Дисертації з теми "Inquiry devices"

Graphene electronics represent a developing field where many material properties and devices characteristics are still unknown. Researching several possible fabrication processes creates a fabrication process using resources found at Cal Poly a local industry sponsor. The project attempts to produce a graphene network in the shape of a fractal Sierpinski carpet. The fractal geometry proves that PDMS microfluidic channels produce the fine feature dimensions desired during graphene oxide deposit. Thermal reduction then reduces the graphene oxide into a purified state of graphene. Issues arise during thermal reduction because of excessive oxygen content in the furnace. The excess oxygen results in devices burning and additional oxidation of the gate contacts that prevents good electrical contact to the gates. Zero bias testing shows that the graphene oxide resistance decreases after thermal reduction, proving that thermal reduction of the devices occurs. Testing confirms a fabrication process producing graphene electronics; however, revision of processing steps, especially thermal reduction, should greatly improve the yield and functionality of the devices.

This paper will investigate both modern and potential future methods of data collection and analysis. The research was conducted through qualitative research practices such as an autoethnographic recounting of a personal privacy scare on a mobile device, personal interviews regarding the individual’s own online data, and observed reactions to relevant instances regarding for instance surveillance apps. This research was done while considering a wide breadth of texts and articles relevant to the question of what things like dataveillance look like today, how they affect our lives and how they may take form in the future. This research finally culminates in the form of a short film in which these topics are framed in a speculative and somewhat more dystopian near future scenario

This thesis is a narrative account of how I have transformed my learning and teaching strategies for Grade 9 learners, generating my own living theory of teaching within a social context with the aim of enabling my learners to construct their own knowledge. My value-embedded practice is reflected in the values I attach to equality, inclusivity, social justice and basic human rights. These embodied values are also a reflection of my commitment to my Christian values which encompass my entire existence and have become the living standards by which I judge the quality of my research. My classroom-based action research methodology is a living transformational process which heralds a change for a more just practice and the inclusion and recognition of the individual. My findings about my learners’ and my own learning offer new conceptualisations about the capacity of my learners to learn in their own unique ways and according to their own potential. I am claiming that the significance of my research is grounded in my ability to demonstrate how I can unleash the untapped potential of learners failing to attain the desired outcomes. I show them how to learn confidently and successfully within a social context using prior knowledge, scaffolding and motivation as teaching and learning tools. This has potential inspiration for new forms of practice and theory in aiming to improve learners’ potential. A significant feature of my account is how my Christian values have been translated into my critical epistemological standards of judgement, and the development of a living theory of practice that enables me to account for educational influences in my learners’ and my own learning.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s (NIOSH) “Prevention through Design” (PtD) initiative encourages the exploration of different methods to foster dialogue between engineers and healthcare workers. Although engineers are encouraged to follow a user-centered design (UCD) process to identify user needs (ANSI/AAMI, 2009; IEC, 2007), NORA (2009) warns that engineers may “fail to get the full range of healthcare worker input on the usability of a device”. The primary goal of this research was to present storytelling as an elicitation method that addressed the PtD call for methods that improve usability within healthcare. This work provides three contributions to the PtD initiative. First, a conceptual model for the role of storytelling in design, which represents a synthesis of narrative and design research, is presented. The conceptual model explicitly states how the elicitation and analysis of stories results in the identification of a design opportunity that addresses user needs. Second, the Design + Storytelling framework, which guides designers’ use of storytelling, is presented. An instantiation of the framework specific to the identification of a design opportunity within an emergency room (ER) is investigated to determine the framework’s impact on design. Findings resulted in the study’s third contribution: design guidance comprised of storytelling guidelines, decision support tools for storytelling method selection, and traceability support for design evaluation. The investigation of the framework focused on two primary stages: (1) story elicitation and (2) story analysis. Storytelling sessions, which varied in context, collected 573 stories (i.e., 441 habitual, 132 hypothetical) from 28 ER nurses. Qualitative analysts used the framework’s instructions to identify and specify 383 user needs within the narratives. Empirical comparisons of the compiled needs across groups informed decision rules for elicitation method selection. The impact of the framework’s analysis instructions during design practice was investigated. Student design teams analyzed nurses’ safety stories to create a conceptual design for an identified design opportunity. Findings indicated a trend for stakeholder experts to rank conceptual designs created by teams with the instructions as more usable than teams without the framework’s instructions. The theoretical and practical exploration indicated a positive impact on design.
Ph. D.

