Crescimento pós-traumático (CPT) refere-se à mudança positiva em algum aspecto da experiência humana como resultado do enfrentamento de situações adversas (traumáticas ou crises de vida em geral). O objetivo geral do presente trabalho foi investigar em uma amostra brasileira as propriedades psicométricas da Versão Brasileira do Inventário de Crescimento Pós-Traumático (Brazilian Version of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory – PTGI-B), instrumento que se propõe a mensurar CPT. Para isso, dois estudos distintos foram realizados. O Estudo I buscou investigar a estrutural fatorial do PTGI-B. Participaram dele 321 pessoas que passaram por situações adversas variadas. A estrutura fatorial do PTGI-B foi investigada através do método de análise fatorial confirmatória. Testou-se cinco diferentes modelos de estrutura fatorial. A estrutura convencional de cinco fatores apresentou melhores índices de ajuste quando comparada às demais. Além disso, o modelo de cinco fatores de primeira ordem organizados em torno de um fator geral de segunda ordem também mostrou índices de ajuste adequados. O Estudo II buscou avaliar se as evidências de validade externa da Versão Brasileira do Inventário de Crescimento Pós-Traumático (PTGI-B) são mais consistentes quando se compara os resultados de um subgrupo pontuou alto na Escala de Centralidade de Eventos (ECE) versus os resultados do subgrupo que pontuou baixo na ECE - que avalia em que medida o evento de referência contribuiu na formação da identidade dos indivíduos. Participaram do estudo 317 pessoas que passaram por situações adversas variadas. Investigou-se a relação entre crescimento pós-traumático, suporte social, sentido de vida, satisfação com a vida, religiosidade e desajuste psicológico. As correlações entre CPT e as demais variáveis de interesse mostraram-se maiores e mais coerentes no subgrupo que pontuou alto na ECE do que no subgrupo que pontuou baixo. Os resultados obtidos fortalecem a concepção de que apenas eventos que levam a uma reavaliação das crenças centrais dos indivíduos devem ser incluídos nos estudos de CPT. / Posttraumatic growth (PTG) refers to the positive change in some aspect of the human experience as a result of facing adverse situations (traumatic or general life crisis). The main goal of the present study was to investigate the psychometric properties of the Brazilian Version of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI-B). To address this purpose, two distinct studies were performed. Study I was aimed to investigate the factor structure of the PTGI-B. It involved 321 people who had been through a wide range of adverse situations. The factorial structure of the PTGI was investigated using the method of confirmatory factorial analysis. Five different models of factorial structure were tested. The conventional five factor structure presented better adjustment indices when compared to the others. However, the factorial structure of five first order factors organized around a second order global PTG factor was also adequate. Study II intended to assess whether evidence of the external validity of the Brazilian Version of the Post Traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI-B) is more consistent when considering the events in which individuals scored high versus individuals who scored low on the Centrality of Events Scale (ECE). The ECE assesses to what extent the reference event contributed to the formation of individuals' identity. A total of 317 people who had been through a variety of adverse events participated in the study. It was investigated the relationship between posttraumatic growth, social support, meaning in life, life satisfaction, religiosity and psychological distress. The correlations between PTGI-B scores and the other variables of interest became larger and more theoretically coherent in the subgroup that scored high in ECE than in the subgroup that scored low. The results obtained strengthen the conception that only events that lead to a reassessment of individuals’ central beliefs should be included in the PTG studies.

The serious leisure inventory and measure (SLIM) was tested with 348 chess players to confirm the factors, assess the effects of method bias, and propose a set of the best-performing items for the 18 factor SLIM. The 54-item SLIM demonstrated acceptable fit and reliability values. The effect of method bias was evidenced in the sample and explained one-third of the variance. Inspection of factor loadings, when controlling for method bias, yielded one best-performing item per factor. Findings indicate method bias continues to be problematic for self-report measures such as the SLIM.

