Higher education development and knowledge economy optimism in Ethiopia

Higher education has been assigned new global importance. It is now the vehicle of choice for nations seeking to increase their competitiveness in an expanding knowledge economy. In developing nations, higher education has also been linked to goals to reduce poverty, under the influence of transnational aid agencies such as the World Bank and its knowledge-driven poverty reduction strategies. Drawing on Amartya Sen’s capability approach to development, this paper argues that this instrumentalization of higher education produces narrow conceptions of development, poverty and knowledge, and an unfounded optimism in ‘knowledge for skills’. The site for this analysis is the development and rapid expansion of Ethiopia’s higher education system, with its antecedents in a centuries-old religious education system but with more recent beginnings in the 1950s and, since the 1990s, under the influence of the World Bank. At stake are opportunity and process freedoms and the deprivation of capability (i.e. poverty) resulting from the constraint of these, evident in the nation’s higher education system. The paper concludes that without concerted efforts to redress injustices and to protect and expand people’s freedom, Ethiopian higher education has little to contribute to national socio-economic transformation agendas.

Does school health and home economics education influence adults' food knowledge?

Home economics and health teachers are to be found in many parts of the world. They teach students about food in relation to its nutritional, safety and environmental properties. The effects of such teaching might be expected to be reflected in the food knowledge of adults who have undertaken school education in these areas. This study examined the food knowledge associations of school home economics and health education among Australian adults. Two separate online surveys were conducted nationwide among 2022 (November 2011) and 2146 Australian adults (November-December 2012). True/false and multiple choice questions in both surveys were used to assess nutrition, food safety and environmental knowledge. Knowledge scores were constructed and compared against respondents' experience of school health or home economics education via multiple regression analyses. The results from both studies showed that home economics (and similar) education was associated with higher levels of food knowledge among several age groups. The associations of home economics education with food knowledge differed across several Australian states and recall of home economics themes differed across the age groups. These findings suggest that home economics education may bring about long-lasting learning of food knowledge. Further research is required, however, to confirm the findings and to test the causal influence of home economics education on adults' food knowledge.

The associations of vegetable consumption with food mavenism, personal values, food knowledge and demographic factors

Background: Poor dietary choices, in particular low consumption of fruits and vegetables are associated with the prevalence of diet related diseases. Ways to increase consumption are urgently required. This paper examines the associations of demographic, psychographic and food knowledge variables with reported vegetable consumption. Methods: An online questionnaire was administered in late 2012 to a national sample 2146 Australians who were selected to represent the Australian population in terms of age, sex, education and location of residence. It was divided into sections which assessed food knowledge, food involvement, food mavenism, personal values and personality factors, demographic characteristics and reported consumption of 13 vegetables and the total number of servings of vegetables per day. Principal components analyses of the individual vegetable consumption ratings derived three forms of vegetable consumption scores. These and total serving per day were used as dependent variables in a structural equation model to identify pathways between them and their likely antecedents. Major findings: Three types of vegetable consumption were formed:. Salad vegetables (onion, tomato and lettuce);. Dinner vegetables (carrot, peas and beans); and 'Green' vegetables (cabbage, spinach broccoli and cauliflower). Food mavenism, food knowledge, food involvement and equality-universalist values mediated the relationships between demographics and conscientiousness and the vegetable consumption variables. Conclusions: The three types of vegetable consumption and total servings per day were associated with different antecedent pathways. The mediating roles of food mavenism, food knowledge, food involvement and equality-universalist values may present opportunities for health promotion and the horticultural industry to increase population vegetable intake. Further research is required to test these associations via experimental and longitudinal studies and qualitative investigation of the meaning and place of the three forms of vegetable consumption in people's daily lives is recommended.

Effects of knowledge management on client-vendor relationship quality : the mediating role of global mindset

Purpose: This study argues that knowledge management (KM) by itself has only limited effects on client–vendor relationship (CVR) of global providers of highly customised services. Rather, it is the ability of top management to properly evaluate and utilise a vast array of complex knowledge which allows global firms to develop and maintain superior CVR. The paper tests the proposition that global mindset (GM) of top management mediates the effects of KM on CVR quality. Design/methodology/approach: The paper uses survey data from a sample of 68 international service providers (ISPs) in the information technology sector in India and partial least squares approach to structural equation modelling to test the hypotheses. Findings: The results show that both KM and GM have positive and statistically significant effects on the quality of CVRs. The results also confirm that the GM of top management has significant and substantive mediation effects on the relationship between KM and CVR quality. Research limitations/implications: The small size of the sample and the focus on ISPs in a single country constitute the main limitations of the study. Future research should ideally draw from a larger sample of ISPs from multiple countries and sectors in order to allow for greater generalisation of the findings. Practical implications: ISPs will benefit from developing the GM of their top management teams to enhance their CVRs. Originality/value: The paper provides new insights into how, in an international context, firms can transform their KM into superior CVR quality through the development of GM.

