Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / The rationale to embark upon this research is based on the notion that stories are effective tools to support the teacher in implementing the curriculum as an entity instead of fragmented sections. Learning Outcome 1 outlined in the Revised National Curriculum Statement (DoE, 2002a:14) Languages Policy Document of the Grade R section states that the learner should be able to … [understand] short, simple stories …” by “ … [joining] in choruses at appropriate points … [draw] a picture of the story … [connect] the story to his own life …”. The goals of the proposed curriculum necessitated an investigation to firstly, establish whether stories are in fact used and if so how the stories are used. Secondly, I explored whether stories are integrated with other subjects in the curriculum. In the research the teachers were also assisted to expose Grade R children to stories whereby they could deal with traumas such as HIV and AIDS. The research was conducted before the implementation of CAPS (DBE, 2011b) but in the recommendations a model based on CAPS is proposed. The research was conducted with Grade R children therefore it was important to adhere to ethical considerations, such as anonymity and a protocol to follow the school programme. Of importance was to observe when you work with children you should acknowledge the sensitivity around their privacy and emotional needs especially with regards to fears and traumas. Based on the assumption by Levine and Foster as cited in Jackson (2000: 276) that “... story telling ... art, and music could be healing tools”, there seemed to be a need to research whether these were used as learning materials to empower teachers in Grade R classes. The literature underpins the theoretical framework. The theoretical framework was based on story theory and the integrated approach. In order to assess the approaches of teachers I applied an epistemological paradigm emanating from a qualitative framework which was embedded in a constructivist/interpretivist approach. The research design was a case study. I used interviews and questionnaires as research instruments. Triangulation was applied to validate my findings. In analysing the types of stories, it served to establish which kinds of stories appealed to the target group and what effect these stories had on the children. The integration of stories and other areas in the curriculum possibly gave more scope for optimal utilisation of the imagination of children. It was imperative to determine how teachers could be assisted to implement an approach whereby the imagination of a child is stimulated and optimally utilised in order to develop linguistic and social skills, as well as help learners to cope with trauma. The research was conducted in Grade R classes in the Western Cape, representing various strata of society namely a previously disadvantaged state school, a former model C school, a privately funded institution and a non-governmental institution. Ultimately the research was driven with the intention that once the approach had been negotiated and implemented the children and teachers would benefit. The types of stories and activities in the programmes presented were of great significance. It also called for creative and innovative teachers, who were not only acquainted with the circumstances of all the children they taught, but similarly equally sensitive to the circumstances of the children. The findings were informed by the data gathered at the schools, based on the main research questions and the subsidiary questions. Most teachers recognised the importance and value of stories as well as the significance of integration. However, the integration was mostly reserved for language lessons. The main recommendations are with regards to the teaching approaches to integrate lessons, selections of stories to integrate lessons, an environment conducive to integration of lessons and the role of the education department.

The purpose of this study was to examine the utilization of imagery and the impact of imagery use on collegiate synchronized swimmers. Swimmers (N=165) completed The Sport Imagery Questionnaire (Hall et al. 2005), reporting their frequency of imaging. Interviews were conducted (N=11) to further ascertain why and when synchronized swimmers use imagery and mechanisms they employ for more effective imaging experiences. Exploratory factor analyses indicated three of Hall et al's (2005) five subscales showed significant differences between skill level groups. Specifically, motivational specific functions of imagery data showed significant differences between elite swimmers and the other three groups (advanced, intermediate, and novice). Cognitive specific and motivational general-mastery functions of imagery data indicated significant differences between elite and novice swimmers, suggesting that novice swimmers are less likely to use these subscales of imagery compared to elite swimmers. Qualitative data provided evidence of elite swimmers having more sophisticated and developed applications of imaging skills. The results suggest the global implications of this study and how imagery improves synchronized swimming training programs. Key findings include: Each progressive skill level had better imaging skills and utilization than the lower levels Years experience, repetition, and training impact synchronized swimmers use of imagery The very nature of certain common synchronized swimming drills such as "think-throughs and land drill" elicit imaging training The sport of synchronized swimming is an excellent instrument to research imaging training techniques.

