Abstract not available.

The employees' ability to continuously and collectively learn, and to apply their learning are critical to their own and their organization's performance. This study, therefore, sought to understand employees' perceptions of and experiences with the application of or, transfer of their learning. It also sought to understand the interplay between the three primary transfer sources. The overarching research question that guided this study was what were employees' lived experiences with transfer? The subquestions were how do employees transfer their learning, when did transfer enter their learning experiences, and why did they believe that transfer occurred? A hermeneutic phenomenological research design was employed. The participants' lived experiences were examined, described and interpreted. By allowing the participants' voices to resonate throughout the text, the depth, richness and meaning of their experiences were captured. Seven federal government employees, at the administrative, professional and managerial levels, comprised the purposeful sample. The participants engaged in a formal audiotaped interview, an informal interview and a focus group session. Eight main themes emerged from the data analysis. Two themes, related to the individuals' characteristics, were the desire to learn and how transfer occurred. Four themes, related to the training program's design and development features, were discourse, application of the learning to life's situations, learning by doing and when transfer entered the learners' learning experience. The last two themes, related to the organizational climate characteristics, were an open and supportive culture, and the major challenges to transfer. The transfer research, comprised of the individuals' characteristics, training program features and organizational climate characteristics, provided one lens through which the findings were interpreted. Three adult learning theories, self-directed, situated cognition and transformational learning, provided the second lens. The transfer and adult learning literatures were quite complimentary. The learning theories however, brought a broader and more comprehensive understanding to many of the participants' transfer experiences. The theories, by illuminating the interplay between the primary transfer sources, integrated the quantitative transfer research findings into a more coherent body of knowledge. This research also contributed to a more fullsome understanding of the learning theories and the difficulties in measuring transfer. Adult education principles and practices appear to be well positioned to enhance employees' transfer efforts as transfer does indeed appear to be a key concept in adult learning. This study advances our understanding of transfer from the perspective of the employees' "lived" experiences, and of the complexities of transfer. The findings are relevant to adult education practices, and to organizations and employees in better understanding and facilitating transfer.

The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a relationship between positive self-esteem and self-awareness and successful job experience for mentally retarded students in the Occupational Skills And Development Center (OSDC) at Dorchester High School. Over the years, much has been written about programs for mentally retarded students and the programs they should be enrolled in. Little has been written about how the students feel about the programs they are in and what they feel the programs have or have not done for them. This study is an attempt to get responses from the students enrolled in a specific program at Dorchester High School relative to how they feel about the program, themselves, and what the program has done for their self-esteem, self-awareness and success at a job. The methodology was to ask the students a series of questions to determine how they felt about themselves, their personal relationships, and surroundings. Then a six-week self-esteem curriculum was delivered, each week with its own theme and focus. The questionnaires and curriculum were evaluated to suggest how the program might be enhanced, adapted or promoted to better serve this population. No reference is made to individuals by name and every effort has been made to insure that the students are not identified. The results of this study will be used to improve the curriculum of the OSDC at Dorchester High School to better insure the success of the students who complete the program. Students and their parents/guardians will be able to have input into the discussions and decisions that will be made regarding any changes to the current program.

The study was designed to explore with selected nurses in the employment setting their perspective of the clinical competence of newly graduated nurses as they entered practice. The study had three elements. The initial focus of the study was to examine the readiness of graduates from all preparatory programs to enter hospital practice, addressing, in particular, the clinical competence of the nurse and, therefore, the ability of that nurse to meet the nursing needs of the patient. The second element was to explore the differences, if any, between graduates of Baccalaureate, Associate Degree and Diploma Programs as those differences relate to clinical competence. The third area dealt with the nurturing and socialization of the new graduate in the practice setting and examined the methods employed by the hospital to orient the nurse to the practice setting and provide support and additional education and experience to bring the nurse to the practice level expected. Major findings identified differences in graduates from the three types of nursing programs. Graduates of Baccalaureate programs were described as having a stronger theoretical knowledge base and better critical thinking skills. It was expected the Baccalaureate graduate would become the more competent nurse over time. Graduates of Diploma Programs were reported to have better clinical skills. Associate Degree Program graduates were said to be lacking in both clinical skills and theoretical knowledge. Two factors were mentioned as important in shaping clinical competence. Individual differences which the nurse brings with her are thought to be a significant factor, even more than the program from which the nurse was graduated. Programs, which prepare the same type of graduate, do not always graduate nurses of the same quality. Graduates of all programs were noted as needing extensive support as they began their new role. Concern was expressed by the majority of respondents about the readiness of new graduates to enter the practice setting. Most respondents would like to see the clinical practice component strengthened in the curriculum of all nursing programs. Recommendations for Nursing Education and Nursing Practice and for further study are included.

Purpose of the study. The purpose of this study was to determine the educational and experiential status of today's safety educators, teaching at the college level. Areas studied included the perceptions of the safety educators as to the value of their education and work experience in relation to their suitability to teach safety at the college level; the perception of the safety educators of the need for mandatory professional certification; and the professional development requirements to maintain certification. Methodology. A descriptive research methodology was employed to gather and report the data for the study. A survey questionnaire was sent to all members of the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) who live in the United States and list their occupations as educators. The ASSE is the dominant professional safety organization in the United States and the society's members provided an excellent survey sample. Results. The results of the study were based on the data collected from the questionnaires returned by the respondents. The survey provided useful data on the demographics of the nation's safety educators. The survey provided information about the importance of education, experience, and professional certification for safety educators as perceived by the respondents. Conclusions. Relatively few safety programs exist at colleges and universities in the United States. Indications are that the opportunities for safety graduates will continue to grow. The American Society of Safety Engineers has developed a recommended core curriculum and established program standards for college safety programs. At this time only seven institutions have met the requirements for accreditation under these ASSE guidelines. While the ASSE recommendations do not include standards for safety educators, a well-defined safety curriculum will serve to disclose the goals and aspirations of the safety program. In turn, these goals and aspirations will serve to establish the prerequisite skills and talents necessary to become an educator in that safety program.

