A Survey of Rural Principals: Preferences Regarding Teacher Candidates

2020 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 138-151
Author(s):  
Lindsay L. Diamond ◽  
MaryAnn Demchak ◽  
Tammy V. Abernathy
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Candidates ◽  
School Principals ◽  
Rural School ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Preparation Programs ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
University Preparation ◽  
Rural Principals ◽  
Selection Of

Rural school principals continue to have difficulty hiring and retaining qualified teachers. Researchers have sought to determine the preferred type of preparation programs and the specific characteristics of teacher candidates, but few have specifically focused on the perceptions of the rural principal. The purpose of this study was to understand current rural school principals’ perceptions regarding various factors affecting the selection of teacher candidates. Using an online, cross-sectional survey of rural school principals, data were collected to understand their perspectives regarding various factors that may affect the selection of potential teacher candidates. Results indicate that rural principals prefer to hire applicants who have completed a traditional 4-year college/university preparation program. In addition, when reviewing applicant materials they look for specific factors such as experience, those who are known in the community, cooperating/lead teacher evaluations, and areas of licenses held among teacher candidates. Rural school principals specifically reported a preference toward hiring applicants who hold a dual license in elementary and special education.

Fit and Congruency

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 148-156
Author(s):  
Mary Hogue ◽  
Lee Fox-Cardamone ◽  
Deborah Erdos Knapp
Keyword(s):  
Role Theory ◽  
Social Role ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Job Fit ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Working Adults ◽  
Role Congruity ◽  
Self Selection ◽  
Selection Of

Abstract. Applicant job pursuit intentions impact the composition of an organization’s applicant pool, thereby influencing selection outcomes. An example is the self-selection of women and men into gender-congruent jobs. Such self-selection contributes to a lack of gender diversity across a variety of occupations. We use person-job fit and the role congruity perspective of social role theory to explore job pursuit intentions. We present research from two cross-sectional survey studies (520 students, 174 working adults) indicating that at different points in their careers women and men choose to pursue gender-congruent jobs. For students, the choice was mediated by value placed on the job’s associated gender-congruent outcomes, but for working adults it was not. We offer suggestions for practitioners and researchers.

scholarly journals A Survey on Topics Rating for the Undergraduate and Diploma in Environmental Health

SAGE Open ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 215824401881104
Author(s):  
Kamaruddin Arshad ◽  
Qi Ying Lean ◽  
Long Chiau Ming ◽  
Sundara Rajan Mahalingam ◽  
Chua Say Tiong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Health ◽  
Survey Design ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
High Exposure ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Tertiary Institutions ◽  
Current Content ◽  
Level Of Importance

Environmental health (EH) is the study of environment and environmental factors affecting the health of human. Identifying the most relevant and up-to-date and updated teaching topics of EH programs is vital to ensure competent practitioners are nurtured. Thus, this study aimed to attain the view of current content of EH programs for EH professionals and intended to recommend topics necessary for education and practice. The level of importance of current and newly proposed topics for EH courses at diploma and bachelor’s level was assessed using a cross-sectional survey design. Practicing EH programs graduates were invited via social media and e-mails to participate in the survey. The respondents were asked to rank the importance of different EH topics based on 5-point Likert-type scale. Descriptive statistics were employed to report the importance of EH curricula at Malaysian tertiary institutions. It was found that between diploma’s and bachelor’s level, the bachelor’s graduates were expected to have high exposure in existing topics such as vector control management, legislation for EH and safety, health and safety risk assessment, as well as newly proposed topics including critical literature evaluation and innovation in creating awareness activities. The findings from this survey could serve as a guide to improvise EH curricula to ensure the EH programs continue to produce students with the necessary skills, knowledge, and competencies.

scholarly journals Knowledge, perceptions and practices of pharmacists regarding generic substitution in China: a cross-sectional study

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. e051277
Author(s):  
Jinghan Qu ◽  
Wei Zuo ◽  
Shaohong Wang ◽  
Liping Du ◽  
Xin Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Generic Substitution ◽  
Generic Drugs ◽  
Community Pharmacists ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Knowledge Score ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
True Value

