In recent times there has been an increase in global migration of workers in many sectors. The teaching profession has not been immune to this and there is a growing number of teachers moving to other countries to work. In this mixed methods study, I have investigated how teachers from overseas experience their transition to working in Sweden. I sought to find out what overseas teacher induction looked like in Sweden and whether this was done in a systematic way.    Previous research in Sweden has tended to treat teachers from overseas as a single, homogenous group. It has focused mainly on the experiences of those teachers who partake in formal teacher education programs in Swedish universities. However, during this study, it became apparent that there is a significantly large group of teachers from overseas who do not access such programs and have no access to any form of systematic introductory period. Yet under the current system this group can work in Swedish schools and in many cases obtain the Swedish teaching license.   A mixed methods approach allowed me to investigate this problem from different perspectives. Such an approach enabled me to investigate not only to what extent teachers new to Sweden had access to systematic introductory training but also how the teachers experienced their introductory period. Drawing on research concerning overseas teachers from other countries and interviews with overseas teachers in Sweden, I have identified that there is a need for these teachers to undergo a more formal induction period as well as some key areas of training that should be included in such a program.

Over the last several decades, a growing awareness of the benefits of regular screening for common health conditions, such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases, has paved the way for preventative screenings to become routine in medical settings. Given that cognitive impairment is frequently reported as the number one worry of older adults, home-based cognitive monitoring may be an innovative solution that allows middle aged and older adults to take an active role in monitoring an important aspect of their health. Although several home-based cognitive monitoring programs have been validated for use in clinical and home-based settings, the Cogstate Brief Battery (CBB) may be the leading candidate based on its brevity, reliability, and lack of practice effects. Although home-based monitoring via the CBB tends to be well-received by participants, it remains unclear how participant characteristics such as personality traits may affect their performance over time. In addition, the factors related to participants’ adherence and satisfaction with regular cognitive monitoring have yet to be examined. Addressing these unknowns are important, as they can help determine what to expect in terms of participant performance, adherence, and satisfaction, if home-based cognitive monitoring was implemented on a population-wide level in the future. This study examined how personality traits influenced cognitive performance over time on the CBB and explored participant adherence and satisfaction with regular cognitive monitoring over 60 months, using quantitative and qualitative data from a sample of cognitively healthy older adults recruited from communities in central Florida (N=158). Statistical analyses of the quantitative data using mixed effects models showed that personality traits were associated with performance on the CBB; in particular, higher conscientiousness was related to more accurate performance at baseline and improvements in speed over time. In addition, higher openness was associated with less accurate performance at baseline and slower, yet more accurate performance over time. In general, participants’ performance was relatively stable over time and fluctuations in performance occurred mostly in the first year of the study. Intraindividual variability also decreased over time, with significant decreases in variability occurring in participants who were higher in conscientiousness and openness. Mixed methods analyses of the data also suggested that participants liked their overall experience with the CBB, exhibited good study adherence over time, and were able to complete their monthly assessments with a high degree of independence. The themes that emerged from the qualitative analysis of participants’ study feedback suggest that most participants liked that CBB was easy, convenient to use, and provided them with a way to challenge themselves. However, some participants disliked one task in particular and felt that the CBB eventually became repetitive. The findings from both studies are useful for future applications of cognitive monitoring programs, as they would help improve the accuracy of conclusions drawn from participants’ performance and could also lead to the development of strategies that encourage long-term participation among individuals whom low study adherence and satisfaction is likely.

Magister Scientiae (Occupational Therapy) - MSc(OT) / School dropout particularly amongst youth living in impoverished areas is a major concern in South Africa because of limited opportunities and resources. Therefore, these youth may experience leisure boredom, engage in sensation seeking and other risky behaviours, such as substance use, which influences their health and wellbeing. However, little research has explored youth who have dropped out of school with a specific focus on their free time experience and use of substances. Aim: The aim of the study was to explore and describe free time experience and substance use amongst youth who have dropped out of school in Cape Town. Methods: A sequential explanatory mixed methods study with two phases including quantitative (Phase one) and qualitative (Phase two) was conducted. In Phase one, data from an existing dataset was analysed. The data were from 970 youth who had dropped out of school in Cape Town who had completed the HealthWise Risk Behaviour Survey in 2016. Descriptive statistics regarding the use of free time and the prevalence of substance use were computed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. In Phase two, thirty-two participants were selected using convenience sampling who took part in one of four focus group discussions to explore in-depth the results computed in Phase one of the study. Steps were taken to enhance the validity, reliability and trustworthiness of the data.

Systemic corruption is a common term amongst scholars and practitioners, yet there is sparse conceptual agreement and substantive analysis within the discourse. Regardless of the current deficit, there is considerable pioneering space and advantages to contrast against the overwhelming emphasis on individuals. This paper aims to broaden the conceptual scope of systemic corruption research through a pattern-to-process mixed-methods design. The design combines empirical data from the public procurement sector analyzing the spatiotemporal patterns of network behavior with a descriptive account of processes from in-depth interviews. The empirical approach statistically distinguishes the performance differentials of public procurement awards amongst firms that exhibit the characteristics of political influence from those that do not. This paper operationalizes that political influence is corruption when a public official would not have made the same decision without the special consideration of political affiliation, contribution, or network connection. After stripping away explanatory factors for firm competence, the data reveals that firms with influence characteristics win substantially more and more often performing similar work. The usage of geospatial cluster analysis, in conjunction with field...

