The formal assessment of dyslexia within the UK higher education sector is a relatively recent practice. The extant literature that there is reflects this historical observation. Missing from this body of literature, though, is any insight gained via systematic studies into the professional practice of those individuals directly responsible for identifying dyslexia in higher education students. In an academic climate where the very concept of dyslexia is being increasingly questioned, the perspectives of dyslexia assessors, together with those of other groups most closely affected by assessors’ practice, constitute an important area of knowledge for all parties concerned with higher education pedagogical and disability issues. This thesis is based on results from the collection and careful analysis of such perspectives acquired through four surveys of large numbers of participants and a smaller number of interviews with practicing dyslexia assessors. The study’s findings reflect both the diversity encompassed by the dyslexia concept within the higher education sector, as well as the complex relationship that exists between dyslexia research and its operationalization into the practice of individual assessors. Whilst data from assessor participants displayed a detailed lack of consensus on one level, this analysis was overridden on another level by a general consensus amongst interviewees around the main purpose and foci of assessment. Lecturers’ and non-dyslexic students’ understanding of, and attitudes towards, dyslexia and dyslexic students were indirectly influenced by assessors’ practice, particularly by what they invariably observed as the heterogeneity of assessed dyslexic students. Dyslexic students, in identifying their self- perceived difficulties, exemplified this diversity within the category. The study’s findings, based on the informed perspectives of its relevant participants, suggest that much current higher education policy and practice around the recognition of dyslexia is based on erroneous unexamined assumptions. The thesis concludes with tentative suggestions as to how the assessment of dyslexia and subsequent provision for the learning difference could be more streamlined with both contemporary research positions and institutions’ commitment to move towards greater inclusivity.

The study described in this thesis consists of two main parts. The first was a study of brief interventions for problem drinking. 998 general hospital in-patients, who were receiving treatment for conditions which were not primarily alcohol-related, were screened to identify potential problem drinkers. 24.5% reported levels of alcohol consumption which were in excess of the recommended "sensible limits" as suggested by the Health Education Authority (1989). 15% were regular consumers of alcohol who had not previously received treatment for an alcohol problem. The potential problem drinkers were assigned to one of four experimental groups. Patients in one group received a health education booklet about the effects of alcohol and how to reduce consumption to within recommended sensible limits. The second group were given this information verbally. The third group were given both the booklet and the verbal advice. The fourth group received no intervention. Follow-up data were collected one year later, at which time the mean level of alcohol consumption reported by the entire sample was significantly less than at entry to the study. This was also the case for the mean number of alcohol-related problems. These reductions were supported by reductions in the mean levels of ganima-glutamyl transferase and aspartate transferase but not in mean erythrocyte volume. No statistically significant treatment effects were found for any of the outcome variables. The second part of the study was a descriptive survey of nurses' practice of assessing patients' alcohol consumption. The nurses were also asked about their knowledge of factors which are necessary to enable them to give appropriate advice to problem drinkers. The results suggested that, although nurses acknowledged such a role, limitations in their knowledge prevented them from being effective in both detecting problem drinkers and in delivering health education.

