The dynamics of individual teacher autonomy: A case study of teachers' work in a Queensland secondary school

The emphasis on collegiality and collaboration in the literature on teachers' work and school reform has tended to underplay the significance of teacher autonomy. This thesis explores the dynamics of teachers' understandings and experiences of individual teacher autonomy (as contrasted with collective autonomy) in an independent school in Queensland which promoted itself as a 'teachers' school' with a strong commitment to individual teacher autonomy. The research was a case study which drew on methodological signposts from critical, feminist and traditional ethnography. Intensive fieldwork in the school over five months incorporated the ethnographic techniques of observation, interviews and document analysis. Teachers at Thornton College understood their experience of individual autonomy at three interrelated levels--in terms of their work in the classroom, their working life in the school, and their voice in the decision-making processes of the school. They felt that they experienced a great deal of individual autonomy at each of these three levels. These understandings and experiences of autonomy were encumbered or enabled by a range of internal and external stakeholder groups. There were also a number of structural influences (community perceptions, market forces, school size, time and bureaucracy) emerging from the economic, social and political structures in Australian society which influenced the experience of autonomy by teachers. The experience of individual teacher autonomy was constantly shifting, but there were some emergent patterns. Consensus on educational goals and vision, and strong expressions of trust and respect between teachers and stakeholders in the school, characterised the contexts in which teachers felt they experienced high levels of autonomy in their work. The demand for accountability and desire for relatedness motivated stakeholders and structural forces to influence teacher autonomy. Some significant gaps emerged between the rhetoric of a commitment to individual teacher autonomy and decision-making practices in the school, that gave ultimate power to the co-principals. Despite the rhetoric and promotion of non-hierarchical structures and collaborative decision-making processes, many teachers perceived that their experience of individual autonomy remained subject to the exercise of 'partial democracy' by school leaders.

Kestävä kehitys globaalin ajan hyvinvointiyhteiskunnan haasteena

The objective of the dissertation was to determine the concept of sustainable development according to current understanding and to analyze the structuration of sustainable daily life and how it varies between different groups. The present dissertation is both a literature-based theoretical study and data-based empirical research. The theoretical framework of the study was a greated model of the Structuration of Sustainability in Everyday Life. The model is based on a synthesis of Giddens Theory of Structuration (1984), Spaargaren JA van Vliet's Theory of Consumption as Social Practices (2000) and principles of sustainable development. According to the model created, sustainable everyday life is generated in a context of internal and external factors compromising the interests of ecosystems, society and business. The literature used in the thesis included international and national statements on sustainable development and research into sustainability and the transition to sustainable societies. The data were collected at Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences. The discretionary sample consisted of students of social services (n = 210) and were collected using the semantic differential technique. The data were analyzed using quantitative and qualitative methods. The results showed that the value placed on ecological, economic and social sustainability increased with age. Activity in non governmental organizations was associated with the acceptance of sustainable development as a whole and especially with global responsibility. Women's everyday life promoted sustainability more than men´s. People living in Helsinki had more sustainable ways of living than those living in the surrounding municipalities because of greater recycling and the low importance given to ownership. Prefering vegetarian food turned out to be a real opportunity for a more sustainable way of living because there were few barriers identified. Contradictory human behavior occurred when advanced sustainable consumer were ready to risk their health. The importance of communality was high and it was considered an aspect of health. The most significant obstacles to sustainable development in daily life were high costs, lack of knowledge and busyness. Similar attitudes towards sustainable development translate into different people´s behavior, which indicates complexities of the behaviour change in the context of sustainable development. The role of non governmental organizations is significant in increasing global responsibility. Education presents an opportunity to increase sustainability, but there are challenges to face from system thinking and in understanding entities in a state of transition towards sustainable everyday life. The responsibility of policy makers is paramount because high costs create a barrier to a sustainable way of living. The implementation of the concept of sustainable development should be focused on the planetary ethics which cover humans, animals, plants and ecosystems. Keywords: Sustainable development, sustainable thinking, behaviour change  

'Create a Better Online You': Designing online learning resources to develop undergraduate social media skills

This article charts the development of the 'Create a Better Online You' (CBOY) project. The focus of CBOY was the social media skills of undergraduate students at QUT. While many students will have encountered 'cybersafety' training in primary or secondary school, however, a comprehensive environmental scan revealed little in the way of social media resources targeted at undergraduate students. In particular, there was little to no focus on the ways in which social media could be used strategically to develop a positive online reputation and enhance chances of employability post tertiary education. The resources created as part of CBOY were the result of a comprehensive literature review, environmental scan, interviews with key internal and external stakeholders, and in discussion with undergraduate students at Queensland University of Technology (QUT). Following the comprehensive environmental scan, it appears that CBOY represents one of the first free, openly accessible, interactive resources targeting the social media skills of undergraduates.

