Thesis advisor: Lisa A. Goodman / As poverty rates in the United States increase, women continue to be disproportionately represented among individuals in poverty. As a result of their poverty, low-income women experience a range of acute stressors and chronic life conditions, within a sociopolitical climate that is highly stigmatizing. Not surprisingly, low-income women experience mental health issues at substantially higher rates than their higher-income counterparts. Despite the clear need for mental health services for this population, rates of access to treatment are low and attrition rates are high. The minimal research examining treatment outcomes for low-income women reveals mixed findings. Further, there is little research on low-income women's qualitative experiences of therapy; the role of their poverty and what they perceive to be meaningful and effective. The present study attempted to fill the gap in our understanding of low-income women's psychotherapy needs and experiences, in an effort to offer new insights about directions for research, training, and practice that can improve mental health services for this high-risk population. This study employed a qualitative descriptive methodology to explore low-income women's (n=10) experiences in traditional outpatient psychotherapy, with a particular focus on how poverty shaped their experiences and what they perceived to be most effective and meaningful. Six clusters emerged from data analysis: Awareness, Instrumental support and flexibility, Building strengths, Respect and dignity, Shared power, and Authenticity. These clusters, in turn, coalesced into three overarching themes: Awareness, Practices, and Relational Quality. Awareness pertains to participants' sense that their therapist understood the nature of poverty and was sensitive to the role of poverty-related stressors in their clients' lives. Practices reflects therapists' willingness to respond directly and actively to participants' poverty-related needs, as these are inextricably intertwined with their mental health. Relational quality refers to the participants' view of how therapists approached relational dynamics; in particular, how they negotiated issues such as power and transparency. Findings are discussed in the context of feminist theory and current research. Limitations are also presented along with recommendations for future research, training, and practice. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2014. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Counseling, Developmental, and Educational Psychology.

Early childhood represents a critical period for the development of social skills and abilities that enhance social competence. One of the main aspects that contribute to this development is the parent-child relationship. The purpose of this study is to explore this area of the parent-child relationship by focusing on parenting personality and parents’ perceptions. The aim of this study was to investigate whether parents’ personality could influence the parent-child relationship and consequently predict social competence in young children. Parents’ personality related to the five personality dimensions as delineated by the Five Factor Model. Parents’ perceptions focused on Attachment, Discipline Practices, Involvement, Parenting Confidence, and Relational Frustration. The study consisted of 62 parents of children between the ages of three and six years old. Participants were asked to fill out three questionnaires, the Parenting Relationship Questionnaire for Pre-schoolers (PRQ-P), the Neuroticism Extraversion Openness-Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI), and the Social Competence Scale (SCS). The five personality dimensions were found to be significantly correlated with parenting perceptions of the parent-child relationship and the preschool child’s social competence. For example Neuroticism, Extraversion, Agreeableness and Conscientiousness were significantly related to Parenting Confidence, however only Neuroticism and Agreeableness correlated significantly with social competence in children. More specifically, Neuroticism was negatively related to Emotional Regulation and Agreeableness was positively related to Prosocial Behaviour. In addition to this regression analyses showed that the parent-child relationship, personality, and social competence were strongly mediated especially with regards to Neuroticism, Parenting Confidence as well as Relational Frustration and Emotional Regulation. Implications of the findings and recommendations for future research were discussed.

Personal training is an occupation which requires service and knowledge work. There have been some studies of personal training that have focused on the service dimension of the work of personal trainers but few on the knowledge work entailed in workplace competence. This study focused on “knowledgeable labour” in the field of personal training. A small sample of apprenticed, trained and educated personal trainers was observed at work with their clients in order to investigate whether different learning pathways lead to differences in the forms of knowledge and ways of knowing they use in their workplace practices. A first level of analysis focused on whether there were noticeable differences in the “practical competence” of the trainers -as manifest in their observable practices with their clients. A second level of analysis, explored whether there were more subtle differences in their practices by focusing on the form and content of their exchanges with their clients, and of their reflections in and on their practice. This level of analysis focused on what the South African National Qualifications framework has referred to as “applied competence’ which is grounded in foundational and reflexive competence and is not reducible to what is manifestly or visible in practical activities. It sought to establish whether there were differences in the applied competence of trainers who have qualified through the different learning pathways. The study found that access to a formal knowledge base, and a related ability to reflect explicitly made a difference to the quality of the knowledge that trainers imparted to their clients, to their decision making in practice, and to the quality of explanations and justifications they offered to their clients. These differences point to the need for vocational qualifications that develop reflective practitioners who are able to build bridges work between the science and the client in their situated practices in their workplaces and therefore think on their feet.

