The purpose of this investigation was to examine a single modern band to discover how an ensemble director/facilitator implemented peer mentoring and other student-centered pedagogical approaches. Observations of an urban high school modern band were conducted over the course of five months of rehearsals with a summative performance. Participants included 12 high school students, one primary educator, and one student teacher. Qualitative data were collected through artifacts and observations as well as group, individual student, and individual teacher interviews. Data were coded and analyzed, revealing emergent themes. The facilitator encouraged students to share their knowledge, opinions, and suggestions for direction through peer mentoring. Students in the ensemble claimed there existed significant social aspects of participation and found interactions within to be a formative part of their school experience. Findings include substantial engagement in peer mentoring, social bonding through modern band, and the sharing of knowledge between students in a relaxed atmosphere in which student agency, autonomy, and democratic decision-making were key tenets. Data analysis revealed musical and social benefits with a facilitator who championed student-centered pedagogy within a relaxed environment. Modeling was found to be a key tenet of learning and communication and critique between peers were more easily understood and better received as compared to that from their facilitator. Peer mentoring opportunities seemed to be reliant upon music that was familiar to students presented in a manner that left room for subjective interpretation and reliance upon peers’ understanding. Peer mentoring was also identified as a definitive component of modern band instruction in addition to its benefit within the ensemble for students musically and socially. Pedagogical suggestions for music education include increased autonomy and student agency in all classrooms; the provision of pathways for teachers to develop facilitation and peer mentoring skills; frequent opportunities for performance; careful consideration of student proximity for peer mentoring; and finding balance between traditional and nonformal teaching methods. Other implications for the profession include implementation of facilitation in all ensembles; careful repertoire decision-making; the development of student leaders; avoiding false representations of popular music ensembles; and encouragement of socializing in modern band ensembles.

Much has been researched on how to manage and participate in teams, as well as on teamwork in transdisciplinary and early intervention groups. However, no single source adequately details the skills needed to facilitate such a unique group as that of the asset-based transdisciplinary team. A limitation in the theoretical body of knowledge regarding this subject matter spurred the purpose of this study to explore the facilitation skills conducive to asset-based transdisciplinary teams. A conceptual framework was created from the researcher’s perspective of the theoretical knowledge researched and acquired. Applying an interpretative epistemology, the instrumental case study was chosen as research design to explore groups of transdisciplinary team members. Two focus group interviews were conducted, transcribed, qualitatively analysed with the supplements of field notes and coded with the help of two independent coders. Theoretical assumptions were tested, interrelations shown, categories and themes short-listed and criticisms from the participants considered. It was found that skills alone do not suffice to equip members in their facilitation of asset-based transdisciplinary teams. Attitudes of involvement, flexibility, support, transparency and trust; approaches that are asset-based, narrative, holistic and family-centred and possessing knowledge of diversity, ethics, teamwork and discipline expertise were considered paramount to the competence of a facilitator. It is recommended that in future research of facilitation, attention be given not only to the skills acquired, but also to the knowledge, attitudes and approaches needed. Combination of categories, integrating skills, attitudes, approaches and knowledge should also be investigated. It is recommended that the role of the caregiver be given greater status among health professions and that the findings of this study be applied in the pre- and in-service training of prospective health professionals and facilitators. Asset-based theory was informed by emphasising the importance of facilitation skills, and acquiring appropriate attitudes, approaches and knowledge in order to ensure successful implantation of those skills. The inclusion of role release underscored the need to facilitate networking and encourage shared leadership and the narrative approach also presented itself as a possible addition to asset-based theory. Finally, as a development of the collaborative project in Early Childhood Intervention, interpretations from focus group interviews as well as research in literature were used for the Masters degree in Early Childhood Intervention (MECI) in the Educational Psychology elective module. / Dissertation (MEd (Educational Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2004. / Educational Psychology / unrestricted

