The aim of study was to investigate the effect of context-based approach (CBA) through 5E learning cycle (LC) model over traditional instruction on students&rsquo / understanding, achievement, and chemical literacy on chemical reactions and energy concepts. The effect of instruction on students&rsquo / motivation to learn chemistry and the factors of motivation questionnaire were also explored. Additionally, the effect of gender difference was investigated. Six eleventh grade classes with 187 students taught by three teachers from two public Anatolian high schools of Ankara in 2011-2012 fall semester were enrolled in this study. Each teacher had experimental and control group. These classes were assigned randomly as experimental and control groups. The experimental groups were treated with CBA through 5E LC model, control groups were treated with traditional instruction. Chemical reactions and energy concept test and chemistry motivation questionnaire were administered as pre- and post-tests to groups. Achievement test and open-ended chemical literacy items on chemical reactions and energy were administered as post-tests to all groups. Science process skill test was administered to all groups at the beginning of the instruction. Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA) was used for the analysis of data. The results revealed that CBA through 5E LC model was superior to traditional instruction on students&rsquo / understanding, achievement, and chemical literacy in the chemical reactions and energy unit. Although, students&rsquo / overall motivation scores did not changed across the groups, experimental groups intrinsic motivation and relevance of learning chemistry to personal goals was superior than control groups. No gender difference was found.

The federal government is often criticized for performance that fails to meet the public's expectations. Its traditional pay system receives much of the blame for rewarding seniority instead of performance. While everyone agrees that performance matters, they don't always agree on the best way to improve it. My research investigates human resource management strategies designed to motivate better performance and productivity. Specifically, I examine the credibility and feasibility of implementing pay for performance throughout the federal government and identify ways that managers can promote greater productivity through human capital investment. I conduct an extensive review of work motivation theories and synthesize findings from previous academic and government studies in order to develop models that are tailored to the federal workplace. I test these models using federal survey data from the Merit Principles Surveys of 2000 and 2005. A variety of attitudes, perceptions, expectations, and work environment factors are expected to influence job performance. Findings reveal that pay for performance belief and success are greatly affected by performance management, fair treatment in all personnel matters, supervisory fairness in decision-making, and organizational culture. Further results indicate that managers can markedly improve productivity by ensuring employees are highly engaged in their work, delivering effective performance management, providing a supportive organizational culture, and giving employees adequate resources and training. With federal agencies constantly striving to improve performance and productivity, these findings have practical implications for government as they suggest ways that public managers can achieve better performance and greater productivity through increased work motivation.

Project (B.S.)--James Madison University, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references.

published_or_final_version / Psychology / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

abstract / toc / Human Performance / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

