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How does the closure of prisons impact local communities where the prison is sited? The paper compares three prison closures in northern and central Kazakhstan through field observations, interviews, and focus groups at the sites. We find that respondents unanimously opposed closure by appealing to the apparent good performance of the prison. Beyond the economic loss incurred by closure, respondents reported a loss of communal identity, as well as prestige connected to the presence of the military at the colony. The paper analyzes these responses by examining the logics by which the prisons came to be opened in the Soviet period as well as investigating how the relationship between punishment, economy, and society in Kazakhstan has changed since that time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the individual might feel isolated, and his psychological capital (PsyCap) is negatively influenced. Most research on peer support has focused on its contribution to employee well-being when the peers are in the same workplace. Scant research targets the times of lockdowns and social distancing. This paper investigates how peer support influences employee PsyCap during the COVID-19 pandemic. By conducting a questionnaire with N = 42 employees and three online focus groups with N = 15 employees out of N = 350 employees working at an international organization operating in Egypt as a bilateral development partner funded by the German government, the paper concludes that peer support has a positive influence on employee PsyCap, especially self-efficacy, hope, and optimism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2016 WHO launched the priority assistive products list (APL) consisting of 50 products and recommended that using this as a reference, countries should develop their own contextually relevant national APLs. This paper describes the development of Malawi's APL. Two hundred and ninety-six persons with disabilities participated in a rapid Assistive Technology Assessment (rATA) survey. Six focus group discussions (FGDs) with people with various types of disabilities were conducted. The rATA questionnaire and FGDs collected data on assistive products (APs) participants used, APs they needed and the challenges they experienced. Data collection was done in six districts spread across the three regions in Malawi. All age groups were included in the survey. Persons with disabilities aged less than 18 participated but went with their guardians. All persons who participated in this study provided consent. Survey and FGDs results were presented at an APL consensus meeting with policymakers, service providers, disabled peoples' organizations and development partners in the disability sector. Based on the results and further discussions, a consensus was reached on the priority APs for Malawi. More than a third of respondents used wheelchairs (32%), followed by auxiliary crutches (25%), walking sticks (13%), reading glasses (11%), prosthesis (10%), elbow crutches (9%) and orthosis (8%). There is also a high demand for products such as pull-up underwear (incontinence products) (79%), hearing aids (70%), reading glasses (59%) and diapers (63%). After intensive discussions during a consensus meeting, an agreement was reached on the 22 priority APs for Malawi. There is a wide range of APs being used by people with different functional limitations in Malawi. There is also a demand for APs that are not readily available. When developing an APL, the list should include products in use, those in demand, and those recommended by service providers. Following the development of the priority assistive products list (APL) by WHO, member states should develop their own contextually based APL. The development of the APL should be based on research evidence. All key stakeholders including persons with disabilities and other functional limitations, government, and development partners should participate in this process. The APL should be part of the national health system or community services. The Department of Disability and Elderly Affairs in the Ministry of Gender, Community Development, being the Government of Malawi line ministry coordinating disability issues participated actively in this study including inviting participants in the stakeholders' validation workshop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to its cost-efficiency, 24-hour home care is increasing and represents a cornerstone in the care of elder people in Austria. A software solution to support 24-hour caregivers in their daily routine was developed facilitating a user-centered design process. It includes electronic documentation, an e-learning platform, emergency management, and a communication tool. To evaluate the usability and acceptance of the developed software solution, a qualitative survey including focus groups (FG), a group interview (GI), and a usability walkthrough (UW) were conducted. This paper describes the findings of the qualitative survey which indicate that the e-learning platform as well as the e-documentation support 24-hour caregivers in their daily work with their clients. Participants with less technical affinity needed support to use the tool proficiently. 24-hour caregivers appreciate the fact that the solution unites all the needed information in one place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers the ways that publicly funded developmental services for adults with developmental disabilities in southern Ontario are limited in how they support clients. This paper is informed by field research conducted in the summer of 2019, which was composed of semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and a policy review. Informed by parent advocates who are the main caregivers of their adult children labelled with intellectual and developmental disabilities, this paper claims that the administrative processes of the Ontario ministry that manages and funds adult disability services relate to broader exclusionary patterns among adults with developmental disabilities. I explore this claim by reviewing how common ableist assumptions of people with developmental disabilities are ingrained in the policies and administrative processes of these services. I contribute to ongoing discussions among Critical Disability Scholars of the ways that disability as a social category can be articulated outside of ableist assumptions. Informed by parent caregiver perspectives, this article outlines how the limitations of provincially funded disability services in Ontario, Canada cause significant challenge in the lives of those labelled with intellectual and developmental disabilities. One possible explanation for these limitations is that there is a disconnect between how the provincial government classifies who should receive immediate services and how many services, versus the actual need of those labelled with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The criteria for high supports, such as monthly funding, placement into a living facility, and the provincial assessment for determining a person's 'adaptive functioning' are rooted in problematic assumptions made of people labelled with intellectual and developmental disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human interactions are guided by rules, guidelines, and social norms—a tacit understanding of what is adequate in a given context. With interactions being increasingly digitally mediated, understanding how behavior is regulated in these environments becomes imperative. In this paper, we provide an overview of the literature on netiquette and how usage of the term developed over time. We then present findings from five exploratory focus groups, discussing general characteristics of netiquette, how users acquire and adapt netiquette, as well as the social dynamics associated with netiquette. Findings suggest that netiquette dynamically interacts with social, psychological, and environmental factors. We thus propose