In view of Bluetooth?s growing popularity a lot of research is being done to improve the performance of Bluetooth. Most of the research being performed prerequisites that a connection has already been made. Due to the frequency hopping spread spectrum used by Bluetooth the connection establishment is not as easy as it seams. Two processes have been derived to bridge the frequency discrepancies between devices, inquiry and page. In this thesis, we study the inquiry and page processes and the time it takes to complete a connection with no, one or two voice channels present at the initiating device. We have found the times to complete the processes to be lengthy at best, unreasonably long if there is voice traffic present. Through optimisation, we have decreased the mean time to connect. We propose some changes to the default values of a few time outs and variables, which yields a substantial improvement in performance, especially in the case when there is voice traffic present. The changes are in the software only, no changes in hardware are necessary. After a connection is made a client may want to start using the services of the device it is connected to. This is another topic of this thesis. Bluetooth does not provide means of accessing a service, only discovering it. Thus, there is the need for higher-level protocols for accessing services. We have investigated some of the service discovery protocols currently available.
Med tanke på Bluetooth-teknikens växande popularitet bedrivs mycket forskning för att förbättra Bluetooth-teknikens prestanda. Den mesta delen av forskningen förutsätter att en uppkoppling redan skett. På grund av frekvenshoppningstekniken som används i Bluetooth är detta inte så lätt som det låter. För att överkomma frekvensskillnaden mellan enheter används två processer, inquiry och page. I denna uppsats studerar vi inquiry- och page-processerna och studerar tiden det tar att slutföra en uppkoppling med ingen, en eller två tal-kanaler redan uppkopplade. Vi har funnit att tiden det tar är i bästa fall lång, om det finns tal-kanaler uppkopplade är tidsåtgången oacceptabel. Genom optimering av en del variabler och time-outs har vi lyckats reducera uppkopplingstiden, speciellt i fallet med tal-kanaler redan uppkopplade. Våra föreslagna ändringar är endast i mjukvaran, inga hårdvaruändringar är nödvändiga. Efter att uppkopplingen är slutförd kommer användaren att vilja börja använda de tjänster som erbjuds. Detta är en annan del av uppsatsen. Bluetooth-tekniken tillhandahåller inte något sätt att tillgodogöra sig tjänster, bara att upptäcka dem. Därför behövs det protokoll för att lösa detta. Vi har undersökt en del av de så kallade "service discovery"-protokoll som finns tillgängliga idag

This study aims to discuss the generative possibilities of reading architectural form by focusing on selected interpretations of the Venice Hospital project by Le Corbusier. By presenting complementary and competing readings of the project, it examines different design strategies in the formal organization of the Venice Hospital. It shows that the Venice Hospital project, displaying the characteristics of both a &ldquo
field&rdquo
organization and a well-articulated object, demands a reconsideration of the occasionally overstated distinction between them. First, it introduces interpretations of the Venice Hospital as a field and/or mat-building phenomenon, which emphasize its relevance as a precedent for contemporary formal explorations. The complexity of the Venice Hospital project requires appealing to other reading strategies as well. Based on the discussion initiated by Colin Rowe and Fred Koetter in &ldquo
The Crisis of the Object: The Predicament of Texture,&rdquo
and owing to Alan Colquhoun&rsquo
s analysis of the project&rsquo
s geometrical system in &ldquo
Formal and Functional Interactions,&rdquo
this study proceeds by exploring the way the Venice Hospital becomes &ldquo
an object performing like a texture.&rdquo
It attempts to decipher Colquhoun&rsquo
s remarks and his diagrams concerning the geometrical system through the technique of the &ldquo
plan analysis&rdquo
introduced by Klaus-Peter Gast. The Venice Hospital project is also studied as an example of transparent spatial organization, in light of the conceptual framework developed by Colin Rowe and Robert Slutzky in their &ldquo
Transparency&rdquo
articles. Starting from these interpretations of the Venice Hospital project, this study aims at bringing into discussion the nature of the devices or techniques of formal organization that can mediate between architecture and urbanism. These devices are examined in light of the framework constituted by the concepts of &ldquo
device&rdquo
and &ldquo
material,&rdquo
elucidated by the Russian Formalists. The &ldquo
device and material relationship&rdquo
that was invoked in the formalist tradition of literary criticism, is reformulated for the field of architecture, and it is discussed with its capacity to initiate generative and inclusive interpretations of works of architecture as precedents.

