Dissertations / Theses: 'Improvement science in education'

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Foster, Stephanie L. "Reflection as a Means to Teaching Improvement for Novice University Science Faculty." NCSU, 2005. http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/theses/available/etd-04282005-151254/.

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This study explored the use of reflection as a professional developmental strategy to facilitate improvement of tangible classroom behaviors among novice university science faculty. Specifically, the study addressed the following questions: How did the novice college instructors perceive the reflection experiences to impact their teaching practice? During the progression of reflection experiences, in which teaching practices did the instructors? performances change? How? A mixed method approach was employed in answering the aforementioned questions. The participants? responses in semi-structured interviews and informal discussions, their written responses to reflective prompts, and the researcher?s observations of their teaching were qualitatively analyzed for themes. Students? responses to a survey about the participants? instruction were analyzed quantitatively. Findings revealed that the participants developed self awareness and exhibited cognition-induced behavioral change consistent with their developmental goals. Findings also suggested that participation in the study facilitated development of cognitions supportive of sustained reform in instructional practice and bridging of gaps within participants? pedagogical content knowledge.

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Alseddiqi, Mohamed. "Performance improvement of technical and vocational education in the Kingdom of Bahrain." Thesis, University of Huddersfield, 2012. http://eprints.hud.ac.uk/id/eprint/17802/.

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This study is directed at improving quality of graduates coming out from the Technical and Vocational Education (TVE) system in Bahrain.The aim of TVE system is to equip the students with the skills, knowledge and work ethic required for various industries, such as electrical, electronic, telecommunications, building services, mechanical engineering and computer technology. The TVE system is a two-tier system of education comprising SBL (containing specialised technical modules delivered in the school environment) and WBL (including work placement periods) intended to equip the students/graduates with cognitive, affective and psychomotor skills essential for their future careers. Recent TVE studies have indicated that a gap exists between the students’ skills acquired during SBL and WBL study and the skills required by industrial companies in Bahrain. A novel employability skills model was developed based on extensive literature survey and exploratory studies conducted by the researcher. The skills gap was determined through quantitative and qualitative analysis of the responses of the stakeholders to Questionnaire 1. Furthermore, to interlink employability skills requirements with teaching and learning provisions within TVE, the researcher has integrated two-dimensional (2D)models for cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains within the existing provisions. For the above purpose a new 2D model for affective domain skills has been developed. With an aim to improve teaching and learning provisions, the correlation between the existing approaches of teaching and learning practised in TVE educational environment with students’ learning styles was examined using Questionnaire 2. All the above was used for structuring learning activities in engineering courses so that a better match between the employability skills model and skills taught during SBL and WBL could be achieved. To maximise the output from TVE system, a novel SWT (SBL-to-WBL Transition) module was designed and developed. This was to ensure that TVE students receive the necessary training required by industry before they go in work placement(included in WBL programme) which would enable them to perform at a very high level; within the industrial environment. The module design was based on the user-centered approach and included necessary elements to satisfy the requirements of the novel employability skills model and 2D models for cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains. The developed SWT module contained five case studies which were related to real work examples. The learning activities included, challenged the students to recognise, make informed responses, and work comfortably with the diverse requirements of WBL environment. The user evaluation of the proposed e-learning package was done by the students and teachers who completed Questionnaire 3. Based on the above a new quality framework for online courses was developed. The modified framework extends the existing information quality frameworks by incorporating features associate with pedagogical and technological contexts. The framework would be useful in determining adequacy of the new SWT module in providing workplace proficiencies, preparing TVE students for work placement, providing effective teaching and learning methodologies, integrating innovative technology in the process of learning, meeting modern industrial needs, and offering a cooperative learning environment for TVE students. The proposed SWT module represents a major contribution to the improvement of TVE system in Bahrain because it challenges students and teachers to be capable of recognising, making informed response towards, and working comfortably with the diversity they encounter in WBL environment.

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Khan, Sumbul. "Improvement of Pedagogical Laboratory Based Learning: Multimedia Enhanced Instructional Methods." TopSCHOLAR®, 2013. http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/theses/1297.

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In engineering technology and other scientific-based education, lab-based courses play a crucial role (Ma & Nickerson, 2006). Even though laboratory experience in student learning is crucial, it faces some problems. Due to insufficient laboratory conditions that lead to overcrowding and inability to view demonstrations, the effectiveness of hands on experience declines (Tiwari & Singh, 2011; Tuysuz, 2010). Considering the limitations that constrain lab experience, investigating and implementing alternatives to enhance pedagogical laboratory based learning becomes inevitable. This study investigates multimedia enhanced pedagogical teaching methods for delivering laboratory instruction to students. The purpose of this study was to improve pedagogical laboratory based learning. First, this study implemented a multimedia enhanced pedagogical laboratory based instructional method. Second, this study evaluated the impact of multimedia enhanced instructional method on student learning outcomes to assess improvement in pedagogical laboratory based learning. To evaluate the impact of multimedia enhanced instructional method on student learning outcomes, a student population was subjected to 1) traditional laboratory lecture and 2) video lecture. This study used two different assessment techniques to evaluate the instructional methods 1) surveys and 2) quizzes. The use of these different assessment techniques achieved two purposes. First, the surveys allowed the study to receive students’ evaluation on the lecture in order to compare the two types of instructional methods. Second, the quizzes allowed measuring the students’ understanding of the demonstrations in order to evaluate the impact of multimedia enhanced instructional method on pedagogical laboratory based learning. Survey results revealed that based on overall evaluations, students prefer traditional lectures in comparison to video lectures in terms of level of interest and engagement. Furthermore, quiz results revealed that multimedia enhanced instructional methods do not have an impact on pedagogical laboratory based learning.

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Saunders, Lesley. "A science in the service of an art? : the use of 'value added' analyses of school performance to aid school improvement." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2001. http://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:ff55c39e-d9f2-4483-bbef-cf827f250781.

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The thesis is concerned to explore whether and how ‘value added’ data analyses can contribute to school improvement, and to identify some of the conditions under which this might be so. In the course of conducting the study, the author experienced a tension between the ‘research’ and the ‘development’ dimensions of her work, and this is used to inform the outcomes of the thesis. The thesis is underpinned by three related aims: first, to provide a historical and evaluative overview of how the idea of ‘value added’ came to enter and influence the debate on educational quality in England. The study of the literature demonstrates that the main principles of ‘value added’ were already well developed before the term was in common use; it also reveals that the ambiguities in the term are not merely reflective of disagreements about how best to calculate value added but actually central to how the idea has been made to function within a particular political agenda for education having to do with ‘raising standards’. Because of the relentlessness of that agenda, ‘value added’ measures of attainment have undergone considerable methodological development over the past ten years, to the point where sophisticated statistical data on pupils’ and schools’ performance is being generated and used by government agencies, LEAs and schools themselves to an extent virtually unknown elsewhere. However, this thesis indicates that the technical and conceptual issues involved in putting such data to practical use in schools are likely to test the interpretative and organisational skills of users. The literature search confirms that not much investigation has been done into how data is actually used, but that what there is suggests some important lines of inquiry. The second aim of the thesis is accordingly to explore, through a small-scale empirical study, the use by secondary school staff of value-added data as exemplified by the NFER’s value added service QUASE. The study was conducted in nine schools, with staff at senior and middle management levels, and focused on mathematics, English and science departments. The third aim of the thesis is to assess how far the case-study findings might shed further light on the issues entailed in using such data for school improvement. The evidence suggested that value added data are seen as complex and often ‘high stakes’ and that – at the time of this study – the uses of value added data were rather more limited than expected; furthermore, the meanings of value added would seem to be socially constructed by the political and institutional environment, and to be closely related to individual teachers’ values and attitudes. This in turn suggests that better insights into, and management of, ‘the psychology and sociology’ of how value added data are perceived and used are necessary. Nonetheless, the study concludes that there is potential for value added analyses to contribute to school improvement under certain conditions; crucially, the study indicated that these included a culture which emphasised self-evaluation – rather than external accountability – within the school or subject department, combined with input from a ‘champion’ or facilitator who understood the technicalities and significance of the data. Value added analyses seemed to be used most actively by,staff who were able to use them ‘heuristically’, that is, to pose informed questions about teaching and learning (rather than as literal truths or statistical fictions). The study argues that ‘value added’ measures of performance are accordingly better understood as a technology than a science – that is, a practical application of knowledge which interacts dynamically with its social and cultural environment.

