This qualitative, descriptive study explored physiotherapists' experience of participating in peer review in public and private health services in New Zealand. Peer review is a professional activity where one health practitioner evaluates the practice of another. Accordingly, much professional effort has been expended on developing peer review systems and implementing review processes, yet the benefits of peer review are uncertain. A changing legislative environment where producing evidence of ongoing professional development is required, has provided impetus for this study given the limited research to support the use of peer review in this context. While the literature identifies competing focuses on professional development and accountability, there is lack of clarity about which model of peer review is being implemented in this country and which might serve the profession better. This study is a first step in clarifying the issues by identifying the personal, professional and organisational factors that influence health professionals' participation in peer review. The methodology consisted of a qualitative descriptive approach situated within a post positivist paradigm. Seven physiotherapists working in the New Zealand health system who had participated in a peer review process within the last 3 years participated in this study. Semi structured interviews were conducted, guided by broad questions relating to central themes identified during an extensive literature review. Interviews were then audio taped and transcribed verbatim to form the data. Transcripts were analysed by assigning content labels to units of text that seemed to encapsulate one complete thought or idea. The labelled groups were analysed into sub themes. Finally, the general themes that arose were described. Findings indicate that while peer review systems have been developed and are carried out as prescribed, therapists lack clarity about the intended outcomes. While recognising the benefits of receiving feedback on practice, many manage the review process to maintain positive working relationships and ensure their practice is favourably reviewed. The strategies they employ and the consequences of managing peer review in these ways are described. Current peer review processes in New Zealand do not provide reliable information about competence to practice. Neither do they fully achieve their potential as a professional development tool. Therefore, the professional emphasis and effort on peer review needs to be revisited. The findings highlight the need for consultation amongst individual physiotherapists, physiotherapy managers, physiotherapy professional organisations, and the registration board, to negotiate whether regulatory or professional development needs will drive peer review processes in New Zealand in the future.

This thesis critiques the role that reflection plays in leading teacher professional development. It critically explores the reflective processes that five Advanced Skills Teachers use to create meaning for their practice and to direct their professional learning. The research inquired into how this activity has contributed to their ongoing professional growth by connecting important learning events of the past, to decisions made and action taken when dealing with current problematic curriculum issues. This is relevant as the research was set within Brisbane Catholic Education during a time of system initiated curriculum reform. The theoretical framework for the research was primarily underpinned by critical social theory. It was also guided by an interpretative philosophy, In order to give some consideration to the personal dimension of experience. A case study approach was adopted as it promoted collaborative inquiry. This offered scope and flexibility to extrapolate and to critically explore the embedded values and thinking that underscored the teachers' decisions and actions. Most data were collected through a number of ongoing semistructured and open-ended interviews. The emergent design for the research allowed for systematic, yet flexible and ongoing data collection, analysis and participant feedback. Other supporting data included folio documentation, artefacts, an inquiry project summary sheet and a research diary. The research concluded that reflection plays an important role in enabling teachers to accept moral and professional responsibility for their own personal and professional development. However, this research has attested that there is no single model of what it means to be a reflective practitioner. Reflective practice and teacher professional development are highly idiosyncratic, complex and multi-dimensional phenomena that are clearly influenced by the interplay of a wide range of personal and contextual factors. The research revealed that teachers utilise a variety of reflective forms and processes, through various modes, to serve context specific interests. It also concluded that it was the teacher's explicit awareness of the critical intent behind thinking and subsequent action that appeared to be important to professional growth. This intent was consistently framed around each teacher's moral commitment of care and responsibility to the students as persons and learners. It became the most salient impetus behind professional deliberations and generative efforts to improve practice. Emotion tended to playa powerful, mediating role in this process. Moreover, reflection on the cognitive, affective and social dimensions of knowledge appeared to enable the teachers to consider the values• and ideals that underscored decisions and subsequent actions. The research concluded that reflection involves highly interactive cognitive and sensory processes that enable the teacher to connect with the self, with the students and with others in and beyond the school community. Reflective activity also seemed to enable the teachers to consider the consequences of dealing or not dealing with system initiated curriculum reforms, from the perspective of the students' best interests. The research revealed how the current emphasis on curriculum reform has influenced efforts to create a more holistic curriculum that gives attention to the person of the student. The modelling of reflective processes and the negotiation of aspects of the curriculum with the students provided worthwhile opportunities for these teachers, as well as their students, to articulate assumptions that underscored decisions and actions. The engagement in introspective self-dialogue, social reflection and reflective collaboration with peers and students appeared to enhance personal and professional development. This research also concluded that• administrative recognition and tangible support at the personal, school and system level provided conditions that were conducive to ongoing teacher renewal and development.

