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1 – 10 of over 14000In the current study, the researchers tracked the steps that were taken (in the past 20 years after the occurrence of the 921 earthquake) to enhance the safety of students and…
Abstract
Purpose
In the current study, the researchers tracked the steps that were taken (in the past 20 years after the occurrence of the 921 earthquake) to enhance the safety of students and teachers on campus by rebuilding the schools according to higher standards. Additionally, the researchers analyzed the process of school reconstruction in Taiwan after the Chi-Chi earthquake, as well as the resilience of the rebuilt schools.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper collected extensive relevant literature to serve as a basis for data analysis. Subsequently, they examined the conditions of selected schools before and after they were affected by the earthquake, as well as the reconstruction process of these schools. The purposive sampling method was also adopted to assemble a unique and representative sample.
Findings
This study concluded a new disaster risk reduction education system in Taiwan, from safe learning facilities, school disaster management and risk reduction and resilience education perspectives. It encouraged school and community collaboration regarding establishing a comprehensive disaster management framework.
Originality/value
The paper kept tracks of how schools recovered and restored after the 921 earthquake based on global disaster management trends and local disaster risk reduction education. It also highlighted the major changes within the school resilience system and the importance of disaster risk reduction education in Taiwan.
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The purpose of this paper is to use an inclusive lens to explore pathways and considers, through the voices of children and adult participants, the complexities in implementing…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to use an inclusive lens to explore pathways and considers, through the voices of children and adult participants, the complexities in implementing effective disaster risk reduction (DRR) in schools comprising children with disabilities. It identifies obstacles and suggests policy recommendations that consider their needs in DRR.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper draws on a case study of two schools supporting children with disabilities in the New Zealand regions of Hawke’s Bay and Auckland, each with differing experiences of past natural hazards and disasters. Data from children’s workshop activities, participant observation, semi-structured interviews, workshop photographs, school safety and policy documents were coded in Nvivo software to categorize data and to identify themes for cross-case analysis and discussion.
Findings
The research reveals three key pathways that schools can take in promoting inclusiveness in DRR. They are the provision of safe and accessible school building designs and facilities, avenues for children’s involvement and leadership in DRR initiatives, and in decision-making processes. Schools also offer opportunities for a collaborative effort towards inclusiveness in DRR within the school and with other stakeholders.
Research limitations/implications
Based on the findings, the paper suggests four broad policy recommendations for consideration towards strengthening the role of schools in disability-inclusive DRR.
Originality/value
The paper contributes to ongoing DRR efforts and adds new information to the disaster literature on the role of schools in disability-inclusive DRR.
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Jan Mae Nigos Cariño and Lessandro Estelito O. Garciano
Schools are vulnerable to strong-magnitude earthquakes. The purpose of this study is to develop a seismic evacuation safety index (ESI) to assess school’s safety as a function of…
Abstract
Purpose
Schools are vulnerable to strong-magnitude earthquakes. The purpose of this study is to develop a seismic evacuation safety index (ESI) to assess school’s safety as a function of the following parameters: means of egress, disaster preparedness and disaster response. Moreover, the study aims to simulate and study an evacuation model to estimate evacuation time for a realistic understanding of the evacuation processes.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper used a semi-quantitative risk assessment method in developing the ESI. This was used to evaluate schools and classify them according to their level of evacuation safety. To estimate the evacuation time of each school, cellular automata theory and static floor field were used.
Findings
The paper provides primary school stakeholders important parameters that they should consider in preparing pre-disaster plans to ensure safe evacuation of school children.
Research limitations/implications
ESI focuses only on the means of egress, disaster preparedness and disaster response as the contributing factors. The structural conditions of each school building and assessment of non-structural elements are not considered.
Practical implications
The ESI and the evacuation model can be used as a basis for evacuation planning and decision-making. This can help building owners and administrators in strengthening their disaster risk management plan by enforcing mitigating measures.
Originality/value
ESI is an original idea and fills the gap regarding the safe evacuation of school children especially during a major seismic event.
