Search

This paper aims to identify possible actions universities can undertake to promote Insider Action Research (IAR) in a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) program. DBA programs are an ideal setting for senior managers with intellectual curiosity willing to bridge the gap between academia and industry. These practitioner-scholars can benefit from using IAR, a methodology that fosters rigorous knowledge creation and practical relevance of management research conducted within the researcher's own company or industry. We conducted a series of semi-structured interviews with a sample of senior executives enrolled in a DBA program at a Spanish university. This sample gave us an ex-ante perspective of practitioner-scholar perceptions of the methodology's suitability and the four challenges to IAR identified in the extant literature (pre-understanding, role duality, managing ethics and politics, and community of inquiry). Based on the insights derived from these interviews, this paper proposes a series of actions universities can undertake to promote IAR in the context of a DBA, organized around three axes: education and training, the role of the dissertation advisor and other faculty, and communication. In this manner, we contribute to closing the gap between industry and academia. We also provide empirical evidence, analysis, and nuances of the interviewee's perceptions of the abovementioned challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reviews the author's ideas on the practice of action research in education based on her own experience and that of her colleagues. Characteristics of action research; Methodological and epistemological issues concerning action research.

This paper offers best practice guidance on participatory action research (PAR) methods in modern slavery studies, through sharing the experiences of survivors of modern slavery as active project consultants. By using participatory approaches and engaging in an action learning set model, this paper aims to understand how to meaningfully engage survivors of modern slavery as co-researchers. Inclusion was at the heart of this research study, and thus, this paper was co-produced by survivors of modern slavery. Through their voices, and by engaging in reflexivity, we share the challenges of engaging in meaningful peer research methods, lessons learned as well as the benefits of adopting this approach to provide creative, engaging and empowering opportunities for participation in research and skill development. We share some examples of challenges and successes in our approach to understand what meaningful peer research methods look like, addressing conservative and more liberal views including academic expertise, safeguarding and empowerment. In concluding this paper, we provide some recommendations for best practice, recognising a continual need to reflect and adapt peer research approaches that suits the needs of the peer researchers as well as the subject to be studied. The overwhelming sentiment, is that social science research must look to engage in peer research methods, recognising the expertise of lived experience, and the potential for research to empower others while also creating meaningful change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objective: One of the most important aspects of health is social health. Addressing social health and social accountability is possible by education of social determinants of health (SDH) to medical students. The aim of current study is to integrate the SDH variables to patient's history-taking in medical education during clerkship stage as an action research and scholarship in education. Pediatric patients were selected as the target population for this study. Methods: The present study is an action-research including three phases of the program's design, implementation, and evaluation. The present paper reports the results of phase I including the following steps; rapid scoping review and expert panel for development of history-taking form. The goal of this phase was to prepare an SDH checklist for history-taking in the Pediatrics Ward of Firoozabadi Teaching Hospital, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. The checklist of history-taking was evaluated in terms of measurability, feasibility, priority, and clarity using a 5-choice Likert scale. Results: According to the results of the scoping review and consensus-based methods, the preliminary version of the program was prepared including the SDH history-taking checklist. A total of 21 items were selected after two expert panel rounds. The overall absolute agreement was 0.704 (95% CI: 0.587 – 0.793) which was significantly higher than 0.5 (P < 0.001). The range of scores was 3.5 – 4.83 (out of five). Conclusion: We developed a SDH history-taking form including nine domains and 21 items. This form should be piloted and evaluated by an expert panel in the next phases. The present phase of the project proposed a consensus-based program for the imputation of SDH education in the education program of medical students. The reason for the importance of choosing children is that social factors in the group of children can have a greater impact considering the long life ahead and being in the growing age. After the implementation and evaluation phases, this program may be imputed in the medical education curriculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kazakhstan's government has launched many policy reforms to enhance the well-being of its underrepresented citizens and develop human capital by providing education to all. Therefore, the government has adopted a policy on inclusive education and recognised the rights to education of all learners, including those with disabilities, based on equal opportunity, without any discrimination. This aims to facilitate equal access to lifelong education opportunities, including in Technical Vocational Education Training Institutes (TVETIs). Thus, inclusive education in TVET settings and lifelong learning, especially for adults with special needs, has become an educational priority in Kazakhstan. Therefore, this collaborative action research study intended to explore classroom practices promoting the inclusion of adult students with disabilities at Kazakhstani Technical Vocational Education and Training Institutions (TVETIs). Qualitative data were collected through reflective journals, student focus-group interviews, documentary analysis, and reflective