The aim of this study was to find ways of improving the quality of teaching and learning in the Erongo primary schools in Namibia. The study focussed on the numerous education reforms that Namibia underwent since independence in 1990 and how these have assisted in providing quality education to all its inhabitants. The quality of the education has been a topic widely debated and the Government of Namibia’s records of attempts to create a change within the education system can be found in published documents such as: Records of attempts by the Namibian Government to improve the quality of education in the country are found in published documents such as; Ministry of Basic Education and Culture (1992a); Ministry of Education and Culture, (1992b); Ministry of Education and Culture (1993); Ministry of Basic Education and Culture (1999); Ministry of Education and Culture (2003); Government of the Republic of Namibia (1999); Government of the Republic of Namibia (2004); Government of the Republic of Namibia (2007a) and Government of the Republic of Namibia, (2007b). In this study, the researcher looked at the inputs, processes, outputs and outcomes of education in schools, tried to define the term quality in education, and also focussed on both the human and material resources that influence education. Through this, focus was placed on the school as a unit that could provide change. The investigation was conducted in 18 schools, randomly selected, in the Erongo region in the western part of Namibia. Initially, the researcher intended to administer two questionnaires at the 25 schools selected, but during data collections, principals at some schools indicated that their teachers were unwilling and reasons were given, as mentioned in Chapter 5 of 5.1. Therefore, the initial total of schools selected could not be met. In the 18 schools, more participants completed questionnaires than others. However, the total of 50 questionnaires was completed as envisaged. For the interviews, the researcher randomly selected twenty percent (20%) from the teachers who completed the questionnaires thus a total number of 10 teachers were selected. The need for quality in schools is seen as a major challenge and places huge demands on educational institutions. The frameworks selected in this study are relevant because they can be applied to the understanding of the concept of quality in the education context and direct the improvement of the whole school towards educational change and assist in addressing the factors that could hamper the quality of education provided. The study also focused on the education systems in four Sub-Saharan countries: Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Malawi and three European countries: Germany, Belgium and Finland. These countries were selected to find ways that could assist its quest to provide quality teaching and learning in schools. The Sub-Saharan countries have shown that change has an impact on the outcomes of education, yet to reach these outcomes, many reforms and transformations need to take place. This has important implications for the education system in Namibia where various reforms and transformations are currently taking place to address the quality of education in schools. The European countries have been found to have good quality schools and their policies in education are aimed at achieving quality education. The strengths and weaknesses of the countries selected for this study could serve as essentially vital lessons to the challenges the Namibian government is still faced with in respect of the teaching and learning process. This study used the mixed method for data collection. Both questionnaires and interviews were used and the study was conducted in the Erongo education region of Namibia. The findings of this study indicated that schools are still faced with many challenges in realising the ultimate goal of Vision 2030, whereby all citizens would receive quality education and meet the challenges of an industrialised country. The results of the study suggested that quality human and material resources were still lacking which resulted in schools not being able to provide the quality of education envisaged by the Ministry of Education. The immense administrative work given to teachers has surfaced as one of the areas that need improvement and that could result in teachers being able to utilize sufficient time in the classrooms during teaching. As far as the material resources were concerned, it was discovered that learners, at some schools, shared desks and chairs as well as textbooks. There appears to be a slow pace with which Information, Communication and Technology is introduced and used in schools. The need for computers in schools; the need for learners to become familiar with technology; and the need for teacher training in the use of computers appeared to be a dire need. Although the clustering system of schools has being regarded as very valuable in the improvement of quality teaching and learning in classrooms, there was however a need expressed for funds to assist in transport costs to attend the meetings as schools were situated at vast distances from each other. The study has thus arrived at the conclusion that stakeholders, namely teachers, principals and heads of departments are attempting to improve the quality of teaching and learning at their schools but are however hampered by the factors mentioned. The need for improved quality teaching and learning is a challenge at schools and support is needed from the Ministry of Education to reach the ultimate goal of the Government of the Republic of Namibia in providing quality teaching and learning to all its learners. / Educational Leadership and Management / D. Ed. (Education Management)