integrating the netiquette literature with research on social norms and conceptualize netiquette as digital social norms. The paper identifies five areas for further research that will deepen our understanding of how netiquette evolves, how it is perceived by users, and how it impacts their everyday experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inadequate sleep is an on-going risk to the health and mission readiness of U.S. Armed Forces, with estimates of sleep problems high above U.S. civilian populations. Intervening early in the career of active duty Air Force personnel (or "Airmen") with education and the establishment of healthy behaviors may prevent short and long term-detriments of sleep problems. This paper describes the results of a qualitative study seeking to understand the facilitators and barriers to achieving good sleep in a technical training school during the first year of entry into the United States Air Force. Using the social ecological framework and content analysis, three focus groups with Airmen were conducted to explore themes at the individual, social, environmental, and organizational/policy level. Overall, results indicated a cohort motivated to achieve good sleep, and also struggling with a number of barriers across each level. This paper highlights opportunities for population health interventions during technical training aimed at supporting Airmen in developing healthy sleep behaviors early in the course of their career. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The context for this paper is a shift in the way citizens engage in democratic processes which has received increasing attention in the literature. Building on previously conducted research, this paper contributes to the conceptualisation of citizenship activities in terms of young people below the voting age from rural communities. Based on reviewing current research, seven emerging contexts that can assist with exploring young people's citizenship activities are proposed, namely unofficial, individual, glocal, sporadic, online, issues-based, and justice-oriented. These contexts were translated into a framework which is introduced and explored in this paper. To explore this framework, focus groups (n = 26) and a qualitative questionnaire (n = 106) were conducted with young people aged 13–16 from a secondary school in Germany. The proposed framework extends previous conceptualisations of emerging citizenship contexts by looking beyond citizen types and taxonomies to explore the spaces, modes, goals, and the frequency of participants' citizenship activities. Results indicate that the proposed framework was useful in exploring multiple emerging citizenship contexts. Focus group and questionnaire participants were particularly engaged in glocal, unofficial, sporadic, and issues-based contexts and to a lower degree in individual, online, and justice-oriented contexts. A key challenge is achieving conceptual clarity around the seven contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper promotes critical realism as a suitable and fruitful philosophical foundation for the development and implementation of urban digital twins. The proliferation of a-theoretical digital twin research and practices, not declaring their philosophical positions, is threatening the scientific soundness of this new paradigm and offers little evidence for reflecting on the knowledge it produces. To address this issue, first, this paper uses focus group discussions to explore digital twin experts' perceptions of digital twin best practices for urban management and uncover the philosophical worldviews underlying these perceptions. A philosophical worldview is a general orientation about the world that is described in terms of ontological and epistemological assumptions and views on human nature. The inferred philosophical worldviews are then compared with critical realism principles, supporting the argument that critical realism provides a suitable philosophical foundation for digital twin practices in urban management envisaged by participating experts, as well as enhancing current forms of digital twin practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the process of gaining consent from the perspectives of people living with dementia, their relatives/carers, and service providers. This is developed based on new primary qualitative research and addresses a gap in critical reflection on the practice and ethical process of research consent. A qualitative approach was used to conduct this research through the implementation of four focus groups run with people living with dementia (n = 12), two focus groups with family members (n = 6), two focus groups with service staff (n = 5). Data was analysed thematically, to identify two core themes: consent as a journey and the flexible consent approach. These identified concerns with autonomy, decision making and placing people living with dementia at the centre of the consent process. The journey of consent emerged as central to supporting participation and enhancing the consent process. The paper presents new evidence about the lived experience of research consent in the field of dementia, presenting the process of collecting consent in research as a flexible process that is best supported through a growing knowledge of participants and participation sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Black Alaskans face serious barriers to health care. This paper reports on qualitative results of a health needs assessment to understand the health challenges facing Black Alaskans. Utilizing exploratory thematic analysis, the findings indicate that Black Alaskans experience barriers such as high cost of care, underinsurance, lack of information and education, a shortage of BIPOC health providers, stigma, negative perceptions by health-care providers, and racism both in the community and in the health-care system. The paper concludes by discussing emerging health equity initiatives to advance responsive care for Black Alaskans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Online activities have spiked due to the COVID-19 pandemic, including language learning activities. As the world is aging, this affects senior citizens too. Yet, few studies have been conducted studying online (language) learning in this age-group. Moreover, no concrete pointers exist on how to go about such an online language learning course. This paper examines what should be considered when designing and implementing online language learning courses for seniors. To that end we present data from 73 senior language learners from two independent language learning contexts: the Netherlands and Scotland. The data were collected between May 2020 and August 2021. Data includes spoken and written samples from lessons, focus groups, interviews and questionnaires. Given the qualitative nature of the data and the aim of identifying patterns of meaning across the respective datasets, a reflexive thematic analysis (TA) approach was adopted. We employed an inductive approach to coding, using both semantic (explicit or overt) and latent (implicit, underlying) coding frameworks, in order to inform two overarching themes: "Navigating the digital highway" and "Camera ready for new friends." We discuss these themes and their sub-themes and arrive at concrete recommendations for the third-age language learning classroom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates alcohol consumption within cultures of football fandom through the innovative combination of theories of the carnivalesque and Bourdieu's concepts of habitus, field, and capital. Focus groups (n = 79) were conducted with football supporters in England and Scotland. Semi-structured interviews (n = 15) were also conducted with key organizational stakeholders. Research explored the importance and role of alcohol consumption for supporters when watching or attending matches.. Participants confirmed the cultural significance, perceived normalcy and historical links between football and alcohol consumption. Supporters highlighted the importance of the sociability, friendship, and social capital aspects of alcohol consumption. Participants believed football supporters are perceived differently in comparison with supporters of other sports, arguing that legislation surrounding alcohol consumption at other sports allowed supporters to enhance the carnivalesque by drinking alcohol, whereas football fans were more restricted. Participants agreed the habitus of excessive drinking and violence associated with football supporters led to a bad reputation, however, this view was outdated. Participants also recognized a growing drug culture in football. The findings draw attention to the alcohol-sport relationship and the contested relations, and diverging interests and influences, within the social field of football. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food media content has recently grown tremendously in quantity and types. To understand food media's popularity and the role they play for their audience members, this paper applies a uses and gratifications (U&G) approach to study the recipients' motives for using or encountering various food media. Where do they come across media messages about food? Do they consciously or unconsciously seek or use them, and why? How do they perceive the outcomes of using food media? Twelve focus group interviews were conducted combined with a photovoice task. Results indicate that many of the encounters with food media were accidental in nature. In total, seven gratifications for using food media were confirmed: education, entertainment, social utility, identity-building, passing the time, motivations for healthier eating, and making grocery choices. Affordance-driven gratifications were ease-of-use of a medium, accessibility of -, trust in -, and emotional connection to the medium. This study forms a basis for further audience-centered research on food content so that both scholars and content creators can better understand how food media content can meet recipients' needs and how it can be employed in communication strategies regarding, for example, conveying nutritional information or providing entertainment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on interviews and a focus group with fathers1 who attended four dads’ groups in the South of England, this paper introduces the concept of ‘dadness’. Dadness is in circulation in the public sphere and has been noted in a handful of published sources, yet it has not received academic attention. This article conceptualizes ‘dadness’ and presents it as a useful concept within contemporary fatherhood and family studies, as well as noting the term’s accessibility. The term dadness is understood by men in this study as combining their individual fathering identity and their values about the fathering role, with actual day-to-day fathering practices. Interpretation of the data infers eight aspects of dadness that draw together existing conceptualizations of fathering and fatherhood in terms of accessibility, engagement and responsibility; ‘active fathering’; warmth, positive engagement activities, decision-making, responsiveness, care; intimacy; and embodiment. Dadness describes both how men think about fatherhood and enact their fathering practices, and is accessible (it is a term men readily understand and feel able to use). This article invites a debate about whether the concept of dadness has a wider potential outside of the specific context of a small-scale study in southern England. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, traumatic brain injury (TBI) has been recognised as a serious health issue not only because of the immediate impacts at the time the injury occurs but even more so due to the longstanding impacts. Even though TBI is a globally recognised condition, the research is disproportionately focused on its incidence in, and immediate and long-term effects on men. A growing body of research suggests that generally, women who experience family violence are at high risk of TBI and suffer its impacts in ways that reflect gendered differences in the patterns and frequency of violence. In Australia, the social and physical costs of TBI are multiplied for Indigenous women, whose experience of disability and access to healthcare lies at the intersection of gender and race in the historical context of settler colonialism. The present study addresses the need for research into the sociodemographic inequalities that affect access to culturally appropriate hospital care, timely response systems, and flexible, safe and engaged social services. This paper draws on data from interviews and focus groups with Indigenous women, hospital staff and community-based service providers and suggests potential pathways for further research in settler-colonial settings elsewhere in the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is aiming to present two studies investigating attitudes of older people towards different technologies to break their social isolation and investigating the impacts of Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) on physical and mental dimensions. The first study, based on focus groups conducted with 23 older people (aged from 65 to 93 years-old) allowed to collect attitudes and opinions of older people about different technologies to help them to break social isolation. The second study, based on an experiment conducted with 42 older people (aged from 63 to 85 years-old) allowed to investigate the impact of a specific Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) on physical and mental dimensions. The first study confirm that Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) can be a relevant digital tool for elderly people according to them, i.e. a digital tool perceived as useful, usable and acceptable. The second study demonstrates that use of a specific Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) system can reduce the perception of social isolation and can have positive impacts on physical dimensions such as the weight and the waist circumference. Theoretical and applied implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to evaluate the process of implementing an evidence-based goal-setting package into five rehabilitation services across the continuum of rehabilitation. This study used a mixed methods approach guided by Medical Research Council (MRC) recommendations for conducting process evaluations, the RE-AIM framework, and the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF). This study will evaluate the reach, adoption, implementation, and maintenance of the goal-setting package over six months. Environmental context and resources, the clinician's social and professional role and identity, social influences and clinician beliefs about goal-setting consequences and individuals' capabilities were all identified as barriers or enablers throughout the implementation process. Community rehabilitation services faced challenges implementing paper-based resources, whilst inpatient rehabilitation sites faced challenges engaging nursing staff in the interdisciplinary approach to goal-setting. Social influences were an enabler in two sites that used the case conference format to facilitate setting common goals. Clinicians in all sites continued to express difficulties implementing shared decision-making with people who had cognitive impairments or were no longer progressing in their rehabilitation. A team-based approach to implementing the goal-setting interventions centred around the case conference format appeared to be the most successful mode for implementing interdisciplinary person-centred goal-setting. The rehabilitation case conference forum can be used to facilitate teams to set interdisciplinary common goals. Rehabilitation teams should add further consideration to how they can involve clients as a member of the rehabilitation team throughout the rehabilitation process. Embedding changes into existing process and using structured templates and tools can enhance the process of goal-setting in rehabilitation. Strong leadership, dedicated facilitation, audit and feedback can enhance team's success in implementing elements of the goal-setting implementation package. