Showing papers on "Competence (human resources) published in 1995"

Practices That Support Teacher Development.

Abstract: Transforming Conceptions Of Professional Learning The conventional view of staff development as a transferable package of knowledge to be distributed to teachers in bite-sized pieces needs radical rethinking, according to Ms. Lieberman, who presents a new conception. The current effort to reform the nation's schools seeks to develop not only new (or re-framed) conceptions of teaching, learning, and schooling, but also a wide variety of practices that support teacher learning. These practices run counter to some deeply held notions about staff development and inservice education that have long influenced educators' and the public's views of teachers. Although sophistication about the process of restructuring schools and the problems of changing school cultures is growing, it is still widely accepted that staff learning takes place primarily at a series of workshops, at a conference, or with the help of a long-term consultant.(1) What everyone appears to want for students - a wide array of learning opportunities that engage students in experiencing, creating, and solving real problems, using their own experiences, and working with others - is for some reason denied to teachers when they are the learners. In the traditional view of staff development, workshops and conferences conducted outside the school count, but authentic opportunities to learn from and with colleagues inside the school do not. The conventional view of staff development as a transferable package of knowledge to be distributed to teachers in bite-sized pieces needs radical rethinking. It implies a limited conception of teacher learning that is out of step with current research and practice.(2) Learning from History: Questioning Assumptions In 1957 the National Society for the Study of Education published Inservice Education for Teachers, Supervisors, and Administrators.(3) The book was important not only because it was comprehensive, but also because it challenged the narrow assumptions about inservice education that had been dominant during the early 20th century. It proposed that schools and entire staffs should become collaborators in providing inservice education. This view was suggested by the growing knowledge of group dynamics that linked larger ideas of change to school problems.(4) Because the status of teachers was rising at the time, the idea that teachers should share the work of their own professional improvement gained credibility in education circles. The two conflicting assumptions about the best way for teachers to learn - either through direct instruction by outsiders or through their own involvement in defining and shaping the problems of practice - stem from deep-rooted philosophical notions about learning, competence, and trust, and these issues are again at the heart of discussions of professional development today.(5) Teachers have been told often enough (or it has been taken for granted) that other people's understandings of teaching and learning are more important than their own and that their knowledge - gained from the dailiness of work with students - is of far less value. Outside experts have often viewed teaching as technical, learning as packaged, and teachers as passive recipients of the findings of "objective research." Because the contemporary school reform movement is concerned with such fundamental issues of schooling as conceptions of knowledge building and teacher learning, today's approach to professional development goes far beyond the technical tinkering that has often characterized inservice training.(6) The process of restructuring schools places demands on the whole organization that make it imperative that individuals redefine their work in relation to the way the entire school works. Transforming schools into learning organizations, in which people work together to solve problems collectively, is more than a question of inserting a new curriculum or a new program. …

Communicative Competence: A Pedagogically Motivated Model with Content Specifications

Abstract: This paper argues the need for an updated and explicit description of language teaching areas generated with reference to a detailed model of communicative competence. We describe two existing models of communicative competence and then propose our own pedagogically motivated construct, which includes five components: (1) discourse competence, (2) linguistic competence, (3) actional competence, (4) sociocultural competence, and (5) strategic competence. We discuss these competencies in as much detail as is currently feasible, provide content specifications for each component, and touch on remaining issues and possible future developments.

Fairness and Competence in Citizen Participation

Abstract: This article reports progress on developing a theory of public participation that may prove useful to administrative bodies. The authors review a theory of public participation based on Habermas’s theory of communicative action and then reconsider the theory in light of a case study. Participants of a forest policy-making process reported their perceptions of a good process, and the authors used grounded theory methodology to induce criteria of good process. By contrasting the case study results with the theoretical criteria, insights are left into the strengths and shortcomings of the theory.

