There are more and more foreign investments getting into Mainland China. China has a very big market with 12 billion people. The economics grows very fast in China, and it gathers so much fortune. Many corporations in Taiwan are also stretching their business development into Mainland China because those business people do believe they have advantages than other foreign investments such as the similar identification of language, culture, and working values. However, those corporations do not hire many local employees as middle or higher-level managers while they are really doing business in China. Actually, they found that employees do have different working values and thoughts which make corporations have to adapt their human resource policies. This study tries to identify if the local employees in China have good management competency, which is qualified to be the middle-level managers. This study is also trying to find out what kind of training programs are capable to help managers get different management competencies. The results of the study indicate that¡G 1. Leading skills and professional working skills are the most important management competency for the local middle-level managers in China. 2. The personal characteristics will influence Taiwanese managers to identify management competency of local middle-level managers in China, such as the level of education, serving department, position-level and industry-type. 3. Training methods for each management competency are listed in the context. The results are practical and hopefully are useful for corporations to refer to. This study has identified the important management competency of local middle-level mangers in China. However, the samples of this study did not cover various types of industries and gather from every political district in China. The following research is recommended to have more samples from different industries and get more samples from different political districts in China in order to deeply analyze the management competency of local employees in China.

Increasingly virtual worlds are being used to provide new and varied learning opportunities by various educational organizations such as universities, K-12 schools, and museums (Dembo, 2008; Ketelhut, Nelson, Clarke, & Dede, 2010; The Forbidden City: Beyond Space and Time, 2008). Simultaneously teacher preparation programs are increasingly being offered online (Minsun & Yoon-Joo, 2009; Saltmarsh & Sutherland-Smith, 2010; Sawchuk, 2009; Schrum, Burbank, & Capps, 2007). However, these more traditional online asynchronous learning experiences are often more challenging in several ways: (a) they require greater self-regulation (Artino & Stephens, 2009; Bol & Garner, 2011), (b) they have been reported as sometimes less effective than face-toace learning (Hudson, 2006; C. L. Peterson & Bond, 2004; Saltmarsh & Sutherland-Smith, 2010; Zirkle, 2002); and (c) they have sometimes been perceived as less effective (E. I. Allen & Seaman, 2011; Huss, 2007). Given the potential of virtual worlds for teaching and learning, it was believed that the use of a virtual world for middle level teacher preparation might provide a solution to some of these reported challenges of online learning. The purpose of this study was to describe and examine the experiences of online middle level teacher candidates using a multi-user virtual environment (MUVE) for teacher preparation. Case study methodology was employed, using multiple data sources including interviews, surveys, observations, snapshots, course artifacts, and the primary researcher’s journal. All data were coded and reviewed iteratively to inductively deduce the nature of the participants’ experiences. The data indicate middle level teacher preparation in the MUVE was more supportive and engaging than traditional online-learning experience, and was useful for learning about middle level education. Though the participants found the experiences to be positive, distractions including personal and technical issues played a role. This study offers insights on the use and implementation of MUVEs in online middle level teacher preparation.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the perceptions of school staff as to the best practices utilized in successful middle schools. The researcher used the framework of This We Believe and the School To Watch application process to determine schools worthy of the study. Each school must have been designated three times or more as a School To Watch. Three schools were selected for the study that were each in three different school divisions and three different geographical regions in Virginia. The researcher went to each site to conduct interviews with participants. Fifteen interviews via focus groups were conducted with twenty-one participants. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and coded. The researcher analyzed interview data and determined there were three emerging concepts critical to the success of middle schools. Concepts that emerged from participants were: each school was developmentally responsive to the social and emotional needs of young adolescents, each school’s staff employed strong organizational leadership and structures to coordinate the school, and each school’s staff was purposeful in their creation of each school’s master schedule that allowed for purposeful planning. Practitioners may find the results of the study useful as many of the practices could be employed in other middle schools.

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This dissertation study compared the three most common pathways of traditional preparation for novice middle level teachers (elementary, middle level, and secondary) and attempted to answer the central question of which group felt best prepared for middle level teaching. Selected novice teachers from each of the three pathways were interviewed and asked to reflect on their preparation program. All participants were graduates of the same large, urban, public university. Data were collected using an interpretivism paradigm and analyzed using the constant comparative method. The state has recently redesigned its certification structure and teacher education institutions have redesigned their programs to reflect these changes. This study sought to discover if the restructuring resulted in greater feelings of preparedness among novice teachers. This study was exploratory, but initial findings indicate that there was very little difference in feelings of preparedness among the three pathways for teaching at the middle level with respect to program components and understanding of the needs of middle level adolescents. There was limited difference among the three pathways with respect to content preparation. This poses an interesting policy question: If the state’s intent in restructuring the certification tiers was to ensure more prepared teachers for the middle level and this exploratory study shows little difference in feelings of preparation, was the decision to restructure teacher certification a worthwhile endeavor? The study offers possible programmatic changes to increase feelings of preparedness as well as ideas for further research around this topic. / Educational Administration

