Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Learn how now!'

This thesis focuses on how new college faculty learn to teach. It is a qualitative study involving four first year Ball State University college professors from different departments. The past research explores faculty beliefs, skills, and styles as well as graduate preparation for teaching. The literature also covers faculty development programs, university and administrator influence, and the future of college teaching. The researcher used observations and interviews in the research design and analyzed the data by coding it into themes. The findings are discussed within the following topics: teaching techniques, professor experience, faculty development, graduate preparation and teaching assistantships, formation of teaching style, and professors' personal theories. The conclusion includes a discussion of how past experiences have taught professors how to reflect on their teaching to make modifications and how there is a lack of emphasis placed on teaching in the graduate schools. The substitution of teaching techniques for a teaching style, as well as, the amount of training professors have in college student development is also explored. The discussion also includes how new professors form personal theories of teaching. There is also a section on some specific findings for Ball State University, as well as recommendations for future research.
Department of Secondary, Higher, and Foundations of Education

This study describes how new graduate nurses learn to practice in a trauma setting. The research questions focused on how new graduate nurses learn the skills necessary to work in a trauma setting, what were the best methods of introducing new graduate nurses to performing nursing interventions in a trauma setting, and how can this learning be facilitated. The grounded theory research approach was used. The sample was drawn from a population of emergency room nurses working in a level one trauma center. The core category that emerged from the data was overcoming anxiety. Working in a trauma setting is an anxiety provoking experience. New graduate nurses used learning as a method of overcoming the anxiety faced in this setting. Learning methods included observing, discussing, practicing, and rehearsing. Preceptors, mentors, and models helped new graduates learn. Learning took place in three areas: psychomotor learning, conceptual learning, and self-learning.
School of Nursing

As modern gender movements shift our cultural norms, the literature describing Title IX suggests possibly concerning trends in both hiring and policy. Many university administrations and recent legislation have promoted a defensive, legal-minded and objective approach to handling Title IX cases. Since the April 2011 Dear Colleague Letter, which delivered a mandated timeframe and eased the burden of evidence, the number of cases the Office for Civil Rights have grown significantly. The number of cases continues growing despite huge increases in labor hours and financial resources being diverted to Title IX enforcement. In contrast, research has demonstrated that education, such as bystander training is a proven deterrence to campus sexual assault. By prioritizing investigation and limiting compliance officers legally acceptable options, we have perhaps shifted officers time away from actions which might lead to more positive outcomes including reducing the overall campus-wide criminal incidence frequency.

This qualitative case study was designed to explore how higher education compliance officers learn to manage new requirements in a dynamic regulatory environment. The site for the study included private and public colleges and universities in the northeastern part of the U.S. The primary sources of data were in-depth interviews with nineteen Title IX compliance officers supplemented by an extensive review of relevant documents.

Key findings that emerged include: (1) A majority of compliance officers defined the need to interpret new regulations with general counsel before communicating resulting changes to stakeholders. (2) All regulators learn through informal learning means; dialogue and critical reflection were universally reported as the most frequent pathways by which regulators made meaning of new regulations. (3) Most compliance officers described sharing information with peers as most helpful to them in completing regulatory tasks.

Trends in Title IX compliance hiring and labor hour allocation appear to not address the growing frequency of OCR investigations. Real changes to campus policy, including budget priorities, training and the use of student activists may allow universities to better optimize the money and personal they invest toward Title IX.

Parkour is a sport with a focus on overcoming obstacles. Parkour practitioners utilise specialised techniques relating to movements such as running, jumping, vaulting, climbing, swinging, rolling, and occasionally acrobatic manoeuvres in order to traverse a path through urban and rural environments. Parkour is a new sport, and as it continues to grow in popularity, there is an accompanying demand for parkour instructors. As a result, programmes to train parkour coaches have been created in various parts of the world. There has been minimal scholarly research conducted regarding parkour, and much of the current parkour research focuses either on parkour athletes, or the perceptions of parkour by non-parkour athletes. No research was discovered regarding parkour coaches. This exploratory study aimed to: (a) explore how parkour coaches learn to coach; and (b) explore the perceptions held by parkour coaches regarding parkour coach education programmes. In the first article, titled ‘How Parkour Coaches Learn to Coach: Coaches’ Sources of Learning in an Unregulated Sport’, participants’ responses related to the themes of: parkour coaching experience, previous leadership experience, experience as an athlete in parkour and other sports, other parkour coaches, non-parkour coaches, parkour coach education programmes, school, reflection, and the Internet. The second article, titled ‘What Does It Mean to be a Certified Parkour Coach? Parkour Coach Perceptions of Formal Coach Education Programmes’, shared participants’ perceptions of formal parkour coach education programmes, including: potential benefits and risks to participation in such programmes, modifications that could be made to the programmes, and parkour coach perceptions of coach education programmes for other sports.

