Globally, a wealth of educational data has been collected on learner performance in a bid to improve and monitor the quality of education. Unfortunately, the data seem to have had only limited influence on learning and teaching in classrooms. This thesis aimed to bridge this gap between the availability of learner performance data and their use in informing planning and action in schools. A design research approach was used to optimise the feedback system for the South African Monitoring system for Primary schools (SAMP). Design research aims to produce both an intervention to address a complex real-world challenge and to develop design guidelines to support other designers faced with similar challenges in their own context. In this research, the process of developing and improving the feedback system was also used to examine ways of facilitating the use of the feedback. Multiple cycles of design, implementation and evaluation of four different prototypes of the feedback system were conducted, employing evaluations from both experts (e.g. Dutch and South African academics, research and educational psychologists, instrument designers and teacher trainers) as well as school users (teachers, principals and HoDs). Mixed methods were employed throughout the study, with different sub-samples of school users sampled from the population of 22 schools (English, Afrikaans and Sepedi) in the Tshwane region participating in SAMP. The various research cycles incorporated interviews, observations, journals, questionnaires, the Delphi technique and expert evaluations to examine not only data-use, but also aspects such as problem-solving, planning, data-literacy and attitudes towards evidence-based practice in the schools. Data was analysed using Rasch Modelling, descriptive statistics and computer-aided qualitative data analysis. The study showed that an effective feedback system facilitates appropriate use through a gradual process of enlightenment, is flexible and responsive to user inputs, values collaboration and includes instrument, reporting and support components in its design. An optimum feedback system also positively influences school feedback and monitoring culture by providing opportunities for positive experiences with feedback and increasing data-literacy. This improves the chances of feedback being used for planning, decision-making and action in the schools. An effective feedback system must also offer a comprehensive package to accommodate different users, with various levels of data sophistication, functioning in diverse contexts. The research also showed that an effective feedback system mediates thinking about educational instruction and curriculum and can therefore be a potent change agent. Use of clear, simple, intuitive data presentation in the feedback system allows for experiential learning to increase user data-literacy. The design research approach employed in this study offers an appropriate and powerful approach to adapting, developing and optimising a feedback system. User involvement in design research ensures greater contextualisation and familiarity with the system, while engendering trust and a greater sense of ownership, all of which increase the receptiveness and responsiveness of users to feedback. Finally, the research also contributed design guidelines for other developers of feedback systems, an integrated conceptual framework for use of monitoring feedback and a functioning feedback system employed by 22 schools in the Tshwane region. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Science, Mathematics and Technology Education / unrestricted

Diploma thesis analyses the macro practice in the Czech social work. It defines macro practical concept and its relationship to social policy and community social work by analysing the Czech and foreign specialized publications. It defines the key knowledge, skills and abilities which macro practicioner should manage. It emphasizes the macro scope towards the political representation. Macro practical methods are presented too. Diploma thesis defines two main principles - networking and evidence based practice. At first, macro practicioner is the creator of professional's networks or social services network. Secondly, in the evidence based practice macro practicioner is obligated to manage his decision making process on the base of the best and the most recent scientific researches. It all concludes the macro practice framework, which leads to the efective work with social excluded people. Macro practice is viewed as the approach, which helps clients, communities, regions and target groups in the implementation of their civil right, when it uses the enpowerment techniques. According to the international perspective, the status of the actual Czech macro practice is vieved as unconsolted. Therefore, author proposes the development of the social work education on the bachelor and master degrese...

The absence of a practice guideline for peripheral artery disease (PAD) in the cardiology department creates differing practice preferences among providers, leading to deviations in practice among staff. Variations in practice can affect the quality of care that is provided to patients. This project was guided by research statements indicating that there was a difference in the screening approach for PAD among health practitioners at preimplementation and postimplementation and that an 85% compliance with the guideline would signify consistency in the provision of care. Rogers' theory of diffusion of innovations was used to facilitate the adoption of the guideline. This project helped close the gap between research (adoption of a guideline) and practice (compliance in the use of evidence in clinical practice). Using random medical record reviews and pretest-posttest design, the results of the project showed that patterns of using the PAD guideline in practice at preimplementation significantly differed compared to postimplementation. The rates of screening for the compliance of the PAD guideline showed approximately an eightfold increase. The adoption of the PAD guideline has implications for policy, because adopting the PAD guideline helped standardize the care, improve effectiveness of care in nursing practice, evaluate quality through use of research, and promote social change by improving patient outcomes.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Healthcare workers are responsible for providing evidence-based care to patients; however, many patients receive unnecessary or harmful care. Successful implementation of evidence-based guidelines can improve patient outcomes, particularly among vulnerable neuroscience patients. Focused efforts to improve nursing knowledge of and adherence to these guidelines are warranted. The purpose of this dissertation was to determine the most effective strategies for implementing evidence-based guidelines into nursing practice. First, an integrative review of the literature was conducted to explore studies addressing implementation of evidence-based guidelines in nursing. Implications from the review suggested further research to better understand which strategies should be utilized to best implement evidence-based nursing practices. Two pre- and posttest studies were then designed to identify a bundle of implementation strategies to improve neurocritical care nurses' knowledge of and adherence to stroke and spinal cord injury guidelines. The tailored, multi-faceted strategies consisted of local opinion leaders, printed educational materials, and educational outreach. Improvements in nursing knowledge of and adherence to these guidelines were noted. Lastly, program evaluations were conducted using a mixed-methods study to understand neurocritical care nurses' perceptions of the usefulness of the strategies employed during the two studies. Findings from this research provided support for the most effective implementation strategies to enhance knowledge development and guideline adherence among neurocritical care nurses for implementation of stroke and spinal cord guidelines.

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Evidence-based practice [EBP] have had a large influence on social work since the 1990s and has received both praise and criticism among professional social workers. New demands on social work practice following EBP has also influenced the professional identity of social workers. This essay has sought to examine how previously published research describes the development of the discussion around evidence-based social work and how this discussion is connected to both the identity of the discipline of social work as well as the professional identity of social workers. Previous research has shown that the professional identity of social workers is multifaceted and ambivalent, especially in relation to research, knowledge and EBP. This research overview has its theoretical stance in social constructivism and critical theory. The overview has been constructed through a thematical analysis of included research which has combined both qualitative and quantitative research. The main results of this study indicate that the implementation of EBP in social work has brought both organizational and epistemological tensions within the profession to light. The results also indicate a view among professionals that the model of EBP is too narrow to incorporate the dynamic practice of social work. Because of this, social workers have started to develop their knowledge base to include more research evidence and scientific language rather than incorporating EBP in their everyday practice. The result also indicates that social workers have somewhat reconstructed their professional identity to incorporate these new demands on social work practice.