Caregivers play an integral role in the cancer care system in Canada as they provide unpaid care and support for millions of adults living with and beyond cancer. Although caregiving can be a positive experience for some, assuming a caregiving role can be detrimental to caregivers’ own physical and mental health. Research over the past decade has highlighted the negative impacts of caregiving and called for more efforts focused on improving caregivers’ wellbeing. Most interventions targeting caregivers are largely designed to support them in providing care, with little emphasis placed on specifically promoting self-care behaviours. To address this gap, we designed a brief 4-week self-determination theory-based intervention to improve two self-care behaviours (i.e., physical activity and fruit and vegetable consumption) among cancer caregivers. The primary objective of the mixed-methods research presented in this thesis was to assess the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention. Exploratory objectives included understanding participants’ experiences within the intervention. The single-arm intervention was delivered via four weekly video calls to 13 caregivers (mean age=57.6 [15.4 years]) across Canada. The enrollment rate was 62% and the retention, adherence, and fidelity rates ranged from 90 to 99%. The intervention was generally deemed acceptable by participants; however, modifications such as adding psychological support were suggested. Participants’ experiences participating in the intervention were captured within three themes: (1) (Re)prioritizing self-care behaviours; (2) Finding support for self-care behaviours within the caregiving context; and, (3) Becoming a better caregiver through self-care behaviours. Although promising, modifications to the intervention methods are needed to improve enrolment and better meet caregivers’ needs. This study highlights the importance of self-care behaviours for caregivers and provides valuable information on how to foster these behaviours among this population.

No description available.

No description available.

Thesis advisor: Zhushan Li / Higher education institutions are expected to improve the employability-related outcomes of their graduates. Previous assessments of graduate employability have largely focused on assessing the quality of a graduate’s first career-related position after graduating, referred to as their first destination, under the assumption that graduates who secure higher quality first destinations are more highly employable. Previous assessments of first destinations have focused more on simple descriptive information (e.g., monetary compensation, number of hours worked per week, etc.) as opposed to evaluating more complex, multidimensional constructs related to employment quality. Assessing these types of constructs would not only provide institutions with more information on graduate employability outcomes, but could also improve the quality and utility of this information. This study investigated whether the theory of Person-Job (P-J) Fit could be generalized to assess a new self-report employment quality construct for recent Bachelor’s degree graduates called First Destination Fit (FDF). Using a mixed-methods research design, the study investigated the dimensionality of this construct, the extent to which the construct is invariant for graduates who secure employment first destinations versus all other types of first destinations (e.g., continued education, military service, etc.), and the extent to which the construct is associated with similar constructs as P-J Fit. Survey scale items were rigorously developed, evaluated, and refined using both quantitative and qualitative methodologies, including both exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, as well as cognitive interviews. The results suggested a four-dimensional framework for understanding FDF. These dimensions were Needs-Tasks fit, Needs-Field fit, Previous-Experience-Tasks fit, and Previous-Experience-Field fit. In large part, these dimensions were found to be related to similar constructs as P-J fit has been found to be related to, particularly for graduates with employment-type destinations. However, this four-dimensional framework was found to be better fitting for graduates with employment-type destinations compared to graduates with non-employment destinations. The study contributes a newly developed and rigorously evaluated scale for HEIs to use to collect new, important information about their graduates’ employability. It also began the process of validating this new scale using advanced psychometric testing. Implications for the scale and future directions for research are discussed. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2021. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Research, Measurement and Evaluation.

No description available.

Work meaningfulness is fundamental to how employees approach, enact, and experience tasks and interpersonal relationships, and to maintain mental well-being in the workplace. However, research on the antecedents of work meaningfulness is unbalanced, i.e., the heavy emphasis on the supplies (or sources) of work meaningfulness and the insufficient attention on the individuals’ survival and psychological needs. This paper aims to address this research gap of work meaningfulness by incorporating the person-environment fit framework with a special focus on needs-supplies fit type. Drawing on research concerning needs for survival and three basic psychological needs from self-determination theory, a set of needs-based antecedents of work meaningfulness were examined, viz., needs-supplies fit for survival, autonomy, belongingness, and competence (S-ABC needs-supplies fit). Additionally, the interaction effects of S-ABC needs-supplies fit and work orientation (work as jobs, careers, or callings) on work meaningfulness were investigated. The current study applied the two-phased explanatory sequential mixed methods research design (QUAN --> qual = Explain). Results from the phase 1 quantitative survey (N = 363) suggest that work meaningfulness increased as autonomy supplies approached the needed levels and decreased when supplies exceeded the needed levels. Meanwhile, work meaningfulness increased as survival, belongingness, and competence supplies approached the needed levels and remained high or continued increasing (as opposed to an expected decrease) when supplies exceeded the needed levels. Further, the study found interaction effects between work orientation and autonomy and belongingness needs-supplies fit on work meaningfulness, while no interaction was found between work orientation and survival and competence needs-supplies fit on work meaningfulness. Contrary to expectations, the results suggest that individuals who view work as jobs were more susceptible to autonomy and belongingness needs-supplies fit/misfit; while work as callings or careers acted as a buffer and mitigated the otherwise negative effects of autonomy and belongingness needs-supplies fit/misfit on work meaningfulness. Specifically, for people who viewed work as jobs, work meaningfulness increased as autonomy supplies approached the needed levels but decreased when supplies exceeded the needed levels; and work meaningfulness increased as belongingness supplies approached the needed levels and continued increasing as belongingness exceeded the needed levels. When people viewed work as careers or callings, autonomy and belongingness needs-supplies fit/misfit did not significantly influence work meaningfulness. The phase 2 qualitative interview (N = 23) results generally corroborated with the quantitative results and provided empirical evidences that were explanatory to the quantitative results. Implications, limitations, and future research directions are discussed.