Holding space for reflective supervisory praxis

Praxis is the bread and butter of education professionals. We know some stuff, we do some stuff, we think about the stuff we did in light of the stuff we know (and perhaps the stuff we have assumed), we develop modified stuff to do. And so on. If that sounds like a flippant rehash of Kolb’s reflective cycle (1984) or Argyris and Schön (1974) double loop learning, that is, of course, because it is.This blogpost reflects on the praxis of two intertwined sets of education professionals – Doctoral Supervisors and Researcher Developers. In this instance, the Supervisors were working towards UK Council for Graduate Education (UKCGE) Supervisor Recognition Award for their reflective supervisory practice. The Researcher Developers (us) were facilitating a reading/writing/discussion group to help Supervisors find time, scholarly literature, and a peer community to do the difficult work of reflection and writing. For the most part we are going to take for granted the importance of supervisory pedagogy (richly covered in, for example Taylor and Kiley, 2025) and instead focus on our own practitioner research “from within the doing of professional practice” (Simon, 2022)

Pricing dynamics in trade-in-enabled closed-loop supply chains under predetermined acquisition costs

Closed-loop supply chains (CLSC) have become pivotal in advancing sustainability within industries by encompassing the entire lifecycle of products, from production to recycling or remanufacturing. This study examines the role of trade-in programs in CLSC, where customers are incentivized to return used products in exchange for value. These programs are vital for minimizing waste and reducing production costs while enhancing corporate sustainability initiatives. However, challenges persist, particularly in setting optimal pricing strategies for remanufactured products. The study contributes to highlighting the critical role of acquisition cost, i.e., payments made to customers for returning products, influencing the demand and profitability of trade-in programs. A numerical and sensitivity analysis is conducted to explore the impact of varying acquisition costs on overall supply chain performance. The findings offer valuable insights for industries aiming to balance economic viability with environmental responsibility

Getting the Inactive Active:Barriers to Physical Inactivity and Potential Policy Solutions

This report presents the results of research which explored what could be done differently to address existing structural disadvantages and increase levels of participation in physical activity. The research explores the current social, political, cultural and economic barriers that limit engagement in physical activity and, through interviews with key stakeholders, identifies potential solutions to increase engagement.<br/

An ethnographic exploration of homophobic chants in English Premier League Stadia:the paradox of being accepted and included

Through first-hand experiences, observation, and an adapted theoretical framework using concepts devised by Goffman (1959, 1969), this study investigates how fans view homophobic chants within football stadiums. The core theoretical concepts of dramaturgy, impression management and ‘front stage’ and ‘backstage’ regions of performance have been used to help conceptualise the data collected through participant observation and semi-structured interviews. The research aim for this project was to critically explore homophobic chants in the English Premier League (EPL), through the perspective of male, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and other sexually diverse people (LGBTQ+) football fans aged 18-35 years old. The novelty of this study lies in the exploration of how specifically male identifying LGBTQ+ football fans perceive homophobia and chant-based abuse during football matches. Findings included fear of safety prevented challenging homophobia in the stands, and ‘frontstage’ performances that were used. The paper introduces a new theoretical concept of the acceptance and inclusion paradox in the context of male gay football fans in England and considers how 1 this may provide a useful exploratory tool for exploring nuances and transgressive behaviours around accepting homophobia

Parental beliefs towards the inclusion of autistic children in mainstream schools

Research has examined teacher attitudes, knowledge, and stigma towards inclusion of autistic children in mainstream schools. Less focus has been given to these beliefs among parents. This is problematic as parents are important in the implementation of inclusion and fostering a positive school environment. The current study examined differences in autism attitudes, knowledge, stigma, and inclusive education attitudes (core perspective; expected outcomes; classroom practices) among parents with and without an autistic child; The study also investigated whether autism knowledge, attitudes and stigma predicted inclusion attitudes. 185 parents in the UK (52% had an autistic child) completed questionnaires measuring these variables. Parents of an autistic child had significantly higher core perspective inclusive attitudes than parents without an autistic child. However, this group also reported more beliefs that parents of autistic children are stigmatised. For all parents, core perspective inclusive attitudes were predicted by autism attitudes and stigma towards parents of autistic children. Predictors of expected outcomes and classroom practices inclusive attitudes differed between groups. Findings highlight the need for parental attitude research to be disability-specific and consider different aspects of inclusive attitudes. Parent education to enhance inclusive attitudes should be tailored for distinct parent groups and contact interventions should be considered