O Projeto de profissionalizaÃÃo dos trabalhadores da Ãrea de Enfermagem (PROFAE), lanÃado em 1999, pelo MinistÃrio da SaÃde, tinha como objetivo promover melhoria de qualidade da atenÃÃo à saÃde por meio da oferta de qualificaÃÃo profissional aos trabalhadores de enfermagem , empregados nas redes publicas e privadas, sem a devida formaÃÃo. A escola de SaÃde PÃbica do Cearà ( ESP-CE) atuou como operadora e executora das turmas do PROFAE, qualificando mais de cinco mil auxiliares e de 700 tÃcnicos de enfermagem, no perÃodo de 2002 a 2005.Considerada que, no CearÃ, poucas sÃo as pesquisas de avaliaÃÃo de cursos profissionalizantes, no Ãmbito do PROFAE estudo proposto teve como objetivo avaliar o Curso TÃcnico de Enfermagem, ofertado na parceria PROFAE/ESP-CE, sob a Ãptica dos egressos e supervisores acerca do desenvolvimento do curso; e quantitativa, como intuito de delinear o perfil socioeconÃmico dos egressos e relacionar o processo de trabalho com a formaÃÃo recebida no PROFAE. Foram realizados dois grupos focais com participaÃÃo, em media, de 10 egressos em cada, e um grupo focal com 10 supervisores, utilizando-se roteiros semi-estruturados. As falas foram categorizadas e analisadas à luz de Bardin. Aplicou-se um questionÃrio estruturado a 269 egressos procedentes de seis municÃpios beneficiados com o curso. Observou-se que o cursos promoveu melhoria dos conhecimentos e habilidades dos tÃcnicos de enfermagem constatada pela avaliaÃÃo satisfatÃria dos sujeitos, no que se refere à metodologia da ProblematizaÃÃo, a qualidade do material didÃtico, a atuaÃÃo do corpo tÃcnico-pedagÃgico e o sistema de avaliaÃÃo. Os aspectos polÃtico-institucionais nÃo foram bem avaliados. As dificuldades apontadas foram relacionadas essencialmente à logÃstica do curso, falta de apoio da gestÃo municipal, limitaÃÃo dos campos de estagio e gerenciamento de ajuda de custo. Quanto ao perfil dos egressos, houve reafirmaÃÃo do sexo feminino na Enfermagem (90%). A maioria (73%) pertencia à faixa etÃria entre 30 e 49 anos e era proveniente de famÃlias de baixo nÃvel socieconÃmico e de baixo instruÃÃo. Dos egressos, 97% permaneciam inseridos na saÃde, predominantemente no setor publico, atuando em serviÃos hospitalares. Verificou-se a tendÃncia dos egressos que permanecem da mesma forma. Quanto aos que atuam como tÃcnico, a qualidade, os resultados ressaltam, de maneira consistente, o efeito positivo do curso sobre o trabalho realizado. Conclui-se ,portanto, que o curso ampliou as possibilidades de inserÃÃo e permanÃncia de trabalhadores qualificados no setor saÃde; propiciou complementaÃÃo da qualificaÃÃo profissional e ampliaÃÃo do conhecimento tÃcnico fundamentais que permitirÃo apoiar a revisÃo da proposta do curso de tÃcnico de Enfermagem da ESP-CE, no que diz respeito aos aspectos pedagÃgicos e gerenciais, o que leva a reflexÃo acerca da importÃncia da avaliaÃÃo continua dos cursos / The professionalization of Project workers from the area of ​​Nursing (PROFAE), launched in 1999 by the Ministry of Health, aimed to promote quality improvement of health care by offering professional training to nursing staff, employed in public networks and private, without proper training. The School of Public Health of Cearà (ESP-CE) provider, and served as executor of PROFAE classes, qualifying more than five thousand auxiliaries and 700 nursing staff in the period 2002 to 2005.Considerada that, in CearÃ, few research evaluation of vocational courses within the PROFAE proposed study was to evaluate the Practical Nursing Course, offered in partnership PROFAE / ESP-EC, in terms of the graduates and supervisors about the course development, and quantitative, as in order to clarify the socioeconomic profile of graduates and to relate the process of working with the training received in PROFAE. Two focus groups were conducted with the participation, on average, of 10 graduates in each, and a focus group with 10 supervisors, using semi-structured. The statements were categorized and analyzed in the light of Bardin. We applied a structured questionnaire to 269 graduates coming from six municipalities benefit from the course. It was observed that the course improved the knowledge and skills of nursing staff noted the satisfactory completion of subjects, with regard to the methodology of Curriculum, the quality of materials, the performance of the technical-pedagogical and evaluation system. The political and institutional aspects have not been well evaluated. The difficulties mentioned were primarily related course logistics, lack of support of municipal management, limiting the fields of training and management expenses. The profile of graduates, there was reassurance in nursing females (90%). The majority (73%) belonged to the age group between 30 and 49 years old and came from families of low socioeconomic and low education. Of the graduates, 97% remained embedded in health, predominantly in the public sector, working in hospital services. There was a tendency of graduates who remain in the same way. As for those who act as technical quality, the results highlighted consistently, the positive effect on the course work. We conclude therefore that the course increased the possibilities for integration and retention of skilled workers in the health sector, provided completion of professional training and expansion of basic technical knowledge that will support the review of the proposed course of technical ESP-Nursing EC, with regard to pedagogical and managerial aspects, which leads to reflection on the importance of continuous evaluation of courses.