This sequential explorative mixed methods study aims to explore how selfassessment strategies can be used to enhance quality education in schools in the Zambezi region of Namibia. The researcher posits that teachers are key in enhancing quality education if accorded appropriate recourses to innovate and explore the use of self-assessment strategies in schools. A pragmatic research approach was used to guide this sequential explorative mixed methods study. The study sought participants’ perceptions on four sub-problems of the study: What entails quality and quality education? How can self-assessment strategies be linked to quality and quality education in general terms? What recourses are available to ensure that quality education is realised by the use of self-assessment strategies in the Zambezi region? How can self-assessment strategy models be developed to enhance the quality of education in the Zambezi region? Purposefully sampled school principals and heads of departments of five combined schools participated in the study. During the first phase, face-to-face interviews were conducted with the five participating school principals while the HoDs were engaged in a focus group interview. The qualitative data was later used to inform the design of the second phase of the study (quantitative). In the second phase, fifty-four teachers completed Likert-scale questionnaires which were analysed using IBM SPSS.19 and Microsoft Excel to compare with the qualitative data. This study revealed that schools have common understandings of quality and quality education albeit defined differently. The study also revealed that external professional support is inadequate to support teachers in continuous professional development activities. Furthermore, the study showed that the available recourses are seldom utilised to enhance quality education in schools. Finally, the study revealed that the use of one type of teacher self-evaluation (TSE) deprives innovative teachers from initiating and exploring other viable self-assessment strategies. Therefore, this study propagates the use of alternative self-assessment strategies that can contribute towards the enhancement of quality education in schools in the Zambezi region of Namibia. / Educational Leadership and Management / D. Ed.

Using the University of Durban-Westville as an illustrative case study, the study examines quality assurance policies and their implementation in the South African higher education system. The scope of the study covers a wide-ranging analysis of discourses underpinning quality assurance and a focused analysis of institutional policies. As one of its central aims, the dissertation investigates the tension between quality assurance as it is conventionally understood and quality assurance conceived as continuous organizational improvement based on the principles of total quality management. The study has two fairly distinct dimensions: a literature survey focusing on global trends and practices, and an empirical investigation focusing on the University of Durban-Westville. The literature study looks global systems, trends and practices, and provides a suitable point of departure for a contextual analysis of quality management in the South African higher education system. Relying on a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews as research instruments, the study's empirical component investigates the attitudes and perceptions of academic managers at UDW towards national and institutional quality assurance policies and mechanisms. The study's findings all point to a preference for a decentralised system of quality management with the government playing a peripheral monitoring role rather than a central policing role . This study also demonstrates that the distinction between academic development and quality assurance is a spurious one and should only be made for analytical purposes. / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Educational Management)

In recent years, the South African education system has experimented with different appraisal systems in an attempt to evaluate the performance of educators in public schools. Educator appraisal is receiving attention throughout the world as governments become aware of the need to examine educational provision critically to ensure that it is both relevant for and appropriate to, the needs of the youth. Before 1994, the appraisal of educators was mainly based on traditional approaches to evaluate their performance. For instance, it was the responsibility of the inspectors from the Department of Education (DoE) to evaluate the performance of educators in schools. Consequently, a great deal of criticism was levelled at this appraisal system such as the prevalence of political bias in the system, the unchecked power that the inspectors wielded, the incompetence of inspectors and irrelevance of some evaluation criteria and absence of contextual factors. After 1994, there was a paradigm shift from the traditional to the developmental approach to evaluate the performance of educators in public schools. That is, there was a need to develop educators through appropriate appraisal schemes with a view to enhancing their continued professional growth. Therefore, the present education system calls for a decentralised appraisal system, which places greater emphasis on the professional development of educators. Stakeholders