<p>The identification of the vocation of an unknown heavy-duty vehicle is valuable to parts manufacturers who may not have otherwise access to this information on a consistent basis. This study proposes a methodology for vocation identification that is based on clustering techniques. Two clustering algorithms are considered: K-Means and Expectation Maximization. These algorithms are used to first construct the operating profile of each vocation from a set of vehicles with known vocations. The vocation of an unknown vehicle is then determined using different assignment methods.</p> <p> </p> <p>These methods fall under two main categories: one-versus-all and one-versus-one. The one-versus-all approach compares an unknown vehicle to all potential vocations. The one-versus-one approach compares the unknown vehicle to two vocations at a time in a tournament fashion. Two types of tournaments are investigated: round-robin and bracket. The accuracy and efficiency of each of the methods is evaluated using the NREL FleetDNA dataset.</p> <p> </p> <p>The study revealed that some of the vocations may have unique operating profiles and are therefore easily distinguishable from others. Other vocations, however, can have confounding profiles. This indicates that different vocations may benefit from profiles with varying number of clusters. Determining the optimal number of clusters for each vocation can not only improve the assignment accuracy, but also enhance the computational efficiency of the application. The optimal number of clusters for each vocation is determined using both static and dynamic techniques. Static approaches refer to methods that are completed prior to training and may require multiple iterations. Dynamic techniques involve clusters being split or removed during training. The results show that the accuracy of dynamic techniques is comparable to that of static approaches while benefiting from a reduced computational time.</p>

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / The identification of the vocation of an unknown heavy-duty vehicle is valuable to parts manufacturers who may not have otherwise access to this information on a consistent basis. This study proposes a methodology for vocation identification that is based on clustering techniques. Two clustering algorithms are considered: K-Means and Expectation Maximization. These algorithms are used to first construct the operating profile of each vocation from a set of vehicles with known vocations. The vocation of an unknown vehicle is then determined using different assignment methods. These methods fall under two main categories: one-versus-all and one-versus-one. The one-versus-all approach compares an unknown vehicle to all potential vocations. The one-versus-one approach compares the unknown vehicle to two vocations at a time in a tournament fashion. Two types of tournaments are investigated: round-robin and bracket. The accuracy and efficiency of each of the methods is evaluated using the NREL FleetDNA dataset. The study revealed that some of the vocations may have unique operating profiles and are therefore easily distinguishable from others. Other vocations, however, can have confounding profiles. This indicates that different vocations may benefit from profiles with varying number of clusters. Determining the optimal number of clusters for each vocation can not only improve the assignment accuracy, but also enhance the computational efficiency of the application. The optimal number of clusters for each vocation is determined using both static and dynamic techniques. Static approaches refer to methods that are completed prior to training and may require multiple iterations. Dynamic techniques involve clusters being split or removed during training. The results show that the accuracy of dynamic techniques is comparable to that of static approaches while benefiting from a reduced computational time.

A review of vocational assessment in ministry populations revealed that since the 1950s, ministers have been assessed using psychological and vocational assessments in an effort to ascertain goodness of fit for ministry tasks. However, ministers consistently produce profile reports that are significantly different from the population as a whole. In addition, while there has been much research on the general ministerial vocation, there has been little research on particular ministerial roles and the predictors for ministers who will excel in those tasks. The literature on ministers is outdated and has not taken into consideration the peculiar characteristics of the ministry population, such as a special set of societal standards and the “call” from God to engage in ministry. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether a personality profile exists that can predict the types of ministers that would be most likely to exhibit a preference in pastoral care and counseling tasks as a specific ministerial vocation. Based on a review of the literature, several variables from psychological and vocational assessments emerged as possible predictors. In addition, it was hypothesized that the relationship between these variables could be explained by a friendly-dominant style of interpersonal behavior. Results suggest that there is in fact a personality profile that can predict whether ministers will exhibit a preference for pastoral care and counseling tasks. This profile was different based on setting, as was the goodness of fit with the theoretically proposed interpersonal style. Implications and limitations are discussed.

This phenomenological qualitative research study sought to gain insight into the socialization experiences of new vocational technical faculty. Ten Louisiana vocational technical faculty members were interviewed face-to-face. The interviews were audiotaped, transcribed, and analyzed to discover how these new vocational technical faculty members transitioned from industry to academe. Data analysis revealed that participants in the study experienced a similar transitional process into the technical college as twoyear and four-year faculty into community colleges and universities. Like their two-year and four-year counterparts, the participants experienced similar challenges related to their new teaching positions, such as balancing heavy workloads, maintaining industry contacts, and interacting with administration, faculty and students. Similarly, they tended to value teaching, collegial relationships with other faculty and their interactions with students. However, some of the challenges were unique to their new positions as Louisiana vocational technical instructors. These faculty members experienced an anticipatory phase that prepared them for the workplace rather than academe. Many of the participants experienced notable levels of stress as they transitioned from industry to the technical college. The stress seemed to be related to their lack of pedagogical knowledge of teaching and the issues of forging a new academic persona. This research found that new vocational technical faculty members enjoyed formal professional development activities that were discipline specific and advanced their knowledge of their craft. The study also explored the use of Menges' (1999) Model of Faculty Academic Life as it related to the new vocational technical instructor experiences, role conceptualization, and resources that would help the faculty grow and develop as instructors. Through their shared experiences and stories the researcher identified the needs of this subpopulation and made recommendations for future studies.