Au croisement de l’histoire de l’administration de la justice en situation coloniale et de l’histoire des savoirs, cette thèse analyse des inspections itinérantes sous forme de procès, déployées auprès des communautés d’habitants de la province de Popayán (sud-ouest de la Colombie actuelle), entre le milieu du XVIe et le début du XVIIe siècle. L’étude vise à restituer les contextes et les acteurs de ces inspections appelées "visitas de la tierra", les modalités concrètes des déplacements et les rencontres occasionnées par la procédure, ainsi que son dispositif de production d’information, par observation et collecte de témoignages enregistrés in situ. D’autre part, la recherche questionne les usages judiciaires et savants de la documentation produite lors des "visitas de la tierra", au sein des collectivités soumises à leurs enquêtes (villes et paroisses coloniales, sites d’extraction d’or, communautés indiennes d’encomienda), comme dans les centres gouvernementaux de l’empire, auxquels sont envoyées des formes variées de comptes-rendus des inspections. Il s’agit de comprendre la manière dont ces procès agissent à la fois comme des rituels de négociation de l’ordre colonial à l’échelle des corps politiques espagnols et indiens de la province, mais aussi comme des instruments de connaissance de leurs territoires, dont les usages s’exercent à différents niveaux du gouvernement impérial
This PhD dissertation participates in historiographical trends that have been underway for several decades at the crossroads of imperial and colonial European expansion in the early modern period, the history of justice, and the history of knowledge production. It analyses inspections of royal justice and taxation-system in the form of itinerant trials, carried out among the communities of inhabitants in the province of Popayán (southwestern Colombia), between the years 1550s and 1630s. The study aims to reconstruct the contexts and actors involved in these procedures, called "visitas de la tierra", the concrete modalities of travel and social encounters they occasioned, and their practices of information-gathering, by observing and collecting testimonies.On the other hand, it questions the multiple uses of the visitas’ oral and written enactments, within the communities subjected to the trials (colonial towns and parishes, gold-mining districts, Indian encomiendas), as well as in the empire's governmental centers, to which various forms of reports were sent.The aim of the research is to understand better how the "visitas de la tierra" acted both as rituals of negotiation of the colonial order at the local scale of the political bodies established in the northern Andes, and as instruments of knowledge about their territories, the uses of which were exercised at different levels of imperial government

碩士
國立中央大學
網路學習科技研究所
95
The objective of this research is to present a collaborative inquiry based learning activity in physics laboratory which students can perform activity as pre-class, in-class and after-class environment, and aim to assist students in the procedures of experimental design, data collection, data analysis and discussion and to promote the interactive and participation by using probing device. These activities are designed to provide a collaborative inquiry learning environment for students, and to reduce the burden of preparation for the teachers Before classroom, a key characteristic of this activity is the creation of a feedback loop between the classroom and the Web using Internet “Warm Up” assignments that are due prior to class time. By examining student responses to Warm Up exercises before class, faculty members can determine the level of understanding, prior knowledge, and misconceptions that students bring to class. Classroom time can then be spent addressing these misconceptions while discussing course content. In the classroom setting, it adopts collaborative inquiry digital environment to enhance students’ interaction within a group by the handheld devices. And in this activity we provide a mechanism in PDA which show-and-tell students’ concept. For these purpose, the pre-class web site by using JiTT. And in-class activity with the mechanism of concept monitoring are designed and implemented. The system assists students in achieving pre-class collaborative learning. The teacher can get the feedback from students’ pre-class mission through web site. And in class, it helps students face-to-face interact and collaboratively achieve group mission through wireless network. According to evaluations of this study, the pre-class web site with concept monitoring and in-class activity with Miguel’s method is helpful to enhance students’ interaction and learning. Furthermore, the system aids students in achieving the sequential assignment efficiently. Finally, future improvement suggestions are proposed.

