Adapting to change in a constantly changing environment is a challenge that organisations face on a daily basis. In order to stay competitive globally, the management of resistance to change becomes crucial. Research done on leadership reveals the very strong effect that leaders have on followers’ behaviours and attitudes and it is emphasized the role leadership plays in the implementation and supporting of change. The purpose of this dissertation is to determine whether a relationship between leadership and resistance to change exist within the higher education sector. The study obtains data of 75 participants within the faculty of engineering. The survey was done by means of a questionnaire. The statistical analyses included frequency analysis, descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, correlations, independent t-tests, Mann-Whitney tests, ANOVAs and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Results indicated that employees’ reactions toward change could be influenced by the type of leadership style present in the organisation, therefore it is necessary that the correct leadership style within an organisation cannot be underestimated. It could mean the difference between success and failure. For the purpose of this study, the researcher considered the scales of the Resistance to Change questionnaire sufficiently reliable, but further exploration of the scales and its adaptation to this context may be needed in future to enhance reliability measures. An important insight of this research is that, to be more effective in creating and supporting change within organisations, managers need to learn to recognise and understand resistance within them as well as in others. This research contributes to the already vast content of research on leadership and resistance to change and does so by being focused on studying these constructs under a unique set of circumstances. / Thesis (MBA)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a competition routine intervention on youth swimmers’ competition anxiety, confidence and performance. Participants of this study were youth swimmers (n = 4; female) between the ages of 12-16. Through the use of a multiple-baseline, single-subject design, participants received a competition routine intervention involving imagery, positive self-talk and a relaxation deep-breathing technique. Mixed methods were used, with participants completing the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory for Children questionnaire prior to their swim race and a reflective questionnaire following their swim race. Participants also took part in a follow-up interview upon completing the study. Participants showed no considerable decrease in cognitive and somatic anxiety, or increase in self-confidence or performance following the intervention. However, reflective questionnaire and interview results showed that participants perceived a positive improvement in all of these areas and found the intervention beneficial.

Background Nurses complete tasks during patient care to promote the recovery, or to maintain the health, of patients. These tasks can be routine or non-routine to the nurse. Non-routine tasks are characterized by unfamiliarity, requiring nurses to seek additional information from a variety of sources to effectively complete the tasks. Nurses’ perception of their problem-solving skills, as characterized by the attributes of personal control, problem-solving confidence, and avoidance-approach style, influences how information is sought. Objectives/Research Questions Guided by the information-seeking behaviour model, this study was designed to: (1) examine how the non-routineness of the task affects nurses’ information-seeking behaviour and the use of accumulated knowledge; and, (2) explore nurses’ perception of their problem-solving abilities. Methods An exploratory cross-sectional survey design was used. A random sample of critical care nurses who worked in a hospital setting were selected from the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) research participant database. Multiple regression analysis was used to examine the proposed relationships. Results Avoidance-approach style and, problem-solving confidence did not have a significant relationship with nurses’ information-seeking behaviour. None of the variables explained use of accumulated knowledge (F = 0.902, p > 0.05). Previous training (p = 0.008), Non-routineness of the task (p = 0.018), and Personal control (p = 0.040) had a positive relationship with information-seeking behaviour (Adjusted R2 = 0.136). Implications The study results provide evidence that problem-solving ability, and in particular the attribute of personal control, influences nurses’ information-seeking behaviour during the completion of nursing tasks. They reveal how information is sought from resources, and what specific information resources are necessary to promote access to, and use of, evidence-based information. The results also help direct efforts towards training nurses in issues related to problem-solving and information-seeking by targeting the development of personal control and retrieving evidence-based information.