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Williams, Jodi M. "An Ethnographic Inquiry and Evaluation into the Student's Perspective and Experience with Improvement Science at Algoma School District." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2018. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1157542/.

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Using ethnographic research in the form of an outcomes assessment, this project aims to unpack and evaluate the experiences of students and significance of the key concepts shared during the Live Algoma-Improvement Science course/and associated projects during the 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 school years. Through the use of evaluative techniques such as interviews, focus groups, and a survey, I endeavor to both strengthen and inform the work Live Algoma is doing and highlight to the community and other stakeholders the valuable impact of this initiative on the students. As part of the Improvement Science course, students from the Algoma School District were trained on key concepts such as failing forward, PDSA, and ways of being to empower them to better handle individual project management, life challenges, and goal setting. While this project was expansive in overall scope, this outcome evaluation sought to understand the retention and internalization by program participants of key concepts imparted from the Improvement Science course and related projects. The findings provide strategic and targeted insights into the success of the course and opportunities for refinements in future Improvement Science courses and school and community projects with Live Algoma and the Algoma School District.

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Lascano, Jorge Edison. "A Pattern Language for Designing Application-Level Communication Protocols and the Improvement of Computer Science Education through Cloud Computing." DigitalCommons@USU, 2017. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/6547.

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Networking protocols have been developed throughout time following layered architectures such as the Open Systems Interconnection model and the Internet model. These protocols are grouped in the Internet protocol suite. Most developers do not deal with low-level protocols, instead they design application-level protocols on top of the low-level protocol. Although each application-level protocol is different, there is commonality among them and developers can apply lessons learned from one protocol to the design of new ones. Design patterns can help by gathering and sharing proven and reusable solution to common, reoccurring design problems. The Application-level Communication Protocols Design Patterns language captures this knowledge about application-level protocol design, so developers can create better, more fitting protocols base on these common and well proven solutions. Another aspect of contemporary development technics is the need of distribution of software artifacts. Most of the development companies have started using Cloud Computing services to overcome this need; either public or private clouds are widely used. Future developers need to manage this technology infrastructure, software, and platform as services. These two aspects, communication protocols design and cloud computing represent an opportunity to contribute to the software development community and to the software engineering education curriculum. The Application-level Communication Protocols Design Patterns language aims to help solve communication software design. The use of cloud computing in programming assignments targets on a positive influence on improving the Analysis to Reuse skills of students of computer science careers.

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Ecelbarger, Richard Paul 1944. "Leadership, process improvement, and information technology: The implementation of network-based applications in a financial services organization." Diss., The University of Arizona, 1998. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/282724.

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The basis of this study is that traditional models of leadership do not adequately address the complexity of challenges presented to leaders engaged in IT-facilitated process improvements. The result is that most IT (information technology) implementations either fail outright or do not meet expectations. This study was conducted therefore, to close the knowledge gap that exists between the leadership decision to seek IT-facilitated improvement and the leadership approach needed to successfully accomplish it. Case study and qualitative research methodologies were employed to reveal assumptions and beliefs of leadership that influenced the development of network-based applications in a financial service organization--how improvement projects were initiated, implemented, and accepted by the staff for whom they were intended. The analysis of data led to the description of seven leadership themes--Institutional Climate, Involvement, Communication, Learning, Development Strategy, Resources, and Impact. Of particular interest are the assumptions and beliefs of the Impact theme, which provides evidence that IT-facilitated process improvements were successfully implemented in the financial service organization studied. The assumptions and beliefs of leadership are then used to determine how the described framework of leadership is aligned with the Postindustrial Model of Leadership suggested by Lee Bolman and Terrence Deal (1991)--a model that they contend extends beyond the limitations of traditional models. The framework revealed by the seven leadership themes was compared to evaluation criteria developed for Bolman and Deal's leadership model. Using the organizational frame definitions developed by Bolman and Deal in their book Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice, and Leadership (1991), the following ranking was observed: Structural, Political, Human Resource, and Symbolic. This analysis provides evidence that the framework of leadership in the financial services organization is aligned with the Postindustrial Model of Leadership suggested by Bolman and Deal. In summary, the study reveals that successful IT-implementations were achieved in the financial service organization with Bolman and Deal's Postindustrial Model of Leadership in place. Additional research is recommended, however, to refine the assumptions and beliefs of leadership such that the conclusions reached in this study can be confirmed and generalized to expanded populations and circumstances.

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Halawany, Abdullah. "A curricula assessment and improvement quantitative model for higher education: a design for six sigma methodology." Doctoral diss., University of Central Florida, 2014. http://digital.library.ucf.edu/cdm/ref/collection/ETD/id/6285.

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Curricula assessment is an integrated process to assist higher education institutions in addressing the challenges in a designated field of study and in exploring the opportunities to better educate and prepare their students for an increasingly complex world. Although assessment as a topic has been researched extensively, there has been a lack of quantitative tools that address the requirements of many of the stakeholders that may be critical to the curriculum design and assessment processes. This research proposes the utilization of Design for Six Sigma (DFSS) to develop a quantitative model for curriculum assessment and improvement for higher education institutions. A review of the literature indicates that there is a lack of quantitative tools that enhance the reliability and efficiency of gathering customer requirements for curriculum in higher education environment. In addition, there is a lack of tools to translate these requirements into actual characteristics that can be used for curriculum design and assessment purposes. The literature also indicates that curriculum assessment is one of several educational processes that affect the quality of education. This research proposes a quantitative model for curriculum assessment and improvement in higher education institutions, utilizing design for six sigma methodology. The proposed model explores the use of the Kano model concept to translate needed requirements into desirable curriculum attributes and the general concept of establishing transfer function to determine the level at which those requirements have been satisfied. The use of the developed model can help improve student learning and provide curriculum stakeholders with timely feedback about the curriculum and identify areas in need of improvement. To validate the capability of the proposed model, an ABET accredited department of Industrial Engineering in a US university was used a case study.
Ph.D.
Doctorate
Industrial Engineering and Management Systems
Engineering and Computer Science
Industrial Engineering

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Fang, Li-Chuan. "Improvement and deployment of the web-based database management system for computer science graduate program." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2006. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/2988.

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In 2005 Mr. Dung Tien Vu completed a master's project for the California State University, San Bernardino Computer Science Department in which he designed a web-based database of department graduate student information. This project was designed to alter the system so that it conforms with current campus regulations, to make some improvements to the system, and to deploy it.

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Daley, Ben. "Improvement Science for College, Career, and Civic Readiness| Achieving Better Outcomes for Traditionally Underserved Students through Systematic, Disciplined Inquiry." Thesis, University of California, San Diego, 2017. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10284863.

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Preparing more students for success in college, career, and civic life is of critical importance, particularly for traditionally underserved students. Improvement science represents promising ideas and practices for how to achieve greater outcomes for students, particularly at scale. In this dissertation, two projects were undertaken related to college, career, and civic readiness, one to reduce chronic absenteeism and the other to increase Cal Grant award rates. Using improvement science methodology, chronic absenteeism was reduced by up to 85% across three schools and Cal Grant award rates increased from 35% to 46% across five high schools. These projects were written up according to guidelines for reporting on improvement projects taken from healthcare.

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Angula, Alina Hambelela. "The implementation of project work by selected grade 10 life science teachers in Namibia." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003449.

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Prior to independence in Namibia in 1990 the education system of the day did not encourage the majority of Namibian learners to explore and investigate the wonder of the natural and physical world. The post independence education system has nurtured the study of the sciences and has emphasized participation, problem solving and independent studies. The inclusion of projects and other independent studies has been regarded as a key vehicle to develop scientific understanding and competencies related to this understanding. However, very few studies have hitherto investigated the teachers’ understanding and implementation of projects in the Namibian context. This study investigates how Grade 10 Life Science teachers understand and implement projects in selected schools in Namibia. The study focused on two teachers in two schools, a combined and a senior secondary school in the Oshikoto educational region of Namibia. The research was conducted through an interpretive case study aiming to gain a better understanding about the implementation of projects in schools. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, classroom observation and document analysis. The findings indicate that despite the focus on projects in the Life Science syllabus and broad curriculum, policy documents do not give detailed guidelines on how projects should be planned, organized and assessed. The results revealed that knowledge about projects and their implementation is primarily informed by practical activities rather than the critical enquiries or investigations required by the Life Science curriculum policy. The study also revealed that despite the in-service training received by the two teachers participating in this study on syllabus interpretation, it is apparent from the findings that project work in these in-service programmes was neglected. This has further hampered teachers’ understanding and implementation of projects. The findings of this study point to a need for project guidelines as well as in-service programmes in this area if the stated nature and role of projects in the context of Namibian education policy is to be achieved.