碩士
國立臺北教育大學
數學暨資訊教育學系(含數學教育碩士班)
105
The concept of spatial learning is a basic and an important learning project in the geometric curriculum. The main purpose of this curriculum is to enable students to establish mental rotation ability. However, the training of space in the domestic curriculum is relatively insufficiency. With the trend of Information Technology has been introduced to the teaching method, it combines the visual effects and interactive technology to make up for the lack of teaching methods and motivation. Especially for low achievement students, they often easily to feel bored or lose their learning motivation by traditional teaching materials. The aim of this research is to combine wearable device with augmented reality board game, and investigate the effect of teaching materials on learning motivation, learning outcome and cognitive load of fifth grader students. The results show that the method proposed in this study had no significant difference in learning motivation and cognitive load of both groups, but experimental group got better learning outcome than control group.

碩士
國立中央大學
網路學習科技研究所
93
In this study, we integrate inquiry-based learning with the mobile learning device of PDAs and mobile camera, and apply to science courses in elementary school. The objective of this study is to design a model of inquiry-based learning applying to science course in elementary school, and through the process we provide clues that are functions of study to guide the inquiry activity. Based on the process, we implement a PDA inquiry-based learning system, and evaluate the studying effect of students. The system module in this study is divided into two parts－Web Services and the function module of inquiry system. The later is the main activity of students. There are two steps in the experiment with the subject of the fourth grade students: First step, teach them how to use the PDA and camera until them familiar with the operation and user's interface. Second, the learners process inquiry-based learning by the system. The studying data collected by questionnaires, paper-work, interviews, and the observations are utilized for evaluating not only the learners’ studying attitude in science and interacts in a companion but also the function of system program, design of activities, and the content of the teaching material. The conclusion is as follows: 1. Providing clues of inquiry-based learning model can match up science courses in elementary school. 2. PDA and mobile camera can assist students in science inquiry learning in elementary school. 3. PDA inquiry-based system of campus plants can assist inquiry learning of science in elementary school.

碩士
國立新竹教育大學
人力資源與數位學習科技研究所
103
The purpose of the study was to explore the variation of using mobile devices in inquiry-based instruction and didactic instruction. The experiment adopted nonequivalent pretest-posttest design, dividing the participants into an experimental group and a control group. A total of 54 sixth graders from two classes of an elementary school in Hsinchu City participated in this study. All of the subjects had at least one year experience in using mobile devices. The experimental group is Using Mobile Devices in 5E Inquiry-based Instruction. The control group is Using Mobile Devices in Didactic Instruction. The two groups of participants took the lesson of Good Tools to Apply Force. The experiment lasted four weeks. The results of the pretest, posttest and the attitude scale showed the variation of the two groups’ abilities and attitudes. The following findings were drawn from the study: 1. The learning effectiveness of experimental group was better than that of control group with significant difference. 2. Low-achievement students of experimental group made greater improvement than those of control group did with significant difference. 3. After analyzing different question types, the results showed that experimental group performed better than control group on questions that required memory and analysis. This also involved significant difference. However, there was no significant difference in questions that required comprehension and application. 4. While using mobile devices in inquiry-based instruction, experimental group showed better cooperative learning and learning attitudes than control group did. According to the study, using mobile devices as an assistant in science exploration can effectively raise students’ learning effectiveness, particularly when low-achievement students of experimental group made greater improvement than those of control group did and experimental group performed better on questions that required memory and analysis. For future researchers, it is suggested that the percentage of virtual investigation and internet investigation could be nicely allocated when using mobile devices in inquiry-based instruction. To avoid the multi-dimensional Internet information which causes misconception, wasting time organizing the stuff, the researchers can prepare materials and decide the scope of investigation before instruction. Additionally, future researchers can adopt other teaching methods in different areas to explore the effectiveness of the combination of other teaching methods and mobile learning.

