abstract: This action research study examined the influence of teacher educator collaboration using portfolios. The participants in this study were teacher educators in a university. The study was designed to combat the limited ways in which teacher educators receive feedback on their teaching. Teacher educator collaboration using portfolios enabled teacher educators to engage in professional learning around the teacher educator pedagogy of rehearsal, receive feedback in multiple ways over one semester, and utilize the feedback to make changes in their instruction. Because the process was cyclical, the measures enabled them to set goals, apply new learning, and engage in continual reflection and growth. A qualitative methods study was employed to investigate: (a) how teacher educators engaged in the collaborative portfolio process, (b) ways in which they found value in the process, and (c) ways in which they made changes to their teaching as a result of the feedback. Data were collected through pre-and post-intervention interviews, observations, and peer triad feedback forms. The study design aligned with two theoretical frameworks: situated learning theory and adult learning theory. Participants filmed themselves teaching twice, administered two teacher candidate feedback surveys, collaborated with their peers to examine their teaching together, and applied the feedback they received in order to strengthen their teaching. Throughout the study and at the conclusion, teacher educators used feedback from their students and peers to reflect on their own practices as teacher educators. The results of this study indicated that the participants found value in the pedagogy of rehearsal, watching their peers teach, and receiving feedback from both their peers and students. The data also showed that the teacher educators made changes to their instruction. Lastly, the participants valued the time to collaborate with peers. Future research should include making modifications to the current collaborative portfolio process to involve evidence of teacher candidate learning, allowing teacher educators to investigate how their practices influence teacher candidate learning. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Educational Leadership and Policy Studies 2017

abstract: The purpose of this study is to examine and explore Hatha Yoga and how it relates to a practice consisting of singer-friendly yoga postures, how these postures may benefit the singer's mental and physical health, and how these techniques relate to designated research. The study also investigates yogic breathing techniques and how these exercises relate to selected research. Lastly, the paper examines how the voice student and professional singer may alleviate anxiety by introducing a practice of daily yogic mediation of mudra and mantra techniques, and how voice teachers may better understand and assist their students with stage performance anxiety. / Dissertation/Thesis / Yoga Poses / D.M.A. Music 2014

The current knowledge-based economy demands a workforce equipped with the skills to advance innovation through entrepreneurial strategies (Powell & Snellman, 2004). Currently, Extension educators contribute to social and economic development in the sectors of agriculture, natural resource, consumer education, and youth development. Extension educators provide community members with the knowledge and skills needed to obtain a higher quality of life. The strategies of entrepreneurial leadership are relevant to the contemporary work of Extension educators and would provide the opportunity to increase Cooperative Extension’s program planning and implementation success. For the purpose of this study entrepreneurial leadership proclivity is measured through two constructs, innovation and entrepreneurial strategy, in those identified as Cooperative Extension Educators throughout Arizona. The data collected in this study illustrated the lack of entrepreneurial leadership in Extension educators in Arizona, as well as recommends educational possibilities to increase the presence of entrepreneurial leadership.

This thesis investigates the effects of clinical facilitator nurses on medical wards in hospitals. These staff are the current culmination of recent attempts to situate nurse education in the field of clinical practice rather than merely the lecture room. Therefore, the work sets out to gain an understanding of the clinical and educational needs perceived by policy makers; the methods chosen by local managers to fulfil these needs; and the practical manifestation of these initiatives at the bedside. The thesis commences with a literature review consisting of historical context studies and a focused analysis of recent research literature. The context studies are of adult and nurse education. The review of clinical facilitator literature uses search criteria to identify and critically analyse previous research related to similar roles in the United Kingdom. The researcher uses a modified grounded theory approach as a methodological framework for collection and use of data. The data is obtained primarily by field observations; semi-structured interviews with practising clinical facilitators; and from questionnaires completed by nursing students. In addition to this generated data, information harvested from official and academic sources is used to produce theory. The discussion chapter explores the contestation that the themes generated indicate that the introduction of educationally focussed staff, into the area dominated by clinical need, is both problematic and essential. Problematic, as conflicts of role and leadership create misunderstanding and hardship for educators and clinicians. Essential, because in acute wards, where nursing skill is literally a matter of life or death for patients, a large proportion of nursing staff are in need of focussed educational support. The study proposes a model of managerial support for the introduction of educationally focused nurses in the clinical area which enables these clinical facilitators to operate in a valued and protected position.