Tiedon jakaminen tiimityössä

Knowledge-sharing in a teamwork The study examines the link between knowledge-sharing that takes place in a team and the dimensions and objectives of the team s activities. The question the study poses is: How does knowledge-sharing in a team relate to the team s activities? The exchange of knowledge is examined using knowledge-sharing networks and the conversion model, which describes the process of knowledge formation. The answer to the question is sought through four empirical articles describing the activities of a team from the viewpoint of quality, fairness, power related to knowledge management, and performance. One of the articles used in the study describes the role of networks in work life more generally. It attempts to shed light on the manner in which team-related networks operate as part of a more extensive structure of organizational networks. Finland is one of the most eager users of teamwork, if numbers are used as a yardstick. About half of all Finnish wage earners worked in teams in 2009, and comparisons show that the use of teams in Finland is above the EU average. This study focuses on so-called semi-autonomous teams, which carry out permanent work tasks. In such teams, tasks are interdependent, and teams are jointly responsible for ensuring that the work is done. Team members may also, at least to some extent, agree between themselves on how the tasks are carried out and are able to take part in the decision-making process. Such teamwork makes knowledge-sharing an important element for the team s activities. Knowledge and knowledge-sharing have become a major resource, allowing organizations to operate and even compete in today s increasingly competitive markets. A single team or a single organization cannot, however, possess all the knowledge required for carrying out the tasks assigned to it. Although it is difficult to copy the knowledge generated in an organization, it is important to share the knowledge within and between organizations. External links supply teams and organizations with important knowledge that allows them to keep their operations up-to-date and their structures well-functioning. In fact, knowledge provides teams and organizations with an intangible resource that improves their capacity to interact with their environment and to adjust to it. For this reason, it is important to examine both the internal and external knowledge-sharing taking place in a team. The findings of the study show that in terms of quality, fairness, performance and the knowledge management issues concerning a team, its social network structure is both internally and externally connected with its activities. A team structure that is internally coherent and at the same time open to external contacts, is, with certain restrictions, connected with the quality, fairness, and performance of the team. The restrictions concern differences between procedural and interactional justice, public and private sectors, and the team leaders and ordinary team members. The role of the team leader is closely connected with the management of networks that are considered valuable. The results of the study indicate that teamwork is supervisor-dominated. Thus, teamwork does not substantially strengthen the influence of individual employees as players in knowledge-transfer networks. However, ordinary team members possess important peer contacts inside the organization. Teamwork clearly allows employees to interact in a democratic manner, and here the transfer of tacit knowledge plays an important role. Keywords: teamwork, knowledge-sharing, social networks, organization

The Temporal Landscape of Residential Aged Care Facilities – Implications for Context-Sensitive Health Technology

Health information technology (IT) can have a profound effect on the temporal flow and organisation of work. Yet research into the context, meaning and significance of temporal factors remains limited, most likely because of its complexity. This study outlines the role of communications in the context of the temporal and organizational landscape of seven Australian residential aged care facilities displaying a range of information exchange practices and health IT capacity. The study used qualitative and observational methods to identify temporal factors associated with internal and external modes of communication across the facilities and to explore the use of artifacts. The study concludes with a depiction of the temporal landscape of residential aged care particularly in regards to the way that work is allocated, prioritized, sequenced and coordinated. We argue that the temporal landscape involves key context-sensitive factors that are critical to understanding the way that humans accommodate to, and deal with health technologies, and which are therefore important for the delivery of safe and effective care.

How do construction firms learn on collaborative infrastructure projects?

Construction firms that employ collaborative procurement approaches develop operating routines through joint learning so as to improve infrastructure project performance. This paper reports a study based on a survey sample of 320 construction practitioners which were involved in collaborative infrastructure delivery in Australia. The study developed valid and reliable scales for measuring collaborative learning capability (CLC), and used the scales to evaluate the CLC of contractor and consultant firms within the sample. The evaluation suggests that whilst these firms explore knowledge from both internal and external sources, transform both explicit and tacit knowledge, and apply and internalise new knowledge, they can improve the extent to which these routines are applied to optimise project performance.

