The hypothesis was investigated that school training was more effective than on-the-job training. Of a sample of 349 male subjects, 217 received on-the-job training and 132 received school training. Data were collected and analyzed on tenure, performance, promotions, salary increases, and accidents. Training type had a significant positive correlation with tenure and accident occurrence at the .01 and .05 level, respectively, and a significant correlation with salary increase at the .05 level. A regression model using accident occurrence and salary increase yielded a prediction of training type significant at the .05 level. No difference was found between the two types of training, as measured by the study variables.

Cheung, Wing Ying. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2011. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 58-62). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Chapter Chapter 1: --- Introduction --- p.1 / Assessor Training Strategy --- p.1 / Overview of behavioral observation training --- p.3 / Overview of frame-of-reference training --- p.4 / Combination training strategies --- p.6 / Perceived Purpose of the Assessment --- p.8 / Interaction with Training Strategy --- p.10 / Chapter Chapter 2: --- Method --- p.12 / Participants --- p.12 / Experimental Design & Procedure --- p.12 / Assessor training strategy --- p.13 / Behavioral observation training --- p.13 / Frame-of-reference training --- p.14 / Combination training (BOT & FOR) --- p.15 / No-training --- p.17 / Perceived purpose of the assessment --- p.17 / Personnel selection instruction --- p.17 / Developmental feedback instruction --- p.21 / Research-purpose instruction --- p.18 / Manipulation Checks --- p.18 / Competencies and Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scale --- p.18 / Hypothetical Assessee Performance --- p.19 / Expert Panel --- p.19 / Independent Variables --- p.20 / Dependent Variables --- p.20 / Inter-rater reliability --- p.20 / Correlation accuracy --- p.21 / Deviation accuracy --- p.21 / Proposed Covariate --- p.21 / Analysis --- p.22 / Chapter Chapter 3: --- Results --- p.25 / Effect of Gender of Assessor (Participant) --- p.25 / Expert Ratings --- p.26 / Mean Correlation Accuracy and Deviation Accuracy --- p.26 / Inter-rater Reliability --- p.27 / Correlation Accuracy --- p.28 / Deviation Accuracy --- p.30 / Chapter Chapter 4: --- Discussion --- p.32 / Summary of Results --- p.32 / Limitations and Future Directions --- p.37 / Implications and Conclusion --- p.41 / Appendices --- p.43 / References --- p.58

National shortages of special education teachers exist due to increased enrollments, retirements, and teacher attrition. In the Southwest, rapid population growth also contributes to the personnel shortage. Paraprofessionals may be a promising group of potential teachers (Smith, 2003; Tillery et al, 2003; White, 2004). Little research exists concerning the perceptions of paraprofessionals about their training and interest in teaching. This study investigated the perceptions of 48 paraprofessionals concerning training experiences in one Southwestern school district. A 46-item Paraprofessional Training Questionnaire sought opinions about preparation, types of training, the alignment of training with the competencies from the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), and the extent training and length of service were related to a desire to enter the field of education. Responses were analyzed using the SPSS System (2004). Data analysis for closed-ended questions presented response distribution among categories. Descriptive statements were used to clarify, summarize, and interpret the data. Cross tabulation tables assisted in identifying relationships between specific topics and the demographic characteristics of the respondents. Seventy-two percent of paraprofessionals reported being offered training opportunities to assist their work. Eighty-three percent reported the training they received assisted them. Training opportunities varied in topic, but were aligned with the CEC knowledge and skill competencies for special education paraprofessionals.Over 53.2% of the paraprofessionals reported they were Satisfied or Very Satisfied with the training opportunities provided. However, more training opportunities were desired by both beginning and experienced paraprofessionals. Opportunities to meet with supervising teachers varied, as did attendance at training which fostered collaborate relationships with teachers. The relationship between years of service and the desire to become a special education teacher was not statistically significant. However, paraprofessionals with fewer years of service were more interested in becoming teachers. This study provides local and state educational agencies with a framework for designing a supportive and defined infrastructure for implementing competency-based training programs for paraprofessionals, supporting special education teachers, and increasing the pool of qualified special education staff in the schools. Districts may find well-designed paraprofessional training programs could assist in meeting the need for a qualified special education teacher workforce.