Läsförståelse är något som visats vara nödvändigt vid angripande av texter i samtliga ämnen av grundskolan (Alatalo, 2011). Trots dess betydelse har undersökning, utförd av Programme for International Student Assessment [PISA] 2012 (refererad i Skolverket, 2013) synliggjort hur svenska elevers läsförståelse sjunkit i jämförelse med tidigare år.   Syftet med studien är att undersöka hur sex lärare i årskurs 2 beskriver att lässtrategier används i undervisningen för att utveckla elevers läsförståelse. Studien tar sin utgångspunkt i det sociokulturella perspektivet, vilket gav utrymme att undersöka lärande och utveckling.  För att kunna ta del av lärarnas beskrivningar samlades materialet in i form av kvalitativa intervjuer. Resultatet har ordnats i fem teman, sammanhang i olika skolämnen, olika former av gemensamma sammanhang, individuella sammanhang, läraren som verktyg i undervisningen samt olika metoder, modeller och redskap som verktyg i undervisningen.   Slutsatsen är att lärarna beskriver att de undervisar i lässtrategier i fler olika sammanhang för att utveckla elevers läsförståelse, däremot framkommer det variation i hur de arbetar med det beroende på vilket sammanhang de undervisar i. Fortsättningsvis visar resultatet att lärarna använder flera olika typer av verktyg i undervisning med lässtrategier, verktygen lyfts fram som avgörande för att elever ska utveckla läsförståelse / Reading comprehension is something that has been shown to be necessary in processing text in all primary school subjects (Alatalo, 2011). Despite that importance, a survey conducted by the Programme for International Student Assessment [PISA] 2012 (referenced in Skolverket, 2013) shows that the reading comprehension of Swedish pupils has dropped, in comparison with previous investigations.   The purpose of this study is to examine how six teachers in second grade describe how reading strategies are used in teaching to develop pupils’ reading comprehension. The study is based on the sociocultural perspective, which gave space to do research about learning and developing. The material was gathered through qualitative interviews in order to take part of the teachers’ descriptions. The result has been organized in five themes; context in different subjects, different forms of joint connection, individual context and the teacher as a tool in teaching and different methods, models and gear as tools in teaching.   The conclusion is that the teachers describe that they are teaching reading strategies in different contexts to develop their students' reading comprehension. It also reveals that the variation in how they work with the reading strategies depends on the context in which they teach. Henceforth, the result shows that the teachers use several different types of tools in teaching reading strategies, tools that the teachers highlighted as crucial for students to develop reading comprehension.

The induction of labor is medically indicated for many conditions in which delivering the baby outweighs the risk of continuing the pregnancy. Patients admitted for the induction of labor require adequate information to actively participate in decision making that affects their plan of care. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to improve the quality of healthcare delivery and promote patient engagement by providing consistent education using a teaching tool. The project question addressed the impact of a labor-induction teaching tool on improving patient education, participation, and overall satisfaction. The Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) model was used to plan, implement, and evaluate the labor-induction teaching tool in a 9-room labor and delivery unit that averages approximately 1,500 births per year. The teaching tool content was obtained from existing patient education information from the organization's resource library. The nurses piloted the teaching tool for all patients admitted for the induction of labor for 3 weeks. Patient comments supported the use of the teaching tool to improve knowledge, increase participation in decision making, and enhance overall satisfaction. The nurses voluntarily completed an online survey that indicated the teaching tool was easy to use, positively impacted workflow, and supported informed choice. Patient charts were audited and showed a 94% compliance with documentation of education. The success of the teaching tool in improving patient education and decision-making capacity supports the development of other teaching tools, encourages patient and family-centered care, and improves the delivery of quality care.