Background The population in Israel is heterogeneous with inhabitants from diverse backgrounds with different religious affiliations, languages and customs. The diversity of cultural backgrounds can create a challenge for the healthcare system. Cultural competence is stated to be a necessary ability of a nurse when caring for culturally diverse persons, further promoted by the Israeli Ministry of health. Aim The aim of the study is to describe Registered Nurses experiences of working with cultural competence in caring for persons with culturally diverse backgrounds in Israel. Method A qualitative design was used. Five semi-structured telephone interviews with registered nurses working in a city in Israel, was conducted. The data was analysed using a qualitative content analysis with an inductive approach. Findings Four categories were identified in the findings: Understanding cultural needs, Addressing cultural needs, Challenges in caring for culturally diverse persons and Incidential finding: Risk of stereotyping, all further represented with the theme: Embracing patient’s cultural needs In healthcare. Approaches to understand cultural needs emphasised on seeing the whole person and being sensitive to their needs, depending on clear communication, although neglect of cultural needs occurred. Acceptance and respect for persons choices as well as adaptions made both in nurses encounter and hospital environment. Experiences of cultural differences evoked feelings of inconvenience and insecurities. Incidental findings show stereotyping as a challenge. Conclusion Approaches and behaviours in line with the values of cultural competence were learned through in-practice experiences. Implementation of the recommended guidelines in healthcare could further enhance nurse’s cultural competence and guidance when caring for culturally diverse persons.

Professional competence is expected of all nurses in practice. Although new nurses have met the competency requirement for practice legally, opinions vary among new nurses and nurse administrators as to whether new nurses are indeed competent to practice nursing. The purpose of this phenomenological research study was to learn what new nurses think about professional competence. The research question guiding this study was, "What is professional competence from the perspective of newly licensed registered nurses?" / by Priscilla Dunson Bartolone. / Vita. / Thesis (D.N.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2008. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2008. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Thesis advisor: María Estela Brisk / This study was conducted to understand student identities of five Japanese children (the second through sixth grade) and the processes of identity negotiation within their sojourning experiences between Japan and the United States. An increasing number of Japanese elementary students internationally sojourn in today's globalized societies, and consequently shape their identities in multiple school contexts. Previous research has suggested the reciprocal relations between linguistic minority learners' identities and their diverse school experiences, and reported a wide variation of bilinguals' self-perceptions. However, few studies have focused on elementary sojourners to holistically theorize the internal and external processes of their identity negotiation. In this interpretive multiple case study, children's own perspectives were inductively gathered by following the constructivist grounded theory guidelines. Data collection methods included child in-depth interviews enhanced with drawing activities, classroom observations, and teacher and parent interviews. The cross-case analysis was facilitated by interpretive focus group interview with Japanese former sojourners. The results indicated that the children across varied stages of sojourning integrated their consistent self-relevant attributes (ordinary student status and familiar personal traits) and their changing attributes (oral English proficiency) together as the fuel for pursuing their identity standard--their own interpretation of positive student identities--which fundamentally represented their social adaptive and socioemotional competences. Their experiences with Japanese language and culture, bilingual/bicultural competences, and international transitions, appeared potentially influential for their student identities. Through the multi-layered complex negotiation processes, they successfully verified, improved, balanced, and imagined their self-relevant attributes salient for their identity standard. By proposing a competence-based identity negotiation model, this study recommends all educators to support their sojourning students by attending to two types of school competences: (a) the Identity-Relevant Competence which contributes to identity standard and (b) the Identity-Negotiation Competence to practice the holistic processes of identity negotiation for sustaining the identity standard. The findings add a new theoretical scope to the evolving field of child identity research, and suggest further interdisciplinary explorations of sojourners' student identities. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2009. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Teacher Education, Special Education, Curriculum and Instruction.

