This qualitative case study explored faculty perceptions regarding best practices and uses of assessment in a dental hygiene program at a small northwestern college. It was discovered that faculty in the program were assessing students in their clinical courses using widely varied methods, designs, and scoring tools. Faculty neither calibrated processes nor communicated about this problem. In addition, a review of the assessments in this local setting indicated a significant gap in the current guidelines for best practices in clinical assessment procedures. Knowles' adult learning theory served as the foundation for this study. Research questions were designed to obtain clinical faculty's perceptions of their knowledge of best practices in assessment, assessment design, methods including scoring tools, and how faculty could work collaboratively to implement clearly and consistently designed best-practice assessments in their clinical courses. Interviews and reviews of assessment documents were conducted with a purposeful sample of 8 faculty participants. Data were coded and analyzed for common themes. Results indicated that instructors did not collaborate and had little knowledge of assessment criteria based on best practices, administration, and scoring procedures. At the request of the dean, a position paper was created as a project. The paper outlined strategies for designing clinical skills assessments with criteria that is consistent, clear, and based on best practices. Also included were procedures for ongoing faculty professional development and collaboration, insuring that faculty are calibrated and that assessments are valid and reliable. The results of this study can promote positive social change as faculty in this program will be increasingly confident in assessment practices, and graduates will consistently provide greater quality patient and community care.

The purpose of this study was to identify the youth who do not participate in Independent Living Program (ILP) services and, if possible, to ascertain if any characteristics or factors appear to affect participation in ILP services. The study utilized a quantitative research method to assess ILP participation by extracting data from existing case records via a data extraction form created in conjunction with the San Bernardino County Legislation, Research and Quality Support Services Unit.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: HIV/AIDS places much stress on those living with the disease. An understanding of the processes of stress and coping and how these relate to people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) can inform the nature of services we offer to PLWHAs. Social support has been shown to playa mediatory role in the stress response and is also considered to be a problem-focused coping strategy. This paper presents an overview of the literature on stress, coping and social support with the aim of assisting healthcare workers to understand how these issues relate to HIV/AIDS and to show how healthcare workers, and, specifically psychologists can use their unique competencies and skills to enhance the quality of life of PLWHAs. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: MIVNIGS plaas baie druk op mense wat met die siekte moet saamleef. Insig rakende die prosesse van spanning en hantering daarvan en hoe dit verband hou met mense wat met MIVNIGS moet saamleef, het die potensiaal om die aard van die dienste wat aan die spesifieke populasie gelewer word, in te lig. Sosiale ondersteuning blyk 'n bemiddelende rol te speel in spanningsresponse en word ook beskou as 'n probleemgefokusde hanteringsmeganisme. Die betrokke werkstuk bied 'n oorsig van die literatuur rakende spanning, hantering en sosiale ondersteuning. Dit is gefokus daarop om bystand te verleen aan gesondheidsorg werkers om hulle insig te gee hoe hierdie kwessies met MIVNIGS verband hou. Dit poog ook om aan te toon hoe gesondheidsorgwerkers en spesifiek sielkundiges, hul unieke bevoegdhede en vaardighede kan benut om die wat met MIVNIGS moet saamleef, se kwaliteit van lewe te verryk.

Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study investigated the association between functional status in fibromyalgia patients and helplessness, self-efficacy, social support and cognitive appraisal. Patients' assessments of their pain and global severity of illness (as rated on a visual analog scale) as well as a physician's rating of global severity, tended to correlate with helplessness and pain-related self-statements. Patients' perceived change in difficulty and satisfaction regarding activities of daily living (measured by means of the Modified Health Assessment Questionnaire) correlated negatively with self-efficacy beliefs and relationship strain, while patients' subjective assessment of their global improvement was related to self-efficacy. The objective rating by a physician of tender points correlated with catastrophizing self-statements and opportunity for confiding. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In hierdie studie is die verband tussen die funksionele status van pasiënte met fibromialgie en die belewing van hulpeloosheid, selfdoeltreffendheid, sosiale ondersteuning en bepaalde kognisies ondersoek. Pasiënte se beoordeling van hulle ervaring van pyn en die globale ems van hulle siekte (soos beoordeel met behulp van 'n visuele analoogskaal), asook die geneesheer se beoordeling van die ems van hulle siekte, het met hulpeloosheid en pynverwante kognisies gekorreleer. Hulle waarneming van die verandering in die uitvoerbaarheid van, en hulle tevredenheid met hulle daaglikse aktiwiteite (gemeet met die Modified Health Assessment Questionnaire) het negatief verband gehou met selfdoeltreffendheid en verhoudingstremmings, terwyl hulle globale beoordeling van die verbetering in hulle siekte met selfdoeltreffendheid gekorreleer het. Die objektiewe assessering deur 'n geneesheer van sensitiewe liggaamsareas het verband getoon met disfunksionele kognisies (katastrofering) en vertroue in ander.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The level of unemployment in Lesotho has reached an alarming rate and this situation is compounded by massive mine retrenchments (Central Bank of Lesotho, 2001: 22). Given this background, it is imperative to gain a deeper understanding of the career life histories of retrenched Basotho migrant labourers in order to explain their perceptions/attitudes regarding education. In-depth individual interviews with 26 retrenched mineworkers were conducted for collecting data and a grounded theory approach was followed in analysing the data. The life histories of the men were critically investigated, from the time before they were employed in the mines, to the stage when they were working in the mining industries. The enquiry continued to a stage when they were retrenched from the mines. Their lives after retrenchment were looked at to establish whether they had acquired skills whilst they were employed in the mines. The objective was to determine whether the skills acquired were useful to them after retrenchment and if they could secure them employment in other sectors of the economy besides the mines. The study revealed that most of the migrant labourers had not acquired other skills besides those that were offered in the mines. As a result, all of the men were unemployed becausethey lacked skills that were relevant to the economy of Lesotho. Retrenched migrant labourers reported that education was important, especially for their children. For them, they indicated that they could pursue education if they would be employed in the mines again of it is offered where they would be employed, on the job training. The question is whether these men will secure employment in other sectors in Lesotho given that they lack relevant skills. It is advisable, therefore, for the government of Lesotho to facilitate career guidance in the country to encourage these men to acquire marketable skills and to promote employment creation. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die werkloosheidsyfer in Lesotho het 'n ontstellende vlak bereik en hierdie situasie word vererger deur massiewe afdankings by die myne (Central Bank of Lesotho, 2001: 22). Dit is dus noodsaaklik, gegee hierdie agtergrond dat 'n beter begrip van die beroepsgeskiedenisse van afgedankte Basotho trekarbeiders omskryf word om hulle persepsies/houdings jeens opvoeding vas te stel. Daar is individuele in-diepte onderhoude gevoer met 26 afgedankte mynwerkers om data in te samel en 'n gegronde teorie aanslag is gevolg in die analise van die data. Die lewensgeskiedenisse van die mans is krities ondersoek, vanaf die tydperk wat hulle in diens geneem is in die myne tot hulle indiensneming in die mynindustrieë. Die ondersoek sluit ook die afdankings periode in. Hulle lewens na afdanking is ook ondersoek om vas te stelof hulle vaardighede tydens hulle diens in die myne aangeleer het. Die doelstelling hiermee was om vas te stelof die aangeleerde vaardighede indiensname in ander sektore kon verseker na hulle afgedank is. Die studie toon dat die meeste trekarbeiders nie enige ander vaardighede aangeleer het as wat hulle in die myne gebruik het nie. Dit het daartoe gelei dat hulle nie geskik is vir werk in ander sektore aangesien hulle nie oor relevante vaardighede beskik nie. Afgedankte trekarbeiders het aangedui dat opvoeding belangrik is, veral vir hulle kinders. Hulle het wel aangedui dat hulle verdere opleiding sou wou ontvang indien hulle weer in diens geneem word of as deel van in-diens opleiding. Die kwessie is egter of hierdie mans in ander sektore in diens geneem sal word aangesien hulle nie oor die nodige vaardighede beskik nie. Dit word dus aanbeveel dat die Lesotho regering beroepsleiding te fasiliteer om hierdie mans aan te moedig om bemarkbare vaardighede te kry as ook om werkverskaffing aan te moedig.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of cooperative learning in a liberal arts mathematics course and to examine any gender-related differences in the effects of cooperative learning in terms of achievement, composition of the cooperative groups, mathematics anxiety, attitudes toward mathematics, attendance, and retention. The quasi-experimental design compared a control section using individualized learning methods with three treatment sections using cooperative learning methods based on the Learning Together model of Johnson and Johnson (1991). The compositions of the three treatment groups varied: heterogeneous ability/heterogeneous gender, heterogeneous ability/homogeneous gender, and self-selected. The Academic Skills Assessment Program (ASAP) was used as a pre-test to show that the groups were equal. The Revised Math Attitude Scale and the Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale (MARS) were used as pre- and post-tests to measure changes in attitudes and anxiety. Achievement was measured by individual and group course grades. Group grades were determined by taking 67% of a student's individual exam score plus 33% of the group's average on the exam. Cooperative learning and composition of groups had no significant effect on achievement. The differences between individual and group grades were insignificant, and the group grading method benefited the grades of only five students. Attendance had a large effect on achievement, and the ASAP score and the Math Attitude Post-test were significant predictors of achievement. / The MARS post-test was negatively correlated with individual course grade. While no significant gender-related differences surfaced, some trends appeared. The ASAP, MARS, and Math Attitude pre-test scores were equal, however, females achieved slightly higher course grades than males. In each of the four research groups the individual course grades were higher for females than for males. Also, females had a larger decrease in mathematics anxiety with a drop of 22 points compared to the males' drop of 10 points. Males and females each improved their attitudes toward mathematics by only one point, however, in three of the four research groups, females had smaller attitude changes than males, and two of the cooperative learning groups had decreases in their attitude scores.

