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1 – 10 of over 2000Ella Taylor-Smith, Sally Smith, Khristin Fabian and Andrew Bratton
The partnership which underpins degree apprenticeships is a tripartite collaboration between apprentices, employers and universities. This study aims to investigate the lived…
Abstract
Purpose
The partnership which underpins degree apprenticeships is a tripartite collaboration between apprentices, employers and universities. This study aims to investigate the lived experiences and reflections of the apprentices at the centre, to inform effective collaboration.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative, longitudinal study, spanning four years, in which 13 apprentices studying apprenticeship degrees at a Scottish University were interviewed in their first and final years about their experiences of the apprenticeship (26 interviews). Data was analysed via a framework matrix, which focussed on the collaborations between the apprentice, employer and university, also surfacing changes between the apprentices’ first and final year.
Findings
The tripartite collaboration is not only logistical but also, like learning, social. Apprentices require interest and support from their employers and colleagues to promote meaningful integration between their work and studies. Further, collaboration between apprentices extends from peer support into meaningful friendships and feeds into their work, as well as their studies. The university plays a key role in facilitating these essential connections.
Practical implications
Apprenticeships can be highly effective in upskilling the workforce and sharing knowledge and skills between academia and the workplace in both directions, while specifically enabling workers to gain degree qualifications relevant to their roles. Recommendations for future work practices, including collaborations, are made.
Originality/value
While the tripartite collaboration has been discussed theoretically in the literature, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first longitudinal investigation based on the lived experience of cohorts of apprentices, from the start of their degree to the final six months.
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Joonkil Ahn and Alex J. Bowers
Leadership for learning emerged as an integrated leadership framework; however, attempts to establish an empirical measurement model have been limited. Critically, not much is…
Abstract
Purpose
Leadership for learning emerged as an integrated leadership framework; however, attempts to establish an empirical measurement model have been limited. Critically, not much is known about how much teachers' beliefs (e.g. self-efficacy) can mediate leadership for learning impact on teacher behaviors. This study establishes a leadership for learning measurement model and examines whether teacher self-efficacy mediates the effect of leadership for learning tasks on teacher collaboration, instructional quality, intention to leave current schools and their confidence in equitable teaching practice.
Design/methodology/approach
Drawing on the most recent 2018 Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS), the study employed a structural equation modeling mediation approach.
Findings
Results suggested that teacher self-efficacy statistically significantly mediated 16 out of 20 of the relationships between leadership for learning task domains and teacher outcomes. Especially, in explaining the variance in instructional quality and teacher confidence in implementing equitable teaching practices, considerable proportions of the predictive power of leadership for learning tasks were accounted for (i.e. mediated) by teacher self-efficacy.
Research limitations/implications
School-wide efforts to craft the school vision for learning must be coupled with enhancing teacher self-efficacy. Critically, leadership efforts may fall short of implementing equitable teaching practice and quality instruction without addressing teacher confidence in their ability in instruction, classroom management and student engagement.
Originality/value
This study is the first of its kind to evidence teacher self-efficacy mediates leadership for learning practice impact on teacher behaviors.
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When the emergency transition started in the spring of 2020 in the USA, teachers had to quickly switch from traditional in-person teaching to distance and remote teaching…
Abstract
Purpose
When the emergency transition started in the spring of 2020 in the USA, teachers had to quickly switch from traditional in-person teaching to distance and remote teaching, regardless of their level of preparation. The distance and remote learning environments and contexts were different from traditional classrooms, which significantly changed the way teachers communicated and engaged with students in learning. The purpose of this study was to explore the workplace learning experience of K-12 educators during their work transition due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the USA.
Design/methodology/approach
In total, 30 qualitative, in-depth, semi-structured, one-on-one interviews were conducted with K-12 educators in Arkansas in the USA and synthesized their experiences.
Findings
This study identified four major themes in the workplace learning experiences of K-12 teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic: major challenges in workplace learning, including limited time, information overload, lack of relevance and customization and balancing priorities; challenges specific to different subgroups, such as age differences, prior experience and access to technology; strategies of workplace learning, notably collaborative learning, on-the-job training and professional development; and support for workplace learning, encompassing both formal support from schools and districts and informal support from family, friends and peers.
Originality/value
The paper provides original insights into K-12 teachers’ workplace learning during the COVID-19 pandemic by understanding their adaptation strategies. It fills a research gap by highlighting both the challenges and support mechanisms in educational transitions during a crisis.
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Research has long lauded collaboration at work as one of the best management strategies to increase employee engagement, raise productivity and enhance innovation. In real life…
Abstract
Purpose
Research has long lauded collaboration at work as one of the best management strategies to increase employee engagement, raise productivity and enhance innovation. In real life, many businesses also strongly encourage and enforce workplace collaboration. However, the purpose of this paper was to examine workplace collaboration from a practitioners' perspective who experienced collaborations firsthand.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper takes a practical and ethnographic view and examines collaboration in three different organizations which varied in mission and size.
