This study is framed by self-efficacy theory (SET). It aimed to determine successful research students' views of supervisory practices they had experienced. The research design was an embedded design. A questionnaire determined the views of 52 students in one college at Unisa on the support they received for successful experiences; the influence…

Many faculty members in science departments are experiencing pressure to improve their courses, particularly with respect to the ways in which students are taught and assessed. The purpose of this article is to provide some insights and practical ideas on how curriculum change can be brought about--how motivated individuals can become agents of…

PhD programs in the United States are increasingly marked by the rising influence of market-oriented dynamics. As a case in point, one of the primary objectives of the new PhD program offered at the University of South Dakota is to deliver a doctoral program through a flexible--or hybrid--format that is accessible to nontraditional as well as…

This article provides some of the key findings of a comparative study commissioned by the International Labour Organization (ILO), which attempted to understand more about the impact and implementation of national qualifications frameworks (NQFs). Sixteen case studies were produced, on qualifications frameworks in Australia; Bangladesh; Botswana;…

This article discusses the Malaysian Qualifications Framework (MQF). An observation about the MQF is that in the particular context of developments in Malaysian education and training and its economic and social context, all roads have led to standards and quality assurance. This is the view expressed by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA)…

The National Qualifications Framework (NQF) in Mauritius was created to play two distinct roles. First, it was intended to organise qualifications across the three main sectors of the education and training system: (1) primary and secondary education; (2) technical and vocational education and training (TVET)/workplace; and (3) tertiary education.…

The Secretary of State for Education's recent announcement of an English Baccalaureate at 16+ has opened up a debate about the nature of general education in the English upper secondary system. Drawing on evidence from national and local studies, we argue that it is important to see general education in England, not only in terms of the…

Obtaining an entry-level job can be critically important for women with little education, particularly those who have taken time out of the labor force. This article uses archival data from a field experiment, called a resume audit study, to examine the characteristics of entry-level resumes that are important to potential employers. In accordance…

Direct instruction, an approach that is becoming familiar to Queensland schools that have high Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations, has been gaining substantial political and popular support in the United States of America [USA], England and Australia. Recent examples include the No Child Left Behind policy in the USA, the British…

With shifts and changes in the social and professional context of 21st century education, beginning teachers are especially challenged by conflicts between their personal beliefs and the reality of teaching, in addition to the struggles first-year teachers often encounter. While there is an established body of literature in teacher education that…

The Downtown Education Collaborative (DEC) is an innovative collaborative which includes public and private colleges working with community organizations in interdisciplinary community service learning. This article reviews DEC's development, from its inception as a shared vision aspired to by its partners, to a functioning collaborative. We…

This article considers the extent to which the English National Curriculum for science has influenced practice and learning outcomes, and briefly reviews the mechanisms through which this influence is exerted. It identifies and discusses three central issues for the review that is now in progress: the structure of the science curriculum; the…

This paper examines the effects of a Child-to-Child (CtC) health education programme designed to assist children in Pakistan to greater participation and voice in both their own education and their families' health by empowering them as change agents. The study compares parental involvement in their children's participation in health promotion…

This article reviews the emergence and expansion of addiction counselling as a specialist form of professional practice with problem drinkers and drug users in Ireland, over the past 30 years. It sees addiction counselling as having its roots in a widely shared disenchantment with the "medical model" of addiction treatment, and…

In this article I explore the concept of theories-in-use within a qualitative research study to analyse the role of reflection in bringing about change in practice in the professional development of 18 primary school teachers. Cyprus provides the context for the study. The restrictions on professional development in Cyprus, through the…