<p><strong>Abstract</strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong>Date: </strong>May 15, 2009<strong> </strong></p><p><strong>Course: </strong>Master thesis,<strong> </strong>EFO705<strong> </strong></p><p><strong>Authors: </strong>Hanna Jokiperä 800218-T108, hja08001@student.mdh.se</p><p>Ruusa Mustonen 830711-P263, rmn08001@student.mdh.se</p><p><strong>Tutor: </strong>Tobias Eltebrandt</p><p><strong>Title: </strong>CAN Europe – Market Research of Sweden</p><p><strong>Strategic question: </strong>How can CAN Europe launch the internationally standardised vocational skills assessment tests successfully to Sweden? The purpose of this master thesis is to provide the company with comprehensive information about the Swedish market and to suggest ways to implement the launching process.</p><p><strong>Research questions: </strong></p><ul><li>What are the characteristics of the Swedish labour and recruitment market? </li><li>Are the Swedish companies interested in using CAN Europe’s tests? </li><li>What would be the suitable marketing mix when entering the Swedish market?</li></ul><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Besides the comprehensive collection of secondary data, the primary data was collected by the means of an open-ended questionnaire among large companies and recruitment agencies in Sweden. The research was conducted in order to gather in-depth information about the recruitment field in Sweden.</p><p><strong>Conceptual Framework: </strong>Theories of<strong> ‘</strong>The<strong> </strong>International Marketing Task’, ‘The Country Notebook’ and ‘The Market entry plan’ were used.  Theories and concepts were chosen for the purpose that they would support each other and could be used by combining them when making the analysis of the findings.<strong></strong></p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>According to the study, Sweden seems to be highly potential country for CAN Europe to enter since the relevant aspects for successful launch exist in the market i.e. in terms of companies’ interest and needs, and the characteristics of the skills assessment and recruitment market in Sweden.</p><p><strong>Key Words: </strong>Market entry plan, marketing mix, international launch, market research, skills assessment, recruitment, blue-collar<strong></strong></p>

Abstract   Date: May 15, 2009 Course: Master thesis, EFO705 Authors: Hanna Jokiperä 800218-T108, hja08001@student.mdh.se Ruusa Mustonen 830711-P263, rmn08001@student.mdh.se Tutor: Tobias Eltebrandt Title: CAN Europe – Market Research of Sweden Strategic question: How can CAN Europe launch the internationally standardised vocational skills assessment tests successfully to Sweden? The purpose of this master thesis is to provide the company with comprehensive information about the Swedish market and to suggest ways to implement the launching process. Research questions: What are the characteristics of the Swedish labour and recruitment market? Are the Swedish companies interested in using CAN Europe’s tests? What would be the suitable marketing mix when entering the Swedish market? Methods: Besides the comprehensive collection of secondary data, the primary data was collected by the means of an open-ended questionnaire among large companies and recruitment agencies in Sweden. The research was conducted in order to gather in-depth information about the recruitment field in Sweden. Conceptual Framework: Theories of ‘The International Marketing Task’, ‘The Country Notebook’ and ‘The Market entry plan’ were used.  Theories and concepts were chosen for the purpose that they would support each other and could be used by combining them when making the analysis of the findings. Conclusion: According to the study, Sweden seems to be highly potential country for CAN Europe to enter since the relevant aspects for successful launch exist in the market i.e. in terms of companies’ interest and needs, and the characteristics of the skills assessment and recruitment market in Sweden. Key Words: Market entry plan, marketing mix, international launch, market research, skills assessment, recruitment, blue-collar

