feedback process. Data sources included session transcriptions, session observation notes, child interviews, parent interviews, and expressive arts observation notes. In order to explore the perceptions regarding the YCAF, the author utilized interpretative phenomenological analysis to understand the children's feedback experiences. Findings included the following themes: freedom for self-direction, self-concept, therapeutic relationship, affective responses of child, systemic shifts, and developmental considerations. The themes show that the children in this study saw a variety of benefits and experiences surrounding receiving their own personalized, developmentally appropriate assessment feedback.

This study investigated and qualitatively compared differences in children's stress reactions across two levels of developmentally appropriate practice in family child care homes. Data were collected through observations. Six children, five boys and one girl from six different family child care homes, between the ages of 36 and 60 months, were observed for the type and frequency of stress behaviors. The six family child care homes were divided into two groups based on more or less use of appropriate practices, and they were observed for the use of appropriate practices. Three one-hour observations were held in each family child care home. The Classroom Child Stress Behavior Instrument was used to identify stress behaviors in children. The Rating Scale for Measuring the Degree of Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Classrooms and the Guidelines of Developmentally Appropriate Practice were used to identify developmentally appropriate/inappropriate practices. Results indicated that children in the homes where developmentally appropriate practices were used tended to display fewer stress behaviors than the children in the homes that used developmentally appropriate practices less frequently. Children in the homes that used developmentally appropriate practices frequently exhibited primarily passive stress behaviors or active self-to-self stress behaviors. Children in homes that used inappropriate practices displayed more active stress behaviors toward other children or objects. The child care providers from the homes that used more appropriate practices spent time with children, motivated children involved in play, and applied teaching strategies. In developmentally inappropriate homes, the environment there tended to be a less positive climate and children were less motivated.

An early childhood assessment tool was developed by the author to fill a need for an observational, authentic, child assessment instrument that would include the measurement of social and emotional development, help guide teachers towards best curriculum practices, and meet common criteria for effective, appropriate, and equitable assessment. Theoretical constructs of interactionalism, multiple intelligences, dispositions, and developmentally appropriate practices were used to inform the construction of the tool. In addition, the author hoped to develop a tool that would be effective for use as a Head Start program evaluation research instrument. Research methods involved a representative random sample of 200 children in four early childhood programs in two northwest states and the use of two different surveys, one completed by 15 early childhood experts and one by 114 users of the assessment. The Oregon Assessment was found to be an instrument with an acceptable degree of item, curricula, and construct validity; a high level of test-retest, inter-rater, and internal reliability (coefficient alpha = .879); and an acceptable degree utility. Only one item out of 60 was found to have low item validity, and three other items were rated lower than others (although generally positive) on both item and curricula validity. It was found to have significant but moderate congruent validity with total scores on The McCarthy Scales for Children and The Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales. Users throughout the U.S. found it generally useful – nearly 87 of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the results accurately reflect the skills, behaviors, and abilities of their children. The length of time it takes to administer emerged as a concern from some users. Recommendations were made to refine the instrument and user manual and to develop a shorter version. It was found to have great potential use as a research instrument for program evaluation and for promoting best practices in early childhood programs.