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This paper aims to explore coaching as an approach to developing school leaders in the Singapore education system. It takes a close look at the nature of coaching experiences of beginning principals and principal-trainers, as well as the related benefits and challenges.

A qualitative inquiry approach was adopted, and four beginning principals and three principal-trainers were interviewed. An emergent coding method was deployed in data analysis.

Beginning principals described a positive, helpful and empowering coaching experience when coached by principal-trainers. The latter skillfully asked questions in a safe, non-threatening space for deeper self-reflection. In the process, beginning principals gained greater self-awareness and self-empowerment, and appreciated the shared context of school leadership. While coaching is a useful leadership development approach, inherent implementation challenges were identified.

Coaching as a system-wide strategy to support school leaders in Singapore has only recently been implemented. Further research using a larger sample is recommended as coaching becomes more pervasive.

The findings revealed a compelling case for a more pervasive adoption of coaching as an approach to support leadership development. Coaching facilitates effective school leadership, and there is scope for self-coaching, peer coaching and coach supervision of principals, middle leaders and classroom teachers.

This paper highlights the nature and positive impact of principalship coaching within a specific policy and cultural context of the Singapore education system. It adds to the body of literature on principal preparation, development and support.

The purpose of this paper is to identify and analyze the professional norms surrounding school development, with a special emphasis on school principals’ pedagogical leadership.

A norm perspective is used to identify possible links between legal norms, professional norms, and actions. The findings are based on answers given by 974 school principals in a web-based questionnaire. The design of the study and the findings are structured around three questions used to identify professional norms: what tasks principals prioritize as pedagogical leaders, where the external expectations on principals are derived from, and with whom school principals communicate regarding issues related to their pedagogical leadership.

The most evident professional norms identified in this study are that principals should: be present and close to the teaching and learning processes; involve teachers in quality development; enhance the development of formative assessments; engage in teacher development; develop the internal organization of the school to promote learning.

The norm perspective and the findings of this study could be used by principals, principal trainers, and researchers to reflect on pedagogical leadership in different contexts. A challenge for principals is to become aware of the professional norms that guide them, and to close the gap between their “desirable” norms and their actions. Action alternatives and professional norms become visible through discussions emanating from questions about what leaders do, how they do so and why they do what they do, which is a way to strengthen both the profession and the individual principals.

Electric vehicles (EVs) require uninterrupted and safe conditions during operations. Therefore, the diagnostic of power devices and electric motor faults are needed to improve the availability of the system. Hence, fault-tolerant control (FTC), which combines switch fault detection, hardware redundancy and post-fault control, is used. This paper aims to propose an accurate open-phase fault detection and FTC of a direct torque control permanent magnet synchronous motor electrical vehicles by using discrete Fourier-transform phase method.

The main idea is to propose detection and identification of open-phase fault (faulty leg) among three phases voltage source invertor (VSI)-fed permanent magnet synchronous motor drives. Once the faulty leg is detected and isolated, a redundant phase leg insertion, shared by a three-phase VSI, is done by using independent bidirectional TRIAC switches to conduct FTC system. This accurate fault detection significantly improves system availability and reliability. The proposed method of open-phase fault detection and identification is based only on stator phase current measurement.

A novel method is proposed with experimental validation for fault detection, isolation and FTC for a three-phase VSI-fed permanent magnet synchronous motor.

The novel discrete Fourier-transform phase method is proposed to detect an open phase based on the measurement in real time of the instantaneous phase of stator current components in the stationary frame. The experimental implementation is carried out on powerful dSpace DS1104 controller board based on the digital signal processor TMS320F240. The validity of the proposed method has been experimentally verified.

In the design of technical training courses, there has been a considerable shift from “chalk‐and‐talk” to more participative methods, principally discovery learning, syndicate exercises and project work. Courses are more learner centred, less trainer dependent, and trainees learn more from each other. Central to the success of such methods is the establishment of a high level of rapport within the group at an early stage of the course. Some ideas on the design of opening sessions and views on the implications for training practitioners are offered.

