Self-Efficacy Development of Aspiring Principals: The Perceived Impact of Principal Preparation Programming

Good principals are the foundation of good schools and are important to student achievement. The principalship is becoming more complex due to increased student diversity, changing family dynamics, an increased reliance on technology, economic conditions, accountability measures, and changing cultural factors. At the same time there is an increased demand for principals due to retirement rates and a decreased number of applicants for the role. The purpose of this instrumental case study utilizing a mixed methods approach, was to investigate the impact of a school division’s principal preparation programming on the reported self-efficacy of participants preparing for their first principalship in a large urban division. A survey was distributed electronically to potential participants, all of whom had completed a division’s Aspiring Principal Development Program (APDP) over a three-year period. Of 85 potential participants, a return rate of 79% provided a final N value of 67 participants Twelve survey participants were chosen to participate in two focus group interviews. The findings of the study were summarized in three themes related to the development of self-efficacy by aspiring principals: (1) leadership identity, (2) process and content: critical components, and (3) context. These themes contain elements related to Bandura’s (1986) four sources of self-efficacy development and the tenants of Knowles’ (1972) Adult Learning Theory. This study informs the design of principal preparation programming to ensure that participants develop not only the skills and knowledge needed to be successful in the principalship, but the self-efficacy to put the skills and knowledge into practice

A phenomenological investigation of the beginning therapist's experience of the first session of psychotherapy with the first patient

The aim of this project is to come to an understanding of how the situation of the first session of psychotherapy with the first patient is lived by the beginning therapist and what meaning this situation holds for him. The writer's interest in this phenomenon grew out of her own experience of this situation as a clinical Masters coursework student, an experience which was of important to the writer and meaningful still as a therapist in training. In dialogue with experienced therapists the importance of this situation was again made apparant. It was the opinion of these therapists that although for some the details of this experience had become dulled by time, what remained meaningful to them was that this experience was seen as the beginning of a project which remains important to them - they identified this situation as an important moment in the history of their development as psychotherapists. In the hope that the literature pertaining to psychotherapy would throw some light on this situation, the writer turned to a number of sources in this area to discover that no literature available to her elucidated this situation in a holistic manner. This led the writer to go back to the beginning therapists themselves so that they may speak for themselves of their experience of this situation. A phenomenological method of enquiry is implemented in this study as it renders the subject matter accessible to investigation, and allows it to reveal itself as it essentially is. This project is then an attempt to come to a general description of the beginning therapist's experience of the first session of psychotherapy with the first patient and thus to articulate the structure of the beginning therapist's lived situation (world) in this context.Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 198

Should I Stay or Should I Go? Accomplished Novice Urban Teachers Explain Their Decisions

What factors—personal, contextual, and professional—contribute to accomplished early career urban teachers’ perceptions of effectiveness and their decisions to stay or leave their classrooms? The finding of this study was that no single factor is responsible for whether a teacher chooses to stay or leave his or her classroom; however, there is a constellation of factors that plays a role in both supporting and frustrating teachers; how the teachers respond to these factors and how these factors interact help to explain their decisions. What differentiates the degree of impact of the institutional or professional factors on the teachers’ morale and, ultimately, on their decisions to stay or leave their classrooms are the other mitigating factors—namely, the personal and contextual factors that either bolster the teachers or diminish their level of commitment. Seven connecting assertions are drawn from an examination of the commonalities and differences between and among cases regarding the factors that contribute to each teacher’s perception of success and influence his or her career decision to stay in or leave the urban classroom. These assertions regarding the factors that contribute to teachers’ perceptions of success and their career decisions include: • the alignment of each teacher’s classroom experience with his or her expectations shaped by earlier events and relationships • the ability of each teacher to cope with and manage the day-to-day challenges by incorporating self-care and cognitive reframing strategies in order to maintain optimism, resilience, and well-being • the establishment of a relationship of mutual and reciprocated trust with the school leader(s) • the teacher’s perceived quality of relationships with colleagues • the teacher’s perceived ability to establish individual, personal, and authentic connections with students • the ability to make decisions regarding curriculum and pedagogical practice • the ability to tolerate and navigate constant and seemingly questionable chang