No ambiente universitário, um grande esforço é feito para disponibilizar ferramentas que facilitem aos graduandos, desde o início do curso, a fazer uma correlação entre conteúdos matemáticos abstratos e sua aplicação em uma realidade física, objetivando não apenas a melhor compreensão e fixação de conceitos físicos e matemáticos, mas estimulando o interesse do aluno a estes conceitos. Este trabalho propõe uma ferramenta de simulação de topologias variáveis, que possibilita uma realimentação visual de um sistema descrito através dos dispositivos físicos que o constituem, permitindo ao aluno a interatividade com processo simulado, e uma mais fácil associação com a dinâmica do sistema estudado, pontos-chave na utilização de experimentos para fixação e compreensão de conceitos de controle. Esta ferramenta implementará um algoritmo de simulação em blocos, onde cada bloco é processado individualmente em termos de suas entradas e saídas, proporcionando uma relação direta entre cada aspecto do experimento físico e cada bloco funcional utilizado na simulação. Como os blocos são simulados separadamente, existe também uma relação direta entre as grandezas mensuráveis no experimento físico e as grandezas utilizadas na interligação entre os blocos na simulação. / In the university environment, a great effort is done to make available tools that allow undergraduate students, from the beginning of the course, to correlate abstract mathematical concepts and their application in a physical reality, aiming not only at a better comprehension and fixation of physical and mathematical concepts, but also stimulating the student interest in this concepts. This work proposes a variable topology simulation tool, which allows a visual feedback of a system described using physical devices, enabling the student to interact with the simulated system, key points in the utilization of experiments for the comprehension and fixation of control concepts. This tool will implement an block simulation algorithm , where each block is processed individually, in terms of its inputs and outputs, providing a direct relantionship between between each aspets of the physical experiment and each functional block used in the simulation. Since the blocks are simulated separately, there is also a direct relantionship between the measurable values on the physical experiment and the values used on the interconnection between blocks on the simulation.

No ambiente universitário, um grande esforço é feito para disponibilizar ferramentas que facilitem aos graduandos, desde o início do curso, a fazer uma correlação entre conteúdos matemáticos abstratos e sua aplicação em uma realidade física, objetivando não apenas a melhor compreensão e fixação de conceitos físicos e matemáticos, mas estimulando o interesse do aluno a estes conceitos. Este trabalho propõe uma ferramenta de simulação de topologias variáveis, que possibilita uma realimentação visual de um sistema descrito através dos dispositivos físicos que o constituem, permitindo ao aluno a interatividade com processo simulado, e uma mais fácil associação com a dinâmica do sistema estudado, pontos-chave na utilização de experimentos para fixação e compreensão de conceitos de controle. Esta ferramenta implementará um algoritmo de simulação em blocos, onde cada bloco é processado individualmente em termos de suas entradas e saídas, proporcionando uma relação direta entre cada aspecto do experimento físico e cada bloco funcional utilizado na simulação. Como os blocos são simulados separadamente, existe também uma relação direta entre as grandezas mensuráveis no experimento físico e as grandezas utilizadas na interligação entre os blocos na simulação. / In the university environment, a great effort is done to make available tools that allow undergraduate students, from the beginning of the course, to correlate abstract mathematical concepts and their application in a physical reality, aiming not only at a better comprehension and fixation of physical and mathematical concepts, but also stimulating the student interest in this concepts. This work proposes a variable topology simulation tool, which allows a visual feedback of a system described using physical devices, enabling the student to interact with the simulated system, key points in the utilization of experiments for the comprehension and fixation of control concepts. This tool will implement an block simulation algorithm , where each block is processed individually, in terms of its inputs and outputs, providing a direct relantionship between between each aspets of the physical experiment and each functional block used in the simulation. Since the blocks are simulated separately, there is also a direct relantionship between the measurable values on the physical experiment and the values used on the interconnection between blocks on the simulation.

No ambiente universitário, um grande esforço é feito para disponibilizar ferramentas que facilitem aos graduandos, desde o início do curso, a fazer uma correlação entre conteúdos matemáticos abstratos e sua aplicação em uma realidade física, objetivando não apenas a melhor compreensão e fixação de conceitos físicos e matemáticos, mas estimulando o interesse do aluno a estes conceitos. Este trabalho propõe uma ferramenta de simulação de topologias variáveis, que possibilita uma realimentação visual de um sistema descrito através dos dispositivos físicos que o constituem, permitindo ao aluno a interatividade com processo simulado, e uma mais fácil associação com a dinâmica do sistema estudado, pontos-chave na utilização de experimentos para fixação e compreensão de conceitos de controle. Esta ferramenta implementará um algoritmo de simulação em blocos, onde cada bloco é processado individualmente em termos de suas entradas e saídas, proporcionando uma relação direta entre cada aspecto do experimento físico e cada bloco funcional utilizado na simulação. Como os blocos são simulados separadamente, existe também uma relação direta entre as grandezas mensuráveis no experimento físico e as grandezas utilizadas na interligação entre os blocos na simulação. / In the university environment, a great effort is done to make available tools that allow undergraduate students, from the beginning of the course, to correlate abstract mathematical concepts and their application in a physical reality, aiming not only at a better comprehension and fixation of physical and mathematical concepts, but also stimulating the student interest in this concepts. This work proposes a variable topology simulation tool, which allows a visual feedback of a system described using physical devices, enabling the student to interact with the simulated system, key points in the utilization of experiments for the comprehension and fixation of control concepts. This tool will implement an block simulation algorithm , where each block is processed individually, in terms of its inputs and outputs, providing a direct relantionship between between each aspets of the physical experiment and each functional block used in the simulation. Since the blocks are simulated separately, there is also a direct relantionship between the measurable values on the physical experiment and the values used on the interconnection between blocks on the simulation.

