Purpose: Since September 11, 2001 military personnel have experienced a pattern of frequent deployment and reintegration, known as the deployment cycle. Deployments present unique challenges and opportunities to military personnel with lasting effects. This study examines group differences based on risk and protective factors, which were grouped into four domains (physical, mental, social, and spiritual) according to the Comprehensive Airman Fitness model in use by the U.S. Air Force to teach and increase resilience. The groups represent various levels of exposure to deployment dangers, up to and including combat, and time, recent deployment within two years and past deployment more than two years ago. Method: Secondary analysis was conducted with the 2013 Air Force Community Assessment Survey, a large, anonymous survey collected among U.S. Airmen. Discriminant analysis was utilized to determine and describe group differences. Results: The null hypothesis of no difference between group centroids was rejected. The primary group difference existed between Airmen who experienced combat and all other Airmen. The result of the discriminant analysis demonstrates at least two, possibly three, distinct groups exist among Airmen related to deployment experiences. The discriminant analysis generated six functions. Health and PTSD demonstrated the highest discriminant ability, although social support systems also played a significant role. Recent deployers reported higher levels of resilience and hardiness compared to past deployers regardless of exposure to deployment danger and combat. Meanwhile, past deployers reported higher levels of spirituality across all groups. Discussion: This study utilized aspects of resilience theory through the incorporation of time and a person-in-environment approach to the study of deployment and resilience. Implications related to social work practice include assessment of deployment frequency and the cumulative effects of deployment stressors. A specific policy recommendation is to ensure adequate leadership training in resilience promotion, as leadership represented an important component of resilience in this study. Finally, future research following this study could include qualitative analysis and studies utilizing more comprehensive scales among Airmen.

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Aim: The overall aim of the thesis was to explore and describe the concepts of guilt and shame and gain a greater understanding of the next-of-kin’s experiences of guilt and shame in end-of-life care. Methods: Study I was a qualitative secondary analysis of 47 interviews with next-of-kin searching for experiences of guilt and shame. In study II a semantic concept analysis of the two concepts guilt and shame was performed. In studies III and IV a hermeneutic approach inspired by Gadamer was used to analyze next-of-kin’s experiences of guilt (Study III), and shame (Study IV) in end-of-life care. Main findings: The concept of guilt focus on behaviour and the concept of shame on the influence on the self.  The situation of being next-of-kin in end-of-life care involves a commitment to make the remaining time for the loved one as good as possible. When, for some reason, the commitment cannot be accomplished there is a risk that the next-of-kin experience guilt such as not having done enough, not having been together during important events, not having talked enough to each other, or not having done the right things. Aspects such as not having fulfilled a commitment, omission, and being the cause of can be present in these experiences. The guilt experience has a focus on what the next-of-kin has, or has not done. The experiences of shame are also linked to a perception that the remaining time for the loved one should be as good as possible. Shame can occur when the next-of-kin is involved and actually causes harm to the loved one as well as in situations that are beyond their control. Shame that the next-of-kin experience can also emanate from being put in situations by other people. Feelings of inferiority and powerlessness, second order shame, and family conflicts that are brought into the open are experiences of shame found in the studies as well as ignominy, humiliation, and disgrace. The shame experience has a focus on the next-of-kin’s self. Conclusion: The situation of being next-of-kin in end-of-life care is complex and demanding, something that health professionals should be aware of. Acknowledgement of experiences of guilt and shame can help the next-of-kin in their adaptation to the end-of-life situation as a whole and maybe also give useful tools to support next-of-kin during bereavement.

