In many countries the introduction of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), especially computers, into schools has been praised as the necessary (although not without problems) course of action for the qualitative improvement of teaching and learning methodology. However, one of the greatest barriers inhibiting the successful adoption of a range of strategies to improve learning in a new technologically enriched framework is resistance from teachers who may feel threatened and disempowered by the change brought about by the introduction of technology into their classrooms. The purpose of the study was to investigate the factors that influence the self-efficacy of teachers in the foundation phase: Which factors influence the computer self-efficacy of foundation phase teachers? What is the relation between the identified factors and the computer self-efficacy of teachers? 0 What are the implications of the results for future training of foundation phase teachers? All teachers (N=34) in the foundation phase in the central region of Lichtenburg, a town in the Northwest province of South Africa, participated in the study. They completed a questionnaire, which consisted of two sections: The first section determined the teachers' computer self-efficacy. a The second section identified the possible factors that may influence the computer self efficacy of foundation phase teachers. To ensure that all possible data, with regard to factors that might affect teachers' computer self efficacy, were collected, the researcher also made use of interviews and observations. The data was analysed by using frequency distributions, Pearson product-moment correlations as well as Analysis of Variance, (ANOVA). The results regarding age and computer efficacy was analysed using ANOVA. The results showed a slight difference in the computer efficacy of the teachers from different age groups. Therefore, it may be possible to enhance the computer efficacy of teachers from any age group. The results indicated a relation between the computer self-efficacy of foundation phase teachers and some of the identified factors, namely formal training, computer experience and school support. The relation was statistically as well as practically significant. Age and access to a computer did not seem to have a statistically significant effect on computer self-efficacy. The results of this study have implications for teacher training. Computer training will be to the benefit of Foundation phase teachers. Explicit guidance on the choice and use of software and the integration thereof with teaching methods is essential, because computer technology is an integrated part of the 21st century generation of learners. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.

The purpose of this capstone is to develop a program to address health literacy among African American adults. The social cognitive theory and the health belief model was used to create a model of an age appropriate, culturally sensitive program with a pre and post test to improve the health literacy in this population. The Community Health Literacy Improvement Program (CHIP) is a pilot program that will consist of a four week didactic intervention focused on combating prose, document, and quantitative health illiteracy. This program will be implemented through a community based nonprofit organization. Participants who complete the CHIP program will be able to identify risk factors for chronic diseases, assess their ability to avoid chronic diseases, and be able to locate community health resources. This proposed intervention will show that community based nonprofit organizations have an important role to play in building community buy in and establishing the agency necessary for community based, culturally sensitive programs such as CHIP to succeed.

The current study tests a social-cognitive model of bystander responses to bullying in an attempt to better understand why bystanders respond as they do. Three forms of bystander responses were predicted by adult and friend responses to bullying and the bystander’s reasons for intervening. The present study involved 326 children from grades 4-8 who completed the PREVNet Assessment Survey, a novel wide-ranging measure of bullying phenomena. Sound psychometric properties were found for the four measures used in the present study. In elucidating the effects of social context, the differential impact of adult and friend responses on bystander responses was examined. Results indicate that friends are more influential than are adults in predicting bystander responses. Further, results of serial multiple mediation analysis generally support a social-cognitive model, suggesting that social context impacts intervention reasoning, which in turn, impact bystander responses. Implications for future research and policy are discussed. / SSHRC Joseph-Armand Bombardier CGS Master's Scholarship