Defining and developing competence: A strategic process paradigm

Abstract: In this paper, competence is defined in operational terms as the degree to which the firm or its subunits can reliably meet or exceed objectives. Two antecedents to competence (and thus competitive advantage) are then developed and defined. These are the ‘comprehension’ of the management team working on developing competence and the ‘deftness’ of their task execution. Empirical results from a study of 160 new initiatives in 40 organizations from 16 countries suggest that: (1) it is feasible to operationalize and measure these constructs; (2) comprehension and deftness are important correlates of an organization's degree of competence as defined; and (3) a process-centered paradigm for understanding competence development shows promise.

How students learn statistics

Abstract: Summary Research in the areas of psychology, statistical education, and mathematics education is reviewed and the results applied to the teaching of college-level statistics courses. The argument is made that statistics educators need to determine what it is they really want students to learn, to modify their teaching according to suggestions from the research literature, and to use assessment to determine if their teaching is effective and if students are developing statistical understanding and competence.

Situated cognition and learning environments: roles, structures, and implications for design

Abstract: Situated cognition has emerged as a powerful perspective in providing meaningful learning and promoting the transfer of knowledge to real-life situations. While considerable interest has been generated in situated learning environments, few guidelines exist related to their design. The purpose of this paper is to examine the theoretical underpinnings of situated cognition and to derive implications for the design of situated learning environments. The conceptual framework centers on four basic issues: the role of context, the role of content, the role of facilitation, and the role of assessment.

The Structure and Coherence of Competence from Childhood through Adolescence

Abstract: The structure and coherence of competence from childhood (ages 8-12) to late adolescence (ages 17-23) was examined in a longitudinal study of 191 children. Structural equation modeling was utilized to test a conceptual model and alternative models. Results suggest that competence has at least 3 distinct dimensions in childhood and 5 in adolescence. These dimensions reflect developmental tasks related to academic achievement, social competence, and conduct important at both age levels in U.S. society, and the additional tasks of romantic and job competence in adolescence. As hypothesized, rule-breaking versus rule-abiding conduct showed strong continuity over time, while academic achievement and social competence showed moderate continuity. Results also were consistent with the hypothesis that antisocial behavior undermines academic attainment and job competence.

Training the Translator

Abstract: This book begins by investigating, through the use of think-aloud protocols, the mental processes of students when they translate. The creative and successful processes observed can be used directly for teaching purposes, while the unsuccessful ones can serve to find out where remedial training is needed. The book then goes on to discuss methods for improving a translator's competence. The strategies offered are based on the pragmatic and semantic analysis of texts from a functional point of view, and they include such practical matters as the use of dictionaries and the evaluation of translations and error analysis. The book is intended for teachers in translator-training institutions, but it can also be used by students for self-training.

Competence-Based Assessment

Abstract: The emergence of competence-based assessment the case for competence-based assessment theoretical issues in a criterion-based system from theory to implementation - evidence from education and the workplace conclusion - a look to the future.

Self-Efficacy Theory

Abstract: In the course of even the most ordinary lives, people face an infinite number of decisions, problems, and challenges Despite the statistics on the prevalence of emotional and behavioral dysfunction, most people most of the time are able to effectively make decisions, solve problems, and overcome challenges Understanding how people adapt and adjust to life’s infinite challenges is, perhaps, the most important problem for scientific psychology Not surprisingly, most of the important models of human learning, cognition, emotion, personality, and social interaction have tried to account for the individual’s capacity for adaptively responding to environmental changes, often referred to as competence (eg, Sternberg & Kolligan, 1990; White, 1959) The study of beliefs about personal competence and the role of such beliefs in human adaptation and adjustment have a long history in clinical, personality, and social psychology The theories of effectance motivation (White, 1959), achievement motivation (McClelland, Atkinson, Clark, & Lowell, 1953), social learning (Rotter, 1966), and helplessness (Abramson, Seligman, & Teasdale, 1978) are just a few of the many theories that have sought to explore and explain the relationship between perceptions of personal competence and adaptation, adjustment, and psychological well-being

