The operation and development of Western Australian senior secondary schools is based upon traditional theories of organisational management and school administration. The study sought to explore alternative conceptions of the nature of schools and the processes by which they can be improved.Examination of research on school effectiveness revealed that student learning outcomes were consequential on the values and norms of the staff of schools. These values and norms constitute the culture of a school and govern the professional activity of teachers. School culture can be contrasted with the formal school organisation in which the work of teachers is prescribed by explicit rules and regulations. Viewing schools from a cultural rather than organisational perspective requires conceptualising the school as a learning community. A learning community is bonded together by common expectations about the roles of teachers and the learning of students. The predominant consideration is the educative mission of the school and not the requirements of the formal organisation. Organisational development is viewed as cultural transformation. The improvement of the school is facilitated by the growth of a school culture which is supportive of the professional needs of teachers and the educative needs of students.The study utilised a developmental mixed-method research approach to investigate the nature, temporal stability and improvement of the culture of local senior secondary schools.A quantitative instrument was developed to measure aspects of school culture identified in the school effectiveness literature. The School Cultural Elements Questionnaire (SCEQ) provided a measure of the level of teacher efficacy, emphasis on learning, collegiality, collaboration, shared planning and transformational leadership in local schools. The SCEQ data were supplemented by data from a ++ / stratified sample interview programme in two schools. Empirical findings indicated school culture was internally dynamic, in interaction with its external environment and capable of changing. Interview data provided examples of internal and external influences on the maintenance, growth and decline of school culture.The results of the empirical phases of the study were applied in the development of a model of school culture, the School Improvement Model of School Culture. The model contained six cultural constructs which are characteristic of school culture and the processes by which it can be transformed. The model was then applied in a detailed examination of practical and theoretical aspects of Western Australian systemic school improvement initiatives. The effectiveness of these initiatives was explained as a consequence of implementation strategies and their interaction with the prevailing school culture.The study is important for school level personnel, school improvement programme designers and educational researchers. In particular, the School Improvement Model of School Culture provides a significant alternative conception of the nature of schools and the processes by which they improve.

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<p>The purpose of the study was to investigate what factors affect the young athletes in the transition from junior to senior sport. The study’s secondary purpose was to find out what the athletes do to cope with the transitions and the final purpose was to revile what indicates the end of the transition to the athletes. The interview guide had three parts with questions about background information, personal experience related to the transition from junior to senior sport and finally the transition’s effect on the athlete’s career, life outside sport and lessons drawn from the experience. The study consisted of nine interviews, with four male and five female athletes. The data was analysed by using sentence categorisation. Quotations were used to underline the results. The results were divided into several categories, namely: demands, resources, barriers, coping, indicators and long-term effects. The results implicate that the participants felt that it was a big step to take that involved changes in demands both in the sport and in the life outside sport. The participants also felt that social demands, demands on the self, school and planning caused the biggest barriers during the transition. The results also imply that the resource most commonly mentioned by the participants were social factors (such as team cohesion) followed by individual factors. The coping strategies mainly involved mental strategies while the long-term effects show effects of evolving mental skills. Finally the indicators most commonly mentioned were objective and involved an increase in responsibility and better statistics. It is discussed in which way the results of this study can be further strengthened by the results of earlier studies and theories.</p>

Technology has grown rapidly in recent years. At present, almost all social interaction are through computers and telephones. It is, however, not everyone who can manage these media. This applies mostly to elderly people who have not kept pace with technological developments. A major contributing reason is that the manuals are usually bulky and too technical for this group. The purpose of this paper is to develop a concept/prototype into a product that will facilitate the use of mobile phones for seniors. The product must generate trust and confidence in seniors to achieve an independent use of the mobile phone. I have worked with observation, interview, testing and graphic design analysis. Using several theories, such as visual communication design for the elderly, visual rhetoric and cognition have made me able to strengthen my results and discussions throughout the process. The result was a portable illustrated manual for the phone Doro PhoneEasy 332gsm. It is a general product template that can be adapted for several different phones and models. The manual consists of both instructions in text and in images that cooperate with each other. The product is specially formulated for people with impaired cognitive function and impaired vision, amongst other things. / Teknikvärlden har vuxit väldigt snabbt de senaste åren. Idag sker nästan allt socialt utbyte genom datorer och telefoni, det är däremot inte alla som kan hantera dessa medium. Detta gäller oftast äldre personer som inte har hängt med i den tekniska utvecklingen. En stor bidragande orsak är att manualerna i regel är otympliga och för tekniskt formulerade för målgruppen. Syftet med detta examensarbete är att ta fram koncept/prototyp till en produkt som skall underlätta användandet av mobiltelefoner för seniorer. Produkten skall skapa trygghet och tillit hos seniorerna och skall därmed skapa ett självständigt användande av mobiltelefonen. Jag har arbetat med observation, intervju, utprovning och grafisk formanalys. Genom att använda mig av olika teorier så som visuell kommunikationsdesign för äldre, visuell retorik och kognition har jag kunnat stärka mina metodresultat och resonemang genom hela arbetet. Resultatet blev en portabel bildmanual till Dorotelefonen Doro PhoneEasy 332gsm. Det är en generell produktmall som kan anpassas för flera olika telefoner och modeller. Manualen består både av instruktioner i text och i bilder som samarbetar med varandra. Produkten är speciellt framtagen för personer med bland annat nedsatt kognitionsförmåga och nedsatt syn.