Magister Educationis - MEd / This study investigated how workplace educator development programmes prepare workplace educators for their roles and responsibilities in facilitating learning in the workplace. Framed by the literature, the research shows that workplace educators’ qualifications prepare them for facilitating learning in the workplace. The most important findings show that their qualifications have prepared them for their roles and responsibilities in facilitating transformative learning within the workplace. Furthermore, the findings show that their qualifications, roles and responsibilities in facilitating learning in the workplace also impacted on workplace educators’ own thinking, prompting them to question their own values and beliefs. This perspective transformation allows for workplace educators better facilitating transformative learning in the workplace.

To ensure the professionalism of the teaching force, it is vital that the growing gap between the knowledge educators acquired during their years of training and emerging knowledge about teaching and education during their teaching careers be closed. The continuous professional development (CPD) of educators is a much-debated issue, the general consensus being that it is imperative that educators themselves become directly involved in their own CPD. School leadership should therefore establish what educators find meaningful and invest in CPD programmes that respond to their needs. Educator development is considered as productive when the educators are involved in planning, decision-making, implementation and evaluation around the CPD programmes offered to them. As an office-based educator responsible for educator development and training, educators‟ perceived lack of interest in their own CPD prompted me to investigate how their professional confidence could be boosted through improved involvement in their own CPD. The research question that underpinned this study was: What are the perceptions of educators in the Uitenhage area of their involvements in their own CPD and how to find a strategy to enhance their professional confidence through such involvement? This study adopted the interpretive research paradigm, as the aim was to understand how educators understood their involvement in their own CPD. The qualitative research methods employed, allowed me to share the experiences of my participants. The research sample consisted of Integrated Quality Management Systems (IQMS) coordinators, as members of the school development team (SDT) responsible for educator development, from twelve primary schools in the Uitenhage District. In Phase 1 of the study, data were collected through questionnaires as well as individual and group interviews. Phase 2 consisted of a workshop for the participants, focusing on the key issues identified from the completed questionnaires and interviews. From the data analysis, five themes emerged, namely the contribution by the school, school management team (SMT), Department of Education (DoE) in the educators‟ CPD; the role of the individual educator in his/her own CPD; the factors influencing the effective implementation of educators‟ CPD; the skills and competencies that educators need to acquire through CPD; and the role of the IQMS process in the CPD of educators. Based on the research findings, a strategy was designed to guide educators to increase their professional confidence through improved involvement in their own CPD. Specific recommendations were formulated, such as that adequate time should be allocated for the CPD of educators; school leadership should make a concerted effort to motivate educators to become involved in CPD programmes; and educators should be encouraged to learn collaboratively through their involvement in communities of learning. The conclusions from this research are that educators should be life-long learners, actively involved in their own CPD and that schools, SMTs and the DoE should assist them by providing the necessary support, resources and guidance through enabling conditions conducive to a culture of learning.

