Exploring the Development of Core Teaching Practices in the Context of Inquiry-based Science Instruction: An Interpretive Case Study

This paper describes our reflection on a clinical-based teacher preparation program. We examined a context in which novice pre-service teachers and a mentor teacher implemented inquiry-based science instruction to help students make sense of genetic engineering. We utilized developmental models of professional practice that outline the complexity inherent in professional knowledge as a conceptual framework to analyze teacher practice. Drawing on our analysis, we developed a typography of understandings of inquiry-based science instruction that teachers in our cohort held and generated a two dimensional model characterizing pathways through which teachers develop core teaching practices supporting inquiry-based science instruction

“I found this law firm on Google Reviews, and I wasn’t disappointed”: A Linguistic Study of Positive Law Firm Client Reviews and Business Owner Responses in the US and the UK

This paper proposes a corpus-assisted discourse analysis of positive online reviews of US and UK law firms and the corresponding business owners’ responses. The aim is to better understand and describe their linguistic nature and their structure, and assess whether and to what extent cross-cultural variation occurs. The methodology used to carry out the analysis combined different approaches to linguistic inquiry. It started with a lexico-grammatical description of reviews and responses through corpus methods, then continued with a move structure analysis that focused on rhetorical differences between British and American reviews and responses and ended with an attentive cross-cultural analysis on the usage of positive evaluative adjectives in reviews, conducted through the lens of appraisal theory. The cross-cultural analysis indicated that US reviews and responses are more oriented towards experience-sharing, recommendation, and publicity. By contrast, the UK’s samples are characterised by a more attentive expression of politeness and conversational rituals. Moreover, the adjectives used to express positive evaluations revealed an interesting tendency: that of foregrounding communication and social skills in US reviews and technical and professional skills in UK reviews

Telemarketing and Consumer protection in Nigeria: A Case for the Domestication of the U.S. Telephone Consumer Protection Act, (TCPA, 1991)

The Resolution of telecommunications regulatory issues that affect consumer protection with a view to adopting world best practices for enhanced Consumer Protection calls for a case by case review and appraisal of such topical and vexed issues that affect consumer protection in the telecommunications subsector. Consumer Protection issues in telecommunications revolves around matters of poor services, billing cost, lack of network, drop calls, telemarketing, unsolicited adverts etc. The problems of telemarketing and unsolicited advertisements have been endemic enough to attract criticism and calls for a legal framework to regulate or check the trend. In the USA, the issue of telemarketing and unsolicited adverts has since been addressed by the enactment of the U.S Telephone Consumer Protection Act, 1991. This work seeks to address the issues of telemarketing unsolicited advertisements in the telecommunications regulatory framework with a view to improving consumer satisfaction in the sector. A case for the domestication of the U.S.A experience is been made by an analysis of the USA TCPA, 1991, showing its relevance, shortcomings and grey areas and amendments for application in Nigeria. It is opined that the U.S TCPA 1991, when domesticated in Nigeria mutatis mutandis will cure the viral virus of unsolicited adverts in the Nigerian telecommunications regulatory environment. Keywords: consumer protection, U.S Telephone Consumer Protection Act, 1991, Telecommunications, Advertisement, Regulatory, customers, Lotteries, The Telemarketing Industry, Global Systems of Mobile Telecommunications (GSM), Value Added Services (VAS), National Coordinator of Wireless Application Service Providers of Nigeria (WASPAN), The Nigerian Communications Commission, Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Consumers Protection Council (CPC), Nigerian Communications Commissions (NCC)

An Accounting Liability Heuristic

This article traces the thought processes involved in understanding and managing accountants’ legal liability which is sometimes broadly called “professional malpractice.” The cumulative nature of potential liability is demonstrated.  The various legal theories of liability are discussed along with the most prominent potential affirmative defenses against liability. Unique to this paper is the decision heuristic providing a framework for assessing potential accountants’ legal liability.  This discussion is useful for both student and practitioner

“The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly” of Professions: Overview of the Theoretical Developments in the Sociology of Professions

This article offers a brief overview of the history of research in the field of the sociology of professions. It presents the development of sociological theoretical approaches in the study of professions, its main research areas, basic concepts over time, and changes in the definition of profession itself over time. Beginning with a short outline of the classical theories in which sociological studying of professions finds its origins, the article proceeds with a more detailed presentation of the three main approaches and development stages of sociology of professions – the functionalist, the interactionalist and the social conflict. Apart from presenting the main research focuses of these approaches, this article also explores different concepts and views of profession, beginning with the “profession” in functionalism, moving on to the “professionalization” in interactionism and ending with the “professionalism” in the social conflict phase. Following this transformation, the article also describes the shift from profession’s initially socially constructive to rather obstructive image over the years and across the approaches. Finally, it reflects on the thesis of the “death” of the discipline and research field of the sociology of professions and reviews contemporary approaches to the subject that are either turning mainly into micro studies of specific professions or falling out of the field of sociology and becoming the research focus of disciplines seeking to maintain or establish the status of being a profession themselves

