This study questions whether or not participatory action research is an effective and practical method for increasing learning transfer of recovery-based principles. The participants (N = 250) were ethnically and educationally diverse clinicians, in an urban state mental health institute. The Self-Assessment of Recovery-Based Behaviors survey ( n…

In an effort to align state special education law with federal legislation under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004, Pennsylvania has adopted Chapter 14 special education regulations. Chapter 14 is designed to ensure that every student with a disability is afforded a free and appropriate public education designed to provide…

This dissertation consisted of four studies that aimed to develop and explore the psychometric properties of the Sources of Lesbian Relationship Self-Efficacy Scale (SLRSE). Study 1 describes the initial item development of the SLRSE which consisted of focus group research, professional consultation, and a review of literature. The purpose of…

The Council of the City of Sydney--like many other councils around Australia--has embarked on a whole-of-council approach to establishing sustainable behaviours amongst its residents. In developing its "Residential Environmental Action Plan"--designed to motivate and bring about real change in resident choices and behaviours--the City…

As health care institutions in the United States respond to shrinking budgets and nursing shortages by increasing the use of unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP), school nursing practice is changing from providing direct care to supervising activities delegated to UAP. Therefore, delegation is a critical area of concern for school nurses. The…

Studies conducted outside Africa show that professional development experiences of physical education (PE) teachers are shaped by the manner in which PE is situated (and stereotyped) in the school system. Given the contested nature of teacher development, it is important to continually explore the phenomenon in different national contexts.…

The aim of the project was to develop a set of online tools, systems and processes that would facilitate research at the University of Nottingham. The tools would be delivered via a portal, a one-stop place providing a Virtual Research Environment for all those involved in the research process. A predominantly bottom-up approach was used with…

The ability of trustees to make independent judgments in the best interests of the university is a fundamental characteristic of an effective governing board. Trustee independence is increasingly threatened, however, as the university becomes more deeply embedded in government, industry, networks, and the professions. This topic is investigated…

Since 2005 there has been an explosion of interest and debate about alternative futures for the doctorate in education. The authors take the debate from the abstract to the concrete by describing a signature pedagogy in doctoral education that combines theory, applied scholarship, and the wisdom of practice in new ways. They describe…

This article deals with how the increasing use of notions such as "risk awareness" and "blame" in relation to school affects the daily work of Swedish teachers. With the help of empirical excerpts from documents and focus group interviews, the authors provide examples of how the introduction of the risk society and audit…

Student retention in higher education might be prioritised by funding authorities and universities but robust measurement of non-completion is elusive. This investigation explores untapped data sources to enrich understanding of non-completion. The analysis features the main undergraduate course in a part of a large UK university with retention…

Using a naturalistic inquiry approach and thematic analysis, this paper outlines the findings of a research study that examined 12 Manitoba principals' conceptions of professional learning communities. The study found that these principals consider the development of professional learning communities to be a normative imperative within the…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the performance of five alternative measures of service quality in the high education sector--service quality (SERVQUAL), importance-weighted SERVQUAL, service performance (SERVPERF), importance-weighted SERVPERF, and higher education performance (HEdPERF). Design/methodology/approach: Data were…

Personal empowerment is a guiding philosophy of many mental health service programs, but there has been little empirical research on the empowerment process in these programs. The authors examine social processes and consumer orientations within a self-help drop-in center for individuals with psychiatric disabilities, using intensive interviews…

This study of the superintendent focus group interviews from the "Voices 3" project adds to the research base with regard to the range and nature of the types of power experienced or used by superintendents. Using the French & Raven/Andrews & Baird model of seven types of power, the authors analyzed superintendents'…