D.Cur. / The focus of this study was the mentoring of newly appointed nurse educators in nursing education institutions (NEIs) in South Africa. The mandate of higher education institutions changed due to the transformation of higher education in South Africa. The need for recruiting and retaining nurse educators to meet the demands of teaching and learning became evident. It is important that newly appointed nurse educators (NANEs) be mentored in order to meet higher education demands. The researcher identified the need to develop a model for mentoring newly appointed nurse educators in nursing education institutions in South Africa. The applicable research questions were: What are the mentoring needs of NANEs in NEIs in South Africa? How can the mentoring needs of NANEs in NEIs in South Africa be met? What model could be developed to mentor NANEs in NEIs in South Africa? What guidelines could be formulated for the model to mentor NANEs in NEIs in South Africa? The aim of the study was to develop a model for mentoring NANEs in NEIs in South Africa. The objectives of the study were to: determine and describe the mentoring needs of NANEs in NEIs in South Africa, identify and conceptualise a framework for how the mentoring needs of NANEs in NEIs in South Africa can be met and describe a mentoring model for NANEs in NEIs in South Africa. The design of the study was quantitative, qualitative, descriptive and theory-generating (Walker & Avant, 1995:136). The study was conducted in four phases. A quantitative, qualitative, descriptive and theory-generating research design was conducted using questionnaires, literature triangulation, inductive and deductive strategies (Mouton, 1989:21). Quantitative data was analysed using the statistical package of social sciences (SPSS) and descriptive statistics. An exploratory factor analysis was conducted on data from the empirical phase to identify and analyse central concepts for model development (Burns & Grove, 2001:242). The population of study was newly appointed nurse educators in nursing education institutions in South Africa. Probability and non-probability sampling approaches were used with multi-stage cluster and purposive sampling methods (Burns & Grove, 2001:242). The conceptual framework for the model was based on purpose, context, role-players and their roles in mentoring. The results of the study indicated that 90 (67%) of the participants did not function according to their key performance areas. The participants specified competency development needs. The study confirmed the need for the mentoring model. The assumptions for the model were based on the multi-dimensional, multi-layered (macro, meso and micro), highly interactive and complex (external and internal environment) context. The agent in the study referred to the mentor and a mentee (stakeholders), who are holistic beings functioning at a bio-psycho-social and cultural level. Mentoring is an interactive participative, purposeful dynamic process of relationship-building, development, engagement and reflection. The outcome of mentoring is to empower and build capacity and competency. A critical self-reflective questionnaire was designed and utilised to evaluate the model for its clarity, simplicity, generality, accessibility and importance. The model was presented from the first to the third phase at different international and national conferences and the two promoters, who are experts in management, teaching and ethics in higher education, gave direction to the researcher and added value to the quality of the study. The researcher recommends that a mentoring programme be developed to mentor NANEs in HEIs. The model can be used to improve practice by developing mentoring programmes for use in clinical, management, education and nursing research.

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree MASTER OF EDUCATION in the Department of Educational Psychology and Special Education of the UNIVERSITY OF ZULULAND, 2007. / This study investigated educators' perception of bullying in schools. Literature on bullying, were reviewed. The sample consisted of 200 educators. The descriptive method of research was used to collect data with regard to educators' perceptions of bullying. An empirical survey comprising a structured questionnaire was completed by educators in the Umbumbulu Circuit of the Umlazi District in the Ethekwini Region of Kwazulu Natal. The data that was collected reflected the perceptions of the target group of educators: ~ Bullying should not be tolerated at school. ~ Respect for human dignity should prevail among all learners at school. ~ The school should be a place that promotes a safe environment. ~ Every learner's unique personality and value should be respected. ~ Support programmes should be provided for learners that bully and victims of bullying. ~ A Provincial bullying policy will ensure uniform address on this escalating violence in schools. The research revealed that bullying can occur in any group of learners whatever age or size of the members and that about two thirds of the learners have been/are bullied during their schooling years. There are many forms of bullying. The spectrum varies from relatively harmless teasing and extends to serious assault or harassment. Verbal and psychological bullying can be just as harmful and hurtful as physical violence. Sexual and racial harassment are particularly serious forms of bullying. It becomes clear from the research that there is no simple solution to bullying. It is a complex and variable problem so each school must develop its own policy. Of course this would be easier if there was a national climate of concern similar to that in Norway. Bullying has been ignored for too long. Individuals are powerless before its insidiousness but schools can adopt collective remedies which will not only help the victims but also strengthen the relationship between parents, educators and learners. The perceptions of educators' cast an illuminating light on an appalling problem that is prevalent at schools.

