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1 – 10 of 33Peter Tiernan and Jane O’Kelly
The purpose of this paper is to examine the attitudes and impressions of pre-service Further Education teachers towards enterprise education. It also looks at the potential impact…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the attitudes and impressions of pre-service Further Education teachers towards enterprise education. It also looks at the potential impact on their future teaching practices and aspirations. This study builds on the literature in this area by bringing a teacher education focus and by providing views from the underserved further education sector.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative research approach was used to evaluate pre-service further education teachers' understanding of and attitudes towards, enterprise education. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 15 students in their final year of an initial teacher education degree.
Findings
Findings emerged through constant comparative analysis of interview transcripts. These findings indicate that exposure to enterprise education greatly increased understanding of its importance and relevance, while also encouraging pre-service further education teachers to recognise the benefits of incorporating enterprise education into their classrooms of the future.
Originality/value
While there is an array of literature on entrepreneurship and enterprise education outside of business contents, very few studies exist, which examine enterprise education in an initial teacher education context. Fewer still examine enterprise education from the perspective of further education. This study provides a unique qualitative view of pre-service further education teachers' impressions of enterprise education and their aspirations for the future.
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The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of enterprise education on students’ understanding of and attitudes to entrepreneurship and enterprise education in initial…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of enterprise education on students’ understanding of and attitudes to entrepreneurship and enterprise education in initial teacher education.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper builds on current literature by introducing student teachers to the theory and practice of entrepreneurship and enterprise education, with a particular focus on experience-based approaches. Quantitative and qualitative data are used to evaluate student understanding and attitudes.
Findings
Findings indicate that exposing student teachers to entrepreneurship and enterprise education specifically targeted at their subject area greatly increases their understanding of its importance and relevance. Students developed their ability to think and act in enterprising ways while recognising the benefits of incorporating enterprise education into their classrooms of the future.
Originality/value
While literature on the value of entrepreneurship and enterprise education outside of business contexts is widespread, relatively few studies have been conducted which examine the impact of interventions in initial teacher education. This paper provides a unique look at the implementation of an entrepreneurship in education module and its impact on student teachers.
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The purpose of this paper is to examine the development and implementation of interactive video in an organisational setting, with a view to enhancing the quality of just in time…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the development and implementation of interactive video in an organisational setting, with a view to enhancing the quality of just in time training provided.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper uses a small but focused research approach which builds on current literature to inform the design and implementation of interactive video. Qualitative data is used to evaluate staff perceptions of training materials.
Findings
Findings indicate that the use of interactive video can greatly enhance the quality of training in the workplace.
Practical implications
Findings reinforce previous research on interactive video, demonstrating its ability to provide worthwhile and engaging content. This study demonstrates that investing in innovative and learner focused approaches to training can increase the effectiveness and flexibility of training materials.
Originality/value
While the use of video in education is widely researched, there is a comparative lack of literature around the use of interactive video in workplace training environments. This paper provides a unique look at the implementation of interactive video in a workplace setting and the staff perceptions of its impact. The study also provides an insight into the use of just in time training to solve a specific training problem.
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Peter Tiernan and Jane O’Kelly
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effectiveness of a workplace learning programme on the low-skilled and long term unemployed. The paper evaluates improvements in…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effectiveness of a workplace learning programme on the low-skilled and long term unemployed. The paper evaluates improvements in skills and attitudes from the workers perspective.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper builds on current literature in the area to design and evaluate a workplace learning programme. Quantitative and qualitative data are used to evaluate staff perceptions.
Findings
Findings indicate that providing a mix of workplace learning, and focused academic content can have an extremely positive impact on the skill-set and mind-set of low-skilled and long term unemployed workers. The effect of this is that workers are more likely to apply for further educational and employment opportunities.
Practical implications
Findings reinforce the view that an integrated approach to tackling long-term unemployment and the up-skilling of workers may be more effective than providing employment initiatives alone.
Originality/value
While statistics on long term unemployment and the vulnerability of low-skilled workers are widely available right across the EU, there is a comparative lack of literature around initiatives designed to tackle these problems, and even less which incorporates the views of workers themselves. This paper provides a unique look at the implementation of a workplace learning programme and its impact on staff.