This study investigated whether English second language learners learn the senses of polysemous vocabulary items in an order from a core sense to more extended senses. Polysemous words have one form but many interrelated meanings. It was hypothesised that such an order could be explained by way of the theory of prototypicality.
48 ESL learners from three language groups, French, Japanese and Chinese, took part in the study. The participants translated into their first language 29 English sentences using different senses of the word over. Translations were coded for correct translations of the sense of over and for variation in the correct translations. A MANOVA analysis showed that core senses were translated significantly more correctly than extended senses. A negative correlation was shown between variation in translation and correctness of translation. Following Krzeszowski, T. (1990), the study confirms that the theory of prototypicality offers an effective way of explaining language transfer.

3D is a popular topic as an increasing amount of media and technology begin to support 3D interaction.  With the rise of interest in 3D interaction, the question of why there is a demand and desire for 3D over 2D interaction becomes relevant. This thesis compares the differences between a 3D heads up display and a 2D heads up display for a touch free gesture based virtual keyboard.  The gesture interface used in the tests is a way of communicating with a system using gestures of the hands tracked by a motion sensor.  This thesis tested 16 users where half of the users used a 2D version of a heads up display and the other half used a 3D version of a heads up display.  Both user groups were tested with identical conditions and in an identical environment.  Raw statistical data was gathered from a logging mechanism in the interface and qualitative data was gathered from questionnaires and observation notes.  The results from the experiment showed that the 2D and 3D heads up display gave very similar results. However, results also showed slightly better qualitative results from the 3D heads up display observation and questionnaire data.  The conclusion indicated no clear advantage for the 2D version or the 3D version.  The discussion shows that many other factors in the design process and selection of users, play a large role in the comparison of 2D vs 3D visualizations.  Factors such as age and familiarity with different levels of technology are indicated to be contributing factors when comparing 2D vs 3D.  The results and discussion hope to provide a starting point for future comparison research in the field of 2D compared to 3D visualization.

Att kartlägga hur ett företags olika processer ser ut är en viktig del ur ett kontinuerligtförbättringsarbete. Uppdraget för denna studie består av att kartlägga dagliga mjölkrundor påen del av fabriken, som därmed skall bidra till att eventuella problem synliggörs. Studienbehandlar logistik och materialhantering med fokus på transport och ergonomiska arbetsplatsersom bör följa riktlinjer för Lean. Att följa de olika ergonomiska riktlinjerna på ett framgångsriktsätt kan skapa goda förutsättningar som därmed kan gynna ekonomin. Utgångspunkten har varitatt med hjälp av intervjuer samt observationer skapa en god förståelse för hur de nuvarandemjölkrundorna ser ut, då det i nuläget inte finns något standardiserat arbetssätt på det studeradeområdet basmodulen.I studien presenteras de faktorer i produktionen som har en påverkan på ergonomin samt defaktorer som bidrar till förbättringsmöjligheter. Resultatet av studien baseras på litteraturstudieroch de tre intervjuer som genomförts med berörda truckförare. En jämförelse gjordes mellanLean och Volvos egna Leanarbete, Volvo Production System där vikten belystes i detstandardiserade arbetssättet och att företaget standardiserar de olika arbetsmomenten för attlättare kunna implementera förbättringsförslagen. Studien avslutas med att utforma förslag påhur mjölkrundorna bör se ut för att möjliggöra besparingar inom effektivitetssynvinkeln samtövriga förbättringsförslag som skall gynna företaget i helhet. Författarnas slutsats avexamensarbetet är att det finns goda möjligheter och förutsättningar för att positivt införastandardiserade körrundor för basmodulen som därmed underlättar implementering avresterande förbättringsförslag.
To identify how a company's different processes look is an important part of continuousimprovement work. The assignment for this study consists of mapping the daily in-plant milkrunsin one part of the factory, with the goal to make any problems visible. The study deals withlogistics and materials management with a focus on transport and ergonomic aspects that shouldbe in line with Lean thinking. The starting point in this study has been information frominterviews and observations, to provide a good understanding for the in-plant milk-runs. Thestudy includes a brief literature review, onsite observations as well as three in-depth interviews.A comparison was made between the strategy Lean and Volvo's own interpretation of Lean, theVolvo Production System, where the emphasis was highlighted in the standardized approachand that the company standardizes the different workflows to facilitate implementation of theimprovement proposals. The study concludes by formulating proposals on how milk-runsshould look to enable savings in the efficiency perspective and other improvement proposalsthat will benefit the whole company. The author’s conclusion of the thesis work is that there aregood opportunities to positively introduce standardized milk runs for the studied area calledbasmodulen, which will help the company when implementing the improvements.