such as educators and teacher unions have also made higher demands for improved educator evaluation and professional growth. In 1998, at the Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC), the Department of Education (DoE) agreed to introduce the Developmental Appraisal System (DAS) followed by the Whole-School Evaluation (WSE) in 2001. Both these policies were rejected by educators and their teacher unions since they regarded these appraisal systems as summative, judgmental and that failed to offer opportunities for further development. In August 2003, the DoE and the unions signed two collective agreements, which led to the Integrated Quality Management System (IQMS) and it was intended to integrate and strengthen various components of DAS, WSE and performance measurement (PM). The IQMS was first implemented in South African schools in 2005 with the aim of enhancing the continuing professional growth of educators. Furthermore, the National Department of Education (NDoE) introduced the National Policy Framework on Teacher Education and Development (NPFTED) in 2006. This policy aimed to equip educators to undertake their essential and demanding tasks and to enable them to enhance their professional competence and performance on a continuing basis. Even though the IQMS was introduced as a new system to evaluate the performance of educators and to enhance their professional growth, it does not actually serve its purpose since it is not properly implemented and monitored in schools. Instead of using it as a tool to enhance the professional growth of educators, its emphasis is on getting assessment scores, which are directly related to remuneration. As a result, the ultimate aim of professional development for educators is neglected. This means that the IQMS is regarded as a separate entity that is not linked to the continuing professional growth of educators and its developmental programmes are criticised for being traditional since they are only confined to class visits, which are conducted once or twice a year for PM purposes. Therefore, since the introduction of the IQMS in 2003 and its implementation in 2005 in South African schools, no empirical research has been conducted on the need to link appraisal to professional development in the IQMS in South African schools. The study conducted by Bisschoff and Mathye (2009) focusses on the advocacy of an appraisal system for teachers. Another study conducted by Dhlamini (2009) concentrates on the role of the IQMS to measure and improve teaching and learning in the South African further education and training (FET) sector. Furthermore, the study by Rabichund (2011) focusses on the assessment of the IQMS and its implications for whole school development. Furthermore, the study by Mahlaela (2011) investigates the IQMS as a transformational strategy for teacher development in South Africa. Accordingly, this study builds on these studies and it seeks to investigate how appraisal and professional development can be linked in the IQMS in South African schools. / Educational Leadership and Management / D. Ed. (Education Management)

Many schools in South Africa face challenges of poor teacher performance as a result of implementing performance evaluation systems that are not developmental. In an attempt to resolve the current implementation challenges of the South African Integrated Quality Management System (IQMS) which is theoretically aligned to the TQM principles, the focus in this study is on the perceptions of school-based managers and educators regarding the effectiveness of the developmental supervision model as a possible tool for improving the quality of teaching. A mixed methods research design characterised by the explanatory sequential design was used to address the research questions. Out of the 350 randomly selected participants in all 15 districts of the Gauteng Province responded to the quantitative phase in the form of questionnaires. This was followed by analysis of the qualitative data from three focus group interview sessions that were conducted in Sedibeng East, Sedibeng West and Johannesburg North districts of the Gauteng Province in order to get in-depth explanations on perceptions of school-based managers and educators. Each of the three focus group interviews comprised of ten purposefully selected participants embracing two principals, two vice principals, two HODs and four educators per district. The results indicate that school-based managers and educators strongly believed that the developmental supervision model is an excellent tool for improving quality of teaching by applying implementation strategies comprising of the clinical supervision, self-directed supervision, peer supervision and connoisseurship strategies. These results were based on the opinion of the participants that the characteristics of the developmental supervision implementation strategies align with the Total Quality Management principles which were perceived to have a positive influence on improving the quality of teaching. The same supervision strategies were also found to match different levels of teacher development according to their levels of expertise and commitment. In contrast, the IQMS performance evaluation process, which also involves self-evaluation and peer evaluation, was believed to lack compliance with the developmental supervision strategies and the TQM principles during practical implementation because of characteristics related to the traditional inspection approaches to professional development. It is therefore recommended that the developmental supervision model should be introduced in South African schools to effectively implement the IQMS in order to ensure improved quality of teaching. / Educational Leadership and Management / D. Ed. (Education Management)