Bullying is a pervasive problem in schools, but more recent attention has been given to bullying that takes place via electronic media. To study electronic bullying and aggression effectively research needs to consider the unique qualities of the electronic medium including its capacity for anonymity, disinhibition, public forum, and under-regulated content. Electronic bullying does not occur in isolation; therefore it must be studied in relation to peer processes that occur in the “real world.” Research has neither uncovered the potential “real world” precursors of electronic bullying and aggression nor has it uncovered how students perceive the harmfulness of electronic aggression. The two studies presented here fill these gaps in the literature. The first study examined the precursors of electronic bullying and victimization in a sample of grade 9 and 10 students who were followed longitudinally. Students were administered questionnaires assessing electronic bullying/victimization, perceived harm of electronic aggression, empathy, normative beliefs, and prosocial behavior. The results indicated that “real world” behaviors such as verbal bullying and prosocial behavior were precursors of electronic bullying, while victimization by social bullying and social aggression were precursors for electronic victimization. In addition, females, older students, and students with less prosocial behavior were at risk for involvement in electronic bullying. Implications for these findings include the importance of integrating interventions that foster positive behavior in the “real world” and online, particularly for students at highest risk for involvement. The second study examined students’ harm perceptions of electronic aggression and how similar behavioral and cognitive factors may also influence perceptions of electronic aggression. Cross-sectional data were collected from students in grades 7 through 9 who were administered the same questionnaires above. Electronic bullying was perceived as more harmful than physical and social aggression, particularly for girls and students with highly prosocial behavior. Thus, electronic aggression is a very serious issue for students and education is needed to change the social norms for acceptable behavior in cyberspace. Consistent with social-cognitive theory, similar demographics and behaviors predicted electronic behavior and perceptions. Future research should continue to extend the social-cognitive model to electronic conflict. / Thesis (Master, Psychology) -- Queen's University, 2009-09-22 21:15:56.732

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This study examines the use of songs, poems and drama to raise awareness of, and respond to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Nakuru, Kenya. The primary focus is that of youth-oriented interventions, but additional examples are also examined and analyzed. A qualitative approach is used and the study is based on semi-structured interviews with teachers, performers, students, NGO-representatives and former students conducted during four weeks in November and December 2012. Additionally, songs, poems and dramas have been collected and observed and finally analyzed using a theoretical framework that combines the Health Belief Model, the Social Cognitive Theory as well as principles of the research discipline of Medical Ethnomusicology. The study shows that songs, poems and drama are important methods to communicate messages and play an important role in shaping the local HIV/AIDS discourse. Due to its effectiveness, it is vital that the messages promoted are culturally appropriate as well as correct since the study shows that false information through these methods can hamper a desired behavior change.

Career opportunities for women were limited until the 1970s. Teaching is a profession women have long pursued. The purpose of the study was to determine if differences exist in Kentucky women teachers’ demographic characteristics and career choice outcomes by age cohort/era. The population consisted of women who lived in the state of Kentucky and the teacher sample consisted of 110 females, ranging in age from 25-74. Findings from this study were examined through the Social Cognitive Career Theory’s (SCCT) three constructs: self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and personal goals. Five key influences were reviewed from literature: age, resources, educational attainment, teaching responsibilities, and motherhood. The educational level of all women in this sample consisted of respondents earning a bachelor’s degree or higher, with the majority having obtained a master’s degree. It was found that the teacher sample of the Kentucky Women’s Educational Attainment Study was highly influenced by their educational and occupational decisions. They were influenced by their personal values and family in their marriage and parenting decisions. Personal goals, outcome expectations, and self-efficacy were being met for these teachers by accomplishing their education and career goals while balancing their parenting choices.

Bakgrund: Rehabilitering inom slutenvården innefattar ett samarbete mellan undersköterska och sjukgymnast. Undersköterskor har en viktig roll i rehabiliteringen men det saknas forskning om deras uppfattningar kring sin roll. Syfte: Att undersöka undersköterskors erfarenheter av delaktighet i sjukgymnastisk rehabilitering av patienter på en vårdavdelning inom slutenvården. Metod: En kvalitativ design med induktiv ansats användes. Datainsamlingen gjordes i form av semistrukturerade gruppintervjuer med undersköterskor. Materialet analyserades sedan med hjälp av kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Resultat: Analysen resulterade i fem kategorier som blev två teman, Känsla av att vara viktiga och god egen tilltro till sin förmåga at utföra rehabiliterande insatser samt Samarbetet kring rehabiliteringen påverkas av individerna och omgivningen. Diskussion: Resultatet visar att undersköterskornas känsla av delaktighet påverkas av konsekvenser, individer, beteende och omgivning vilket kan ses i förhållande till den operanta inlärningsteorin och den socialkognitiva teorin. Slutsats: Undersköterskorna känner sig delaktiga i rehabilitering då de är engagerade, aktivt medverkande och känner att de är till nytta. En svaghet i delaktigheten är att kommunikationen kring rehabiliteringen upplevs vara bristfällig och därmed minskar undersköterskornas medinflytande. Vidare anser författarna att en upprepning av studien behövs samt att det saknas forskning om effekten av undersköterskors arbete och deras uppfattningar kring detta. Nyckelord: fysioterapi, kvalitativ forskning, sjukgymnastik, socialkognitiv teori, vårdpersonal / Background: Rehabilitation within hospital care involves teamwork between assistant nurses and physiotherapists. Assistant nurses have an important role in rehabilitation but there is a lack of research regarding their perceptions of their role. Aim: To investigate the assistant nurses’ experiences of participation in physiotherapy rehabilitation of patients in hospital care. Method: A qualitative design with inductive approach was used. The data was collected through semi-structured group interviews with assistant nurses and the material was analysed using qualitative content analysis. Result: The analysis resulted in five categories which became two themes, Good self-confidence and feeling of being important in the rehabilitation and Collaboration regarding the rehabilitation is affected by the individuals and the environment. Discussion: The assistant nurses’ perceptions of their participation is affected by consequences, individuals, behaviour and environment which is confirmed by the social cognitive theory and the operant conditioning theory. Conclusions: The assistant nurses experience participation in the rehabilitation because they are engaged, actively involved and feel useful. A weakness in their participation is insufficient communication about the rehabilitation. The authors consider that a replication of the study and more research on assistant nurses’ perceptions and the usefulness of their work are required. Keywords: nursing staff, physiotherapy, social cognitive theory, qualitative research

