Public health leadership competency level among health professionals in a South Eastern European country

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Orjola Pampuri

2015-12-01

the overall scores and the subscale scores of the current and the required level of leadership competencies among health professionals. Results: Mean value of the overall summary score for the 52 items of the instrument was significantly lower for the current leadership competency level compared with the required leadership competency level (138.4±11.2 vs. 159.7±25.3, respectively; P<0.001. Most of the subscales’ scores were significantly higher for the required than for the current leadership competency level. Conclusion: Our study provides useful evidence about the current and the required level of leadership competencies among health professionals in transitional Albania. Findings of this study may help policymakers in Albania to identify the gap between the required and the current level of leadership competencies among health  professionals. Furthermore, findings of this study should be expanded in the neighbouring countries of the South Eastern European region and beyond.

Novice nurse educator entry-level competency to teach: a national study.

Science.gov (United States)

Poindexter, Kathleen

2013-10-01

Expert nurse clinicians who are transitioning into academic positions after successful clinical careers often find they are unprepared to assume their new educator roles. Although nursing clinical expertise may be a necessary expectation, this knowledge is not sufficient to assume a nurse educator position. The purpose of this study was to identify essential entry-level nurse educator competencies, as reported by nurse administrators of accredited prelicensure nursing programs in the United States. Responses were categorized according to the type of academic institution housing the prelicensure nursing program and type of entry-level nurse educator position. A total of 374 program administrators representing 48 states participated, for a 44% response rate. The results indicate that administrators expect entry-level nurse educators to acquire teaching competencies prior to obtaining an entry-level position. Expected proficiency levels of competencies differed based on the position type and the academic setting. Copyright 2013, SLACK Incorporated.

Financing Competency Based Programs.

Science.gov (United States)

Daniel, Annette

Literature on the background, causes, and current prevalence of competency based programs is synthesized in this report. According to one analysis of the actual and probable costs of minimum competency testing, estimated costs for test development, test administration, bureaucratic structures, and remedial programs for students who cannot pass the…

ICT Competency Level of Teacher Education Professionals in the Central Visayas Region, Philippines

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Dave E. Marcial

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Information and communication technology (ICT plays a vital role in teaching and learning. This paper presents the landscape of ICT competency of faculty in the teacher education institutions in the central region of the Philippines. Specifically, the study investigates the ICT competency level in institutions of higher learning offering teacher education programs in the four provinces in Central Visayas, Philippines. A total of 383 survey responses was analyzed in the study. Respondents are all faculty handling any professional and/or specialization courses in the teacher education. The ICT competency level is measured empirically in terms of work aspects described in the UNESCO’s ICT Competency Standards for Teachers. The instrument used in data gathering was a survey questionnaire.This study reveals that the ICT competency level of the respondents is in the knowledge deepening level. The result implies that the teacher educators are integrative, student-centered and collaborative using the necessary tools. It is concluded that there is a slight technology infusion into the teaching instruction among teacher educators in Region 7. There is a need to improve the level of competency among the teacher educators, particularly skills in using complex and pervasive ICT tools to achieve innovative teaching and learning.

Stakeholders' perceptions on competency and assessment program of entry-level pharmacists in developing countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Asante, Isaac; Andoh, Irene; Muijtjens, Arno M M; Donkers, Jeroen

2017-05-01

To assess the stakeholders' perceptions on the competency of entry-level pharmacists and the use of written licensure examination as the primary assessment for licensure decisions on entry-level pharmacists who have completed the Pharmacy Internship Program 1 (PIP) in developing countries. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among stakeholders in which they completed a web-based 21-item pre-tested questionnaire to determine their views regarding the competency outcomes and assessment program for entry-level pharmacist. The stakeholders rated the entry-level pharmacists to possess all competencies except research skills. Stakeholders suggested improvement of the program by defining the competency framework and training preceptors. However, stakeholders disagree on using written examination as the primary assessment for licensure decision and suggested the incorporation of other performance-based assessments like preceptor's assessment reports. Stakeholders are uncertain on entry-level pharmacists in developing countries possessing adequate research competencies and think their assessment program for licensure need more than written examination to assess all required competencies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

ICA contribution to the development of international standards of competence for nautical cartographers

Science.gov (United States)

Furness, Ron; Tsoulos, Lysandros

2018-05-01

All professions face challenges as how best to ensure the achievement and continuance of the highest standards as they seek to determine and promulgate best practices. In the essentially linked professions of hydrographic surveying and nautical cartography these challenges become immediately international in their impacts and require close cooperation between the professional bodies representing surveyors, hydrographers and cartographers. The Standards of Competence for Nautical Cartographers are known in short form as S-8 and they describe the minimum required competencies for nautical cartographers. They indicate the minimum degree of knowledge and experience considered necessary for nautical cartographers and provide a set of programme outlines against which the FIG/IHO/ICA International Board on Standards of Competence for Hydrographic Surveyors and Nautical Cartographers may evaluate programmes submitted for recognition. The Standards recognize two levels of competence: Cate- gory A and Category B. In nautical charting communities, Category A programmes offer levels of comprehensive and broad-based knowledge in all aspects of the theory and practice of nautical cartography. Category B programmes provide a level of practical comprehension, along with the essential theoretical background, necessary for individuals to carry out the various nautical cartography tasks. The Standards have recently undergone complete review and should be ratified during 2017/18. This paper aims to bring the existence and aims of the Standards to the wider notice of ICA members and to describe the philosophy and aims of the review in meeting the professional competency needs of the nautical cartographic community.

Identification of Current Proficiency Level of Extension Competencies and the Competencies Needed for Extension Agents to Be Successful in the 21st Century

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Dona Lakai

2014-02-01

Full Text Available In this era of globalization, competency is an issue of concern to any field of professionals and their clients. Competency is an integrated set of skills, knowledge, and attitudes that allow one to effectively carry out the activities of a given work to the standards expected in the employment context. The purpose of this descriptive survey study was to determine the current proficiency level of North Carolina Cooperative Extension agents’ competencies and the other competencies they need to develop to be successful in Cooperative Extension. Findings indicate that the current proficiency level of competency for Extension agents in North Carolina Cooperative Extension varies from moderate to high in all 42 items listed in the survey. Multiple regression analysis confirmed that Extension agents’ years of Extension experience and age were major determinants of their overall proficiency level. Extension agents’ proficiency levels did not vary with gender, level of education, professional association affiliation, job position, or area of job responsibility. The research revealed that emotional intelligence, interpersonal skills, flexibility for adapting to changing environments, and ability to manage resources were the most significant other competencies needed for Extension agents to be successful in current context.

Recommending a minimum English proficiency standard for entry-level nursing.

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O'Neill, Thomas R; Tannenbaum, Richard J; Tiffen, Jennifer

2005-01-01

When nurses who are educated internationally immigrate to the United States, they are expected to have English language proficiency in order to function as a competent nurse. The purpose of this research was to provide sufficient information to the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) to make a defensible recommended passing standard for English proficiency. This standard was based upon the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). A large panel of nurses and nurse regulators (N = 25) was convened to determine how much English proficiency is required to be minimally competent as an entry-level nurse. Two standard setting procedures, the Simulated Minimally Competent Candidate (SMCC) procedure and the Examinee Paper Selection Method, were combined to produce recommendations for each panelist. In conjunction with collateral information, these recommendations were reviewed by the NCSBN Examination Committee, which decided upon an NCSBN recommended standard, a TOEFL score of 220. Because the adoption of this standard rests entirely with the individual state, NCSBN has little more to do with implementing the standard, other than answering questions and providing documentation about the standard.

Recommendations for Training in Pediatric Psychology: Defining Core Competencies Across Training Levels

Science.gov (United States)

Janicke, David M.; McQuaid, Elizabeth L.; Mullins, Larry L.; Robins, Paul M.; Wu, Yelena P.

2014-01-01

Objective As a field, pediatric psychology has focused considerable efforts on the education and training of students and practitioners. Alongside a broader movement toward competency attainment in professional psychology and within the health professions, the Society of Pediatric Psychology commissioned a Task Force to establish core competencies in pediatric psychology and address the need for contemporary training recommendations. Methods The Task Force adapted the framework proposed by the Competency Benchmarks Work Group on preparing psychologists for health service practice and defined competencies applicable across training levels ranging from initial practicum training to entry into the professional workforce in pediatric psychology. Results Competencies within 6 cluster areas, including science, professionalism, interpersonal, application, education, and systems, and 1 crosscutting cluster, crosscutting knowledge competencies in pediatric psychology, are presented in this report. Conclusions Recommendations for the use of, and the further refinement of, these suggested competencies are discussed. PMID:24719239

Competency development and labour remuneration system

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T. V. Sabetova

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This article addresses the problems of competency development and of competency-based approach to labour stimulation. The objective of the performed research was to determine the key types of professional competencies, their influence upon work performance, and way of their development. Two variants of competency understanding are outlined depending on the actual performance enabled by the competency presence and maturity: competency as an employee’s potential, and competency as the measure of labour activity goal achievement, which is in fact the realization of the potential. The system of labour remuneration based on the competency approach and including three types of bonuses was worked out. It includes minimum bonus applied for one-time reward of an employee’s success, qualification bonus requiring formal proof of the qualification level, bonus rewarding successful competency appliance. The competency classification based on three key features was suggested for more efficient analysis of competency appliance opportunities: maturity, or development degree; source or way of acquire ment; scope of possible appliance. The need to spend time and effort for obtaining and developing nearly all possible competencies was po inted out. Special attention is paid to forming labour competencies during the period of a person’s life when he is emp loyed. The sources of the competency formation for the employees were discussed and the problem of performing competency development activities at the expense of other types of activities was stressed out. The conclusion was made, that the employers and em ployees need to share the weight of means and efforts required for competency formation and development to enable the latter to perfo rm their duties more effectively in the future.

LEVEL OF SELF-RESPECT AND ASSERTIVENESS SKILLS AND TEACHERS’ EDUCATIONAL COMPETENCES

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Anna Romanowska-Tolloczko

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Purpose: determining of self-respect level and assertiveness of teachers. Verification of whether there is a relationship between the measured trait and the correlation of educational competence. Material and methods: the study used three tools: Polish adaptation of SES M.Rosenberg's Self Esteem Scale, a questionnaire to determine the levels of assertiveness - P.Majewicz's Scale "I and others" and a questionnaire to examine the professional competence of teachers by A.Romanowska-Tołłoczko. The study examined 275 primary school teachers of different subjects. Results: after the statement of the research’s results in the field of self-respect and assertiveness, it turns out that there is some regularity in relation to the level of the studied traits. People with high self-respect also receive higher scores assertive skills compared with those of average and low self-respect. This pattern is seen in all groups of teachers. Conclusions: although the observed differences are not great and statistically significant, they show some evidence of the occurrence trend of interdependence in a range of predispositions. Moreover, a positive correlation between the level of self-respect and assertiveness and parental perception of their competence was noted.

Identification of entry-level competencies for associate degree radiographers as perceived by primary role definers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thorpe, R.L.

1981-01-01

The primary purpose of this study was to identify those competencies needed by Associate Degree Radiographers when they assume employment as entry-level practitioners. A second purpose of the study was to rank order the identified competencies within the role delineations recognized by the Essentials and Guidelines of an Accredited Educational Program for the Radiographer. These role delineations include: radiation protection, exercise discretion and judgment, emergency and life saving techniques, patient care and interpersonal communication, and role as professional member. A third purpose of the study was to examine the degree of consensus on role definition of entry-level competencies needed by Associate Degree Radiographers as perceived by primary role definers (such as employers, employees, and educators), and by other selected variables: age, sex, length of experience in radiologic technology, level of formal education, and place of employment. A major finding of this study was that respondents did not differ significantly in their ranking of entry-level competencies needed by Associate Degree Radiographers when the responses were analyzed according to position, age, sex, length of experience, level of education, or place of employment. Another important finding was that respondents considered all of the 63 competencies as important and needed by Associate Degree Radiographers upon initial employment.A major conclusion and recommendation of this study, in view of the high agreement on the rank ordering of competencies, was that these competencies should be included in a competency-based education model. It was further recommended that a three-way system of communication between employers, employees, and educators be considered in order to pool resources and to increase understanding of each position group's contribution and influence on entry-level Associate Degree Radiographers

Providing the meta-model of development of competency using the meta-ethnography approach: Part 2. Synthesis of the available competency development models

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Shahram Yazdani

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Background and Purpose: ConsideringBackground and Purpose: Considering the importance and necessity of competency-based education at a global level and with respect to globalization and the requirement of minimum competencies in medical fields, medical education communities and organizations worldwide have tried to determine the competencies, present frameworks and education models to respond to be sure of the ability of all graduates. In the literature, we observed numerous competency development models that refer to the same issues with different terminologies. It seems that evaluation and synthesis of all these models can finally result in designing a comprehensive meta-model for competency development.Methods: Meta-ethnography is a useful method for synthesis of qualitative research that is used to develop models that interpret the results in several studies. Considering that the aim of this study is to ultimately provide a competency development meta-model, in the previous section of the study, the literature review was conducted to achieve competency development models. Models obtained through the search were studied in details, and the key concepts of the models and overarching concepts were extracted in this section, models’ concepts were reciprocally translated and the available competency development models were synthesized.Results: A presentation of the competency development meta-model and providing a redefinition of the Dreyfus brothers model.Conclusions: Given the importance of competency-based education at a global level and the need to review curricula and competency-based curriculum design, it is required to provide competency development as well as meta-model to be the basis for curriculum development. As there are a variety of competency development models available, in this study, it was tried to develop the curriculum using them.Keywords: Meta-ethnography, Competency development, Meta-model, Qualitative synthesis

Clinical Skills Performed By Iranian Emergency Nurses: Perceived Competency Levels and Attitudes Toward Expanding Professional Roles.

Science.gov (United States)

Hassankhani, Hadi; Hasanzadeh, Firooz; Powers, Kelly A; Dadash Zadeh, Abbas; Rajaie, Rouzbeh

2018-03-01

Emergency nurses play an important role in the care of critically ill and injured patients, and their competency to perform clinical skills is vital to safe and effective patient care. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of clinical skills performed and perceived competency levels among Iranian emergency nurses. In addition, attitudes toward expanding the professional roles of Iranian emergency nurses were also assessed. In this descriptive correlational study, 319 emergency nurses from 30 hospitals in northwest Iran participated. Data were collected using a self-report questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and Pearson's correlation coefficient were used to present the findings. Overall competency of the emergency nurses was 73.31 ± 14.2, indicating a good level of perceived competence. The clinical skills most frequently performed were in the domains of organizational and workload competencies (3.43 ± 0.76), diagnostic function (3.25 ± 0.82), and the helping role (3.17 ± 0.83). A higher level of perceived competence was found for skills within these domains. Less frequently, participants performed skills within the domains of effective management of rapidly changing situations (2.70 ± 0.94) and administering and monitoring therapeutic interventions (2.60 ± 0.97); a lower perceived level of competence was noted for these clinical skills. There was a significant correlation between frequency of performing clinical skills and perceived competency level (r = 0.651, P skills. This has implications for nurse managers and educators who may consider offering more frequent experiential and educational opportunities to emergency nurses. Expansion of nurses' roles could also result in increased experience in clinical skills and higher levels of competency. Research is needed to investigate nurses' clinical competence using direct and observed measures. Copyright © 2017 Emergency Nurses Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Using Competencies to Assess Entry-Level Knowledge of Students Graduating from Parks and Recreation Academic Programs

Science.gov (United States)

Hurd, Amy R.; Elkins, Daniel J.; Beggs, Brent A.

2014-01-01

To address the Council on Accreditation of Parks, Recreation, Tourism, and Related Professions accreditation standard 7.01.01, the Entry Level Competency Assessment was developed to measure 46 competencies in four categories needed by entry level professionals. Students rated their competence prior to beginning their senior internship. The results…

Developing osteopathic competencies in geriatrics for medical students.

Science.gov (United States)

Noll, Donald R; Channell, Millicent King; Basehore, Pamela M; Pomerantz, Sherry C; Ciesielski, Janice; Eigbe, Patrick Arekhandia; Chopra, Anita

2013-04-01

Minimum core competencies for allopathic medical students in the specialty area of geriatrics have been developed, comprising 26 competencies divided into 8 topical domains. These competencies are appropriate for osteopathic medical students, but they do not include competencies relating to osteopathic principles and practice (OPP) in geriatrics. There remains a need within the osteopathic profession to develop specialty-specific competencies specific to OPP. To develop more specific and comprehensive minimum competencies in OPP for osteopathic medical students in the field of geriatric medicine. The Delphi technique (a structured communication technique that uses a panel of experts to reach consensus) was adapted to generate new core competencies relating to OPP. Osteopathic geriatricians and members of the Educational Council on Osteopathic Principles (ECOP) of the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine participated in a breakout session and 2 rounds of surveys. Proposed competencies with 80% of the participants ranking it as "very important and should be added as a competency" were retained. Participants were also asked if they agreed that competencies in OPP should include specific types of osteopathic manipulative treatment techniques for the elderly. Responses were received from 26 osteopathic physician experts: 17 ECOP members and 9 geriatricians. Fourteen proposed competencies were developed: 7 related to the existing topic domains, and 7 were placed into a new domain of osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM). Six proposed competencies were retained, all of which were in the new OMM domain. These competencies related to using OMM for gait and balance assessment, knowing adverse events and contraindications of OMM, using OMM for pain relief and end-of-life care, using OMM in the hospital and nursing home setting, adapting OMM to fit an elderly individual, and using OMM to address limited range of motion and ability to perform activities of

Preparing for the data revolution: identifying minimum health information competencies among the health workforce

OpenAIRE

Whittaker, Maxine; Hodge, Nicola; Mares, Renata E; Rodney, Anna

2015-01-01

Background Health information is required for a variety of purposes at all levels of a health system, and a workforce skilled in collecting, analysing, presenting, and disseminating such information is essential to fulfil these demands. While it is established that low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are facing shortages in human resources for health (HRH), there has been little systematic attention focussed on non-clinical competencies. In response, we developed a framework that defines...

Recommendations for training in pediatric psychology: defining core competencies across training levels.

Science.gov (United States)

Palermo, Tonya M; Janicke, David M; McQuaid, Elizabeth L; Mullins, Larry L; Robins, Paul M; Wu, Yelena P

2014-10-01

As a field, pediatric psychology has focused considerable efforts on the education and training of students and practitioners. Alongside a broader movement toward competency attainment in professional psychology and within the health professions, the Society of Pediatric Psychology commissioned a Task Force to establish core competencies in pediatric psychology and address the need for contemporary training recommendations.   The Task Force adapted the framework proposed by the Competency Benchmarks Work Group on preparing psychologists for health service practice and defined competencies applicable across training levels ranging from initial practicum training to entry into the professional workforce in pediatric psychology.   Competencies within 6 cluster areas, including science, professionalism, interpersonal, application, education, and systems, and 1 crosscutting cluster, crosscutting knowledge competencies in pediatric psychology, are presented in this report.   Recommendations for the use of, and the further refinement of, these suggested competencies are discussed. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Pediatric Psychology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Determining nurses\\' clinical competence in hospitals of Bushehr University of Medical Sciences by self assessment method

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Masood mahreini

2008-09-01

Full Text Available Background: Nurses’ self awareness of their own level of clinical competence is essential in maintaining high standards of care and identifying areas of educational need and professional development. Self-assessment is a method for measuring clinical competence, and encourages nurses to use reflective thinking and take an active part in the learning process. Although nurse competence may vary between hospitals, very few studies have been done on this subject. Methods: In this cross sectional study, we analyzed clinical competency of 190 registered nurses working in different hospitals in Bushehr by self assessment method. The instrument for data collection was a valid and reliable questionnaire consisting of 73 items from seven categories which were devised from Benner's “from Novice to Expert” framework. The level of competence was assessed on a scale of 0-100 and the frequency of using the competencies was assessed on a Likert scale. Results: the nurses reported their overall level of competence as “good” (51-75. They felt more competent in the categories of “managing situations” and “helping role” (with maximum score of 79.54 and least competent in “teaching – coaching” and “ensuring quality” categories (with minimum score of 61.15. The frequency of practicing competencies had a positive correlation with the level of nursing clinical competence. Conclusion: The level of nursing competence and frequency of using competencies varied in different hospitals. Although the nurses reported their overall level of competence as good, we should be concerned about 24% of competencies which are not used by the nurses, especially in "teaching – coaching" and "ensuring quality" categories.

[Level of teaching competence at the Undergraduate Medical Internship of UNAM's Faculty of Medicine].

Science.gov (United States)

Martínez-González, Adrián; Lifshitz-Guinzberg, Alberto; González-Quintanilla, Eduardo; Monterrosas-Rojas, Ana María; Flores-Hernández, Fernando; Gatica-Lara, Florina; Martínez-Franco, Adrián Israel; Sánchez-Mendiola, Melchor

2017-01-01

There is no systematic evaluation of teaching performance in the clinical area at UNAM Faculty of Medicine. The study purpose is to assess the teaching competence level in the Undergraduate Medical Internship (UMI). The paper describes the process of psychometric validity for the instrument designed to evaluate teaching competence in the UMI. This instrument was constructed from two previously developed instruments. The final version with 54 items in a Likert scale was studied with exploratory factorial analysis. Four dimensions were obtained: Solution of clinical problems, Psychopedagogy, Mentoring, and Evaluation. The instrument had a reliability of 0.994, with an explained variance of 77.75%. To evaluate the teaching competence level, we administered 844 questionnaires to a sample of students with a response rate of 89%. We obtained an overall global score of 89.4 ± 9.6 (mean ± SD). The dimension Solution of clinical problems was the one with a greater value, in contrast with the dimension of Evaluation, which had a lower score. The teachers of the UMI are considered educators with high level of teaching competence, according to the perceptions of the undergraduate internal doctors. The evaluation of teaching competence level is very important for institutions that look for the continuous professional development of its faculty.

Employability Competencies for Entry Level Occupations in Electronics. Part One: Basic Theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Werner, Claire

This syllabus, which is the first of a two-volume set describing the basic competencies needed by entry-level workers in the field of electronics, deals with the basic theories of electricity and electronics. Competencies are organized according to the following skills areas: the meaning of electricity, how electricity works, resistors, Ohm's law,…

Relationship between “self-efficiency“ competence levels and constant sportive self-respect levels of football players (Sample of Istanbul European Side

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Aydın Pekel

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Background/Objective: Super amateur cluster is examination of the relationship between “self-efficiency” and competence levels and constant sportive self-respect levels of football players. Methods: Population of the study consists of 80 super amateur cluster football clubs operating in European Side of İstanbul Province, and sample of the study consists of (n=310 volunteer football players playing football in 21 sports clubs determined with simple random method. Questionnaire method was applied as data collection tool. The participants were applied personal information form, Self Efficiency Competence Scale which was developed by Sherer and colleagues in 1982 and adapted to Turkish by Gözüm and Aksayan in 1999 and Constant Sportive Self-Respect Scale which was developed by Vealey in 1986 and of which validity and reliability studies were conducted by Yıldırım in 2013. The obtained data was recorded with the package program named "IBM SPSS 22". Correlation analysis and regression analysis were applied as statistical procedure. Results: It was seen that “self-efficiency” and - competence levels of amateur football players were in a good level and constant sportive self-respect levels were high. It was detected that there is a high-level positive relationship between constant sportive self-respect level and “self-efficiency” and -competence level, and that “self-efficiency” and - competence level predicted constant sportive self-respect level. Conclusion: It may be considered that sufficient performance of the football players results from self-completion, motivation, belief in themselves and desire to act for success by using their skills.

Incentive contracts with unobservable competence levels

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Davis, Jerome; Keiding, Hans

2008-01-01

about the competence of the agent to fulfill the obligations of the contract. The agent offers a choice of contracts to the principal, thereby signalling agent competence to the principal, and there is no alternative reputation mechanism to the contract for the principal's bargaining strategy. It turns...

THE CRITERIA, INDEXES AND LEVELS OF TEACHER'S OF NATURAL AND MATHEMATICS SUBJECTS INFORMATION COMPETENCE DEVELOPMENT

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Petro Grabovskiy

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Submitted research depends on an actual problem – how is necessary to identify means of teacher's of general education information competence evaluation. In particular, there developed on an evaluation criteria of teacher's of Natural and Mathematics subjects information competence – motivational, cognitive-operating, reflexive; and decomposition to appropriated performance criterion made in this research too. With the help of empirical research methods, in particular the method of expert evaluations, using methods of relative frequency selection, determing by an expert's performance and relevant criteria, proved significance when evaluation of teacher's of Natural and Mathematics subjects information competence development is appropriated. Based on the grounded and developed criteria and relevant indicators where four levels of studing teacher's information competence development were describing – low, middle, sufficient and high levels. According to an author opinion, the further research may be concern with the help of mathematical tools development to determine the level of teacher's of Natural and Mathematics subjects information competence development based on the selected criteria and relevant indicators

MSEBAG: a dynamic classifier ensemble generation based on `minimum-sufficient ensemble' and bagging

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Lei; Kamel, Mohamed S.

2016-01-01

In this paper, we propose a dynamic classifier system, MSEBAG, which is characterised by searching for the 'minimum-sufficient ensemble' and bagging at the ensemble level. It adopts an 'over-generation and selection' strategy and aims to achieve a good bias-variance trade-off. In the training phase, MSEBAG first searches for the 'minimum-sufficient ensemble', which maximises the in-sample fitness with the minimal number of base classifiers. Then, starting from the 'minimum-sufficient ensemble', a backward stepwise algorithm is employed to generate a collection of ensembles. The objective is to create a collection of ensembles with a descending fitness on the data, as well as a descending complexity in the structure. MSEBAG dynamically selects the ensembles from the collection for the decision aggregation. The extended adaptive aggregation (EAA) approach, a bagging-style algorithm performed at the ensemble level, is employed for this task. EAA searches for the competent ensembles using a score function, which takes into consideration both the in-sample fitness and the confidence of the statistical inference, and averages the decisions of the selected ensembles to label the test pattern. The experimental results show that the proposed MSEBAG outperforms the benchmarks on average.

Assessing the Impact of the Competency Level on the Success of Companies’ Integration

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Marina Nikolayevna Rudenko

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The integration of companies is crucially important in the ongoing globalization processes. Companies must unify the material assets and optimize property. The integration of the company, incrementally, and competency development is also essential in order to expand the competitiveness of the company’s integrated structure. Identification and management of competencies are especially important for the enterprise structures, which carry out the integration processes. The level of competency development and the types of competencies may or may not be similar. The aim of this research is to specify and develop an organizational competency structure, which groups individual competencies of an organization into various segments based on their similarity. This research is relevant due to the need to systematize and streamline competencies in order to better identify them and develop a set of measures for their monitoring. The theoretical literature analysis allowed us to create a model that characterizes the assumed impact of the competencies on the successful integration of companies. Based on the data, we divided the organizational competencies into five major categories are. An empirical assessment of the impact of the competencies on the market success of the integration of enterprise structures is provided. This research indicates that the success of such integration is substantially determined by the formation and development of the competencies. The authors interviewed top managers of 225 medium and large-sized companies from all over the country were (the questionnaire was created by Rudenko M.N. The time lag is 5 years. Thereby, the results can be used in the process of regional policy formation.

Criteria, indicators and levels of formed professional functional competences of future teachers of physical culture

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Samsutina N.M.

2012-09-01

Full Text Available It is shown the structural components of the functional competence of professional teachers of physical education: motivational, cognitive and action-practical. We used the following methods of scientific knowledge, as the analysis of psychological, educational and methodological literature, synthesis, comparison, generalization, specification, classification, ordering Criteria and levels of occupational functional competence of future teachers of physical education. It is determined that the high level of professional formation of the functional competence of future teachers of physical culture is characterized by the motivation to perform professional functions of a teacher of physical culture, fundamental knowledge required to perform professional functions of a teacher of physical culture, a high level of general physical fitness, pronounced specific motor abilities and skills.

Youth minimum wages and youth employment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Marimpi, Maria; Koning, Pierre

2018-01-01

This paper performs a cross-country level analysis on the impact of the level of specific youth minimum wages on the labor market performance of young individuals. We use information on the use and level of youth minimum wages, as compared to the level of adult minimum wages as well as to the median

A survey of engagement and competence levels in interventions and activities in a community mental health workforce in England

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Lang Linda

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background National Health Service (NHS mental health workforce configuration is at the heart of successful delivery, and providers are advised to produce professional development strategies. Recent policy changes in England have sharpened the focus on competency based role development. We determined levels of intervention activities, engagement and competence and their influencing factors in a community-setting mental health workforce. Methods Using a modified questionnaire based on the Yorkshire Care Pathways Model we investigated 153 mental health staff working in Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust. A median score of competence was computed across 10 cluster activities. Low engagement and competence levels were examined in a logistic regression model. Results In 220 activities, Monitoring risk was the highest rate of engagement (97.6% and Group psychological therapy/Art/Drama therapy was the lowest engagement (3.6%. The median competence level based on all activities was 3.95 (proficient. There were significant differences in the competence level among professional groups; non-qualified support group (3.00 for competent, Counsellor/Psychologist/Therapist (3.38, Occupational therapists (3.76, Nurses (4.01, Medical staff (4.05, Social workers (4.25 and Psychologists (4.62 for proficient/expert. These levels varied with activity clusters; the lowest level was for Counsellor/Psychologist/Therapist in the accommodation activity (1.44 novice/advance beginner and the highest for Occupational therapists in personal activity (4.94 expert. In a multivariate analysis, low competence was significantly related to non-qualified community support professions, late time of obtaining first qualification, more frequencies of clinical training, and training of cognitive behavioural therapy. The associations were similar in the analysis for 10 activity clusters respectively. Conclusions There was a reasonable competence level in the community

Pediatric Program Director Minimum Milestone Expectations before Allowing Supervision of Others and Unsupervised Practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Su-Ting T; Tancredi, Daniel J; Schwartz, Alan; Guillot, Ann; Burke, Ann E; Trimm, R Franklin; Guralnick, Susan; Mahan, John D; Gifford, Kimberly

2018-04-25

The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education requires semiannual Milestone reporting on all residents. Milestone expectations of performance are unknown. Determine pediatric program director (PD) minimum Milestone expectations for residents prior to being ready to supervise and prior to being ready to graduate. Mixed methods survey of pediatric PDs on their programs' Milestone expectations before residents are ready to supervise and before they are ready to graduate, and in what ways PDs use Milestones to make supervision and graduation decisions. If programs had no established Milestone expectations, PDs indicated expectations they considered for use in their program. Mean minimum Milestone level expectations adjusted for program size, region, and clustering of Milestone expectations by program were calculated for prior to supervise and prior to graduate. Free-text questions were analyzed using thematic analysis. The response rate was 56.8% (113/199). Most programs had no required minimum Milestone level before residents are ready to supervise (80%; 76/95) or ready to graduate (84%; 80/95). For readiness to supervise, minimum Milestone expectations PDs considered establishing for their program were highest for humanism (2.46, 95% CI: 2.21-2.71) and professionalization (2.37, 2.15-2.60). Minimum Milestone expectations for graduates were highest for help-seeking (3.14, 2.83-3.46). Main themes included the use of Milestones in combination with other information to assess learner performance and Milestones are not equally weighted when making advancement decisions. Most PDs have not established program minimum Milestones, but would vary such expectations by competency. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

The Core Competencies for General Orthopaedic Surgeons.

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Kellam, James F; Archibald, Douglas; Barber, James W; Christian, Eugene P; D'Ascoli, Richard J; Haynes, Richard J; Hecht, Suzanne S; Hurwitz, Shepard R; Kellam, James F; McLaren, Alexander C; Peabody, Terrance D; Southworth, Stephen R; Strauss, Robert W; Wadey, Veronica M R

2017-01-18

With the changing delivery of orthopaedic surgical care, there is a need to define the knowledge and competencies that are expected of an orthopaedist providing general and/or acute orthopaedic care. This article provides a proposal for the knowledge and competencies needed for an orthopaedist to practice general and/or acute care orthopaedic surgery. Using the modified Delphi method, the General Orthopaedic Competency Task Force consisting of stakeholders associated with general orthopaedic practice has proposed the core knowledge and competencies that should be maintained by orthopaedists who practice emergency and general orthopaedic surgery. For relevancy to clinical practice, 2 basic sets of competencies were established. The assessment competencies pertain to the general knowledge needed to evaluate, investigate, and determine an overall management plan. The management competencies are generally procedural in nature and are divided into 2 groups. For the Management 1 group, the orthopaedist should be competent to provide definitive care including assessment, investigation, initial or emergency care, operative or nonoperative care, and follow-up. For the Management 2 group, the orthopaedist should be competent to assess, investigate, and commence timely non-emergency or emergency care and then either transfer the patient to the appropriate subspecialist's care or provide definitive care based on the urgency of care, exceptional practice circumstance, or individual's higher training. This may include some higher-level procedures usually performed by a subspecialist, but are consistent with one's practice based on experience, practice environment, and/or specialty interest. These competencies are the first step in defining the practice of general orthopaedic surgery including acute orthopaedic care. Further validation and discussion among educators, general orthopaedic surgeons, and subspecialists will ensure that these are relevant to clinical practice. These

State-level minimum wage and heart disease death rates in the United States, 1980-2015: A novel application of marginal structural modeling.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Dyke, Miriam E; Komro, Kelli A; Shah, Monica P; Livingston, Melvin D; Kramer, Michael R

2018-07-01

Despite substantial declines since the 1960's, heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States (US) and geographic disparities in heart disease mortality have grown. State-level socioeconomic factors might be important contributors to geographic differences in heart disease mortality. This study examined the association between state-level minimum wage increases above the federal minimum wage and heart disease death rates from 1980 to 2015 among 'working age' individuals aged 35-64 years in the US. Annual, inflation-adjusted state and federal minimum wage data were extracted from legal databases and annual state-level heart disease death rates were obtained from CDC Wonder. Although most minimum wage and health studies to date use conventional regression models, we employed marginal structural models to account for possible time-varying confounding. Quasi-experimental, marginal structural models accounting for state, year, and state × year fixed effects estimated the association between increases in the state-level minimum wage above the federal minimum wage and heart disease death rates. In models of 'working age' adults (35-64 years old), a $1 increase in the state-level minimum wage above the federal minimum wage was on average associated with ~6 fewer heart disease deaths per 100,000 (95% CI: -10.4, -1.99), or a state-level heart disease death rate that was 3.5% lower per year. In contrast, for older adults (65+ years old) a $1 increase was on average associated with a 1.1% lower state-level heart disease death rate per year (b = -28.9 per 100,000, 95% CI: -71.1, 13.3). State-level economic policies are important targets for population health research. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Competent Reasoning with Rational Numbers.

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Smith, John P. III

1995-01-01

Analyzed students' reasoning with fractions. Found that skilled students applied strategies specifically tailored to restricted classes of fractions and produced reliable solutions with a minimum of computation effort. Results suggest that competent reasoning depends on a knowledge base that includes numerically specific and invented strategies,…

Resident self-other assessor agreement: influence of assessor, competency, and performance level.

Science.gov (United States)

Lipsett, Pamela A; Harris, Ilene; Downing, Steven

2011-08-01

To review the literature on self-assessment in the context of resident performance and to determine the correlation between self-assessment across competencies in high- and low-performing residents and assessments performed by raters from a variety of professional roles (peers, nurses, and faculty). Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected anonymous self-assessment and multiprofessional (360) performance assessments by competency and overall. University-based academic general surgical program. Sixty-two residents rotating in general surgery. Mean difference for each self-assessment dyad (self-peer, self-nurse, and self-attending physician) by resident performance quartile, adjusted for measurement error, correlation coefficients, and summed differences across all competencies. Irrespective of self-other dyad, residents asked to rate their global performance overestimated their skills. Residents in the upper quartile underestimated their specific skills while those in the lowest-performing quartile overestimated their abilities when compared with faculty, peers, and especially nurse raters. Moreover, overestimation was greatest in competencies related to interpersonal skills, communication, teamwork, and professionalism. Rater, level of performance, and the competency being assessed all influence the comparison of the resident's self-assessment and those of other raters. Self-assessment of competencies related to behavior may be inaccurate when compared with raters from various professions. Residents in the lowest-performing quartile are least able to identify their weakness. These data have important implications for residents, program directors, and the public and suggest that strategies that help the lowest-performing residents recognize areas in need of improvement are needed.

Assessing Minimum Competencies of Beginning Teachers: Instrumentation, Measurement Issues, Legal Concerns.

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Ellett, Chad D.

An overview is presented of a performance-based assessment system, Teacher Performance Assessment Instruments (TPAI), developed by the Teacher Assessment Project at the University of Georgia to measure competencies of beginning teachers for initial professional certification. To clearly separate the preparation and certification functions within…

Management competencies in higher education: Perceived job importance in relation to level of training required

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Ingrid L. Potgieter

2010-11-01

Research purpose: The aim of this article is to determine the relationship between a specific set of HOD managerial competencies identified as being important for the job and the level of training required in terms of these competencies. Motivation for the study: Research has provided evidence that HODs are often ill-prepared for their managerial role, which requires the development of specific management competencies to enable them to fulfil their roles effectively. Research design, approach and method: A non-experimental quantitative survey design approach was followed and correlational data analyses were performed. A cross-sectional sample of 41 HODs of 22 departments from various faculties of a higher education institution in Gauteng participated in this study. The Management Competency Inventory (MCI of Visser (2009 was applied as a measure. Main findings: The Pearson product-moment analysis indicated that there is a significant relationship between the competencies indicated as being important for the job and the level of training required. Practical/Managerial implications: Training needs of HODs should be formally assessed and the depth of training required in terms of the identified management competencies should be considered in the design of training programmes. Contributions/Value-add: The information obtained in this study may potentially serve as a foundation for the development of an HOD training programme in the South African higher education environment.

Competence development: Key issues and trends in European competence policies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Milana, Marcella

  In recent years there has been a rising political attention on competence development both at national and international level. At European level in particular, since 2000, with the set of the Lisbon Agenda, different bodies representing the Union have been very productive in generating working...... papers, reports, and communications that led to directives and resolutions concerning the development and recognition of skills and competences in a lifelong learning perspective. In 2005 this process led to the definition of a European Framework on Key Competences for Lifelong Learning - covering those...... competences that are given priority within the Union - as well as a European Qualification Framework, a reference tool for making qualifications - here described in terms of progressive levels of competence - transparent and transferable within the European borders. The aim of the paper is to investigate...

75 FR 6151 - Minimum Capital

Science.gov (United States)

2010-02-08

... capital and reserve requirements to be issued by order or regulation with respect to a product or activity... minimum capital requirements. Section 1362(a) establishes a minimum capital level for the Enterprises... entities required under this section.\\6\\ \\3\\ The Bank Act's current minimum capital requirements apply to...

Core competencies for scientific editors of biomedical journals: consensus statement.

Science.gov (United States)

Moher, David; Galipeau, James; Alam, Sabina; Barbour, Virginia; Bartolomeos, Kidist; Baskin, Patricia; Bell-Syer, Sally; Cobey, Kelly D; Chan, Leighton; Clark, Jocalyn; Deeks, Jonathan; Flanagin, Annette; Garner, Paul; Glenny, Anne-Marie; Groves, Trish; Gurusamy, Kurinchi; Habibzadeh, Farrokh; Jewell-Thomas, Stefanie; Kelsall, Diane; Lapeña, José Florencio; MacLehose, Harriet; Marusic, Ana; McKenzie, Joanne E; Shah, Jay; Shamseer, Larissa; Straus, Sharon; Tugwell, Peter; Wager, Elizabeth; Winker, Margaret; Zhaori, Getu

2017-09-11

Scientific editors are responsible for deciding which articles to publish in their journals. However, we have not found documentation of their required knowledge, skills, and characteristics, or the existence of any formal core competencies for this role. We describe the development of a minimum set of core competencies for scientific editors of biomedical journals. The 14 key core competencies are divided into three major areas, and each competency has a list of associated elements or descriptions of more specific knowledge, skills, and characteristics that contribute to its fulfillment. We believe that these core competencies are a baseline of the knowledge, skills, and characteristics needed to perform competently the duties of a scientific editor at a biomedical journal.

Teacher's opinion about learning continuum of genetics based on student's level of competence

Science.gov (United States)

Juniati, Etika; Subali, Bambang

2017-08-01

This study focuses on designing learning continuum for developing a curriculum. The objective of this study is to get the opinion of junior and senior high school teachers about Learning Continuum based on Student's Level of Competence and Specific Pedagogical Learning Material on Aspect of Genetics Aspects. This research is a survey research involving 281 teachers from junior and senior high school teachers as respondents taken from five districts and city in Yogyakarta Special Region. The results of this study show that most of the junior high school teachers argue that sub aspects individual reproduction should be taught to students of grade VII and IX, virus reproduction at the grade X, and cell reproduction to mutation at the grade IX with level of competence to understand (C2) while most of the senior high school teachers argue that sub aspects individual, cell, and virus reproduction must be taught to students of grade X and division mechanism to mutation at the grade XII with level of competence to understand (C2), apply (C3), and analyze (C4). Based on the opinion of teachers, sub concepts in genetics can be taught from junior high school with different in the scope of materials but learning continuum that has been developed is not relevant with the students cognitive development and their grades.

Trends in Intense Typhoon Minimum Sea Level Pressure

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Stephen L. Durden

2012-01-01

Full Text Available A number of recent publications have examined trends in the maximum wind speed of tropical cyclones in various basins. In this communication, the author focuses on typhoons in the western North Pacific. Rather than maximum wind speed, the intensity of the storms is measured by their lifetime minimum sea level pressure (MSLP. Quantile regression is used to test for trends in storms of extreme intensity. The results indicate that there is a trend of decreasing intensity in the most intense storms as measured by MSLP over the period 1951–2010. However, when the data are broken into intervals 1951–1987 and 1987–2010, neither interval has a significant trend, but the intensity quantiles for the two periods differ. Reasons for this are discussed, including the cessation of aircraft reconnaissance in 1987. The author also finds that the average typhoon intensity is greater in El Nino years, while the intensity of the strongest typhoons shows no significant relation to El Nino Southern Oscillation.

USING RESPONSES OF OYSTERS IN ESTABLISHING MINIMUM FLOWS AND LEVELS IN THE CALOOSAHATCHEE ESTUARY, FLORIDA

Science.gov (United States)

Volety, Aswani K., S. Gregory Tolley and James T. Winstead. 2002. Using Responses of Oysters in Establishing Minimum Flows and Levels in the Caloosahatchee Estuary, Florida (Abstract). Presented at the 6th International Conference on Shellfish Restoration, 20-24 November 2002, Ch...

Lifelong Learning Key Competence Levels of Graduate Students

Science.gov (United States)

Adabas, Abdurrahman; Kaygin, Hüseyin

2016-01-01

The European Union defines lifelong learning as all activities aimed at improving an individual's knowledge, skills and competences individually, socially or vocationally throughout his/her life. In 2007, eight key competences necessary for lifelong learning were identified by the European Union Education and Culture Commission. These competences…

Investigating the effect of empowerment aspects on the competence level and success of primary school principals

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Hamidreza Rezazadeh Bahadoran

2018-05-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of empowerment aspects on the competence level and success of the primary school principals in Pakdasht city in Iran. This research is a descriptive-survey method and in terms purpose is practical. The statistical population of this study consisted of principals of the primary schools in Pakdasht city. The total number of primary school principals in this city is 135 people (75 male schools and 60 female schools. As data gathering tool, a researcher-made questionnaire was used. In order to analyze the validity of the questionnaire in this study, the Content Validation Method was used in which the questionnaires were first examined by the experts and the necessary corrections were made. The reliability of the questionnaire was evaluated using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Research hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling and AMOS software. The results show that competence and effectiveness aspects affect competence and success of principals of the Pakdasht elementary schools. Autonomy affects the competence level of elementary school principals in Pakdasht city but does not affect principals' success. Meaningfulness aspect did not affect principals’ competency however it is effective on principals’ success in Pakdasht elementary schools. Trust aspect was not effective on the Pakdasht elementary schools principals’ competence and success.

Relating Language and Music Skills in Young Children: A First Approach to Systemize and Compare Distinct Competencies on Different Levels.

