3 Abstract Title of a document: The threat of terrorism Aim of a document: 1) Brief history of terrorism in the close historical overview of key periods in terms of negotiations, who bearing signs of terrorist acts. 2) Clearly classify most famous terrorist groups. 3) To map and analyse the awareness members of the Police of the Czech Republic about possible threats arising from terrorism. 4) Map their awareness possibility of eliminating any consequences arising in this context. Method: In the first part of this work will be used to study historical procedures will be interpreted and assessed the effect of the present (HENDL J, 1997)-zoom the timeline the most important leaders of the terrorist acts. Exploring method and theoretical studies (HENDL J, 1997) will be described in other parts of the current state of most terrorist groups and threats resulting from this. In the second part will be carried out with use of the operational methods of empirical collection and subsequent evaluation of the quantitative data in a standardized questionnaire drawn up by the appropriate anonymous a logical sequence, to clarify the set of hypotheses and objectives. Results: 1) Short and fairly summarise to history of terrorism with the aspects relevant to the present. 2) Create a comprehensive overview about the most...

Six hundred fifty-seven (657) members of the American School Counseling Association responded to the researcher-developed survey, the School Counselors Perceptions of Family Systems Perspectives Questionnaire (SCP-FSPQ). The instrument assessed school counselors’ perceptions of preparedness, competency, importance and frequency of use of family systems perspectives when working with youth in the school setting. The purposes of this quantitative study were to understand school counselors’ perceptions of their educational preparation in family systems perspectives; whether school counselors are using family systems strategies and, if so, how often; and how important school counselors believe those strategies are when implemented. This study also explores the barriers school counselors may face when working with a family systems perspective. Items from the SCP-FSPQ were analyzed using descriptive statistics, ANOVA, t-test, Pearson correlation and principal component analysis. When exploring the relationships between school counselors’ type of degree, methods of learning, frequency of usage, beliefs about preparedness, competence and importance of family systems perspective, significant relationships were identified among all the variables. The results of this study supported the need for required family systems education that prepares school counselors to work with students and their families in the school setting. Findings resulted in training and education recommendations for school counselors, counselor educators, counselor education programs and the school counseling accreditation bodies.

The purpose of this study was to examine the attitudes of teachers towards providing accommodations and modifications required for students with special needs in general education classes. The study also examined the differences between these educators’ willingness, preparedness, and selected demographic and descriptive characteristics, which included teacher education, educational setting, and support provided for inclusion. As such, it contributed to both the theory and the practice of teaching students with disabilities in inclusive settings. The sample included willing general and special education teachers in one suburban school district in the southeastern United States. The instrument was a modified version of the Teacher Acceptability and Use Scale (TAUS) (Boulton, 2003). Statistical analysis revealed little significant difference in willingness between special education and general education teachers, although special education teachers perceived themselves as slightly more prepared than general education teachers to make accommodations and modifications to the general curriculum for the student with special needs included in the general education classroom. In conclusion, the results of this study indicate that teachers’ perceptions of their preparedness for accommodating students with special needs has improved in recent years.

This diploma thesis and its research deals with the preparedness of the population, pedagogues and representatives of municipal council, to participate in tasks of population protection during the leak of dangerous chemical substances. The work develops research from my Bachelor thesis from 2017, where was my task to verify preparedness of the integrated rescue system to deal with the leak of dangerous chemical substances. The aim of this diploma thesis was to find out, if is the selected area able to adequately respond to hazards arising from the leak of hazardous chemical substances. In order to assess preparedness, slightly different questionnaires were used, those questionnaires were answered by the residents of České Budějovice, teachers working at secondary schools in České Budějovice and representatives of the city and representatives of the South Bohemian Region. The results of the questionnaire survey are presented using descriptive statistics, interesting results are shown using graphs. A high degree of unpreparedness of respondents was found. According to the results of the questionnaire survey, some respondents may also behave dangerously in the events of leakage of hazardous chemicals. The contribution of this work should be increasing and improving awareness in this area. To this purpose, was created an information leaflet containing lot of important information, which was distributed to the population. The benefit which this work has already brought, is to alert representatives from city and region councils, as well as teaching staff, to improve their knowledge of hazardous substances. According to the feedback of several representatives, analyzes focusing the transport of dangerous substances can be expected in the near future. This work can be used as well as a source of information and can be used to compare it with other researches.