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Cross-boundary cooperation with shared goals and values involving the poor has been argued as an indispensable means for inclusive business (IB) success. Cooperation may become…
Abstract
Cross-boundary cooperation with shared goals and values involving the poor has been argued as an indispensable means for inclusive business (IB) success. Cooperation may become dynamic, especially when exploratory and creative attempts with effective cooperative learning among partners can be realized. Even so, not many companies have reported successful in building the cooperation. One case, providing clean, affordable drinking water to the poor in Tanzanian rural villages, suggests that a delegated and grassroots-based approach in cooperation with a highly trustworthy local partner can successfully promote cooperative learning and transfer know-how in both operations and management. This approach also stimulates local and self-initiated activities for expanding water facilities and generating local businesses in an area where employment is scarce. Deviation from mainstream-institution-based operations and management is one example of institutional interconnections that enable the rural poor to self-manage projects and stimulate self-initiated business activities, consequently contributing to rural development and sustainable development goals.
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Young Hoon Kim, Daniel L. Spears, Elecer E. Vargas-Ortega and Tae-Hee Kim
This paper aims to review the current joint master’s program between two international institutions in the USA and Costa Rica; to identify students’ perceptions and experiences…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to review the current joint master’s program between two international institutions in the USA and Costa Rica; to identify students’ perceptions and experiences with the sustainability house (SH); and to apply these experiences in an effort to improve the practical learning environment for future students.
Design/methodology/approach
In an effort to understand student outcomes provided by the SH, an in-depth literature review on practical learning environments and interview methods were applied. The following open-ended questions were asked in an effort to gather and consolidate student experiences with the SH. What are your experiences in/with SH? Please tell us briefly about your experiences. The language has been adjusted and interviewers answered questions and made clarifications if asked to. Master’s in international sustainable tourism (MIST) program students were selected for this study. Participants’ responses were recorded using the computer-assisted personal interviewing technique.
Findings
The most important characteristic students recognized about the SH is that it “provided us a safe place to fail”. One student described SH as “[…] a safe space where students can gain experiences of learning new processes firsthand without external pressures (e.g., on-the-job training, eventuation, and financial analysis)”. The safety attribute of the SH environment is considered as a comfortable place to learn from other classmates or visitors (mostly volunteers and interns). It is a “real” hospitality and tourism business-learning center, which is a great benefit to the students not only because of its environment but also because of the diversity among student’s educational and professional backgrounds.
Research limitations/implications
The primary limitations of this study need to be addressed. The number of interviews was very limited with one year data which could affect the generalizability of this study. In addition, it was not clearly explained to the student what rubrics and standardized metrics were used during interview process; after interview, students were asked to provide a better way to improve the research outcomes. For further studies, it is strongly recommended to provide the direction to make sure it applies to the conditions that are prevalent in the existing site to be examined.
Practical implications
Both strategies that link the SH to this MIST program have significant merit. Students implementing best practices in the courses have clearly identified the challenges of implementation, but all agree that there is tremendous value in the experiences they have received during their studies. Furthermore, using the SH as an engagement tool has motivated students to consciously interactive and collaborative in a more proactive manner.
Originality/value
This unique experience and operational competency at the SH provides participants with an in-depth understanding of the context and challenges of sustainability but needs to be detailed and promoted more in the future. The SH is facilitating a learning environment among not only students but also faculty and staff. The results clearly indicated that the SH has influenced sustainable behaviors by promoting interactive engagement.
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Shahriar Kibriya and Gordon Jones
This study aims to evaluate the effect of school safety on standardized learning outcomes for primary-age students in Tanzania, identifying causal direction and magnitudes.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to evaluate the effect of school safety on standardized learning outcomes for primary-age students in Tanzania, identifying causal direction and magnitudes.
Design/methodology/approach
Key dependent variables include standardized learning outcomes in English, reading fluency and math addition problems; while independent variables are the perception of school safety from head teachers. An ordinary least squares estimation explored the determinants of student performance when controlled for school and family specific characteristics. These results were then verified through the quasi-experimental method of propensity score matching, estimating the effect of school safety on learning outcomes and accounting for any misspecifications in the treatment or outcome models.
Findings
Results show statistically significant and negative effects of an unsafe school environment on learning outcomes for both reading and math.
Research limitations/implications
As head teachers reported students’ perceptions of school safety, it may be underreported.
Originality/value
Donors, policymakers and other stakeholders need to consider school safety issues as a barrier to learning in policy design and program implementation.
