This study aimed at investigating the relationship between English instructors&rsquo / negotiation strategies to handle conflicts in the FLE classroom and personality traits. Two scales which consist of a demographic inventory, two questionnaires and a semi structured interview were developed by the researcher. The first scale consists of &ldquo / Rahim Organizational Conflict Inventory II (ROCI II)&rdquo / and &ldquo / Eyesenck Personality Inventory (EPI). The results of these questionnaires were analyzed by SPSS 15.0. This data gathering instrument was implemented on 120 English instructors working at METU, TOBB ETU, &Ccedil / ankaya University, Atilim University, and Trakya University. Data gathered from 30 English instructors from the same universities were used for the piloting of the study. The data gathered from 120 English instructors in English Preparatory Schools represented the results of the main study. In analyzing the data, descriptive statistics as frequency, percent, average, and standard deviation, and inferential statistics as ANOVA was used. As the second scale of the current study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 English instructors employed at these universities. The results of the interviews were analyzed through content analysis. The results of the study revealed that there is a relationship between English instructors&rsquo / use of negotiation strategies and their gender, age, educational background, work experience and the personality traits of introversion-extroversion.

No description available.

The present society is more and more characterized of hypoactivity, that is associated with all negative impacts. In my dissertation I have applied my mind to a population of women from 35 to 50 years. A theoretical part of the dissertation engages in bio-psycho-social development of a study group, regard to an adequate movement activity and their relevances for health. In the practical part of this dissertation, there are described in detail methods of walking on Alpitrack and balance exercises Bosu. It could conduce to an improvement of physical and psychological condition in the study group. It was taken biometric measurements with measuring of psysiological functions, for a verification of the positive influence of these exercises on cardiovascular and postural produktivity of individuals. It was made an analysis with a method of questionnaire survey concurrently. The analysis of the possible improvement of psychological condition owing to an adequate movement activity. The result is better physical condition in monitoring parameters as percent of grease and muscle mass. Via questionnaire method of Válková (2000) was proved the enhancement in psychic and social area too. The result of this analysis should be a proven study of the importance to a movement aktivity for health of women and manual for instructors.

Background: An inactive lifestyle is a problem in today’s society, a problem that can contribute to negative health effects. Group fitness instructors have the possibility to affect the participants’ attitudes towards physical activity. This study therefor aims to examine how and why group fitness instructors choose to convey instructions and feedback, and which other factors are perceived as motivating for continued physical activity. Method: The study was conducted in the form of semi-structured interviews with ten participants from different fitness centers situated in the middle region of Sweden. The interviews were recorded, transcribed and thereafter analyzed by the interpretative phenomenological analysis methods. Results: Instructions were communicated mainly verbally or in a combination of verbally and visually. The majority were aware that learning is individual and that different techniques therefor should be used to create an understanding for the execution of an exercise. Feedback was communicated frequently and the majority meant that it should be adapted to the needs of each participant. Positive feedback was mainly used to inspire participants to additional performance, while constructive feedback mainly was used to correct improper execution. Other motivating factors that appeared to be important was to create an environment that help every participant to reach the goals of each session by act inspiring, create a holistic perspective and to involve the participants in their own development. Social interaction appeared to be an important factor, which was created by relationships. New finds consist of the discovery the majority of the instructors, after having given repeated constructive feedback to a participant on an exercise, would allow an incorrect execution to pass instead of solving the problem. Conclusion: The group fitness instructors seem to create a motivating environment, as is indicated by various factors. Recurring participants suggests that they experience the exercise as positive and that they are motivated to continue performing the physical activity in question. The group fitness instructors try to individualize their instructions and feedback, to get through to each individual. Furthermore they try to show alternative exercises, to give each participant the possibility of choosing a suitable level and thereby take part in their own development. The social interaction appeared to be an important factor in making participants return. The behavior of the group fitness instructors indicate that they are striving to create an environment that inspires continued physical activity. / Bakgrund: En inaktiv fritid är i dagsläget ett samhällsproblem som kan bidra till hälsohämmande effekter. Som gruppträningsinstruktör finns möjlighet att påverka deltagarnas inställning till fysisk aktivitet. Studiens syfte var därmed att studera hur och varför gruppträningsinstruktörer väljer att förmedla instruktion och feedback samt vilka övriga faktorer som de upplever är betydelsefulla för att öka deltagarnas motivation till fysisk aktivitet. Metod: Studien genomfördes i form av semi-strukturerade intervjuer med tio stycken deltagare tillhörande olika gymkedjor i Mellansverige. Intervjuerna spelades in, transkriberades och analyserades genom den tolkande fenomenologiska analysmetoden. Resultat: Instruktioner förmedlades främst verbalt eller kombinerat verbalt/visuellt. Majoriteten var medvetna om att lärande är individuellt och därför användes olika tekniker för att skapa förståelse för utförandet. Feedback förmedlades frekvent och majoriteten ansåg att den bör anpassas efter individens behov. Positiv feedback användes främst för att inspirera deltagarna till ytterligare prestation medan konstruktiv feedback främst användes i syfte att korrigera ett tekniskt felaktigt utförande. Övriga motiverande faktorer som framstod betydelsefulla var att skapa förutsättningar för att uppnå gruppträningspassets målsättning genom att inspirera, skapa ett holistiskt perspektiv samt involvera deltagaren i sin egen utveckling. Socialt samspel skapades genom relationer och trygghet vilket ansågs vara en viktig faktor. Nya fynd är att när en deltagare tillägnats konstruktiv feedback upprepade gånger angående samma utförande menar flertal att de låter ett felaktigt utförande passera istället för att lösa problemet. Slutsats: Gruppträningsinstruktörerna tycks skapa en motiverande miljö vilket påvisas genom flera faktorer. Återkommande deltagare tyder på att de upplever gruppträningen positivt och är motiverade till att utföra den formen av fysisk aktivitet. Alla gruppträningsinstruktörer försöker individanpassa deras instruktioner och feedback för att nå ut till enskild individ. Dessutom försöker gruppträningsinstruktörerna visa alternativövningar för att varje enskild deltagare skall ha möjlighet att hitta lämplig nivå och vara delaktig i sin egen utveckling. Det sociala samspelet framstod som en viktig faktor som tycks vara en anledning att deltagarna återkommer på gruppträningspassen. Gruppträningsinstruktörernas upplevda agerande indikerar på att de strävar efter att skapa en motiverande miljö för fortsatt fysisk aktivitet.