The claim by the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (SADTU) that it is investing more of its resources in teacher professional development than in supporting collective bargaining has led to this research. SADTU is the biggest teacher union with more than 230 000 members in South Africa (SA) and is more often than not using strikes and other forms of industrial action to put pressure on the Department of Basic Education to address its demands as a union. It even joins industrial action called by COSATU which has no relation to education matters. The aforementioned statement by SADTU is captured in Nxesi (2005) and SADTU (2002) However, the public media disagrees with what SADTU claims to be doing when it vowed to halt teaching and turn every court case involving its members into a holiday despite the crisis the strike has caused for school children ( Mashaba, et al: 2007: 11). Internationally teachers’ unions like the Israeli Teachers’ Union (ICT), National Education Association (NEA), Nova Scotia Teachers’ Union (NSTU), Botswana Teachers’ Union (BTU), Florida Education Association (FEA) and the New South Wales Teachers’ Federation (NSWTF) have already started with teacher professional development programmes and initiatives in their respective countries and this is captured in NEA (2006), BTU (2005), FEA (2010), NSWTF (2010). SADTU’s initiatives are in line with international trends. The need for SADTU members to be accorded teacher professional development is given more emphasis in that SADTU has established The Curtis Nkondo Teacher Professional Institute. This institute aims to address the challenges of poorly skilled educators in South Africa particularly SADTU members, and is emphasised in SADTU (2013). SADTU’s initiatives are in line with the Continuing Professional Teacher Development (CPTD) initiative which is a performance standard in the Integrated Quality Management System (IQMS) which is emphasized in Department of Education (2006). The finding of this research indicates that SADTU is involved in its members’ professional development. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / gm2014 / Education Management and Policy Studies / unrestricted

Many Schools of Nursing’s Deans and Directors throughout the nation find themselves hiring novice nurse educators for a wide variety of reason such as expansion of their nursing programs, retirement of nursing faculty, and presentation of other opportunities for experienced nursing faculty. Deans and Directors for Schools of Nursing in Tennessee are faced with the same challenge. As a result, the Tennessee Deans and Directors for Schools of Nursing have made a commitment to help novice nurse educators, in particular, to be successful in their new role. These Deans and Directors know the specific needs of novice nurse educators they are hiring and essential topics that these nurse educators must become familiar with in order to be successful. In 2017, the Deans and Directors for Schools of Nursing in Tennessee developed the Tennessee Nurse Educator Institute. In its third year, the Tennessee Nurse Educator Institute is offered annually before the start of the academic school year. The purpose is “to provide knowledge and skills for the novice nurse educator and a refresher for more experienced faculty.” Initially, it began as a two-day activity but since has been expanded to three days. Topics include valuable information for the novice nurse educator such as writing test items and analysis; a perspective on surviving the first year as a novice nurse educator; designing a curriculum; engaging students in the 21st century; the importance of the RN-NCLEX blueprint; the basics of clinical teaching; teaching with simulation; evaluation methods for didactic and clinical courses; developing a syllabus; and the importance of program evaluation. Since the launch of the Tennessee Nurse Educator Institute, the total number of nurse educators attending the institute is 195. At the end of the three-day educational activity, nurse educators complete an evaluation to ensure the institute is its goals. In addition, participants are asked for input on what they felt helped them the most, the strengths and weaknesses of the program, and future topics to include. Responses from the evaluations have been overwhelmingly positive. Participants completing the survey was n = 133. Results of the evaluations from the three years showed the following: 98% (131/133) of the participants strongly agreed or agreed that the purpose of the conference was met, the information received will help them be more effective in their position, and they could use the information they learned right away; and 97% (129/133) of the participants strongly agreed or agreed the conference met their expectations. No barriers or obstacles have been encountered in achieving the program’s goal. The Tennessee Deans and Directors for Schools of Nursing plan to continue with the institute every year to help meet the needs of novice and more experienced nurse educators. When nurse educators are given the proper tools to be successful, nursing education is ultimately advanced with outcomes consonant with excellence. The goal is to make sure that nursing educators are using evidence-based practice when teaching future nurses.