The purpose of this study was to examine the role played by Development Support Groups (DSGs) in implementing the Integrated Quality Management System (IQMS) in the secondary schools of Circuit 03 of Libode district of Eastern Cape Province. The scope of research was restricted to three secondary schools in circuit 03. The research methodology was qualitative in which multiple case study strategy was employed. The sampling strategy was purposive sampling and it included principals, educators serving in DSG and educators who have been evaluated in the previous years. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews to get information from principals. Questionnaires with open ended questions were used to obtain information from educators serving in DSGs and educators who have been evaluated in the previous years. The findings of this study were that; the DSGs did not receive training that specifically explained their role. Timing is a problem in evaluation of educators as it is performed in the fourth term when educators are busy preparing for final examinations and planning for the next coming year. The infrastructure condition cripples the performance of DSGs. The interpretation of evaluation instruments for educators poses a challenge to DSGs. The awarding of scores by DSGs tends to be more subjective. DSGs mainly have to use their discretion in awarding scores. Analysis of information received from participants indicated that the role of DSGs in implementing IQMS could be improved with intensive training of DSGs on IQMS. Summative evaluation of educators has to be conducted in the third term as many activities take place in the fourth term. Learner performance has also to be a deciding factor in awarding educator scores. Subject advisors should form part of DSGs. This research is likely to benefit school principals, policy makers, educators and IQMS coordinators as it provides clarity on the role of DSGs in implementing IQMS. / Educational Leadership and Management / M. Ed. (Educational Leadership and Management)

The aim of this study was to find ways of improving the quality of teaching and learning in the Erongo primary schools in Namibia. The study focussed on the numerous education reforms that Namibia underwent since independence in 1990 and how these have assisted in providing quality education to all its inhabitants. The quality of the education has been a topic widely debated and the Government of Namibia’s records of attempts to create a change within the education system can be found in published documents such as: Records of attempts by the Namibian Government to improve the quality of education in the country are found in published documents such as; Ministry of Basic Education and Culture (1992a); Ministry of Education and Culture, (1992b); Ministry of Education and Culture (1993); Ministry of Basic Education and Culture (1999); Ministry of Education and Culture (2003); Government of the Republic of Namibia (1999); Government of the Republic of Namibia (2004); Government of the Republic of Namibia (2007a) and Government of the Republic of Namibia, (2007b). In this study, the researcher looked at the inputs, processes, outputs and outcomes of education in schools, tried to define the term quality in education, and also focussed on both the human and material resources that influence education. Through this, focus was placed on the school as a unit that could provide change. The investigation was conducted in 18 schools, randomly selected, in the Erongo region in the western part of Namibia. Initially, the researcher intended to administer two questionnaires at the 25 schools selected, but during data collections, principals at some schools indicated that their teachers were unwilling and reasons were given, as mentioned in Chapter 5 of 5.1. Therefore, the initial total of schools selected could not be met. In the 18 schools, more participants completed questionnaires than others. However, the total of 50 questionnaires was completed as envisaged. For the interviews, the researcher randomly selected twenty percent (20%) from the teachers who completed the questionnaires thus a total number of 10 teachers were selected. The need for quality in schools is seen as a major challenge and places huge demands on educational institutions. The frameworks selected in this study are relevant because they can be applied to the understanding of the concept of quality in the education context and direct the improvement of the whole school towards educational change and assist in addressing the factors that could hamper the quality of education provided. The study also focused on the education systems in four Sub-Saharan countries: Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Malawi and three European countries: Germany, Belgium and Finland. These countries were selected to find ways that could assist its quest to provide quality teaching and learning in schools. The Sub-Saharan countries have shown that change has an impact on the outcomes of education, yet to reach these outcomes, many reforms and transformations need to take place. This has important implications for the education system in Namibia where various reforms and transformations are currently taking place to address the quality of education in schools. The European countries have been found to have good quality schools