Thesis advisor: Jacqueline Lerner / Understanding the family and school factors that lead to Latino children's social competence in the United States is a critical issue for the school success of our expanding Latino population. Using a Latino subsample of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998-1999 (N = 3,072), this study examined socioeconomic status, home language, and parental stress in relation to parenting behaviors as predictors of kindergarten children's social skills in the classroom. Spanish instruction in the classroom was investigated as a moderator of the relationship between parental stress and parenting behaviors. Using regression analyses, it was found that higher socioeconomic levels were associated with greater levels of parental warmth and structured rules and routines in the family. Spanish as home language was related to lower levels of harsher forms of discipline. Both marital stress and parenting stress were predictive of harsher forms of discipline and decreased structured rules and routines in the family. Marital stress alone was related to decreased levels of parental warmth. Parenting behaviors were predictive of kindergarten children's social skills. Harsher forms of discipline were related to decreases in children's self-control and interpersonal skills. Increased levels of family rules and routines were positively related to children's self-control and interpersonal skills. Evidence was found for the mediational role of parenting behaviors to children's social skills. Discipline mediated the relationship between marital stress and children's self-control and interpersonal skills. Discipline also mediated the relationship of parenting stress to children's interpersonal skills. Finally, structured rules and routines in the family mediated the relationship of marital stress to interpersonal skills. Support was found for Spanish instruction in the classroom as a moderator for the relationship of parenting stress to negative parenting behaviors. Spanish in the classroom was associated with higher levels of parental warmth and lower levels of harsh discipline, in spite of parenting stress. This result highlights the importance of providing Spanish language resources in our school systems to promote Latino children's social competence. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2011. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Applied Developmental and Educational Psychology.

O conhecimento dos fatores que tornam o profissional e em conseqüência, a empresa competentes, é essencial para que se escolham as alternativas mais adequadas para contratar e desenvolver os profissionais de acordo com os comportamentos desejados. O professor de Educação Física, antes um trabalhador pouco exigido com relação à postura e conhecimentos técnicos, é hoje, frequentemente, alvo de avaliações por parte dos gestores das academias e clubes esportivos, dos pares que desenvolvem funções semelhantes, de clientes que buscam fazer comparações para a escolha dos melhores profissionais e da sociedade que através da mídia tem acesso aos principais critérios no processo de definição da melhor academia e dos melhores professores para seu programa de exercícios físicos. O propósito desse estudo foi verificar relações entre os atributos de personalidade (e suas facetas) avaliados pelo inventário de personalidade fundamentado na Teoria dos Cinco Fatores (NEO PI-R) e a competência profissional percebida pelos professores de Educação Física que atuam em academias de ginástica, no que ser refere aos componentes \"conhecimento e habilidade\". A amostra foi constituída por 64 professores de Educação Física (25 do sexo feminino e 39 do sexo masculino), com idade média de 30,3 anos (±5,8) atuantes nas áreas de ginástica, hidroginástica e musculação. Foram aplicados dois instrumentos; o primeiro para avaliação das competências profissionais percebidas (Nascimento,1999); e o segundo visando verificar atributos de personalidade dos professores através de um instrumento de auto-registro (NEO PI-R). Para verificação da relação entre os fatores (e as facetas) de personalidade analisados e a competência profissional percebida pelos profissionais, foi aplicada a correlação de Pearson (p<=0,05). Entre os fatores analisados, os resultados demonstraram correlação negativa significativa entre as competências (conhecimento e habilidade) e o fator \"Amabilidade\". Quando analisadas as facetas, verificou-se correlação negativa significativa entre as \"Habilidades Profissionais\" e as facetas complacência e embaraço/constrangimento. Ainda com relação às facetas, foi verificada a correlação positiva significativa entre as \"Habilidades Profissionais\" e a Impulsividade. É importante destacar que o fato desse estudo se concentrar na competência profissional percebida, e não naquela aferida através de clientes e superiores, pode trazer algumas limitações na tentativa de relacionar os atributos de personalidade e a competência profissional. Em