Eric O’Connor and Margaret Nohilly
The purpose of this paper was to establish how the phenomenon of mental health issues among young people has translated into the reality of Irish schools through the lens of Irish…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper was to establish how the phenomenon of mental health issues among young people has translated into the reality of Irish schools through the lens of Irish teachers.
Design/methodology/approach
This wholly qualitative study adopted a post-positivist and phenomenological approach to gathering data by way of semi-structured interviews of 16 participants, 8 from primary backgrounds and 8 from post-primary backgrounds. Analysis of the data highlighted what teachers perceive to be ongoing issues with the mental health and well-being of pupils and the challenges that both teachers and pupils must overcome.
Findings
Interviewing the participants unearthed three sub-themes with regard to mental health in Irish schools, namely, the prevalence of psychiatric disorders/symptoms of mental ill-health among Irish children and adolescents, the barriers preventing help-seeking and the role of mental health support services in Irish schools.
Research limitations/implications
One limitation in this study was that a wider variety in sample could have yielded a more in-depth volume of results. Furthermore, the study by semi-structured interview presented challenges, such as the use of other people’s viewpoints to support the perceptions of the participants, which could not be validated.
Practical implications
Among the recommendations made by the participants were that schools engage in policy development to combat mental health and well-being issues, that teachers engage in continuous professional development in the area and that mental health support services are sufficiently staffed and funded.
Social implications
The general public should engage more in activities that promote a healthy dialogue around the topic of mental health to reduce stigma. It is recommended that campaigns to raise awareness are continued and bolstered.
Originality/value
Irish teachers are being confronted by a contemporary discourse that has materialised as a by-product of an evolving society. Cultural development has led to increased focus on mental health and well-being in recent years, with this body of research exploring its emergence into school life from teachers’ perspectives.
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Tina L. Heafner, Amy J. Good, Katherine A. O’Connor, Jeff Passe, Tracy Rock, Sandra P. Byrd, Sandra B. Oldendorf and Eric Groce
Elementary students in North Carolina are not required to take social studies standardized tests. As a result, assumptions about social studies instruction have emerged. The…
Abstract
Elementary students in North Carolina are not required to take social studies standardized tests. As a result, assumptions about social studies instruction have emerged. The assumptions represent perceptions or misperceptions about whether the subject is being taught, whether it is valued, and whether there are pressures to ignore social studies to focus on tested subjects. Data from a multi-university, longitudinal study examining the state of social studies in elementary grades are highlighted. Selected findings from the statewide research provide a framework for considering the assumptions. Recommendations suggest a team approach to advocating for the social studies.
Eric Groce, Tina L. Heafner and Katherine A. O’Connor
The Scopes Monkey Trial is a landmark court case in American history and has often been referred to as “The Trial of the Century.” It provides a curricular platform for…
Abstract
The Scopes Monkey Trial is a landmark court case in American history and has often been referred to as “The Trial of the Century.” It provides a curricular platform for understanding changes in American society, populace tensions with shifting social and moral views, gaps in economic prosperity, and the outcomes of urbanization. Studying this pivotal and historical trial – along with the context surrounding it – offers readers a dynamic lens to view powerful social and cultural insights at the beginning of the twentieth century. Additionally, academic freedom issues, which have a history in our nation's courts, (Patterson & Chandler, 2008) as well as current dialogue among educators (see the November/December issue of Social Education), and are at the very center of the Scopes Trial, require critical examination. Most importantly, it exemplifies the type of interdisciplinary content social studies educators should be promoting, a goal of 21st Century Teaching and Learning and Common Core Standards. In this article, we provide a brief historical context setting the stage for the Scopes Monkey Trial, a daily synopsis of significant points in the trial, a rationale for teaching the Scopes Trial, and instructional teaching resources with particular emphasis on books, DVD/media, and web-based materials.