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teachers in Lady Agatha's Boarding School (Lady Agatha's) find teaching Sex and Relationships Education (RSE) uncomfortable. This paper investigates one aspect of the discomfort that they feel, namely the impact RSE has on their professional status as teachers. I use focus group data to reflect on the professional and personal location of teachers at Lady Agatha's and to explore their understanding of RSE through the recurring themes of professionalism and professional reputation as symbolic capital; deprofessionalisation and risk as symbolic violence; and the connects and disconnects between the doxa and illusio of the school. Findings suggest that by interrogating the sites of symbolic violence which generate RSE discomfort, we can start to unpick the fabric which creates discomfort about RSE, allowing both for a deeper understanding of RSE discomfort in teachers and an opportunity to address this discomfort as a barrier to RSE delivery at Lady Agatha's. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractAs with many Anglophone nations, Australia displays a dualistic housing system dominated by private ownership and private rental, both of which demonstrate an ongoing and intensifying lack of affordability. Despite extensive public subsidisation, rates of ownership have dropped in recent years while the proportion of renters is increasing. Alongside calls for private rental reforms to make this more appropriate as a form of long-term tenure, there is growing interest in intermediate tenure forms to allow easier access to ownership, ease the pressure on the country’s marginalised social housing, and provide a greater range of options. Due to their small scale and relative newness in Australia, intermediate tenures such as shared equity, community land trusts, and housing co-operatives remain under-researched and unfamiliar, with previous research showing limited interest in shared equity products amongst potential buyers. This paper presents data from more recent focus groups amongst would-be buyers, showing latent market interest in resale-restricted products, with policy and market implications of both national and international relevance. The work also highlights a role for research in fostering awareness and understanding of such models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The amount of information we consume daily through smartphones has prompted the development of Personal Knowledge Management Systems (PKMS). However, these external memory aids can lead to overreliance and do not help to keep information in our organic memory. This paper presents the design and evaluation of MemoryMate, an app that fosters recall of saved content through interactive notifications. The app's design is based on insights from a focus group (N = 7) that inquired about people's expectations and preferences regarding the notification design. The results of a three-week in-the-wild study (N = 23) of MemoryMate suggest that notifications could trigger engagement with saved content, and two-thirds of participants felt notifications improved their memory and retention. Retrieval practice notifications with interactive tasks performed well and received positive feedback. Content priority and time since the last interaction influenced notification engagement, emphasising the need for periodic reminders to maintain user interest in saved content. We discuss potential implications for the design of PKMSs as a tool for lifelong learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to provide an overview of the lived experience of a group of individuals who participated in an adventure therapy project, as an adjunct to their routine clinical care with an Early Intervention Service (EIS) for psychosis. We hope it will support the growing literature in this field as well as encourage other services to adopt these approaches within their settings. A group of individuals who had experienced a First Episode of Psychosis (FEP) participated in a programme of outdoor activities, culminating in a six-day residential sailing adventure (N = 5). A semi-structured interview was used to explore their experiences, and an inductive thematic analysis was undertaken to identify themes. Four key themes emerged from the analysis of the transcripts. The themes centred around what people learnt about themselves from taking part in the project: "enhanced self-perception"; "building friendships and being part of a shared experience"; "navigating and overcoming new challenges"; and "working together as a team". Adventure-based approaches offer the opportunity to enhance standard treatment outcomes in EIS, and the unique context in which they occur provides a platform to support social and occupational recovery from psychosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Older adult education is still under-researched, with many terminological ambiguities, clichés, and prejudices. Older adult teacher education and older adult English as a foreign language (EFL) teacher education is rare. Many factors can influence EFL teachers of older adults' teaching performance and its perception. Pre-service (presumably inexperienced U3A EFL teachers) and in-service teachers (experienced U3A EFL) were teaching EFL to selected older adults (aged from 64 to 75 years) at the Karkonosze University of Applied Sciences in Jelenia Góra, Poland, U3A. Their teaching Older adult education is still under-researched, with many terminological ambiguities, clichés, and prejudices. Older adult teacher education and older adult English as a foreign language (EFL) teacher education is rare. Many facting performance factors list. By utilizing a critical foreign language geragogy and a strengths-based approach inspired by positive psychology, the research emphasized the role of general teaching experience and/or age-targeted teaching experience. And it led to validating the desirable teaching performance factors as factors that defined U3A EFL teaching performance as successful and positively evaluated by given older adult learners, i.e. on a small scale. Based on a qualitative comparative exploratory study, the paper analyses how to approach teaching EFL to older adult learners at a University of the Third Age(U3A). It aimed to design a desirable U3A EFL teaching performance and to validate it on a small scale. It focused mainly on what role teaching experience and official educational study path play. A comparison is made between pre-service (presumably non-experienced U3A EFL teachers) and in-service teachers' (experienced U3A EFL teachers) teaching performance at one selected U3A EFL course and its attendees (aged 64 to 75 years). The study revealed that positively perceived (and successful) teaching performance needs to involve, among others, the following factors: establishing a friendly atmosphere, adjusting materials to the target group and the tempo, becoming partners with learners, and being sensitive to their limitations and barriers and respectful to their wishes and needs. However, within researched countries, pre-service teachers are not being prepared to teach older adults in their formal education path. The teachers' experience plays high role in the ability to adapt and adjust, however the foreign language enjoyment perceived by older adults is universal. It was perceived at both variants, i.e. at pre- as well as in-service teachers' teaching performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2023, the UK Government published its long-awaited reform strategy for England's children's social care system. Whilst the strategy set out planned reforms for several aspects of the wider system, an area requiring particular 'priority' was the purported workforce instability seen within child protection