To explore the viability of a new training evaluation criteria, theories from the areas of service, adult education, and training, were combined to form a model of Perceived Quality of Training and Transfer. Operating from the paradigm that training is a service, a rigorous scale development process was initiated to discover the dimensions of perceived quality of training, a new construct within the realm of training evaluation based upon trainees' impressions of training. Thirty-six supporting items, representing nine dimensions of perceived quality of training, formed the scale developed in the first phase of this study. To test and further refine the perceived quality of training scale, 164 trainees from six different instructor-led training classes in the hospitality industry completed pre-training and post-training surveys that evaluated scale items as expectations as well as perceptions of training. Comparing measurement techniques, findings indicated that a perception only measure of training quality was more highly correlated with trainees' overall quality of training ratings than was a gap measure (perceptions minus expectations). Exploratory factor analysis conducted in phase 2 of the study revealed that the six dimensions of perceived quality of training, as determined by the perception measurement, are interactivity, climate, courtesy, relevance, tangibles, and credibility. These dimensions are similar to the dimensions of service quality, thereby giving credence to the idea of tapping into eclectic literature bases to address issues of training evaluation. Lastly, test results indicated that the perception measurement of the perceived training quality scale was significantly and positively correlated with trainees' intentions to use training when they returned to their jobs. / Ph. D.

Effective training is an investment in the human resources of an organisation, with both immediate and long-term benefits. Researching the effectiveness of training in tourism organisations in South Africa has not received much attention. The purpose of this quantitative study was to evaluate the perceived effectiveness of training programmes attended by employees located at the head office of the North West Parks and Tourism Board in South Africa. The levels of perceived training effectiveness has been proxied by the levels of overall satisfaction with training programmes participated by employees. The study also emphasized the importance of training as an important human resource development which is the present clay competitive model, Obsolescence among employees and the need to cope with the technological, organisational and social changes make continuous learning and updating of skills indispensable at the North West Parks and Tourism Board, in particular, and other organisation, in general. To address the stated study objectives, employees located at the head office of the North West Parks and Tourism Board received and completed a quantitative survey questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. First and foremost, alpha analysis was used in order to judge the reliability of the data and the statistical significance of the measures of effectiveness. The results showed a high level of reliability in the data. Further results demonstrated that most employees found the training programmes they have attended to be relevant to their jobs, the trainers had been competent, training programmes participated have been interesting, training programmes participated have generally been useful, specific skills were learnt from participating in those training programmes, by participating in those training programmes their job performance has improved, they have been able to practise what they gained from participating in those training programmes, and employees f elt more effective in doing their job after participating in those training programmes. Chi-square tests were also carried out in order to analyze whether there is any association between the perceived levels of effectiveness of training programmes and some important constructs- personal elements, training environment, work environment, and perceived values and derived benefits of training. The results from analyzing the background elements did not reveal any associations with the overall levels of satisfaction with training programmes respondents have participated, which proxies the levels of effectiveness of training programmes participated by respondents. Only two physical comfort items of training environment were found to has significant relationship with the effectiveness of training programmes- the level of accessibility of training facilities at training centres and that the level of pleasantness of physical environment during training sessions. None of the training centre control items was found any significant association with the effectiveness of training programmes while none of the three items of work environment was also found to have a significant association with the effectiveness of training programmes. The results also showed no significant relationship between the level of effectiveness of training programmes attended and the level of agreement to the statement that respondents' supervisors are never interested to know what their staff learn at training and the level of effectiveness of training programmes attended, the level of agreement to the statement that supervisors encouraged them to participate in training programmes, and the level of agreement to the statement that resources are always provided so they could apply and practise what they learn. Of the nine items on the perceived values and derived benefits of training, only two were found to have significant associations with the effectiveness of training programmes - the level of improvement respondents have had after participating in training programmes and the ability to practise on the job those skills learned from participating in training programmes. / Thesis (MBA) North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2012