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Flynn, Kathryn M. "College Health Clinic Population Health Improvement Plan Project." ScholarWorks, 2017. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/3881.

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A college community health improvement plan (CHIP) focusing on the indicators of nutrition and weight status, and physical activity and fitness is designed with the goal of reducing obesity risk, improving health, and preventing chronic disease. The precede proceed model, logic model, innovative care for chronic conditions model, self-care theory, and Bandura's social cognitive learning theory were used as a research design framework for assessing, planning, and managing sustainability through a two-year college health clinic. The research questions were: what are the current health promotion inputs and activities in terms of environment, ecology, education, and policy and what could be supplemented to improve outputs and health outcomes? An integrated review of the literature, observation of the site, regulatory investigation, and focus group sessions were the methods of data collection. The precede-proceed model provided the analytical strategies to assess initiatives and resources, and to determine supplementary initiatives and resources. Results showed that environmental, educational, administrative, and policy resources were available but limited and not well promoted. Conclusions were that health promotion, wellness staffing, and education exist, but are underutilized, under promoted, and funding is necessary. Recommendations include a wellness program, increased activity initiatives, case management, grant funding, and increased community partnerships. The contribution to nursing is to fill a gap-in-practice for health planning in 2-year colleges. The implications for positive social change are improved knowledge, sustained health behaviors, decreased amount of obesity, improved health outcomes and quality of life, decreased chronic diseases, and lower healthcare costs.

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Harshman, Jordan T. "Characterizing High School Chemistry Teachers' Use of Formative Assessment Data to Improve Teaching." Miami University / OhioLINK, 2015. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1437652616.

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Buarki, Hanadi J. "Towards an improvement of LIS graduates ICT skills and employability needs in Kuwait." Thesis, Loughborough University, 2010. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/6339.

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The aim of this research was to explore the ICT skills of LIS students in Kuwaiti HE that are potentially defined by the job market. These skills are deemed essential for the employment of LIS graduates in different job market sectors. As a result, the ICT skills of current LIS students, the needs of employers, and the LIS curriculum in Kuwait were all investigated. In addition the factors that had an impact on students ICT skills were also investigated. To fulfil the research aim and objectives, mixed research methods were employed. The research subjects were employers, LIS students, and teaching staff. Their views were sought through qualitative and quantitative methods that included: 54 semistructured interviews; 225 self-administered questionnaires; these were supplemented by three focus groups; and content analysis of relevant web sites, reports, and LIS syllabus to provide further documentation and analysis. The main findings of the research were: (1) overall the students had knowledge and basic ICT skills, but they lacked advanced searching and internet navigation skills. 85% of the students did not have enough ICT skills; their ICT skills level was selfrated as intermediate or beginner ; (2) the research investigated negative factors such as: unsuitable teaching and learning environment, negative attitudes, social influences, and lack of resources; (3) the students most preferred teaching and training method was group training ; (4) the employers identified further ICT skills and non-ICT skills that LIS graduates should possess for employability; (5) gaps were found in the curriculum and in teaching and training the ICT courses such as: course content was inconsistent; did not reflect the needs of the job market and were outdated; an imbalance between theory and practical training, courses had different outline and little use of the English language hindered the students ICT skills improvement and ICT use. In addition, work placement needed careful consideration. Recommendations based on the research findings and conclusions were made to the DLIS in Kuwait and stakeholders. Future ideas were identified for further research.

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Opusunju, Ellis Ehizele. "Quality Improvement Through Evidence-Based Education: Advancing Obesity Awareness and Clinical Management Strategies for People Living with Mental Disorders." ScholarWorks, 2017. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/3407.

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People living with mental disorders (PLWMDs) are at an increased risk for developing obesity due to poor diet, physical inactivity, and antipsychotic medications. In the United States, the general-population obesity rate is 36% compared to more than 50% for PLWMDs. Mental health professionals (MHPs), focused on addressing psychiatric conditions, seldom recognize and clinically manage obesity. Furthermore, this population is socioeconomically disadvantaged with poor dietary habits while consuming psychiatric medications that stimulate hunger, further exacerbating the risk for obesity. The Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Healthcare Services (PARISHS) framework guided this quality improvement project to improve obesity awareness and management for PLWMD at a large state psychiatric hospital. An evidence-based education intervention was implemented to positively impact obesity awareness and clinical management or MHPs. The evaluation used a validated instrument with a pre- and posttest design. Paired t test was used to analyze multiple constructs from the MHP participants (N = 50). Overall, the pretest indicated 76% of MHPs were not involved in helping obese PLWMDs manage their weight; however, the posttest data (at 90-days) revealed that 90% were involved in this activity. This represents a positive shift in obesity perceptions and management knowledge. Future research needs to evaluate the impact of the perceptions on process measures and clinical outcomes. This project led to positive social change as MHPs are more likely to address obesity in PLWMD due to their increased awareness and knowledge. This project has broader implications as the program can be duplicated in other psychiatric hospitals.

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Svärdh, Joakim. "Measuring long-term effects of a school improvement initiative." Licentiate thesis, KTH, Lärande, 2013. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-133998.

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There is a growing demand for studies applying quantitative methods to large-scale data sets for the purpose of evaluating the effects of educational reforms (UVK, 2010). In this thesis the statistical method, Propensity Score Analysis (PSA), is presented and explored in the evaluating context of an extensive educational initiative within science and technology education; the Science and Technology for All-program (NTA). The research question put forward reads; under what conditions are PSA-analyses a useful method when measuring the effects from a school improvement initiative in S & T? The study considers the use of PSA when looking for long-term effects that could be measured, what to take into consideration to be able to measure this, and how this could be done. The baseline references (outcome variables) used in order to measure/evaluate the long-term effects from the studied program is students’ achievements in the national test (score and grades) and their grades in year 9. Some findings revealed regarding the object of study (long-term effects from using NTA) are also presented. The PSA method is found to be a useful tool that makes it possible to create artificial control groups when experimental studies are impossible or inappropriate; which is often the case in school education research. The method opens up for making use of the rich source of registry data gathered by authorities. PSA proves reliable and relatively insensitive to the effects of covariates and heterogeneous effecter if the number of samples is large enough. The use of PSA (or other statistical methods) also makes it possible to measure outcomes several years after treatment. There are issues of concern when using PSA. One is the obvious demand for organized collection of measurement data. Another issue of concern is the choice of outcome variables. In this study the chosen outcome variables (pupils’ score and grading in national tests and grades in year 9) open up for discussions regarding aspects that might not be reflected/measured in national tests and/or teachers’ grading. Findings regarding the long-term effects from using NTA) show significantly positive effects in physics on test scores (average increase 16.5%) and test grades, but not in biology and chemistry. In this study no significant effects are found for course grades. PSA approach has proved to be a reliable method. There is however a limitation in terms of the method's ability to capture more subtle aspects of learning. A combination of quantitative and qualitative approach when studying long-term effects from educational intervention is therefore suggested.

QC 20131120

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Källvant, Jonas, and Theres Lundh. "Värdeskapande användning av radiologi : - Utbildning och mätning för förbättring." Thesis, Hälsohögskolan, Högskolan i Jönköping, HHJ. Kvalitetsförbättring och ledarskap inom hälsa och välfärd, 2013. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hj:diva-21756.

