A study to explore organizational conditions that facilitate workplace learning involved 35 resource development consultants in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and line staff from 22 organizations in a 9-hour participatory research workshop using Appreciative Inquiry--a technology emphasizing the positive or "life-giving" forces which…

A comparison study of the school-to-work transitions of young people aged 16-19 in Germany and England was followed up several years later when the former subjects were in their early twenties. Research was conducted through interviews, case studies, and studies of labor market trends. The analysis of the transition of the young people studied…

This paper posits that metaphor, in addition to embellishing language, promotes a comprehensive understanding of complex concepts and phenomena and provides teachers with a powerful way to talk about their work. The main body of this document, which includes an extensive review of the literature, considers the use of metaphors for mentoring in the…

A team of researchers from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville is in its tenth year of working with individual schools to improve the quality of life within educational communities. This paper reports on the current Quality of School Life (QSL) study conducted to assess teachers' perceived levels of satisfaction with the quality of their…

This publication updates information from prior surveys of teacher education policy in 50 states and the District of Columbia in the areas of: (1) standards; (2) standards boards; (3) alternative preparation for licensure; (4) minority teacher recruitment; (5) early childhood education; and (6) clinical/field experience. In addition there is a new…

This study of career patterns in teaching was conducted to provide insight into the development of careers within the teaching profession. The objectives of the study were: to describe the career patterns of a national sample of individuals from the high school class of 1971 (1,011 individuals surveyed during the period 1972-86) who were either…

This manual provides materials for a 6-day workshop to develop skills in democratic learning and teaching practices. Goals of the workshop are as follows: (1) train facilitators to use the methodology; (2) introduce people in the African National Congress (ANC) to the potential of popular education methodology; (3) determine follow-up action to…

Black student attrition and its causes were studied at Indiana University. Approximately 60% of black students do not graduate within 5 years of their initial enrollment, in comparison with 40% of white students. A mail survey identified 48 institutional factors and asked students to respond to each was sent to all African American students who…

Louisiana Tech University conducted a program to reduce drop-out probabilities for at-risk special needs adolescents as part of the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA). Eighty-six students between the ages of 14 and 16 were chosen as "at-risk" based on economic disadvantage, lower academic performance, behavioral and adjustment problems,…

A college student orientation program is described which incorporates outdoor adventure activities. The purpose of the program is to challenge the participants and encourage cooperation between individuals. The two general categories of adventure activities used in this program are low risk (initiative games, nature walks, camping, and nature…

Researchers in South Carolina set up a study and a measurement instrument to determine the powerlessness/alienation phenomenon among rural limited-resource people. They established a control group and an experimental group of black and white residents of six small South Carolina communities. With the control group, they conducted a traditional…

A study investigated the effect of two staff development models--role playing and open instruction--upon teachers' self-awareness and attitudes toward inservice education. In a 2x2x2 design for analysis of variance, 27 composition teachers were randomly assigned, stratified by years of experience, to two parallel but contrasting summer workshops.…

Illinois State University's teacher education program's professional sequence is organized around separate teaching skills, each of which relates to student outcomes in classrooms. Initially, a group of University High (U-High) Laboratory School supervisors was formed to develop clinical experiences which would enable prospective teachers to…

A study examined the continuing education needs and interests of Kansas adults. Using a stratified and systematic questionnaire, researchers interviewed 998 Kansas adults. Based on data obtained from the respondents, the researchers concluded that 46 percent of adults in Kansas feel that they will probably become involved in adult education within…

The literature concerning the work experience of faculty members, administrators, and clerical and support staff is reviewed. The experience of these employee groups is examined in relation to: the characteristics of their work and work environment, the extent of their autonomy and power, and their relationship to their institution. In addition,…