Thesis (Ed. D.)--Teachers College, Columbia University, 1987. / Typescript; issued also on microfilm. Sponsor: Thurston Atkins. Dissertation Committee: Barry Farber. Bibliography: leaves 89-95.

Thesis (Ed.D.) -- Teachers College, Columbia University, 1989. / Typescript; issued also on microfilm. Sponsor: Thurston Atkins. Dissertation Committee: Frank Smith. Bibliography: leaves 172-183.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1981. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 229-231).

Thesis--University of Wisconsin--Madison. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 77-82).

This study investigated the development of two high conceptual level (HCL) teachers in supervision conferences, by examining their responses. HCL teachers were studied because the behaviours associated with HCL functioning can be equated with those which research has identified as characteristic of effective teachers. Furthermore, because studies have found that conceptual level fluctuates easily, it seemed important to investigate the conditions under which supervision might be facilitative of high conceptual functioning. Supervision was thought of as a special case of adult cognitive development. Findings of studies regarding both facilitation of adult cognitive development and supervision of instruction were combined to develop a conceptual model representing facilitation of HCL teacher development. Based on findings reported in the literature, the model postulated that under ideal developmental conditions, an HCL teacher will respond to supervision with comfort and confidence, with active involvement in problem solving, and with autonomous behaviour. The model was used to guide data collection and analysis. For each stage of the model indicators were chosen of teacher's responses and principal's behaviours that the research literature suggests would be apparent under supervisory conditions facilitative of HCL teacher development. These indicators were used to design instruments for the collection of frequency data regarding teacher's responses and principal's behaviours. One of the HCL teachers was supervised by a low conceptual level (LCD principal; the other, by a moderately high conceptual level (M/HCL) principal. The study attempted to ascertain whether the responses of the teacher supervised by the M/HCL principal would indicate that teacher had the better opportunity for development, and whether HCL teacher development seemed to be associated with the supervisor's CL, as previous studies have indicated, or with other factors. Videotapes of supervisory conferences and transcripts of subjects' stimulated recall interviews provided the sources of data. During observation of the videotapes, frequency data were collected by using the instruments that were designed for the study and which asked the question "Are subjects doing this or that?" By contrast, the transcription data collection, which generated the greater amount of data, was more naturalistic and asked "What are the subjects doing?" Unlike those of previous studies, the findings from this study suggested that the HCL teacher who was paired with the M/HCL principal had the lesser opportunity for development. Moreover, the teacher's development seemed to be associated with factors other than the principal's conceptual level, most notably the teacher's high conceptual level and the duration of the principal/teacher supervisory relationship. The findings also suggested that opportunity for development was associated with HCL teachers' comfort and confidence, active involvement, and autonomous behaviour and that the supervisor should facilitate these conditions. Based on the findings, the study concluded that the principal's conceptual level may not be an important factor in HCL teacher supervision, that further study is required to increase understanding of the conditions which nurture HCL teachers' development, that such study should include investigations of teacher/teacher supervision dyads, and that, with slight amendment, the conceptual model could be useful for these studies. / Education, Faculty of / Educational Studies (EDST), Department of / Graduate

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships among selected personal and environmental variables and the quality of elementary principals' administrative internships. Two research questions were used to investigate the influence of the variables on the quality of the internships. Procedural and experiential internship characteristics as identified by previous research were used as the basis for the dependent variable. Personal and environmental variables were identified from a review of the literature and through anecdotal experiences. Surveys were sent to 400 elementary school principals across the United States. The dependent variable involvement was regressed on 17 personal and environmental independent variables using a stepwise regression procedure. Results of the stepwise multiple regression for total quality performed in this study indicated that 39% of the variation in overall internship quality was explained by the intern's belief that the internship was worthwhile, the intern's level of work-related responsibility, whether or not the intern was a part of a cohort during their principal preparation program, and the length of the administrative internship. This study should be beneficial to colleges, universities, and other entities and individuals who are interested in the development of effective administrative internships in principal preparation programs. / Ed. D.