碩士
國立雲林科技大學
電子與資訊工程研究所
100
With the advancement of mobile technology, digital learning of doing physical experiments with mobile devices becomes feasible and cost-effective. With mobile devices, students can do physical experiments outside the lab by designing their own experiments, limited only by their creativity. This thesis shows how to do physics experiment with mobile devices and how students can infer the equations relating physical attributes from experimental data alone, free from theoretical prediction. This is different from current practice in most schools where students follow documented steps in getting predicted results. The mobile devices that were used in this research project included a smart Android phone, Lego Mindstorms NXT, and a digital video camera. Four experiments were designed, including slope motion, free fall motion, projectile motion, and physical pendulum. In doing these experiments and inferring equations from the data, high school students will be trained in skills of scientific discovery such as data gathering, experimental design, data analysis and pattern finding.

碩士
亞洲大學
光電與通訊學系碩士班
99
In this study, we propose a technique of comprising personal digital assistants and wireless radio frequency identification(RFID) system to implement an intelligent police-use vehicle inquiry device. With the technology of scanned a tag sticked in the concerned vehicle by the RFID, all the information about this vehicle will be quickly checked with SQL data base and then be immediately displayed on the PDA. The proposed technology is not only a new developed technique, it can but also provide police to inquire vehicles with violate traffic regulation rule.

碩士
國立虎尾科技大學
資訊管理研究所在職專班
100
With the advances in mobile network, the wave of digitization enters into person’s daily life along with the popularity of mobile devices, the application of relative mobile devices also are increasing and diversified; Even the application in the mobile medical field also are more and more. Currently, there are only few hospitals providing the mobile devices application for public download. Although, the application operation method provided by each hospital is much the same, but each hospital has the separate application. To use the services of certain hospital, the users must download and install the application provided by the hospital. If users want to see a doctor and use the mobile devices to query the outpatient service time in several hospitals, they must download and install the multiple applications. In addition, user must adapt to operation processes and interfaces of each application, especially interfaces. Currently, for such application, the originally used Web page will be embedded into the application of intelligent mobile phones, while the mobile telephones screen is relatively small, the original query Web page forms will become smaller on the mobile telephone screen. Because of the query functions of original Web page are provided by Web page language and link database, this situation will cause the compatibility problems on the mobile telephone so as to result in the abnormal display, so this will cause inconvenience to users. For the current situation, this study is to improve the multiple applications used by users and face the shortcomings of the different operating interface as a starting point, use the Cloud technology as data access method, adopt the Android operation system developed by Google as a platform, and build up an Android operation system as an applicable Cloud outpatient services inquiry system. This system can provide a unified operation interface for users, and provide the outpatient services inquiry action with several hospitals, as so to improve the patients visiting medical treatment satisfaction and reduce the hospital costs.