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Introduktion Medicinsk vetenskap och sjukvårdens möjligheter att hjälpa utvecklas ständigt. Sjukvården idag kan i många fall ställa rätt diagnos och ge en effektiv behandling för att bota den som drabbats av ohälsa. Radiologiska undersökningar är ett viktigt hjälpmedel men innebär också risker i form av strålning samt felaktigt resursanvändande. Syfte Syftet med förbättringsarbetet var att skapa en bättre användning av radiologi och följsamhet till medicinska riktlinjer så att patienten får rätt undersökning utifrån sitt behov samt att resur-ser nyttjas mer optimalt. Målsättningen var att öka andelen berättigade undersökningar. Syftet med studien av förbättringsarbetet var att få en förståelse för vilka faktorer som påverkar remittentens val av radiologisk undersökning och därmed berättigandegraden vilka aktiviteter i förbättringsarbetet påverkar berättigandegraden och på vilket sätt Metod Interventioner i form av utbildning och mätningar användes för att höja berättigandegraden. Bedömning av berättigandegraden gjordes av en ST-läkare. En fallstudie med kvalitativ ansats genomfördes och fokusgruppintervju användes för att stu-dera förbättringsarbetet. Resultat Studien visar att berättigandegraden ökar något som ett resultat av de valda interventionerna. Utbildningen på plats gav också upplevda positiva effekter i form av bättre kunskap och lä-rande för deltagare. Analysen visade att osäkerhet som läkare upplever i sitt arbete med patienten kan härledas till kategorierna kunskap och krav. Diskussion/Slutsats Utbildning genomförd av radiologispecialist har visat sig vara framgångsrikt koncept. Mät-ningar som metod för lärande och förändring uppfattades istället som mätning för uppföljning. Förbättrad kunskap kring vilka faktorer som styr läkares val av undersökning har uppnåtts och områden för fortsatt förbättring har identifierats
Introduction Medical science and medical facilities and clinical possibilities to help patients evolve con-stantly. Healthcare today can often make the diagnosis and provide effective treatment to cure the victim of ill health. Radiological surveys are an important tool but also provide risks in the form of radiation, and improper use of resources. Purpose The purpose of the improvement work was to create a better use of radiology and adherence to medical guidelines so that the patient gets the right for increase based on their needs and resources will be used more optimally. The goal was to increase the proportion of eligible studies. The purpose of the study of the improvement was to gain an understanding of what factors affect physicians choice of radiological investigation and thereby provide entitlement degree which activities in the improvement process affects eligibility degree and in what way Method Interventions in the form of education and measurements used to improve eligibility rate. As-sessment of the eligibility rate was made by a resident physician. A case study with a qualitative approach was implemented and focus-group interviews were used to study the improvement process. Results Results indicates that the eligibility rate increased slightly as a result of the selected interven-tions. Education in place, however, gave perceived benefits in terms of improved knowledge and learning for participants. The analysis showed that the uncertainty that physicians experience in their work with pa-tients can be attributed to the categories of knowledge and requirements. Discussion / Conclusion Education conducted by a radiology specialist has is shown to be a successful concept. Meas-urements as a method of learning and change were perceived as measurement for monitoring. Improved knowledge about the determinants of physician choice of survey has been achieved and areas for further improvement are identified.

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Rytterkull, Carolina. "Skolutveckling i en yrkesutbildning - frirum mellan styrdokument, skola, arbetsgivare, studerande och politisk styrning." Thesis, Malmö högskola, Fakulteten för lärande och samhälle (LS), 2015. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:mau:diva-28330.

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A Head of a vocational educational program should set up activity goals for the school organization in order to improve it. The Aim of this Study is to search for needs for improvement in a quality perspective. Semi structural interviews with a teacher, a student, an employer and a representative for political governance and deep study of political documents is the empirical platform for the analysis. To interpret the material the “Free-Space model” by Gunnar Berg (2003) is used in combination with the “Driving-Force model” developed by the Danish pedagogue Christian Helms-Jørgensen (2006). The study is a case study and the conclusion couldn´t be generalized But it is indicated that a deeper dialogue is needed between the actors to create an equal picture of the education. The main differences in approaches are.1)The vision of the work with equality and multicultural perspectives2)The Definition of the Professional role3)The Definition of what Quality in Education isIt is also indicated, as Researcher earlier have shown, that this professional sector is influenced by a strong culture that can counteract new knowledge and definitions.To reach increased validity in this educational programme deeper studies in this differences of definition can form a platform for improvement. A Method for make a dialogue possible between the actors in order to create an equal picture is to establish a forum where policy documents, definitions, exams and development can be discussed. Another Method to improve the equal picture could be to, with communication actions, show the values that the actors are asking for.

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Spicer-Sutton, Jama, James Lampley, and Donald W. Good. "Self-Assessment and Student Improvement in an Introductory Computer Course at the Community College Level." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2013. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/259.

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Excerpt:The purpose of this study was to determine a student’s computer knowledge upon course entry and if there was a difference in college students’ improvement scores as measured by the difference in pretest and post‐test scores of new or novice users, moderate users, and expert users at the end of a college level introductory computing class.

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Pathak, Amit. "Forecasting Models to Predict EQ-5D Model Indicators for Population Health Improvement." Ohio University / OhioLINK, 2016. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1480959312370497.

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Rene, Claire. "Effects of Emotional Intelligence Training on Emerging Staff and Student Leaders in a Collegiate Setting." Thesis, NSUWorks, 2015. https://nsuworks.nova.edu/fse_etd/31.

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This study explored the effects of emotional intelligence (EI) training on emerging staff and student leaders’ EI quotient (EQ) score. The dissertation was designed to provide training incorporating EI concepts for emerging leaders who were considering enhancing their EI skills. Currently, the EI theory is not prevalent in leadership development training curricula in either academia or corporate settings (Freedman, 2010; Gliebe, 2012; Moore, 2012). EI is a form of social intelligence that allows an individual to discern, maintain, and control his or her own and others’ emotional reactions (Mayer & Salovey, 1998). EI is measurable in the form of a quotient number known as an EQ. Previous research (Goleman, Boyatzis, & McKee, 2013; Mittal & Sindhu, 2012; Suciu, Gherhes, & Petcu, 2010) indicated a positive correlation between individuals with high EQ and their success rates as great leaders and motivators. Researchers (Deepa, 2013; Khosrovi, Manafi, Hojabri, Aghapour, & Gheshmi, 2011; Love, 2014) who conducted studies on the topic of EI revealed that, once the learner is exposed to EI training, then his or her EQ increased thus the learner had the ability to develop as an effective manager of his or her and other’s emotions, behavior, and reaction. The researcher developed an EI training based on Bar-On’s (2006) EI theory to help the participants learn more about using EI to influence positively how they managed their emotions, lives, and other’s emotions and how they made decisions. The methods that were incorporated in the training were self-paced video recordings and activities. The study included 30 participants (control group =15 participants and trained group = 15 participants) who first completed Bar-On’s (2005) Emotional Quotient Inventory assessment to measure their EQ scores (pretest) and then a reassessment (posttest). The scores were computer generated by Bar-On’s (2005) Emotional Quotient Inventory, which provided 1 total EQ score, 5 composite scores, and 15 subscale scores for all the participants. All the participants’ scores were calculated by using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and descriptive statistics tools to test the effects of the EI training. The 15 trained participants completed a computer-generated 4-question feedback survey that was e-mailed to them. The EQ scores were examined and compared to each other: trained versus untrained. The results showed that the trained grouped had an incremental increase in their EQ score. The increase was not statistically significant except in the area of self-awareness. Self- awareness is a subscale that encompasses the importance of the participants’ ability to identify their emotions and feelings, discover their origin, and use it to form positive outcomes (Goleman, Boyatzis, & McKee, 2013).

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Tinker, Amanda. "Teacher Expectations, Self-efficacy, and Collective Efficacy in Three Tennessee Literacy Networks." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2020. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/3698.

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The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if there was a significant difference in the dependent variables- teacher expectations, self-efficacy, and collective efficacy among the three levels of the independent variable- membership in one three literacy networks in Tennessee- Leading Innovation for Tennessee (LIFT), Read to Be Ready Coaching Network (RTBR), and Tennessee Early Literacy Network (TELN)- and if significant correlations existed between the dependent variables for each network. The population consisted of 161 K-3 Tennessee teachers who had been involved in the work of one of the three networks. Participants responded to an online survey via Google Forms which combined questions from published surveys found to be valid and reliable in measuring teacher expectations, self-efficacy, and collective efficacy. Quantitative data were analyzed with a series of one-way analysis of variance tests, and Pearson correlation coefficients. The mean score for the LIFT network was significantly higher in teacher expectations, self-efficacy, and collective efficacy than RTBR or TELN. Strong positive correlations were found between self-efficacy and collective efficacy for each of the three networks, moderate correlations between teacher expectations and collective efficacy were found in LIFT and TELN, and a moderate correlation was found between teacher expectations and self-efficacy in LIFT.

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Hultqvist, Andreas, and Tobias Hultqvist. "Developing an Analysing a Web Application made for Teachers to Evaluate Students' Performance : Utveckling och analys av en webbapplikation för examinatorers analys av elevers lärande." Thesis, Linköpings universitet, Institutionen för datavetenskap, 2021. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-176985.

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The need to learn programming increases as more jobs require basic programming skills and computer knowledge. Compulsory school is adding programming to the curriculum, which leads to challenges due to both teachers and students are new to this subject. Even at the university level some students get in touch with programming for the first time in their lives. This thesis aim to develop a web application that can be used by teachers as a reliable and informative tool when evaluating the learning process of its students, by combining data collected through user interactions while solving programming related puzzles in Python, with answers from periodic self-evaluation surveys. The study shows that the web application can be seen as a valid tool when evaluating the students' learning process.

