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1 – 9 of 9Kerry Cormier and Trudi Figueroa
This practitioner-focused article highlights a collaborative, school-wide project at a PDS that showcased elementary students’ strengths and talents. Based on the children’s book…
Abstract
Purpose
This practitioner-focused article highlights a collaborative, school-wide project at a PDS that showcased elementary students’ strengths and talents. Based on the children’s book, The Smart Cookie (John, 2021), teachers and the university professor-in-residence developed professional learning communities, which inspired the creation of a space for all students to demonstrate ways in which they were “smart cookies” that aligned with our comprehensive mission of promoting inclusive practices.
Design/methodology/approach
Rooted in professional learning communities, teachers at our PDS spent the first half of the school year learning about chosen topics of social–emotional learning, stamina and neurodiversity. The Smart Cookie Project was created to demonstrate the connections between these topics. Students at the PDS were given the opportunity to create an original project that showcased their creativity, interests and talents. Projects were then displayed during a schoolwide showcase.
Findings
The impact of the project and the showcase demonstrated the importance of creating opportunities for both teacher and student innovation. The project brought the community together, allowed students to be viewed through strengths-based perspectives, helped teachers see how their own learning can positively impact their practice and emphasized the need for honoring student choice in the classroom.
Originality/value
The project discussed here can lend itself to fellow PDSs looking to adopt innovative instructional approaches, honor inclusive practices and situate students in places of strength.
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The purpose of this poetic inquiry was to understand how the professional development school (PDS) model can help pre-service teachers (PSTs) develop an inclusive philosophy of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this poetic inquiry was to understand how the professional development school (PDS) model can help pre-service teachers (PSTs) develop an inclusive philosophy of teaching while positioning themselves as social justice advocates. Four clinical interns collaborated in the research process guided by the university professor-in-residence (PIR).
Design/methodology/approach
To conduct this poetic inquiry the interns kept journals, participated in individual interviews and weekly book club discussions to help us understand how education is situated within a broader social justice framework. Transcription poems were created from discussion and interview transcripts to capture the interns' perspectives and experiences in developing their philosophies.
Findings
The findings, shared through transcription poems, indicate that the interns established inclusive beliefs, experienced tensions between their beliefs and practices and emphasize the importance of community in developing as social justice advocates.
Originality/value
By sharing the findings through poetry, this study invites a more focused look into the nuances of PST’s emerging beliefs on inclusive education in a PDS.
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Purpose – The article aims to report on the current development of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), explore the strengths and weaknesses of MOOCs, and reflect on the possible…
Abstract
Purpose – The article aims to report on the current development of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), explore the strengths and weaknesses of MOOCs, and reflect on the possible relationships between academic libraries and MOOCs. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on a mix of literature review (mostly current news) and personal observations. The author discusses the unique characteristics of MOOCs, speculates on the benefits of MOOCs on higher education, and explores the impact of MOOCs on academic libraries and how librarians can respond to it. Findings – MOOCs create global learning communities that benefit both students and universities, and generate unique challenges and opportunities for academic libraries. It is recommended that librarians stay informed of the latest developments and get involved in the MOOC movement on an institutional as well as personal level. Research limitations/implications – Further research needs to be done to evaluate the efficacy of MOOCs (especially in the non‐STEM areas), to explore best practices in instruction design and pedagogy, and to rethink on strategic positioning of traditional universities vis‐à‐vis MOOCs. Practical implications – The author speculates on a possible “iTunization of information” and how that might impact academic libraries as well as the open access movement. The author also calls for academic libraries to be fully engaged in the discussion and action on their own campus related to MOOCs, and to support individual librarians' exploration of MOOCs. Originality/value – This article is based on the author's personal experience as a MOOC student and her opinions and speculations on issues related to MOOCs. The article also explores the relationship between MOOCs and academic libraries, which has not been extensively discussed in the library literature.
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The purpose of this paper is to explore environmental reporting in the Australian Commonwealth public sector through the focus on departments with a primary responsibility for…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore environmental reporting in the Australian Commonwealth public sector through the focus on departments with a primary responsibility for social and environmental issues.
