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Background: Older people in care may be lonely with insufficient contact if families are unable to visit. Face-to-face contact through video-calls may help reduce loneliness, but little is known about the processes of engaging older people living in care in using video-calls. Aims: 1-To explore how to normalise the use of video-calls within the care environment, 2-To examine how video-call communication for older people might reduce loneliness and social isolation. Sub aims: 3- To identify the barriers and facilitators to using video-calls within a care environment for older people, care staff and social contacts, 4-To explore how staff and social contacts’ attitudes towards using video-calls change after implementation. Design: A mixed methods approach of ethnography and feedback forms using collaborative action research (CAR) methodology included five core steps taken across two cycles of research: (1) Recruitment of older people and relevant social contacts. (2) Planning how best to implement the intervention. (3) Implementation of video-calls. (4) Reflection to identify barriers to and benefits of using video-calls. (5) Re-evaluation to tackle the identified barriers. Intervention: The video-call intervention comprised a wheeled device (Skype on Wheels (SoW) that could hold an iPad or tablet and telephone handset and used Skype to provide a video-call service for residents and their social contacts. In cycle two, Skype TV (STV) was an additional form of delivering video-calls on a larger screen and trialled alongside SoW. Methods cycle one: Seven care homes and one community hospital in the South West of England participated. Care staff (n=32) were collaborators who implemented the intervention by agreeing the intervention, recruiting older people without dementia (n=34) and their distant family (n=19), and setting up video-calls. Ethnographic data included field notes and reflective diaries on observations and conversations with care staff, older people and family which were maintained over 15 months and analysed using thematic analysis. Results cycle one: Four care homes implemented the intervention. Eight older people (23%) with their respective family contacts made use of video-calls. Older people were able to use SoW with assistance from care staff and enjoyed the use of video-calls to stay better connected with distant family. However, five barriers towards implementation were staff turnover, risk averseness, the SoW design, lack of family commitment, and staff attitudes regarding technology. Methods cycle two: Four care homes continued to cycle two. This consisted of three key activities to address the identified barriers in cycle one to improve implementation. Namely; 1- focus groups to allow residents (n=28) to aesthetically personalise SoW, 2- video-calls using SoW between school pupils (n=4) and residents (n=20) to build new social contacts and trial the use of a prompt sheet to improve the quality of conversations, and 3- inter-care home video-calls using SoW and STV between residents (n=22) across care homes to increase socialisation. Residents with dementia but with the mental capacity to consent (n=7) were included in cycle two. Additionally, the usability, content and face validity, and usefulness of scales to measure outcomes of loneliness (CELS), social isolation (LSNS-R and LSNS-6), well-being (SWEMWBS) for residents, and staff attitudes towards technology (ATTS) were tested. Scales were given at baseline and follow-up (6 months) and were analysed for simple descriptive statistics. Field notes on observations, feedback forms and structured interviews with residents, social contacts and care staff were maintained over 10 months and analysed using thematic analysis. Results cycle two: Personalisation of SoW and an alternative method of accessing through STV, along with introducing a non-familial social contact to video-call increased the uptake of participation from residents, and helped retain residents in the intervention over a longer period. The use of a ‘prompt’ sheet with school pupils improved the quality of conversations between older people and pupils. All residents with dementia were capable of participating in all activities and found them beneficial, even though they did not always remember using video-calls between sessions. Care staff attitudes towards video-calls improved after acting as a ‘facilitator’ during activities. Exploration of the usefulness of scales to measure key outcomes concluded that the LSNS-6 and CEL scales are useful and appropriate for residents with dementia, or who are end of life. However, the SWEMWBS was not useful, and the ATTS needed further exploration with care staff. Conclusion: These findings suggest that video-calls for residents with and without dementia can to some extent be normalised within a complex long-term care home environment over some months, whereas it was not feasible in a community hospital because of the short patient stays. However, it is still unclear how effective video-calls are in reducing loneliness and social isolation within care. The current research suggests that care homes adopt implementation activities in the order of 1- residents to aesthetically personalise video-call technology, 2- allow residents to engage in non-familial social contacts to become familiar and improve acceptability and 3- help residents accustomed to video-calls to reconnect with distant family members.