Background: Increasing attention has been paid to preventative health over the past few decades. However because of constraints on consultation time and medical funds general practitioners (GPs) are often unsure which measures are appropriate and when to carry them out. They need to be well informed about the cost-effectiveness and evidence regarding each preventative measure to help their patients make informed choices about what needs to be done. Due to the large number of recommended screening measures general practitioners are often unsure which to prioritise and also forget to carry out all recommended measures. Recommendations for screening in South Africa and research into preventive strategies used by general practitioners are lacking. This research attempts to find out whether the prevention strategies used by general practitioners in private practice in Grahamstown follow recommended guidelines. Methods: To obtain a broad understanding of prevention strategies used by general practitioners in Grahamstown, the following tracer conditions were selected for the study: screening for smoking, breast cancer, cervical cancer, colorectal cancer, hyperlipidaemia, prostate cancer and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Research on routine annual health checks was included as these are used by many GPs to screen for tracer conditions. The research was done in 2 parts: 1. Review of the literature to obtain evidence on the recommended prevention strategy for each of the selected tracer conditions and 2. Interviews with GPs to evaluate the prevention strategy they used for each tracer condition. The literature was reviewed for evidence on the following parameters for each tracer condition: burden of the disease prevented; cost-effectiveness of the screening measures; sensitivity and specificity of screening tests; whether the screening measure for and treatment of the tracer condition is acceptable to patients; appropriate duration between repeated screening tests and whether there is effective treatment for the tracer condition. Eleven general practitioners were interviewed on the prevention strategies they use for each of the selected tracer conditions. Transcriptions of the interviews were analysed qualitatively and qualitatively. The prevention strategies used by the general practitioners was then compared to recommended guidelines. Results: Evidence from the literature regarding the burden of and optimal prevention strategy for each tracer condition is reported. Using this evidence an appropriate prevention strategy for each tracer condition is outlined. The prevention strategies used by the GPs for each tracer condition and the routine annual health check is reported from the analysis of the interviews. The results show a wide range of differing strategies used by the GPs, often not following recommendations from research. Discussion: The prevention strategies used by general practitioners for each tracer condition is compared with the recommendations from the literature. Important differences between what are recommended and what general practitioners are doing is discussed. Some general practitioners are practicing largely curative medicine and are not adequately screening their patients. Others are over screening with too many unnecessary tests being done annually as a routine. The interviews reveal that generally GPs do not discuss the potential harms and limitations of screening tests with their patients; do not keep check lists for each patient and do not use registers or recall systems to ensure all screening is done. Conclusion: General practitioners need to ensure their prevention strategies follow recommended guidelines. To do so they can use the routine annual health check or opportunistic case finding and prevention. They need to ensure that routine health checks are targeted to the individual patients’ health risks and avoid doing unnecessary tests. Check lists can help to ensure all screening is done on every patient. While registers and recall systems improve screening rates they are not always possible in busy general practices. Recommended prevention strategies for each of the tracer conditions are made.

abstract: This study explored female identity formation, of Ethiopian women and women of Ethiopian heritage as they participate in a coffee (buna) ceremony ritual. The study is anchored in the theoretical framework of a sociocultural perspective which enabled an examination of culture as what individuals do and believe as they participate in mutually constituted activities. Participants in Ethiopia were asked to photograph their daily routine beginning from the time they awoke until they retired for the night. Thematic analysis of the photographs determined that all participants depicted participation in the Ethiopian coffee ceremony in their photo study. Utilizing the photographs which specifically depicted the ceremony, eight focus groups and one interview consisting of women who have migrated from Ethiopia to Arizona, responded to the typicality of the photographs, as well as what they liked or did not like about the photographs. Focus groups were digitally recorded then transcribed for analysis. A combination of coding, extrapolation of rich texts, and identifying themes and patterns were used to analyze transcripts of the focus groups and interview. The findings suggest that this context is rich with shared meanings pertaining to: material artifacts, gender socialization, creation of a space for free expression, social expectations for communal contributions, and a female rite of passage. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Educational Psychology 2011

Nesta dissertação propomos a discussão dos desafios do Jornalismo Ambiental a partir da articulação das rotinas de produção das matérias de meio ambiente nas editorias de geral de Zero Hora e Correio do Povo. Tomamos como caminhos para este diálogo a metodologia etnográfica e a Teoria do Newsmaking, que compreende a notícia a partir da construção social dos fatos, da interferência da organização jornalística, das rotinas de produção, dos valores/notícia e das fontes. A imersão nas redações possibilitou analisar as condições de produção dos periódicos, suas inter-relações, bem como os critérios de noticiabilidade estabelecidos para a elaboração das matérias, a validade teórica do Jornalismo Ambiental para as rotinas de produção diária, a autonomia dos jornalistas em relação às pressões das fontes e das organizações institucionalizadas e o produto final. Concluímos que a complexidade e a visão sistêmica, tão necessárias à compreensão das relações que envolvem meio ambiente, constituem um dos grandes desafios ao Jornalismo Ambiental nas práticas diárias. Isto somente será possível quando as notícias deixarem de ser apresentadas fragmentariamente e passarem a ser contextualizadas, possibilitando que outras fontes tenham voz e vez. O jornalismo diário precisa então ser visto com um novo olhar, a partir da perspectiva cívica e pública, que contribua para a conscientização dos seres humanos à preservação do planeta. / In this paper we propound the debate that surrounds the environmental journalism, from the production routine of environmental stories in the general editorial office of Zero Hora and Correio do Povo. We took the ethnographic methodological path and the Newsmaking Theory, which understands news from a social building up of facts, interference of the journalistic organization, production routines, values/news and sources. Immersing in the newspaper office’s allowed us to analize the production conditions of the newspapers, their interactions, as well as the news selection criteria stablished to elaborate the stories, the theoric legitimacy of environmental journalism to the daily production routines, the autonomy of the journalists regarding the stress made by the sources and institutionalized organizations and the final product. We reckon that the complexity and systemic view, so necessary as they are to the understanding of the relationships that the environment imply, constitute one of the greatest challenges of the environmental journalism in its daily practices. This will only be possible when the pieces of news stop being shown as fragments and start to be contextualized, allowing that other sources find their voice and turn. Daily journalism needs then to be seen with new eyes, from a public and civil perspective, one that contributes to the process of gaining conscious and awareness, of all human beings, about the need of preserving the planet.