The purpose of this study was to investigate the asset-based approach as alternative in career facilitation. In traditional career counselling, the career counsellor is seen as an expert and one-stop service provider that matches clients to careers. Alternatively, an asset-based career facilitator aims at facilitating sustainable career development skills by means of applying asset-based principles such as collaboration and shared responsibility. In this study, client-partners were viewed from several complementary theoretical frameworks, namely the asset-based approach, bio-ecological model of human development, Positive Psychology and the process of career facilitation. In addition, phenomenology was selected as meta-theory to guide the instrumental case study. Five career seeking client-partners between the ages of 16 and 18 were chosen according to criteria, and took part in an approximately six week asset-based career facilitation process. Client-partners were aware that the process was under study and willingly reflected on the process after completion. Thematic analysis resulted in the following themes: firstly, it appeared that individual client-partner profiles impacted on the application of asset-based principles. Factors pertaining to individual client profiles are personality traits, age, unique family dynamics, career interests and previous career assessment experiences. Secondly, applying asset-based principles seemed to impact on the career facilitation process with regard to the challenging role of the asset-based career facilitator as well as advantages and disadvantages of applying such principles. Thirdly, it looked as if the entrenched nature of the old paradigm or medical model impacted on the process as some client-partners still preferred the expert matching done in traditional career counselling and resisted being a partner in the career facilitation process. Findings suggest indicators and contra-indicators concerning the application of asset-based principles and strategies in career facilitation, as well as implicate recommendations with regard to training and further research. / Dissertation (MEd (Educational Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Educational Psychology / unrestricted

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The diploma thesis considers a topic "conflict", on which it is focused within the scope of work environment in social organizations. In a theoretical part there is predominatingly dealing with different types of conflict. Hereafter about their development and a cycle. Consequently there are mentioned possible approaches to conflict solutions and methods for their solving. In theoretical part there are also described terms related to the conflict as mobbing, manipulation, etc. The empirical part represents the real presence of conflict and mobbing in chosen social organizations functioning in Příbram. Hereafter it is focused on awareness of organizations on such situations, especially on a importance of managers during their elimination, eventually process in terms of another development. An emphasis is placed on recording of those situations both from the view of employees and on the part of manager. On the basis of findings that the development in this area of managing, in surveyed organizations, is not sufficient, the useful recommendation were suggested and a new instrument, allowing easier understanding of conflict and also more successful work with it, was created.

A project involving shrub removal was undertaken by the United States Forest Service in the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area (SMNRA) to reduce accumulated woody fuels, which can pose risks to human communities. This research focuses on the interactions between shrubs and the perennial forb Palmer's penstemon (Penstemon palmeri), one of many nectar sources for the endemic Spring Mountains Acastus Checkerspot Butterfly (Chlosyne acastus ssp robusta). Initial observations revealed that P. palmeri (`penstemon') seemed to grow almost exclusively under shrubs. Such spatial associations are often indicative of a history of positive interactions between plants, and led to the research presented here. These studies investigate and discuss the interactions between this penstemon and shrubs in the arid shrublands of the SMNRA. Spatial patterns between populations of penstemon and shrubs were measured during November 2008-May 2011, and the consequences of shrub-association for individual penstemon emergence, survival, growth, and reproduction were documented (Chapter 2). The results suggest that although shrubs reduced penstemon emergence, they increased seedling survival (a seed-seedling conflict) resulting in a strong shift toward association between shrubs and penstemon over time. Further, while no differences in growth were detected between microhabitats, the results suggest that shrubs inhibited P. palmeri flowering but improved the successful maturation of fruits when flowering occurred. The mechanisms driving these patterns were elusive, but seed-sowing and seedling transplant experiments suggested that shrub soils, rather than their canopies, alter the nature of seed-seedling conflicts in a way that may promote seed-bank persistence in penstemon populations (Chapter 3). To provide a detailed description of the reproductive response of penstemon to shrubs, structural equation modeling was used to describe the importance of shrubs for penstemon seed production (Chapter 4). The results suggest that competition with shrubs reduced penstemon seed production, but that shrubs simultaneously facilitated penstemon water balance and altered the foraging behavior of its pollinators, indirectly increasing seed production. I conclude by discussing the importance of these studies, and studies of plant interactions in general, for helping land managers balance the objectives of fuel load reduction with protecting desirable species (Chapter 5).

