Best Practices in Diversity Management

[Excerpt] The International Personnel Management Association (IPMA) has undertaken a human resource benchmarking project with the National Association of State Personnel Executives (NASPE). IPMA is an organization representing over 1,700 organizations and 2,500 individuals involved in public sector human resource management. The Association’s mission is to optimize organizational and individual performance in the public service by providing human resource leadership, professional development, information and services. IPMA has established an International Human Resource Advisory Board to facilitate the exchange of information on international human resource developments. The International Human Resource Advisory Board has 37 members from 35 countries and international organizations. Additional information about IPMA can be obtained at http://www.ipma-hr.org

The subnormal problem child in the community as illustrated by an analysis of 280 cases at the Judge Baker Foundation

Thesis (M.A.)--Boston University, 1931. This item was digitized by the Internet Archive

Predicting Teachers’ Choice of Teaching and Learning Materials: A Survey Study with Swedish Teachers

Few Swedish studies have investigated how teachers choose teaching and learning materials. In the context of choosing teaching and learning materials Sweden provides a particularly interesting case because the country undergone a transformation from high state regulation to a self-regulated market. Consequently, the overall aim of this article is to investigate how teachers choose teaching and learning materials. The following research questions were the focus: How do teachers choose teaching and learning materials? What predicts teachers’ choice of teaching and learning materials? In the current study, 319 teachers filled out a questionnaire regarding their choice of teaching and learning materials. The descriptive statistics indicate that the content matters most to teachers when choosing teaching and learning materials. Readability is in the middle and commercials are at the bottom. The non-recursive structure of the model demonstrated that professional experience decreases teachers’ preferences for content. Talking to colleagues about teaching and learning materials increases teachers’ preferences for adhering to collegial recommendations. Special educators are more concerned with content and readability than ordinary teachers. However, special educators are also less prone to be guided by past experiences when selecting teaching and learning materials

Are “reader-friendly” texts always better?

This study involved 60 participants. 50 % of the participants were identified as normal readers, i.e. they could decode text adequately well, and 50% were identified as poor readers. The participants were exposed to two types of expository texts (1) authentic texts and (2) easy-to-read (“reader-friendly”) texts. Text comprehension was investigated by means of questions relating to the text. There was a significant difference between poor and normal readers when they read the authentic texts. Somewhat surprisingly, the normal readers performed better when reading the authentic texts than the “reader-friendly texts and the poor readers´ comprehension did not increase significantly when reading the “reader-friendly” texts. One reason proposed by the researcher, is that the “reader-friendly” texts were too easy, resulting in the normal readers not finding them challenging enough and the poor readers possibly found them too “childish”

Explaining variation in usage of instructional material in teaching practice: Collegial focus and teachers’ decision-making power

The aim of this study is to describe and explain variation in use of instructional materials such as laptops, textbooks, paper-based materials, and whiteboards in teaching in compulsory education. The data consists of video recordings of 74lessons in Swedish schools. The results from quantitative analyses confirm previous research by demonstrating that the teachers in the study distributed more time to paper-based materials than other instructional materials. These results are interpreted using field notes and video images. The regression model confirms that subject area and class size influence teachers’ and students’ use of instructional materials

Teacher Agency as a Route to Adaptive Expertise: Relational, Informed, and Reflective Action

This case study of two fourth-grade teachers explored teachers’ literacy instructional practices and perceptions of their professional agency during the hybrid synchronous teaching of the COVID-19 pandemic. In anticipation of the challenges of hybrid synchronous instruction, these teachers combined their classes to co-teach 39 students. Analysis of observation and interview data showed that the co-teachers acted as adaptive experts. They reflected on challenges such as maintaining students’ focus, developing rapport, and gaining active participation. Their collaborative reflection informed adaptations to increase students’ access to learning by employing multiple modalities, developing community, and enacting inclusive practices. Teachers also supported students’ agency by engaging students’ voices to encourage participation. Conditions that supported teachers to exercise agency included trust between the teachers and with the administrators, teachers’ voices and choices being valued, and the ability to enact their ideas. Findings suggest characteristics of agency that can be leveraged for teachers to enact adaptive expertise

The subnormal problem child in the community as illustrated by an analysis of 280 cases at the Judge Baker Foundation

