The study investigated how principals discharge their responsibilities with regard to educator professional development and what factors, if any, assist or hinder principals in the execution of their responsibilities for educator professional development. The following research question informs this study: "What role do principals play in educator professional development in secondary schools in Gauteng Province?" The theoretical framework used in this study is that of human capital theory. In the words of Van Loo and Rocco (2004:99), human capital theory is "an economic approach to the evaluation of the costs and benefits of the investment in skills and knowledge", and in this regard, it implies investment in people themselves in education and training with a view to enhance economic productivity and competence, in this case, educational output. The study followed a qualitative research design wherein data were collected through semi-structured interviews with principals and two educators in four secondary schools, two fee-paying and two no-fee paying schools, in Gauteng Province. The sampling method used was convenience sampling because of practical constraints, namely, time and costs, involved. This study found that principals do play a role, though not appropriately, in educator professional development in secondary schools. In some schools, it was found that proper management of professional development programmes was non-existent, and this led to educators being not clearly sure of what role their principals play exactly in their professional development. Principals indicated that most professional development activities were carried out by the district offices. Some principals were not certain of what the scope of professional development entails and in this way, they were not quite sure where exactly development was required. It became evident that the Integrated Quality Management System (IQMS), as a developmental tool, was reported not to be efficiently implemented in most schools in this study, and challenges faced were also attributed to poor management of the process by the Staff Development Team (SDT), including the principals. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2016. / Education Management and Policy Studies / MEd / Unrestricted

Between 2000 and 2011, the United States suffered the loss of manufacturing jobs 6 times faster than the rate in the 20 years prior. North Carolina ranked first in manufacturing employment in 1992; however, in 2012 it ranked fourth. The loss of manufacturing jobs created a trend away from manufacturing industries to services industries. The purpose of this study was to explore strategies that nonmanufacturing managers use to facilitate the transferable skills of displaced manufacturing workers to nonmanufacturing industries. To address the problem, a purposeful sample of 3 nonmanufacturing managers in service industries was obtained from a major manufacturing city in North Carolina. The human capital theory was used as a conceptual framework. Data for this case study were collected from face-to-face, semistructured interviews and review of company documents. Data were coded and analyzed using a qualitative analysis software to identify recurring themes. The 4 prominent themes that emerged were: (a) characteristics that displaced manufacturing workers possessed for employment in service industries, (b) workers' willingness to obtain training and education, (c) managers' specific strategies, skills, and experience for hiring displaced manufacturing workers, and (d) workers' transferable skills. The findings from this study could contribute to social change by defining strategies nonmanufacturing leaders could use to identify and transfer skills from displaced manufacturing workers to nonmanufacturing labor sectors, thereby introducing transferable skills for diverse labor sectors for increasing employment and increasing the standards of living for employees and families.

In the health and human service industry, employee turnover affects business practices and causes disruption of the lives of vulnerable individuals with intellectual disabilities receiving support. Using a human capital conceptual framework perspective, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies used to increase employee retention. The criteria for participation included organizational leaders from 3 Pennsylvania human service agencies that supported individuals with intellectual disabilities, tracked employee turnover for at least 2 years, and developed strategies to increase employee retention. Organizational leaders volunteered to participate and the first 3 organizations meeting the criteria were selected. Data collection included semistructured telephone interviews with organizational leaders, in addition to a review of company policies and turnover data. The interviews were transcribed and participants were asked to member check the draft findings. Constant comparison analysis occurred to analyze collected data. The findings included that the human capital theory alone did not inform retention strategies. Reoccurring themes included retention strategies that focused on developing the organization's intellectual capital through development of human capital, structural capital, and relational capital. Organizational leaders could develop intellectual capital to reduce employee turnover costs, increase employee productivity, create a stable life for the individuals in need of support, and develop relationships with the community where integration occurs. The implications for positive social change include the potential to reduce employee turnover to organizational leaders from Pennsylvania agencies supporting individuals with intellectual disabilities.

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<p>This study explores connections between school discipline policies and educational inequality by examining the implementation of “Progressive Discipline” (PD) in an Ontario school board. By using positive reinforcements, preventions, and early and ongoing interventions, PD has replaced more punitive “zero tolerance” approaches as the official approach to student discipline in provincial public schools. This study poses two broad research questions that are guided by prominent theories of school organization and family-school relations: i) Given prevailing schooling practices, how is PD actually implemented, ii) can PD compensate for student inequalities in exposure to cultural orientations demanded by schools. To address these questions, this study draws on 36 qualitative interviews with key actors in several schools, and has two key findings. First, despite the official shift from zero tolerance to PD, student discipline continues to be managed by schools and individual school-based actors along a continuum, with some becoming more progressive, while others remaining more punitive. Thus, this policy evolution has involved a shift from a tighter to a more “loosely coupled” form of organization. But despite this variation, school-based actors are gradually embracing PD, since more progressive perspectives on student discipline appear to resonate with many educators and administrators. Second, the shift to PD is creating new forms of cultural practices in schools, and these practices are generating considerable variations in the outcomes of discipline processes. Building on these findings, this study concludes that progressive discipline policy has the potential to serve as a mechanism of “cultural mobility” and partially compensate for students’ unequal exposure to the values, behaviours and skill sets that are needed to comply with schools’ standards of behaviour.</p> / Master of Arts (MA)

