The problem of this study is to determine what are the factors associated with teacher supply and demand in Texas, to analyze and interpret these factors, and to offer recommendations regarding the problem.

Wong Kin. / Thesis submitted in: December 2005. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 55-58). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Abstract --- p.i / Acknowledgement --- p.iii / Chapter Chapter One - --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter Chapter Two - --- Literature Review / Chapter 1. --- Convergence --- p.8 / Chapter 2. --- Methodology Review on Regional Disparity of Service Employment --- p.13 / Chapter 3. --- Regional Service Employment Convergence in Great Britain --- p.17 / Chapter Chapter Three - --- Methodology --- p.21 / Chapter Chapter Four - --- Empirical Results / Chapter 1 . --- Stationarity of Service Employment --- p.29 / Chapter 2. --- Stochastic Convergence of Service Employment --- p.33 / Chapter Chapter Five - --- Conclusion --- p.36 / Appendix A --- p.41 / Appendix B --- p.42 / Appendix C --- p.43 / Tables --- p.48 / Bibliography --- p.55

One hundred and twenty-two students at Virginia Tech who had completed teacher certification requirements in science and/or mathematics from 1980 to 1986 were surveyed to determine their current employment status, and if not currently teaching, then what reforms in the conditions of teaching might encourage them to return to or enter teaching. Opinions were solicited from three groups: current teachers, those who had left teaching, and those who had never taught. Data were reported in four categories: general demographics of all groups, importance of work satisfaction for all groups, modifications in the conditions of teaching necessary to entice those not currently teaching to return to or enter teaching, and opinions of current teachers on how to improve recruitment and retention of qualified science and mathematics teachers. It was determined that the general demographics of the individuals surveyed conformed to general descriptions of teachers in current literature with the exception that the parents of Virginia Tech graduates were more highly educated and tended to hold professional and semiprofessional positions in higher percentages. No significant differences were determined among current teachers, those who left teaching, and those who had never taught in regard to opinions of work satisfaction in teaching. Lack of administrative support, poor student discipline, and low salaries were factors involved with decisions not to teach. Others left teaching to raise a family. Improvements in working conditions that would encourage non-teachers to teach include improvement of student discipline, reduction of class size, removal of incompetent teachers, reduction of teacher isolation, reduction of stress, and the improvement of the physical environment. Almost 60% of individuals not currently teaching would teach if offered a suitable position. The majority of current teachers believe that raising teachers' salaries would be the most important improvement to increase recruitment and retention of teachers, however, beginning teachers' salaries compared favorably with those of individuals employed outside of education. Almost two out of three current teachers indicated they planned to leave teaching within five or more years. / Ed. D.

Over the years a significant decline in employment had occurred in the Douglas-fir region’s lumber and wood products industry. High levels of unemployment can lead to undesirable economic and social effects. An understanding of the nature of unemployment can facilitate future planning as well as mitigating current problems. This study has attempted to examine the underlying causes of employment decline in the region’s softwood lumber and plywood industries, specifically over the period 1979-86. This time span is of particular importance since there was a rapid decline in employment levels after 1979. There has been much controversy over the causes of this reduction but no comprehensive empirical analysis was ever undertaken to determine its cause. Meanwhile levels of output, which also declined in the early part of this span, have again reached pre-recession levels. A cost function approach was employed as the basis of the empirical analysis. The results suggest that most of the employment decline in these industries has been caused by changes in the structure of production and by increasing labour productivity. Although there are indications of cyclical unemployment, much of the reduction in the industries' labour force seems to be attributable to greater substitution of capital and logs for labour. Simulation analyses tend to suggest that changes in factor prices would not have had any dramatic effect on employment levels. It was found that of the recent employment decline in the two industries, around one-quarter of the loss in the lumber industry and one-third in the plywood industry are caused by cyclical forces. Structural factors were assumed to be the cause of the remaining loss in levels of labour input.

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1958 M68

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1955 M36 / Master of Science

M.Comm. (Economics) / The recent global financial and economic crisis has brought about renewed interest in the nexus between credit markets and monetary policy. This research aims to contribute to the understanding of the factors that drive the demand for credit on an aggregate level, and the household and corporate sectors for the South African economy. The study assessed the equilibrium determinants of the aggregate and sectoral demand for credit in South Africa by making use of a cointegrated vector autoregression (CVAR) methodology. In addition, the periods of debt overhang and short-falls, at aggregate and sectoral levels in the credit market, are derived from these equilibrium levels. The estimated models indicate the existence of long-run relationships for the aggregate credit demand equation, a classic demand-type relationship linking aggregate credit with gross domestic product (GDP) and the lending rate is established. For credit extended to the corporate sector, the results indicate that in the long-run it is determined by investment expenditure, operating surpluses and the lending rate. Whereas for credit extension to the household sector, it was found that the lending rate, disposable income and household debt were its important long-run determinants. All the results of the estimated equations are in line with a demand-type relationship and the traditional hypothesis that credit is demanded to finance real economic transactions, namely for liquidity purposes and to finance working capital. The results of the short-term dynamics indicate that credit extension variables are the equilibrium variables, although the speed of adjustment parameter is found to be sluggish, which shows that the slow adjustment to equilibrium from shocks to the credit markets is attributable to the existence of stronger frictions and transaction costs in credit markets. These findings justify the persistent periods of credit overhang and short-falls in South Africa that this study derives from the equilibrium coefficient terms. The study shows that periods of credit overhang and short-falls are linked to the business cycle phases in South Africa.

D.Ed. (Teaching studies) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

A critical evaluation of the national profile of energy supply and demand and the associated greenhouse gas (OHO) emissions in China has been conducted. The contribution of the transport sector in China, the road transport sector in particular, to China's overall energy demand and OHO emissions has been assessed and compared with values for other countries. Approaches for reducing energy demand and OHO emissions in the road transport sector worldwide have been reviewed. A detailed bottom-up model has been developed using 'LEAP' software, to estimate future energy demand and OHO emissions in China's road transport sector, incorporating China's recent efforts in alternative fuel promotion. Modelling approach and historical data used have been tested and verified to ensure reliability. Two scenarios have been designed to describe the future strategies relating to the development of China's road transport sector between 2005 and 2030. The 'Business as Usual' scenario is used as a baseline reference scenario, in which the government is assumed to do nothing to influence the long-term trends of road transport energy demand. The 'Best Case' scenario is considered to be the most optimized case where a series of available reduction measures are assumed to be implemented. Energy demand and OHO emissions in China's road transport sector up to 2030 are estimated in these two scenarios. The reduction potential and the relative contribution of each measure have been estimated. A 'life cycle assessment' model for the road transport sector has been developed. The life cycle energy demand and OHO emissions in China's road transport sector are estimated using the model. The reduction potential and the relative contribution of each measure have been re-assessed from a life cycle perspective. Potential impacts on global oil resources, availability and prices are discussed. The importance of life cycle assessment in evaluating the effects of different reduction measures is discussed. Policy implications are presented.

Thesis. 1975. Ph.D.--Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Economics. / Vita. / Bibliography: leaves 213-214. / Ph.D.