meetings of the professional learning group of selected teachers and students during the four stages of collaborative action research (CAR). Data were analysed through group interpretative meetings by the research team and inductive thematic content analysis by the researcher. Among the findings is that the educative process in TVETIs does not sufficiently provide reasonable inclusive support for adult students with disabilities. As a result, a comprehensive review of inclusive practices in these institutions was critical. This paper discusses some practices that could promote inclusion in TVET classrooms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aesthetic education is an important part of education. However, sports action teaching and aesthetic education are closely combined. This paper discusses the important role of aesthetic education in action teaching through the relationship between action education and aesthetic education. And put forward how to cultivate students' ability of feeling beauty, understanding beauty, and expressing beauty through various aesthetic education means such as teachers' aesthetic education ability, optimizing teaching process and beautifying teaching environment. Based on the research of aesthetic education and action education, this paper mainly uses data mining methods, such as statistical analysis and clustering, to further mine the patterns and events obtained before, so as to form a higher level of semantics. From the two directions of motion recognition algorithm and continuous motion segmentation, the feature classification method based on depth and joint data and the segmentation algorithm based on sliding window are studied to achieve the research purpose. In the experimental part, the algorithm is tested and analyzed based on the action data set, and the correctness and effectiveness of the algorithm are verified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of HOW: A Colombian Journal for Teachers of English is the property of Asociacion Colombiana de Profesores de Ingles and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Academic writing is a significant component of all graduate programs, but the majority of students lack basic writing skills. This problem is especially frustrating for M.A. students of TEFL who have to write academic articles in English because it necessitates timeconsuming, extracurricular work that can occasionally be infuriating. The present study was carried out in the form of an action research project to explore the impact of process-based teaching of writing on the attitudes of 10 Iranian M. A. candidates of TEFL towards writing academically. The participants were TEFL candidates in Gonbad Kavoos, Iran. A qualitative method employing a collaborative action research model was used to find out how Iranian M. A. students of TEFL viewed the process writing approach. Phases of the course's procedure included receiving and putting into practice the instructor's feedback on the texts' rationality, content, consistency, tone, and grammar and sending their finished writing assignments by deadlines. Each student had a schedule for in-person discussions about their progress. According to the results, the students believed that the teaching method helped them improve their writing abilities. The implications include creating a forum for oral feedback between teachers and students to supplement written feedback, fostering a sense of responsibility in students by helping them to self-organize, and recognizing that graduate students may require assistance with very fundamental writing abilities and knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Problem-posing is an essential component of mathematics education because, among other reasons, when students are given the opportunity to pose their problems, they can take ownership of their learning and become more engaged in the given subject. Thus, problem-posing can lead to a deeper understanding of the studied mathematical concepts. In a collaborative action research study, the authors explored whether well-structured problem-posing activities could be incorporated into classes with students of mixed ability in mathematics. This question is addressed by examining the correlation between students' mathematics grades and problem-posing success. The problem-posing approach used in this paper relies on problem solving as a parallel activity. Hence, the study also focuses on the relationship between problem posing and problem solving. The paper presents the results of a classroom experiment with 86 sixth-grade students and their teachers from Hungary and Romania. After evaluating the students' problem-posing products and problem-solving performances, the results show that problem posing, based on a worked-out model problem, is a feasible challenge for most students. Moreover, this experiment identified a direct relationship between successful problem posing and problem solving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the distinctive features of interventions, tasks, and exercises. It is intended to lay theoretical ground to a forthcoming dissertation which is based on action research using positive psychology-based tasks designed or adapted for the secondary English-as-a-foreign-language classroom. Therefore, it is essential to first understand the theoretical underpinnings of task-based language teaching and define certain key concepts as well as find the features that distinguish interventions, tasks, and exercises from each other in the language learning classroom. Since literature sometimes refers to these concepts in an interchangeable manner (cf. Seligman et al., 2005; Seligman et al., 2009; Gregersen et al., 2014), an attempt will be made in this theoretical paper to compare them, and then to provide a framework for task descriptions to be used in the dissertation project which is intended to be convergent with current theory and practical enough for teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a common understanding among researchers and practitioners that the learning environment is a key aspect of the adjustment and well-being of students and teachers. There is a necessity to translate the findings of individual studies on building positive learning environments to a comprehensive and integral framework to sustain and promote a positive school climate using a holistic approach. Sustainability in this theoretical paper is approached as a dynamic, continuous, and