<p>Every college age student should have the opportunity to attend college and earn a degree, but the fiscal realities for lower income students prevent the majority from attending and the vast majority from completing college, thus perpetuating an intergenerational trend of limited postsecondary education and a likelihood of marginal income and status. Past research studies have shown that, among lower income students, those who receive higher levels of grant funding to offset college expenses are more likely to persist toward completing their educations than those who do not receive the same level of grant funding and thus are forced to rely upon other means, such as student loans or employment, to pay for college. The majority of this research was conducted prior to the recession that began in December 2007 (National Bureau of Economic Research, 2008), which has been more severe and longer lasting than any economic contraction since the Great Depression (Dwyer &amp; Lothian, 2012); more current research is needed to determine whether the educational retention behaviors of lower income students in the current challenging economic climate are positively impacted by grant funding. In this study I used quantitative methods to analyze a specific state policy change to determine whether a significant change in the grant funding provided to lower income students resulted in increased retention rates for these students. This study examines school years from 2006&ndash;2010, thus encompassing the recent financial crisis and affording an opportunity to explore the persistence behaviors of lower income students during the greatest financial crisis of modern times. The ultimate purpose of the study is to provide conclusions from the research to postsecondary policy makers in the hopes of informing policy and supporting continuing funding of need-based financial aid for lower income students. </p>

There is important to create flexible placement system in a world economic that is very variable so attention is paid to life long education. Changes in environment and activities act on permanent society. Individual should have a possibility to live in changeable political as well as economical situation, creating new democratic society. Regularly elevating science level, developing new technologies, changes requirements for employment. So continual need for improving knowledge is significant. Research object: Possibilities of continual adult education in Utena district. Aim of the research: To explore possibilities of continual adult education in Utena district. Tasks of the research: 1. To discuss conception, destination and aims of continual education. 2. To study adults’ motivation and experience in education. 3. To present institutions for adults’ education in Utena. 4. To research possibilities of continual education between inhabitants in Utena district. Used methods in the work: 1. Theoretical: analysis of scientific and methodical literature was used with the aim to ground theory of research problem. 2. Empirical: empirical research, interview of respondents and analysis of data. 3. Statistical: data of the research was analyzed using SPSS. At the theoretical part or work is reviewed education as continual process lasting all the life. At the practical part research are present. This research was competed in Utena. Respondents are adult people. Aim of research... [to full text]

The main purpose of this paper is to explore how the probability of taking continuing education programs towards no degree for job or career purposes after graduation will be affected by overeducation, which can be defined as having actual education levels that exceed requirements for the job. Using the data from the National Graduates Survey – Class of 2005-Public User Microdata File (PUMF) (Statistics Canada 2007), a probit model was estimated to test the hypothesis that graduates who are already overeducated would take fewer continuing education programs for job or career purposes. Possible reasons for the negative relationship between overeducation and the likelihood of taking continuing education programs after graduation were examined based on human capital theory.

<p>For over a decade, the nursing profession has increased enrollments and established new education programs in response to the national nursing shortage. The profession has focused on increasing the numbers of new graduate nurses prepared to replace the nation's aging nursing workforce. Considering the expense of this educational process with close supervision requirements, limited clinical spaces, and high attrition rates, this exploratory mixed methods study examined mentoring as a success strategy to retain nursing students in school. This study of nursing students enrolled in an associate's degree program in one California community college explored mentoring from the students' point of view. The study explored the personal perceptions and meaning attributed to the mentoring experiences of one group of nursing students. </p><p> Using focus group interviews, the qualitative phase of this study identified the characteristics and shared experiences of 20 volunteer participants. In the second phase, 112 student volunteers (57% response rate) completed an online survey developed from an analysis of the focus group interview data. The respondents' demographics were representative of the four semester nursing program student body. The survey findings affirmed that the participants perceived mentoring by a registered nurse beneficial and useful. Coaching and encouragement from a nursing professional as well as peer support had a positive impact on the program outcomes of retention and program completion. </p>

