In the context of growing concerns about the mental health of children and adolescents in the United Kingdom, it is recognised that social support offered by parents, peers and teachers plays an important role in the emotional and psychological well-being of young people. This thesis (Volume One) was produced as part of the written requirements for the Doctoral training in Educational Psychology. It contains four chapters. Chapter One provides an overview of the volume of work and foregrounds my identity and epistemological position. Chapter Two provides a critical review of the theoretical and research literature on social support for children and young people. Chapter Three reports on findings from a small-scale study carried out with adolescent girls within a friendship group at a secondary school. The research employed qualitative methods to explore participants’ lived experience of social support, and data were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Chapter Four comprises final reflections on IPA as a methodology and the contribution of the study to my practice as an educational psychologist (EP).

Thesis (Ed. D.)--West Virginia University, 2001. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains ix, 98 p. : ill. (some col.). Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 64-69).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Syracuse University, 2009. / "Publication number:AAT 3381582."

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Syracuse University, 2009. / "Publication number: AAT 3385099."

<p> Studies have shown that when students are engaged, learning increases. This research paper examines the perceptions of a Midwest university faculty's perceptions about student engagement in the classroom. Using qualitative methodology, interviews were conducted with faculty who are currently college classroom teachers, providing rich data to further examine the concept of student engagement. The following questions were asked with responses from the perspective of the college professor: what is student engagement, how does personal experience influence the way teachers perceive student engagement, and how do traditional classrooms influence engagement? The theory of symbolic interactionism and dramaturgy were used to gain perspective into professors' perceptions of student engagement, demonstrating how the traditional education received by present-day teachers has influenced their perceptions of student engagement in their classrooms (Sterling 2001; Bain 2004; Barkley 2010; Kuh et al. 2010; Thoms 2010).</p>

This research investigates how a comprehensive understanding of teacher-pupil relationships can enhance our insight into classroom life. The study focuses specifically on the individual pupil differences and experiences, and how the teacher perceives these differences in terms of the relationship that develops. The study also considers the effects, if any, that changes in educational policy over the last decade have had on the opportunities to form and develop positive teacher-pupil relationships. The dominant theoretical and methodological model of studying classroom relationships has been the cognitive-developmental model, which mainly employs interviews with teachers and children in order to account for qualitative differences in the nature of the relationships in different age groups. There is only a limited amount of research based on contextual (symbolic interactionist) case studies of teacher-pupil relationships which present a description of these relationships as they develop in a natural setting. The two research models arrive at different results about the characteristics, however, common in both models is an emphasis on the need for studies that would a) account for both verbal and non-verbal behaviour, b) explain micro-developmental changes and reasons for these changes, and c) provide a specific ground-based model of teacher-pupil relationship development. This research employed a contextual (symbolic interactionist) approach. The fieldwork was conducted in two primary schools, focusing on a Year 3 and a Year 6 class in each case study school. Variation in the teaching style/educational organisation, teacher and pupil expectations and pupils’ individual differences accounts for differences and similarities in the formation and development of teacher-pupil relationships. Methods used to triangulate the data about the nature and quality of the relationships include: observations of daily interactions in each classroom during one academic year, as well as specific observations of the pupils in the sample; interviews with the teacher and pupils at the beginning and end of the year; and pupil diaries which were used by the children in the sample for their own thoughts about the relationship with the teacher. The theoretical and methodological research implications support the study of teacher-pupil relationships in context because it provides and in-depth and detailed description and understanding of the characteristics and development of these complex relationships.

