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Article
Publication date: 1 May 2005

Miriam Díez, Ceferí Soler, María Sureda and Bienvenido Visauta

The principal aim of this research has been to discover what perception Spanish managers have of the organizational contexts in which they work and, in particular, in what way…

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Abstract

Purpose

The principal aim of this research has been to discover what perception Spanish managers have of the organizational contexts in which they work and, in particular, in what way they consider that these conform with the characteristics of a continuously learning organization.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected in accordance with the questionnaire of Pedler. The questionnaire was completed anonymously.

Findings

Organizational environments in what used to be state monopolies do not yet conform with the conditions that define a continuously learning organization. The greatest number of individual differences with respect to the perception of whether the organization is a learning organization are concentrated in individual variables such as age and professional level.

Research limitations/implications

The main intention has been to learn more about a specific real situation, in order to gain the capacity to understand what is occurring. It has been considered that in the future this line of research could be continued by repeating the analysis in organizational contexts that are different from the one analyzed here.

Practical implications

Although the organizational environment does not have the characteristics of a “continuously learning organization”, the managers consider that they wish to end their working life in it.

Originality/value

In the future, it will be possible to evaluate the impact that certain strategic plans may have on workers and vice versa, since issues related to human factors may have an influence on the strategic actions of companies.

Details

Journal of European Industrial Training, vol. 29 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0309-0590

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 December 2020

María Teresa Signes-Pont, José Juan Cortés-Plana, Higinio Mora and Rafael Mollá-Sirvent

The purpose of this paper is to present a discrete compartmental susceptible-asymptomatic-infected-dead (SAID) model to address the expansion of plant pests. The authors examined…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a discrete compartmental susceptible-asymptomatic-infected-dead (SAID) model to address the expansion of plant pests. The authors examined the case of Xylella fastidiosa in almond trees in the province of Alicante (Spain) to define the best eradication/contention protocol depending on the environmental parameters such as climatic factors, distance between trees, isolation of the plots, etc.

Design/methodology/approach

This approach considers the expansion of the disease among the almond trees orchards by means of a grid model. The cells of the grid represent a tree (or even a group of trees) that can be susceptible (healthy), asymptomatic (infected by the bacterium but without symptoms), infected or dead. When time passes, the status of the cells is determined by binary rules that update following both a neighborhood and a delay pattern. The model assumes that the environmental parameters have a crucial impact on the expansion of the disease, so a grid is assigned to each parameter to model the single effect caused by this parameter. The expansion is then the weighted sum of all the grids.

Findings

This proposal shows how the grid architecture, along with an update rule and a neighborhood pattern, is a valuable tool to model the pest expansion. This model has already been analyzed in previous works and has been compared with the corresponding continuous models solved by ordinary differential equations, coming to find the homologous parameters between both approaches. Thus, it has been possible to prove that the combination neighborhood-update rule is responsible for the rate of expansion and recovering/death of the illness. The delays (between susceptible and asymptomatic, asymptomatic and infected, infected and recovered/dead) may have a crucial impact on both the peak of infected and the recovery/death rate. This theoretical model has been successfully tested in the case of the dissemination of information through mobile social networks and is also currently under study in the case of expansion of COVID-19.

Originality/value

This work develops a new approach for the analysis of expansion of plant pests. This approach provides both behavioral variability at the cell level (by its capability to modify the neighborhood and/or the update rule and/or the delays) and modularity (by easy scaling the number of grids). This provides a wide range of possibilities to deal with realistic scenarios.

Article
Publication date: 5 October 2015

Miguel Ángel Giménez Martínez

– The purpose of this paper is to analyze the circumstances that have conditioned the development of education in Spain from the enlightenment to the present day.

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the circumstances that have conditioned the development of education in Spain from the enlightenment to the present day.

Design/methodology/approach

Multidisciplinary scientific approach that combines the interpretation of the legal texts with the revision of the doctrinal and theoretical contributions made on the issue.

Findings

From the beginning of the nineteenth century, the history of education in Spain has been marked by constant fluctuations between the reactionary instincts, principally maintained by the Catholic Church and the conservative social classes, and the progressive experiments, driven by the enlightened and the liberals first, and the republicans and the socialists later. As a consequence of that, the fight for finishing with illiteracy and guaranteeing universal schooling underwent permanent advances and retreats, preventing from an effective modernization of the Spanish educative system. On the one hand, renewal projects promoted by teachers and pedagogues were inevitably criticized by the ecclesiastical hierarchy, obsessed with the idea of preserving the influence of religion on the schools. On the other hand, successive governments were weak in implementing an educational policy which could place Spain at the level of the other European and occidental nations.

Originality/value

At the dawn of the twenty-first century, although the country has overcome a good part of its centuries-old backwardness, increasing economic difficulties and old ideological splits keep hampering the quality of teaching, gripped by neoliberal policies which undermine the right to education for all. The reading of this paper offers various historical clues to understand this process.