Housing adequacy in Delhi, Dhaka and Karachi:strategies for promoting sustainable and inclusive housing

Access to adequate housing is one of the major challenges in the rapidly urbanising megacities of the Indian subcontinent. This study examines variations in housing adequacy and its determinants in Delhi, Dhaka and Karachi. It investigates potential planning interventions to improve housing conditions, drawing on urban policies, programmes and insights from Demographic and Health Surveys. Findings reveal severe housing inadequacy, with four out of ten households living in inadequate housing. Notably, certain socio-cultural disadvantaged communities experience exceptionally poor housing conditions. Income inequality is identified as the most important factor contributing to housing inadequacy, followed by inhabitants' socio-cultural backgrounds and educational attainment. Dhaka and Karachi have made considerable progress in housing adequacy, whereas Delhi's progress has stalled. A key challenge remains the need to expand living spaces, although Dhaka also requires improvement in urban amenities. To achieve sustainable and inclusive housing, it is crucial to enhance access to adequate living spaces, particularly among disadvantaged communities, establish interlinkages between housing adequacy and socio-economic conditions and reimagine urban governance systems

Security challenges on business and economy:_"Entrepreneurship in a fragile state of Burundi”

Background: Burundi is a country which has been deeply affected by political instability, and low-intensity conflict causing a lack of jobs, slowing economic recovery, and poverty reduction with entrepreneurship playing a vital role in most Burundian entrepreneurs’ survival (IFC, 2022; Nintunze, Bigirimana, 2021). Nkurunziza (2022) argues that state fragility in Burundi is caused by poor strategies and policies of its political leaders, who are motivated by personal interests, such as state rent extraction which maintains a lack of security. Nziku and Bikorimana (2024) comment on poor policies and strategies that are gender blind and not fit for the purpose and lack support. The purpose of this study is to critically investigate the impact of security challenges on entrepreneurship in the fragile state of Burundi. To achieve this aim, researchers have designed three research objectives: a) to examine how the security challenges affect entrepreneurship in this fragile country post-conflict; b) to explore the strategies employed by entrepreneurs to start and grow their ventures; c) to provide key recommendations for policymakers to enhance peace, security, and good governance. Such actions can help to achieve stability and peacebuilding for all Burundians. The originality of this study lies in the investigation of security challenges faced by Burundian entrepreneurs due to state fragility. State fragilities are perceived as major barriers to entrepreneurship development because they add additional constraints and restrict the growth of ventures and entrepreneurs reaching their full potential.Research purpose: A qualitative study was conducted in Burundi using institutional theory (North, 1990 and Scott, 2003) with empirical data from semi-structured, face-to-face interviews with 20 respondents including 2 stakeholders. The interviews were conducted in two cities, Bujumbura capital and Cibitoke Province, less developed compared to other Provinces of Burundi. The study used a purposive sampling method to recruit 15 respondents (Ilker et al., 2016) and 5 interviewees using the snowball method (Saunders et al., 2016). The interviews were conducted in Kirundi (the national language of Burundi), audio-recorded, translated to English then transcribed using a Word document. A six-step thematic framework for data analysis was used in data analysis (Braun, Clarke, 2017).Findings and discussions: The findings of this study revealed that many Burundian entrepreneurs are affected by the lack of security, weak business environment and slow economic growth, lack of durable peace, poor governance, and lack of institution support. Addition challenges were linked to lack of finance, poor infrastructure, poverty, poor market penetration and lack of management and technical skills. Behind those challenges, many women, and young entrepreneurs face challenges due to lack of access to property ownership, and jobs to enter entrepreneurship. Other barriers faced by women in Burundi were related to gender inequality, violence, lack of education, low market, lack of suppliers, and lack of business support (Nintunze, Bigirimana, 2021). The result of this study found that Burundian entrepreneurs used different strategies to survive while trading in fragile states post-conflict and building resilience. Recommendations for peace dialogue to resolve conflicts, maintain peace, build social cohesion and better communication between different members of society. Researchers in this study recommend Burundian government focus on reforming its institutions, building, and restoring infrastructures, reinforcing regulation, providing better access to finance, developing human capital and markets as well and tackling corruption. The novelty of this study lies in the contributions to the literature related to security challenges for Burundi, a country which remains under-researched