The development and validation of the Perceived Health Competence Scale

Abstract: A sense of competence or self-efficacy is associated with many positive outcomes, particularly in the area of health behavior. A measure of a sense of competence in the domain of health behavior has not been developed. Most measures are either general measures of a general sense of self-efficacy or are very specific to a particular health behavior. The Perceived Health Competence Scale (PHCS), a domain-specific measure of the degree to which an individual feels capable of effectively managing his or her health outcomes, was developed to provide a measure of perceived competence at an intermediate level of specificity. Five studies using three different types of samples (students, adults and persons with a chronic illness) provide evidence for the reliability and validity of the PHCS. The eight items of the PHCS combine both outcome and behavioral expectancies. Results from the five studies indicate that the scale has good internal consistency and test-retest reliability. The construct validity of the scale is demonstrated through the support obtained for substantive hypotheses regarding the correlates of perceived health competence, such as health behavior intentions, general sense of competence and health locus of control.

Physical attractiveness and intellectual competence : a meta-analytic review

Abstract: Meta-analysis was used to test hypotheses about the relationship between physical attractiveness and intellectual competence. in support of status generalization theory and implicit personality theory, attractive people were perceived as more competent than less attractive people. Attractiveness effects were stronger for males than for females, and stronger when explicit information about competence was absent than when it was present, in keeping with status generalization theory. In partial support of status generalization theory and expectancy theory, attractiveness was related to actual competence in children, but not in adults. Direct measures of competence were influenced strongly more by attractiveness than were indirect measures, as predicted by status generalization theory. implications for theory, organizational policy, and future research are discussed.

Preschool Origins of Cross-National Differences in Mathematical Competence: The Role of Number-Naming Systems

Abstract: Differences in mathematical competence between U S and Chinese children first emerge during the preschool years, favor Chinese children, and are limited to specific aspects of mathematical competence The base-10 structure of number names is less obvious in English than in Chinese, differences between these languages are reflected in children's difficulties learning to count Language differences do not affect other aspects of early mathematics, including counting small sets and solving simple numerical problems Because later mathematics increasingly involves manipulation of symbols, this early deficit in apprehending the base-10 structure of number names may provide a basis for previously reported differences in mathematical competence favoring Chinese schoolchildren

Competence, Education and Nvqs: Dissenting Perspectives

Abstract: Origins of CBE and NVQs what is competence? competence, learning and teaching knowledge and competence competence and vocational education and training general NVQs and the vocational/academic divide competence, general education and liberalism competence, adult and continuing professional education towards the learning society.

Motivational Climate, Psychological Responses, and Motor Skill Development in Children’s Sport: A Field-Based Intervention Study

Abstract: Recent research in educational psychology suggests that provision of a mastery motivational climate will maximize enjoyment, perceived competence, and intrinsic motivation in children (Ames, 1992a, 1992b, 1992c). Minimal research has been conducted to test this proposition in the physical domain. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a performance versus mastery oriented teaching program on children’s enjoyment, perceived competence, intrinsic motivation, and motor skill development. Children (N = 119) 8 to 12 years of age were randomly assigned to one of the two programs for 3 weeks during an organized sports program. Results revealed that children in the mastery oriented group reported significantly higher levels of enjoyment and exhibited better motor skills than those in the performance oriented group. In-depth interviews further indicated that children in the mastery program were almost unanimous in reporting high levels of perceived competence and intrinsic motivation, while ...

Evaluating adolescent decision making in legal contexts.

Abstract: Challenges the use by policy researchers of a model for comparing adolescent and adult decision making that is based on informed consent standards. An expanded decision-making framework designed to evaluate "judgment" in adults and adolescents can better test the empirical basis of paternalistic legal policies. The theoretical and empirical literature on the informed consent framework is critiqued and an alternative framework incorporating judgment factors is proposed. Three judgment factors-temporal perspective, attitude toward risk, and peer and parental influence-and their effects on decision making are explored. Finally, implications for future research are analyzed in several decision-making contexts.

