Service delivery to children with severe disabilities (CSDs) in developing countries share some common characteristics. These include inaccessible services due to the fact that the majority of services are located in a few large cities, the focus of services are usually on school-age children (with few for pre-schoolers), many services require specialised staff and high technology equipment that is not always available and professionals who tend to work in isolation with minimal integration between services. A particularly vulnerable group within the sphere of CSDs are beginning communicators because of their inability to articulate their needs, feelings and rights. Programmes to specifically address these communication needs by equipping them with the necessary skills to interact and participate in society, are very limited. Often the first contact that primary caregivers of a CSD have with professionals, is with the community health nurse. Furthermore, they often remain the only professionals who provide continuous support and assistance to these caregivers. It is therefore clear that these nurses need to be equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills in order to assist caregivers in dealing with their children with severe disabilities. This can be done by training these nurses (through multiskilling) to function as transdisciplinary professionals. Furthermore, a need for appropriate materials for service delivery to this population also exists. Consequently the BCIP (Beginning Communication Intervention Protocol) was developed. The BCIP addresses four important communication domains, namely communication means (including objects, photographs, manual signs, PCS symbols and a simplified 4-option digital speaker), functions (namely informational functions e.g. requesting more, requesting help, etc. and social functions, e.g. greeting, drawing attention to self, etc.), partners (both adults and peers) and the deliberate creation of communication opportunities (e.g. by providing small portions, placing desired items out of research) etc. Care was taken to ensure culture sensitivity and the authenticity of the BCIP. Twenty community health nurses were trained in the application of the BCIP. Training employed adult learning principles and was one week long, followed by three follow-ups that were conducted in situ (at two weeks, six weeks and five months post-training). Multiple measurements were used to evaluate the knowledge and skills acquired after training, namely questionnaires, structured interviews, skill demonstrations (which were video recorded and rated by the researcher and an independent rater) and a focus group. Results indicated that the BCIP training is relevant in bringing about a significant change in the targeted domains, namely knowledge and skills. Peripheral behaviours (namely attitudes, job satisfaction and type of service delivery provided) were all rated high at the onset of the research and thus quantitative data failed to show improvement. On the other hand, qualitative data from the focus group suggested improvement. / Dissertation (PhD (Augmentative and Alternative Communication))--University of Pretoria, 2004. / Centre for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (CAAC) / unrestricted

Teacher self-efficacy for teaching in diverse classrooms is an important factor in the successful implementation of inclusion. Quantitative examinations of teacher self-efficacy have found the construct to be correlated with both contextual and teacher-related factors. In-depth qualitative exploration into type, quality, and nature of experiences that shape teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs is scarce. This research aimed to qualitatively examine potential sources of teacher self-efficacy and generate an explanation for the complex growth pattern it follows during the early years of practice. Seventy-eight beginning teachers across Canada (i.e., graduating teacher candidates and new teachers who are in the first three years of their practice) participated in 139 semi-structured interviews conducted over four years to address questions regarding the factors and experiences that influence their self-efficacy or confidence to teach in diverse classrooms. Ten factors which either had a positive or negative connotation emerged from a qualitative content analysis of their interviews. The Positive-Negative Experiences Balance (PNEB) model was conceptualized to understand and represent how these ten factors interactively, simultaneously, and collectively influence the development of beginning teachers’ self-efficacy for inclusive practice in the initial years of their careers. Through a comparison of frequency counts of codes, it was noted that beginning teachers differentially relied on experiential factors to enhance their self-efficacy when they were graduating, or were in the first three years of their teaching. The results are discussed in light of the relevant extant research. Implications of these results for teacher education programs and school leadership are also shared. / Graduate

My diploma thesis is mainly concentrating on analyses of relationships between English (British) and Irish people from the time when the 'Great Famine' just past until the First World War. It aims to highlight the key events and analyses it is impact on both countries relationship to each other. Since 1801, when Ireland had become a part of Great Britain and the relations between the Brits (English) and Irish narrowed down by joining these countries. The famine in large scale has very negatively affected their relations and since then the Irish tried to gain more and more independence of the authorities in their country, and above all re-establish the Parliament of Ireland. Their actions were supported and represented by resistance organisation 'Home Rule', which Irish nationalists were tightening to with hope. Since seventies of 19th century Irish parliamentarians was urging demands in order to self- administrate on own parliament soil. The Home Rule Bill, which was also promoted by British Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone, was however two times disapproved by the parliament. Only in 1914, after restriction the right of veto of the House of Lords by Parliament Act 1911, the Irish Home Rule Bill passed. However, unfortunately for the Irish, the beginning of the First World War intercept it is...