razão disso, torna-se fundamental que se desenvolvam variações desse estudo com o propósito de verificar a correlação dos mesmos fatores de personalidade analisados (Neuroticismo, Extroversão, Abertura, Amabilidade e Conscienciosidade) e suas facetas, com a competência profissional 8 avaliada por outros observadores da ação do profissional de Educação Física em academias de ginástica, como clientes, coordenadores e diretores. / The knowledge of the factors which make a professional, and consequently, a company competent is essential for choosing the most adequate alternatives for hiring and developing professionals with desired behavior. In the past, physical education teachers had little demand in regards to personal attitude and technical knowledge. Today, the teachers are frequently evaluated by health club managers, peers, clients who by comparison search for the best professional, and also by the society that can through the media have access to the best criteria in the process of choosing the most adequate gym and professionals for their physical exercises. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the personality traits (and their facets) using the personality inventory which is based on the five factor theory (NEO PI-R) and the physical education teacher´s professional competence regarding their ability and knowledge perceived in health club professionals working in health clubs. In order to conduct the study, a sample of 64 physical education teachers (25 female and 39 male) with the average age of 30,3 (±5,8) were used. All of these subjects were professionals working in the area of fitness workouts, hydrogymnastics and weight training. Two instruments were used in this evaluation. The first was used to assess the perceived professional competence (Nascimento, 1999), and the second to verify the teacher´s personality traits using a self-reported instrument (NEO-PI-R). In order to verify the relationship between personality traits (and their facets) and the professional competence perceived by the professionals, the Pearson correlation was used (p<=0,05). Among the analyzed factors, the results have shown a significant negative correlation between the competences (knowledge and abilities) and the \"agreeableness\" factor. When the facets were analyzed, it was verified a significant negative correlation between the \"Professional Abilities\" and the facets of compliance and embarrassment. Still related to the facets, a significant positive correlation between the \"Professional Abilities\" and Impulsiveness was verified. It is important to emphasize the fact that this study focused on the perceived professional competence and not the competence assessed through clients and superiors and this may bring some limitations in trying to link personality traits to professional competence. Because of this, it is crucial that variations of this study may be developed in order to verify the correlation between the same analyzed personality traits (Neuroticism, Extroversion, Openness to Experience, Agreeableness and Conscientiousness) and their facets. It is also important that the 9 professional competence is evaluated by other observers of the Physical Education professional in gyms, such as clients, managers and gym owners.

Magister Curationis - MCur / In 2011, a structured electronic system for the staffing of agency nurses was implemented in the Western Cape as part of the Nursing Information Management System (NIMS). This electronic system was developed to ensure a fair tendering process for the procurement of agency staff, providing information on agency expenditure, maximum wage rates and adherence to principles and rules of supply chain management. Although technology is used more and more in healthcare services within the Western Cape, some professional nurses could lack the skills needed to implement the electronic system appropriately. A descriptive and quantitative design was followed to determine the competence levels of professional nurses in utilising the electronic staffing system for agency nurses in public hospitals in the Metropole, Western Cape. The aim of the study was to develop guidelines for nurse managers according to which they can train professional nurses in hospitals to utilise the electronic system for staffing of agency nurses. Assumptions were adapted from the theoretical framework of Benner (1984) on different levels of competencies and used as theoretical departure of the study. The accessible population for this study was all the professional nurses in hospitals within the Metropole of the Western Cape Government Health registered as users on the database, called the Nursing Information Management System (NIMS) (N=278). This population served as the total inclusive sample for the study. The method of data collection was a self-administered structured questionnaire. The data was analysed by using the SPSS Version 24 software program and descriptive and inferential statistics were conducted.