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Wang, Zheng. "Effect of Different Schedules of Baby Corn (Zea Mays L.) Harvests on Baby Corn Yield, Grain Yield, and Economic Profit Value." TopSCHOLAR®, 2009. http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/theses/131.

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Maize (Zea mays L.) ranks third as a food crop after wheat and rice and is characterized not only as a cereal crop but also as a vegetable. Maize used as a vegetable is known as “baby corn”. Baby corn consists of unfertilized young ears harvested 2 or 3 days after silk emergence. The present study was implemented in 2009 at Western Kentucky University Agriculture Research and Education Center (36.93 N, 86.47 E) in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The purpose of the study was to compare the effect of different schemes of harvest on baby corn (BC) yield, grain maize (GM) yield, and estimated economic return. Experimental harvest treatments were 1) no BC harvest, only GM harvest, 2) first harvest as BC, final harvest as GM, 3) first and second harvests as BC, final harvest as GM, and 4) first, second, and third harvests as BC, final harvest as GM. Average estimated BC yields (Kg/ha) for Treatments 2, 3, and 4 were 1445.1, 2681.8, and 3437.5; GM yields (Kg/ha) for Treatments 1, 2, and 3 were 12522.2, 8226.5, and 1380.9; respectively. Since few grain kernels were found after three harvests for BC (Treatment 4), no usable GM yield was produced. BC and GM yields were used for evaluating the economic returns. Results indicated that the sequence of best economic returns would be obtained by harvesting BC three times (Treatment 4), first two harvests for BC and the final for GM (Treatment 3), first harvest for BC and subsequent for GM (Treatment 2), and only for GM harvest (Treatment 1). Although the pattern for only BC harvest was the most profitable system, the human labor requirement and critical timing of harvest limited its production. In states similar to Kentucky, BC could only be grown as an additional crop or to supplant a limited amount of traditional GM hectarage.

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Ross, Tammy. "Increasing Medication Adherence in Hypertensive Patients With Million Hearts® Health Literacy Program." ScholarWorks, 2018. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/5259.

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Healthy People 2020 identified hypertension (HTN) as a controllable risk factor to prevent cardiovascular disease and stroke. Adhering to regular antihypertensive (AHT) medications improves outcomes in patients diagnosed with HTN by controlling blood pressure, reducing hospital visits, and promoting patient wellness. Medication adherence occurs when prescribed medicine regimens are utilized by the patient as directed to manage illness or disease, as evidenced by patients receiving medications at their pharmacy. The practice-focused question for this quality improvement project asked whether implementation of health literacy tools from Million Hearts® HTN Control: Action Steps for Clinicians, increased medication adherence as evidenced by regular medication pickups by adult hypertensive patients. Additionally, this project provided an assessment to identify the patient's current health literacy level using the Newest Vital Sign. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to improve health literacy about AHT medications to increase medication adherence in adults diagnosed with HTN. The logic model allowed for communication of resources, activities, and guidance during project implementation. Data related to medication pickups from adult participants, 1 male and 4 females aged 21-76, were analyzed using descriptive statistics via percent difference pre-post program. Results showed an 80% rate of medication adherence, however increased medication adherence was not achieved. Results also revealed a knowledge deficit in 20% of participants indicating they were unaware they had been prescribed combination AHT medication to control their blood pressure, and not knowing their most recent blood pressure results, or how their specific AHT medication regimen worked at controlling their HTN needs. These findings could lead to exploring additional underlying factors that impede medication adherence such as income, medication cost, insurance cost, and transportation needs. This project supports the need for health literacy to be addressed to improve knowledge and understanding about HTN, and implied the need to address the problem of low health literacy in patients with HTN. Implications for nursing practice include health literacy tools for community-based ambulatory clinics to influence medication adherence and self-care management of adults with HTN. Positive social change was demonstrated by providing health literacy to adult HTN population to improve medication adherence thus reducing health risk.

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Rodrigues, Maria Inês Ribas. "Aspectos do desenvolvimento profissional dos formadores de professores de ciências no contexto de integração - Universidade, Diretorias Regionais de Ensino e Escolas." Universidade de São Paulo, 2006. http://www.teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/48/48134/tde-08102007-204729/.

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Resumo Sob o enfoque do trabalho colaborativo esta pesquisa qualitativa pretende contribuir, com seus resultados, para ampliar informações com relação ao desenvolvimento profissional do formador de professores de ciências. O interesse está em viabilizar caminhos que promovam a melhoria tanto na formação dos professores, como no próprio ensino de ciências nas séries iniciais, através da formação dos formadores de professores de ciências. Compreendemos que pouco adianta os investimentos em formação de professores se não voltarmos nossas atenções para aquele profissional que é responsável por essa formação, por exemplo, o Assistente Técnico Pedagógico, que atua nas Diretorias Regionais de Ensino. Através de uma proposta de ensino de ciências para as séries iniciais, por meio de atividades investigativas no contexto da física, surge a iniciativa de nove Assistentes Técnico Pedagógicas (ATP), formadoras de professores de ciências, em realizar um projeto de melhoria no ensino, integrando a universidade, as diretorias regionais de ensino e as escolas públicas. O projeto O conhecimento físico no ensino fundamental: dos programas de formação continuada à implementação de novas práticas em sala de aula, financiado pela FAPESP, é o objeto de estudo da presente pesquisa, que contou com dados coletados em diferentes instâncias ao longo do período em que a pesquisadora acompanhou o Grupo das ATP. Dentre os dados analisados, destacam-se fragmentos de reuniões realizadas na universidade e nas diretorias de ensino, entrevistas, relatórios e outras produções escritas do grupo. A investigação possibilitou uma compreensão mais ampla sobre a formação de formadores de professores e, neste sentido, merece destaque a construção de um ambiente efetivamente colaborativo entre os participantes do processo, que pode ser relacionado, entre outros, a uma constante valorização dos saberes trazidos por cada uma das ATP.
Abstract Under the focus of cooperative work, this qualitative research intends to contribute, with its results, to enlarge information with regard to the professional development of the teachers of sciences teachers. The interest is in make possible ways that promote the improvement of teachers of teachers, and of the science education in primary school, through the formation of the teachers of science teachers. We understand that the investments on teachers\' formation are not successful if we do not pay attention for that professional who is responsible for this formation, for example, the Assisting Pedagogical Teaching, which acts in the Regional Directories of Teaching. Through a science teaching proposal for the primary school, by means of investigative activities in the context of physics, arises an initiative of nine Assisting Pedagogical Technician (ATP), teachers of sciences teachers, in accomplish an improvement project in the teaching, integrating the university, the regional directories of teaching and the public schools. The project The physical knowledge in the fundamental teaching: of the formation programs continued to the new practices implementation in class room, financed by the FAPESP, is the study object of this research, which relied on data collected in different instances along the period in which the researcher accompanied the Group of ATP. Among the analyzed data, we highlight meetings fragments accomplished at university and in the teaching directories, interviews, reports and another writings productions of the group. The investigation enabled a wider comprehension about teachers formation and, in this sense, deserves highlight the construction of an indeed cooperative environment among participants of the process, which can be related, among others, to a constant valorization of the knowledge brought by each one of ATP.

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Williams, A. Lynn, Brenda Louw, Nancy J. Scherer, Ken M. Bleile, Marcia Keske-Soares, and Inge Elly Kimle Trindade. "Academic and Clinical Preparation in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology: A Global Training Consortium." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2013. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/1982.

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ABSTRACT: Purpose: To describe a research-based global curriculum in speech-language pathology and audiology that is part of a funded cross-linguistic consortium among 2 U.S. and 2 Brazilian universities. Method: The need for a global curriculum in speechlanguage pathology and audiology is outlined, and different funding sources are identified to support development of a global curriculum. The U.S. Department of Education’s Fund for the Improvement of Post-Secondary Education (FIPSE), in conjunction with the Brazilian Ministry of Education (Fundacao Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior; CAPES), funded the establishment of a shared research curriculum project, “Consortium for Promoting Cross-Linguistic Understanding of Communication Disabilities in Children” for East Tennessee State University and the University of Northern Iowa and 2 Brazilian universities (Universidade Federal de Santa Maria and Universidade de São Paulo-Baurú). Results: The goals and objectives of the research-based global curriculum are summarized, and a description of an Internet-based course, “Different Languages, One World,” is provided Conclusion: Partnerships such as the FIPSE–CAPES consortium provide a foundation for training future generations of globally and research-prepared practitioners in speechlanguage pathology and audiology.

