In memory of cats: The camera and the ordinary moment looks at the way in which families use photographs to remember the past. Photography’s offer of memory is limited to a visual trace, so strategies of oral telling are examined to interrogate the way in which memories can be recovered from photographs. Martha Langford’s study of the similarities between structures in oral culture and the photograph album and Annette Kuhn’s strategies for reading family photographs in a broader historical context, are used to examine and recover memories from my own photographic archive. Using moving image to record those memories and then tell how that photographic evidence has shaped my present, is a process suggested by Linda Williams in her writing about how postmodern documentary can use the past to intervene in the present. Other documentary styles, performative documentary and the essay film, offer a structure for personal memories to be revisited and re-presented to public viewers. Offering a space for personal or specific memories to be understood or related to by a viewer is discussed by Lisa Saltzman, who looks at indexical forms other than the photograph, like casting and tracing. These ideas culminated in my video work, A Clowder of Cats, which explores the losses that have been a part of my history, through photographs of the cats my family has owned. The camera gives us a strategy to remember moments that may otherwise have been forgotten, and moving image provides a space for those ordinary moments to be bought back to the present.

The studies presented in this thesis sought to investigate a number of developmental factors that influence the efficacy of preventive intervention for child anxiety disorders. Preventive intervention has emerged as a vital step forward in clinical research following data indicating anxiety disorders are among the most common forms of psychopathology in youngsters (Kashani & Orvaschel, 1990; Mattison, 1992). Several risk and protective factors associated with childhood anxiety disorders have been identified, along with effective treatment protocols (Kendall, 1994; Howard & Kendall, 1996; Barrett, 1998, 1999; Silverman et al., 1999a, 1999b), as prerequisites to the development of preventive programs for child anxiety problems (Spence, 2001). The first objective of this research was to add to the literature on risk and protective factors by investigating the role of peer interaction in the development of child anxiety problems. Study one examined developmental differences in the influence of peer interaction on children's anxiety-related cognition and behaviour. One hundred and sixty two children enrolled in grade 6 (n = 96) aged between 9 and 10 years, and grade 9 (n = 66) aged between 14 and 16 years participated in the study. Participants were stratified into either an at risk group or to a healthy group, based on their anxiety scores on the Spence Child Anxiety Scale (SCAS; Spence, 1997), and further allocated to a peer group comprising of 3 'healthy' (non-anxious) and 3 'at risk' (high anxious) children. Prior to and following a peer discussion, participants completed a standardised self-report measure of threat interpretation and response plans to two ambiguous vignettes (Barrett, Rapee, Dadds, & Ryan, 1996; Dadds, Barrett, Rapee, & Ryan, 1996). Results showed all participants evidenced changes in threat interpretation and response plans following the discussion with peers (p < .001). Overall, findings highlight the potential importance of peer interaction in the development of anxiety-related cognition and behaviour. The findings of study one have important implications for the future development of school-based intervention programs; specifically those conducted in the classroom. Study two sought to advance the current research on preventive intervention for child anxiety by establishing the age at which youngsters benefit the most from the FRIENDS program as a classroom-based universal intervention. Study two presents the results of a longitudinal study evaluating the effects of a universal school-based intervention for child anxiety at two developmental stages. The study involved a cohort of 733 children enrolled in grade 6 (n = 336, 45.6%) aged between 9 and 10 years, and grade 9 (n = 401, 54.4%) aged between 14 and 16 years, Participants were allocated to either a school-based cognitive behavioural intervention or to a monitoring group. Participants completed standardised measures of anxiety, depression and coping style. Participants identified as 'at risk' of an anxiety disorder were assessed for a clinical diagnosis with a structured diagnostic interview. Results indicated the universal intervention effective in significantly reducing anxiety (p < .001), depression (p < .001) and behaviour avoidance in children at post- intervention and 12-month follow-up intervals. Grade 6 children reported significantly higher anxiety at pre-intervention and greater reductions in anxiety at post intervention compared with the grade 9 (p < .001), although both primary and secondary school participants showed equal reductions in anxiety at 12-month follow up. Overall, findings suggest universal intervention potentially successful in reducing symptoms of anxiety and increasing coping skills in children. Primary school children reported the greatest changes in anxiety symptoms, suggesting earlier preventive intervention potentially more advantageous than later intervention. Developmental differences in anxiety, depression and coping strategies are discussed in addition to the implications and limitations of this study and directions for future research.

