Police-Community Relationship in Kuwait: Public Relations Perspective

This thesis explores the current police-community relationships in Kuwait where no previous research on this particular topic is known. Therefore, the overall goal of this thesis is to both describe the current relationship between the Kuwaiti police and the community and, based on the results, provide suitable recommendations to help forge and maintain positive relations. In order to accurately illustrate the current relationship, this thesis utilises three major theoretical concepts: the co-creational approach (relational approach and community theory), systems theory, and social exchange theory. Habermas’s Theory of Communicative Action (TCA) was also discussed to shed light on the power dynamic of the police-community relationship. Although these theories differ in their approach, they present the public relations approach through a shared focal point – relationships, which is the primary focus of this research. In a qualitative approach, twenty-two participants were interviewed and their answers coded and transcribed. Particular attention was paid to the sampling of interview participants through the use of the qualitative sampling techniques of quota and purposive sampling. In the analysis of data, three themes, Faith, Communitarianism, and Optimism represent an important and special context for the public relations theorist. They contribute to our understanding of public relations in the context of Kuwaiti police-community relations. Furthermore, the relational elements of trust, satisfaction, control mutuality and commitment are integrated with the three aforementioned themes. This analytical framework strengthened the analysis by adding a comparative and universal perspective. The main findings of this research are the key attributes affecting the police- community relationship in Kuwait, such as trust, satisfaction, commitment, control, mutuality, and the worldviews through which the participants regard the police: Faith, Communitarianism, and Optimism. Furthermore, the implication of this thesis goes beyond that of the police-community relationship in that country. It also provides a thorough discussion regarding 1) public relations theory and practice, and 2) a thematic analysis of the Kuwaiti police. This thesis adds to public relations theories as it extends the body of knowledge of public relations to a specific context of police public relations in Kuwait. This will help to round-out existing police PR data, especially by adding a Middle Eastern and Arabic perspective to otherwise Western theories (e.g. relational, community, systems and social exchange). Furthermore, this thesis demonstrates how environmental factors (Kuwaiti history, culture and economics) influence organisation-public relations. This thesis explores an essential area for Kuwaiti police that has not been explored before. Through the investigation of interview data, this thesis provides a snapshot of the current police-community relationship, highlighting important issues that are obstacles to a better police-community relationship. The most salient two are (1) police force behaviour, and (2) the organization's communication style. It is recommended that Kuwaiti police should adapt the community policing approach. This thesis proposes that adapting the community policing approach will help to improve behaviour and communication styles by addressing root issues. This adjustment will require the police organisation to adjust its goals and mission so as to become aligned with that of the community's goals and mission

Ergonomic Immobilization Frame for Radiotherapy

The primary purpose of this project is to demonstrate that patients can be safely immobilized using air in the general torso area so that radiation can be administered to that region. The primary target will be to treat tumors in the lungs and liver. By immobilizing patients during treatment it allows for the radiation to be consistent in targeting the desired region of the body, which would not be the case if the patient was moving. Air was chosen as the desired medium to immobilize the patient because of comfort and it provides an easy medium for radiation to travel through which does not interfere with the radiation. Through research the limiting factor of human body was the pulmonary cycle which was determined to be approximately 0.15 Psi. In order to use air for immobilization airbags were incorporated as a means to hold the air and once pressurized would be used as the restraint force on the patient. As a means to demonstrate that air in fact could be used to immobilize a patient a prototype of a radiation chamber was built to provide a proof of concept. The radiation chamber frame was built to completely encapsulate the patient 360 degrees. The two airbags were placed in the frame which provides complete immobilization of the patient from all angles. The patient had to be standing while the radiation was being administered in order to target certain areas which could not be included if the patient was sitting or lying down. A circular frame was the desired shape of the frame because it allows for radiation to enter and exit the chamber at the same angle regardless of where it is administered. The radiation chamber requires the use of radiation safe materials in any given area where the frame comes into contact with radiation, for this reason non-metallic materials were used. The chamber prototype was built using wood and plexiglass. Finite element analysis simulated an allowable applied pressure of 6.0 Psi applied to the shell. Prior to the given prototype, there was no means available to immobilize a patient while standing for radiotherapy. Experimental tests demonstrated that a person could be immobilized in the general torso area using air.https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/capstone/1214/thumbnail.jp

Teacher evaluation by different internal evaluators: Head of departments, teachers themselves, peers and students

