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Open Access
Article
Publication date: 16 January 2024

Barbara Hanfstingl and Thomas Andreas Ogradnig

The first-aid courses organized by the Youth Red Cross Carinthia (Austria) had a quality problem, necessitating a professionalization in teaching and time structure. This research…

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Abstract

Purpose

The first-aid courses organized by the Youth Red Cross Carinthia (Austria) had a quality problem, necessitating a professionalization in teaching and time structure. This research aimed to enhance the quality and effectiveness of these courses by implementing modified lesson studies with non-professional trainers. The paper presents the realization process, empirical research and results obtained by applying the first-aid curriculum.

Design/methodology/approach

Around 22 lesson study first-aid courses (14 classes with 2 cycles, 8 with 3 cycles) were conducted and evaluated in different Austrian school types. An observation sheet was created to evaluate attention and competencies. Interviews were conducted with both teachers and students to validate the results.

Findings

The research findings demonstrate that lesson studies can significantly enhance the quality and effectiveness of first-aid courses. Inexperienced and experienced first-aid teachers significantly improved their teaching skills. Newly educated first-aid teachers showed substantial improvement, leading to the introduction of an induction period and coaching opportunity within the Youth Red Cross Carinthia.

Originality/value

This is the first lesson study conducted in a non-academic context. It highlights the adaptation process of Carinthian first-aid courses. It illustrates how lesson studies impact lesson clarity, instructional variety, student engagement in the learning process, student outcome, student feedback and teaching effectiveness in a non-academic context. It contributes to the literature on the application of lesson study in first-aid education and provides insight into the benefits of this approach in enhancing the quality of first-aid training.

Details

International Journal for Lesson & Learning Studies, vol. 13 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2046-8253

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 May 2024

Yanmin Zhao and James Ko

This study aims to explore vocational teachers' perceptions regarding workplace learning that align with students' training models and collaborative teaching involving specialised…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to explore vocational teachers' perceptions regarding workplace learning that align with students' training models and collaborative teaching involving specialised professionals within the context of industry-university collaboration.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a qualitative approach, the study conducted nine semi-structured interviews from three subject areas to better understand how vocational teachers’ work-based learning enhances their pedagogical practice in guiding students’ professional training. Thematic analysis was adopted to identify patterns that emerged from concepts and theories related to coding categories.

Findings

The authors identified three key components: vocational teachers’ workplace learning in connection with students’ training models, collaborative teaching with specialised professionals and teachers’ regular interactions with enterprises. The findings demonstrate that vocational teachers’ engagement in workplace learning pertaining to specific subjects provides a valuable avenue for enhancing curriculum design with collaboration with industry experts. This is key for supporting vocational students’ transitions into the workplace and ensuring their knowledge and skills are tailored to the industry-standard practice.

Research limitations/implications

The data are limited to the review of interviews from three vocational subject areas as the representative sector in the study. However, this research implies effective knowledge transfer between workplace settings and vocational institutions, and vocational teachers need to integrate work-based vocational knowledge and skills in a relevant and applicable way across diverse classroom settings.

Practical implications

Fostering collaborative partnerships with local industries and professionals can be a primary way to facilitate authentic learning experiences that are linked to a specific vocational field and bridge the gap between diverse classroom learning and real-world work scenarios.

Originality/value

This study combines contemporary workplace learning theories with the conceptual understanding of vocational teachers’ involvement with industry-specific practice. Connecting teachers’ knowledge to the industry extends the input and collaboration from professionals and field experts to the diverse vocational classrooms.

Details

Journal of Workplace Learning, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1366-5626

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 December 2023

Chi-Un Lei, Wincy Chan and Yuyue Wang

Higher education plays an essential role in achieving the United Nations sustainable development goals (SDGs). However, there are only scattered studies on monitoring how…

Abstract

Purpose

Higher education plays an essential role in achieving the United Nations sustainable development goals (SDGs). However, there are only scattered studies on monitoring how universities promote SDGs through their curriculum. The purpose of this study is to investigate the connection of existing common core courses in a university to SDG education. In particular, this study wanted to know how common core courses can be classified by machine-learning approach according to SDGs.

Design/methodology/approach

In this report, the authors used machine learning techniques to tag the 166 common core courses in a university with SDGs and then analyzed the results based on visualizations. The training data set comes from the OSDG public community data set which the community had verified. Meanwhile, key descriptions of common core courses had been used for the classification. The study used the multinomial logistic regression algorithm for the classification. Descriptive analysis at course-level, theme-level and curriculum-level had been included to illustrate the proposed approach’s functions.

Findings

The results indicate that the machine-learning classification approach can significantly accelerate the SDG classification of courses. However, currently, it cannot replace human classification due to the complexity of the problem and the lack of relevant training data.

