The claim by the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (SADTU) that it is investing more of its resources in teacher professional development than in supporting collective bargaining has led to this research. SADTU is the biggest teacher union with more than 230 000 members in South Africa (SA) and is more often than not using strikes and other forms of industrial action to put pressure on the Department of Basic Education to address its demands as a union. It even joins industrial action called by COSATU which has no relation to education matters. The aforementioned statement by SADTU is captured in Nxesi (2005) and SADTU (2002) However, the public media disagrees with what SADTU claims to be doing when it vowed to halt teaching and turn every court case involving its members into a holiday despite the crisis the strike has caused for school children ( Mashaba, et al: 2007: 11). Internationally teachers’ unions like the Israeli Teachers’ Union (ICT), National Education Association (NEA), Nova Scotia Teachers’ Union (NSTU), Botswana Teachers’ Union (BTU), Florida Education Association (FEA) and the New South Wales Teachers’ Federation (NSWTF) have already started with teacher professional development programmes and initiatives in their respective countries and this is captured in NEA (2006), BTU (2005), FEA (2010), NSWTF (2010). SADTU’s initiatives are in line with international trends. The need for SADTU members to be accorded teacher professional development is given more emphasis in that SADTU has established The Curtis Nkondo Teacher Professional Institute. This institute aims to address the challenges of poorly skilled educators in South Africa particularly SADTU members, and is emphasised in SADTU (2013). SADTU’s initiatives are in line with the Continuing Professional Teacher Development (CPTD) initiative which is a performance standard in the Integrated Quality Management System (IQMS) which is emphasized in Department of Education (2006). The finding of this research indicates that SADTU is involved in its members’ professional development. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / gm2014 / Education Management and Policy Studies / unrestricted

This study explored the assumptions, values and beliefs of principals regarding school leadership and management in Limpopo Province of South Africa. The study was necessitated by the fact that, although in South Africa, the Department of Basic Education (DoBE) invests so much resources on professional educator development programmes to build capacity among principals, every year a significant number of schools are declared ineffective. The study wanted to establish if the assumptions, values and beliefs of principals could have an influence on school leadership and management. The Cultural Model was used in this study. This was because the model focuses on the values, beliefs and norms of individuals. The model also assumes that values and beliefs of individuals influence how they behave and view the behaviour of others. A narrative research design was used because it allowed the participants to share their life-stories and thus also their assumptions, values and beliefs with the researcher. Through the study, the researcher gained a deeper understanding of the participants with regard to their assumptions, values and beliefs and how they may influence their leadership in schools. For the purpose of this study, the extreme group sampling strategy was used to collect data. A total of six principals became part of this study. Three principals were drawn from effective schools and the other three from ineffective schools. After data analysis, it emerged that principals from effective schools are inner-directed in their approach to life and principals from ineffective schools are outer-directed. This means that the latter group is less assertive and lack self-esteem and do not believe that they can influence or change the situation within the school. This finding, amongst others, informs the authorities to consider introducing pre-principal training before appointing principals into posts. Only the assertive and confident trainees should be given posts. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / lk2014 / Education Management and Policy Studies / MEd / unrestricted

The research examined the professional development of principals in their Highveld Ridge East, H/Ridge West, Bethal, Lekwa West circuits. The purpose was to investigate the role of the circuit managers in the professional development of their principals. The main driver of the study was that in the current climate the emphasis is on student performance, and school leaders are held accountable for the quality of teaching and for how much learners learn. Society expects the principals to be accountable for learner performance and the quality of teaching. In the current national and state policy the assumption is that effective principal leadership is central to student achievement and is in fact the most powerful force for improving school effectiveness and for achieving excellence in education. The argument is made that according to the National Education Policy Act of 1996 and the National Policy Framework for Teacher Education, the Department of Education gives guidelines and points out the importance of teacher development. The study then investigates the role of circuit managers in the professional development of principals. The main research question and sub-questions were used to understand the participants’ perceptions and experiences of the phenomenon that is professional development. The methodology adopted in this study is qualitative which seeks to understand how circuit managers execute their responsibilities with regard to the professional development of principals. Data was collected by means of semi-structured interviews which involved three principals and four circuit managers. Literature revealed the need for circuit managers to be more empowered with skills to develop and support their principals. The misunderstanding about professional development leads principals to be unclear of the boundaries between their daily management tasks and professional development. Curriculum assistance and guidance were regarded as professional development. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2017. / Education Management and Policy Studies / MEd / Unrestricted