Performance of a novel military shape compact tri-band textile patch antenna for short range communications applications

This paper introduces a novel design for a wearable tri-band textile patch antenna, integrated with the emblem of the Algerian Gendarmerie Nationale. The antenna is engineered to operate across three distinct frequency bands, making it suitable for various wireless communication applications. The first operational band targets the Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) and Wi-Fi spectrum for Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN) applications at 2.45GHz(2.37GHz - 2.52 GHz). The second band is centered at 4.42GHz(4.2GHz 4.5 GHz), while the third band covers the 6.58 GHz range (6.4 GHz - 6.8 GHz), catering to Wi-Fi 6 E applications. The design utilizes a commercially available flexible denim substrate with a compact footprint of 32×30×0.6 mm3 with a partial ground plane. We conducted extensive evaluations of the antenna’s performance under various bending conditions and its proximity to the human body. Results indicate that the antenna maintains satisfactory performance in both free-space and on-body scenarios. This low-cost, flexible antenna offers a promising solution for a range of wearable consumer electronics applications. Its potential extends to enhanced workforce management, secure access control, and identification systems

Communicating risks with interactive visualisations and reflective tasks:a mixed-methods evaluation of a mammography screening decision aid

Static graphs of statistics are established visual aids in risk communication and decision support. Interactive information visualisations (InfoVis) and reflective tasks are supposed to enhance active processing, but the evidence is scarce and mixed. This mixed-methods research investigated the effectiveness and user experience of InfoVis and tasks in the context of mammography screening. In a web-based experiment prospective invitees of the screening program (N = 338; aged 30-49) tried a pre-tested web-based decision-aid with risk information either as text, static graph, or InfoVis with or without reflective tasks. The main outcomes were informed choice and risk knowledge, the latter operationalised according to the fuzzy-trace-theory. The accompanying qualitative evaluation with seven participants applied think-aloud protocols and focused interviews. There was no experimental evidence that InfoVis support risk knowledge or informed choice better than text or static graphs. There were even minor detrimental effects. The qualitative results showed problems with the InfoVis presenting risk of overdiagnosis, and negative reactions towards the tasks. InfoVis processing was easy when the underlying concept was easy. While reflective tasks seem not advisable in this target group, limited and well-considered application of InfoVis with a low cognitive load can be an alternative, attention-directing visual aid format

Testing context-aware software systems from the voices of the automotive industry

As automotive software systems evolve towards high and full driving automation, evaluating their quality becomes increasingly challenging, especially concerning emerging behaviors. Context-awareness is the capability to sense the environment and adapt behavior. Automotive software systems are Context-Aware Software Systems (CASS). Previous secondary studies in technical literature indicate a need for testing techniques for CASS. However, these studies should have investigated the information provided by the industry. Therefore, this research undertakes a Gray Literature Study to uncover evidence of CASS testing using 20 reports from 16 automotive companies as primary sources. Our findings show that industry practices exhibit quality assurance best practices, but CASS abstraction adoption still needs to be completed. Industry reports emphasize testing challenges but lack technical resolutions, relying on amassing diverse datasets for testing. This research has the potential to impact the quality assurance of automotive software systems significantly and lead industry professionals to enhance their testing process