The main aim of the theoretical part is to define the term 'beginning teacher' and to describe the forms of support which a fresh graduate can use when he starts his teaching practice. Furthermore, I focus on communication and cooperation of a teacher and a parent and I offer reasons for their realization. In the end of the theoretical part, I describe parent - teacher conference and consultations teacher - parent - pupil in Step by step. The aim of the empiric part was to assess the interviews with the beginning primary school teachers in ZŠ Angel and some parents. The structured interview was focused on to what extent the beginning teachers felt prepared for the parent - teacher conference, what support which was given to them was the most appreciated, what a teacher needs to deal with in connection with the parent - teacher conference and consultations teacher - parent - pupil. Then I try to find out what challenges are the beginning teachers facing in connection with leading the parent - teacher conference and consultations teacher - parent - pupil, what has worked after realization of the parent - teacher conference and consultations teacher - parent - pupil and what the teachers see as the main advantages and disadvantages of the consultations teacher - parent - pupil in comparison with the...

Early reading literacy development of early readers at the beginning of the school attendance Abstract The aim of the dissertation is to monitor the development of the initial reading literacy of early readers, i.e., children who have learned to read with the comprehension before beginning of their school attendance. The aim of the research was to find answers to the questions how and when these children learned to read and how their initial reading literacy and motivation to read developed during the first year of primary school. Subsequently, the subject of the research was the verification of the connection between early reading and intellectual giftedness and family background. The theoretical part is devoted to current trends in primary school, the basic principles of primary education are described with emphasis on personal and constructivist conception of teaching, focusing on the topics of pupil assessment and inclusive education, including the education of gifted and exceptionally gifted students. The term reading literacy is defined, the stages of its development are distinguished and questions concerning reading are discussed, including the results of research on early reading in the Czech and foreign contexts. The chapter devoted to giftedness defines the term of giftedness and its...

This thesis concerns with the prevention of specific learning disabillities of children during their start of schooling, using the predictive test battery. The paper's goal is to focus on prediction signals of specific learning disorders and their timely prevention. Conclusion of our thesis is an up-to-date knowledge about preschool phase, school maturity and preparedness of children, knowledge about sub-function deficits, specific learning disabillities, its manifestation and posibilities of timely prevention. Research part's focus point is practical testing and evaluation of sub-functions with the help of diagnostic material named:"learning and writing disability hazards test for preschoolers." Test is undertaken by a group of six children in their mandatory preschool education year and is followed by intervention targeted at discovered areas with defecits. This group is filled in with case studies. After 6 months of intervention, during which the students started attending primary school, a post-test is performed to evaluate achieved results and compare them with a control group consisting of randomly chosen pupils attending first year of primary school as well. By combining theoretical and practical knowledge, we can define risk factors that allow us to predict specific learning disabilities...

This study uses the competing Burton Clark's "Cooling Out Theory" and Daniel Bell's "Theory of the Postindustrial Economy" to examine the function that for-profit colleges and universities (FPCUs) play in American higher education and how it is different from non-profit traditional colleges and universities (TCUs). This was done through three sections of analysis. The first examined if students who enroll at these FPCUs are less academically prepared than those attending non-profit traditional colleges or universities. The second tested if academic preparedness is associated with postsecondary performance at FPCUs to the same degree it is at TCUs. The final section of analysis looked at FPCU graduates to see if they have different short-term job outcomes when compared to traditional college graduates. This research utilizes The Beginning Postsecondary Survey 2009- a restricted-use longitudinal data set produced by the National Center for Education Statistics that followed 16,700 first-time college enrollees from 2003 until 2009. This data set includes information on student demographics, academic performance, enrollment history, and job outcomes. The results of this study indicated that when compared to traditional college students, FPCU students are less likely to be academically prepared for college and are more frequently characterized by risk factors that previous research has shown makes it less likely they will complete their degree. This research also found that unlike TCUs, high school academic performance is not associated with post-secondary performance or likelihood of degree attainment at FPCUs. Finally, it was observed that FPCU graduates were less likely to have jobs related to their degree and earned less income than TCU graduates, but had about the same degree of job satisfaction.