and their policies in education are aimed at achieving quality education. The strengths and weaknesses of the countries selected for this study could serve as essentially vital lessons to the challenges the Namibian government is still faced with in respect of the teaching and learning process. This study used the mixed method for data collection. Both questionnaires and interviews were used and the study was conducted in the Erongo education region of Namibia. The findings of this study indicated that schools are still faced with many challenges in realising the ultimate goal of Vision 2030, whereby all citizens would receive quality education and meet the challenges of an industrialised country. The results of the study suggested that quality human and material resources were still lacking which resulted in schools not being able to provide the quality of education envisaged by the Ministry of Education. The immense administrative work given to teachers has surfaced as one of the areas that need improvement and that could result in teachers being able to utilize sufficient time in the classrooms during teaching. As far as the material resources were concerned, it was discovered that learners, at some schools, shared desks and chairs as well as textbooks. There appears to be a slow pace with which Information, Communication and Technology is introduced and used in schools. The need for computers in schools; the need for learners to become familiar with technology; and the need for teacher training in the use of computers appeared to be a dire need. Although the clustering system of schools has being regarded as very valuable in the improvement of quality teaching and learning in classrooms, there was however a need expressed for funds to assist in transport costs to attend the meetings as schools were situated at vast distances from each other. The study has thus arrived at the conclusion that stakeholders, namely teachers, principals and heads of departments are attempting to improve the quality of teaching and learning at their schools but are however hampered by the factors mentioned. The need for improved quality teaching and learning is a challenge at schools and support is needed from the Ministry of Education to reach the ultimate goal of the Government of the Republic of Namibia in providing quality teaching and learning to all its learners. / Educational Leadership and Management / D. Ed. (Education Management)

In the quest for education transformation, the South African government employed Integrated Quality Management System (IQMS) in the belief that if teachers were appraised and developed, their performances would be enhanced and the quality of education would be improved. However, teachers had different views and experiences of the effectiveness of IQMS in their work stations. Consequently, the author was interested in “Investigating teachers’ perceptions of Integrated Quality Management System (IQMS) effectiveness on teaching and learning in a rural secondary school”. The investigation was conducted using face to face interviews and document analysis. This study’s findings indicated that IQMS was introduced as a matter of policy compliance, as shown by many teachers’ misunderstandings of its concept. The findings of this study will help to improve IQMS effectiveness or to undertake further research on the feasibility, viability and practicability of IQMS and/or alternatively, the development of a new appraisal system. / Educational Leadership and Management / M. Ed. (Educational Leadership and Management)

LEITÃO, Fátima Maria Araújo Saboia. O trabalho com projetos e o desenvolvimento profissional dos professores de educação infantil. 2011. 260f. Tese (Doutorado em Educação) – Universidade Federal do Ceará, Faculdade de Educação, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Educação Brasileira, Fortaleza-CE, 2011. / Submitted by Maria Josineide Góis (josineide@ufc.br) on 2012-07-11T12:56:48Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2011_Tese_ FMASLEITAO.pdf: 1580635 bytes, checksum: 37ae2cd1c8e295001577c09ec1087c1c (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Maria Josineide Góis(josineide@ufc.br) on 2012-07-11T14:48:03Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2011_Tese_ FMASLEITAO.pdf: 1580635 bytes, checksum: 37ae2cd1c8e295001577c09ec1087c1c (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2012-07-11T14:48:03Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2011_Tese_ FMASLEITAO.pdf: 1580635 bytes, checksum: 37ae2cd1c8e295001577c09ec1087c1c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011 / This thesis investigates the possibilities of working with projects in order to provide training strategy and contribute to the continuous professional development for teachers of Early Childhood Education. It soughts to identify how the project work can contribute for making the teachers become more sensitive in their educational practice as to better serve children, stimulate their learning more effectively and allow them greater autonomy, but also for making them become more sensitive to their own needs, develop their autonomy and expand their knowledge. The purpose of this study was also to investigate what factors influence to the completion of project work to contribute to the professional development of kindergarten teachers. The analysis of professional development and teacher training are based on studies of Oliveira-Formosinho (1998, 2001, 2003, 2009), Dewey (1976, 1978), Nóvoa (1995), Imbernon (2009) and Gomes (2009) and of working with projects