Thesis (M.Ed.)--University of Central Florida, 2008. / Adviser: Enrique Ortiz. Includes bibliographical references (p. 145-148).

Thesis (Ph. D. in Leadership and Policy Studies)--Vanderbilt University, May 2006. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of North Carolina at Wilmington, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves: [41]-43)

Thesis (B.Psy.Sc.(Hons.)) - University of Queensland, 2006. / Includes bibliography.

There is a dearth of literature examining how the cohesiveness of the team may be connected to individual athlete participation in youth sport settings. Although results from studies conducted with adult athletes (Carron, Widmeyer, & Brawley, 1988; Prapavessis & Carron, 1997a; Spink, 1995) suggest a positive link between perceptions of team cohesion and individual participation, this relationship has not been established with adolescent athletes. The purposes of the studies in this dissertation were: (1) to examine the relationship between cohesion and participation in a youth sport sample; (2) to examine if task cohesion moderated the relationship between perceptions of teammates’ effort levels (descriptive norms) and a participation-related outcome (effort); (3) to experimentally test the combined influence of cohesion and descriptive norms on individual self-reported effort; and (4) to explore the plausibility of teammate support as one possible mediator of the cohesion-participation relationship. A multivariate approach was used in Study 1 to both establish the initial relationship between cohesion and individual participation as well as inform subsequent studies in this dissertation by identifying which specific cohesion factors (task, social) and participation-related outcomes (effort, attendance, intention to return to the team) were most strongly related. Multivariate results revealed that task cohesion was associated with two participation outcomes – effort and intention to return to the team. Examining if perceptions of cohesion would qualify the link between perceptions about how hard teammates were working and individual athletes’ self-reported effort levels was the purpose of Study 2. Both constructs emerged as positive, significant correlates of effort. As a follow up, a between-subjects experimental design with vignettes was used in Study 3 to test the combined effects of cohesion and descriptive norms about teammate effort on individual self-reported effort levels. Building upon Study 2’s correlational findings, cohesion and descriptive norms both had an independent, positive influence on how hard players rated that they would work. The purpose of Study 4 was to consider one possible reason why team cohesion may be associated with individual participation - social support. To examine the proposition that social support may mediate the relationship between cohesion and participation, a prospective design was used in Study 4 to test the links between early-season cohesion, late-season perceptions of social support, and two participation-related outcomes (effort, intention to return to the team in the future). Results supported the plausibility of social support as a partial mediator for both outcomes. Taken together, these four studies provided initial evidence for the potential link between team cohesion and individual participation in youth sport. Additionally, the emergence of two other team-related constructs, descriptive norms and social support, suggests that these forms of teammate influence also may be associated with youth sport athletes’ participation on their team.

This project explores the delicate balance between individual identity and collective identity as both formal and informal constructs. It narrates the struggle of defining one’s personal identity amidst the powerful social and cultural forces that attempt to prescribe norms and values. In response to this tension between individual values and cultural norms, this work asks: When faced with corrosive cultures, how does the individual shield him or herself from the powerful and often subconscious social power that acts upon us? How can this experience be better understood and navigated?

The thesis is a study of relational norms - those norms that regulate how we behave in our valuable relationships. I argue that the presence of relational norms in the law reflects its capacities and limitations as an instrument for the guidance of conduct. I make three arguments in support of this claim. First, I argue that we have norms that are constitutive of our practically significant relationships. Second, I argue that the content and justification of these relationships is not necessarily reflected in their legal forms. Third, I argue that we can have relationships that are justified by their instrumental value. There are three Parts to this thesis, each of which is devoted to one of these claims. Part I discusses relational norms in practical reasoning. I identify relational norms as norms that constitute a relationship of value. I then argue that we can owe obligations to one another in what I call the 'relationship sense'. These obligations are neither necessarily enforceable, nor necessarily correlate with the rights of others. Part II discusses relational norms in law. I consider various constraints on the incorporation of relational norms in law, as well as the various relationships of correlativity that are sometimes said to define private law. I also consider the nature of legal rights to perform certain relational duties. I argue that although the duties are burdensome, these rights promote our interests, or at least are claimed to do so by legal officials. Part III considers the significance of relational norms to the general character of law. First I argue that we can have instrumental relationships - relationships that possess their value in virtue of some end that they serve. I then argue that any authoritative relationship that exists between legal officials and their subjects must be instrumentally justified.

<b>Duelling</b> The norm of duelling endured for hundreds of years in Europe. In the United Kingdom it disappeared abruptly in the mid-nineteenth century, whereas in France it declined slowly. I present a simple model of social norms that explains these phenomena. The model predicts that the evolution of norms is characterised by tipping, whereby norms can shift suddenly due to shocks, and by a ratchet effect, whereby changes in parameters can cause norms to decline gradually. I show that the model can be supported by an equilibrium of a repeated game, with no special assumptions about preferences. <b>Community enforcement using modal actions</b> I prove two folk theorems for repeated games with random matching. A large group of players is rematched at random each period, so that players who deviate must be sanctioned by third parties. Previous analyses have either relied on strong assumptions about information transmission, or have been limited to equilibria that are not robust to noise or in which players are indifferent. I use a simple construction based on modal actions to obtain results for strict and robust equilibria. <b>Learning repeated-game strategies</b> The literature on boundedly rational learning has tended to focus on stagegame actions. I present a stochastic learning rule for repeated-game strategies. Players form beliefs about their opponent’s strategy based on past actions and best-respond. Occasionally, they make mistakes and experiment, and I show that the equilibrium selected depends on exactly how players make mistakes. Simple specifications of the learning rule yield intuitive selection results: the maxmin, or Rawlsian, outcome; the Nash bargaining solution; the maximum of the sum of payoffs; and a generalisation of risk dominance.

abstract: ABSTRACT Teachers working in isolation to overcome instructional challenges are left to their own devices, but teachers working together can benefit from others' perspectives. Teacher collaboration can increase communication and open doors to increased collective knowledge and rapport. Collaborative knowledge sharing and decision-making that focus on student achievement can go far in improving instructional learning. This action research focused on increasing collaboration among members of a middle school team of teachers. Involving teachers in a collaboration development processes was intended to improve productive interactions and contribute to instructional learning as a professional learning team. Study participants were involved in an eight week professional development initiative that involved techniques to promote collaboration along with instructional learning tools to promote professional learning in regard to guiding students to high levels of cognition. A mixed methods set of data was generated including a research journal, artifacts, surveys, meeting transcriptions, and interviews. Findings concluded that focusing on collaboration contributed to positive changes in the middle school team's interactions. Setting and revisiting norms of collaboration were crucial steps in this focus, leading to increased buy-in and active participation during team meetings. Focusing on relevance contributed to multiple aspects of the team's instructional learning. Participants valued their collaborative efforts especially when they found direct links between their professional learning and their individual classroom situations. Focusing on an action plan also contributed to participants' instructional learning. Setting manageable short terms goals gave the team direction and fostered accountability. Finally, working as a professional learning team contributed to the team's instructional learning. Taking the time to meet frequently allowed teachers to share classroom experiences, assist one another, and develop professionally. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ed.D. Leadership and Innovation 2011

No description available.