Changes in schools can cause teachers to experience an intensification of work as they strive to meet expectations of students, parents, and administrations. This study includes an examination of factors that may lead to work intensification (WI) for teachers. The study also includes an examination of how years of experience and teacher perceptions of administrative support may moderate the relationship between teachers' impressions of WI and their job satisfaction. Based on equity theory, data were collected using a Likert-type scale survey distributed to 9 public high schools in southern California. A test for correlation was performed followed by a hierarchal ordinal logistic regression analysis to test for significant relationships and strength of those relationships. Findings revealed at a .95 confidence level a significant relationship between factors of WI and teacher impressions of WI in the areas of the addition of more students to the classroom, fear of losing job, changes in curriculum, decreased pay, the addition of students with special needs in to the classroom, and changes in technology use in the classroom. Findings also revealed that the addition of furlough days, fear of losing job, decreased pay, and an increase of students with special needs in the classroom were significantly related to decreased job satisfaction. Findings revealed that perceptions of administrative support moderate the relationship between teacher impressions of WI and job satisfaction. This study allows for better understanding of how years of experience and administrative support may moderate the relationship between factors of WI and teacher job satisfaction so policy-makers may make better-informed choices that support student education.

The reliance on alternative teacher certification to address teacher quality and quantity is an educational issue worthy of study because non-traditionally prepared teachers fill the nation's classrooms. This qualitative case study explored the experiences of secondary education teachers with no preservice training who earned a professional educator certificate in Alabama through the alternative baccalaureate-level program. The central research questions of this study related to the professional needs of alternatively certified teachers and how educational leaders supported those professional needs. The conceptual framework of this project study included the National Research Center for Career and Technical Education's differentiated induction model based on technical pedagogy and collegial support to address teacher quality and attrition. The qualitative data were gathered through a series of interviews with 6 alternatively certified secondary education teachers using specific protocols. Transcribed data were coded for a priori themes aligned to the research questions, and coded data were analyzed for trends and patterns. The results indicated that the participants perceived support from administrators and teacher leaders as important to their professional development and effectiveness. As a result of this study, a professional development training program was developed for the study site to assist educational leaders in providing an induction program. Implications for positive social change include for school and district administrators to have a better understanding of the challenges that alternatively certified teachers face; they may also appreciate the importance of providing administrator support to improve teacher effectiveness, retention, and ultimately student achievement.

The aim of this study was to investigate, from an educational management perspective, the factors that influence job satisfaction amongst special needs educators in selected New Zealand special needs schools. A qualitative research method was utilised to investigate the educational management strategies that influence the job satisfaction of special needs educators in selected New Zealand special needs schools. This dissertation presents the findings from a questionnaire on participants’ geographical details and data from related interviews. The findings from this study indicate that the job satisfaction of special needs educators is mainly influenced by factors such as management support, adequate resources, collaborative working relationships, ability of students with special educational needs to progress, and communication, among others. The study makes certain recommendations to help special needs educational managers effectively manage factors that influence job satisfaction and job dissatisfaction for special needs educators. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Education Management)

Bien qu'il existe une abondante littérature scientifique sur les infirmières praticiennes spécialisées de première ligne (IPSPL), le soutien et les modalités d’encadrement de cette pratique restent très peu explorés. Au Québec, ces questions semblent d’autant plus importantes à étudier car la diversité des milieux de pratique, l’éloignement physique entre les acteurs-clés, le partage de l’encadrement et le cadre légal complexifient l’opérationnalisation de ce soutien. Par le biais d’une étude de cas multiples, ce mémoire propose une analyse des différentes structures d’encadrement et des mécanismes déployés pour soutenir le développement de la pratique IPSPL au Québec. Issu d’un projet de recherche plus large et multicentrique, ce mémoire de maîtrise a étudié trois milieux distincts par le biais de 18 entrevues auprès de professionnels de la santé et de gestionnaires. Grâce à un modèle en trois niveaux, les besoins en termes de soutien des IPSPL et des équipes ont été identifiés. Les principaux résultats de cette recherche démontrent la pertinence d’un encadrement par les acteurs de la Direction des soins infirmiers. De plus, le soutien aux professionnels des équipes qui incluent des IPSPL semble bonifié lorsque certaines structures organisationnelles sont présentes. Finalement, les comités décisionnels autour de l’implantation des IPSPL s’avèrent davantage bénéfiques lorsqu’ils tiennent compte de l’environnement et de l’expérience acquise par les milieux. / Although there is an abundant literature on primary health care nurse practitioners (PHCNP), the optimal structures and practices to support PHCNPs remain largely unexplored. In Quebec, this issue needs particular attention because of practice settings diversity and physical distance between major key players. Furthermore, the supervision role that seems to be shared by multiple professionals and the legal framework add to the complexity of the implementation of support structures and practices. Through a multiple case study, this paper aimed to explore the managerial structures in place and to analyze the mechanisms deployed to support the development of PHCNP practice. Issuing from a larger scale multicenter research, this study analyzed three separate cases, totaling 18 interviews with health professionals and managers. Based on a three levels model built on the central concept of support, the needs of PHCNP and their teams have been identified. The main results of this research demonstrate the relevance of supervision by the key players of the Department of Nursing. In addition, the coordination between professionals seems enhanced when some organizational structures are implemented. Finally, decision-making committees linked to the implementation of PHCNP appear to be more useful when the environment and experience of the organizations are taken into consideration.