This thesis explores the process of an annual appraisal strategy, ‘clinical conversation’, from the perspective of seven nurses who were assessed using this technique. The findings demonstrate that clinical conversation is a strategy which facilitates reflection, both as a solitary exercise and with others, to ensure that learning from experience is optimized. The research used a qualitative interpretive approach informed by the model of Grounded Theory espoused by Strauss and Corbin. All eight nurses who were assessed using the clinical conversation strategy were advanced practitioners working within the scope of sexual and reproductive health. Two of the actual appraisals were observed and seven of the nurses were interviewed within eight weeks of being assessed. The outcome of the clinical conversation was primarily one of learning; the acquisition of new insights into self as practitioner. The learning was facilitated through the process of narration; telling the story of clinical practice. Three distinct narrative cycles were identified, each an experiential learning episode. The experience of undertaking a variety of assessment activities created a narrative with self and triggered an internal reflective thinking process; the experience of working with a peer created an additional narrative, a mutual dialogue reflecting back on practice; the experience of sharing practice with an assessor created a further and final narrative, a learning conversation. Each narrative can be seen as a catalyst for change. Primarily, the nurses felt differently about themselves in practice, the way they saw themselves had shifted. Such a change can be described as an alteration in perspective. These alterations in perspective led all nurses to identify ways in which they would change their actual clinical practice. In this way the nurses attempted to align their espoused beliefs about practice with their actual practice. My study shows that each nurse responded differently to each narrative learning cycle: for some the conversation with the assessor was more of a catalyst for change than for others. In this way clinical conversation may be flexible enough to respond to a variety of differing learning styles. Learning was person specific which is an imperative for the continued professional development of already highly skilled clinicians. The implication of the research is that whilst clinical conversation was designed as a tool for appraising clinical competence, its intrinsic value lies in supporting the professional development of nurses.

This study focused on the extent to which professional development can bring about changes in ministerial leaders' thinking and practice, and was based on a constructivist approach to learning. The study adopted a qualitative methodology to answer the three research questions: 1. To what extent can professional development assist ministerial leaders to change their thinking about themselves as leaders and their actual leadership practices? 2.What changes (if any) occurred in each of the participants' conceptions of ministerial leadership during a Ministerial Leadership Development Program (MLDP)? 3. To what extent did changes in participants' thinking about ministerial leadership affect their actual practice? There were nineteen participants in a Ministerial Leadership Development Program which was conducted between March and October 2000 by the Uniting Church in Australia (Queensland Synod). Data were gathered at the beginning and end of the MLDP and one year after its completion. The methods used to collect data were concept maps of 'effective leaders', repertory grids based on participants' views of 'effective' and 'ineffective' leaders, interviews and a survey. The concept maps and repertory grids were completed at the beginning and end of the MLDP. The interviews and survey were conducted one year after the program was completed. The interviews were conducted with a small group of the participants (five) and the survey was completed by lay leaders from the congregations where the nineteen participants were ministering. For each of the five interviewees a case was constructed using methodological triangulation and an interpretive approach. Triangulation of the three types of data (concept maps, repertory grids and interviews) enabled identification of important components of individuals' thinking and practice. The survey produced data on the perspectives of lay leaders, thus enabling comparison between the perspectives of the ministerial leaders and their lay leaders. The study found a variety of initial conceptions of effective ministerial leadership amongst the participants. Most of these conceptions were related to leadership skills and qualities. Very few participants demonstrated an understanding of the nature of effective ministerial leadership at the beginning of the program. However, during