Since the independence of Mozambique in 1975 teacher education and teacher continuing professional development (TCPD) have been a matter of concern for the Ministry of Education (MINED) and teachers. Both the MINED as employer and the teachers individually have permanently been looking for models and ways to upgrade their academic and professional qualifications levels. The constraints faced by Mozambique are similar to those faced by other sub-Saharan African countries since their independence due to the increased pressure for more attention to all levels of education, with particular emphasis on primary education. Although TCPD is usually seen as part of the overall Strategy for Teacher Education (Ministry and Education and Culture, 2004), this scenario privileges initial teacher education since there are many unqualified teachers facilitating learning. The main challenge of this study was to investigate the practices of primary school teachers in Grades 1 and 2 through a participatory action research (PAR) in a study titled Exploring Professional Development Intervention for Improving the Teaching Practices of Primary School Teache. Mixed methods research was used, namely quantitative and qualitative methods. A quantitative method was used during the baseline study which consisted of questionnaires administrated to 1 028 teachers from six provinces in the country. Qualitative research was used with five practitioner-researchers (PRs) in one school. Each PR was approached as a single case study. The findings of this PAR indicate that, on the one hand, the teachers are aware of the need for more academic and pedagogical qualifications, and on the other hand, of the individual responsibility they have. They believe that progression in their careers should be a credible procedure that recognises the TCPD programmes they have attended. The teachers are of the opinion that the MINED should formally recognise the TCPD by allocating credit points to teachers. Although the self-directed professional development (SDPD) model used in this study was time consuming, it has revealed that TCPD can provide effective results when with the appropriate support and follow-up of methods of facilitating the learning of reading and writing skills in Grades 1 and 2. The study involved all teachers appointed to Grade 1 in 2007, and continued with the same teachers until 2010. During this period the teachers were appointed to facilitate learning in Grades 1 and 2. Notwithstanding the fact that the PRs were only from 2 of the 7 grades provided in primary education, the study revealed the advantage of whole school professional development. The study took into consideration the Mozambican school context and calendar. For instance, the PRs were certified by the latest model of teacher education (10+2 teacher education programme) provided by the MINED. In addition, the meetings were carried out during the period scheduled for the planning of pedagogical practices and TCPD programmes. Throughout the study the constant issue that emerged was the need for a paradigm shift in TCPD. Providers of TCPD need to introduce changes in the way they view primary school teachers and confer on them the responsibility for their individual continuous professional development. Action Research could be the new research paradigm used by providers and teachers to improve their work, understand learners’ learning problems and find the appropriate solutions to improve achievement. The findings of this PAR both contribute to understanding the teachers’ views with respect to the TCPD programmes being provided, and offer the option for a new paradigm for TCPD. In this regard the current providers of such programmes can also consider the school principal and the deputy principal as fundamental facilitators of TCPD through a SDPD model. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Humanities Education / unrestricted

The science and technology of medicine is evolving and changing at a fast pace. With these rapid advances, it is paramount that physicians maintain a level of medical knowledge that is current and relevant to their practice in order to address the challenges of patient care and safety. One way physicians can maintain a level of medical knowledge that is current and relevant to their practice is through self-directed, lifelong learning, however little is known about how to develop these traits during clinical training. Schön (1983, 1987) theorized that one way learners can become self-directed, lifelong learners is through reflective practice. This study utilized an experimental design and employed quantitative methods to investigate the effects of a reflective practice exercise, based on Gibbs' (1988) model of reflection, on readiness for self-directed learning as measured by Guglielmino's (1977) Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale/Learning Preference Assessment (SDLRS/LPA). A total of 51 anesthesiology residents training in three residency programs in the United States participated in this study. A follow-up survey was administered to all study participants to determine if participation in the reflective exercises affected future engagement in or attitudes about reflective practice. While the data analysis showed that participation in reflective practice did not affect readiness for self-directed learning in these study participants, this study has implications for medical education. Responses to the follow-up survey indicated that participants plan to engage in reflective practice in the future and that participating in reflective practice would have an impact on patient care. Chapter 5 includes ways to integrate the findings of this study into medical education and outlines next steps for future research utilizing both evidence from the literature and the qualitative responses from this study.