Diversity and Motivation: Culturally Responsive Teaching

Abstract: Understanding Relationships Between Culture and Motivation to Learn Establishing Inclusion Developing Attitude Enhancing Meaning EngAndering Competence Implementing a Culturally Responsive Pedagogy Resources: A. Facilitating Equitable Discussions Within the Multicultural Classroom B. Cooperative Lesson Worksheet C. Evaluator Assessment D. Evaluative Descriptors for Narrative Assessment .

Perceptions of intercultural communication competence and international student adaptation to an American campus

Abstract: International students are enrolling in American colleges and universities in increasing numbers, yet we know little of their communicative experiences on United States campuses. This study examined perceptions of intercultural communication competence and adaptation in international students studying on an American campus. Participants in the study were 101 international students enrolled in a medium‐sized university in the Midwest. Results suggest that while the affective and behavioral dimensions of intercultural communication competence are related to students' satisfaction with their communication skills, talking with American students was the single most important factor in perceptions of communication competency and adjusting to American life. Practical implications of these results for communication instruction are discussed.

A perspective on knowledge, competence and strategy

Abstract: Although the idea that competencies are underlying sustainable competitive advantages is central, there has been no thorough investigation into the very nature of competencies in the strategic mana ...

Strangers in Academia: The Experiences of Faculty and ESL Students Across the Curriculum

Abstract: Vivian Zamel is Professor of English at the University of Massachusetts Boston, where she directs the English as a Second Language Program and teaches composition courses for ESL students as well as graduate courses on ESL theory and pedagogy. She has researched and published extensively on the writing and learning of linguistically diverse learners. She coauthored, with University of Massachusetts colleagues Eleanore Kutz and Suzie Q. Groden, The Discovery of Competence: Teaching and Learning with Diverse Student Writers (Boynton/Cook, 1993) and coedited, with Ruth Spack, Negotiating Academic Literacies: Teaching and Learning Across Languages and Cultures (Lawrence Erlbaum, 1998). The following article is from College Composition and Communication, 46, December 1995.

Competencies for distance education professionals

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to identify the roles and competencies of distance education professionals within the United States and Canada. A population of 103 distance education experts was identified, and their perceptions regarding this information were sought in a modified two-round Delphi process. The results of the study include a competency model for distance education. It illustrates the final top ten competencies and eleven roles which were identified by the study. In addition, a supplemental table outlining outputs and competencies by individual role was developed. The top ten competencies portray the dual importance of both communication and technical skills in distance education. These ten competencies are: (1) Interpersonal Communication, (2) Planning Skills, (3) Collaboration/Teamwork Skills, (4) English Proficiency, (5) Writing Skills, (6) Organizational Skills, (7) Feedback Skills, (8) Knowledge of Distance Education Field, (9) Basic Technology Knowledge, and (10) Technology Access Knowledge. The resulting competency model will be useful in serving as a research foundation for development training and certification programs for distance education professionals.