long-term process of consciously and consistently implementing actions, strategies, and values at all levels and in all environments to facilitate and maintain a positive climate in educational settings. This conceptual approach, based on action research in the fields of education and psychology, will help to broaden perspectives on both positive school climates and sustainability to improve the understanding and practices of all stakeholders in education. As such, this article presents a conceptual framework as well as guidelines for the assessment of sustainably promoting a positive school climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has never been so much flexibility and organizational capacity to adjust to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on work. This article examines beliefs and perceptions related to new arrangements imposed by compulsory telework on skills and performance management practices, as well as identifying related advantages and disadvantages associated. This paper draws on 17 in-depth interviews using the collaborative interactive action research method. The authors study how leaders acted in multiple ways, aiming to reduce the negative effects on workers and work design and provide greater balance of actions. The perspective of multiple levels of action was adopted, considering human and social behavior and organizational arrangements made at a macro level. The sense of collectivity and the search for the standardization of routines were privileged in the interpretation of the answers. The main results reflect the influence of compulsory telework to performance factors, essential competencies required, and the main advantages and disadvantages associated to the construct. This study is relevant for organization studies, especially in the kinds of organizational contexts where there is still unpreparedness to deal with the effects of the pandemic or have uncoordinated telework practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organization members often complain about insufficient time to reflect collectively as they grapple with constant significant changes. The Learning History methodology can support this collective reflection. Given the scant empirical studies of this action research approach, the present paper fills this gap by giving an overview of this methodology and by presenting a qualitative study that answers the following research question: How does the Learning History methodology contribute to collective reflection among organization members during major organizational change? To answer this question, an empirical research project was led within five healthcare organizations in Canada during their implementation of the Planetree person-centered approach to management, care, and services. The data set includes 150 semi-structured interviews, 20 focus groups and 10 feedback meetings involving organization members representing all hierarchical levels in the five participating institutions. The results highlight the five types of contributions of the Learning History methodology to collective reflection within the five institutions that participated in the study: 1) a process of expression, dialogue, and reflection among organization members; 2) a portrait of the change underway; 3) a support tool for the change process; 4) a vector for mobilizing stakeholders; and 5) a source of organizational learning. The results also show how organization members' collective reflection is built through the various stages of the Learning History methodology. By demonstrating that this collective reflection leads to true organizational learning, the findings position the Learning History as a researchaction method useful both from a research standpoint and as an organizational development tool. In the conclusion, lessons learned using the LH approach are shared from a researcher's perspective. This paper should interest researchers and practitioners who seek research methodologies that can offer an infrastructure for collective reflection to support organizational change and learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are many different approaches to teaching business models. This paper presents a universal five-step approach developed from an ongoing longitudinal action research project to uncover best-practice in educating and developing business model competencies. The approach is based on the teaching principles of case-based teaching, learning-by-doing and problem-based learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to academia's lack of involvement in research, development, and innovation activities, there is a tremendous amount of talent underutilised in Indian engineering educational institutions. Indian engineering educational institutions confront numerous obstacles that limit their participation in research. Lack of funding, a tight budget, poor fund allocation, a weak research ecosystem, fewer opportunities for interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research, a decline in PhD enrolment, over-centralization, a lack of accountability, transparency, and bureaucratic structures have all contributed to an increase in the administrative workload at universities, which has diluted their primary emphasis on research. The K J Somaiya Institute of Engineering and Information Technology (KJSIEIT), an engineering educational institute in India, is the subject of a research case study in this paper that addresses the challenges of Indian engineering institutes' limited involvement in research development and innovation. KJSIEIT's efforts to establish a research culture have demonstrated this by launching practises for research, development, and innovation such as strong hand holding for idea implementation, building incubator and start-up support systems, constant encouragement for increased research involvement, hands-on training for start-ups, applying for and competing for government funding, working on industry collaborative, societal, need-based, educational, agricultural and healthcare. These tested procedures at KJSIEIT can serve as a model for other engineering schools in India in addressing the issues of low participation and contribution in research and supporting ecological development of developing nations in order to survive in the cutthroat environment of contemporary economics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the professional journey of an English as a foreign language (EFL) teacher from teaching older learners to teaching younger children at a primary school, and the impact of mentoring on the teacher in facilitating the transitioning process. The participant is a Turkish native-speaker male English teacher with 23 years of teaching experience. He participated in the mentoring programme, which was organized as a collaborative action research teacher development project, and implemented by the author of the present study. During this process, the participant completed three cycles of action research. For each cycle, he identified a problem and/or any aspect of teaching he wished to improve, designed an action plan, applied it in his Grade 2 English classes, reflected upon his action, and documented his action research. He was also interviewed to gain additional insight into his experiences. Qualitative inductive analysis was used to analyse the interviews and reflective writings. The findings suggest that the mentoring process led to an increase in the teacher's self-efficacy in young learner pedagogy and teaching performance, helped him socialize into the community of young learner teachers, and gain teacher-researcher identity, which is perceived to smooth his transition into teaching a younger age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to investigate how the novice teachers' experiences of conducting action research in a teacher education program affect their teaching in their individual classroom context and their ability for self-development. The M.A. Japanese language teacher education program at the institution, where the authors of this paper teach, requires students to conduct action research while they are engaged in a three-semester long teaching practicum. This requirement aims to equip students with, not only teaching skills, but also the abilities and attitudes necessary to continue growing professionally throughout their careers. We conducted in-depth interviews with the four graduates of the program, who have been engaged in Japanese language teaching either in Japan or abroad. The analysis of the data indicates that their action research experience still has an impact on their daily teaching, especially on their reflective practices. Even in an informal manner, all of them continue to reflect on their everyday teaching and think about ways to improve it. We tentatively concluded that once acquired, these reflective skills may remain and continue to be a powerful tool for their professional development in the long term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The text introduces a special issue of the Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems & Community Development titled "Food Dignity." The issue focuses on the collaborative efforts of community organizations and academics in the United States to address food justice, security, leadership, sustainability, and sovereignty. It emphasizes the importance of community and university partnerships in promoting healthy, equitable, and sustainable food systems. The special issue includes essays, research papers, and reflections that provide insights into the work and learnings of the Food Dignity collaboration. The authors acknowledge the challenges of achieving equity and invite readers to explore their website for additional resources and perspectives on the topic. [Extracted from the article]

The Canadian Journal of Environmental Education's Volume 26 features diverse papers addressing the complexities of environmental education in a world facing crisis-level challenges. Topics include sustainable clothing choices in outdoor education, the role of mindfulness in eco-spiritual connections, and the ecological implications of language use. Authors also explore themes such as mapping for relationship renewal, modernizing education for socio-ecological challenges, and decolonizing environmental education. The journal emphasizes the importance of incorporating Indigenous perspectives and anti-oppressive approaches in environmental education to promote socio-ecological flourishing and thriving. [Extracted from the article]

The text is a call for proposals for the 11th Annual Conference of the Action Research Network of the Americas (ARNA), which will be held at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, MI, USA, on June 7-8, 2024. The conference theme is "PAR in Community: Transformative Possibilities," focusing on participatory action research (PAR) and its role in building community and challenging oppressive conditions. Dr. Julio Cammarota, a professor of education at the University of Arizona, will deliver a keynote address on PAR EntreMundos and the concept of dismantling borders and building collectives. The conference invites submissions that explore various ways of engaging in PAR practices and highlight the ways in which PAR creates community. The submission deadlines are December 31, 2023, for early abstract submission and April 1, 2024, for final abstract submission. The conference will feature different types of sessions, including round table paper presentations, panel sessions, workshop sessions, and art installations. The text also mentions the upcoming CARN 2024 Annual Conference at Malmö University in Sweden, with the theme "Action Research for Citizen Health, Social Sustainability, and Education." Additionally, it provides information about a podcast episode featuring Dr. Rauni Räsänen and Dr. Mervi Kaukko discussing participatory action research in the Finnish context. [Extracted from the article]