The study was about the essence of staff development for enhancing teachers' efficacy in Moses Kotane East Area Project Office. The study sought to answer the following research questions: What is the significance of staff development in schools? Which major factors necessitate staff development in schools? What are the characteristics of an effective staff development initiative? The researcher opted for both qualitative and quantitative research methods. Both the questionnaires and interviews were administered for data collection. The study was conducted on a sample of respondents randomly selected from the population. Data were collected and analysed using different statistical techniques. ln order to conform to requirements in social sciences research analysis, SPSS version 14 was used for data analysis. Frequencies, percentages and tables were used to capture raw scores and to depict response rates, as well as to facilitate data analysis, interpretation, and recording. To assist the researcher to analyse qualitatively derived data, Textually Oriented Data Analysis (TODA) strategy was used . The findings revealed that staff development was essential, not only for institutional and curriculum development in the school, but also for personal staff growth and empowerment. Staff development is necessary for the acquisition of required skills for effective teaching. Schools should have a staff development teacher who focuses on helping teachers develop skilful teaching in a non-judgmental way. The findings further revealed that coaches for Maths and Literacy need to be introduced in schools to assist teachers with lesson plans and model lessons and that continuous training of teachers is necessary and should be done by experts and not by every person who claims to understand what effective teaching is all about. Finally, Networking with other schools and organizations should be encouraged to ensure inter-sectoral collaboration amongst specialists who have an interest in education. Mentoring programmes that orient new employees, foster executive development and improved job performance should be encouraged in schools. / Thesis (M.Ed) North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2010

Counselling and psychotherapy training courses emphasise the importance of trainee's personal growth and development but there seems to be little understanding of what these terms actually mean in terms of trainee's personal changes and experiences and how they impact on trainees, their relationships and clinical practice. This study explores the personal change experiences of seven trainee counselling psychologists from six London universities using semi-structured interviews. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) identified nineteen common themes across four domains: (a) personal changes, (b) the impact of personal changes on trainee’s relationships and clinical practice, (c) the experiences contributing to changes, (d) acknowledgement of personal change in training. The findings show that counselling psychology training has a profound impact on trainees which affects their relationship with themselves, their partner, family, friends and their clinical practice, however the findings show that this impact is not made clear or addressed and supported enough in training. Since little research has been conducted into trainee's experiences through training, the findings from this study provide a much needed insight into trainee's experiences, and the implications of these findings for training programmes and directions for future research are discussed. The findings highlight that more research into the personal impact of training is needed to normalise and contextualise trainee's experiences, facilitate trainee's learning and engagement and increase their awareness of the positive and transformative changes and contributions to clinical practice which counselling psychology training can enable.

This thesis explores the expenences of a small group of newly qualified teachers (NQTs) during their initial teaching experience at postings in Central Region, Ghana. A qualitative approach was chosen as the most appropriate way to gain insights into their perceptions. A key hypothesis underlying the study was that the first posting is crucial in influencing NQTs' perceptions of the profession. The research questions were organised around the central issues of: experience of the posting process, experience of induction, reflections on training, and perceptions of teaching in the classroom and, more generally, their roles as teachers in their communities. The perceptions ofNQTs were contextualised by interviews with some untrained teachers, principals in the training colleges, heads in the schools, and members of the education bureaucracy at the national and district level. During the research, it became clear that the process of posting was an important factor in NQTs' initial experience and this became a separate research question and chapter in the thesis. The teachers' perceptions and experiences are considered within theoretical frameworks drawn from the literature on teacher socialisation; teachers' occupational culture; and teachers' conceptions of practice. In particular, it draws on and critiques aspects of an analysis of teachers' professional culture in Gambia and South Africa by Alan Penny and Tansy Jessop (1998) and Colin Lacey's (1977) work on NQTs in the UK. It also adapts an analysis of the metaphors that teachers used to explain their perceptions of their work in Trinidad and Tobago (George et al, 2001) to the Ghanaian context. A main finding is the mismatch between the training NQTs receive and their initial occupational culture they were becoming part of, and revealing the problems associated with posting urban educated Ghanaians to rural schools. It also became clear that, within the aspects of occupational culture revealed in this study, there were conflicts between the social and classroom roles of teaching and a preoccupation with status. These can be seen as symptoms of a deeper conflict between the espoused purposes of primary education and its day-to-day practices, revealed in the metaphors teachers used to make sense of their work and roles. Key metaphors, which also emerged from interviews with heads, included: teacher as carer, teacher as role model, teaching as self sacrifice, and teaching as modernising mission. In summary, therefore, the thesis argues that NQTs enter an occupational culture that is riven by contradictions and conflicting expectations. This is exacerbated by the facts that: the link between teacher education and school contexts is limited; many NQTs are from urban backgrounds, posted to rural areas; their experience of the posting system and the education bureaucracy is often negative; they experience ambivalence from the community they are working in and many feel the curriculum is inappropriate. In this context, NQTs express their perspectives on teaching in terms of a number of metaphors, which are a mix of the idealistic, the pragmatic, and the practical. Heads can help mediate NQTs' experiences through induction, where there is particular emphasis on the social roles of teaching. In turn, these metaphors tended to be dominant in NQTs' perspectives on themselves and their work. Thus, this thesis argues that there is a need for more attention to be placed on teachers' social roles in training and induction and their link to actual school and classroom contexts and practices. It is hoped that this could lead to the development of more flexible teachers, who are better able to deal with the realities of teaching, particularly in rural areas. teaching experience. The process of posting gives them key signals about the