Med denna rapport vill författarna för detta examensarbete redogöra för hur ett tillverkande företag skulle kunna använda digitala verktyg vid deras inlagring och plockning. Författarna har tittat och även presenterat olika lösningar för att kunna få in digitala hjälpmedel i företagets dito hantering. Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka hur digitala verktyg skulle kunna användas för att effektivisera hanteringen vid inlagringen och vid plockningen. Det här är en studie som har utförts på de Amerikanskägda företaget CrossControl i Alfta som med sin huvudinriktning tillverkar el och elektronikprodukter till fordon och maskiner. CrossControl har använts för att analysera och jämföra resultatet i förhållande till tidigare forskning inom området. Datainsamlingen skedde genom intervjuer, observationer och via deras hemsida. Enheterna plockning samt inlagring visar på att ett införande av digitala verktyg skulle vara lämpliga, då det tidigare har lagts fokus från företagets sig på att digitalisera produktionen. Då företag idag bör lägga stort fokus på att vara flexibla och kunna anpassa sig efter kundens efterfrågan är digitaliseringen ett viktigt begrepp. Digitalisering handlar om att transformera information från det analoga tillståndet till det digitala. Detta kan ske med hjälp av olika slags digitala verktyg t.ex. RFID (Radio Frequency Identification), streckkod, QR-kod eller mobila enheter. RFID handlar om att data skickas från en tagg till en läsare med elektroniska signaler. Detta gör att gods inte behöver matas in för hand i datorsystemet hos företag. Streckkod är en serie av varierande svarta och vita ränder som bildare ett mönster som läses av med hjälp av en scanner. Streckkod har en globaliserad standard och har funnits under en väldigt lång tid ute bland företag. QR-kod står för quick response och har fått sitt namn efter den korta avläsnings tid som krävs för att registrera koden. QR är till skillnad från streckkoden tänkt att läsas av som en bild. Mobila enheter har introducerats i industrin för att effektivisera samt underlätta arbetet för operatörerna. De skapar en möjlighet för operatörerna att koppla samman sig med flera olika system samtidigt och kommunicera. Genom att analysera och jämföra de olika digitala verktygen utifrån teorin samt fallföretagets förutsättningar har författarna kommit fram till att RFID är det mest lämpliga identifieringssystemet.
The authors of this report want to explain how a manufacturing company could use digital tools in their storage and picking. The authors have analyzed and compared different solutions to be able to bring in digital aids in the company's storage and picking. The purpose of this study is to investigate how digital tools could be used to streamline the handling of storage and picking. This is a study conducted at the American-owned company CrossControl in Alfta, which has their main focus to manufacture electrical and electronic products for vehicles and machines. CrossControl have been used to analyze and compare the results in relation to previous research in the field. The data collection was through interviews, observations and via their website. The units picking and storing indicate that the introduction of digital tools would be appropriate, as the focus of the company was previously focused on digitizing production. As companies today focus more on being flexible and able to adapt to customer demand, digitization is an important concept. Digitization is about transforming information from the analogue state to the digital. This can be done using various digital tools e.g. RFID (Radio Frequency Identification), barcode, QR-code (Quick Response), or mobile devices. RFID is about sending data from a tag to a reader with electronic signals. This means that newly arrived material doesn’t need to be handed in manually by the computer system of companies. Barcode is a series of varying black and white stripes that form a pattern that is scan by a scanner. Barcode has a globalized standard and has been in the business for a very long time. QR code stands for quick response and has been named after the short reading time that requires registering the code. QR is unlike the barcode intended to be read as an image. Mobile devices have been introduced in industry to streamline and facilitate the work of operators. They create an opportunity for operators to connect with multiple systems simultaneously and communicate. By analyzing and comparing the various digital tools based on the theory and the circumstances of the case company, the authors have found that RFID is the most appropriate as an identification system.