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Mörk, Helena. "Verksamhetsintegrerad grundlärarutbildning, ett verktyg för skolutveckling? : Rektorers föreställningar om en utbildning då studenter är anställda och studerar." Thesis, Karlstads universitet, Institutionen för pedagogiska studier (from 2013), 2019. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kau:diva-73290.

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Skolor i Sverige ska kontinuerligt arbeta med skolutveckling. Enligt Skolverket är rektor ytterst ansvarig för att leda skolutvecklingsarbetet på respektive skolenhet. Skolutveckling innefattar många olika delar och innehåll där den inre organisationen på respektive skolenhet till viss del kan avgöra vilken inriktning utvecklingsarbetet bör ha. Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka rektorers föreställningar om skolutveckling på den lokala skolenheten i relation till verksamhetsintegrerad grundlärarutbildning. Studiens ansats är kvalitativ, där det empiriska materialet utgörs av intervjuer med rektorer. Den teoretiska utgångspunkten i denna studie grundar sig i ett socialkonstruktionistiskt perspektiv med en förståelsebaserad orientering. Resultatet av studien visar att skolutveckling bedrivs på många olika sätt. Exempel på skolutvecklingsarbete har utkristalliserats i olika teman såsom aktuell forskning, systematiskt kvalitetsarbete, samverkan och elevernas resultat. Den inre organisationen påverkar riktningen i detta utvecklingsarbete i form av den kultur som råder samt vilket utvecklingsområde det fokuseras på. I relation till skolutveckling upplever rektorerna den verksamhetsintegrerade grundlärarutbildningen positiv utifrån flera aspekter men framförallt att teori och praktik tillämpas vecka för vecka. Utbildningens utformning kan bidra till skapandet av gemensam kunskap och skolutveckling på arbetsplatserna. Dock har rektorerna en föreställning om att studenterna kommer bidra mer och mer till skolutvecklingen under utbildningens gång.
Schools in Sweden should continuously work with school development. According to the National Agency for Education the principal is ultimately responsible for leading the work with school development. School development includes many different parts and content where the inner organization at the school units should prioritize the development work. The purpose of this study is to research principals’ notions around school development at the local school unit in relation to a work-integrated teacher education. The approach of the study is qualitative, where the empirical material consists of interviews with principals. The theoretical outset in this study is based on a social constructivism with understanding-based perspectives. The results show that school development is being carried out in many different ways. Themes that have emerged in the study in terms of school development are current research, systematic quality work, collaboration and the students’ results. The inner organization affects the development work by way of the existing culture as well as which area of development is being focused on. In relation to school development the principals experience the work-integrated teacher education in a positive way from several aspects but above all that theory and practice are carried out week by week. The formation of the education contributes in generating common knowledge and school development at the workplace. However, the principals have an idea that the students’ contribution to the school development increases during the education.

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Gamil, Noha. "Process improvement in higher education institutions." Thesis, Bournemouth University, 2015. http://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/24516/.

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In a competitive environment for good quality prospective students, where academic institutions are under pressure to develop employable graduates, quality of education has become a crucial differentiator. Therefore, institutions need to focus on the way they manage the quality of their processes in order to remain competitive in the business of education. Although the literature review shows several approaches have been adopted to improve quality in higher education, there is still no agreement on how best to apply quality within Higher Education Institutions. Hence, the main motivation for this research was to be able to improve the quality of educational processes. This research begins by exploring how business process modelling techniques can be transferred to educational processes. A mixture of hard and soft modelling techniques was used and findings were analysed, both with respect to the utility of techniques and the process improvement itself. A 'novel' hybrid Role Activity Diagrams (RADs) – Soft Systems Model (SSM) – Rich Picture was proposed and applied to the student journey process. However, even though the integrated model was useful in uncovering process issues, it did not always support innovative solutions for change nor did it help in deciding which solutions fit best with the organisational context. Therefore, a fusion method combining modelling, improvement alternatives and organisational context was proposed. The fusion method provides guidance to the nature of improvements that are suitable for a given context. While process modelling provides detailed process description, alternative improvements will enable the discovery of better solutions. Finally, determining the suitability of different improvements can be identified by matching those improvements to organisational context which will enable institutions to derive changes according to their capabilities. It would enable HEIs to have a development strategy that leads to continuous improvement. As a result, it would enable institution to being able to provide and then maintain high quality processes and in turn student satisfaction.

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Krüger, Wilhelmina. "Envisioning engineering education improvement / W. Krüger." Thesis, North-West University, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10394/1039.

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Can engineers be educated more effectively, and if so, how would it be done, was the question at the heart of this study. The research investigated alternative ways of educating engineers, compared them with the current way of educating engineers at the North-West University Faculty of Engineering, and envisions a more effective way of educating engineers. It also recommends an improvement strategy based on business improvement principles, as an Engineering faculty is seen as a business with its core process being the education of engineers. An engineering education process model was developed to use as a measuring and comparison tool, and to give structure to the transformation vision. To achieve improvement of engineering education in the faculty, it is recommended that the further work be defined and managed as a business reengineering project, using project management and Business Process Reengineering methodology, supported by change management strategies.
Thesis (M. Ing. (Development and Management))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.

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Johnson, Charlene (Charlene Cara) 1966. "Dramatic improvement of a mature process : proactive process improvement." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1998. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/47555.

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Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management; and, Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 1998.
Includes bibliographical references.
by Charlene Johnson.
S.M.

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Anandappa, Marienne A. "EVALUATING FOOD SAFETY SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION BY QUANTIFYING HACCP TRAINING DURABILITY." UKnowledge, 2013. http://uknowledge.uky.edu/animalsci_etds/19.

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HACCP-based food safety programs have been widely acclaimed, accepted and implemented as an effective means of managing food safety risks. While HACCP training is a cornerstone of managing HACCP programs, there is little information about the effectiveness of HACCP training and the durability of HACCP knowledge. Findings reveal a link between involvement level in HACCP activities and the accuracy of HACCP knowledge over time. Opportunities for peer training in HACCP, irrespective of overall experience in the food industry provide favorable circumstances for maintaining accuracy of HACCP knowledge. The optimal window for engaging employees in HACCP is directly following the completion of training for achieving the minimal depletion level of content knowledge. This study further reveals that refresher training in HACCP is necessary within three years. Furthermore, training standardization organizations likely need a formal process of monitoring and maintaining HACCP trainer and trainee qualifications to ensure uniformity in HACCP programming.

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Frickx, Gretchen P. "The Academic Quality Improvement Program Journey| The Impact of Continuous Improvement Practices on Effectiveness Measures." Thesis, Benedictine University, 2016. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10035900.

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Higher education institution performance has been brought to the forefront of the public policy arena by the spread of performance funding, the articulation of the Completion Agenda, and Congressional hearings on higher education. Debate over which entities should be responsible for monitoring the performance of higher education institutions as well as which measures are to be used has intensified. Currently, this oversight falls to institutional accrediting agencies that require institutions to meet established criteria, including the development of a culture of evidence and the pursuit of institutional effectiveness. To achieve and maintain accreditation, institutions must provide evidence demonstrating their adoption of a continuous improvement process.

Higher education institutions have a variety of continuous improvement frameworks from which to choose to improve quality and effectiveness in their processes and ultimately, their outcomes. There is; however, little research to identify how a framework might relate to organizational effectiveness performance. Accreditation provides a unique framework to higher education. The Higher Learning Commission-North Central Association (HLC), a regional accrediting agency, has created the Academic Quality Improvement Program (AQIP), an integrated approach to developing a culture of continuous improvement and supplying institutional accountability information.

This study investigated the relationship between higher education institutions’ continuous improvement planning processes and institutional performance measures of graduation, transfer out and first year retention rates for AQIP participating institutions, using a correlational explanatory research design and publicly available secondary data sets. The target population for this study consisted of US higher education institutions utilizing continuous improvement frameworks or similar professional standards. The sample selected was a purposeful convenience sample consisting of all 186 institutions currently participating in the AQIP accreditation process in the Higher Learning Commission region. The AQIP Systems Appraisal Reports were analyzed and the continuous improvement planning evaluations aggregated to develop independent variables.