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It is against the background of new developments and initiates taking place in various countries to make basic nursing education systems more responsive and relevant to the ever-changing nature of society that a cross-national study of the current systems of basic nursing education of francophone African countries of WHO Afro Region was undertaken. The aim of the study was to describe and analyze the current systems of basic nursing education in Francophone African countries of WHO Afro Region with 'a view to providing guidelines for change toward a basic nursing educatian system that is in line with the recommendations of WHO (1994, 1985, 1984, 1966) and the various countries' health care delivery systems' policies. In the first phase, data was generated by means of a self-completion mailed questionnaire, administered to the members of the national regulatory bodies of nursing and nursing education from eighteen countries. The design of the above named questionnaire was based on the WHO (1994, 1985, 1984, and 1966) recommendations pertaining to basic nursing education systems. The main results of the findings of this phase showed two major trends. Firstly, more differences than similarities existed between the WHO (1994, 1985, 1984, and 1966) recommendations and the current basic nursing education systems of the countries under study. Secondly, discrepancies existed between the various countries' health care delivery systems' policies and the existing systems of basic nursing education. Finally, all the respondents expressed the views that the current basic nursing education systems are faced with educational and organizational changes and they agreed that there is a need to change the current basic nursing education systems. In the second phase, data was generated by means of three rounds Delphi questionnaires, administered to the national members of the regulatory bodies of nursing and nursing education as well as the members of national nursing associations from eighteen countries. The design of the first round Delphi questionnaire was based on the results of the first phase of this study, while the preceding round informed the design of the questionnaire of the next round. The main results of the findings showed similarities between the future orientation of the basic nursing education systems and the recommendations of the WHO as well as the global trends in the development of the basic nursing education. The stakeholders expressed the view that the national governments, the National Associations of Nurses and the Regional Office of WHO Afro Region need to play an active role in the transformation and the development of the basic nursing education systems in the Region. They suggested that the systems of educating nurses should move toward meeting the demands of the health care services and the global trends in the development of nursing and nursing education. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2001.

Biographical accounts constitute an important source of information about the experiences of black women under Apartheid. This study focuses on the life of an elderly black woman and presents the various life experiences she was exposed to in her various lifelong learning contexts, as told by her. It highlights the impact of the diverse learning contexts that she was exposed to throughout her life, and develops an understanding of how her meaning perspectives were shaped and transformed by her lifelong learning experiences. This research study is qualitative in nature and employs a life history methodology, which focuses on the meanings that people attach to their experiences. It draws on three of the major interpretive paradigms that structure qualitative research, namely the interpretivist, critical and feminist paradigms. The theoretical framework contains elements of two key theories of adult learning, namely that of Transformative Learning and Critical Consciousness. It also draws on elements of Feminist Theory. The research method consisted of six open-ended life history interviews, which are special types of field interviews, in which I gathered narrative accounts about the respondent’s life. Every interview was audio-taped. Although there was a ‘pre-interview’ agreement on some possible issues that could be discussed, I did not bring a series of predetermined questions or theories into the interview process, but rather used open-ended questions that generated themes from the respondent’s lifelong learning experiences. The participant knew that she was an equal partner in identifying the major themes. My own reflections on what I heard and observed during the interviewing processes also became an important source of information in constructing the research findings. The narrative analysis approach was used to analyze and interpret the interview data. A biographical life history was constructed. This was followed by a process of negotiating the possible main themes embedded in the biographical life history, and then analyzing those themes, which were subsequently interpreted individually for their meaning. This life history study illustrates that Madelwa constructed her identity through the various discourses and lifelong learning contexts that she was exposed to. The study also found that experiential learning is central to the theories of adult learning referred to above. The transformation that happened in Madelwa’s life is the outcome of a practice of critical reflection that already started in her childhood. A crucial finding was that critical hermeneutics in this case offered Madelwa a method for investigating the conditions of her existence, and led her to challenging of the status quo. This life history study suggests that there is a definite relationship between lifelong learning experiences and transformation in an individual’s life. Linked to this transformation is the fact that this study shows that each biography has its own truth. Her life history still continues… / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2007.

