INTRODUCTION: Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States and has been shown to be harmful to human health. Among alternative tobacco products, e-cigarettes have been widely regarded as the safest substitute to the traditional cigarette. However, debate remains about their safety and possible ill effects. AIM: The purpose of this study was to assess characteristics associated with e-cigarette use (everyday/some days/no use) and examine factors related to former smokers replacing a traditional smoking habit with e-cigarette use (yes/no). METHODS: A secondary data analysis was conducted with the Public Use Files (PUFs) for the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study, a nationally representative, longitudinal cohort study of tobacco use. Bivariate and multivariable unweighted and weighted generalized linear models were developed for value and comparative purposes, as well as multilevel models to account for within geographical region clustering. Ordinal logistic regression was used to analyze the ordinal e-cigarette use outcome, and logistic regression with the e-cigarette smoking status of former smokers outcome. RESULTS: Covariates associated with e-cigarette use included having rules that allowed smoking non-combustible tobacco inside the home (everyday vs no use: OR = 0.33, CI = 0.27-0.41; somedays vs no use: OR = 0.58, CI = 0.53-0.64), older than 35 years old (everyday vs no use: OR = 0.63, CI = 0.52-0.75; somedays vs no use: OR = 0.86, CI = 0.76-0.96), and positive or neutral self-opinion on tobacco (everyday vs no use: OR = 0.88, CI = 0.73-1.05; somedays vs no use: OR = 1.38, CI = 1.22-1.55). Factors related to e-cigarette use in former smokers included rules allowing non-combustible tobacco products inside the home (Weighted: OR = 0.19, CI = 0.15-0.24; Unweighted: OR = 0.15, CI = 0.12-0.19; Mixed: OR = 0.19, CI = 0.15-0.24), aged 18-35 years (Weighted: OR = 1.45, CI = 1.16-1.80; Unweighted: OR = 2.91, CI = 2.27-3.72; Mixed: OR = 1.45, CI = 1.16-1.80), and not having any health insurance (Weighted: OR = 0.57, CI = 0.44-0.75; Unweighted: OR = 0.47, CI = 0.34-0.64; Mixed: OR = 0.57, CI = 0.44-0.75). DISCUSSION: Family tolerance of smoking and one’s self-opinion on tobacco were factors found to be strongly associated with e-cigarette use. The prevalence of e-cigarette use among young adults raises concerns and necessitates a multi-disciplinary approach to monitor and intervene. Further study is needed to better understand e-cigarette smoking consumption behavior and effects.

The present study was a qualitative research study aimed to explore and describe the role of the lecturer in the subjective well-being of first-year education students. This research utilised secondary data that was collected for a prior study, comprising essays completed by first-year education students at the University of Pretoria. 125 students from randomly selected modules participated in the original study. The narratives concerned how the students described their lecturers as motivating and demotivating. The narratives, completed by male and female students, were selected based on lengthy, content-rich narratives. An inductive thematic analysis was completed to explore and analyse the data from a qualitative, interpretivist perspective. The five dimensions of the PERMA model (Positive emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning and Accomplishment) guided and were used as the theoretical framework of the present study to help understand students’ subjective well-being (Seligman, 2011). Three themes emerged from the students’ descriptions of their lecturers as motivating. The findings suggest that the students were motivated when their lecturers utilised effective teaching approaches, facilitated a positive student-lecturer relationship and when students felt satisfied with their learning. One theme emerged where the students described their lecturer as demotivating; this was the case when their lecturers used ineffective teaching approaches. All five dimensions of the PERMA model were identified when students felt motivated by their lecturers, while two dimensions of the PERMA model were identified when students felt demotivated by their lecturers. There is a need for lecturer training programmes aimed at increasing the awareness of the lecturers’ role in student motivation and student subjective well-being, as well as teaching practises that aim to promote student motivation. Consequently, student subjective well-being can be valuable to universities in improving students’ academic success as well as their subjective well-being. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2019. / Educational Psychology / MEd / Unrestricted