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Cohrdes, Caroline; Grolig, Lorenz; Schroeder, Sascha

2016-01-01

Children in transition from kindergarten to school develop fundamental skills important for the acquisition of reading and writing. Previous research pointed toward substantial correlations between specific language- and music-related competencies as well as positive transfer effects from music on pre-literacy skills. However, until now the relationship between diverse music and language competencies remains unclear. In the present study, we used a comprehensive approach to clarify the relationships between a broad variety of language and music skills on different levels, not only between but also within domains. In order to do so, we selected representative language- and music-related competencies and systematically compared the performance of N = 44 5- to 7-year-old children with a control group of N = 20 young adults aged from 20 to 30. Competencies were organized in distinct levels according to varying units of vowels/sounds, words or syllables/short melodic or rhythmic phrases, syntax/harmony and context of a whole story/song to test for their interrelatedness within each domain. Following this, we conducted systematic correlation analyses between the competencies of both domains. Overall, selected competencies appeared to be appropriate for the measurement of language and music skills in young children with reference to comprehension, difficulty and a developmental perspective. In line with a hierarchical model of skill acquisition, performance on lower levels was predictive for the performance on higher levels within domains. Moreover, correlations between domains were stronger for competencies reflecting a similar level of cognitive processing, as expected. In conclusion, a systematic comparison of various competencies on distinct levels according to varying units turned out to be appropriate regarding comparability and interrelatedness. Results are discussed with regard to similarities and differences in the development of language and music skills as well

Relating language and music skills in young children: a first approach to systemize and compare distinct competencies on different levels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Caroline Cohrdes

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Children in transition from kindergarten to school develop fundamental skills important for the acquisition of reading and writing. Previous research pointed towards substantial correlations between specific language- and music-related competencies as well as positive transfer effects from music on pre-literacy skills. However, until now the relationship between diverse music and language competencies remains unclear. In the present study we used a comprehensive approach to clarify the relationships between a broad variety of language and music skills on different levels, not only between but also within domains. In order to do so, we selected representative language- and music-related competencies and systematically compared the performance of N = 44 5- to 7-year-old children with a control group of N = 20 young adults aged from 20 to 30. Competencies were organized in distinct levels according to varying units of vowels/sounds, words or syllables/short melodic or rhythmic phrases, syntax/harmony and context of a whole story/song to test for their interrelatedness within each domain. Following this, we conducted systematic correlation analyses between the competencies of both domains. Overall, selected competencies appeared to be appropriate for the measurement of language and music skills in young children with reference to comprehension, difficulty and a developmental perspective. In line with a hierarchical model of skill acquisition, performance on lower levels was predictive for the performance on higher levels within domains. Moreover, correlations between domains were stronger for competencies reflecting a similar level of cognitive processing, as expected. In conclusion, a systematic comparison of various competencies on distinct levels according to varying units turned out to be appropriate regarding comparability and interrelatedness. Results are discussed with regard to similarities and differences in the development of language and

Factors Related to Competency Test Performance for High School Learning Disabled Students.

Science.gov (United States)

Hall, Julia; And Others

1985-01-01

This study explored some factors associated with learning disabled high school students who passed the North Carolina Minimum Competency Test on the second administration. Factors examined include reading score on the first competency test, intelligence quotient, locus of control, mother's education, teacher support, student/teacher ratio, and…

Minimum time control of a pair of two-level quantum systems with opposite drifts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Romano, Raffaele; D’Alessandro, Domenico

2016-01-01

In this paper we solve two equivalent time optimal control problems. On one hand, we design the control field to implement in minimum time the SWAP (or equivalent) operator on a two-level system, assuming that it interacts with an additional, uncontrollable, two-level system. On the other hand, we synthesize the SWAP operator simultaneously, in minimum time, on a pair of two-level systems subject to opposite drifts. We assume that it is possible to perform three independent control actions, and that the total control strength is bounded. These controls either affect the dynamics of the target system, under the first perspective, or, simultaneously, the dynamics of both systems, in the second view. We obtain our results by using techniques of geometric control theory on Lie groups. In particular, we apply the Pontryagin maximum principle, and provide a complete characterization of singular and nonsingular extremals. Our analysis shows that the problem can be formulated as the motion of a material point in a central force, a well known system in classical mechanics. Although we focus on obtaining the SWAP operator, many of the ideas and techniques developed in this work apply to the time optimal implementation of an arbitrary unitary operator. (paper)

Teacher competencies

OpenAIRE

Svatošová, Kateřina

2012-01-01

This diploma thesis deals with adult teacher competencies. It describes current situation in adult education and it focuses on measuring quality level of teacher competencies. There is given the main overview of adult education specifics. These are the prerequisites for defining adult teacher competencies. There is given specific adult teacher competencies and related roles which are generally based on teacher's activities during educational courses. Next part describes present conception of ...

THE PROJECTED RATE OF COMPETENCE FORMATION AS A TOOL OF EDUCATIONAL MANAGEMENT OF ADVANCED LEVEL OF EDUCATION

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L. V. Lvov

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. Specially organized complex of the scientific research directed to obtaining the reliable advancing information about development of pedagogical members is necessary for the development of educational policy, the strategy of development for educational systems, and methods of management of quality of pedagogical activity at different stages of education. The result of the educational management of professional and educational process is caused by the quality of pedagogical design. In turn, the quality of pedagogical forecasting is a factor determining the overall effectiveness of management through the pedagogical design.The aim of this article is to describe the model that allows applying the rate of competence formation as a tool of educational management and providing the advanced level of education. Methodology and research methods are based on pre-competence and context approach, which supposes the content selection as a set of competencies and designing the educational and professional process with the use of the rate of formation of ability and readiness (competency as a tool of teaching management.Results. The author states socio-pedagogical contradiction, which is in acute shortage of predictive tools in the management of the educational process. The article describes terminology and empirical mathematical models that underpin pedagogical management of the educational and professional training of students that provides the advanced level of formation of organizational and managerial competence.Scientific novelty. The author clarifies the concept of the advanced level of education; introduces the term of the rate of formation of competency; proposes a new model to solve the problem of predicting learning outcomes and timely management influence by managers of education at all stages of the design and functioning of the educational system in the conditions of implementation of competence-based approach in the higher school

Applying the cube model to pediatric psychology: development of research competency skills at the doctoral level.

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Madan-Swain, Avi; Hankins, Shirley L; Gilliam, Margaux Barnes; Ross, Kelly; Reynolds, Nina; Milby, Jesse; Schwebel, David C

2012-03-01

This article considers the development of research competencies in professional psychology and how that movement might be applied to training in pediatric psychology. The field of pediatric psychology has a short but rich history, and experts have identified critical competencies. However, pediatric psychology has not yet detailed a set of research-based competencies. This article initially reviews the competency initiative in professional psychology, including the cube model as it relates to research training. Next, we review and adapt the knowledge-based/foundational and applied/functional research competencies proposed by health psychology into a cube model for pediatric psychology. We focus especially on graduate-level training but allude to its application throughout professional development. We present the cube model as it is currently being applied to the development of a systematic research competency evaluation for graduate training at our medical/clinical psychology doctoral program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Based on the review and synthesis of the literature on research competency in professional psychology we propose future initiatives to develop these competencies for the field of pediatric psychology. The cube model can be successfully applied to the development of research training competencies in pediatric psychology. Future research should address the development, implementation, and assessment of the research competencies for training and career development of future pediatric psychologists.

Influence of Leisure Competence and Level of Leisure Activity on Life Satisfaction in Low-Income Older Adults in Rural South Korea.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Jihea; Choi, Jung A

2017-03-01

The purpose of the current study was to investigate the relationships among leisure competence, level of leisure activity, and life satisfaction in low-income older adults in rural South Korea. A sample of 137 older adults answered the study questionnaire, and significant differences in leisure competence were noted depending on age, religion, and perceived health status as well as level of leisure activity based on perceived health status and type of leisure activities. There were also notable differences in life satisfaction regarding religion and perceived health status, and a correlation among leisure competence, level of leisure activity, and life satisfaction; the influencing power of leisure competence and level of leisure activity on life satisfaction was 47%. The findings suggest that enhancement of older adults' leisure competence may increase participation in leisure activities. [Res Gerontol Nurs. 2017; 10(2):67-75.]. Copyright 2017, SLACK Incorporated.

CRITERIA, PARAMETERS AND LEVELS OF DEVELOPING ACTIVITY COMPONENTS OF PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS’ SOCIAL COMPETENCE IN THE SYSTEM OF POSTGRADUATE EDUCATION

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Olena Varetska

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Only recently scientists have directed their search to development criterion-level system of diagnostic tool of competence of teachers, including social one. The complexity is connected with the lack of a clear pedagogic performance of evaluation system of training of primary school teachers in high education, the efficiency of their education in postgraduate course for the development of social competence and established methods (procedures of the development. Despite of the some issues elaborated on the content and structure of the measurement, diagnostic tools evaluation categorical apparatus only conventional scientific view on the question of definition of objective criteria, indicators and levels of social competence of the person are not made. The lack of a clear system of evaluation of the results of primary school teachers training in high education institutions, the effectiveness of social competence of primary school teachers in the system of postgraduate education, established methods lead to development of the appropriate criterion-level tools. According to the limits of the article it focuses on activity-component of social competence primary school teachers. To highlight the criteria, indicators, levels of development in the system of postgraduate education partial methodology is grounded, proprietary methods of research of its three components is proposed. Detailed description of criterion-level tools for evaluation of results of activity of a component of social competence elementary school teacher made the awareness of its semantic content and the relationship between the criteria, indicators and levels of regulation of the specific characteristics of the assessment system possible. The results will be useful in the characteristics of criterion-level instruments of other components of the designated competence and self-monitoring of primary school teachers and future teachers, awareness of the social significance of the

Measuring receptive collocational competence across proficiency levels

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Déogratias Nizonkiza

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The present study investigates, (i English as Foreign Language (EFL learners’ receptive collocational knowledge growth in relation to their linguistic proficiency level; (ii how much receptive collocational knowledge is acquired as proficiency develops; and (iii the extent to which receptive knowledge of collocations of EFL learners varies across word frequency bands. A proficiency measure and a collocation test were administered to English majors at the University of Burundi. Results of the study suggest that receptive collocational competence develops alongside EFL learners’ linguistic proficiency; which lends empirical support to Gyllstad (2007, 2009 and Author (2011 among others, who reported similar findings. Furthermore, EFL learners’ collocations growth seems to be quantifiable wherein both linguistic proficiency level and word frequency occupy a crucial role. While more gains in terms of collocations that EFL learners could potentially add as a result of change in proficiency are found at lower levels of proficiency; collocations of words from more frequent word bands seem to be mastered first, and more gains are found at more frequent word bands. These results confirm earlier findings on the non-linearity nature of vocabulary growth (cf. Meara 1996 and the fundamental role played by frequency in word knowledge for vocabulary in general (Nation 1983, 1990, Nation and Beglar 2007, which are extended here to collocations knowledge.

The Concept of Method for Determining the Minimum Level of Airport Business Continuity

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Kozłowski Michał

2016-07-01

Full Text Available The paper presents the problem of determining the minimum acceptable level of products and services of airport business continuity. Conducted a study of legal requirements and operational needs. Characterized components of BCMS (ISO 22301. Determined the relationship between measures of the reliability and capacity in the airport BCMS. On this basis, presented a concept of use the reliability gamma-percent resource measure and RCM methods in the airport BCMS.

Time to competency, reliability of flexible transnasal laryngoscopy by training level: a pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

Brook, Christopher D; Platt, Michael P; Russell, Kimberly; Grillone, Gregory A; Aliphas, Avner; Noordzij, J Pieter

2015-05-01

To determine the progression of flexible transnasal laryngoscopy reliability and competency in otolaryngology residency training. Prospective case control study. Academic otolaryngology department. Medical students, otolaryngology residents, and otolaryngology attending physicians. Fourteen otolaryngology residents from PGY-1 to PGY-5 and 3 attending otolaryngologists viewed 25 selected and digitally recorded flexible transnasal laryngoscopies. The evaluators were asked to rate 13 items relating to abnormalities in the oropharynx, hypopharynx, larynx, and subglottis. The level of concern and level of comfort with the diagnosis were assessed. Intraclass correlations were calculated for each topic and by level of training to determine reliability within each class and compare competency versus attending interpretations. Intraclass correlation of residents compared to attending physicians demonstrated significant improvements by year for left and right vocal fold immobility, subglottic stenosis, laryngeal mass, left and right vocal cord abnormalities, and level of concern. Additionally, pooled vocal cord mobility and pooled results in categories with good attending reliability demonstrated stepwise improvement as well. For these categories, resident reliability was found to be statistically similar to attending physicians in all categories by PGY-3. There were no trends for base of tongue abnormalities, pharyngeal abnormalities, and pharyngeal and hypopharyngeal masses. Resident competency for flexible transnasal laryngoscopy progresses during residency to reliability with attending otolaryngologists by the PGY-3 year over key facets of the examination. © American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation 2015.

Job competencies for the malaysian consultant project managers

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Dr. Ilias Said

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Architects, engineers and quantity surveyors are among the main players in construction.Coming from different background and professional background, these professionals bring in their own respective styles and methods of project management practices. There is now a body of opinion among industry people and academics alike that the industry needs to establish competency standard especially for project managers. Irrespective of their professional background, competent project managers should hypothetically deliver high quality services to the clients. A study was conducted at the School of Housing, Building and Planning, University of Science Malaysia (USM, to develop a job competence model for Consultant Project Managers (CPMs. It attempts to determine a set of minimum standards of skills and competencies for CPMs. This paper reports the findings of the study. It provides an insight into the type of competencies needed by CPMs based on the “Job Competence Model for Consultant Project Managers” developed from the study.

Relation among the level of development of the competences in the managers of the health services and the institutional quality, Antioquia, 2005

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Libardo A. Giraldo G

2008-06-01

Full Text Available Objective: to determine the relationship between the level of development of the competences of the managers of health services in Antioquia as well as the quality of the institution they conduct. Methodology: a probabilistic stratified random sampling by level of complexity was done and then a simple random sampling in each one. 112 managers constituted the sample. Four instruments were used; three of them to evaluate the competence level of the managers and the other one to evaluate the level of institutional quality. Results: the development of the competences among managers was found between the basic and inexperienced levels, showing a poor performance in their management tasks. Additionally, a high correlation among competences was also identified indicating that the high or low level of development of a competence directly affects the performance of the manager. The quality of the institutions showed levels of business development between incipient and medium, thus revealing some sort of functional units which are determinant in the business development, such as service operations, planning, management control, and marketing. Finally, it was shown that the presence of some competences in the manager positively impacts the development of the functional units. Thus the performance of managers has direct effects on the success or failure of the institution.

Student Team Achievement Divisions: Its Effect on Electrical Motor Installation Knowledge Competence

Science.gov (United States)

Hanafi, Ahmad; Basuki, Ismet

2018-04-01

Student team achievement division (STAD) was an active learning strategy with the small group inside of the classroom members. The students would work in small heterogeneous groups (of five to six members) and help one another to comprehend the material given. To achieve the objectives of the study, this research aims to know the effect of STAD on competence of electrical motor installation. The objective of the student competence was knowledge competence. The data was collected from 30 students. the participants were the students of second class at electrical installation techniques, SMKN 1 Pungging Indonesia. The design of empirical test in this research was one shot case study. The result of knowledge test would be compared by criteria for minimum competence, which was 75. Knowledge competence was analyzed with one sample t test technique. From the analysis got average 84.93, which meant average of student competence had reached criteria for minimum competence. From that analyze, It could be concluded that STAD was effective on electrical motor installation knowledge competence. STAD could grow student motivation to learn better than other models. But, in the application of cooperative learning teacher should prepare carefully before the learning process to avoid problems that could arise during group learning such as students who were less active in the groups. The problem could be resolved by away the teachers took around to check each group. It was felt could minimize the problems.

Taxpayers’ Competency Level in Governing Goods Services Tax (GST) Compliance: Malaysia Scenario

OpenAIRE

Hambali Siti Syaqilah; Kamaluddin Amrizah

2017-01-01

GST implementation in Malaysia in April 2015 is part of the tax reformation with the goal of having a more efficient and effective taxation system. A successful tax reformation requires a high acceptance from taxpayers. In order to aid in the acceptance of GST implementation, taxpayers need to have a good competency level reflected through proper knowledge and awareness of the GST system, also known as GST literacy. Thus, the main objective of this study is to assess the level of GST literacy...

EU-level competence development projects in agri-food-environment: the involvement of sectoral social partners

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mulder, M.

2006-01-01

Purpose - The European Commission and social partner organisations at EU level encourage the lifelong development of qualifications and competence. This is reflected in many policy reports and reviews. This paper seeks to show the involvement of social partner organisations at the level of EU-funded

How do minimum cigarette price laws affect cigarette prices at the retail level?

Science.gov (United States)

Feighery, E C; Ribisl, K M; Schleicher, N C; Zellers, L; Wellington, N

2005-04-01

Half of US states have minimum cigarette price laws that were originally passed to protect small independent retailers from unfair price competition with larger retailers. These laws prohibit cigarettes from being sold below a minimum price that is set by a formula. Many of these laws allow cigarette company promotional incentives offered to retailers, such as buydowns and master-type programmes, to be calculated into the formula. Allowing this provision has the potential to lower the allowable minimum price. This study assesses whether stores in states with minimum price laws have higher cigarette prices and lower rates of retailer participation in cigarette company promotional incentive programmes. Retail cigarette prices and retailer participation in cigarette company incentive programmes in 2001 were compared in eight states with minimum price laws and seven states without them. New York State had the most stringent minimum price law at the time of the study because it excluded promotional incentive programmes in its price setting formula; cigarette prices in New York were compared to all other states included in the study. Cigarette prices were not significantly different in our sample of US states with and without cigarette minimum price laws. Cigarette prices were significantly higher in New York stores than in the 14 other states combined. Most existing minimum cigarette price laws appear to have little impact on the retail price of cigarettes. This may be because they allow the use of promotional programmes, which are used by manufacturers to reduce cigarette prices. New York's strategy to disallow these types of incentive programmes may result in higher minimum cigarette prices, and should also be explored as a potential policy strategy to control cigarette company marketing practices in stores. Strict cigarette minimum price laws may have the potential to reduce cigarette consumption by decreasing demand through increased cigarette prices and reduced

Minimum Wage in the RMG Sector of Bangladesh: Definition, Determination Method and Levels

OpenAIRE

Khondaker Golam Moazzem; Saifa Raz

2014-01-01

Minimum wage in the RMG sector of Bangladesh is a debated issue, mainly due to lack of operational definition and method for calculation. This study is undertaken to come up with a definition and method for calculation of the minimum wage based on the ILO Minimum Wage Fixing Convention, 1970 (No. 131). The underlying principle of this definition is that minimum wage should be sufficient enough to meet the basic needs of workers and their families, and should provide some discretionary income....

Public health financial management competencies.

Science.gov (United States)

Honoré, Peggy A; Costich, Julia F

2009-01-01

The absence of appropriate financial management competencies has impeded progress in advancing the field of public health finance. It also inhibits the ability to professionalize this sector of the workforce. Financial managers should play a critical role by providing information relevant to decision making. The lack of fundamental financial management knowledge and skills is a barrier to fulfilling this role. A national expert committee was convened to examine this issue. The committee reviewed standards related to financial and business management practices within public health and closely related areas. Alignments were made with national standards such as those established for government chief financial officers. On the basis of this analysis, a comprehensive set of public health financial management competencies was identified and examined further by a review panel. At a minimum, the competencies can be used to define job descriptions, assess job performance, identify critical gaps in financial analysis, create career paths, and design educational programs.

Ultrasonography for rheumatologists: the development of specific competency based educational outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, A K; O'Connor, P J; Roberts, T E; Wakefield, R J; Karim, Z; Emery, P

2006-05-01

A competency based approach to the education of rheumatologists in musculoskeletal ultrasonography (MSK US) ensures standards are documented, transparent, accountable, and defensible, with clear benefit to all stakeholders. Specific competency outcomes will facilitate informed development of a common curriculum and structured programme of training and assessment. To determine explicit competency based learning outcomes for rheumatologists undertaking MSK US. International experts in MSK US, satisfying specific selection criteria, were asked to define the minimum standards required by a rheumatologist to be judged competent in MSK US. They reviewed 115 MSK US skills, comprising bone and soft tissue pathology, in seven joints regions of the upper and lower limbs, and rated their relative importance according to specific criteria. These data are presented as specific educational outcomes within designated competency categories. 57 expert MSK US practitioners were identified and 35 took part in this study. Ten generic core competency outcomes were recognised including physics, anatomy, technique, and interpretation. Regarding specific regional competencies, 53% (61/115) were considered "must know" core learning outcomes, largely comprising inflammatory joint/tendon/bone pathology and guided procedures; 45% (52/115) were required at an intermediate/advanced level (18/115 "should know", 34/115 "could know"), and 2% (2/115) were deemed inappropriate/unnecessary for rheumatologist ultrasonographers. This is the first study to developing a competency model for the education of rheumatologists in MSK US based on the evidence of international experts. A specific set of learning outcomes has been defined, which will facilitate future informed education and practice development and provide a blueprint for a structured rheumatology MSK US curriculum and assessment process.

Public health leadership competency level among health professionals in a South Eastern European country

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pampuri, O.; Czabanowska, K.; Hysa, B.; Roshi, E.; Burazeri, G.

2015-01-01

Pampuri O, Czabanowska K, Hysa B, Roshi E, Burazeri G. Public health leadership competency level among health professionals in a South Eastern European country (Original research). SEEJPH 2015, posted: 10 February 2015. DOI 10.12908/SEEJPH-2014-40

Associations between state minimum wage policy and health care access: a multi-level analysis of the 2004 Behavioral Risk Factor survey.

Science.gov (United States)

McCarrier, Kelly P; Martin, Diane P; Ralston, James D; Zimmerman, Frederick J

2010-05-01

Minimum wage policies have been advanced as mechanisms to improve the economic conditions of the working poor. Both positive and negative effects of such policies on health care access have been hypothesized, but associations have yet to be thoroughly tested. To examine whether the presence of minimum wage policies in excess of the federal standard of $5.15 per hour was associated with health care access indicators among low-skilled adults of working age, a cross-sectional analysis of 2004 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data was conducted. Self-reported health insurance status and experience with cost-related barriers to needed medical care were adjusted in multi-level logistic regression models to control for potential confounding at the state, county, and individual levels. State-level wage policy was not found to be associated with insurance status or unmet medical need in the models, providing early evidence that increased minimum wage rates may neither strengthen nor weaken access to care as previously predicted.

Generic versus specific competencies of entry-level public health graduates: employers' perceptions in Poland, the UK, and the Netherlands.

Science.gov (United States)

Biesma, Regien G; Pavlova, Milena; Vaatstra, Rina; van Merode, Godefridus G; Czabanowska, Katarzyna; Smith, Tony; Groot, Wim

2008-08-01

Constant changes in society and the public health domain force public health professionals into new roles and the development of new competencies. Public health professionals will need to be trained to respond to this challenge. The aim of this comparative study among Poland, the UK and the Netherlands is to identify competence needs for Master of Public Health graduates entering the labour market from a European perspective. A self-administered questionnaire was sent to employers in the three countries, rating the importance of competency in public health on a master's level. In all three countries, interpersonal competencies, like team working and communication skills, are rated as highly important. However, employers in the UK and Poland generally rate public health specific competencies as much more important than their Dutch colleagues. It is concluded that while public health specific knowledge is providing a useful starting point for entry-level public health professionals, employers increasingly recognise the value of generic competencies such as communication and team working skills. The results suggest a stronger emphasis on teaching methods that encourage active learning and the integration of skills, which is crucial for enhancing graduates' employability, and foster an open attitude to multidisciplinary working, which is essential in modern health care.

Developing Cultural Competence at the Tactical Level: The Art of the Possible

Science.gov (United States)

2009-12-11

Violence : physical force used to inflict injury or damage 23 24 CHAPTER 4 ANALYSIS The Ends, Ways, and Means of Cultural Competency Another aspect...operations is inferred at the individual level of this simulation but would be better maximized as a multiplayer game. The term military operations inferred... multiplayer game. As with the previous simulation of Tactical Iraqi, the term military operations inferred the actions are executed collectively as a unit

Minimum wage development in the Russian Federation

OpenAIRE

Bolsheva, Anna

2012-01-01

The aim of this paper is to analyze the effectiveness of the minimum wage policy at the national level in Russia and its impact on living standards in the country. The analysis showed that the national minimum wage in Russia does not serve its original purpose of protecting the lowest wage earners and has no substantial effect on poverty reduction. The national subsistence minimum is too low and cannot be considered an adequate criterion for the setting of the minimum wage. The minimum wage d...

Minimum Wage Laws and the Distribution of Employment.

Science.gov (United States)

Lang, Kevin

The desirability of raising the minimum wage long revolved around just one question: the effect of higher minimum wages on the overall level of employment. An even more critical effect of the minimum wage rests on the composition of employment--who gets the minimum wage job. An examination of employment in eating and drinking establishments…

Comparison of motor competence levels on two assessments across childhood.

Science.gov (United States)

Ré, Alessandro H N; Logan, Samuel W; Cattuzzo, Maria T; Henrique, Rafael S; Tudela, Mariana C; Stodden, David F

2018-01-01

This study compared performances and motor delay classifications for the Test of Gross Motor Development-2nd edition (TGMD-2) and the Körperkoordinationstest Für Kinder (KTK) in a sample of 424 healthy children (47% girls) between 5 and 10 years of age. Low-to-moderate correlations (r range = 0.34-0.52) were found between assessments across age. In general, both boys and girls demonstrated higher raw scores across age groups. However, percentile scores indicated younger children outperformed older children, denoting a normative percentile-based decrease in motor competence (MC) in the older age groups. In total, the TGMD-2 and KTK classified 39.4% and 18.4% children, respectively, as demonstrating very low MC (percentile ≤5). In conclusion, the TGMD-2 classified significantly more children with motor delays than the KTK and the differences between children's motor skill classification levels by these assessments became greater as the age groups increased. Therefore, the TGMD-2 may demonstrate more susceptibility to sociocultural influences and be more influenced by cumulative motor experiences throughout childhood. Low-to-moderate correlations between assessments also suggest the TGMD-2 and KTK may measure different aspects of MC. As such, it may be important to use multiple assessments to comprehensively assess motor competence.

Teachers' opinion about learning continuum based on student's level of competence and specific pedagogical material in classification topics

Science.gov (United States)

Andriani, Aldina Eka; Subali, Bambang

2017-08-01

This research discusses learning continuum development for designing a curriculum. The objective of this study is to gather the opinion of public junior and senior high school teachers about learning continuum based on student's level of competence and specific pedagogical material in classification topics. This research was conducted in Yogyakarta province from October 2016 to January 2017. This research utilizes a descriptive survey method. Respondents in this study consist of 281 science teachers at junior and senior high school in Yogyakarta city and 4 regencies namely Sleman, Bantul, Kulonprogo, and Gunung Kidul. The sample were taken using a census. The collection of data used questionnaire that had been validated from the aspects of construct validity and experts judgements. Data were analyzed using a descriptive analysis technique. The results of the analysis show that the opinions of teachers regarding specific pedagogical material in classification topics of living things at the junior high school taught in grade VII to the ability level of C2 (Understanding). At senior high school level, it is taught in grade X with the ability level C2 (Understanding). Based on these results, it can be concluded that the opinions of teachers still refer to the current syllabus and curriculum so that the teachers do not have pure opinions about the student's competence level in classification topics that should be taught at the level of the grade in accordance with the level of corresponding competency.

Managerial competence at senior levels of integrated delivery systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Longest, B B

1998-01-01

The advent of integrated delivery systems (IDSs) in the healthcare industry has changed much about the work involved in running many healthcare organizations. As a result of these changes, senior healthcare managers in IDSs need different skills and knowledge (competencies) than managers of other healthcare systems. The work of managers is changed by the shift to more organizational integration in the healthcare industry because they become responsible for coordinated continuation of services, accountable for the overall health status of the populations they serve, and involved in more complex organizational structures. The article identifies six distinct managerial competencies--conceptual, technical managerial/clinical, interpersonal/collaborative, political, commercial, and governance--and describes how they relate to an IDS senior manager's successful work performance. The implications of these competencies are considered for practicing senior managers in IDSs, as well as those who aspire to such positions, and those who help educate them.

SB certification handout material requirements, test methods, responsibilities, and minimum classification levels for mixture-based specification for flexible base.

Science.gov (United States)

2012-10-01

A handout with tables representing the material requirements, test methods, responsibilities, and minimum classification levels mixture-based specification for flexible base and details on aggregate and test methods employed, along with agency and co...

Minimum Wages and Regional Disparity: An analysis on the evolution of price-adjusted minimum wages and their effects on firm profitability (Japanese)

OpenAIRE

MORIKAWA Masayuki

2013-01-01

This paper, using prefecture level panel data, empirically analyzes 1) the recent evolution of price-adjusted regional minimum wages and 2) the effects of minimum wages on firm profitability. As a result of rapid increases in minimum wages in the metropolitan areas since 2007, the regional disparity of nominal minimum wages has been widening. However, the disparity of price-adjusted minimum wages has been shrinking. According to the analysis of the effects of minimum wages on profitability us...

Comparison of Health Outcomes Among Children with Different Levels of Motor Competence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chagas Daniel V.

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Purpose. While evidence suggests that children with the developmental coordination disorder (DCD have worse health outcomes than their typically developing peers, it remains unclear whether children with low motor competence but without DCD are also characterized by worse health outcomes than those with average motor competence. The main purpose of this study was to compare health outcomes between children with low motor competence without DCD and those with average motor competence.

Self-evaluated competence in trauma reception

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Steinthorsdottir, Kristin Julia; Svenningsen, Peter; Fabricius, Rasmus

2017-01-01

Introduction: No formal training requirements exist for trauma teams in Denmark. The aim of this study was to investigate the point prevalence level of training and the selfevaluated competence of doctors involved in trauma care. Methods: On two nights, all doctors on call at departments involved...... in trauma care were interviewed and answered a structured questionnaire pertaining to their level of training and self-evaluated level of competence in relevant skills. These skills included the ability to perform diagnostics and interventions as mandated by the Advanced Trauma Life Support and Definitive...... surgeons (GS) were specialists. In terms of self-evaluated competence, 95% of AN felt competent performing damage control resuscitation, 82% of OS felt competent performing damage control surgery on extremities, whereas 55% of GS felt competent performing damage control surgery in the abdomen. A total...

Self-evaluated competence in trauma reception

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Steinthorsdottir, Kristin Julia; Svenningsen, Peter; Fabricius, Rasmus

2017-01-01

INTRODUCTION: No formal training requirements exist for trauma teams in Denmark. The aim of this study was to investigate the point prevalence level of training and the self-evaluated competence of doctors involved in trauma care. METHODS: On two nights, all doctors on call at departments involved...... in trauma care were interviewed and answered a structured questionnaire pertaining to their level of training and self-evaluated level of competence in relevant skills. These skills included the ability to perform diagnostics and interventions as mandated by the Advanced Trauma Life Support and Definitive...... surgeons (GS) were specialists. In terms of self-evaluated competence, 95% of AN felt competent performing damage control resuscitation, 82% of OS felt competent performing damage control surgery on extremities, whereas 55% of GS felt competent performing damage control surgery in the abdomen. A total...

Effects of Blended Learning Environment on Professional Competence and Motivation Levels of Coach Candidates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Turker Turan Yildiz

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Impeding factors which restrain educational activities such as physical impracticability exist in coach training courses, which are mainly caused by organizations, ineffective and insufficient duration of courses to resolve these problems, it is possible to use blended learning methods in coach training courses. Thus, we developed a traditional face-to-face environment for a special education course and an online environment for a fundamental education course using blending approach. The study aimed to investigate the effects of blended learning model proposed for coaching education courses on the motivation levels and professional competence of coach candidates. Participants were the trainees who wanted to participate in the first stage of the coach training course at volleyball branch. The coach candidates in the blended learning environment showed significantly higher motivation levels compared to the others in the control group. In addition, a significant difference between the control and the experiment groups of coach candidates in regard to their professional competence was detected. This study is compelling in terms of strengthening the significance of the blended learning environment, even in coach training.

The intercultural competence learning lab : a training initiative for intercultural competences development of faculty as a precondition for intercultural competences development of students

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Poel, Marcel H.; Jones, Elspeth; Coelen, Robert; Beelen, Jos; de Wit, Hans

2016-01-01

“So why do we assume our teachers pull at the right end of the rope?” This question was raised during a discussion concerning the intercultural competences of our faculty in comparison to the perceived disappointing level of intercultural competences of our graduates. Intercultural competence

EVALUATION OF UNIVERSITY GRADUATE COMPETENCES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mikhail B. Gitman

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The quality evaluation problem in training of students at competence-based approach is considered in the article. The technique of creation of a negentropic assessment of level of the competences formation of graduates students is offered. The article deals with the special learning curves, which provide the opportunity to be more precise in defi ning the dependence of the level of the students' competence formation of the on their scoring. 

Determining Performance Levels of Competencies for Job Entry. Final Report. Marketing and Retail Sales Programs.

Science.gov (United States)

Hillmer, Warren; And Others

To provide input for curriculum evaluation, a study to identify basic competencies required for entry-level positions in the marketing/merchandising field was conducted in Wisconsin vocational education districts. Marketing and merchandising graduates and their employers were surveyed by mailed questionnaire to determine the degree of performance…

Examination of core competencies of agricultural development professionals in Cambodia.

Science.gov (United States)

Suvedi, Murari; Ghimire, Ramjee; Channa, Ty

2018-04-01

This cross-sectional study examined perceived level of importance, perceived level of competency in extension core competencies, and whether and how perceptions of competency vary by respondents' demographics; ascertained gaps in competency, if any; and identified ways for agricultural development professionals in Cambodia to acquire core competencies. Data were collected using a group-administered survey among 39 agricultural development professionals participating in a national workshop in December 2015. The survey consisted of 48 competencies representing eight core competencies, and each competency had level of importance and level of competency parts. The findings show that extension workers in Cambodia deemed all competencies highly or very highly important to their extension work; however, their perceived level of competency in those competencies appeared not to meet the expectations. The level of competency in all but communication skills and diversity significantly differed by gender but not by age and experience. Respondents indicated all four methods-preservice, in-service, basic induction training, and participation in seminars, workshops, and webinars-equally appropriate to acquire core competencies. The findings imply that the agricultural development authority in Cambodia should review, update, or design extension education curricula incorporating the competencies highlighted in this study and train its extension cadres on those competencies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Impact of an Educational Intervention on Knowledge and Competency Levels for Students Enrolled in a Forensic Nursing Science Course

Science.gov (United States)

Drake, Stacy A.

2014-01-01

Forensic nursing is an emerging nursing specialty recognized by the American Nursing Association. However, nurses often do not have the basic knowledge or practical competence to provide the appropriate level of forensic care. The purpose of this study was to determine if differences in knowledge or practical competence existed between students…

Development of geriatric competencies for emergency medicine residents using an expert consensus process.

Science.gov (United States)

Hogan, Teresita M; Losman, Eve D; Carpenter, Christopher R; Sauvigne, Karen; Irmiter, Cheryl; Emanuel, Linda; Leipzig, Rosanne M

2010-03-01

The emergency department (ED) visit rate for older patients exceeds that of all age groups other than infants. The aging population will increase elder ED patient utilization to 35% to 60% of all visits. Older patients can have complex clinical presentations and be resource-intensive. Evidence indicates that emergency physicians fail to provide consistent high-quality care for elder ED patients, resulting in poor clinical outcomes. The objective was to develop a consensus document, "Geriatric Competencies for Emergency Medicine Residents," by identified experts. This is a minimum set of behaviorally based performance standards that all residents should be able to demonstrate by completion of their residency training. This consensus-based process utilized an inductive, qualitative, multiphase method to determine the minimum geriatric competencies needed by emergency medicine (EM) residents. Assessments of face validity and reliability were used throughout the project. In Phase I, participants (n=363) identified 12 domains and 300 potential competencies. In Phase II, an expert panel (n=24) clustered the Phase I responses, resulting in eight domains and 72 competencies. In Phase III, the expert panel reduced the competencies to 26. In Phase IV, analysis of face validity and reliability yielded a 100% consensus for eight domains and 26 competencies. The domains identified were atypical presentation of disease; trauma, including falls; cognitive and behavioral disorders; emergent intervention modifications; medication management; transitions of care; pain management and palliative care; and effect of comorbid conditions. The Geriatric Competencies for EM Residents is a consensus document that can form the basis for EM residency curricula and assessment to meet the demands of our aging population. Copyright (c) 2010 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine.

Obstetric and Gynecologic Ultrasound Curriculum and Competency Assessment in Residency Training Programs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Abuhamad, Alfred; Minton, Katherine K; Benson, Carol B

2018-01-01

in Medicine assembled a multisociety task force to develop a consensus-based, standardized curriculum and competency assessment tools for obstetric and gynecologic ultrasound training in residency programs. The curriculum and competency assessment tools were developed based on existing national...... and international guidelines for the performance of obstetric and gynecologic ultrasound examinations and thus are intended to represent the minimum requirement for such training. By expert consensus, the curriculum was developed for each year of training, criteria for each competency assessment image were...... that the criteria set forth in this document will evolve with time. The task force also encourages use of ultrasound simulation in residency training and expects that simulation will play a significant part in the curriculum and the competency assessment process. Incorporating this training curriculum...

Obstetric and gynecologic ultrasound curriculum and competency assessment in residency training programs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Abuhamad, Alfred; Minton, Katherine K; Benson, Carol B

2018-01-01

in Medicine assembled a multisociety task force to develop a consensus-based, standardized curriculum and competency assessment tools for obstetric and gynecologic ultrasound training in residency programs. The curriculum and competency assessment tools were developed based on existing national...... and international guidelines for the performance of obstetric and gynecologic ultrasound examinations and thus are intended to represent the minimum requirement for such training. By expert consensus, the curriculum was developed for each year of training, criteria for each competency assessment image were...... that the criteria set forth in this document will evolve with time. The task force also encourages use of ultrasound simulation in residency training and expects that simulation will play a significant part in the curriculum and the competency assessment process. Incorporating this training curriculum...

Evaluation of Intelligent Grouping Based on Learners' Collaboration Competence Level in Online Collaborative Learning Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Muuro, Maina Elizaphan; Oboko, Robert; Wagacha, Waiganjo Peter

2016-01-01

In this paper we explore the impact of an intelligent grouping algorithm based on learners' collaborative competency when compared with (a) instructor based Grade Point Average (GPA) method level and (b) random method, on group outcomes and group collaboration problems in an online collaborative learning environment. An intelligent grouping…

The Impact of Intercultural Competency Training on Perceived Levels of Conflict among Multicultural Student Groups

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Tate

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study, based on a quasi-experimental static group comparison design, was to determine the extent to which intercultural competency (ICC) training might be related to perceived levels of conflict (i.e., disagreements related to cultural misunderstandings and perceptions) among multicultural groups of students who participated in…

The Relationship between Maternal Acceptance-Rejection Levels and Preschoolers' Social Competence and Emotion Regulation Skills

Science.gov (United States)

Bayindir, Dilan; Güven, Gülçin; Sezer, Türker; Aksin-Yavuz, Ezgi; Yilmaz, Elif

2017-01-01

The purpose of this research was to examine the relationship between maternal acceptance-rejection levels and preschool children's social competence and emotion regulation skills. The study group of the research, which was designed in survey method, consisted of 303 voluntary mother-child dyad. The participant children were attending a preschool…

Classification of SBS Mathematics Questions between 2008-2013 years with Respect to PISA Competency Levels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tuğba Aydoğdu İskenderoğlu

2013-11-01

Full Text Available One of the main objectives of the education is students are ready to make the conditions of the age in which they live. From this perspective approach of mathematics education changed in our age looking for answers to the question as instead of "what we teach them?", "How they use our teaching which their life?". In other words, the main purpose of education is our students collected under the mathematical literacy. Then teach them which students' knowledge which use in everyday life, to make logical inferences, interpret and solve problems related to the various situations. The purpose of this study was implemented in our country between the years of 2008-2013 SBS questions examined and categorized according to the scale which PISA mathematics proficiency. In this study, data was collected using qualitative research techniques, document analysis methods of data collection. The results of the study, the questions examined in this study all levels of math exams in 2008-2013 SBS was not appropriate questions. Questions in general 2, 3 and 4 levels of which they are located, exams include just one question which is the highest level of 5 and there have not been any questions level 6. SBS administered by the Ministry of National Education thought-provoking the absence of the upper levels questions. For this reason, math questions of SBS should be every level and be prepared questions reconsideration measurement is recommended.Key Words: PISA, Mathematics competency levels, Mathematics competency scale, Mathematics problems of SBS

The development of national competency standards for the midwife in Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Homer, Caroline S E; Passant, Lyn; Kildea, Sue; Pincombe, Jan; Thorogood, Carol; Leap, Nicky; Brodie, Pat M

2007-12-01

to develop and validate national competency standards for midwives in Australia. This study was part of a commissioned national research project to articulate the scope of practice of Australian midwives and to develop national competency standards to assist midwives to deliver safe and competent midwifery care. a multi-method, staged approach was used to collect data through a literature review, workshop consultations, interviews, surveys and written submissions in order to develop national competency standards for Australian midwives. Subsequently, direct observation of practice in a range of settings ensured validation of the competencies. maternity-care settings in each state and territory in Australia. midwives, other health professionals and consumers of midwifery care. The national competency standards for the midwife were developed through research and consultation before being validated in practice. the national competency standards are currently being implemented into education, regulation and practice in Australia. These will be minimum competency standards required of all midwives who seek authority to practise as a midwife in Australia. It is expected that all midwives will demonstrate that they are able to meet the competency standards relevant to the position they hold. the competency standards establish a national standard for midwives and reinforce responsibility and accountability in the provision of quality midwifery care through safe and effective practice. In addition, individual midwives may use the competency standards as the basis of their ongoing professional development plans.

New Graduate Paramedics’ First and Emergency Aid Formal and Practical Training Levels and Perception of Competency

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cetin Kizilkan

2009-08-01

Full Text Available AIM: The aim of this study is to determine first and emergency aid formal and practical education levels and perception of adequacy of trainee medical noncommissioned officers who graduated from Gulhane Military Medical Academy Medical NCO Vocational School in 2007. METHOD: The study included 54 trainee medical NCOs who had graduated from Gulhane Military Medical Academy Medical NCO Vocational School in 2007. The data were collected by a questionnaire developed by the investigators. RESULTS: Of the participants 79,6 % stated that he had never used the defibrillator, 33,3 % had never made hemorrhage control, 53,7% had never done fracture stabilization, 90,7% expressed himself adequate in “Intravenous (IV cannulation”, 98,2% in “hemorrhage control” and 72,2% in “Firearms wounds management”. In the exam including 10 questions nobody answered all the questions correctly and correct answers average was 5.9 ± 1.3 (minimum 3, maximum 9. CONCLUSION: Having the medical NCOs in a training program before they start service would be useful. Revision of the training program for medical NCOs according to the findings of our study especially in competency giving practical training would help the training of NCOs. Skills related to combat casualty care of NCOs should be promoted. Bu arastirma 13 ncu Balkan Askeri Tip Komitesi Kongresinde poster bildiri olarak sunulmustur. [TAF Prev Med Bull 2009; 8(4.000: 291-296

Taxpayers’ Competency Level in Governing Goods Services Tax (GST Compliance: Malaysia Scenario

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Hambali Siti Syaqilah

2017-01-01

Full Text Available GST implementation in Malaysia in April 2015 is part of the tax reformation with the goal of having a more efficient and effective taxation system. A successful tax reformation requires a high acceptance from taxpayers. In order to aid in the acceptance of GST implementation, taxpayers need to have a good competency level reflected through proper knowledge and awareness of the GST system, also known as GST literacy. Thus, the main objective of this study is to assess the level of GST literacy of taxpayers. Secondly, the current study aims to identify the relationship between GST literacy level with the GST acceptance of the taxpayers. Questionnaires were distributed to 150 secondary school teachers in Johor, one of the states in Malaysia. The finding indicates that the respondents’ literacy rate towards the GST implementation in Malaysia is fair. The results imply that secondary school teachers have a moderate knowledge level and high awareness level on GST implementation in Malaysia. The study proves statistically that there is a positive significant relationship between GST literacy with GST acceptance.