Health situation in Germany during the COVID-19 pandemic. Developments over time for selected indicators of GEDA 2019/2020 – An update

The spread of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 in 2020 and the containment measures associated therewith have changed many aspects of daily life. An impact on health even beyond infections itself is assumed as well. The health situation of the population in the first phase of the pandemic was thus analysed using data from the German Health Update (GEDA 2019/2020-EHIS). By continuing the survey, the analyses for 2020 are completed (n=26,507 participants), whereby the focus is now on the third phase of the pandemic (second wave of infection, gradual reintroduction of containment measures). The health indicators are presented on a monthly basis. As in the first phase of the pandemic, no pandemic-related changes were observed for tobacco smoking/ second-hand smoke exposure and for received/lack of/provided support. In contrast to the first phase of the pandemic, declines in utilisation of medical services and depressive symptoms are not observed in the third phase. The increase in body weight/body mass index after the first phase of the pandemic did not continue. The survey period allows for a comparison of the periods before and as of the pandemic situation. A decrease in the medical services utilisation and depressive symptoms as well as an increase in the body weight/body mass index is observed in the period from March 2020 to January 2021 compared to the pre-pandemic period from April 2019 to March 2020

An Acoustic Survey of Beaked Whales and Kogia spp. in the Mariana Archipelago Using Drifting Recorders

The distribution, abundance, and habitat of cryptic cetacean species such as beaked whales and dwarf/pygmy sperm whales (Kogia spp.) are challenging to study due to their long dive times and/or very limited surface behavior. Even less is known in minimally studied and remote regions, including the Mariana Archipelago and parts of the broader western Pacific. In 2018, we deployed a network of eight Drifting Acoustic Spar Buoy Recorders (DASBRs) on the west side of the Mariana Archipelago with the goal of examining the distribution and habitat of beaked whales and Kogia spp. in this region using passive acoustic monitoring. Concurrently, conductivity-temperature-depth (CTD) data were collected within the drift area and combined with satellite oceanographic data to build Ensemble Random Forest Models to identify specific oceanographic features that determine the distribution of these species. DASBRs deployed at locations ranging from 13°N to 18°N generally drifted from east to west between the Mariana Archipelago and the West Mariana Ridge. Spectral and temporal characteristics of echolocation signals were used to identify the presence of beaked whales and Kogia spp. species. This dataset contained frequency modulated (FM) pulses characteristic of Longman’s (Indopacetus pacificus), Cuvier’s (Ziphius cavirostris), and Blainville’s (Mesoplodon densirostris) beaked whales, as well as the unidentified beaked whale FM pulse known as the “BWC,” along with narrow-band high frequency clicks from Kogia spp. The detection rate was substantially higher for all species on the five tracks in the region north of 15.5°N than for those drifts occurring farther south. Species distribution models suggest that differences in the oceanographic characteristics between the northern and southern regions may impact foraging opportunities, possibly explaining the specific ecological niche for these species within this water mass. This is the first study of the distribution of cryptic cetacean species within the wider Mariana Archipelago region. We demonstrate that autonomous drifting acoustic recorders, combined with environmental sampling and remote satellite data are a powerful tool for studying the habitat dependent distribution of cryptic cetacean species

The Influence of Salinity on Mg/Ca in Planktic Foraminifers – Evidence from Cultures, Core-top Sediments and Complementary δ18O

