Showing papers on "Competence (human resources) published in 2006"
TL;DR: While suboptimal in quality, the preponderance of evidence suggests that physicians have a limited ability to accurately self-assess, and processes currently used to undertake professional development and evaluate competence may need to focus more on external assessment.
Abstract: ContextCore physician activities of lifelong learning, continuing medical education credit, relicensure, specialty recertification, and clinical competence are linked to the abilities of physicians to assess their own learning needs and choose educational activities that meet these needs.ObjectiveTo determine how accurately physicians self-assess compared with external observations of their competence.Data SourcesThe electronic databases MEDLINE (1966-July 2006), EMBASE (1980-July 2006), CINAHL (1982-July 2006), PsycINFO (1967-July 2006), the Research and Development Resource Base in CME (1978-July 2006), and proprietary search engines were searched using terms related to self-directed learning, self-assessment, and self-reflection.Study SelectionStudies were included if they compared physicians' self-rated assessments with external observations, used quantifiable and replicable measures, included a study population of at least 50% practicing physicians, residents, or similar health professionals, and were conducted in the United Kingdom, Canada, United States, Australia, or New Zealand. Studies were excluded if they were comparisons of self-reports, studies of medical students, assessed physician beliefs about patient status, described the development of self-assessment measures, or were self-assessment programs of specialty societies. Studies conducted in the context of an educational or quality improvement intervention were included only if comparative data were obtained before the intervention.Data ExtractionStudy population, content area and self-assessment domain of the study, methods used to measure the self-assessment of study participants and those used to measure their competence or performance, existence and use of statistical tests, study outcomes, and explanatory comparative data were extracted.Data SynthesisThe search yielded 725 articles, of which 17 met all inclusion criteria. The studies included a wide range of domains, comparisons, measures, and methodological rigor. Of the 20 comparisons between self- and external assessment, 13 demonstrated little, no, or an inverse relationship and 7 demonstrated positive associations. A number of studies found the worst accuracy in self-assessment among physicians who were the least skilled and those who were the most confident. These results are consistent with those found in other professions.ConclusionsWhile suboptimal in quality, the preponderance of evidence suggests that physicians have a limited ability to accurately self-assess. The processes currently used to undertake professional development and evaluate competence may need to focus more on external assessment.
2,141 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a study seeks to determine a definition and appropriate assessment methods of inter-cultural competence as agreed on by a panel of internationally known intercultural scholars, as defined by the authors.
Abstract: This study seeks to determine a definition and appropriate assessment methods of inter-cultural competence as agreed on by a panel of internationally known intercultural scholars. This information ...
2,042 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a competence-based approach to employability derived from an expansion of the resource-based view of the firm is proposed, in which occupational expertise is complemented with generic competences.
Abstract: Employability is a critical requirement for enabling both sustained competitive advantage at the firm level and career success at the individual level. We propose a competence-based approach to employability derived from an expansion of the resource-based view of the firm. In this contribution, we present a reliable and valid instrument for measuring employability. This measure is based on a five-dimensional conceptualization of employability, in which occupational expertise is complemented with generic competences. Two sources of raters (employees and their immediate supervisors) are involved in developing and testing the measure. Since the five dimensions of employability explain a significant amount of variance in both objective and subjective career success, the predictive validity of the tool is promising. This instrument facilitates further scientific HRM research and is of practical value in light of job and career assessments, recruitment, staffing, career mobility, and development practices
865 citations
TL;DR: The findings suggest that teachers have positive attitudes toward ICT in education and point to the importance of teachers’ vision of technology itself, their experiences with it, and the cultural conditions that surround its introduction into schools in shaping their attitudes toward technology and its subsequent diffusion in their educational practice.