is based on Dewey (1978), Kilpatrick (2005), Barbosa & Horn (2008), Hernandèz (1998) and Oliveira-Formosinho (2002, 2007).This is a qualitative research, like action research, also called intervention (ANDRE 1995), with teachers from public schools in Fortaleza. Through intervention, these teachers experienced a project and later developed their own projects with their pupils. Data collection was done through techniques such as interviews and observations and instruments such as the Adult Engagement Scale and questionnaires. Data were recorded in the diary, video footage and pictures. Our findings indicate that training opportunities are more likely to happen when the project work is a formative process. The teachers, at different levels of involvement, developed, regarding the children, attitudes concerning the sensitivity of commitment, strove to “pay attention to” and listen to the children, to stimulate their learning by the proposition of challenging activities and their independence, in the opportunities for experimentation offered. They also developed, to themselves, attitudes related to the sensitivity of commitment, by paying attention to their needs and desires to learn about projects; as well as attitudes related to stimulation, by intending to engage in readings, in search of information and ideas for activities; and to autonomy, on the occasions of choosing and deciding how to accomplish these activities. These teachers revised positions about the learning expectations of younger children and public schools in order to develop projects and rethought the family participation in projects. The teachers were surprised at the protagonist attitude required in the planning and implementation of actions for the project. Factors related to the workplace and organizational conditions, such as training in the institution, the participation of the coordinator in group training; guidance of a trainer and availability of material resources contributed to the development efforts of the teachers. It was evident that the little time for training, the breach of agreements with respect to time and space allocated to training and the gap between management and the teachers have discouraged such efforts. / Esta tese buscou analisar as possibilidades de o trabalho com projetos constituir estratégia de formação continuada e contribuir para o desenvolvimento profissional dos professores da Educação Infantil. Procurou-se identificar de que forma o trabalho com projetos tanto pode contribuir para que em sua prática educativa, o professor se torne mais sensível para atender melhor as crianças estimule mais adequadamente as suas aprendizagens e lhes propicie maior autonomia como também para que ele se torne mais sensível às suas próprias demandas desenvolva a sua autonomia e amplie os seus conhecimentos. Também foi propósito deste trabalho investigar que fatores influenciam para que a realização do trabalho com projetos contribua para o desenvolvimento profissional dos professores de Educação Infantil. As análises sobre o desenvolvimento profissional e formação de professores fundamentam-se nos estudos de Oliveira-Formosinho (1998, 2001, 2003, 2009); Dewey (1976, 1978) Nóvoa (1995) Imbernón (2009) e Gomes (2009) e sobre o trabalho com projetos baseiam-se em Dewey (1978) Kilpatrick (2005) Barbosa e Horn (2008) Hernandèz (1998) e Oliveira-Formosinho (2002, 2007). Trata-se de uma pesquisa qualitativa do tipo pesquisa-ação também denominada intervenção (ANDRÉ, 1995) com professoras da rede pública de Fortaleza que mediante intervenção realizada vivenciaram elas próprias um projeto e posteriormente desenvolveram projetos junto às suas crianças. A coleta dos dados se deu por meio de técnicas como observações e entrevistas e de instrumentos como a Escala de Empenhamento do Adulto e questionários. Os dados foram registrados no diário de campo vídeo filmagens e fotos. Os achados desse estudo apontam que as oportunidades de formação têm mais chance de acontecer quando o trabalho com projetos constitui um processo formativo. As professoras em diferentes níveis de envolvimento desenvolveram com relação às crianças atitudes de empenho referentes à sensibilidade no sentido de se esforçarem para “prestar atenção” e ouvir as crianças à estimulação da aprendizagem das crianças na proposição de atividades desafiadoras e à sua autonomia nas oportunidades de experimentação oferecidas. Também desenvolveram, com relação a elas próprias atitudes de empenho relacionadas à sensibilidade, na atenção dada às suas necessidades e desejos de aprender sobre projetos à estimulação na intenção de se envolverem nas leituras na busca de informações e ideias para as atividades e à autonomia nas ocasiões de escolher e decidir como realizar essas atividades. Reviram posições acerca das expectativas de aprendizagem das crianças menores e as de escolas públicas ao desenvolver projetos e repensaram sobre a participação da família nos projetos. As professoras estranharam a postura protagonista exigida no planejamento e realização das ações referentes ao projeto. Fatores relacionados ao contexto de trabalho e às condições organizacionais como formação na própria instituição participação da coordenadora no grupo de formação orientação de uma formadora e disponibilidade de recursos materiais contribuíram com os esforços de desenvolvimento das professoras. Ficou evidenciado que o pouco tempo destinado à formação o descumprimento de acordos com relação ao tempo e espaço destinados às formações e o distanciamento entre a gestão e as professoras desencorajaram esses esforços.