碩士
臺北市立教育大學
資訊科學系碩士班
98
The purpose of this study is to develop a web-based ubiquitous learning management system with integrating RFID technology and hand-held device (PDA), and to conduct a ubiquitous learning experiment. This system can be used for mobile navigation, mobile test and inquiry-based outdoor learning activities. In order to design this system, this study adopted the waterfall model and UML to develop the framework and all of system modules. The system consists of the front end subsystem and back end subsystem. The front end subsystem designed by C# offers the whole inquiry-based learning activities outdoors for the learners and the teachers with PDA. On the other hand, the back end subsystem implemented by PHP can be used for the teachers to manage mobile learning activities and to monitor the student’s learning process. In order to verify the effect of inquiry-based outdoor mobile learning under this system, this study conducted a learning experiment at Taipei city, and the subjects are sixty-seven fifth grade students from four classes. The learning unit in this experiment is the herb plant which is a school-based curriculum in this experimental school. Before experiment, this study employed RFID tag to deploy the context awareness environment at the herb plant garden. The students use PDA to explore the herb plant and to complete the on-line worksheet corporately. The subjects took the herb plant achievement test and learning attitude inventory before and after experiment. After experiment, the participants evaluate the system suitability and learning method by filling the system evaluation questionnaire. This study also employed the teachers of the elementary school to assess the system functions and suitability. The research results are depicted as follows: (1) The learning achievement effect of medicine effect of the herb plants is significant and posttest score is higher than the pretest. The total score of posttest is significantly higher than the pretest as well. Nevertheless, the learning achievement effect of features of the herb plants is insignificant. (2) The learning attitudes towards the herb plant are enhanced and the post score of learning attitudes is higher than the pretest. (3) The results of system evaluation reveal that the students shows positive appraisal towards the system and mobile learning. The teachers agree that the system can promote the learners’ learning attitudes and it can help the instructor to manage the inquiry-based outdoor learning activities easily.

This study was an attempt to explore and describe media utilisation from a Primary Science teacher's perspective, within a qualitative theoretical and methodological framework. A brief survey revealed what media was available in the schools, and observation and interview methods were used to give meaning to the media utmsation practice in schools. It was hoped that the results would assist in the construction of guidelines required to improve media use, and consequently science teaching in the rural primary schools. The inquiry revealed that apart from improving educational facilities, re-motivation of the science teachers was an essential ingredient in the search for ways of improving media use in Primary Science instruction
Educational Studies
M. Ed. (Didactics)