The purpose of this study is to propose a framework on career information management and guidance system for supporting career decision making of individuals through providing relevant career information and recommending suitable training courses based on ones’ personal particulars. Mixed research method is employed and both quantitative and qualitative surveys were conducted to collect user requirements and opinions with regard to the difficulties in locating relevant career information. Five interviews with purposefully selected training institutions in Hong Kong were conducted to explore the system requirements for career planning and guidance in particular for on-the-job training and retraining. On the other hand, 25 completed questionnaires from the workforce were collected with regard to their career information needs, as well as their perception on career information management and guidance system. The findings showed that the degrees of subject knowledge and ages of the users affect their information seeking behaviours and thus the requirements of the system. Although figures show that there might be a negative relationship between household income levels and training decisions, this relationship is not statistically significant. Furthermore, three underlying factors affecting individuals’ career decisions had been identified. They are (i) opinions from others; (ii) personalities, affections andabilities; and (iii) career plan and resources. The four factors influencing trainingdecisions are: (i) information perceived; (ii) physical constraints; (iii) affections; and (iv) resources. Based on the survey results, a framework of Career Information Management and Guidance System (CIMGS) backboned with Information Feeding (IF) model was proposed. The findings of this study will provide an insight to researchers on the application of information and communication technology such as social media tools and vocational guidance services on an internet-based self-administered career information management and guidance system. / published_or_final_version / Library and Information Management / Master / Master of Science in Library and Information Management

Although there is a current movement in regular education to develop skills in the teaching of art, art education has been largely ignored in special education. Discipline-based art education (DBAE) is a current model in art education that encourages continuous, sequential, content lessons in art. Art methologies, including a new emphasis on language skills, could be a powerful resource for special education teachers. A growing body of research on staff development suggests that procedures affecting teacher change include attending to teacher attitudes, using collaborative planning procedures, including follow-up coaching sessions, and delineating voluntary participation. In contrast, little research has been done to examine the change process during staff development concerning the relationships among practice, attitudes, and knowledge. The main focus of this study was to examine the process of change during staff development in art education with special education teachers. Seven teachers of special education were voluntary participants in a staff development program that addressed content and methodology in DBAE. The researcher served as the staff developer and in-classroom coach. Data concerning the teachers' practice, attitudes, and knowledge were collected by methods of video and audio tapes of classroom observations and coaching, prestudy and poststudy structured interviews, and attitude surveys. Data analyses were constructed addressing both individual teachers and the relationships between teachers in an effort to better understand the process of change during staff development. It was found that all of the participating teachers changed in a positive direction regarding the use of DBAE methods in their classrooms. These changes were evident on the attitude surveys, observation and coaching sessions, and when comparing prestudy and poststudy interviews. They involved the interaction of practice, attitudes, and knowledge. Those teachers who possessed a less sophisticated level of knowledge about art education prior to the study appeared to change at a greater rate than those with strong personal convictions. The findings suggest the importance of attending to attitudes, knowledge, and practice during staff development. The study provides a greater understanding of staff development in DBAE.