The dependent variables of graduation, transfer out and first year retention were selected to represent organizational effectiveness measures. Graduation, transfer out and retention rate data are collected annually as part of the IPEDS survey. Findings showed that institutional characteristics such as sector, size and location had a greater impact on organizational effectiveness measures than continuous improvement practices. In addition, this study explored a unique approach to inter-rater reliability with respect to team generated documents.

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Wagstaff, Juanita Garcia. "Site-based management and school improvement /." The Ohio State University, 1996. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1487933245536393.

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Gomez, Jorge. "The Relationship of Instructor Technical Literacy to the Academic Performance of Students in Career Academies." FIU Digital Commons, 2013. http://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/936.

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Career Academy instructors’ technical literacy is vital to the academic success of students. This nonexperimental ex post facto study examined the relationships between the level of technical literacy of instructors in career academies and student academic performance. It was also undertaken to explore the relationship between the pedagogical training of instructors and the academic performance of students. Out of a heterogeneous population of 564 teachers in six targeted schools, 136 teachers (26.0 %) responded to an online survey. The survey was designed to gather demographic and teaching experience data. Each demographic item was linked by researchers to teachers’ technology use in the classroom. Student achievement was measured by student learning gains as assessed by the reading section of the FCAT from the previous to the present school year. Linear and hierarchical regressions were conducted to examine the research questions. To clarify the possibility of teacher gender and teacher race/ethnic group differences by research variable, a series of one-way ANOVAs were conducted. As revealed by the ANOVA results, there were not statistically significant group differences in any of the research variables by teacher gender or teacher race/ethnicity. Greater student learning gains were associated with greater teacher technical expertise integrating computers and technology into the classroom, even after controlling for teacher attitude towards computers. Neither teacher attitude toward technology integration nor years of experience in integrating computers into the curriculum significantly predicted student learning gains in the regression models. Implications for HRD theory, research, and practice suggest that identifying teacher levels of technical literacy may help improve student academic performance by facilitating professional development strategies and new parameters for defining highly qualified instructors with 21st century skills. District professional development programs can benefit by increasing their offerings to include more computer and information communication technology courses. Teacher preparation programs can benefit by including technical literacy as part of their curriculum. State certification requirements could be expanded to include formal surveys to assess teacher use of technology.

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Heider, Cynthia. "Exploring the meaning of school improvement in the formulation and implementation of the Missouri school improvement program /." free to MU campus, to others for purchase, 2001. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/mo/fullcit?p3036830.

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Haraldsson, Saemundur Oskar. "Genetic improvement of software : from program landscapes to the automatic improvement of a live system." Thesis, University of Stirling, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/1893/26007.

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In today’s technology driven society, software is becoming increasingly important in more areas of our lives. The domain of software extends beyond the obvious domain of computers, tablets, and mobile phones. Smart devices and the internet-of-things have inspired the integra- tion of digital and computational technology into objects that some of us would never have guessed could be possible or even necessary. Fridges and freezers connected to social media sites, a toaster activated with a mobile phone, physical buttons for shopping, and verbally asking smart speakers to order a meal to be delivered. This is the world we live in and it is an exciting time for software engineers and computer scientists. The sheer volume of code that is currently in use has long since outgrown beyond the point of any hope for proper manual maintenance. The rate of which mobile application stores such as Google’s and Apple’s have expanded is astounding. The research presented here aims to shed a light on an emerging field of research, called Genetic Improvement ( GI ) of software. It is a methodology to change program code to improve existing software. This thesis details a framework for GI that is then applied to explore fitness landscape of bug fixing Python software, reduce execution time in a C ++ program, and integrated into a live system. We show that software is generally not fragile and although fitness landscapes for GI are flat they are not impossible to search in. This conclusion applies equally to bug fixing in small programs as well as execution time improvements. The framework’s application is shown to be transportable between programming languages with minimal effort. Additionally, it can be easily integrated into a system that runs a live web service.

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Fink, Ryan. "District-led Instructional Improvement in a Remote Town." Thesis, The George Washington University, 2014. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=3614841.

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This study examined how stakeholders in one school district located in a remote town perceived the instructional improvement efforts of the district, as well as the constraints and enablers of implementing instructional reforms. A qualitative approach, consisting mainly of interviews with teachers, principals, district administrators, and other school-level staff, was used to examine the perceived effects of the district's instructional reforms in five areas: (1) adopting a set of goals to guide the district's actions; (2) implementing instructional reform; (3) improving professional development; (4) supporting district and school administrators to become instructional leaders; and (5) encouraging the use of data to diagnose student learning needs and guide instruction. School-level interviews were conducted within four of the district's elementary schools selected to represent the district on a number of demographic and academic variables. The overall findings for these five areas were as follows. Respondents spoke primarily about changes to reading instruction as the district's top priority. The district's efforts to reform classroom instruction resulted in all elementary schools implementing, in varying degrees, the structures the district established for teaching reading. These levels of implementation were achieved through a gradual process and were met with initial resistance from principals and teachers. The district's shift to providing job-embedded professional development proved to be a major support in establishing a consistent teaching approach. Literacy coaches represented the main source of job-embedded professional development and played an important role in providing teacher professional development. Principals strove to achieve the district's expectation for them to become instructional leaders in their buildings, although some struggled with the content expertise required to be an instructional leader, while others expressed difficulty in managing their time between being a building manager and an instructional leader. Finally, the district's instructional improvement efforts were informed by student achievement data and teacher observation data, as teachers used formative and summative assessments to monitor students' progress and to provide appropriate levels of intervention to students.

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Spouse, Jane. "Intervention for learning : supporting school improvement." Thesis, University of Gloucestershire, 2001. http://eprints.glos.ac.uk/3026/.

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Bringing about school improvement has become a national focus for education. There has been little research into school improvement from the perspective of intervention, yet it has become an urgent issue due to the commitment to address under-performance in schools. This research provides insights into the use of research findings about school improvement and effectiveness in working with schools; and insights about how best to support schools in promoting a culture and ways of working in which development can be secured. It uses the development of two projects, in the first phase gaining insights from intervention with eight schools, and in the second phase gaining a closer look at the impact of interventions in two schools at the different levels of headteacher, deputy, subject leader, class teacher and children. The sample draws on schools from different contexts. In the first phase, schools were considered where intervention was welcomed, and the second phase included schools with more embedded difficulties and where intervention had not been sought. The interaction between the impact of intervention at school, classroom and pupil level is explored, drawing out the inter-relationship between the elements of intervention in promoting improvement. The research drew upon a phenomenological perspective to consider the perceptions of those involved in terms of the interventions; methods of data collection were developed which drew upon both qualitative and quantitative processes, including narrative analysis. A model for intervention is offered alongside the identification of the activities and skills of interveners working to promote school improvement. Aspects of change are identified in relation to the technical, cultural and micro-political development. A new identification of the phases of development is given, and aligned to the inter-related aspects of the change process. Turbulence and uncertainty had to be managed constructively as schools moved to the awareness that the skills of rigorous self-evaluation were a key lever for their improvement. Identification of the intervention which supports aspects of change and is phased for different stages of improvement is a recommended way forward.

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McVittie, Janet Elizabeth. "Literacy, science, and science education." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1999. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk1/tape8/PQDD_0028/NQ51900.pdf.

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Brown, Jennifer V. "The Continuous Improvement Model| A K-12 Literacy Focus." Thesis, Lipscomb University, 2014. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=3602327.

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The purpose of the study was to determine if the eight steps of the Continuous Improvement Model (CIM) provided a framework to raise achievement and to focus educators in identifying high-yield literacy strategies. This study sought to determine if an examination of the assessment data in reading revealed differences among schools that fully, partially, or did not implement the CIM. The research focused what happened during the school year 2011-12 in nine schools. The qualitative research attempted to discover the relationship among the eight steps of the CIM and the educators who implemented the model. The design of the qualitative research focused on the schools that implemented the CIM including the perceptions of participants regarding the impact upon reading/literacy proficiency. Interviews with leadership teams in six schools that implemented partially and fully were conducted. A survey was conducted among teachers from six schools that implemented the CIM. Quantitative data were collected from student results on the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program Reading/Language Arts assessments for school years 2010-2011 and 2011-2012. The results showed practical and significant differences in achievement scores among those schools that partially and fully implemented the model compared to those schools that did not implement. The study also highlighted positive and negative perceptions of the model and identified high-yield strategies. The findings suggest a carefully orchestrated plan to address literacy should be implemented during the early stages in a child's education. The CIM provides a framework for educators to design a literacy plan that comprehensively addresses the needs of teachers and students.