social work. However, the strategy has subsequently faced criticism on the basis that the suggested reforms were not satisfactorily informed by the testimonies of practicing social workers. This paper draws from a mixed-method study to report on the lived experiences of a sample of 201 child protection social workers practicing across England, in the context of better understanding the factors which they believed were impacting on workforce stability within England's child protection system. Implications that emerge are the need for an increase in the monetary commitment offered by the UK Government (especially in the context of tackling high caseloads, and improving local authority pay scales to reduce the allure of agency work); a targeted emphasis on challenging local cultures preoccupied with evidencing compliance over time spent with children; and the Government taking a more assertive role in tackling the often-counterproductive commentary perpetuated by politicians and media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engaging with interdisciplinary learning during higher education (HE) study can provide students with skills and modes of thinking informed by multiple worldviews. Opportunities for interdisciplinary learning in the English HE system are limited; associated primarily with postgraduate study or later undergraduate stages. This paper reports on an enhancement project that sought to engage first-year students with interdisciplinary learning. Drawing on data gathered from staff interviews, student focus groups and module enrolments, we examine drivers and barriers impacting on the planned curriculum transformation. Whilst drivers emerged from many directions (e.g. professional bodies, staff advocates), these were overwhelmed by the barriers – both administrative and ideological. Student responses were mixed. Some would have liked a wider choice of truly interdisciplinary modules, but it was clear many students did not understand the rationale for the modules and felt that they needed more support to participate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the intersection between job quality and innovation by exploring policy-led innovation aimed at delivering high-quality adult social care jobs that attract and retain much-needed skilled workers. Through qualitative enquiry, we examine workforce policy's emphasis on training, development and career progression, key elements of job quality, to create higher-skilled, higher-status roles. Drawing on focus groups and interviews with care providers and care workers in Wales (UK), we question the likely success of policy-led innovation given first its ineffective delivery and second its failure to address broader aspects of job quality. Policy thus fails both to institutionalise skilled roles in care work and to raise the status of the care worker occupation. We contribute to emerging HRM and interdisciplinary theory and policy debates about the complex nature of innovation activities and their outcomes for job quality in care work within a sector typified by low-quality jobs. We illustrate the different ways in which job quality and innovation interact and how both can be constrained by one another as a function of environmental antecedents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to contribute to the field of knowledge surrounding Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) curricula with a view to filling a gap in ESD literature by identifying features that may help ESD course designers. The study asks the questions: what is taught in ESD courses in higher education? and what content do students say they like? Working within the constructivist tradition, this study involved two groups of participants: 13 ESD design/delivery participants from six universities based in five countries (Group One) and 737 ESD students (Group Two) from three of those universities. The overarching methodology of comparative analysis was used to address the research questions. Data collection included course learning materials, participant questionnaires, one-on-one interviews, focus groups, and feedback on teaching. Group One data was analysed using comparative/descriptive analysis and reflexive thematic analysis was used for Group Two data. The methods were complementary to de/reconstruct data for comparability of features. NVivo software was employed to acquire results which are presented visually using tables and concept maps. The study identifies common content taught in stand-alone ESD courses and makes recommendations for course modelling based on Group One data contributions and what content Group Two say they like. The recommendations are presented as seven categories of consolidated curricular themes including science and sustainability based, contextually relevant, and futures hope. Consideration is given to student internal/external motivational domains and possible connection to curricular themes. Recommendations are practical and flexible, not prescriptive. The original contribution to knowledge lies in suggestions for ESD course content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the different insider employee-led cyber frauds (IECF) based on the recent large-scale fraud events of prominent Indian banking institutions. Examining the different types of fraud and appropriate control measures will protect the banking industry from fraudsters. In this study, we identify and classify Cyber Fraud (CF), map the severity of the fraud on a scale of priority, test the mitigation effectiveness, and propose optimal mitigation measures. The identification and classification of CF losses were based on a literature review and focus group discussions with risk and vigilance officers and cyber cell experts. The CF was analyzed using secondary data. We predicted and prioritized CF based on machine learning-derived Random Forest (RF). An efficient fraud mitigation model was developed based on an offender-victim-centric approach. Mitigation is advised both before and after fraud occurs. Through the findings of this research, banks and fraud investigators can prevent CF by detecting it quickly and controlling it on time. This study proposes a structured, sustainable CF mitigation plan that protects banks, employees, regulators, customers, and the economy, thus saving time, resources, and money. Further, these mitigation measures will improve the reputation of the Indian banking industry and ensure its survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With constantly changing political landscapes affecting the ability of college students with minoritized identities of sexuality and/or gender (MIoSG; Vaccaro et al., 2015) to thrive on campus, higher educators need to understand student reported stressors to design more inclusive learning environments. Building from minority stress theory and using data from a grounded theory study with 56 collegiate STEM students with MIoSG, this paper documents stressors that students reported as contributing to diminished wellbeing. We used constant comparative grounded theory analysis to identify stressors shared by all participants, which included lack of belonging and invisibility in competitive STEM cultures as well as exclusionary interactions with STEM peers. Recommendations include the design and delivery of holistic education and support services on campus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of a tool to track participation in activity-based therapy (ABT) for people with spinal cord injury or disease (SCI/D) was identified as a priority of the Canadian ABT Community of Practice. The objective of this study was to understand multi-stakeholder perspectives on tracking ABT participation across the continuum of care. Forty-eight individuals from six stakeholder groups (persons living with SCI/D; hospital therapists; community trainers; administrators; researchers; and funders, advocates and policy experts) were recruited to participate in focus group interviews. Participants were asked open-ended