<p> Academic libraries and their parent institutions are experiencing increasing social, technological, economic, and political pressure in the twenty-first century. While the academic library literature contains numerous discussions and case studies illuminating how larger academic libraries are engaging in organizational change and experimentation to respond to those pressures, libraries in smaller academic institutions are underrepresented in those professional discussions.</p><p> This study examines liberal arts college libraries engaged in transformational change. It explores ways academic libraries are aligning their purpose and services with the missions, strategic priorities, and challenges of their parent institutions. Through four case studies, it examines how library directors create change visions, enroll staff and stakeholders in those visions, and the skills, tools, and strategies they use to lead and manage organizational change.</p><p> Data were collected using narrative inquiry, a qualitative methodology. Participants included library directors, provosts, and senior management team members. After analyzing the data, two organizational change theories were applied. The first theory focuses on what was changed&mdash;the antecedents and consequences. The second organizational change theory focuses on how the change was done&mdash;strategies, tools, and actions.</p><p> Data analysis reveals several findings. Directors who employed the greatest range of political intelligence, emotional intelligence, and transformational leadership skills were the most successful in creating lasting, radical organizational change. They were also most likely to align that change with the mission and needs of the colleges they served. Directors who used frame bending rather than frame breaking approaches to envisioning and communicating change were more successful in enrolling both library staff and academic stakeholders in their change strategies and change goals.</p><p> The results of this study contribute to an understanding of how smaller college libraries are leading and managing change. The findings identify potential obstacles to successful change and provide examples of strategies used by other change leaders to mitigate or surmount those obstacles. Those findings may be of value to other academic library change leaders. Finally, this study also identifies change leadership skills and strategies that were effective within the unique environment of academic institutions which have a decentralized environment, distributed power and authority, and a shared allegiance to the organization's history and culture.</p>

<p> The purpose of this study is to assist state, district, and high school educational leadership in understanding the influences of the Idaho high school students&rsquo; postsecondary decision-making. The literature review established five categories that influence students&rsquo; postsecondary decision-making: postsecondary and career awareness, postsecondary and career admissions process, academic readiness for postsecondary education and careers, postsecondary monetary cost, and social capital influence for postsecondary education. The theoretical framework for the study was the work of Perna&rsquo;s proposed conceptual model of students&rsquo; college choice. Descriptive quantitative research methods were used to survey 566 high school seniors from south western Idaho during their fall 2014 semester. Participants selected social capital influence for postsecondary education as the greatest influence on their college decision-making. Correlations were run to find if any relationship existed between students&rsquo; postsecondary plans and income, counseling services, and parental educational level. All three categories demonstrated statistical significance, however, none achieved practical significance. Participant responses pertaining to counseling services indicated that many students were not satisfied or were unsure about the services their school counselor provided.</p>

<p> The purpose of this quantitative study is to investigate whether QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) suicide prevention training is effective in increasing knowledge of suicide prevention among students of color, specifically Latino/a, Asian American, and Black/African American college students. This study involves secondary data analysis of 502 students who participated in a QPR training from Fall 2012 to Fall 2014. The data was collected by a suicide prevention program in Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at a public university in Southern California. The findings of the study revealed statistical significance in all nine areas of knowledge for all participants before and after receiving QPR training. The findings indicate an increase in knowledge among students of color and the likelihood that the participants would approach someone who may be at-risk for suicide and assist the individual in seeking appropriate professional resources. Implications, recommendations for practice, and directions for future research are discussed.</p>

<p> Online courses can be a source of isolation for both students and instructors. Social presence as a human connection in the online learning environment has been researched, yet the findings have not been easily implemented to support a sense of community. This study examined doctoral students&rsquo; perception of social presence and results indicated that it correlates to their sense of community in online courses (<i>r</i> = .82, <i>p</i> &lt;.01). The participants were primarily female doctoral students over the age of 40. Responses to the open-ended questions provided support for the various social presence definitions identified by researchers. Additional level of analysis included thematic review. Themes of <i>satisfaction, frustration,</i> and <i>peers mattered</i> were evaluated by raters with confirmed inter-rater reliability. Participant responses were found to express the theme of satisfaction over 50% of the time when perception of community was present in the course. They expressed almost 80% of the time that their peers&rsquo; sharing of knowledge mattered. Although textual analysis word count did not support the importance of the facilitator or instructor, content evaluation of participant responses indicated there was value of instructor course design allowing peer-to-peer discussion, learning, and emotional support. This study confirms that instructor facilitation of social presence is essential for students to experience their own social presence and sense of community in an online course. The results of this study can be used to help guide instructors intending to use collaborative constructivism design techniques to improve student engagement and retention in doctoral online courses.</p>