This investigation on teacher induction documents case studies of three beginning teachers in one target Woreda in Amhara Regional State of Ethiopia. It is organized into six chapters. In Ethiopia, the implementation of the teacher induction programme began in 2005 as part of a larger teacher education reform that is designed to promote the quality and effectiveness of teachers. Five years into the implementation process, it became essential to investigate how well the induction practices are organized and implemented, how beginning teachers were being integrated into the system, and whether the whole process has given beginning teachers better opportunities to learn in practice than by trial and error. The research design for the present investigation was the case study method. As teacher induction is a new venture in the Ethiopian education system, it was important to establish an in-depth understanding of this new phenomenon through case study than making generalizations. My literature readings convinced me about the use of the case study method to do an in-depth study of the situation. Interviews, observations and document analyses were the main tools used to collect the data needed in this research. The data suggests that the three case study teachers, with the support from their respective mentors, completed the formal aspects of the first year induction course as prescribed by the two first-year induction modules. The induction approach followed and applied the course module materials as is. However, in spite of following the prescriptions by the education authorities, variations were noticed in the quantity and quality of professional development activities, action research projects, classroom observations and reflections offered to and completed by the three beginning teachers. Furthermore, the changes observed as a result of the induction programme also varied largely due to personal and situational factors. On the whole, even though the induction guidelines set by the Ethiopian Ministry of Education contain most of the fundamental components of what the literature would consider to be effective for the induction programmes, its implementation in this context was constrained by the lack of some key elements and resources viz. the limited capacity of the mentors, absence of allocated time for induction and mentoring activities in the school programme, lack of subject-specific support in the schools and ineffective monitoring and evaluation of the entire programme, both in school and at the district levels. The present investigation offers policy makers a window into the practices and possible consequences of the induction programme in Ethiopia and presents possibilities for making informed decisions about how to assist practitioners to establish a successful induction programme for beginning teachers. Furthermore, the study offers an empirical test of the theoretical models suggested for setting up effective induction programmes for beginning teachers. The major conclusion that arises is that it is not so much whether the formal aspects of an induction programme are in place or not but more how the on-going support for and interpretations by all the role players that determines the success or otherwise of the programme. It is suggested that more research be done on the conditions that are necessary for the success of beginning teacher induction programme in different contexts in the country. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / D. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)

This dissertation deals with a theological-ethical evaluation of the Termination of Pregnancy Act of 1996 on the area of abortion on demand. It aims at empowering women and also solving the problem of backstreet abortion. Chapter one gives a brief introduction to the Termination of Pregnancy Act of 1996. Chapter two gives a historical background of abortion and the factors tbat eventually led to the Termination of Pregnancy Act of 1996. Chapter three focuses mainly on the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church on abortion. Issues relating to the value of human life are discussed in this chapter. Is~~es relating to the Termination of Pregnancy Act of 1996 and their theologicalethical in.Jplications are discussed in this chapter, i.e. chapter four. Empowering of women, sex education, instilling good moral values to the youth and also changing the pastoral attitude of churches towards sexuality can help to alleviate the problem of unwanted pregnancy. / Philosophy, Practical & Systematic Theology / M. Th. (Theological Ethics)

Thesis "Beginning teacher - analysis of his personality, work and the most common problems in his work" deals with the personality of a beginning teacher, mentions the most common problems in his work and tries to find ideas for improving the situation. As the same times in analyses the selected components of his personality, which usually participates the lack of attention, especially in preparing future teachers, and which usually not mentioned in proper context. It focuses primary on the professional competence of teachers in relation to the student's core competencies as well as in other contexts. It also discusses the role of novice teachers in the context of the transformation of the Czech education system and also in the context of the Lisbon process. Analyses of key documents are included too. Great attention is paid to think about the different problematic areas concerning the work of novices teachers. In this context, the author focuses on the matter of authority and educational styles. It is based not only on the special literature but also on the sound, which took the form of numerous interview, surveys, questionnaires and observation. In conclusion, there are suggested recommendations of improving the situation of beginning teachers with regard to the analysis of the current academic...