En viktig del av passagerartillfredsställelsen utgörs av hur smidiga köpprocesserna är. I denna studie analyseras delprocesser hos KING SEAWAYS med mål om att skapa ett optimerat förbättringsförslag till de studerade processerna. Den nuvarande processen gällande fartygets tid i hamn innefattar delprocesser som körs beroende och oberoende av varandra. Fokus i studien är på de sista delprocesserna innan fartygets avgång från det att passageraren ankommer till check-in fram till dem står parkerade på bildäcket. Kundundersökningen visar ett missnöje bland passagerarna gällande väntetid på kajen. Efter att ha analyserat passagerarbeteendet och genom att göra några resonabla antaganden för att förenkla uträkningarna gällande köer, är det uppenbart att det finns betydande flaskhalsar i processen som kan åtgärdas. Att applicera köteori i varje steg, skapar en klar bild av att förändringar kan skapa förutsättningar för reducerade kostnader samt en förhöjd kundnöjdhet.   Förbättringsförslaget som framkom efter analys av den nuvarande processen och kundernas upplevelse var att nyttja tiden på kajen till att förbereda inför ombordkörning och placera bilar efter layout ombord på fartyget. Med detta kan bilarna på kajen hanteras som en homogen grupp, snarare än enskilda enheter och då öka effektiviteten i processen. Förslaget bör även ge ett positivt utfall på kundtillfredsställelsen.   Denna rapport berör endast ett fartyg i DFDS totala flotta om cirka 50 fartyg, men tankarna som lett fram till resultat och slutsats bör även vara applicerbart på flertalet andra fartyg i flottan. Bara för fartyget KING SEAWAYS skulle en förändring om en minskad tid i hamn, om 15 minuter dagligen, innebära en bränslebesparing årligen om 1,7 miljoner danska kronor. Med en snabb beräkning gällande besparingar av resurser visar förbättringsförslaget att det kan komma att handla om flertalet miljoner. Med nöjdare kunder skaps även konkurrenskraft och det är en förutsättning för att DFDS även i framtiden behålla sin marknadsposition.
An important factor in passenger satisfaction is queue management. In this study processes at KING SEAWAYS are analyzed with the aim of creating a proposal for improvement and optimization. The current process of the vessels turnaround includes sub-processes that run dependent and independent of each other. The focus in this study deals with the final sub-processes before departure, from the time that the passenger arrives at the check-in until they are parked on the car deck. The customer survey shows dissatisfaction among passengers regarding waiting time on the dock. After analyzing the behavior of passengers and by taking a couple of reasonable assumptions, it becomes obvious that bottlenecks could be reduced. Applying queuing theory in each step creates a clear picture that changes can create conditions for reduced costs as well as increased condition for customer satisfaction.   The improvement proposal that emerged after analyzing the current process and customer experience was to utilize time on the quay to prepare for boarding and place cars according to the ship layout. With this, the cars on the dock can be handled as a homogeneous group, rather than individual units, and then increase the efficiency of the process. The proposal should also give a positive outcome to customer satisfaction.   This report deals with one vessel in DFDS' total fleet of about 50 vessels, but the thoughts that led to the results and conclusion could be applicable to most of the other fleet vessels. For KING SEAWAYS only, a reduced turnaround time of 15 minutes corresponds to fuel saving of 1.7 million Danish kroner per year. With a quick estimation on resource savings the proposal for improvement shows that improvements could have a considerable impact on DFDS bottom line. Satisfied customers are also a prerequisite for DFDS to maintain its market position in the future.