For over a decade UK legislation has existed which grants powers to English Local Authorities to implement a Workplace Parking Levy (WPL). Despite positive experiences in Australia of utilising area wide parking space levies to pay for public transport improvements, only one UK local authority to date (2017), Nottingham City Council, has chosen to implement a WPL. The Nottingham WPL scheme is intended to act as a transport demand management measure as well as a core funding mechanism for transport improvements including two new tram lines. Acceptance by the public and the business community is a key barrier to implementing a WPL. The two major criticisms of the Nottingham scheme prior to its implementation were that a WPL would discourage business investment and thus damage the economy while its intended impact on traffic congestion would be minimal. Therefore, a comprehensive evaluation of the Nottingham WPL scheme s performance is essential in order to facilitate transferability of this approach to other UK and European Cities. This thesis contributes to the wider WPL evaluation project by evaluating to what extent the Nottingham WPL has met three key objectives identified for the scheme which address the impact on congestion, transport mode share and inward investment. This research utilises a theoretical evaluation approach, a Theory of Change approach strengthened by elements of Realistic Evaluation . This approach provides an appropriate framework for evaluating progress towards the three key objectives by identifying a plausible model for change and expected impacts for the Nottingham WPL and the transport improvements which it part funds. This model or Theory of Change , is then tested to understand if the scheme is achieving the desired impacts by analysing appropriate indicators to measure and attribute change to causal factors. Methods used to facilitate this research include, benchmarking indicators against similar UK Cities, questionnaire surveys to assess the reasons for mode switch, time series modelling of the impact on congestion and a consideration of the reasoning behind investment and de-investment decisions made by businesses in Nottingham. It is concluded that while the WPL and its associated transport improvements are resulting in congestion constraint and mode shift away from commuting by car, these impacts are being reduced by the presence of exogenous change notably, economic and population growth, short term disruption to the road network resulting from roadworks associated with the construction of transport improvements and suppressed demand for commuting by car. Additionally, this research shows that there is a body of evidence which demonstrates that the WPL has not negatively impacted on levels of inward investment and that there is some evidence to date that suggests the improved transport system facilitated by the WPL is attractive to potential business investors.

This thesis attempts to formally connect the fields of sustainability and responsibility. It considers first the larger context of business sustainability and responsible leadership, and evaluates the value and need for a common transformative space for these fields and what such a space might look like. As such, the thesis investigates the relation between sustainability and responsibility from an organizational and personal development perspective. This developmental perspective emerges from research in the domain of business education and the role of business schools in terms of educating responsible leaders for a sustainable world. The research suggests a concrete approach, the ‘Collaboratory’ for such a common space of transformation and critically evaluates its effectiveness to develop responsible leaders. The key contribution of this thesis lies in the interconnection of two fast evolving fields of research: the development of responsible leadership and business sustainability, providing a model for practitioners and scholars to reflect on and debate the larger forces and dynamics at play. Most research to date has focused on considering personal and organizational transformation separately. On the one hand, research scholars have studied effective learning environments to enable responsible leadership, and on the other hand, we have studied if and how organizations can advance from their current mode of operations to become “truly sustainable”. The thesis contributes a model to describe the interdependency of these two, and proposes the ‘Collaboratory’ as a means to realize this interdependency in practice. Chapter 1 is a new article theorizing the whole argument; subsequent chapters are previously published articles in these inter-connected fields and addressing methods and approaches to connect personal and organization development, drawing from a body of literature that considers the human spirit in large social change; and using the ‘Collaboratory’ as an illustrative and timely example for such methods.