Digital Storytelling: A Tool for Identifying and Developing Cultural Competence with Preservice Teachers in an Introduction to Middle Level Education Course

Science.gov (United States)

Ruppert, Nancy; Adcock, Lee T.; Crave, Jared

2017-01-01

Using five themes associated with a diversity intensive undergraduate course, preservice teachers in an upper level introduction to middle grade course described their knowledge of cultural competence using digital storytelling as the tool. Findings suggest digital storytelling provides a tool to explore and describe how cultural competence is…

Initial experiences in embedding core competency education in entry-level surgery residents through a nonclinical rotation.

Science.gov (United States)

Kahol, Kanav; Huston, Carrie; Hamann, Jessica; Ferrara, John J

2011-03-01

Health care continues to expand in scope and in complexity. In this changing environment, residents are challenged with understanding its intricacies and the impact it will have on their professional activities and careers. Embedding each of the competency elements in residents in a meaningful way remains a challenge for many surgery residency program directors. We established a nonclinical rotation to provide surgery postgraduate year-1 (PGY-1) residents with a structured, multifaceted, largely self-directed curriculum into which each of the 6 core competencies are woven. Posttesting strategies were established for most curricular experiences to ensure to the greatest possible extent that each resident will have achieved an acceptable level of understanding of each of the competency areas before being given credit for the rotation. By uniformly exceeding satisfactory scores on respective objective analyses, residents demonstrated an increased (at least short-term) understanding of each of the assessed competency areas. Our project sought to address a prior lack of opportunity for our residents to develop a sound foundation for our residents in systems-based practice. Our new rotation addresses systems-based practice in several different learning environments, including emergency medical service ride-along, sentinel event participation, and hospice visits. Several research projects have enhanced the overall learning program. Our experience shows that a rotation dedicated to competency training can provide an innovative and engaging means of teaching residents the value of each element.

Do levels of social competence influence the perception of social affordances among students with low levels of education? An exploratory case study of the relationship between offline and online socializing factors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Moekotte, Paulo; Brand-Gruwel, Saskia; Ritzen, Henk

2018-01-01

In this exploratory case study we investigate the relation between off line and online factors that influence social dynamics of online, collaborative learning, that is the levels of social competence and the perception of social affordances. We argued that low educated with low social competences

The Role of Motor Competence and Body Mass Index in Children's Activity Levels in Physical Education Classes

Science.gov (United States)

Spessato, Barbara Coiro; Gabbard, Carl; Valentini, Nadia C.

2013-01-01

Our goal was to investigate the role of body mass index (BMI) and motor competence (MC) in children's physical activity (PA) levels during physical education (PE) classes. We assessed PA levels of 5-to-10-year old children ("n" = 264) with pedometers in four PE classes. MC was assessed using the TGMD-2 and BMI values were classified…

Nursing Competency: Definition, Structure and Development

OpenAIRE

Fukada, Mika

2018-01-01

Nursing competency includes core abilities that are required for fulfilling one’s role as a nurse. Therefore, it is important to learly define nursing competency to　establish a foundation for nursing education curriculum. However, while the concepts surrounding nursing competency are important for improving nursing quality, they are still not yet completely developed. Thus, challenges remain in establishing finitions and structures for nursing competency, competency levels necessary for　nurs...

Competence is Competence

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bramming, Pia

2004-01-01

The article will address competence, its' diffusion, application, and the consequence of this application within the field of Human Resource Management (HRM). The concept competence-in-practice will be presented and in conclusion the article will consider implications and possibilities...... of competence-in-practice as an alternative approach to Competence Development within Human Resource Management....

Optimising a Model of Minimum Stock Level Control and a Model of Standing Order Cycle in Selected Foundry Plant

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Szymszal J.

2013-09-01

Full Text Available It has been found that the area where one can look for significant reserves in the procurement logistics is a rational management of the stock of raw materials. Currently, the main purpose of projects which increase the efficiency of inventory management is to rationalise all the activities in this area, taking into account and minimising at the same time the total inventory costs. The paper presents a method for optimising the inventory level of raw materials under a foundry plant conditions using two different control models. The first model is based on the estimate of an optimal level of the minimum emergency stock of raw materials, giving information about the need for an order to be placed immediately and about the optimal size of consignments ordered after the minimum emergency level has occurred. The second model is based on the estimate of a maximum inventory level of raw materials and an optimal order cycle. Optimisation of the presented models has been based on the previously done selection and use of rational methods for forecasting the time series of the delivery of a chosen auxiliary material (ceramic filters to a casting plant, including forecasting a mean size of the delivered batch of products and its standard deviation.

The changing concept of competence and categorisation of learning outcomes in Europe: Implications for the design of higher education radiography curricula at the European level

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Castillo, Joseph; Caruana, Carmel J.; Wainwright, David

2011-01-01

The Bologna process has made the qualifications framework of the European Higher Educational Area based on three cycles and on learning outcomes central to curriculum development in higher education in Europe. The Tuning Educational Structures in Europe project recommended that learning outcomes be expressed in terms of competences. The expression of educational programme learning outcomes as inventories of competences has since become the norm at the European level. However, the more recent European Qualifications Framework for lifelong learning utilises a tripartite set of categories of learning outcomes, namely, knowledge, skills and competence. In addition, the definition of competence used though overlapping with that used by Tuning, is however not identical. This article reviews and discusses the changing definition of the concept of competence and changes in categorisation of learning outcomes in Europe and their potential impact on curriculum development in radiography at the European level. It is proposed that the shift in the definition of competence and in the categorisation of learning outcomes should be taken into account in the formulation of new European curricula or the updating of present ones so that they may reference in a more direct manner to the levels of the European Qualifications Framework.

Core Competencies in Integrative Pain Care for Entry-Level Primary Care Physicians.

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Tick, Heather; Chauvin, Sheila W; Brown, Michael; Haramati, Aviad

2015-11-01

The objective was to develop a set of core competencies for graduating primary care physicians in integrative pain care (IPC), using the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) domains. These competencies build on previous work in competencies for integrative medicine, interprofessional education, and pain medicine and are proposed for inclusion in residency training. A task force was formed to include representation from various professionals who are involved in education, research, and the practice of IPC and who represent broad areas of expertise. The task force convened during a 1.5-day face-to-face meeting, followed by a series of surveys and other vetting processes involving diverse interprofessional groups, which led to the consensus of a final set of competencies. The proposed competencies focus on interprofessional knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSAs) and are in line with recommendations by the Institute of Medicine, military medicine, and professional pain societies advocating the need for coordination and integration of services for effective pain care with reduced risk and cost and improved outcomes. These ACGME domain compatible competencies for physicians reflect the contributions of several disciplines that will need to be included in evolving interprofessional settings and underscore the need for collaborative care. These core competencies can guide the incorporation of KSAs within curricula. The learning experiences should enable medical educators and graduating primary care physicians to focus more on integrative approaches, interprofessional team-based, patient-centered care that use evidence-based, traditional and complementary disciplines and therapeutics to provide safe and effective treatments for people in pain. Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Public health nursing competency in a rural/frontier state.

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Bigbee, Jeri L; Otterness, Nancy; Gehrke, Pam

2010-01-01

To assess the self-reported levels of competency among public health nurses (PHNs) in Idaho. A cross-sectional descriptive design was used. The sample consisted of 124 PHNs, including 30 in leadership roles, currently practicing in Idaho's official public health agencies. Structured interviews were conducted with participants who provided self-ratings in the 8 domains of public health competency as developed by the Council on Linkages Between Academia and Public Health Practice and the Quad Council of Public Health Nursing Organizations. The findings indicated that the overall level of competency was most strongly associated with the duration of professional experience. No major differences in the competency levels were found in relation to nurses' level of education or licensure. Nurses in leadership positions reported the highest levels of competency. Rurality, as measured by district population density, was not significantly correlated with competency levels, except in relation to community dimensions of practice skills. The findings suggest that PHNs' self-perceived levels of competence are most strongly influenced by their years of professional experience, particularly in leadership roles. Professional development efforts should focus on the domains with the lowest perceived competency: policy development/program planning skills, analytic assessment skills, and financial planning/management skills.

Motor Skill Competence and Perceived Motor Competence: Which Best Predicts Physical Activity among Girls?

Science.gov (United States)

Khodaverdi, Zeinab; Bahram, Abbas; Khalaji, Hassan; Kazemnejad, Anoshirvan

2013-10-01

The main purpose of this study was to determine which correlate, perceived motor competence or motor skill competence, best predicts girls' physical activity behavior. A sample of 352 girls (mean age=8.7, SD=0.3 yr) participated in this study. To assess motor skill competence and perceived motor competence, each child completed the Test of Gross Motor Development-2 and Physical Ability sub-scale of Marsh's Self-Description Questionnaire. Children's physical activity was assessed by the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Children. Multiple linear regression model was used to determine whether perceived motor competence or motor skill competence best predicts moderate-to-vigorous self-report physical activity. Multiple regression analysis indicated that motor skill competence and perceived motor competence predicted 21% variance in physical activity (R(2)=0.21, F=48.9, P=0.001), and motor skill competence (R(2)=0.15, ᵝ=0.33, P= 0.001) resulted in more variance than perceived motor competence (R(2)=0.06, ᵝ=0.25, P=0.001) in physical activity. Results revealed motor skill competence had more influence in comparison with perceived motor competence on physical activity level. We suggest interventional programs based on motor skill competence and perceived motor competence should be administered or implemented to promote physical activity in young girls.

Nursing Competency: Definition, Structure and Development.

Science.gov (United States)

Fukada, Mika

2018-03-01

Nursing competency includes core abilities that are required for fulfilling one's role as a nurse. Therefore, it is important to clearly define nursing competency to establish a foundation for nursing education curriculum. However, while the concepts surrounding nursing competency are important for improving nursing quality, they are still not yet completely developed. Thus, challenges remain in establishing definitions and structures for nursing competency, competency levels necessary for nursing professionals, training methods and so on. In the present study, we reviewed the research on definitions and attributes of nursing competency in Japan as well as competency structure, its elements and evaluation. Furthermore, we investigated training methods to teach nursing competency.

Peer Effects on Head Start Children’s Preschool Competency

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DeLay, Dawn; Hanish, Laura D.; Martin, Carol Lynn; Fabes, Richard A.

2015-01-01

The goals of the present study were to investigate whether young children attending Head Start (N=292; Mage=4.3 years) selected peers based on their preschool competency and whether children’s levels of preschool competency were influenced by their peers’ levels of preschool competency. Children’s peer interaction partners were intensively observed several times a week over one academic year. Social network analyses revealed that children selected peer interaction partners with similar levels of preschool competency and were influenced over time by their partners’ levels of preschool competency. These effects held even after controlling for several child (e.g., sex and language) and family factors (e.g., financial strain and parent education). Implications for promoting preschool competency among Head Start children are discussed. PMID:26479545

Family Medicine Maternity Care Call to Action: Moving Toward National Standards for Training and Competency Assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Magee, Susanna R; Eidson-Ton, W Suzanne; Leeman, Larry; Tuggy, Michael; Kim, Thomas O; Nothnagle, Melissa; Breuner, Joseph; Loafman, Mark

2017-03-01

Maternity care is an integral part of family medicine, and the quality and cost-effectiveness of maternity care provided by family physicians is well documented. Considering the population health perspective, increasing the number of family physicians competent to provide maternity care is imperative, as is working to overcome the barriers discouraging maternity care practice. A standard that clearly defines maternity care competency and a systematic set of tools to assess competency levels could help overcome these barriers. National discussions between 2012 and 2014 revealed that tools for competency assessment varied widely. These discussions resulted in the formation of a workgroup, culminating in a Family Medicine Maternity Care Summit in October 2014. This summit allowed for expert consensus to describe three scopes of maternity practice, draft procedural and competency assessment tools for each scope, and then revise the tools, guided by the Family Medicine and OB/GYN Milestones documents from the respective residency review committees. The summit group proposed that achievement of a specified number of procedures completed should not determine competency; instead, a standardized competency assessment should take place after a minimum number is performed. The traditionally held required numbers for core procedures were reassessed at the summit, and the resulting consensus opinion is proposed here. Several ways in which these evaluation tools can be disseminated and refined through the creation of a learning collaborative across residency programs is described. The summit group believed that standardization in training will more clearly define the competencies of family medicine maternity care providers and begin to reduce one of the barriers that may discourage family physicians from providing maternity care.

Competence and competency of high school teacher as the components of his innovative development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I. K. Yarmola

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Priority direction of state policy concerning the development of higher education inUkraineis to prepare qualified and competitive staff in the labor market. The high level of competence and scientific competence along with pedagogical craftsmanship and psychological culture of teachers is condition for improving the efficiency of the educational process in higher education. Aim of research was theoretical justification importance of competence and competency of high school teacher for the establishment his innovation potential. In the article the analysis of interpretation of the terms competence and competency in various scientific sources and scientific works of individual authors were presented. Moreover important are ability to creativity, solving of problem’s tasks, ingenuity, flexibility and criticality mind, intuition, originality and self-confidence; ability to formulate and solve non-standard tasks; ability to analyse, synthesis and combination, to share experiences, predictions, etc.. Emotionally-shaped quality represented by the following components as spirituality, the emotional upsurge in creative situations; associativity, imagination, sense of novelty, sensitivity to contradictions, empathy; insight, ability to see the familiar in an unfamiliar; overcome the stereotypes; risk appetite, desire for freedom. The general regularities of formation of research competence have been detected. In particular, the formation carried out through the development of competencies invariant character and increasing of specialized skills. It is proved that scientific and research competence is determined primarily by the system of teacher's professional education and self-education. The most important objective characteristics that reflect the competence of teachers in the field R & D is the total number of publications, number of scientific articles, monographs, and also won grants, competitions, etc. Moreover the level of competence in the

Minimum deltaV Burn Planning for the International Space Station Using a Hybrid Optimization Technique, Level 1

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Aaron J.

2015-01-01

The International Space Station's (ISS) trajectory is coordinated and executed by the Trajectory Operations and Planning (TOPO) group at NASA's Johnson Space Center. TOPO group personnel routinely generate look-ahead trajectories for the ISS that incorporate translation burns needed to maintain its orbit over the next three to twelve months. The burns are modeled as in-plane, horizontal burns, and must meet operational trajectory constraints imposed by both NASA and the Russian Space Agency. In generating these trajectories, TOPO personnel must determine the number of burns to model, each burn's Time of Ignition (TIG), and magnitude (i.e. deltaV) that meet these constraints. The current process for targeting these burns is manually intensive, and does not take advantage of more modern techniques that can reduce the workload needed to find feasible burn solutions, i.e. solutions that simply meet the constraints, or provide optimal burn solutions that minimize the total DeltaV while simultaneously meeting the constraints. A two-level, hybrid optimization technique is proposed to find both feasible and globally optimal burn solutions for ISS trajectory planning. For optimal solutions, the technique breaks the optimization problem into two distinct sub-problems, one for choosing the optimal number of burns and each burn's optimal TIG, and the other for computing the minimum total deltaV burn solution that satisfies the trajectory constraints. Each of the two aforementioned levels uses a different optimization algorithm to solve one of the sub-problems, giving rise to a hybrid technique. Level 2, or the outer level, uses a genetic algorithm to select the number of burns and each burn's TIG. Level 1, or the inner level, uses the burn TIGs from Level 2 in a sequential quadratic programming (SQP) algorithm to compute a minimum total deltaV burn solution subject to the trajectory constraints. The total deltaV from Level 1 is then used as a fitness function by the genetic

Fear of falling and falls self-efficacy and their relationship to higher-level competence among community-dwelling senior men and women in Japan.

Science.gov (United States)

Katsumata, Yuriko; Arai, Asuna; Tomimori, Masashi; Ishida, Kozo; Lee, Romeo B; Tamashiro, Hiko

2011-07-01

This cross-sectional study examined the relationships of fear of falling and falls self-efficacy with higher-level competence among community-dwelling senior citizens in Japan. Of the 822 registered senior citizens, 731 (89%) community dwellers were requested to participate in the survey using a mailed self-accomplished questionnaire. Data from 648 respondents with duly accomplished questionnaires were analyzed using R(2) , the coefficient of determination, based on a multivariate regression analysis. Fear of falling, low falls self-efficacy and higher-level functional disability were observed among respondents. Of the hypothesized relationships examined by sex, fear of falling was significantly associated with disability among male respondents and low falls self-efficacy among both sexes. Several confounding variables were strongly associated with competence. While the data underscore the strategic importance of promoting higher-level competence among the senior citizens, there is much to suggest that their competence is likely to be maintained if their fear of falling and falls self-efficacy were modified. Programs must also consider a wide array of intervening factors. © 2011 Japan Geriatrics Society.

The Relationship of Self-Concept and Perceived Athletic Competence to Physical Activity Level and Gender among Turkish Early Adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Kosar, F. Hulya Asci S. Nazan; Isler, Ayse Kin

2001-01-01

Examined self-concept and perceived athletic competence of Turkish early adolescents in relation to physical activity level and gender. Multivariate analysis of variance revealed significant main effects for gender and physical activity level but no significant gender by physical activity interaction. Univariate analysis demonstrated significant…

Do Perceptions of Competence Mediate The Relationship Between Fundamental Motor Skill Proficiency and Physical Activity Levels of Children in Kindergarten?

Science.gov (United States)

Crane, Jeff R; Naylor, Patti J; Cook, Ryan; Temple, Viviene A

2015-07-01

Perceptions of competence mediate the relationship between motor skill proficiency and physical activity among older children and adolescents. This study examined kindergarten children's perceptions of physical competence as a mediator of the relationship between motor skill proficiency as a predictor variable and physical activity levels as the outcome variable; and also with physical activity as a predictor and motor skill proficiency as the outcome. Participants were 116 children (mean age = 5 years 7 months, 58% boys) from 10 schools. Motor skills were measured using the Test of Gross Motor Development-2 and physical activity was monitored through accelerometry. Perceptions of physical competence were measured using The Pictorial Scale of Perceived Competence and Social Acceptance for Young Children, and the relationships between these variables were examined using a model of mediation. The direct path between object control skills and moderate-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was significant and object control skills predicted perceived physical competence. However, perceived competence did not mediate the relationship between object control skills and MVPA. The significant relationship between motor proficiency and perceptions of competence did not in turn influence kindergarten children's participation in physical activity. These findings support concepts of developmental differences in the structure of the self-perception system.

Subjective well-being and minimum wages: Evidence from U.S. states.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuroki, Masanori

2018-02-01

This paper investigates whether increases in minimum wages are associated with higher life satisfaction by using monthly-level state minimum wages and individual-level data from the 2005-2010 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. The magnitude I find suggests that a 10% increase in the minimum wage is associated with a 0.03-point increase in life satisfaction for workers without a high school diploma, on a 4-point scale. Contrary to popular belief that higher minimum wages hurt business owners, I find little evidence that higher minimum wages lead to the loss of well-being among self-employed people. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Associations among Elementary School Children's Actual Motor Competence, Perceived Motor Competence, Physical Activity and BMI: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Science.gov (United States)

De Meester, An; Stodden, David; Brian, Ali; True, Larissa; Cardon, Greet; Tallir, Isabel; Haerens, Leen

2016-01-01

Positive associations between motor competence and physical activity have been identified by means of variable-centered analyses. To expand the understanding of these associations, this study used a person-centered approach to investigate whether different combinations (i.e., profiles) of actual and perceived motor competence exist (aim 1); and to examine differences in physical activity levels (aim 2) and weight status (aim 3) among children with different motor competence-based profiles. Children's (N = 361; 180 boys = 50%; Mage = 9.50±1.24yrs) actual motor competence was measured with the Test of Gross Motor Development-2 and their perceived motor competence via the Self Perception Profile for Children. We assessed physical activity via accelerometers; height through stadiometers, and weight through scales. Cluster analyses (aim 1) and MANCOVAs (aim 2 & 3) were used to analyze the data. The analysis generated two predictable groups: one group displaying relatively high levels of both actual (M TGMD-2 percentile = 42.54, SD = 2.33) and perceived motor competence (M = 3.42, SD = .37; high-high), and one group with relatively low levels of both (M percentile = 9.71, SD = 3.21; M PMC = 2.52, SD = .35; low-low). One additional group was also identified as having relatively low levels of actual motor competence (M percentile = 4.22, SD = 2.85) but relatively high levels of perceived motor competence (M = 3.52, SD = .30; low-high). The high-high group demonstrated higher daily physical activity (M = 48.39±2.03) and lower BMI (M = 18.13±.43) than the low-low group (MMVPA = 37.93±2.01; MBMI = 20.22±.42). The low-high group had similar physical activity-levels as the low-low group (M = 36.21±2.18) and did not significantly differ in BMI (M = 19.49±.46) from the other two groups. A combination of high actual and perceived motor competence is related to higher physical activity and lower weight status. It is thus recommended to expand health interventions in children

Investigating the adequacy of the Competence-Turnover Intention Model: how does nursing competence affect nurses' turnover intention?

Science.gov (United States)

Takase, Miyuki; Teraoka, Sachiko; Kousuke, Yabase

2015-03-01

The aim of this study was to test the adequacy of the Competence-Turnover Intention Model, which was developed to identify how nursing competence could affect nurses' turnover intention (nurses' intention to voluntarily leave an organisation). Recent studies have suggested that the level of nursing competence is negatively related to nurses' intention to leave their jobs, suggesting that a lack of competence threatens both the quality and quantity of the nursing workforce. However, the mechanism of how nursing competence affects nurses' turnover intention has not been explored previously. A cross-sectional survey design was used. Surveys were distributed to 1337 Japanese registered nurses/midwives in October, 2013. The adequacy of the model was analysed using structural equation modelling. In total, 766 questionnaires were returned, with a return rate of 57%. The model fitted well with the data. The results showed that the level of nursing competence was related positively to the quantity of organisational rewards they felt they had received, and negatively related to the level of exhaustion they experienced. Moreover, the perceived organisational rewards and exhaustion were correlated with nurses' turnover intention through affective commitment. The Competence-Turnover Intention Model is useful for explaining how nursing competence impacts on their turnover intention. Clinical implications derived from the findings are that: promoting nursing competence is key to improving not only the quality of care provided by nurses, but also to retaining the nursing workforce, and the model can be used to develop strategies that would mitigate their turnover intention. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

An Organization's Extended (Soft) Competencies Model

Science.gov (United States)

Rosas, João; Macedo, Patrícia; Camarinha-Matos, Luis M.

One of the steps usually undertaken in partnerships formation is the assessment of organizations’ competencies. Typically considered competencies of a functional or technical nature, which provide specific outcomes can be considered as hard competencies. Yet, the very act of collaboration has its specific requirements, for which the involved organizations must be apt to exercise other type of competencies that affect their own performance and the partnership success. These competencies are more of a behavioral nature, and can be named as soft-competencies. This research aims at addressing the effects of the soft competencies on the performance of the hard ones. An extended competencies model is thus proposed, allowing the construction of adjusted competencies profiles, in which the competency levels are adjusted dynamically according to the requirements of collaboration opportunities.

Nursing Competency: Definition, Structure and Development

Science.gov (United States)

Fukada, Mika

2018-01-01

Nursing competency includes core abilities that are required for fulfilling one’s role as a nurse. Therefore, it is important to clearly define nursing competency to establish a foundation for nursing education curriculum. However, while the concepts surrounding nursing competency are important for improving nursing quality, they are still not yet completely developed. Thus, challenges remain in establishing definitions and structures for nursing competency, competency levels necessary for nursing professionals, training methods and so on. In the present study, we reviewed the research on definitions and attributes of nursing competency in Japan as well as competency structure, its elements and evaluation. Furthermore, we investigated training methods to teach nursing competency. PMID:29599616

A survey of pharmacists' perception of foundation level competencies in African countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Udoh, Arit; Bruno, Andreia; Bates, Ian

2018-04-02

Evidence from published literature in pharmacy practice research demonstrate that the use of competency frameworks alongside standards of practice facilitate improvement in professional performance and aid expertise development. The aim of this study was to evaluate pharmacists' perception of relevance to practice of the competencies and behaviours contained in the FIP Global Competency Framework (GbCF v1). The overall objective of the study was to assess the validity of the GbCF v1 framework in selected countries in Africa. A cross-sectional survey of pharmacists practicing in 14 countries in Africa was conducted between November 2012 and December 2014. A combination of purposive and snowball sampling method was used. Data was analysed using SPSS v22. A total of 469 pharmacists completed the survey questionnaire. The majority (91%) of the respondents were from four countries: Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa. The study results showed broad agreement on relevance to practice for 90% of the behaviours contained in the GbCF v1 framework. Observed disagreement was associated with area of pharmacy practice and the corresponding patient facing involvement (p ≤ 0.05). In general, the competencies within the 'pharmaceutical care' and 'pharmaceutical public health' clusters received higher weighting on relevance compared to the research-related competencies which had the lowest. Specific inter-country variability on weighting of relevance was observed in five behaviours in the framework although, this was due to disparity in 'degree of relevance' that was related to sample composition in the respective countries. The competencies contained in the GbCF v1 are relevant to pharmacy practice in the study population; however, there are some emergent differences between the African countries surveyed. Overall, the findings provide preliminary evidence that was previously lacking on the relevance of the GbCF v1 competencies to pharmacy practice in the countries

Quantitative methods for assessing the level of competence for quality management systems of education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kajukova Inna Viktorovna

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The paper studies the process of assessing the quality of education in higher education. The concept of educational quality which is considered from the point of view of all interested parties in the form of indicators sets and which structure included the additional indicators connected with an external assessment from employers, graduates and all society. The Rasch model for educational quality assessment is modernized by introduction of the additional parameters characterizing tests non-standard and their practical importance. That allowed using model for forecasting of probability of manifestation of separate components of competence. The author shows aggregate indicators to measure the level of aggregate formed competencies. The results can be used to assess the quality of the educational process in the transition to the new educational standards. Assessed error of actual measurements. The results can be used in the Quality Management System of Education on going to new educational standards.

Location. Unit 9. Level 1. Instructor Guide. PACE: Program for Acquiring Competence in Entrepreneurship. Third Edition. Research & Development Series No. 301-09.

Science.gov (United States)

Ohio State Univ., Columbus. Center on Education and Training for Employment.

This instructor guide for a unit on locating a business in the PACE (Program for Acquiring Competence in Entrepreneurship) curriculum includes the full text of the student module and lesson plans, instructional suggestions, and other teacher resources. The competencies that are incorporated into this module are at Level 1 of…

LGBT-Competence in Social Work Education: The Relationship of School Contexts to Student Sexual Minority Competence.

Science.gov (United States)

McCarty-Caplan, David

2018-01-01

This study examined the relationship between master of social work programs' (MSW) support of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people (LGBT-competence) and the sexual minority competence (LGB-competence) of social work students. Data were gathered from a sample of MSW program directors, faculty members, and students (N = 1385) within 34 MSW programs in the United States. A series of hierarchical linear models tested if a MSW program's LGBT-competence was associated with the LGB-competence of its students. Results showed a significant relationship between organizational LGBT-competence and individual LGB-competence within schools of social work, and that programs with greater LGBT-competence also had students who felt more competent to work with sexual minorities. These findings suggest schools of social work can take substantive action at an organizational level to improve the professional LGB-competence of future social workers. Implications for social work education are discussed.

Active learning at the post-secondary level to promote the development of leadership competency management in response to the labor market requirements of Puerto Rico

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Angel L. Rivera Aponte

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Active learning at undergraduate level is necessary to promote business competencies on behalf of the actual labor market in Puerto Rico.The participation of students registered in the Leadership course at the School of Business, using the induction process, generates throughout the integration of theory and practice the encouragement of competencies development. Qualitative analysis demostrates the effectiveness of the teaching and learning experience through pedagogical methodologies of active learning. Results obtained by students’ success during the teaching and learning experience increased the competencies level of leadership, etc.

Identifying interprofessional global health competencies for 21st-century health professionals.

Science.gov (United States)

Jogerst, Kristen; Callender, Brian; Adams, Virginia; Evert, Jessica; Fields, Elise; Hall, Thomas; Olsen, Jody; Rowthorn, Virginia; Rudy, Sharon; Shen, Jiabin; Simon, Lisa; Torres, Herica; Velji, Anvar; Wilson, Lynda L

2015-01-01

At the 2008 inaugural meeting of the Consortium of Universities for Global Health (CUGH), participants discussed the rapid expansion of global health programs and the lack of standardized competencies and curricula to guide these programs. In 2013, CUGH appointed a Global Health Competency Subcommittee and charged this subcommittee with identifying broad global health core competencies applicable across disciplines. The purpose of this paper is to describe the Subcommittee's work and proposed list of interprofessional global health competencies. After agreeing on a definition of global health to guide the Subcommittee's work, members conducted an extensive literature review to identify existing competencies in all fields relevant to global health. Subcommittee members initially identified 82 competencies in 12 separate domains, and proposed four different competency levels. The proposed competencies and domains were discussed during multiple conference calls, and subcommittee members voted to determine the final competencies to be included in two of the four proposed competency levels (global citizen and basic operational level - program oriented). The final proposed list included a total of 13 competencies across 8 domains for the Global Citizen Level and 39 competencies across 11 domains for the Basic Operational Program-Oriented Level. There is a need for continued debate and dialog to validate the proposed set of competencies, and a need for further research to identify best strategies for incorporating these competencies into global health educational programs. Future research should focus on implementation and evaluation of these competencies across a range of educational programs, and further delineating the competencies needed across all four proposed competency levels. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Causal Bayes Model of Mathematical Competence in Kindergarten

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Božidar Tepeš

2016-06-01

Full Text Available In this paper authors define mathematical competences in the kindergarten. The basic objective was to measure the mathematical competences or mathematical knowledge, skills and abilities in mathematical education. Mathematical competences were grouped in the following areas: Arithmetic and Geometry. Statistical set consisted of 59 children, 65 to 85 months of age, from the Kindergarten Milan Sachs from Zagreb. The authors describe 13 variables for measuring mathematical competences. Five measuring variables were described for the geometry, and eight measuring variables for the arithmetic. Measuring variables are tasks which children solved with the evaluated results. By measuring mathematical competences the authors make causal Bayes model using free software Tetrad 5.2.1-3. Software makes many causal Bayes models and authors as experts chose the model of the mathematical competences in the kindergarten. Causal Bayes model describes five levels for mathematical competences. At the end of the modeling authors use Bayes estimator. In the results, authors describe by causal Bayes model of mathematical competences, causal effect mathematical competences or how intervention on some competences cause other competences. Authors measure mathematical competences with their expectation as random variables. When expectation of competences was greater, competences improved. Mathematical competences can be improved with intervention on causal competences. Levels of mathematical competences and the result of intervention on mathematical competences can help mathematical teachers.

Location. Unit 9. Level 2. Instructor Guide. PACE: Program for Acquiring Competence in Entrepreneurship. Third Edition. Research & Development Series No. 302-09.

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Ohio State Univ., Columbus. Center on Education and Training for Employment.

This instructor guide for a unit on locating a business in the PACE (Program for Acquiring Competence in Entrepreneurship) curriculum includes the full text of the student module and lesson plans, instructional suggestions, and other teacher resources. The competencies that are incorporated into this module are at Level 2 of learning--planning for…

Location. Unit 9. Level 3. Instructor Guide. PACE: Program for Acquiring Competence in Entrepreneurship. Third Edition. Research & Development Series No. 303-09.

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Ohio State Univ., Columbus. Center on Education and Training for Employment.

This instructor guide for a unit on location in the PACE (Program for Acquiring Competence in Entrepreneurship) curriculum includes the full text of the student module and lesson plans, instructional suggestions, and other teacher resources. The competencies that are incorporated into this module are at Level 3 of learning--starting and managing…

Surgical competence.

Science.gov (United States)

Patil, Nivritti G; Cheng, Stephen W K; Wong, John

2003-08-01

Recent high-profile cases have heightened the need for a formal structure to monitor achievement and maintenance of surgical competence. Logbooks, morbidity and mortality meetings, videos and direct observation of operations using a checklist, motion analysis devices, and virtual reality simulators are effective tools for teaching and evaluating surgical skills. As the operating theater is also a place for training, there must be protocols and guidelines, including mandatory standards for supervision, to ensure that patient care is not compromised. Patients appreciate frank communication and honesty from surgeons regarding their expertise and level of competence. To ensure that surgical competence is maintained and keeps pace with technologic advances, professional registration bodies have been promoting programs for recertification. They evaluate performance in practice, professional standing, and commitment to ongoing education.

Competency profile of PR professional in sport

OpenAIRE

Gazdíková, Lenka

2013-01-01

Title: Competency profile of PR professional in sport Objective: The objective is to identify competencies required to a position of PR professional in sport. The aim of a survey is to verify the level of competencies which follows compiling competency profile and comparison with existing profile of PR specialist. Methods: The objective is achieved using survey, interview and analysis of competency models database. Results: The result of this paper is competency profile of PR professional in ...

Contextualizing Competence: Language and LGBT-Based Competency in Health Care.

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Rossi, Alexis L; Lopez, Eliot J

2017-01-01

Changes in the language and terminology used to refer to individuals identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT), as well as how best to discuss issues of sexual and gender identity, can prove challenging for health care providers due to (1) lack of training; (2) interdisciplinary issues; and (3) prejudices on personal and institutional levels. Given the importance of language in the relationship between health care provider and patient as well as the myriad ways in which language can reflect knowledge, skills, and attitudes, we contend that language is both a facilitator and inhibitor of competence. In this article, we discuss language as a means of exhibiting cultural competence as well as the barriers to facilitating this degree of competence. Communicative competence, a concept traditionally used in linguistics, is discussed as a framework for contextualizing LGBT-specific cultural competence in health care. Ideally, a professional will be considered competent once they (1) acquire a foundation in issues associated with LGBT individuals, as well as a basic understanding of appropriate vocabulary' (2) reconcile personal beliefs with their professional role; (3) create an inclusive healthcare environment such that the influence of personal biases does not negatively impact care; and (4) use identifiers suggested by the patient.

Quality assessment in competency based physiotherapy education

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brandt, Jørgen

Purpose: To ensure a transparent and competency related assessment of physiotherapy education, in order to accomplish a close relationship between competencies at entry level to the profession and challenges in current and future health practice. Relevance: Perspectives and metods regarding...... rehabilitation and health promotion change with demografic evolvement, health politics and patterns of diseases. This calls for an ever ongoing improvement and adjustment of professional competencies being achieved during physiotherapy education. At the same time the education itself is an entity, comitted...... the relationship between learning outcome and demands for professional competencies in practice. This connection is evaluated through the behavior level. It covers newly graduated students perceptions of the degree to which they comply with expectations in physiotherapy practice.Further more the effect level...

Changes in physical fitness and sports participation among children with different levels of motor competence: a 2-year longitudinal study.

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Fransen, Job; Deprez, Dieter; Pion, Johan; Tallir, Isabel B; D'Hondt, Eva; Vaeyens, Roel; Lenoir, Matthieu; Philippaerts, Renaat M

2014-02-01

The goal of this study was to investigate differences in physical fitness and sports participation over 2 years in children with relatively high, average, and low motor competence. Physical fitness and gross motor coordination of 501 children between 6-10 years were measured at baseline and baseline+2 years. The sample compromised 2 age cohorts: 6.00-7.99 and 8.00-9.99 years. An age and sex-specific motor quotient at baseline testing was used to subdivide these children into low (MQ competence groups. Measures of sports participation were obtained through a physical activity questionnaire in 278 of the same children. Repeated Measures MANCOVA and two separate ANOVAs were used to analyze differences in changes in physical fitness and measures of sports participation respectively. Children with high motor competence scored better on physical fitness tests and participated in sports more often. Since physical fitness levels between groups changed similarly over time, low motor competent children might be at risk for being less physically fit throughout their life. Furthermore, since low motor competent children participate less in sports, they have fewer opportunities of developing motor abilities and physical fitness and this may further prevent them from catching up with their peers with an average or high motor competence.

The Impact of a City-Level Minimum-Wage Policy on Supermarket Food Prices in Seattle-King County.

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Otten, Jennifer J; Buszkiewicz, James; Tang, Wesley; Aggarwal, Anju; Long, Mark; Vigdor, Jacob; Drewnowski, Adam

2017-09-09

Background : Many states and localities throughout the U.S. have adopted higher minimum wages. Higher labor costs among low-wage food system workers could result in higher food prices. Methods : Using a market basket of 106 foods, food prices were collected at affected chain supermarket stores in Seattle and same-chain unaffected stores in King County (n = 12 total, six per location). Prices were collected at 1 month pre- (March 2015) and 1-month post-policy enactment (May 2015), then again 1-year post-policy enactment (May 2016). Unpaired t-tests were used to detect price differences by location at fixed time while paired t-tests were used to detect price difference across time with fixed store chain. A multi-level, linear differences-in-differences model, was used to detect the changes in the average market basket item food prices over time across regions, overall and by food group. Results : There were no significant differences in overall market basket or item-level costs at one-month (-$0.01, SE = 0.05, p = 0.884) or one-year post-policy enactment (-$0.02, SE = 0.08, p = 0.772). No significant increases were observed by food group. Conclusions : There is no evidence of change in supermarket food prices by market basket or increase in prices by food group in response to the implementation of Seattle's minimum wage ordinance.

The learning continuum of ecology based on teachers' opinion about student's level of competence and specific pedagogical learning material

Science.gov (United States)

Pramesti, Indah Cahaya; Subali, Bambang

2017-08-01

This study aims at designing learning continuum for developing a curriculum based on teachers' opinion about student's level of competence and specific pedagogical learning material on ecological aspect targeted for students of Primary and Secondary Education. This research is a descriptive research using survey methods. The researchers conducted a census by distributing questionnaires that had been validated from the aspects of construct validity and experts judgements to 147 natural science teachers at junior high school and 134 Biology teachers at senior high school as a population throughout 4 regencies and 1 city in Yogyakarta Special Region.. Data analysis techniques used descriptive analysis. In conclusion, teacher's opinion is influenced by curriculum that exist today. According to the opinions of Natural Science teachers at Junior High School, most of the ecological aspects such as characteristics of biomes, characteristics of ecosystems, characteristics of communities, characteristics of populations, etc. should be taught in grade VII with the level of competence: to understand (C2), while Biology teachers at Senior High School state that the ecological aspect should be taught in class X with the level of competence: to understand (C2), apply (C3) and analyze (C4). Teachers should be a privy in the formulation of the curriculum, so they're not only accept and apply the existing curriculum but also give opinions to improve the curriculum, especially in terms of ecology.

On the importance of considering heterogeneity in witnesses' competence levels when reconstructing crimes from multiple witness testimonies.

Science.gov (United States)

Waubert de Puiseau, Berenike; Greving, Sven; Aßfalg, André; Musch, Jochen

2017-09-01

Aggregating information across multiple testimonies may improve crime reconstructions. However, different aggregation methods are available, and research on which method is best suited for aggregating multiple observations is lacking. Furthermore, little is known about how variance in the accuracy of individual testimonies impacts the performance of competing aggregation procedures. We investigated the superiority of aggregation-based crime reconstructions involving multiple individual testimonies and whether this superiority varied as a function of the number of witnesses and the degree of heterogeneity in witnesses' ability to accurately report their observations. Moreover, we examined whether heterogeneity in competence levels differentially affected the relative accuracy of two aggregation procedures: a simple majority rule, which ignores individual differences, and the more complex general Condorcet model (Romney et al., Am Anthropol 88(2):313-338, 1986; Batchelder and Romney, Psychometrika 53(1):71-92, 1988), which takes into account differences in competence between individuals. 121 participants viewed a simulated crime and subsequently answered 128 true/false questions about the crime. We experimentally generated groups of witnesses with homogeneous or heterogeneous competences. Both the majority rule and the general Condorcet model provided more accurate reconstructions of the observed crime than individual testimonies. The superiority of aggregated crime reconstructions involving multiple individual testimonies increased with an increasing number of witnesses. Crime reconstructions were most accurate when competences were heterogeneous and aggregation was based on the general Condorcet model. We argue that a formal aggregation should be considered more often when eyewitness testimonies have to be assessed and that the general Condorcet model provides a good framework for such aggregations.

Intelligence quotient discrepancy indicates levels of motor competence in preschool children at risk for developmental delays

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Yu TY

2016-02-01

worse in the VIQ>PIQ group than in the NON and PIQ>VIQ groups. Significant negative correlations between IQD and most of the motor subtests (r=0.31–0.46, P<0.01 were found only in the VIQ>PIQ group.Conclusion: This study demonstrates that 1 IQD indicates the level of motor competence in preschoolers at risk for developmental delays and 2 IQD is negatively associated with motor competence in preschoolers with significant VIQ>PIQ discrepancy. The first finding was that preschoolers with VIQ>PIQ discrepancy greater than 1 SD performed significantly worse on motor competence than did preschoolers without significant IQD and preschoolers with PIQ>VIQ discrepancy greater than 1 SD. However, preschoolers with significant PIQ>VIQ discrepancy performed better on motor competence than did preschoolers without significant IQD, though the difference was not statistically significant. The second finding was that preschoolers with larger VIQ>PIQ discrepancy had worse motor competence in visual-motor integration and body-movement coordination. Professionals should pay attention to the motor development of children with VIQ>PIQ discrepancy and evaluate children’s IQD along with their motor competence. Keywords: IQ discrepancy, motor competence, child

COACHES' PERCEPTIONS OF COMPETENCE AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF TRAINING NEEDS RELATED TO PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCES

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Sofia Santos

2010-03-01

Full Text Available The purpose of the present study was to examine coaches' perceptions of competence and acknowledgement of training needs related to professional competences according to the professional experience and academic education. The participants were 343 coaches from several sports, who answered to a questionnaire that includes a scale focused on perceptions of competence and another scale on acknowledgment of training needs. An exploratory factor analysis with Maximum Likelihood Factoring was used with Oblimin rotation for the identification of emergent factors. Comparison on coaches' perceptions in function of coaching experience and coaches' academic background were made applying One-way ANOVA and Tukey's post hoc multiple comparisons. Factor analysis on coaches' perceptions of competence and acknowledgement of training needs made apparent three main areas of competences, i.e. competences related to annual and multi-annual planning; competences related to orientation towards practice and competition; and personal and coaching education competences. Coaches' perceptions were influenced by their experience, as low experienced coaches rated themselves at lower levels of competence and with more training needs; also coaches with high education, in Physical Education or others, perceived themselves as more competent than coaches with no higher education. Finally, the majority of the coaches perceived themselves to be competent but, nevertheless, they indicated to have training needs, which brings an important feedback to coach education. This suggests that coaches are interested in increasing their knowledge and competence in a broad range of areas which should be considered in future coach education programs

[Nursing Research Project on Management Training (IN.FOR.MA): evaluation of the competencies acquired during Phase 1].

Science.gov (United States)

Rega, Maria Luisa; Ghera, Patrizia; Dessy, Orietta; Di Lullo, Massimiliano; Galletti, Caterina

2012-01-01

The aim of the present study is to define the state of the art in nursing management training in Italy and to assess the effectiveness of training in a working context. The first phase of the IN.FOR.MA project consisted of creating a data collection tool, a questionnaire, based on paradigmatic pedagogic methodology. This was followed by a pilot study to test its effectiveness. Reliability was tested using the Cronbach's alpha test and the values obtained were between 0.79 and 0.82 for the overall scale and between 0.71 and 0.90 for the subscales. The maximum expression of the competencies perceived using the Likert scale was 4 (Fair), with a maximum value of 5 obtained in 53,06% of the total sample in the "Management" area and a minimum value between 3 (discreet) and 4 (fair) in 33.6% of the total in the area "Training and Research". Perception of the working value of the training experience reached 5 (very) , with an average value of 54,08% of the overall sample. The IN.FOR.MA questionnaire made it possible to assess the training course by focusing on the perception of the competencies acquired, with medium to high levels according to the Likert scale. The level of usefulness of these competencies in daily activities was highest in "Management" followed by "Programming and organization" and "Integration".