The purpose of the study was to determine how South African mathematics teachers were integrating computers into their classrooms. The study was a response to the low achievement scores in mathematics as attained by grade nine learners in the 2011 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). TIMSS 2011 assessed Grade four and eight learners. However, South Africa as well as Botswana and Honduras opted to administer the Grade eight assessment to their Grade nine learners instead. South Africa’s Grade nine learners achieved an average score of 352 (35.2%) out of a possible 1 000 points. This quantitative secondary data analysis study utilised data collected from mathematics teachers from 298 schools in South Africa. The dataset was analysed using descriptive analysis that included percentages as well as the Pearson two-way Chi-square tabulations. The major finding of the study is that 73. 9% of South African mathematics teachers are still not integrating computers into mathematics education. Results showed that teachers are mostly using computers for preparation (35.5%) and administration (65.3%) purposes. Even though 45.5% of the teachers reported that they feel comfortable using computers, others feel that they are still in need of technical support. Moreover, the findings showed that 64.8% of the teachers do not attend professional development programmes that focus on the integration of Information Technology (IT) into mathematics. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2017. / Science, Mathematics and Technology Education / MEd / Unrestricted

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

The postsecondary enrollment of student veterans has increased with the troop draw down in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as the generous amendments made to the Post 9/11 GI Bill. Acquired disabilities remain a reality for this population as they transition into the civilian world; consequently, previous literature cites the role of disabilities amongst student veterans. Also, prior research often aggregates these two groups without a thorough understanding of the ways in which they differ. This study compared student veterans with disabilities to student veterans without disabilities in order to understand the enrollment and demographic factors on which they differed, if any. Using a secondary data analysis of the 2007-2008 National Postsecondary Student Aid Survey, univariate tests of significance, a logistic regression, and a discriminant function analysis examined the relationship between disability status and seven predictor variables: age, gender, GPA, major, risk index, degree program type, and whether or not a student was exclusively a distance learner. These seven variables as a whole were not significant predictors of disability status; however, the models provided valuable insight into the similarities and characteristics shared within this population. Univariate tests of significance revealed that students with disabilities had a significantly lower mean GPA, were more often male, tended to favor certain academic majors over others, more often enrolled in bachelor’s degree versus associate and certificate programs, and had a lower risk of attrition based on their index of risk. Major, degree program type, and risk index proved to be the most significant predictors of disability status in LR and DFA. A student veteran’s age and whether they were a distance learner had no significant bearing on disability status indicating that student veterans enroll in distance learning or campus-based programs without influence from an orthopedic or mobility impairment, the most common type of disability amongst student veterans. This study offers a full description of student veterans with disabilities including the specific types of disabilities with which this population enters higher education.

This study utilized a mixed methods design. The study was carried out in two phases. In the first phase of the study, a secondary data analysis of data were collected from a sample (n = 390) of middle and high school students who participated in a truancy pilot program launched during the 2012-2013 school year with follow-up services provided through June 2014. The sample was divided into two groups (treatment and control). The treatment group was diverted from court referral and participated in an intervention consisting of in-home counseling and case management services. The control group was referred to court and went through the traditional court process and received no treatment services. The effectiveness of the intervention was measured through the collection of pre and post intervention data consisting of the number of unexcused absences, disciplinary referrals, beginning and final grades in English, math, science, and social studies. As a final variable, retention and promotion rates were examined. The effectiveness of the truancy reduction intervention was measured by the amount of reduction in these variables following the implementation of the treatment. Data in the first phase of the study were collected by the Family Assessment and Planning Team (FAPT) in partnership with the school district and other agencies. Further analysis was performed in Phase II of the study utilizing a single school case study design. Qualitative case study is an approach to research that allows the researcher to explore a phenomenon within its context using a variety of data sources. For this phase of the study, data were collected through a survey and a focus group using a sample of students from the treatment and control group of the truancy pilot program. The focus group was designed to gain insight from the voices of the students regarding their perceptions of the factors that influence truancy and the effectiveness of truancy intervention. The statistical procedures used to examine the quantitative data included Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) and Chi Square. Analysis of data collected in Phase I of the study revealed that there was no difference in the effect of treatment for students who were diverted from court to treatment services and those who went through the traditional court process and received no treatment. This finding was supported by results of the analysis of data from the survey and focus group. Results indicated that students did not perceive either invention as being more effective than the other in reducing their truancy. Further, results of the survey and focus group indicated that school factors, not family factors, had the greatest impact on the students’ nonattendance. School factors such as safety, teacher and student relationships, and teacher expectations were identified as primary themes. The findings suggest that the truancy pilot intervention’s focus on family factors as a means of reducing chronic truancy may have been focused in the wrong direction. .

