Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2006. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2006. / Title from title screen (site viewed June 8, 2007). PDF text: 97 p. ; 5.12Mb. UMI publication number: AAT 3240048. Includes bibliographical references. Also available in microfilm and microfiche formats.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2006. / Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 178-185). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.

No description available.

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston University

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / This study investigated a style of supervision of student teachers that emphasizes self-reflection as differentiated from supervision that focuses primarily on the logistical matters of teaching. An assumption about self-reflective supervision is that it leads to analytical and critical thinking about the "self" which is beneficial to the education of student teachers. Four special-education student teachers were each videotaped three times while teaching. While viewing themselves on videotape in the presence of the investigator, each participant talked about what they saw of themselves and their teaching. These discussions, audiotaped and transcribed, provided the primary source of data used in the study. The following conceptual categories emerged from an analysis of those data: a) influences on their decisions to teach, b) concepts of teaching, c) responses to being video taped, d) metaphors depicting their teaching, and e) insights. The videotaping and subsequent review and discussion provided participants with an opportunity to a) analyze and critique their language and actions; b) explore what life experiences informed their choices to teach; and c) learn what events and people shaped their concepts and styles of teaching. As a result of examining what the subjects said about their concepts of teaching, the researcher was able to expand Schon's (1983) concept of knowing-in-action into a concept and model that emerged from the analyses of the data, self-reflection before, in, and on action. A heuristic model for self-reflective supervision came forth from examining the data. The study enabled the investigator to learn about what it means to practice self-reflective supervision as part of the preparation of student teachers. / 2031-01-01

This study, influenced by an interest in the history of electricity, explores the problems which many students experience in understanding the phenomena of capacitance, inductance, and electromagnetism related to motors and generators. Interviews were conducted with school pupils, vocational students at technical colleges, and university/polytechnic students in their first two terms of degree courses. Interviewees were encouraged to speak of their difficulties encountered during electrical studies. The conversation was guided towards a prepared framework of questions, supplemented by a number of drawings and diagrams, which were used to probe the students' familiarity with the phenomena and concepts associated with them. The interviews were tape-recorded, and analysed with a view to determining the reasons for the learners' difficulties. Following an introduction commenting on the need for this research, there is a chapter concerned with the pioneers whose discoveries laid the foundations for capacitive and inductive Knowledge. Then follows a chapter which considers some of the principal writings of the distinguished early electricians and electrical educators, with a survey of important textbooks for the three classes of learners. The next chapters give extracts from the interviews, and discuss the data obtained. An important conclusion is that the majority of students of electricity fall into two distinct categories: "Visualizers" and "Mathematics", and that difficulties can arise when the needs of each are not well served by the instruction received or the textbooks used. Misunderstandings at an early stage of electrical education can be carried forward to higher education. In the final chapter recommendations are made for improving the opportunities which could be given to both "Visualizers" and "Mathematics" to master the electrical fundamentals - these include the study of neglected historical texts, and the repetition of pioneers' original experiments.

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Boston University

The prevalence of obesity is increasing and due to its associated co-morbidities (WHO, 2011) obese people are at greater risk of being hospitalised. While it is evident that student nurses will increasingly be caring for obese patients, there has been a scarcity of studies exploring student nurses' conceptualisation of obesity and participation in obese patients' care. The aims of this study were to explore student nurses' care of obese patients and the meaning they assigned to obesity. I utilised an ethnographic approach that included 305 hours of participant observation of student nurses (n=11), qualified nurses (n=11), nurse managers (n=3) and health care assistants (n=10) in three hospital settings in Wales (orthopaedic, gynaecological-surgical, and respiratory). Data also included semi-structured interviews with student nurses (n=7), documentary analysis and the technique of drawing pictures. The thematic analysis generated three themes: 'student nurses' encounters with obese patients', 'constructing the meaning of obesity: the culture and context of care', and 'the consequences of student nurses' involvement with obese patients' care'. Student nurses found the intensity and frequency of their involvement with obese patients' care challenging, particularly in the areas of interaction, food and nutrition, physical care and moving and handling. Integral to their conceptualisation of obesity were student nurses' cultural norms and values, their limited knowledge regarding obese patients' care, professional socialisation, organisational constraints, and patients' contribution to their care. Student nurses felt disempowered because of the emotional and physical labour they experienced when caring for obese patients. In turn, they participated in the exercise of power over obese patients with both intended and unintended consequences. Equally important was the 'covert liking' (Johnson, 1997) that some students felt towards obese patients who engaged in empowering acts of care to compensate for others' controlling behaviours. The findings provided insights into the student experience of caring for obese patients and raised issues related to the role of culture and context of care in student nurses' conceptualisation of obesity. Drawing on Foucault's (1976) notion of power facilitated understanding of the significance of obesity-related discourses and associated power inequalities in clinical practice. Changes in nurse education and practice are proposed to ensure that nurses are adequately prepared to care for obese patients.

Transition of the newly qualified nurses from an educational focus to professional practitioner has long been identified as a conflicted time of critical personal and professional adjustment and staggering reality shock. This study explored the experiences of newly qualified R425 professional nurses during their first year of practice in the Eastern Cape Province at three selected hospitals. The study followed a qualitative, exploratory, descriptive design using a phenomenological approach. The sample included newly qualified professional nurses in their first year of employment. Convenience sampling was used to select the participants. Data collection was conducted by means of semi-structured interviews from ten (n=10) participants. Each interview took about 45 minutes. Ethical codes of research were followed. Data was coded manually and analyzed using content analysis Four themes and seven subthemes emerged from the data collected The findings revealed positive experiences such as sense of belonging and feelings of independence; negative experiences such as feelings of rejection, as well as management challenges The study identified challenges which impacted on the performance of new nurses, namely shortage of human and material resources and inadequate support in the working environment Recommendation: Introducing mandatory education by service institutions on transition as well as extended, sequential and structured orientation and mentoring programs for newly qualified professional nurses as this will assist them in their career development Managers to use different strategies in enhancing quality environments in order to reduce frustration for these newly qualified nurses.