The effective management of organisational climate has become an increasingly important ingredient for business success. This has resulted in a need for up-to-date research and information on the subject, leading to the development of various measurement instruments. The main purpose of this study was to validate the Organisational Climate Measure (OCM) for the South African context. The OCM is designed to serve as a global multi-dimensional measure of organisational climate and is based on the competing values model developed by Quinn and Rohrbaugh. In this study a comprehensive literature review was conducted prior to the OCM’s administration to a sample of 200 individuals currently employed in a South African organisation. The reliability and validity of the OCM was evaluated by means of Cronbach’s alpha coefficient and confirmatory factor analysis. The results indicated strong correlations between factors and a good model fit. It was concluded that the OCM is a valid and reliable instrument for measuring organisational climate within the South African context. Copyright / Dissertation (MCom)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Human Resource Management / unrestricted

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Because of disunity among prominent professional learning community (PLC) authors, experts, and researchers, the literature was studied to develop a ten-element model that represents a unified and reconceptualized list of characteristics of a PLC. From this model, the Learning Community Culture Indicator (LCCI) was developed to measure professional learning community (PLC) implementation levels based on the ten-element model. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were performed to determine the structural validity of the LCCI. Factor analyses provided successful levels of fit for the models tested in representing the constructs of the LCCI. Reliability measures also indicated high levels of internal consistency among the responses to the survey items. Although some items and elements had moderate levels of fit and need additional revisions and validity testing, the LCCI produced substantial evidence that this survey was a valid and reliable instrument in measuring levels of PLC implementation across the ten elements. Because this research validated the LCCI, school leaders can implement, monitor, and diagnose elements of PLCs in their schools. The LCCI also provides a method in which future research can be conducted to empirically support the influence of PLCs and student achievement. Potential uses and recommendations for further research and consideration are presented. A call for more empirical research is made in connecting the PLC reform model to improved student learning. The theory of PLC is at a point of substantiation and growth. The LCCI is recommended as potential tool for studying and facilitating the implementation of PLCs in schools.

The cost of textbooks is a financial burden on many college students. Fortunately the advent of open educational resources (OER) has allowed for the development of textbooks and other materials at significantly reduced costs to students. Many faculty are using OER to develop customized textbooks for their students, usually published digitally online. These faculty desire high fidelity feedback from their students to help them improve their texts. However, there is no general model of what digital textbook quality means to college students. Such a model would allow for the development of a measure of digital textbook quality that could provide highly valid and reliable student feedback for faculty to use in improving their open textbooks. This study describes a mixed-methods approach for developing a model of digital textbook quality from the college student perspective. An instrument for measuring the components of this model is also described. This dissertation can be freely accessed and downloaded from http://etd.byu.edu/ or from http://tjbliss.org/dissertation.

Studies have shown that increased student engagement is correlated with improved learning outcomes and overall positive results for students. While engagement can be viewed as a precursor to other outcomes, it should also be examined as an outcome itself. To increase student engagement and improve the learning experience for students, we must understand which factors can facilitate engagement and how educators can positively affect these factors. This research explored the influence of three proposed facilitators of engagement: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Self-determination theory, a theory of motivation, posits that these are three innate psychological needs that must be fulfilled to experience the highest level of motivation, for which engagement has been used as a proxy. In the format of a multiple-article dissertation, I present three articles. The first article reviewed the literature concerning self-determination theory and student engagement in both K-12 and higher education settings. It answered the following research question: What has been found regarding the influence of autonomy, competence, and relatedness on student engagement? The second article built upon findings from the first article and outlined the process to create and validate an instrument to measure autonomy, competence, relatedness with peers, relatedness with professors, and emotional engagement. Data were collected from university students through an online survey (n = 340). Confirmatory factor analysis results showed that survey items performed well and measured the intended constructs. Structural equation modeling was then used to identify the best fitting model for the data collected. Results showed that sense of competence had the largest predicted effect on emotional engagement. The third article employed the validated survey discussed in the second article. It was administered to students in an online higher education program (n = 3092). Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were conducted on the sample. Students sense of autonomy was found to have the greatest effect on emotional engagement.

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