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Stern, Barbara Helen. "The impact of leadership on school improvement." Thesis, University of Hull, 2013. http://hydra.hull.ac.uk/resources/hull:8431.

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The last few years have produced a substantial amount of literature on leadership, school improvement and change. Some of this has been reviewed and discussed with reference to general education. There is a paucity of research in this country on leadership in Jewish Supplementary Education, although some important studies have been done in North America and Canada to discover how current practice and recent innovations have impacted the field. There is currently no research which specifically looks at the impact of leadership on Jewish Supplementary Schools. The aim of this research is to discover more about the impact of leadership on school improvement with reference to Jewish Supplementary Schools. The study focuses on leadership teams from five different Jewish Supplementary Schools, attached to Synagogues in the Greater London area. Rabbis, Head Teachers and Chairs of Education Committees were interviewed in each of the communities to learn more about: how they work together to effect change; the impact of each of their leadership roles on the improvement that they have tried to bring about; and the role of parents and other stakeholders as lay leaders. The transcripts from semi structured interviews were analysed with reference to the literature review and the research questions. The findings show that each individual interviewed had high leadership competencies and this did impact school improvement in terms of surface change. They had the potential to effect deep change but due to power, control and communication issues their leadership impact was diminished. Each of the schools has been through a change process in order to improve teaching and learning as well as to increase parental involvement. This research shows the importance of each role within the leadership team, both separately and collectively on school improvement. The study concludes with some recommendations as to how leadership could create a deeper impact on Jewish Supplementary School improvement.

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Brooks, Elizabeth A. Baker Paul J. "Quality Assurance and Improvement Planning and the education of special education students." Normal, Ill. Illinois State University, 1999. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/ilstu/fullcit?p9927765.

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Thesis (Ed. D.)--Illinois State University, 1999.
Title from title page screen, viewed July 18, 2006. Dissertation Committee: Paul Baker (chair), Dianne Ashby, Elizabeth Lugg, Gregory Aloia. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 89-91) and abstract. Also available in print.

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Aboul-Hosn, Rafah. "Improvement of acoustic models in automatic speech recognition systems." Thesis, McGill University, 1995. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=23380.

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This thesis explores the use of efficient acoustic modeling techniques to improve the performance of automatic speech recognition (ASR) systems. The principal idea behind this study is that the pronunciation of a word is not only affected by the variability of the speaker and the environment, but largely by the words that precede and follow it. Hence, to accurately represent a language, one should model the sounds in context with other sounds. Furthermore, due to the large amount of models produced when every sound is represented in every context it can appear in, one needs to use a clustering technique by which sounds of similar properties are grouped together so as to limit the number of models needed. The aim of this research is two fold: the first is to explore the effects of using context dependent models on the performance of an ASR system, the second is to combine the context dependent models pertaining to a specific sound in a complex structure to produce a context independent model containing contextual information. Two such complex structures are designed and their performance is tested.

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Van, Ornum John Walter. "Evaluation and Improvement of an Advisory Program." ScholarWorks, 2014. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/171.

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Evaluation and Improvement of an Advisory Program by John W. Van Ornum MS, Brigham Young University, 1989 BS, Brigham Young University, 1987 Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education Walden University December 2014 This project study investigated the effectiveness of a student advising program at a rural high school in Hawaii. The advisory program was implemented to help students track their progress and prepare them for post-high school college and career choices, yet the program's implementation had not been evaluated. Guided by Erickson's theoretical framework, this quantitative study examined advisory participants' perceptions of (a) student-advisor relationships, (b) assistance in making post-high school plans, (c) advisor content knowledge, and (d) recommendations for program improvement. A descriptive survey was given to advisors (n = 28) and a random sample of advisees (n = 145). Descriptive survey data indicated that the advisors and advisees perceived the advisory program to improve student relationships with adults and the development of post-high school plans. Further, comparative analyses using independent-samples t tests found no statistically significant differences in the responses between the advisor and advisee groups in terms of relationships and developing post-high school plans. Advisors indicated that they needed more training, more time to plan, and that program evaluations should be shared at a faculty meeting. Based on these findings, it is recommended that the advisory program be continued, and that additional, ongoing training and planning time be provided to program advisors. Improvements to the advisory program will help school administrators and program advisors provide services that will better prepare advisory students for post-high school educational and career choices, thus promoting positive social change.

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Letendre, Wanda Jacobson. "Improvement of instruction in special education an ethnographic look /." Morgantown, W. Va. : [West Virginia University Libraries], 1999. http://etd.wvu.edu/templates/showETD.cfm?recnum=902.

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Thesis (Ed. D.)--West Virginia University, 1999.
Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains vii, 321 p. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 287-308).

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Zhang, Sidong. "Dynamic model of quality improvement using quantity incentive contract." Related electronic resource: Current Research at SU : database of SU dissertations, recent titles available full text, 2008. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/syr/main.

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Davis, Heather C. "Curriculum Improvement: The Teacher Perspective on Change in the Classroom." The University of Montana, 2009. http://etd.lib.umt.edu/theses/available/etd-10022009-140421/.

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This study explored the curriculum change experiences of five social studies teachers, from three high schools within one school district located in a western Montana city, integrating an economics curriculum in their eleventh grade U.S. history classrooms for the first time. A review of the related literature on this topic revealed several areas of consideration regarding teachers' curriculum change experiences which guided the data collection and analysis process: commitment, workload, capacity, collaboration, and perception of the teaching profession. This qualitative, within case study was designed to add to the body of quantitative research on curriculum change. Data collection sources include: pre and post interviews, observations, electronic journals, field notes, and document analysis. Five themes emerged from the data analysis of the participants' curriculum change experiences: support, time, motivation, adaptation, and student learning. A skyscraper depicts a visual model of the complex and inter-dependent relationship of themes in the curriculum change process as determined in this study. Each of the themes is presented in narrative format as a vignette giving voice to the teachers' curriculum change experiences. Overall, teachers are positive about curriculum change and look at it as an on-going process to improve curriculum in an effort to increase student learning. The conclusion offers several suggestions to ease the curriculum change process for teachers. Teachers need the support of the community, administrators, colleagues, and outside agencies for continued, successful curriculum change. Teachers need time and space for collaboration, planning, curriculum development, and knowledge building. Teachers need to be able to easily adapt curriculum materials to their own teaching styles and district curriculum guidelines. Teachers are motivated by what interests them and so are students. Curriculum developers and planners need to keep the interests of teachers and students in mind when creating curriculum materials and professional development. Students and teachers demand relevant, current, local examples to increase their understanding and reach the ultimate goal of curriculum change in the classroom: curriculum improvement and increased student learning.

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Cochrane, Stephen P. "Inclusive education - from school improvement to transformation : managing transitions." Thesis, University of East Anglia, 1999. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.327524.

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Ramahi, Hanan. "Teachers leading school improvement and education reconstruction in Palestine." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 2018. https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/277681.

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This dissertation presents an intervention-based study that aimed to enable teachers to improve teaching and learning in one school in Ramallah, Palestine. The non-positional approach to teacher leadership was adopted as a means to mobilise all teachers in the drive towards bottom-up, participatory school change processes that increase teacher self-efficacy and collaboration, build professional capacity and social capital, and promote sustainability. The Teachers Leading the Way programme provided a contextually tailored strategy, and set of instruments and tools that through reflective exercises and dialogic activities aimed to support teachers to innovate practice, and impact organisational structures and professional culture. This is significant in the Palestine setting for facilitating the building of locally based and sourced knowledge to inform an authentic Palestinian vision and agenda for policy-making and education reconstruction, with implications for countries of the Middle East and North Africa region. In the process, a grassroots change movement is intended to shift historical and continued reliance on foreign intervention and international assistance, and lay the foundation for democratisation and social transformation. The intervention was investigated using a critical action-based, participatory methodology that emphasised context and researcher reflexivity in one school and amongst a cohort of 12 participants. Data were collected using a range of research-designed and programme-based methods and instruments, analysed deductively and inductively, and narrated critically to maintain coherence, and convey experiential and temporal dimensions. The study outcomes indicate that teachers in Palestine are capable of leading school improvement, and impacting school structures and professional culture for system-wide change, when the proper support is provided. Non-positional teacher leadership is the vehicle and can be developed through Teachers Leading the Way. At the individual level, this is enabled through a transformation in teachers’ perspective towards a self-empowered, agential mindset that leads to action on ways to improve practice. The transition process underscores the role of effective facilitation as an enabling condition for developing non-positional teacher leadership in Palestine and similar settings.

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Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Improvement science in education'

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