Findings
The findings identify three major drawbacks of collaboration including repetitive meetings, slowed business process and a reduction of recognition and accountability.
Practical implications
Three practical suggestions for leaders and managers to improve their collaboration strategies are discussed.
Originality/value
This article is one of the first to examine collaboration from a practitioner's point of view while providing detailed examples. It is also amongst the first to provide actionable suggestions to practitioners that can be implemented immediately.
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Kenneth Lawani, Luis Alfredo Arias Abad, Nigel Craig, Billy Hare and Iain Cameron
Emotional intelligence (EI) and conflict management (CM) are essential skills for construction managers towards achieving organisational effectiveness. It is believed that an…
Abstract
Purpose
Emotional intelligence (EI) and conflict management (CM) are essential skills for construction managers towards achieving organisational effectiveness. It is believed that an individual’s EI level (EIL) is a predictor of the preferred CM styles (CMS). This study aims to explore the relationships between EIL, preferred CMS and demographic factors in the construction sector of the Dominican Republic (DR).
Design/methodology/approach
The EIL and CMS of a sample of civil engineers in managerial positions were evaluated using the emotional intelligence appraisal and Rahim Organizational Conflict Inventory-II self-assessment tools.
Findings
There was a strong positive correlation between the rated EIL and the scores of collaboration and compromise styles, i.e. participants with higher EIL have stronger fit within the collaboration and compromise styles of managing conflicts. For participants with lower EIL, collaboration and compromise styles were also top preferences, but with no statistical significance. Significant relationships existed between gender, collaboration and compromise styles and between work experience and collaboration style. No significant relationship between demographics and EIL.
Practical implications
The construction industry needs innovative construction managers whose CMS and EIL are compatible with the culture and overall organisational objectives.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study appraising the EI and CMS of civil engineers working in DR construction industry.
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Elizabeth Ries, Erica Steinitz Holyoke, Heather Dunham, Murphy K. Young, Melissa Mosley Wetzel, Criselda Garcia, Katherina Payne, Annie Garrison Wilhelm, Veronica L. Estrada, Alycia Maurer and Katie Trautman
There is an urgent need for teacher preparation programs to equip teachers to teach in innovative and transformative ways, meeting the needs of diverse learners. Coaching is an…
Abstract
Purpose
There is an urgent need for teacher preparation programs to equip teachers to teach in innovative and transformative ways, meeting the needs of diverse learners. Coaching is an instrumental tool for supporting change and development, especially in contexts with decentralized teacher preparation guidelines.
Design/methodology/approach
This multicase study examines cross-institutional programmatic innovations for coaching teacher candidates (TCs) and centering equity using improvement science and equity coaching. The authors explore the networked improvement community’s (NIC’s) examination of problems of practice through plan–do–study–act cycles in three coaching contexts within and across seven institutions.
Findings
Qualitative methods revealed that adapting coaching protocols can center equity and build equity-focused practices. This work highlights revisions to coaching within and across teacher preparation programs (TPPs), which the authors hope inspires extending equity-centered coaching and improvement science to new contexts. This cross-case analysis revealed program innovations for coaches, digital technologies and alignment.
Practical implications
This study addresses ongoing challenges faced by TPPs in the United States, including TCs' understandings of equity in teaching and decentralized teacher preparation that results in varied and incongruent understandings about quality teaching. This study builds on previous scholarship that examines shifts in coaching practices by disrupting silos in TPPs as examined innovations.
Originality/value
The paper offers a unique view of cross-institutional collaboration in coaching to improve transformative teaching experiences in teacher preparation field experiences.
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Nidhi Singh and Surender Kumar
The purpose of this study is to conduct a systematic review of the literature of the studies that have examined several theoretical perspectives on corporate social performance…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to conduct a systematic review of the literature of the studies that have examined several theoretical perspectives on corporate social performance (CSP) and identify possible future research questions based on various theoretical viewpoints.
Design/methodology/approach
The study used systematic literature review analysis on a sample of 667 studies published in top A* and A category journals listed in the Australian Business Dean Council list. The present study derived articles between 1975 and 2023 from the SCOPUS database by using relevant keywords to identify research activities in CSP.
Findings
The findings suggest that many studies on CSP have been undertaken globally. But there is a lack of studies on various theoretical perspectives, including peer uncertainty evaluation, buyer–supplier sustainability links, the role of primary stakeholders (especially consumers, employees, suppliers and secondary stakeholders), the use of technology, firm-related heterogeneities, and the role of demographic and socio-economic factors. Future research areas are recommended.
Research limitations/implications
The study investigates existing research gaps to identify possible future research questions and frameworks that can be explored to advance the research on CSP.
Practical implications
The research also provides implications for firms in terms of understanding diverse theoretical perspectives to develop strategies to improve a firm’s social performance.
Originality/value
The findings are derived from a systematic review of the literature in top-category studies that examined existing theories and frameworks in the CSP domain. This highlights the importance of other understudied complementary theories, such as complexity theory, spillover theory, critical mass theory, slack theory and so on, and related variables that can improve a firm’s social performance. Evaluation of existing theoretical perspectives is not included in other review studies.