The aim of this study was to investigate, from an educational management perspective, the factors that influence job satisfaction amongst special needs educators in selected New Zealand special needs schools. A qualitative research method was utilised to investigate the educational management strategies that influence the job satisfaction of special needs educators in selected New Zealand special needs schools. This dissertation presents the findings from a questionnaire on participants’ geographical details and data from related interviews. The findings from this study indicate that the job satisfaction of special needs educators is mainly influenced by factors such as management support, adequate resources, collaborative working relationships, ability of students with special educational needs to progress, and communication, among others. The study makes certain recommendations to help special needs educational managers effectively manage factors that influence job satisfaction and job dissatisfaction for special needs educators. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Education Management)

In modern healthcare organizations, work is increasingly team-oriented, which puts pressure on information technology to support staff collaborations. Healthcare organizations are lagging behind in the use of IT and often use outdated systems. A reason for this is the long and cumbersome process of IT-procurement. Stand-alone systems can help such organizations be more efficient, and receptive of the latest technologies, while conveying lower risks, and increased chances of successful implementation. Therefore, this study has investigated what problems can be expected, and how to manage them, when designing such systems. The study was conducted at the Department for Reconstructive Surgery at Karolinska University Hospital. Action research was used, and a system supporting the scheduling of doctors was deigned, implemented and evaluated. The study consists of an initial exploratory phase, a design and implementation phase, and an evaluation phase. The findings of this study indicate that the problems that can be expected when developing a stand-alone system at a small specialized healthcare department are: 1) that the hierarchies among staff may lead to failure to accept designs and the designs not taking all stakeholders into account, 2) that the complexity may lead to an inability to identify the real problems and define appropriate design-goals, and 3) that the combination of 1 and 2 hinders a mutual understanding of design-goals, problems, and solutions. To manage the problems, this study suggests the use of participatory design, user centered system design, and a computer supported collaborative work approach, and provides guidelines for using these to reach an effective implementation. / I moderna sjukhus arbetar man allt mer team-orienterat, vilket ställer krav på system och programvara att stödja samarbeten personalen emellan. Inom sjukvården sker anskaffandet av nya tekniker genom om offentlig upphandling, vilka är tungrodda processer som tar lång tid. Detta leder till att många sjukhus har utdaterade system som inte tjänar organisationernas bästa. Genom att anskaffa mindre, fristående system kan mottagligheten för de senaste teknikerna ökas, och med denna kan även en ökad effektivitet av administrativt arbete uppnås, till låg risk och med möjlighet till effektiv implementation. Av dessa anledningar har denna studie undersökt vilka problem som kan förväntas vid utveckling av sådana system, och hur dessa problem kan överbryggas. Studien utfördes på Kliniken för Rekonstruktiv Plastikkirurgi på Karolinska Sjukhuset i Solna. Vi använde oss av aktionsforskning, och utvecklade, implementerade samt utvärderade ett stödsystem för schemaläggningsprocessen på kliniken. Studien består av tre faser: en explorativ fas, en design- och implementationsfas, samt en utvärderingsfas. Resultaten visar på att de problem som kan förväntas när man utvecklar ett fristående system för en specialiserad kirurgklinik är: 1) att hierarkier inom personalstyrkan kan leda till att utformningen av system inte accepteras, och att system inte bistår alla intressenter, 2) att organisationens komplexitet gör det svårt att identifiera de underliggande problemen, och definiera ändamålsenliga målsättningar för utformningen av systemet, och 3) att kombinationen av 1 och 2 hindrar en ömsesidig förståelse för utformningen av systemet, de problem som finns, och hur man kan lösa dem. Vidare visar denna studie att problemen kan överbryggas genom att använda metoder för deltagande design, användarcentrerad design och en modell för synsätt kallad computer supported collaborative work under designprocessen. Vidare tillhandahåller studien riktlinjer för hur dessa metoder och synsätt kan användas för att uppnå en effektiv implementation.

This investigation focused on identifying model foundational strategies to assist Canton Public School District (CPSD) officials in recruiting new teachers, successfully hiring them, and then retaining them the district. Located within the boundaries of the city of Canton, Mississippi, CSPD is geographically located in the central portion of the state. The district consists of 1 high school, 2 middle schools, 4 elementary schools and Canton Education Services Center. CSPD is continually affected by an ever-increasing teacher shortage because new teachers tend to leave the district after they are hired. More than 50% of new teachers leave their teaching positions in the district’s schools within 5 years. The investigation utilized published literature and other archival data (e.g., scholarly papers presented at conferences) accessible to the public in the form of books, chapters in published books, journal articles, and scholarly papers presented at learned societies and associations. Two research questions guided the investigation. The first research question asked: What does the published literature and related archival data (e.g., available scholarly papers retrievable from sources such as colleges, universities, foundations, conferences, etc.) accessible to the public reveal about recruiting, hiring, and retaining teachers? Overall, the material collected and analyzed yielded abundant information. Much of the available information proved valuable because the material focused attention the “how-to-do-it” aspects of recruiting, hiring, and retaining quality new teachers. The second research question asked: Will information gleamed from an analysis of the published literature and other archival data (e.g., unpublished scholarly papers) lead to the development of foundational strategies for assisting school district officials in recruiting, hiring, and retaining new teachers for CPSD? It was possible to develop a model holding potential for improving teacher recruitment, hiring, and retention at CPSD. The model that was developed features seven foundational strategies that if implemented, hold potential for improving teacher recruitment, hiring, and retention at CPSD. The seven strategies are: (1) identify the vacancy and write the job description, (2) announce and advertise the teacher vacancy, (3) develop a customized application form, (4) paper screening process, (5) interviewing process, (6) salary and benefit package, and (7) induction and mentoring.