Bakgrund: Dagens marknader har med tiden tenderat att bli mer globala vilket i sin tur har ökat konkurrensen mellan företag. Detta har inneburit att många industriorganisationer har behövt förändra sig för att vara konkurrenskraftiga på marknaden. Ett koncept som idag genomsyrar många företag är lean vilket bygger på att maximera användandet av sina resurser, eliminera slöserier och skapa en effektivare tillverkning. Genom att arbeta med lean kan företag uppnå snabbare genomloppstider. Syfte: Syftet med studien är att kartlägga Press Kogyos propellerprocess för att kunna identifiera icke-värdeadderande aktiviteter i processen. Vidare kommer studien bidra Press Kogyo med förslag gällande hur en effektivare material- och produktionsstyrning kan reducera genomloppstiden i propellerprocessen. För att studien ska uppnå teoretisk relevans är ytterligare ett syfte med studien att bidra med teori kring hur tillverkande företag, med en funktionell layout, kan reducera de nackdelar som finns med layouten med effektivare material- och produktionsstyrning. Genomförande: Studien har delats upp i tre forskningsfrågor. De två första forskningsfrågorna var specifikt inriktade mot det studerade företaget medan den tredje forskningsfrågan var mer generellt ställd mot tillverkande företag med funktionell layout. Studien har genomförts som en fallstudie och präglats av kvalitativa forskningsmetoder. Empiriska data har samlats in genom intervjuer, observationer samt en fokusgrupp. För första forskningsfrågan skapades processkartor och VSM-kartor. Dessa i samband med diverse intervjuer låg till grund för att identifiera icke-värdeadderande aktiviteter/slöserier i propellerprocessen vilka påverkade genomloppstiden. För forskningsfråga två applicerades teori kring material-och För tillverkande industriföretag kan en reducering av genomloppstid generera diverse fördelar. Några av dessa fördelar är: minskat antal produkter i arbete, bättre kvalité, minskade kostnader, bättre prognoser, ökad flexibilitet samt minskad ledtid gentemot kund. Press Kogyo har under en längre period upplevt en problematik kring en av deras processer. Problematiken har legat i att de inte vetat om vilka icke- värdeadderade aktiviteter som finns i processen samt hur de påverkar genomloppstiden.   produktionsstyrning i syfte att reducera de icke-värdeadderande aktiviteterna/slöserier som identifierats och följaktligen reducera genomloppstider i processen. Gällande forskningsfråga tre genomfördes intervjuer med det studerade företaget och ett annat tillverkande företag med funktionell layout. Författarna ämnade att genom dessa intervjuer besvara hur tillverkande företag med en funktionell layout kan reducera de nackdelar som finns med den layouten med hjälp av effektiv material- och produktionsstyrning. Slutsats: I studien identifierades sju slöserier där väntan ansågs vara det slöseri vilket mest påverkade genomloppstiden i propellerprocessen. För att eliminera alla slöserier och framförallt väntan applicerades teori kring material- och produktionsstyrning med fokus på production activity control (PAC). Den teori vilken användes skapade också en teoretisk modell vilken kan vara en bra grund när företag med funktionell layout vill effektivisera sin planering. Vissa delar av den teoretiska modellen användes också senare i studien där den användes för att reducera de nackdelar vilka kan finnas med en funktionell layout.
Background: Today's markets have over time tended to become more global, which in turn has increased competition between companies. This has meant that many industry organizations have had to change in order to be competitive in the market. A concept that today permeates many companies is the lean practice, which is based on maximizing the use of resources, eliminating waste, and creating more efficient production. By working with lean, companies can achieve faster throughput time. For manufacturing industrial companies, a reduction in throughput time can generate various benefits. Some of these advantages are: reduced number of products in work, better quality, reduced costs, better forecasts, increased flexibility and reduced lead time towards customers.Press Kogyo has for a long period experienced problems with one of their processes. The main problem has been that they do not know what non-value-added activities/waste that can be found in the process and how these activitiesaffect the total throughput time of the process. Purpose: The purpose of the study is to map Press Kogyo's propeller process in order to be able to identify non-value-adding activities in the process. Furthermore, the study will provide Press Kogyo with proposals regarding how more efficient material and production control can reduce the throughput time in the propeller process. In order for the study to achieve theoretical relevance, another purpose of the study is to contribute with theories about how manufacturing companies, with a functional layout, can reduce the disadvantages of the layout with more efficient material and production control. Methodology: The study has been divided into three research questions. The first two research questions were specifically aimed at Press Kogyo, while the third research question was more generally directed at manufacturing companies with a functional layout. The study was conducted as a case study and was characterized by qualitative research methods. Empirical data has been collected through interviews, observations, and a focus group. For the first research question, process maps and VSM maps were created. This together with various interviews created the foundation for identifying non-value-adding activities/waste in the propeller process which affected the throughput time. For research question two, theory of material and production control was applied in order to reduce the non-value-adding activities/waste and consequently reduce throughput time in the process. Regarding research question three, interviews were conducted with Press Kogyo and another manufacturing company with a functional layout. The authors intended to, through these interviews, find answers to how manufacturing companies with a functional layout can reduce the disadvantages of the layout with the help of efficient material and production control. Conclusions: In the study, seven wastes were identified where “wait” was considered to be the waste that affected throughput time the most in the propeller process. To eliminate all waste and specifically the waste “wait”, methods and theories regarding material and production control was applied with a focus on production activity control (PAC). All the different theories that was used also created a theoretical model which can be a good basis for planning when companies with a functional layout want to find ways tostreamline their planning. Some parts of the theoretical model were also used later in the study where it was used to reduce the disadvantages that may exist with a functional layout

