This research sought to investigate the articulation of two NQF level 4 qualifications with higher education qualifications. For the purpose of this study, the two qualifications are the National Senior Certificate (NSC) and the National Certificate (Vocational) [NC (V)], respectively. The NSC is an academic qualification offered in schools while the NC (V) is a vocational qualification offered in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges. The research question explored the manner in which higher education institutions enable the articulation of the NSC and the engineering NC (V) as NQF Level 4 qualifications. It examined how a University of Technology evaluated vocational and academic qualifications for enabling the said articulation. Furthermore, the research questions intended to establish if there were any measures put in place by higher education institutions to ensure equal opportunities of access for holders of vocational and academic engineering qualifications on NQF level 4, thereby enabling articulation. The TVET College was also part of the study for determining if there were any negotiations and collaborations with universities to facilitate and enable access for successful NC (V) students. The research approach followed in this study was qualitative. A case study research design was used. Purposive sampling and convenience sampling were used to identify the institutions and the participants. Interviews and document analysis constitute the data collection methods for this study. The findings of this study show that the policies of the University of Technology do make provision for the admission of students that hold both the NSC and NC (V) qualifications without discrimination. The study revealed that for potential students to be successfully admitted into this institution, they must comply with the requirements set by the institution in terms of the subjects required for entry into engineering programmes. This study recommends a collaborative relationship between the institutions in ensuring that articulation becomes a reality for students who have successfully completed the NC (V) qualification. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2019. / Education Management and Policy Studies / MEd / Unrestricted

Yes / In 1997 the Management Charter Initiative (MCI) officially launched the new Management NVQs (National Vocational Qualifications), benchmarks which attempted to describe the work performed by British managers. This article is a review of those qualifications. It remembers some of the main problems associated with the original Management NVQs and, drawing on some of the best theoretical and empirical accounts of managerial work, argues that the new qualifications have failed to live up to the MCI¿s original promise, to assist the development and training of managers.

Yes / This article evaluates the British system of NVQs, focusing on their capacity to increase skill levels. It reviews the way NVQs were designed and argues that they are ill-equipped to encourage knowledge and skills, partly because they simply replicate the weaknesses which currently exist in the labour market and partly because of the focus on observed workplace behaviours. NVQs were intended to be 'employer-led' and the assumptions underpinning their design are unitarist. In contrast, the German apprenticeship system is developed and implemented by pluralist consortia and results in qualifications that are far better equipped to support skill levels.

The recent and swift changes (at the philosophical, political and economic level) in the health and social care sectors asks for the assessment of the existence of a match between the competencies acquired in the occupational therapy education and those required at the workplace, in order to ensure the quality of graduates. A key challenge for the educators is how to plan efficient educational programmes which calls for the redefinition of curriculum goals relevant to the quality of practice. We looked for new strategies to address these questions in the form of a group-based research with two main objectives: (1) to identify the core competencies required for the occupational therapy practice at different work settings in Portugal; and (2) to identify the contents of an occupational therapy educational program, suitable to attain the core competencies found. Interviews, discussion with two panels of experts, questionnaires and the Delphi technique have been used involving a total of 120 Occupational Therapists working at different settings including at the two Portuguese occupational therapy schools. The research provides the background on how to base the occupational therapy course content in relationship to the needs of the workplace environment. Above all, this study is a contribution in finding methodologies by working with the practitioners’ experts in order to convert their knowledge and professional demands into educational programs. / Doctorat en sciences sociales, Orientation sciences du travail / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

This study draws upon a methodological approach based on the use of objects to explore the experiences of a group of teachers undertaking a Masters-level Continuing Professional Development programme. Eight Respondents were invited to bring three objects to their interview that represented significant aspects of their practice in relation to the course. These objects afforded an exploration of respondents’ views, experiences and consideration of the impact of the programme on their professional identities. In order to engage analytically with the data the work draws upon notions of spatiality as well as the later work of Foucault on truth and subject formation. The thesis considers the role of professional learning as shaped by the current policy process and, how professional learning is, in turn, shaped by the teachers undertaking the course. Such a consideration allows for a methodological take on the CPD process as one whereby people, as well as objects, such as ‘standards’, play equally important roles. In drawing upon the later work of Foucault (1984a, 1984b) analysis of the data considered the ways in which the practices of the course that the teachers engaged with (Askēsis) lead to a desire to speak their mind and express ideals of truth about educational practice (Parrhēsia). This means that in thinking about their practice through the activities and processes of the programme encourages the development of the ethical work of the teacher. In the light of such problematisation, this study encourages a rethinking of both policy and practice and argues for a change in the discourse of education from the concept of professional development to that of professional learning within a relational and ethical framing.