the MLDP, the conceptions of participants developed and by the end of the program most of them demonstrated a more holistic understanding of the nature of leadership, and particularly, the nature of Christian leadership. In relation to changes in leaders' practice, the study found that significant changes were reported as taking place in leaders' practice and most of this was linked to their thinking changing first. Many of these changes in practice were attributed to the encouragement leaders received in mentor groups. These reported changes in practice were also supported by data from the lay leaders' survey. Thus there was consistency in data from ministerial leaders' perspectives and from lay leaders' perspectives. Apparent trends across the cases included links between the leaders' feelings of self confidence and their capacity to lead effectively; the difficulties associated with following a minister who had a very different conception of effective leadership from his/her own; the unrealistic expectations some congregational members have of their ministers; and the difficulty of moving a congregation from one understanding of ministry to another. The results of this study have implications for pre-service education, continuing education, and the policy-making committees of the Synod, and suggest fruitful areas for further research. The results of the research are discussed in relation to relevant literature. Implications of the findings for the appropriate stakeholders are highlighted, and some ongoing issues for ministerial leadership are raised.

Management education for police officers has played a significant role in the desired transformation of police services around the world from vocational to professional status. This thesis reports research that employed qualitative and quantitative data collection methods to investigate the factors affecting participation and performance of Queensland Police Service officers who undertook the Management Development Program by distance education mode. Three phases of data collection were employed. The first phase involved interviews with facilitators of the program about their perceptions of factors that affected participation and performance of officers enrolled in the program. Data from this phase were used to develop a questionnaire with seven internally consistent scales. This questionnaire constituted the second phase of data collection and was completed by officers at the ranks of senior constable, sergeant and senior sergeant who had successfully completed at least one unit of the Management Development Program. Data gained from the questionnaire were used to investigate the relationship between an officer's characteristics and the factors that influenced participation and performance in the Management Development Program. An analysis of these data provided the basis for the development of a schedule for interviews that were conducted with the manager of the program and the head of the School of Management. Central to these two interviews were implications for the delivery of the Management Development Program as part of the Queensland Police Service's continuing education and professional development program. These interviews constituted the third phase of data collection for this study. This study found factors that influenced the participation and performance of officers undertaking the program were their attitude to in-service professional development, how they perceived professional development, issues about their success potential, the level of personal, professional and academic support they received, the impact of aspects related to program delivery, and discourse with facilitators of the program. A model that provides a comprehensive representation of the relationships among the variables was developed. Key recommendations derived from this study have implications for the clinical delivery of the Management Development Program. Recommendations focus on the need to market the benefits of the program to individual officers, to provide enhanced student support services, to ensure the appropriateness of the learning materials, and to establish orientation programs and assignment-writing workshops for officers. Recommendations for the Queensland Police Service include the need to market the program’s importance to continuing education and professional development for officers as well as the program’s contribution to ensuring officers possessed sound management skills. Recommendations focussing on human resources include ensuring that numbers of facilitators are adequate to meet the learning needs of officers and that all facilitators possess appropriate postgraduate qualifications. It is also recommended that the postgraduate level of the Management Development Program be reviewed to determine if it is the most appropriate for the needs of officers and the service.