Raman effect of corundum

The Raman effect of corundum (sapphire) was measured with an Ar+ laser source. The seven expected Raman active phonons were found and their symmetry characters determined. Assignment of the internal and external vibrations of the crystals was made and the effect of birefringence in the Raman selection rules is discussed.

Nationalism Circumscribed : Transnational Governance of Minority Rights in Post-Cold War Europe

For the past two centuries, nationalism has been among the most influential legitimizing principles of political organization. According to its simple definition, nationalism is a principle or a way of thinking and acting which holds that the world is divided into nations, and that national and political units should be congruent. Nationalism can thus be divided into two aspects: internal and external. Internally, the political units, i.e., states, should be made up of only one nation. Externally each nation-state should be sovereign. Transnational national governance of rights of national minorities violates both these principles. This study explores the formation, operation, and effectiveness of the European post-Cold War minorities system. The study identifies two basic approaches to minority rights: security and justice. These approaches have been used to legitimize international minority politics and they also inform the practice of transnational governance. The security approach is based on the recognition that the norm of national self-determination cannot be fulfilled in all relevant cases, and so minority rights are offered as a compensation to the dissatisfied national groups, reducing their aspiration to challenge the status quo. From the justice perspective, minority rights are justified as a compensatory strategy against discrimination caused by majority nation-building. The research concludes that the post-Cold War minorities system was justified on the basis of a particular version of the security approach, according to which only Eastern European minority situations are threatening because of the ethnic variant of nationalism that exists in that region. This security frame was essential in internationalising minority issues and justifying the swift development of norms and institutions to deal with these issues. However, from the justice perspective this approach is problematic, since it justified double standards in European minority politics. Even though majority nation-building is often detrimental to minorities also in Western Europe, Western countries can treat their minorities more or less however they choose. One of the main contributions of this thesis is the detailed investigation of the operation of the post-Cold War minorities system. For the first decade since its creation in the early 1990s, the system operated mainly through its security track, which is based on the field activities of the OSCE that are supported by the EU. The study shows how the effectiveness of this track was based on inter-organizational cooperation in which various transnational actors compensate for each other s weaknesses. After the enlargement of the EU and dissolution of the membership conditionality this track, which was limited to Eastern Europe from the start, has become increasingly ineffective. Since the EU enlargement, the focus minorities system has shifted more and more towards its legal track, which is based on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (Council of Europe). The study presents in detail how a network of like-minded representatives of governments, international organizations, and independent experts was able strengthen the framework convention s (originally weak) monitoring system considerably. The development of the legal track allows for a more universal and consistent, justice-based approach to minority rights in contemporary Europe, but the nationalist principle of organization still severely hinders the materialization of this possibility.

Rapid Synthesis of Ultrahigh Adsorption Capacity Zirconia by a Solution Combustion Technique

Tetragonal ZrO2 was synthesized by the solution combustion technique using glycine as the fuel. The compound was characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, and BET surface area analysis. The ability of this compound to adsorb dyes was investigated, and the compound had a higher adsorption capacity than commercially activated carbon. Infrared spectroscopic observations were used to determine the various interactions and the groups responsible for the adsorption activity of the compound. The effects of the initial concentration of the dye, temperature, adsorbent concentration, and pH of the solution were studied. The kinetics of adsorption was described as a first-order process, and the relative magnitudes of internal and external mass transfer processes were determined. The equilibrium adsorption was also determined and modeled by a composite Langmuir-Freundlich isotherm.

Las mujeres mozárabes : identidades híbridas y campo de acción del colectivo femenino entre Al- Andalus y la cristianidad

Resumen: La historia de los mozárabes de la Península Ibérica ha sido abordada desde múltiples perspectivas. Sin embargo, la situación de las mujeres de este colectivo no ha sido objeto de mayores estudios. El propósito del presente trabajo será realizar un primer acercamiento a la situación de las mujeres mozárabes, sus características y sus posibilidades de actuación tanto bajo las leyes islámicas, como bajo las normas cristianas. El análisis de esta cuestión se realizará teniendo en cuenta la naturaleza plástica de la identidad mozárabe, como así también el conjunto de normas internas y externas al grupo que modelaron sus posibilidades de acción.