College access and success are the most pressing issues confronting the United States in post-secondary education. This work focuses on declining STEM proficiency in the United States, requiring universities to focus on and understand students' needs explicitly. It explores students' learning experiences, attitudes, and challenges in Pre-Engineering (PENG) at the University of Michigan-Dearborn. The study aims to investigate the barriers students perceive while entering Pre-Engineering, understand their experiences during the program, and examine Pre-Engineering through professors' and academic advisors' lenses. Thus, focusing on the challenge framed: "How might we understand students' learning experiences, attitudes, and struggles about the support provided in Pre-Engineering?". The study follows a three-phased mixed methods approach, utilizing a Theory of Change (ToC) framework and human-centered design (HCD) process. The ToC framework guides the planning, monitoring, and evaluation of program goals, while the HCD process ensures a user-centered approach. Key participants, including students, faculty members, and academic advisors, are actively engaged in addressing their needs and perspectives. Phase one of the study entails a qualitative exploration of students' experiences during the Pre-Engineering admission process and throughout the program. Data is collected through surveys and interviews involving current and alumni Pre-Engineering students. The analysis is supported by a preliminary examination of students' demographic and academic data from the university. Phase two involves interviewing Pre-Engineering faculty members and advisors to understand their perceptions and experiences related to the program. Qualitative and quantitative methodologies are employed to analyze the responses from both phases, providing a comprehensive understanding of the various perspectives. Phase three focuses on a co-design session that fosters collaboration among PENG faculty members and advisors. The aim is to generate innovative ideas to enhance/re-design the Pre-Engineering program, guided by the ToC framework. This session outlines the desired impact and intermediate steps required for effective transformation. Lastly, student evaluation and feedback surveys ensure alignment between suggested activities and resources and the desired results. The study emphasizes the significance of orientation programs, advising services, peer mentoring, collaboration opportunities, and hands-on activities in improving the Pre-Engineering program. Data-driven approaches, and stakeholder collaborations are crucial for creating an inclusive and supportive environment for Pre-Engineering students. These findings hold practical implications for Pre-Engineering educators and policymakers, informing decision-making and program development. Additionally, the study contributes to the existing literature on engineering education, providing valuable insights into effective practices and strategies for enhancing student success in Pre-Engineering.

No-excuses charter schools are arguably the most successful and controversial school-choice model of the last quarter century (Cheng et al., 2017). Typically following a college-for-all ethos, they demonstrate sizable gains in test scores and college acceptance rates for marginalized student populations (Davis & Heller, 2019). However, concerns regarding how these schools achieve these short-term outcomes using strict practices warrants further qualitative investigation (Golann, 2015). A paucity of research explores the influence of no-excuses practices on long-term college success outcomes extending beyond graduation and persistence rates to include well-being, career preparation, academic growth, and satisfaction (Mehta, 2020). This three-article dissertation investigates the perceived influence of a no-excuses charter high school on four-year college success from multiple perspectives. Following a qualitative case study approach (Merriam, 1998) grounded in a conceptual model of college success (Perna & Thomas, 2006), the study utilizes observations, document review, and semi-structured interviews––some including photo-elicitation (Harper, 2002). Article One explores the four-year college experiences of no-excuses charter high school alumni. Article Two examines institutional agents’ roles in implementing college-for-all practices within a no-excuses charter high school. Article Three draws on this case study to propose a process for merging qualitative research and program theory development for school improvement (Funnell & Rogers, 2011; Joyce & Cartwright, 2021). These articles identify and expound upon certain no-excuses components that positively and negatively contribute to students’ college success. Aspirational college talk, comprehensive college and financial aid application support, and a caring environment contributed to four-year college matriculation. However, pressure institutional agents experienced to meet short-term outcomes associated with normative definitions of college success resulted in one-size-fits-all approaches to teaching, behavior management, and college preparation that minimized opportunities for students’ identity formation, noncognitive skill development, social-emotional learning, and discovery of intrinsic college-going motivation. This study offers recommendations for (re)envisioning college-for-all policies and school-based practices to be more flexible, student-centered, and culturally responsive in ways that honor a student’s personhood while helping them go to college, thrive, and graduate.