Quality teaching is and will remain a challenge for procedural educational innovation, as it is both the target objective and the vehicle of change. The main contributor to this process is always the teacher who has to adhere to the process of change for the purposes of developing his/her own career and improving the quality of teaching. This study aims to determine how action research would improve quality teaching in pre-service and in-service teacher training, and shed light on the reciprocal relationship between action research and innovation. In this paper, action research is considered as a constant independent variable that can enhance the dependent variables of preservice / in-service teacher training and quality teaching requirements. The latter are supposed to be two purposes of innovation. Innovation is, thus, performed as the usual practice of innovative teachers who take risks of improving quality teaching in a methodological procedure according to their teaching contexts. The study attempts to answer the following questions: What is quality teaching and how does it impact innovation within the quality teaching assurance framework? What is action research and how does it help teachers improve their research and innovation potential? What does the ENS programme course provide as qualitative training to improve quality teaching and innovation? And, What are the results achieved, so far, at the ENS Constantine? We will illustrate the whole procedure with a specific example of teacher training at Ecole Normale Supérieure of Constantine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Emancipação is the property of Revista Emancipacao - Universidade Estadual de Ponta Grossa and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Íkala: Revista de Lenguaje y Cultura is the property of Universidad de Antioquia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Weak or unstructured stakeholder participation in higher education curricula development still remains a problem in Armenia. Change in outdated curricula development processes is needed, as they often do not meet students' needs; do not adopt innovative teaching methods or tools; and do not fit the labour market's demand. This paper traces the evolution of the participatory curriculum development process of the Organic Agriculture Master's program at the Armenian National Agrarian University (ANAU). Prioritizing mainly qualitative methods of research, five relevant stakeholder groups with approximately 10–12 members each at varying levels were involved in this action research. Additionally, paper-based and online surveys were conducted with 290 ANAU students. The results focus on the conceptual mapping of the process of participatory action research, bridging its relevance to the Armenian labour market's needs. Moreover, the results highlight lessons learned from the process—shaping them around significant theories for participatory action research—and underline the possibilities of the Organic Agriculture Master's development process as a model program at ANAU and perhaps elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the experiences of a professional learning community (PLC) composed of six secondary math teachers enrolled in a graduate math methods course. Through the discussion of educational texts and collaborative inquiry, the teachers identified classroom challenges they aimed to address through individual action research projects. The PLC provided a supportive environment for teachers to share their processes, receive peer feedback, and collectively reflect. This study underscores the value of action research and PLCs in driving educational improvement. By engaging in structured inquiry within a collaborative setting, teachers gained insights into pedagogical issues, developed targeted incremental interventions, and contributed to the broader discourse on math education pedagogy. The collaborative PLC model facilitated reflective practice, challenged assumptions, and empowered teachers as agents of change. Implications for teacher professional development, instructional practices, and future research directions are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Entramado is the property of Universidad Libre Seccional Cali and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The paper focuses on the ‘Communicative Language Teaching’ (CLT) is an innovative Method in the English Language Teaching. In this aspect the researcher gives importance to the ‘Communicative Language Teaching’ as an action research. Through this method the researcher brings out the development of the language teaching as well as Communicative Language Learning (CLL). With the help of ‘Group Communication’ (GC) the researcher brings out the action research in language teaching. The Group Communication which is clubbed with the methods of communicative language teaching. It is also known as action research in language teaching. In this paper the researcher brings out the effective on ‘Communicative Language Teaching’. (CLT) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Food Dignity project was a five-year (2011-2016, plus a two-year extension), US$5 million collaborative action research project funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, that brought together individuals from four universities and five community organizations. The project goal was to learn from and with these community organizations working to strengthen local food systems and build food justice in their communities. As part of the action research, the partnering community organizations each received US$30,000 to be distributed in their communities in the form of minigrants. The evaluation literature on minigrant programs has highlighted their potential for fostering community engagement and supporting ideas brought forward by community members with lived experience of the issue being addressed. In these minigrant programs, the outside funder or distributing agency had largely or entirely determined their structure. In the Food Dignity project, however, the community organizations each designed their own program, led by their community organizers. The diversity of the community organizations and the flexibility and autonomy they exercised in designing their minigrant programs offers an opportunity to explore a novel question: When community organizers design minigrant programs, what do they choose to build, and why? The analysis in this essay uses an evolutionary evaluation approach to study the Food Dignityfunded minigrant program designs and outcomes, with a view to identifying lessons for future minigrant programs. The paper reports on minigrant program design features, factors shaping program design choices, minigrants awarded by each community organization, and outcomes attributed to the minigrant programs by participants. The principal findings are that program designs differed and that the patterns of difference are consistent with organizational priorities and systemic issues affecting community members. The innovation and variation in minigrant program designs and funded projects are instructive for anyone considering future minigrant programs. An unanticipated finding is that several of the community organizers utilized the design and management of minigrant programs to achieve goals outside of the minigrant funding process. That is, community organizers recognized the program design itself as a way to