Despite the intense scholarly focus on leadership development in corporate settings, the importance of developing good leaders in police organisations has received scant attention. The dearth of scholarship on police leadership means that the distinctive demands of policing are often overlooked in addressing the question of unique leadership requirements. This gap also suggests that we do not yet understand how the characteristics of policing drive a need for tailored approaches to developing police leaders. This research addressed this gap in the literature by initially exploring how senior officers learn the art of leadership within an Australian policing context through interviews with jurisdictional experts (Study 1). The focus of this research then centred on commissioned officers within the Queensland Police Service (QPS) through a survey questionnaire (Study 2) and stakeholder interviews (Study 3). Drawing upon the literature and theoretical frameworks of leader development models, this investigation explored what development methods best advanced officers’ leadership together with other factors that facilitated or constrained their development. The research then centred on the extent to which recognised factors—such as the unique challenges of policing, the existence of feedback and the extent of support—lead to the enhancement of senior police leaders. Study 1 explored policy frameworks across eight (8) Australian police agencies that revealed each jurisdiction applied a unique approach to leader development, reflecting the parochial and independent way each agency administered its policing functions. In study 2 the survey questionnaire yielded a 61 percent response rate comprising officers who were predominately male, highly educated and mature (in age and service). Inherent cultural and organisational characteristics encouraged officers to adopt a “cradle to the grave” approach to their policing careers. In the final study, interviews with twenty (20) QPS commissioned officers revealed participants comprised a small cohort of survivors who had successfully navigated the politically charged police environment. This study highlighted officers’ journeys in acquiring their leadership was underscored by being contextually grounded within the difficult and challenging organisational milieu of policing. In addressing the research questions, the three studies, when analysed, broadly supported the 70:20:10 learning model which theorises leadership is primarily acquired by job experiences (70%) and to a lesser extent through relationships (20%) and via formal or structured learning (10%). This model did not present as a measured outcome which arose from allocating resources or priorities according to a clearly defined 70:20:10 outcome ‘rule’. Instead, the (approximate) 70:20:10 distribution of leadership learning was almost certainly the outcome of an interaction between the structure of the police leadership environment and the reality of the field. This research found on the job work was their primary “classroom” for learning leadership, with the majority of learning acquired through informal means (i.e. job experiences and relationships). However, the three components of the 70:20:10 process needed to be better articulated, planned and seamlessly integrated. In particular, more tangible and coherent links need to be developed between formal learning and informal learning and greater acknowledgement that informal learning requires the same levels of support and feedback to that supplied for formal learning. The research found superiors played a pivotal role in the leadership development process; either as facilitating or hindering an officers’ leadership. The findings revealed that many superiors were found wanting as role models with officers’ learning more about what leadership behaviours to avoid replicating; by observing the key characteristics of superiors who were bad role models (i.e. reverse role-modelling). Diverse cultural factors were found to hinder officers from advancing their leadership including the rank orientated and risk adverse culture and the powerful tradition of favouring management over leadership. Various macro-organisational characteristics also stymied officers’ development including the failure to integrate leadership development into the organisations’ infrastructure, evidenced by policies and frameworks that lacked strategic maturity and intent. The findings also broadly support the two-part leadership development model promoted by McCauley et al. (2010a). Within the fertile contextual milieu of policing, officers’ key characteristics were highlighted in the first component of the model. Commissioned officers were a highly homogenous group that were winners who had flourished within the unique developmental system and distinctive police culture. Their characteristics were critical in scaling the rungs of the highly competitive and occasionally brutal leadership ladder, including possessing warrior like skills that reflected the deeply entrenched macho police culture. The research also lent support to the second part of the model comprising vital elements of challenge, support (coupled with feedback), together with the pivotal elements of (i) leadership context with (ii) varied developmental experiences, moulded by challenge, feedback and support. The research highlighted that the quality and extent of support and feedback provided by superiors, coupled with their key characteristics proved instrumental in officers’ developing as leaders. Arguably more strategic roles played by senior leaders are part science and part art, however, the findings suggest there is relatively little “science”, (formal learning) and a great deal of art (on-the-job training). Officers were thrown into significant, ill-controlled and unpredictable challenges, often with a considerable lack of training and resources, and it was the on-the-job challenges that ultimately defined them as leaders. Another key issue that emerged was that officers were not being “developed” by the police service but had rather survived the difficulties thrown up by their work. This meant the nature of police “leadership development” resulted in survivors becoming leaders and the ad hoc system of police development may have inadvertently “weeded out” talented individuals. Superiors’ permeated this process by possessing a hopeful but ultimately naïve assumption that informal learning occurred naturally and by merely adopting a “set and forgot” approach would eventually culminate in officers’ automatically acquiring leadership capability. Such an approach reflects a “cream rises to the top” philosophy of leader development involving the misconception that the best talent will emerge regardless of the quality of developmental experiences provided. Finally, this program of research highlighted a conflict between how headquarters would like to see policing and police leadership training, and the reality of how officers acquired their leadership primarily in the field. At a senior level, police may well imagine or wish that the process was more structured and orderly, and governments require the process to be documented and predictable, but out in the field a battle is ongoing, despite the wishes of leadership. So there is a tension, or juxtaposition between a desire for order, and a reality of chaos in the police workplace which has implications for how leaders are developed.

