Patricia L. Baratta and Jeffrey R. Spence
The multidimensional structure of boredom poses unique measurement challenges related to scale length and statistical modeling. We systematically address these concerns in two…
Abstract
The multidimensional structure of boredom poses unique measurement challenges related to scale length and statistical modeling. We systematically address these concerns in two studies. In Study 1, we use item response theory to shorten the 29-item Multidimensional State Boredom Scale (MSBS) (Fahlman et al., 2013). In Study 2, we use structural equation modeling to compare two theoretically consistent multidimensional structures of boredom (superordinate and multivariate) with the most commonly used, yet theoretically inconsistent, structure in boredom research (unidimensional parallel model). Our findings provide support for modeling boredom as multidimensional and demonstrate the impact of model selection on effect sizes and significance.
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The large, all‐purpose local authorities established by the Local Government Re‐organization Act, 1972, for England and Wales—Scottish local government re‐organization is yet to…
Abstract
The large, all‐purpose local authorities established by the Local Government Re‐organization Act, 1972, for England and Wales—Scottish local government re‐organization is yet to be completed—are operative; members have long since been elected and organization and staffing, if not complete, at least ready to commence. It is certainly the greatest upheaval since urban and rural sanitary authorities were set up about the middle of the last century. The last change of any magnitude was in 1934; small, however, compared with 1974. At that time, there were 62 county councils, 83 county boroughs and nearly 300 municipal boroughs, 29 metropolitan boroughs, more than 600 urban and about 500 rural districts; roughly 1,600 local authorities. The tremendous reduction in authorities by the present re‐organization illustrates the extent of the upheaval.
P. Webb, S. Eastwood, N. Jayaweera and Y. Chen
Describes the application of standard industrial robots to the assembly and riveting of aerostructure sub‐assemblies.
Abstract
Purpose
Describes the application of standard industrial robots to the assembly and riveting of aerostructure sub‐assemblies.
Design/methodology/approach
Describes the design and operation of special purpose end‐effectors for assembly and solid riveting and their integration in an aerostructure sub‐assembly fabrication cell. The robots are controlled by a novel control system which allows the cell to compensate for distortion and misalignment of the components.
Findings
Demonstrates that with advanced control standard industrial robots can be used to assemble aerostructure sub‐assemblies.
Originality/value
Introduces techniques for compensating for the inherent distortion that occurs in airframe components during manufacture. This is an enabling technology that will significantly increase the number of possible applications for robots in the assembly of aerostructures.
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June 10, 1966 Master and servant — Wrongful dismissal — Damages — Joint managing director — Offer of employment as assistant managing director at same emolument — Whether…
Abstract
June 10, 1966 Master and servant — Wrongful dismissal — Damages — Joint managing director — Offer of employment as assistant managing director at same emolument — Whether reasonable to refuse — Relevance of circumstances of dismissal — Whether attempts to find other employment reasonable.
Thomas F. Luschei and Gayle S. Christensen
We examine how school districts in California help their high schools respond to state accountability requirements. We discovered two contrasting forms of district interventions…
Abstract
We examine how school districts in California help their high schools respond to state accountability requirements. We discovered two contrasting forms of district interventions: those aiming to increase schools’ internal coherence and those encouraging direct but narrower responses to state requirements. Drawing on interviews in six districts and eight high schools, we find that many district efforts focus on immediate responses to state requirements to raise test scores. Yet, our analysis suggests that without strong district efforts to increase internal coherence, interventions aimed at eliciting school responses will be less beneficial over time.
This paper aims to provide insight into the strategies used by leaders of graduate school preparation programs for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to provide insight into the strategies used by leaders of graduate school preparation programs for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to recruit and retain graduate students of color within STEM fields.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper is a qualitative multiple-case study using a snowball sample and semi-structured interview protocol. Twenty interviews were conducted.
Findings
Graduate program leaders use particular strategies to increase diversity and inclusion within graduate STEM education, and these strategies are strongly influenced by their institutional context. The most common strategies include collaboration, mapping the political terrain, evaluation, mediation, persistence, persuasion, networking in and outside of the institution, strategic planning, bargaining and negotiation, reaching out to the greater campus, and coalition building and developing allies.
Research limitations/implications
All of the institutions in this study were public research institutions. Further inquiry is needed on more diverse types of institutions.
Practical implications
The results of this study can be used by institutional and STEM program leaders who wish to increase diversity and inclusion.
Social implications
This research study raises awareness about an under-studied group of leaders, as well as the importance of considering context when developing strategic plans for increasing diversity and inclusion for STEM.
Originality/value
This study is unique because while graduate school preparation programs have become an important strategy for addressing diversity in STEM fields, research on these programs usually focuses only on student outcomes. This study provides rare insight into what is required to implement, sustain and expand these kind of diversity programs.
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Million Dollar Baby displays a contrived, provocative, and dramatic sequence of events that culminates in the death of a paralyzed woman, Maggie (played by Hilary Swank), a boxer…
Abstract
Million Dollar Baby displays a contrived, provocative, and dramatic sequence of events that culminates in the death of a paralyzed woman, Maggie (played by Hilary Swank), a boxer by trade, who became a quadriplegic after her opponent “cold-cocked” her during a championship fight. The cheap shot caused her to fall on her wooden stool and break her neck. She calls upon her trainer, Frankie (played by Clint Eastwood), to kill her through an injection of adrenaline. Maggie claims that she has already died in that she can never be a boxer, which represents the only self she knows and loves. Ignoring Frankie's efforts to dissuade her, Maggie evokes a story from their shared past. The story, first told in a diner in which Maggie and Frankie had stopped to eat, described her own father's decision to kill the family dog. She iterates the story from her hospital bed and begs Frankie to do what her dad (to whom Maggie refers as “daddy”) did to the dog. In effect, she asks Frankie to assist her suicide, as she defines herself as useless beyond any reason to live.
This chapter seeks to investigate the role of student emotional intelligence (EI) in countering in-class cyberloafing behaviour by students, by exploring the mediating role of…
Abstract
This chapter seeks to investigate the role of student emotional intelligence (EI) in countering in-class cyberloafing behaviour by students, by exploring the mediating role of boredom proneness through a quantitative approach. A sample of 163 postgraduate university students in India was selected. The authors assessed the mediation model using PROCESS macro. The authors found that students who are more aware of their emotions are better equipped to handle internal and external distractions and work towards a desired goal or outcome and therefore are less likely to experience boredom. Results from this study revealed a significant direct and indirect negative relationship between students’ EI and cyberloafing behaviour. This chapter contributes to the body of literature by highlighting the positive effects of EI as an important antidote to student cyberloafing behaviour. On the practical front, the findings of this study can be used by academicians who are charged with the responsibility of understanding and enhancing student learning by diminishing cyberloafing behaviour among them. The proposed framework could provide a foundation for countering cyberloafing behaviour in educational settings.