Bisher erhalten potenzielle Studienanfänger, Studenten und Hochschulabsolventen kaum empirisch begründete Antworten auf ihre Frage, was den beruflichen Erfolg beflügeln könnte. Im Vordergrund der hochschulpolitischen Diskussion stehen vor allem Studiendauer und Alter der Absolventen. Wie groß oder klein deren Einfluss auf den (individuellen) beruflichen Erfolg aber tatsächlich ist, wird selten reflektiert. Andere, in der Ratgeberliteratur vielfach genannte Einflussmöglichkeiten für den beruflichen Erfolg wie zum Beispiel die Nutzung persönlicher Kontakte zu Hochschullehrern, aus Praktika usw., aber auch Indikatoren sozialer Kompetenzen wurden bisher kaum untersucht. Auch die Auswirkung einer Berufsausbildung vor dem Studium wurde bislang oft nur aus der Perspektive der Ausbildungskosten und der geringeren zur Verfügung stehenden Lebensarbeitszeit der Absolventen diskutiert. Und schließlich kann auch die soziale Herkunft der Absolventen Einfluss haben. Im Rahmen der Dresdner Absolventenstudien konnten bereits für einige Fakultäten bzw. Fachrichtungen der TU Dresden Untersuchungen zu Bestimmungsgründen beruflichen Erfolges unternommen werden. In dem vorliegenden, neu aufgelegten und überarbeiteten Bericht zu Bestimmungsgründen beruflichen Erfolges konnten nun erstmals Daten der Absolventenstudien aller Fakultäten bzw. Fachrichtungen der TU Dresden, d.h. von knapp 2.000 Befragten einbezogen werden. Damit liegen wohl erstmals in Deutschland derartig detaillierte Untersuchungen für alle Fakultäten einer großen Universität vor. In der hiermit vorgelegten Publikation soll - ergänzend zu den bereits vorgelegten fachspezifischen Analysen - eine fächerübergreifende Analyse von Bestimmungsgründen beruflichen Erfolges dokumentiert werden. Hiermit wird immer wieder gestellten Fragen entsprochen, welche individuellen Merkmale von Absolventen - also welche (Vor)Erfahrungen und gegebenenfalls Brüche im Lebenslauf, welche (zusätzlichen) Qualifikationen, sozialen und beruflichen Kompetenzen, Einstellungen, soziodemographischen Eigenschaften und Strategien - und welche Rahmenbedingungen der Bildungsbiographie (mit Fokus auf die Hochschul- und Studienqualität) fächerübergreifend Einfluss auf den beruflichen Erfolg haben. Hierzu war zunächst zu definieren und auf Eignung zu prüfen, was als Maßstab des Erfolges gelten soll. Allein das Einkommen - vor allem wenn es nur zu einem Zeitpunkt erfasst wird - ist als Erfolgskriterium nicht hinreichend zu bewerten. Außerdem ist für die Absolventen selbst das Einkommen wesentlich weniger wichtig als z.B. eine interessante Tätigkeit oder ein gutes Arbeits- und Betriebsklima, so dass diese sich im Zweifelsfall wohl für eine geringer bezahlte, aber interessantere Stelle entscheiden würden. Und dies gilt für fast alle Fächergruppen. Daher wurden für den Berufserfolg das Einkommen zu mehreren Zeitpunkten sowie als weitere Kriterien die aktive Suchdauer bis zur ersten beruflichen Tätigkeit, die Zufriedenheit mit der beruflichen Situation und - zusätzlich zur vorangegangen Untersuchung - nun auch die Ausbildungsadäquanz der Beschäftigung operationalisiert. Die Analysen erfolgten in zwei Schritten: Im ersten Schritt werden für einen ersten Eindruck von der Stärke (und gegebenenfalls Richtung) des wechselseitigen Zusammenhangs jeweils zweier Variablen die Korrelationskoeffizienten auf Hochschul- und Fakultäts- bzw. Fachrichtungsebene ermittelt. Der zweite Schritt und Schwerpunkt der Untersuchungen sind die Regressionsanalysen. Da dieses komplexe Analyseverfahren deutlich größere Fallzahlen erfordert, konnte es für die Dresdner Absolventenstudien an den einzelnen Fakultäten bislang nur vereinzelt eingesetzt werden. Jetzt können mit dessen Hilfe auch Zusammenhänge zwischen mehr als zwei Variablen berücksichtigt werden (multivariate Analyse).