advance community development goals separately from the support for minigrant projects, and they deliberately selected program features to serve organizational goals. This has implications for community organizers, highlighting internally designed minigrant programs as a promising addition to their strategies. This also has implications for outside funders committed to supporting community-driven change. Given that minigrant programs are often valued as a way to support community-driven solutions to local problems, the results here suggest that minigrant programs can have dual channels of impact, if community organizations design the minigrant programs themselves rather than having features specified externally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Educatio Siglo XXI is the property of Servicio de Publicaciones de la Universidad de Murcia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Modern tendencies in society bring many tasks and challenges in all social spheres, and so in the field of education, increasingly focusing on creating a "new profile" of modern teachers. Today's school requires a teacher who critically reflects on his/her own practice, who independently explores and uses these results for the purpose of his/her own improvement, improvement of his/her work and professional development. For a teacher to be a reflexive practitioner, it is necessary for him or her to possess methodological and statistical education, as well as a wider methodological culture. The paper analyses the attitudes of primary and secondary school teachers on the territory of South Serbia towards the importance of theoretical-methodological knowledge for the implementation of pedagogical research and development of their reflexive abilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Estudios Sobre Educacion is the property of Servicio de Publicaciones de la Universidad de Navarra, S.A. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Postgraduate research is a form of study offered by a university or an institution of advanced learning. The emphasis of postgraduate research is on developing systematic skills of investigation in research process. It is not necessarily aimed at producing ground breaking innovation or extending knowledge as is commonly perceived. Most postgraduate research involves basic and to a lesser extent applied and/or collaborative research. This article is an offshoot of a paper presented at the Department of Information Studies (University of Zululand, South Africa) Annual Conference from 10-11 September 2009. The article discusses the challenges of postgraduate research with special reference to universities in Africa. The author proffers suggestions on minimizing the challenges of postgraduate research faced by university institutions in Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper critically examines the impact of global development agendas upon the nature and direction of educational development in small states. This generates a critique of the international transfer of western identifies the policy trajectories and related research modalities, strategic importance of small states, and explores possible ways forward for the future support and advancement of educational research in such contexts. In doing so, priority attention is given to the potential of collaborative research initiatives, and to strategies for supporting and strengthening local research capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the story of a mathematics teacher's transformation that resulted from her engagement in collaborative action research. The collaborative research, conducted by a university mathematics educator and an eighth-grade mathematics teacher (Marylin), centered on investigating the outcomes of implementing a `Hands-On Equations' approach to teaching algebra. This algebraic study, which is briefly reported herein, serves as a vehicle for examining the questions, reflections, and changes brought forth by Marylin throughout the collaborative process. Thus, the project of investigating the teaching and learning of algebra can be viewed as the `sub-study' within the broader study of the effects of collaborative action research on the mathematics teacher involved in the investigation. Within this paper, issues related to the broader study of collaborative action research in the mathematics classroom, that are connected to Marylin's transformation, are discussed. These issues include the characterization of and goals for collaborative action research as well as the challenges for collaborative action research in mathematics classrooms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Dimensión Empresarial is the property of Universidad Autonoma del Caribe, Departamento del Atlantico and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Economic Trends & Economic Policy is the property of Institute of Economics, Zagreb and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Ability grouping is a common practice in elementary mathematics instruction, but some research suggests that grouping by ability can exacerbate existing inequities, and there is evidence that alternatives to grouping can improve learning experiences for all students. In this paper, we describe an effort to support teachers in using equitable teaching practices that was part of an Elementary Mathematics Specialist (EMS) certification program at a public university in the United States. We employ multiple perspectives in our collaborative action research approach: the first author was the director of the EMS program, the second author was a graduate researcher working to support the program, and the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth authors were all teachers in the program. We start by introducing efforts to address equity from the perspective of program designers, including specific activities used during a Summer Institute to prompt consideration of alternatives to ability grouping. Then we share several experiences of reducing ability grouping from the perspectives of four teachers who were participants in the program, noting successes and challenges. We conclude with implications for research and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the impact of university membership and of participation in university roles and tasks on undergraduate orientations toward scientific or scholarly careers. Differences in personal background characteristics are also considered. Subsamples