Details

History of Education Review, vol. 44 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0819-8691

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 20 November 2020

Aldo Alvarez-Risco, Alfredo Estrada-Merino and Ricardo Perez-Luyo

Efforts to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals are increasingly part of tourism business planning, forming part of their business policies, linking with society and…

Abstract

Efforts to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals are increasingly part of tourism business planning, forming part of their business policies, linking with society and generating a sustainable hotel offer. The great impact it causes and, which in the short term it will achieve, digital tools in hotel activities can be evidenced. It will also help to collect the information that serves for the certifications of hotel companies. In spite of all the efforts, there is still a great knowledge gap that needs to be filled to achieve the expected business results and that it can be evidenced that the hospitality industry is now more than ever focussed on the care of its workers and on contributing to the sustainability of the world.

Details

Sustainable Hospitality Management
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83909-266-4

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 17 December 2024

Walter Leal Filho, Samara da Silva Neiva, Claudio Ruy Portela de Vasconcelos, Bárbara Maria Fritzen Gomes, Ayyoob Sharifi, Valerija Kozlova, Mark Mifsud, Paul Pace, Johannes (Joost) Platje, Maria Alzira Pimenta Dinis, Dênis Antônio Da Cunha, Erin Ann Hopkins and Lez Rayman-Bacchus

This paper aims to emphasize the significance of integrating sustainable development (SD) content into higher education institutions (HEIs) curricula. The focus is on identifying…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to emphasize the significance of integrating sustainable development (SD) content into higher education institutions (HEIs) curricula. The focus is on identifying areas of research demand related to SD in teaching and learning programmes.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses a comprehensive approach, combining bibliometric analysis and an original survey instrument tool. The research involves HEIs staff engaged in both research and teaching roles across 36 countries worldwide.

Findings

The findings of the study shed light on the challenges and gaps in incorporating SD into HEIs curricula. Insights reveal that researchers focusing on SD within teaching and learning programmes face a notable obstacle in the form of congested timetables.

Research limitations/implications

While providing valuable insights, this research acknowledges study design and methodology limitations. These limitations should be considered when interpreting the findings and planning future research endeavours in SD in HEIs.

Practical implications

The paper underscores the practical implications of the findings, emphasising the need to address congested timetables as a significant obstacle to sustainability education efforts. The practical insights aim to guide educators and institutions in enhancing the incorporation of SD content in their teaching programmes.

Social implications

The study’s social implications highlight the broader impact on society, emphasising the role of HEIs in shaping a sustainable future. Addressing the identified challenges can contribute to better preparing students for addressing real-world sustainability issues, thereby fostering positive social change.

Originality/value

This paper concludes by outlining essential measures to address identified challenges and gaps, emphasising the imperative of creating an environment that supports the integration of SD into higher education curricula. The findings provide valuable guidance for educators, policymakers and institutions seeking to enhance sustainability education efforts.

Details

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

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 19 January 2024

María Ángeles García-Fortes, Isabel Banos-González and Patricia Esteve-Guirao

This study aims to analyse the self-perception of future secondary school teachers (FTs) of biology about their education for sustainable development (ESD) competencies and…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to analyse the self-perception of future secondary school teachers (FTs) of biology about their education for sustainable development (ESD) competencies and evaluate the competence profile they develop in their educational proposals.

Design/methodology/approach

A mixed methodological approach was used to analyse 162 FTs’ ESD action competencies as proposed by UNECE. Firstly, a six-point Likert-type scale questionnaire is used to explore their self-perception of the level of acquisition of these competencies. Then, a rubric is applied to analyse the competence profile when designing educational proposals to address socio-environmental issues related to consumption and waste generation. Besides descriptive analysis, inferential statistics were used to assess the significance of the differences detected between the competencies.

Findings

FTs self-perceive a partial acquisition of ESD action competencies, in line with their competence profile. Where they recognise and show significant difficulties is in assessing learning outcomes in terms of changes and achievements. Similarly, their best perception and competence profile is achieved in the approach to contextualised situations in the students’ lives. There are also some discrepancies between their perception and their profile. In particular, FTs regard themselves as very competent in considering different dimensions and perspectives of the issues, but this is precisely where they reveal a lower competence profile.

Originality/value

This study applies a fully replicable rubric for the assessment of teachers’ ESD competencies when designing proposals to address socio-environmental issues. This assessment allows one to approach the sustainability competencies that they will promote in their classrooms.

