The main aim of this thesis was to examine internal representation in the context of nurse education using two main output variables - namely imagery and identity. The initial basic argument for the thesis was that procedures to facilitate the acquisition of psychomotor skills that have been developed in sports science could fruitfully be applied to the development of skills in other areas, such as nurse education. Study one approached this through the use of an imagery training programme - PETTIER (Holmes & Collins, 2001) on an undergraduate nursing curriculum. PETTIER served as the independent variable with the dependent variable - performance - being measured through Obje&tive Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs). Unexpected results revealed no significant differences between the control and experimental groups, with the control group actually performing better overall. Given this, the explicit choice was made to pursue investigation into the other plausible factors affecting behaviour, in order to explicate and underpin the results obtained. Study two investigated students' perceptions of and preparation for the OSCEs using a skills training questionnaire. Results revealed common concerns, specifically related to skills practice. Furthermore these concerned the amount of practice time provided; the practice environment; and the amount of support and training during teaching. In light of these findings, study three pursued a contrasting and comparative investigation from the professionals' perspective on the curriculum. This specifically examined perceptions of the assessment structure and expectations within the curriculum; the content of the curriculum; levels of support and provision for training; and the application of theory and practice. This aimed to identify any coherent or conflicting views between the students' receiving the curriculum and the staff delivering the curriculum. Results revealed coherency in the professional view that theory and practice were equally as important for nurse education. However, students commonly perceived practice as the most important aspect. Also, some students often struggled to apply theory to practice and vice versa. In light of this it became apparent that students may in fact identify differently with the content of the curriculum. Therefore, appraisal of the content may have different significance for students and affect behaviour differently both internally and/or externally. Study four investigated this using Identity Structure Analysis (ISA)/lpseus (Weinreich & Saunderson, 2003).This explored how students applied themselves to the various aspects of nursing in the contexts of healthcare and broader affiliations, and how these fitted into students' broader sense of identity. It also looked at typologies within nursing and whether identity fitted into three distinct categories depending on construals. Study five followed this up using two individual case studies. The purpose of this was to encapsulate meaning behind individual construals and typologies and explicate the findings of ISA/lpseus and the implications for nurse education. Results found that construals are grounded in experiences which can affect development, behaviour and identity towards nursing and the broader affiliations in individuals' lives. In conclusion identity in nursing should be investigated further in order to provide stronger evidence in regards to typologies and how these may be influencing students' behaviour and development in nurse education. Such research could have important implications for the future of nurse education and be a positive step towards future curriculum revisions.

The present study is an attempt to understand the differences between the child and young adult beginner in learning how to play the piano as a basis towards improving college-level beginning piano teaching. The purpose of this study then is three fold: (1) to examine to what extent there is a difference of learning achievement and rate between the child and young adult beginner, centering on psychomotor skills, the process of music reading, and elements of interpretation in learning how to play the piano; (2) to find out factors affecting these three elements of musical learning in two groups; and (3) to drive ways towards improving college level beginning piano teaching. To examine these questions, comparisons were drawn between undergraduate non-music majors (19 - 24 years) and primary school children (8 years). The 10-week instructional period consisted of two 40-minute lessons per week for each individual. The investigator taught all subjects individually with the investigator-designed instructional programme focused on keyboard fluency, music reading, and interpretation. Through the pilot study materials and sequencing in the instructional programme were revised and a system of categories for learning-relevant variables emerged. Hypotheses related to a basis of differences in music learning between two groups were investigated using a three-point achievement measurement tool designed by the investigator. Other variables (physical capacity, intelligence, musical background, motivation to learn, learning attitude, emotional factors) affecting musical learning were investigated using IQ tests, the students' self-reports, investigator's reports, and parents' reports. The results of the principal investigation indicate that the young adult beginners performed in all three musical learning elements better than the child group. No evidence was found in support of stereotypical assumptions in the beginning piano study-related literature that the young adult beginner is at disadvantage to the child beginner in the acquisition of keyboard fluency skills. It appears that the young adult did not have problems related to physical capacity taught in this instruction. In addition, it appears that selection variables (physical capacity, intelligence, and musical background) played an important role in the musical achievement of the child beginner group compared with the young adult group. On the other hand, in the case of the young adult group, it appears that learning-related characteristics (motivation to learn, learning attitude, and emotional factors) were likely to be more important factors affecting the musical development compared with the child group.

The field of Instructional Design and Technology has produced several instructional frameworks grounded in educational psychology to provide guidance for effective learning. The realm of athletics is an area that can benefit from these instructional frameworks by providing systematic methods to facilitate an efficient learning process. This study employed Gagne's Nine Events of Instruction to develop instructional guidelines for psychomotor skill learning of athletic movements to enhance athletic performance. This design and development study conducted model research through model development and model validation. Components of the guidelines reflected the Nine Events and were supported by research in motor skill learning in sports. These guidelines were then validated by subject matter experts and revised based on their recommendations. / Ph. D.

The purpose of this design and development research was to investigate whether the ADDIE model can be used to design online modules that teach psychomotor skills. The overarching research question was: How can the ADDIE Model of Instructional Design be used to create an online module that teaches safe and effective movement for psychomotor skills? To examine the research question, an online strength program focusing on correct technique was designed and developed. The design phase involved creating storyboards and scripts for the development phase. The development phase involved creating videos, still, audio, and slides that were put together to form instructional sequences for each movement. A website was designed to accommodate the requirements of the course and all the instructional materials were uploaded to the website. This program was implemented using college students with no health problems. Each participant was assigned to either single joint movements or multiple joint movements. They recorded themselves pre and post instruction. Strength and conditioning interns overseen by a subject matter expert and a strength and conditioning enthusiast scored these videos. The results of the implementation revealed that both beginners and advanced learners made improvements to their movements. It was concluded from the results that it was possible to teach correct movement online and that designers need to be aware of the interaction between type of learner and the specific movements rather than the type of movement. Major themes that emerged were they were unsure if they were completing the movement correctly and preferred having a coach present to provide feedback, and several participants had trouble transferring the theory into practice. Problems the reviewers had were that the videos were difficult to score due to camera angles and some issues with the rubrics. An analysis of the review process revealed there were problems with the consistency and reliability of the scoring. An overall answer to the overarching research question was that it is possible to use the ADDIE model to create successful online instruction for strength movements. It was necessary to created guidelines for designers to follow when developing online psychomotor skills courses. / Ph. D.