Abstract: Based on the new technology initiative in Syrian education, this study explored the attitudes of high school English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers in Syria toward ICT. In addition, the study investigated the relationship between computer attitudes and five independent variables: computer attributes, cultural perceptions, computer competence, computer access, and personal characteristics (including computer training background). The findings suggest that teachers have positive attitudes toward ICT in education. Teachers’ attitudes were predicted by computer attributes, cultural perceptions and computer competence. The results point to the importance of teachers’ vision of technology itself, their experiences with it, and the cultural conditions that surround its introduction into schools in shaping their attitudes toward technology and its subsequent diffusion in their educational practice.
783 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors propose a conceptual definition of cross-cultural competence (CC) as it applies to international business and develop a model for understanding how CC is nurtured in individuals, linking our definition to the concept of cultural intelligence.
Abstract: Many international business failures have been ascribed to a lack of cross-cultural competence (CC) on the part of business practitioners. However, the international business literature appears to lack an adequate conceptualization and definition of the term ‘CC’, focusing instead on the knowledge, skills and attributes that appear to be its antecedents. In this conceptual study, we propose a definition of CC as it applies to international business and develop a model for understanding how CC is nurtured in individuals, linking our definition to the concept of cultural intelligence. We discuss the components of the model and suggest that there are environmental and contextual impediments to the effective application of the requisite skills, knowledge and attributes that have been identified as necessary for CC, resulting in a gap between ‘knowing’ and ‘doing’. We conclude by discussing the implications of the model for practitioners, and by suggesting appropriate directions for further research.
775 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors consider how characteristics of the school and classroom may influence student motivation, as well as the role of educators in shaping the school's and classroom's climate, and the effects on motivation of social relationships with teachers and peers.
709 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors used longitudinal structured interviews to let job seekers explain how they made critical job search and choice decisions, and found that recruitment practices played a variety of roles in job seeker decisions.
Abstract: Recent literature reviews have called into question the impact of recruitment activities on applicants’job choices. However, most previous findings have been based on cross-sectional ratings obtained immediately after initial screening interviews, thus raising questions about the degree to which prior conclusions are bound to that particular methodology. In contrast, the present study used longitudinal structured interviews to let job seekers explain, in their own words, how they made critical job search and choice decisions. Interview transcripts revealed that recruitment practices played a variety of roles in job seeker decisions. For example, consistent with signaling theory, subjects interpreted a wide variety of recruitment experiences (recruiter competence, sex composition of interview panels, recruitment delays) as symbolic of broader organizational characteristics. In addition, a number of “contingency” variables emerged that seemed to affect the perceived signaling value of recruitment experiences (e.g., prior knowledge of the company, functional area of the recruiter). Also notable were the strongly negative effects of recruitment delays, particularly among male students with higher grade point averages and greater job search success. Finally, our results suggest that certain applicant reactions may be systematically related to sex, work experience, grade point average, and search success. The article concludes with practical and research implications.
682 citations
TL;DR: The overall issue of assessment during early childhood, and its relation to school readiness and other decisions, is currently widely debated as mentioned in this paper, and the disconnection between the importance of social and emotional domains of development and their status within educational programming and assessment, has long been lamented.
Abstract: The overall issue of assessment during early childhood, and its relation to school readiness and other decisions, is currently widely debated. Expanding early childhood education and child care enrollments, better scientific knowledge about early childhood development, and decisions about public spending, necessitate careful consideration of which assessment tools to use, as well as why and when to use them. More specifically, the disconnection between the importance of social and emotional domains of development, and their status within educational programming and assessment, has long been lamented. The last several years have, however, witnessed a blossoming of attention to these areas during early childhood, as crucial for both concurrent and later well-being and mental health, as well as learning and academic success. Teachers view children's "readiness to learn" and "teachability" as marked by positive emotional expressiveness, enthusiasm, and ability to regulate emotions and behaviors. Based on thes...
651 citations
TL;DR: The existing frameworks used to measure surgeons' non-technical skills were found to be deficient in terms of either their psychometric properties or suitability for rating the full range of skills in individual surgeons.
643 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present a number of action-based activities at five Swedish universities and show that entrepreneurship education focuses less on teaching individuals in a classroom setting and more on learning-by-doing activities in a group setting and a network context.
