Assessing safety climate in acute hospital settings: a systematic review of the adequacy of the psychometric properties of survey measurement tools

Background: The perceived importance of safety culture in improving patient safety and its impact on patient outcomes has led to a growing interest in the assessment of safety climate in healthcare organizations; however, the rigour with which safety climate tools were developed and psychometrically tested was shown to be variable. This paper aims to identify and review questionnaire studies designed to measure safety climate in acute hospital settings, in order to assess the adequacy of reported psychometric properties of identified tools. Methods: A systematic review of published empirical literature was undertaken to examine sample characteristics and instrument details including safety climate dimensions, origin and theoretical basis, and extent of psychometric evaluation (content validity, criterion validity, construct validity and internal reliability). Results: Five questionnaire tools, designed for general evaluation of safety climate in acute hospital settings, were included. Detailed inspection revealed ambiguity around concepts of safety culture and climate, safety climate dimensions and the methodological rigour associated with the design of these measures. Standard reporting of the psychometric properties of developed questionnaires was variable, although evidence of an improving trend in the quality of the reported psychometric properties of studies was noted. Evidence of the theoretical underpinnings of climate tools was limited, while a lack of clarity in the relationship between safety culture and patient outcome measures still exists. Conclusions: Evidence of the adequacy of the psychometric development of safety climate questionnaire tools is still limited. Research is necessary to resolve the controversies in the definitions and dimensions of safety culture and climate in healthcare and identify related inconsistencies. More importance should be given to the appropriate validation of safety climate questionnaires before extending their usage in healthcare contexts different from those in which they were originally developed. Mixed methods research to understand why psychometric assessment and measurement reporting practices can be inadequate and lacking in a theoretical basis is also necessary

Considering and Supporting the Implementation of Universal Design for Learning Among Teachers of Students Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Saudi Arabia

The purpose of this study was to investigate the variables associated with the implementation of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and identify the barriers that could prevent the implementation of UDL. This study included the initial perceptions of teachers of students who are deaf and hard of hearing in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The study discussed implications for integration of UDL in day-to-day practices as well as in the country's education policy. Therefore, this study was divided into two major stages to obtain a better understanding of UDL through teachers’ practice. The first stage was to investigate and conduct a broad assessment of the current implementation level of the three UDL principles (engagement, representation, and action and expression) and the barriers to implementing UDL among teachers in Saudi schools. The total participants in this stage were 269 teachers. The second stage was a follow-up procedure after assessing the teachers’ needs through a specially designed intervention that provided training sessions for 67 teachers. The results of the intervention indicated significant differences among teachers before and after taking the training sessions associated with their understanding and level of concern. Teachers have indicated interest in knowing more about UDL and adopting it into their practices; they reported that UDL has benefits that will enhance their performance for supporting student learning

Language Teacher Cognition on English Grammar Assessment: Investigating EFL Teachers’ Beliefs and Practices regarding Classroom-based Assessment in Public Higher-Educational Institutions in Saudi Arabia

This thesis investigates teachers’ beliefs about English grammar assessment (EGA) and how these are linked to their professional practices when writing their grammar exams in their educational contexts, in higher educational facilities in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The central focus of this study is threefold: (a) teachers‘ beliefs and factors which shaped these beliefs, (b) their actual practices and the factors that influenced their EGA, and (c) the relationship between teachers’ beliefs and practices regarding EGA. The study is guided by the theoretical framework of Activity Theory (AT) and more specifically by Engeström’s (1999) third generation of AT which was used as the interpretive tool to explore the two systems: how teachers’ view EGA and how they actually assess EG in their classes. AT also allows to identify the contradictions that create conflicts between EFL teachers’ beliefs and practices with regards to EGA. A mixed-method research design was used and included a questionnaire (N= 94), semi-structured interviews (N= 32), retrospective thinking (N= 20) and document analysis (N= 28) with EFL teachers in four public higher educational facilities. The study showed both congruence and tensions between teachers‘ beliefs and practices. Teachers‘ beliefs were greatly congruent with their practices regarding the purposes of EGA, EFL teachers’ role in constructing their grammar exams, preferable items format and the sources from which EFL teachers draw exam question . Conversely, teachers‘ beliefs were incongruent with their practices concerning how EG should be assessed: integratively vs. explicitly. In addition, several factors: contextual, personal and conceptual, were identified as to have helped shaped , affected and/ or altered EFL teachers’ beliefs and practices with regards to EGA. This study concludes by providing some implications which could serve more than one purpose by creating knowledge which would be useful for researchers in the field of language teacher cognition and English grammar assessment