There is a need to address disparities in the underrepresented minority (URM) STEM students’ degree attainment and retention, vs. non-URM students. A literature review suggests that URM STEM students face barriers related to demographic, academic, and social-cognitive factors. The Louis Stokes North Star STEM Alliance (LS-NSSA) seeks to address these factors and promote URM student success in STEM disciplines. However, there is a gap in knowledge regarding LS-NSSA’s mechanism and outcomes. The current study investigates factors influencing URM STEM students’ retention and graduation, investigates LS-NSSA program effectiveness, and investigates the path by which outcomes are achieved. A theory-based evaluation approach is utilized in an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design guided by LS-NSSA’s theory of change. The results of three sub-studies suggest the importance of first-semester experience and academic outcomes for URM STEM students’ graduation and retention. Participation in LS-NSSA is associated with a higher level of academic preparation to pursue a bachelor’s degree, compared to URM students not affiliated with the program. URM STEM students participating in LS-NSSA’s research mentorship programs have higher levels of confidence, interest, science identity, sense of belonging, and commitment to STEM. The current study offers evidence supporting LS-NSSA’s theory of change regarding student academic and social-cognitive trajectories. The current study suggests directions for future evaluative studies of LS-NSSA.

Trauma-informed care is a relatively new construct in K-12 education, and districts across the United States are seeking avenues to meet the needs of their students. The COVID-19 pandemic elevated the need for districts to develop appropriate supports to address student and adult trauma. Traumatic events can affect a child’s mental, physical, social-emotional, and/or spiritual well-being (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration, 2011). Furthermore, children with an elevated risk of trauma may not be able to access these supports outside of the school setting (Baweja et al., 2015). Therefore, educational systems need to develop trauma-informed care models for schools that furnish a sense of safety and community so that students receive the necessary support. This evaluation aimed to identify how the moderating factors of district administrators, site administrators, climate and culture, and teacher capacity affect trauma-informed care via a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) framework. It included a specific focus on Tier 1, universal access, to improve timely support for students. This formative program evaluation explored the impact of the moderating factors through the viewpoint of a newly created conceptual framework. I used qualitative and quantitative data sources to explore the multiple aspects of the phenomenon. The ARTIC-45 provided descriptive statistics about educators’ attitudes toward trauma-informed care. The observational data and analysis of the Panorama Education social-emotional learning (SEL) survey that assessed 3rd-12th students social-emotional well-being provided character to the evaluation. The data analysis yielded inconsistent results. The observational data strongly indicated a trauma-informed environment in which students were given clear expectations and engaged in positive reciprocal interactions with peers and adults. The ARTIC-45 data showed that administrators, teachers, and support staff responded favorably to trauma-informed care approaches. Though statistical significance could not be obtained due to the sample size constraint of being too small, the data provided context to the other data sources. For example, teacher capacity could not be quantified, but the data provided context to the overall staff capacity. The review of the archival and current SEL survey data showed that favorability among domains varied by site and grade level. The variations in students' social-emotional favorability can be related to their lived experiences and it is important to track over time to monitor how experiences, expressions, and feelings change over time. Students' perspectives regarding themselves and their environment differed from the observational data. This indicates that educators should not solely rely on observational data to determine students’ social-emotional well-being. Furthermore, an SEL survey can be used as a tool to understand students’ well-being and thus provide them with timely support. The evaluation determined that district administration, site administration, climate and culture and staff capacity can positively impact a multi-tiered, trauma-informed care environment. In these settings, student behavior and social-emotional well-being is viewed in a healing-centered manner. Districts can create a multi-tiered, trauma-sensitive culture and provide support to enhance teachers’ capacity to implement trauma-informed care, take advantage of administrative influence, develop community partnerships, and create a culture that is open to systematic change.