584 citations
TL;DR: The nature of belief systems in mass publics (1964) Critical Review: Vol. 18, Democratic Competence, pp. 1-74 as discussed by the authors, was a seminal work.
Abstract: (2006). The nature of belief systems in mass publics (1964) Critical Review: Vol. 18, Democratic Competence, pp. 1-74.
TL;DR: The authors argue that without content and analytical thinking applied to that content, language competence, no matter how communicative, remains essentially self-referential, which is a claim we are hard pressed to make with current definitions of communicative competence.
Abstract: about a culture's multiple facets were to become the chief goal of FL programs at all levels, from beginners to graduate students. We, like other disciplines in colleges and universities, would be engaging our students in obtaining new knowledge about content and communicating an analysis of how that content operates. That is a claim we are hard pressed to make with current definitions of communicative competence because without content and analytical thinking applied to that content, language competence, no matter how communicative, remains essentially self-referential.
TL;DR: The authors analyzed three normative accounts that can underlie educational policies, with special attention to gender issues, including human capital theory, rights discursive theory, and human-computer interaction theory.
Abstract: This article analyses three normative accounts that can underlie educational policies, with special attention to gender issues. These three models of education are human capital theory, rights disc...
TL;DR: The authors reviewed the literature linking executive function to children's social-emotional development and proposed three testable models by which executive function may affect interventions: as a mediator, moderator, and outcome of intervention effects.
Book•
30 Aug 2006
TL;DR: Each knowledge and learning hierarchy therefore rests on primary mental abilities, with the implicit assumption of a general learning transfer capacity and logic of knowledge acquisition.
Abstract: intelligence, but it is actually the result of an interaction between intelligence (capacity to learn) and situation (opportunity to learn), so is more socially-constructed than intelligence. Knowledge includes theory and concepts and tacit knowledge gained as a result of the experience of performing certain tasks. Understanding refers to more holistic knowledge of processes and contexts and may be distinguished as know-why, as opposed know-that. A distinction is often made between general knowledge, which is essential irrespective of any occupational context or so fundamental as to be considered basic life knowledge, and knowledge that is specific to a sector or particular group of occupations and only likely to be encountered in such context. Weinert (1999, p. 24), for example, distinguishes: general world knowledge (generally measured by vocabulary tests that are part of many intelligence measurements, and overlapping considerably with what is defined as crystallised intelligence), and more arbitrary specialised knowledge. This specialised knowledge is necessary for meeting content specific demands and solving content-specific tasks. In contrast to general intellectual abilities, one can consider arbitrary knowledge as a demandspecific competence. 01_2005_9377-txt-EN.indd 25 28-06-2006 12:23:26 Process CyanProcess MagentaProcess YellowProcess BlackPANTONE 5415 C Typology of knowledge, skills and competences: clarification of the concept and prototype 26 Collin (1997, p. 297) cites Gardner’s association of know-how with tacit knowledge and know-that with propositional knowledge. Another way of expressing this distinction is between declarative knowledge (knowing what), and procedural knowledge (knowing how). From this perspective, it is often argued that acquiring declarative knowledge (explicit factual knowledge) must precede developing procedural knowledge, which relates to utilising knowledge in context. Gagne’s (1962) model of hierarchical knowledge fits with this approach, identifying the knowledge set necessary for understanding, learning and performing well on a criterion task. This is then traced back to each subordinate set of psychological knowledge, providing a description of knowledge that is increasingly elementary and general. Each knowledge and learning hierarchy therefore rests on primary mental abilities, with the implicit assumption of a general learning transfer capacity and logic of knowledge acquisition. In all domains there is some logic that acquiring and comprehending new knowledge demands facilitating cognitive prerequisites and specific knowledge and skills. Given this interaction between knowledge and skills, their separation in a typology is not easy. Indeed, for Klieme et al. (2004, p. 70), higher competency levels are characterised by the increasing proceduralisation of knowledge, so ‘at higher levels, knowledge is converted to skills’.