The Mg/Ca ratio in foraminiferal calcite is one of the principal proxies used for paleoceanographic temperature reconstructions, but recent core-top sediment observations suggest that salinity may exert a significant secondary control on planktic foraminifers. This study compiles new and published laboratory culture experiment data from the planktic foraminifers Orbulina universa, Globigerinoides sacculifer and Globigerinoides ruber, in which salinity was varied but temperature, pH and light were held constant. Combining new data with results from previous culture studies yields a Mg/Ca-sensitivity to salinity of 4.4 ± 2.3%, 4.7 ± 1.2%, and 3.3 ± 1.7% per salinity unit (95% confidence), respectively, for the three foraminifer species studied here. Comparison of these sensitivities with core-top data suggests that the much larger sensitivity (27 ± 4% per salinity unit) derived from Atlantic core-top sediments in previous studies is not a direct effect of salinity. Rather, we suggest that the dissolution correction often applied to Mg/Ca data can lead to significant overestimation of temperatures. We are able to reconcile culture calibrations with core-top observations by combining evidence for seasonal occurrence and latitude-specific habitat depth preferences with corresponding variations in physico-chemical environmental parameters. Although both Mg/Ca and δ18O yield temperature estimates that fall within the bounds of hydrographic observations, discrepancies between the two proxies highlight unresolved challenges with the use of paired Mg/Ca and δ18O analyses to reconstruct paleo-salinity patterns across ocean basins. The first step towards resolving these challenges requires a better spatially and seasonally resolved δ18Osw archive than is currently available. Nonetheless, site-specific reconstructions of salinity change through time may be valid

The Lantern Vol. 52, No. 2, Spring 1986

• The Cartoonist • Balance • Haiku • Moment of Truth • There Was a Man • Mad Song / Cassandra\u27s Song • Part I - The Descent • Political Thought • Beast • Questions Yet Unanswered • Aphrodite: A Lover\u27s Lament • The Most Limber Boy • Style And • Thoughts From My Confusion • Andy • Momma Wake Up • In The Suburbs • Tommy • When the Phone Rings • There\u27s Something Soothing • Starting Over • A Day in the Life of a Flower • Pretension • It Seems Like So Long Ago • I Walk Along • Insignificant Man • Variations on a Latin Theme • The Riddle • Roll the Dice - Its Your Turn • This Is Your Day • One Night Stand • Make My Day • You Really Can\u27t Expect • Medusa • Don\u27t Think • Broken Chain • Life...A Hammock? • To My Friend • Ode On a Grecian Keghttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/lantern/1128/thumbnail.jp

Identification of mutations in the PYRIN-containing NLR genes (NLRP) in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC) encompasses malignancies that arise in the mucosa of the upper aerodigestive tract. Recent high throughput DNA sequencing revealed HNSCC genes mutations that contribute to several cancer cell characteristics, including dysregulation of cell proliferation and death, intracellular proinflammatory signaling, and autophagy. The PYRIN-domain containing NLR (Nucleotide-binding domain, Leucine rich Repeats - containing) proteins have recently emerged as pivotal modulators of cell death, autophagy, inflammation, and metabolism. Their close physiologic association with cancer development prompted us to determine whether mutations within the NLRP (PYRIN-containing NLR ) gene family were associated with HNSCC genome instability and their clinicopathologic correlations. Catastrophic mutational events underlie cancer cell genome instability and mark a point-of-no-return in cancer cell development and generation of heterogeneity. The mutation profiles of 62 patients with primary conventional type HNSCC excluding other histologic variants were analyzed. Associations were tested using Fisher's Exact test or Mann-Whitney U test. Mutations in NLRP were associated with elevated genome instability as characterized by higher mutation rates. Clinically, NLRP mutations were more frequently found in HNSCC arising in the floor of mouth (50.0%) in comparison with HNSCC at other head and neck locations (14.8%). These mutations were clustered at the leucine rich repeats region of NLRP proteins, and affected NLRP genes were mostly localized at chromosomes 11p15.4 and 19q13.42-19q13.43. Twenty novel NLRP mutations were identified in HNSCC, and mutations in this group of genes were correlated with increased cancer cell genome mutation rates, and such features could be a potential molecular biomarker of HNSCC genome instability. © 2014 Lei et al

Effects of antiplatelet therapy on stroke risk by brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases: subgroup analyses of the RESTART randomised, open-label trial

Background Findings from the RESTART trial suggest that starting antiplatelet therapy might reduce the risk of recurrent symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage compared with avoiding antiplatelet therapy. Brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases (such as cerebral microbleeds) are associated with greater risks of recurrent intracerebral haemorrhage. We did subgroup analyses of the RESTART trial to explore whether these brain imaging features modify the effects of antiplatelet therapy