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Michael Daragh Naughton and Peter Tiernan
The purpose of this paper is to review the advancements made in the area of contemporary maintenance management individualisation, to identify the difficulties in strategy design…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to review the advancements made in the area of contemporary maintenance management individualisation, to identify the difficulties in strategy design and to document the implementation of such a strategy in a maintenance intense organisation.
Design/methodology/approach
A contemporary nine‐step framework for designing and implementing an individualised maintenance strategy is proposed. Individualising your maintenance strategy offers tangible benefits compared to the commercially available generic models, although the research highlights complexities in its conception and integration.
Findings
The proposed nine‐step framework was successfully integrated in a maintenance intense organisation and it had an immediate effect on all agreed performance indicators, from failure rates to overall maintenance costs.
Research limitations/implications
The work to date in this field falls short of a complete solution and while the current research illustrates the viability of such an approach, much more work is required in the area of optimisation within each of the iterative nine steps.
Originality/value
This research is of interest to maintenance managers and front‐line maintenance practitioners. This framework is predicated upon practical experiences gathered by the authors within varying maintenance intense organisations and fully referenced published work by other authors.
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This chapter examines narratives and representations of rural Australia deployed by political actors. At both federal and state levels in Australia, political parties tend to…
Abstract
This chapter examines narratives and representations of rural Australia deployed by political actors. At both federal and state levels in Australia, political parties tend to focus their attention on metropolitan electorates in their public discussions, particularly during election campaigns. This has led to accusations from minor parties and independents that rural areas are ignored by governments based in capital cities. The Nationals, for example, presents itself as the party whose primary motivation is to protect the interests of rural voters. Rural sites are political spaces shaped by particular types of narrative and rhetoric. Engaging with how the ‘rural’ is represented through rhetoric and image is useful for understanding how crime is positioned. This chapter uses rhetorical political analysis and representation to understand how political ideas about rurality are expressed through language and imagery. The political context outlined in this chapter is one factor that affects the nature and complexities of rural crime and responses to it. Rural Australia is at its own political crossroad, reflected in the emergence of competing narratives for the bush, defined here as a contest between ‘rural centrism’ and ‘rural populism’.
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Anthony J. Stone and Carol Rambo
Using a semi-autoethnographic layered account format, we present the voices of 16 Native American adults as they talk about their lives and Native American Caricature Iconography…
Abstract
Using a semi-autoethnographic layered account format, we present the voices of 16 Native American adults as they talk about their lives and Native American Caricature Iconography (NACI). First, we explore their impressions and lived experiences with “racial formation projects” such as tribal identification cards, blood quantum calculations, genocide, child removal, boarding schools, and reservations, to contextualize why some Native Americans interpret NACI as much more than “an honor,” “tradition,” or “just good fun.” Next, we explore the Native Americans' perceptions of sports mascots, cartoons, and sculpture, after exposing them to a series of eight images of NACI. We conclude that NACIs are racial formation projects as well. By unmindfully producing and consuming NACI, we fail to interrupt and reform the racial formation projects that continue to define us all.
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Colette Henry, Frances Hill and Claire Leitch
Despite a growing body of literature in the field, there is still considerable uncertainty as to whether entrepreneurs are born or made, which has led to an ongoing debate in the…
Abstract
Purpose
Despite a growing body of literature in the field, there is still considerable uncertainty as to whether entrepreneurs are born or made, which has led to an ongoing debate in the entrepreneurship academy about whether we can actually teach individuals to be entrepreneurs. With this in mind, this two‐part paper aims to address the question of whether or not entrepreneurship can be taught.
Design/methodology/approach
In part I the importance of entrepreneurship in a modern, constantly changing environment is outlined, and the various ways in which entrepreneurship programmes can be categorised are considered. Attention is given to the various difficulties associated with the design of programmes, as well as their objectives, content and delivery methods. Part II of the paper focuses on the difficulties associated with programme evaluation and the various approaches adopted to determining and measuring effectiveness. This leads to a discussion on whether or not entrepreneurship can be successfully taught.
Findings
Despite the growth in entrepreneurship education and training programmes, the paper reports that little uniformity can be found. Attention is drawn to the art and the science of entrepreneurship, with the consensus that at least some aspects of entrepreneurship can successfully be taught.
Originality/value
The authors highlight the need for evaluating programmes and for educators and trainers to have a fuller understanding of what they wish to achieve from their programme from the outset in order to ensure a more accurate assessment of the outcomes.
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