Application of Minimum-time Optimal Control System in Buck-Boost Bi-linear Converters

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S. M. M. Shariatmadar

2017-08-01

Full Text Available In this study, the theory of minimum-time optimal control system in buck-boost bi-linear converters is described, so that output voltage regulation is carried out within minimum time. For this purpose, the Pontryagin's Minimum Principle is applied to find optimal switching level applying minimum-time optimal control rules. The results revealed that by utilizing an optimal switching level instead of classical switching patterns, output voltage regulation will be carried out within minimum time. However, transient energy index of increased overvoltage significantly reduces in order to attain minimum time optimal control in reduced output load. The laboratory results were used in order to verify numerical simulations.

Pricing Strategy. Unit 10. Level 1. Instructor Guide. PACE: Program for Acquiring Competence in Entrepreneurship. Third Edition. Research & Development Series No. 301-10.

Science.gov (United States)

Ohio State Univ., Columbus. Center on Education and Training for Employment.

This instructor guide for a unit on pricing strategy in the PACE (Program for Acquiring Competence in Entrepreneurship) curriculum includes the full text of the student module and lesson plans, instructional suggestions, and other teacher resources. The competencies that are incorporated into this module are at Level 1 of learning--understanding…

Cultural competence and social relationships: a social network analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Dauvrin, M; Lorant, V

2017-06-01

This study investigated the role of social relationships in the sharing of cultural competence by testing two hypotheses: cultural competence is a socially shared behaviour; and central healthcare professionals are more culturally competent than non-central healthcare professionals. Sustaining cultural competence in healthcare services relies on the assumption that being culturally competent is a socially shared behaviour among health professionals. This assumption has never been tested. Organizational aspects surrounding cultural competence are poorly considered. This therefore leads to a heterogeneous implementation of cultural competence - especially in continental Europe. We carried out a social network analysis in 24 Belgian inpatient and outpatient health services. All healthcare professionals (ego) were requested to fill in a questionnaire (Survey on social relationships of health care professionals) on their level of cultural competence and to identify their professional relationships (alter). We fitted regression models to assess whether (1) at the dyadic level, ego cultural competence was associated with alter cultural competence, and (2) health professionals of greater centrality had greater cultural competence. At the dyadic level, no significant associations were found between ego cultural competence and alter cultural competence, with the exception of subjective exposure to intercultural situations. No significant associations were found between centrality and cultural competence, except for subjective exposure to intercultural situations. Being culturally competent is not a shared behaviour among health professionals. The most central healthcare professionals are not more culturally competent than less central health professionals. Culturally competent health care is not yet a norm in health services. Health care and training authorities should either make cultural competent health care a licensing criteria or reward culturally competent health care

Developing high-level change and innovation agents: competencies and challenges for executive leadership.

Science.gov (United States)

Malloch, Kathy; Melnyk, Bernadette Mazurek

2013-01-01

The work of health care reform and revolution requires leadership competencies that integrate the digital realities of time, space, and media. Leadership skills and behaviors of command, control, and directing from predigital times are no longer effective, given the impacts of the digital changes. Developing leadership competence in evidence-driven processes, facilitation, collaborative teamwork, and instilling a sense of urgency is the work of today's executive leaders. Ten competencies necessary for contemporary executive leadership are presented in this article.

Pricing Strategy. Unit 10. Level 2. Instructor Guide. PACE: Program for Acquiring Competence in Entrepreneurship. Third Edition. Research & Development Series No. 302-10.

Science.gov (United States)

Ohio State Univ., Columbus. Center on Education and Training for Employment.

This instructor guide for a unit on pricing strategy in the PACE (Program for Acquiring Competence in Entrepreneurship) curriculum includes the full text of the student module and lesson plans, instructional suggestions, and other teacher resources. The competencies that are incorporated into this module are at Level 2 of learning--planning for a…

Pricing Strategy. Unit 10. Level 3. Instructor Guide. PACE: Program for Acquiring Competence in Entrepreneurship. Third Edition. Research & Development Series No. 303-10.

Science.gov (United States)

Ohio State Univ., Columbus. Center on Education and Training for Employment.

This instructor guide for a unit on pricing strategy in the PACE (Program for Acquiring Competence in Entrepreneurship) curriculum includes the full text of the student module and lesson plans, instructional suggestions, and other teacher resources. The competencies that are incorporated into this module are at Level 3 of learning--starting and…

Associations among Elementary School Children’s Actual Motor Competence, Perceived Motor Competence, Physical Activity and BMI: A Cross-Sectional Study

Science.gov (United States)

Stodden, David; Brian, Ali; True, Larissa; Cardon, Greet; Tallir, Isabel; Haerens, Leen

2016-01-01

Background Positive associations between motor competence and physical activity have been identified by means of variable-centered analyses. To expand the understanding of these associations, this study used a person-centered approach to investigate whether different combinations (i.e., profiles) of actual and perceived motor competence exist (aim 1); and to examine differences in physical activity levels (aim 2) and weight status (aim 3) among children with different motor competence-based profiles. Materials and Methods Children’s (N = 361; 180 boys = 50%; Mage = 9.50±1.24yrs) actual motor competence was measured with the Test of Gross Motor Development-2 and their perceived motor competence via the Self Perception Profile for Children. We assessed physical activity via accelerometers; height through stadiometers, and weight through scales. Cluster analyses (aim 1) and MANCOVAs (aim 2 & 3) were used to analyze the data. Results The analysis generated two predictable groups: one group displaying relatively high levels of both actual (M TGMD-2 percentile = 42.54, SD = 2.33) and perceived motor competence (M = 3.42, SD = .37; high-high), and one group with relatively low levels of both (M percentile = 9.71, SD = 3.21; M PMC = 2.52, SD = .35; low-low). One additional group was also identified as having relatively low levels of actual motor competence (M percentile = 4.22, SD = 2.85) but relatively high levels of perceived motor competence (M = 3.52, SD = .30; low-high). The high-high group demonstrated higher daily physical activity (M = 48.39±2.03) and lower BMI (M = 18.13±.43) than the low-low group (MMVPA = 37.93±2.01; MBMI = 20.22±.42). The low-high group had similar physical activity-levels as the low-low group (M = 36.21±2.18) and did not significantly differ in BMI (M = 19.49±.46) from the other two groups. Conclusions A combination of high actual and perceived motor competence is related to higher physical activity and lower weight status. It is thus

Glass Forming Ability in Systems with Competing Orderings

Science.gov (United States)

Russo, John; Romano, Flavio; Tanaka, Hajime

2018-04-01

Some liquids, if cooled rapidly enough to avoid crystallization, can be frozen into a nonergodic glassy state. The tendency for a material to form a glass when quenched is called "glass-forming ability," and it is of key significance both fundamentally and for materials science applications. Here, we consider liquids with competing orderings, where an increase in the glass-forming ability is signaled by a depression of the melting temperature towards its minimum at triple or eutectic points. With simulations of two model systems where glass-forming ability can be tuned by an external parameter, we are able to interpolate between crystal-forming and glass-forming behavior. We find that the enhancement of the glass-forming ability is caused by an increase in the structural difference between liquid and crystal: stronger competition in orderings towards the melting point minimum makes a liquid structure more disordered (more complex). This increase in the liquid-crystal structure difference can be described by a single adimensional parameter, i.e., the interface energy cost scaled by the thermal energy, which we call the "thermodynamic interface penalty." Our finding may provide a general physical principle for not only controlling the glass-forming ability but also the emergence of glassy behavior of various systems with competing orderings, including orderings of structural, magnetic, electronic, charge, and dipolar origin.

The Analysis of A1 Level Speaking Exam in Terms of Syntax: The Effect of General Competence on Syntax in A1 Level Speaking

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Misir, Hülya

2017-01-01

This study aims at discovering the relevance of general competence of Turkish and Arab learners who have an A1 level of English proficiency in preparatory school of University of Turkish Aeronautical Association (UTAA) to their speaking skill in terms of syntax by analyzing the recordings of speaking exams in the first semester. One can ask why…

Public administration of quality of education at the local level on the foundation of the competence approach

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O. I. Popova

2014-04-01

Full Text Available The article deals with the essence of the phenomenon of management, reveals the meaning of science categories of public administration, of public administration of education and public administration of quality of education at the local level. Personnel factor identifies priority in improving of public administration of quality of education at the local level, the importance of the implementation of the competence approach to management education sector as a necessary condition to ensure the quality of education.

Minimum airflow reset of single-duct VAV terminal boxes

Science.gov (United States)

Cho, Young-Hum

Single duct Variable Air Volume (VAV) systems are currently the most widely used type of HVAC system in the United States. When installing such a system, it is critical to determine the minimum airflow set point of the terminal box, as an optimally selected set point will improve the level of thermal comfort and indoor air quality (IAQ) while at the same time lower overall energy costs. In principle, this minimum rate should be calculated according to the minimum ventilation requirement based on ASHRAE standard 62.1 and maximum heating load of the zone. Several factors must be carefully considered when calculating this minimum rate. Terminal boxes with conventional control sequences may result in occupant discomfort and energy waste. If the minimum rate of airflow is set too high, the AHUs will consume excess fan power, and the terminal boxes may cause significant simultaneous room heating and cooling. At the same time, a rate that is too low will result in poor air circulation and indoor air quality in the air-conditioned space. Currently, many scholars are investigating how to change the algorithm of the advanced VAV terminal box controller without retrofitting. Some of these controllers have been found to effectively improve thermal comfort, indoor air quality, and energy efficiency. However, minimum airflow set points have not yet been identified, nor has controller performance been verified in confirmed studies. In this study, control algorithms were developed that automatically identify and reset terminal box minimum airflow set points, thereby improving indoor air quality and thermal comfort levels, and reducing the overall rate of energy consumption. A theoretical analysis of the optimal minimum airflow and discharge air temperature was performed to identify the potential energy benefits of resetting the terminal box minimum airflow set points. Applicable control algorithms for calculating the ideal values for the minimum airflow reset were developed and

Self-perceived competency of infection control nurses based on Benner's framework: a nationwide survey in Korea.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Kyung Mi; Choi, Jeong Sil

2015-05-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the competency level of Korean infection control nurses (ICNs) by comparing the self-perceived competency level based on Benner's framework and the core competency proposed by the Certification Board of Infection Control. Study subjects included 90 ICNs working in Korean hospitals with more than 300 beds. A questionnaire was used to measure self-perceived competency level and core competency level. Using descriptive analysis, the core competency level of ICNs was found to differ significantly according to self-perceived competency level, and core competency level showed a significant increase with the increase of self-perceived competency level. Self-perceived competency level could be useful in classifying the competency level of nursing specialties. These results illustrate the competency levels of Korean ICNs and could serve as a reference to evaluate and expand the application of competency measurement not only for ICNs but also other groups of nurse specialists. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Competency Maps: an Effective Model to Integrate Professional Competencies Across a STEM Curriculum

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Sánchez Carracedo, Fermín; Soler, Antonia; Martín, Carme; López, David; Ageno, Alicia; Cabré, Jose; Garcia, Jordi; Aranda, Joan; Gibert, Karina

2018-05-01

Curricula designed in the context of the European Higher Education Area need to be based on both domain-specific and professional competencies. Whereas universities have had extensive experience in developing students' domain-specific competencies, fostering professional competencies poses a new challenge we need to face. This paper presents a model to globally develop professional competencies in a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) degree program, and assesses the results of its implementation after 4 years. The model is based on the use of competency maps, in which each competency is defined in terms of competency units. Each competency unit is described by a set of expected learning outcomes at three domain levels. This model allows careful analysis, revision, and iteration for an effective integration of professional competencies in domain-specific subjects. A global competency map is also designed, including all the professional competency learning outcomes to be achieved throughout the degree. This map becomes a useful tool for curriculum designers and coordinators. The results were obtained from four sources: (1) students' grades (classes graduated from 2013 to 2016, the first 4 years of the new Bachelor's Degree in Informatics Engineering at the Barcelona School of Informatics); (2) students' surveys (answered by students when they finished the degree); (3) the government employment survey, where former students evaluate their satisfaction of the received training in the light of their work experience; and (4) the Everis Foundation University-Enterprise Ranking, answered by over 2000 employers evaluating their satisfaction regarding their employees' university training, where the Barcelona School of Informatics scores first in the national ranking. The results show that competency maps are a good tool for developing professional competencies in a STEM degree.

Attainability and minimum energy of multiple-stage cascade membrane Systems

KAUST Repository

Alshehri, Ali

2015-08-12

Process design and simulation of multi-stage membrane systems have been widely studied in many gas separation systems. However, general guidelines have not been developed yet for the attainability and the minimum energy consumption of a multi-stage membrane system. Such information is important for conceptual process design and thus it is the topic of this work. Using a well-mixed membrane model, it was determined that the attainability curve of multi-stage systems is defined by the pressure ratio and membrane selectivity. Using the constant recycle ratio scheme, the recycle ratio can shift the attainability behavior between single-stage and multi-stage membrane systems. When the recycle ratio is zero, all of the multi-stage membrane processes will decay to a single-stage membrane process. When the recycle ratio approaches infinity, the required selectivity and pressure ratio reach their absolute minimum values, which have a simple relationship with that of a single-stage membrane process, as follows: View the MathML sourceSn=S1, View the MathML sourceγn=γ1, where n is the number of stages. The minimum energy consumption of a multi-stage membrane process is primarily determined by the membrane selectivity and recycle ratio. A low recycle ratio can significantly reduce the required membrane selectivity without substantial energy penalty. The energy envelope curve can provide a guideline from an energy perspective to determine the minimum required membrane selectivity in membrane process designs to compete with conventional separation processes, such as distillation.

Quantitative Research on the Minimum Wage

Science.gov (United States)

Goldfarb, Robert S.

1975-01-01

The article reviews recent research examining the impact of minimum wage requirements on the size and distribution of teenage employment and earnings. The studies measure income distribution, employment levels and effect on unemployment. (MW)

Investigation of Entrepreneurship Trends and General Competency Levels of University Students Studying at Faculty of Sports Sciences

Science.gov (United States)

Karabulut, Ebru Olcay; Dogan, Pinar Karacan

2018-01-01

The aim of this study is to determine the general competency beliefs and entrepreneurial levels of undergraduate students studying at faculty of sports sciences by different demographic variables. The sample group consists of total 1230 students, 541 women and 689 men, who have been educated in the sport sciences of five different universities and…

Minimum Bias Trigger in ATLAS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kwee, Regina

2010-01-01

Since the restart of the LHC in November 2009, ATLAS has collected inelastic pp collisions to perform first measurements on charged particle densities. These measurements will help to constrain various models describing phenomenologically soft parton interactions. Understanding the trigger efficiencies for different event types are therefore crucial to minimize any possible bias in the event selection. ATLAS uses two main minimum bias triggers, featuring complementary detector components and trigger levels. While a hardware based first trigger level situated in the forward regions with 2.2 < |η| < 3.8 has been proven to select pp-collisions very efficiently, the Inner Detector based minimum bias trigger uses a random seed on filled bunches and central tracking detectors for the event selection. Both triggers were essential for the analysis of kinematic spectra of charged particles. Their performance and trigger efficiency measurements as well as studies on possible bias sources will be presented. We also highlight the advantage of these triggers for particle correlation analyses. (author)

Building a competent health manager at district level: a grounded theory study from Eastern Uganda.

Science.gov (United States)

Tetui, Moses; Hurtig, Anna-Karin; Ekirpa-Kiracho, Elizabeth; Kiwanuka, Suzanne N; Coe, Anna-Britt

2016-11-21

Health systems in low-income countries are often characterized by poor health outcomes. While many reasons have been advanced to explain the persistently poor outcomes, management of the system has been found to play a key role. According to a WHO framework, the management of health systems is central to its ability to deliver needed health services. In this study, we examined how district managers in a rural setting in Uganda perceived existing approaches to strengthening management so as to provide a pragmatic and synergistic model for improving management capacity building. Twenty-two interviews were conducted with district level administrative and political managers, district level health managers and health facility managers to understand their perceptions and definitions of management and capacity building. Kathy Charmaz's constructive approach to grounded theory informed the data analysis process. An interative, dynamic and complex model with three sub-process of building a competent health manager was developed. A competent manager was understood as one who knew his/her roles, was well informed and was empowered to execute management functions. Professionalizing health managers which was viewed as the foundation, the use of engaging learning approaches as the inside contents and having a supportive work environment the frame of the model were the sub-processes involved in the model. The sub-processes were interconnected although the respondents agreed that having a supportive work environment was more time and effort intensive relative to the other two sub-processes. The model developed in our study makes four central contributions to enhance the WHO framework and the existing literature. First, it emphasizes management capacity building as an iterative, dynamic and complex process rather than a set of characteristics of competent managers. Second, our model suggests the need for professionalization of health managers at different levels of the health

Assessing Multicultural Competence of Helping-Profession Students

Science.gov (United States)

Hladik, Jakub

2016-01-01

In this article, I focus on assessing multicultural competence of helping-profession students. The "Multicultural Competence Scale of Helping-Profession Students" was used for data collection. The aim of the research was to find out the level of students' multicultural competence due to the current lack of this information in Central…

Competency Model 101. The Process of Developing Core Competencies.

Science.gov (United States)

Eichelberger, Lisa Wright; Hewlett, Peggy O'Neill

1999-01-01

The Mississippi Competency Model defines nurses' roles as provider (caregiver, teacher, counselor, advocate), professional (scholar, collaborator, ethicist, researcher), and manager (leader, facilitator, intrapreneur, decision maker, technology user) for four levels of nursing: licensed practical nurse, associate degree, bachelor's degree, and…

Emotional Competence and Stressors of Female School Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Holeyannavar, P. G.; Itagi, S. K.

2011-01-01

A study on emotional competence and stressors of 105 primary school teachers was conducted in Dharwad in 2009. Emotional competence was assessed using EC- scale and stressors by stress inventory for teachers (SIT). Results revealed that majority of the teachers (89.5%) showed average to competent levels of emotional competence, followed by 6.7 and…

A survey of resident perspectives on surgical case minimums and the impact on milestones, graduation, credentialing, and preparation for practice: AOA critical issues.

Science.gov (United States)

Jeray, Kyle J; Frick, Steven L

2014-12-03

Residency education continues to evolve. Several major changes have occurred in the past several years, including emphasis on core competencies, duty-hour restrictions, and call. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Next Accreditation System (NAS) implemented educational milestones in orthopaedic surgery in July 2013. Additionally, the Residency Review Committee for orthopaedic surgery published suggested surgical case minimums in 2012, which overlap with several of the milestones.We conducted a survey to assess the opinions of orthopaedic residents regarding the ACGME-suggested surgical case minimums and the effects that these may have on resident education and potential future privileges in hospitals. The survey was sent via e-mail to all of the residents participating in the American Orthopaedic Association (AOA) Resident Leadership Forum for both 2011 and 2012. Participants in the Resident Leadership Forum are in either postgraduate year 4 or postgraduate year 5, are selected by the program directors as resident leaders, and represent 80% of the orthopaedic residency programs in the United States. The survey was completed by 157 of the 314 participants. Sixty-nine percent of the participants believed that case logs with minimum numbers of surgical procedures were an effective way to monitor the work but were not necessarily the only way to monitor the educational progress of the residents. Thirty-two percent believed that the minimums should not be required. Overwhelmingly, there was agreement that important cases were missing from the currently proposed sixteen core surgical minimums. Specifically, the residents believed that a minimum number of cases are necessary for distal radial fracture fixation and proximal humeral fracture fixation and possibly have a milestone to reflect the progress of the residents for each fixation.Most residents thought that surgical case minimums are an effective tool in monitoring the progress of

Core Competencies of the Certified Pediatric Doctor of Chiropractic

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hewitt, Elise; Hestbaek, Lise; Pohlman, Katherine A

2016-01-01

An outline of the minimum core competencies expected from a certified pediatric doctor of chiropractic was developed using a Delphi consensus process. The initial set of seed statements and substatements was modeled on competency documents used by organizations that oversee chiropractic and medical...... education. These statements were distributed to the Delphi panel, reaching consensus when 80% of the panelists approved each segment. The panel consisted of 23 specialists in chiropractic pediatrics (14 females) from across the broad spectrum of the chiropractic profession. Sixty-one percent of panelists...... had postgraduate pediatric certifications or degrees, 39% had additional graduate degrees, and 74% were faculty at a chiropractic institution and/or in a postgraduate pediatrics program. The panel were initially given 10 statements with related substatements formulated by the study's steering...

UK Transfusion Laboratory Collaborative: minimum standards for staff qualifications, training, competency and the use of information technology in hospital transfusion laboratories 2014.

Science.gov (United States)

Chaffe, B; Glencross, H; Jones, J; Staves, J; Capps-Jenner, A; Mistry, H; Bolton-Maggs, P; McQuade, M; Asher, D

2014-12-01

The SHOT Adverse Incident Reporting Scheme has consistently reported an unacceptably high level of errors originating in the laboratory setting. In 2006 an initiative was launched in conjunction with the IBMS, SHOT, RCPath, BBTS, UK NEQAS, the NHSE NBTC and the equivalents in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland that led to the formation of the UK TLC. The UK TLC in considering the nature and spread of the errors documented by SHOT concluded that a significant proportion of these errors were most likely to be related to either the use of information technology or staff education, staffing levels, skill mix, training and competency issues. In the absence of any formal guidance on these matters, the UK TLC developed a series of recommendations using the results of two laboratory surveys conducted in 2007 and 2008.

CORPORATE STANDARD OF ICT COMPETENCE OF MASTERS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. Morze

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Current labor market demand determines the modification of the system of higher education, including the transfer of emphasis on the educational process in its final qualitative result, a paradigm shift from knowledge education to competency. Student should must possess ICT competence that today has become a part of professional competence of professionals of any type. The purpose of the study is to develop standards in the ICT competence of all members of the educational process to ensure the quality of university education and the creation and subsequent implementation of educational policies of the University. The paper highlights the need to develop a corporate standard of ICT competence of masters based on UNESCO scientific approaches. It describes model, the level of ICT competence and tools for monitoring its formation in the future for today's professionals. For each of the selected three levels of ICT competence (basic, advanced and professional determined necessary knowledge and skills, talents and ideas to master. The necessary and sufficient conditions are determined for the formation of the ICT competence of masters in modern university, proffered examples of tasks and competency requirements for the personal educational electronic space for student and educational electronic space of university. Developed and approved corporate standard provides appropriate expertise contemporary specialist who meets the requirements of the labor market and will allow the graduate to be successful in today's information society.

Financing the Business. Unit 11. Level 1. Instructor Guide. PACE: Program for Acquiring Competence in Entrepreneurship. Third Edition. Research & Development Series No. 301-11.

Science.gov (United States)

Ohio State Univ., Columbus. Center on Education and Training for Employment.

This instructor guide for a unit on business financing in the PACE (Program for Acquiring Competence in Entrepreneurship) curriculum includes the full text of the student module and lesson plans, instructional suggestions, and other teacher resources. The competencies that are incorporated into this module are at Level 1 of learning--understanding…

Production competence revisited

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Szász, Levente; Demeter, Krisztina; Boer, Harry

2015-01-01

to measure production competence as the two-dimensional operational level construct it actually is, and to use Slack’s (1994) importance performance matrix to study its business level performance effects. The three hypotheses developed are tested using a subsample of the International Manufacturing Strategy...... Survey database, which includes 465 manufacturing companies from 21 countries. Findings – The study offers additional empirical support for production competence theory. Going beyond supporting existing theory, the results give more detailed insight by indicating that low operational performance on even...... one important competitive factor leads to lower business performance (order-losing effect); excessive investment in increasing operational performance on any less important competitive factor does not necessarily lead to higher business performance. Practical implications – Using a large empirical...

Leadership Competences in Slovenian Health Care

Science.gov (United States)

KOVAČIČ, Helena; RUS, Andrej

2015-01-01

Background Leadership competences play an important role for the success of effective leadership. The purpose of this study was to examine leadership competences of managers in the healthcare sector in Slovenia. Methods Data were collected in 2008. The research included 265 employees in healthcare and 267 business managers. Respondents assessed their level of 16 leadership relevant competences on a 7-point Likert-type scale. Results Test of differences between competences and leader position of health care professionals yielded statistically significant differences between leader and non-leader positions. Leaders gave strongest emphasis to interpersonal and informational competences, while regarding decision making competences, the differences between leaders and other employees are not that significant. When comparing competences of healthcare managers with those of business managers, results show that healthcare managers tend to give weaker emphasis to competences related to all three managerial roles than business managers. Conclusions The study showed that in Slovenian health care, leaders distinguish themselves from other employees in some leadership competences. In addition, all three dimensions of leadership competences significantly distinguished the group of healthcare managers from the business managers, which indicates a serious lag in leadership competences among leaders in Slovenian healthcare. PMID:27646617

Leadership Competences in Slovenian Health Care.

Science.gov (United States)

Kovačič, Helena; Rus, Andrej

2015-03-01

Leadership competences play an important role for the success of effective leadership. The purpose of this study was to examine leadership competences of managers in the healthcare sector in Slovenia. Data were collected in 2008. The research included 265 employees in healthcare and 267 business managers. Respondents assessed their level of 16 leadership relevant competences on a 7-point Likert-type scale. Test of differences between competences and leader position of health care professionals yielded statistically significant differences between leader and non-leader positions. Leaders gave strongest emphasis to interpersonal and informational competences, while regarding decision making competences, the differences between leaders and other employees are not that significant. When comparing competences of healthcare managers with those of business managers, results show that healthcare managers tend to give weaker emphasis to competences related to all three managerial roles than business managers. The study showed that in Slovenian health care, leaders distinguish themselves from other employees in some leadership competences. In addition, all three dimensions of leadership competences significantly distinguished the group of healthcare managers from the business managers, which indicates a serious lag in leadership competences among leaders in Slovenian healthcare.

Pathology Competencies for Medical Education and Educational Cases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Barbara E. C. Knollmann-Ritschel MD

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Current medical school curricula predominantly facilitate early integration of basic science principles into clinical practice to strengthen diagnostic skills and the ability to make treatment decisions. In addition, they promote life-long learning and understanding of the principles of medical practice. The Pathology Competencies for Medical Education (PCME were developed in response to a call to action by pathology course directors nationwide to teach medical students pathology principles necessary for the practice of medicine. The PCME are divided into three competencies: 1 Disease Mechanisms and Processes, 2 Organ System Pathology, and 3 Diagnostic Medicine and Therapeutic Pathology. Each of these competencies is broad and contains multiple learning goals with more specific learning objectives. The original competencies were designed to be a living document, meaning that they will be revised and updated periodically, and have undergone their first revision with this publication. The development of teaching cases, which have a classic case-based design, for the learning objectives is the next step in providing educational content that is peer-reviewed and readily accessible for pathology course directors, medical educators, and medical students. Application of the PCME and cases promotes a minimum standard of exposure of the undifferentiated medical student to pathophysiologic principles. The publication of the PCME and the educational cases will create a current educational resource and repository published through Academic Pathology .

Financing the Business. Unit 11. Level 3. Instructor Guide. PACE: Program for Acquiring Competence in Entrepreneurship. Third Edition. Research & Development Series No. 303-11.

Science.gov (United States)

Ohio State Univ., Columbus. Center on Education and Training for Employment.

This instructor guide for a unit on business finance in the PACE (Program for Acquiring Competence in Entrepreneurship) curriculum includes the full text of the student module and lesson plans, instructional suggestions, and other teacher resources. The competencies that are incorporated into this module are at Level 3 of learning--starting and…

Nuclear safety and human competence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stefanescu, Petre

2001-01-01

Competence represents a very well defined ensemble of knowledge and skills, behavior modalities, standard procedures and judgement types that can be used in a given situation, without a priori learning. It is obvious that a person competence should fulfill the needs of the company he works for. For a Nuclear Power Plant operator competence is a constitutive part of his individuality. Competence includes: 1. Knowledge that can be classified in three main items: - procedural and declarative knowledge; - practical knowledge and skills; - fundamental knowledge. 2. 'Non cognitive' knowledge components, such as 'social information', team collective competence, safety education, risks perception and management. The last item presents a special interest for nuclear safety. On the other hand, competence level defines the quality of procedures applied in different operational situations. Competence - procedures relations are presented. Competence fundament results from operator activity analysis. The analyst has to take into consideration several phases of activity in which competence is highlighted like: - genesis, during formation; - transformation, during adaptation to a technical modification; - transfer, from expert to probationer. Competence is subject to a continuous transformation process due to technical and organizational evolutions and 'operator ageing'. Cognitive ageing of operators or the technical ageing of competence often appear to be superimposed. Technical progress acceleration increases the ageing effects of competence. Knowledge - skills dynamic relations are discussed. The changing of organizational form determines appearance of new competence gained from others domains or defined by multidisciplinary studies. Ergonomics can help the changing of organizational form through analysis of operators evolution activity which will generate new competence. Ergonomics can contribute to identify means of raising competence starting from learning process

The Minimum Wage, Restaurant Prices, and Labor Market Structure

Science.gov (United States)

Aaronson, Daniel; French, Eric; MacDonald, James

2008-01-01

Using store-level and aggregated Consumer Price Index data, we show that restaurant prices rise in response to minimum wage increases under several sources of identifying variation. We introduce a general model of employment determination that implies minimum wage hikes cause prices to rise in competitive labor markets but potentially fall in…

Self-assessment of competencies in dental education in Germany - a multicentred survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Bitter, K; Rüttermann, S; Lippmann, M; Hahn, P; Giesler, M

2016-11-01

The aim was to assess the competencies of undergraduate dental students in Germany in the domains team competence, communicative competence, learning competence and scholarship. The survey was conducted at 11 dental schools that are equally distributed all over Germany. Competencies were assessed with the Freiburg Questionnaire to Assess Competencies in Medicine (FCM). A short version of the FCM was used in this study. This short form included the four domains: team competence (three items), communicative competence (eight items), learning competence (five items) and scholarship (four items). Students had to rate each item twice: first with regard to the respondent's current level of competence and second with regard to the level of competence that respondents think is required by their job. All items were rated on a five-point Likert scale (1 'very much' and 5 'not at all'). Responsible lecturers from all selected dental schools received another questionnaire to answer the questions whether the FCM domain corresponding learning objectives were taught at the respective dental school. A total of 317 undergraduate students from 11 dental schools in their last clinical year participated. The response rate varied between 48% and 92%. Cronbach's α for the FCM scales addressing the current level of competencies ranged from 0.70 to 0.89 and for the scales measuring the presumed level of competencies demanded by their job ranged from 0.72 to 0.82. The mean values of the scales for the assessment of the presumed level of competencies demanded by the job were significantly lower compared to the mean values of the scales for the current level of competencies (P competence (SRM 1.34), learning competence (SRM 1.27) and communicative competence (SRM 1.18). Overall, the learning objectives that correspond to the assessed domains of competencies were taught to 19.6% completely, to 55.4% partially and to 25% not at all at the participating dental schools. The results of the

More active pre-school children have better motor competence at school starting age: an observational cohort study

OpenAIRE

Barnett, Lisa M.; Salmon, Jo; Hesketh, Kylie D.

2016-01-01

Abstract Background Almost half of young children do not achieve minimum recommendations of 60 daily minutes in physical activity. Physical activity is potentially an important determinant of the development of motor competence in children. This study is one of very few longitudinal studies in this area and the first to investigate early childhood physical activity as a predictor of subsequent motor skill competence. Methods Children were assessed as part of the Melbourne InFANT Program longi...

Organisational and individual support for nurses' ethical competence: A cross-sectional survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Poikkeus, Tarja; Suhonen, Riitta; Katajisto, Jouko; Leino-Kilpi, Helena

2018-05-01

Nurses' ethical competence has been identified as a significant factor governing high quality of care. However, nurses lack support in dealing with ethical problems, and therefore managerial support for nurses' ethical competence is needed. This study aimed to analyse, from the perspective of nurse and nurse leaders, the level of nurses' and nurse leaders' ethical competence, perceptions of support for nurses' ethical competence at the organisational and individual levels and background factors associated with this support. A descriptive, cross-sectional study design was employed. The Ethical Competence and Ethical Competence Support questionnaires were used to measure the main components. Descriptive statistics and multifactor analysis of variance were used for data analysis. The participants were 298 nurses and 193 nurse leaders working in specialised (48%/52%), primary (43%/36%) or private healthcare (5%/7%) in Finland. Ethical considerations: Ethical approval was obtained from the university ethics committee. Nurses estimated their own ethical competence to be at an average level, whereas nurse leaders estimated their own competence at a high level. Nurses' and nurse leaders' perceptions of provided support for nurses' ethical competence was not at a high level. The positive agreement percentage related to organisational support was 44% among nurses and 51% among nurse leaders. The positive agreement percentage related to individual support was lower, that is, 38% among nurses and 61% among nurse leaders. University education had a positive association with some items of individual support. Despite the findings that ethical competence was estimated at a high level among nurse leaders, perceptions of support for nurses' ethical competence were not at a satisfactory level. At the organisational level, nurse leaders need to inform of ethical procedures and practices in orientation; encourage multidisciplinary ethics discussions and collaboration; and support

Competency development information system - Knowledge management based competency development management tool

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aminuddin, R.; Zainuddin, Z.; Taib, Z.; Hamid, A.H.Ab.; Hamdan, S.N.

2007-01-01

information on business or division level mission, vision, objectives, strategies, projects and activities. From here the desired competencies are identified and broken down into knowledge and knowledge content. From this process the organization knowledge taxonomy is derived. The next process is the knowledge needs analysis conducted at group level and then at individual level. The level of all identified knowledge necessary to carryout planned projects and activities are assessed at group and individual level on a scale of 1-10. This process is conducted in a group lead by the group leader or manager. The knowledge profile that results is presented graphically and the knowledge gap that has to be filled through some learning initiatives is clearly portrayed Having identified the gap, the next task is to identify the knowledge sources in the form of books, journal articles, websites, laboratories, experts, vendors, electronic media and organised training and these are keyed into the system. At this stage individual staff would have enough information to plan his learning and knowledge acquisition. He would then plan his learning using the training plan module. He can learn through self directed learning or go for courses, seminars, attachments, scientific visit, or Masters and PhD. The time, place, budget and source of fund need to be determined. The staff biodata and development plan is also captured by the system. After implementing the training, the staff must submit a report and lessons learnt to the system. The system requires that the supervisor evaluates the training effectiveness, reviews recommendations and lessons learnt that was submitted and support and facilitate application of learning and implementation of any useful recommendations as a result of the training All the learning initiatives should increase the knowledge and competency level. This assessment is conducted on a regular basis to evaluate the effectiveness of learning initiatives and investment in

The impact of minimum wage adjustments on Vietnamese wage inequality

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Henrik; Rand, John; Torm, Nina

Using Vietnamese Labour Force Survey data we analyse the impact of minimum wage changes on wage inequality. Minimum wages serve to reduce local wage inequality in the formal sectors by decreasing the gap between the median wages and the lower tail of the local wage distributions. In contrast, local...... wage inequality is increased in the informal sectors. Overall, the minimum wages decrease national wage inequality. Our estimates indicate a decrease in the wage distribution Gini coefficient of about 2 percentage points and an increase in the 10/50 wage ratio of 5-7 percentage points caused...... by the adjustment of the minimum wages from 2011to 2012 that levelled the minimum wage across economic sectors....

Ammonium and nitrite oxidation at nanomolar oxygen concentrations in oxygen minimum zone waters.

Science.gov (United States)

Bristow, Laura A; Dalsgaard, Tage; Tiano, Laura; Mills, Daniel B; Bertagnolli, Anthony D; Wright, Jody J; Hallam, Steven J; Ulloa, Osvaldo; Canfield, Donald E; Revsbech, Niels Peter; Thamdrup, Bo

2016-09-20

A major percentage of fixed nitrogen (N) loss in the oceans occurs within nitrite-rich oxygen minimum zones (OMZs) via denitrification and anammox. It remains unclear to what extent ammonium and nitrite oxidation co-occur, either supplying or competing for substrates involved in nitrogen loss in the OMZ core. Assessment of the oxygen (O2) sensitivity of these processes down to the O2 concentrations present in the OMZ core (Chile at manipulated O2 levels between 5 nmol⋅L(-1) and 20 μmol⋅L(-1) Rates of both processes were detectable in the low nanomolar range (5-33 nmol⋅L(-1) O2), but demonstrated a strong dependence on O2 concentrations with apparent half-saturation constants (Kms) of 333 ± 130 nmol⋅L(-1) O2 for ammonium oxidation and 778 ± 168 nmol⋅L(-1) O2 for nitrite oxidation assuming one-component Michaelis-Menten kinetics. Nitrite oxidation rates, however, were better described with a two-component Michaelis-Menten model, indicating a high-affinity component with a Km of just a few nanomolar. As the communities of ammonium and nitrite oxidizers were similar to other OMZs, these kinetics should apply across OMZ systems. The high O2 affinities imply that ammonium and nitrite oxidation can occur within the OMZ core whenever O2 is supplied, for example, by episodic intrusions. These processes therefore compete with anammox and denitrification for ammonium and nitrite, thereby exerting an important control over nitrogen loss.

Minimum Wages and Workers' "Motivation": An approach using an economic experiment (Japanese)

OpenAIRE

MORI Tomoharu

2013-01-01

This paper investigates the effect of minimum wages on workers' effort levels (motivation) using an economic experiment conducted in a laboratory. Under the gift-exchange theory, if firms pay higher wages, workers exert more effort. Vice versa, if firms pay lower wages, workers exert less effort. Minimum wages affect the judgment as to whether the wages being paid are high or low. In general, wages near the minimum appear unattractive. However, it is possible that the same level of wage will ...

Effects of Nurses' Perceptions of Actual and Demanded Competence on Turnover Intentions.

Science.gov (United States)

Takase, Miyuki; Yamamoto, Masako; Sato, Yoko; Imai, Takiko; Kawamoto, Mitsuko

2017-10-01

With the growing focus on continuous professional development, demands placed on nurses to uphold nursing competence have been increasing. This study examined how nurses with different lengths of clinical experience perceived the relationship between their actual competence and the competence they felt was demanded of them, and how this relationship was related to their turnover intentions. Survey questionnaires were distributed to 1,377 nurses, of whom 765 returned usable completed forms. The results showed that across all the groups of clinical experience, nurses perceived the demanded competence levels to be higher than their actual competence levels. However, turnover intentions were not related to nurses' perceptions of demanded competence and were negatively related to perceptions of actual competence. The levels of competence demanded should not be considered as threats for nurses. Improving nurses' competence may reduce their turnover intentions.

Radiographer Level of Simulation Training, Critical Thinking Skills, Self-Efficacy, and Clinical Competence

Science.gov (United States)

Chiu, Jennifer G.

2013-01-01

Radiography is an essential part of the healthcare continuum and ensuring the competency of each technologist is essential. A clinically competent technologist is vital in achieving quality diagnostic images to accurate diagnosis disease and pathology to develop treatment plans leading to improved patient outcomes. The purpose of this study was…

Assessing Pharmacy Students’ Self-Perception of Cultural Competence

Science.gov (United States)

Echeverri, Margarita; Brookover, Cecile; Kennedy, Kathleen

2014-01-01

Pharmacists play an increasingly important role in medication therapy management, which requires communicating effectively with patients. Pharmacy students completed the Self-Assessment of Perceived Level of Cultural Competence (SAPLCC) questionnaire, and their results were used to identify patterns in self-assessment of cultural competence. In general, students rated their knowledge as less than their skills and attitudes. Important differences were found by race, comparing each group with its counterparts: African American students rated their perceived competencies regarding patient discrimination and barriers to health care at a significantly higher level; Asian American students rated their attitudes to engaging in self-reflection and their knowledge in multicultural issues at significantly lower level; and White students rated their awareness regarding racial dynamics at a significantly lower level. It is recommended to consider the students’ cultural, racial, and ethnic backgrounds before developing curriculum in cultural competence and, perhaps, to develop targeted educational interventions for specific groups. PMID:23395945

Energy Auditor and Quality Control Inspector Competency Model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Head, Heather R [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Kurnik, Charles W [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Schroeder, Derek [U.S. Department of Energy; Cutchin, Kelly [Simonson Management Services

2018-05-02

The Energy Auditor (EA) and Quality Control Inspector (QCI) Competency model was developed to identify the soft skills, foundational competencies and define the levels of Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) required to successfully perform the tasks defined in the EA and QCI Job Task Analysis (JTAs), the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) used the U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) Competency Model Clearinghouse resources to develop a QCI and EA Competency Model. To keep the QCI and EA competency model consistent with other construction and energy management competency models, DOE and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory used the existing 'Residential Construction Competency Model' and the 'Advanced Commercial Building Competency Model' where appropriate.

Perceptions of Blended Learning Competencies and Obstacles among Educational Technology Students in Light of Different Anxiety Levels and Locus of Control

Science.gov (United States)

Aldalalah, Osamah Ahmad; Gasaymeh, Al-Mothana M.

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of locus of control and anxiety level on the Jordanian educational technology students' perceived blended learning competencies and obstacles. The independent variables were the locus of control (Internal, External) and anxiety level (Low, Moderate, High). The dependent variables were the…

Cultural competency training in psychiatry.

Science.gov (United States)

Qureshi, A; Collazos, F; Ramos, M; Casas, M

2008-01-01

Recent reports indicate that the quality of care provided to immigrant and ethnic minority patients is not at the same level as that provided to majority group patients. Although the European Board of Medical Specialists recognizes awareness of cultural issues as a core component of the psychiatry specialization, few medical schools provide training in cultural issues. Cultural competence represents a comprehensive response to the mental health care needs of immigrant and ethnic minority patients. Cultural competence training involves the development of knowledge, skills, and attitudes that can improve the effectiveness of psychiatric treatment. Cognitive cultural competence involves awareness of the various ways in which culture, immigration status, and race impact psychosocial development, psychopathology, and therapeutic transactions. Technical cultural competence involves the application of cognitive cultural competence, and requires proficiency in intercultural communication, the capacity to develop a therapeutic relationship with a culturally different patient, and the ability to adapt diagnosis and treatment in response to cultural difference. Perhaps the greatest challenge in cultural competence training involves the development of attitudinal competence inasmuch as it requires exploration of cultural and racial preconceptions. Although research is in its infancy, there are increasing indications that cultural competence can improve key aspects of the psychiatric treatment of immigrant and minority group patients.

Food Marketing: Cashier-Checker. Student Material. Competency Based Curriculum.

Science.gov (United States)

Froelich, Larry; And Others

This curriculum for food marketing (cashier-checking) is designed to provide entry-level employment skills. It is organized into 13 units which contain one to ten competencies. A student competency sheet provided for each competency is organized into this format: unit and competency number and name, learning steps, learning activities, and…

Achieving Proficiency Goals through Competency Guidelines.

Science.gov (United States)

Bartz, Walter H.; Strasheim, Lorraine

The Indiana Foreign Language Generic Competencies for Levels 1-4 define language-learning outcomes in terms of communicative competencies within generic cultural contexts. Nine cultural contexts (travel/transportation, the "world" of the target language, school and education, family and home, leisure time, meeting personal needs, world…

Improving Representational Competence with Concrete Models

Science.gov (United States)

Stieff, Mike; Scopelitis, Stephanie; Lira, Matthew E.; DeSutter, Dane

2016-01-01

Representational competence is a primary contributor to student learning in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines and an optimal target for instruction at all educational levels. We describe the design and implementation of a learning activity that uses concrete models to improve students' representational competence and…

Entrepreneurial Competencies Needed by Managers in their Work

OpenAIRE

Penchev, Plamen; Salopaju, Antti

2011-01-01

Problem – Studying the relation of the two aspects of Managerial and Entrepreneurial competencies on the individual level. Combining theoretically the competencies of managers with the competencies of entrepreneurs into the concept of entrepreneurial competencies needed by managers in their work.   Purpose – We test which of the competencies of entrepreneurs are and can be utilized by professionally employed managers, by answering our three research questions:             1. How do the resear...

Help for the Entrepreneur. Unit 6. Level 1. Instructor Guide. PACE: Program for Acquiring Competence in Entrepreneurship. Third Edition. Research & Development Series No. 301-06.

Science.gov (United States)

Ohio State Univ., Columbus. Center on Education and Training for Employment.