Die navorsingstudie is kwalitatief in benadering en vanuit die interpretatiewe paradigma onderneem. Deur van ʼn gevallestudie-navorsingontwerp en van ʼn doelgerigte steekproef gebruik te maak, is daar spesifiek gefokus op primêre skole in Kemptonpark wat in terme van art. 20 van die Skolewet (wet 84 van 1996) onderwysstudente in diens geneem het om deur middel van ervaringonderrig ʼn intern-program by die skool te deurloop in ʼn poging om die al groter-wordende uitdaging wat Suid-Afrika met betrekking tot onderwyseropleiding in die gesig staar, asook die werwing en behoud van kwaliteit onderwysers te ondervang. Inligting is ingesamel deur semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude met skoolhoofde en onderwysstudente in diens van skoolbeheerliggame te voer. Die navorsing het getoon dat van al die onderwysstudente in diens van die skoolbeheerliggaam van die deelnemende skole verwag word om betrokke te wees by kurrikulêre en buitekurrikulêre aktiwiteite en om te verseker dat die opvoeding van die leerders doeltreffend ondersteun word onder toesig van ʼn professionele opvoeder by die opvoedkundige instansie. Die terugvoer van die deelnemers korreleer met die literatuur wat toon dat die professionele bestuur van die skool en die aanwending van onderwysstudente binne die opvoedkundige program, soos vermeld in art. 16a(2) van die Skolewet, onder die pligte en verantwoordelikheid van die skoolhoof resorteer. Uit die navorsing blyk dit duidelik dat die skoolhoof toerekenbaar gehou kan word vir die aanwending van die onderwysstudente binne die opvoedkundige program van die skool en dat die skoolhoof ook aanspreeklikheid aanvaar vir die ervaringonderrig-opleiding wat die onderwysstudente as deel van die internskapprogram ontvang. Deurgaans is dit beklemtoon dat die aard van die skoolhoof se taak die basis vorm van alle aktiwiteite van menslike hulpbronbestuur binne die skool. Hierdie studie poog om ʼn sinvolle bydrae te lewer tot die huidige kennisbasis van die aanspreeklikheid van die skoolhoof vir die aanwending van onderwysstudente in diens van skoolbeheerliggame. Daar word aanbeveel dat die beperkte navorsing oor die aanspreeklikheid van die skoolhoof vir die aanwending van onderwysstudente in diens van skoolbeheerliggame wat tans bestaan, deur verdere studies aangespreek word. ENGLISH : The research was conducted from a qualitative perspective and interpretative paradigm. Using a case study design and purposeful sampling, the research focused on primary schools in Kempton Park, that in terms of sec. 20 of the schools act (act 84 of 1996) employ student teachers to be trained via an internship programme hosted by the school in an attempt to assist in the challenge that education in South Africa faces with regard to the training of educators as well as in the recruiting and retaining of quality educators. The research has shown that all the student teachers employed by school governing bodies of the participating schools were expected to be actively involved in extra- and co-curricular activities and to assist and observe class teaching. Students were expected to observe how the educational and general welfare of all learners are catered for and to observe and assist at an elementary level the overseeing of learner discipline and the general welfare of all learners. The student teachers were also expected to be involved in the maintenance of contact with sporting, social and cultural activities. Feedback from the participants correlates with the literature that shows that the professional management of the school is the responsibility of the principal. These responsibilities include effective staff training programmes, as well as orientation and induction programmes for staff. The research has shown that the school principal can be held accountable for the mentoring, coaching and general support of student teachers. In terms of sec. 16a(2) of the School’s Act the school principal must undertake the management of all educators and the support of staff. The research has confirmed that the school principal can be held accountable for the utilisation of student teachers within the educational programme of the school as well as for the training received during the internship programme hosted by the school. Throughout the research it was emphasised that the nature of the task of the principal forms the basis of all human resource management activities in the school. This study attempts to contribute to the existing knowledge concerning the accountability of the school principal with regard to the utilisation of student teachers employed by school governing bodies. It is recommended that the limited research concerning the accountability of the school principal with regard to the utilisation of student teachers employed by school governing bodies be further researched. Copyright / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Education Management and Policy Studies / unrestricted