The Lived Experiences of Black Women Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty in Business Schools at Predominantly White Institutions

Changing college-student demographics and the diversification of higher education requires an understanding of Black women’s experiences. Their visibility adds value to all higher education stakeholders and mobilizes students of color beyond the margins (Hasnas, 2018; Vargas, 1999). Researchers reported that Black women faculty have trouble offering the academy their unique perspectives due to isolation and tokenism (Diggs, Garrison-Wade, Estrada, & Galindo, 2009; Niemann, 2016). As a result, a further exploration of their experiences and a further examination of their perspectives are necessary from their points of view. While an abundance of research is available on the lived experiences of Black women faculty at predominantly White institutions (Alfred, 2001; Gregory, 2001; Hinton, 2010; Jones, Hwang, & Bustamante, 2015), limited research has examined the business education context (Toubiana, 2014). The current study illuminated the voices of Black women tenured and tenure-track faculty in business schools at predominantly White institutions. This critical, phenomenological qualitative research study had a twofold purpose. First, it explored the lived experiences of Black women tenured and tenure-track faculty in business schools at predominantly White institutions through the framework of Black feminist thought. This lens captured study participants’ collective voice while acknowledging the diverse perspectives of individuals whose standpoints are not often illuminated (Collins, 1990, 2000, 2016). Secondly, this research offered institutional and business-education stakeholders—such as deans, department heads, and the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)—greater awareness and recommendations to support Black women faculty’s recruitment, retention, and overall success. Keywords: Black, Black feminist thought, faculty, intersectionality, predominantly White institution, professor, tenured, tenure-track, woma

The confucianization of law and the lenient punishments in China

This article provides a clue on China’s criminal policy on lenient punishments in history, including the confucianization of law and the alternatives to punishments in imperial era, the attack on Confucianism and the praise of the legalism in Mao era, and the shifts of criminal policy since reform and opening up, which may shed light on the complexity and prospect of lenient punishments in contemporary China

Moving from EDID Words to Policy Action: A Case Study of a Teacher Education Program’s Admissions Policy Reform

Regardless of the commitments that universities and teacher education programs (TEPs) have publicly stated regarding equity, diversity, inclusion, or decolonization (EDID), rarely do these commitments impact their admission policies or practices. Through examining a small program’s efforts at implementing EDID change over a three-year period, this article provides critical reflections, questions, and action steps for TEPs looking to move beyond talking about the importance of EDID, to actually altering policies and procedures to address systemic change. Utilizing the concepts of “equity in” and “equity through” admissions, intake variables (Multiple Mini Interview [MMI], Program Preparation, GPA) were analyzed quantitatively and used in this beginning participatory action research project. Results illustrate the benefits of the MMI, the need for program admissions to account for capacities in relation to anti-racism directly, rather than just generally referring to equity, and the need for admission practices to reflect an appreciation of the complexities around identity and ethics.Quels que soient les engagements publics pris par les universités et les programmes de formation des enseignants en matière d’équité, de diversité, d’inclusion et de décolonisation (EDID), il est rare que ceux-ci se traduisent en impacts sur leurs politiques ou pratiques d’admission. En examinant les efforts déployés par un petit programme pour implanter les changements EDID sur une période de trois ans, cet article présente des réflexions critiques, des questionnements et des actions à entreprendre afin que les programmes de formation des enseignants puissent dépasser les discours sur l’importance de l’EDID en modifiant réellement leurs politiques et procédures dans une perspective de changement systémique. En utilisant les concepts d’« équité dans » et d’« équité par » les admissions, les variables d’admission (minientretiens multiples [MEM], programme de préparation, moyenne générale) ont été analysées quantitativement et utilisées dans l’amorce de ce projet de recherche-action participative. Les résultats montrent les avantages des MEM, ainsi que la nécessité pour les admissions aux programmes d’adopter des pratiques qui tiennent compte de leur capacité à soutenir directement la lutte contre le racisme — plutôt que de se contenter des notions générales d’équité — et qui reflètent une appréciation des complexités entourant l’identité et l’éthique