Since there are insufficient mathematicians to meet economic and educational demands and many well-qualified, successful mathematics students exhibit signs of disaffection, the student experience of undergraduate mathematics is high on the political agenda. Many undergraduates struggle with the school-university transition, which has been associated with students’ prior experiences of mathematics which, at A-level, are regularly criticised for being too easy and too different to undergraduate mathematics. Furthermore, the University of Oxford administers a Mathematics Admissions Test (OxMAT) as a means of identifying those best prepared beyond the limited demands of A-level. Consequently, a study was conducted into the mathematical enculturation of Oxford undergraduates, specifically in terms of examination questions and students’ approaches to learning. Analysis of the Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST) (Tait et al., 1998) revealed the majority of students to adopt strategic approaches to learning (ATLs) in all four year-groups, though the descriptions given by students in interviews of the nature of their ATL highlighted some shortcomings of the ASSIST as the motivation for memorisation appeared to be an important factor. The MATH taxonomy (Smith et al., 1996), revealed that most A-level questions require routine use of procedures, whereas the OxMAT tested a variety of skills from applying familiar mathematics in new situations to justifying and interpreting information to form proofs. This is more in-line with the requirements of undergraduate assessment, although the MATH taxonomy and student interviews revealed that these still allowed for rote memorisation and strategic methods. Thus, the changing nature of mathematics and questions posed to students at the secondary-tertiary interface appears to affect students’ ATLs, though this is not reflected by the ASSIST data.

Background: Whilst direct-observation, workplace-based (or performance) assessments, sit at the conceptual epitome of assessment within medical education, their overall utility is limited by high-inter-assessor score variability. We conceptualised this issue as one of problematic judgements by assessors. Existing literature and evidence about judgements within performance appraisal and impression formation, as well as the small evolving literature on raters’ cognition within medical education, provided the theoretical context to study assessor’s judgement processes.Methods and Results: In this thesis we present three studies. The first study adopted an exploratory approach to studying assessors’ judgements in direct observation performance assessments, by asking assessors to describe their thoughts whilst assessing standard videoed performances by junior doctors. Comments and follow up interviews were analysed qualitatively using grounded theory principles. Results showed that assessors attributed different levels of salience to different aspects of performances, understood criteria differently (often comparing performance against other trainees) and expressed their judgements in unique narrative language. Consequently assessors’ judgements were comparatively idiosyncratic, or unique.The two subsequent follow up studies used experimental, internet based, experimental designs to further investigate the comparative judgements demonstrated in study 1. In study 2, participants were primed with either good or poor performances prior to watching intermediate (borderline) performances. In study 3 a similar design was employed but participants watched identical performances in either increasing or decreasing levels of proficiency. Collectively, the results of these two studies showed that recent experiences influenced assessors’ judgements, repeatedly showing a contrast effect (performances were scored unduly differently from earlier performances). These effects were greater than participants’ consistent tendency to be either lenient or stringent and occurred at multiple levels of performance. The effect appeared to be robust despite our attempting to reduce participants’ reliance on the immediate context. Moreover, assessors appeared to lack insight into the effect on their judgements.Discussion: Collectively, these results indicate that assessors score variations can be substantially explained by idiosyncrasy in cognitive representations of the judgement task, and susceptibility to contrast effects through comparative judgements. Moreover, assessors appear to be incapable of judging in absolute terms, instead judging normatively. These findings have important implications for theory and practice and suggest numerous further lines of research.