This study aimed to examine the perceptions of nursing staffs on the environmental conditions in their senior care centers in Kaohsiung City. Two hundred and twenty three female nursing staffs in nursing care centers participated in this study. A Self-reported questionnaire comprised 18 items was administrated in person to the participants. Results showed that nursing staffs have high satisfaction on the quality and techniques of their services. But they rated low scores on the philosophies of the company. It showed that they did not satisfy with the management of the company. In the end, I provided several suggestions to the senior care centers based on the results in this study.

Abstract This study aims to investigate the attitude of senior high school teachers toward the present tutoring system. It includes attitudes toward system-related regulations, the importance of the system, satisfaction in tasks included in the system, and possibility of exercising multiple tutors. The study is based on the survey on public and private senior high school teachers by the use of questionnaires. Some major findings, which are concluded from 541 out of 800 teachers, are listed below. The suggestions based on this finding are also provided, as a reference to future planning of tutoring systems. Major findings are as follows. 1. From the perspective of related regulations of the present system Most teachers understand the responsibilities of being a tutor. But the details included vary, due to teachers¡¦ different backgrounds. Most senior high schools exercise traditional ¡§class-based tutoring system¡¨; few exercise ¡§dual-tutor system¡¨. ¡§Guidelines of Tutoring Systems in Middle Schools¡¨, set by Ministry of Education cannot be fully carried out in senior high schools. 2. From the perspective of importance of the system in teachers of different backgrounds Teachers¡¦ viewpoints toward the importance of the system are similar, regardless of school locations, school characteristics, teachers¡¦ genders, and years of service. Teachers of different titles show different viewpoints toward a tutor¡¦s tasks. Dean-teachers show higher expectation in administrative cooperation as well as life and academic counseling, and classroom management. Those who have never been a tutor put more emphasis on enriching teachers¡¦ professionals, and meeting the needs of students and parents. 3. From the perspective of satisfaction in exercising the system in teachers of different backgrounds Different school characteristics and school types don¡¦t affect teachers¡¦ degrees of satisfaction in being a tutor. Teachers from senior high schools of different locations and of different titles both show significant differences, in terms of satisfaction in administrative cooperation as well as life, academic and career counseling. Dean-teachers show higher satisfaction. Teachers of different years of service and different years of being a tutor show significant differences in the respect of satisfaction in life, academic performances, and classroom management. 4. From the perspective of the possibility in exercising multiple-tutor system in teachers of different backgrounds Teachers¡¦ viewpoints are similar. ¡§Dual-tutor system¡¨ is widely preferred; others like ¡§group-based tutoring system¡¨, ¡§family-based tutoring system¡¨, ¡§mix tutoring system¡¨ and ¡§teamwork tutoring system¡¨ are also preferred in some degree. As to the traditional ¡§class-based tutoring system¡¨, teachers value less on ¡§responsibilities clarification¡¨ and ¡§ease of administrative management¡¨. 5. From the perspective of difficulties encountered in the present program and suggestions a. Possible reasons for teachers¡¦ unwillingness to be a tutor are too many problems from students, heavy workload, demanding from school, low stipend and reward. Shortcomings in the system are too many students, heavy workload, tutors¡¦ passive attitude. b. To improve the program, teachers think that measures such as encouraging teamwork among tutors, sharing and exchanging experiences, examining administrative process can all be taken. c. As to the evaluation, teachers prefer self-evaluation, multi-dimensional feedback evaluation, and in-campus administrative staff evaluation. d. Teachers suggest lowering the number of students in each class. The number of 21 to 30 students in each class is widely preferred. e. Teachers¡¦ suggestions for future planning are: (1) Offer counseling teachers, to help guide and counsel students. (2) Set up counseling centers for tutors, and build internet resources. (3) Promote in-campus seminars to enrich teachers¡¦ professionals. Based on this study, some suggestions are as follows. 1. To education-related administrative institutions a. Revise ¡§Guidelines of Tutoring Systems in Middle Schools¡¨. b. Enhance educational visiting and supervising. Trace and examine the tutoring system in each school. c. Set up fair evaluation guidelines, and encourage good tutors from time to time. d. Lower the number of students in each class, and increase the number of professional counseling teachers. e. Set up internet resources and counseling centers for tutors. f. Allow good tutors to take turns for a break and encourage them to attend off-campus seminars. 2. To administrative staff in schools a. Based on educational regulations and school characteristics, set up guidelines and goals for tutors. b. Collect teachers¡¦ opinions and set up guidelines for appointing tutors. c. Offer tutors necessary academic resources and administrative support. d. Promote ¡§dual-tutor system¡¨. e. Enforce fair evaluation for tutors. f. Plan and develop a culture of quality in schools. 3. To tutors a. Keep on further studies and enrich professional skills. b. Be close to students actively and offer what the students need. c. Help students develop good study habits, to increase their learning efficiency. d. Enforce emotional education, and help develop students¡¦ dealing with frustration. This study from questionnaires is limited. Future studies may widen sampling, add in qualitative analysis, and include subjects from administrative staff, parents, and people in the community. As to exercising multiple-tutor system, a small scale of exercise is suggested in the very beginning. Further examination and evaluation is necessary before a wide scale of exercise.