There are increasing numbers of Australian nurses working in part-time employment. This is important in a background where contemporary nursing shortages are a considerable barrier to the provision of adequate nursing personnel to meet nursing service demands. An accurate understanding of the situation of part-time nursing is necessary to enable effective human resource management of this segment of the nursing workforce. However, a paucity of available knowledge related to Australian part-time nursing represented a serious gap in the information required for effective and efficient management. Therefore the aim of this study was to discover and describe phenomena and develop theory that explains the ‘realities’ of part-time nursing in regional Queensland. Strauss and Corbin’s (1998) version of the grounded theory approach and methods were used to conduct this study. A sample of 86 regional Queensland part-time nurses and 18 nurse managers and nurse educators provided data that permitted the discovery of a substantive theory of part-time nursing. This theory has contributed knowledge relevant to practitioners in the substantive area by discovering, describing and explaining the phenomenon of part-time nursing, the conditions that influence the phenomenon and the responses that are made to adapt and adjust to the associated challenges. The developed grounded theory represents a significant contribution to the meagre base of knowledge that previously existed by offering insight, enhancing understanding and providing a valuable guide to action.

This study highlights the professional development needs and perceptions of secondary teachers in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) as these relate to teacher promotion level, years of teaching experience, and subject specialisation. The study also investigates the delivery mechanisms best suited to these needs and perceptions. In a devolving education system, effectiveness of teachers' professional development will depend on finding an appropriate balance between the systems' needs, the schools' needs and the needs of individual teachers. A mismatch appears to exist between the provision of professional development and teachers' perception of their professional development requirements. This study was conducted in secondary government high schools and colleges in a selected school region of the ACT. It involved circulating, collecting and analysing a survey which included seven questions related to four selected themes on professional development. These are � teachers' participation in professional development activities by time and provider � teachers' perception of the effectiveness of formal and informal professional development in and away from the workplace � teachers' preferred delivery system of professional development � professional development and the role of the Advanced Skills Teacher classification. The overall findings of this study indicate that the professional development needs of secondary teachers in the ACT are as multifaceted and diverse as those found in other studies such as Logan (1990), DEBT (1991), Boomer (1988) and the Schools Council (1990). A less centralised more devolved system of professional development has a greater chance of meeting the varied needs of individual teachers according to the DEBT (1991) study and the ACT review (ACTDET, 1993: 52). In the ACT a centralised program of professional development is provided by the Professional Development Section of the ACT Department of Education and Training (ACTDET). This centralised model of professional development delivery is the most used provider of professional development services and programs within the ACT, although 43% of the respondents in this study did not attend any courses offered by the Professional Development Section. Overall this study found very little variation occurred in teachers' beliefs about whether professional development is more effective if conducted through formal courses, or by informal associations with teachers, students and parents. The findings imply the need for a balance between on-site and off-site delivery mechanisms of professional development. Working with colleagues for professional development purposes is supported by the respondents who agreed with involving the proposed Advanced Skills Teacher 2 classification (AST 2) with specific organisational and leadership responsibilities for professional development. This study found that respondents in Health/PE and Science had very low participation rates in courses offered by the Professional Development Section, compared to other key learning areas, and they perceived that they improved their knowledge and skills to a greater degree 'on' the job, that is, at school. Teachers with extended teaching experience perceived formal courses to be a more effective means of improving their skills and knowledge. In conclusion this study raises the question of balancing the needs of the individual teacher with those of the school and the system. It has highlighted the need for a more structured professional development plan for ACT teachers so that funding and programs do not focus solely on system priorities or school priorities at the expense of the individual teachers' needs and priorities.

