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1 – 10 of over 29000W.J. CAMPBELL, J.L. COTTERELL, N.M. ROBINSON and D.R. SADLER
Are the effects of school size transmitted in measurable quantities to the personalities of pupils? Having argued that the learning environments of small and large schools could…
Abstract
Are the effects of school size transmitted in measurable quantities to the personalities of pupils? Having argued that the learning environments of small and large schools could differ in predictable ways, the authors examined the effects of these differences on the personality development of pupils. Multiple regression analysis revealed the effects of school size to be reflected in only two of eight personality outcomes — sense of cohesion and concern for persons. Two variables — attitude towards school and fear of failure — are regarded as “not proven” and four variables — functional identity, sense of internal control over events, breadth of role constructs, and cognitive complexity showed no evidence of the effects of school size.
Paul Lamarche and Lara Maillet
Improving the performance of health care organizations is now perceived as essential in order to better address the needs of the populations and respect their ability to pay for…
Abstract
Purpose
Improving the performance of health care organizations is now perceived as essential in order to better address the needs of the populations and respect their ability to pay for the services. There is no consensus on what is performance. It is increasingly considered as the optimal execution of four functions that every organization must achieve in order to survive and develop: reach goals; adapt to its environment; produce goods or services and maintain values; and a satisfying organizational climate. There is also no consensus on strategies to improve this performance. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper intends to analyze the performance of primary health care organizations from the perspective of Kauffman’s model. It mainly aims to understand the often contradictory, paradoxical and unexpected results that emerge from studies on this topic.
Findings
To do so, the first section briefly presents Kauffman’s model and lays forward its principal components. The second section presents three studies on the performance of primary organizations and brings out the contradictory, paradoxical and unexpected results they obtained. The third section explains these results in the light of Kauffman’s model.
Originality/value
Kauffman’s model helps give meaning to the results of researches on performance of primary health care organizations that were qualified as paradoxical or unexpected. The performance of primary health care organizations then cannot be understood by only taking into account the characteristics of these organizations. The complexity of the environments in which they operate must simultaneously be taken into account. This paper brings original development of an integrated view of the performance of organizations, their own characteristics and those of the local environment in which they operated.
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Lesson study (LS) is a professional development approach that has been attracting attention as an educational innovation since the late 1990s. The purpose of this paper is to…
Abstract
Purpose
Lesson study (LS) is a professional development approach that has been attracting attention as an educational innovation since the late 1990s. The purpose of this paper is to investigate factors that contribute to the adoption of LS by schools in developing countries without development assistance.
Design/methodology/approach
The diffusion of innovation theory was used as an explanatory device. The study examined the characteristics of LS perceived by 28 teachers in an Indonesian primary school, where LS was actively and autonomously adopted without development assistance. Data were collected from multiple sources, including interviews with some teachers and a questionnaire for all 28 teachers.
Findings
While previous studies have indicated that LS as an educational innovation lacks the ideal sets of perceived characteristics that could promote its adoption, this study found that such negative characteristics were mitigated in the Indonesian school. It also found that some of the factors facilitating LS adoption may be information on the outcomes of LS and less hierarchical relationships among teachers and professors. Furthermore, active school leadership was found to be a significant factor in this adoption.
Originality/value
Regarding adoption of LS in developing countries, previous studies focused on how development assistance works, what strategies of development assistance are necessary for introducing LS and how development assistance programs can be sustained. However, scant attention has been paid to how schools in developing countries have fared without development assistance. This study sheds light on this missing point.
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Addresses the standardization of the measurements and the labels for concepts commonly used in the study of work organizations. As a reference handbook and research tool, seeks to…
Abstract
Addresses the standardization of the measurements and the labels for concepts commonly used in the study of work organizations. As a reference handbook and research tool, seeks to improve measurement in the study of work organizations and to facilitate the teaching of introductory courses in this subject. Focuses solely on work organizations, that is, social systems in which members work for money. Defines measurement and distinguishes four levels: nominal, ordinal, interval and ratio. Selects specific measures on the basis of quality, diversity, simplicity and availability and evaluates each measure for its validity and reliability. Employs a set of 38 concepts ‐ ranging from “absenteeism” to “turnover” as the handbook’s frame of reference. Concludes by reviewing organizational measurement over the past 30 years and recommending future measurement reseach.
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Nancy C. Patterson, Ashley G. Lucas and Michael Kithinji
There is a tacit understanding among social studies teachers and educators that incorporating primary source documents in planning and teaching is desirable for many reasons, most…
Abstract
There is a tacit understanding among social studies teachers and educators that incorporating primary source documents in planning and teaching is desirable for many reasons, most prominent among them the ways in which it challenges students to think at higher levels. This study is a descriptive study of public school teachers’ uses of primary source documents in social studies planning, in which we review lesson activities of various grade level teachers to evaluate their use of primary documents for higher order cognitive purposes. Given the salient theme of critical thinking in the literature, we established a baseline continuum of uses that served as our framework for evaluating these activities. We asked the following questions: When history teachers incorporate the use of primary source documents in their planning, to what degree do they promote development of higher level critical thinking? What might a planned activity look like when they do? We found that the majority of the activities examined here employ primary source documents for lower order purposes but held the promise of easy transition to higher order uses.