The purpose of this study was to describe the experiences undergraduate students cite as helping them develop and articulate their purpose in life. Purpose in life, as a construct, is associated with many positive attributes associated with life in general, and the college experience specifically; however, it is also closely related to other concepts such as meaning, spirituality, and vocation. For the purposes of this study, purpose in life was defined as a set of goals or actions, informed by a belief system or set of values, that provides a sense of direction to an individual's life. This study sought to answer the question: What are the experiences of traditional-aged undergraduate students at a large, Midwestern, public university who have an articulated purpose in life? In this way, experiences were defined as a necessary, but not sufficient, building block in developing purpose in life. An orientational qualitative approach was used to answer the question. Participants were identified using maximum variance and theory-based purposeful sampling. Senior students close to graduation were recruited to participate using the Student Developmental Task & Lifestyle Assessment (SDTLA; Winston, Miller, & Cooper, 1999), an online assessment that operationalized Chickering and Reisser's (1993) sixth developmental vector, developing purpose. Twelve students with high scores on that assessment were selected to continue in the study. Face-to-face interviews focused on the experiences and relationships that helped them develop and articulate their purpose in life. The results were organized into three major themes: 1) support systems upon which students relied in developing purpose in life; 2) exemplars who they sought to emulate when living their purpose in life; and 3) the critical importance of experiential learning in developing purpose in life. A discussion of the findings asserted that developing purpose in life is a continual skill-building process, rather than definable end goal or product. Existing theories were connected to developing purpose in life to provide educators ideas for helping affect the lives of students. Research implications were discussed with a call to study how individuals' multiple aspects of identity influence developing purpose in life. Overall, this study contributes to the literature, adding breadth in specifically targeting undergraduate students and their shared experiences developing purpose in life and depth in its confirmation of Chickering and Reisser's twenty-year-old revised theory.

This study was designed to investigate the relationship of general aptitude, vocational attitudes, and occupational values to scoring above or below the 75th percentile on the Kuder Preference Record by ninth grade students in rural southwestern Utah and southeastern Idaho. The sample consisted of a group of 248 students who participated in Project Mace. The students were divided into two groups according to their Kuder percentile scores. The G scale of the General Aptitude Test Battery, the Vocational Development Inventory, and the Occupational Values Inventory were also administered to the subjects. The data were analyzed by a simple correlation matrix and analysis of variance. The results of the study indicated there was no significant difference between the two groups on any of the instruments. The implications from the results indicated that: The 75th percentile probably should not be used as a criterion for strong interests, at least when an attempt is being made to relate interests to the general aptitude, attitudes, and values measured in this study. More research is needed in order to fully understand the relationship of interests, aptitudes, attitudes and values. More research is needed on the instruments used in this study, especially the Occupational Values Inventory and the Vocational Development Inventory.

A service career is a distinctive vocation. Not everyone can fit into a regulated stressful life. The high turnover rate in the military stems from the majority of military officers leaving the service after their initial tenure. This study attempts to clarify a vague picture, producing higher job satisfaction while obtaining the correct personal type for a military environmental fit. Providing proper training with career planning will stimulate the willingness to stay in the military. Higher job satisfaction must be produced through proper career arrangement for each officer. This would help lower the turnover rate. Therefore, placing everyone in the best position, to gain the best beneficial result for the military, is the most important goal. The objectives of this study are as follows:(1) Determine how gender interferes with the relationship between job congruence and job satisfaction. (2) Discuss the relationship between job congruence and job satisfaction. (3) Determine if job congruence affects job satisfaction based on personality type. The sample in this study included lining-officers and professional-officers. Four hundred eighty-six subjects were selected as the study sample. The instruments used in this study were the Self-Directed Search (SDS, Holland, 1973) and Job Descriptive Index (JDI , Smith, Kendall & Hulin,1969; revised by ZHENG, BO-XUN,1977). Job congruence was obtained by comparing the Holland's six personal types (including Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising or Conventional) with the environment type. Personal types were measured using the SDS scale. Job satisfaction was measured using the JDI scale, divided into five categories including: work, salary, promotion, supervision and co-workers. Six categories were used to determine overall job satisfaction. The study results are as follows: (1) Different job congruence and job satisfaction relationships exist for men and women; (2) Years of service differences ,so as job congruence will be; (3) The relationship between job congruence and job satisfaction has a positive correlation; (4)¡¨Gender¡¨ is the moderating variable among the job congruence and job satisfaction relationship (5) A more differentiated person would have a positive correlation between job congruence and job satisfaction. The sample exhibited strong evidence verifying Holland¡¦s ¡]1973,1985,1997¡^ theory under each condition: The sample was divided into two groups to determine the more differentiated group and the relationship between job congruence and job satisfaction. Job congruence was obtained using RIASCE instead of the RIASEC personal types.

Tesis--Pontifica università gregoriana, 2004. / Bibliogr. p. 451-475.

Thesis (S.T.M.)--Trinity Lutheran Seminary, Columbus, Ohio, 2002. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 144-148).

Vocational guidance plays an important role for students at school. Especially it is importantin in the school years as schoolchildren in basic, general schools and gymnasium, particulary, have to choos the profile of education, direction and relate their options to their future occupation. however, the results of the research described here indicate absence of opportunities created at schools for proper learner support in preparing them for their professional career.