Model of professional retraining of teachers based on the development of STEM competencies

The article describes a methodology for organizing lifelong learning, professional retraining of teachers in STEM field and their lifelong learning in Volodymyr Hnatiuk Ternopil National Pedagogical University (Ukraine). It analyzes foreign and domestic approaches and concepts for the implementation of STEM in educational institutions. A model of retraining teachers in the prospect of developing their STEM competencies and a model of STEM competencies were created. The developed model of STEM competencies for professional teacher training and lifelong learning includes four components (Problem solving, Working with people, Work with technology, Work with organizational system), which are divided into three domains of STEM competencies: Skills, Knowledge, Work activities. In order to implement and adapt the model of STEM competencies to the practice of the educational process, an experimental study was conducted. The article describes the content of the scientific research and the circle of respondents and analyzes the results of the research

Beyond development: applying the human development paradigm to identifying children with special needs and disabilities

This paper explores two aspects of development in relation to children’s learning: cognitive developmental theories and the human development paradigm. In doing so the aim of the paper is to put forward first a critique of how developmental theories have been applied to construe what and how children with special educational needs (SEN) and disabilities learn; second to put forward how the human development approach, based on the capability approach, can broaden our understanding of development; and third to suggest a way in which both types of development can be brought together to foster a valuable and meaningful education for all children. In doing so the paper argues that relying on one single way to understand and measure children development is not only short sighted, but counterproductive in as much as it can serve the purpose of stigmatizing and labelling children and thus narrowing the opportunities for learning and flourishing. In relation to freedom, a notion of development which is too structured and focused on cognitive outcomes only delimits, and consequently, limits the opportunities and potential for learning of any child, but particularly children with learning difficulties

An Emerging Profession: The Higher Education Philanthropy Workforce

In 2012 HEFCE published a review of philanthropy in UK higher education that showed what tremendous success there has been in growing philanthropic support to universities in the last 10 years. The report concluded that if the current rate of acceleration in philanthropic income continues, UK universities will attract gifts worth £2 billion a year from some 640,000 donors by 2022.The report showed that investment in fundraising brings results whatever the size or type of university. If this success is to continue we must have a strong and growing group of educational fundraisers who are skilled in leading development teams and working with academics and institutional leaders. At the moment the pool of professional fundraisers working in UK higher education is too small. In this review of the fundraising workforce many of those interviewed expressed anxieties about the vulnerabilities that come from the growing, sometimes fierce, competition between universities to attract the best from this restricted supply. As a newly appointed vice-chancellor in 2006, wanting to invest in a fundraising programme, I became acutely aware of the difficulties of recruiting a well-qualified team. There seemed to be an unnecessary vulnerability to us all in the competition that we engaged in to attract the best fundraisers. The limited pool was leading to escalation in salaries and over-rapid career progression for fundraising staff across the UK.In order to attract more people to become educational fundraisers, there needs to be an attractive career structure and a shared understanding of the skills and knowledge-base required to be effective at different stages of that career. This is the issue that guided this second report. What should a career path in educational fundraising look like and how can we retain the best people

Education-job (mis)matching and interregional migration: Italian university graduates’ transition to work

This paper explores the patterns of education-job (mis)matching of recent university graduates, focussing on the impact of interregional migration. With the aim of offering a place-based perspective on the topic, the paper looks at the three Italian macro-regions of the North, the Centre and the South, comparing them with the country as a whole. We use an indicator of education-job (mis)matching drawn and adapted from the literature, and apply both ordered logit and probit models with self-selection to a dataset on graduates’ entry in the labour market produced by the Italian National Statistical Institute. Our results suggest that, in line with most previous studies, interregional migration contributes to reduce education-job gaps: however, we find that the analysis for Italy as a whole masks stark differences between macro-regions, for which the typical North-South dualism still holds, confirming once more the cumulative and path-dependent nature of regional development trajectories

Management Skills for the Contemporary College President: A Critical Review

This review of the literature related to the contemporary college president attempted to describe changes to the presidential role during the past 30 years. In addition to describing changes to the role, the review explores the personal, organizational, interpersonal, and leadership skills required for leading a contemporary university. The findings particularly note that with the changing demands for accountability in higher education, presidents are being forced to spend more of their time and be more focused on issues of finance, law, and public interactions. These issues tend to collide in discussions of public policy and within the framework of state legislative proposals. Continued professional development for college presidents is recommended, especially in terms of aligning work place priorities with the institution’s mission

What are the Key Competencies and Skills Required for Leaders in China for the Greatest ROI?

Developing a leadership pipeline was the number one strategic business challenge in the American Chamber of Commerce Shanghai 2010 survey, even ahead of increasing market share and new innovations. With local leaders replacing expats at astonishing levels, the development of Chinese managers is critical to success. For instance, an Aon Hewitt survey showed that between 2007 and 2010, the number of MNCs replacing expats with locals nearly doubled to 46%. In addition, MNCs in China experience turnover rates 25% above the global average with the average retention period of a middle manager in Shanghai amounting to less than two years. The fact that highly skilled leaders can expect up to 40% increases in salary at a new organization certainly encourages turnover. While employee development can act as a retention tool, programs should be systematically focused on key competency needs to ensure the continual development of a strong pipeline