ObjectiveTo evaluate pharmacists’ knowledge, perceptions and practices towards generic substitution in the 11 pilot locations in China.DesignAn online cross-sectional survey using questionnaires was conducted. A convenience sampling technique was implemented to recruit pharmacists.Setting and participantsThe study took place in medical institutions of 11 pilot locations that participated in the pilot national centralised procurement programme in 2019. Two thousand two hundred and ninety-one pharmacists including hospital pharmacists or community pharmacists based on health-systems or clinics participated in the study.ResultsMost of the participants had the good knowledge of requirements for evaluating the quality and efficacy of generic drugs (n=2118; 92.4%), and the definition of generic drugs (n=2078; 90.7%). In terms of perceptions, 67.3% of respondents were of the opinion that generic drugs are equally as effective as the brand-name drugs, and 69.0% of respondents were of the opinion that generic drugs are as safe as brand equivalents. A high percentage of participants supported the policy of generic substitution (n=1634; 71.4%). A significant positive correlation was demonstrated between total knowledge score and total perception score (ρ=0.267; p<0.001). Efficacy, safety and the direction of national policies and hospital regulations were the main factors affecting pharmacists’ willingness to dispense generic drugs.ConclusionsThe study identified gaps in respondents’ knowledge and perceptions of generic substitution. Pharmacists who are more knowledgeable in generic drugs tend to hold a more supportive attitude towards generic substitution. Although it appeared that pharmacists in China have largely accepted generic substitution, they still have concerns regarding the reliability and quality of generic drugs. The current issues need to be addressed for the realisation of the true value of generic drugs as part of the country’s healthcare cost-containment strategy as well as the implementation of generic substitution policy in China.

scholarly journals Dryland Farmers on Climate Resilient Practices – An Adoption Study at an Industrialized Taluk of Tamil Nadu

2020 ◽  
pp. 169-177
Author(s):  
D. Alagu Niranjan ◽  
Dipak Kumar Bose
Keyword(s):  
Correlation Analysis ◽  
Tamil Nadu ◽  
Survey Design ◽  
Conservation Tillage ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Adoption Study ◽  
Planting Materials ◽  
Selection Of

Aims: To study the adoption of climate resilient practices by the farmers in the dryland region. Study Design: Cross-sectional survey design was used for the present descriptive study. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences, Allahabad (Prayagraj) during the year of 2018 and for the period of 6 months. Methodology: The study used direct interview method with the subjects using a structured and pre-tested interview schedule for primary data collection in the sampled area which is an industrialized taluk of Tamil Nadu. The selection of area was purposeful, whereas, selection of villages was random and 15 respondents form each village was convenient. The collected data was tabulated and interpreted using descriptive statistics and correlation analysis. Results: The results of the study suggest that there is a poor adoption level of climate resilient practices existing among the dryland farmers. While, some of the practices like incorporation of residues in to soil instead of burning, brown and green manuring, conservation tillage, temperature tolerant varieties, farm machinery custom hiring centre, location specific intercropping systems, crop rotation, usage of better planting materials, prophylaxis, custom hiring centre and weather based insurance were adopted to some extent. Though there was no specific intervention to sensitize on these practices, adoption of above mentioned practices were found which could be due to the passive adaptation by the farmers of the locality over years. And the results of correlation analysis revealed that there is a significant relationship between adoption of climate resilient practices and variables like the respondents’ education, exposure to mass media exposure, contacts with extension agents, innovativeness level, risk orientation and scientific orientation at 0.01% level of significance. Conclusion: The results of the study will definitely help in evaluating government projects (as baseline) like National Initiative on Climate Resilient Agriculture, and strengthening programme planning and implementation in climate change.

Factors Affecting the Sustainability of Microfinance Institutions: A Case of Malawi Microfinance Institutions

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helex Kayembe ◽  
Yunjian Lin ◽  
George N. Chidimbah Munthali ◽  
Wu Xuelian ◽  
Lazarus Obed Livingstone Banda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Portfolio Management ◽  
Developing Economies ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Least Square ◽  
Microfinance Institutions ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Loan Portfolio ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Factors Affecting

Abstract Background: Micro Finance Institutions (MFIs) have been used as a tool for poverty alleviation in many developing economies globally, including Malawi. However, their sustainability in many countries has been dependent solely on loan repayment, donor aid, and subsidies. Aim: This study aimed at investigating the factors that influence the sustainability of MFIs in Malawi. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from November to December 2020 among the MFIs employees in the central region of Malawi. Convenience and purposive sampling techniques were used to collect data online using a google form sent via social media platforms. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS software with Statistical significance placed at .05. Results: 120 respondents completed the survey representing a 79.3% response rate, of which 63% were male. The majority of the respondents fell within the age group of 31-40 years, representing 58%, having attained universities and vocational colleges' education level, representing 32.8%. With an experience of above 16 years, representing 41.2% of which were branch managers, representing 49.6%. The results of the ordinary least square regression indicated that reporting and loan management system (RLMS) (β=0.200, P=0.021), corporate-governance (β=0.257, P=0.004), and commercialization (β=0.161, P=0.047) were positively significantly influencing the sustainability of MFI. On the other hand, loan design/type (β =-0.211, P=0.006), loan portfolio management (β =-0.179, P=0.050) were found to be negatively impacting the MFI. Lastly, variables of over-indebtedness (B= 0.077, P=0.426), loan disbursement (β =0.121, P=0.104) were found statistically insignificant. Conclusion: Our study argues that commercialization, standardized reporting, and effective loan portfolio management systems, stakeholder-based approach to corporate governance, and favored board independence through scale and cost management is critical to improving MFIs' financial sustainability.