Esta dissertação tem o intuito de contribuir para a discussão a respeito da formação continuada presencial e online de profissionais jovens e adultos que trabalham como agentes de inclusão digital, em telecentros públicos de acesso à internet, e contribuir para a formulação de melhores práticas. Para tanto, foi realizada uma investigação do Projeto de Formação Continuada do Programa de Inclusão Digital AcessaSP, que reúne atualmente um mil cento e setenta e dois monitores espalhados por todo o Estado de São Paulo, com o objetivo de analisar os impactos da formação continuada na qualificação desses profissionais e estabelecer uma relação entre a proposta de formação continuada do Programa e uma teoria de aprendizagem da educação de adultos. Este trabalho se propôs a responder à seguinte questão: Em que sentido a formação continuada oferecida aos monitores dos postos do Programa de Inclusão Digital AcessaSP contribui para a qualificação desses profissionais garantindo uma aprendizagem efetiva das ações que fazem parte da sua atividade? Por reconhecermos que o objeto em estudo faz parte de um contexto particular, esta pesquisa se caracteriza como um estudo de caso, conforme descrição de Ludke e André (1986), e utilizou uma metodologia híbrida, por envolver aspectos quantitativos e qualitativos. Como fontes de informação, utilizamos dois tipos de questionários: com questões fechadas e alternativas pré-determinadas, realizado para todo o grupo de monitores do Programa, e com questões abertas, respondido por um grupo selecionado de acordo com critérios estabelecidos, de forma a nos levar a obter indícios de resposta ao problema. Os conceitos de andragogia e de heutagogia, como perspectivas atuais da educação de adultos, contribuíram para a definição do principal referencial teórico deste trabalho, complementados pelo mapeamento das discussões de vários autores acerca da formação de adultos. / This thesis intends to contribute to the discussion related to classroom and online continuing education of young and adult professionals who work as agents of digital inclusion in public internet access centers, and to contribute to the formulation of best practices. As such, an examination of the Continuing Education Project of AcessaSP Digital Inclusion Program, which includes one thousand, one hundred and seventy two instructors scattered across the State of São Paulo, was held with the objective of analyzing the impacts of continuing education in the qualification of these professionals and establishing a connection between the Programs continuing education proposal and a theory on adult learning. This paper aims to answer the following question: In what sense the continuing education offered to the instructors of AcessaSP digital inclusion program contributes to the qualification of these professionals and ensures an effective learning of actions that are part of this activity? By acknowledging that the object under study is part of a particular context, this research is characterized as a case study, according to the description of Ludke and André (1986), and has used a hybrid methodology, as it involves quantitative and qualitative aspects. As sources of information, two types of questionnaires were used, one with closed and multiple choice questions given to the entire group of Program instructors, and one with open questions given to a selected group according to determined criteria, leading us to gather answers to the proposed problem. The concepts of andragogy and heutagogy, as current perspectives on adult learning, contributed in defining the main theoretical reference for this thesis, complemented by mapping the discussions of various authors on adult education.

