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1 – 10 of 45Cecilia Silva, Molly Weinburgh and Kathy Horak Smith
In a university/district collaboration, three college professors and authors of this chapter co-taught with four teachers over a period of seven years. This study explores the…
Abstract
In a university/district collaboration, three college professors and authors of this chapter co-taught with four teachers over a period of seven years. This study explores the perceived changes in thought and practice of both groups as a result of providing three-week summer school programs for fifth and eighth grade emergent bilinguals. This research is grounded in qualitative methodologies of self-study and case study. We present our joint story as a self-study. Data were collected in the form of lesson plan notes, yearly journals, personal notes, audiotapes of meetings, and in-depth interviews/discussions of those involved in the bounded context. Resulting themes were situated meaning, hybrid language, and a 5R Instructional Model. A case study design is used to present the data from the four in-service teachers. Data were collected from field notes and interviews. Several themes emerged from the teacher data, all of which are components of situated meaning: professional development as side-by-side teaching and learning, recognition of and interest in curriculum integration, and change in classroom practice. Findings indicate that the summer program was a meaningful avenue for professional development (PD) for both groups. However, within group similarities were stronger than across group. The experience changed the way we teach and how we develop PD for teachers. The implications for professors and K-12 teachers are discussed and suggestions for further study and PD are given.
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Pam Sammons, Katalin Toth, Kathy Sylva, Edward Melhuish, Iram Siraj and Brenda Taggart
The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationships between the characteristics of the home learning environment (HLE) and students’ academic attainments in secondary school…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationships between the characteristics of the home learning environment (HLE) and students’ academic attainments in secondary school in England at age 14 and 16.
Design/methodology/approach
This research study uses multilevel statistical models to investigate the strength and significance of relationships between various measures of the HLE at ages three, six, 11 and 14, and students’ academic attainment in secondary school.
Findings
Multilevel models show that early years HLE and specific dimensions of later HLE are positive predictors of students’ later academic attainment at age 14 and 16, when the influence of various individual, family and neighbourhood characteristics are controlled.
Originality/value
The paper presents unique findings on the role of the HLE in shaping students’ academic success at secondary school, including a range of measures of the HLE obtained at different ages. The results show that the early years HLE measured at age three continues to show effects on later attainment, over and beyond the effects of later HLE and other significant influences such as family socio-economic status and parents’ qualification levels.
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Sandra Mathers, Kathy Sylva, Naomi Eisenstadt, Elena Soukakou and Katharina Ereky-Stevens
The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on young children's learning at home and in early childhood settings, in order to identify key caregiving practices which…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on young children's learning at home and in early childhood settings, in order to identify key caregiving practices which support the learning and development of children under three.
Design/methodology/approach
Starting with well-known reviews carried out in England, the USA, Australia and New Zealand, the authors searched the literature for evidence of the developmental needs of babies and toddlers. They then drew on the psychological and educational literatures to identify key practices supporting physical development, learning and communication, using expert review to build on the scientific research in areas where evidence was sparse.
Findings
The review explores three key areas of practice: play-based activities and routines; support for communication and language; and opportunities to move and be physically active.
Research limitations/implications
This review is not systematic or exhaustive, but aims to integrate current evidence within these three key areas in a succinct and accessible manner. The authors recognise that there are many other dimensions of effective practice, many of which are addressed elsewhere in this special edition, as well as myriad other influences on children's development, including social, family and environmental factors.
Originality/value
Worldwide, growing numbers of children under three are experiencing non-parental care in early childhood settings. In comparison to evidence for preschool children, the literature on effective practice for under-threes is sparse. Given the urgent need for information to guide policy and practice, this paper provides a starting point and calls for a multi-source approach to strengthening the evidence base.
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Alison Hurst, Anna Price, Rebecca Walesby, Moira Doolan, Wendy Lanham and Tamsin Ford
Despite an increasing policy focus, routine outcome monitoring (ROM) is not common practice in UK children's services. This paper aims to examine whether it is feasible and valid…
Abstract
Purpose
Despite an increasing policy focus, routine outcome monitoring (ROM) is not common practice in UK children's services. This paper aims to examine whether it is feasible and valid to use measures from ROM of evidence-based parenting programmes (EBPPs) to assess the impact of services and to drive service improvements through feedback mechanisms.
Design/methodology/approach
This is a secondary analysis of ROM measures collected from a London clinic offering EBPPs over five years. Demographic information from referrals was compared for attendees and non-attendees. Changes in parent reported child behaviour were measured using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), and a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS).
Findings
No significant differences were found in socio-demographic characteristics of attendees and non-attendees. Statistically significant differences were found between pre- and post-scores on parent reported SDQ scores and VAS concerns, as well as the SDQ Added Value Score. The data collected did not allow for investigation of a dose-response relationship between the level of attendance and any improvement made.
