Professional development in Canadian colleges: A national perspective

Abstract

The diversity from province to province of Canada's two‐year colleges presents unique staff development problems. A national forum to share ideas and resources is proposed.

Locus of Control, Organizational Climate, and Participation in Staff Development: A Study of College Instructors

“…The staff development movement emerged in Canada and the United States in the early 1970's, as educational administrators attempted to deflect public criticisms of the post-secondary educational sector (Campbell, 1977;Centra, 1978;Konrad, 1983;Nelsen, 1983). In Canada, these criticisms arose in part from disappointment with the results that had emanated from the expansion of the post-secondary educational sector in the previous decade.…”

“…When dislocations in the labour market persisted, concerns were voiced about the quality of instruction in colleges and universities, the non-responsiveness of these institutions to changes in the marketplace, and their reluctance to incorporate new knowledge about adult learning, human development, and instruction into classrooms (Campbell, 1977;Dennison & Gallagher, 1986;Konrad, 1983). In response to demands for greater institutional accountability and flexibility (Parliamentary Task Force On Employment Prospects For The Eighties, 1981), and assurances of some advocates that staff development would enhance instructional excellence (Blackburn & Baldwin, 1983;Dillon-Peterson, 1981;Kozoll & Moore, 1979), administrators began allocating additional funds to staff development, knowing that the major resources available to them were the instructors.…”

A survey of the perceptions of chief student personnel administrators in selected colleges and universities for determining trends, policies, practices and models utilized in staff development programs in divisions of student affairs

“…Incentives are often necessary in order to persuade reluctant staff members to participate in development programs. Harris (1976), O'Banion (1974), and Campbell (1977 support the use of incentives. These authorities assert that the types of incentives that are used encourage specific types of behavior and discourage other types of behavior.…”