Instructors' use of e-learning systems in higher education institutions is a central concern of researchers, academicians, and practitioners. Higher education institutions are investing substantial resources to incorporate and maintain the infrastructure of e-learning systems; however, instructors' use of e-learning systems in two-year colleges is relatively limited. In this context, the goal of this study was to investigate the factors that may affect instructors' intention to use e-learning systems in two-year colleges. Based on literature review on technology acceptance, this study proposed a theoretical model predicting instructors' intention to use e-learning systems in two-year colleges based on their resistance to change, perceived value of e-learning systems, computer self-efficacy (CSE), and attitude toward e-learning systems. Consequently, this study investigated the effect of four independent variables on the dependent variable, intention to use e-learning systems. A Web-based survey was designed to empirically assess the effect of aforementioned constructs on instructors' intention to use e-learning systems in two-year colleges. The Web-based survey was developed as a multi-item measure using Likert-type scales. Existing validated scales were used to develop the Web-based survey. The target population of this study was instructors of public and private two-year colleges. The sample for this study was 119 (over 41% response rate) full-time, part-time, and adjunct instructors in different academic departments at a two-year college. Two statistical methods were used to formulate and test predictive models: Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) and Ordinal Logistic Regression (OLR). Both MLR and OLR results showed that the theoretical model was able to predict instructors' intention to use e-learning systems. All four independent variables have significant effects on the dependent variable. Results of both analyses were consistent on resistance to change as having the greatest weight on predicting instructors' intention to use e-learning systems, while CSE in both analyses was found to have the least weight. This study contributes to the body of knowledge by providing empirical results for the key constructs that affect two-year college instructors' intention to use e-learning systems. Results of this research may also help IT practitioners to concentrate their efforts on ways to address resistance to change as it was found to be the most significant factor affecting e-learning accepted by two-year college instructors.

This study explores the impact of "teacher thinking" exercises in the Composition Practicum as a means of instilling a clearer sense of professional development in graduate instructors. Teacher thinking is a teacher training method that asks the novice instructor to see from the perspective of learners within their writing classrooms. Scholarship on writing teacher preparation programs suggests that English educators regularly employ teacher thinking exercises in the training of secondary school teachers. Teacher thinking has allowed many English education majors to conceptualize and obtain teaching identities by helping them to envision the intricate layers of teaching earlier in their careers. But can teacher thinking exercises have the same effect on graduate instructors in the Composition Practicum? Using the two main writing teacher preparation courses at Brigham Young University (BYU) for graduate instructors and English education majors, English 610 and English 423, I analyze the evidence of teacher thinking in each program and address the possible implications these findings could hold for the Composition Practicum course. Through my comparison of these courses, I determine if conversations between English educators and the Composition Practicum could be beneficial in helping graduate instructors to grow professionally as teachers as they learn to think like teachers in the Composition Practicum. I examine, analyze, and compare syllabi, surveys, and interview response from graduate instructors, English education majors, and the teachers of both courses to identify the types of teaching thinking students are exposed to in each course. Structuring my discussion around the teacher thinking theories of teacher educators, Forrest Parkay and Beverly Stanford, George Hillocks, and Alicia Crowe and Amanda Berry, I identify three types of knowledge that graduate instructors and English education majors gained or lacked in each program. These three types of knowledge are knowledge of self, knowledge of students, and knowledge of educational theory. Through this discussion, I explore what it means to think like a composition teacher and how learning to "teacher think" may help graduate instructors, nationally, to understand what it means to "simply be a composition teacher".

No description available.

In developing countries like Ethiopia, education is considered to be a means of development and a stepping stone toward the eradication of poverty. Effective education requires effective teaching, learning and assessment strategies, which, in turn, necessitate the use of effective pedagogical and psychological approaches to meet the demands of a new generation of learners. Effective education becomes possible when learners are properly assessed and empowered via various appropriate assessment techniques. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to investigate how instructors’ assessment practices at a university in Ethiopia influence/enhance student empowerment. In order to achieve this aim, I used a convergent parallel/triangulation mixed-method research design, which allowed me to collect both quantitative and qualitative data simultaneously. Instructors and students from the six colleges of Debre Markos University were the participants of the study. I employed questionnaires and interviews as a data-collection instrument. From a total of 5944 students and 450 instructors, 600 students and 210 instructors were selected, via probability sampling techniques, to complete questionnaires. Six department heads and six instructors were chosen, via non-probability sampling techniques, for the interviews. Before collecting the main data, a pilot study was conducted. The quantitative data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Moreover, the qualitative data were analysed according to themes and word descriptions. The results of the study indicate significant variations between the perceptions of students and those of instructors, across different colleges, with regard to the practice of assessment. In addition, instructors’ teaching experience, training backgrounds, and levels of education were found to influence their assessment practice to some extent. The qualitative data indicate that students face various problems in the assessment process. Most instructors are very much dependent upon written assessment methods. Moreover, instructors face challenges (such as large class sizes, time shortages, high workloads, poor student-achievement levels, insufficient resources, lack of awareness of different assessment methods, lack of commitment, and negative belief) in the attempts to employ different assessment methods. Finally, the study revealed that empowering students in their study areas is simply untenable if instructors continue to utilise their current assessment practices. Therefore, this study contributes to a large body of literature that acknowledges the contribution of effective assessment in empowerment of students in a more effective and educationally responsive manner. At the end, the study presents important information to decision makers who create policies related to assessment in higher learning institutions. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / D. Ed. (Didactics and Curriculum Studies)