Paperboard is accessible for everyone, such as packaging for provisions or beauty products. Paperboard consists of several layers of pulp and has different types of qualities depending on the material’s area of use. Within the paperboard production, the process behavior is analyzed to find solutions to decrease the product variations in order to reach the desired product results. Process analyses are continuously made to improve paperboard production and avoid defects in the paperboard product. The company Holmen has recently implemented a new process analysis tool on trial, named Wedge, at the paperboard mill in Workington, UK, which is a software tool that can be used for analyzing the paperboard process. Holmen’s vision was to develop training material for the software tool that could be used by the employees for educational purposes.The purpose of this project degree was to develop training material of the process analysis tool, i.e. the software Wedge, for novice learners. Initially, the purpose was to examine and identify the employees’ learning within the software tool at the mill in Workington. Based on that, training material was developed that could be used for self-directed learning material.The study was conducted through qualitative methods, which included a group interview with development engineers and a one-to-one interview with the training manager at the Workington mill. Additionally, observations of training opportunities and an evaluation questionnaire of the training material were used in this study. Based on these results, a thematic analysis was conducted where identified themes have been interpreted from aspects of cognitive learning and adult learning.The result is based on the qualitative survey and the analysis of the interviews and questionnaire responses indicates that the training material is suitable and pedagogical for novice learners. The development engineers mean, among other things, that computer-based training should contain ‘step-by-step’ examples of work-related situations and the training must be organized such that new information will not be overwhelming and unintelligible. It is also important that new knowledge or information can be acquired both visually and by text-based instructions, to be able to provide the learners with various kinds of teaching aids since there are different approaches to learn new knowledge. Therefore, the training material based on e-learning has been designed as a first lesson of how to use and navigate in the process analysis tool. The developed training material entails four interactive videos with incremental learning of how the process analysis tool can be used in the paper industry. / Materialet kartong är något alla har till hands, som exempelvis förpackningar för proviant eller skönhetsprodukter. Kartong består av flera lager av pappersmassa och har olika typer av kvalitéer beroende på materialets användningsområde. Inom produktionen görs analyser av kartongprocessens beteende för att hitta lösningar som minskar produktvariationerna och på så sätt uppnå önskade slutresultat. Processanalyser görs kontinuerligt för att förbättra kartongproduktion och därmed undvika produktdefekter. Företaget Holmen har implementerat ett nytt processanalysverktyg, så kallat Wedge, på deras kartongbruk i Workington, UK, vilket är en programvara som kan användas för att kunna göra analyser av kartongprocess. Holmen önskade att ett utbildningsmaterial för programvaran skulle utvecklas och kunna användas i utbildningssyfte för produktionsarbetarna.Syftet med detta examensarbete var att utveckla ett utbildningsmaterial för nybörjare av processanalysverktyget Wedge. Grunden till detta låg i att undersöka och identifiera de anställdas lärande utifrån programvarans utbildning på kartongbruket i Workington. Baserat på detta utvecklades ett utbildningsmaterial som kan användas som ett självstuderande lärandemedel.Undersökningen har utförts av kvalitativa metodval som innefattar en gruppintervju med utvecklingsingenjörer och en intervju med utbildningsansvarig på kartongbruket i Workington, samt observationer av utbildningstillfällen och enkäter för utvärdering av utbildningsmaterialet. Baserat på detta har en tematisk analys genomförts där identifierade teman har tolkats utifrån ett kognitivt lärandeperspektiv och vuxnas lärande.Resultatet baseras på den kvalitativa undersökningen och analys av intervjuerna och enkäterna visar på att utbildningsmaterialet är passande och ligger på en bra pedagogisk nivå för nybörjare. Utvecklingsingenjörerna önskar bland annat att en datorbaserad utbildning ska innehålla förberedda ’steg-för-steg’-exempel utifrån verklighetsbaserade problem samt att utbildning måste organiseras sådan att ny information inte blir överväldigande och svårförståelig. Det är även viktigt att ny kunskap och information kan fås både visuellt och textbaserat, och att en blandning mellan olika läromedel finns eftersom personer har olika strategier för att lära sig ny kunskap. Utifrån detta har ett utbildningsmaterial, baserat på e-lärande, utvecklats och skapats med ändamålet att fungera som en första lektion av hur en kan använda och navigera i processanalysverktyget. Det utbildningsmaterial som har utvecklats innefattar fyra interaktiva videos som är uppbyggda för stegvis inlärning om hur processanalysverktyget kan användas i pappersindustrin.