Au cours des trois dernières décennies, le travail quotidien des cadres gestionnaires infirmiers de premier niveau (CGIPN) a subi de profondes transformations quant aux rôles qu’ils occupent et aux responsabilités qui leur incombent dans les divers établissements de santé. Ces CGIPN vivent et subissent de la pression au regard de leur charge de travail, faisant en sorte qu’ils perçoivent avoir peu de temps pour réaliser adéquatement leur travail en gestion, et que plusieurs infirmières de la relève qui souhaitent faire carrière en gestion se questionnent sur la possibilité d’œuvrer dans ce domaine de la pratique. Peu d’études portent sur l’état de la qualité de vie au travail (QVT) chez ces professionnels. Divisé en trois volets, le projet de recherche mixte séquentielle exploratoire a pour objectif général d’explorer la QVT chez les CGIPN et les facteurs qui l’influencent dans les divers établissements de santé québécois. Les objectifs spécifiques visent à : 1) décrire et comprendre ce que signifie la QVT auprès des 14 CGIPN œuvrant en Centre hospitalier affilié (CHA) à l’Université, 2) décrire et comprendre ce que signifie l’absence d’une QVT auprès des CGIPN en CHA, 3) développer et valider un nouvel instrument de mesure des facteurs favorables et défavorables pouvant influer sur la QVT à partir des données qualitatives auprès de CGIPN (n= 11) œuvrant en Centre de santé et des services sociaux et de CGIPN (n= 11) en Centre hospitalier universitaire, 4) identifier et mesurer les facteurs qui influencent la QVT des CGIPN (n= 291) travaillant dans divers établissements publics de santé et 5) déterminer si les caractéristiques sociodémographiques influencent le choix des facteurs de la QVT. Inspiré de la philosophie du Human caring de Watson comme perspective disciplinaire, le premier volet qualitatif fait appel à une méthode phénoménologique descriptive husserlienne. Pour ce faire, deux séries d’entretiens semi-dirigés à l’aide d’un guide d’entrevue visent à répondre aux deux premiers objectifs. Le second volet cible l’élaboration et la validation d’un instrument de mesure permettant de répondre au troisième objectif de la recherche et le dernier volet, de type quantitatif corrélationnel, s’applique à répondre aux deux derniers objectifs. Dans la première phase, l’analyse visuelle des données qualitatives (verbatim) permet l’émergence des résultats qualitatifs, soit de cinq eidos-thèmes favorables exprimés par les participants et décrits par ordre d’importance : 1) l’actualisation du leadership et des habiletés politiques pour l’amélioration de la qualité des soins infirmiers, 2) les éléments contextuels propices à l’humanisation organisationnelle, 3) le soutien organisationnel favorisant l’épanouissement socioprofessionnel et personnel, 4) l’organisation apprenante favorisant le développement des compétences en gestion des soins infirmiers et 5) l’accompagnement personnalisé répondant aux besoins spécifiques des novices en gestion des soins infirmiers. L’essence de la QVT pour les CGIPN se définit par l’émancipation socioprofessionnelle du cadre gestionnaire infirmier de premier niveau dans sa pratique clinico-administrative au sein d’une organisation humaniste. De plus, trois eidos-thèmes défavorables se dégagent des analyses qualitatives. Les résultats, décrits par ordre d’importance, sont : 1) la déshumanisation organisationnelle, 2) les conditions défavorables à la pratique en gestion des soins infirmiers et 3) l’accompagnement insuffisant des gestionnaires infirmiers novices. L’essence de l’absence d’une QVT pour les CGIPN se présente comme la dysharmonie au travail du cadre gestionnaire infirmier de premier niveau à l’intérieur d’une structure organisationnelle déshumanisante mettant en péril sa pratique clinico-administrative. Par la suite, une mise en relation des deux essences du phénomène a permis de faire émerger la signification universelle de l’expérience de la QVT et l’absence de celle-ci pour des CGIPN œuvrant en CHA comme étant : une dialectique en administration des services infirmiers dans laquelle se vit des pratiques humanisantes permettant l’atteinte d’un idéal de QVT, en coexistence avec des pratiques déshumanisantes conduisant à l’absence de QVT. Afin de respecter les postulats des méthodes quantitatives, les huit eidos-thèmes qui émergent de la première phase qualitative se transforment en facteurs favorables (FF) et défavorables (FD) à la QVT pour la réalisation des deuxième et troisième phases de la recherche. Dans la seconde phase, le construit théorique qui provient des huit eidos-thèmes et 23 thèmes permet de développer un nouvel instrument de mesure qui s’avère unique à cette population à l’étude. L’analyse psychométrique de l’instrument de mesure (questionnaire auto-administré en mode électronique) permet l’obtention d’un score global du coefficient alpha de Cronbach (α) de 0,93, ce qui est jugé excellent. Dans la troisième et dernière phase, les analyses statistiques des données (logiciel SPSS, version 22 pour Windows 7, 2013) issues de l’enquête quantitative provinciale en ligne (Web) mettent en évidence des résultats probants. Les résultats du questionnaire en ligne avec une échelle ordinale à cinq niveaux révèlent un score global du coefficient alpha de Cronbach à 0,95. De plus, les résultats quantitatifs suggèrent que les facteurs favorables (FF) à la QVT ont des scores moyens de 3,99 (FF1), 3,97 (FF2), 3,96 (FF3), 3,72 (FF4) et 3,53 (FF5) et les trois facteurs défavorables (FD) à la QVT ont des scores moyens de 3,91(FD1), 3,78 (FD2) et 3,56 (FD3). Ces facteurs correspondent aux eidos-thèmes favorables et défavorables de la QVT du volet qualitatif phénoménologique. Les résultats quantitatifs révèlent quelques relations significatives des caractéristiques sociodémographiques (âge et années d’expérience) sur le choix des facteurs qui influencent le plus fortement la QVT. En conclusion, le fait de pouvoir mieux décrire et comprendre la signification de la QVT ainsi que son absence et de pouvoir identifier les facteurs qui sont les plus susceptibles de l’influencer permet de formuler des recommandations pour les quatre domaines de la pratique infirmière. Des pistes d’avenues sont formulées pour maintenir la relève infirmière à des postes de CGIPN au sein des organisations de santé en lui assurant des moyens pour optimiser humainement sa QVT.
