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Article
Publication date: 4 November 2014

Mia Foxhall and Birgit Gurr

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate a weekly, group-based occupational therapy (OT) intervention in an inpatient brain injury rehabilitation unit. The evaluation aims to…

319

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate a weekly, group-based occupational therapy (OT) intervention in an inpatient brain injury rehabilitation unit. The evaluation aims to assess whether this intervention incorporates evidence-based recommendations for executive functioning and positive social interactions.

Design/methodology/approach

A literature review was carried out to identify those components deemed most effective for improvements of executive functions and group interventions. Systematic observations of the intervention were used to collect data matching the research requirements. The group intervention which was subject to the evaluation was a weekly OT activity called Life Skills Group. Participants were four brain injured patients, aged between 49 and 62 years and on average 4.5 month post injury. The group activities included the preparation, cooking and consuming of a meal.

Findings

Some elements of evidence-based procedure for executive functioning training were observed, including repeated practice and errorless learning. The group provided opportunities for social interaction and peer support/modelling. The evaluation indicated opportunities for improving executive functions within the Life Skills Group setting, for instance, the consistent use of errorless practice, repetition and meta-strategy training. Social interventions were mainly initiated by the facilitation therapists and opportunities for social skills training and positive interactions between participants were overlooked. The evaluation concludes in a set of recommendations aimed at optimising the effectiveness of future groups.

Originality/value

This paper gives an example how the use of research evidence can influence and optimise cognitive rehabilitation, social training and group interventions. Thus it is an attempt to highlight how occupational interventions and social interactions can be improved by a systematic evaluation. The evaluation provides a framework for how OT and social interventions can be planned, implemented and researched which will hopefully increase systematic outcomes studies in this field in the future.

Details

Social Care and Neurodisability, vol. 5 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2042-0919

Keywords

Available. Content available
Article
Publication date: 4 November 2014

Declan McNicholl

493

Abstract

Details

Social Care and Neurodisability, vol. 5 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2042-0919

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Article
Publication date: 17 January 2022

Pierre Tulowitzki, Julia Gerick and Birgit Eickelmann

Information and communication technologies (ICT) has an increasing impact on schools. School leaders play a key role in this context as drivers of innovation including those…

1332

Abstract

Purpose

Information and communication technologies (ICT) has an increasing impact on schools. School leaders play a key role in this context as drivers of innovation including those related to ICT. Against this background, the study presented in this article focuses on school leadership and management activities with ICT and related challenges. It sought to analyze how frequently German school principals use ICT compared to principals in other countries, what distinct clusters of German principals could be identified in terms of ICT usage and how principals viewed ICT in schools and related challenges.

Design/methodology/approach

A mixed-methods approach was chosen, using quantitative data from both the international comparative large-scale assessment study ICILS 2018 and the explorative qualitative data from Germany. For the international comparison, the school principal data sets of the 12 international participants of the International Computer and Information Literacy Study (ICILS) 2018 were taken into account: Chile, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Kazakhstan, Republic of Korea, Luxembourg, Portugal, Uruguay and the United States. To look beyond averaged frequencies, a latent class analysis (LCA) was conducted to identify possible clusters of school leaders with distinct usage patterns of ICT for leadership and management activities.

Findings

The results indicate that, in general, German principals use ICT for leadership and management activities on a similar level as their international colleagues. However, they seem to communicate with education authorities significantly more often than their international colleagues, whereas representative activities (presentations, home page) are rather infrequent. The qualitative data point to significant barriers to fully harnessing the potential of using ICT for leadership, management and school improvement such as lack of competencies and lack of adequate support.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that focuses on school leadership and management activities using ICT with such a data set. The results provide insights into how German principals use ICT to lead and manage their schools compared to their international counterparts. The qualitative data offers additional insights into possible reasons hindering a more effective use of ICT.

Details

International Journal of Educational Management, vol. 36 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0951-354X

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