<p> Grit, defined as the tendency to pursue long-term goals with sustained zeal and hard work, was shown to predict achievement in academic, vocational, and avocational domains. In 2009, Duckworth and Quinn found that grit predicted student effectiveness in school and the concept of grit was largely unrelated to talent. Grit provided incremental predictive validity for achievement outcomes, particularly in settings of high challenge. From the combination of persistence, self-control, and more broadly, conscientiousness, emerges the concept of grit. </p><p> The purpose of this study was to compare the relative grittiness of students from two different high school settings. The first of these was a non-traditional technical high school. The second was a traditional suburban high school. One hundred students from each high schools took the Grit-S survey to determine their level of grit. It was found that students attending the non-traditional high school and students attending the traditional high school had no statistically different level of grit. However, students from the non-traditional technical high school had an observably higher level of self-reported grit. Teachers and administrators were interviewed to determine their perceptions about grit. Qualitative analysis of their responses rendered three commonalities. The first theme was a definition of grit rooted in persistence and self-motivation. The second theme was the need for adults to model grit for the benefit of their students. The third theme was a lack of difference between the genders in perceived grit or academic prospects. </p><p> This dissertation expanded on the research of Grit and Student Performance as it relates to students who attend a non-traditional technical high school and students who attend a traditional high school. There was a lack of previous research comparing these two distinct types of high schools. After the data was gathered and analyzed no significant differences were found. This dissertation provides ideas for future research and its results may possibly change attitudes about students in both high school settings.</p>

The purpose of this study was to ascertain the perceptions of the Arizona Legislature toward the Vocational Student Organizations operating in Arizona. Respondents were asked their opinions concerning: (1) their familiarity with Vocational Student Organizations; (2) the value of Vocational Student Organizations in relation to other educational opportunities; and (3) the effectiveness of Vocational Student Organizations. Findings of the study included: (1) the awareness of Vocational Student Organizations is relatively high; (2) Vocational Student Organizations are effective in delivering a variety of outcomes; (3) the public education system is supported in several ways by Vocational Student Organizations; and (4) in relation to other educational opportunities, Vocational Student Organizations are comparable in delivering skills and abilities.

<p> This qualitative study investigated information sharing practices between two Southern California comprehensive high schools and an offsite career training (CT) school with a focus on students with disabilities (SWD). The case study approach examined how student information is communicated in support of new federal and state policies related to college and career preparedness. Bolman and Deal&rsquo;s Four Frame Model served as the theoretical framework. The 12 participants included special education teachers, career technical teachers and administrators of curriculum and instruction. Findings included organizations operate separately, resulting in minimal teacher input in individual education plan (IEP) development and implementation, lack of targeted professional development for teachers at both organizations, and lowered expectations of SWD. Implications and suggestions for leadership to align structures and promote collaboration to facilitate SWD learning are examined.</p>

<p> This study examined the influences the Early Childhood Education Pathway (ECEP) had on secondary students' career choice and postsecondary decisions. ECEP's with onsite laboratory settings or off campus practicum were utilized in the study. The hands-on experiences in a secondary setting provided students with authentic work experiences. Students' knowledge of the Early Childhood Education and Care profession was measured using the National Occupational Competency Testing Institute (NOCTI) Early Childhood Education and Care Basic assessment. A dependent t test calculated the difference between the pretest and posttests. Eighty-six students participated in this assessment. There were 100 participants who completed the GA College 411 Interest Profiler. A Wilcoxon Signed Rank test calculated the differences in ranks of how students' career interest profile ranks changed from the eighth grade to the students' experience in the ECEP. Lastly, interviews were conducted to determine if perceptions of the education profession changed and if the student planned to continue a career in education or working with children. The results indicate that the ECEP does significantly influence students' knowledge about the profession. The findings of this study suggest that the ECEP does help students to make career decisions and postsecondary choices. Keywords: secondary education pathway, onsite laboratory school, early childhood education pathway, secondary education training, child development, career preparation</p>

<p> This case study explores the life experiences of adults with learning disabilities who participated in a work skills program during high school and later transitioned into adult life post-secondary education. This empirical research analyzes the issues related to the transitional outcomes of eight adults who are learning disabled (LD) post-public education. This study was guided by the following question: How do young adults with learning disabilities experience post-secondary life after their participation in a work skills program in high school? Three themes emerged from the data: (a) Establishing Self-Concept, (b) Developing Vocational/Life Directions, and (c) Building Hope for the Future. The findings of this case study are interpreted in light of Super&rsquo;s Stages in Career Development theory. This particular cohort of learning disabled adults are faring well in regard to obtaining employment and developing career/life directions regardless of disabilities. All of the participants are thriving at their own pace towards a more independent life. The work skills program they participated in during high school had a direct positive influence on their transition into adult life post-secondary education. Findings reveal that, contrary to some research, these young adults are actively engaged in adult life with the determination to work, learn, and gain independence as they navigate the transition toward adulthood.</p>