The student success course has become a staple of the college experience. As the academic and social environment continues to shift with each new incoming cohort, having a designed and evaluated framework to utilize during student success course development can be a useful tool. Research surrounding student success in college is abundant. Having a framework that draws on this research for setting learning objectives and determining high impact practices for a student success course could assist in current and future curriculum development. This study focuses on a student success course offered through the College of Education at the University of Kentucky. The course is titled (Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation) EPE 174: The College Student. Utilizing a theory of change approach, this project evaluates EPE 174 as a student success course in accordance with the established framework. As the higher education climate continues to change, having a tested framework for student success courses could be a useful tool for current and future educators who focus on development and success.

Reducing, or even eliminating, poaching in Nam Et – Phou Louey National Protected Area (NEPL NPA), in Laos, has been on the agenda of involved conservation parties for some time, and understanding local people’s intentions related to reporting poaching was considered paramount to ultimately modifying anti-conservation into pro-conservation behaviors. I reviewed literature about conservation-related applications of Rare’s Theory of Change (TOC) and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). I found that each of these two theories was useful on some level in addressing conservation behaviors. Next, I employed Rare’s TOC to assess a social marketing campaign (SMC) geared towards inducing people to report poaching more frequently. The SMC apparently did not affect an increase, but rather seemed to result in a decrease in poaching reporting, possibly because the SMC may have raised additional questions related to poaching enforcement and other issues. Also, the SMC did not appear to affect people’s environmental knowledge, attitude to report poaching, and perceived barriers to reporting, all considered pre-stages to changing people’s conservation related behavior. As similar changes in attitudes and perceived barriers occurred in both treatment and control areas, there is a possibility that communication between people from these areas obscured results or, that a third variable (e.g. time, politics) led to this change, and the SMC had nothing to do with it. I also investigated the utility of applying TPB in determining local people’s intentions to report poaching, as well as determining how TPB constructs related to each other according to the model. While some of the TPB constructs related to each other according to the model, other constructs did not, and TPB ultimately failed to predict people’s intention to report poaching. Family size emerged as an important factor correlated with reporting poaching, as it perhaps reflects socio-economic differences and/or factors relating to social network size. Overall, people may have perceived possible costs of reporting poaching, such as upsetting community members, to be greater than potential benefits, such as monetary rewards. Implications of social network size and perhaps interpersonal communication need to be better understood to increase effectiveness of future conservation initiatives in NEPL NPA. Such conservation initiatives should involve employing SMC alternatives, such as engaging entire communities in reporting-poaching, supplementing cognitive with technical approaches to reduce poaching, and fostering alternative pro-conservation behaviors that improve people’s socio-economic situations and thus alleviate poaching pressures.

This thesis is an investigation into sustainable business models and the different evaluation methods utilized in social innovation design. Over the last twenty years, there has been an increase in awareness and desire within the design industry to utilize design as a way to help solve some of the large, systemic social problems facing people all over the world. To make this work financially and sustainably, designers are utilizing a variety of for-profit and nonprofit business models. However, these business models are potentially hindering social innovation designers’ access to the resources needed to measure the impact of their work. Social innovation designers are co-designing and developing services, programs, systems, and products with nonprofits and communities that are dealing with these social problems. Social change work of this nature requires designers and their partners to be engaged in measuring the long-term impact of their work in order to truly make lasting change. This has led social innovation designers to turn to evaluation methods used in the parallel fields of social work, community organizing, education, and public health, in order to track the impacts of their work. These evaluation methods also play a key role in helping social innovation designers better communicate the value they bring to their clients and partners. By utilizing and integrating these evaluation methods into their design processes, social innovation designers are leading the way for this field to gain broader acceptance and support.

Set within the context of increasing global commitment to eradicate extreme poverty, this research critically analyses and evaluates the extent to which microfinance tourism (MFT) is an effective vehicle for poverty alleviation in developing countries. For decades, both microfinance and tourism have been promoted as key strategies for global poverty alleviation. Microfinance can offer people living in poverty, especially those considered ‘unbankable’, the necessary financial and educational support to engage in entrepreneurial activities, while tourism has the capacity to reduce poverty via economic development and global citizenship education. MFT emerged in 2008 as an innovative approach that pioneers the integration of microfinance and tourism for poverty alleviation purposes. Despite promising great hope for many by addressing multiple facets of the poverty issue, the extent to which MFT rhetoric translates into reality is unclear, given that the positive impacts of both microfinance and tourism on poverty alleviation remain debatable. More importantly, MFT as an antipoverty intervention built around impoverished communities also has the potential to inflict a range of negative impacts on vulnerable populations. Yet the literature on MFT is almost completely absent; thus there is a pressing need to undertake a comprehensive investigation of MFT to increase our understanding of the phenomenon.