TL;DR: The authors argued that it is unwise to define proficiency based on a single variety and because it is impossible to teach or measure proficiency in many varieties simultaneously, we have to consider revising the dominant paradigms of assessment.
Abstract: Postmodern globalization requires that students strive for competence in a repertoire of English varieties as they shuttle between multilingual communities. From this perspective, the current debate becomes irrelevant regarding whether local varieties or dominant varieties (British/American) be used in international proficiency tests. Because it is unwise to define proficiency based on a single variety and because it is impossible to teach or measure proficiency in many varieties simultaneously, we have to consider revising the dominant paradigms of assessment. The changing pedagogical priorities suggest that we have to move away from a reliance on discrete-item tests on formal grammatical competence and develop instruments that are sensitive to performance and pragmatics. In effect, assessment would focus on strategies of negotiation, situated performance, communicative repertoire, and language awareness.
TL;DR: The study has shown that whilst training enhances skills, without intervention, it may have little effect on clinical practice, and provides evidence to support the need for clinical supervision for clinical nurse specialist.
TL;DR: Findings show that environmental factors are very important for youth living in low-SES areas to ensure participation in physical activity and intrapersonal and social factors must be considered to help improve participation rates among both high- and low- SES youth.
Abstract: Researchers have rarely addressed the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and physical activity from the perspective of youth. To illuminate the factors that youth from low and high-SES areas consider important to increase physical activity participation among their peers, 160 youth (12-18 years) participated in small focus group interviews. Guiding questions centered on the general theme, "If you were the one in charge of increasing the physical activity levels of kids your age, what would you do?" Findings show that environmental factors (i.e., proximity, cost, facilities, and safety) are very important for youth living in low-SES areas to ensure participation in physical activity. Results also show that intrapersonal (i.e., perceived skill, competence, time) and social factors (i.e., friends, adult support) must be considered to help improve participation rates among both high- and low-SES youth.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors explore the development of project management as a profession and the role of the formal BOKs in this professionalization, and suggest a research agenda for critiquing, contributing to, and maintaining both the formal body of knowledge and the more general body-of-knowledge relevant to the needs of the discipline.
01 Jan 2006
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explored the influence of two psychological variables (student engagement and perceived academic competence) on achievement in reading and mathematics for high school students, and found that perceived competence had a stronger influence on subsequent engagement than engagement had on students' perceptions of themselves as competent learners.
Abstract: Dissemination of MDRC publications is supported by the following funders that help finance MDRC's public policy outreach and expanding efforts to communicate the results and implications of our work The findings and conclusions in this report do not necessarily represent the official positions or policies of the funders. For information about MDRC and copies of our publications, see our Web site: www.mdrc.org. Overview What are the key factors that promote academic success among students whose demographic characteristics and school circumstances place them at high risk of failure? This paper provides highly suggestive, although not conclusive, answers to this question. Through path analysis modeling techniques applied to data collected in MDRC's evaluation of the First Things First school reform initiative in a large urban school district, the paper explores the influence of two psychological variables — student engagement and perceived academic competence — on achievement in reading and mathematics. This study's findings may have important implications for understanding how students learn in the classroom. Consonant with previous research, they indicate that both engagement in school and students' perception of their own academic competence influence achievement in mathematics for high school students. But the study departs from earlier work in suggesting that perceived academic competence may be more influential than engagement in boosting achievement in both mathematics and reading. Indeed, analyses indicate that perceived competence had a stronger influence on subsequent engagement than engagement had on students' perceptions of themselves as competent learners. The findings also make clear that supportive teachers and clear and high expectations about behavior are key to the development of both student engagement and perceived competence. This study suggests that the earlier schools and teachers begin to build students' confidence in their ability to do well, the better off students will be. Because students' perceptions of their capacity for success are key to their engagement in school and learning, schools should be designed to enhance students' feelings of accomplishment. Teachers whom students see as supportive and who set clear expectations about behavior help create an atmosphere in which students feel in control and confident about their ability to succeed in future educational endeavors.