Cultural awareness in the human services : a multi-ethnic approach

Abstract: Each chapter ends with "Follow Up." Preface. I.CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND SOCIAL SERVICES. 1.Race, Ethnicity, and Social Services. Diversity and Human Services. Race and Culture. Ethnicity. Concepts of Ethnicity: Categorical and Transactional. Social Work-Ethnic Group Relationships. Social Work as an Ethnic Community. A Human Services Model of Cultural Competence. Postmodernism, an Emerging Approach. 2.Help-Seeking Behavior: The Cultural Construction of Care. Care as a Cultural System. Help-Seeking Behavior: A Model for Cross-Cultural Service Relationships. DSM-IV and the Cultural Construction of Care. Cultural Competence as a Way of Working. 3.Method in Cross-Cultural Social Work. Cross-Cultural Learning. Cultural Competence. Steps toward Cultural Competence. Empathy and Cultural Competence. Organizational Competence. 4.Language and Cross-Cultural Social Work. Language and World View. Words, Meanings, and Client Perspectives. Language and Meaning. Interviewing for Emic Insight. Planning the Ethnographic Interview. Working with a Translator. Is Ethnographic Interviewing Therapeutic? Narrative as Storied Insight. Constraints on Cross-Cultural Communication. II.CULTURAL COMPETENCE IN MULTICULTURAL CONTEXTS. 5.Cross-Cultural Problem Resolution. Step I: Building the Critical Knowledge Base. Step II: Cultural Salience in Problem Solving. Step III: Individualizing the Client within Context. Step IV: Cultural Competence and Power. Step V: Thinking and Working Comparatively. Getting from Here to There. American Ethnicity. 6.African Americans, Diaspora, and Survival. "Roots" and African American Ethnicity. Variations in the African American Community. African Americans and Social Services. Ideology and Care. Cultural Contrasts and Competent Practice. Developing Skills for Service. Other Black Communities. 7.American Indians in a New World. Who Is a Native American? Contemporary Aspects of Native American Life. Native Americans and Social Services. The Special Case of Alcohol. Native American Suicide. Cultural Contrasts and Cultural Competence. Developing Skills for Service. Who Is a Native American?-Again. 8.Latino Cultures and Their Continuity. Latino Diversity. Spanish-Speaking Communities and Social Services. Health, Illness, and Belief Systems. Cultural Contrasts and Cultural Competence. Family Life. Acculturation-Is it for Everybody? 9.Asians and Pacific Islanders. A Historical Overview. Adaptations to American Life. Social Service Needs among Asian Americans. Cultural Contrasts and Cultural Competence. The Chinese. The Japanese. Filipinos. The Vietnamese. Conclusion. Bibliography. Index.

Revealing the competence of aphasic adults through conversation: A challenge to health professionals.

Abstract: The idea that aphasia masks competence normally revealed through conversation forms the basis for a conceptual model thatextends the traditional definition and scope of practice in this field. The model focuses on the long-term, psychosocial consequences of reduced communicative access to social and community life, including reduced access to the service of health professionals. Intervention focuses on training conversation partners (including health professionals) to acqu i re ski I Is that enable the com petence of aphasic adults to be acknowledged and revealed.

Clarifying the use of competence and competency models in recruitment, assessment and staff development

Abstract: Emphasizes the need for clear terminology; distinguishes between “competence” and “competency”. Argues that competence and competency models have been used in three different areas: recruitment, skill assessment and development. Considers competence models, such as the MCI standards in the area of skill assessment, which focus on What people can do; require clear, measurable standards; and exclude grading. Discusses behaviour inventories – which focus on how people behave and can be graded in relation to recruitment and staff development. Makes a distinction between intellectually based and morally based behaviours which allows a “dartboard” model to be created with “hard” competences at the centre, phasing out through intellectually based behaviours to “soft” morally based behaviour at the periphery. Behaviours, capabilities and attributes are added to the vocabulary, hopefully to provide greater clarification.

A Multicultural Competency Checklist for Counseling Training Programs

Abstract: This brief report presents a Multicultural Competency Checklist that can be used by counseling training programs as a pragmatic guide in multicultural program development. The Checklist includes 22 items organized along six major themes: minority representation, curriculum issues, counseling practice and supervision, research considerations, student and faculty competency evaluation, and physical environment. Guidelines for using the Checklist are provided.

Competency-Based Education and Training: Between a Rock and a Whirlpool

Abstract: This book considers critically the many issues that are raised by competency-based education and training, and provides practical advice on its appropriateness and application to educational and training programs.

An experimental approach to investigating satisfaction and continuity in marketing alliances

Abstract: Extant research on strategic alliances has relied mainly on case and survey methodologies to examine strategic, structural and operational issues in alliance relationships. Demonstrates that experimental methodology can usefully be employed to examine important strategic and behavioural issues in ongoing alliances. Reports on an experiment involving role‐playing among 221 managers which was conducted to investigate determinants of satisfaction and continuity in a hypothetical marketing alliance. Indicates that alliance satisfaction and continuity are influenced positively by a partner′s commitment, competence and strategic compatibility. Finds commitment to be the strongest determinant of both satisfaction and continuity. Discusses implications of the findings and methodology employed and suggests future research directions.