VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
A case study of three organizations' plans to facilitate the adoption, diffusion, and infusion of computer technology in the workplace
Keywords: Organizational behavior
Employees, Effect of technological innovations on
Technological innovations, Employee participation
Associations, institutions, etc, Automation
Computers, Social aspects

This study investigates the processes involved in the introduction of computer technology in the workplace. It examines the extent to which the designer considers end users' needs in the design process in integrating computer technology in the workplace. To investigate this phenomenon, 17 participants representing three organizations were interviewed. These respondents were part of teams responsible for the implementation of computer technology. A case study method was used in which multiple sites were examined to gain insights from those responsible for the adoption of computer technology. Data were gathered using semi-structured interview questions. The researcher conducted the interviews. The interviews were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim for analysis. Analysis of the data shows that the participants used a variety of approaches to make decisions concerning computer technology adoption in the workplace. The organizations' structure, culture, and management style, and the wider social and national culture influenced how computer technology was adopted, diffused and infused within the workplace. While the organizations investigated in this study were highly hierarchical, a flattened organizational structure was present when decisions about computer technology were made. An open, participatory, democratic management style favoring collaboration and teamwork was chiefly used. The management, including upper management and the Information Technology management, and the employees worked together to facilitate the various processes. The utilization of a user-participatory approach to decision making reflected a socio-technical approach to computer technology adoption, diffusion, and infusion. The organizations with a greater network of support approached the adoption and diffusion processes in a formalized way. The culture of the organization also affects the organization structure and the management style used during the acquisition of computer technology. The utilization of a user-participatory approach to decision making improves how the employees feel about the organization, and in turn the culture has an effect on the diffusion and infusion of computer technology. A “Social Interactive Approach to the Implementation of Computer Technology” is recommended to practitioners in the field of computer technology adoption, diffusion and infusion. This is a holistic and flexible approach that utilizes both the social architectures of the organization, as well as the wider social framework in which the user and the organization are situated.
Young offenders and social skills training
Keywords: Juvenile delinquents
Juvenile delinquents, Services for
Social skills, Study and teaching

This study examined social skills deficits in young offenders in social skills training (SST) programs and those who are not in SST programs to determine whether the system meets the social needs of this population. The process through which young offenders receive SST was also examined. Analysis of social skills in 36 young offenders receiving SST and 32 young offenders not receiving SST found no significant group differences, indicating that placement in SST was not based on an objective assessment of needs. Interviews with services providers and probation officers indicate that no formal referral process exists and that young offenders are merely assigned to SST based on the availability of space at the custody facility. Results are discussed with respect to the need for individualized assessments to develop interventions that best meet young offenders' social needs. Implications for the study's findings and directions for future research are also discussed.
Career mobility among immigrant registered nurses in Canada: Experiences of Caribbean women
Keywords: Nurses, Black, Social conditions
Nurses, Black, Canada
Women immigrants, Social conditions
Women immigrants, Canada
Antilleans, Social conditions
Antilleans, Canada

Since the late 1950s, the Canadian nursing workforce especially during periods of nursing shortage has added to its numbers through immigration. Changes in immigration laws since the 1960s have opened doors for increased numbers of immigrants from Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean coming to work in Canada. This qualitative research study investigated the experiences of immigrant women from the Caribbean who are registered nurses (RNs) in Canada. There has been no previously published studies that documented experiences of immigrant women of colour related to career mobility in nursing. A convenience sample of 14 women from the Caribbean, who migrated to Canada between the 1960s and the early 1990s, was recruited for the study. Data were gathered through in-depth interviews, using a semi-structured interview guide. Demographic data were also obtained using a questionnaire that elicited written responses. The analysis of data demonstrated that participants encountered significant barriers in navigating their careers as RNs. These barriers appeared to be related to systemic practices that influenced the regulation of nursing, as well as relationships in work environments. In spite of their experiences in encountering many barriers, participants had developed individual strategies of resistance, and moved forward in their careers in nursing. The study proposes antiracism strategies to create equitable status and rewards for immigrant and minority groups in nursing, as well as for the profession as a whole. The conceptual framework for the research drew from a synthesis of concepts from several bodies of literature; the most significant included critical feminist theories and antiracism discursive frameworks. Foucault's methods contributed to an analysis of the links between power, knowledge and resistance. Among the themes that contributed to an integrated conceptual framework for this research were history, identity, representation, marginalization, power, knowledge, agency and resistance. The research questions were: What factors create barriers or act as facilitators to career mobility among immigrant women of color who are RNs in Canada? How were their lived experiences as RNs mediated through race, gender and class?
The voices of students: the perspectives of early childhood education students in an infant inclusive multi-age childcare placement
Keywords: Nongraded schools
Early childhood education
Combination of grades
Early childhood teachers, Training of