Design/methodology/approach
The research moves beyond the existing theorisation for environmental reporting through a legitimacy theory perspective and adopts Bourdieu's theory of practice. The practices of the two selected departments for this study are assessed through interviews and documentary data.
Findings
The findings suggest that the practice of environmental reporting in a research context moves beyond legitimacy considerations with the internal context being critical in explaining current practices. It is in this regard that the theoretical perspective provides useful insights in understanding environmental reporting in the Australian commonwealth public sector.
Research limitations/implications
The paper calls for further studies that go beyond desk‐based analysis of environmental disclosure and utilise field studies and varying theoretical perspectives which focus on the practices that lead to the production of environmental reporting via various media.
Practical implications
This paper provides insights into how internal actors influence the practice of public sector environmental reporting which has practical implications for the development and enhancement of environmental reporting in many jurisdictions.
Originality/value
The paper develops a theoretical perspective for environmental accounting that provides a comprehensive account of environmental reporting in a specific context. This approach could be utilised in different contexts and contributes towards extending the existing theorisation for environmental reporting.
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Kerry Sheldon and Gopi Krishnan
This paper describes the clinical and risk characteristics of patients admitted over the first four years of operation of the Dangerous and Severe Personality Disordered (DSPD…
Abstract
This paper describes the clinical and risk characteristics of patients admitted over the first four years of operation of the Dangerous and Severe Personality Disordered (DSPD) NHS pilot at the Peaks Unit, Rampton Secure Hospital. There were 124 referrals, mainly from Category A and B prisons, resulting in 68 DSPD admissions. Clinically, 29% scored 30 or more on the Psychopathy Checklist. The most common personality disorders were antisocial, borderline, paranoid and narcissistic. There is a high risk of violent/sexual recidivism as measured by the Static‐99, Violence Risk Scale, and the Historical, Clinical and Risk Management Scale.
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Verónica Paula Ribeiro, Cristina Aibar-Guzmán, Beatriz Aibar-Guzman and Sónia Maria da Silva Monteiro
– The purpose of this paper is to develop environmental accounting and reporting practices (EARPs) by Portuguese local entities and their determining factors.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to develop environmental accounting and reporting practices (EARPs) by Portuguese local entities and their determining factors.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were obtained through a postal survey. In order to measure the degree of development of environmental accounting and reporting practices index was developed, which reflects the extent to which a set of eight EARPs have been implemented by the 69 Portuguese local entities included in the sample. Three variables are considered in this study as possible factors that drive the development of environmental management practices (EMPs) by local entities, namely, size of entity, accounting framework, degree of development of EMPs.
Findings
Results indicate the degree of development of EARPs in Portuguese local entities is low. Additionally, accounting regulation and the degree of development of EMPs are explaining factors of the degree of development of environmental accounting practices in Portuguese local entities.
Originality/value
This study adds to the international research on environmental accounting in public sector by providing empirical data from a country, Portugal, where empirical evidence is still relatively limited.
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In a context where standardized testing and achievement scores have become the hallmark of accountability frameworks, the issue of social responsibility is not given much…
Abstract
Purpose
In a context where standardized testing and achievement scores have become the hallmark of accountability frameworks, the issue of social responsibility is not given much attention in schools in Jamaica. This has led to a continuous decline of the moral and spiritual dimension of schooling in the country. This is evidenced through an increase in school violence and other disparities among students. This paper aims to explore teachers’ perception of how they are prepared for their role as agents of social responsibility.
Design/methodology/approach
Through interviews of 16 in-service teachers, this research sought to explore teachers’ perception of how they are prepared for their role as agents of social responsibility. Each participant in the study was interviewed using a structured interview schedule comprising six questions. Data collected were transcribed and analyzed by sorting and identifying codes. Pattern codes were established which were then interpreted to form themes. Three themes emerged which are used to present findings.
