Thesis (Ph.D.)--Victoria University of Wellington, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references.

The competition for scare resources in higher education has increased the pressure on administrators and educators to evaluate educational programs, and to demonstrate quality outcomes. Accreditation has been suggested as a useful tool for looking at accountability, but little research has been conducted to explore this issue, particularly in program accreditation. Little evidence exists to support the assumption that program accreditation adds value to the educational environment. This study explored the perceptions of program directors and administrators regarding the impact of accreditation on the quality of Canadian dental hygiene diploma programs. A 63% response rate was received from the 54 individuals surveyed, representing an 85% institutional response rate from the 27 accredited programs. Of these respondents, 21 individuals also participated in a semi-structured interview. Descriptive and inferential statistics including t-tests and ANOVAs were calculated for the usefulness of accreditation, the importance of accreditation requirements, and the value of accreditation phases. Accreditation as a stimulus for improvement was rated as extremely useful by 41% and very useful by 41%. As a tool for self-evaluation it was rated as extremely useful by 24% and very useful by 56%. While all the standards were rated as important, the following received the highest ratings: Clinical Outcomes Review Evaluation {extremely important 38%, and very important 35%), curriculum {extremely important 44% and very important 44%), preparation for clinical practice {extremely important 40% and very important 47%), and faculty and faculty development (extremely important 38% and very important 50%). While the site-visit and the report were valued, the self-study phase received the highest ratings in promoting program quality (great value 41% and much value 41%). The accreditation process appears to be the most important factor in understanding the relationship between accreditation and program quality. The process provides the catalyst for transforming accreditation standards into quality elements within programs. While accreditation influences program quality, educational institutions mainly seek accreditation to facilitate licensure and portability of graduates. If the link between licensure and accreditation decreases, the support of the educational institutions may wane.

<p>Breastfeeding impacts on the health of both the mother and infant and has been noted as being influenced by physiological, physical, socio-economic and environmental factors. The undisputed benefit of exclusive breastfeeding for both the mother and child has led to the global prioritisation of the promotion, protection and support of breastfeeding with the adoption of the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) strategy. Baby Friendly Hospital (BFH) status is awarded to a maternity unit when they are found to be complying with set criteria (&ldquo / Ten Steps to successful Breastfeeding&rdquo / ). South Africa has implemented a re-evaluation system for retention of accreditation status, by reassessing accredited facilities every three years. The respective provinces are tasked with monitoring the implementation of BFHI in their public health facilities. Internal monitoring reports, completed by the Western Cape Provincial Department of Health, reflect erosion of key steps between national reassessments. Aim: To describe the experiences, challenges and successes of BFHI implementation in the BFH accredited facilities in the Cape Town geographical health district. Methodology: An explorative qualitative study was conducted. One key informant interview, ten in-depth interviews with champions for BFHI in the maternity facilities and two focus group discussions with frontline staff working at these facilities were used to collect data. The data was analysed using thematic content analysis to identify the main themes related to the successes and challenges experienced with the maintenance of the required practices related to BFHI accreditation. Results: Participants reported that the implementation of the BFHI impacted positively on the health of both mothers and infants. Fewer children were being admitted for common childhood illnesses such as diarrhoea subsequent&nbsp / to BFHI implementation. Mothers were recovering more quickly after delivery and less complications related to delivery, such as postpartum bleeding, were observed after the implementation of BFHI. BFHI implementation had a positive impact on the attitudes of maternity staff to breastfeeding promotion, protection and support. Subsequent to being awarded BFH status, facilities are tasked with maintaining the implemented practices. Challenges to maintaining the practices included lack of implementation of BFHI practices at clinics, lack of support from facility managers and support staff such as counsellors. The internal assessments implemented as supportive monitoring structures are considered by participants to be a demotivating process and concerns were raised about non nursing staff assessing&nbsp / nursing practices. Conclusion: The potential impact of this strategy on infant and maternal health must be realized by the implementers of BFHI, before the strategized aim is achieved. Co-ordination and support by all role players is vital to the success and elimination of challenges experienced with implementation and maintenance of the BFH strategy.</p>

The Minister of Education's public statement In August 1999, that South African citizens should mobilize and build an education and training system for the 21'st century . among other things emphasized the application of procedures for recognition of prior learning as part of the restructuring process. On the other hand the resolution taken by the South African nursing Council at the beginning of 2000. that enrolled nurses should be upgraded through the process of recognition of prior learning further increased the urgency for nursing education institutions to develop and implement RPL policies In South Africa, Recognition of Prior learning (RPL)is seen as an appropriate approach to offer equity and redress of past imbalances in the education and training system. The purpose of the study was to develop and test an appropriate model that could be used for Recognition of Prior Learning for nurses. To test the model, it was implemented in a form of pilot projects by three institutions. It was important for the model development to identify and involve all the stakeholders of the nursing education system. An appropriate design for the study was a multiphase decision oriented evaluation research . Stuffelbeam's Context. Input, Process and Product evaluation model was used to guide the research process. The first phase was the development of the model which involved the Context evaluation. During the context evaluation phase, the Education Committee of the South African Nursing Council and the evaluative researcher developed the guidelines for the RPL process. These were refined by the stakeholders during the regional workshops. The results of this phase was the RPL guidelines. The second phase was the Input and the Process evaluations. Each institution had to make planning decisions for Implementation. The result was RPL policies for each institution Thereafter. the three institutions Implemented the RPL guidelines to specific target groups of nurses that were identified for the purpose of the pilot project. Data collection instruments varied according to the phase of the model development. Checklists were used to measure the extent to which each Institution had followed the RPL guidelines Dunng the Product (evaluation) phase. candidates' scores were compared with those of other candidates who accessed the specific programs through the traditional entry routes. According to the results all RPL candidates were successful In the programs they aimed at accessing DUring the testing phase after access, the RPL candidates compared favourably with other the other candidates who accessed the programs through traditional routes . The result indicate that the self- directed approach used during RPL helped the candidates in the actual programs. A process onented and competency- focused model was developed through an inclusive process. Nursing education Institutions and policy makers can use the model to structure and evaluate RPL implementation in nursing education institutions in South Africa. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2001.