Aligning multiple knowledge perspectives in a health services system : a case study

This chapter reports the results of a feasibility study into electronic collection of service data at “point of delivery” for disability programs. The investigation revealed that while the proposed system would have produced more fine-grained data, it would not have improved any actor’s knowledge of service delivery. The study illustrated the importance of context in the transition from data to knowledge; the diffused and fragmented organisational structure of social service administration was shown to be a major barrier to effective building and sharing of knowledge. There was some value in the collection of detailed service data but this would have damaged the web of relationships which underpinned the system of service delivery and on which the smooth functioning of that system depended. The study recommended an approach to managing the informal and tacit knowledge distributed among many stakeholders, which was not especially technologically advanced but which supported, in a highly situated manner, the various stakeholders in this multi-organisational context.

Challenging the handover : recommendations for research and practice

Communicating nursing care during the patient's total hospital stay is a difficult task to achieve within the context of high patient turnover, a lack of overlap time between shifts, and time constraints. Clear and accurate communication is pivotal to delivering high quality care and should be the gold standard in any clinical setting. Handover is a commonly used communication medium that requires review and critique. This study was conducted in five acute care settings at a major teaching hospital. Using a grounded theory approach, it explored the use of three types of handover techniques (verbal in the office, tape-recorded, and bedside handovers). Data were obtained from semi-structured interviews with nurses and participant field observations. Textual data were managed using NUD-IST. Transcripts were critically reviewed and major themes identified from the three types of handovers that illustrated their strengths and weaknesses. The findings of this study revealed that handover is more than just a forum for communicating patient care. It is also used as a place where nurses can debrief, clarify information and update knowledge. Overall, each type of handover had particular strengths and limitations; however, no one type of handover was appraised as being more effective. Achieving the multiple goals of handover presents researchers and clinicians with a challenging task. It is necessary to explore more creative ways of conducting the handover of patient care, so that an important aspect of nursing practice does not get classified as just another ritual.

Part-time research students: are they producing knowledge where it counts?

Over the past twenty years, in Australia and overseas, there has been a steady growth in the numbers of part-time research students. It is possible to view this as substantially a product of "creeping credentialism" following from the previous growth in part-time coursework Masters degrees. However, research degrees are a different kind of credential and program to coursework degrees. They are not only about research training-- in the sense of teaching people how to conceptualise, plan, undertake, analyse and communicate research--but they are also "tested" by the candidate's production of some new and significant knowledge (especially in doctorates). Therefore, unlike coursework degrees, some new public "good" is created and added to the "stock of knowledge". Common criticisms of the "traditional" PhD research degree, in Australia and overseas, are that it is (now) too narrow and specialised for either the graduate or their research findings to be of utility beyond their specialism, the graduates are limited in their communication and workplace skills, and their employment opportunities are relatively weak, especially given the high costs of their research degrees. However, the rise of part-time candidature and of professional doctorates--commonly involving research in workplaces or professions-- suggests that, if this criticism is valid, it would be unlikely to be valid for part-time PhDs and professional doctorates. This article analyses these criticisms in relation to the ways in which part-time research students are positioned within the knowledge economy. It makes an argument for a greater understanding and analysis of the impact and benefits of part-time doctoral students to the knowledge economy and the public good.

Training young people through a school/enterprise partnership: a longitudinal study

This paper reports a longitudinal study of 58 students who undertook an engineering traineeship concurrent with their final two years of secondary school. The student experience was planned as a partnership arrangement between a manufacturing enterprise, a secondary school, and a post-secondary technical education institution. Results are discussed in terms of completion of studies, employment and career pathways, employment outcomes, and post-traineeship employment destinations. Both the quantitative and qualitative data indicate that participants have benefited significantly in each area investigated. The significance of the program in developing propositional, procedural, and dispositional workplace knowledge is also discussed.

From "try it and see" to strategic exploration: characterizing young children's scientific reasoning

This article explores ways of characterizing different dimensions and levels of scientific reasoning in early elementary school children, in the context of open explorations. The article focuses on children's performance on three probes which involve using evidence to generate and evaluate knowledge claims. A number of dimensions have been used to characterize children's approaches to exploration and knowledge construction, which demonstrate the interrelationship between conceptual knowledge and scientific reasoning. Children differed markedly across these dimensions, yet individual children were relatively consistent in their approach to the tasks. The major differences in performance are linked to fundamental distinctions in the way ideas are viewed in relation to evidence.

"Unfair" results and unfair doctrines : structuring the application of the equitable doctrines of undue influence and unconscionable dealing

Relevance of the substantive matter of an unfair result on the application of the doctrines of transactional fairness - undue influence and unconscionable dealing - need to keep considerations of transactional fairness and substantive fairness separate - case law involving undue influence and unconscionable conduct - relevance of an unfair result for future unconscionable dealing and undue influence cases.