This thesis studies the cyclical aspect of job polarization in Europe. Contributions include offering a comparison to the findings of previous research on the United States, and extending the analysis by introducing labor market institutions. The analysis is done in two parts, first showing that the observed link between job polarization and jobless recoveries in the US is observed in Europe, but not across all countries and business cycles. In Scandinavia, the process of job polarization appears smoother than the spurts observed in the US. The second part involves regression analyses of the relationship between labor market institutions, the business cycle and occupational employment. The results indicate that stricter labor market institutions are less robustly associated with Routine employment than other occupational groups and that Routine employment is more sensitive to the business cycle than other types of employment. Further, rigid labor market institutions may prevent some of the Routine decline associated with economic downturns, while not necessarily affecting the long run employment. Limitations of the analysis regards rough estimates of the key variables, number of observations and the lack of identification associated with cross-country analyses.

The purpose of this paper was to study if, and in what way, usage of consumables is part of preschool teachers' pedagogical work with the children concerning environmental issues. The study was done through qualitative interviews with six certified preschool teachers from five different preschools, all located in a mid-sized town in Sweden. Results from the study show that there are existing routines concerning the childrens' usage of consumables, and that the preschools environmental work could be connected to them. There were routines before, during and after the creating process. The most common consumables at the preschool was paper and pearls. In order to save resources and the environment, the preschool teachers had guidelines on how to use these consumables. Areas of use for the consumables could vary depending on age, development and level of challenge with the specific child. The preschool teachers in the study assured that they tried to accomodate needs and interests with each individual child and thereby finding areas for development and challenge. The teachers saw the work with resources from both an environmental and a pedagogical view and considered them both an integral part in the work for the childrens development and learning. How the staff viewed environmental issues in relation to consumables was also an important indication as to how environmental issues where reflected as a whole in the school. Also, the teachers considered the work with environmental issues as something that sometimes happens subconsciously since it is such an obvious part of the job. / Syftet med denna studie var att belysa om och på vilka olika sätt förskollärare kopplar användningen av förbrukningsmaterial till miljöfrågor i det pedagogiska arbetet med barnen. Undersökningen har genomförts via kvalitativa intervjuer med sex stycken legitimerade förskollärare, på fem olika kommunala förskolor i en stad i mellersta Sverige. Resultatet visar att det fanns rutiner kring barns hantering och användning av förbrukningsmaterial på förskolan som kunde kopplas till förskolans miljöarbete. Det fanns rutiner både före, under och efter själva skapandet. Papper och pärlor var de förbrukningsmaterial som konsumerades mest på förskolan. Därför hade förskollärarna riktlinjer hur dessa material skulle användas, för att spara in på resurserna och miljön. Användningsområdena kunde däremot variera beroende på barnens ålder, utveckling och utmaningsgrad. Förskollärarna i studien menade att de försökte bemöta barnens intressen och behov och därmed hitta utvecklingsmöjligheter och utmaningar för varje enskild individ. Förskollärarna såg arbetet med resurser ur både en miljöaspekt och pedagogisk aspekt och menade att dessa går hand i hand i verksamheten för barnens utveckling och lärande. Resultatet visade även att förskollärarnas förhållningsätt till miljö kopplat till förbrukningsmaterial spelar en viktig roll, för på vilket sätt övriga miljöfrågor reflekterades i verksamheten. Samtidigt menar förskollärarna att arbeta med miljöfrågor är en del av uppdraget och sker ibland omedvetet.