This study analyzed teacher evaluation in school, through involving different internal evaluators, in order to determine the extent to which they evaluate teacher performance accurately and objectively. Evaluation survey instruments are used in this study, which are designed based the criteria of existing teacher evaluation system in the context, along with other criteria for evaluating teachers. The sample of this study included teachers, heads of departments and students from high schools in four different districts in Kuwait, received responses as 100 from heads of department, 100 from teachers ‘self-evaluation’, 100 from peer and 912 from students. The findings show that there is no significant difference between teachers’ self-evaluation and heads of departments’ evaluation. On the other hand, this study finds that subjectivism and competition may have an effect on peer evaluation and students may over-evaluate their teachers’ performance as attempt to draw a better picture of their teachers in front of evaluators

The Tools of Teacher Evaluation: What Should Be Used in Teacher Evaluation from the Teachers’ Perspective

This paper presents a study that was conducted to investigate the tools of teacher evaluation. The focus is on what teachers state about such tools in terms of what should be used when they are evaluated. Teachers were asked by questionnaire about their support of observation, students’ achievement, self-evaluation, peer-evaluation, student evaluation and portfolios. The sample consisted of 599 teachers and heads of departments from nine primary schools in three different educational districts in Kuwait. The most favoured approach was observation, and the least favoured was student evaluation. Nevertheless, the results show that teachers support the use of several tools in their evaluation

Teacher Evaluation in Kuwait - Evaluation of the Current System and Consideration of Risk-Based Analysis as a Principle for Further Development

Evaluation is an essential component in education. Through evaluation, educationists can identify what has been achieved, what needs to be improved and what should be developed. Educational evaluation can be applied to several areas, such as curricula, students, teachers and schools in general. This study focuses on teacher evaluation and argues that teacher evaluation systems should be more effective in accurately determining teacher performance, should support the making of fair decisions in relation to sanctions or rewards and should support professional development. The aims of this study were firstly to analyse and evaluate the current teacher evaluation system in Kuwait, and secondly, to suggest an alternative teacher evaluation system based on a ‘Risk-Based Analysis’ approach. This study used a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods to gather data. In particular, a questionnaire was designed to collect teachers’ perspectives on the current system and was distributed to 599 teachers in nine primary schools in three Kuwaiti educational districts. Interviews were conducted with nine head teachers and twelve inspectors in order to obtain more in-depth data regarding the current system. The study also carried out additional interviews with the same head teachers and inspectors, and held a focus group with 45 teachers, in order to probe their views concerning the proposed alternative system. The results of this study have revealed that the actual purposes of the current system are primarily focused on achieving summative evaluation, while the desired purposes of teacher evaluation are to secure both summative and professional development. The current system most frequently uses observation to evaluate teacher performance; however, participants expressed a desire for a broader range of evaluation tools to be used. The study found that teachers more frequently have discussions with, and receive written feedback from, heads of departments as opposed to the other two evaluators (head teachers and inspectors). They rated the value of the discussion and written feedback from heads of departments as more valuable than that which is given by the other two groups of evaluators. The study also found that teachers’ views were clustered, with some teachers indicating that the current system does not support them in their performance development and others indicating that it does. Finally, the study found that adopting the alternative system would improve the validity and reliability of teacher evaluation, would link teachers’ performance with promotions and rewards while introducing sanctions for underperforming teachers, as well as would facilitate and promote professional development

Structured Acyclic Nets

The concept of structured occurrence nets is an extension of that of occurrence nets which are directed acyclic graphs that represent causality and concurrency information concerning a single execution of a distributed system. The formalism of structured occurrence nets has been introduced to facilitate the portrayal and analysis of the behaviours, and in particular failures, of complex evolving systems. Such systems are composed of a large number of sub-systems which may proceed concurrently and interact with each other and with the external environment while their behaviour is subject to modification by other systems. The purpose of this paper is to provide an extension of structured occurrence nets to include models built up of acyclic nets rather than occurrence nets

Pre-Service Teachers' Perceptions of Their Abilities to Teach Students with Special Needs by Integrating Technology in Their Classrooms