Diversos estudos elucidaram mecanismos envolvidos com a organogênese in vitro, porém pouco é conhecido a respeito da fase de aquisição de competência, fundamental para que a regeneração ocorra. Alguns genes já foram identificados por interferirem na fase de aquisição de competência em tomateiro (Solanum lycopersicum), mas ainda existem diversas lacunas a serem esclarecidas. Para investigar a expressão de genes e o controle hormonal na fase de aquisição de competência, foram utilizados os mutantes de tomateiro, sob o background genético da cultivar Micro-Tom (MT), MT-Rg1 e MT-pro (procera), os quais afetam positiva ou negativamente a organogênese in vitro, respectivamente. Embora a resposta constitutiva a giberelina no mutante MT-pro seja conhecida, a identidade molecular do gene RG1 permanece indefinida. O mutante MT-Rg1 apresenta aumento tanto na formação de gemas caulinares quanto de raízes e reduz o tempo necessário para a indução desses órgãos, devido à diminuição do período para a aquisição de competência. A partir do estabelecimento das fases de aquisição de competência e indução da organogênese in vitro para MT e MT-Rg1, foram identificados genes diferencialmente expressos entre estes genótipos. Entre estes genes, CELL DIVISION CYCLE ASSOCIATED 7 e LACCASE 1A estão regulados positivamente em MT-Rg1 e todos estão fortemente relacionados à fase de aquisição de competência, e a alterações na proliferação de células do protoxilema durante o início da organogênese. Por outro lado, a resposta constitutiva à giberelina no mutante MT-pro reduz a formação de gemas caulinares e raízes e aumenta a formação de calos in vitro, sem afetar o tempo requerido para a indução de gemas caulinares e raízes. De forma oposta a MT-Rg1, o gene CDCA7 apresenta expressão reduzida durante a fase de aquisição de competência em MT-pro, diminuindo o número de células do protoxilema em divisão. Outro fator importante para a divisão celular no mutante MT-pro é o aumento da expressão do gene WUS, causando um aumento da proliferação das stem cells, que são células indiferenciadas relacionadas à formação de novos órgãos. Esta proliferação celular inadequada, somada a uma alteração desfavorável na homeostase das citocininas, justifica o efeito negativo do alelo pro na formação de gemas caulinares, o que permitiu a criação de um novo modelo para organogênese in vitro / Several studies have enabled the discovery of mechanisms to achieve in vitro organogenesis; however, little is known about the phase of acquisition of competence, essential for regeneration. A few genes have been identified to interfere in the acquisition of the competence phase in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), but there are still many gaps to be filled. We have used the mutants, under the genetic background of the Micro-Tom cultivar, MT-Rg1 and MT-pro (procera), which positively or negatively affect in vitro organogenesis, respectively, to investigate gene expression and the hormonal control in the phase of acquisition of competence. Despite the fact that the constitutive gibberellin response in the procera mutant is well-established, the molecular identity of RG1 gene remains unknown. The MT-Rg1 mutant presents an increase in the formation of both shoot and roots and a reduced period for the induction of these organs, because of the reduced time required for acquisition of competence.We searched for the identity of differentially expressed genes between MT and MT-Rg1 after the establishment of the competence acquisition phase and organogenesis induction stages. Among those genes, CDCA7 and LAC1A are upregulated in MT-Rg1 and these genes appear to be strongly related with the acquisition of competence phase and changes in proliferation of protoxylem cells during early organogenesis. The constitutive response to gibberellin in the MT-pro mutant decreases the formation of shoot and roots and increase in vitro calli formation, without reducing the induction phase of shoots and roots. Unlike MT-Rg1, MT-pro reduces the CDCA7L expression during the acquisition of competence phase, causing a reduction of the protoxylem dividing cells. Another important factor for cell division in MT-pro mutant is the increased expression of the WUS gene, leading to an abnormal proliferation of stem cells. Thereby, this abnormal cell proliferation, in addition to an unfavorable change in the cytokinin homeostasis, justify the negative effect of the pro allele in the shoot formation, which enabled the proposal of a new model for in vitro organogenesis