The theme of this thesis was determine the current status of preparedness of selected health service providers for evacuation security. Two randomly selected hospitals were approached, Hospital Český Krumlov, a.s. and Hospital Jindřichův Hradec a.s. Since it is an evacuation issue, hospital staff should be adequately informed and prepared. The theoretical part is devoted to research of legal norms and documents with the given issue. This is especially the law No. 372/2011 Coll., on health services and the conditions for their provision which describes health service providers and Ministry of Interiors notice No. 380/2000 Coll., to prepare and implement of tasks of population protection which deals with evacuation and its description. This part dealt with the characteristics of health service providers in more detail, types of medical facilities, description of evacuation and evacuation events in the Czech Republic and abroad. To answer the research question "What is the current status of preparedness of selected health service providers for securing evacuation?" additionally it was determinated hypothesis no. 1 "Preparedness of health service providers of South Bohemian Region for evacuation security does not reach 75 %". The questionnaire contained 29 questions, it was divided into 4 parts, respondent information, aspects of awareness, readiness aspects and other aspects. For evaluation of awareness of medical staff for evacuation readiness was determinated limit 75% success of correct answer. The results showed insufficient preparedness - 55%. Additionally there were determinated hypothesis no.1 - no.6 which were focused on influence of respondent information on age, sex, highest education level, department and practice length. The method ANOVA was chosen for statistical evaluation. It showed that respondent information depend on sex, age and highest education level by both hospitals and each individually. Respondent awareness is also addicted to departments both hospitals and Hospital Jindřichův Hradec a.s. and on the contrary by Hospital Český Krumlov a.s is not addicted. Practice length is not addicted by both hospitals and Hospital Český Krumlov a.s. and on the contrary by Hospital Jindřichův Hradec a.s. is addicted. Results of the questionnaire survey showed that readiness and preparedness of medical staff in Hospital Český Krumlov a.s. and Hospital Jindřichův Hradec a.s. are insufficient and points that it is necessary to familiarize medical staff with this issue.

The purpose of this study was to explore the variables that might affect the learning outcomes of a serious game for disaster preparedness. Literature review in the field has revealed a number of variables that might have effects on the learning outcome with serious games, including: prior knowledge, in game guidance, gaming frequency, and playing skills. However, there has been no study on the relationships and effects between the types of knowledge (i.e., declarative, or procedural) used in serious games and the intended learning outcomes. Using disaster preparedness as a learning context, this study examines the two types of knowledge: (1) declarative (i.e., learners’ ability to retain facts and information), and (2) procedural knowledge (learners’ ability to perform actions and procedures), and their relationships with the learning outcomes of a serious game. The research question was: “To what extent do: prior knowledge, in-game guidance, and gaming frequency, predict the learning outcomes, in the forms of declarative and procedural knowledge of a disaster preparedness serious game?”

Background: Crisis and crisis management is a research topic that since the 1980s has gotten increasing amounts of attention in research. A crisis refers to an event that may have severe effects on an organisation's survival, making it important to know how to prepare for them. Interest in research about crisis preparedness has been growing. However, literature tends to focus on crisis preparedness in an MNE (Multinational Enterprises) context, thus, leaving out SMEs (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises). Nonetheless, SMEs are a large and crucial part of the economy that may equally, if not more, be affected by crises. In SMEs, the leader has a significant impact on the strategic decisions in the business, making them a crucial part of the crisis preparedness process and an important aspect to study. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to explore what factors could influence the way a leader prioritises to work with crisis preparedness in SMEs. Further, this research aims to understand how those priorities affect the level of crisis preparedness in SMEs. Method:  This study was conducted as a qualitative exploratory research in the form of a cross-sectional multiple case study. The data was collected through twelve semi-structured in-depth interviews, where all the participants were active as leaders in SMEs. The data collected in the interviews was subsequently analysed through a thematic analysis approach. Conclusion: It was found that besides the previously found external factors of SMEs, crisis preparedness is also influenced by the leader’s attitude about crisis preparedness. This attitude, in turn, is primarily formed through the leader’s understanding of crises and their personality. It was further found that the type of industry could be a factor in crisis preparedness due to for example, differing amounts of rules and regulations. In conclusion, the thesis was able to connect much of what has been found in previous research while adding a focus on the leader and their attitude about crisis preparedness.