隨著社會環境變遷與發展，在職進修對於公務人員已成為時代趨勢，為使公務人員在兼顧工作與課業情況下，維持良好工作表現及服務品質，本研究探討在職進修公務人員工作壓力、工作滿足與成就動機之情況，依研究結果提出相關建議，提供相關單位進行公務人員人力資源管理之參考。 本研究採取深度訪談法，訪談10名任職中央機關公務人員參與在職進修，研究發現如下： 1.公務人員在職進修之現況：（1）工作性質與工作特性是公務人員選擇在職進修方式的主要影響原因；（2）部分中央機關依規定提供進修補助，在職進修者可選擇申請公假或學分費補助。選擇學分費補助能有效減輕進修者的經濟負擔；（3）工作年資較長有利於參與進修；（4）已婚者較未婚者更需要家人的支持。 2.工作壓力之來源：主要係因工作量大或複雜度高之工作性質、長官與同事的不支持態度、課業與畢業壓力及角色衝突所造成。 3.工作滿足之情形：影響在職進修者之工作滿足感的主要因素包括：服務機關是否穩定、參與進修能否獲益、角色轉移、時間管理等；提高在職進修者工作滿足感主要有利影響因素包括：升遷的公平與開放、長官的重視與支持、機關的實質獎勵與積極支持。 4.成就動機之情況：在職進修者選擇再進修的動機，受本身內在影響與環境外在影響而有不同，進修過程中如能提高成就動機，將間接影響工作表現；提高在職進修者成就動機之主要有利影響因素包括：長官的鼓勵與肯定、組織進修文化的推動及政府終身學習之積極推行。 本研究根據研究發現，提出以下建議： 1.在減輕在職進修公務人員之工作壓力方面：（1）建議單位長官應適時予以支援及協助；（2）建議政府機關對於人力是否充足或配置適當，應定期進行診斷；（3）建議學校可配合在職進修者學習需求，延長相關設施開放時間；（4）建議學校提供更多職場所需的課程以因應在職生需求；（5）建議參與在職進修者，加強自身的英文及資訊軟體使用能力，減少進修過程之學習困擾。 2.在提昇在職進修公務人員之工作滿足方面：（1）建議政府機關應積極提升公務人員對工作的認同感；（2）建議政府機關應積極鼓勵進修，而非消極支持；（3）建議參與在職進修者應加強時間管理。 3.在加強在職進修公務人員之成就動機方面：（1）建議政府機關應提供更多元化的進修方式；（2）建議學校能提高入學考試之門檻，維持學生品質；（3）建議參與在職進修者可適時回饋服務單位；（4）建議參與在職進修者應充分了解自身學習需求並以積極態度面對工作與課業。 / The in-service training becomes current trend for public servants with the development and evolution of our society. The study determinates how the public servants have great performance in duty during in-service training period. Therefore, the purpose of the study is to understand the stress, satisfaction and achievement motivation of the in-service training public servants to provide practical advice for the human resources management of public servants in authorities. Ten in-service training public servants in the central governments were in-depth interviewed and the results as following: 1.The current situations of in-service public servants: (1)The characteristic of jobs is the major factor for public servants to choose the ways of their in-service training. (2)Some central governments can subsidize the in-service training public servants based on specific regulation. The in-service training public servants can choose to apply the official business leave or the study allowance to obtain financial aid. To choose study allowance can give them practical financial support. (3)The public servants who have long working experience take advantage to participate in-service training. (4)The married public servants need more family support than single. 2.The situation of job stress is caused by overloading or sophisticated work, the negative attitude of supervisors and colleague, study stress and role conflict. 3.The main factors of the situation of job satisfaction for in-service training public servants include the administration steadiness, the self-benefit, the transformation of roles, time management and so on. The main factors of increasing sense of achievement contain the fairness and disclosure of promotion, the attention and support of supervisors, the practical award and active support of governments. 4.The motivation of in-service re-training participant is influenced by internal and extrinsic factors. Work performance will be indirectly affected by improving the achievement motivation in training. The main factors of increasing the achievement motivation of in-service training persons include the encouragement and appreciation of supervisors, the promotion of in-service training and lifelong learning in government. Based on this study to provide the following advice: 1.To alleviate the job stress of in-service training public servants: (1)Supervisors should help and support in time. (2)The management of human resource should be monitored by authorities regularly. (3)School should keep open longer to tie in the request of in-service training people. (4)School should offer more necessary course related to their job. (5)In-service training people should improve their ability of English and information technology to make their study easier. 2.To improve the job satisfaction of in-service training people: (1)Authorities should actively increase the professional self-identity of in-service training people. (2)Authorities should positively encourage them to get training instead of supporting negatively. (3)In-service training people should improve the ability of time management. 3.To enhance the achievement motivation of in-service training people: (1)Authorities should provide much more diverse training ways. (2)School can distinguish prospective students well based on discerning entrance examination. (3)In-service training people should pay back to their servicing place. (4)In-service training people should entirely understand what they need and have positive attitude to deal with work and study.

[Truncated abstract] Collective efficacy (CE) has been consistently shown to contribute to team performance by improving motivation, perseverance, group goals, and expectancy in teams (Bandura, 2000; Feltz & Lirgg, 2001). Having high confidence in one's team is proposed to increase the expectancy for success, thereby increasing motivation, persistence and effort, which in turn, increases overall performance (Bandura, 1997). A series of studies were conducted to examine predictors of self and collective efficacy in semi-professional soccer. In addition, within two of these studies, the effect of pivotal hypothetical injuries on players' and coaches' perceptions of CE were also examined. In the first and second studies, hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) was utilized in order to examine simultaneous player and team level predictors of efficacy perceptions. Data were obtained from semi-professional male soccer players (N = 139, mean age = 23, SD = 4.43 yrs) from nine teams in Western Australia. Participants completed the Group Environment Questionnaire (GEQ), the revised Perceived Motivational Climate in Sport Questionnaire-2 (PMCSQ-2) as well as measures of self-talk, self-efficacy (SE), and CE created for this study. HLM analyses indicated CE was significantly and positively associated with SE and significantly and negatively associated with perceptions of a performance-oriented motivational climate. Significant positive associations of SE were positive self-talk and average number of minutes played each game. Negative correlates of SE were a performance-oriented motivational climate and number of years played. The results illustrate the important cross-level influences of player and team level variables on SE and CE perceptions. Overall, the findings provide support for the propositions of the influence of sources of efficacy information and broaden the existing work on efficacy and motivational climate in sport. ... Future research on team processes following injury that may moderate the injury efficacy relationship may include, the effect of team leaders in an attempt to motivate the team and the verbal and non-verbal strategies of coaches. The present studies contribute to the existing body of knowledge concerning efficacy theory. Specifically, within this series of studies, individual and team level predictors of SE and CE among elite sport participants were examined. A performance-oriented motivational climate was negatively associated with CE perceptions, while players with elevated levels of SE had teams with elevated levels of CE. SE was positively associated with positive self-talk, and negatively correlated with a performance-oriented motivational climate. Further, the effects of player injury on CE perceptions also represent a valuable contribution to efficacy theory. Prior to the current studies, no researchers have studied the influence of athlete absence due to injury on CE.

Thesis (M. Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1993.

Thesis (M.Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1993. / Also available in print.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--James Madison University, 2010. / Includes bibliographical references.