The purpose of this study is to analyze the sources of occupational segregation between men and women. Specifically, three hypotheses are tested. First, do stiff specific training requirements for an occupation increase the likelihood that it is male-dominated, as would be expected from human capital theory? Second, do differences in perceived natural ability between the sexes heavily influence the possibility of an occupation being male- or female-dominated? Finally, do differences in preferences for job attributes between men and women influence the chance of whether an occupation will be male- or female-dominated? The data used in this study cover 495 occupations from 1979 in which on-the-job worker requirements are provided describing workers' level and type of education, natural ability, on-the-job environmental conditions, and physical demands. Occupations are divided into three categories: female-dominated, male-dominated, or neutral. The empirical model uses a multinomial approach to estimate the log of the odds that an occupation is male-dominated relative to being neutral and the log of the odds that an occupation is female-dominated relative to being neutral. The results of this study imply that sizable specific training requirements for an occupation increase the likelihood that it is male-dominated and higher levels of general education requirements increase the possibility that an occupation is female-dominated. There is evidence to support the hypothesis that differences between the sexes' perceived abilities contribute to occupational segregation. Most on-the-job environmental conditions and physical demands do not affect the likelihood that an occupation is male- or female-dominated in contrast to the traditional claim that women prefer more desirable working conditions than men. / Graduation date: 1994

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Mississippi State University. Department of Instructional Systems, Leadership, Workforce Development. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

The aim of this thesis was to undertake an evaluation of the United Kingdom Coaching Certification (UKCC) and discuss the implications for current and future designs of the programme. This study extends and expands the research that has previously evaluated coach education programmes by examining the participants’ perceptions of the programme and its impact on their competency. The study draws on Lyle’s (2010) monitoring and evaluation model and examines the relevance, fidelity and effectiveness of the UKCC. The broad research approach was a pre-post methodology utilising multiple methods of data collection and analysis. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were employed in the form of focus groups, reflective journals and surveys. Four UKCC sports in Scotland were involved in the study and these were rugby, squash, swimming and triathlon. Data was collected at 10 UKCC courses (levels 1-3) and a total of 136 participants were sampled. The study’s main conclusions regarding the relevance, fidelity and effectiveness of the UKCC were as follows. Relevance: At level one the UKCC appeared to play a big part in the participants’ initial development as a coach whereas at level two and three the UKCC played a smaller role in the participants’ development and instead these participants placed importance on their informal learning. The UKCC fulfilled the participants’ expectations however they believed it needed to provide more technical and sport science knowledge, practical coaching experience, and opportunities to learn from others. Fidelity: The importance of informal learning was emphasised by the participants. The participants believed that informal methods, such as learning from others and learning from practical experience, were effective ways to learn. A negative of the UKCC was that it was a rushed learning environment. Effectiveness: The UKCC had a positive impact on the participants’ perceptions of competency as post course competency was significantly higher than pre-course competency. Despite this significant impact, participants still only rated themselves as moderately competent at the end of the course and indicated they needed more technical knowledge and practical experience. Based on these findings, a number of implications were provided for the UKCC. Implications were provided in three areas: the structure of the UKCC, the delivery of the UKCC, and the role of the UKCC within overall coach development.

British government introduced a new General National Vocational Qualification (GNVQ) as an alternative to the A-level qualification in response to a low skilled workforce. Although these qualifications are promoted as equivalent to the A-levels, vocational qualifications are considered second best, causing an academic/vocational divide. Some researchers have analyzed the internal and external nature of the qualifications. However, little empirical evidence directly compares the two. This study focused on analyzing the two equivalent qualifications represented in the national framework. / The study used common areas of the A-level Physical Education and the GNVQ Leisure and Tourism curriculum to construct an examination paper consisting of an equal number of A-level and GNVQ-style questions. Two groups of A-level and GNVQ students were randomly selected from Godalming Sixth Form College to take part in the examination, and the performance scores were analyzed. Findings suggest no significant difference in performance scores, t(28) = 0.08, p = 0.94, supporting the need for further research. These results may assist in closing the academic/vocational divide. In turn, this may lead to more opportunities in industry and in universities for those achieving the GNVQ. In order to achieve true parity of esteem between the qualifications, reform needs to focus on the internal structure of the qualifications by combining the two curricular into one course represented as one qualification rather than organising the separate qualifications in a hierarchical external framework that still promotes the academic/vocational divide within the framework.

The position of director of intercollegiate athletics represents the highest administrative position in athletics in colleges and universities. During the days of the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW), 90% of the women's programs were coached and administered by women. Shortly after the implementation of Title IX in 1972, this trend began to change and most women's programs began to fall under the leadership of male coaches and administrators. During the summer of 1982, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) took control of the AIAW forcing women administrators to take a backseat to their male colleagues. This lack of administrative and coaching representation has also resulted in fewer role models for female athletes.This study was designed to compare the qualifications of men and women directors of intercollegiate athletics to determine if the women must be more qualified than theirmale counterparts to hold the same position. This study may also serve as a blueprint for women in athletics as to the qualifications and experiences necessary in their attaining a position of director of intercollegiate athletics.The results of a survey questionnaire to 200 male directors of NCAA Division I, II, III, and NAIA colleges, with a return rate of 52.3%, were compared to an early study conducted on female directors to determine if the qualifications between the two genders were different. The educational results were very similar between the two genders, with both maintaining that a master's degree was extremely important in attaining their positions. Both genders also confirmed that at least one year of experience in athletic administration was crucial to their appointment as director of athletics.In examining the qualifications of both men and women who hold athletic administrative positions, it was not conclusive that educationally or professionally, the women were more qualified than their male colleagues. The responses to the survey by both men and women were very similar in their beliefs of what was important in attaining their current positions. / School of Physical Education