An examination of student and provider perceptions of voluntary sector social work placements in Northern Ireland

Practice based learning in Northern Ireland is a core element of social work education and comprising 50% of the degree programme for undergraduate and postgraduate students. This article presents evidence about the perceptions of practice learning from voluntary sector/non-government organisation (NGO) placement providers and final year social work students on social work degree programmes in Northern Ireland in 2011. It draws on data from 121 respondents from189 final year students and focus group interviews with voluntary sector providers offering 16% (85) of the total placements available to students. The agencies who participated in the research study provide a total of 55 PLOs to social work students, and are therefore fairly representative in terms of voluntary sector (NGO) provision. The article locates these data in the context of practice learning pedagogy and the changes introduced by the Regional Strategy for Practice Learning Provision in Northern Ireland 2010–2015. Several themes emerged including; induction, support and guidance, practice educator/student relationship, professional identity and confidence in risk assessment and decision-making. Social work educators, placement providers and employers must be cognisant of newly qualified social workers’ needs in terms of consolidating knowledge within the formative stages of their professional development.

La qualité de la relation entre les enseignants et les élèves du primaire ayant un trouble de comportement association avec la performance scolaire et les difficultés comportementales actuelles et ultérieures

Les objectifs de ce mémoire sont d'établir si la qualité de la relation enseignant-élève est associée un an plus tard à l'évolution des difficultés de comportement et de la performance scolaire d'élèves du primaire et de déterminer le rôle modérateur de la présence/absence de trouble de comportement sur cette association. L'échantillon inclut 168 élèves suivis à l'école primaire pour troubles de comportement ainsi que 209 élèves ordinaires. Tous ces élèves ont été évalués à l'entrée dans l'étude puis 12 mois plus tard à l'aide des échelles de conflit et de proximité du"Student-teacher relationship scales" (Pianta, 2001) complétées par l'enseignant, de l'échelle de difficultés de comportements extériorisés d'Achenbach et Rescorla (2001) complétée par les parents et d'une échelle de performance scolaire (DuPaul et al., 1991) complétée par l'enseignant. Tous les modèles de régression testés se sont avérés significatifs. La variable conflit s'est avérée plus particulièrement impliquée dans la variance de la variable"comportements extériorisés" aux deux temps de mesure. Ces résultats suggèrent de porter attention à la relation enseignant-élève, notamment au conflit, pour l'évolution des difficultés de comportement chez les élèves.

Suggestions by the South Carolina Citizens’ Educational Association for the observance of American Education Week, December 3-9, 1922

The bulletin presents an outline for an educational talk for speakers promoting education in South Carolina.

Some Social-Relational Correlates of Student Engagement in Portugal

Este E-Book reúne um conjunto de investigações apresentadas no “I Congresso Internacional Envolvimento dos Alunos na Escola: Perspetivas da Psicologia e Educação” (ICIEAE), organizado no âmbito do “Projeto PTDC/CPE-CED/114362/2009 - Envolvimento dos Alunos na Escola: Diferenciação e Promoção” (EAE-DP), financiado pela Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT).

Visual Literacy Standards in Higher Education: New Opportunities for Libraries and Student Learning

Visual literacy is essential for 21st century learners. Across the higher education curriculum, students are being asked to use and produce images and visual media in their academic work, and they must be prepared to do so. The Association of College and Research Libraries has published the Visual Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education, which for the first time, outline specific visual literacy learning outcomes. These Standards present new opportunities for libraries to expand their role in student learning through standards-based teaching and assessment, and to contribute to campus-wide collaborative efforts to develop students’ skills and critical thinking with regard to visual materials.

Cultural universality and specificity of student engagement in school: The results of an international study from 12 countries

The Hong Kong subproject was supported by the Quality Education Fund of the Education Bureau in Hong Kong, whereas the Portuguese subproject was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology and by the Institute of Education of the University of Lisbon. The data of this paper were part of the data collected in a multinational project initiated by the International School Psychology Association.