Thesis (M.A.)--Boston University, 1931. This item was digitized by the Internet Archive

Similar but not the same: Comparing Norwegian and Swedish teachers’ influence on textbook selection and involvement in text discussions

The present study compares Norwegian and Swedish teachers ? influence on textbook selection and the impact of this on teachers ? involvement in textbook discussions(discussions with colleagues and the principal). For this purpose we conducted a survey with Norwegian (n = 236) and Swedish (n = 340) teachers in grade 0 to 9(which compromises pupils at approximately ages 6 to 15). The core argument is thateven though Norway and Sweden have very similar welfare and education systems,they nevertheless differ in teachers ? influence on textbook selection and involvement in textbook discussions. Factor analysis was used to develop two new measures of teaching: influence on textbook selection and involvement in textbook discussions. First, the study shows there is a mean difference between the countries in both influence on textbook selection and involvement in textbook discussions indices. Second, OLS regression was used to demonstrate a curvilinear effect of age on influence on textbookselection in both countries. A curvilinear relationship was also found between teachingyears and the influence on textbook selection in both countriesEl presente estudio compara la influencia de profesores noruegos y suecos en laseleccio?n de libros dida?cticos y el impacto de este factor en la participacio?n de los docentes en los debates sobre los libros dida?cticos (debates con colegas y el Director). Para ello, realizamos una investigacio?n de maestros noruegos (n = 236) y suecos (n = 340), nivel K-9 de ensen?anza. El argumento central es que mientras Noruega y Sueciatienen sistemas sociales y educativos muy similares, difieren en la influencia de losmaestros en la seleccio?n de los libros dida?cticos y su participacio?n en las discusiones sobre los libros dida?cticos. El ana?lisis de factores fue utilizado para desarrollar dosnuevas medidas de ensen?anza: influencia en la seleccio?n de libros dida?cticos y laparticipacio?n en las discusiones sobre los libros dida?cticos. En primer lugar, el estudiomuestra que existe una diferencia relativa entre los pai?ses, en los i?ndices de influenciaen la seleccio?n de libros dida?cticos asi? como en la participacio?n en la discusio?n delos libros dida?cticos. En segundo lugar, la regresio?n a trave?s del me?todo mi?nimos cuadrados ordinarios (MQO) fue utilizada para demostrar un efecto curvili?neo de laedad en te?rminos de influencia en la seleccio?n de libros dida?cticos en ambos pai?ses. Tambie?n se encontro? una relacio?n curvili?nea con respecto a la influencia de los an?osde ensen?anza en la seleccio?n de libros dida?cticos en ambos pai?sesO presente estudo compara a influe?ncia dos professores noruegueses e suecos sobrea selec?a?o de livros dida?ticos e o impacto desse fator no envolvimento dos professores nas discusso?es sobre livros dida?ticos (discusso?es com colegas e o diretor). Para isto, realizamos uma pesquisa com professores noruegueses (n = 236) e suecos (n = 340), noni?vel K-9 do ensino. O argumento central e? que, embora a Noruega e a Sue?cia tenhamsistemas sociais e educacionais muito semelhantes, eles diferem quanto a? influe?nciados professores sobre a selec?a?o de livros dida?ticos e quanto ao seu envolvimento nas discusso?es sobre livros dida?ticos. A ana?lise de fatores foi utilizada para desenvolver duasnovas medidas de ensino: influe?ncia na selec?a?o de livros dida?ticos e envolvimento nas discusso?es sobre livros dida?ticos. Primeiro, o estudo mostra que ha? uma diferenc?a me?dia entre os pai?ses, tanto nos i?ndices de influe?ncia na selec?a?o de livros dida?ticos quanto nosde envolvimento em discussa?o sobre livros dida?ticos. Em segundo lugar, a regressa?opelo me?todo dos Mi?nimos Quadrados Ordina?rios (MQO) foi utilizada para demonstrar um efeito curvili?neo da idade no que se refere a? influe?ncia na selec?a?o de livros dida?ticos em ambos os pai?ses. Um relacionamento curvili?neo tambe?m foi encontrado quanto a? influe?ncia dos anos de ensino na selec?a?o de livros dida?ticos em ambos os pai?se