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We present ten patterns and design examples in this paper, revealing some of the most relevant trends in educational design, drawn from our research on charter schools. An…
Abstract
We present ten patterns and design examples in this paper, revealing some of the most relevant trends in educational design, drawn from our research on charter schools. An interdisciplinary team of students in architecture, urban planning, business, education, and psychology have completed a series of case studies of best practices, as well as profiled charter schools locally, to develop patterns and guidelines for the facility planning and educational development of charter schools. Charter schools are public schools of choice in the United States that receive more administrative and pedagogical autonomy and flexibility than district schools in exchange for meeting the performance goals specified in each school's charter. Charter schools often have innovative curriculum, challenging traditional education methods and facility design. This research addresses the connections between the designed physical environment and the learning innovations it supports, while encouraging the entrepreneurial charter school vision, emphasizing creativity in the renovation, adaptive reuse, and non-traditional use of existing buildings, efficiently maximizing student safety and learning, and adhering to best-practice standards of ecological design.
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Previous studies found that principals must be involved in both instructional leadership and organizational management, yet they did not explain how the former supports the…
Abstract
Purpose
Previous studies found that principals must be involved in both instructional leadership and organizational management, yet they did not explain how the former supports the latter. To narrow this gap in the available research-based knowledge, the current study explored the contribution of organizational management to instructional leadership.
Design/methodology/approach
This study was qualitative in nature. The study participants were 28 principals of elementary schools in Israel. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. Data analysis, based on coding, aimed to cluster the eight organizational management functions according to how each function supports instructional leadership.
Findings
The present study revealed that the eight functions of organizational management support four main aspects of instructional leadership: (1) Developing a positive learning climate; (2) Improving teaching quality; (3) Realizing the school instructional vision; and (4) Enabling instructional leadership.
Originality/value
The findings of this study reinforce the argument that although instructional leadership is the critical component of effective school leadership, it should be supported by other frameworks.
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The purpose of this paper is to investigate the design and operation factors that affect the provision of fire‐safe student housing facilities, and to present the development of a…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the design and operation factors that affect the provision of fire‐safe student housing facilities, and to present the development of a proposed operational framework for fire safety evaluation of student housing facilities.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper identifies the causes of fire accidents in student housing facilities and classifies the factors that make it a high fire‐risk type of facility. It identifies several common design deficiencies contributing to student housing fires and reviews measures to prevent fires in student housing facilities. The paper also presents a series of guidelines for use by facility managers for the provision of safe facilities.
Findings
The proposed operational framework for fire safety evaluation in student housing facilities consists of five sequential processes, namely: archival and document evaluation; development of an audit worksheet; commencement of the walk‐through inspection; reporting of inspection findings; and development of a plan for remedial actions.
Originality/value
This paper serves to increase the awareness about fires and their devastating effects in residential university facilities. The paper provides practical value to the design professional of student housing projects, student housing administrators, and facility managers responsible for the daily operation of student housing facilities.
This chapter explores the work of a library adult literacy programme working closely with other education providers in Risdon Prison in Australia. The Literacy Service operates as…
Abstract
This chapter explores the work of a library adult literacy programme working closely with other education providers in Risdon Prison in Australia. The Literacy Service operates as a form of outreach to the prison population who have low literacy levels and are not yet engaged in education or using the prison library. In this context, it is a form of radical inclusion, creating opportunities for those most disadvantaged to access learning. The library services help to create a literate environment for prisoners and provide opportunities for prisoners to increase their engagement in lifelong learning and everyday literacy practices, giving them a better chance of developing their literacy skills. Strategies explored for engaging this cohort include a range of creative projects, small group work and one to one tutoring. The Literacy Service has developed best practice approaches to deliver effective literacy support using strategies and approaches that align with research and these are adapted for work in the prison context. The Literacy Service approach is aligned with the wider prison goals of rehabilitation and reintegration and the chapter explores a theory of change to identify how prison education may be most effective in supporting rehabilitation (Szifris, Fox, & Bradbury, 2018). The library Literacy Service offers safe spaces, opportunities to create social bonds, reshape identity, engage in informal learning and set new goals – key elements found to be critical in rehabilitation. The Prison Library Impact Framework, developed by Finlay and Bates (2018), connects these elements with the theory of change model to propose a tool that may be useful to evaluate prison library services in the future.
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