The impact of generation Y's customer experience on banking sector

JEL: M310 - Marketing; JEL: M390 - Marketing and Advertising: OtherThis dissertation based on customer experience of the Generation Y, individuals born between 1980 and 2000, and its effect on banking sector efforts from marketing perspective. Recently, banking sector focus on attracting Generation Y because they has emerged as a big force with growing spending power which will unavoidably rival Baby Boomers' market dominance, and are becoming even more important due to their large size. Banks try to attract them by offering a unique customer experience, especially the ability of differentiation by using price or service become less than before and easier to copy from other banks. Using Mehrabian and Russell’s model of stimulus (S) - organism (O) - response (R), this study developed Generation Y customer experience framework that intends to explain Generation Y consumer behavioral responses toward customer experience attributes in bank that developed by KPMG International. This process happen through three aspects: Affective, Attitudinal, and Perspective toward banks. Empirical evidence, based on data from a survey suggests that the overall customer experience attributes in the bank had a positive relation with behavioral responses that represented by three items: loyalty, word-of-mouth, and brand equity, in different ways. In addition, “Value for money”, “Getting things right the first time” and "Put the consumer first" emerge as the most importance attributes for Generation Y in experiencing the bank.Esta dissertação tem como base a experiência dos indivíduos da geração Y, nascidos entre 1980 e 2000, e seu efeito sobre os esforços de marketing do sector bancário. Recentemente, o sector bancário tem apostado em atrair a geração Y, pois ela tem emergido como uma grande força com crescente poder de compra que inevitavelmente rivalizam com o Baby Boomers no domínio do mercado e, está-se tornando ainda mais importante devido ao seu tamanho. Os bancos tentam atraí-los (indivíduos da geração Y), oferecendo uma experiência de cliente único, especialmente a capacidade de diferenciação, usando o preço ou o serviço tornarse- iam menos do que eram antes e mais fáceis copiar por outros bancos. Mediante a aplicação do modelo de Mehrabian e Russell (estímulo (S) - organismo (O) - resposta (R)), este estudo desenvolveu um modelo conceptual da experiencia de consumidor da geração Y, o qual pretende explicar o comportamento de resposta mediante os atributos da experiência do consumidor no setor bancário propostos por KPMG International. Este processo ocorre através de três aspetos: afetivo, altitudinal e perspetivo para o sector bancário. A evidência empírica, com base na informação recolhida mediante um questionário online sugere que em geral os atributos da experiência global do cliente bancário tem uma relação positiva com as respostas comportamentais representadas, de formas diferentes, pelas três itens: lealdade, passa-palavra e equity da marca. Além disso, o "valor pelo dinheiro", o "fazer as coisas bem à primeira " e o "colocar o consumidor em primeiro lugar" emergem como os atributos mais importantes para geração Y em experiências com o banco

3D Seismic Depth Imaging and Velocity Model Building in Anisotropic Media: Serri Oil and Gas Field, Saudi Arabia

Seismic imaging is a significant element in hydrocarbon exploration to locate drilling prospects and it relies mainly on an accurate velocity model. Prestack depth migration (PreSDM) versus traditional post-stack time migration has become a common method for seismic velocity model building and imaging. This methodology accounts for seismic velocity anisotropy of the propagating waves in the subsurface with a higher level of accuracy in positioning the seismic events in their true positions in the subsurface. In this thesis, we examine a 303 km2 of 3D seismic data acquired by Saudi Aramco in the Serri field of North-West Saudi Arabia. The dataset is diagnosed to be of extremely poor reflective quality likely due to seismic anisotropic effects caused by shale deposits. Our main goal was to produce an enhanced and better focused seismic image that is geologically accurate and interpretable This study develops a practical method for building an anisotropic velocity model to be further used in the anisotropic PreSDM. Based on this study, three main approaches have made a significant impact on the improvement of seismic imaging: (1) analysis of elastic reflection coefficients characterizing heterogeneities in the subsurface, (2) study of the variation of the reflection coefficients with the angle of incidence, and (3) a detailed characterization of the P-wave propagation velocity field. The seismic imaging results showed that PreSDM provided a significant improvement of the seismic image quality. Moreover, the anisotropic PreSDM provided more continuous and brighter reflections than the isotropic PreSDM