This study explores Japanese high school teachers' learning of the many non-instructional tasks that they undertake in their schools, and possible connections between the learning and organizational features and the values teachers assign to learning. The data from this study reveal that characteristics of and relationships among these three elements are consistent with those of learning organization theory. Questionnaires were designed to collect the needed data. Eighty-eight teachers in eleven high schools in Japan participated in the study. Results of the study were compared with Japan Ministry of Education and U.S. Department of Education surveys on teachers. The results show that learning is the principal goal held by teachers, organizational features facilitate their learning, and values they attach to learning are associated with the learning, characteristics that also define learning organizations. The teachers use experiential learning as the main means to learn their tasks, and a multifunctional structure to organize their tasks. The results also describe a unique teacher learning organization model in which the teachers' learning activities change over the course of their careers in four stages. Experience in tasks is characterized first by multifunctionalism, followed by repetition and supervision, and finally, by working regularly in school administration tasks. The stages are associated with shifts in the teachers' choices of learning methods. In the first stage, teachers prefer consultation with co-workers. In the second and third stage, they practise self-study the most. In the final stage, they demonstrate an increase in consultation with administrative school staff. Personal growth and problem-solving are the most important educational goals, and there is no fixed perception of how one learns. Comparisons with American teachers show characteristics that contrast with those found in the Japanese sample: American teachers tend to favour acquisition of basic skills and good work habits as important educational goals; formal training is the main source of knowledge for learning their tasks; and task organization is segmented. The study suggests that learner-directed learning has a variety of definitions and that there are many different learning organization models. The results have much to offer in thinking about schools as learning organizations for teachers.

In 2016 the Ministry of Education in British Columbia (BC), Canada introduced the topics of quantum mechanics (QM) into the Grade 8 science curriculum. Science teachers with or without QM background are expected to learn and teach QM. Stemming from a constructivist theoretical framework, this in-depth exploratory case study explores the processes of learning and teaching the topics of QM by asking: “How does a Grade 8 science teacher learn to teach QM?” The purpose was to understand the teacher’s QM learning process, the development of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) in QM and teacher’s views of the nature of science (NOS). The data was collected through multiple sources and analyzed by using thematic analysis. The themes were identified under five main categories: 1) the development of PCK in QM is complex, 2) the student-centered approach mandated in the redesigned curriculum may be limiting, 3) the nature of learning QM is not different than learning other subjects, 4) middle school science education is inconsistent with the current level of scientific knowledge, and 5) the development of informed views of NOS requires an accumulation and synthesis of prior knowledge in history and philosophy of science (HPS). The study proposes two previously unexplored integral aspects of PCK framework, since: the ‘allotted time’ in learning and teaching a subject and ‘pre-PCK’ change the nature of PCK development. The term pre-PCK was coined referring to the specific content oriented and student-centered activities that take place before the class with the goal of establishing an effective basis for the PCK development. The insights emerging from the study would be of interest to other Grade 8 science teachers in BC, pre-service teacher program coordinators at the universities, and the Ministry of Education in BC to provide institutional support. This study would also contribute to closing the knowledge and communication gaps between the fields of science, science education practice and science education research.
Graduate

Lean Six Sigma (LSS) has been implemented worldwide for many years and has been successful in many organizations. Eloot, Huang, and Lehnich (2013) noted that achieving manufacturing excellence by using LSS was an opportunity for many companies. Liker and Rother (2011) pointed out that only 2% of companies successfully achieved the desired results with Lean plans.

The presented dissertation identified the critical success factors of LSS implementation for Chinese manufacturing companies and explored the challenges occurring during the LSS transformations. The objectives of this dissertation were:

i. to understand how the employee training process for LSS can be designed using total quality management (TQM) adoption in private manufacturing organizations in China;

ii. to understand how LSS practices can be adopted successfully in SMEs in China;

iii. to examine and explore the critical success factors (CSF) of LSS implementation;

iv. to discuss the challenges occurring during LSS transformation.