La caridad como amor de amistad

Resumen: En este artículo queremos explicar un aspecto de la concepción tomista de la caridad. Verla como amor de amistad. Para ello, primero vamos a investigar la teoría aristotélica de la amistad, como la expone en la Ética a Eudemo y la Ética a Nicómaco. Recurrimos a Aristóteles, ya que es la culminación griega acerca de la reflexión sobre la amistad. Santo Tomás se servirá de la noción aristotélica de la amistad, para explicar la caridad como amor de amistad. Explica que la caridad permite vivir una amistad intensa con Dios y con el prójimo. El acto propio de la caridad, así como sus efectos interiores y exteriores, se entienden más plenamente al captarlos como otros tantos actos de amistad

Caso práctico: La Planificación Estratégica del Museo Guggenheim Bilbao desde una perspectiva de Marketing

[ES] La dimensión del mercado turístico y dentro de éste el mercado turístico cultural no deja de crecer y desarrollarse. En algunas regiones su importancia ha sido vital al servir como motor al propio desarrollo económico de la zona. Éste ha sido el caso del fenómeno conocido como Museo Guggenheim que ha contribuido de una forma clara e importante al desarrollo económico de la zona del Gran Bilbao y ha servido de ejemplo para intentar el mismo modelo con mayor o menor éxito en diferentes zonas de España.

Actitud de los niños de educación primaria hacia las matemáticas

Actualmente la actitud de los alumnos hacia las matemáticas está siendo cuestionada debido al bajo rendimiento que muestran las últimas investigaciones. En este trabajo se presentan los resultados obtenidos de la investigación y posterior análisis sobre la actitud de los alumnos de Educación Primaria hacia la materia. Para ello, se ha ideado un cuestionario teniendo en cuenta variables internas y externas. Como resultado se ha concluido que tanto el perfil del profesor como la metodología empleada influyen en la actitud del alumnado y como consecuencia de ello en su rendimiento.

125 Jahre Deutsche Fischereiforschung

In the year of its foundation, in 1870, the German Fisheries Association proposed that a commission should be formed for the strengthening of the German coastal and high sea fisheries by research. The resulting Prussian "Commission zur Erforschung der Deutschen Meere" Commission for Scientific Research on German Seas) in Kiel started its work on July 13th, 1870. With 125 years of organization and scientific continuity, the original institutions were transformed by internal and external influences into the Bundesforschungsanstalt für Fischerei and the Deutsche Wissenschaftliche Kommission für Meeresforschung (Federal Research Center for Fisheries; German Scientific Commission for Marine Research) of today. Their actual fisheries research is of special importance due to the background of increased fisheries activities against decreasing fish stocks.

Feira de São Cristóvão: uma incursão sobre os estudos na área e a tentativa de aproximação à relação global-local

O presente trabalho se propõe fazer uma aproximação aos estudos sobre a tradicionalmente chamada Feira de São Cristóvão, levando em consideração a relação entre os agentes partícipes e a dinâmica no espaço. O objetivo é compreender melhor a força que move os atores no sentido da mudança da forma da feira para a forma do Centro Luiz Gonzaga de Tradições Nordestinas (CLGTN), e assim me aproximar da seguinte questão: Por que uma forma de comércio como a modelada na Feira de São Cristóvão, popularmente conhecida como feira dos paraíbas, sobrevive à força das mudanças operadas no ramo, dando lugar aos sofistificados shopping-centers? Para isso, faço uma aproximação ao estado de arte da pesquisa na área com base nas seguintes categorias de análise: a Feira como forma de produção do espaço e a relação Forma-Conteúdo, a relação espaço-identidade na feira e a relação entre agentes internos e externos no Espaço. Vendo a migração como movimento responsável pela constituição de um espaço social e territorialmente diferenciado do nordestino na cidade do Rio de Janeiro, é por ela que inicio a exposição. Esta se continua com a análise dos trabalhos escolhidos para estudo, via as categorias indicadas e, com um capítulo no qual procuro repensar a feira a partir da relação global-local que vem referenciando as reflexões acumuladas na área do urbano a partir da segunda metade do século XX. Por fim, concluo observando que a permanência da feira se deve a um duplo movimento de resistência-absorção que, se redefinindo no tempo e no espaço, não consegue, entretanto, apagar os traços da tradição que lhe deu origem.