For the past three decades, first-line nurse managers’ daily work has undergone profound changes with respect to the roles they play and their compulsory responsibilities in various health care facilities. First-line nurse managers (FLNMs) are under pressure in regard to their workload; they find that they have little time to suitably accomplish their management work. Few studies address the quality of work life (QWL) of these health care professionals. The sequential and exploratory mixed methods research project is divided into three phases, and explores the QWL of FLNMs, as well as factors that influence FLNMs in various health care facilities in Quebec. Specific goals will : 1) describe and understandthe meaning of QWL according to 14 FLNMs working in the university-affiliated hospital (CHA), 2) describe and understandthe meaning of a lack of QWL among FLNMs in the CHA, 3) develop and validate a new measuring instrument of favourable and unfavourable factors that impact QWL of FLNMs’ within their health and social services network and university health centre (n= 11), 4) identify and measure factors influencing FLNMs’ QWL (n= 291), and 5) determine socio-demographic characteristics that may influence the choice of factors that affect QWL. Inspired from Watson’s Human caring philosophy as a disciplinary perspective, the first qualitative section uses a Husserlian descriptive phenomenological method. Two series of semi-structured interviews, using an interview guide, met the first two goals. The second section targets the development and validation of a measuring instrument that will allow us to meet the research goal. The last section refers to the correlational quantitative method, and it meets the last two goals. In phase one, a visual analysis of the qualitative data (verbatim) yields qualitative results that include five favourable eidos-themes expressed by participants, and are described in order of importance, namely : 1) an update to leadership and policy-making skills to improve health care quality, 2) contextual factors that promote organizational humanization, 3) organizational support to foster personal and socio-professional satisfaction, 4) a learning organization committed to skills development in health care management, and 5) personalized training to meet the specific needs of health care management beginners. The essence of FLNMs’ QWL is defined as the first-line nurse manager’s socio-professional emancipation in his or her clinical-administrative practices within a humanist organization. Three unfavourable eidos-themes emerge from the qualitative analyses. Here are the described results in order of importance : 1) organizational dehumanization, 2) unfavourable conditions in nursing management, and 3) insufficient support for beginner health care managers. The lack of QWL for FLNMs is described as disharmony in the first-line nurse manager’s workplace within a dehumanized organizational structure that jeopardizes his or her clinical and administrative practices. Consequently, comparing these two fundamental aspects of the phenomenon revealed the universal meaning of QWL, and its absence among F-LNMs working in university-affiliated hospitals, as being a dialectic in nursing administration in which humanist practices that allow attainment of a QWL ideal coexist with dehumanizing practices that work against QWL. Inorder to respect the quantitative methods’ principles, the eight eidos-themes emerging from the first phase are changed into favourable factors (FF) or unfavourable factors (UF) for QWL, and are used to carry out the second and third research phases. In the second phase, the theoretical construct based on the eight eidos-themes and twenty-three themes identified by the new measuring tool is unique to the population under consideration. The instrument’s psychometric analysis—a self-administered online questionnaire—obtained an overall Cronbach alpha score (α) of 0.93. This is considered excellent. In the third and last phase, a statistical analyses (SPSS software, version 22 for Windows 7) (2013) of Quebec’s online quantitative survey highlight conclusive results. Results from the online questionnaire, with a five-level ordinal scale, show an overall Cronbach alpha score of 0.95. Quantitative results suggest that QWL favourable factors (FF) have average scores of 3.99 (FF1), 3.97 (FF2), 3.96 (FF3), 3.72 (FF4), and 3.53 (FF5). QWL unfavourable factors (UF) have average scores of 3.91 (UF1), 3.78 (UF2), and 3.56 (UF3). These factors are equivalent to QWL’s favourable and unfavourable eidos-themes found in the qualitative phenomenological section. The quantitative results show some significant connections between socio-demographic characteristics, such as age and years of experience, and the choice of factors that affect QWL In conclusion, a better describing and understanding the meaning of QWL or lack thereof, as well as identifying the most likely factors to influence QWL, enables us to provide recommendations in the fourth areas of nursing practice. Approaches are proposed to maintain the next generation of FLNM job positions in health care organizations, while ensuring resources to suitably maximize FLNMs’ QWL.