A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Johannesburg, August, 2014. / The research described in this thesis is a case study of the factors influencing teachers’ use of computers for teaching at a private secondary school in South Africa. Two problems motivated the study. Firstly, teachers were not using ICT for meaningful learning despite the South African Education Department's emphasis on the use of ICT in education. Secondly, teachers were not coping with the demands of a new school curriculum involving innovative practices and new content. The case study school had purchased a software package for the sciences which claimed to be suitable for the new South African curriculum. The software package was evaluated as part of the study, to investigate its usefulness for supporting Life Sciences teachers to teach new content during a period of curriculum change. The study comprised two phases, one before and one after the school introduced an innovation promoting the use of ICT for instruction. In the absence of a suitable model to underpin the investigation a literature-based mind-map was constructed to provide a conceptual framework to guide the study. An analysis of 48 papers reporting on the factors affecting teachers’ use of computers led to the identification of 43 factors, which were classified into categories and sub-categories in the form of a hierarchical map showing the relationships between the factors, and providing the framework used to structure the investigation of factors. This was later developed into a holistic model showing the relationships between the factors, based on the theory of planned behaviour, but modified by the addition of knowledge and skills, which were found to influence teachers’ computer usage directly, as well as impacting on teachers’ beliefs, attitudes and behavioural intentions about using technology. This model could be useful for stakeholders to identify factors that could be used to promote the use of ICT in ways that benefit learning. During the first phase factors were identified using participant observation recorded by means of a researcher’s journal and semi-structured interviews with four teachers, with open-ended checklists being used for the software evaluation. Five categories of teacher-level factors (factors within teachers' control) were identified which affected their use of ICT: teachers’ perceptions of the effectiveness of ICT; teachers’ attitudes towards ICT; teachers’ level of innovativeness; teachers’ technological knowledge; and teachers’ level of ICT proficiency. Five categories of institutional factors (beyond teachers’ control) also emerged: the availability and accessibility of computer hardware; the availability of suitable software; the level of technical support available; the provision of training; and the amount of time available to plan for and use technology for teaching and learning. The biodiversity section of the software package purchased by the school was evaluated in terms of supporting teachers with teaching this new section of content required by the new curriculum. Five features of software design were evaluated: the extent to which the software promoted seven of the nine new classroom practices required by the new South African curriculum, the extent to which the package covered the content needed to teach biodiversity and the pedagogical strategies used to teach this content, how effectively the user interface conveyed messages to users, and the multimedia strategies used in the software package to promote effective learning. The software evaluation aspect of the study led to the development of several open-ended checklists to evaluate different relevant curriculum-related criteria, and a new model for the context-based evaluation of software which could be useful for designers of instructional software. iii The introduction at the case study school of an innovation promoting the use of ICT for instruction allowed the study to enter a second phase extending the sample for investigating factors affecting ICT use, and focusing on teachers' use of computers in response to being provided with more ICT resources and being required to set computer-based tasks for learners to complete at home on dedicated technology days (DigiDays). During this phase multiple online questionnaires were administered to a sample of 29 teachers, semi-structured interviews were conducted, and 33 ICTbased tasks set by the teachers were reviewed using content analysis, to see whether they used technology effectively. The innovation allowed three obstacles which had emerged during the first phase of the study to be investigated in more depth. Firstly, the setting aside of time for computerbased work addressed the lack of time for using computers in lessons, mentioned by teachers during the first phase of the study, and permitted an investigation of whether this alleviated the time pressures teachers associated with using computers. Secondly, the effect of the training provided for using Moodle on DigiDays was investigated to see whether it adequately prepared teachers to use computers in ways which enhanced learning. A lack of training which met teachers' needs had emerged during the first phase as a major factor hindering teachers' use of computers. Thirdly, the influence of teachers’ levels of innovativeness on their computer use outside of the mandated usage on DigiDays was investigated. Teachers were classified into groups based on Rogers’ adopter categories (Rogers, 1962, 2003), but using additional features to just the rate of uptake of an innovation, used by Rogers. A quick and easy method involving a questionnaire and associated key for placing teachers into adopter categories was developed. This method could facilitate the classification of teachers into adopter categories and the tailoring of support aimed at promoting the rate of uptake of ICT, based on the characteristics of the different adopter groups. Case studies of selected teachers were carried out to better understand why they were using computers in certain ways. Based on the model of Donnelly et al. (2011) the selected teachers were grouped according to whether they were using ICT for teaching in instructivist or constructivist ways, and whether or not they showed discerning use of ICT for teaching. A number of subgroups emerged, highlighting the need to understand the complex reasons underlying teachers' behaviours relating to using ICT and underscoring the importance of designing training programmes based on why teachers use ICT for teaching in a particular way.