questions concerning the importance of and parameters around tracking ABT. Transcripts were analyzed using conventional content analysis. Themes reflected the Who, What, Where, When, Why and How of tracking ABT. Participants described the importance of involving hospital therapists, community trainers and individuals with SCI/D in tracking ABT to capture both subjective and objective parameters across the continuum of care and injury trajectory. Digital tracking tools were favoured, although paper-based versions were regarded as a necessity in some circumstances. Findings highlighted the importance of tracking ABT participation for individuals with SCI/D. The information may guide the development of ABT practice guidelines and support the implementation of ABT in Canada. Tracking the details of activity-based therapy (ABT) sessions and programs across the continuum of care and injury trajectory may provide important information to support the development of ABT practice guidelines and implementation strategies. Tracking objective and subjective parameters are needed to provide a comprehensive description of an ABT session and program. Clinicians and individuals with spinal cord injury or disease (SCI/D) should both be able to track ABT to accommodate all settings and types of data. Digital tracking tools, such as an app, may provide an accessible, versatile and efficient way of tracking ABT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some people receiving mental healthcare experience distress related to voice hearing and the available support. Some practitioners lack knowledge and confidence in providing this support. Furthermore, coercion in mental healthcare can negatively affect voice hearer-practitioner relationships. Previous research investigating mental health distress, including voice hearing, has largely emphasised an individual-centric perspective. Less is known about voice hearers' and practitioners' relational experiences within mental healthcare contexts and how this might influence voice hearing. This was a qualitative study that utilised a constructivist Grounded Theory methodology to explore the experiences of voice hearers (n = 15), through semi-structured interviews, and practitioners (n = 18) through focus group discussions (n = 3). A tripartite relationship theory situates experiences of voice hearing within a mental healthcare context, mediated through a tripartite voice hearer – voice – practitioner relationship. This consists of five themes: Level of agency; Interpersonal dynamic; Who's making sense; Medication: helping or hindering; and Personal bully. This paper presents a novel theory, grounded in voice hearers' and practitioners' experiences. This expands on current knowledge about voice hearing by situating voice hearing experiences within relational and clinical contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the development and feasibility of a digitally-based educational intervention, titled Recognize & Resist (R&R), for writers of One Direction (1D) fanfiction on Wattpad.com. The goal of R&R is to reduce the prevalence of social norms that are supportive of sexual violence within 1D fanfiction. 1D fanfictions, or fictional romance stories written by fans of this British boy band, have hundreds of millions of views on Wattpad.com. Formative research has found that social norms supportive of sexual violence are prevalent in 1D fanfictions and that some authors have internalized these norms. R&R aims to motivate 1D fanfiction writers to highlight sexual consent and egalitarian gender roles in their writing. To evaluate the intervention’s feasibility, 15 1D fanfiction authors completed a survey and participated in an interview or focus group. Results demonstrate R&R’s feasibility, with high ratings of its acceptability and demand. Insights from the interviews and focus groups provide suggestions for revising R&R before rigorously evaluating its efficacy. Additionally, results demonstrate the utility of using popular culture as a vehicle for attitude-change regarding sensitive health issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interaction is a much-claimed attribute of focus group research yet is often deficient in analysis when its essence can become lost. In this paper we aim to develop a flexible framework that can be operationalized and replicated when attempting to encourage and capture interaction. Working as outsider researchers with John Lewis & Partners (the UK's largest employee-owned business, with 80,000 employees known as 'Partners'), we conducted eight focus groups asking 18 questions about the company's giving activities and associated decision making. Using the transcriptions, we analyzed interaction through a taxonomy of questions, laughs, and pauses, identified as the features of both interaction, and sequential interaction. Employing a two-stage approach for encouraging, capturing, and evidencing interaction, we developed an exploratory framework. Through a transparent audit trail, we reduced the data to points of impact. We propose that these present a meaningful starting position for the theorizing iteration of the data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper highlights the perspectives of defence workers regarding a Just Transition of their industry, one of the most environmentally harmful sectors in terms of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, pollution and use of non-renewable resources. It is based on (i) interviews with defence sector workers in the United States and the United Kingdom (n58); and (ii) focus groups with key representatives of national and international labour unions, defence companies and relevant NGOs (n18). Some of these defence workers and their trade union representatives envisioned a transformational path towards sustainability, including converting the defence sector to more socially useful production. Drawing on Gramsci, we define these as 'counter-hegemonic views', since they challenge the hegemonic 'growth coalition' and 'treadmill of destruction' paradigms. Such views support and echo more radical interpretations of Just Transition, emphasising the necessity of a structural transformation of society to achieve a fair and effective transition to sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aging in place has become a popular social policy worldwide. This paper argues that well-being is an important outcome of aging in place, upon which older people develop autonomy and environmental proactivity. The temporal dimension of aging in place highlights development of place attachment, which includes place identity and place dependence. The study explores how older people, who live inhigh-density urban environments, make sense of well-being and place attachment by articulating their daily lives. Community dwelling older people aged 65 and above, who came from neighborhoods with high aging population and residential density but high and low median household incomes, were invited for focus group discussions. Multifaceted meanings of well-being include various dimensions that cover individual-collective and material-spiritual (psychological) construct. Meanings of place attachment include values of, bonding ties to, and memories about places. Three pathways are identified linking place attachment and multifaceted well-being. The study finds that social welfare and material richness are not the only determinants of well-being. Fulfillment of higher psychological needs, such as positive evaluation of life and self-actualization, should be emphasized by which older people can make the most of their life in old age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Talking about death and dying is promoted in UK health policy and practice, from a perception that to do so encourages people to plan for their end of life and so increase their likelihood of experiencing a good death. This encouragement occurs alongside a belief that members of the public are reluctant to talk about death, although surveys suggest this is not the case. This paper describes findings from a research study in which people participated in deliberative discussion groups during which they talked about a range of topics related to death, including talking about death, the good death, choice and planning and compassionate communities. Here we report what they had to say in relation to talking about death and dying. We identified three themes: 1. The difference between talking about death as an abstract concept and confronting the certainty of death, 2. how death and dying presents issues for planning and responsibility, and 3. approaches to normalising death within society. For our participants, planning was considered most appropriate in relation to wills and funerals, while dying was considered too unpredictable to be easy to plan for; they had complex ideas about the value of talking about death and dying. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the role of teacher agency for those who were trained in using an innovative Geographic Information Systems (GIS) approach and incorporated GIS into their teaching. While national curricula increasingly emphasise STEM and sustainability approaches, there has been limited analysis of how teachers can bring new software, including GIS, and new approaches into the classroom. Through an evaluation of a teaching initiative "5*S: Space, Surveyors and Students – STEM and the Sustainable Development Goals" designed to bring GIS technology, satellite data, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into classrooms as activities and resources for teachers and students in Ireland, we examine how teachers can introduce new teaching strategies and platforms into their classrooms. In interviews and a focus group, teachers expressed eagerness for GIS teaching resources for the classroom and identified effective ways they were able to draw on their own teaching philosophy in introducing new concepts around sustainability and STEM education in the classroom. We argue that teacher agency and autonomy play an important role in the ability and development of teachers, departments, and schools to bring new approaches and GIS into the classroom, and we identify key learnings from teachers who were able to utilise the 5*S resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fast-changing world of work has justified the need for contemporary, accessible and inclusive models of lifelong guidance, underpinned by principles of social justice and equity, that meet a range of needs, and have the ambition of leaving no one behind. While guidance provision is widely available across most education systems, guidance for the labour force is less accessible and often fragmented, varying in quality, scope, evidence-base and practice. For services to be fully effective adult and employment guidance practice must find ways to transfer knowledge and experiences of the daily practice of guidance, to advance professional learning and development, and ensure its assimilation into practice and policy for the benefit of clients. Drawing on qualitative data, this paper illustrates the role of praxis in informing a new model of employment guidance, the MEEG, and the challenges for adult guidance practice within activation-oriented public employment systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conversation and dialogue are used as a central process within youth work. Whilst much has been written about the micro-skills of conversation, less attention has been paid to the philosophical realm. This paper examines how dialogue in youth work can be deepened when juxtaposed with the philosophies, principles and theories of conversation. Using qualitative and phenomenological methodologies, this study involved 32 youth workers from across Northern Ireland, in focus groups (N = 8) and interviews (N = 24). The findings illustrate how youth workers perceived dialogue in their practice, pointing to the connections with relationship-building, the development of critical consciousness and the equalizing of power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of a moderator has become ubiquitous when using focus groups for social science research. While a skilled moderator can facilitate discussion, we argue that, in some instances, moderators can potentially hinder the generation of the types of group discussions that academic researchers may seek to access. In this paper we outline some of the challenges associated with moderated focus groups and propose a complimentary methodology: a remotely-moderated focus group that can help overcome some of the problems a physically present moderator might create, while still incorporating many of the benefits of moderation. Using two remotely-moderated focus group designs – one exploring dietary identity and the other exploring gendered experiences of sexual harassment – we provide evidence for the efficacy of this design in multiple contexts. We evaluate its ability to produce high quality conversational data and suggest directions for future research exploring the utility of this methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contemporary welfare organizations engage in various evaluation practices to assess the quality of their services. In this paper we report a qualitative exploration of how technology-enabled evaluations are understood by organizational members who participate in quality assurance activities in Swedish social services. The study contributes to critical information systems literature, focusing on the tensions professionals experience in relation to the digital systems they use for evaluations. For example, "quantities" take precedence over the qualities of such work, as information systems constrain ambitions to realize knowledge-based social services. The results reveal three tensions in professionals' evaluation-related activities arising from conflicting uses or desires. One is between desires for flexible systems that enable reflection and standardized digital support systems. Another is between uses or desires for indicators that are meaningful at the operational level and for general, comparable measures at the management level. The third is between desires to use evaluation procedures for learning and control. The study contributes to both theory and practice related to technology-enabled evaluation of welfare services, and critical perspectives on information systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Although previous research highlights the importance of reflection in higher education, little is known about the type of triggers and contexts that promote authentic reflection in university students who are in academic classroom environments. This qualitative study addresses this question based on content analysis done on eight focus groups consisting of a total of 45 university students. Results revealed that authentic reflection was triggered by adverse and positive situations, challenging interpersonal interactions, emotional responses to events, performance data and proactive enquiry. Furthermore, findings highlighted the relevance of Self-Determination Theory as a guiding framework for describing contextual factors conducive to reflection: student reflection benefited from a positive interactive context, autonomy for reflection, a variety of opportunities to reflect and guidance in the form of mentors or workshops. Conversely, exam pressure and effortful periods reduced the likelihood of student reflection. Finally, results indicated that students engaged in reflection to raise personal awareness, improve academic and personal performance, and change their beliefs, attitudes, feelings, and behaviours. Implications for practice are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a clear need to design more effective professional learning environments, particularly in sport coaching as a developing educational profession. The purpose of this study was to investigate the interplay between theory-informed pedagogic design, the role of the coach