Thesis advisor: Marilyn Cochran-Smith / The number of autistic students receiving special education services increased 478% between the years 2000 and 2013 (National Center for Education Statistics, 2016). U.S. schools and teachers are educating more autistic students with complex educational needs resulting from differences in communication, social interaction and behavior. As a result, schools need increasing numbers of teachers who are equipped to educate them. Quality special education teacher preparation is critical for teachers of autistic students, because it can affect the quality of education and outcomes for this highly unique student population. Very little research has been conducted to determine the extent to which special education teacher preparation programs provide teachers with preparation to teach autistic students, or about the extent to which special educators feel prepared to teach this population at the point of conclusion of their preparation programs. This study used a mixed methods sequential explanatory design to examine the perceptions of special educators about their preparedness to teach autistic students based on preparation program/licensure, specialized autism coursework, and on-the-job experiences after licensure programs. A researcher-created survey was followed by interviews to explore participants’ survey responses more deeply. Survey data (n =121) were used to inform both question construction and participant selection for a purposive sample of follow-up interviews (n= 10). Regression analyses, means, summary scores, and thematic coding were employed to analyze the survey data. Results indicated that the majority (77%) of special education teachers felt unprepared to teach autistic students at the end of their licensure programs. However, specialized autism coursework was a significant predictor of teachers’ sense of preparedness. Limitations of the study and implications for special education teacher preparation and education are discussed. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2017. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Teacher Education, Special Education, Curriculum and Instruction.

Thesis advisor: Matthew S. Rutledge / In the past several decades, saving for retirement has significantly changed, with the large replacement of Defined Contribution for Defined Benefit plans, as well as the unreliability of Social Security given the aging population. This paper analyzes retirement wealth across three generational cohorts—Baby Boomers (1946-1964), Gen Xers (1965-1980), and Millennials (1981-2000)—in order to compare preparedness and determine whether or not younger cohorts have compensated for the future unreliability of other traditional retirement income sources. The results suggest that levels of retirement wealth do not significantly differ across cohorts at all age profiles. Therefore, younger generational cohorts have not increased the amount of personal saving in order to maintain their pre-retirement standards of living throughout retirement. These results indicate that a change in saving structure and policy may be necessary to ensure that younger cohorts retire out of poverty. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2017. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Arts and Sciences Honors Program. / Discipline: Economics.

Magister Curationis - MCur / Transition has been the major focus of educational institutions. The focal argument of the majority of research into student transition deals with the challenges that students faced when they moved from high school to first year at university. Not much focus has been placed on the transition from undergraduate to postgraduate studies. Postgraduate enrollment rates have steadily grown over the past few years in Higher Education Institution`s (HEI). Support systems have been put in place to assist students. In spite of these available support systems, postgraduate students still find themselves facing challenges when engaging with postgraduate studies. The primary aim of this study was to investigate the academic transitional challenges postgraduate students' experience as reflected by the inconsistencies in the enrollment and throughput rates. Secondly, to determine whether students utilised available support systems, e.g. the Academic Writing Centre and the Postgraduate Enrolment and Throughput (PET) programme at the Faculty of Community and Health Science at University of the Western Cape. This was a quantitative study. A cross sectional survey has been conducted by means of a computerised self-administered questionnaire (CSAQ). The study population was postgraduate students in the Faculty of Community and Health Science at masters' level. Both course work and research students were included in the study. No sampling method was employed due to the small size of the population. Data was collected to explore the academic preparedness of postgraduate students, and there primary motivations for studying and the utilization of available support services at the University of the Western Cape. / South Africa