In recent years, increasing attention has been placed on providing pronunciation instruction that meets the communicative needs of nonnative speakers (NNSs) of English. Empirical research and pronunciation materials writers suggest that teaching suprasegmentals before segmentals to intermediate and advanced NNSs could be more beneficial in a shorter period of time. However, the majority of the materials available that emphasize suprasegmentals are textbook-based, relying principally on classroom settings and teacher feedback. The purpose of Pronunciation Progress: Stress in American English is to provide NNSs with pronunciation materials for self-access and student-directed learning environments. These materials are designed as a series of computerized modules that focus on one element of suprasegmentals – stress. Pronunciation Progress: Stress in American English is divided into three units: syllable unit, word unit, and sentence unit. Each unit consists of different sections that include explanations of the content, examples, and practice exercises with immediate feedback. Learners can listen to native speakers on the computer and navigate through the content at their own pace, focusing on specific areas that they deem important for their learning. A pilot study was conducted over a three week period to evaluate these materials. Students at Brigham Young University's English Language Center provided written and oral feedback detailing their reactions to the materials. Participants responded to surveys for each of the three units and participated in a focus group that gathered comments regarding the overall usefulness and design of the program. Overall reactions to the program were very positive. In general, participants responded favorably to each of the three units for statements regarding ease of use, level of enjoyment, clarity of directions, newness of knowledge, interest of practice exercises, understanding of examples, and desires to practice outside of the lab. Many of the students said that they enjoyed all of the units, and all but one who participated in the focus group commented that they liked the sentence unit the most. Student comments also implied that participants had a raised awareness of features of stress in American English.

There is a paucity of adult professional education literature, yet there are multiple theories and models from which to extrapolate information regarding learning in this population, including self-regulated learning theory and adult learning models. The first aim of this study was to explore these bodies of literature and provide a compelling argument for how these theories and models may be considered relative to each other. The second aim of this study was to provide empirical support for the theoretical framework within the professional education population, specifically for Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students. Participants included 232 DPT students from a large, research-intensive university in the mid-Atlantic region. The Self-directed Learning Readiness Survey for Nursing Education (SDLRSNE) (Fisher, King, & Tague, 2001) was administered to five cohorts of students seven times throughout the duration of the DPT program. T-tests and ANOVAs were conducted to determine cohort differences. The data were collapsed across time in order to generate longitudinal growth curve models. Results revealed that the SDLRSNE is an internally consistent tool to utilize with DPT students and that the majority of DPT students were self-regulated learners. Results from the growth curve models indicated that self-regulated learning increased across time, was discontinuous within the DPT program, and that participation in clinical education experiences coincided with the change in slope of the model that best fit the data. Additionally, results indicated that the age of a student (traditional: age 19-24 versus nontraditional: age 25+) significantly predicted Desire For Learning subscale scores. / Educational Psychology

Résumé : Cette recherche aborde la problématique de la relation à la formation dans un processus d’autoformation en ligne. Elle pose la question du rapport au pouvoir dans ce type de situation d’apprentissage. La médiation pédagogique humaine et la médiatisation technologique y sont au centre des préoccupations. Il s’agit d’aborder, au travers de la conception même des instruments d’investigation, les concepts: de contrôle, d’autodirection, d’autonomie, d’efficacité, de compétence, d’autodétermination en relation avec la notion de motif d’engagement. Les dispositions et les prédispositions liées à l'autoformation sont également observées. On se propose de comprendre les orientations motivationnelles et les motifs qui éclairent l’engagement au regard de la perception de soi dans un contexte d’autoformation. Nos réflexions portent également sur le concept d'alterdidaxie par opposition aux démarches autodidactes dans un contexte d'autoformation./ Summary: This research approaches the problems in relation to training in the process of e-learning. It raises the question of the self-directed learning’s power in this type of training situation. The human teaching mediation and the technological mediatization are both in the center of the concerns. This research is an approach, through the design even of instruments of investigation, to the concepts : control, autodirection, autonomy, effectiveness, competence, self-determination in relation with the engagement. Competences and readiness scales related to the adults’ self-training are also observed. One proposes to observe motivational directions and the engagement’s reasons in relation with the perception of oneself as self-directed learners in a context of self-training. Our reflections also relate to the concept of Alterdidacticism in opposition to the self-educated steps, to the Autodidacticism in a context of adults’ self-training.

Text in Afrikaans / The purpose of this research was to draw up guidelines for nursing tutors on the facilitation of critical reflective learning in student nurses within the context of nursing education. The research question was stated as follows: What guidelines does the nursing tutor need to facilitate critical reflective learning in student nurses? The research design was qualitative, contextual, explorative and descriptive of nature. Ten nursing tutors were selected for participation on the basis of their expertise and experience. Data collection was in the form of written narratives. The data was analysed according to the eight-step method of Tesch (1990) in Cresswell (1994:155). An independent coder was involved in the judgement and interpretation of data. The research guidelines were derived from the research findings. These guidelines are applicable directly to nursing education and indirectly to the nursing practice, therefore it contributes to the scientific body of nursing knowledge. / Die doel van hierdie navorsing was die beskrywing van riglyne vir verpleegdosente om krities reflektiewe leer by verpleegstudente te fasiliteer binne 'n verpleegonderwys konteks. Die navorsingsvraag is soos volg gestel: Walter riglyne benodig die verpleegdosent om krities reflektiewe leer by verpleegstudente te fasiliteer? Die navorsingsontwerp was kwalitatief, kontekstueel, verkennend en beskrywend van aard. Tien verpleegdosente is geselekteer vir deelname op grond van hulle kundigheid en ervaring. Geskrewe narratiewe is gebruik om data in te sa mel. Die data is geanaliseer volgensdieagt-stap metodevan Tesch (1990) in Cresswell (1994:155). 'n Onafhanklike kodeerder was betrokke by die beoordeling en interpretasie van data. Die navorsingsriglyne is afgelei vanuit die navorsingsbevindinge en lewer 'n bydrae tot die wetenskaplike verpleegkennisbasis deurdat dit direkte toepassing vind in verpleegonderwys en indirek in die verpleegpraktyk. / Health Studies / M.A. (Verpleegonderwys)