The association of faculty's teaching philosophy and teaching behaviour, and critical thinking and self- direction in learning

The intent in this study was to investigate in what ways teachers· beliefs about education and teaching are expressed in the specific teaching behaviours they employ, and whether teaching behaviours, as perceived by their students, are correlated with students· critical thinking and self-directed learning. To this end the relationships studied were: among faCUlty members· philosophy of teaching, locus of control orientation, psychological type, and observed teaching behaviour; and among students· psychological type, perceptions of teaching behaviour, self-directed learning readiness, and critical thinking. The overall purpose of the study was to investigate whether the implicit goals of higher education, critical thinking and self-direction, were actually accounted for in the university classroom. The research was set within the context of path-goal theory, adapted from the leadership literature. Within this framework, Mezirow·s work on transformative learning, including the influences of Habermas· writings, was integrated to develop a theoretical perspective upon which to base the research methodology. Both qualitative and quantitative methodologies were incorporated. Four faCUlty and a total of 142 students participated in the study. Philosophy of teaching was described through faCUlty interviews and completion of a repertory grid. Faculty completed a descriptive locus of control scale, and a psychological type test. Observations of their teaching behaviour were conducted. Students completed a Teaching Behaviour Assessment Scale, the Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale, a psychological type test, and the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal. A small sample of students were interviewed. Follow-up discussions with faculty were used to validate the interview, observation, teaching behaviour, and repertory grid data. Results indicated that some discrepancies existed between faculty's espoused philosophy of teaching and their observed teaching behaviour. Instructors' teaching behaviour, however, was a function of their personal theory of practice. Relationships were found between perceived teaching behaviour and students· self-directed learning and critical thinking, but these varied across situations, as would be predicted from path-goal theory. Psychological type of students and instructor also accounted for some of the variability in the relationships studied. Student psychological type could be shown as a partial predictor of self-directed learning readiness. The results were discussed in terms of theory development and implications for further research and practice.

Niagara Resort and Tourist Association Records, 1975-1976, 1978-1983, 1985, 1987-1989, n.d.

Ontario Editorial Bureau (O.E.B.)

Opportunities for Youth Program Fonds, Brock University, 1971, 1975

The Opportunities for Youth Program was a summer employment program for students funded by the federal government. During the summer of 1971, Brock University received funding from this program to hire 56 students to work on five different projects. These projects included a Land Use Survey and Data Mapping, a Guide to the Research Resources for the Niagara Region, work with the Association for Retarded Children, Co-ordinated Community Services for Youth, and Student Direction and Co-ordination of the Program.

Ontario Forest Industries Association records, 1900-1989, n.d.

The Ontario Forest Industries Association (OFIA) was founded in 1944. It is a provincial trade association that represents member companies who produce a wide range of products, including pulp, paper, paperboard, lumber, panelboard, plywood and veneer. The OFIA works with its member companies to address issues of common interest and concern, and communicates these issues to the appropriate government, industrial or business sector. The Ontario Forest Information Service represented the OFIA from 1951 to 1988 as the publishers of their industry periodicals. Bush News was the first periodical published by the Service for the OFIA and ran until 1964, when it was replaced by Ontario Logger. In 1968, the name was changed to The Logger. In 1970, this was replaced by The Forest Scene. This new periodical was a departure from the earlier versions, which had served primarily as an internal communication system for the industry. The Forest Scene adopted a new format and editorial approach, emphasizing outdoor activities, recreation, hunting and fishing, conservation, and forestry operations and methods, thus appealing to a much wider readership. The Forest Scene ceased publication in 1988.

Dominion Marine Association records, 1972-1986

Established in 1903, the Dominion Marine Association was formed as an association of Canadian shipping companies. The Association had two main objectives. The first was to protect and advance the interests of Canadian shipowners, as well as Canadian consumers and exporters, to the extent that these interests are affected by government legislation and regulations. The second objective was to promote navigational safety through use of the latest technology, and through the continuous progress of vessel design. In 1988, the Association changed its name to the Canadian Shipowners Association.