Easier analysis and better reporting : modelling ordinal data in mathematics education research

This article presents an examination of the use of Rasch modelling in a major research project, 'Improving Middle Years Mathematics and Science' (IMYMS). It is unarguable that it is important to take students' perceptions, or views, into account when planning learning and teaching for them. The IMYMS student perceptions survey is an attempt to make visible these student viewpoints, and report them in a way that is accessible to teachers and researchers involved in the project. The project involves four clusters of schools from urban and regions of Victoria to investigate the role of mathematics and science knowledge and subject cultures in mediating change processes in the middle years of schooling. There are five secondary and twenty-eight primary schools. The project has generated both qualitative and quantitative data, with much of the qualitative data being ordinal in nature. Reporting the results of analyses for a range of audiences necessitates careful, well-designed report formats. Some useful new report formats based on Rasch modeling -the Modified Variable Map, the Ordinal Map, the Threshold Map, and the Annotated Ordinal Map - are illustrated using data from the IMYMS project. The Rasch analysis and the derived reporting formats avoid the pitfalls that exist when working with ordinal data and provide insights into the respondents' views about their experiences in schools unavailable by other approaches.

Can knowledge management save regional development?

Australia needs to create innovative regions to sustain economic prosperity and regional development. In order to do this, regions will need to systematically address their knowledge needs and identify tools that are appropriate in maximising their effectiveness. Many initiatives have focused on information and communication technology (ICT) to enable knowledge exchange and stimulate knowledge generation, but active knowledge management (KM) strategies are required if ICTs are to be used effectively. These strategies must respond to the regional economic and social environments which incorporate small and medium enterprises (SMEs). This paper outlines the importance of KM for supporting regional cluster development and the key ways in which communities of practice (CoPs), a KM technique, have been used to add value in similar contexts. How CoPs and their online counterpart, virtual communities of practice (VCoPs), can be used and developed in regional areas of Australia is considered along with a program for further research.

Using the results of diagnostic testing to promote mathematical pedagogical knowledge

Teachers require a range of knowledge bases, including both content knowledge and pedagogical knowledge (Shulman, 1986). In recent times there have been calls from a variety of sources for teacher preparation courses to improve the mathematical knowledge of teachers, particularly primary teachers. These calls have been underlined by the recent formation of bodies such as the Institutes of Teachers in Victoria and NSW, as well as the development of teaching standards by professional bodies including the Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers. Rather than simply adopt a "back-to-basics" approach, work is required that uses the results of educational research to design courses that help pre-service students to understand how and why errors are made (by themselves and by children in their own classrooms). Diagnostic testing of preservice students is the first step in the process. However, it is not enough to simply test students and to remediate their misconceptions. Instead, the aim is to use the results of the testing to improve students' pedagogical knowledge as well as their subject content knowledge. This paper outlines one approach to the use of diagnostic testing with pre-service students and how the results can be used to assist in the development of pedagogical knowledge.

Considering the receiver in knowledge sharing: when the receiver seems ready the sharer appears

The knowledge needs and knowledge-related behaviours of receivers are among the most crucial, yet of ten overlooked, aspects of successful knowledge-sharing. This research examines how sharers consider receivers' knowledge needs and knowledge-related behaviours when choosing whether to share their knowledge and which channels to use for the transmission of that knowledge. A new theory of knowledge sharing - Receiver Theory - is introduced, and a receiver-based model of knowledge sharing is developed from existing literature. Two exploratory case studies are conducted using the model as a guiding framework. A key finding shows that perceived receiver knowledge needs and behaviours are Important motivators and inhibitors in sharer choices in intra-organisational knowledge sharing. This finding was suggested for both personalised and codified knowledge sharing strategies. The study suggests that for companies to realise more effective knowledge sharing, they should develop better ways to connect potential sharers with receivers' real knowledge needs. The study also suggests that sharing on a need-to know basis impedes change In organisational power structures and prevents the integration of isolated pockets of knowledge that may yield new value.

Toward an integrative role for intranets : an interpretive case study of intranet-based dynamic knowledge integration in socio-technical networks

An increasing challenge for contemporary businesses is to be able to respond to perceived opportunities and threats by dynamically integrating knowledge dispersed across and beyond the organisation. This paper provides findings from two interpretive case studies that illustrate how corporate intranets can be dynamically interwoven with other knowledge technologies in socio-technical networks (STNs) to integrate distributed formal and infonnal knowledge. A key finding suggests that businesses should carefully examine employee use of intranets for dynamic knowledge integration, and any implications stemming from this new integrative role for intranets. The paper also provides a theoretical framework for dynamic knowledge integration in STNs, which can underpin future research in this area.