This inquiry is grounded in the theoretical framework of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK). The study investigates pre-service special education teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs, their perceptions of technology use for learning and teaching, their pedagogical approaches, and the challenges they face. A case study research design was employed to acquire quantitative data. Questionnaires were administered to a sample of 81 pre-service teachers from one teacher training college. The questionnaire also contained open-ended questions. Quantitative data was analysed using the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 21 software while responses to the open-ended questions were thematically analysed. This study found that the pre-service teachers' use of technology may have developed over time and through the personal use of the devices in their classroom practices. Although the pre-service teachers had varied self-efficacy beliefs, they had positive attitudes towards the use of technology. Findings also suggest that the pre-service teachers lacked TPACK skills to use technology. Although most findings reinforce what is already known about the field, this study is unique as these results are new for Kuwait and possibly more widely for the Middle East. The study recommends that TPACK workshops may not only enhance better understanding of pre-service teachers’ perceptions and beliefs about integrating technology to teach students with special needs but also provide increased support for them to improve their attitudes towards emerging technologies. Keywords: Pre-service teachers, students with special needs, technology and integrating DOI: 10.7176/JEP/10-35-12 Publication date: December 31st 201

Breast cancer awareness and breast self-examination among future female university graduates: comparison between medical and non-medical students

Background: Breast cancer is a common health problem among females in Saudi Arabia. The disease account for 27% of all female malignancies representing 25.1% of all newly diagnosed female cancers. The objectives of the current study were to assess the level of carcinoma breast awareness of female university students, Majmaah University in Saudi Arabia and to compare the level of awareness, breast self-examination and breast cancer screening between medical and non-medical students.Methods: The current study was a cross-sectional, conducted among female students in Majmaah University in Saudi Arabia. The stratified and the systematic sampling were employed to select the colleges and the students respectively. The sample size was calculated as 325. Data was collected by a pre tested questionnaire and analyzed by SPSS.Results: The university students who acquired good knowledge were 111 (34.2%). Students who acquired average and poor knowledge were 42.2% and 23.6% respectively. Medical students who had good knowledge were 37.6% compared to 26.9% of non-medical students.  The results showed that 94 (28.9%) of the participants practice breast self-examination and 25 (7.6%) performed a screening test.Conclusions: The study concluded that Majmaah University students’ awareness of carcinoma breast is low. There is no significant difference in the level of awareness between students of medical colleges and those of non-medical colleges. The level of practicing breast self-examination and performing screening test for carcinoma breast among female university students is low. There is a significant difference in performing carcinoma breast screening test between medical and non-medical students.

Pathogenic and Non-Pathogenic Microbial Presence in Ventilator Associated Pneumonia Patients in Intensive Care Unit and Safety Protocols Under Surveillance of Healthcare Provider: A Research Study

Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a common hospital-acquired infection that is associated with longer stays in intensive care units (ICUs) and under mechanical ventilation for more than 48 hours. This article explores the prevalence and impact of VAP on mortality and morbidity, emphasizing the microbial associations involved in hospital-acquired infections. Various infections, including Lung infections, surgical site infections, sepsis, and urinary tract infections, are discussed, along with their associated microorganisms. Diagnostic criteria for VAP and related infections are outlined, highlighting the importance of microbiological testing for accurate diagnosis. The underlying factors for VAP acquisition in ICU patients are identified, and prompt antibiotic initiation is emphasized as a critical first-line defense against VAP. In this study, we have populated data from 100 ICU patients, among which 45 were suffering from VAP. It was found that female patients (57.40%) were more affected than male patients (30.43%). The decreasing PaO2 level was seen to be the early sign of infection. It was found that the time of ventilation was the major factor influencing the VAP. The most common organism causing infection in our study was found to be Staphylococcus Aureus (45.1%). The prognosis of early-onset VAP was 35.55% while compared to Late-onset VAP 64.44%. When compared to VAP and Non-VAP patients there was not very huge difference with 55% and 45% respectively. The other factor was age and position. Implementation of Prevention strategies, such as protective environments and HEPA filtration systems, is proposed to reduce VAP incidence. Proper diagnosis, treatment, and prevention are crucial to combatting VAP and enhancing patient outcomes in hospital settings

Prevalence, Recognition, And Management Of Mental Disorders In Primary Care

According to latest figures, 50% of individuals will have a minimum of one mental health issue in their lifetime, with at least 25% experiencing a mental condition in the previous year. primary care doctors are overwhelmingly responsible for recognition, evaluation, therapy, and referral, with at least one-third of their consultations containing a direct and obvious mental aspect Primary care physicians are the foundation of the majority of medical care programs that involve recognizing, diagnosing, treating, and referring patients to specialists for every kind of diseases, whether physical, mental, or both. Over the last two decades, there has been a greater emphasis on this position, notably in the treatment of mental problems in primary care