Background: The School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, University of Bradford, is keen to evaluate the potential benefits of digital tools to enhance the teaching and learning of all M.Pharm. students. Students are increasingly using digital technology for both educational and social purposes (Cheston et al., 2013). This project explored the views of pharmacy students about digital technology, including social media, for teaching in the M.Pharm. programme. Method: Convenience sampling was employed to recruit M.Pharm. students for focus groups. Each focus group, facilitated by student researchers with topic guide, was audio-recorded and analysed for themes. Ethics approval was obtained from the University. Results: Year 2 and 3 students from two focus groups (n1=8 (6 male), n2=10 (8 male)) identified three main digital teaching tools used in the current programme: Blackboard, response clickers, and iSTAN. Blackboard, a virtual learning environment, was seen as a hub for holding all required learning materials. However, its use depended on internet access and some felt they would benefit from offline use and improved compatibility with different devices. Audience response systems and a human patient stimulator were well received by students. However, participants strongly felt that they were underutilised. The main benefit of using social media for learning was instant feedback and the encouragement of informal discussions. Participants were not always comfortable posting within the current digital tools used in the programme (e.g. Blackboard) as they felt ‘monitored’. However, participants acknowledged that information obtained through social media might not be as reliable as information from digital tools moderated by academics. Interestingly, participants reported a lack of engagement with programme specific social media pages (e.g. Facebook page). They felt that the information provided was aimed at qualified pharmacists, rather than current students. Conclusion: Participants valued accessibility, flexibility and availability of instant feedback when using digital tools to support their learning. They felt positive about the digital tools used within the programme but emphasised the need of greater integration. References Cheston, C.C., Flickinger, T.E. & Chisom, M.S. (2013). Social media use in medical education: a systematic review. Academic Medicine, 88(6), 893-901

Background: Technological developments have facilitated the storage of patient records, enabled electronic prescribing, dispensing and the administration of medicines (Goundrey-Smith, 2014). These innovations are increasingly being used, requiring pharmacists to further develop digital capability. The School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, University of Bradford, is keen to explore ways to better equip M.Pharm. graduates with the necessary skills to confidently practise in the modern digital environment. This project explored student and staff perspectives of current digital teaching tools in relation to preparedness for the first day of practice.