Government gambling revenues in Canada 1969-1995.

Rapport de recherche

Student self-assessment a feedback seeking strategy through competence evaluation

There is a body of literature that suggests that student self-assessment is a main goal in higher education (Boud et al., 1995; Tan, 2008); moreover new forms of work organization require a high level of skills and competences. The efforts to deal with competence gaps could be developed at many levels, such as employers, educational institutions, individuals and public agents. Employers could put into practice competence development programs to moderate these gaps. Educational institutions can restructure the curriculum to support students in attaining the competences that are essential in the labour market. Individuals themselves may deploy their resources (time and money) in general or specific competence training. Further, government agencies could fund competence promotion programs. Such challenges for education drive change in learning curricula and method, to properly include the competences required for developing global workers who can move beyond basic competence, to enhanced flexibility and adaptability. In performance assessment methods, there is a shift from the traditional exam-based assessments to more innovative task assessment, which considers performance in multiple different tasks carry out by students. ICTs make it technologically feasible to carry out a complete and complex selfassessment of competences, which provides immediate results to students or other recipients. In the case of students, the evaluation of competences is relevant as developing competences is part - if not all - of the objectives of education. Therefore, it is an important element of the quality of educational organizations (e.g., universities), and of their organizational success. Further, educational organizations may put special emphasis on some differentiating competences, which can be a means of positioning and differentiation from competitors. Competence assessment is an instrument to make students conscious of their strengths and weaknesses, leading to higher motivation to develop their own learning career

Prevalencia del ausentismo en una entidad de salud de Floridablanca (Colombia) en el año 2014 y los factores laborales y satisfacción asociados

Introducción: El ausentismo es considerado una problemática de interés en el entorno laboral, debido a sus consecuencias en el ámbito personal, productivo, competitivo, organizacional y social. Objetivo: Determinar la prevalencia del ausentismo laboral en una institución de salud de Floridablanca (Colombia) en el año 2014 y los factores laborales y de satisfacción asociados. Métodos: Estudio descriptivo de corte transversal, se realizó un muestreo por conveniencia, se aplicó una encuesta auto-administrada que evaluaba factores personales, laborales, satisfacción laboral y ausentismo en 169 trabajadores de una entidad de salud de segundo nivel de Floridablanca (Colombia). Se calculó la prevalencia del ausentismo y el promedio de días de duración; también, se realizó un análisis bivariado mediante la prueba de Chi2 y la prueba de T de Student para identificar asociaciones. Resultados: Se encontró una prevalencia de ausentismo laboral en los trabajadores del área asistencial de 15.7%, con una duración promedio de 5 días; asimismo, las principales alteraciones de salud que ocasionaron ausentismo fueron las enfermedades respiratorias, virosis y enfermedades gastrointestinales (15%, 20% y 15%, respectivamente). Se encontraron asociaciones estadísticamente significativas entre el área de desempeño, el estrato económico y el nivel académico con el ausentismo laboral; sin embargo, no se encontró asociación con la satisfacción laboral. Conclusiones: A pesar de que los hallazgos del presente estudio deben ser interpretados con precaución debido al tipo de muestreo, éstos permiten identificar las posibles asociaciones con el ausentismo laboral en trabajadores de entidades de salud; además, se sugiere evaluar el ausentismo con las variables inmersas en la satisfacción laboral.

Natural resource windfalls and efficiency of local government expenditures: evidence from Peru

We study the role of natural resource windfalls in explaining the efficiency of public expenditures. Using a rich dataset of expenditures and public good provision for 1,836 municipalities in Peru for period 2001-2010, we estimate a non-monotonic relationship between the efficiency of public good provision and the level of natural resource transfers. Local governments that were extremely favored by the boom of mineral prices were more efficient in using fiscal windfalls whereas those benefited with modest transfers were more inefficient. These results can be explained by the increase in political competition associated with the boom. However, the fact that increases in efficiency were related to reductions in public good provision casts doubts about the beneficial effects of political competition in promoting efficiency.