Originality/value
This study illustrates that ROM can provide useful information about the impact of EBPPs in a particular clinical context. Demographic data could support service managers to evaluate reach and uptake while evidence of improvements can be communicated back to parents and support future funding bids. Incomplete data limited the inferences that could be drawn, and collaborations between research centres and clinics may be a way to optimise the use of ROM to drive service improvement and innovation.
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As a tribute to Kathy Charmaz, the author discusses the fundamental role that Charmaz's work played in her development as a sociologist and qualitative researcher. The author…
Abstract
As a tribute to Kathy Charmaz, the author discusses the fundamental role that Charmaz's work played in her development as a sociologist and qualitative researcher. The author notes that Charmaz's most prominent contributions are constructivist grounded theory, the notion of methodological self-consciousness, and discussions of the body and emotions as significant to substantive and methodological considerations. The author further describes how the synergy between Charmaz's key concepts and Black feminist perspectives have been relevant to how she leveraged and negotiated her positionality as a Black woman and transnational researcher. Ultimately, the author concludes that Kathy Charmaz's legacy reinforces the importance of equity-minded research and provides a model of how to extend concerns about social justice to activities that also disrupt structural barriers faced by underrepresented researchers.
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Albertina Paula Monteiro, Cláudia Pereira and Francisco Manuel Barbosa
This study aims to construct two environmental disclosure indices (EDI), one obtained from the mandatory reporting (annual report) and the other from the voluntary reporting…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to construct two environmental disclosure indices (EDI), one obtained from the mandatory reporting (annual report) and the other from the voluntary reporting (sustainability report), to compare their evolution. In addition, the authors developed and evaluated a conceptual model that aims to analyse if the two EDI are affected by industry, environmental certification, lucratively and corporate governance attributes. The legitimacy, signalling and voluntary disclosure theories are used to support the theoretical relationship between the company’s characteristics, corporate governance and environmental disclosure.
Design/methodology/approach
Using the content analysis technique, the authors have developed two indices to assess the level of environmental disclosure in the companies’ mandatory and voluntary reporting. In addition, to analyse the determinants of EDI, the authors applied the technique of multiple linear regression using panel data.
Findings
Based on Portuguese listed companies (Euronext-Lisbon), the results, from 2015 to 2017, exhibited an increase of 14.6% and 25.8% for the EDI obtained from the annual reports and for EDI obtained from the sustainability reporting, respectively. In addition, the results revealed that the environmental certification, lucratively, number of members on board and number and proportion of women of the board directors tend to affect the annual reporting EDI. Regarding the sustainability reporting EDI, the results showed that the environmental certification, lucratively and proportion of independent members of the board of directors have an impact on it.
Research limitations/implications
The study focuses on quantitative rather than qualitative disclosures and it brings some insights to the theoretical field.
Practical implications
The results obtained can assist corporate decision-making processes regarding the improvement of environmental disclosure, both on the mandatory annual report and on voluntary sustainability reports.
Originality/value
This study brings new perspectives to this topical issue in accounting. Originally, this study is applied to Portuguese listed companies and it shows different trends and determinants of environmental disclosure when included in the annual reporting or sustainability reporting.
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Renée T. Clift, Chris Da Silva Iddings, Donna Jurich, Iliana Reyes and Kathy Short
This chapter is about the multiple forms of collaboration that are crucial to designing and implementing a school and community-based early childhood teacher preparation program…
Abstract
This chapter is about the multiple forms of collaboration that are crucial to designing and implementing a school and community-based early childhood teacher preparation program. Maintaining quality in education and teacher education is a systemic, interdependence among individuals, institutions, and local, state, and national policy makers. We conclude that teacher education redesign is less about courses and pedagogies and more about systemic relationships, routines, and evaluations over time.
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For decades, artificial intelligence (AI) has been utilized within the field of mental healthcare. This paper aims to examine AI chatbots, specifically as offered through mobile…
Abstract
Purpose
For decades, artificial intelligence (AI) has been utilized within the field of mental healthcare. This paper aims to examine AI chatbots, specifically as offered through mobile applications for mental healthcare (MHapps), with attention to the social implications of these technologies. For example, AI chatbots in MHapps are programmed with therapeutic techniques to assist people with anxiety and depression, but the promise of this technology is tempered by concerns about the apps' efficacy, privacy, safety and security.
Design/methodology/approach
Utilizing a social informatics perspective, a literature review covering MHapps, with a focus on AI chatbots was conducted from the period of January–April 2019. A borrowed theory approach pairing information science and social work was applied to analyze the literature.
Findings
Rising needs for mental healthcare, combined with expanding technological developments, indicate continued growth of MHapps and chatbots. While an AI chatbot may provide a person with a place to access tools and a forum to discuss issues, as well as a way to track moods and increase mental health literacy, AI is not a replacement for a therapist or other mental health clinician. Ultimately, if AI chatbots and other MHapps are to have a positive impact, they must be regulated, and society must avoid techno-fundamentalism in relation to AI for mental health.
Originality/value
This study adds to a small but growing body of information science research into the role of AI in the support of mental health.
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