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Article
Publication date: 28 April 2020

Göran Finnveden, Eva Friman, Anna Mogren, Henrietta Palmer, Per Sund, Göran Carstedt, Sofia Lundberg, Barbro Robertsson, Håkan Rodhe and Linn Svärd

Since 2006, higher education institutions (HEIs) in Sweden, should according to the Higher Education Act, promote sustainable development (SD). In 2016, the Swedish Government…

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Abstract

Purpose

Since 2006, higher education institutions (HEIs) in Sweden, should according to the Higher Education Act, promote sustainable development (SD). In 2016, the Swedish Government asked the Swedish higher education authority to evaluate how this study is proceeding. The authority chose to focus on education. This paper aims to produce a report on this evaluation.

Design/methodology/approach

All 47 HEIs in Sweden were asked to write a self-evaluation report based on certain evaluation criteria. A panel was appointed consisting of academics and representatives for students and working life. The panel wrote an evaluation of each HEI, a report on general findings and recommendations, and gave an overall judgement of each HEI in two classes as follows: the HEI has well-developed processes for integration of SD in education or the HEI needs to develop their processes.

Findings

Overall, a mixed picture developed. Most HEIs could give examples of programmes or courses where SD was integrated. However, less than half of the HEIs had overarching goals for integration of SD in education or had a systematic follow-up of these goals. Even fewer worked specifically with pedagogy and didactics, teaching and learning methods and environments, sustainability competences or other characters of education for SD. Overall, only 12 out of 47 got a higher judgement.

Originality/value

This is a unique study in which all HEIs in a country are evaluated. This provides unique possibilities for identifying success factors and barriers. The importance of the leadership of the HEIs became clear.

Details

International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, vol. 21 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1467-6370

Keywords

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Article
Publication date: 4 August 2021

Lauren Chakkalackal, Camilla Rosan, Freya Corfield, Stavros Stavrou, Hilary Kennedy, Camille Bou and Josefien Breedvelt

The transition to parenthood can pose challenges for women and men, and these are heightened in the context of social disadvantage (e.g. poverty, deprivation, social exclusion…

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Abstract

Purpose

The transition to parenthood can pose challenges for women and men, and these are heightened in the context of social disadvantage (e.g. poverty, deprivation, social exclusion, housing instability and disabilities). There is mounting evidence that video-feedback approaches can provide a valuable buffer against such adverse outcomes. This study aims to evaluate the acceptability and preliminary clinical impact of video interaction guidance (VIG), delivered by health visitors and community support workers in a socially disadvantaged London borough, selected due to its multiple indices of deprivation predicting child and maternal adversity.

Design/methodology/approach

The study followed a non-randomised, before-and-after evaluation design. Health visitors and community support workers were trained in VIG delivery following the VIG Association-UK protocol. Families with infants under 12 months were conveniently recruited and received six weekly home-based sessions of VIG. The primary outcome was the acceptability of the intervention, assessing parents’ experiences using semi-structured interviews post-intervention. Clinical outcome measures were recorded pre-and post-intervention to yield preliminary evidence on intervention effectiveness.

Findings

In total, 23 families partook in the study, of which 19 completed the pre- and post-VIG quantitative analysis and 6 also completed the post-VIG qualitative interviews. Qualitative analyses documented high rates of acceptability and perceived improvement in family well-being. Preliminary outcome data indicated that completing the VIG intervention was associated with decreased parental anxiety and depression and increased parental confidence, parent-infant relationship quality, as well as an improvement in infant social and emotional development. However, the selective nature of convenience sampling limits the generalisability of the findings. The non-randomised design of the evaluation implies that findings can only be interpreted as preliminary evidence of intervention effectiveness. These considerations are addressed in the discussion.

Originality/value

The results of this study provide preliminary evidence of the acceptability and effectiveness of VIG delivery by health visitors and community support workers to new parents in socially disadvantaged urban communities. However, this study must be pursued further to be evaluated with larger, randomised samples to further explore the generalisability of VIG effectiveness in such settings.

Details

The Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice, vol. 16 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1755-6228

Keywords

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