The purpose of this thesis is to bring the circular economy framework and system thinking into the process of design thinking. The traditional design process is made up of five steps: 1) Discover a challenge. 2) Interpret the challenge. 3) Create opportunities and ideas. 4) Develop a solution and experiment with it. 5) Evolve the idea. This project is structured upon a methodology generated to apply a circular system framework in design that begins with taking a holistic view of topic. This methodology structured into five phases. The first phase is referring to this approach as moving from Macrocosm to Microcosm; in other words, the mapping of the connections and interconnections of the system. The intersections of these cosmos create what I refer to as the main element, or the “brain” for short (Phase 1). The second phase is to deconstruct this “brain” (Phase 2) and explore the elements within it . The third phase is related with surveying. The fourth phase is defining problems based on the information I found during the past three phases. The last part is the reconstruction of the “brain” using the circular framework (Phase 5).

Early College High School:Closing the Latino Achievement Gap byKristen Ann BeallDoctor of EducationUniversity of California, Los Angeles, 2016Professor Christina A. Christie, ChairThe population of United States Latino students is growing at a rapid rate but their academic achievement lags behind white and Asian students. This issue has significant consequences for the nation’s economy, as the job market continues to demand more education and better skills. Early College High School programs have the potential to improve educational outcomes for underserved students by combining comprehensive high school curricula with supported postsecondary dual enrollment opportunities. Through a combination of student focus groups, staff interviews, observations, and document review, this qualitative study explored how secondary and postsecondary institutions can work together to create comprehensive dual enrollment programs that lead to increased academic achievement for Latino students. The study relied on the social cognitive career framework and Early College High School programs’ theory of change to identify critical cultural and structural supports that resonate specifically with Latino students. The research focused on 12th grade Latino students and staff at two Early College High Schools in Central California.Findings revealed that Early College High School programs embrace a robust core curriculum, serving to remediate academic skills while also preparing students for rigorous postsecondary coursework. Programmatic structures collaboratively respond to student needs while providing supported postsecondary experiences, encouraging improved self-efficacy, changed outcome expectations, and expanded personal goals. Multilayered teacher supports also resonate with Latino students in Early College High School programs, as illustrated by program-wide college-going cultures that include high expectations and trusted relationships. Finally, Early College High Schools support highly enculturated families fostering increased levels of college knowledge and engagement. The findings show that Early College High School programs can offer Latino students a pathway for postsecondary access and improved levels of academic achievement.

The purpose of this study employing meta-analysis was to assess the impact that after-school programs have on reading and mathematics outcomes. The participants in the primary studies were students in Grades K through 8; years 200 through 2009. The study utilized the theory of change as its theoretical basis. This meta-analysis used the effect size as the standard measure. It began with an overall Cohen's d of .40 for the impact that after-school programs have on reading and mathematics outcomes, and then proceeded to analyze three moderator variables: subject, time periods, and grade level.The findings of the meta-analysis, both overall and sub analyses, show that the independent variable, after-school programs, has an impact on the dependent variable, reading and mathematics. The overall results indicated that after-school programs are educationally significant in the areas of reading and mathematics combined. As for the moderator variable, the results for the areas of (a) subject (reading and mathematics), (b) time period (2000-2002, 2003-2005 and 2006-2009), and (c) grade (middle, and middle plus elementary combined), all indicated educationally significant results. The notable exception was the grade moderator, elementary.This study provides more information for researchers, practitioners and policy makers upon which to make practical research based decisions about after-school programs for the purpose of determining the applicability of such in their educational setting.