This qualitative quasi-experimental study analyzed middle-level students’ understanding of engineering before and after instruction. Students from four teachers were examined. Before and after instruction, all students completed the Draw an Engineer Test (DAET) and the Views of Nature of Engineering (VNOE) survey. Additionally, sixteen students (eight girls and eight boys) from each group (Treatment and Comparison) were interviewed before and after instruction. Findings revealed that after instruction (1) many students viewed engineers as makers/builders/workers (just as they did pre-instruction), however, the percentage of students who listed engineers as inventors, designers, and creators increased; (2) fewer students from both groups noted they had heard about the engineering design process or had considered being; (3) the interviewed Treatment students were more knowledgeable about engineers than were the interviewed Comparison students. This study is important as it is one of the first studies to examine student understanding of engineering after receiving a science-based engineering design unit, and it found the total understanding to require improvement.

The effects of an Extended School Year Program on student achievement, attendance, and stakeholder satisfaction were examined at one middle school in the Henrico County Public School Division. Several populations were used for this study: participating students, teachers, and parents. Data on English-social studies, math, and science were collected using pretests and posttests. Attendance was taken daily and maintained for participating students. Student and parent satisfaction data were collected using satisfaction surveys. Focus group interviews were conducted to collect teacher satisfaction data. The difference between pretest and posttest scores was used to measure achievement in English-social studies, math, and science. The Average Daily Attendance (ADA) during the Extended School Year Program was compared to the ADA of the school and the division during the previous year. Each student and parent survey response was averaged and reported. Teacher focus group responses were assigned domains and placed into categories and themes. Findings Achievement gains were reported in all subject areas. Attendance results indicated that when compared to the school and the division during the previous year, the Average Daily Attendance (ADA) during the Extended School Year Program was lower. Students were most satisfied with their teachers. Parents were most satisfied with the program being offered at no charge, and the transportation provided. Teachers were most satisfied with the daily schedule. / Ed. D.

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Text in Afrikaans / Die doel van hierdie navorsing is om te bepaal tot watter mate waargenome leierskapvaardighede van die middelvlakbestuurders in 'n provinsiale hospitaal, 'n voorspeller is van topprestasie. Vanuit die literatuuroorsig word leierskapteoriee, die veranderende konteks van leierskap, leierskapstrategiee en -vaardighede bespreek. Die rasionaal vir topprestasie, visie in topprestasie-organisasies en die beginsels van topprestasie word ook bespreek. Die navorsingsontwerp is 'n beskrywende studie en maak gebruik van 'n gestratifiseerde ewekansige steekproef. Die leierskapvaardigheidsvraelys (Charlton, 1991) is vir die meet van die leierskapvaardighede gebruik en die PA VE-vraelys is gebruik vir die meet van die vlak van topprestasie in die organisasie-eenheid. Die resultate vertoon bemagtiging as die vemaamste voorspeller van topprestasie by die middelvlakbestuurders. Toekomstige navorsing kan temas insluit soos die rol en potensiaal van 'n gedeelde visie, volharding, en werkstevredenheid. Relevante sleutelwoorde is transformerende leierskapvaardighede, topprestasie, bemagtiging en middelvlakbestuurders. / The aim of this research is to determine to what extent perceived leadership competency of the middle level manager in a provincial hospital, is a predictor of peak performance. The literature highlights leadership theories, the changing context of leadership, leadership strategies and competencies. The rationale for peak performance, vision in peak performing organizations and the principles of peak performance are also discussed. The research design is a descriptive study which uses a stratified randomized sample. The leadership competence questionnaire (Charlton, 1991) is used to measure the leadership competencies. The PA VE questionnaire is used to measure the level of peak performance in the organizational unit. The results indicate empowerment as the most prominent predictor of peak performance of middle level managers. Future research may include the role and potential of a shared vision, determination and work satisfaction. Relevant keywords are transformational leadership competencies, peak performance, empowerment and middle level managers. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M.Com. (Bedryfsielkunde)

Master of Music / Department of Music / Frank C. Tracz / The following document is research and analysis from the comprehensive examination question based on the Graduate Conducting Recital of Marcus L. Riegel. The recital, performed by the Chapman Middle School Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Grade Bands, was given in the District Gymnasium at the Spring Arts Concert on April 22, 2008 at 7:00 pm. The repertoire included but was not exclusive to Bells of Freedom by David Gillingham, Rising Star by Samuel R. Hazo, Achilles’ Wrath by Sean O’Loughlin, Kenya Contrasts by William Himes, On the Wings of Swallows by Michael Sweeney, and Old Churches by Michael Colgrass. This document contains theoretical and historical analysis- and outlines the procedures of planning and performing the graduate conducting recital.