The article discusses the main factors of personal development and the dynamics of their role in the modern world. It is shown that an organized system of education, a teacher, is no longer a priority source of personal development: such a source is the electronic media that are today having a mostly negative impact on personal development. The…

The relevance of the problem under study is conditioned by the socially important need of the contemporary university education to train highly qualified personnel in all directions of activity, to form and develop a professional person of a high intellectual, moral and spiritual culture. The objective of the paper consists in giving theoretical…

Complex, systemic issues continue to challenge public services without respect for organisational and professional boundaries. In practice, collaborative working with others who have differing professional cultural norms and systems confront members with the need to learn about each other's values, priorities and practices. This paper explores the…

This publication discusses differential rationality; it asserts that the development of institutions, professions, and individuals involves the differentiation of forms and styles of thinking and knowing that are, in various ways, idiosyncratic. Based on this understanding, differential rationality can be seen as a developmental construct that…

A variety of methods are presented for developing skills for critical thinking, which is described as reflecting on assumptions underlying actions and considering new ways of looking at and living in the world. Critical thinking is viewed as not just an academic exercise, but a productive process enabling people to be more effective and innovative…

Describes the use of newspaper advice column letters as case problems in a human development course where students wrote weekly papers focusing on defining the problem in the letter, offering a solution to that problem, and relating the letter to course concepts. Reveals that students enjoyed and learned from the assignments. (CMK)

A survey of 60 programs to prepare women for leadership in business and education identifies two distinct types of skills training (lifebuilding skills and technical and managerial skills) and offers ideas to institutions planning leadership programs. Six model programs are described and 24 are listed in the bibliography. (Editor/JT)

Intended for use in a 3-hour instructional program at the graduate level, the packet contains an outline of the instructional content, 9 transparencies, 12 handouts, and 7 supplementary materials. The outline is organized in terms of content, instructor activity (such as showing a transparency), and student activity. Instruction covers the…

This self-inquiry study, by two untenured women faculty in leadership roles, attempted to identify and analyze internalized oppressive thinking and behavioral responses to specific institutional situations using Senge's (1990) theory of structural archetypes in organizations to uncover patterns underlying the identified responses. Data included…

This list contains 58 scales and inventories concerned with decision style, decision-making techniques, the mental processes involved in decision-making and risk-taking. Career education measures which lead one through the decision-making process are also included. Several instruments measure others' perceptions of management decision-making.…

Memory is the primary mechanism of modern education. Despite memory's importance in other ways, it is not the primary tool for solving problems, making theories or plotting courses of action. Students should be taught how to separate trivial from important information by using critical judgments, ethical standards, and logic. (MLW)

Accent on Developing Abstract Processes of Thought (ADAPT) is a program designed to promote critical thinking among college students. Based on the theoretical work of Jean Piaget, it attempts to help University of Nebraska freshmen confront problems and follow them through to logical solutions. In its first year, the program's goals were to…

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of 6 factors that affect college students' self-rating of change in problem solving and critical thinking abilities after 4 years of college. Based on the available literature, these six factors were selected for investigation: (1) Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) scores; (2) a socioeconomic…

The competencies of the university secretary were studied at the University of Southern Maine. In addition to developing position descriptions, competencies that distinguish effective performers were also identified. Based on results of interviews with 24 secretaries, a competency-based model was developed. Fourteen competencies were categorized…

Serving in a program evaluation at Cornell University's Center for International Studies by holding the unique position of participating in three distinct capacities: first, as the administrator of the center's undergraduate program; second, as a teacher in one of its courses; and third, as a member of the evaluation team, functioning as an…