With the spread of synchronous and asynchronous online teaching tools, it has become necessary to identify factors and challenges influencing faculty member adoption of online teaching into teaching practice at Saudi universities. The parallel convergent mixed method was used as the methodology for this study and was conducted in three Saudi universities; Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University, King Faisal University, and University of Bisha. The total number of responses from the study instrument was about 124; Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University 49, King Faisal University 41, and the University of Bisha 34. The theoretical framework for this study was the Decomposed Theory of Planned Behavior (DTPB) modal. The collection of quantitative and qualitative data as convergent parallel mixed methods was in one phase and concurrently included close-ended and open-ended questions. The data were separately analyzed quantitative and qualitative. The questionnaire instrument was constructed in four parts: (1) faculty demographic information, (2) technologies faculty use most with online teaching, (3) the use of online teaching and learning tools, and (4) utilization of online tools. The first and second sections of the survey instrument were focused on faculty demographics such as gender, age, academic rank, teaching experiences, department or college, nationality, type of contract, and years of experience teaching online courses. Additional information about faculty's most used technologies (such as possession of personal home technology tools, provision of a university office computer, connection to the Internet at a university, and connection to the Internet at home) for online teaching were also collected. Items pertaining to faculty perceptions of challenges associated with using online teaching tools in their teaching practice were also included in the second section of the survey. A 5-point Likert-scale was used for participant responses with 5=Always, 4=Mostly, 3=Moderate, 2=Seldom, and 1=Never. The findings of faculty demographic information and the type of technologies faculty uses most with online teaching that the quantitative findings of the ANOVA for the first part of the analysis, there were no significant differences identified for gender, faculty members' academic rank and experience, nationality, and contract types in relation to the use of university-provided resources for online teaching tools. However, significant differences were found among faculty members based on age, university departments or colleges, and the experience levels of faculty members for using university-provided resources for online teaching tools. In the second part of the ANOVA analysis, which involved comparisons of the variables, there were no significant differences found based on faculty members' age, university, academic rank or experience level, or gender to use a personal digital resource at home. However, the findings from the ANOVA analysis indicated that there were significant differences found for faculty and using personal digital resources. Differences were found between the three different university contract types. Specifically, faculty with non-renewable contracts were found to use personal resources more than those with renewable contracts. Additionally, differences were also found based on nationality, in that Saudi faculty use significantly more personal resources. For the use of online teaching and learning tool's part based on Decomposed Theory of Planned Behavior (DTPB) modal to the attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. The attitude findings of the qualitative faculty members indicated that their choices to engage with online teaching tools were greatly influenced by the perceived usefulness of online teaching during COVID-19. This was related to their flexible and interactive nature. Additionally, the quantitative findings showed that the perceived usefulness was significantly impacted by faculty attitudes toward using online tools in their teaching practices. The findings that qualitative findings from this study revealed the individual intentions of faculty in terms of selecting online and digital tools for online instruction that was based on their assessments of expected difficulty toward the outcomes of intended behavior. However, the quantitative findings indicated that peer influence, student influence, and superior influence were significant factors affecting faculty members' subjective norms. Finally, the quantitative findings of perceived behavioral control indicated the significance of facilitating conditions, technology, and resources as factors that affect faculty members' behavioral control over online teaching in this study. The qualitative result indicated that faculty members were engaged in online teaching positively despite the difficulties and challenges and perceived significant usefulness in utilizing various online and digital teaching tools. / Doctor of Philosophy / This descriptive study investigated the factors and challenges influencing faculty member adoption of online teaching into teaching practice at Saudi universities. This study aims to (1) identify whether the differences that exist in Saudi faculty members' use of online tools can be associated with factors such as gender, age, academic rank, teaching experience, department or college, nationality, type of contract, possession of personal online and digital tools at home, provision of a university office with online and digital tools, connection to the Internet at a university, and connection to the Internet at home, (2) determine the perceived advantages and disadvantages for faculty members using online teaching in the instructional process, (3) determine perceived challenges for faculty members using online teaching in the instructional process. The parallel convergent mixed method was used as the methodology for this study and was conducted in three Saudi universities; Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University, King Faisal University, and University of Bisha. The total number of responses from the study instrument was about 124; Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University 49, King Faisal University 41, and the University of Bisha 34. The theoretical framework for this study was the Decomposed Theory of Planned Behavior (DTPB) modal. The collection of quantitative and qualitative data as convergent parallel mixed methods was in one phase and concurrently included close-ended and open-ended questions. However, both quantitative and qualitative findings indicated that their choices to engage with online teaching tools were greatly influenced by the perceived usefulness of online teaching during COVID-19 and the perceived usefulness was significantly impacted by faculty members' attitudes. The qualitative findings from this study revealed the individual intentions of faculty in terms of selecting online and digital tools for online instruction. This was based on their assessments of expected difficulty toward the outcomes of intended behavior (Yao et al., 2022). For example, faculty members indicated that they used online teaching tools because such tools were easy to operate and provided ample opportunity to interact with several students at the same time. However, faculty members also indicated perceived difficulty and complexity associated with online digital tools. On the other hand, quantitative findings indicated that peer influence, student influence, and superior influence were significant factors affecting faculty members' subjective norms. Finally, the findings from this study indicated that faculty members were engaged in online teaching positively despite the difficulties and challenges. However, they perceived significant usefulness in utilizing various online and digital teaching tools.