This study was designed to investigate what occurs in student teaching during a distinctive field placement experience—in an infant inclusive multi-age childcare—setting from the perspectives of the early childhood education (henceforth, ECE) students themselves. It revealed specific details of what ten ECE student teachers experienced during their placement experiences, rather than presenting data collected prior to and after placement experiences. It portrayed the placement experience as it appeared to the ECE students rather than from the judgements of outsiders. This study provided insight into the uniqueness of the “participants”, the complexity of the “process” and the significance of the “contexts” of placement experiences (Guyton & McIntyre, 1990, p. 524). Most importantly, it brought into focus how the tensions between “voice” and silence affected every aspect of the students learning. Helping students to profess what they held to be beneficial and effective on behalf of the children was deemed to be one of the most important tasks for teacher educators. The most critical task students faced during this placement was discovering themselves in the present moment, and creating the selves they would bring to the work they would do to affect the lives of children and families. Finally it was discovered that each student had his or her own inner reasons for deciding to provide education and care for young children, and these reasons were the central meaning they gave to their lives affected every aspect of their learning during the placement experience.
Attachment and mothers' perceptions of their infants' emotional expressions
Keywords: Emotions in infants
Infants, Development
Mother and child
Personality in children
Child psychology
Parenting

According to attachment theory (Bowlby, 1969), mothers' perceptions of their infants' emotional expressions influence maternal sensitivity. Mothers' perceptions have yet to be parsed and studied separately from caregiving behaviours by attachment research. Perceptions of 60 mothers were assessed using the OWNTIES: eight videoclips for each subject's infant expressing positive, negative, neutral and ambiguous emotions. Mothers were grouped as (1) autonomous, dismissing or disengaged on the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI: George, Goldwyn & Main, 1985); (2) balanced, disengaged or distorted on the Working Model of the Child Interview (WMCI: Zeanah, Barton & Benoit, 1993) and (3) secure, avoidant or resistant according to their infants' classification on the Strange Situation Procedure (SSP: Ainsworth, Blehar, Waters & Wall, 1978). The hypotheses suggested that mothers in the autonomous/balanced/secure groups would be most accurate, mothers in the dismissing/disengaged/avoidant groups would be least accurate, and that mothers in the preoccupied/distorted/resistant groups would be inconsistently accurate. Attachment effects were expected to be most pronounced for negative emotions. Attachment effects on accuracy scores were determined by a series of one-way ANOVAs for each attachment measure. WMCI balanced mothers were most accurate overall, particularly for positive emotions. No attachment effects on perception were detected for negative emotions when assessed as a group. The failure to link attachment and accuracy for negative emotions led to exploratory analyses of use of specific emotion labels. Adult attachment effects on interpretations of distress suggested that autonomous mothers used 'fear' labels, dismissing mothers used 'sadness' labels and preoccupied mothers used 'distress' labels most often to describe these clips. The findings of this research support the hypotheses that (a) balanced mothers would be most accurate; (b) for negative emotions, dismissing mothers would be least accurate; and (c) preoccupied mothers would be inconsistently accurate. Surprisingly, accurate perception of distress was not associated with autonomous attachment. This research suggests the need for further study of attachment effects on mothers' perceptions, with a focus on specific interpretations of distress and links between perceptions, interpretations and response choices. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)
Acquisition of reading skills in Russian speaking ESL children
Keywords: English language, Study and teaching
English language, Study and teaching
Reading
Reading, Code emphasis approaches