This instructor guide for a unit on help for entrepreneurs in the PACE (Program for Acquiring Competence in Entrepreneurship) curriculum includes the full text of the student module and lesson plans, instructional suggestions, and other teacher resources. The competencies that are incorporated into this module are at Level 1 of…

The Effect of an Increased Minimum Wage on Infant Mortality and Birth Weight.

Science.gov (United States)

Komro, Kelli A; Livingston, Melvin D; Markowitz, Sara; Wagenaar, Alexander C

2016-08-01

To investigate the effects of state minimum wage laws on low birth weight and infant mortality in the United States. We estimated the effects of state-level minimum wage laws using a difference-in-differences approach on rates of low birth weight (minimum wage above the federal level was associated with a 1% to 2% decrease in low birth weight births and a 4% decrease in postneonatal mortality. If all states in 2014 had increased their minimum wages by 1 dollar, there would likely have been 2790 fewer low birth weight births and 518 fewer postneonatal deaths for the year.

Development and Validation of a Survey Instrument for Detecting Basic Motor Competencies in Elementary School Children

Science.gov (United States)

Scheuer, Claude; Bund, Andreas; Becker, Werner; Herrmann, Christian

2017-01-01

Basic motor competencies (in German: Motorische Basiskompetenzen; MOBAK) are motor performance dispositions formulated as minimum standards that empower children to participate in the culture of human movement. In opposition to movement-specific and process-oriented fundamental movement skills assessing the quality of movement execution, basic…

Aligning interprofessional education collaborative sub-competencies to a progression of learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Patel Gunaldo, Tina; Brisolara, Kari Fitzmorris; Davis, Alison H; Moore, Robert

2017-05-01

In the United States, the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) developed four core competencies for interprofessional collaborative practice. Even though the IPEC competencies and respective sub-competencies were not created in a hierarchal manner, one might reflect upon a logical progression of learning as well as learners accruing skills allowing them to master one level of learning and building on the aggregate of skills before advancing to the next level. The Louisiana State University Health-New Orleans Center for Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice (CIPECP) determined the need to align the sub-competencies with the level of behavioural expectations in order to simplify the process of developing an interprofessional education experience targeted to specific learning levels. In order to determine the most effective alignment, CIPECP discussions revolved around current programmatic expectations across the institution. Faculty recognised the need to align sub-competencies with student learning objectives. Simultaneously, a progression of learning existing within each of the four IPEC domains was noted. Ultimately, the faculty and staff team agreed upon categorising the sub-competencies in a hierarchical manner for the four domains into either a "basic, intermediate, or advanced" level of competency.

Evaluation of the level of the competence development in the field of disease prevention and healthy lifestyle among medical students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. V. Sivas

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The principles of competent approach in the teaching of the medical university students in the disease prevention and healthy lifestyle are given in the article. For the formation of competence in the disease prevention and healthy lifestyles the pedagogical integral technology is used, developed by integrating content and disciplines of the medical education and Physical Culture. Further formation of competences in the preventive medicine and healthy lifestyle is being accomplished through the project method of teaching based on active projects. Advantages of the assessment of the competence of the medical university students in disease prevention and healthy lifestyle in the form of an authentic representational portfolio are given in the article. Modern assessment activity in education is focused on personal achievements of students, which may be reflected in different versions of portfolio. Authentic assessment is the most convenient and reliable in the case of the competence assessment, since it focuses primarily on the practical results of activity takes into account and promotes initiative, personal potential of the student, provides an opportunity to see the results and to obtain an assessment of achievements, allows not only to generate individual educational trajectory, but also to monitor the level of development of the educational content. The article reveals the content of the authentic representational portfolio and provides recommendations on its design and evaluation.

An analysis of the concept of competence in individuals and social systems.

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Adler, P T

1982-01-01

This paper has attempted to present a unified conceptual model of positive mental health or competence from the perspective of individuals and from the perspective of social systems of varying degrees of complexity, such as families, organizations, and entire communities. It has provided a taxonomy of the elements of competence which allows the application of a common framework to the analysis of competence and to the planning and evaluation of competence building interventions at any level of social organization. Community Mental Health Centers can apply the model which has been presented in a number of different ways. At whatever level(s) the CMHCs' efforts are directed, the competence model presents a framework for analysis, intervention, and evaluation which enriches and expands upon more typical disorder-based formulations. By providing a framework which encompasses all levels of social organization, the model provides the conceptual tools for going beyond the individual and microsystem levels which have often constituted the boundaries of CMHC concern, and allows the CMHC to approach the organizational and community levels which must be encompassed by a competently comprehensive center. Application of the concept of competence to social organizations and to communities allows the CMHC to analyze and intervene at these levels. Finally, the concept of organizational competence separated into its various elements provides the CMHC with a tool for analyzing and evaluating its own environment and the competence of various aspects of its own functioning within that environment.

Assuring future competence in nuclear safety in Finland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koskinen, K.

2004-01-01

To improve competence management at the regulatory body a competence analysis was carried out and a human resource plan for nuclear safety area for the near future was made. STUK studied carefully the models used in other public sector organisations and adjusted the method to its own purposes. The model used has four competence categories: substance related, management skills, common working skills and STUK related working skills. Substance related competences were defined and described at working unit level. Descriptions for the rest three categories were made at STUK level and those were common for all departments. Results of competence analysis are encouraging. Most competence areas are covered at proper level, some will need to be improved but none was totally missing. For the future challenges extra attention should be paid to knowledge management. Two separate plans were made on the basis of these results: plan for training regulatory personnel and HR-plan (at the first stage recruiting plan for next five years). It is STUK's experience that the competence analysis is worth the trouble. It gives the organisation and employees a common conception on its competences and on future needs. It also makes it easier to motivate all staff members to use their working hours on training and capability building. On the other hand it must be admitted that it takes resources and all employees have not been very anxious to do this. The results of competence analysis should lead to some improvement projects. The progress of improvement actions should be followed-up on regularly basis. It is important not to forget to communicate the results to employees

Help for the Entrepreneur. Unit 6. Level 2. Instructor Guide. PACE: Program for Acquiring Competence in Entrepreneurship. Third Edition. Research & Development Series No. 302-06.

Science.gov (United States)

Ohio State Univ., Columbus. Center on Education and Training for Employment.

This instructor guide for a unit on help for entrepreneurs in the PACE (Program for Acquiring Competence in Entrepreneurship) curriculum includes the full text of the student module and lesson plans, instructional suggestions, and other teacher resources. The competencies that are incorporated into this module are at Level 2 of learning--planning…

Help for the Entrepreneur. Unit 6. Level 3. Instructor Guide. PACE: Program for Acquiring Competence in Entrepreneurship. Third Edition. Research & Development Series No. 303-06.

Science.gov (United States)

Ohio State Univ., Columbus. Center on Education and Training for Employment.

This instructor guide for a unit on help for the entrepreneur in the PACE (Program for Acquiring Competence in Entrepreneurship) Program includes the full text of the student module and lesson plans, instructional suggestions, and other teacher resources. The competencies that are incorporated into this module are at Level 3 of learning--starting…

Quality and safety in graduate nursing education: Cross-mapping QSEN graduate competencies with NONPF's NP core and practice doctorate competencies.

Science.gov (United States)

Pohl, Joanne M; Savrin, Carol; Fiandt, Kathryn; Beauchesne, Michelle; Drayton-Brooks, Shirlee; Scheibmeir, Monica; Brackley, Margaret; Werner, Kathryn E

2009-01-01

To ensure that nurse practitioners are prepared to deliver safe, high-quality health care, the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) publishes documents that outline the expected competencies for nurse practitioner (NP) practice (Domains and Core Competencies of Nurse Practitioner Practice and Practice Doctorate Nurse Practitioner Entry-Level Competencies). Having participated in the development of the Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) competencies for graduate education, NONPF convened a task force to compare NONPF competencies with QSEN competencies for graduate education. This paper reports the first step of that cross-mapping process, comparing NONPF competencies with the QSEN knowledge objectives. Overall findings indicate close congruence across the 2 sets of competencies; however there are areas in which gaps are noted or for which clarification is required.

ASSESSMENT OF STUDENTS’ MEDIA COMPETENCE: TEST RESULTS ANALYSI

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexander Fedorov

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Ascertaining levels of media competence (development in the field of media culture of students is based on the classification of indicators developed by the author. In accordance with this classification, audience is invited to a basic blocks of questions and tasks. The gargets are: to detect the levels of motivational indicators of audience’s media competence (genre, thematic, psychological, therapeutic, emotional, cognitive, moral, intellectual, creative and aesthetic reasons which the audience contact with media texts; to identify the level of the user / contact rate (frequency of contacts with various kinds of media, user skills in relation to the media; to identify the level of cognitive / information index (knowledge of terminology, history and theory of media culture of university students’ media competence.

Fostering Communicative Competence through Technology

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Muhammad Aslam Sipra

2013-05-01

Full Text Available The article explores the use of technology in EFL classes to promote communicative competence. It elucidates communicative competence and explicates obstructions in communicative tasks. Moreover, it interprets the use of technology in fostering and supporting the development of communicative competence and explains how it is pragmatic in maintaining learners’ level of motivation and interest in learning a foreign language. The present article identifies the significance and use of mobile phone, camera, computer and internet, tape recorder, projector, and language labs in EFL classes. Besides, it discusses the use of technology as an educational tool in language teaching and learning.

White-crowned sparrow males show immediate flexibility in song amplitude but not in song minimum frequency in response to changes in noise levels in the field.

Science.gov (United States)

Derryberry, Elizabeth P; Gentry, Katherine; Derryberry, Graham E; Phillips, Jennifer N; Danner, Raymond M; Danner, Julie E; Luther, David A

2017-07-01

The soundscape acts as a selective agent on organisms that use acoustic signals to communicate. A number of studies document variation in structure, amplitude, or timing of signal production in correspondence with environmental noise levels thus supporting the hypothesis that organisms are changing their signaling behaviors to avoid masking. The time scale at which organisms respond is of particular interest. Signal structure may evolve across generations through processes such as cultural or genetic transmission. Individuals may also change their behavior during development (ontogenetic change) or in real time (i.e., immediate flexibility). These are not mutually exclusive mechanisms, and all must be investigated to understand how organisms respond to selection pressures from the soundscape. Previous work on white-crowned sparrows ( Zonotrichia leucophrys ) found that males holding territories in louder areas tend to sing higher frequency songs and that both noise levels and song frequency have increased over time (30 years) in urban areas. These previous findings suggest that songs are changing across generations; however, it is not known if this species also exhibits immediate flexibility. Here, we conducted an exploratory, observational study to ask whether males change the minimum frequency of their song in response to immediate changes in noise levels. We also ask whether males sing louder, as increased minimum frequency may be physiologically linked to producing sound at higher amplitudes, in response to immediate changes in environmental noise. We found that territorial males adjust song amplitude but not minimum frequency in response to changes in environmental noise levels. Our results suggest that males do not show immediate flexibility in song minimum frequency, although experimental manipulations are needed to test this hypothesis further. Our work highlights the need to investigate multiple mechanisms of adaptive response to soundscapes.

Autonomy and Firefighting: Perceived Competence and Stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Chiang, Evelyn S; Baley, John; Ponder, Joy; Padilla, Miguel A

2016-12-01

In workplace settings, autonomy is implicated in employee motivation as well as supervisor autonomy support. As a profession of risk, firefighters may experience greater levels of stress. A self-determination paradigm was applied to the firefighter workplace. Of particular interest were perceived competence (to perform job duties) and the experience of stress. Firefighters' levels of autonomous and controlled regulation were surveyed, along with their perceptions of the autonomy support of their immediate supervisor. Autonomous regulation was positively related to perceived competence, whereas controlled regulation was negatively related. Higher levels of controlled regulation were also connected with greater stress. In contrast, greater perceived autonomy support was associated with decreased stress. Both perceived competence and stress are related to firefighter motivation and autonomy support. Recommendations are offered to increase autonomy support by chief officers.

Business Students’ Attitudes Towards and Competency in Information Technology

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İbrahim Halil Seyrek

2010-12-01

Full Text Available As a result of wide spread use of information technology (IT in businesses, the need for IT-competent workforce is escalating. This need is also becoming very important for business graduates who can work in many areas and in different positions. The purpose of this study is to determine the IT competency of undergraduate business students and find out their attitudes towards IT since attitude is an important factor for the acceptance of IT. For this purpose, the attitudes of business students towards and competence in IT have been studied using data gathered from 394 undergraduate business students. As a result of the study, it has been found that most of the students own computers and have a good level of access to IT resources but their perceived level of competency is low. Moreover, female students compared to male students, students who don’t own a computer compared to students owning a computer and students who have high levels of access to IT compared to those with lower access show higher anxiety about IT, feel they have less control when they face a problem related to IT and have lower perceived level of IT competence. Also, depending on which year they are in, students show different attitudes towards IT and their competence increases as they become more senior. Finally, it has been found that different dimensions of attitude have effects on IT competence

Teaching problem-solving competency in Business Studies at secondary school level

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Aloe Meintjes

2015-08-01

Full Text Available The high unemployment rate in South Africa compels potential entrepreneurs to start their own businesses in order to survive. Often this is with little or no formal training or education in entrepreneurship. Since problem recognition and problem-solving are amongst the most crucial competencies required for a successful entrepreneurial career, this study aimed to determine whether the application of an extended curriculum with a strong focus on active learning in a business-simulated set-up will enhance this competency. The performance of a specific group of Grade 11 Business Studies learners in this study was measured, both before and after they had been exposed to such an extended curriculum in different experimental settings (intervention. Assessments were done qualitatively through observations and interviews, and quantitatively, by means of question-based scenarios. The findings revealed that the intervention enhanced learners' entrepreneurial competencies concerning problem recognition and problem-solving considerably. This also contributed to these learners' positive approach towards Business Studies. In this article, it is argued that practical exposure in a business-simulated set-up will not only result in enhanced entrepreneurial proficiency in school learners, but also contribute to an accelerated pace of economic growth and job creation in our country.

Leadership Competences Among Managers

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Anna Baczynska

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Purpose: The aim of this paper is to present the results of a survey conducted among managers (N=38 in the framework of the project “Development of the Bounded Leadership Theory”. The research juxtaposes two types of variables: (1 leadership competencies outlined in Kozminski’s theory (i.e. anticipatory, visionary, value-creating, mobilizing, self-reflection with (2 three psychological predispositions of leaders, such as intelligence, personality and ability to influence others. The tested predispositions represented three groups: non-variable traits, or permanent characteristics (intelligence, partially variable characteristics (personality and variable characteristics (influence tactics. Methodology: A total of 38 middle and senior managers, students of the MBA programme at Kozminski University, took part in the survey. Participants flled out a preliminary version of the Leadership Competence Questionnaire, as well as tests pertaining to intelligence, personality and influence tactics. The hypotheses were tested using Spearman’s rho correlation. The research has brought interesting results relating to the correlation between the fve tested competencies and leadership predispositions. Findings: Permanent and partly stable characteristics do not correlate with leadership competencies, i.e. a high score in leadership competencies is not necessarily synonymous with high intelligence levels or positive personality traits. Correlations have been observed between mobilization skills and influence tactics in the surveyed sample, i.e. legitimacy and personal appeals that leaders have recourse to and, in the case of value-creating competencies, an interesting correlation with legitimacy. Originality: The study constitutes an important contribution to the extant literature, as – first and foremost – it represents a new approach to the understanding of leadership competencies. Secondly, it reveals correlations between complex skills, i

Valid Competency Assessment in Higher Education

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Olga Zlatkin-Troitschanskaia

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of the 15 collaborative projects conducted during the new funding phase of the German research program Modeling and Measuring Competencies in Higher Education—Validation and Methodological Innovations (KoKoHs is to make a significant contribution to advancing the field of modeling and valid measurement of competencies acquired in higher education. The KoKoHs research teams assess generic competencies and domain-specific competencies in teacher education, social and economic sciences, and medicine based on findings from and using competency models and assessment instruments developed during the first KoKoHs funding phase. Further, they enhance, validate, and test measurement approaches for use in higher education in Germany. Results and findings are transferred at various levels to national and international research, higher education practice, and education policy.

The consumer competence of young adults

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Grønhøj, Alice

2007-01-01

of consumer competence in actual consumption decisions, however more competent approaches were reported when respondents were faced with hypothetical purchase situations. The young consumers' own understanding of what consumer competence requires showed some degree of correspondence with traditional notions...... of 'desirable consumer socialization', but also added a fundamental consumer competence to the list: to carefully consider one's need to make a purchase. Research limitations/implications The study included only a certain segment of young consumers. Future studies of consumer competence may include consumers......, particularly with respect to how new, complex buying decisions are managed. Findings Guidance from family and friends was found to be of major significance as regards complex consumer decisions made in the transition period from home to first household. The young adults did not display very high levels...

Charting the Road to Competence: Developmental Milestones for Internal Medicine Residency Training

Science.gov (United States)

Green, Michael L.; Aagaard, Eva M.; Caverzagie, Kelly J.; Chick, Davoren A.; Holmboe, Eric; Kane, Gregory; Smith, Cynthia D.; Iobst, William

2009-01-01

Background The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Outcome Project requires that residency program directors objectively document that their residents achieve competence in 6 general dimensions of practice. Intervention In November 2007, the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) and the ACGME initiated the development of milestones for internal medicine residency training. ABIM and ACGME convened a 33-member milestones task force made up of program directors, experts in evaluation and quality, and representatives of internal medicine stakeholder organizations. This article reports on the development process and the resulting list of proposed milestones for each ACGME competency. Outcomes The task force adopted the Dreyfus model of skill acquisition as a framework the internal medicine milestones, and calibrated the milestones with the expectation that residents achieve, at a minimum, the “competency” level in the 5-step progression by the completion of residency. The task force also developed general recommendations for strategies to evaluate the milestones. Discussion The milestones resulting from this effort will promote competency-based resident education in internal medicine, and will allow program directors to track the progress of residents and inform decisions regarding promotion and readiness for independent practice. In addition, the milestones may guide curriculum development, suggest specific assessment strategies, provide benchmarks for resident self-directed assessment-seeking, and assist remediation by facilitating identification of specific deficits. Finally, by making explicit the profession's expectations for graduates and providing a degree of national standardization in evaluation, the milestones may improve public accountability for residency training. PMID:21975701

Your Potential as an Entrepreneur. Unit 1. Level 1. Instructor Guide. PACE: Program for Acquiring Competence in Entrepreneurship. Third Edition. Research & Development Series No. 301-01.

Science.gov (United States)

Ohio State Univ., Columbus. Center on Education and Training for Employment.

This instructor guide for a unit on entrepreneurship potential in the PACE (Program for Acquiring Competence in Entrepreneurship) curriculum includes the full text of the student module and lesson plans, instructional suggestions, and other teacher resources. The competencies that are incorporated into this module are at Level 1 of…

MINIMUM BRACING STIFFNESS FOR MULTI-COLUMN SYSTEMS: THEORY

OpenAIRE

ARISTIZÁBAL-OCHOA, J. DARÍO

2011-01-01

A method that determines the minimum bracing stiffness required by a multi-column elastic system to achieve non-sway buckling conditions is proposed. Equations that evaluate the required minimum stiffness of the lateral and torsional bracings and the corresponding “braced" critical buckling load for each column of the story level are derived using the modified stability functions. The following effects are included: 1) the types of end connections (rigid, semirigid, and simple); 2) the bluepr...

Teaching Competencies for the Online Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Farmer, Heather M.; Ramsdale, Jennifer

2016-01-01

The goals of this study are to identify key competency areas that lead to success in online instruction and to develop a framework that supports professional development and self-assessment. To identify the key competency areas, skills and behaviours presented within current literature were analyzed. Secondly, gaps were identified and levels of…

Developing Schemas for Assessing Social Competences among Unskilled Young People

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Vibe Aarkrog

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Social competences are crucial parts of vocational education and training (VET competences. As part of a development project preparing unskilled young people for VET, an action research project was conducted with the aim of developing a schema for assessing and grading social competences. The development included defining the social competences as well as three levels for assessing these competences. The schema was developed in cooperation with the assessors, i.e., representatives from workplaces, municipal youth guidance centres, and VET colleges. There were two main findings. First, the definitions of the competences and the levels for assessing the competences are related to the context in which the competences should be developed. Second, even though the definitions should be related to the specific contexts, to be manageable they should not be too elaborate. The aim of the project being to develop a schema that practitioners in general can use for assessing young peoples' social competences in relation to work-based training, the study concludes that further research is needed to clarify whether the schema can be used without instruction or training.

Modeling the Competence Acquiring Process in Higher Education Institution

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Malinowska, Magdelena; Kusztina, Emma; Zaikin, Oleg

2013-01-01

Changes in human capital management, new requirements regarding knowledge and skills of employees compel higher education institutions to redefine their learning programmes. This requires evaluation of the didactic process realization, which should be oriented on competences. In the article authors...... presents an approach to competence modeling. New tools and collaboration mechanisms are proposed, which allow defining the structure of competence, analyzing the level of competence development, and assessing the competence process realization in relation “expected benefit-required expense”....

Using games to demonstrate competency.

Science.gov (United States)

Pauli, Pamela

2005-01-01

Providing annual mandatory safety training while finding ways to assess the competency of staff creates several challenges. Meeting staff's needs, especially when working with diverse staff of various educational levels, languages, and learning abilities, as well as meeting the institution's needs for training and assessment can be especially difficult. The author describes a gaming strategy that promotes learning, self-efficacy, and assesses staff competency using a cooperative and interactive learning approach.

COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE AS THE SUBJECT OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuliya I. Аleyevskaya

2016-09-01

communication in a professional environment in accordance with specialisation and level of training. This structure will provide in the future the possibility to identify and justify the pedagogical conditions of extending communicative competence of students; to determine the performance criteria and the levels of its formation from the standpoint of system unity between the undergraduate and graduate levels.

A theory of compliance with minimum wage legislation

OpenAIRE

Jellal, Mohamed

2012-01-01

In this paper, we introduce firm heterogeneity in the context of a model of non-compliance with minimum wage legislation. The introduction of heterogeneity in the ease with which firms can be monitored for non compliance allows us to show that non-compliance will persist in sectors which are relatively difficult to monitor, despite the government implementing non stochastic monitoring. Moreover, we show that the incentive not to comply is an increasing function of the level of the minimum wag...

High Level Competence: A Tool for Coping with Organizational Change

Science.gov (United States)

Heilmann, Pia

2007-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to find out and understand the different competence development needs of managers and their ways of learning. The examined managers work in middle management in Finnish information and communication technology sector (ICT) and paper business sector. Design/methodology/approach: The research was qualitative by…

The Health Information Technology Competencies Tool: Does It Translate for Nursing Informatics in the United States?

Science.gov (United States)

Sipes, Carolyn; Hunter, Kathleen; McGonigle, Dee; West, Karen; Hill, Taryn; Hebda, Toni

2017-12-01

Information technology use in healthcare delivery mandates a prepared workforce. The initial Health Information Technology Competencies tool resulted from a 2-year transatlantic effort by experts from the US and European Union to identify approaches to develop skills and knowledge needed by healthcare workers. It was determined that competencies must be identified before strategies are established, resulting in a searchable database of more than 1000 competencies representing five domains, five skill levels, and more than 250 roles. Health Information Technology Competencies is available at no cost and supports role- or competency-based queries. Health Information Technology Competencies developers suggest its use for curriculum planning, job descriptions, and professional development.The Chamberlain College of Nursing informatics research team examined Health Information Technology Competencies for its possible application to our research and our curricular development, comparing it originally with the TIGER-based Assessment of Nursing Informatics Competencies and Nursing Informatics Competency Assessment of Level 3 and Level 4 tools, which examine informatics competencies at four levels of nursing practice. Additional analysis involved the 2015 Nursing Informatics: Scope and Standards of Practice. Informatics is a Health Information Technology Competencies domain, so clear delineation of nursing-informatics competencies was expected. Researchers found TIGER-based Assessment of Nursing Informatics Competencies and Nursing Informatics Competency Assessment of Level 3 and Level 4 differed from Health Information Technology Competencies 2016 in focus, definitions, ascribed competencies, and defined levels of expertise. When Health Information Technology Competencies 2017 was compared against the nursing informatics scope and standards, researchers found an increase in the number of informatics competencies but not to a significant degree. This is not surprising

25 CFR 542.7 - What are the minimum internal control standards for bingo?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 25 Indians 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false What are the minimum internal control standards for bingo... SERVICES MINIMUM INTERNAL CONTROL STANDARDS § 542.7 What are the minimum internal control standards for... utilized, alternate documentation and/or procedures that provide at least the level of control described by...

Analysis of ICT Literacy Competence among Vocational High School Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Nurhabibah; Setiawan, A.; Yanti, H.; Miraj, Y. Z.; Yannuar

2018-02-01

To realize learning quality in Vocational Secondary School, and to achieve educational goal, teacher competence is needed. The application of ICT Literacy in vocational secondary school is intended to upgrade teachers’ knowledge, skill and competence in ICT. This paper is aimed to describe the process of teachers’ competence adaptation to ICT integrity in learning in Vocational Secondary School. This study use descriptive method with literature study and documentation technique. The source in this study is research journal and research report book. The study result showed that teachers lack of self-confident in using ICT, and gender factor influence ICT integration in which the level of ICT literacy in male is higher than female. The group of young teachers aged 21-40 have higher level of ICT literacy compared with the older group. Demographic factor in ICT literacy competence are gender, education level and age. This study suggest that teachers enhance the ability in ICT literacy competence, increase their knowledge and knowledge creation in each aspect of ICT literacy competence.

The Minimum Wage and the Employment of Teenagers. Recent Research.

Science.gov (United States)

Fallick, Bruce; Currie, Janet

A study used individual-level data from the National Longitudinal Study of Youth to examine the effects of changes in the federal minimum wage on teenage employment. Individuals in the sample were classified as either likely or unlikely to be affected by these increases in the federal minimum wage on the basis of their wage rates and industry of…

Empirical Determination of Competence Areas to Computer Science Education

Science.gov (United States)

Zendler, Andreas; Klaudt, Dieter; Seitz, Cornelia

2014-01-01

The authors discuss empirically determined competence areas to K-12 computer science education, emphasizing the cognitive level of competence. The results of a questionnaire with 120 professors of computer science serve as a database. By using multi-dimensional scaling and cluster analysis, four competence areas to computer science education…

How do early career health sciences information professionals gain competencies?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bethany A. Myers, MSLIS, AHIP

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Objective: The purpose of this study was to describe early career health sciences information professionals’ self-reported attainment of the Medical Library Association (MLA Competencies for Lifelong Learning and Professional Success and to investigate the various methods by which participants developed these competencies. Methods: A SurveyMonkey survey was designed to ascertain participants’demographic information and their competency attainment. ‘‘Early career’’ health information professionals were defined as those with less than five years of professional experience. Participants were asked to rate each of the seven competencies on a five-point Likert scale regarding their level of agreement with the statement, ‘‘I have demonstrated this competency.’’ Participants who responded positively were then asked to indicate how they acquired the competency on a multiple-choice, multiple-answer list. Free-text fields were provided for general comments and for participants to elaborate on their answers. The survey was distributed through the MLA email discussion list and other related email discussion lists. Participation was anonymous. Results: One hundred eighty-seven responses were received. Out of those 187 respondents, 95 completed the entire survey. The majority of early career health sciences information professionals agreed that they had attained all 7 competencies. Of the various methods used to develop competencies, the most selected method was formal library and information studies education. Participants were least likely to report attaining competencies via mentoring, volunteering, or internships. Participants reported the highest level of confidence in having attained the ‘‘Health Sciences Information Services’’ competency, and the lowest level of confidence in having attained the ‘‘Research, Analysis, and Interpretation’’ competency. Conclusions: These results contribute to the ongoing discussions

How do early career health sciences information professionals gain competencies?

Science.gov (United States)

Myers, Bethany A; Rodriguez, Bredny

2016-07-01

The purpose of this study was to describe early career health sciences information professionals' self-reported attainment of the Medical Library Association (MLA) Competencies for Lifelong Learning and Professional Success and to investigate the various methods by which participants developed these competencies. A SurveyMonkey survey was designed to ascertain participants' demographic information and their competency attainment. "Early career" health information professionals were defined as those with less than five years of professional experience. Participants were asked to rate each of the seven competencies on a five-point Likert scale regarding their level of agreement with the statement, "I have demonstrated this competency." Participants who responded positively were then asked to indicate how they acquired the competency on a multiple-choice, multiple-answer list. Free-text fields were provided for general comments and for participants to elaborate on their answers. The survey was distributed through the MLA email discussion list and other related email discussion lists. Participation was anonymous. One hundred eighty-seven responses were received. Out of those 187 respondents, 95 completed the entire survey. The majority of early career health sciences information professionals agreed that they had attained all 7 competencies. Of the various methods used to develop competencies, the most selected method was formal library and information studies education. Participants were least likely to report attaining competencies via mentoring, volunteering, or internships. Participants reported the highest level of confidence in having attained the "Health Sciences Information Services" competency, and the lowest level of confidence in having attained the "Research, Analysis, and Interpretation" competency. These results contribute to the ongoing discussions regarding proposed changes to the MLA competencies. The results may also inform the development of

Examining Factors Predicting Students’ Digital Competence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ove Edvard Hatlevik

2015-02-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to examine factors predicting lower secondary school students’ digital competence and to explore differences between students when it comes to digital competence. Results from a digital competence test and survey in lower secondary school will be presented. It is important to learn more about and investigate what characterizes students’ digital competence. A sample of 852 ninth-grade Norwegian students from 38 schools participated in the study. The students answered a 26 item multiple-choice digital competence test and a self-report questionnaire about family background, motivation, and previous grades. Structural equation modeling was used to test a model of the hypothesised relationship between family background, mastery orientation, previous achievements, and digital competence. The results indicate variation in digital competence among the ninth-graders. Further, analyses showed that students’ conditions at home, i.e., language integration and cultural capital, together with mastery orientation and academic achievements predict students digital competence. This study indicates that that there is evidence of digital diversity between lower secondary students. It does not seem like the development of digital competence among the students happens automatically. Students’ family background and school performance are the most important factors. Therefore, as this study shows, it is necessary to further investigate how schools can identify students’ level of competence and to develop plans and actions for how schools can help to try to equalize differences.

Competency-based assessment in surgeon-performed head and neck ultrasonography

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Todsen, Tobias; Melchiors, Jacob; Charabi, Birgitte

2017-01-01

and to establish validity evidence for an objective structured assessment of ultrasound skills (OSAUS) used for competency-based assessment. STUDY DESIGN: A prospective experimental study. METHODS: Six otolaryngologists and 11 US novices were included in a standardized test setup for which they had to perform...... and the diagnostic accuracy was found (Spearman's ρ, 0.85; P competence with good reliability, significant discrimination between US competence levels, and a strong...... correlation of assessment score to diagnostic accuracy. An OSAUS pass/fail score was established and could be used for competence-based assessment in surgeon-performed HNUS. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: NA. Laryngoscope, 2017....

A proposal for generic competence assessment in a serious game

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María José Bezanilla

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This paper focuses on the design of a serious game for the teaching and assessment of generic competences, placing particular emphasis on the competences assessment aspect. Taking into account important aspects of competence assessment such as context, feedback and transparency, among other aspects, and using the University of Deusto's Generic Competences Assessment Model based on the defining of levels, indicators and descriptors as a reference point, a serious game has been designed for the development and evaluation of two Generic Competences: Problem Solving and Entrepreneurship, aimed at final-year undergraduate and first-year postgraduate students. The design process shows that having a Competence Assessment Model based on levels, indicators and descriptors is of great help in defining the game's scenarios and learning and assessment activities. Serious games can also be excellent resources to help in the development and assessment of generic competences, but not as a unique tool, since the concept of competence in itself is highly complex (integrating knowledge, skills, attitudes and values and some elements might require other methods and techniques for its development. It also reveals the difficulties of evaluating competences in general and through serious games in particular.

[Nurse's competence indicators: linguistic and cultural validation of the Nurse Competence Scale].

Science.gov (United States)

Finotto, Stefano; Cantarelli, William

2009-01-01

For some years, the clinical performance of new-graduate nurses, has been a leading topic in international scientific literature. In Italy there are many criticisms to basic education; ever since the basic education moved from the regional schools to the university, the main question that the teachers, the clinical nurses and the nursing managers are asking is whether the level of competence of new-graduates is appropriate to the demands of the world of work. Many criticisms have been addressed to the gap between theory and practice and between education and clinic. In Italy this has stimulated a debate towards a shared definition of competence and especially towards defining indicators that can assess/measure this phenomenon. The purposes of this study are: translating the indicators of Nurse Competence Scale (NCS) in the Italian language and test its validity and reliability; provide a tool for evaluating competence in Italian in order to use it in the context of our country. after a research on the Medline and Cinhal electronic data base, the NCS was identified and submitted to a process of linguistic translation (English-Italian-English) and to a process of validation using the test-retest methodology (test of Wilcoxon), the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) and Cronbach's alpha. the evaluation given by nurses in the first administration does not differ significantly with those of the second one. For all sections of the NCS the ICC reports values greater than 0.85. the Nurse Competence Scale appears valid in its Italian version and it might be used to measure the competences of Italian nurses.

Do Minimum Wages Fight Poverty?

OpenAIRE

David Neumark; William Wascher

1997-01-01

The primary goal of a national minimum wage floor is to raise the incomes of poor or near-poor families with members in the work force. However, estimates of employment effects of minimum wages tell us little about whether minimum wages are can achieve this goal; even if the disemployment effects of minimum wages are modest, minimum wage increases could result in net income losses for poor families. We present evidence on the effects of minimum wages on family incomes from matched March CPS s...

Cross-cultural Adaptation of a Questionnaire on Self-perceived Level of Skills, Abilities and Competencies of Family Physicians in Albania.

Science.gov (United States)

Alla, Arben; Czabanowska, Katarzyna; Kijowska, Violetta; Roshi, Enver; Burazeri, Genc

2012-01-01

Our aim was to validate an international instrument measuring self-perceived competency level of family physicians in Albania. A representative sample of 57 family physicians operating in primary health care services was interviewed twice in March-April 2012 in Tirana (26 men and 31 women; median age: 46 years, inter-quartile range: 38-56 years). A structured questionnaire was administered [and subsequently re-administered after two weeks (test-retest)] to all family physicians aiming to self-assess physicians' level of abilities, skills and competencies regarding different domains of quality of health care. The questionnaire included 37 items organized into 6 subscales/domains. Answers for each item of the tool ranged from 1 ("novice" physicians) to 5 ("expert" physicians). An overall summary score (range: 37-185) and a subscale summary score for each domain were calculated for the test and retest procedures. Cronbach's alpha was used to assess the internal consistency for both the test and the retest procedures, whereas Spearman's rho was employed to assess the stability over time (test-retest reliability) of the instrument. Cronbach's alpha was 0.87 for the test and 0.86 for the retest procedure. Overall, Spearman's rho was 0.84 (Pcross-cultural adaptation of an international instrument taping self-perceived level of competencies of family physicians in Albania. The questionnaire displayed a satisfactory internal consistency for both test and retest procedures in this sample of family physicians in Albania. Furthermore, the high test-retest reliability (stability over time) of the instrument suggests a good potential for wide scale application to nationally representative samples of family physicians in Albanian populations.

Student self-assessment a feedback seeking strategy through competence evaluation

OpenAIRE

Mancebo Fernández, Núria; Bikfalvi, Andrea; Llach Pagès, Josep; Marquès i Gou, Pilar

2008-01-01

There is a body of literature that suggests that student self-assessment is a main goal in higher education (Boud et al., 1995; Tan, 2008); moreover new forms of work organization require a high level of skills and competences. The efforts to deal with competence gaps could be developed at many levels, such as employers, educational institutions, individuals and public agents. Employers could put into practice competence development programs to moderate these gaps. Educational institutions...

An Examination of Cultural Competence Training in US Medical Education Guided by the Tool for Assessing Cultural Competence Training.

Science.gov (United States)

Jernigan, Valarie Blue Bird; Hearod, Jordan B; Tran, Kim; Norris, Keith C; Buchwald, Dedra

2016-01-01

In the United States, medical students must demonstrate a standard level of "cultural competence," upon graduation. Cultural competence is most often defined as a set of congruent behaviors, attitudes, and policies that come together in a system, organization, or among professionals that enables effective work in cross-cultural situations. The Association of American Medical Colleges developed the Tool for Assessing Cultural Competence Training (TACCT) to assist schools in developing and evaluating cultural competence curricula to meet these requirements. This review uses the TACCT as a guideline to describe and assess pedagogical approaches to cultural competence training in US medical education and identify content gaps and opportunities for curriculum improvement. A total of 18 programs are assessed. Findings support previous research that cultural competence training can improve the knowledge, attitudes, and skills of medical trainees. However, wide variation in the conceptualization, implementation, and evaluation of cultural competence training programs exists, leading to differences in training quality and outcomes. More research is needed to establish optimal approaches to implementing and evaluating cultural competence training that incorporate cultural humility, the social determinants of health, and broader structural competency within the medical system.

An Examination of Cultural Competence Training in US Medical Education Guided by the Tool for Assessing Cultural Competence Training

Science.gov (United States)

Jernigan, Valarie Blue Bird; Hearod, Jordan B.; Tran, Kim; Norris, Keith C.; Buchwald, Dedra

2015-01-01

In the United States, medical students must demonstrate a standard level of “cultural competence,” upon graduation. Cultural competence is most often defined as a set of congruent behaviors, attitudes, and policies that come together in a system, organization, or among professionals that enables effective work in cross-cultural situations. The Association of American Medical Colleges developed the Tool for Assessing Cultural Competence Training (TACCT) to assist schools in developing and evaluating cultural competence curricula to meet these requirements. This review uses the TACCT as a guideline to describe and assess pedagogical approaches to cultural competence training in US medical education and identify content gaps and opportunities for curriculum improvement. A total of 18 programs are assessed. Findings support previous research that cultural competence training can improve the knowledge, attitudes, and skills of medical trainees. However, wide variation in the conceptualization, implementation, and evaluation of cultural competence training programs exists, leading to differences in training quality and outcomes. More research is needed to establish optimal approaches to implementing and evaluating cultural competence training that incorporate cultural humility, the social determinants of health, and broader structural competency within the medical system. PMID:27818848

Development of new core competencies for Taiwanese Emergency Medical Technicians.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Yu-Tung; Tsai, Kuang-Chau; Williams, Brett

2018-01-01

Core competencies are considered the foundation for establishing Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and paramedic curricula, and for ensuring performance standards in the delivery of prehospital care. This study surveyed EMT instructors and medical directors to identify the most desirable core competencies for all levels of EMTs in Taiwan. A principal components analysis with Varimax rotation was conducted. An online questionnaire was distributed to obtain perspectives of EMT instructors and medical directors on the most desirable core competencies for EMTs. The target population was EMT training-course instructors and medical directors of fire departments in Taiwan. The questionnaire comprised 61 competency items, and multiple-choice and open-ended questions were used to obtain respondents' perspectives of the Taiwanese EMT training and education system. The results identified three factors at EMT-1 and EMT-2 levels and five factors at the EMT-Paramedic level. The factors for EMT-1 and EMT-2 were similar, and those for EMT-Paramedics identified further comprehensive competence perspectives. The key factors that appear to influence the development of the Taiwanese Emergency Medical Services (EMS) education system are the attitude of authorities, the licensure system, and legislation. The findings present new core competencies for the Taiwanese EMT system and provide capacity to redesign curricula and reconsider roles for EMT-1 and EMT-2 technicians. At the EMT-Paramedic level, the findings demonstrate the importance of incorporating competency standards in the current skills-based curriculum. Moreover, the core-competencies gap that exists between Taiwanese EMT-1s, EMT-2s, and EMT-Paramedics and internationally recognized core competencies needs to be addressed. By identifying the key factors that potentially impact the development of the EMS education system, such as the attitude of authorities, the licensure system, and legislation, these findings will inform

Management mechanisms for development of personnel professional competencies at a loading and haulage company

Science.gov (United States)

Shishkina, S. V.; Pristupa, Yu D.; Pavlova, L. D.; Fryanov, V. N.

2018-05-01

The necessity for development a management mechanism for development of personnel professional competencies at a loading and haulage company in order to ensuring the compliance of competencies with labor functions, regulated by the current professional standards, is substantiated. A functional diagram of the organizational and technical system of the loading and haulage company was developed, that includes the interaction mechanism between the personnel and the objects of the main production. The problem of algorithm development to assess the correspondence of communicative competencies and labor functions of loading and haulage companies, ensuring the achievement of the management goal with a minimum risk of an emergency situation or an accident, was set and solved. The idea of management problem solving consists in the operational development and implementation of anticipatory measures at each deviation in personnel actions from normative or target indicators. The dependence of the risk of imbalance of communicative competences and labor functions in a given period of time is established. The effectiveness of the developed and implemented mechanism is confirmed by the positive dynamics of the test results.

The Effect of Minimum Wages on Adolescent Fertility: A Nationwide Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Bullinger, Lindsey Rose

2017-03-01

To investigate the effect of minimum wage laws on adolescent birth rates in the United States. I used a difference-in-differences approach and vital statistics data measured quarterly at the state level from 2003 to 2014. All models included state covariates, state and quarter-year fixed effects, and state-specific quarter-year nonlinear time trends, which provided plausibly causal estimates of the effect of minimum wage on adolescent birth rates. A $1 increase in minimum wage reduces adolescent birth rates by about 2%. The effects are driven by non-Hispanic White and Hispanic adolescents. Nationwide, increasing minimum wages by $1 would likely result in roughly 5000 fewer adolescent births annually.

Developing schemas for assessing social competences among unskilled young people

OpenAIRE

Wahlgren, Bjarne; Aarkrog, Vibe

2017-01-01

Social competences are crucial parts of vocational education and training (VET) competences. As part of a development project preparing unskilled young people for VET, an action research project was conducted with the aim of developing a schema for assessing and grading social competences. The development included defining the social competences as well as three levels for assessing these competences. The schema was developed in cooperation with the assessors, i.e., representatives from workp...

The Research Results of the Individual Competences Influence on Direct Sales

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Barbara A. Sypniewska

2009-10-01

Full Text Available The article presents the influence of individual competences on the effects of sales consultants efforts working at few well-known cosmetic companies specializing in direct sales multi-level marketing. The research proves dependence between individual competences and the level of effects. The competences profile derived from the analyses, characteristic for each study group, stresses the benefits and practical implications of this research.

Taxonomy for competency-based dental curricula.

Science.gov (United States)

Beltrán-Neira, Roberto J; Beltrán-Aguilar, Eugenio D

2004-09-01

The objective of this article is to propose a classification of dental competencies. Interest in dental competencies has grown consistently during the last three decades. However, the dental education literature suggests that the term "competency" is understood and used differently by dental schools around the world. The taxonomic classification of dental competencies we propose follows a systematic approach starting at the highest level of complexity, i.e., the professional profile the teaching institution envisions for its graduates, and following in a decreasing degree of complexity to competency function, task, step, movement, and moment. This taxonomy has proved to be useful for more than thirty years in the Dental School of the Peruvian University Cayetano Heredia. Graduates of this school are successful practitioners, teachers, and researchers in Peru and other countries. The classification proposed here should clarify terms, facilitate curriculum design and learning assessment, stimulate further discussion on the matter, and facilitate communication among the dental education establishment.

Peer Exclusion During the Pubertal Transition: The Role of Social Competence.

Science.gov (United States)

Carter, Rona; Halawah, Amira; Trinh, Sarah L

2018-01-01

For some youth, early puberty is accompanied by peer exclusion. Yet early developers may experience less peer exclusion if they have social competence, which would bolster their ability to develop and maintain positive relationships with their peers. Accordingly, the present study tests whether pubertal timing and tempo predicts decrements in children's social competence and whether decrements in social competence account for associations between puberty (timing and tempo) and peer exclusion over time. Longitudinal data were drawn from 1364 families (48% female; 76% White; M = 9.32 years, SD = .48, at Wave 3) who participated in Waves 3-5 (i.e., grades 4-6) of Phase III of the NICHD-SECCYD. The results from latent growth curve models indicated that earlier pubertal timing and more rapid pubertal tempo among girls were associated with high initial levels of peer exclusion. Moreover, mediation analyses revealed that early developers' susceptibility to peer exclusion was associated with their initial level of social competence. In boys, pubertal timing and tempo were not directly associated with peer exclusion; instead, indirect effects of pubertal timing on peer exclusion (intercept, slope) occurred through initial levels of social competence. On average, early developers' who had low levels of social competence also had high initial levels of peer exclusion but experienced decrements in peer exclusion over time. The association between the intercepts for puberty and peer exclusion and the slopes for social competence and peer exclusion were stronger for boys than girls. Overall, our findings suggest that early developers' susceptibility to and experiences of peer exclusion are associated with their development of social competence.