Thesis (M Social Work)--Stellenbosch University, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This research investigates education strategies for field instructors working with undergraduate social work students. Social work students at the University of Stellenbosch receive practical experience and education at welfare institutions as part of their formal education. During this practice education period students are guided and educated by field instructors. Practice education of undergraduate social work students is a demanding responsibility to field instructors and knowledge and skills are required to complete the task successfully. During the practice education period, field instructors are still confronted with their own work pressure and environmental demands in practice, along with the practice education of undergraduate social work students. The basic premise for this research is focused on the importance of the role of field instructors during the field practice period, as well as the importance of continuous education to these field instructors. This research report includes 'n thorough literature study that refers to the knowledge and skills that are required of field instructors for practice eduaction of students. The partnership between the educational institution and practice education agency are discussed and the roles, tasks and expectations of the partners are described in the chapters. Both parties are responsible for the education of field instructors and several educational strategies are examined. As a conclusion, educational strategies for field instructors are discussed and recommendations are made. The empirical research involved the use of both qualitative and quantitative methods to explore the theoretical part of the research. An explorary study was used to obtain the information from respondants. The findings and results of the research are analized and compared with the literature and some recommendations are made. The findings of this research can be used as guidelines for the education of field instructors concerned with the education of undergraduate social work students. Field instructors contribute to the education of professional social workers and all parties involved in the education process should bare a responsibilty to participate in field instructors' education. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie navorsing ondersoek opleidingsstrategieë vir praktykopleiers van voorgraadse maatskaplikewerk-studente. Maatskaplikewerk-studente aan die Universiteit van Stellenbosch word as deel van hul formele opleiding blootgestel aan praktiese ondervinding en -onderrig by welsynsinstansies. Gedurende hierdie praktykonderrigplasing ontvang studente leiding en onderrig van praktykopleiers. Praktykonderrig van voorgraadse maatskaplikewerk-studente stel hoë eise aan praktykopleiers en verg kennis en vaardighede om die taak suksesvol uit te voer. Tydens die praktykonderrigperiode word praktykopleiers steeds gekonfronteer met die eise van die werks- en omgewingsdruk in die praktyk, tesame met die praktykonderrig van voorgraadse maatskaplikewerk-studente. Hierdie navorsing is gerig op die noodsaaklikheid van praktykopleiers se rol tydens die praktykonderrigperiode van voorgraadse maatskaplikewerk-studente, sowel as die belangrikheid van voortgesette opleiding aan hierdie praktykopleiers. Ten einde opleidingsstrategieë vir praktykopleiers daar te stel, fokus die literatuurstudie op 'n bespreking van die kennis en vaardighede waaroor praktykopleiers moet beskik vir praktykonderrig aan studente. Die vennootskap tussen die opleidingsinstansie en praktykonderrigsinstansie word volledig bespreek en rolle, funksies en verwagtinge van die vennote word aangedui. Beide partye dra 'n verantwoordelikheid teenoor die opleiding van praktykopleiers en moontlike opleidingsmetodes word ondersoek. Ter samevatting word opleidingsstrategieë vir praktykopleiers bespreek en aanbevelings word gemaak. Die teoretiese deel van die verslag word uitgebrei in die empiriese ondersoek, deur 'n ontleding en bespreking van die resultate van die ondersoek. 'n Verkennende studie is benut en beide kwalitatiewe en kwantitatiewe metodes is gebruik om die inligting van respondente te bekom. Die bevindinge en resultate van die ondersoek is geanaliseer en vergelyk met die literatuur en sekere aanbevelings is gemaak. Die bevindinge van hierdie studie kan as riglyn gebruik word vir die opleiding van praktykopleiers wat betrokke is by die onderrig van voorgraadse maatskaplikewerk-studente. Praktykopleiers speel 'n belangrike rol in die opleiding en onderrig van professionele maatskaplike werkers en betrokke partye in die opleidingsproses dra 'n verantwoordelikheid om praktykopleiers toe te rus vir die taak.