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Gonzalo Muñoz, José Weinstein and Matías Sembler
This paper aims to describe the levels and type of contingency faced by school principals in Chile and the way certain aspects of the Chilean school system result in a greater or…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to describe the levels and type of contingency faced by school principals in Chile and the way certain aspects of the Chilean school system result in a greater or lesser presence of these contingencies.
Design/methodology/approach
The results reported here are based on the application of a structured questionnaire to 381 elementary school principals in Chile. A “Leadership Contingency Index” was created to analyze the extent and characteristics of this phenomenon, which was complemented with a multiple regression analysis to observe the variables that influence the levels of contingency.
Findings
This study has shown that the main contingencies faced by school leaders in Chile revolve around the relationship between actors: assist families, relationship with and among students and resolution of school staff problems. Also shows that the level of contingency faced by principals is strongly conditioned by the socio-educational context of the school and is not related to the individual characteristics of the leaders. This level of contingencies is significantly higher in the public system, although the most recurrent contingencies are the same in each type of school administration (public, private subsidized and privately funded schools).
Originality/value
This paper addresses an important but relatively unexplored dimension in specialized research on leadership: variable contingencies under which the leadership role is performed daily, including significant gaps between schools. Understanding and analyzing school leadership from the perspective of the complexity of tasks currently faced by principals, many of them highly unpredictable, ensures a realistic view of the possibilities and limitations of leadership in action and, consequently, provides better tools to strengthen the school leadership role and its contribution to improving student learning.
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Pawan Budhwar, Andy Crane, Annette Davies, Rick Delbridge, Tim Edwards, Mahmoud Ezzamel, Lloyd Harris, Emmanuel Ogbonna and Robyn Thomas
Wonders whether companies actually have employees best interests at heart across physical, mental and spiritual spheres. Posits that most organizations ignore their workforce …
Abstract
Wonders whether companies actually have employees best interests at heart across physical, mental and spiritual spheres. Posits that most organizations ignore their workforce – not even, in many cases, describing workers as assets! Describes many studies to back up this claim in theis work based on the 2002 Employment Research Unit Annual Conference, in Cardiff, Wales.
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Tessa Withorn, Jillian Eslami, Hannah Lee, Maggie Clarke, Carolyn Caffrey, Cristina Springfield, Dana Ospina, Anthony Andora, Amalia Castañeda, Alexandra Mitchell, Joanna Messer Kimmitt, Wendolyn Vermeer and Aric Haas
This paper presents recently published resources on library instruction and information literacy, providing an introductory overview and a selected annotated bibliography of…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper presents recently published resources on library instruction and information literacy, providing an introductory overview and a selected annotated bibliography of publications covering various library types, study populations and research contexts.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper introduces and annotates English-language periodical articles, monographs, dissertations, reports and other materials on library instruction and information literacy published in 2020.
Findings
The paper provides a brief description of all 440 sources and highlights sources that contain unique or significant scholarly contributions.
Originality/value
The information may be used by librarians, researchers and anyone interested in a quick and comprehensive reference to literature on library instruction and information literacy.
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Tessa Withorn, Carolyn Caffrey, Joanna Messer Kimmitt, Jillian Eslami, Anthony Andora, Maggie Clarke, Nicole Patch, Karla Salinas Guajardo and Syann Lunsford
This paper aims to present recently published resources on library instruction and information literacy providing an introductory overview and a selected annotated bibliography of…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to present recently published resources on library instruction and information literacy providing an introductory overview and a selected annotated bibliography of publications covering all library types.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper introduces and annotates English-language periodical articles, monographs, dissertations, reports and other materials on library instruction and information literacy published in 2018.
Findings
The paper provides a brief description of all 422 sources, and highlights sources that contain unique or significant scholarly contributions.
Originality/value
The information may be used by librarians and anyone interested as a quick reference to literature on library instruction and information literacy.
Details
Keywords
The purpose of this paper is to investigate and review how the practices of Lesson Study fare in enhancing the professional capabilities of mathematics teachers when introduced as…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate and review how the practices of Lesson Study fare in enhancing the professional capabilities of mathematics teachers when introduced as part of a pilot project in reforming the post-primary mathematics curriculum in Ireland.
Design/methodology/approach
Totally, 250 mathematics teachers teaching Junior and Senior Cycle mathematics in 24 post-primary schools constitute the population of this study. The schools which participated are representative of the range of all post-primary schools in Ireland.
Findings
Lesson Study has an important role to play in the continuing professional development of teachers in the 24 post-primary schools and beyond in Ireland. An investigation of the maths teachers’ engagement with Lesson Study reveals some considerable initial resistance. Reasons for this resistance are examined and the lessons learned from the steps taken to deal with this are reviewed. Lesson Study is an innovation that teachers need to understand deeply and to practice regularly through mutual support if they are to avail of it fruitfully. Accordingly, further approaches need to be explored, not least the important role of school leadership, to adapt Lesson Study more fully and more productively to the professional cultures of teaching in Ireland.
Originality/value
An analytic and evaluative account of the challenges and complexities involved in introducing Lesson Study to post-primary schools in Ireland is presented for the first time.
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