Thesis advisor: Joseph J. Pedulla / There is considerable evidence that new teachers are ill prepared for classroom practice, including self-reported evidence collected from teachers (e.g., Levine, 2006), and statistical evidence for differences in the achievement of students with new versus more experienced teachers (Rivkin, Hanushek, and Kain, 2005). In light of the challenges encountered by new teachers (e.g., Levine, 2006), this study examined the value of different forms of teacher knowledge for teachers with different levels of experience. In particular, this study investigated the interactive relationship between teaching experience and teacher content knowledge, and student achievement in mathematics and science. In New York City, Boyd et al. (2009) linked practice-focused teacher preparation to student mathematics achievement in the first year of teaching and teacher content preparation to achievement in the second. However, other studies demonstrated interactions between teaching experience and content knowledge with different interpretations (e.g., Kukla-Acevedo, 2009; Monk, 1994). At the same time, this study examined the interactive relationship between teaching experience and teachers' pedagogical content knowledge, and student achievement. Extant models of teacher career development (Huberman, 1989; National Research Council, 2010) and how teacher education affects student achievement (e.g., Desimone, 2009) offered theoretical grounding for the study. With nationally representative samples of fourth and eighth grade U.S. students--participants in the 2011 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study--this study employed hierarchical linear modeling to address its research questions among an array of student achievement outcomes in the domains of mathematics and science. This study attempted to account for salient student, teacher, and contextual factors, and the probabilities of teachers' receipt of various teacher education "treatments" (i.e., propensity score analysis) to reduce the plausibility of selection threats to internal validity. The study found no evidence for relationships between teacher content knowledge or pedagogical content knowledge and student mathematics and science achievement in fourth and eighth grade. Furthermore, the results indicated no interactive relationships between forms of teacher knowledge and teaching experience, and student achievement in these grades/subjects. The limitations of cross-sectional, observational studies using large-scale data and directions for further research are discussed. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2013. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Research, Measurement, and Evaluation.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate challenges faced by high schools in rural Appalachia in implementing the Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010 (HHFKA). Methodology: We used qualitative, secondary analysis to analyze a collection of thirteen focus groups and 22 interviews conducted in 2013-14 among parents, teachers, and high school students in six counties in rural Appalachian Tennessee (n=98). Results: Five basic themes were identified during the thematic analysis: poor food quality prior to implementation of the HHFKA school nutrition reforms; students’ preference for low-nutrient energy-dense foods; low acceptance of healthier options after implementation of the HHFKA school nutrition reforms; HHFKA school nutrition reforms not tailored to unique needs of under-resourced communities; and students opting out of the National School Lunch Program after implementation of the HHFKA school nutrition reforms. Rural communities face multiple and intersecting challenges in implementing the HHFKA school nutrition reforms. Conclusion: As a result, schools in rural Appalachia may be less likely to derive benefits from these reforms. The ability of rural schools to take advantage of school nutrition reforms to improve student health may depend largely on factors unique to each community or school.

The research was based on a secondary analysis of a qualitative market research study conducted for the SABC on the soap opera Isidingo. The data used in the study includes 10 focus groups, five diaries of loyal soap opera viewers who were asked not to watch Isidingo for a week and keep a record of their experience, a focus group conducted with these viewers after the completion of the deprivation exercise, the market researcher’s field notes, the market research report and the academic researcher’s own reflective diary. The analysis was conducted within a hermeneutic phenomenological interpretive framework. A model for the psychological processes that culminate in positive viewing experiences and audience loyalty to a soap opera is presented. The model illustrates how viewers use soap world knowledge and real world knowledge to interpret the characters and storylines of soap operas and that the degree of enjoyment the viewer experiences from viewing, is dependant on the quality of the mental models formed of these respective components. The role that transportation, realism, social influences and timeslot play in the engagement process is also defined. The study illustrates a hermeneutic phenomenological research pathway for qualitative research and demonstrates how market research can be explicated for academic gain. Copyright / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Psychology / unrestricted

