An exploratory study was conducted to evaluate the utility of a method to demonstrate that Australian enterprises that invest in the training of their employees gain a return from that investment through an increase in employee productivity. The method, which compares enterprise expenditure on training of personnel with labor productivity across a…

The informal vocational learning experiences of 13 young Australians preparing for the transition from school to work were examined. At the time of their interview, all 13 youths were students at a hybrid educational site in the Sydney metropolitan area that allows students to combine general education with vocational qualifications and experience…

A survey was designed to assist in constructing a picture of new vocational education and training professionals working in organizational settings in Australia. They were practitioners whose positional titles included training and development (T&D), human resource development, or human resource practitioners who work within organizational…

This book presents practical solutions for teaching foreign language learners self instruction, ranging from needs analysis to resourcing, strategy training and monitoring tools. Special emphasis is placed on different ways in which learners can be supported by learning how to analyze their own needs and set their own goals, how to choose the most…

Research was conducted to develop learning environments based on CD-ROM and printed material specifically for vocational secondary students with reading and writing difficulties. Parties to the action research were Austria, the United Kingdom, Portugal, and Finland. Finnish partners concentrated on learning environments that would diversify and…

The relationship between adults' self-directed learning readiness (SDLR) and selected variables was examined in a study of 25 Hong Kong Chinese Baptist Churches. A Chinese version of the Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale (SDLRS) was administered to a stratified sample of 820 adult learners and 210 youth learners, and a modified version of the…

This report reviews the structure of the guidance field and provides a sector-by-sector analysis of current quality assurance arrangements in the United Kingdom. Part 1 presents an outline of the guidance sector, including some key concepts, structures, and roles. It defines guidance and other terms; discusses the three main categories…

This volume is part of a series of 18 monographs on service learning and the academic disciplines. This volume offers a collection of essays on the integration of service learning in the field of peace studies. After a Preface by Elise Boulding and an Introduction by Kathleen Maas Weigert and Robin J. Crews, titles in Part 1, "Conceptual…

Noting that men make up less than 1 percent of childcare workers, this book details a study of gender in the workforce, exploring the experience of male childcare workers in England. Chapter 1 presents the stories of six men and women in childcare centers of various kinds and outlines the relationship between mothering, fathering, the self and…

This book examines school exclusion in the United Kingdom, particularly the exclusion of black males, using data from the author's experience as an advisory teacher for multicultural education and from four studies of black students. The book highlights school-related determinants of young people's life chances. Chapter 1,…

This study investigated the relationships between Turkish preservice teachers' sense of self-efficacy; their beliefs about their colleagues, the students, and the administration; and their attitudes about student control. The study also examined whether these factors were influenced by education, age, gender, and educational attainment level. A…

The theme of this issue is lifelong learning. Contents include a message introducing the publisher's Chief Executive Officer, Devron Gaber, and letters to the editor. A guest editorial, "Lifelong Learning For All: A National, Social, Corporate, and Personal Imperative for the Knowledge-Based 21st Century" (Ron Faris), considers how…

This report details a study of how inclusive practices for students with disabilities are being developed and implemented in eight countries: Australia, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Iceland, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The study aimed to describe national, regional, and local policies on inclusion and school-based practices and…

The Meadow Lake Tribal Council (MLTC) (Saskatchewan) and the University of Victoria (British Columbia) developed a bicultural postsecondary training curriculum in early childhood care and development that incorporated both Euro-Western and Aboriginal knowledge. Since the MLTC sought curricula using representative Cree and Dene cultures rather than…

The Communication Technology and Policy Division section of the proceedings contains the following 13 papers: "Reconceptualizing the Public Sphere: The Differential Role of Media Systems In Enabling Political Elites to set the Public Agenda" (Johnette Hawkins McCrery and John E. Newhagen); "Realizing the Potential Marketplace of…