Evaluation is as basic to professional development as it is to education. Unfortunately, systematic evaluations of professional development programs are rarely, if ever, undertaken. Professional development has become polluted by extraordinarily presumptuous rhetoric about the intrinsic value of "development." In the recent flurry of…

Reviews several studies that examine the climate of feeling surrounding training courses for college teachers and the general social atmosphere of the job into which the trainee is being initiated. (JT)

This study investigated the effect of cognitive style on continuing education of scientists and engineers and the interaction of cognitive style with motivation for and inhibition of continuing education. The Group Embedded Figures Test for field dependence/independence, Adult Nowicki-Strickland Internal-External Scale for locus of control, and a…

Most serious staff development programs share the characteristics of strong administrative support, needs-based planning, widespread faculty participation, and a well-defined program of activities. Unfortunately, these activities are often ad hoc affairs, influenced by what is fashionable and financially feasible. Formal degree programs can…

The participant/observer (P/O) evaluation technique was developed to supplement the standard participant evaluation technique in medical education workshops. The feasibility of using the technique was examined at two conferences: an annual state medical meeting with 26 workshops and a patient education conference with 16 workshops. Volunteers from…

The purpose of this document is to report a needs assessment questionnaire package based on the position that needs assessment surveys should gather the preferences of prospective participants regarding all modifiable aspects of an inservice program. The package consists of two instruments that may be administered either separately or in…

Implementation of a successful college faculty development program is discussed. A faculty development coordinator working in concert with the college's administration and the faculty is considered of prime importance. The characteristics of the person placed in such a role are outlined: (1) an effective teacher and scholar, a tenured associate or…

This directory of sources of financial aid for librarians and other staff members interested in continuing their professional training lists public library systems, state school agencies, higher education agencies, library associations in the U.S. and Canada, and federal agencies. Information provided includes the address, a contact person, funds…

An institute held December 10-16, 1978, in the United States Virgin Islands, trained 25 middle-level library administrators in the use of communications as a management tool. The institute was part of an on-going program of staff development in a multi-cultural, disadvantaged area. The program was based on these objectives: (1) to introduce basic…

Senior centers are growing in size, number, variety, and sophistication of programs. However, administrative salaries are low, turnover is high and educational backgrounds are very diverse. A training needs assessment survey was carried out by means of a 57-item questionnaire mailed to 1,963 members of National Council on the Aging's (NCOA's)…

This training package represents a portion of the National Training and Development Service Urban Management Curriculum Development Project. The package is designed for use by city managers to familiarize themselves with public purchasing systems. The first manual in this package introduces the concepts to be addressed and gives an overview of the…

Within a framework attempting to be at once idealistic and fiscally responsible, this paper assesses the effect of declining enrollment in Ontario on professional development and presents a comprehensive proposal that includes a flexible working model. The study is based on personal experience combined with a thorough search of the current…

A World Health Organization (WHO) working group discussed continuing education and career development of health care personnel at a meeting in Budapest, October 31-November 2, 1978. Group members defined continuing education, analyzed its methods and organization in various countries, and explored the relationship of continuing education to career…