The aim of this study is to validate the Tshivenda learner performance in the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) 2006 in which there is an anomaly in the Tshivenda language group. By comparing the performance of the Tshivenda learners to that of learners who wrote the PIRLS 2006 test in the other official languages, the notion of performance is related to equivalence in translation in that, if the learners wrote equivalent instruments across all official South African languages, then it is possible that the difference in performance was related to different translation equivalence. Therefore, the validation of the learner performance in this study is directly linked to the validation of the translation. The South African national results of PIRLS 2006 revealed that the Tshivenda language speakers, who had written the PIRLS tests in a secondary language, achieved higher scores than those Tshivenda speakers who had written the tests in their mother tongue (Tshivenda). This result was considered an anomaly. This research investigated the role of translation as an influencing factor in learner comprehension, which may have contributed to this anomaly. Some of the procedures and standards set in place for PIRLS 2006 related to translation and verification were examined. Issues of language and culture, with specific reference to the availability of media in Tshivenda are discussed in the literature. Further investigation was conducted into what translation entails including translation and back-translation, equivalence and non-equivalence as well as the comprehension processes required by each of the four released PIRLS 2006 texts. This study is a secondary analysis of data gathered for PIRLS 2006. Permission to use the data was given in 2011 by the Centre for Evaluation and Assessment at the University of Pretoria, the PIRLS National Centre. Details of the original sampling, collection and analysis methods are provided as part of the discussion on the quality assurance, validity and reliability of the original study. The secondary analysis of the data utilised a mixed methods approach which involved Classical Test Theory and Content Analysis in order to accurately explore this data. The results of this study indicated that, despite the fact that the back-translation revealed many errors, the translation did not affect the learners’ level of comprehension. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2015. / tm2015 / Science, Mathematics and Technology Education / MEd / Unrestricted

This study explored the experiences of employed South African Hindu mothers. The purpose of the exploration was to better understand the coping strategies that these mothers used to deal with their work and family role expectations. South African Hindu mothers are a subset of people who originate from traditional or collectivistic, cultural backgrounds, yet, live in a society in which workplaces subscribe to mainly, Western business practices. By exploring the coping strategies of this collectivistic cultural group in South Africa, the implications are relevant to what is known about coping with work and family demands. Secondary analysis of qualitative data led to the findings of this research. Twenty, unstructured, in-depth interviews allowed participants to share their stories as they wanted. From these stories, findings were that South African Hindu mothers used internal psychological processes, and, external processes to cope with their family and work demands. Internal processes included, reappraisal, ideals on duty, guilt, gratitude and acceptance. External processes included coping by externalising feelings, being supported by others, and, planning and organising. The research considers the influence of cultural norms and traditions juxtaposed by a modern way of living in relation to coping with the demands of work and family expectations. Future studies may benefit from building knowledge on how collectivism shapes coping and what is known about coping for additional, collectivistic cultural groups, particularly, within the South African context

This study aims to determine the effect of school conditions on learner reading achievement in primary schools in South Africa. Reading skills are not only imperative for further study but are essential for economic and meaningful citizenship. Initiatives such as the Quality Learning and Teaching Campaign, geared to improve the quality of education for all children and to ensure improved learner achievement have resulted in an increase in educational spending. Despite such initiatives, learner achievement remains poor. In order to measure the relative relationship between school conditions and learner reading achievement, this study focused on selected variables from the PIRLS 2006 South African data, notably from Grade 5 learner reading achievement, teacher and school questionnaires. A secondary data analysis through multiple regression technique was utilised in an attempt to measure those school conditions that may enhance or impede learner reading achievement. This study follows the tradition of school effectiveness research by utilising the context-input-process-output (integrated model for school effectiveness research) model as espoused by Scheerens (2000; 2005). The integrated model was adapted combining school and classroom factors in order to measure the effect of school wide processes on learner reading achievement. Although this study was unable to measure the effect of educational leadership on learner reading achievement, it found significant school and classroom factors associated with learner reading achievement. This study highlights the importance of improving the teaching and learning of literacy across all 11 official languages. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / tm2015 / Science, Mathematics and Technology Education / MEd / Unrestricted

This thesis deals with the success of the two newly formed parties ANO 2011 and Úsvit přímé demokracie Tomia Okamury in the elections to the House of Commons in the Czech Republic in 2013. These two parties gained a substantial percentage of votes and became part of the government despite the fact, that they were established shortly before the elections. In the theoretical part of this thesis, the formation and success of new parties abroad and in the Czech Republic is analysed. The main focus are the voters voting these parties, so there is an extended part dealing with voting behavior in the Czech Republic. Secondary analysis is the research method used in this thesis; its advantages are discussed in the methodological part. Secondary analysis of multiple high quality data sets is used to compare the voters of the new parties and the voters of other established parties. It turns out there are significant differences between these two groups in the areas of sociodemography, political views and experiences and even outlooks on life. The trend of new parties, which started already in the 2010 elections, is obviously continuing and it seems that it is even broadening.