Why Do They Post? Motivations and Uses of Snapchat, Instagram and Twitter among Kuwait College Students

This study explores the differences between Snapchat, Instagram, and Twitter in terms of intensity of use and use motivations. Grounded in the theory of Uses and Gratifications, the current research compares the three platforms with exploratory factor analysis. A cross-sectional survey methodology of college students in Kuwait (N=692) asked respondents to identify the time they spend using social media, satisfaction with social media content, the intensity of using Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter as well as seven use motivations. The analysis of the data indicated that Instagram is the most popular platform among social media users, while Snapchat intensity of use is the highest. Based on the factor analysis results, motivations to use Snapchat are passing the time, self-expression, self-presentation, and entertainment. While the motivations to use Twitter are self-presentation, entertainment, and social interaction. Finally, passing time, social interaction, self-presentation, and entertainment are the motivations to use Instagram

Redefining Literacy: The Realities of Digital Literacy for Students with Disabilities in K-12

Technology has shaped the definition of literacy from the traditional meaning of having the ability to read and write to being a social practice that enables individuals to learn and interact with the world. With this notion of literacy, technology has become a tool to motivate and engage all learners through broad practices and platforms that could effectively strengthen a student’s learning experience. The shifting from printed content to digital form is a transfer point of the traditional understanding of literacy to a new and modern meaning. This has led to a new term known as digital literacy, whereby perceiving information, gaining knowledge, and expressing understanding for the purposes of learning are delivered through a digital format. Therefore, this study has comprehensively reviewed implementing technology into digital learning for K–12 students with disabilities. Moreover, the study has investigated special and general education teachers (n = 682) through open-ended questions to have a better understanding of the integration of learning and digital literacy. The results of the study have been interpreted to enhance the practice and research of the future of technology through digital literacy. Keywords: Digital literacy, students with disabilities, K-12, special education, general education, technolog

Sensitivity Studies for Argus 1000 Micro-Spectrometer: Measurements of Atmospheric Total Column Carbon Dioxide By Reflected Sunlight

A sensitivity analysis of the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) and the atmospheric total column carbon dioxide was performed. The absorption of reflected solar radiation from the atmosphere and Earths surface near 1.58 m is utilized in this study. The CO_2 near infrared (NIR) bands at 1.58 m and 1.60 m are located within the Argus 1000 spectrometer spectral range, 1.0-1.7m. The model findings suggest that Argus 1000 spectrometer signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) must be 2000:1 to detect a 1% CO_2 change in the boundary layer (0-2 km). Argus 1000 spectrometer with its current SNR (~ 1520:1) can detect approximately 1.31% CO_2 change in the boundary layer (ABL). Two solar radiance paths were considered using GENSPECT, a line-by-line radiative transfer model, to examine the solar radiance spectra seen by the sensor. In path one, sunlight is assumed to travel through a longer path length in the atmosphere and reflect off the ground back to space. In path two, the solar beam is assumed to travel through a shorter path length and reflect off a cloud layer that is 4 km above the ground. The model findings suggest that the ratio between the solar radiances in both paths is approximately 4.5. The radiance change in both paths was examined for a 1% CO_2 perturbation in the boundary layer. The effect of the presence of clouds on both solar radiation and CO_2 absorption is also analyzed using flight data collected by the Argus 1000 spectrometer over cloudy and cloud-free scenes. The finding shows that CO_2 absorption in a clear sky condition is approximately 5.3% higher than when clouds are present