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Kimberly W. O’Connor and Gordon B. Schmidt
Purpose – This chapter explores the topic of free speech protections and social media use in academia through an examination of the current legal landscape as it applies to…
Abstract
Purpose – This chapter explores the topic of free speech protections and social media use in academia through an examination of the current legal landscape as it applies to various stakeholders on university campuses in the United States. The authors focus this examination primarily on public universities. Methodology/Approach – Legal research methods were utilized, including an analysis of relevant United States federal and state laws, case law, and secondary sources such as law reviews. Non-legal sources, such as academic journals, were also reviewed, with particular emphasis on topics such as university policies, tenure protections, academic freedom, as well as current events. Findings – The law regarding personal social media communications in a university setting is a series of complex and interconnected legal questions. Courts are still flushing out how free speech protections, personal social media use, and other relevant legal protections (e.g., employment law) may interface in a university-related case. Outcomes of cases are highly fact driven, and legal precedent is still being established. Originality/Value – This chapter offers a comprehensive examination of the topic of free speech and social media use in United States academia by (1) examining legal protections as applied to various stakeholders on a college campus and (2) analyzing the current legal landscape of social media cases involving universities.
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This paper aims to provide some comments on the four papers, other than the author’s own, that were included in a recent special issue on organizational unlearning.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to provide some comments on the four papers, other than the author’s own, that were included in a recent special issue on organizational unlearning.
Design/methodology/approach
The author carefully reads these papers and identify problems that may hinder unlearning research.
Findings
While each paper has its own merits, a common problem shared by the papers is that the concept of organizational unlearning is unnecessarily eulogized, complicated or straitjacketed.
Research limitations/implications
The author’s discussion focuses only on a problem related directly to the concept of unlearning, and does not cover other, though less serious, issues.
Originality/value
The author’s comments help readers better understand the concept of unlearning and so facilitate the further development of unlearning research.
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Katherine A. O’Connor, Amy J. Good and H. Carol Greene
This teleobservation pilot study focuses on an innovative approach for the preparation of elementary social studies preservice teacher candidates through the use of interactive…
Abstract
This teleobservation pilot study focuses on an innovative approach for the preparation of elementary social studies preservice teacher candidates through the use of interactive videoconferencing to provide observations of elementary classrooms. Preservice teacher candidates observed social studies lessons team-taught by regular classroom teachers and university professors in public school classrooms via videoconferencing equipment. Preservice teacher candidates remained on campus while another professor guided them through the social studies observation. Qualitative data were collected from preservice teacher candidates completing their social studies methods course through reflective summaries, KWL charts, and archived threaded discussions. The benefits and challenges of teleobservation are discussed along with implications and possibilities for future work. Specifically, the goals of this project included providing future social studies teachers with the following opportunities: 1) observe an elementary classroom in real-time; 2) discuss teaching as it is happening, and 3) observe university social studies professors modeling theory into practice.
Alhassan Sulemana, Emmanuel Amponsah Donkor, Eric Kwabena Forkuo and Sampson Oduro-Kwarteng
The purpose of this paper was to determine the effect of route optimization on travel distance, travel time and fuel consumption of municipal solid waste (MSW) collection trucks.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper was to determine the effect of route optimization on travel distance, travel time and fuel consumption of municipal solid waste (MSW) collection trucks.
Design/methodology/approach
The study modeled the existing waste collection routes in three local authorities in Ghana and proposed optimal routes using Esri’s ArcGIS Network Analyst Extension. The system generated optimal distances and times were validated by subjecting collection trucks to the optimal routes. Paired sample t-test was used to analyze the differences in means of the existing and optimal outcomes. The collected data were subjected to correlation and uncertainty analyses.
Findings
Results from the study indicated that weekly travel distance reduced by 81.27 km, translating into saving of 4.79 percent when trucks used the optimal routes. Travel time and fuel consumption reduced by 853.59 min and 145.86 L, making savings of 14.21 and 10.81 percent, respectively. Significant differences occurred between the means of the existing and optimal routes for travel time and fuel consumption, for each of the three local authorities.