Research shows that anxiety disorders are common and problematic in children. Treatment studies demonstrate that cognitive-behavioural interventions for children can successfully minimise these problems. Further, when implemented as early intervention or prevention programs, these interventions can prevent the onset of anxiety problems in 7 to 14 year olds and reduce existing levels of anxiety. This type of preventive approach has enormous potential for improving community mental health in a low cost model of service delivery. Yet, to develop this as a viable service model, these programs need to be evaluated under 'real world' conditions as opposed to specialist university clinical teams. In this research, the long-term effectiveness of an ecological model of the prevention of anxiety disorders for children was conducted. In the first study, teachers (N = 17) were trained intensively in the principles of anxiety and the FRIENDS anxiety prevention program (Barrett, Lowry-Webster & Holmes, 1999). Measures were taken of the PROXIMAL effects of training on the knowledge and self-efficacy of participating teachers at two points in time. Compared to teachers in a control group (N= 17) and a group comprised of psychologists regarded as experts in the FRIENDS anxiety program (N= 22), trained teachers demonstrated significant increases in the levels of knowledge and self-efficacy at time two. These increases approached levels exhibited by experts in terms of knowledge, and were not significantly different from experts in their levels of self-efficacy to implement the FRIENDS program following training. This study also explored the quality or fidelity of program implementation by these trained teachers (INTERMEDIATE EFFECTS). Results demonstrated that trained teachers implemented the program with high levels of integrity in accordance with the FRIENDS intervention manual. The second study sought to investigate the outcomes for participating children in terms of actually preventing and reducing existing levels of anxiety. Also of interest was the impact this intervention had on levels of depression. Participants were 594 children aged 10-13 years from 7 schools in Brisbane Australia. Children, and parents reported on children's social, emotional and behavioural characteristics at three-assessment points over 12 months. Results were examined universally (for all children) and for children who scored above the clinical cut-off for anxiety at pre-test. Results revealed that children in the FRIENDS intervention group reported fewer anxiety symptoms regardless of their risk status at posttest. In terms of reported levels of depression, only the high anxiety group who completed the FRIENDS intervention evidenced significant improvements at posttest. The results indicated that intervention gains were maintained over a period of 12 months, as measured by self-reports and diagnostic interviews. Moreover, evidence of a prevention effect was also demonstrated, with a significantly greater percentage of children in the control group progressed to "at risk" or "remained at risk" compared to children in the intervention group. Additionally, 85% of children in the intervention group who were scoring above the clinical cut-off for anxiety and depression were diagnosis free in the intervention condition at 12-month follow-up, compared to only 31.2% of children in the control group. Implications of these findings are examined, alongside limitations of the study and directions for future research.

In memory of cats: The camera and the ordinary moment looks at the way in which families use photographs to remember the past. Photography’s offer of memory is limited to a visual trace, so strategies of oral telling are examined to interrogate the way in which memories can be recovered from photographs. Martha Langford’s study of the similarities between structures in oral culture and the photograph album and Annette Kuhn’s strategies for reading family photographs in a broader historical context, are used to examine and recover memories from my own photographic archive. Using moving image to record those memories and then tell how that photographic evidence has shaped my present, is a process suggested by Linda Williams in her writing about how postmodern documentary can use the past to intervene in the present. Other documentary styles, performative documentary and the essay film, offer a structure for personal memories to be revisited and re-presented to public viewers. Offering a space for personal or specific memories to be understood or related to by a viewer is discussed by Lisa Saltzman, who looks at indexical forms other than the photograph, like casting and tracing. These ideas culminated in my video work, A Clowder of Cats, which explores the losses that have been a part of my history, through photographs of the cats my family has owned. The camera gives us a strategy to remember moments that may otherwise have been forgotten, and moving image provides a space for those ordinary moments to be bought back to the present.