This study investigated the impact of underlying cognitive-linguistic processes, such as phonological awareness and naming speed, on the acquisition of L2 reading skills by ESL children with Russian as their L1. Forty bilingual Grade 1 and 2 students were tested on letter naming, phonological awareness and language proficiency tasks in English and Russian. The results indicated that corresponding English and Russian cognitive-linguistic measures were highly correlated. Multiple regression analyses revealed that the predictive value of phonological awareness and naming speed for reading achievement was higher than that of the oral language proficiency in both languages. They also showed evidence of cross-linguistic transfer of underlying cognitive-linguistic components. Orthography-specific factors in early reading were noted as well. Phonological awareness was a better predictor of basic reading skills in English, whereas naming speed was a more significant factor in predicting Russian basic reading skills, confirming other research findings on regular and “deep” orthographies.
Breaking down barriers: male physical education teachers' and coaches' role in female students' physical education and athletic programs
Keywords: Physical education teachers
Sexism in education
Physical education for women

Sport sociologists and activists have documented female disengagement in physical education classes, low levels of participation in physical activity, and inequitable opportunities in sport. Few studies have considered the role of men's contributions to women's advancement in PE and sport. The objective of this study is to examine how and to what extent male PE teachers and coaches may provide equitable and rewarding experiences for female students and athletes, as one of many strategic approaches aimed at combating sexism in PE and sport. Qualitative methods consisted of individual interviews, a focus group session, and an analysis of the current state of the Ontario educational system and its various educational equity policies. The results show that some male PE teachers and coaches challenge gendered and sexist practices, and that their professional and personal socialization experiences have influenced the beliefs and attitudes required to foster a gender-equitable environment.
The emergence of democratic educational and experiential educational philosophies in the practice of outdoor education
Keywords: Outdoor education, Methodology
Outdoor education, Ontario
Student-centered learning, Ontario
Non-formal education, Ontario
Teaching, Ontario
Active learning, Ontario
Experiential learning, Philosophy
Experiential learning, Ontario
Teacher effectiveness, Ontario
Environmental education, Ontario
Outdoor education, Philosophy
Outdoor education, Ontario
Experiential learning, Methodology
Experiential learning, Ontario
Teachers, Ontario

This thesis explores whether outdoor educators apply the philosophical frameworks of Experiential Education (EE) and Democratic Education (DE) as a part of their daily practice in Ontario's public secondary schools. The primary research question asks, 'what is a work?' in the OE classroom, by looking at how philosophical paradigms guide OE practitioners in the design and implementation of their programs, in their relationships with students, and in their decisions about curriculum and evaluation. This study operates from a critical-pragmatist perspective and embodies a conceptual framework whose aims are to integrate the experiences of outdoor educators, critical thinking, theory/philosophy, reflection, and suggestions for action. It consists of an extensive review of the literature, as well as six interviews with outdoor educators. Given the data collected, this study proposes that the philosophical tenets of EE and DE emerge in the practice of OE and that, in an effort to reassert the value of threatened OE programs, it would be beneficial for outdoor educators to include theoretical/philosophical arguments in their defense.
The adjoint method for optimal aerodynamic design on unstructured grids
Keywords: Multigrid methods (Numerical analysis)
Aerodynamics, Mathematical models

One of the fastest methods for automated aerodynamic shape optimization is available only on structured grids. It employs a Krylov-subspace solver to solve a set of discrete adjoint equations in ⅕ to ½ the time of a Newton-Krylov flow solve. With the solution to these equations, the optimization method uses the BFGS Hessian-approximation formula and a backtracking line search to efficiently solve many optimization problems based on the Navier-Stokes equations. An extension of this method to unstructured grids for the Euler equations is presented. Aside from the difference in spatial discretization and flow equations, the major difference in the two methods is the grid-movement algorithm, for which an efficient, modified version of a common algorithm is presented. The unstructured optimization method is proven over a number of cases that include drag minimization and inverse design, and it is found to be as efficient as the structured method.
Juvenile defense representatives and the lawyer-juvenile relationship from the perspective of youth: a pilot study
Keywords: Juvenile delinquents, Relations with lawyers
Attorney and client
Juvenile delinquents, Attitudes

