Three Australian focus groups of 14 tertiary/technical education students, 9 secondary teachers, and 4 home economics graduates identified major issues: (1) relevance and applicability of home economics; (2) diversity of the knowledge and skills of graduates; and (3) need for greater professionalism. (SK)

Responses from 209 of 520 Nigerian women in science and technology professions and university departments found they typically attended single-sex schools, had highly educated parents, had more fathers than mothers in scientific-technical professions, received parental and spousal support, and were concerned about combining marriage and career.…

Explores the relationship between academic assessment and assessment of National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) for health professionals in Britain. Examines the relationship between competence and excellence or expertise and the development of reflective practitioners. Raises concerns about using NVQs in professional occupations. (SK)

A study of 291 students at varying stages of training for law (45%), accounting (40%), or human resource management (15%) found that those in traditional professions had greater exposure to employers, more engagement in recruiting, and more experience of selection processes. This greater activity was associated with career expectations and…

A discussion of women in higher education administration examines women's role in male-dominated organizations, the role of support staff in professional fields, and how institutions value neither of these roles and neither has a base of true academic power. Suggestions for attaining a powerful role in administration are made. (Author/MSE)

A study of the American Home Economics Association's certification program received responses from 1,002 of 1,595 certificate renewers and 739 of 1,460 nonrenewers. Certification has increased professional commitment and improved state associations, and most are satisfied with the program, except for its effects on employment opportunities and…

Public suspicion of professionals, including college faculty, as specialists who are, by their nature, antimajoritarian, is discussed and criticized. It is argued that true professionals are essentially disinterested individuals, in a society and an economy that are driven by self-interest, and that their reward for this unselfishness is…

Reviews effects of British occupation and educational policies of Naser and Sadat on the mixed educational messages given to Egyptian women by higher education and society. Notes that educated women are considered valuable, but few employment opportunities are available, and education for women is viewed as a stopgap until marriage. (SK)

A study of 20 randomly selected professionals from each of 4 disciplines (education, engineering, law, and medicine) found that educators read less professional literature than did engineers, lawyers, and physicians. Educators cited lack of time, dislike of technical jargon, reliance on other support systems, lack of incentives, inaccessibility,…

Examination of the relationship between environmentalists and scientists concludes that environmentalism has had little impact on science. Topics discussed include the degree to which scientific research has become more applied; efforts to integrate and coordinate research projects; the synthesis of scientific information for policy purposes; and…

Whether the measurement profession should consider developing and adopting a code of professional conduct is explored after a brief review of existing references to standards of conduct and a review of other professional codes. Issues include the need for a code of ethics, its usefulness, and its enforcement. (SLD)

Models of how professionals learn include mental schema, skill acquisition, and reflective practice. Effective continuing professional education for the development of expertise should be dynamic, authentic, practice based, collaborative, and future oriented. (SK)

Continuing education consultant Louis Philips talks about changes in licensure and certification in professions, the increase in mandatory continuing education, and tends in relicensure and recertification. (SK)

A study of 78 women professionals/managers working reduced hours for family or personal reasons showed that less successful arrangements were associated with lack of upward mobility, underemployment, pressure to work full time, and difficult relations with co-workers. Career development was a concern for those in both more and less successful…

A questionnaire about professional image and attire was completed by 56 nursing faculty (56%) and 191 students (33%). Older faculty and older students preferred more traditional attire for nurses. Faculty and students in the upper division preferred nontraditional attire. Faculty positively influenced student perceptions of professional image. (SK)