The purpose of this paper is to outline the development, structure, and implementation of a new programme for domestic abuse (DA) perpetrators.

A needs-led DA perpetrator programme is proposed, named as “Up2U: Creating Healthy Relationships” (Up2U). The background to Up2U, its aims, configuration, and delivery methods are presented in this paper. To illustrate Up2U, the targets for change and referral population in the development site are discussed. Furthermore, the paper reflects on some of the implementation decisions and the steps taken towards evaluating the impact of Up2U in the development site.

Research supports provision of treatment targeting perpetrators’ criminogenic needs, delivered with responsivity to their learning styles, at an intensity that matches their risk. Change on treatment targets can be evaluated in the context of differences in recidivism outcomes to help assess whether impact can be attributed to the programme. It can also serve as a more proximal index of success/failure for individual clients. Such implementation and evaluation decisions are a benefit of the present researcher-practitioner partnership.

Up2U is innovative by being risk-and needs-led rather than taking a gendered approach to DA treatment, and this new evidence-based approach may reduce partner abuse. This is the first paper to outline Up2U’s structure, content, implementation, and measurement.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of learning goal orientation and training readiness on teachers’ multicultural teaching efficacy and cultural intelligence.

A total of 182 responses from secondary schools in midwest and southern areas of the USA were analyzed using the hierarchical multiple regression.

The findings indicated that learning goal orientation positively influenced both teachers’ multicultural teaching efficacy and cultural intelligence, while training readiness did not significantly affect them. In addition, teachers’ multicultural teaching efficacy positively influenced their cultural intelligence.

The study implied that high-level learning goal orientation can contribute to enhance multicultural teaching efficacy and cultural intelligence for teachers.

By conducting needs analysis of participants in advance, trainers can reflect what teachers want and need when designing and implementing a workshop. In addition, trainers could prepare for interventions to improve the participation rate of multicultural workshops and the quality of existing workshop programs.

This study is important in that it will help to develop culturally sensitive workshop/training programs that can prepare teachers for diverse classroom environments and face potential issues that may arise.

This paper aims to examine the current position of human resources in Caribbean ports and how this position has impacted the development of tourism and logistics in the region.

Qualitative research was used to describe the data collected from five different ports across the Caribbean. Documents and interviews were chosen because the study is limited to five ports with five senior managers.

The study shows that, on average, 20 per cent of Caribbean port workers are provided with new skills in the areas of technology, human resource development, information technology, health and safety and handling of dangerous goods and customs documentation.

There is a need for a re-think among educational institutions in the Caribbean in relation to the development of human resources for the logistics and tourism industries. The implications of this study go beyond the Caribbean, given the global nature of the maritime constituency.

This paper draws on an MSc research project and offers directions for further research in logistics and supply chain management.

Various studies around the globe indicate lack of soft skills in engineering students, graduating from universities, although the bulk of studies in various disciplines indicate an improvement in various skills through implementation of a problem-based learning (PBL) approach. The purpose of this paper is therefore to identify and determine the effects of PBL in improving and developing soft skills, conflict resolution traits and aspects of enhancing group learning in undergraduates.

A study with mixed methods was used, involving questionnaire, observation and document analysis. A total of 57 students from different faculties participated in the semester-long study. Pre-tests and post-tests were administered at the beginning and end of the study. The researcher attended all the classes to observe systematically the teaching-learning process and its outcomes.

The findings revealed that PBL has a significant effect on improving students’ soft skills and enhancing group learning, including overcoming communication conflicts.

Practical implications of the study involve the enhancement of generic skills of the engineering graduates with the student-centered and interactive methodologies like PBL and e-learning applications.

This research endeavor stands unique due to its usage of e-learning tools in the PBL classroom learning such as Schoology, Padlet, videos, internet surfing. Another unique feature of this research is the holistic nature of the study, i.e. the measurement of a number of soft skills, traits and group learning skills that are not focused in other studies of engineering.