The major issue of this thesis is that for effective change in teachers' classroom practice to occur, multiple actions are required at different levels of participation, from federal and state education jurisdictions through to school communities and individual classroom teachers. The thesis supposition is that practical action factors in schools and the community can be found which meet the needs of the change. The history of attempts to achieve educational change through changed classroom practice is littered with a range of different approaches, usually one-off events. They have sometimes succeeded. Stakeholders, including parents, social pressure groups and particularly governments have increasing expectations of what it is that teachers can achieve in terms of their students' learning outcomes. The degree to which actual teaching practices are changed at the classroom level will depend on the degree to which teachers are able to manage and implement change. However, studies in the area of curriculum change reveal that the gap between policy and practice remains an ongoing concern. This thesis draws upon theory and applied research findings from the traditions of educational change, health education, models of change, evaluation and social science research methods. The purpose of this thesis is to identify and make comparisons in the practical action factors which enhance the capacity of teachers to change their classroom practice. These are investigated through a multiple case study consideration of the school context, the professional development inputs, and the classroom programs. The patterns of effective practical action in the research study would support the thesis supposition. A multiple case study-theory building approach was used to analyse the data from twelve school sites selected from the School Development in Health Education (SDHE) Project. Data analysis employed the technique of matrix displays, with several rounds of analysis in order to generate some significant factors related to teacher change. The results were considered for endorsement by an expert panel from the field in order to enhance confidence in the validity and the reliability of the research study. Results from first round of analysis in the multiple case study showed school team commitment, teachers' attitude to professional development and community cooperation to be important factors in educational change. The second round of analysis highlighted the importance of placing the teacher at the centre of change when planning professional development. Finally, the third round presents a summary of the factors emerging from the analyses in five major focus areas: professional development; principal leadership; school organisation and culture; school team; and system support. The importance of the relationships among these factors was recognised in their impact on teachers' abilities to make educational changes in their classrooms. The thesis has found that the professional decision-making and practice of teachers is value added by the actions of other players - professional development providers, school principals and education systems. Teachers' capacity to change is enhanced by appropriate school-based professional development, flexible school organisation, and the opportunity to work collaboratively in school teams. From the patterns emerging from the strong and weak clusters of cases the thesis is able to make conclusions about teachers' professional practice, professional development approaches, principal leadership, school organisation, education systems and the nature of change. This thesis shows that educational change requires multiple actions at different levels of participation. Finally, the thesis offers recommendations to the different players in the field: education systems, principals and professional development providers.

This is a study of teacher professional development at the school level using teacher research as a strategy for both teacher professional learning and school change. A qualitative study was conducted to determine the conditions that would develop and sustain teachers researching their own practice in a culture of inquiry. Participant observation in one school over a two year period was used to investigate the issue of how to embed teacher research as a central feature of teachers� work. As a result of working with teachers as they researched their practice I have developed a model to explain and understand the complexities of schools and their cultures. Teachers researching their practice provided the driving force in the interplay of the elements of the model and had the potential to change school culture. Relationships, structures and processes are central to this model. Social and professional relationships between the teachers and the university partner developed and were supported by structures and processes. As the research continued these relationships changed and evolved. These relationships help develop a culture of inquiry in schools. The school/university partnership in this study evolved from an initial symbiotic�cooperative partnership (in which I shared my expertise and supported the work of teachers) into a later organic�collaborative partnership (one based on mutual and shared goals and benefits). The existing team of four teachers and the allocation of time for them to meet provided the essential structures for the teachers to research their practice. The collective leadership style instigated by the school Principal provided important human and financial support for the development of inquiry cultures. Collaboration and collegiality as forms of association enabled teachers to conduct research which challenged their individual and collective beliefs and assumptions about students� learning and their classroom practice. The content and form of teacher culture mediated the effects of teachers researching their practice. There are critical and transformational effects when teachers research their practice as part of their core work. Introducing these teachers to research was not without its difficulties. There were events and factors in the school relating to relationships, structures and processes which hindered the development of teacher research in a culture of inquiry. Because of the time frame of this study there is no evidence that school culture change is permanent. This could be the subject of future research.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--Illinois State University, 2005. / Title from title page screen, viewed April 12, 2007. Dissertation Committee: Thomas Crumpler (chair), Anthony Lorsbach, Mary Murray Autry, Patricia Harrington Klass. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 137-145) and abstract. Also available in print.