Challenges and pedagogical conflicts for teacher-Forest School leaders implementing Forest School within the UK primary curriculum

This paper focuses on challenges experienced by ‘teacher-FS leaders’ implementing Forest School within the neoliberal and risk-averse culture of UK primary school education. Thematic analysis of interviews with 12 ‘teacher-FS leaders’ identified five key themes: embedding Forest School within the curriculum is a long-term process; negotiating the performative culture and curriculum constraints; professional identities, values, and pedagogies; negotiating risk aversion; budget and time constraints. Teacher-FS leaders adapted FS principles to meet the needs of their primary school setting. However, they found ways of overcoming challenges, and sought to persuade others of the value of Forest School and outdoor learning

Macro-moth (Lepidoptera) Diversity of a Newly Shaped Ecological Corridor and the Surrounding Forest Area in the Western Italian Alps

In addition to the compilation of biodiversity inventories, checklists, especially if combined with abundance data, are important tools to understand species distribution, habitat use, and community composition over time. Their importance is even higher when ecological indicator taxa are considered, as in the case of moths. In this work, we investigated macro-moth diversity in a forest area (30 ha) in the Western Italian Alps, recently subjected to intense management activities. Indeed, an ecological corridor, which includes 10 clearings, has been shaped thanks to forest compensation related to the construction site of the Turin–Lyon High-Speed Railway. Here, we identified 17 patches (9 clearings and 8 forests), and we conducted moth surveys using UV–LED light traps. A total of 15,614 individuals belonging to 442 species were collected in 2020 and 2021. Two and fifteen species are new records for Piedmont and for Susa Valley, respectively. In addition to the faunistic interest of the data, this study—using a standardized method—provides geo-referenced occurrences, species-richness, and abundance values useful to compile a baseline dataset for future comparisons. Indeed, the replicable and easy shareable method allows us to make comparisons with other research and thus assess the impact of environmental changes

When (deliberate) practice is not enough – the role of intelligence, practice, and knowledge in academic performance

It is well established that academic performance (AP) depends on a number of factors, such as intellectual capacities, practice, and previous knowledge. We know little about how these factors interact as they are rarely measured simultaneously. Here we present mediated-Factors of Academic Performance (m-FAP) model, which simultaneously assesses direct and indirect, mediated, effects on AP. In a semester-long study with 118 first-year college students, we show that intelligence and working memory only indirectly influenced AP on a familiar, less challenging college course (Introduction to Psychology). Their influence was mediated through previous knowledge and self-regulated learning activities akin to deliberate practice. In a novel and more challenging course (Statistics in Psychology), intellectual capacities influenced performance both directly and indirectly through previous knowledge. The influence of deliberate practice, however, was considerably weaker in the novel course. The amount of time and effort that the students spent on the more difficult course could not offset the advantage of their more intelligent and more knowledgeable peers. The m–FAP model explains previous contradictory results by providing a framework for understanding the extent and limitations of individual factors in AP, which depend not only on each other, but also on the learning context

Investigating the Moral Challenges Experienced by UK Service Police Veterans

Previous research has explored the negative effects of exposure to potentially morally injurious events among armed forces veterans and active-duty military personnel generally. However, this current pilot research provides a unique contribution to the extant research literature by examining the specific moral challenges experienced by a potentially at-risk and under-researched sub-group of military personnel. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 United Kingdom (UK) Service Police veterans to identify any moral challenges encountered during their military service and to investigate the experience of moral dissonance underlying these events. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), four main themes (with sub-themes) emerged from the data: (a) violation of a moral code, (b) experience of disillusionment, (c) attempted resolution of moral dissonance, and (d) risk and protective factors for moral dissonance. Evidence of the types of moral challenges encountered by Service Police veterans during their military service and the negative consequences of moral dissonance was explored for the first time. Some of these findings overlap with existing evidence from non-Service Police research, although novel insights were also identified, such as the attempts of Service Police veterans to resolve moral dissonance through acting with moral courage, self-preservation, or seeking acceptance. The current research therefore provides a rationale for further investigation into the experience of moral dissonance and impact of exposure to morally injurious events in this sub-population of veterans. Potential implications for advancing conceptual understanding of moral injury and informing interventions to prevent the development of morally injurious outcomes are discussed

The clinical decision‐making process involved in end of life care for people with dementia in primary care: A protocol paper

Aim This article is a report of a study protocol designed to explore what factors inform healthcare professionals' clinical decision-making when providing end of life care for people with dementia in primary care. Design The proposed study will adopt a qualitative study design, utilizing an ethnographic approach. Methods A mixed sample group of registered healthcare professionals, including district nurses, specialist nurses and general practitioners, will be purposively sampled and recruited from one health board in Wales, which will cover three settings in primary care. A multi-method approach will be utilized to provide rich data, including non-participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and review of key documents. Data will be managed using NVivo 12 and analysed thematically. Ethics approval was gained in April 2022. Discussion Little is known about the end of life care decision-making process of healthcare professionals caring for people with dementia in primary care settings. This study will therefore address this pertinent gap. The study findings may also be transferable to healthcare professionals working in similar clinical settings across the UK. Impact It is anticipated that this study will inform the subsequent development of an intervention that can be used by healthcare professionals to support decision making and subsequently the provision of quality end of life care in primary care for people with dementia