of data were drawn from A CE Carnegie surveys of (a) freshman entering U.S. colleges and universities in 1968, (b) the same cohort at Christmas, 1969, and (C) faculty reaching at these institutions during Spring, 1969. Respondents for the present study represented 40 universities and six academic departments in these institutions. Findings show that direct contact with faculty, particularly in departments of high research productivity, was influential in the development of female orientations. This did not hold for male respondents, however,for whom involvement with academic work had a greater impact on orientations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using collaborative action research, this study aimed to explore the practice of implementing a science integrated curriculum in a kindergarten classroom in Taiwan. The author served as a curriculum consultant, and two kindergarten teachers served as co-teachers. The participants were 30 young children. Data sources included classroom observations, interviews, and other documentation. The findings were as follows. (1) The science thematic curriculum was developed from the young children's interest in bats. The kindergarten teachers applied the science thematic approach to integrate science and other content areas in the thematic curriculum focused on the science theme "Bats." (2) The young children learned about the science concepts of bats' characteristics, habits, and habitats, as well as the cultural meaning of bats in the local culture. (3) The kindergarten teachers had to solve problems in science teaching, such as problems related to the children's observation of bats and teachers' content knowledge in science teaching. This study provides us a lens to examine how early childhood teachers implemented a science thematic curriculum in a kindergarten classroom. Recommendations for science teaching in early childhood education are also discussed in the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper seeks to study the learning process of collaboration through the analysis of design projects. The research is directed towards a better understanding of how teams work and how to improve their practices. Building on the theory of expansive learning, according to which cognition is situated, socially built and culturally influenced, we propose to elucidate the learning process by making visible the challenges and actions emerging from designing. Expansive learning supports reflection-on-action by studying everyday details, which hold meaningful clues about lived experiences. The discussion brings insights regarding how expansive learning can support collaboration and the integration of team experiences in design education. The paper concludes with the importance of valuing awareness about individualising tensions to reach team collaboration. • Provides a situated interpretation of collaborative design experiences. • Explores potential tools and methods to analyse the collaborative intentions of design projects. • Introduces the theory of expansive learning to understand the learning cycles of designers during team projects. • Offers insights to encourage reflectivity and action during team processes to promote collaborative behaviours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Health profession students develop practical skills whilst integrating theory with practice in a real world environment as an important component of their training. Research in the area of practice placements has identified challenges and barriers to the delivery of effective placement learning. However, there has been little research in podiatry and the question of which factors impact upon clinical educators' capacity to engage with the role remains an under-researched area. This paper presents the second phase of an action research project designed to determine the factors that impact upon clinical educators' capacity to engage with the mentorship role. Methods: An online survey was developed and podiatry clinical educators recruited through National Health Service (NHS) Trusts. The survey included socio-demographic items, and questions relating to the factors identified as possible variables influencing clinical educator capacity; the latter was assessed using the 'Clinical Educator Capacity to Engage' scale (CECE). Descriptive statistics were used to explore demographic data whilst the relationship between the CECE and socio-demographic factors were examined using inferential statistics in relation to academic profile, career profile and organisation of the placement. Results: The survey response rate was 42% (n = 66). Multiple linear regression identified four independent variables which explain a significant proportion of the variability of the dependent variable, 'capacity to engage with clinical education', with an adjusted R2 of 0.428. The four variables were: protected mentorship time, clinical educator relationship with university, sign-off responsibility, and volunteer status. Conclusion: The identification of factors that impact upon clinical educators' capacity to engage in mentoring of students has relevance for strategic planning and policy-making with the emphasis upon capacity-building at an individual level, so that the key attitudes and characteristics that are linked with good clinical supervision are preserved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper reports on an action research (AR) project with six public high school leaders (reviewers) who volunteered to engage in an 18 month project to overcome their own defensiveness in addressing concerns with teachers (reviewees) whose performance they were evaluating. In the paper I outline how I acted as a coach in a long-term development approach where participant ownership of focus, data collection, analysis and interpretation was given highest priority. An exploration of the AR approach adopted, and the theory and strategies for addressing concerns is provided. The strategies may likely be a new, unique, contribution for many reviewers. A transcript of one reviewer-reviewee discussion sets the scene for an outline of reviewer tracking of their implementation strategies for improvement and subsequent evaluation. The final part of the paper covers a meta-level discussion of outcomes associated with the overall evaluation findings. Positive outcomes were shown for four of the six leaders for enhanced employment of strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]