As teacher turnover and the demands for accountability and student achievement persist, the need to hire and retain quality teachers becomes increasingly vital. The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a relationship between participation in Cross Career Learning Communities (CCLC), a type of Professional Learning Community (PLC), and teacher retention in participating Network for Enhancing Teacher-Quality (NET-Q) schools in a southeastern state. One-to-one exact matching was used to match 251 teachers in CCLC groups to 251 control teachers on eight variables including both system and individual level variables. Results showed a ten percent significant difference between the retention percentages within the state public school systems favoring CCLC teachers, χ2(1) = 21.17, N = 502, p < .05, with a medium effect size of h = .4. For teachers participating in CCLCs, a secondary research question asked if there were any differences in teacher retention in schools that had mandatory participation versus those that had voluntary participation. No significant difference was found between participation types and teacher retention. Furthermore, no significant difference was found in the attrition rates between the novice and the veteran teachers participating in the CCLCs. Based on a question from the NET-Q survey, the percentage of teachers indicating that their participation in CCLCs positively influenced their decision to continue in teaching, estimated at 31%, was statistically significant. This study extends the research on one particular type of PLC to teacher retention. The findings of this study may aid school leaders in better understanding how they can address and impact teacher retention in teaching and in their school buildings. Suggestions for future research and implications for policies addressing teacher support and retention are discussed.

No description available.

Inledning: Personer i det utökade privata nätverket (PUPN) bjuds in till nätverksmöten runt en individ eller familj i syfte att vara till hjälp i en svår situation. Studier som undersöker hur PUPN själva påverkas av deltagande i nätverksmöten saknas i hög grad. Frågeställningar: Hur upplever PUPN att de har påverkats av deltagande i närståendes nätverksmöten? Hur upplever PUPN att deltagande i nätverksmöten påverkar möjligheten att vara till hjälp för närstående? Hur upplever PUPN sig som belastade av huvudpersonens/ernas problematik? Metod: Studien har gjorts med kvalitativ undersökningsmetod. Intervjuer med 6 PUPN har genomförts. Resultat: Resultaten visar att PUPN fungerar som både praktiskt och känslomässigt stöd till närstående. Samtidigt upplever de sig själva som känslomässigt belastade av närståendes problematik. Deltagande i närståendes nätverksmöten har lett till minskad känslomässig belastning för egen del, men det förekommer också till viss del oförändrad och delvis ökad belastning. I några fall har deltagande i nätverksmöten gett effekter mer fristående från de närståendes problem i form av känsla av ökad status, ökad självkänsla och förändrad upplevelse av relationen till den närstående. Det finns upplevelser hos intervjupersonerna av att ha kunnat vara till bättre hjälp för sina närstående efter deltagande i nätverksmöten. Några olika typer av hjälparidentitet har kunnat urskiljas bland intervjupersonerna. De mest kontrasterande typerna skiljer sig markant åt vad gäller upplevelse av egen belastning, möjlighet att vara till stöd och hjälp och inställning till nätverksmöten. Diskussion: PUPN med position mellan direkt berörda och yrkeshjälpare diskuteras som möjlig brobyggare mellan mikronivåer runt nätverksmötets huvudperson. Att nätverksmöten kan ge minskad belastning hos PUPN lyfts fram som en positiv bieffekt av arbete med nätverksmöten. / Introduction: Members of the extended private network (MEPNs) are invited to network meetings around an individual or a family in order to help in a difficult situation. There are very few studies that investigates how MEPN themselves are affected by their participation in network meetings. Research questions: How does participation in a closely related person’s (CRP’s) network meetings affect the MEPN? How does participation in network meetings influence how the MEPN can be of help for the CRP? In what ways do the MEPN experience burden of care related to the CRP’s problematic situation? Method: A qualitative research method has been used, and the study is based on interviews with 6 MEPNs. Results: The results shows that MEPNs give both practical and emotional support to their CRPs. At the same time MEPNs experience emotional burden related to the problematic situation of their friend or relative. Participation in the CRP’s network meetings has led to emotional relief, but there are also examples of partly unchanged or partly increased burden. In some cases participation in network meetings has given effects not directly related to the CRP’s problems, in the forms of feelings of increased social status, increased self confidence and changed relations to the CRP. There are experiences among the interviewed persons that they can be of better help for their friends and relatives after participation in network meetings. Different types of helpers have been identified among the interview persons. The most contrasting ones show differences in terms of experienced burden, ability to be of help and support and attitude towards network meetings. Discussion: The MEPN’s position between the suffering person/family and the professional network is discussed as possible bridges between microlevels around the CRP. The potential to bring relief to the MEPN is considered as a positive side effect of participation in network meetings.