Darbe nagrinėjama darbuotojų profesinio tęstinio mokymo (si) galimybės, poreikis ir poveikis skirtingo tipo įmonėse. Tyrimo objektas – darbuotojų profesinis tęstinis mokymas (sis). Tikslas – atskleisti darbuotojų poreikį tęstiniam profesiniam mokymui(si) skirtingo tipo įmonėse. Tikslui atskleisti suformuluoti šie uždaviniai: 1. Išanalizuoti darbuotojų tęstinio profesinio mokymo teorinius ir metodologinius aspektus. 2. Išanalizuoti darbuotojų tęstinio profesinio mokymo(si) galimybes skirtingo tipo įmonėse. 3. Išnagrinėti darbuotojų tęstinio profesinio mokymo(si) poreikius skirtingo tipo įmonėse. 4. Atskleisti darbuotojų tęstinio profesinio mokymo(si) poveikį įmonei ir darbuotojams skirtingo tipo įmonėse. 5. Įvertinti taikomus darbuotojų profesinio tęstinio mokymo būdus ir formas. Darbe keltos šios hipotezės: 1. Užsienio ir lietuviško kapitalo įmonių darbuotojai turi skirtingus mokymosi poreikius: pirmosiose dėmesys kreipiamas į asmeninį tobulėjimą; antrosiose dominuoja profesinių žinių poreikis. 2. Skirtingo tipo įmonių darbuotojai naudingais laiko skirtingus profesinio tęstinio mokymo formas ir metodus: užsienio kapitalo įmonės išorinius mokymus; lietuviško kapitalo įmonės vidinius mokymus. 3. Užsienio kapitalo įmonėse darbuotojų profesinis tęstinis mokymas organizuojamas dažniau, nei lietuviško kapitalo įmonėse. Darbuotojų profesinio tęstinio mokymo (si) poreikiui skirtingo tipo įmonėse nustatyti buvo atliekamas pusiau struktūruotas interviu su įmonių vadovais ir įmonių... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / In the following thesis there are analyzed continuing professional education opportunities of staff, its needs and impact on different types of companies. The research object is based on continuing professional education of staff. The goal is to reveal the staff need for continuing professional education in different types of companies. In order to disclose the goal there have been formed the following tasks: 1. To analyze theoretical and methodological aspects in the continuing professional education of the staff. 2. To analyze the opportunities related to the continuing professional education of the staff in different types of companies. 3. To analyze the needs related to the continuing professional education of the staff in different types of companies. 4. To reveal the impact related to the continuing professional education of the staff in different types of companies. 5. To evaluate methods and techniques applied in the continuing professional education of the staff. There are provided the following hypotheses: 1. The staffs of foreign and Lithuanian capital companies have different learning needs: the first ones focus on personal development, in the second ones there is a need for professional awareness. 2. The staffs in different types of companies consider being valuable different forms and methods of continuing professional education: the foreign capital companies appreciate external trainings and Lithuanian capital companies prefer local or internal trainings. 3... [to full text]

This work outlines the history of Access Courses and explains the National quality assurance framework established to co-ordinate standards within such provision. The National Framework consists of a number of Authorised Validating Agencies (AVAs) who have been empowered to validate Access provision subject to various quality assurance mechanisms. The quality assurance requirements of AVAs are generalised and the effects they have, in terms of costs and benefits, to a number of stakeholders are detailed. Key stakeholders identified are the providing institution, students, and higher education institutions. The general principles of cost-benefit analysis are outlined along with case study examples. A computer-based model is produced with the capability of manipulating the generalisable costbenefit factors to accommodate local conditions and could therefore be used as a decision support aid by the three key stakeholder groups. The application of the model beyond the case studies is also discussed. The problematic nature of applying cost-benefit analysis to the quality assurance mechanisms of Access Courses is also considered. Areas where further research is required are outlined.

<p> This phenomenological case study of finding meaning explored the developmental nature of Pepperdine University&rsquo;s Doctor of Education in Organization Change (EDOC) program through graduates, who as students, found deep, visceral, and life changing meaning. The primary request of participants, identified as co-inquirers, was to: describe in as much detail as possible how meaning was found through their participation in the EDOC program. Detailed storied descriptions from 10 graduates were gathered through interviews. Anecdotes were gathered by email from other graduates concerning the meaning found, relational experiences, and vivid program experiences. In my analysis of data, I explicated the structure (the relationship among the most invariant constituents of the phenomenon) and meaning (implications) from their lived experience. Though particulars differed, the interview data revealed a structure surrounding each of the ten co-inquirers as being (a) self-aware learners who joined the program with assumptions concerning the challenging nature of the learning experience; (b) a socially constructed environment that facilitates the formation of relational sets and community engagement; (c) deep and rich dialogic relationships among participants within the learning community; (d) co-constructed learning through collaboration with faculty and fellow students; (e) abundant free-space in learning enabling the transcendence of boundaries to personal growth; (f) an immensely helping and caring environment; (g) significant opportunities to challenge and broaden worldviews through program experiences; and (h) consistent validation of progress toward personal, educational and life goals. In coming to understand the phenomenon for finding meaning, I used descriptive phenomenology and given my presence as a student in the program being studied, I offered my own observations. I framed propositions from the study&rsquo;s findings for progressive educators and organization development professions. Meaning found led to life changes such as improved personal and professional effectiveness, a deeper sense of self and self-worth, a clearer view of the world, and an ability to enact what had been taken from the experience; a significant educational outcome in addition to cognitive competencies, field knowledge and application. Those who have experienced the program came away with a deeper sense of purpose and far reaching capabilities to serve.</p>