Research limitations/implications

The study can achieve a more accurate model training through adopting advanced machine learning algorithms (e.g. deep learning, multioutput multiclass machine learning algorithms); developing a more effective test data set by extracting more relevant information from syllabus and learning materials; expanding the training data set of SDGs that currently have insufficient records (e.g. SDG 12); and replacing the existing training data set from OSDG by authentic education-related documents (such as course syllabus) with SDG classifications. The performance of the algorithm should also be compared to other computer-based and human-based SDG classification approaches for cross-checking the results, with a systematic evaluation framework. Furthermore, the study can be analyzed by circulating results to students and understanding how they would interpret and use the results for choosing courses for studying. Furthermore, the study mainly focused on the classification of topics that are taught in courses but cannot measure the effectiveness of adopted pedagogies, assessment strategies and competency development strategies in courses. The study can also conduct analysis based on assessment tasks and rubrics of courses to see whether the assessment tasks can help students understand and take action on SDGs.

Originality/value

The proposed approach explores the possibility of using machine learning for SDG classifications in scale.

Details

International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, vol. 25 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1467-6370

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 30 April 2024

Kate McDowell and Matthew J. Turk

Data storytelling courses position students as agents in creating stories interpreted from data about a social problem or social justice issue. The purpose of this study is to…

Abstract

Purpose

Data storytelling courses position students as agents in creating stories interpreted from data about a social problem or social justice issue. The purpose of this study is to explore two research questions: What themes characterized students’ iterative development of data story topics? Looking back at six years of iterative feedback, what categories of data literacy pedagogy did instructors engage for these themes?.

Design/methodology/approach

This project examines six years of data storytelling final projects using thematic analysis and three years of instructor feedback. Ten themes in final projects align with patterns in feedback. Reflections on pedagogical approaches to students’ topic development suggest extending data literacy pedagogy categories – formal, personal and folk (Pangrazio and Sefton-Green, 2020).

Findings

Data storytelling can develop students’ abilities to move from being consumers to creators of data and interpretations. The specific topic of personal data exposure or risk has presented some challenges for data literacy instruction (Bowler et al., 2017). What “personal” means in terms of data should be defined more broadly. Extending the data literacy pedagogy categories of formal, personal and folk (Pangrazio and Sefton-Green, 2020) could more effectively center social justice in data literacy instruction.

Practical implications

Implications for practice include positioning students as producers of data interpretation, such as role-playing data analysis or decision-making scenarios.

Social implications

Data storytelling has the potential to address current challenges in data literacy pedagogy and in teaching critical data literacy.

Originality/value

Course descriptions provide a template for future data literacy pedagogy involving data storytelling, and findings suggest implications for expanding definitions and applications of personal and folk data literacies.

Article
Publication date: 27 October 2022

Sidney Newton

The purpose of this study is to highlight and demonstrate how the study of stress and related responses in construction can best be measured and benchmarked effectively.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to highlight and demonstrate how the study of stress and related responses in construction can best be measured and benchmarked effectively.

Design/methodology/approach

A range of perceptual and physiological measures are obtained across different time periods and during different activities in a fieldwork setting. Differences in the empirical results are analysed and implications for future studies of stress discussed.

Findings

The results of this study strongly support the use of multiple psychometrics and biosensors whenever biometrics are included in the study of stress. Perceptual, physiological and environmental factors are all shown to act in concert to impact stress. Strong conclusions on the potential drivers of stress should then only be considered when consistent results apply across multiple metrics, time periods and activities.

Research limitations/implications

Stress is an incredibly complex condition. This study demonstrates why many current applications of biosensors to study stress in construction are not up to the task and provides empirical evidence on how future studies can be significantly improved.

Originality/value

To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first study to focus explicitly on demonstrating the need for multiple research instruments and settings when studying stress or related conditions in construction.

Details

Construction Innovation , vol. 24 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1471-4175

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 February 2023

Mário Franco and Carlos Mineiro

This study focuses on the reasons leading health organisations to adopt a cooperation strategy and the benefits they can draw from that inter-organisational relation.

Abstract

Purpose

This study focuses on the reasons leading health organisations to adopt a cooperation strategy and the benefits they can draw from that inter-organisational relation.

Design/methodology/approach

To this end, a mixed research approach – qualitative and quantitative – was adopted, taking a real case between a Health Centre Group in inland Portugal (ACeS-CB) and the Faculty of Health Sciences at a university situated in the same region (FCS-UBI). To gather information, a questionnaire survey was directed to medical students in this faculty, together with semi-structured interviews with those in charge of both types of organisation in the inter-organisational cooperation studied here.

Findings

After content analysis of the interviews and descriptive analysis of the questionnaires, it was concluded that this cooperation is based on a relation of a formal nature, as each organisation is independent from the other, as are their administrative and management organs. The benefits obtained from this cooperative relation regard mainly the share of human resources, particularly elements of the clinical staff in ACeS-CB who have taken on teaching duties at FCS-UBI.

Practical implications

Articulation of theoretical training with clinical practice and the exchange of knowledge were other benefits identified. The study also reveals that students perceive this inter-organisational cooperation as satisfactory, corresponding to what was defined by those in charge of the institutions as its main objectives.