This study investigated the relationship between the self-directedness (as measured by the Adult Learner Self-Directedness Scale) and employability attributes (as measured by the Student Employablity Attributes Scale) of adult learners enrolled at a South African distance learning higher education institution. Correlational and inferential statistical analyses were carried out in order to realise the research objective. A stratified random sample of 1 102 mainly black and female participants participated in the study. The research indicated self-directedness to be a significant positive predictor of employability attributes and also revealed significant differences between the gender, race and age groups regarding these variables. Recommendations are suggested for use by university lecturers and human resource development professionals. / Human Resource Management / M. Comm. (Human Resource Management)

La crise éducative et économique mondiale génère un besoin de revoir les finalités éducatives et de réformer la pensée. « Les sept savoirs nécessaires pour l’éducation du futur », d’Edgar Morin, visent un humanisme démocratique et scientifique. C’est dans cette optique, et avec ce cadre épistémologique, que nous avons constitué une recherche collaborative internationale sur la formation de formateurs, au sein du mouvement de l’École Moderne. Une confrontation coopérative interculturelle a commencé, dans un premier temps, par une observation participante armée dans 5 pays européens, afin de travailler la dimension macro et méso de leurs systèmes éducatifs, et pour développer un réseau international qui a officiellement vu le jour lors de la rencontre physique d’enseignants et de formateurs de différents pays européens en 2009. Elle a révélé, au niveau méso et micro, des points aveugles, et elle a engendré, dans un second temps, une autoformation coopérative, grâce à l’émergence de nouvelles didactiques professionnelles socioconstructivistes. Celles-ci ont été mises en œuvre dans le cadre de la formation d’enseignants en février 2010, à Valencia, et de formateurs, en juillet 2010, à Nantes, avec un public hétérogène issu de 3 continents. Fondées sur l’articulation entre « tâtonnement expérimental » et coopération, elles représentent un lien entre éducation, formation et recherche. Elles développent la capacité à travailler en équipe, la créativité et la réflexivité. Ce travail de thèse montre que la diversité culturelle peut être source de richesse, d’intelligence collective internationale, et d’apprentissage transformateur, développant un « ingenium » transférable dans différents contextes, notamment en matière de formation de formateurs. / The educational and economic crisis generates a need to re-examine the education purposes and to reform the thought. “The seven knowledge necessary to educate the future”, (Morin E., 1999), aims at a democratic and scientific humanism. We constituted an international collaborative research on teacher training, supported by this philosophical and epistemological framework, within the the Modern School movement. An intercultural co-operative confrontation started, initially, by a participating observation in 5 European countries, in order to work macro and meso dimensions of their educational systems, and to develop an international network which officially came out during a physical meeting of teachers and trainers from various European countries, in 2009. It revealed blind points, on meso and micro levels, and generated a co-operative self-directed training, in a second step, thanks to the emergence of new professional socioconstructivist didactics, within the framework of teachers training, in February 2010, in Valencia, and trainers training, in July 2010, in Nantes, with a heterogeneous public of 3 continents. Based on the articulation between “experimental probing” and co-operation, they connect education, training and research. They develop ability to work in team, creativity and reflexivity. This thesis shows that cultural diversity can generate empowerment and international collective intelligence, transformative learning, developing a transferable “ingenium” in various contexts.

This study investigated the relationship between the self-directedness (as measured by the Adult Learner Self-Directedness Scale) and employability attributes (as measured by the Student Employablity Attributes Scale) of adult learners enrolled at a South African distance learning higher education institution. Correlational and inferential statistical analyses were carried out in order to realise the research objective. A stratified random sample of 1 102 mainly black and female participants participated in the study. The research indicated self-directedness to be a significant positive predictor of employability attributes and also revealed significant differences between the gender, race and age groups regarding these variables. Recommendations are suggested for use by university lecturers and human resource development professionals. / Human Resource Management / M. Comm. (Human Resource Management)