The purposes of the study were (1) to describe student selection-retention procedures currently used by North Central Association colleges and universities which are accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education, (2) to determine student selection-retention procedures which administrators of teacher education programs at the same institutions suggested should be employed, and (3) to develop a model student selection-retention program from a consensus of what authorities in the field of teacher education suggested should be involved in the selection-retention process.

Assessment of prior learning (APL) represents the task to identify and acknowledge an individual’s knowledge and skills regardless of how it has been obtained. In higher education this type of assessment is primarily used for the purpose of awarding access, credits or advanced standing. Because of the impact the results from APL have on the future working career for individuals claiming APL, it is of great importance that these result of APL is valid. The question of interest in this thesis is to what extent APL in higher education is a valid assessment. The thesis is written in the field of educational measurement and comprises four papers and an extensive introduction with summaries of the papers. The most recent views of validity theory were used as the general theoretical framework in all papers, and all papers are concerned with APL in higher education. Study I reviews the research area of APL in higher education from a validity perspective. The general conclusion from the review is that the majority of the studies conducted in this area primarily provide theoretical rationales and theories for a variety of APL practices, and that there is a need for empirically based studies examining and evaluating validity of APL. Studies II, III and IV are empirical studies based on, and exemplified with, an APL scheme related to higher education in Sweden. Study II examines validity issues identified from claimants (individuals or students claiming APL) view of APL. The claimants’ experiences from the specific APL scheme were examined using a questionnaire developed for that purpose. Conclusions drawn from the results are that possible threats to validity may exist in the administration of APL procedures, as well as in consequences of APL. Study III focuses on validity of admission decisions based on APL. The study examines decisions made by different higher education institutions for approximately 600 individuals applying for higher education based on their prior learning. The results show that the existing practice of APL needs improvements in order to obtain validity and trustworthiness in the decisions made in relation to APL. Finally, Study IV focuses on reliability in APL related to higher education. The study provides data of inter- and intra-rater reliability among judges in the specific APL scheme. The results show a lack of especially inter-rater reliability, and a conclusion is that reliability in this type of assessment should be further investigated. The general conclusion from this thesis is that there is a need to take validity issues in APL seriously, and that APL in higher education may not be as valid as it could be.

Seminaries in the United States have for more than two centuries sought to equip ministerial leaders for service within the community of faith. And yet these institutions have traditionally been the focus of very little quantitative research. This lack of data is particularly noteworthy given the existential crises many seminaries currently face, especially regarding their flagship Master of Divinity (MDiv) programs. Among seminary leadership, a common response to declining MDiv enrollment has been to decrease the length of the program, which historically required at least 90 credit hours. The purpose of this quantitative study was to explore change at the Association of Theological Schools member institutions (AMIs) between 2000–2019 through the lens of these credit-hour reductions. Longitudinal data from 113 AMIs were analyzed to examine the relationship between a variety of financial, enrollment, and institutional characteristics and the likelihood that an AMI would reduce its required MDiv credit hours. Results from an event history analysis revealed that, all else being equal, experiencing an increase in total revenues reduced an AMI's likelihood of making a reduction, while being a middle-age institution (founded 1870–1959) and having a higher percentage of peer institutions that made a change increased the likelihood of making a reduction. These findings, which well fit with existing theory on resource dependence and institutionalization, provide seminary leaders with objective data by which they can better understand the financial and cultural pressures impacting change at their institutions.

This qualitative modified participatory study underpinned by social critical theory explored the experiences of immigrant medical practitioners seeking registration in New Zealand. The occupational science notions of occupation, occupational deprivation and occupational apartheid were used to understand the experiences of the participants. The objective of the study was to understand the experiences of the participants and facilitate their self-empowerment through facilitated dialogue, affording them opportunities for collective action. Data was obtained through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with eighteen immigrant medical practitioners who were doctors and dentists as well as two physiotherapists. The two physiotherapists were sampled out of necessity to explore diversity in findings. Transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis. This method included the processes of coding data into themes and then collapsing themes into major themes which were organised under categories. Four categories were created in the findings describing the experiences of immigrant practitioners and suggesting solutions. Firstly; findings revealed that immigrant medical practitioners had a potential worth being utilised in New Zealand. Secondly; it was found that these participants faced negative and disabling experiences in the process of being registered. Thirdly; the emotional consequences of the negative experiences were described in the study. Fourthly; there were collectively suggested solutions where the participants felt that their problems could be alleviated by support systems modelled in other Western English speaking countries that have hosted high numbers of immigrant medical practitioners from non-English speaking countries. This collective action was consistent with the emancipatory intent of participatory research informed by social critical theory. This study resulted in drawing conclusions about the implications of the participants’ experiences to well-being, occupational satisfaction as well as diverse workforce development initiatives. This study is also significant in policy making as it spelt out the specific problems faced by participants and made recommendations on what can be done to effectively utilise and benefit from the skills of immigrant medical practitioners. A multi-agency approach involving key stakeholders from the government departments, regulatory authorities, medical schools and immigrant practitioners themselves is suggested as a possible approach to solving the problems faced by these practitioners.

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Duquesne University, 2006. / Title from document title page. Abstract included in electronic submission form. Includes bibliographical references (p. 125-136) and index.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1997. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 207-215). Also available on the Internet.