Originality/value

This study focuses on the reasons leading health organisations to adopt a strategy of cooperation with other organisations in the same sector and the benefits they can obtain from that relation. It represents a tool to support managers in health organisations and other stakeholders in an inter-organisational cooperation relation, in planning strategies and understanding the impact of this type of cooperation.

Details

Kybernetes, vol. 53 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0368-492X

Keywords

Content available
Book part
Publication date: 30 April 2024

Abstract

Details

Extracurricular Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Activity: A Global and Holistic Perspective
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-80382-372-0

Article
Publication date: 3 October 2023

Tatjana Aparac-Jelušić

The main purpose of the paper is to offer a personal view on the development of documentation/information and documentation (IuD) in Germany, while pointing out the need to…

Abstract

Purpose

The main purpose of the paper is to offer a personal view on the development of documentation/information and documentation (IuD) in Germany, while pointing out the need to further investigate the specific features of its development paths. The methodology is based on critical review of the available literature sources in the German language.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses the method of critical review of published documents in journals (especially in Nachrichten für Dokumentation), books and reports of state and provincial administrations that are directly related to monitoring and/or encouraging the development of the young field of documentation.

Findings

The paper offers a review and interpretation of the most significant development phases, the contributions of individuals and the influence of the official state and information policy based on the consulted sources.

Research limitations/implications

This research is limited to the literature written in German language.

Practical implications

The paper could be of interest to researchers and professionals who are interested in the development of documentation.

Social implications

The paper covers the period after the World War II until the end of 1980s that is especially interesting from the social point of view in divided Germany.

Originality/value

To the author’s knowledge, there is no comprehensive history of documentation in German-speaking countries written in English. This paper is the result of a research project started three years ago with colleagues from Germany, Austria and Switzerland, that aims to cover all phases of the appearance and development of information science in German-speaking countries and could be understood as a kind of introduction to papers planned to follow.

Details

Journal of Documentation, vol. 80 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0022-0418

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 June 2023

Minette Bellingan, Catherine Tilley, Mukesh Kumar, Luciano Batista and Steve Evans

Companies are concerned about the well-being of workers in their supply chains, but conventional audits fail to uncover critical problems. Yet, if the happy worker – productive…

Abstract

Purpose

Companies are concerned about the well-being of workers in their supply chains, but conventional audits fail to uncover critical problems. Yet, if the happy worker – productive worker thesis is correct, it would benefit factories in fast-developing countries, particularly China which is key to many global supply chains, to ensure the well-being of their workers. The authors set out to better understand the relationship between well-being and performance in four Chinese factories.

Design/methodology/approach

Over 12-months the authors collected digital diaries from 466 workers in four factories, and monthly data about the performance of their factories. The authors used this data to gain insights into the well-being of workers in these factories; to design experimental interventions to improve this; and to consider any effects these had on factory performance.

Findings

The experiments showed that training interventions to improve workers' well-being through their work relationships and individual skills improved not just a factory's general worker well-being, but also some aspects of its performance and worker retention. Thus, it brought benefits not only for the workers but also for the factory owners and their client companies.

Originality/value

While there is a significant body of research investigating the happy worker – productive worker thesis, this was not conducted in Chinese factories. The authors’ work demonstrates that in this and similar environments, workers' eudaimonic well-being is more important than might be assumed, and that in this context there is a relationship between well-being and performance which can be practically addressed.

Details

International Journal of Operations & Production Management, vol. 44 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0144-3577

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 February 2024

Tin Horvatinović, Mihaela Mikic and Marina Dabić

To support the advancement of an underrepresented category of research in the field of entrepreneurial teams, this study proposes and tests a novel empirical model that connects…

Abstract

Purpose

To support the advancement of an underrepresented category of research in the field of entrepreneurial teams, this study proposes and tests a novel empirical model that connects two team emergent states, namely team entrepreneurial passion (TEP) and transactive memory systems (TMSs), and their influence on team performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The data were gathered using an online questionnaire distributed to undergraduate students who had formed entrepreneurial teams as part of a course assignment. Two methods were executed on the obtained data, namely partial least-square structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) and necessary condition analysis (NCA).

Findings

The results uphold the hypothesised mediation role of TMSs between TEP and team performance. Of the two direct relations in the model, only the necessary conditions were present for the effect of TEP on TMSs.

Research limitations/implications

The issue of the small sample size, a common feature in entrepreneurial team research, as discussed in the methodical section of the paper, is sidestepped with the use of PLS-SEM tools. Nonetheless, a larger sample size could have increased confidence in the results' validity. In addition, a longitudinal approach to data collection and analysis could have been used to augment that confidence further.

Practical implications

Three practical implications stem from the empirical findings. First, it lends support for implementing teaching approaches and task designs that are envisaged to improve team functioning in university classrooms. Making a business plan boosts students' desire to exploit the received knowledge and find a venture, so the teaching effort in entrepreneurship courses can have real-world consequences.

Originality/value

By testing the mediation model, new insights are made into the associations between team emerging states and, subsequently, team performance. In addition, this study responds to recent calls in the literature to incorporate NCA in an entrepreneurial setting.

Details

International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, vol. 30 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1355-2554

Keywords

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