developer, and sport coaches' perceived learning in a Higher Education online undergraduate module on reflective practice. The project involved designing a module based on domain-specific theories of coaches' learning and implementing multiple 'reflective conversations' with 21 professional association football coaches to structure their learning. Thematic analysis of data from 24 reflective conversations, five follow up semi-structured interviews and four focus group interviews, as well as a coach developer interview, determined perceptions of design, delivery and development. Findings demonstrated that theory-informed design and the aligned skill-set of the coach developer was significant in developing depth of participant coaches' understanding, and connecting theory to authentic reflective practice. The findings provide evidence to support the need for developing underpinning pedagogic design in the effectiveness of professional learning environments for developing reflective practitioners in educative professions such as sport coaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to explore lived experiences of Czech adolescents with a focus on mental health and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. To meet the study objective, the qualitative analysis employed focus group interviews with 12 selected adolescent participants. The participants described a wide array of behavioral changes, feelings, experiences, and opinions related to their mental health and well-being across a wide range of contexts. The thematic analyses revealed 23 specific factors characteristic to the context of the response to the pandemic emerged within the context of school and study, followed by the context of families, peer and social interactions, as well as the situation of coronavirus and pandemic in society. The specifically emerged themes were described as potential factors leading to aggravating or mitigating mental health problems in reference to already published findings. The results can potentially draw implications for public health policy in the event of the reemergence of potential societal threats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Moral distress is experienced when one knows the right thing to do, but cannot do it because of institutional or external constraints. This study aimed to understand the extent to which moral distress affects a school leader's role, and the key sources of moral distress. Using a web-based survey (n = 954) and focus groups including school leaders, we found that the increasing complexity of classrooms places competing demands upon school leaders. Moral distress emerged from expectations from school district leaders and parents. This study introduces moral distress to educational research, and provides a conceptual lens for describing the moral dimension of challenges that school leaders face. Future scholarship is necessary to understand the impact of moral distress on school leaders as they strive to adapt to increasing demands from both their districts and their school communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This qualitative study explored the racialized experiences among eight self-identified Caribbean Latinas. Narratives derived from semi-structured interviews revealed their lived experiences and the impact, and negotiation of the everyday occurrences of racial microaggressions, invalidation of Latina identity, intragroup colorism, ascription of intelligence, exoticization and skin color privilege. The findings contribute to the social science literature by highlighting the significance and complexity of race among Latinas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trainees may be interested in careers in aging but unfamiliar with career options, leading to a shortage in the geriatric workforce. In response to needs identified at a national geropsychology training conference, a multisite faculty group developed a six-session webinar series about careers in geropsychology, detailing career options in six unique settings. Each webinar session featured a moderated discussion with a panel of four professionals currently employed in the career of interest. The webinar was advertised to clinical and counseling psychology trainees with a potential interest in age-related careers, with evaluation of the series primarily including trainees from graduate programs, clinical internships, and postdoctoral fellowships. Participants rated their attitudes and beliefs about each career option at pre- and post-discussion. On average, each webinar session was attended by 48 individuals (SD = 12, range = 33–60). At baseline, attendees reported significantly more interest in careers in clinical practice compared to other careers, and interest in university settings increased from pre- to post-discussion. Across all six sessions, participants reported increased understanding of training experiences that would be helpful in pursuing that specific career. Findings point to the feasibility and utility of webinars for enhancing interest and confidence in pursuing careers in aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is recognised personal tutors play a role in supporting university students to complete their studies. However, approaches to tutoring differ widely across higher education, resulting in a paucity of reliable impact evidence. The college higher education provider in this research has weekly group tutorials for undergraduates. This mixed method research explored the impact of group tutorials on students' experience and persistence with their studies. Phase one of the research consisted of thirteen longitudinal focus groups during the campus closures of 2020 with ten students discussing their learning experience. During the second phase 64 students, 10% of the student population, completed an online survey to discover if the focus group participants' experiences were held more widely. Survey respondents were asked about their personal tutoring and to rate their withdrawal contemplation in the previous six months. Statistical analysis revealed students who had a weekly tutorial were significantly less likely to contemplate withdrawal. This article reports on these findings and draws on the focus group data to offer potential explanations related to students' tutoring expectations, experience and relationships. The findings provide impetus for higher education providers to invest in weekly group tutorials embedded in undergraduate students' timetables to improve experience and persistence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Critical incidents are unanticipated events (either positive or negative) that teachers may encounter during a lesson or other situation causing them to reflect on their approach and change accordingly..Critical incidents have great potential for learning as they are vividly remembered and set the conditions for systematic reflection. However, despite the importance of the critical incident technique for professional learning in Initial Teacher Education (ITE), it is not generally used in teacher education programmes until the practicum stage when video-analysis is used. This study aims to analyse student teachers' individual and group reflections regarding two cases recorded on video in Portugal and Spain. Under the context of an Erasmus research project entitled 'Digital Practicum 3.0: Exploring Augmented Reality, Remote Classrooms, and Virtual Learning to enrich and expand preservice teacher education preparation (2020–1-ES01-KA226-HE - 096,120)' two cohorts of 39 and 22 student teachers, respectively, reflected upon two critical incidents previously selected by the student teachers who had taught the two lessons that were video recorded. They had to watch the videos and analyse the incidents both in group discussion and individual reflection. Findings suggest that such a strategy is key to enhancing the development of critical reflection in Initial Teacher Education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]