Career burnout, defined by feelings of high emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and low personal accomplishment, is prevalent amongst clinicians. A literature search established mindfulness-based interventions are growing in popularity to reduce or prevent burnout in healthcare. One type of mindfulness-based intervention is Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) programming. MBSR, an eight-week course, has been shown to reduce stress and improve quality of life and self-compassion. Our research aims to investigate the current burnout landscape in the field of medicine, and evaluate the effects of a MBSR variant course on clinician burnout and professional fulfillment at Boston Medical Center (BMC). Through the creation and execution of an eight-week MBSR variant course, Mindfulness Training for BMC Clinicians: A Program for Stress Reduction, Vitality, and Professional Development, we surveyed clinicians before the course, after the completion of the course, and two months after the completion of the course. The surveys were used to collect quantitative and qualitative data; we employed mixed methods analysis to statistically evaluate these data. The survey results were used to calculate numerical professional fulfillment and burnout scores for each clinician. Changes in scores were evaluated over time. These data suggest participants' professional fulfillment increased and burnout decreased from baseline measures to post-intervention measures, and results were sustained two months after the course was completed. Likewise, our qualitative data revealed approximately two-thirds of participants remarked having greater value on self-care. The vast majority of participants plan on continuing their mindfulness practice after the course and would recommend the MBSR variant course to their colleagues. Mindfulness based interventions show promise in increasing professional fulfillment and alleviating aspects of career burnout in clinicians at Boston Medical Center (BMC). Continuation of our pilot course will allow our team to increase our sample size and continue to evaluate and modify methods to best serve clinicians and other hospital employees in the efforts to increase their overall wellbeing.

A qualitative examination of the lived experiences of clinical social workers’ use of self in practice was completed. The current study was designed to examine how LCSWs defined and utilized use of self in practice. Additionally, the study was focused on how LCSWs’ use of self evolved from introduction in graduate education to postgraduate practice. Informed by Mead’s (1934) theory of self, as well as Walters’ (2008) distilled definition of Dewane’s (2006) operational definition of use of self, fifteen semi-structured interviews were conducted from a purposive sample of licensed clinical social workers from a southeastern region of the United States. Using constant comparative analysis to synthesize the findings, two themes emerged. First, participants described individual development of the use of self as clarified by subthemes of educational instruction and application in practice. Second, participants discussed how they integrated the use of self in practice, clarified by personal and professional factors of Dewane’s definition, such as personality traits and skills gained in social work education. With this study, the researcher aimed to contribute to the practice literature by systematically examining the operational definition of the use of self and to suggest implications to inform educational curricula and practice standards for professional development. Study limitations were discussed, in addition to implications for future research. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2020. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / This research sought to determine which skills were necessary for entry-level office workers in NH as perceived by secondary business teachers and training directors. 175 questionnaires of 263 were returned by secondary business teachers and 78 of 143 questionnaires were returned by training directors. Each questionnaire contained ninety-three competencies which were classified into seven general skill areas. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences and Lotus were used to analyze the data. Methods of analysis included frequency distributions, percentages, cumulative frequencies, means, cross tabulations, t-tests, and paired t-tests. The ten most important skills reported were: read/follow written directions, accurate typing, keep confidentiality, take accurate phone messages, follow oral instructions, type business letters, answer the telephone, demonstrate good listening skills, organize work, and proofread. The two general skill areas of the seven which need the most improvement were planning, organizing, decision-making; and written/oral communications. The nineteen individual skills of the ninty-three which need improvement in instruction were: answer the telephone, handle outgoing mail, keep confidentiality, meet and greet people, organize work, place telephone calls, read/follow written directions, set priorities, take accurate phone messages, work under pressure, work with interruptions, work without close supervision, demonstrate good listening skills, follow oral instructions, proofread, speak clearly and accurately, spell and define words, use correct grammar, and write legibly. Nineteen of the individual skills had a significant difference when analyzed by size of company with the larger companies placing a greater emphasis on importance. There was insufficient data to draw conclusions regarding necessary skills by the type of business. Size of school, school location, and number of business teachers had little effect on the necessary skills needed by entry-level clerical office workers although teachers in Northern NH placed a greater emphasis on the accounting skills than did teachers in Sourthern NH. The major implication of this study is that more emphasis needs to be placed on planning, organizing, decision-making, written and oral communication skills. / 2031-01-01