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Engineering, 2018 / Trans-radial amputees struggle daily when it comes to performing one or more of their activities of daily living (ADLs). Myoelectric prosthetic hands have recently been developed to a point where they can assist trans-radial amputees to perform their ADLs,making use of electromyographic (EMG) signals to drive the prosthetic hand. In order to function, a myoelectric prosthetic hand requires multiple electrodes to collect EMG data (denoted a channel) remaining forearm muscles, aswell as complex classification algorithms to process the data in real time. The focus of research in this field is directed at developing or improving the classification algorithms, often ignoring the optimisation of the EMG electrodes themselves. The electrodes can be optimised either by position or number, however in research where electrodes are optimised, classification accuracy is used as a measure of success for the optimisation, which requires optimisation of the classification algorithm itself. The focus of the current study was to develop a method that could optimise the EMG electrode placements and number, without needing a classification algorithm. A pre-existing 8-EMG channel dataset for seven subjects was used. The experimental method involved generating combinations of two, three and four channels from which optimal channel combinations were selected. The optimisation process made use of principal component analysis (PCA), which generated a reduced-quality model for each potential combination. The reduced-quality and original models were compared, and the optimal channel combinations identified from those comparisons with the least error. The success of the optimisation was defined as the impact that a reduced number of EMG channels would have on the percentage of variance retained (PVR) by the optimal channel combinations. The optimal channels for each subject were compared, and although each subject displayed variation, in general the important channels were identified as those that were located over the Extensor digitorum (ED), Flexor pollicis longus (FPL), Flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS), Flexor digitorum profundis (FDP), and iii Extensor carpi ulnaris (ECU) muscles. The optimal channel combinations for all subjects together had an average of 64.5% PVR for the 2-channel setup, 73.9% for the 3-channel setup, and 76.5% for the 4-channel setup. This shows that it is possible to reduce the number of channels and retain a large amount of variance in the data without the use of classification algorithms. / XL2019

The purpose of the study was to identify variables associated with the level of average principals' salaries in the school divisions of Virginia. Predictions were on the variables found to be associated with average principals' salaries--fiscal capacity, average daily membership, the education level of citizens, per pupil expenditure, and average household income. Data from 133 school divisions for the 1994-95 school year were used in the analysis. Stepwise regression method was employed. Residuals were used to form three groups of school divisions: those divisions paying constantly more than their predicted average adjusted salary (12,600 to 2716); those paying about their predicted average salary (2715 to -2785); and those paying considerably less than predicted (-2786 to -14212). The groups were plotted on a map of Virginia to determine whether clusters of high positive, middle and, high negative residual divisions were evident. The clusters were reviewed to interpret whether contiguous divisions adjusted their salary levels to be competitive with their neighbors. Twenty-four school superintendents or personnel administrators were randomly selected from the clusters and interviewed to help identify the variables school divisions used to set salaries of principals, and how the data in this study might be used. Fifty-nine percent of the variance in average principals' salaries was explained by average daily membership, average education level, per pupil expenditure, and average household income. Except for local fiscal capacity, all variables were found to have a significant relationship (p .01) to average division principals' salaries. Grouping of residuals by size and proximity revealed clusters of division salaries appeared to be adjusted to be competitive with neighboring divisions. The interviews from the superintendents or personnel directors revealed similar results of setting salaries by comparing to neighboring divisions. At all residual levels, salaries in comparing neighboring divisions appeared more often as a theme from the interviews when setting salary schedules for principals. Further results from the interviews revealed, the data might be used to compare average principals' salaries with divisions which are competitive and contiguous. Based on the data, a large number of school divisions did not pay average principals' salaries according to their predicted levels; they appeared to base principals' salaries on other variables, including the desire to stay competitive with contiguous or neighboring divisions. / Ed. D.

There is extensive literature about the role of the principal in creating a school culture that fosters a positive school climate. How the principal addresses staff culture is among the many issues that affect lasting change. The purpose of this investigation is to examine the activities and behaviors of four suburban high school principals and how they influence change. Cross-case site analysis utilizing ethnographic method of investigation was conducted in four suburban high schools to examine how principals influence change. The culture of each school site was examined from the perspective of principals and department chairpersons concerning elements of change. Data were collected through interviews with principals and department chairpersons. The Developmental Research Sequence (D.R.S.) model was used to identify a set of specific dimensions for more in-depth investigation. This process of analysis provided a method for focusing the study to discover cultural themes and patterns about how principals influence change in high schools. Triangulation of data was addressed by using multiple data sources and multiple method data analysis. The major findings of this study were that principals who influenced change demonstrated a high degree of interest and care for school community members on a professional and personal level. Principals who valued what and how people thought were recognized as being connected to the school culture. It was through this awareness that principals could then channel ideas and provide opportunities to involve people in the change process. Principals recognized for using this type of approach cultivated and nourished a culture that was open to examining and entertaining change for both personal and professional growth and improvement. These results will have implications for educational practitioners who recognize the significance of change as a fundamental ingredient in today's educational climate and modern day society. / Ed. D.