Writing Doctors and Writing Health in the Long Eighteenth Century

This introduction to the special issue ‘Writing Doctors and Writing Health in the Long Eighteenth Century’ explores the various types of literary and visual creativity enacted by medical practitioners as they sought new ways of communicating and engaging with the public. Focusing on the shift from Latin to vernacular publishing in elite medical circles, we examine the proliferation of new opportunities open to physicians, surgeons, apothecaries, medical artists, midwives, and other women practitioners to express themselves. Novels, drama, poetry, artworks, almanacs, and letters, to name but a few creative products of the period, allowed new ideas and underrepresented voices to be heard for the first time, changing forever the way creative and empirical cultures would intertwine. Stemming from the Leverhulme Trust Research Project Writing Doctors: Medical Representation and Personality, ca. 1660–1832 (2018–22), this research has undoubtedly been impacted by the rapidly changing nature of public healthcare in the wake of the novel coronavirus pandemic that was still ongoing when this issue went to print. We value and celebrate connections made between the past and present that continue to assist us in understanding and caring for our bodies

Unemployed Workers’ Centres (1978–): Spatial Politics, “Non-Movement”, and the Making of Centres

This paper revisits the histories of Unemployed Workers’ Centres to consider the politicisation of unemployment in the UK. Drawing upon archive material and over 50 oral histories, it considers the emergence of centres as a response to a crisis of increasing unemployment and retrenchment of the welfare state. The paper indicates how Asef Bayat’s concept of “non-movement” proves useful for capturing a wider sphere of labour organising, moving beyond more conventional spaces and actions. This approach critically revisits the role of centres in conversation with emerging work in labour geography and social movements studies around the fostering of solidarities. It reveals tensions around their making, whilst also stressing the potential of seemingly small acts when held alongside campaigns. Revisiting this repertoire of activity reveals the persistence of trade union engagements with communities beyond the workplace, as well as a critical insight into the politics of space in forging such alternatives

Highly Stable Garnet Fe2Mo3O12 Cathode Boosts the Lithium–Air Battery Performance Featuring a Polyhedral Framework and Cationic Vacancy Concentrated Surface

Lithium–air batteries (LABs), owing to their ultrahigh theoretical energy density, are recognized as one of the next-generation energy storage techniques. However, it remains a tricky problem to find highly active cathode catalyst operating within ambient air. In this contribution, a highly active Fe2Mo3O12 (FeMoO) garnet cathode catalyst for LABs is reported. The experimental and theoretical analysis demonstrate that the highly stable polyhedral framework, composed of FeO octahedrons and MO tetrahedrons, provides a highly effective air catalytic activity and long-term stability, and meanwhile keeps good structural stability. The FeMoO electrode delivers a cycle life of over 1800 h by applying a simple half-sealed condition in ambient air. It is found that surface-rich Fe vacancy can act as an O2 pump to accelerate the catalytic reaction. Furthermore, the FeMoO catalyst exhibits a superior catalytic capability for the decomposition of Li2CO3. H2O in the air can be regarded as the main contribution to the anode corrosion and the deterioration of LAB cells could be attributed to the formation of LiOH·H2O at the end of cycling. The present work provides in-depth insights to understand the catalytic mechanism in air and constitutes a conceptual breakthrough in catalyst design for efficient cell structure in practical LABs

Reflections of experts by experience and research team members on research and development about a sensitive issue that attracts stigma

To reduce the number of alcohol-exposed pregnancies in antenatal care in the UK, the CHAMPION study objective was to design appropriate training and resources to develop the midwifery skills and confidence required to have an effective conversation about alcohol with pregnant women. Women with lived experience of drinking during pregnancy and ‘birth mums’ of a child with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) were central to the co-creation process of the CHAMPION study. Some remarkable unintended positive outcomes resulted from this collaboration process for the women involved. They include increased confidence levels from newfound friendships with other mothers of children with FASD, and an acceptance that societal influences had a significant role to play in their personal situations. Reflecting on this authentic co-creation process has elicited important learning outcomes to inform future research design. The significance of excellent communication channels, robust support networks and genuinely valuing and respecting experts by experience as equal partners should not be underestimated

A global study on applicability of ISO 18404:2015 for SMEs: an exploratory qualitative study

Purpose – ISO18404:2015 standard defines the proficiencies to the attainment of distinct competency levels with either Lean Manufacturing or Six Sigma or separately combined strategy Lean Six Sigma (LSS). The purpose of this paper is to perform a detailed investigation of the applicability of current Lean Six Sigma (LSS) competency standard in SMEs and examine the need for further improvement. Design/Methodology/Approach – A qualitative-based semi-structured interview method was utilized globally by interviewing a group of LSS professionals with knowledge about the LSS implementation working in different leading organizations. All participants were asked to review the standard before the interview process to ensure that they are familiar with the standard. Findings – The results reveal that the current ISO 18404:2015 standard does not fit SMEs to implement the LSS approach as it has several shortfalls that need to be fixed before its adoption or an urgent need to develop a more customised LSS standard for SMEs. The outcome further helps organizations understand theoretical knowledge about ISO18404:2015, its role in operational excellence implementation, pros, cons, critical success factors and required changes for further improvement within the standard. Research limitations/implications –There were very limited baseline studies in the literature. A mixed method strategy that includes qualitative and quantitative data would yield better data so that more robust outcomes can be derived from the research. Originality/value – To the best of authors' knowledge, this is the first empirical research on the applicability of ISO 18404:2015 for SMEs, which encapsulate opinions of LSS professionals working in several SMEs