Research limitations/implications
The study was conducted in Ghana using data collected from three local authorities.
Practical implications
Significant reduction of MSW collection cost can be achieved by waste management practitioners through route optimization.
Originality/value
The effect of route optimization on travel distance, travel time and fuel consumption has been established. Statistical analyses of the existing and optimal outcomes of the three local authorities have been provided. The findings from this study support the hypothesis that optimal routes reduce operating cost through savings in travel distance, travel time and fuel consumption.
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Jeff Muldoon, Joshua Bendickson, Antonina Bauman and Eric W. Liguori
Elton Mayo was a professor at a prestigious university, but not a researcher; a scholar, but more concerned with executives; a capitalist, but someone who downplayed monetary…
Abstract
Purpose
Elton Mayo was a professor at a prestigious university, but not a researcher; a scholar, but more concerned with executives; a capitalist, but someone who downplayed monetary incentives; an insider, but someone whose own background was more of an outsider. These contradictions have resulted in scholars questioning Mayo’s impact on the field of management. Thus, this paper aims to critically review Mayo and his contributions to management through a lens calibrated to the context of his time, providing a more contextually accurate view of Mayo and his work and offering a clearer view of his meaningful impact on the field.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a combination of primary and secondary sources, the authors connect otherwise disparate information to critically review Mayo’s work within the context of its era.
Findings
The authors’ critical review of Mayo identified nine topical areas where Mayo and/or his work have been misunderstood or misinterpreted. For each area, the authors offer a more contextualized and appropriate interpretation of Mayo and his viewpoints, and thus more accurately informing the management literature.
Originality/value
This paper is the first to thoroughly revisit Mayo and his work through a contextualized lens, offering a more informed view of why Mayo’s seemingly controversial behaviors were actually quite standard behaviors given his context.
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Much discussion has taken place in real life and in cyber space about the future of Henry Archer. He has been the subject of gossip, with the nature of his conception, and then…
Abstract
Much discussion has taken place in real life and in cyber space about the future of Henry Archer. He has been the subject of gossip, with the nature of his conception, and then gained a stepfather, seemingly a gentleman, who cared for both Henry and his mother. Coercive control came to dominate the relation between Rob Titchener and Helen Archer, giving an outward appearance of perfection in all aspects of family life. Henry experienced the gaslighting along with Helen and having seen his mum stab his new adoptive father, Henry was left without his mum, and in the care of evil Rob, effectively prevented from contact with his staid, and consistently caring grandparents. This paper will consider the impact of the trauma on Henry's potential psychological self as an older child and adolescent, looking at the impact of attachment, disparate parenting styles, social learning theory and domestic violence. There is also a comparison to a case study which could illustrate Henry's future, should he decide to begin a career in serial killing.
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Anahita Baregheh, Thomas Carey and Gina O’Connor
As a sector, higher education is at the low end of innovation rankings. The challenges we face – demographic, technological, political, and pedagogical – will require sustained…
Abstract
As a sector, higher education is at the low end of innovation rankings. The challenges we face – demographic, technological, political, and pedagogical – will require sustained innovation at a strategic level. Recent research with mature companies has identified exemplars in strategic innovation (e.g., O’Connor, Corbett, & Peters, 2018). This work explores whether – and how – higher education institutions might adapt insights from the corporate sector for strategic innovation in teaching and learning.
The introductory section provides an overview of the nature of strategic innovation (and why it is hard to sustain), strategic issues facing higher education, and the status and challenges of sustaining strategic innovation for teaching. The next two sections describe insights from research with corporate exemplars of sustaining strategic innovation. Each section uses a scenario from higher education as a proof-of-concept test to explore the application of the corporate sector insights for strategic innovation in higher education teaching and learning.
The final section of the chapter discusses the planned next steps to prototype and test adaptation of these corporate sector insights with institutional innovation leaders in higher education, as well as additional potential sources of insights (from other research in the corporate sector and from strategic innovation in the public sector).