Studiens syfte var att beskriva hur sjuksköterskor och distriktssköterskor reflekterade över att arbeta med Senior Alert i hemsjukvården. Studien genomfördes med en beskrivande design med kvalitativ ansats. Datainsamlingen genomfördes med hjälp av semistrukturerade intervjuer där åtta stycken sjuksköterskor/distriktssköterskor intervjuades i kommunal hemsjukvård. Materialet analyserades med kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Studiens resultat visade bristande förutsättningar utifrån olika hinder i sjuksköterskans/ distriktssköterskans arbete med Senior Alert i hemsjukvården. Faktorer som att ha för många patienter inskrivna i hemsjukvården i förhållande till personalresurser. På grund av för många patienter så upplevdes tiden inte räcka till, som gjorde att prioriteringar i deras arbete medförde att de inte upplevde hinna med Senior Alert i den utsträckningen de ville för att de skulle känna att de hade gjort ett bra arbete. Samtidigt beskrevs Senior Alert vara ett användbart verktyg där deltagarna såg att risker hos patienten upptäcktes och att åtgärder kunde sättas in, men det föresattes att tillräckligt med tid, personalresurser och teamarbete fungerade. Som arbetsförhållandet ser ut nu inom hemsjukvården upplevde deltagarna att arbetet med Senior Alert var svårt att utföra som det var tänkt enligt riktlinjer. Senior Alert är ett stöd i processen för förebyggande omvårdnadsåtgärder för den äldre där risker upptäcks. Men då måste rätt förutsättningar ges så att personalen kan utföra det nationella kvalitetsregistret Senior Alert som de är ålagda att göra enligt direktiv.

The purpose of the study was to investigate what factors affect the young athletes in the transition from junior to senior sport. The study’s secondary purpose was to find out what the athletes do to cope with the transitions and the final purpose was to revile what indicates the end of the transition to the athletes. The interview guide had three parts with questions about background information, personal experience related to the transition from junior to senior sport and finally the transition’s effect on the athlete’s career, life outside sport and lessons drawn from the experience. The study consisted of nine interviews, with four male and five female athletes. The data was analysed by using sentence categorisation. Quotations were used to underline the results. The results were divided into several categories, namely: demands, resources, barriers, coping, indicators and long-term effects. The results implicate that the participants felt that it was a big step to take that involved changes in demands both in the sport and in the life outside sport. The participants also felt that social demands, demands on the self, school and planning caused the biggest barriers during the transition. The results also imply that the resource most commonly mentioned by the participants were social factors (such as team cohesion) followed by individual factors. The coping strategies mainly involved mental strategies while the long-term effects show effects of evolving mental skills. Finally the indicators most commonly mentioned were objective and involved an increase in responsibility and better statistics. It is discussed in which way the results of this study can be further strengthened by the results of earlier studies and theories.

The Chinese government has long assumed that families will bear the social and health care burden of the older population. However, this is becoming increasingly difficult and is hardly a model of care that can be sustained with the projected growth of the older demographic. Since the late 1970s, China has successfully controlled the population growth by applying the One-Child Policy. However, its byproduct, the “4-2-1 problem”, along with the unavoidable trends of globalization and migration, means that older generations must often rely on themselves, and not their children or grandchildren, for care and support. To prepare for this challenge – the weakening of traditional filial piety – this proposal of an active retirement community centre for calligraphy art reflects a desire for a new way of living during the second half of life. Instead of viewing old age as a residual period, this proposal sets the stage for older adults to continue their contributions as they age. Calligraphy performance as a traditional cultural activity offers older adults a great balance between activity and leisure, caring for the body and caring for the soul. Additionally, the artistic quality of calligraphy art is used to express and convey ideas for the design process.

This thesis presents the design of an interactive tool to improve elders’ social interactions. First, we studied the social interactions of the elderly. These interactions often diminish as elders experience dynamic physical, social, and cognitive decline. We examined how technology might extend these diminishing social interactions. We looked for the ways to minimize the technological barriers faced by the elderly in order to more easily integrate the technology into their lives. The final design focused on social interaction through travel and knowledge of a place. It is a service called ‘My City Counselor’, which allows elders to share their knowledge about local places they know well. This tool is designed to support the elderly in building new relationships or in maintaining close existing relationships by providing useful local information or by sharing common memories.