Details

International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, vol. 25 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1467-6370

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 24 June 2021

Zaloa Aginako, María Begoña Peña-Lang, Miren Terese Bedialauneta and Teresa Guraya

There are multiple questionnaires in the literature that try to gather university students’ perception about sustainable development (SD), but they are mainly focused on…

Abstract

Purpose

There are multiple questionnaires in the literature that try to gather university students’ perception about sustainable development (SD), but they are mainly focused on determining the students’ knowledge and attitude about sustainability. As the existing questionnaires did not fit the type of analysis that is intended to carry out, a new questionnaire was developed, adapted to the aims and context (engineering students) of the pretended study. The questionnaire contains two scales; one to determine the level of insertion of sustainability and the other to measure the importance that students give in their training process to the three dimensions of sustainability: economic, environmental and social. This new instrument requires a validation process to ensure its content – validity, reliability and clarity. The aim of this paper is to describe the validation process.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper shows the validation process of a questionnaire designed ad hoc to measure the students’ perception on SD inclusion level in three current engineering degrees, at the Engineering School of Bilbao (EIB) that belongs to the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU). The questionnaire validation process was conducted in three stages: experts on the subject provided their advice to ensure the study objectives, a small number of students contributed to clarify the statement of the questions, and thus, to increase the reliability of the questionnaire and finally, a larger number of students completed the survey to analyse the internal consistency of the two scales in the questionnaire with the Cronbach’s alpha test.

Findings

As a result of the entire validation process, an appropriate scale has been obtained to measure the importance that students give to the three dimensions of sustainability, economic, environmental and social, and to the sustainability overall. Furthermore, an appropriate scale to measure the insertion level of sustainability in engineering studies has been developed. However, the insertion scale needs a revision in the items of social and economic dimension to be valid to conduct disaggregated studies by dimensions.

Originality/value

The surveys published in the literature try to determine the knowledge and attitude that students have regarding SD. However, this new questionnaire, whose validation process is described in this paper, aims to know how engineering students of the EIB perceive the level of insertion of SD in their academic programs, from a frequency perspective, and the importance they give to it, both personally and professionally, given to the analysis a holistic perspective. Thus, the questionnaire can be used by higher education institutions to design strategies for inserting SD in engineering studies.

Details

International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, vol. 22 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1467-6370

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 June 2022

Jose María Roncero Heras, Manuel Alvarez-Ortí, Arturo Pardo-Giménez, Adrián Rabadán, José Emilio Pardo and Alicia Roncero

Almond oil is a gourmet product with functional food characteristics owing to its high almond oil content and high nutritional quality. One of the primary constraints on its…

Abstract

Purpose

Almond oil is a gourmet product with functional food characteristics owing to its high almond oil content and high nutritional quality. One of the primary constraints on its production is the lack of information regarding oil extraction from an industrial perspective, including by-products generation.

Design/methodology/approach

The performance, quality and composition characteristics were analyzed, both from the physical-chemical and organoleptic point of view, of the almond oils obtained through two pressure systems: screw press (SP) and hydraulic press (HP). To ensure the success of almond oil production at a commercial scale, in this work, an economic study of the costs of the process was carried out as a complementary part of optimizing the production of virgin almond oil.

Findings

Physicochemical analysis showed little difference, just in total sterols (HP 2069, SP 2153) and some quality indexes (K232: HP 1.63, SP 2.13; peroxide index: HP 1.74, SP 0.95), in contrast to sensory analysis. Consumer judges valued roasted almond oil extracted using a HP the best. The production cost of the oil extracted with the SP was €23.05/l. With the HP it was €25.13/l, owing to the lower oil yield in the extraction. The most expensive treatment was for the HP with toasted almonds (€27.76/l), owing to the greater need for processing.

Originality/value

Production costs derived from the method used have received little attention. This paper presents data that allow for the transference between academic and industrial ambit and their economic viability.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 125 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 May 2021

Yasmina Alvarez-Gonzalez

This article focuses on the study of the shaping of pedagogy as a discipline in Spain prior to the Civil War. Its aim is to identify those elements that helped pedagogy become…

Abstract

Purpose

This article focuses on the study of the shaping of pedagogy as a discipline in Spain prior to the Civil War. Its aim is to identify those elements that helped pedagogy become constituted as a distinct field of knowledge that could offer rigorous insight into the world of education.

Design/methodology/approach

The article uses the framework proposed by Rita Hofstetter and Bernard Schneuwly for the shaping of a disciplinary field. Finally, it briefly examines the process of professionalization, using the approach advocated by the sociologist Elliott Freidson.

Findings

The analysis carried out concludes that at the outbreak of the Civil War in 1936 the process of professionalization and consolidation of pedagogy as a discipline had been completed in Spain.

Originality/value

The article presents the originality of reinterpreting the elements offered by Spanish history of education in the light of an international theoretical framework. This allows a new understanding of the process of constitution of pedagogy as a disciplinary field while offering the international public a case study according to international standards.

Details

History of Education Review, vol. 51 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0819-8691

Keywords

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