Examines the organization of quality circles in Italy, the training aspect of these quality circles, and advantages and limitations of quality circles. For successful circles, the author recommends a feasibility study by qualified consultants, an experimental pilot project confined to certain parts of the company, and a fully informed management.…

Describes how to improve an existing orientation program for nurses or implement a new one by utilizing Management by Objectives (MBO) principles. First, covers how to identify, prioritize, and classify managerial objectives. Then discusses how program effectiveness is insured. Last, discusses three important conditions for successful program…

Even in a period of retrenchment or adjustment, the importance of ongoing faculty development for the faculty who remain at the institution must not be forgotten. The content and structure of faculty development programs can make a significant difference in five areas of education: quality, community, cooperation, institutional loyalty, and…

Given the centrality of the topic of transfer of learning to so many areas of workplace education, this discussion paper (in both English and French versions) draws together research results and practical techniques to help practitioners in the field. Part 1 defines transfer of learning. Part 2 describes factors that influence the transfer of…

Describes the faculty development efforts at eight medical schools participating in a large-scale medical curriculum development project, exploring faculty-development topics and the methods and ways the institutions motivated faculty to participate. Outcome measures used to gauge program effectiveness are also discussed. Concludes that approaches…

The Greater Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania) Literacy Council (GPLC) is a volunteer-based literacy council that provides adult basic and literacy education services to the area's citizens. The GPLC conducted an action research project to determine whether adding monthly meetings for professional teaching staff and providing opportunities for interaction…

To provide administrators and teachers with a set of essential elements and principles to consider in using inservice programs for school improvement, this document presents a model comprised of 27 dimensions identified as important elements of effective inservice programs. These dimensions were identified through a review of the research…

Three research questions are addressed in this paper: (1) What does school improvement mean in relation to the context of a research project? (2) Given particular developments in European society and the nature of primary research data, what should schools be like in the year 2001? (3) What steps are being taken in research and development to…

In March 2000, thirteen grants were awarded as part of the Individual Training Account/Eligible Training Provider (ITA/ETP) Demonstration. In summer and fall of 2000, the grant recipients' activities were subjected to an interim evaluation. Site visits were made to each grantee to determine what ITA policies and practices were being formulated,…

This paper analyzes a research project that maps implementation efforts of comprehensive and mandated change at the primary school level in The Netherlands. In examining this large-scale national reform program, the report deals with schools whose innovation efforts acquired funding from the central education department in return for their local…

Included in this summary analysis of three journal articles and two documents on teacher evaluation are reports that touch on difficulties facing school officials in developing a teacher evaluation system and suggestions for assessing the strengths and weaknesses of an evaluation system. The first article, by Susan S. Stodolsky, challenges…

This report describes phase VI of the Equity Staff Development project, an ongoing project to achieve equity and diversity at Wisconsin technical colleges by creating an institutional climate supporting achievement by all students. Among the project's major activities and outcomes are the following: the existing train-the-trainer format of peer…

This document contains papers from 23 of 25 symposia held at the 1995 Academy of Human Resource Development (HRD) conference. Keynote speeches, symposium 6, and symposium 25 are not included. The 23 symposia are on the following topics: (1) HRD town forum; (2) core directions in HRD; (3) university instruction in HRD; (4) evaluation in HRD; (5)…