Investigation for utilization of training resources in technical education: A comparative study

This research study presents a comparative study between the quarter and the semester systems in the technical institutes, in terms of scheduling, training, and utilizing the training resources such as classrooms/halls capacity and employing the instructors. The size of the study sample was represented by the total number of students in classrooms/halls for the study courses in the quarter system by 8836 students distributed over 363 sections. While in the semester system 10360 students distributed over 358 sections. Thus, a comparison was made based on one training year between the two training systems for basic skills courses. The samples were used to know the effect of class capacity and teaching loads on the training system by making initial comparisons, and statistical tools were used where averages of class capacity and teaching loads were calculated to know the status and trends of the data using the plot box. In addition to descriptive statistics (Two samples F-test for variance) and finally, (t-test: Two samples assuming unequal variance) were selected. The p-value less than 0.05 of single-tailed confirmed that classroom capacity and instructors’ load were higher in the semester system compared to the quarter system.

Influence of Teacher Professional Development on Teaching and Learning in Public Technical Institutes in the Upper West Region, Ghana

Teacher Professional Development (TPD) has received global recognition as one of the most essential elements required for increasing teachers’ knowledge and skills and improving students’ learning. However, not much account has been given on the influence or otherwise of TPD since some appears ineffective in supporting changes in teacher practices and student learning. This study examined the influence of teacher professional development on teaching and learning in public Technical Institutes in the Upper West Region, Ghana.The study adopted the concurrent mixed method design, utilizing both quantitative and qualitative datasets.The study was conducted between September 2019 to September 2020 in two technical institutes, namely, St. Basilide’s Technical Institute and the Wa Technical Institute in the Nadowli-Kaleo district and Wa Municipality respectively. The study sought to find out the type of TPD that teachers in public Technical Institutes in the Upper West Region participate in; evaluate the relationship between TPD and teaching and learning; as well as assess the challenges confronting teachers relative to access to professional development programmes. Evidence was obtained through the use of interview as well as questionnaires including both open and closed ended questions and a 5-point Likert scale. A sample size of 220 was obtained from a total target population of 1,072 at 95% confidence level and 5% margin of error. Results: The findings showed that teachers in public Technical Institutes have considerable access to teacher professional development provided by the Ghana Education Service (GES), Ghana National Association of Teachers, Non-Governmental Organizations, Subject Associations, among others. Like the teachers, majority of the students have a very positive account about how well their teachers teach and how well they themselves are learning. It was found that a highly significant positive relationship (r (44) =.745, p˂.01 given ɑ =.01 and p-value=.000) exists between teachers’ participation in teacher professional development and teaching and learning. Furthermore, the study also showed a Kendall’s Coefficient of Concordance (W) of 0.212 in the ranking of challenges or barriers affecting teacher professional development. The study contends that GES should put in place policies to encourage teachers to participate in professional development programs; the GES should also encourage and partly fund individual schools particularly technical institutes to conduct subject-based in-service training for teachers among others.

The Search for Forms of Interaction between Technical Institutes, Regional Authorities and the Industries in the 1920s-1930s (by the Example of Ekaterinburg - Sverdlovsk)

In the 1920–1930s the Ural industries and regional authorities were in need of qualified economists and engineers, which resulted in establishing in Ekaterinburg (Sverdlovsk) its own university, technical institutes, and the Ural Branch of the USSR Academy of Science. The article reveals the reasons of failures in technical institutes’ development and the mistakes in training of economic specialists. The educational organizations and scholarly institutions faced the lack of funding from national and local authorities, whose intention was to make the process cheaper and faster, which resulted in disrupting operation of technical institutes and decreasing the quality of the students’ training. Such attitude on the part of the authorities became the crucial factor for the crises of higher education in the city. Poor communication with the local industry, ideologically based restrictions in teaching of economic disciplines, as well as separate reporting lines of technical institutes, higher education establishments and scholarly institutions also negatively affected the situation. The article proves that the best solution for the city could have been establishing a single research and education center at the State University, which was the original intention of its foundation in 1920. The lack of funding and inconsistent policy of the national and local authorities have led to abandoning the initial program of the university development. Only in 2019, they returned to the program at a new level, when they started to establish a research and education cluster at the Ural Federal University.

Русское маслоделие (традиции, новации и развитие промышленности) XIX–XX в.