This thesis provides some new insight into children’s strategies and behaviours relating to problem solving. Problem solving is one of the main aims in the renewed mathematics National Curriculum 2014 and has appeared in the Using and Applying strands of previous National Curriculums. A review of the literature provided some analysis of the types of published problem solving activities and attempted to construct a definition of problem solving activities. The literature review also demonstrated this study’s relevance. It is embedded in the fact that at the time of this study there was very little current research on problem solving and in particular practitioner research. This research was conducted through practitioner research in a focus institution. The motivation for this research was, centred round the curiosity as to whether the children (Year Six, aged 10 -11 years old) in the focus institution could apply their mathematics to problem solving activities. There was some concern that these children were learning mathematics in such a way as to pass examinations and were not appreciating the subject. A case study approach was adopted using in-depth observations in one focus institution. The observations of a sample of Year Six children engaged in mathematical problem solving activities generated rich data in the form of audio, video recordings, field notes and work samples. The data was analysed using the method of thematic analysis utilising Nvivo 10 to code the data. These codes were further condensed to final overarching themes. Further discussion of the data shows both mathematical and non-mathematical overarching themes. These themes are discussed in more depth within this study. It is hoped that this study provides some new insights into children’s strategies and behaviours relating to problem solving in mathematics.

SANTOS, Celiane Oliveira dos. As concepções das crianças, professora e coordenadora pedagógica sobre o recreio como atividade da rotina em uma escola pública de educação infantil na cidade de Fortaleza. 2015. 190f. – Dissertação (Mestrado) – Universidade Federal do Ceará, Programa de Pós-graduação em Educação Brasileira, Fortaleza (CE), 2015. / Submitted by Márcia Araújo (marcia_m_bezerra@yahoo.com.br) on 2016-01-19T10:49:06Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2015_dis_cosantos.pdf: 2765570 bytes, checksum: 81418795d73f1fca6b12f8671d285b29 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Márcia Araújo(marcia_m_bezerra@yahoo.com.br) on 2016-01-19T14:54:44Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2015_dis_cosantos.pdf: 2765570 bytes, checksum: 81418795d73f1fca6b12f8671d285b29 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-01-19T14:54:45Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2015_dis_cosantos.pdf: 2765570 bytes, checksum: 81418795d73f1fca6b12f8671d285b29 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015 / Este estudo analisou as concepções que as crianças, a professora e a coordenadora pedagógica têm sobre o recreio, como atividade da rotina em uma escola pública de Educação Infantil. Para tanto, procurou conhecer a rotina estabelecida em um grupo de crianças da pré-escola, com foco no recreio e identificar quais são as concepções das crianças e da equipe pedagógica sobre essa atividade na rotina. A abordagem sociointeracionista do desenvolvimento humano, especificamente os estudos de Vygotsky (2007, 2010) e de Wallon (2007), e ainda os estudos na área da Sociologia da Infância e da Socioantropologia da Infância, nomeadamente, as contribuições de Corsaro (2002; 2009; 2011), Sarmento (2002, 2005, 2008), Pinto (1997), Prout (2010) e Delalande (2001, 2003, 2011, 2012) constituíram o quadro teórico do presente estudo. A problemática da pesquisa encontrou na abordagem qualitativa o caminho para atingir seus objetivos. A investigação foi realizada em uma escola pública de Educação Infantil, na cidade de Fortaleza. Participaram do estudo oito crianças de cinco a seis anos de idade, a professora do grupo e a coordenadora pedagógica. Os procedimentos utilizados para a construção dos dados foram: observação participante, entrevista semiestruturada com a professora e coordenadora pedagógica, entrevistas individuais e coletivas com as crianças utilizando desenhos feitos por elas e histórias a serem completadas, questionário e consulta a documentos “oficiais” da instituição. Os registros consistiram no emprego de diário de campo, fotografia, vídeo e gravador de voz (MP4). A análise dos dados mostrou que a rotina vivenciada pelas crianças é marcada por atividades escolarizantes, com o objetivo de prepará-las para o ingresso no Ensino Fundamental. Em contraposição, as crianças atribuíram maior importância à atividade do recreio na rotina. A regulação dos tempos das crianças na escola por meio das imposições dos adultos revela posturas adultocêntricas nas relações. A atividade do recreio representa uma das raras oportunidades na rotina para a realização de brincadeiras e para as crianças constitui a principal razão pela qual frequentam a escola. As brincadeiras e as interações com os pares, especialmente nas áreas externas, são os aspectos considerados mais importantes pelas crianças da pré-escola. As profissionais, embora destaquem a importância das brincadeiras, não acompanham o recreio das crianças, o que expressa a desvalorização das brincadeiras e a desconsideração da dimensão pedagógica dessa atividade, pela equipe de profissionais da escola.