Influence of selection criteria on clients’ satisfaction with construction consultancy services in Nigeria

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chukwuemeka Patrick Ogbu ◽  
Monday Omogiate Imafidon
Keyword(s):  
Selection Criteria ◽  
Client Satisfaction ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Firm Reputation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Importance Index ◽  
Tender Evaluation ◽  
To Receive ◽  
Selection Of

Purpose To receive a satisfactory consultancy service, a construction client must first select suitable consultants. While numerous criteria for the selection of construction consultants have been suggested in the literature, their influence on client satisfaction has hardly been statistically established. This study aimed to reduce the criteria for the selection of construction consultants into a more manageable set of fewer factors and ascertain the influence of the factors on client satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach Data were gathered through a purposively administered cross-sectional survey of public sector clients in Nigeria. Analyzes were done using relative importance index, factor analysis and multiple regression analysis. Findings The results proved that the criteria for the selection of consultants can, in the order of decreasing influence on client satisfaction, be grouped into service delivery approach (SDA), relationship with the client, the caliber of personnel, firm reputation and firm certification. However, SDA is more influential on client satisfaction. All the factors were found to have significant statistical effects on clients’ overall satisfaction with consultancy services. Originality/value The study demonstrates the extent to which construction consultant selection criteria are relevant to client satisfaction. It shows that SDA is the most important predictor of clients’ satisfaction with consultancy services. The results are helpful for grouping consultant selection criteria in future studies, and in guiding clients on the weights to assign to consultant selection criteria during tender evaluation.

scholarly journals Knowledge, attitude and practice towards tuberculosis in Gambia: a nation-wide cross-sectional survey

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adedapo Olufemi Bashorun ◽  
Christopher Linda ◽  
Semeeh Omoleke ◽  
Lindsay Kendall ◽  
Simon D. Donkor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Care Seeking ◽  
Health Seeking ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Tb Control ◽  
Care Cascade ◽  
Attitude And Practice ◽  
Knowledge Attitude And Practice ◽  
Selection Of ◽  
Structured Questionnaire

Abstract Background Early diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis (TB) are the mainstay of global and national TB control efforts. However, the gap between expected and reported cases persists for various reasons attributable to the TB services and care-seeking sides of the TB care cascade. Understanding individual and collective perspectives of knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and other social circumstances around TB can inform an evidence-based approach in engaging communities and enhance their participation in TB case detection and treatment. Methods The study was conducted during the Gambian survey of TB prevalence. This was a nationwide cross-sectional multistage cluster survey with 43,100 participants aged ≥15 years in 80 clusters. The study sample, a random selection of 10% of the survey population within each cluster responded to a semi-structured questionnaire administered by trained fieldworkers to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practice of the participants towards TB. Overall knowledge, attitude and practice scores were dichotomised using the computed mean scores and analysed using descriptive, univariable and multivariable logistic regression. Results All targeted participants (4309) were interviewed. Majority were females 2553 (59.2%), married 2614 (60.7%), had some form of education 2457 (57%), and were unemployed 2368 (55%). Although 3617 (83.9%) of the participants had heard about TB, only 2883 (66.9%) were considered to have good knowledge of TB. Overall 3320 (77%) had unfavourable attitudes towards TB, including 1896 (44%) who indicated a preference for staying away from persons with TB rather than helping them. However, 3607(83.7%) appeared to have the appropriate health-seeking behaviours with regard to TB as 4157 (96.5%) of them were willing to go to the health facility if they had symptoms suggestive of TB. Conclusions About 3 in 10 Gambians had poor knowledge on TB, and significant stigma towards TB and persons with TB persists. Interventions to improve TB knowledge and address stigma are required as part of efforts to reduce the burden of undiagnosed TB in the country.

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