Русское маслоделие развивалось в XIX–XX вв. как общенародное при участии всех слоев общества. Это позволило создать в стране промышленное производство высокого международного уровня. В статье рассмотрены последовательные периоды процесса. 1. Основу русского маслоделия составляли народные традиции получения масла из коровьего молока, имевшие этническую специфику. Она определялась особенностями климата с продолжительными зимами, на время которых прекращалась лактация у рогатого скота, что требовало заготовки запасов продуктов. В крестьянском хозяйстве этим занимались женщины. Они владели разными способами получения масла, в том числе – конечного продукта – топленого масла, проходившего обработку жаром русской печи и приобретавшего возможность неограниченного срока хранения. 2. Инициатором развития товарного маслоделия являлся Н.В. Верещагин. Он ознакомился с технологией получения сливочного масла в сельских артелях разных государств и поставил целью внедрить этот опыт в России для улучшения быта российского крестьянства. Преодолевая сопротивления чиновников и привлекая единомышленников, он открывал общедоступные школы и заводы маслоделия с использованием местного народного опыта. 3. Работа активизировалась в Сибири, где крестьяне владели большими стадами дойного скота. Важную роль играло создание Союзов маслоделов, которые организовывали артели, обеспечивали хранение и доставку товаров, устанавливали связи с международным рынком, на котором русское масло потеснило других экспортеров. 4. В советский период началось развитие маслоделия на государственном уровне. Организацию индустриального производства вели последовательно и многопланово: селекционная работа животноводов сочеталась с сохранением этнической специфики и укреплением традиционной базы молочного сырья, технические институты разрабатывали современное оборудование, соответственно улучшалось качество продукта, осуществлялось повсеместное поступление его в торговую сеть. Russian butter making developed in XIX–XX cc. as a public effort involving all strata of the society. This effort helped create industrial production of the highest international level. The article defines consequent periods of this process. 1. Russian butter-making was based on national traditions of obtaining butter from cow’s milk, which were ethnically specific. The specificity was determined by the climate with long winters, during which the lactation of cattle ceased, which required preparing food supplies. Women were responsible for this in the peasant economy. They practiced various methods of obtaining butter, including the final product – ghee, which was processed by the heat of a Russian stove and could be stored during unlimited period. 2. The pioneer of the development of commercial butter-making was N.V. Vereshchagin. He studied the technology of obtaining butter in rural artels of different states and set the goal to introduce this experience in Russia to improve the life of the peasantry. Overcoming the resistance of officials and involving like-minded people, he opened public schools and butter-making factories using local experience. 3. The work intensified in Siberia, where peasants owned large herds of dairy cattle. The Unions of Butter Makers played an important role organizing artels, providing the storage and delivery of goods, establishing connections with the international market, where Russian butter surpassed other exporters. 4. During the Soviet period, the development of butter-making at the state level began. The industrial production was organized in a consistent and multifaceted manner: the selection work of livestock breeders was combined with the preservation of ethnic specificity and the strengthening of the traditional base of dairy raw materials, while technical institutes developed modern equipment, so the quality of the product improved and it was abundantly supplied to the trade network.

Canadian Journalism Programs Respond to Local News Poverty: The Challenge of Doing More

Background This study is the first to examine Canadian postsecondary journalism programs as generators of local news. Motivated by growing local news poverty in Canada, the study investigated local news terrain from the vantage point of journalism faculty involved in program-based publications. Analysis Survey results from faculty based in 22 English language Canadian universities, colleges, and technical institutes revealed active local news publishing environments, some of which included collaborations with media and non-media partners. Conclusions and implications While survey and focus group data showed strong faculty interest in expanding local news contributions by Canadian journalism students, participants also identified the pragmatic, economic, and pedagogical challenges of doing more. Résumé Contexte Cette étude est la première à examiner les programmes de journalisme canadiens postsecondaires en tant que pourvoyeurs de nouvelles locales. Motivée par une pauvreté croissante des nouvelles locales au Canada, cette étude examine les nouvelles locales du point de vue d’enseignants en journalisme participant aux publications réalisées dans le cadre de leurs programmes. Analyse Les résultats d’un sondage d’enseignants de 22 universités, collèges et instituts de technologie de langue anglaise au Canada révèlent des milieux où la publication de nouvelles locales s’avère active, y compris en collaboration avec des partenaires médiatiques et non-médiatiques. Conclusions et implications Les données provenant du sondage et de groupes de discussion indiquent un intérêt prononcé de la part des enseignants pour accroître les contributions aux nouvelles locales faites par leurs étudiants en journalisme. En même temps, les personnes interrogées ont identifié des défis pragmatiques, économiques et pédagogiques qui entravent leurs capacités d’en faire plus.

Designing and Validating Performance Standards for Clinical Instructors at Technical Institutes of Nursing

Context: The nursing program's success depends to a great extent on effective clinical learning experience. Clinical instructors can utilize professional standards to identify areas for improvement in clinical practice. The importance of content validity of the developed standards and its relevance with reliability, have made it an essential step in the standards development. Aim: This study aims to design and validate performance standards for clinical instructors at the Technical Institutes of Nursing. Methods: The methodological design was utilized. This study was conducted in two sectors: Technical Institutes of Nursing at Port Said and Ismailia City, and their practical training settings. Two groups of participants were included in the study: clinical instructors and experts’ group. The data was collected using two tools: An observational checklist and an expert opinion sheet. Results: The proposed performance standards had an appropriate level of content validity. The overall value of scale-content validity/universal agreement (S-CVI/UA) was equal to 0.852, and the overall value of scale-content validity/average (S-CVI/AVE) was equal to 0.988. The overall interrater reliability value of the proposed standards was 0.852. There were statistically significant differences between pre and post dissemination of the proposed standards in the total mean percentages in all standards (p<0.001). Conclusions: This study concluded that the proposed developed standards are acceptable for use in the Technical Institutes of Nursing. The study recommended that the developed standards be applied and communicated to all clinical instructors in the Technical Institutes of Nursing, with clinical instructors' training on its implementation.