The goal of the thesis was to find out the level of employee{\crq}s motivation, how the company motivates, control and evaluate its employees. The existent system of employee{\crq}s motivation was analyzed for initial determination of the motivation level. As a method of questioning was chosen the common question-form. Based on the analysis results was designed a new {--} more efficient {--} system of motivation.

The commercial space industry is facing a shortage of qualified workers due to the aging and retirements of the workforce and the inability to find sufficient candidates who can meet the security requirements. Additionally, technically qualified individuals are also looking to other industries instead of space. The needs of the industry, and for manufacturing engineers specifically, are not well understood. In order to better understand and satisfy the needs of industry and for manufacturing engineers, the purpose and objective of this study was to explore the training, educational experiences, and technical competencies of entry-level manufacturing engineers. All the participants in the study had worked as a manufacturing engineer in the commercial space industry. There were five expert level and three entry-level manufacturing engineers (n = 8). Expert-level manufacturing engineers had at least three years of experience and entry-level manufacturing engineers had less than three years of experience. This qualitative descriptive study involved interviewing the participants to explore their experiences. Six themes emerged from the findings and included: (a) mentoring used as a teaching tool, (b) you’re going to be doing pretty good, (c) worst case is millions of lives, (d) understand, be familiar, or proficient, (e) the interpreter or the bridge between the design engineer and the shop floor, and (f) the storyteller or make your data tell a story.

<p>Biology education in both high school and college calls for integrating scientific knowledge and reasoning into authentic laboratory in recent years. Students are expected to learn science by participating in the process of inquiry, argumentation, and explanation.</p><p>The purpose of this study is to investigate how the 9^th and 12^th grade students interpret their learning experiences during laboratory activities and evaluate students’ use of biological knowledge and understanding about the nature of science.</p><p>The results suggest most students were able to understand the main purpose of the laboratory activities. Most students were able to use change across traits to support the conclusion of evolutionary change. However, only a small number of students realized the limitation of the evidence.</p><p>Overall, this study provides support that the conceptual analysis of disciplinary evidence scaffolded activity helps both 9^th graders and 12^th graders with their authentic laboratory experience during laboratory activities.</p><p> </p><p> </p>

<p dir="ltr">Understanding how rubrics work to better use them in the classroom is an open question for educational practitioners and researchers. This meta-analysis sought to estimate the effectiveness of rubric use on performance and explore its interaction with rubrics’ measurement properties, characteristics of rubric use, and contextual variables that may influence this effect. To begin, we identified 41 experimental and quasi-experimental primary studies of rubric use effects (80 effect sizes) of 8,968 participants. After removing over-influential studies from the analysis, results showed a significant positive effect of rubric use on performance (Hedges’ <i>g</i> = 0.47). No moderator variable significantly impacts the effect of rubric use on performance. A rubrics’ content analysis identified patterns in rubric design that seemed to co-vary with the effect sizes. These results can inform best practices to improve the effectiveness of rubric use. Practical implications for designing and implementing rubrics as instructional tools in the classroom are presented.</p>

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship, if any, between teachers' grade distributions and other moderating factors (i.e., teacher perceptions of grading practices as indicated on the Teacher Perceptions of Grading Practices Survey (TPGPS), grade level taught, enrollment in teacher preparation program, and grading practice methodology). A Pearson correlation was used to research statistical significance in the relationship of a teacher’s perceptions of grading practices as measured by the TPGPS and their grade distribution (as measured by an average of scores, calculated on a 4.0 scale, in one course over one academic quarter). A one-way ANOVA was used to research a statistically significant relationship between the grade level taught and grade distribution. The same methodology was used to study relationships between grade distribution and enrollment in a teacher preparation program and the grading methodology used in practice (i.e., traditional, standards-based, hybrid). Findings from this study resulted in no statistical significance in the relationship between grade distribution and any of the moderating factors, with the exception of grade level taught. School leaders and policymakers may benefit from learning that factors traditionally used to guide the development of supports in grading practices have no statistically significant relationship to a teacher’s grade distribution. This study leaves space in the research community to explore what factors, if any, impact a teacher's grade distribution in our work in grading and assessment and the implications for practice and policy in grading reform.