Globalization impacts the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry; customers in the AEC industry are seeking lower costs, faster construction schedules and higher quality services. In order to keep up with the changing demand and to stay competitive in the global AEC industry, firms are forming joint ventures and outsourcing design and services work.  As a result, these new trends in the AEC industry require the collaboration of widely dispersed and diverse project workers and companies.  Accordingly, it becomes increasingly important to understand the impact of diversity on performance.  In this sense, the initial aim of this study was to find empirical evidence on how differences in national culture and language may affect performance in Global Project Networks (GPNs).  According to the results of the first experiment comparing the performance of multi-cultural versus mono-cultural simulated project networks over time, I found cultural and linguistic diversity to have a negative impact on initial performance. However, culturally and linguistically diverse project networks studied achieved better adaptation performance that has long term advantages. Even though GPNs have long term performance benefits, bringing the widely dispersed project participants together is costly.  Therefore, firms are seeking ways to employ collaboration technologies to bring together the project participants.  Little research exists to examine how to increase the efficiency of GPNs that collaborate using technologies such as virtual workspaces to perform design work.  In order to examine collaboration in GPNs utilizing virtual workspaces, I conducted two experiments.  In the first study, I investigated the formation and the maintenance of Transactive Memory Systems (TMSs) and cohesive subgroups as a proxy for performance in two facilitated and two non-facilitated global virtual project networks.  I found a negative impact on collaboration effectiveness when process facilitators engaged in content facilitation in virtual project networks, which restricts the establishment of TMSs. The findings of the first study revealed inappropriate ways of facilitating GPNs collaborating in virtual workspaces, which motivated the second study.  In the second experiment, I observed two global and two domestic virtual project networks that were appropriately facilitated.  I examined the interactions between network members in order to identify whether significant differences between the collaboration approaches of global and domestic virtual project networks exist. Facilitators were utilized more frequently in global networks, particularly in the early stages of collaboration. Boundary spanning visualization technologies within the virtual workspace were also utilized more frequently by the global network members; however, this was due more to the spatial richness of the task than the maturity of the collaboration. The overall findings have significant implications in improving the effectiveness of global project network collaborations in virtual workspaces. / Ph. D.

This diploma thesis is an empirical ethnographic study of forms of support for LGBTQ+ students in all types of schools from primary school to university. The monitored topic is Institutional provision of the LGBTQ+ support network and the establishment of extra- curricular support groups for LGBTQ+ pupils. The aim of the work is to verify the provision of LGBTQ+ support and to specify the functioning of extracurricular support groups. The study then focuses focus on the potential problems students identify when seeking support in school and on the problems of articulation of identity at critical moments in school education. Using the qualitative Grounded Theory method revealed the conditions for providing support in both schools and LGBTQ+ support groups. Due to the COVID19 pandemic, data collection has moved into virtual space. Using online semi-structured interviews, LGBTQ+ students described the problems of accessibility of support in schools and problems surrounding the articulation of identity at critical moments in school education.and the problems surrounding the articulation of identity at critical moments in school education. Potential problems were also articulated by the founders of LGBTQ+ support groups. The results of Grounded Theory method revealed direct influence of the...

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<p>This dissertation consists of three interrelated articles about supporting instructors to develop their facilitation skills both on the instructional and emotional sides during online case-based discussions. In the first study, we examined the influence of instructors with varying levels of experience on student participation and interaction in online case discussions. Findings showed that while both expert and novice instructors utilized facilitation strategies in clusters to facilitate discussions, the novice instructor displayed less flexibility as a facilitator, and these differences impacted student activeness. Our second study explored experts’ teaching practices, such as structuring, facilitating, and assessing online case discussions, and the reasons behind their decisions. We found that the experts clustered strategies during online case discussions while maintaining differences in how they implemented them. There was practical guidance provided for novice instructors that could be adapted to meet their own needs. Using a learning experience design lens, the last paper conceptually discussed opportunities for facilitating students’ emotions during online case discussions and offered suggestions that instructors can incorporate into the planning, implementation, and evaluation phases.</p>