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / This study investigated the effects of a performance improvement program on operational results in a business setting. The purpose of the study was to determine if the intervention influenced results the corporation used to measure its success. The intervention involved setting goals, which would its success. The intervention involved setgiving feedback and developing remediation overcome difficulties if goals were not achieved. Goal-setting and feedback were done at regularly scheduled intervals. Two work groups within the organization were studied: one which applied the program and one which did not. The effect of the intervention was evaluated using a 2 x 2 design. Two factors represented the pre-program versus post-program time periods; the other two factors represented the experimental conditions: treatment and control. The effect of the program was quantified in terms of five measures of organizational success. These measures were: attendance, safety, quality, maintenance efficiency and installation efficiency. / 2031-01-01

The study involved a survey of the selection, use, and maintenance of modalities of physical therapy by selected professional athletic trainers of high school, college, and professional athletic teams in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

While research focusing on the retirement intentions of individuals within the general population has been undertaken, only two empirical studies have examined the retirement intentions of professional workers. This study expands the small, existing body of literature focusing on this topic by presenting eighteen hypotheses, grouped into five categories of factors, and testing them with the National Longitudinal Surveys of Labor Market Experience.

Abstract This dissertation uses archival and interpretive methods to examine the life and contributions of Mary Smith McCrory Jones in Texas. Specifically, this project investigates the ways in which Mary Jones emerged into the public sphere, utilized myth and memory, and managed her life as a widow. Each of these larger areas is examined in relation to historiographicaly accepted patterns and in the larger context of women in Texas, the South, and the nation during this period. Mary Jones, 1819-1907, experienced many of the key early periods in Anglo Texas history. The research traces her family’s immigration to Austin’s Colony and their early years under Mexican sovereignty. The Texas Revolution resulted in her move to Houston and her first brief marriage. Following the death of her husband she met and married Anson Jones, a physician who served in public posts throughout the period of the Texas Republic. Over time Anson was politically and personally rejected to the point that he committed suicide. This dissertation studies the effects this death had upon Mary’s personal goals, her use of a widow’s status to achieve her objectives, and her eventual emergence as a “Professional Widow.” Mary Jones’s attempts to rehabilitate her husband’s public image provided her with opportunities which in turn led her into a larger public sphere, enabled her to maintain her social-economic status as a widow, and to shape the public image of both her husband and parts of the Texas image. Mary Jones attempted to publish Anson’s papers, rehabilitate his memory, and preserve papers and artifacts from the period of the Republic. Directly and indirectly this led to the preservation of the San Jacinto battlefield, the reburial of her husband, the discovery of a copy of the Texas Declaration of Independence, the founding of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, and her key role as steward of the Alamo. The research uses archival and interpretive methods to examine Women’s organizations and clubs as they emerged during her lifetime and her role as member or leader. Hundreds of Mary and her family’s personal letters survive in various Texas archives. Additionally, Anson’s journals and personal memoirs provide invaluable insight into Mary’s family life, character, and relationships. This research will include a review and comparison of her efforts with other women who in the process of protecting and reconstructing their husband’s images moved into a larger public sphere. Mary Jones served as president of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas for seventeen years. This provided her with the platform she needed to promote Anson’s image, focus memory and money upon the Texas Republic era, and move into a public sphere for herself. This dissertation contends that the work that Mary Jones did in her efforts to construct a positive public image for her husband eventually drew her into state-wide leadership roles, aided her to successfully reach social-economic goals even though widowed, and to effect the preservation and role of the Alamo in public memory.