Increasing fruit and vegetable intake is important to obesity prevention but children’s vegetable intake remains low. This study aimed to enhance parent vegetable serving behaviour and child vegetable intake through an 8-week theory-based family cooking program. Sixty-five families with children aged 9-13 (11.1 ±1.4) were randomized into a home activity program or home activity plus cooking workshop program. There was no significant increase in parent vegetable serving habits or children’s intake. Both interventions enhanced feeding practices (F (1, 63) = 42.09, p=.000, ɳ2=0.40) and reduced perceived barriers (F (1, 63) = 13.01, p=.001, ɳ2=.017). Children in the cooking workshop condition liked vegetables more (F (1, 63) = 3.87, p=.050, ɳ2=0.06) and had greater diet-disease awareness (F (1, 63) = 3.97, p=.050, ɳ2=0.06) at follow-up (statistic). Family engagement in cooking was successful in enhancing some psychosocial measures for both children and parents, particularly for those receiving cooking workshops. A low sample size and sampling bias may have masked other findings. / Graduate / 0570 / 0573 / dtrill@uvic.ca

In many countries the introduction of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), especially computers, into schools has been praised as the necessary (although not without problems) course of action for the qualitative improvement of teaching and learning methodology. However, one of the greatest barriers inhibiting the successful adoption of a range of strategies to improve learning in a new technologically enriched framework is resistance from teachers who may feel threatened and disempowered by the change brought about by the introduction of technology into their classrooms. The purpose of the study was to investigate the factors that influence the self-efficacy of teachers in the foundation phase: Which factors influence the computer self-efficacy of foundation phase teachers? What is the relation between the identified factors and the computer self-efficacy of teachers? 0 What are the implications of the results for future training of foundation phase teachers? All teachers (N=34) in the foundation phase in the central region of Lichtenburg, a town in the Northwest province of South Africa, participated in the study. They completed a questionnaire, which consisted of two sections: The first section determined the teachers' computer self-efficacy. a The second section identified the possible factors that may influence the computer self efficacy of foundation phase teachers. To ensure that all possible data, with regard to factors that might affect teachers' computer self efficacy, were collected, the researcher also made use of interviews and observations. The data was analysed by using frequency distributions, Pearson product-moment correlations as well as Analysis of Variance, (ANOVA). The results regarding age and computer efficacy was analysed using ANOVA. The results showed a slight difference in the computer efficacy of the teachers from different age groups. Therefore, it may be possible to enhance the computer efficacy of teachers from any age group. The results indicated a relation between the computer self-efficacy of foundation phase teachers and some of the identified factors, namely formal training, computer experience and school support. The relation was statistically as well as practically significant. Age and access to a computer did not seem to have a statistically significant effect on computer self-efficacy. The results of this study have implications for teacher training. Computer training will be to the benefit of Foundation phase teachers. Explicit guidance on the choice and use of software and the integration thereof with teaching methods is essential, because computer technology is an integrated part of the 21st century generation of learners. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.