Much previous research concerning the effects of the in-store experience on customers’ decision-making has been laboratory-based. There is a need for empirical research in a real store context to determine the impact of product, service and in-store environment perceptions on customer satisfaction and behaviour. This study is based on a literature review (Project 1) and a large scale empirical study (Projects 2/3) combining two sources of secondary data from the largest retailer in the UK, Tesco, and their loyalty ‘Clubcard’ provider, Dunnhumby. Data includes customer responses to an online self-completion survey of the customers’ shopping experience combined with customer demographic and behavioural data from a loyalty card programme for the same individual. The total sample comprised n=30,696 Tesco shoppers. The online survey measured aspects of the in-store experience. These items were subjected to factor analysis to identify the influences on the in-store experience with four factors emerging: assortment, retail atmosphere, personalised customer service and checkout customer service. These factors were then matched for each individual with behavioural and demographic data collected via the Tesco Clubcard loyalty program. Regression and sensitivity analyses were then conducted to determine the relative impact of the in-store customer experience dimensions on customer behaviour. Findings include that perceptions of customer service have a strong positive impact on customers’ overall shopping satisfaction and spending behaviour. Perceptions of the in-store environment and product quality/ availability positively influence customer satisfaction but negatively influence the amount of money spent during their shopping trip. Furthermore, personalised customer service has a strong positive impact on spend and overall shopping satisfaction, which also positively influences the number of store visits the week after. However, an increase in shopping satisfaction coming from positive perceptions of the in-store environment and product quality/ availability factors helps to reduce their negative impact on spend week after. A key contribution of this study is to suggest a priority order for investment; retailers should prioritise personalised customer service and checkout customer service, followed by the in-store environment together with product quality and availability. These findings are very important in the context of the many initiatives the majority of retail operators undertake. Many retailers focus on cost-optimisation plans like implementing self-service check outs or easy to operate and clinical in-store environment. This research clearly and solidly shows which approach should be followed and what really matters for customers. That is why the findings are important for both retailers and academics, contributing to and expanding knowledge and practice on the impact of the in-store environment on the customer experience.