Despite the critical role of lawyers in North American youth justice proceedings, there has been little empirical investigation into the lawyer-juvenile relationship, especially from the perspective of young clients. The present study explored the factors affecting youths' appraisals of juvenile defense representatives. Fifty-three young offenders were interviewed regarding their perceptions and evaluations of their experiences with defense lawyers and lawyer-client interactions. Hypotheses were made surrounding the effects of perceived fairness and understanding about lawyers on youths' satisfaction with lawyers and their services. Questions were raised regarding other potentially influential variables. Results indicated that perceived fairness and various lawyer-client interpersonal issues were related to participants' satisfaction with their lawyers. Young people's appraisals were not related to their level of understanding about lawyers, nor to any other variables explored. Findings are discussed in terms of theoretical and practical implications, and directions for future research are outlined.
Influence of parenting style on cognitive strategies used by preschoolers
Keywords: Parent and child
Parenting
Parental influences
Cognition in children

A perennial emphasis in both theoretical and applied research in child development has been on extrinsic, modifiable factors, of which parental influences are a large component. Although there is extensive literature outlining the influence of parenting style on many aspects of children's functioning, including cognitive development, there is little or no research examining the relation between parenting style and the cognitive strategies utilized by preschoolers. This thesis examines the influence of parenting style on the cognitive strategies used by preschoolers. The two primary research questions addressed the relation between parenting style and success on two cognitive strategy tasks and the relation between parenting style and observed parenting practices. In addition, this study offered the opportunity to examine relations between parenting practices and self-reported parenting style and between parenting style as reported by parents and that reported by teachers. Other factors influencing success on strategy tasks were explored, as well as whether parenting practices vary across tasks of differing difficulty. Forty mothers and forty-one preschool children from four parenting and readiness centres participated in this study. Each mother completed a demographic form and a Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire. Each child's teacher rated the mother's parenting style by completing an adapted version of the Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire. Each child completed a Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT) and two cognitive strategy tasks. Each mother and child worked together to complete three drawings in an Etch-a-Sketch task. Data collected included success on strategy tasks, types and numbers of strategies used, parenting practices, parenting style factors, vocabulary level and demographic information. This study demonstrated several significant results. Although no direct effect of parenting style on cognitive strategy success was found, several parenting practices were related to success on strategy tasks, including mother's responsiveness and use of general direction or choice of direction. The child's raw score on the PPVT was also significantly related to success on strategy tasks. The parenting style scores of the mothers were significantly correlated to the scores of the teachers for authoritarian and permissive factors although not for the authoritative factor. Implications and future directions are also discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved)
The lived experience of transfer students in a collaborative baccalaureate nursing program
Keywords: Transfer students
College freshmen
Community colleges
Nursing, Study and teaching
Nursing schools
Nursing students

Community college students who transfer to universities face innumerable challenges. These have been well documented in the American literature on transfer; however, there has been relatively little published research on transfer in Canada and a dearth of information about articulated professional programs with a collaborative curriculum. This study is intended to add to both the Canadian literature on transfer between community colleges and universities and the literature on inter-sectoral collaboration in professional education, more specifically in nursing education. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experience of transfer students in a collaborative baccalaureate nursing program. Key elements comprising the foundation for the study are the literature on the development and evolution of college to university transfer in Canada and the United States, the organization and reform of nursing education, and the theoretical perspectives explaining persistence and transition in postsecondary education. Utilizing a naturalistic approach, both quantitative and qualitative data were gathered to elucidate the feelings, experiences and satisfaction of third year nursing students in a collaborative articulated program. Fifty-four students responded to a questionnaire and a subgroup of 13 students, selected through purposeful sampling, were interviewed. After an analysis and interpretation of the findings, several themes emerged. It was learned that transferring to university was not the smooth seamless transition expected by the students. For example, students experienced a professional transformation requiring a refraining of their nursing knowledge at university, a finding that is unique to this study. Also the process of transfer was found to cause significant stress. Even after adapting to the university geography, culture, and expectations, students in the closing month of their third year had not become fully incorporated into the mainstream of the university. However, in spite of all of the difficulties adjusting to the university, ultimately students were satisfied with their decision and the overall experience. In fact, they would recommend the program to a friend. On the basis of the findings and the students' suggestions, several general recommendations were made to provide a more seamless transition from college to university in collaborative articulated programs.