Training and minimum wages: first evidence from the introduction of the minimum wage in Germany

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Lutz Bellmann

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract We analyze the short-run impact of the introduction of the new statutory minimum wage in Germany on further training at the workplace level. Applying difference-in-difference methods to data from the IAB Establishment Panel, we do not find a reduction in the training incidence but a slight reduction in the intensity of training at treated establishments. Effect heterogeneities reveal that the negative impact is mostly driven by employer-financed training. On the worker level, we observe a reduction of training for medium- and high-skilled employees but no significant effects on the training of low-skilled employees.

Professional competences in school health promotion

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Carlsson, Monica Susanne

2015-01-01

shows that ‘a production logic’ and economic values are emphasized in the motivation of the project and in the knowledge base underpinning the competency-framework. The discussion of the responsiveness of the formulations in relation to school health promotion points out that there are matches between......The purpose of the study is to critically explore the formulations of competencies and standards in the European project “Developing Competencies and Professional Standards for Health Promotion Capacity Building in Europe”, and to discuss them in relation to school health promotion. The analysis...... these formulations, and essential values and approaches in school health promotion. However, by underemphasizing the potential of education and learning, and reducing changes at individual and group level to behavioral change, the formulations of competencies and standards are not in concert with essential values...

Social competence of physicians and medical students – a preliminary report

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Bożena Mroczek

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Background . Efficient functioning at work and in the environment depends on social and emotional competence, understood as complex skills that determine the effectiveness of behaviors in various professional and social situations. Objectives. The aim of this study was to determine the social competence of physicians and medical students with regard to the sociodemographic contributors which shape social competence. Material and methods . The study was conducted in 2015 and 2016 and it involved 90 physicians, including 25 GPs (27.8% and 53 medical students of PMU in Szczecin. The median age of the physicians and the students was 32 and 25, respectively. The Social Competencies Questionnaire (SC Q by Anna Matczak and a self-developed survey questionnaire were employed. Results. The ability of physicians to achieve medium and high levels of social competence increases by 8.5% with every year of seniority. Membership in scientific societies increases the odds of a high level of social competence fivefold in the ES scale and fourfold in the A scale. Physicians involved in the education of medical students were less likely to obtain medium and high scores (5 stens in the A scale. An increase in seniority in the last workplace is accompanied by a 0.93 times lower probability of obtaining a high competence score in the A scale. Similarly, third cycle degree studies increase the odds of achieving high competence level by 7.48 times in the A scale. Conclusions . Low levels of competence can be expected from physicians with less seniority, not belonging to scientific societies, not involved in students’ education, working in only one place, and not participating in third cycle degree studies. This group should be provided with social competence training.

Competence in performing emergency skills: How good do doctors really think they are?

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Nicholas Dufourq

2017-12-01

Discussion: General Surgery and Internal Medicine trainees had a higher level of self-perceived competence in various emergency skills than their non- clinical counterparts. Current certification in advanced life support courses had a positive impact on trainees’ self- perceived levels of competence in emergency skills. Specialist trainees who had less delay before starting their specialist training also demonstrated higher levels of perceived competence.

Competence for Contract and Competence to Consent to Treatment

OpenAIRE

前田, 泰

2008-01-01

This paper analyzes assessing competence to consent to treatment. It focuses on problems of competence for contract and competence to consent to treatment. Finally, it discusses the degree of assessing competence to consent to treatment.

25 CFR 542.14 - What are the minimum internal control standards for the cage?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 25 Indians 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false What are the minimum internal control standards for the... SERVICES MINIMUM INTERNAL CONTROL STANDARDS § 542.14 What are the minimum internal control standards for... and/or procedures that provide at least the level of control described by the standards in this...

25 CFR 542.8 - What are the minimum internal control standards for pull tabs?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 25 Indians 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false What are the minimum internal control standards for pull... SERVICES MINIMUM INTERNAL CONTROL STANDARDS § 542.8 What are the minimum internal control standards for... and/or procedures that provide at least the level of control described by the standards in this...

Building a Competency-Based Curriculum: The Agony and the Ecstasy

Science.gov (United States)

Albanese, Mark A.; Mejicano, George; Anderson, W. Marshall; Gruppen, Larry

2010-01-01

Physician competencies have increasingly been a focus of medical education at all levels. Although competencies are not a new concept, when the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) jointly agreed on six competencies for certification and maintenance of certification of…

Methods of Forming Professional Competence of Students as Future Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Omarov, Yessen B.; Toktarbayev, Darkhan Gabdyl-Samatovich; Rybin, Igor Vyacheslavovich; Saliyevaa, Aigul Zhanayevna; Zhumabekova, Fatima Niyazbekovna; Hamzina, Sholpan; Baitlessova, Nursulu; Sakenov, Janat

2016-01-01

The article presents an analysis of the problem of professional competence; a methodological basis of forming professional competence of college students as future teachers is established. The essence of professional competence is defined. The structure has been experimentally proved and developed; the contents, criteria and levels of professional…

TRAINING OF E-LEARNING MANAGERS: COMPETENCY APPROACH

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Nataliia V. Morze

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The article analyzes the competencies necessary for the successful professional activity of e-learning managers. The content of the professional qualification "e-learning manager" is revealed. The model of competency system of the e-learning manager is offered. The model, which defines the content, forms, methods and means of training, tools and indicators for assessing the results of training e-learning managers by levels, is substantiated. Examples of competency tasks for forming of professional competencies in innovative teaching methods and technologies, Web 2.0 services, e-learning expertise, e-environment design, IT infrastructure management, and the development of Soft skills are presented. It is proposed to solve the problem of training specialists who will be able not only to use ICT in educational activities, but also to master the competencies of e-learning management.

Impact of MicroRNA Levels, Target-Site Complementarity, and Cooperativity on Competing Endogenous RNA-Regulated Gene Expression.

Science.gov (United States)

Denzler, Rémy; McGeary, Sean E; Title, Alexandra C; Agarwal, Vikram; Bartel, David P; Stoffel, Markus

2016-11-03

Expression changes of competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) have been proposed to influence microRNA (miRNA) activity and thereby regulate other transcripts containing miRNA-binding sites. Here, we find that although miRNA levels define the extent of repression, they have little effect on the magnitude of the ceRNA expression change required to observe derepression. Canonical 6-nt sites, which typically mediate modest repression, can nonetheless compete for miRNA binding, with potency ∼20% of that observed for canonical 8-nt sites. In aggregate, low-affinity/background sites also contribute to competition. Sites with extensive additional complementarity can appear as more potent, but only because they induce miRNA degradation. Cooperative binding of proximal sites for the same or different miRNAs does increase potency. These results provide quantitative insights into the stoichiometric relationship between miRNAs and target abundance, target-site spacing, and affinity requirements for ceRNA-mediated gene regulation, and the unusual circumstances in which ceRNA-mediated gene regulation might be observed. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Apparel and Accessories. Second Edition. Career Competencies in Marketing Series.

Science.gov (United States)

Winn, Marilyn G.; Lynch, Richard L., Ed.

This competency-based instructional text focuses on preparing students for apparel industry positions at the career-sustaining and marketing specialist levels. It also includes materials to help students develop the competencies needed for entry-level and managerial positions. The text is divided into four units. Unit 1 contains a chapter…

Motivation Mechanism of Formation of Employee’s Competences

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Gutsan Oleksandr M.

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Competent personnel is a main factor of successful development of a modern enterprise and, consequently, use of knowledge, abilities and skills of an employee becomes a priority task of an enterprise management. The goal of the article is to specify elements of competences and the mechanism of their formation and building up a generalised mechanism of achievement of goals of an employee and enterprise on this basis. For solution of these tasks the article considers and generalises theoretical knowledge on personnel competence and its use for enterprise development. The article offers a complex multi-level mechanism of formation of competences and mechanism of achievement of goals on the basis of introduction of a competence approach. Use of the proposed motivation approach on the basis of competences would allow increase of efficiency of activity of both the employee and enterprise.

Ten-Competence: Life-Long Competence Development and Learning

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Koper, Rob; Specht, Marcus

2006-01-01

Koper, R., & Specht, M. (2008). Ten-Competence: Life-Long Competence Development and Learning. In M-A. Cicilia (Ed.), Competencies in Organizational e-learning: concepts and tools (pp. 234-252). Hershey: IGI-Global.

Rising above the Minimum Wage.

Science.gov (United States)

Even, William; Macpherson, David

An in-depth analysis was made of how quickly most people move up the wage scale from minimum wage, what factors influence their progress, and how minimum wage increases affect wage growth above the minimum. Very few workers remain at the minimum wage over the long run, according to this study of data drawn from the 1977-78 May Current Population…

Financing the Business. Unit 11. Level 2. Instructor Guide. PACE: Program for Acquiring Competence in Entrepreneurship. Third Edition. Research & Development Series No. 302-11. Series No. 302-11.

Science.gov (United States)

Ohio State Univ., Columbus. Center on Education and Training for Employment.

This instructor guide for a unit on business financing in the PACE (Program for Acquiring Competence in Entrepreneurship) curriculum includes the full text of the student module and lesson plans, instructional suggestions, and other teacher resources. The competencies that are incorporated into this module are at Level 2 of learning--planning for…

Questionnaire-based evaluation of everyday competence in older adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Kalisch, Tobias; Richter, Julia; Lenz, Melanie; Kattenstroth, Jan-Christoph; Kolankowska, Izabela; Tegenthoff, Martin; Dinse, Hubert R

2011-01-01

Gerontological research aims at understanding factors that are crucial for mediating "successful aging". This term denotes the absence of significant disease and disabilities, maintenance of high levels of physical and cognitive function, and preservation of social and productive activities. Preservation of an active lifestyle is considered an effective means through which everyday competence can be attained. In this context, it is crucial to obtain ratings of modern day older adults' everyday competence by means of appropriate assessments. Here, we introduce the Everyday Competence Questionnaire (ECQ), designed to assess healthy older adults' everyday competence. The ECQ includes 17 items, covering housekeeping, leisure activities, sports, daily routines, manual skills, subjective well-being, and general linguistic usage. The ECQ was administered to a population of 158 healthy subjects aged 60-91 years, who were divided into groups on the basis of their physical activity. These groups were community-dwelling subjects, those living independently and having a sedentary lifestyle, those living independently but characterized by a general lifestyle without any noteworthy physical activity, and those living independently and exercising regularly. Age, gender, and education levels were balanced between the groups. Using the ECQ, we could identify and distinguish different everyday competence levels between the groups tested: Subjects characterized by an active lifestyle outperformed all other groups. Subjects characterized by a general lifestyle showed higher everyday competence than those with a sedentary lifestyle or subjects who needed care. Furthermore, the ECQ data showed a significant positive correlation between individual physical activity and everyday competence. The ECQ is a novel tool for the questionnaire-based evaluation of everyday competence among healthy subjects. By including leisure activities, it considers the changed living conditions of modern

The debate on the economic effects of minimum wage legislation

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Santos Miguel Ruesga-Benito

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The minimum wage establishment has its origin in the first third of the last century. Since its creation has been a focus of continuing controversy and an unfinished debate on economics field. This work reviews the effects of the minimum wage on employment and other macroeconomic variables, from both theoretical and empirical perspectives. The method is based on the revision of the literature and the main economic indicators. The central contribution of this paper is providing a general reflection on theoretical and empirical analysis about the debate on minimum wage and its effects. The results showed that some labor policies are taking account the effects of austerity strategies, shifting the attention towards the implementation of minimum wages or their updating, in order to reduce the growing inequalities in the distribution of income, and even poverty levels.

The Unusual Minimum of Cycle 23: Observations and Interpretation

Science.gov (United States)

Martens, Petrus C.; Nandy, D.; Munoz-Jaramillo, A.

2009-05-01

The current minimum of cycle 23 is unusual in its long duration, the very low level to which Total Solar Irradiance (TSI) has fallen, and the small flux of the open polar fields. The deep minimum of TSI seems to be related to an unprecedented dearth of polar faculae, and hence to the small amount of open flux. Based upon surface flux transport models it has been suggested that the causes of these phenomena may be an unusually vigorous meridional flow, or even a deviation from Joy's law resulting in smaller Joy angles than usual for emerging flux in cycle 23. There is also the possibility of a connection with the recently inferred emergence in polar regions of bipoles that systematically defy Hale's law. Much speculation has been going on as to the consequences of this exceptional minimum: are we entering another global minimum, is this the end of the 80 year period of exceptionally high solar activity, or is this just a statistical hiccup? Dynamo simulations are underway that may help answer this question. As an aside it must be mentioned that the current minimum of TSI puts an upper limit in the TSI input for global climate simulations during the Maunder minimum, and that a possible decrease in future solar activity will result in a very small but not insignificant reduction in the pace of global warming.

SOCIAL COMPETENCE DEVELOPMENT IN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS› SOCIALIZATION PROCESS

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Anzhelika Ahmetovna Novikova

2016-01-01

The article presents the social competence structure and diagnostic methods; described author matrix of diagnosis and determination of students’ social competence formed level in high school educational space.

Their Personal Side of Street-Level Bureaucracy: Discrimination or Neutral Competence?

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, John Clayton

1986-01-01

Analysis of data on citizen contacts with the Cincinnati municipal bureaucracy reveals some possible racial and social discrimination in treatment of citizens, but no discrimination by income. However, municipal administrators appear mostly to be exercising neutral competence in their dealings with citizens, and not always to the disadvantage of…

Trends in Education Excellence Gaps: A 12-Year International Perspective via the Multilevel Model for Change

Science.gov (United States)

Rutkowski, David; Rutkowski, Leslie; Plucker, Jonathan A.

2012-01-01

A recent study in the USA documented the existence and growth of "excellence gaps" among students. These gaps are similar to the minimum competency achievement gaps that proliferate in policy discussions in many Western countries, but excellence gaps focus on the highest level of achievement rather than minimum competency. We extend this…

Komponen Kebutuhan Hidup Dalam Regulasi Upah Minimum Perspektif Maqasid Al-Shariah

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Adin Fadilah

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract: The provisions of minimum wage in Indonesia have been changing four times in the last few decades in line with the changes in the components of life needs referred. In fact, there are many life needs that previously were considered as trivial but they have now become important and should be referred to in setting the minimum wage. In Islam there are five sectors of human needs as established in the discourse of maqasid al-sharī'ah. Each sector is ranked into three levels, namely ḍarūrīyah, ḥajīyah, and taḥsīnīyah. This study examines how the components of life needs have been referred by the regulation of the minimum wage from the viewpoint of maqasid al-sharī'ah. This study came to the conclusion that the development of life needs used as guidelines in determining minimum wage levels has met the demands of life needs as intended by maqasid al-sharī’ah. Most of the components of decent living (KHL occupy levels of ḍarūrīyah and ḥajīyah, and very few are classified as taḥsīnīyah. The enhancement of quantity and quality of the components proven the attention to the level of life needs sequentially from ḍarūrīyah level, the ḥajīyah, then the taḥsīnīyah level. These changes indicate the change of law in accordance with the demands of the circumstances. Abstrak: Komponen kebutuhan hidup yang dijadikan acuan dalam penetapan upah minimum  di Indonesia telah mengalami perubahan sebanyak 4 kali. Perubahan ini terjadi karena menyesuaikan perkembangan kebutuhan dahulu dianggap sepele namun kini menjadi penting. Dalam Islam ada 5 unsur pokok kebutuhan manusia yang harus dipenuhi atau yang dikenal dengan istilah maqasid al-sharī’ah. Kelima unsur pokok maqasid al-sharī’ah ini terbagi mejadi 3 kategori yakni ḍarūrīyah, ḥajīyah, dan taḥsīnīyah. Penelitian ini mengkaji bagaimana komponen kebutuhan hidup dalam regulasi upah minimum perspektif maqasid al-sharī’ah. Penelitian ini memberi

A competency framework for the business rescue practitioner profession

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Marius Pretorius

2014-08-01

Research purpose: Competencies required by business rescue practitioners (BRPs to navigate a distressed venture were investigated. What BRPs actually ‘do’ during a rescue guided the development of a competency framework to inform future qualification guidelines for BRP education and accreditation. Motivation for the study: To investigate the research question: ‘What are the competencies that underlie the activities of a business rescue practitioner?’. Research design, approach and method: A modified ‘interview to the double’ (ITTD process was used to elicit instructions that a BRP would give to an imaginary ‘double’. These instructions were analysed and rated for importance, transferability, knowledge requirement and skills requirement; in conclusion, these instructions were ranked and subjected to a content analysis. Main findings: Based on the main activities that were derived from the practices and praxis, one assignment and four supra (higher-level competencies were consequent to the analysis. A BRP able to successfully navigate a distressed venture towards normal operations should demonstrate a high level of competency in sense-making, decision making and integration, achieved through collaboration as the central competency. Practical implications: Firstly, the study addresses educators’ need for a framework of competencies to guide education. Secondly, it paves the way for the Regulator to develop a qualifications framework for accreditation. Contribution: The findings gave structure to the competencies underlying the activities of a BRP to navigate a rescue. Pre-business and financial acumen appears limited without these competencies containing insight, experience, intuition, heuristics, tacit knowledge, perceptive induction and more.

Competency measurements: testing convergent validity for two measures.

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Cowin, Leanne S; Hengstberger-Sims, Cecily; Eagar, Sandy C; Gregory, Linda; Andrew, Sharon; Rolley, John

2008-11-01

This paper is a report of a study to investigate whether the Australian National Competency Standards for Registered Nurses demonstrate correlations with the Finnish Nurse Competency Scale. Competency assessment has become popular as a key regulatory requirement and performance indicator. The term competency, however, does not have a globally accepted definition and this has the potential to create controversy, ambiguity and confusion. Variations in meaning and definitions adopted in workplaces and educational settings will affect the interpretation of research findings and have implications for the nursing profession. A non-experimental cross-sectional survey design was used with a convenience sample of 116 new graduate nurses in 2005. The second version of the Australian National Competency Standards and the Nurse Competency Scale was used to elicit responses to self-assessed competency in the transitional year (first year as a Registered Nurse). Correlational analysis of self-assessed levels of competence revealed a relationship between the Australian National Competency Standards (ANCI) and the Nurse Competency Scale (NCS). The correlational relation between ANCI domains and NCS factors suggests that these scales are indeed used to measure related dimensions. A statistically significant relationship (r = 0.75) was found between the two competency measures. Although the finding of convergent validity is insufficient to establish construct validity for competency as used in both measures in this study, it is an important step towards this goal. Future studies on relationships between competencies must take into account the validity and reliability of the tools.

Early math matters: kindergarten number competence and later mathematics outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Jordan, Nancy C; Kaplan, David; Ramineni, Chaitanya; Locuniak, Maria N

2009-05-01

Children's number competencies over 6 time points, from the beginning of kindergarten to the middle of 1st grade, were examined in relation to their mathematics achievement over 5 later time points, from the end of 1st grade to the end of 3rd grade. The relation between early number competence and mathematics achievement was strong and significant throughout the study period. A sequential process growth curve model showed that kindergarten number competence predicted rate of growth in mathematics achievement between 1st and 3rd grades as well as achievement level through 3rd grade. Further, rate of growth in early number competence predicted mathematics performance level in 3rd grade. Although low-income children performed more poorly than their middle-income counterparts in mathematics achievement and progressed at a slower rate, their performance and growth were mediated through relatively weak kindergarten number competence. Similarly, the better performance and faster growth of children who entered kindergarten at an older age were explained by kindergarten number competence. The findings show the importance of early number competence for setting children's learning trajectories in elementary school mathematics. Copyright 2009 APA, all rights reserved

Early Math Matters: Kindergarten Number Competence and Later Mathematics Outcomes

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Jordan, Nancy C.; Kaplan, David; Ramineni, Chaitanya; Locuniak, Maria N.

2009-01-01

Children’s number competencies over 6 time points, from the beginning of kindergarten to the middle of 1st grade, were examined in relation to their mathematics achievement over 5 later time points, from the end of 1st grade to the end of 3rd grade. The relation between early number competence and mathematics achievement was strong and significant throughout the study period. A sequential process growth curve model showed that kindergarten number competence predicted rate of growth in mathematics achievement between 1st and 3rd grades as well as achievement level through 3rd grade. Further, rate of growth in early number competence predicted mathematics performance level in 3rd grade. Although low-income children performed more poorly than their middle-income counterparts in mathematics achievement and progressed at a slower rate, their performance and growth were mediated through relatively weak kindergarten number competence. Similarly, the better performance and faster growth of children who entered kindergarten at an older age were explained by kindergarten number competence. The findings show the importance of early number competence for setting children’s learning trajectories in elementary school mathematics. PMID:19413436

Athletes' perceptions of coaching competency and team conflict in sport teams: A multilevel analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

González-Ponce, I; Leo, F M; Jiménez, R; Sánchez-Oliva, D; Sarmento, H; Figueiredo, A; García-Calvo, T

2018-04-23

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between coaching competency and team conflict, at individual and team levels, over the season. The participants were professional female and male soccer players, who participated in the First and Second Division. A longitudinal study was performed. At Time 1, the sample of participants consisted of 581 soccer players aged between 15 and 39 years. At Time 2, 549 players were recruited from the original sample aged between 15 and 37 years. Finally, at Time 3, the sample comprised 576 players aged between 15 and 37 years. All participants completed a multi-section questionnaire assessing coaching competency (motivation, game strategy, technique competency, and character-building competency) and team conflict (task conflict and relationship conflict). Results showed that both task and relationship conflict increased significantly over time. Multilevel modelling analysis showed that game strategy and character-building competencies negatively predicted both task and relationship conflicts at the individual level, whereas motivation competency was also added as a significant predictor of task conflict at the team level. Moreover, technique competency positively predicted task conflict at the team level. The current study suggests the importance of coaching competency in group dynamics in sport.

Development of new core competencies for Taiwanese Emergency Medical Technicians

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Chang YT

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Yu-Tung Chang,1,2 Kuang-Chau Tsai,2 Brett Williams1,3 1Department of Community Emergency Health and Paramedic Practice, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Frankston, VIC, Australia; 2Department of Emergency Medicine, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan; 3Division of Paramedicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia Objectives: Core competencies are considered the foundation for establishing Emergency Medical Technician (EMT and paramedic curricula, and for ensuring performance standards in the delivery of prehospital care. This study surveyed EMT instructors and medical directors to identify the most desirable core competencies for all levels of EMTs in Taiwan. Methods: A principal components analysis with Varimax rotation was conducted. An online questionnaire was distributed to obtain perspectives of EMT instructors and medical directors on the most desirable core competencies for EMTs. The target population was EMT training-course instructors and medical directors of fire departments in Taiwan. The questionnaire comprised 61 competency items, and multiple-choice and open-ended questions were used to obtain respondents’ perspectives of the Taiwanese EMT training and education system. Results: The results identified three factors at EMT-1 and EMT-2 levels and five factors at the EMT-Paramedic level. The factors for EMT-1 and EMT-2 were similar, and those for EMT-Paramedics identified further comprehensive competence perspectives. The key factors that appear to influence the development of the Taiwanese Emergency Medical Services (EMS education system are the attitude of authorities, the licensure system, and legislation. Conclusion: The findings present new core competencies for the Taiwanese EMT system and provide capacity to redesign curricula and reconsider roles for EMT-1 and EMT-2 technicians. At the EMT-Paramedic level, the findings demonstrate the importance of

The ways of police cadets’ social competence evaluation

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V. M. Kiikov

2016-10-01

Full Text Available In the article analysis of general theoretic approaches towards competent and motivated behavior definitions, the model of police officer social competence was proposed along with the ways of its study. Based on development theory conception the initial validation of social competence logical system as a mean of cadets’ social competence evaluation was considered in the article. Additionally, the determination of personality development level as possibility for definition and evaluation of cadets’ social competence based on social behavior theory perspectives was considered. As well the social features of social competence of law­enforcement officers were discussed and the theoretical construction for schematized representation of police cadets’ social competence structure is presented. The model includes: social norms related to police activity; motivation to socially­oriented activity; social intelligence, as integrative characteristic of cognitive and operational processes; emotional steadiness and communication skills. It was stated that the main characteristic of police cadets’ social competence is efficiency of interaction between police and community. The other important factor influencing social competence is professional activity and in our case it is law­enforcement. The social environment of departmental educational institution was explored as a main factor contributing to development of police cadets’ social competence components.

Deletion analysis of Streptococcus pneumoniae late competence genes distinguishes virulence determinants that are dependent or independent of competence induction.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Luchang; Lin, Jingjun; Kuang, Zhizhou; Vidal, Jorge E; Lau, Gee W

2015-07-01

The competence regulon of Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is crucial for genetic transformation. During competence development, the alternative sigma factor ComX is activated, which in turn, initiates transcription of 80 'late' competence genes. Interestingly, only 16 late genes are essential for genetic transformation. We hypothesized that these late genes that are dispensable for competence are beneficial to pneumococcal fitness during infection. These late genes were systematically deleted, and the resulting mutants were examined for their fitness during mouse models of bacteremia and acute pneumonia. Among these, 14 late genes were important for fitness in mice. Significantly, deletion of some late genes attenuated pneumococcal fitness to the same level in both wild-type and ComX-null genetic backgrounds, suggesting that the constitutive baseline expression of these genes was important for bacterial fitness. In contrast, some mutants were attenuated only in the wild-type genetic background but not in the ComX-null background, suggesting that specific expression of these genes during competence state contributed to pneumococcal fitness. Increased virulence during competence state was partially caused by the induction of allolytic enzymes that enhanced pneumolysin release. These results distinguish the role of basal expression versus competence induction in virulence functions encoded by ComX-regulated late competence genes. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Teaching Problem-Solving Competency in Business Studies at Secondary School Level

Science.gov (United States)

Meintjes, Aloe; Henrico, Alfred; Kroon, Japie

2015-01-01

The high unemployment rate in South Africa compels potential entrepreneurs to start their own businesses in order to survive. Often this is with little or no formal training or education in entrepreneurship. Since problem recognition and problem-solving are amongst the most crucial competencies required for a successful entrepreneurial career,…

Actual competence, rather than perceived competence, is a better predictor of physical activity in children aged 6-9 years.

Science.gov (United States)

McIntyre, Fleur; Parker, Helen; Chivers, Paola; Hands, Beth

2018-07-01

There is a limited understanding about the relative importance of perceived and actual competence on emergent physical activity levels in children and whether there is a difference in their development and strength between boys and girls. This study used a single-cohort, multiple age group design to monitor physical activity, actual motor competence (AMC) and perceived competence (PC) on four occasions over 18 months in 6-to 9-year-old boys and girls (N = 201). Physical activity was measured by 7-day daily step counts (pedometer) and activity diary. AMC was assessed by mastery of skill criteria for 4 motor skills; run, overhand throw, standing broad jump, and line walk. PC was measured with the Self Description Questionnaire-I. Linear Mixed Model analysis revealed that AMC, Gender and School significantly impacted physical activity levels longitudinally in these children. AMC made a greater contribution (9-30%) to physical activity levels than PC (0-5%), and at an earlier age in boys (7 years) than girls (9 years). The need to acknowledge these developing distinctions in considering emergent physical activity levels has important implications for childhood learning environments and physical activity interventions.

Measuring the Impact of Cultural Competence Training for Dental Hygiene Students.

Science.gov (United States)

Daugherty, Heather N; Kearney, Rachel C

2017-10-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to measure the change in levels of knowledge of providing culturally competent care and self-assessed cultural competence of senior level dental hygiene students after the implementation of an online cultural competence training module. Methods: Twenty-eight members of the senior class of 31 dental hygiene students (N=28) volunteered to participate in this IRB approved study at the Ohio State University School of Dentistry. The students took the online Inventory for Assessing the Process of Cultural Competence- Student Version (IAPCC-SV), to assess their self-perceived cultural competence. Upon completion of the pre-test, students then completed the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Minority Health (OMH) Cultural Competency Program for Oral Health Professionals; a three-module online training program designed to measure increased knowledge of cultural competence. Three weeks following the initial pre-test and upon completion of the Cultural Competency Program for Oral Health Professionals online learning modules, students re-took the IAPCC-SV. Results: Twenty-eight senior dental hygiene students completed the IAPCC-SV pre-test, the OMH e-learning modules and the IAPCC-SV post-test. The average score on the pre-test was 55.14±7.54 and the average score on the post-test was 61.33±7.86. There was a significant difference in pre-test and post-test scores (pdental hygiene students' levels of knowledge of cultural competence. Copyright © 2017 The American Dental Hygienists’ Association.

Achieving Population-Level Change Through a System-Contextual Approach to Supporting Competent Parenting.

Science.gov (United States)

Sanders, Matthew R; Burke, Kylie; Prinz, Ronald J; Morawska, Alina

2017-03-01

The quality of parenting children receive affects a diverse range of child and youth outcomes. Addressing the quality of parenting on a broad scale is a critical part of producing a more nurturing society. To achieve a meaningful population-level reduction in the prevalence rates of child maltreatment and social and emotional problems that are directly or indirectly influenced by parenting practices requires the adoption of a broad ecological perspective in supporting families to raise children. We make the case for adopting a multilevel, whole of population approach to enhance competent parenting and describe the essential tasks that must be accomplished for the approach to be successful and its effects measurable. We describe how a theoretically integrated system of parenting support based on social learning and cognitive behavioral principles can be further strengthened when the broader community supports parental participation. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.

Minimum quality standards and international trade

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Baltzer, Kenneth Thomas

2011-01-01

This paper investigates the impact of a non-discriminating minimum quality standard (MQS) on trade and welfare when the market is characterized by imperfect competition and asymmetric information. A simple partial equilibrium model of an international Cournot duopoly is presented in which a domes...... prefer different levels of regulation. As a result, international trade disputes are likely to arise even when regulation is non-discriminating....

Employment effects of minimum wages

OpenAIRE

Neumark, David

2014-01-01

The potential benefits of higher minimum wages come from the higher wages for affected workers, some of whom are in low-income families. The potential downside is that a higher minimum wage may discourage employers from using the low-wage, low-skill workers that minimum wages are intended to help. Research findings are not unanimous, but evidence from many countries suggests that minimum wages reduce the jobs available to low-skill workers.

How to Use Cooperative Learning for Assessing Students’ Emotional Competences: A Practical Example at the Tertiary Level

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María Martínez Lirola

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Cooperative learning allows students acquisition of competences that are essential for the labour market such as leadership, critical thinking, communication, and so on. For this reason, different cooperative activities were designed in a language subject in English Studies so that students could work in groups and acquire those competences. This article describes some such activities and the emotional competences that students acquire with them. Moreover, a survey was conducted in order to establish students’ opinions about the main competences they acquired with the activities designed and their opinion about a cooperative methodology. Students’ answers were positive and they were aware of what they had learned.

Elemental GCR Observations during the 2009-2010 Solar Minimum Period

Science.gov (United States)

Lave, K. A.; Israel, M. H.; Binns, W. R.; Christian, E. R.; Cummings, A. C.; Davis, A. J.; deNolfo, G. A.; Leske, R. A.; Mewaldt, R. A.; Stone, E. C.;

Strengthening Regulatory Competence through Techno-managerial Knowledge Integration: Indian Experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuchibhotla, S.

2016-01-01

Competence development is the process of identifying the competencies required to perform a given job, role or set of tasks successfully at workplace. Strengthening regulatory competence, for the nuclear regulator, is essential to ensure skilled and competent human resources for performing the functions of the Regulatory Body. The strengthening of existing competence level for the Indian nuclear regulator, takes into account the understanding of the elements such as legal basis and regulatory processes governing operations of regulatory body, technological competences for performing regulatory functions, competences pertinent to regulatory practices, and competences related to personal and interpersonal effectiveness within the organization. Competency data from AERB divisions was compiled to identify gaps at various positions with recommendations for making specialized training modules and modifications to basic and refresher training modules. The exercise is aimed at providing continual improvement in skills and knowledge of human resources at AERB in a phased manner. (author)

Feedback damping of a microcantilever at room temperature to the minimum vibration amplitude limited by the noise level.

Science.gov (United States)

Kawamura, Y; Kanegae, R

2016-06-17

Cooling the vibration amplitude of a microcantilever as low as possible is important to improve the sensitivity and resolutions of various types of scanning type microscopes and sensors making use of it. When the vibration amplitude is controlled to be smaller using a feed back control system, it is known that the obtainable minimum amplitude of the vibration is limited by the floor noise level of the detection system. In this study, we demonstrated that the amplitude of the thermal vibration of a microcantilever was suppressed to be about 0.15 pmHz(-1/2), which is the same value with the floor noise level, without the assistance of external cryogenic cooling. We think that one of the reason why we could reach the smaller amplitude at room temperature is due to stiffer spring constant of the lever, which leads to higher natural frequency and consequently lower floor noise level. The other reason is considered to be due to the increase in the laser power for the diagnostics, which lead to the decrease in the signal to noise ratio determined by the optical shot noise.

25 CFR 542.11 - What are the minimum internal control standards for pari-mutuel wagering?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 25 Indians 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false What are the minimum internal control standards for pari... INTERIOR HUMAN SERVICES MINIMUM INTERNAL CONTROL STANDARDS § 542.11 What are the minimum internal control... documentation and/or procedures that provide at least the level of control described by the standards in this...

Models of digital competence and online activity of Russian adolescents

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Galina U. Soldatova

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Having established the conception of digital competence consisting of four components (knowledge, skills, motivation and responsibility implemented in four areas (content, communication, consumption, and the techno-sphere, we propose the idea of models of digital competence as a specific systems of adolescents’ beliefs about their abilities and desires in the online world. These models (1 may be realistic or illusory, (2 their development is mediated by the motivation and online activity and (3 they regulate further online activities as well as the further development of digital competence. On the basis of nationwide study of digital competence (N=1203 Russian adolescents of 12-17 years using latent class method we revealed 5 models of digital competence corresponding to its lowest level, the average level at high and low motivation, high specific (in the components of skill and safety and high general level. It has been shown that higher appraisal of their digital competence is related to the opportunity of a more prolonged and self-service access to the Internet as well as the history of independent development of skills online. The illusion of digital competence is associated with a wide but shallow exploration activities online. Motivational component is related to the participation and recognition of the role of others in the development of digital competence, in comparison with others’ online skills and knowledge, as well as subjectively lower «digital divide» with parents. We suggest that the motivational component of the digital competence is developed if adolescent has a successful interaction via Internet, learn from other people and also if the range of her activities and interests online activity involves and requires the development of new skills. Based on digital competence model’s analysis, we have figured out 3 main types of Internet-users: (1 beginners, (2 experienced users, (3 advanced users. All these types fall into

Leveraging Competency Framework to Improve Teaching and Learning: A Methodological Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Shankararaman, Venky; Ducrot, Joelle

2016-01-01

A number of engineering education programs have defined learning outcomes and course-level competencies, and conducted assessments at the program level to determine areas for continuous improvement. However, many of these programs have not implemented a comprehensive competency framework to support the actual delivery and assessment of an…

Intercultural Competence – Key Competence of Multicultural Teams

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Diana Bebenova - Nikolova

2014-08-01

Full Text Available The article deals with intercultural competence of multicultural teams elaborating European projects. Firstly, it discusses basic theoretical aspects of the related concepts: culture and intercultural competence, then presents its impact on multicultural team effectiveness and models for improving it. The article finds ground on studies of intercultural competence as a set of strategic, personal, social and professional competences. The paper uses the project cycle management theory and proves that in multi-ethnic surroundings, the project membersř communication skills might not be sufficient to generate mutual understanding. Provisionally, the study performed a standardized Internet survey on self-assessment of intercultural competence among 50 experts on European projects. Another applied approach is field observation (attendance and note-taking of the 5- day training "To become diplomats between cultures", based on Bennettřs theoretical model for "Development of Intercultural Sensitivity". A training model for improving intercultural competence of multicultural team members. Possible approach for improvement of project management of crossborder or trans-border funding programs. Building intercultural competence in European project management is important, timely and necessity-driven, especially under the framework of the Danube Region Strategy.

Formation of teachers’ competences through modular educational programs

OpenAIRE

MOLDASHEVA ANAR KUANGALIEVNA; YESSIMOVA DINARA DAUTOVNA; KERTAEVA KALIABANU MAHMETOVNA

2015-01-01

Scientific analysis of the term “competence” that identifies the main features of a competent person is given in this article. The necessity of this analysis is defined due to the fact that modular training is widely being used in the system of professional education which requires high level of teachers’ professional competence.

Enhancing economic competiveness of dish Stirling technology through production volume and localization: Case study for Morocco

Science.gov (United States)

Larchet, Kevin; Guédez, Rafael; Topel, Monika; Gustavsson, Lars; Machirant, Andrew; Hedlund, Maria-Lina; Laumert, Björn

2017-06-01

The present study quantifies the reduction in the levelized cost of electricity (LCoE) and capital expenditure (CAPEX) of a dish Stirling power plant (DSPP) through an increase in localization and unit production volume. Furthermore, the localization value of the plant is examined to determine how much investment is brought into the local economy. Ouarzazate, Morocco, was chosen as the location of the study due to the country's favorable regulatory framework with regards to solar power technologies and its established industry in the concentrating solar power (CSP) field. A detailed techno-economic model of a DSPP was developed using KTH's in-house modelling tool DYESOPT, which allows power plant evaluation by means of technical and economic performance indicators. Results on the basis of LCoE and CAPEX were compared between two different cases of production volume, examining both a minimum and maximum level of localization. Thereafter, the DSPP LCoE and localization value were compared against competing solar technologies to evaluate its competitiveness. In addition, a sensitivity analysis was conducted around key design parameters. The study confirms that the LCoE of a DSPP can be reduced to values similar to solar photovoltaic (PV) and lower than other CSP technologies. Furthermore, the investment in the local economy is far greater when compared to PV and of the same magnitude to other CSP technologies. The competiveness of a DSPP has the potential to increase further when coupled with thermal energy storage (TES), which is currently under development.

Analysis Influence of Managerial Competence, Technical Competence, and Strategic Competence on Firm Performance in Electrical Engineering Company in Bandung

Science.gov (United States)

Wijaya, E. R.; Irianto, D.

2018-03-01

The industry sectors that have an important role in the era of globalization is the electro engineering sector. The era of globalization led to intense competition. One of the negative effects of the intense competition is declining profits. Drop in profits caused many firms reduces their employees without seeking the root cause of declining profits in detail. Whereas, employee is the important resources to maintain competitive advantage. Competitive advantage can be measured by the performance of which is owned by the firm. The firm's performance can be formed of competencies that is unique, rare, irreplaceable, and difficult to imitate within the firm, one of them is the competence of the individual. According to a competency-based approach and the resource- based approach, individual competence that affect the performance of the firm is managerial competence, technical competence, and strategic competence. Questionnaire is built based on the dimensions of the firm's performance, managerial competence, technical competence, and strategic competence, are processed using partial least squares application. The results indicate that managerial competence negatively impact firm’s performance with weak ties. The technical competence and strategic competence positively affect firm’s performance with moderate ties.

[Hospitals failing minimum volumes in 2004: reasons and consequences].

Science.gov (United States)

Geraedts, M; Kühnen, C; Cruppé, W de; Blum, K; Ohmann, C

2008-02-01

high number of hospitals that failed to achieve the minimum volumes in 2004, only few hospitals experienced consequences from the sickness funds. The reluctance of the payers may be explained, amongst others, by the small number of patients affected and the percentage of cases where legally accepted exceptions applied. In view of the partly unclear definitions of the exceptions and difficulties in the interpretation and execution of the minimum volumes in the hospitals and at the sickness fund level, it may be helpful to formulate more concrete instructions for the implementation of the standards.

Organizational Factors and Intrapreneurial Competences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suzete Antonieta Lizote

2013-12-01

Full Text Available This study analyzes the relationship between organizational factors and entrepreneurial competencies of coordinators of undergraduate courses in two community universities in Santa Catarina, Brazil. The organizational factors studied were: management support, freedom at work, rewards, and time available and organizational limitations. Eight entrepreneurial competencies were considered; five included in an achievement set, and three in a planning set. The method was quantitative and descriptive, adopting a structured questionnaire as the data collection tool. Factor analysis, canonical analysis, and multiple regression analysis were performed. The results revealed a positive relationship between the constructs. The most relevant competencies were organizational limitations or uncertainty about tasks, and freedom at work, which indicates the importance having clarity about rules and decisions that should exist both at the level of performance expected of the coordinator, and the freedom that they must feel in their work.

Decision-Making Competence, Social Orientation, Time Style, and Perceived Stress

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martin Geisler

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Peoples’ decision-making competence, defined as tendency to follow normative rational principles in their decision making, is important as it may influence the extent that requirements are met and levels of perceived stress. In addition, perceived stress could be influenced by social orientation and time style; for example, decisions need to comply with given deadlines and the expectations of others. In two studies, with students (n = 118 and professionals (police investigators, n = 90, we examined how the three individual difference features: decision-making competence, social orientation, and time approach relate to perceived stress. Results showed that social orientation and time approach were related to levels of perceived stress, but decision-making competence was not. These results indicate that social orientation and time approach are important to consider in relation to perceived stress, but the role of decision-making competence may be less important for perceived stress. However, the role of decision-making competence for perceived stress needs to be further researched.

Decision-Making Competence, Social Orientation, Time Style, and Perceived Stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Geisler, Martin; Allwood, Carl Martin

2018-01-01

Peoples' decision-making competence, defined as tendency to follow normative rational principles in their decision making, is important as it may influence the extent that requirements are met and levels of perceived stress. In addition, perceived stress could be influenced by social orientation and time style; for example, decisions need to comply with given deadlines and the expectations of others. In two studies, with students ( n = 118) and professionals (police investigators, n = 90), we examined how the three individual difference features: decision-making competence, social orientation, and time approach relate to perceived stress. Results showed that social orientation and time approach were related to levels of perceived stress, but decision-making competence was not. These results indicate that social orientation and time approach are important to consider in relation to perceived stress, but the role of decision-making competence may be less important for perceived stress. However, the role of decision-making competence for perceived stress needs to be further researched.

Decision-Making Competence, Social Orientation, Time Style, and Perceived Stress

Science.gov (United States)

Geisler, Martin; Allwood, Carl Martin

2018-01-01

Peoples’ decision-making competence, defined as tendency to follow normative rational principles in their decision making, is important as it may influence the extent that requirements are met and levels of perceived stress. In addition, perceived stress could be influenced by social orientation and time style; for example, decisions need to comply with given deadlines and the expectations of others. In two studies, with students (n = 118) and professionals (police investigators, n = 90), we examined how the three individual difference features: decision-making competence, social orientation, and time approach relate to perceived stress. Results showed that social orientation and time approach were related to levels of perceived stress, but decision-making competence was not. These results indicate that social orientation and time approach are important to consider in relation to perceived stress, but the role of decision-making competence may be less important for perceived stress. However, the role of decision-making competence for perceived stress needs to be further researched. PMID:29686634

A Computable Plug-In Estimator of Minimum Volume Sets for Novelty Detection

KAUST Repository

Park, Chiwoo; Huang, Jianhua Z.; Ding, Yu

2010-01-01

A minimum volume set of a probability density is a region of minimum size among the regions covering a given probability mass of the density. Effective methods for finding the minimum volume sets are very useful for detecting failures or anomalies in commercial and security applications-a problem known as novelty detection. One theoretical approach of estimating the minimum volume set is to use a density level set where a kernel density estimator is plugged into the optimization problem that yields the appropriate level. Such a plug-in estimator is not of practical use because solving the corresponding minimization problem is usually intractable. A modified plug-in estimator was proposed by Hyndman in 1996 to overcome the computation difficulty of the theoretical approach but is not well studied in the literature. In this paper, we provide theoretical support to this estimator by showing its asymptotic consistency. We also show that this estimator is very competitive to other existing novelty detection methods through an extensive empirical study. ©2010 INFORMS.