Knowledge sharing–the dissemination of knowledge from an individual/group to another–has been an interesting topic for knowledge management scholars. Previous studies on knowledge sharing in online communities have primarily focused on communities of practice (organizational/business communities) and the social factors of knowledge sharing behaviour. However, non-business-oriented online communities have not been rigorously examined in the academic literature as venues for facilitating knowledge sharing. In addition, the burst of new age Internet tools (artifacts) such as social bookmarking has changed the face of online social networking. Within the context of Web 2.0, this socio-technical research investigation introduces both social and technical factors affecting attitude towards knowledge sharing in communities of relationship and communities of interest, and proposes a relational model of knowledge sharing attitude in Web 2.0 online communities. Social Capital Theory provides the main theoretical backbone for the proposed model. Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) and social constructionsim have also been used. Following the description of the proposed hypotheses and research methodology using a survey about three Web 2.0 websites (Facebook, LinkedIn, and Cnet), data analysis through Partial Least Squared (PLS) method is applied to examine the effect of social and technical antecedent of knowledge sharing attitude. The R2 value of 0.78 indicates the strong explanatory power of the research model. / Dissertation / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Lesotho is a country plagued by underdevelopment and poverty. This research is a case study of an indigenous community organisation in the northern district of Botha-Bothe in Lesotho. Boseele is a rural development organisation which attracted international donor investment in the aftermath of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project. The study aims at investigating the impact of capacity development processes on Boseele and its members. The study identified capacity building landmarks over a period of ten years. A case study approach was used within a qualitative research design. Data was collected through individual and group interviews, observations, story-telling and transect walks. The results were analysed through thematic, chronological, narrative and document analysis. Boseele’s successes with CIDA funding reflect positive foreign aid contributions towards the work of civil society organisations in Lesotho. However, setbacks and lack of continuity by a nursery project funded by MS-Lesotho show that the empowerment process is vulnerable where social and economic problems of individual members and communities are not fully addressed.

Reviewing inter-state warfare literature, I observe a correlation between the growth of international institutions, economic interchange, and levels of democracy, and corresponding decreases in incidents of international war. Conversely, internal conflicts comprise most conflicts in the post-1945 world, compared to inter-state conflicts. Within the larger intra-state literature, I note an underlying lineage to concepts evolving from Kant’s writings, specifically Kantian democratic peace theory (DPT) literature posited by Russett and ONeal (2001), and the informal social-juridical relationship within Metaphysics of Morals. From that pedigree, could a deeper understanding of internal political risks gained through application of Kantian DPT, interpolating Putnam’s (2002) Social Capital Theory (SCT) hold potential to provide researchers and policy makers insight into propensity for descent into conflict early enough to implement corrective actions? This investigation initially questions existence of intra-state processes performing similar ameliorating or exacerbating functions observed at inter-state level. Assessing that intra-state dynamics exhibit an elevated dependence on social factors necessitates adjustments to DPT to accommodate the adaptable nature of social constructs, leading to the designation of my theory as Kantian Adaptable Networks Theory (KANT). To test hypotheses, I start with DPT, incorporate elements of SCT, and identify a hybrid combination presenting greater explanatory power than either DPT or SCT factors alone. Fund for Peace’s Fragile State Indices (FSI) for 2005-2013 provides the dataset to conduct regression analysis to determine significance of DPT and/or SCT elements in static and time-series. Initial results indicate DPT/SCT provides explanatory value at the intra-state level with the Group Grievance factor generally presenting the most significant effect on probability of conflict. To assess resilience to intra-state conflict, I then explore brittleness of social-contract dynamics through the lens of Clausewitz’ center of gravity theory. In my exploration of applicability of KANT at the case level, I analyze FSI data for Syria and Kenya to determine resilience to shocks and ratcheted pressures, and explanation for differing outcomes. Based on the results of quantitative and case analysis, I present policy prescription considerations. Finally, I discuss additional avenues for follow-on research of issues and opportunities identified during the course of the investigation.

Thousands of students drop out of high school every day in the United States and the repercussions affect more than just the individual. Research on smaller learning communities (SLC) reveals increased student achievement, as well as improved teacher perception of student engagement. Student attendance, grade point average, and standardized test scores have been seen to improve within the SLC. In addition, graduation rates for students enrolled in a SLC have revealed increases, but this research focuses on the SLC as an intervention for any student. The current research targets at-risk students in an educational climate of sparse resources, and an increasing need for clever use of capital. The current research fills this gap by evaluating a SLC developed for and populated solely with students identified as at-risk by collecting data from students enrolled in a SLC and comparing them to a population of similar at-risk students not enrolled in the SLC. A Chi-square analysis was conducted comparing graduation rates, a 1-factor analysis of variance compared state test scores, and a 2-factor mixed analysis of variance was conducted to compare GPA, attendance, and discipline between and within the 2 groups. The alpha level was adjusted per the Bonferroni method to correct for multiple data points on the same sample and resulting in a sample size of 106. Findings from this research found a one year SLC intervention made a difference in school attendance, and revealed an overall trend of difference between SLC and control at-risk students in all other areas. These findings contribute to positive social change understanding a one year SLC intervention is capable of improving attendance as well as producing an overall positive trend for at-risk high school students in the areas of graduation, standardized assessment, discipline, and standardized assessments.