A major problem in the United States is the existence of inferior mental healthcare outcomes for racial and ethnic minorities compared with their European American counterparts. The federal government has documented the existence of mental health disparities for racial and ethnic minorities, and has called for more culturally sound healthcare practices at the provider level. Sue et al.'s (1982, 1998) widely accepted theory of cultural competence in counseling highlights the importance of certain provider qualities, including being aware of their biases about human behavior, appreciative of the diverse worldviews of their clients, and skilled in working with culturally diverse clients. However, it remains unclear if clients are able to observe and measure to what extent providers are considerate of their sociocultural context and needs. Further, the relationship between provider and client experiences of provider multicultural competence has not been sufficiently addressed in the literature. The current study used hierarchical linear modeling to examine how providers' self-reported multicultural competence, based on multiple measures, impacted client perceptions of multicultural competence in the community mental health setting. A unique aspect of the study was that it examined differences in ratings of clients who had the same provider. The study also examined how ethnic identity development, and majority or minority status match of race and ethnicity self-label affected the relationship between provider behaviors and client perceived multicultural competence. Results indicated that clients tend to view some providers as being more multiculturally competent than others. The aspect of self-reported multicultural competence that explained a significant amount of variance in client ratings was the sensitivity of providers to client needs. Ethnic identity development was not found to explain differences in perceived multicultural competence of providers. Match of client and provider based on reported racial and ethnic majority or minority status had a positive, significant impact on how clients rated their providers' multicultural competence. The current study offers a launching base for the implementation of culturally competent practices at the provider level. It is an important addition to the field of counseling psychology to find that clients and providers in community mental health settings differentially measure and interpret multicultural competence. / text

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Lehigh University, 2000. / Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 100-105).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Miami University, Dept. of Educational Leadership, 2002. / Title from first page of PDF document. Document formatted into pages; contains 354 p. Includes bibliographical references (p. 336-354).

The purpose of this study is to describe, apply and critique an assessment framework, namely, 'Student-Centred Assessment' based on concepts presented by Stiggins (1994). The theoretical basis is found in the literature dealing with multiculturalism and education, the forces promoting change in assessment, and the current status of assessment methods. / The analysis of the 'Student-Centred Assessment' reveals that in such a framework there is a constant interaction between the student and the assessor leading to student engagement and that there is a need for changes in the assessment practices. Of the weaknesses noted, adapting tools for assessment is an ongoing challenge and the time needed to apply the framework effectively is a stressful problem. Based on these findings, various recommendations for practice and future research are made. / The study examines the assessment of students in a regular grade three class, divided equally into a control and an experimental group randomly. Sources of data include documents, reports, and interviews with administrators, educators, and students. The control group is assessed by the classroom teacher according to norm-based tests. This teacher and the resource teacher then assess the experimental group by means of the methods outlined in the framework, to determine the inter-scorer reliability. Thereafter, the scores of the control group are compared to those of the experimental group to ensure internal validity and to analyze the framework. As well, interviews with school personnel ascertain the current status of assessment methods including sources for empowerment.

Thesis, PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis--PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.Ed.)--Regis University, Denver, Colo., 2005. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on Feb. 17, 2006). Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2006. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Healthcare in 2003 is making more demands of the professional's resources of time and money with fewer services offered to their consumers. This study examined an important, yet overlooked, resource available and affordable to all. The resource is spirituality. This research reviewed the literature on two aspects of spirituality, a) beliefs and practices and b) social support that one derives from their spiritual community. Moreover, it reviewed aspects of adaptation to disability among older adults. The research available poses varying and confusing definitions of spirituality. However, this research identified an operational definition for both spirituality and religion, in addition to adaptation to disability, and chronic and static states of disability. The goal of this research was to determine if there is a positive relationship between spirituality and adaptation to disability among older adults. As the results indicated, there were no statistically significant findings in regard to the four hypotheses: a) There is a significant positive relationship between high and medium spiritual beliefs and practices, as measured by the SBI-15R, and successful adaptation to disability in older adults. b) There is a significant positive relationship between high and medium social support, as measured by the SBI-15R, and successful adaptation to disability in older adults. c) There is a significant positive relationship between high to medium levels of spirituality, measured by participants' Likert scale position, and successful adaptation to disability in older adults. d) There is a significant positive relationship between high to medium social support, measured by the participants' Likert scale position, and successful adaptation to disability in older adults. However, the information is valuable for rehabilitation counselors and healthcare professionals who are researching these variables of interest. Instrumentation is addressed in Chapter Five as well as significant supplemental findings. Of particular interest is the subjective spirituality Likert score and the relationship to the Systems of Belief Inventory subscale of beliefs and practices. Spirituality is a subjective concept, which many instruments try to measure. In view of the fact that spirituality is subjective, this author proposed to use a 10-point Likert scale and ask the participants how spiritual would they rate themselves in addition to the Systems of Belief Inventory and try to determine if there was a relationship between the two measures. Statistical analysis determined that a moderate relationship does exist between the subjective spirituality Likert scale and the Systems of Belief Inventory. This finding could potentially represent a cost effective and accurate report of a person's perception of their level of spirituality that could be used in an initial intake interview. This was, in fact, a serendipitous finding that showed a statistically significant moderate relationship between subjective and objective measures of spirituality. Future studies will be done to determine the reliability of this instrument. / A Dissertation Submitted to the Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling Services in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester, 2004. / December 12, 2003. / Faith, Disability, Older Adults, Adjustment / Includes bibliographical references. / Marie Cowart, Outside Committee Member; Mary Frances Hanline, Committee Member.

A Dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements For the Degree of PhD in Community Psychology University of Zululand, 2007. / South Africa hails from a legacy of racial discrimination and other related forms of discriminatory practices. In the decades prior to the democratic elections of 1994, race separation was the defining feature of schooling. However, post-democracy, racial integration became the defining feature. Racial integration in schools has not proceeded smoothly, partly because both learners and educators were not prepared for the complexities that accompany racial and cultural mixing. The absence of an educational programme geared pointedly towards multicultural education in the South African context, thus becomes vital. The primary purpose of this study was to generate guidelines for such a programme. Through a phenomenologica! approach, this study focused on the experiences of a total of eight learners and seven teachers, who constituted the sample. Qualitative research methods were used in the form of vignettes, open-ended questionnaires, focus-group interviews and direct observation, with a view to obtaining deeper insight into the experiences of integration, as well as the problems facing both iearners and teachers in respect of integration in a secondary school. In addition, the study explored solutions to integrated schooling as seen by the participants. The Contact Hypothesis, together with the results of the data analysis, was used to underpin the guidelines for multicultural education. The themes that emerged were: the need for equal status among learners, common goals, cooperation rather than competition, quality activities specifically designed to promote positive integration, authority sanction for integration, as well as compromise in respect of language, relevant education, role of teachers, learner initiatives, forced integration, parent involvement, accepting differences, promoting cultural awareness, the need for open communication, and tolerance. The researcher was thus able to access themes that were then used to develop guidelines for multicultural education in the South African context. The outcomes of the investigation were discussed within the context of international and local literature, which reviewed contact as a means of promoting positive integration, as well as. multicultural intervention strategies. The study concluded with a brief discussion on the limitations of the investigation and recommendations for further research. It is anticipated that that this research endeavour will provide insight into the effective role that educators, learners, parents and the community can play in improving racial integration in secondary schools in South Africa.