Il existe un nombre croissant de tests de langues sur le marché. Ces derniers se répartissent en plusieurs catégories selon leur forme et leur fonction: tests de positionnement, d’acquisition et de progrès, de compétence, de certification, tests diagnostiques et enfin tests d’aptitude. La conception du test de positionnement POSILANG, entièrement adossé au Cadre européen commun de référence pour les langues (CECRL), force à s’interroger sur le processus général d’évaluation des compétences en LVE, à définir ce que sont les bonnes pratiques, à explorer la compatibilité de l’approche communicative-actionnelle prônée par le Cadre avec le format automatisé. Les atouts visés par le dispositif sont la gratuité, la praticité, la fiabilité, l’accessibilité, l’interactivité ainsi que l’authenticité. L’élaboration des items doit tenir compte des usages situés de la langue dans des situations de communication réelles. Conçu localement, en intégrant la situation particulière du site universitaire bordelais, le test est prévu pour évaluer le niveau de compétences des bacheliers en anglais, accédant à l’Enseignement Supérieur. L’évaluation de la version pilote de POSILANG, menée dans le cadre de la présente recherche, montre que POSILANG permet bien de déterminer à la fois le niveau en langue global de candidats et leur niveau par domaine de compétence. Le test remplit aussi une fonction diagnostique, en pointant les lacunes des candidats. Le positionnement par domaines de compétences permet de créer différents groupes de niveaux aussi homogènes que possible pour les enseignements obligatoires d’anglais et pour remédier aux difficultés langagières repérées. / In education today, a great number of language tests are available. These tests can be divided into different categories according to their features and function: placement tests, acquisition and progress tests, certification tests and aptitude tests. The POSILANG placement test offers many advantages. The test is conceived in accordance with the Common European framework of reference for languages (CEFR). It therefore complies with the majority of the parameters laid down in this official document and adheres to an action-oriented approach. POSILANG also benefits from being free of charge, readily available, reliable, interactive and authentic. The latter is achieved by using language taken from real life situations for the conception of items. The test has been designed for local use on the campus of Bordeaux University and takes into account the specificities of this environment. Its aim is to assess the competence level of secondary school leavers as they enter the higher education system. POSILANG is able not only to assess the overall language level of participants, but also the level in three separate areas of competence. It has a diagnostic function centered on pinpointing the weaknesses of students. The placement of students according to the different areas of competence enables teachers to form student groups with similar language levels, so as to address the specific instructional needs identified by the test.

The changes that have taken place in the South African educational system over the past few years have placed teachers under increasing stress. While abundant overseas literature is available regarding teacher stress, limited studies have focused specifically on South African samples. Female teachers, and working mothers, often experience additional stressors to men. Studies on women’s health have received little attention in comparison with the magnitude of research conducted on men’s health. The aim of the current study was to explore and describe the stress, coping resources and adjustment of married mothers in the teaching profession, and to explore and describe the patterns of stress and coping resources of these women. A non-experimental, exploratory descriptive study was employed. A biographical questionnaire and three paper-and-pencil measures, namely the Experience of Work and Life Questionnaire, the Coping Resources Inventory and the Personal, Home, Social and Formal Relations Questionnaire, were administered to 31 full-time primary school teachers who are married mothers of dependent children under the age of 14 years. A non-probability convenience sampling technique was employed. Descriptive statistics and cluster analysis were used in the data analysis. The results of the WLQ for this sample indicated that the mean score for the total level of stress fell within the high range, but with regards to the mode, the majority of the participants had average scores. The results of the CRI indicated an average level of coping resources for the present sample. The sample scored slightly above average on seven of the eleven components of the adjustment areas of the PHSF and slightly below average on the other four components. The participants in cluster one had average levels of stress and an average level of coping resources. The participants in cluster two scored very high levels of stress and average levels of coping resources. The participants in cluster three had very high levels of stress and low levels of coping resources. Suggestions were made for future research involving the stress, coping resources and adjustment of married mothers in the teaching profession. Finally, the limitations as well as the value of the research were outlined.