A Computable Plug-In Estimator of Minimum Volume Sets for Novelty Detection

KAUST Repository

Park, Chiwoo

2010-10-01

A minimum volume set of a probability density is a region of minimum size among the regions covering a given probability mass of the density. Effective methods for finding the minimum volume sets are very useful for detecting failures or anomalies in commercial and security applications-a problem known as novelty detection. One theoretical approach of estimating the minimum volume set is to use a density level set where a kernel density estimator is plugged into the optimization problem that yields the appropriate level. Such a plug-in estimator is not of practical use because solving the corresponding minimization problem is usually intractable. A modified plug-in estimator was proposed by Hyndman in 1996 to overcome the computation difficulty of the theoretical approach but is not well studied in the literature. In this paper, we provide theoretical support to this estimator by showing its asymptotic consistency. We also show that this estimator is very competitive to other existing novelty detection methods through an extensive empirical study. ©2010 INFORMS.

CASAS Competencies: Essential Life and Work Skills for Youth and Adults

Science.gov (United States)

CASAS - Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment Systems (NJ1), 2008

2008-01-01

The CASAS Competencies identify more than 360 essential life skills that youth and adults need to be functionally competent members of their community, their family, and the workforce. Competencies are relevant across the full range of instructional levels, from beginning literacy through high school completion including transition to…

Role of Baby-Friendly Hospital Care in Maternal Role Competence.

Science.gov (United States)

Barabach, Lynn; Ludington-Hoe, Susan M; Dowling, Donna; Lotas, Marilyn

The objective of this pilot study was to determine women's perceptions of their levels of maternal role competence at discharge from a Baby-Friendly hospital. A convenience sample of 30 women completed two self-report questionnaires: a demographic questionnaire and the Perceived Maternal Parenting Self-Efficacy scale. Women report that they perceived high levels of maternal role competence with a mean total score of 69.80 (standard deviation = 6.86) out of 80. As women experience breastfeeding in Baby-Friendly hospitals, maternal role competence may develop with appropriate support. © 2017 AWHONN, the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses.

Minimum Wages and Poverty

OpenAIRE

Fields, Gary S.; Kanbur, Ravi

2005-01-01

Textbook analysis tells us that in a competitive labor market, the introduction of a minimum wage above the competitive equilibrium wage will cause unemployment. This paper makes two contributions to the basic theory of the minimum wage. First, we analyze the effects of a higher minimum wage in terms of poverty rather than in terms of unemployment. Second, we extend the standard textbook model to allow for incomesharing between the employed and the unemployed. We find that there are situation...

Handball coaches' perceptions about the value of working competences according to their coaching background.

Science.gov (United States)

Mesquita, Isabel; Borges, Mario; Rosado, Antonio; Souza, Adriano De

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to analyze the value attributed to given working competences, by Portuguese handball coaches according to their coaching background, certification level, coaching experience, and level of education. A sample of 207 handball coaches responded to a questionnaire which included demographic characteristics and a scale focused on perceptions of the level of importance attributed to working competences. Data analysis included an exploratory factorial analysis applying Maximum Likelihood Factoring (MLF) and Oblimin rotation. These factors were submitted to a One-way ANOVA and Tukey's post hoc multiple comparisons to analyse coaches' perceptions according to their coaching background. A six factor solution was found where three major domains of competences were highlighted; the first one related to training and competition (e.g. planning and conducting the training, team administration in competition, annual and multi-annual planning, and coaching methodology); the second one related to social and cultural issues and management (e.g. implementation of youth sport development projects, team leadership and coach education) and the third one related to the cognitive background (meta-cognitive competences). The importance ascribed to some working competences was influenced by their coaching experience and certification level. Highly experienced and qualified coaches perceived competences of everyday practice, social, cultural and management issues related to training and competition as more important than the other coaches. This study suggests the need to consider some working competences, until now not explicitly present in the Portuguese coaching education curriculum which could enable coaches to choose the best way to practice/work in a manner that will foster and support their professional development. Key pointsThree major domains of competences were highlighted by Portuguese handball coaches. The first one related to training and competition

Competency-Based Assignment & Promotion to Meet Air Force Senior Leader Requirements

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Steele, Jr., Robert G; Fletcher, Kelly E; Nadoiski, William F; Buckman, Emily A; Oliver, Jr., Stephen W

2006-01-01

.... The third component, competencies, are occupational skill sets and enduring leadership competencies Air Force leaders develop as they progress along the tactical, operational and strategic levels...

Competency Analytics Tool: Analyzing Curriculum Using Course Competencies

Science.gov (United States)

Gottipati, Swapna; Shankararaman, Venky

2018-01-01

The applications of learning outcomes and competency frameworks have brought better clarity to engineering programs in many universities. Several frameworks have been proposed to integrate outcomes and competencies into course design, delivery and assessment. However, in many cases, competencies are course-specific and their overall impact on the…

Professional competence of social workers’: management methods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. V. Dudaryov

2015-02-01

Full Text Available In the article the problem of social workers’ professional competence is actualized. It is proved that finding ways to optimize the specialists for social welfare system professional training is in line with common didactic problems of the high school pedagogies. The theoretical analysis of Ukrainian and foreign scientists’ works connected with the aspects of social workers’ professional competence is done. The definition of «competence» and «professional competence» is given. The main components of social workers’ professional competence are defined. These are: motivation (psychological readiness to professional activity; value and semantic (orientation, values, meanings; cognitive and professional (general culture, literacy, vocational education; action and professional (work with people at different social levels, work with information, achievement, etc.; auto­psychological (personal and professional reflection; regulatory (emotional and volitional self­regulation. The general structure and content criteria of social worker’s professional competence are under analysis. The characteristic of innovative forms and methods of social workers’ professional competence management (such as case­study, socio­psychological training is given. The causes for social workers’ successful training in high school are defined. The conclusions of the study are made and promising areas for future studies of the issues related to the subject under consideration are defined.

Cultural Competence and Related Factors Among Taiwanese Nurses.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Chin-Nu; Mastel-Smith, Beth; Alfred, Danita; Lin, Yu-Hua

2015-12-01

Taiwan is a multicultural and multiethnic society with a growing number of immigrants who have diverse ethnic, racial, and cultural needs. Although this diversity highlights the pressing need for culturally competent healthcare providers, cultural competence is a concept that is little understood and implemented only sporadically in Taiwan. This study investigates the cultural competence of Taiwanese nurses and the related factors of influence. An online self-report survey was used to collect data from 221 Taiwanese nurses from December 2012 through January 2013. Data from the demographic questionnaire, the Nurses' Cultural Competence Scale, and the Perceived Nurses' Cultural Competence Rating were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, independent sample t tests, and multiple regressions. The cultural competence of the participants was in the "low to moderate" range, with relatively higher mean scores for the subscales of cultural awareness and cultural sensitivity and relatively lower scores for the subscales of cultural knowledge and cultural skills. Participants generally perceived themselves as being "not culturally competent." Variables found to predict cultural competence included years of work experience, hours of continuing education related to cultural nursing care, and frequency of caring for clients from culturally and ethnically diverse backgrounds. Participating Taiwanese nurses rated their level of cultural competence as in the low-to-moderate range and self-perceived as being not culturally competent. These findings support the need to further expand and enhance cultural-competence-related continuing education and to address the topic of cultural care in the nursing curricula.

Your Potential as an Entrepreneur. Unit 1. Level 2. Instructor Guide. PACE: Program for Acquiring Competence in Entrepreneurship. Third Edition. Research & Development Series No. 302-01. Series No. 302-01.

Science.gov (United States)

Ohio State Univ., Columbus. Center on Education and Training for Employment.

This instructor guide for a unit on entrepreneurship potential in the PACE (Program for Acquiring Competence in Entrepreneurship) curriculum includes the full text of the student module and lesson plans, instructional suggestions, and other teacher resources. The competencies that are incorporated into this module are at Level 2 of…

Your Potential as an Entrepreneur. Unit 1. Level 3. Instructor Guide. PACE: Program for Acquiring Competence in Entrepreneurship. Third Edition. Research & Development Series No. 303-01. Series No. 303-01.

Science.gov (United States)

Ohio State Univ., Columbus. Center on Education and Training for Employment.

This instructor guide for a unit on entrepreneurship potential in the PACE (Program for Acquiring Competence in Entrepreneurship) curriculum includes the full text of the student module and lesson plans, instructional suggestions, and other teacher resources. The competencies that are incorporated into this module are at Level 3 of…

Assessment Mathematics Teacher's Competencies

Science.gov (United States)

Alnoor, A. G.; Yuanxiang, Guo; Abudhuim, F. S.

2007-01-01

This paper aimed to identifying the professional efficiencies for the intermediate schools mathematics teachers and tries to know at what level the math teachers experience those competencies. The researcher used a descriptive research approach, the study data collected from specialist educators and teacher's experts and previous studies to…

The Influence of Cross-Cultural Experiences & Location on Teachers' Perceptions of Cultural Competence

Science.gov (United States)

Lopes-Murphy, Solange A.; Murphy, Christopher G.

2016-01-01

The increasing cultural and linguistic diversity in academic settings necessitates greater cultural competence on the part of teachers, and enhancing the cultural competence of teachers requires a greater understanding of both the level of cultural competence among teachers and the experiences that enhance cultural competence. Teacher educators…

A Pareto-Improving Minimum Wage

OpenAIRE

Eliav Danziger; Leif Danziger

2014-01-01

This paper shows that a graduated minimum wage, in contrast to a constant minimum wage, can provide a strict Pareto improvement over what can be achieved with an optimal income tax. The reason is that a graduated minimum wage requires high-productivity workers to work more to earn the same income as low-productivity workers, which makes it more difficult for the former to mimic the latter. In effect, a graduated minimum wage allows the low-productivity workers to benefit from second-degree pr...

Predictors of mental health competence in a population cohort of Australian children.

Science.gov (United States)

Goldfeld, Sharon; Kvalsvig, Amanda; Incledon, Emily; O'Connor, Meredith; Mensah, Fiona

2014-05-01

The child mental health epidemiology literature focuses almost exclusively on reporting the prevalence and predictors of child mental disorders. However, there is growing recognition of positive mental health or mental health competence as an independent outcome that cannot be inferred from the absence of problems, and requires epidemiological investigation in its own right. We developed a novel measure of child mental health competence within the framework of the Australian Early Development Index, a three-yearly national census of early child development. Predictors of this outcome were investigated by linking these census data at individual level to detailed background information collected by a large longitudinal cohort study. Predictors of competence were consistent with previously described theoretical and empirical models. Overall, boys were significantly less likely than girls to demonstrate a high level of competence (OR 0.60, 95% CI 0.39 to 0.91). Other strong predictors of competence were parent education and a relative absence of maternal psychological distress; these factors also appeared to attenuate the negative effect of family hardship on child competence. This measure of mental health competence shows promise as a population-level indicator with the potential benefit of informing and evaluating evidence-based public health intervention strategies that promote positive mental health.

From time-based to competency-based standards: core transitional competencies in plastic surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Lutz, Kristina; Yazdani, Arjang; Ross, Douglas

2015-01-01

Competency-based medical education is becoming increasingly prevalent and is likely to be mandated by the Royal College in the near future. The objective of this study was to define the core technical competencies that should be possessed by plastic surgery residents as they transition into their senior (presently postgraduate year 3) years of training. A list of potential core competencies was generated using a modified Delphi method that included the investigators and 6 experienced, academic plastic surgeons from across Canada and the United States. Generated items were divided into 7 domains: basic surgical skills, anesthesia, hand surgery, cutaneous surgery, esthetic surgery, breast surgery, and craniofacial surgery. Members of the Delphi group were asked to rank particular skills on a 4-point scale with anchored descriptors. Item reduction resulted in a survey consisting of 48 skills grouped into the aforementioned domains. This self-administered survey was distributed to all Canadian program directors (n = 11) via e-mail for validation and further item reduction. The response rate was 100% (11/11). Using the average rankings of program directors, 26 "core" skills were identified. There was agreement of core skills across all domains except for breast surgery and esthetic surgery. Of them, 7 skills were determined to be above the level of a trainee at this stage; a further 15 skills were agreed to be important, but not core, competencies. Overall, 26 competencies have been identified as "core" for plastic surgery residents to possess as they begin their senior, on-service years. The nature of these skills makes them suitable for teaching in a formal, simulated environment, which would ensure that all plastic surgery trainees are competent in these tasks as they transition to their senior years of residency. Copyright © 2014 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Genetic education and the challenge of genomic medicine: development of core competences to support preparation of health professionals in Europe

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Skirton, Heather; Lewis, Celine; Kent, Alastair

2010-01-01

in professional education and regulation between European countries, setting curricula may not be practical. Core competences are used as a basis for health professional education in many fields and settings. An Expert Group working under the auspices of the EuroGentest project and European Society of Human...... and professions has resulted in an adaptable framework for both pre-registration and continuing professional education. This competence framework has the potential to improve the quality of genetic health care for patients globally.......The use of genetics and genomics within a wide range of health-care settings requires health professionals to develop expertise to practise appropriately. There is a need for a common minimum standard of competence in genetics for health professionals in Europe but because of differences...

Adjudicative Competence

Science.gov (United States)

Dawes, Sharron E.; Palmer, Barton W.; Jeste, Dilip V.

2008-01-01

Purpose of review Although the basic standards of adjudicative competence were specified by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1960, there remain a number of complex conceptual and practical issues in interpreting and applying these standards. In this report we provide a brief overview regarding the general concept of adjudicative competence and its assessment, as well as some highlights of recent empirical studies on this topic. Findings Most adjudicative competence assessments are conducted by psychiatrists or psychologists. There are no universal certification requirements, but some states are moving toward required certification of forensic expertise for those conducting such assessments. Recent data indicate inconsistencies in application of the existing standards even among forensic experts, but the recent publication of consensus guidelines may foster improvements in this arena. There are also ongoing efforts to develop and validate structured instruments to aid competency evaluations. Telemedicine-based competency interviews may facilitate evaluation by those with specific expertise for evaluation of complex cases. There is also interest in empirical development of educational methods to enhance adjudicative competence. Summary Adjudicative competence may be difficult to measure accurately, but the assessments and tools available are advancing. More research is needed on methods of enhancing decisional capacity among those with impaired competence. PMID:18650693

USING ONLINE TOOLS FOR EVALUATION THE DIGITAL COMPETENCE OF TEACHERS AND PRINCIPALS IN NORWAY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Iryna V. Ivanyuk

2015-05-01

Full Text Available The article is devoted to the problems of digital competence evaluation in general secondary education in Norway. Attention is drawn to the fact that the monitoring and evaluation of digital competence of the participants of the educational process in secondary schools at the national level, specially created Norwegian Centre for ICT in education. The content and process using online tools for self-evaluation of digital competence of teachers and principals are described. The examples of estimation of digital competence through online tools «School Mentor» and «Teacher Mentor» on levels and proposed activities to improve are presented. The main approaches used in the formation of scale evaluation of the level of digital competence of the teacher are found out.

PROBLEMS OF COMPETENCY-BASED ASSESSMENT OF APPLIED QUALIFICATIONS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. A. Efimova

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. The search of the unified tools of competences measurement of vocational training institutions graduates and identification of mechanisms of interrelation of these competences with requirements of professional standards imposed to workers of various levels are brought into focus in the context of formation of National system of qualifications of the Russian Federation, introduction of the Third-generation Federal State Educational Standards and transition of professional education to the modular, and competence-based model of the organization of training. The aim of the article is to justify the content, structure and technology of competency-based assessment, as a set of interrelated activities and regulated procedures performed on the basis of the standardized interdisciplinary evaluation materials. Methodology and research methods. The present investigation is based on systematic-activity and competency-based approaches, analysis, systematization, and generalization. Results. The place of competencies, as a part of educational outcomes of vocational education programs, is justified. Critical analysis of typical methodological solutions that are typical for the modern pedagogical practices of the competency-based assessment is performed. The content and organizational design of the process of competency-based assessment is described. Scientific novelty. The conceptual apparatus of competency-based assessment is supplemented with the «sub-competence» category - component of competence, which retains all of its properties due to human activities. Factors of objects choice and methods of assessment in identifying the professional competences are proved. Practical significance. Results of the study can be used by researchers involved with assessment procedures; methodologists and teachers of professional educational organizations, training institutes, independent centers of the qualifications evaluation for the organization of

To the Issue of the Competence For- mation Criteria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Y. V. Vorsina

2012-01-01

Full Text Available With the competence approach spreading in education, there is an urgent need for a transition from the knowledge assessment to estimation of the competence formation. The paper provides the criteria for such es- timation; denotes the levels of mastering a competence (unconscious and conscious incompetence, conscious and unconscious competence; demonstrates the option of the complex competence estimation, taking into consid- eration the experts’ assessment, students’ self-assessment, and the training process complexity and logic. The competence qualimetry is exemplified by the training competence diagnostics (i.e. the ability to recognize and apply the theoretical methods regarding the cognitive and active components. The paper observes the diagnostic methods including the questionnaires, tests and text analysis. The patterns of feasible diagnostic tasks are given along with the qualimetric results of students’ competence. The regular diagnostic procedures provide the opportunity for identifying the gaps in students’ knowledge and the lack of necessary skills, and correct, thereafter, the training process accordingly. The research findings might be of interest to the higher school teachers and qualimetry specialists.

Requirements on qualification, competence and sufficient number of personnel for NPP operation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simon, M.

2004-01-01

The safe operation of NPPs presupposes qualified personnel on site in sufficient numbers. While the acquisition and preservation of technical expertise and the qualification of the shift personnel and other staff is well regulated by regulatory guidelines in Germany, there is a lack of such regulations with the exception for shift personnel - for the minimum number of technical personnel required for safe operation of a NPP. By order of the BMU, an attempt was made with this study to work out the requirements for qualification, competence and number of personnel to be maintained at the plant, representing the minimum requirements for safe operation of a NPP. The scope of the project was restricted to requirements for technical plant personnel. The aim was to work out requirements which would be as independent as possible of the existing organisation in a particular power plant. This study therefore does not assume a given organisational structure but was rather more oriented on the work processes in a NPP which are the basis for planning and performing routine work in the plant. For the study a work process model of typical tasks in a NPP had to be developed. Then, the tasks to be performed within the so defined work processes were described (task profiles) on the basis of existing manuals for plant organisation. From these task profiles such tasks were defined or selected which shall not be delegated to external personnel for specific reasons, and which were called vital competences. To keep these vital competences at the plant, an assessment and/or calculation of the necessary number of plant technical personnel was made using the task profiles for responsible personnel, but also by the evaluation of thousands of work orders for maintenance personnel. On the basis of these data, a proposal was made for the minimal number of technical personnel which is necessary to operate a NPP unit safely. Beside of this number, general criteria were developed which should be

Questionnaire-based evaluation of everyday competence in older adults

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tobias Kalisch

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Tobias Kalisch1, Julia Richter3, Melanie Lenz1, Jan-Christoph Kattenstroth2, Izabela Kolankowska2, Martin Tegenthoff1, Hubert R Dinse21Department of Neurology, BG-Kliniken Bergmannsheil, 2Neural Plasticity Lab, Institute for Neuroinformatics, Department of Theoretical Biology, 3Faculty of Psychology, Department of Methods, Diagnostics and Evaluation, Ruhr-University Bochum, GermanyBackground: Gerontological research aims at understanding factors that are crucial for mediating “successful aging”. This term denotes the absence of significant disease and disabilities, maintenance of high levels of physical and cognitive function, and preservation of social and productive activities. Preservation of an active lifestyle is considered an effective means through which everyday competence can be attained. In this context, it is crucial to obtain ratings of modern day older adults’ everyday competence by means of appropriate assessments. Here, we introduce the Everyday Competence Questionnaire (ECQ, designed to assess healthy older adults' everyday competence.Methods: The ECQ includes 17 items, covering housekeeping, leisure activities, sports, daily routines, manual skills, subjective well-being, and general linguistic usage. The ECQ was administered to a population of 158 healthy subjects aged 60–91 years, who were divided into groups on the basis of their physical activity. These groups were community-dwelling subjects, those living independently and having a sedentary lifestyle, those living independently but characterized by a general lifestyle without any noteworthy physical activity, and those living independently and exercising regularly. Age, gender, and education levels were balanced between the groups.Results: Using the ECQ, we could identify and distinguish different everyday competence levels between the groups tested: Subjects characterized by an active lifestyle outperformed all other groups. Subjects characterized by a general

Minimum critical mass systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dam, H. van; Leege, P.F.A. de

1987-01-01

An analysis is presented of thermal systems with minimum critical mass, based on the use of materials with optimum neutron moderating and reflecting properties. The optimum fissile material distributions in the systems are obtained by calculations with standard computer codes, extended with a routine for flat fuel importance search. It is shown that in the minimum critical mass configuration a considerable part of the fuel is positioned in the reflector region. For 239 Pu a minimum critical mass of 87 g is found, which is the lowest value reported hitherto. (author)

Cultural competency and diversity among hospice palliative care volunteers.

Science.gov (United States)

Jovanovic, Maja

2012-05-01

This case study examines the current state of cultural competence in hospice and palliative care in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Because of changing demographic trends and ethnic minorities underutilizing hospice palliative care services, this research examined the current state of culturally competent care in a hospice setting, and the challenges to providing culturally competent care in a hospice in the GTA. A case study was conducted with a hospice and included in-depth interviews with 14 hospice volunteers. The findings reveal that volunteers encountered cultural clashes when their level of cultural competency was weak. Second, volunteers revealed there was a lack of adequate cultural competency training with their hospice, and finally, there was a lack of ethnic, cultural, and linguistic diversity among the hospice volunteers.

AAOHN Competencies.

Science.gov (United States)

2015-11-01

The AAOHN Competency document is one of the core documents that define occupational health nursing practice. This article provides a description of the process used to update the competencies, as well as a description of the new competencies. © 2015 The Author(s).

Competence of Inclusive Practices: ICT and Inclusive Education in Professional Teacher Development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erika Viviana Laiton Zarate

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to design the “Competence of Inclusive Practices” which was articulated to the route of the “ICT Competences for Professional Teacher Development,” of the Ministry of Education of Colombia (2013, and thus to fully evaluate 30 teachers of an educational institution in the city of Bucaramanga, in order to recognize their individual or collective training needs, and to formulate appropriate interventions. The research was supported theoretically in guidelines offered by the Ministry of Education of Colombia, the Index for Inclusive Education (Booth and Ainscow, 2011, and empirical researches developed in Latin American countries, including Colombia. The research approach was quantitative, with a descriptive design, which allowed to establish that Inclusive Practices Competence integrated pertinently postures of inclusive education and criteria of the functional framework of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT in education; in addition, it made it possible to know teachers’ perception of the level of competence in relation to the competence level they were (placed; they stated to be located at a low level (explorer in the development of skills for Inclusive Practices Competence.

Electronics Technology. Tech Prep Competency Profile.

Science.gov (United States)

Lakeland Tech Prep Consortium, Kirtland, OH.

This tech prep competency profile covers the occupation of electronics technician. Section 1 provides the occupation definition. Section 2 lists development committee members. Section 3 provides the leveling codes--abbreviations for grade level, (by the end of grade 12, by the end of associate degree), academic codes (communications, math, or…

Trends in social assistance, minimum income benefits and income polarization in an international perspective

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wang, J.

2016-01-01

This thesis collects six empirical studies regarding the developments of social assistance benefits, their determinants and the impact of the benefit changes on income polarization. The first study suggests that the real minimum income benefit levels increased in many OECD countries whilst minimum

[Children and motor competence].

Science.gov (United States)

Sigmundsson, H; Haga, M

2000-10-20

Recently, the topic of motor competence has figured prominently in the media. The claims made are many, but the research that support the statements is seldom cited. The aim of this review article is to address that deficiency by documenting what is really known about the motor competence of children. Motor competence not only allows children to carry out everyday practical tasks, but it is also an important determinant of their level of self-esteem and of their popularity and status in their peer group. While many studies have shown a significant correlation between motor problems and other problems in the social sphere, it has been difficult to establish causal relationships with any degree of confidence, as there appear to be several interactions which need to be taken into account. Research has shown that 6-10% of Norwegian children in the 7 to 10 year age group have a motor competence well below the norm. It is unusual for motor problems to simply disappear over time. In the absence of intervention the syndrome is likely to continue to manifest itself. More recent research points to some of the circularity in this causal network, children with motor problems having been shown to be less physically active than their peers. In a larger health perspective this in itself can have very serious consequences for the child.

FORMATION OF TEACHERS-TUTOR ICT COMPETENCE OF DISTANCE EDUCATION RESOURCE CENTER

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olga E. Konevchshynska

2014-09-01

Full Text Available The paper analyzes the main approaches to the definition of ICT competence of professionals who provide training and methodological support of distance learning. There is highlighted the level of scientific development of the problem, identified and proved the essence of teacher’s ICT competence, overviewed the international and domestic experience of teacher training in the the sphere of information technologies. It is indicated that one of the main tasks of resource centers for distance education is the provision of an appropriate level of qualification of teacher-tutor working in a network of resource centers. Also it is pointed out the levels of ICT competencies necessary for successful professional activity of network teachers.

Lived Experience: Perceptions of Competency of Novice Teachers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pauline Swee Choo Goh

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This study bridges the gap of an outsider-insider perspective of competency and captures the essence of what constitutes competency among 18 novice teachers in their own actions performed in real classrooms. In this study, relevant aspects of the novice teachers’ ‘lived-experience’ in their schools make up their conceptions of competency. Novice teachers’ talk about achieving their aims of competency in strategically different ways and in each of these ways, the novice teachers’ strategies are critical to their understanding of the novice teacher-student roles. Five identified conceptions are: controls in the classroom and behaviour of students, methodical preparation, uses of sound in pedagogical knowledge and skills, understanding and empowering their students to take charge of their own learning, and an awareness of themselves as teachers. The conceptions of competency are represented diagrammatically and are discussed with respect to levels of complexity. Variation exists in the way novice teachers conceive of their competency. Teacher educators should be cognizant of the diversity in practices of teachers and not limit that to say that there is just one acceptable conception of competency.

Global health competencies according to nursing faculty from Brazilian higher education institutions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carla Aparecida Arena Ventura

2014-04-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVES: to identify the agreement of faculty affiliated with Brazilian higher education institutions about the global health competencies needed for undergraduate nursing students' education and whether these competencies were covered in the curriculum offered at the institution where they were teaching.METHOD: exploratory-descriptive study, involving 222 faculty members who answered the Brazilian version of the "Questionnaire on Core Competencies in Global Health", made available electronically on the website Survey Monkey.RESULTS: participants predominantly held a Ph.D. (75.8%, were women (91.9% and were between 40 and 59 years of age (69.3%. The mean and standard deviation of all competencies questioned ranged between 3.04 (0.61 and 3.88 (0.32, with scores for each competency ranging from 1 "strongly disagree" to 4 "strongly agree". The results demonstrated the respondents' satisfactory level of agreement with the global health competencies.CONCLUSIONS: the study demonstrated a high mean agreement level of the nursing faculty from Brazilian HEI with the global health competencies in the questionnaire. The curricula of the HEI where they teach partially address some of these. The competencies in the domain "Globalization of health and health care" are the least addressed.

Parents’ Optimism, Positive Parenting, and Child Peer Competence in Mexican-Origin Families

Science.gov (United States)

Castro-Schilo, Laura; Ferrer, Emilio; Taylor, Zoe E.; Robins, Richard W.; Conger, Rand D.; Widaman, Keith F.

2012-01-01

SYNOPSIS Objective This study examined how parents’ optimism influences positive parenting and child peer competence in Mexican-origin families. Design A sample of 521 families (521 mothers, 438 fathers, and 521 11-year-olds) participated in the cross-sectional study. We used structural equation modeling to assess whether effective parenting would mediate the effect of parents’ optimism on child peer competence and whether mothers’ and fathers’ optimism would moderate the relation between positive parenting and child social competence. Results Mothers’ and fathers’ optimism were associated with effective parenting, which in turn was related to children’s peer competence. Mothers’ and fathers’ optimism also moderated the effect of parenting on child peer competence. High levels of parental optimism buffered children against poor parenting; at low levels of parental optimism, positive parenting was more strongly related to child peer competence. Conclusions Results are consistent with the hypothesis that positive parenting is promoted by parents’ optimism and is a proximal driver of child social competence. Parental optimism moderates effects of parenting on child outcomes. PMID:23526877

Cultural Core Competencies: Perceptions of 4-H Youth Development Professionals

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Janet E. Fox

2015-10-01

Full Text Available As society grows increasingly diverse, it is critical that youth development professionals are equipped with cultural core competencies. This descriptive study gauged the perceived level of cultural competence among 4-H Youth Development professionals from a Southern state in the United States. Based on the 4-H Professional Research, Knowledge, and Competency (PRKC Model (Stone & Rennekamp, 2004, youth development professionals rated their cultural competence (equity, access, and opportunity in eight core competency areas. Based on a five-point Likert scale ranging from 0 = No knowledge to 4 = Expert, youth development professionals evaluated their cultural competence ranging from 0.66 to 4.00. According to an interpretive scale, most youth development professionals rated their competence as intermediate. Participants reported the skills of active listening and an open attitude as areas in which they felt most competent. Areas of least competence were community outreach policies and procedures. No significant relationships existed between the demographic variables of gender, degree earned, and field of study when compared to perceived cultural competence. The findings will be used to detect deficiencies and create opportunities for professional training and development experiences in supporting the cultural competence and growth of youth professionals.

What factors facilitate regulatory competence in supervising the safety of nuclear technology?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mishar, Marina

2012-01-01

The proposed utilization of nuclear energy for electricity generation as the alternative energy source requires Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB), the Malaysian nuclear regulatory body taking key role in supervising the safety of the program. This study looked into factors influencing the competency of current AELB human resource as technical competency has been identified as one of the main contributors to the success of a civil nuclear power program. The four quadrant competency model developed by International Atomic Energy Agency was utilized as the required competency. A comprehensive study on 81 personnel from five states in different geographic regions of the country were carried out to investigate the impact of six factors related to competency (educational level, years of working experience, trainings attended, participation in technical committees, numbers of technical papers written and number of technical presentation presented) on four dependent measures in the areas of regulatory competency (legal basis, technical disciplines, regulatory practices and personal and interpersonal effectiveness). Multiple regression (method enter) identified factors that had significant contribution to level of competency while stepwise regression resulted in identifying predictors to enhance competencies. Results were mixed but each of the independent factors is a predictor to different competencies. This study had identified the best predictors that could significantly contribute to the enhancement of regulatory. (author)

5 CFR 551.301 - Minimum wage.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Minimum wage. 551.301 Section 551.301... FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT Minimum Wage Provisions Basic Provision § 551.301 Minimum wage. (a)(1) Except... employees wages at rates not less than the minimum wage specified in section 6(a)(1) of the Act for all...

Competence articulation: Alignment of competences and responsibilities in synchronous telemedical collaboration

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Simon Bo; Bardram, Jakob Eyvind

2008-01-01

. In particular, we want to look at the dynamic quality of competences, and investigate how competence is mutually developed in coordinated work. We have termed this process competence articulation, a concept which tries to emphasize competence as well as social development of competence as part of cooperation......Many studies and concepts within CSCW deal with the temporal, spatial, social, and computational aspects of supporting collaborative work. In this paper we want to pay attention to another central aspect to the achievement of collaborative work, namely the competence of the people involved...... communication options for competence articulation, which again improve collaboration and thus the quality of the treatment....

Do Gender and Age Affect the Level of Digital Competence? A Study with University Students

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Marcos CABEZAS GONZÁLEZ

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The characteristics of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT and their implementation at the global level have led to significant changes in different areas, especially institutional ones. This article presents the results of a research study whose purpose was to learn the level of digital competence of university students of education and to verify whether the variables of gender and age have any influence on it. A quantitative methodology was used, with a non-experimental, descriptive and inferential method, and the digital questionnaire was employed as an instrument for collecting information on the dimensions of knowledge and management of ICTs as well as attitudes towards them. The data were analysed based on a comparison of means, using non-parametric tests. The results show that the sample studied self-evaluated negatively their knowledge of ICT concepts, considered positive their management of devices, tools and services, and showed a very positive attitude toward technology. Regarding the variables studied, significant differences were found in favour of men in relation to knowledge and management, and in favour of older subjects with regard to attitude.

T-shaped competency profile for water professionals of the future

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S. Uhlenbrook

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Global environmental changes introduce new challenges and expose future university graduates in hydrology and related fields to problems of unprecedented complexity and magnitude. The T-shape model is proposed as a generic competency profile guiding the design of university curricula. This model differentiates between cognitive competencies in a certain field (i.e. hydrology; vertical leg of the T, and other cognitive/knowledge competencies in neighboring fields (e.g. hydraulics, aquatic ecology, land use management etc. and functional, personal and values competencies and meta-competencies (all summarized in the horizontal bar of the T. It is based on the holistic model of professional competencies by Cheetham and Chivers (1996 and related studies (Oskam, 2009. The T-shape profile should apply to all levels of higher education (1st degree till doctorate level in hydrology and related fields. For the effectiveness of hydrologists as professionals, a variable mix of competencies is required and further discussed. Key aspects are an open attitude for learning, continuous professional development (lifelong learning, and integrative and team working skills. Furthermore, a stimulating learning environment that promotes active learning is essential. As examples that substantiate the proposed T-shape model, the post-graduate education programmes of UNESCO-IHE and the main outcomes from a university curriculum workshop to promote education for sustainable development are introduced.

A scoping review of competencies for scientific editors of biomedical journals.

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Galipeau, James; Barbour, Virginia; Baskin, Patricia; Bell-Syer, Sally; Cobey, Kelly; Cumpston, Miranda; Deeks, Jon; Garner, Paul; MacLehose, Harriet; Shamseer, Larissa; Straus, Sharon; Tugwell, Peter; Wager, Elizabeth; Winker, Margaret; Moher, David

2016-02-02

elimination of some nuances between items, (3) restricting to certain databases, and only French and English publications, may have excluded relevant publications, and (4) some statements may not necessarily be competencies. This scoping review is the first step of a program to develop a minimum set of core competencies for scientific editors of biomedical journals which will be followed by a training needs assessment, a Delphi exercise, and a consensus meeting.

Communication competence, self-care behaviors and glucose control in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Science.gov (United States)

Parchman, Michael L; Flannagan, Dorothy; Ferrer, Robert L; Matamoras, Mike

2009-10-01

To examine the relationship between physician communication competence and A1c control among Hispanics and non-Hispanics seen in primary care practices. Observational. Direct observation and audio-recording of patient-physician encounters by 155 Hispanic and non-Hispanic white patients seen by 40 physicians in 20 different primary care clinics. Audio-recordings were transcribed and coded to derive an overall communication competence score for the physician. An exit survey was administered to each patient to assess self-care activities and their medical record was abstracted for the most recent glycosylated hemoglobin (A1c) level. Higher levels of communication competence were associated with lower levels of A1c for Hispanics, but not non-Hispanic white patients. Although communication competence was associated with better self-reported diet behaviors, diet was not associated with A1c control. Across all patients, higher levels of communication competence were associated with improved A1c control after controlling for age, ethnicity and diet adherence. Physician's communication competence may be more important for promoting clinical success in disadvantaged patients. Acquisition of communication competence skills may be an important component in interventions to eliminate Hispanic disparities in glucose control. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Consumers’ Competences as a Stimulant of Sustainable Consumption

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Kiełczewski Dariusz

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The paper contains considerations on the issue of sustainable consumption whose stimulator may be consumer competences. The problem can be examined in the cognitive, emotional and behavioural dimensions. Besides the theoretical approach, the authors have presented findings of the research carried out for the purposes of the project “Consumer Competences as a Stimulant of Innovative Behaviours and Sustainable Consumption” (2011/03/B/HS4/04417 financed from resources provided by the National Science Centre. The research involved a research sample of 1,000 Poles meeting specific criteria established by the authors. The obtained empirical material allowed for the construction of the consumer competence index which took into account the following variables: Knowledge of the consumer’s rights and ways of use thereof (Knowledge, Planning measured with the following variables (Planning, Making rational consumption choices measured with the following variables (Rationality, Autonomy of choices measured with the following variables (Sovereignty. Three groups of consumers were singled out and characterised in the study, namely: highly competent consumers, consumers with a medium level of competences, and consumers with low competences.

Clinical Competence and Its Related Factors of Nurses in Neonatal Intensive Care Units

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Jila Mirlashari

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Clinical competence of nurses working in the neonatal intensive care units together with advancements in medical science and technology increased the survival rate of newborns that need specialized care. To ensure the quality of care and provide the safety of patients, evaluating the clinical competence of nurses seems necessary. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical competence of nurses in the neonatal intensive care units. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 117 nurses working in the neonatal intensive care units of the hospitals affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences were selected by census method. The research tool was Development of Competency Inventory for Registered Nurses questionnaire which completed by self-assessment. The mean clinical competence scores of participants categorized into 3 levels: weak: 273. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 13 using the Pearson correlation coefficient, t-test and Chi-square test. Results: The highest levels of competence were related to critical thinking and research attitude and interpersonal relationships, and the lowest level was related to training and mentoring. There was a direct statistically significant relationship between marital status, employment status, level of interest in working in the neonatal intensive-care units and the clinical competence of nurses. Conclusion: Since the clinical competence of nurses in the Neonatal Intensive Care Units is vital, some variables such as interest in the nursing profession, employment status, the neonatal intensive theoretical and practical training courses and the amount of overtime working hours should be taken into consideration.

PhD competences of food studies

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Chelo Gonzalez-Martinez

2014-10-01

Full Text Available In European Higher Education, learning outcomes and competences have been used sometimes with different meanings and sometimes with the same meaning. But both terms have been more commonly used to refer to knowledge, understanding and abilities a student must demonstrate at the end of a learning experience.  Their use is a consequence of the paradigm shift of the Bologna Process to a learner centered education environment. The definition of standards of competences (or learning outcomes for the PhD degree is thus a need for the quality assurance of this degree. In this work, subject-specific and generic competences for the PhD in Food Science and Technology and their alignment with the European Qualifications Framework (EQF level descriptors for quality assurance purposes have been identified.

The APA Ethical Principles as a foundational competency: application to rehabilitation psychology.

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Hanson, Stephanie L; Kerkhoff, Thomas R

2011-08-01

Competence is a core component of ethical conduct as reflected in its addition as an ethical standard in the 2002 APA Ethics Code. Successfully operationalizing and assessing competence provides psychologists a means to improve education and training, advance the field of practice, and create a framework for accountability to the public. Much of the recent competency discussion has been in response to a proposed Cube Model, with its three axes being foundational competencies (practice building blocks, such as scientific knowledge, ethical standards), functional competencies (attributes of providing services, such as assessment, intervention), and developmental progression (acquiring increasing competence over the course of one's education and career). Ethics is included on the foundational competency axis and has been operationalized to the extent that subcomponents and benchmarks have been promulgated. The competency model as proposed faces multiple challenges, including gaining consensus regarding its components, addressing reliable and valid assessment over time, and creating a culture of acceptance. We propose the Ethical Principles as an alternative framework for conceptualizing ethics as a foundational competency given the Ethics Code is already time tested and includes a serial review process for broad discipline input and adaptability. We apply the Ethical Principles as foundational components to rehabilitation psychology training at internship, postdoctoral, and specialty levels to illustrate the model. Rehabilitation psychology should engage in the competency movement at the predoctoral and postdoctoral level. The application of the Ethical Principles as a foundational competency to rehabilitation psychology represents a first step in this dialog.

Research Note-Testing for Gerontological Competencies: A Pilot Study

Science.gov (United States)

Galambos, Colleen; Curl, Angela L.; Woodbury, Karen

2014-01-01

This article reports on the pilot delivery of an evaluation method to gauge student learning of gerontological competencies. Using a pretest and posttest design, data were collected on 46 students over 3 classes. Results indicated significant improvement in how students rated or perceived their competencies skill level between pretest and posttest…

[Evidence-based practice competence in undergraduate Nursing Degree students].

Science.gov (United States)

Ruzafa-Martínez, María; Molina-Salas, Yolanda; Ramos-Morcillo, Antonio Jesús

2016-01-01

Evidence-based practice (EBP) learning has become a key issue for nurses. An EPB subject was included in the 4(th) year in the new syllabus of the Nursing Degree at University of Murcia (UM). To know the competence level in EBP of undergraduate nursing students at UM and compare the results between all four years. Observational descriptive study with a cross-sectional approach. undergraduate nursing students from all four years at Nursing Degree at the Faculty of Social and Healthcare Science at UM in the year 2013-14. EBP evaluation of competence of the nursing students consisted of attitude, skills and knowledge on EBP. A validated questionnaire, the EBP-COQ, was used. The scale range is 1 point «lowest level» to 5 points «higher level».The SPSS 21.0 program has been used to carry out descriptive and bivariate analyses. 144 students were included, 76.4% was female, and the median age was 23 years, 84.7% attended more than 75% class hours. The mean differences in the questionnaire between first and fourth years were 0.58 points in attitude, 0.60 in skills, 1.6 in knowledge and 0.83 in global competence in EBP. Significant differences in mean scores between the fourth and the remaining years in the global competence in EBP were observed, as well as in the three dimensions (p <0.05). The undergraduate-nursing students studied here have acquired an appropriate competence level in EBP, with a gradual increase by year. The biggest increase was in the fourth year students. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

More active pre-school children have better motor competence at school starting age: an observational cohort study.

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Barnett, Lisa M; Salmon, Jo; Hesketh, Kylie D

2016-10-10

Almost half of young children do not achieve minimum recommendations of 60 daily minutes in physical activity. Physical activity is potentially an important determinant of the development of motor competence in children. This study is one of very few longitudinal studies in this area and the first to investigate early childhood physical activity as a predictor of subsequent motor skill competence. Children were assessed as part of the Melbourne InFANT Program longitudinal cohort study at 19 months, 3.5 years and 5 years. Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) (accelerometry) was assessed at each time point. At age 5, children were also assessed in actual (Test of Gross Motor Development-2) and perceived motor competence (Pictorial Scale of Perceived Movement Skill Competence). General linear models were performed with all 12 skills (six object control and six locomotor skills), both actual and perceived, at age 5 as the respective outcome variables. Predictor variables alternated between MVPA at 19 months, 3.5 years and 5 years. Based on standardized TGMD-2 scores most children were average or below in their skill level at age 5. MVPA at 19 months was not a predictor of actual or perceived skill at age 5. MVPA at 3.5 years was associated with actual locomotor skill (B = 0.073, p = 0.033) and perceived total skill at 5 years of age (B = 0.059, p = 0.044). MVPA was not a predictor of actual or perceived object control skill at any age. Parents and preschool staff should be informed that more time in MVPA as a preschool child contributes to locomotor skill and to perceptions of skill ability in a child of school starting age. Understanding this relationship will assist in intervention development.

More active pre-school children have better motor competence at school starting age: an observational cohort study

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Lisa M. Barnett

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Almost half of young children do not achieve minimum recommendations of 60 daily minutes in physical activity. Physical activity is potentially an important determinant of the development of motor competence in children. This study is one of very few longitudinal studies in this area and the first to investigate early childhood physical activity as a predictor of subsequent motor skill competence. Methods Children were assessed as part of the Melbourne InFANT Program longitudinal cohort study at 19 months, 3.5 years and 5 years. Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA (accelerometry was assessed at each time point. At age 5, children were also assessed in actual (Test of Gross Motor Development-2 and perceived motor competence (Pictorial Scale of Perceived Movement Skill Competence. General linear models were performed with all 12 skills (six object control and six locomotor skills, both actual and perceived, at age 5 as the respective outcome variables. Predictor variables alternated between MVPA at 19 months, 3.5 years and 5 years. Results Based on standardized TGMD-2 scores most children were average or below in their skill level at age 5. MVPA at 19 months was not a predictor of actual or perceived skill at age 5. MVPA at 3.5 years was associated with actual locomotor skill (B = 0.073, p = 0.033 and perceived total skill at 5 years of age (B = 0.059, p = 0.044. MVPA was not a predictor of actual or perceived object control skill at any age. Conclusion Parents and preschool staff should be informed that more time in MVPA as a preschool child contributes to locomotor skill and to perceptions of skill ability in a child of school starting age. Understanding this relationship will assist in intervention development.