TL;DR: The author argues that cultural competency is composed of general processes (scientific mindedness, dynamic sizing, and culture-specific skills), as well as a series of concrete and trainable strategies.
Abstract: Cultural competency in the delivery of mental health services has gained considerable momentum. This momentum has been accompanied by questions about the meaning, usefulness, and precision of cultural competency. The author argues that cultural competency is composed of general processes (scientific mindedness, dynamic sizing, and culture-specific skills), as well as a series of concrete and trainable strategies. The incorporation of these processes and strategies into treatment can improve treatment outcomes with clients from diverse cultural backgrounds. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
TL;DR: The rationale for developing a theoretical model of computer-mediated communication competence is established through review of social trends in the use of new media technologies and is offered as a first step in examining individual differences in the domain of CMC relationships and media choice.
Abstract: The rationale for developing a theoretical model of computer-mediated communication (CMC) competence is established through review of social trends in the use of new media technologies. Special attention is paid to the role new media play in the formation and development of personal relationships. A model of CMC competence is then developed along the lines of motivation, knowledge, skills, context, and outcomes as a metaphorical typology for organizing existing CMC research. This research is reviewed as it informs, and is organized by, the model of CMC competence. A sampling of formal propositions resulting from the model is elaborated, and the results of preliminary pilot studies of the model are reviewed. The model is offered as a first step in examining individual differences in the domain of CMC relationships and media choice.
TL;DR: In this article, motivation is conceptualized as a potential to direct behavior through the mechanisms that control emotion, which is observable only as it manifests itself in affect and cognition, for example as beliefs, values and emotional reactions.
Abstract: Students in a mathematics classroom are motivated to do many things, not only the ones we expect them to do. In order to understand student behaviour in classrooms we need to increase our understanding of what motivation is and how it is regulated. Two issues relevant to a critique of mainstream motivation research need consideration: (a) the importance of the unconscious in motivation and (b) focusing on motivational states and processes rather than traits. In the present paper, motivation is conceptualised as a potential to direct behaviour through the mechanisms that control emotion. As a potential, motivation cannot be directly observed. It is observable only as it manifests itself in affect and cognition, for example as beliefs, values and emotional reactions. This potential is structured through needs and goals. Based on this view of motivation and the author's earlier studies, three aspects of motivation regulation are discussed. Primarily, goals are derived from needs: in learning situations, the psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and social belonging are the most significant determinants of goal choices. As a second aspect, this view accepts the influence of students' beliefs about the accessibility of different goals. As a third aspect, the influence of automatic emotional reactions for goal regulation will be discussed. The case of Frank will be used 1) to illustrate how motivation can be inferred from different kinds of data and 2) as an example of how conflicting goals lead to non-straightforward self-regulation.
Journal Article•
TL;DR: Teacher retention has been the subject of much study, yet recent estimates of teachers who choose to leave the profession within the first three years to pursue other careers remains at an unacceptably high level of 33.5 percent as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: Teacher retention has been the subject of much study, yet recent estimates of teachers who choose to leave the profession within the first three years to pursue other careers remains at an unacceptably high level of 33.5 percent (National Center for Educational Statistics, 2004). These figures are alarming in light of the fact that schools desperately need qualified teachers. Several authors maintain that in order to solve the teacher shortage problem, the focus should be on retaining already qualified teachers rather than encouraging alternative routes to certification (Cochran-Smith, 2004). Growing evidence also suggests that teachers who lack adequate preparation to become teachers are more likely to leave the profession (Darling-Hammond, 2003). Studies on teacher retention demonstrate that some teachers are both resilient and persistent, remaining in the profession despite being confronted with the same challenges and obstacles of those who leave. Traits of resiliency and persistence describe people who are able to recover strength and spirits quickly and persevere in the face of obstacles. In a review of the literature on teacher resiliency, Bobeck (2002) contends that five primary factors are responsible for teachers remaining in the field despite the challenges they face: (1) relationships (mentoring programs, administrative and parental support); (2) career competence and skills; (3) personal ownership of careers (ability to solve problems, set goals, and help students); (4) sense of accomplishment (experiencing success); and (5) sense of humor. Resiliency is found in teachers who transfer to other schools, according to Johnson and Birkeland (2003). They studied the career paths of 50 new teachers in Massachusetts and concluded: Unlike those in the study who left the public school classroom altogether, the voluntary movers had not given up on teaching instead they looked for schools that made good teaching possible. (p. 21) This result is compared to recent data from the National Center for Education Statistics (2004), which reported that dissatisfaction from administration and opportunities for professional development are key factors in teachers choosing to transfer to other schools to find better employment opportunities and working conditions. Related Research School Culture The school culture literature points out that teacher retention decreases when teachers are confronted with inadequate support by administrators, lack of resources, and the mismatch between the traditional practices of teacher education program curricula and schools (Chester & Beaudin, 1996; 1996; Feiman-Nemser, 2003; Hebert & Worthy, 2001; Johnson & Birkeland, 2003; Kelley, 2004; Wood, 2001). Factors that also correlate highly with teacher attrition are working conditions: large class size, heavy teaching loads, lack of administrative or other support, and inadequate resources (Darling-Hammond, 2003). Hebert and Worthy (2001) point out that novice teachers are often given difficult class assignments, schedules that allow little time for reflection, and ineffective mentors, who may be unwilling or unable to provide support to novice teachers. Hertzog's study (2002) of novice teachers revealed that they are expected to engage in activities that result in the development of shared meaning and a sense of community in their schools. This involves an alignment between the philosophy of the new teacher and the context in which he or she is teaching. The notion of collective efficacy means that greater confidence is attained when its constituents have shared visions and goals (Pajares, 1996). Thus, it seems logical to conclude that if a teacher's philosophy is not in line with a school's shared vision then a teacher must make a choice to join the collective group stance, align him or herself to minority opposing views, or leave either the school or teaching profession entirely. …
01 Jan 2006
18 May 2006
TL;DR: The Performance Assessment for California Teachers (PACT) was developed in response to a California State mandate (SB 2042), requiring teacher preparation programs to use performance assessments as one measure in making credentialing decisions as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: The Performance Assessment for California Teachers (PACT) was developed in response to a California State mandate (SB 2042), requiring teacher preparation programs to use performance assessments as one measure in making credentialing decisions. In this article, results are examined from statewide implementation of the PACT assessments during the first 2 pilot years. Despite the limitation of only 2 years of data, 3 years of implementation experiences have informed participating programs about how they can better support candidate learning and identify areas for examination. In addition, this research suggests that the PACT performance assessment can be used in teacher education as a valid measure of individual teacher competence for the purpose of teacher licensure and as a powerful tool for teacher learning and program improvement.
TL;DR: There is a need for a clear hierarchy of educational activities to effectively impart and acquire competence in EBM skills, and this paper develops such a hierarchy based on current empirical and theoretical evidence.
Abstract: A variety of methods exists for teaching and learning evidence-based medicine (EBM) However, there is much debate about the effectiveness of various EBM teaching and learning activities, resulting in a lack of consensus as to what methods constitute the best educational practice There is a need for a clear hierarchy of educational activities to effectively impart and acquire competence in EBM skills This paper develops such a hierarchy based on current empirical and theoretical evidence EBM requires that health care decisions be based on the best available valid and relevant evidence To achieve this, teachers delivering EBM curricula need to inculcate amongst learners the skills to gain, assess, apply, integrate and communicate new knowledge in clinical decision-making Empirical and theoretical evidence suggests that there is a hierarchy of teaching and learning activities in terms of their educational effectiveness: Level 1, interactive and clinically integrated activities; Level 2(a), interactive but classroom based activities; Level 2(b), didactic but clinically integrated activities; and Level 3, didactic, classroom or standalone teaching All health care professionals need to understand and implement the principles of EBM to improve care of their patients Interactive and clinically integrated teaching and learning activities provide the basis for the best educational practice in this field