Objective (i) was achieved through a descriptive single case study. This case study showed how to apply a design for Six Sigma methodology (DMADV) for staff training in quality management tools in a private organization in China. The author also discussed the problems occurring during the Six Sigma project and explored how organizational culture impacted Six Sigma implementation. Objective (ii) was achieved through a detailed descriptive single case study which recorded how LSS practices were adopted successfully in a SME-VTCL in China using DMAIC methodology. Survey data was collected to identify and explore the critical success factors of LSS implementation in SMEs, by querying the voice of top, middle, and frontline management, as well as frontline workers of these companies. Objectives (iii) and (iv) were realized utilizing descriptive, exploratory, and multi-case studies designed to gather and analyze observational and interview data. The resulting interview data, and the key factors for successful LSS transformation of these three companies were discussed from the perspective of senior management and LSS promoters within the companies. Based on interview data and the Lean iceberg model, a new LSS transformation model was proposed. The author also developed 6 propositions based on the findings from the interviews.

In summary, the results of this study provided value and references for LSS practitioners to expand the body of knowledge on the strategies used to implement LSS successfully inside organizations. The findings of this research may potentially lead more Chinese organizations to successfully adopt LSS to provide customers with high-quality products. The three LSS implementation cases described critical success factors (CSFs) and challenges that occurred during the transformation, may improve the success rate of implementation, help enterprises achieve the desired results through LSS, and enhance the sustainability of LSS implementations.

The lean startup model represents a recent way of developing new products and services; nevertheless there is little information about the implementation at companies. The author of this thesis addresses this gap in literature by providing a practical example of an organization adapting the lean startup model. The single-case study involves the air solutions provider Pro Sky that tries to develop a new airport concierge service. In-depth insights are gained by interviews, participant-observation and simulation of the new service. In comparison to past new service developments at Pro Sky, the lean model helps to speed up the development process, reduces waste and lowers the negative effects of cognitive biases. The model enforces Pro Sky’s aim of developing into a customer-driven company. Obstacles lie within offering the clients an unfinished product and the resulting fear of the loss of reputation.

Relatório de estágio de mestrado em Educação Pré-Escolar e Ensino do 1.º Ciclo do Ensino Básico
Este relatório apresenta todo o trabalho realizado ao longo de um processo de intervenção ao nível da compreensão de textos não literários no contexto de 1.º Ciclo do Ensino Básico. Tendo em conta esta temática, neste projeto de investigação o objetivo central foi o de iniciar os alunos na aprendizagem dos processos de leitura de textos não literários e promover a compreensão/reflexão sobre os processos de aprendizagem. Ao longo deste percurso, os alunos aprenderam a construir significados dos textos não literários, conhecendo processos que os ajudam a compreender melhor esses textos, a regular a sua atividade de leitura e o próprio processo de aprendizagem, mobilizando e manifestando a competência de aprender a aprender. Este texto é um relato reflexivo no qual estão apresentadas e explicitadas as estratégias pedagógicas utilizadas para atingir estes objetivos. A avaliação desta experiência permitiu concluir que os princípios pedagógicos que estiveram na base deste projeto, nomeadamente, a prática situada, o ensino explícito e a prática transformada, são bastante favoráveis para o desenvolvimento de competências de leitura, pois tornam o processo de ensino e aprendizagem bastante claro para os alunos. Paulatinamente, estes tornam-se sujeitos conscientes relativamente aos seus processos cognitivos, ao que estão a aprender e ao processo de construção dessas aprendizagens. O relato deste projeto finaliza com uma reflexão sobre o impacto do trabalho por mim realizado no desenvolvimento das minhas competências profissionais, ou seja, na construção da minha profissionalidade, de que saliento o desenvolvimento da própria capacidade reflexiva.
This report presents the action-research process developed with a second grade class of the First Cycle of Basic Education regarding the comprehension of non-literary texts. The main objective of the project was to initialize the students into the reading process of non-literary texts, as well as to promote the comprehension and reflection about the learning processes themselves. During this process, the students learned how to create significance from the non-literary texts by knowing reading processes that allow them to understand those texts better, and to monitor their reading activity and the learning process itself by applying and expressing the competence of learning how to learn. This reflexive report presents the pedagogical strategies used to pursue the above-mentioned objectives. With the evaluation of this experience was possible to conclude that the principles of situated practice, explicit teaching and transformed practice that sustained the pedagogical actions are quite favorable to the development of reading competences inasmuch as they contribute to a higher clarity of the teaching-learning process to students. Gradually, they learned the reading processes and became conscious subjects regarding their cognitive processes, learning about the construction process of that learning. This report ends up with a reflection about the impact of this action research process in the development of my professional competences, namely the development of my reflexive capacity.