Optical polarization modulation by competing atomic coherence effects in a degenerate four-level Yb atomic system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Sung Jong; Park, Chang Yong; Yoon, Tai Hyun

2005-01-01

A scheme of optical polarization modulation of a linearly polarized infrared probe field is studied in a degenerate four-level Yb atomic system. We have observed an anomalous transmission spectra of two circular polarization components of the probe field exhibiting an enhanced two-photon absorption and a three-photon gain with comparable magnitude, leading to the lossless transmission and enhanced circular dichroism. We carried out a proof-of-principle experiment of fast optical polarization modulation in such a system by modulating the polarization state of the coupling field. The observed enhanced two-photon absorption and three-photon gain of the probe field are due to the result of competing atomic coherence effects

COMPETENCIES OF NURSE MANAGERS IN SLOVENIA: A QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE STUDY

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Karmen Erjavec

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Aim: The aim of the study is to identify nurse managers’ competencies in Slovenia regarding various healthcare organisations, public and private healthcare sectors, and management levels, as well as the reasons for their differences. Design: The study was based on quantitative and qualitative research. Methods: An online survey was conducted among 297 nurse managers in Slovenia, and in-depth interviews with 12 nurse managers were carried out. Results: Managers who worked in nursing homes were significantly more likely to perceive themselves as being more competent in leadership (p = 0.001 and financial management (p = 0.004 than their colleagues. Managers who had higher management positions were significantly more likely to perceive themselves as being more competent in financial management than their colleagues in lower management positions (p = 0.002. Nurse managers in the private sector perceived themselves to be significantly more competent in financial management (p = 0.0001. The reasons for nurse managers’ differences in proficiency levels are the degree of job security, and degree of autonomy and support in the healthcare team. Conclusion: The study identified inadequate nurse manager competencies, and reflected the needs of nurse managers for designing and providing health management programmes aimed at enhancing management capacity in the health sector in Slovenia. Keywords: management, competencies, skills, nurse managers, Slovenia, in-depth interviews, healthcare organisations, management level.

Competency champions in the clinical competency committee: a successful strategy to implement milestone evaluations and competency coaching.

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Ketteler, Erika R; Auyang, Edward D; Beard, Kathy E; McBride, Erica L; McKee, Rohini; Russell, John C; Szoka, Nova L; Nelson, M Timothy

2014-01-01

To create a clinical competency committee (CCC) that (1) centers on the competency-based milestones, (2) is simple to implement, (3) creates competency expertise, and (4) guides remediation and coaching of residents who are not progressing in milestone performance evaluations. We created a CCC that meets monthly and at each meeting reviews a resident class for milestone performance, a competency (by a faculty competency champion), a resident rotation service, and any other resident or issue of concern. University surgical residency program. The CCC members include the program director, associate program directors, director of surgical curriculum, competency champions, departmental chair, 2 at-large faculty members, and the administrative chief residents. Seven residents were placed on remediation (later renamed as coaching) during the academic year after falling behind on milestone progression in one or more competencies. An additional 4 residents voluntarily placed themselves on remediation for medical knowledge after receiving in-training examination scores that the residents (not the CCC membership) considered substandard. All but 2 of the remediated/coached residents successfully completed all area milestone performance but some chose to stay on the medical knowledge competency strategy. Monthly meetings of the CCC make milestone evaluation less burdensome. In addition, the expectations of the residents are clearer and more tangible. "Competency champions" who are familiar with the milestones allow effective coaching strategies and documentation of clear performance improvements in competencies for successful completion of residency training. Residents who do not reach appropriate milestone performance can then be placed in remediation for more formal performance evaluation. The function of our CCC has also allowed us opportunity to evaluate the required rotations to ensure that they offer experiences that help residents achieve competency performance necessary

Is Nurses' Professional Competence Related to Their Personality and Emotional Intelligence? A Cross-Sectional Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Heydari, Abbas; Kareshki, Hossein; Armat, Mohammad Reza

2016-01-01

Nurses' professional competence is a crucial factor in clinical practice. Systematic evaluation of nurses' competence and its related factors are essential for enhancing the quality of nursing care. This study aimed to assess the nurses' competence level and its possible relationship with their personality and emotional intelligence. Using a cross-sectional survey design, three instruments including Nurse Competence Scale, short form of Schutte Self Report Emotional Intelligence Test, and the short 10-item version of Big Five Factor Inventory, were administered simultaneously to a randomized stratified sample of 220 nurses working in hospitals affiliated to Mashhad University of Medical Sciences. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 11.5. Majority of nurses rated themselves as "good" and "very good", with the highest scores in "managing situations" and "work role" dimensions of nurse competence. A relatively similar pattern of scores was seen in competence dimensions, personality and emotional intelligence, among male and female nurses. Emotional intelligence and personality scores showed a significant relationship with nurses' competence, explaining almost 20% of variations in nurse competence scores. Iranian nurses evaluated their overall professional competence at similar level of the nurses in other countries. Knowledge about the nurses' competence level and its related factors, including personality and emotional intelligence, may help nurse managers in enhancing nurses' professional competence through appropriate task assignments and conducting in-service educational programs, thus improving the health status of patients.

Profesional Competencies among Pre-Service Teachers in Special Education from Their Perspectives

Science.gov (United States)

Theeb, Raied Sheikh; Muhaidat, Mohammad Ali; Al-Zboon, Eman Khleif

2014-01-01

Due to the contemporary educational reform, the movement of teachers' preparation based on the competencies became the most prominent field of study. The current study aimed at exploring Professional Competencies among special education pre-service teachers (N = 112) and the level of their competencies' practice from their perspectives.…

Timespacing competence

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Laursen, Helle Pia; Mogensen, Naja Dahlstrup

2016-01-01

-generated activity My linguistic world 2014, they are invited to map and talk about their lived experiences as multiple language users seen in the light of place and movement. By demythifying themselves and their linguistic worlds, the children also raise important questions about the notion of linguistic competence....... By perceiving competences from a subjective child perspective, we learn how children do what we call timespacing competence. On that basis, we suggest paying attention to how children themselves timespace competence by focusing (more consistently) on the subjective, social, spatial and temporal dimensions...

Effects of source and level of energy on the immune competence and response to an Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis Virus (IBRV) challenge in cattle

Science.gov (United States)

Objectives were to evaluate how dietary energy level and source affect immune competence and response to a viral challenge in cattle. Forty-eight crossbred beef steers were stratified by BW within 2 periods and randomized to 1 of 3 dietary treatments (8 steers/treatment within period). Treatments we...

Integration of behavioral medicine competencies into physiotherapy curriculum in an exemplary Swedish program: rationale, process, and review.

Science.gov (United States)

Sandborgh, Maria; Dean, Elizabeth; Denison, Eva; Elvén, Maria; Fritz, Johanna; Wågert, Petra von Heideken; Moberg, Johan; Overmeer, Thomas; Snöljung, Åsa; Johansson, Ann-Christin; Söderlund, Anne

2018-06-21

In 2004, Mälardalen University, Sweden, introduced a new undergraduate entry-level physiotherapy program. Program developers constructed the curriculum with behavioral medicine content that reflected the contemporary definition and values of the physiotherapy profession aligning it with current best practices, evidence, and the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF). The new curriculum conceptualized movement and function as modifiable behaviors in that they reflect behavioral contingencies, perceptions, beliefs, and lifestyle factors as well as pathophysiology and environmental factors. The purpose of this article is to describe how one university accordingly structured its new curriculum and its review. We describe the rationale for the curriculum's behavioral medicine content and competencies, its development and implementation, challenges, long-term outcomes, and its related research enterprise. We conclude that physiotherapy practiced by our graduates augments that taught in other programs based on accreditation reviews. With their expanded practice scope, graduates are systematically practicing within the constructs of health and function conceptualized within the ICF. Our intent in sharing our experience is to exemplify one university's initiative to best prepare students with respect to maximizing physiotherapy outcomes as well as establish a dialogue regarding minimum standards of behavioral medicine competencies in physiotherapy education and practice.

Moral competency: meta-competence of nursing care

Science.gov (United States)

Zafarnia, Niloofar; Abbaszadeh, Abbas; Borhani, Fariba; Ebadi, Abbas; Nakhaee, Nouzar

2017-01-01

Introduction To follow the progress of technology and increasing domain of nurses’ duties, ethical challenges can be observed more than ever. Therefore, the growing and dynamic system of nursing requires nurses with professional and ethical competence who can provide optimal care. The aim of the present study was to define and explain dimensions of moral competency among the clinical nurses of Iran. Methods This qualitative content analysis study was carried out in the years 2014 and 2015 in Iran. Data were collected through in-depth semistructured interviews and field notes. The resulting data were analyzed by Graneheim and Lundman’s method of conventional content analysis. The participants were 12 clinical nurses who were selected using purposive convenient sampling and continued interviews until data saturation. Results Themes obtained in the present study were posited in three main categories of “moral character,” with subcategories of altruism, search for meaning, be pioneering, perfectionism, self-control, honesty, and forgiveness; “moral care” with subcategories of dignified care, safe care, fair care, and holistic care; and “moral decision-making” with subcategories of moral sensitivity, moral thinking, moral reasoning, and moral courage. Conclusions Findings of the present study suggest that nurses’ moral competency is an adorable character with a wide range that includes moral virtues and character, moral decision-making, and ultimately providing moral care; therefore, moral competency is a meta-competence in the field of nursing. Because there are many competencies in different fields. PMID:28848630

A Mobile Framework for Competence Evaluation: Innovation Assessment Using Mobile Information Systems

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Marcos Ruano Mayoral

2007-09-01

Full Text Available The environment surrounding organizations is characterized by an increasing necessity of competent personnel but with finite competence level. From the scope of the management of those human resources, one of the most crucial aspects is to be able to measure the competence level of each professional as quickly and precisely as possible. This paper introduces a tool, based on HR-XML standard, to feed competence evaluation with data or evidences that help to fit performance evaluations to the actual performance of the employees. Mobility capabilities in performance evaluation, particularly in the innovation field, involve an inventive contribution to current Competence Management Systems that, due to their lack of flexibility, hinder the full development of the capability to include evidences wherever they may take place, whether it is at work, at client’s office or in a recruitment interview.

Didactic Competencies among Teaching Staff of Universities in Kenya

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Karimi, Florah Katanu

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to establish the levels and types of didactic competencies that exist among teaching staff in universities in Kenya, giving recognition to curriculum development, pedagogical attributes and quality assurance competencies. The study was carried out in two phases among two samples of the teaching staff population. The first…

Educational Conditions of Schoolchildren of 7-8 Grades Competence Formation in Innovative Schools

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Ramazan Turkmen

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The article studies methodological system of extracurricular classes, aimed at the development of senior schoolchildren’s key competences, determines educational conditions of schoolchildren’s key competences development in the course of extracurricular activities, develops the principles and ways to control schoolchildren’s independent activity; programs of training workshops for teachers and senior schoolchildren, considers some aspects of senior schoolchildren’s key competences development in the course of extracurricular classes.Educational conditions, which are necessary for competence approach to senior schoolchildren’s extracurricular activities are the following: schoolchildren’s learning and educability levels, motives, interests, professional plans determination; review of requirements for knowledge and skills of schoolchildren, learning from minimal (basic to the advanced level of academic subject learning.We consider further didactic and methodological works of profound subject provision of the system of extracurricular classes in the framework of competence approach, including initial and major school levels as prospect trends of this problem study

Physical fitness in children with high motor competence is different from that in children with low motor competence.

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Haga, Monika

2009-10-01

Physical therapists often treat children with low motor competence. Earlier studies have demonstrated poor physical fitness outcomes and a reduced level of physical activity for these children compared with their peers with normal motor skills. The aim of this study was to examine how physical fitness developed over time in 2 groups of children: those with a low level of competence in motor skills (low motor competence [LMC]), and those with a high level of competence in motor skills (high motor competence [HMC]). From an initial sample of 67 children, a group of 18 was identified as having HMC or LMC on the Movement Assessment Battery for Children and was selected for the present study. Eight children (3 girls and 5 boys) comprised the LMC group, and 10 children (4 girls and 6 boys) made up the HMC group. A longitudinal design was implemented, and physical fitness in the 2 groups was evaluated by measuring different fitness components over a period of 32 months. A mixed-effects analysis of variance revealed significant main effects for group and for time but no group x time interaction effect. The LMC group performed less well on all physical fitness measures than the HMC group, and both groups scored significantly higher on the physical fitness test after a period of 32 months. The lack of a significant interaction effect indicated that the relative differences in physical fitness outcomes between the groups were relatively constant over time. This study was limited by the small sample size and lack of assessment of anthropometric variables and children's perceived self-efficacy. Children with LMC are likely to have poor physical fitness compared with children with HMC. The differences in physical fitness outcomes between the groups were relatively constant over time. Given that various physical fitness components are linked to different health outcomes, these consequences are matters of concern for both current health status and later health status in children

Improved change readiness through supply chain competency development

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Arlbjørn, Jan Stentoft; Haas, Henning de; Caspersen, Rasmus

2006-01-01

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report on the experiences from a number of two-day courses in fundamentals of supply chain management completed for about 200 employees in a case company. The courses were held in order to increase the organisation's competency level and by this prepare...... to the participants and filled out at the end of each course. The second questionnaire was distributed by e-mail to the participants of the completed courses. Findings – Provides evidence for the possibility to construct and complete a supply chain course that could increase competency level and change readiness...

Role of compassion competence among clinical nurses in professional quality of life.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Y; Seomun, G

2016-09-01

The study aimed to explore measurable compassion competence among nurses and to examine the relationships between nurses' compassion competence and levels of compassion satisfaction, compassion fatigue and secondary traumatic stress. Compassion is a vital asset in the nursing profession. It is necessary to explore whether compassion competence is a factor influencing professional quality of life. This study utilized a multicenter descriptive cross-sectional survey. Data were collected from 680 nurses. Professional quality of life based on nurses' general characteristics showed a significant difference in the subjects' age, marital status, education, and total clinical experience. In addition, compassion competence had a significant positive correlation with compassion satisfaction and STS, whereas it had a significant negative correlation with burnout. Compassion competence was a factor influencing compassion satisfaction and burnout in professional quality of life. Our study included nurses with at least 1 year of clinical experience in a single cultural area, which limits its widespread applicability. To improve generalizability, future studies should include clinical nurses of various races, working in diverse cultural areas and with various levels of experience (including entry-level nurses and nursing students). Compassion competence of clinical nurses was a predictive factor for professional quality of life. Hospital administrators, nurse leaders and policy makers should develop and adopt nurse-retaining strategies that focus on improving nurses' compassion competence in order to reduce their burnout. We recommend the development of educational programmes to improve nurses' compassion competence and thereby enhance their professional quality of life. © 2016 International Council of Nurses.

Measuring the surgical 'learning curve': methods, variables and competency.

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, Nuzhath; Abboudi, Hamid; Khan, Mohammed Shamim; Dasgupta, Prokar; Ahmed, Kamran

2014-03-01

To describe how learning curves are measured and what procedural variables are used to establish a 'learning curve' (LC). To assess whether LCs are a valuable measure of competency. A review of the surgical literature pertaining to LCs was conducted using the Medline and OVID databases. Variables should be fully defined and when possible, patient-specific variables should be used. Trainee's prior experience and level of supervision should be quantified; the case mix and complexity should ideally be constant. Logistic regression may be used to control for confounding variables. Ideally, a learning plateau should reach a predefined/expert-derived competency level, which should be fully defined. When the group splitting method is used, smaller cohorts should be used in order to narrow the range of the LC. Simulation technology and competence-based objective assessments may be used in training and assessment in LC studies. Measuring the surgical LC has potential benefits for patient safety and surgical education. However, standardisation in the methods and variables used to measure LCs is required. Confounding variables, such as participant's prior experience, case mix, difficulty of procedures and level of supervision, should be controlled. Competency and expert performance should be fully defined. © 2013 The Authors. BJU International © 2013 BJU International.

Propagation & Level: Factors Influencing in the ICT Composite Index at the School Level

Science.gov (United States)

Aoki, Hiroyuki; Kim, JaMee; Lee, WonGyu

2013-01-01

Many nations are greatly affected by their education policies, and the educational level of different schools is relevant to a nation's ICT policy. In the area of ICT, Korea has achieved quite high levels of competency. This study analyzed the level of ICT competency of 4490 elementary and 2419 middle schools in Korea within the context of the…

Oxygen at Nanomolar Levels Reversibly Suppresses Process Rates and Gene Expression in Anammox and Denitrification in the Oxygen Minimum Zone off Northern Chile

OpenAIRE

Dalsgaard, Tage; Stewart, Frank J.; Thamdrup, Bo; De Brabandere, Loreto; Revsbech, Niels Peter; Ulloa, Osvaldo; Canfield, Don E.; DeLong, Edward

2014-01-01

A major percentage (20 to 40%) of global marine fixed-nitrogen loss occurs in oxygen minimum zones (OMZs). Concentrations of O[subscript 2] and the sensitivity of the anaerobic N[subscript 2]-producing processes of anammox and denitrification determine where this loss occurs. We studied experimentally how O[subscript 2] at nanomolar levels affects anammox and denitrification rates and the transcription of nitrogen cycle genes in the anoxic OMZ off Chile. Rates of anammox and denitrification w...

MO-D-211-01: Medical Physics Practice Guidelines - The Minimum Level of Medical Physics Support in Clinical Practice Settings.

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, M; Fontenot, J; Halvorsen, P

2012-06-01

The American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) has long advocated a consistent level of medical physics practice, and has published many guidelines and position statements toward that goal, such as Science Council Task Group reports related to calibration and quality assurance, Education Council and Professional Council Task Group reports related to education, training, and peer review, and Board-approved Position Statements related to the Scope of Practice, physicist qualifications, and other aspects of medical physicspractice. Despite these concerted and enduring efforts, the profession does not have a clear and concise statement of the acceptable practice guidelines for routine clinical medical physics. As accreditation of clinical practices becomes more common, Medical Physics Practice Guidelines (MPPGs) will be crucial to ensuring a consistent benchmark for accreditation programs. The AAPM will lead the development of MPPGs in collaboration with other professional societies. The MPPGs will be freely available to the general public. Accrediting organizations, regulatory agencies and legislators will be encouraged to reference these MPPGs when defining their respective requirements. MPPGs are intended to provide the medical community with a clear description of the minimum level of medical physics support that the AAPM would consider to be prudent in all clinical practice settings. Support includes but is not limited to staffing, equipment, machine access, and training. These MPPGs are not designed to replace extensive Task Group reports or review articles, but rather to describe the recommended minimum level of medical physics support for specific clinical services. This course will describe the purpose and scope of MPPGs, the procedure for the development of a MPPG, as well as the progress of Therapy MPPG TG #1 on "Evaluation and quality assurance of x-ray based image guided radiotherapy systems" and Diagnostic MPPG TG #2 on "CT Protocol management

Competence Building

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Borrás, Susana; Edquist, Charles

The main question that guides this paper is how governments are focusing (and must focus) on competence building (education and training) when designing and implementing innovation policies. With this approach, the paper aims at filling the gap between the existing literature on competences...... on the one hand, and the real world of innovation policy-making on the other, typically not speaking to each other. With this purpose in mind, this paper discusses the role of competences and competence-building in the innovation process from a perspective of innovation systems; it examines how governments...... and public agencies in different countries and different times have actually approached the issue of building, maintaining and using competences in their innovation systems; it examines what are the critical and most important issues at stake from the point of view of innovation policy, looking particularly...

Competence-based education to develop digital competence

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wesselink, R.; Giaffredo, Silvio

2015-01-01

The competence approach to learning and teaching has been described by several theoretical models. These formal models are often not integrated with concrete educational activity. On the contrary, this article proposes a practical implementation of the competence approach in education. The model of

Production competence revisited:a critique of the literature and a new measurement approach

OpenAIRE

Szász, Levente; Demeter, Krisztina; Boer, Harry

2015-01-01

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to seek remedy to two major flaws of the production competence literature, which concern: the way the production competence construct is operationalized and the way its effects on performance are measured.Design/methodology/approach – The paper proposes to measure production competence as the two-dimensional operational level construct it actually is, and to use Slack’s (1994) importance performance matrix to study its business level performance effects....

Cultural competence in healthcare in the community: A concept analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Henderson, Saras; Horne, Maria; Hills, Ruth; Kendall, Elizabeth

2018-03-07

This study aims to conduct a concept analysis on cultural competence in community healthcare. Clarification of the concept of cultural competence is needed to enable clarity in the definition and operation, research and theory development to assist healthcare providers to better understand this evolving concept. Rodgers' evolutionary concept analysis method was used to clarify the concept's context, surrogate terms, antecedents, attributes and consequences and to determine implications for further research. Articles from 2004 to 2015 were sought from Medline, PubMed, CINAHL and Scopus using the terms "cultural competency" AND "health," "cultural competence" OR "cultural safety" OR "cultural knowledge" OR "cultural awareness" OR cultural sensitivity OR "cultural skill" AND "Health." Articles with antecedents, attributes and consequences of cultural competence in community health were included. The 26 articles selected included nursing (n = 8), health (n = 8), psychology (n = 2), social work (n = 1), mental health (n = 3), medicine (n = 3) and occupational therapy (n = 1). Findings identify cultural openness, awareness, desire, knowledge and sensitivity and encounter as antecedents of cultural competence. Defining attributes are respecting and tailoring care aligned with clients' values, needs, practices and expectations, providing equitable and ethical care, and understanding. Consequences of cultural competence are satisfaction with care, the perception of quality healthcare, better adherence to treatments, effective interaction and improved health outcomes. An interesting finding is that the antecedents and attributes of cultural competence appear to represent a superficial level of understanding, sometimes only manifested through the need for social desirability. What is reported as critical in sustaining competence is the carers' capacity for a higher level of moral reasoning attainable through formal education in cultural and ethics knowledge. Our

The Need for Higher Minimum Staffing Standards in U.S. Nursing Homes

Science.gov (United States)

Harrington, Charlene; Schnelle, John F.; McGregor, Margaret; Simmons, Sandra F.

2016-01-01

Many U.S. nursing homes have serious quality problems, in part, because of inadequate levels of nurse staffing. This commentary focuses on two issues. First, there is a need for higher minimum nurse staffing standards for U.S. nursing homes based on multiple research studies showing a positive relationship between nursing home quality and staffing and the benefits of implementing higher minimum staffing standards. Studies have identified the minimum staffing levels necessary to provide care consistent with the federal regulations, but many U.S. facilities have dangerously low staffing. Second, the barriers to staffing reform are discussed. These include economic concerns about costs and a focus on financial incentives. The enforcement of existing staffing standards has been weak, and strong nursing home industry political opposition has limited efforts to establish higher standards. Researchers should study the ways to improve staffing standards and new payment, regulatory, and political strategies to improve nursing home staffing and quality. PMID:27103819

WORK COMPETENCES AT WESTERN BANK DISCOUNT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Haidee Coste

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The research aimed to identify the generic work competences in the staff of the Vice Presidency of Compensation and Development of the Western Bank Discount. Authors were consulted such as Alles (2008, Tobon (2006 and Hay Group (2004, among others. The research is descriptive, non-experimental, transactional and field design. The population consisted of twelve (12 subjects belonging to the vice presidency. It was applied a questionnaire of thirty (30 items, validated by the trial of three (3 experts, with 0.92 reliability by Cronbach alpha coefficient.  It is concluded the employees of the vice presidency have a high level of the generic work competences customer focus, teamwork, effective communication, innovation, emotional intelligence and making decisions. It is strength for the institution, because staff with those competences contributes doing the best for the development of the institution.

[Competency: general principles and applicability in dementia].

Science.gov (United States)

Alvaro, L C

2012-06-01

Competency means the capacity to make responsible and balanced decisions. This may be performed in clinical settings (decision-making abilities on treatment or risky diagnostic procedures) and also in daily-life activities (financial matters, nursing home admittance, contracts, etc.). Competency is linked to the ethical principle of autonomy and to a horizontal doctor-patient interaction, far from ancient paternalistic relationships. It is contemplated in the Spanish law as the patient's right to be informed and to make free choices, particularly in cases of dementia. The competency that we assess is the so-called natural or working capacity. It is specific for an action or task. The level of required capacity depends on the decision: higher for critical ones, lower for low-risk decisions. The assessment process requires noting the patient's capacity to understand, analyse, self-refer and apply the information. There are some guides available that may be useful in competency assessments, but nevertheless the final statement must be defined by the physician in charge of the patient and clinical judgement. Capacity is directly related to the level of cognitive deterioration. Nevertheless, specific cognitive tests like MMSE (mini-mental) have a low predictive value. The loss of competency is more associated with the so-called legal standards of incapacity (LS). These encompass a five steps range (LS1-LS5), which may detect the incapacity from the mild levels of dementia. The cortical functions that are the best predictors of incapacity are language and executive dysfunctions. These explain the incapacity in cases of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, and have been studied more. Incapacity is common and it influences the clinical decision-making process. We must be particularly cautious with clinical trials of dementia. It also involves other areas of daily life, particularly financially related ones, where limitations are present from the mild cognitive impairment

Is Nurses' Professional Competence Related to Their Personality and Emotional Intelligence? A Cross-Sectional Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abbas Heydari

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Nurses' professional competence is a crucial factor in clinical practice. Systematic evaluation of nurses’ competence and its related factors are essential for enhancing the quality of nursing care. This study aimed to assess the nurses’ competence level and its possible relationship with their personality and emotional intelligence. Methods: Using a cross-sectional survey design, three instruments including Nurse Competence Scale, short form of Schutte Self Report Emotional Intelligence Test, and the short 10-item version of Big Five Factor Inventory, were administered simultaneously to a randomized stratified sample of 220 nurses working in hospitals affiliated to Mashhad University of Medical Sciences. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 11.5. Results: Majority of nurses rated themselves as "good" and "very good", with the highest scores in "managing situations" and "work role" dimensions of nurse competence. A relatively similar pattern of scores was seen in competence dimensions, personality and emotional intelligence, among male and female nurses. Emotional intelligence and personality scores showed a significant relationship with nurses’ competence, explaining almost 20% of variations in nurse competence scores. Conclusion: Iranian nurses evaluated their overall professional competence at similar level of the nurses in other countries. Knowledge about the nurses’ competence level and its related factors, including personality and emotional intelligence, may help nurse managers in enhancing nurses' professional competence through appropriate task assignments and conducting in-service educational programs, thus improving the health status of patients.

A Developmental Model of Cross-Cultural Competence at the Tactical Level

Science.gov (United States)

2010-11-01

Army. (2009). Army Culture and Foreign Language Strategy. Dunne, J. P. (2009). Maslow is non-deployable: Modifying Maslow’s hierarchy for contemporary...be destroyed when it is no longer needed . Please do not return it to the U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences. NOTE...efforts are addressing the need for general cross-cultural competence (3C). To support these efforts, this research aimed to identify the critical

The effect of different levels of realism of context learning on the prescribing competencies of medical students during the clinical clerkship in internal medicine: an exploratory study.

Science.gov (United States)

Tichelaar, Jelle; van Kan, Coen; van Unen, Robert J; Schneider, Anton J; van Agtmael, Michiel A; de Vries, Theo P G M; Richir, Milan C

2015-02-01

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of different levels of realism of context learning on the prescribing competencies of medical students during the clinical clerkship in internal medicine. Between 2001 and 2007, 164 medical students took part in the prospective explorative study during their clinical clerkship in internal medicine at the VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. In a fixed order, each student had to formulate a treatment plan for a real patient in three situations of increasing realism: a minimal level (studying a patient record), medium level (preparing for a therapeutic consultation), and optimal level (preparing for and performing a therapeutic consultation with the patient). In comparison to studying a patient record (minimal context level), preparing a therapeutic consultation (medium context) improved four of the six steps of the WHO six-step plan. Preparing and performing a therapeutic consultation with a real patient (optimal context) further improved three essential prescribing competencies, namely checking for contraindications and interactions, prescription writing, and instructions to the patient. The results of this first explorative study suggest that enrichment of the learning context (responsibility for patient care) might be an important factor to improve the training of rational prescribing skills of medical students during their clinical clerkship in internal medicine. Clinical (pharmacology) teachers should be aware that seemingly small adaptations in the learning context of prescribing training during clinical clerkships (i.e., with or without involvement with and responsibility for patient care) may have relatively large impact on the development of prescribing competencies of our future doctors.

Phytochromes in photosynthetically competent plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pratt, L.H.

1990-07-01

Plants utilize light as a source of information in photomorphogenesis and of free energy in photosynthesis, two processes that are interrelated in that the former serves to increase the efficiency with which plants can perform the latter. Only one pigment involved in photomorphogenesis has been identified unequivocally, namely phytochrome. The thrust of this proposal is to investigate this pigment and its mode(s) of action in photosynthetically competent plants. Our long term objective is to characterize phytochrome and its functions in photosynthetically competent plants from molecular, biochemical and cellular perspectives. It is anticipated that others will continue to contribute indirectly to these efforts at the physiological level. The ultimate goal will be to develop this information from a comparative perspective in order to learn whether the different phytochromes have significantly different physicochemical properties, whether they fulfill independent functions and if so what these different functions are, and how each of the different phytochromes acts at primary molecular and cellular levels.

Competence, competency-based education, and undergraduate dental education: a discussion paper.

Science.gov (United States)

Chuenjitwongsa, S; Oliver, R G; Bullock, A D

2018-02-01

The aim of undergraduate dental education is to provide competent dentists to serve societal needs and improve population oral healthcare. Competency-based education has influenced the development of dental education for decades but this term is problematic. This article explores components of competency-based undergraduate health professional education in order to help the dental profession have a better understanding of the context and purposes of undergraduate dental education. This is a discussion paper based on a wide reading of the literature on the education of health professionals with a specific focus on competency-based undergraduate education. Competence comprises an integration of knowledge, skills and attitudes indicating a capability to perform professional tasks safely and ethically. The process of becoming a competent practitioner is complex. Four characteristics of competency-based education are: curriculum components and content shaped by societal needs; focused on student-centred learning; learning achievement; and limited attention to time-based training and numerical targets. Alongside a competency-based approach, undergraduate dental education can be influenced by institutional features and external factors but these receive little consideration in the literature. Understanding competence, competency-based education, and institutional and external factors will help to improve educational quality, define roles and professional development for the dental educator, and inform further research. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Conceptualizing Competences in E-Services Adoption and Assimilation in SMEs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Scupola, Ada

2008-01-01

-service system, a web-based travel reservation system, was conducted. The results show that three main competences, namely vision, value and control, are important at top management level for the primary adoption of e-services. For secondary adoption and assimilation,  three categories of competences were...

Professional Quality of Life and Clinical Competencies among Korean Nurses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kyunghee Kim, PhD

2015-09-01

Conclusions: This study demonstrated that it is possible to directly examine the relationship between professional quality of life level and clinical competence among nurses. Thus, interventions to increase nurses' compassion satisfaction and relieve compassion fatigue are needed, as professional quality of life may affect clinical competence.

The Process of Fixing the British National Minimum Wage, 1997-2007

OpenAIRE

Brown, W.

2009-01-01

The British National Minimum Wage was introduced in 1999 under the guidance of a Low Pay Commission constructed on a basis of ‘social partnership’. The paper analyses its conduct over its first ten years from diary data. Key challenges were for it to be independent of government, to have its advice accepted by government, and to maintain internal unanimity. The changing internal dynamics of the Commission, and its major negotiations over the level of the Minimum Wage, are described and analys...

ASSESSING STUDENTS’ COMPETENCE IN DEVELOPING CHOROPLETH MAPS COMBINED WITH DIAGRAM MAPS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

GABRIELA OSACI-COSTACHE

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Choropleth maps combined with diagram maps are frequently used in geography. For this reason, based on the maps developed by students, the study aims at the following: identifying and analyzing the errors made by the students; establishing and analyzing the competence level of the students; identifying the causes that led to these errors; and finding the best solutions to improve both the educational process aiming at the formation of this kind of competences and the students’ results. The map assessment was accomplished during two academic years (2013-2014 and 2014-2015, in the aftermath of the activities meant to train the competence. We assessed 105 maps prepared by the students in Cartography (Faculty of Geography, University of Bucharest based on an analytical evaluation grid, with dichotomous scale, comprising 15 criteria. This tool helped us identify the errors made by the students, as well as their competence level. By applying a questionnaire, we identified the source of the errors from the students’ perspective, while by comparing the errors and the competence levels at the end of the two academic years we were able to come up with potential solutions for the improvement of the teaching and learning process.

Minimum income protection in the Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Peijpe, T.

2009-01-01

This article offers an overview of the Dutch legal system of minimum income protection through collective bargaining, social security, and statutory minimum wages. In addition to collective agreements, the Dutch statutory minimum wage offers income protection to a small number of workers. Its

The Intercultural Marketing Competence of Software Subcontractors: Toward a Conceptual Framework

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Skaates, Maria Anne

2002-01-01

As part of a research project on cooperation between Nordic software development subcontractors and their foreign customers, the dynamics of intercultural marketing competence are being examined. This paper builds a conceptual bridge by developing a definition of a software subcontracting firm......'s intercultural marketing competence on the basis of (a) socio-psychological and human resource management definitions of intercultural competence at the level of individuals and (b) definitions of organizational competence from the resource-based perspective. Furthermore a model of the dynamics...... of this competence is presented. In connection with the model, key economic aspects of the competence from the viewpoints of both the subcontractor and its customer firm - including strategic importance, heterogeneity, imperfect mobility, ex ante limits to competition, dynamic transaction costs, time compression...

A model for estimating pathogen variability in shellfish and predicting minimum depuration times.

Science.gov (United States)

McMenemy, Paul; Kleczkowski, Adam; Lees, David N; Lowther, James; Taylor, Nick

2018-01-01

Norovirus is a major cause of viral gastroenteritis, with shellfish consumption being identified as one potential norovirus entry point into the human population. Minimising shellfish norovirus levels is therefore important for both the consumer's protection and the shellfish industry's reputation. One method used to reduce microbiological risks in shellfish is depuration; however, this process also presents additional costs to industry. Providing a mechanism to estimate norovirus levels during depuration would therefore be useful to stakeholders. This paper presents a mathematical model of the depuration process and its impact on norovirus levels found in shellfish. Two fundamental stages of norovirus depuration are considered: (i) the initial distribution of norovirus loads within a shellfish population and (ii) the way in which the initial norovirus loads evolve during depuration. Realistic assumptions are made about the dynamics of norovirus during depuration, and mathematical descriptions of both stages are derived and combined into a single model. Parameters to describe the depuration effect and norovirus load values are derived from existing norovirus data obtained from U.K. harvest sites. However, obtaining population estimates of norovirus variability is time-consuming and expensive; this model addresses the issue by assuming a 'worst case scenario' for variability of pathogens, which is independent of mean pathogen levels. The model is then used to predict minimum depuration times required to achieve norovirus levels which fall within possible risk management levels, as well as predictions of minimum depuration times for other water-borne pathogens found in shellfish. Times for Escherichia coli predicted by the model all fall within the minimum 42 hours required for class B harvest sites, whereas minimum depuration times for norovirus and FRNA+ bacteriophage are substantially longer. Thus this study provides relevant information and tools to assist

Competing Transnational Regimes under WTO Law

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carola Glinski

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Against a common perception of CSR being a business concept without binding legal effect, this article discusses legitimate legal effects of private standards in public international law, using the issue of private labels as “international standards” under WTO law. WTO law shows certain openness for external transnational standards. This article argues that the references to “international standards” in the TBT Agreement can be applied for the selection between competing public or private norms that claim relevance. Thereby, the most legitimate standard for governing the problem at issue should be chosen. This is exemplified with the case of Tuna Dolphin II where the Appellate Body has emphasised the requirement of procedural legitimacy. The article argues that the requirements for legitimate standards depend on the interests at stake and that a private standard can well be more legitimate than a (competing public standard. As the justifying effect of Article 2.5 TBT mainly interferes with economic interests, a relevant “international standard” may well consist of a representative business standard, e.g. a private label. In contrast, an international standard in the terms of Article 2.4 TBT which interferes with a democratic decision in favour of public interests such as environmental protection must reflect these public interests in a legitimate way. The article concludes that CSR can play an important role in defining legally valid justifying or minimum standards in public international law.

Athletes' perceptions of role ambiguity and coaching competency in sport teams: a multilevel analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Bosselut, Grégoire; Heuzé, Jean-Philippe; Eys, Mark A; Fontayne, Paul; Sarrazin, Philippe

2012-06-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between athletes' perceptions of role ambiguity and two theoretically derived dimensions of coaching competency (i.e., game strategy and technique competencies). A total of 243 players from 26 teams representing various interdependent sports completed French versions of the Role Ambiguity Scale and the Coaching Competency Scale. Multilevel analyses supported the existence of relationships between the four dimensions of role ambiguity and the two dimensions of coaching competency at both individual and team levels. When the levels were considered jointly, athletes perceiving greater ambiguity in their role in both offensive and defensive contexts were more critical of their coach's capacities to lead their team during competitions and to diagnose or formulate instructions during training sessions. The results also indicated that the dimension of scope of responsibilities was the main contributor to the relationship with coaching competency at an individual level, whereas role evaluation was the main contributor to this relationship at a group level. Findings are discussed in relation to the role episode model, the role ambiguity dimensions involved in the relationships according to the level of analysis considered, and the salience of ambiguity perceptions in the offensive context.

Nursing at its best: competent and caring.

Science.gov (United States)

Rhodes, Marilyn K; Morris, Arlene H; Lazenby, Ramona Browder

2011-02-23

An award-winning journalist spoke to a group of students during their first month in a baccalaureate nursing program, challenging the nursing profession to abandon its image of nurses as angels and promote an image of nurses as competent professionals who are both knowledgeable and caring. This presentation elicited an unanticipated level of emotion, primarily anger, on the part of the students. This unexpected reaction prompted faculty to explore the students' motivations for entering the nursing profession and their perceptions of the relative importance of competence and caring in nursing. The authors begin this article by reviewing the literature related to motivations for selecting a profession and the contributions of competence and caring to nursing care. Next they describe their survey method and analysis and report their findings regarding student motivations and perceptions of competence and caring in nursing. Emerging themes for motivation reflected nursing values, especially altruism, and coincided with students' beliefs of self-efficacy and goal attainment. Student responses indicated their understanding of the need for competence and revealed idealistic perceptions of caring. The authors conclude with a discussion of these themes and recommendations for student recruitment, curricular emphasis, and future research in this area.

Preliminary assessment on the competency of technical staff of Atomic Energy Licensing Board

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marina Mishar; Redzuwan Yahya

2010-01-01

The main purpose of this study is to carry out a preliminary assessment on the competency level of technical staff of Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB), the nuclear regulatory body in Malaysia for effectively monitoring and supervising the activities of the first nuclear power plant in Malaysia. The study is conducted out on the whole group of AELB technical staff, comprising 81 personnel from the supporting and professional categories. Findings showed that AELB technical staff who have been in the workforce for more than ten years have the required competency level for legal and regulatory processes competencies, regulatory practices competencies and effectiveness in personal and inter-personal competencies. Regression analysis between competency and working experience (length of service) showed a weak positive correlation, which could be contributed by job not related to the competency parameters for major functions of a regulatory body in controlling nuclear activity of a nuclear power plant. Results obtained could assist AELB in manpower development once Malaysia makes the decision to embark on a nuclear power programme. (author)

Emotional competence and online game use in adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Seo, Mia; Kang, Hee Sun; Chae, Sun-Mi

2012-12-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the relations between emotional competence and online game use in adolescents. This study is a cross-sectional descriptive survey using a convenience sample. The participants were 2199 adolescents in South Korea. Online game use and emotional competence including positive emotion, emotional expression, and emotional intelligence were measured. The study results indicated that emotional competence was negatively correlated with excessive online game use. All variables of emotional competence were significantly lower in high-risk users compared with general users. In addition, female adolescents were rated significantly higher in emotional competence among general users, but there were no significant gender differences among high-risk users. The results of our study imply that high-risk game users have lower levels of emotional intelligence than general users do. The results of this study suggest that emotion is an important factor to which practitioners in psychomedical fields and nursing should pay attention. Therefore, nurses in schools and communities should regularly screen the emotions of adolescents who habitually play online games and develop a program to enhance emotional competence associated with online games.

Training Needs Assessment for Leaders in Nursing Based on Comparison of Competency Models

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kvas Andreja

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Background and Purpose: The main purpose behind the formation of leadership competency models must be the improvement of leadership. A competency model should serve as one of the tools for selecting the most suitable leaders, appraising their work, assessing training needs and preparing programmes of functional and formal education. The objective of this research is to assess the training needs of leaders in health care. A comparison of leadership competency models between different professional groups should serve as one of the tools with which to assess the training needs of various levels of leaders. Design/Methodology/Approach: A descriptive study using a survey design was conducted on 141 nurse leaders in Slovenia. Respondents indicated to what extent each of 95 different behaviours was characteristic of a person at their leadership level. Results: The most important competence dimensions (groups of behaviours for leaders in health care are (1 at the first - top leadership level: strategic thinking, openness to change and responsibility; (2 for leaders at the second - middle leadership level: relations with co-workers, animation, resistance to stress; and (3 for leaders at the third leadership level: realisation skills, execution of procedures, communication. Training needs assessments were done for three leadership levels in nursing care. Conclusions: The greatest need for training of nurse leaders can be observed at the third leadership level. Special training programmes should be organised in the competency areas of realisation skills, execution of procedures, communication, education and ethics

Competencies Framework for Climate Services.

Science.gov (United States)

Aguilar, Enric

2016-04-01

The World Climate Conference-3 (Geneva, 2009) established the Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS) to enable better management of the risks of climate variability and change and adaptation to climate change at all levels, through development and incorporation of science-based climate information and prediction into planning, policy and practice. The GFCS defines Climate Services as the result of transforming climate data into climate information in a way that responds to user needs and assists decision-making by individuals and organizations. Capacity Development is a cross-cutting pillar of the GFCS to ensure that services are provided by institutions with professionals whom achieved the adequate set of competencies recommended by WMO, which are yet to be fully defined. The WMO-Commission for Climatology Expert Team on Education and Training, ET-ETR, has been working to define a Competencies Framework for Climate Services to help the institutions to deliver high quality climate services in compliance with WMO standards and regulations, specifically those defined by WMO's Commission for Climatology and the GFCS. This framework is based in 5 areas or competence, closely associated to the areas of work of climate services providers: create and manage climate data sets; derive products from climate data; create and/or interpret climate forecasts and model output; ensure the quality of climate information and services; communicate climatological information with users. With this contribution, we intend to introduce to a wider audience the rationale behind these 5 top-level competency statements and the performance criteria associated with them, as well as the plans of the ET-ETR for further developing them into an instrument to support education and training within the WMO members, specially the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services.

Assessment of Military Cultural Competence: A Pilot Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Meyer, Eric G; Hall-Clark, Brittany N; Hamaoka, Derrick; Peterson, Alan L

2015-08-01

Cultural competence is widely considered a cornerstone of patient care. Efforts to improve military cultural competency have recently gained national attention. Assessment of cultural competence is a critical component to this effort, but no assessment of military cultural competence currently exists. An assessment of military cultural competence (AMCC) was created through broad input and consensus. Careful review of previous cultural competency assessment designs and analysis techniques was considered. The AMCC was organized into three sections: skills, attitudes, and knowledge. In addition to gathering data to determine absolute responses from groups with different exposure levels to the military (direct, indirect, and none), paired questions were utilized to assess relative competencies between military culture and culture in general. Piloting of the AMCC revealed significant differences between military exposure groups. Specifically, those with personal military exposure were more likely to be in absolute agreement that the military is a culture, were more likely to screen for military culture, and had increased knowledge of military culture compared to those with no military exposure. Relative differences were more informative. For example, all groups were less likely to agree that their personal culture could be at odds with military culture as compared to other cultures. Such perceptions could hinder asking difficult questions and thus undermine care. The AMCC is a model for the measurement of the skills, attitudes, and knowledge related to military cultural competence. With further validity testing, the AMCC will be helpful in the critical task of measuring outcomes in ongoing efforts to improve military cultural competence. The novel approach of assessing variance appears to reduce bias and may also be helpful in the design of other cultural competency assessments.