L’influence du groupe d’amis prend de l’importance à l’adolescence. Cette influence est observable dans plusieurs domaines, dont au niveau de l’engagement scolaire. On remarque en effet une forte similarité du niveau d’engagement scolaire chez les membres d’un même groupe d’amis. L’importance de cette influence des pairs n’est néanmoins pas uniforme pour tous les adolescents: plusieurs facteurs de modération peuvent entrer en jeu, dont le niveau de popularité de l’adolescent et de ses amis. La présente étude vise à examiner l’effet modérateur du niveau de popularité des élèves et de leurs amis sur le lien prédictif entre l’engagement scolaire des amis et le développement de l’engagement scolaire des élèves. Des données ont été recueillies au cours de deux années scolaires consécutives auprès de 403 élèves de secondaire I et II. Les résultats démontrent que le niveau de popularité des amis permet de prédire la diminution à travers le temps du niveau d’engagement scolaire des élèves, et ce, après avoir contrôlé pour la plupart des facteurs associés. De plus, la popularité de l’élève modère l’influence présumée que les pairs peuvent avoir sur le développement de l’engagement scolaire: l’engagement des amis étant positivement associé l’engagement ultérieur des élèves uniquement lorsque ces deniers s’avèrent populaires au sein de leur groupe de pairs. / Peer influence gets more and more important during teenage years. This influence can be observed in many domains, including school engagement. Friends tend to be very similar regarding their school engagement levels. Peer influence may vary depending on many moderating factors, including the popularity levels of the adolescent and his/her friends. This study examined the moderating effect of adolescent’s and friends’ popularity levels on the predictive link between friends’ school engagement and adolescent’s own school engagement. Data were collected during two consecutive years with 403 7th and 8th graders. Results show that friends’ popularity in grade 7 predicted lower student’s school engagement in grade 8, even while controlling for many associated factors. Moreover, student’s popularity level moderated peer influence on school engagement: friends’ engagement level predicted student’s school engagement one year later, but only for popular adolescents.

Nicolas Poussin's two Self-Portraits, painted in 1649 and 1650, have been the subject of countless art-historical investigations, but remain only incompletely understood. This study attempts to draw the meanings of the self-images into clearer focus. To this end, the relationships between Poussin and the eventual recipients of the two portraits, Jean Pointel and Paul Freart, Sieur de Chantelou, are examined more probingly and are positioned centrally in the analysis of the works. A careful exploration of the web of associations among the three men reveals that Poussin's caution in dealing with Chantelou, his often jealous and emotional patron, was a factor of great consequence to the development of the Self-Portraits. Bearing this in mind, both Poussin's letters and the scholarly accounts which accept his written statements at face value, may be approached with a more critical eye. This practice, in turn, leads to a broadened range of possibilities for the interpretation of the two Self-Portraits, and to a greater appreciation of the extent to which Poussin's creations were affected by human dynamics.

No description available.