The field of online professional development is in ongoing growth, and motivation has been identified as a critical factor in online courses. Somewhat different from the common courses delivered through MOOCs, this study investigates learning processes in compulsory courses. The study aims to understand the motivational factors influential on the…

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore how teachers describe their experiences with attending school required PD sessions and how those sessions influenced their approach to teaching. The study's theoretical foundation was Malcolm Knowles' adult learning theory's four principles: (1) involved adult learners, (2) adult…

This study has a focus on understanding the doctorate of business administration (DBA) intention to participate in mandatory online continuing education. Previous research has noted that DBA's entering the professional environment may need additional knowledge and training to made aware of, and keep up with "uniform standards" in the…

This qualitative case study explores how implementing mandated collaboration in the workplace impacts teachers' professional practices based on the experience of primary school teachers in Ethiopia. The study adopted a constructivist orientation, which prompted the use of qualitative methods of inquiry, and data were collected through eighteen…

Continuing professional education (CPE) is viewed as the main strategy to tackle unemployment and to improve the weak position of jobseekers with few qualifications on the labour market. However, the mandatory nature of these programmes raises questions regarding jobseekers' motivation to enrol for and engage in training and -- by extension -- the…

The purpose of this narrative qualitative dissertation was to develop an understanding of how radiographers perceive the value of continuing education as well as the process of earning continuing education credits and its role in their practice. To achieve this purpose, seven participants were interviewed using a semi-structured interview…

This chapter explores discrepancies between Mandatory Continuing Education (MCE) for adults and Dewey's philosophy in which learners are motivated by their own purposes.

Research has shown follow-up to be an important component for professional development (PD) to result in teacher behavior change. However, PD rarely includes follow-up support. This pilot study used multiple methods to determine the feasibility of Head Start (HS) directors providing teachers PD follow-up support. Two aspects of feasibility were…

In today's healthcare field, recent changes in professional standards, specifically board certification, are affecting physicians who have been practicing medicine for years. While historically board certification was voluntary, in recent years there has been a push to make it mandatory to retain hospital and insurance privileges. In an attempt to…

The Department of Defense (DoD), like most very large organizations rightly have concerns over the functionality of their Cybersecurity employees and their ability to perform core duties in a professional manner. To validate this ability, the DoD imposed a mandatory certifications policy based upon positions within the organization. The DoD…

Certification is often viewed to promote lifelong professional development. Industry accreditation agencies include standards for the Maintenance of Certification (MOC) that emphasize the measurement or promotion of continued competency throughout an individual's professional career. In 2013, NBCOT partnered with BreakAway Games to create the…

Trainees can participate in organizational training programs voluntarily or mandatorily. To date, research has reported mixed evidence on the question whether voluntary or mandatory participation is associated with higher motivation and transfer of training. Grounded in the frameworks of participatory design, the notion of autonomy in basic…

Most children in the U.S. spend time in some form of early childhood education (ECE) program prior to entering kindergarten. In fact, children spend an average of 25 hours per week in nonparental care, including center-based care and informal family, friend and neighbor care. Children develop a foundation for learning during these early years, so…

A Performance and Development Framework has been introduced by the New South Wales Department of Education, the largest provider of schooling in Australia, during a period of unparalleled reform. Engagement with the Framework is mandatory for all the Department's teachers, and is linked to improving student outcomes through enhanced teacher…

While classroom teachers report alarming rates of unpreparedness, and even unwillingness to include diverse populations in the classroom, our nation is continuing along a trend started in the 1990s to include students with disabilities (SWD) in general education settings. This quasi-experimental research study uncovered the impact of completing…