Findings
Findings revealed that teachers had a shared understanding of social responsibility; they felt that they were prepared for this role through ad hoc curriculum encounters, were not adequately prepared for their role and social responsibility required a belief in the idea first before it can be taught.
Research limitations/implications
The findings from the research are used to present arguments in the paper for emphasis on preparing student teachers to be agents of social responsibility and for a rethinking of teacher preparation curriculum in Jamaica. The paper also presents strategies that can be used to guide the re-thinking of teacher preparation programmes.
Practical implications
Teacher preparation programmes represent the avenue through which teachers can be prepared to develop their social consciousness, so that they can in turn help students. The results of this paper are means of helping teacher educators understand this.
Originality/value
This paper is one of the first since the early 1990s to discuss social responsibility as a key component of teacher preparation in Jamaica. It also fills the void of scarcity of research in Jamaica on teacher education on a whole and social responsibility in teacher education in particular.
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Garry D. Carnegie and Christopher J. Napier
The purpose of this paper is to examine the origins and development of the “Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal (AAAJ) Community”, a flourishing international…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the origins and development of the “Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal (AAAJ) Community”, a flourishing international interdisciplinary accounting research community. This scholarly community has emerged over some 30 years from the publication in 1988 of the inaugural issue of AAAJ under the joint editorship of James Guthrie and Lee Parker. This historical account discusses the motivation for establishing the journal and the important publishing initiatives, developments and trends across this period. The study positions the journal as a key thought leader, the catalyst for other Community activities such as the Asia-Pacific Interdisciplinary Research in Accounting conference.
Design/methodology/approach
The investigation involved a selective review of the contents of AAAJ, particularly the annual editorials published since inception, and other relevant literature, analysis of the main research themes and the most cited papers, and oral history interviews with the joint editors. The future prospects for the AAAJ Community are addressed.
Findings
The AAAJ Community has shaped and led developments in interdisciplinary accounting research. Recognised for innovation and with a reputation for nurturing scholars, AAAJ continues to grow in stature as one of the world’s leading accounting journals, challenging the status quo and fostering inclusive scholarship.
Research limitations/implications
The study does not examine the journal’s publication patterns nor assess in detail the research studies that have been published in the journal.
Originality/value
The study recognises AAAJ as central to the development of an interdisciplinary accounting research community, firmly located in the sociological, critical and interpretative tradition also associated with some other leading accounting journals.
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The purpose of this study is to propose a research model based on the stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) model to explore whether social media affordances and media richness as…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to propose a research model based on the stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) model to explore whether social media affordances and media richness as environmental stimuli to learners’ involvement elicited by massive open online courses (MOOCs) can affect their learning persistence in MOOCs and, in turn, their learning outcomes in MOOCs. This study further examines whether demographic variables can moderate the relationship between learners’ learning persistence in MOOCs and their learning outcomes.
Design/methodology/approach
Sample data for this study were collected from learners who had experience in taking MOOCs provided by the MOOCs platform launched by a well-known university in Taiwan, and 396 usable questionnaires were analyzed using structural equation modeling.
Findings
This study proved that learners’ perceived social media affordances and media richness in MOOCs positively influenced their cognitive involvement and affective involvement elicited by MOOCs, which concurrently expounded their learning persistence in MOOCs and, in turn, uplifted their learning outcomes in MOOCs. The results support all proposed hypotheses and the research model, respectively, explains 70.5% and 61.8% of the variance in learners’ learning persistence in MOOCs and learning outcomes. Besides, this study showed that learners’ usage experience moderated the relationship between learners’ learning persistence in MOOCs and their learning outcomes.
Originality/value
This study uses the S-O-R model as a theoretical groundwork to construct learners’ learning outcomes in MOOCs as a series of the psychological process, which is affected by social media affordances and media richness. Noteworthily, while the S-O-R model has been extensively used in previous literature, little research uses the S-O-R model to explain the media antecedents of learners’ learning persistence and learning outcomes in MOOCs. Hence, this study enriches the research for understanding how learners value their learning gains via using media features to support them in MOOCs.
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