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Fatemeh Abbaspour, Rezvan Hosseingholizadeh and Mehmet Şükrü Bellibaş
Current school leadership research has primarily utilized quantitative methods to explore the relationship between leadership and teacher learning. However, there is a notable gap…
Abstract
Purpose
Current school leadership research has primarily utilized quantitative methods to explore the relationship between leadership and teacher learning. However, there is a notable gap in understanding how principals facilitate professional learning, especially in centralized educational settings. This study aims to address this gap by examining the role of school leadership in enhancing teacher professional learning within a highly centralized education system.
Design/methodology/approach
This qualitative case study delves into the lived experiences of 15 teachers and eight school leaders in eight primary schools in Mashhad, Iran. Through semistructured interviews, researchers employed open and axial coding to systematically explore and categorize qualitative data. The study focuses on understanding the role of principal leadership in facilitating teacher professional learning by connecting themes and sub-themes across transcripts.
Findings
Effective principals worked on the cultivation of a culture that champions perpetual personal growth and development, the nurturing of a collaborative learning community, and the provision of essential resources and support. Findings showed the pivotal role of principals in promoting teachers' self-development, facilitating idea exchange and acknowledging their efforts. Principals appeared as key to encouraging information sharing, fostering collective learning, promoting professional development, overseeing teaching practices and ensuring the availability of resources to cultivate a supportive climate in a centralized education context.
Originality/value
We concluded that in centralized education, leadership practices for promoting teacher learning share similarities and differences with decentralized settings. The findings offer guidance for principals in centralized systems, supporting them in facilitating teacher professional learning in their schools.
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The necessity for continuous advancement in library education and practice requires research collaboration among library professionals. This study aims to investigate research…
Abstract
Purpose
The necessity for continuous advancement in library education and practice requires research collaboration among library professionals. This study aims to investigate research collaboration among lecturers in the department of library and information science (LIS) and librarians in university libraries in Nigeria.
Design/methodology/approach
A descriptive survey research design was used for the study. The quantitative study employed a close-ended questionnaire for data collection. The study covered all the librarians in academic libraries and lecturers in the department of LIS (LIS professionals) in public universities in Ekiti, Ondo and Osun States, Nigeria. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis. The criterion mean of 2.50–2.99 was used for the research questions.
Findings
It was found that librarians in academic libraries and lecturers in Nigeria rarely engage in research collaboration. The reasons for the research collaboration are to increase the quality of research in the library profession, make research in the library profession more in-depth and cross-fertilize ideas for generating novel insights.
Practical implications
It is the engagement of librarians in academic libraries and the lecturers in the LIS department in the exchange of knowledge at national and international levels through research collaboration that can enhance the quality of research that emanates from the library profession.
Social implications
Promotion of the library profession requires the integrated effort of library professionals in academic libraries and lecturers in the department of LIS through research collaboration.
Originality/value
Promotion of the library profession requires the integrated effort of library professionals in academic libraries and lecturers in the department of LIS through research collaboration.
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Dian Arief Pradana, I. Nyoman Sudana Degeng, Dedi Kuswandi and Made Duananda Kartika Degeng
This case study examines the experiences of 20 student teachers at an Indonesian private university in enhancing their self-efficacy in utilizing instructional technology.
Abstract
Purpose
This case study examines the experiences of 20 student teachers at an Indonesian private university in enhancing their self-efficacy in utilizing instructional technology.
Design/methodology/approach
The participants of this study had different cultural backgrounds and spoke different indigenous languages. Situated in diverse classroom settings, the participants were interviewed using online platforms to examine their learning experience when learning to integrate technology into teaching. Furthermore, observational data were collected through photographs taken during the learning process to triangulate the findings.
Findings
Grounded in case study analysis, the study reveals three emerging themes indicating the development of the preservice teachers' confidence in multilingual classrooms: (1) designing technology-mediated learning activities, (2) using learning technology to foster students' autonomy in learning and (3) promoting peer engagement in diverse classrooms through technology-based learning. Furthermore, the participants demonstrated their ability to develop self-efficacy in overcoming the challenges associated with technology use in education by adapting, innovating, and collaborating.
Research limitations/implications
The study has three limitations. First, the limited number of participants involved in the study restricts the generalizability of the findings and does not allow for testing the potential influence of variables such as age, gender or experience on preservice teachers' beliefs. Second, limitation pertains to the reliability of self-report data provided by the preservice teachers. Given that self-efficacy can fluctuate over time, a longitudinal study is needed to investigate whether preservice teachers' self-efficacy in utilizing technology for learning evolves over time. Third, while the study was conducted in diverse classroom settings, it lacks an in-depth exploration of how cultural diversity impacts the learning outcomes of these preservice teachers.
Originality/value
The findings suggest that nurturing the technological self-efficacy of preservice teachers enhances their competence in technology-mediated pedagogy, both during the pandemic of COVID-19 and in the future.
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