MANAGING PROFESSIONALISM IN TEACHER EDUCATION: ISSUES OF TEACHER IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT IN CAMEROON

This paper explores different dimensions that interplay in the process of teacher identity development in the context of Cameroon. Since the concept of identity is multifaceted and its formation process is continuously changing, this work attempts to examine it from many dimensions. Firstly, from general perspective, secondly with emphasis on specific perspectives embodying personal, self, educational and professional identities that constitute, shape and influence the formation of teacher identity and thirdly, constraints that impede its development including their overall implication for schooling, learning and the entire education system. In order to explore, understand and appreciate this discourse on teacher identity formation which underlie the foundation and driving force in a national education system, this paper attempts to raise some questions. What is teacher identity and how is it formed? What is teacher identity in Cameroon context? What are the constraints in its formation process? How do the constraints impact on schooling/learning and the education system? Answers to these questions and some suggestions help to illuminate the phenomenon and its utility in both national and international perspectives.  Article visualizations

Dealing with mobility: Understanding access anytime, anywhere

The rapid and accelerating move towards the adoption and use of mobile technologies has increasingly provided people and organisations with the ability to work away from the office and on the move. The new ways of working afforded by these technologies are often characterised in terms of access to information and people ‘anytime, anywhere’. This paper presents a study of mobile workers that highlights different facets of access to remote people and information, and different facets of anytime, anywhere. Four key factors in mobile work are identified from the study: the role of planning, working in ‘dead time’, accessing remote technological and informational resources, and monitoring the activities of remote colleagues. By reflecting on these issues, we can better understand the role of technology and artefact use in mobile work and identify the opportunities for the development of appropriate technological solutions to support mobile workers

The Irish Carnegie Community Engagement Classification Pilot: A critical analysis on culture and context from a community of practice approach

This article provides a reflective critique of the process undertaken to pilot the Carnegie Community Engagement Framework in Ireland between 2015 and 2016. Of particular interest to the authors is the cultural specificity of employing a US-centric self-assessment data capturing tool in a heterogeneous Irish context. Taking the reader through from conception of the idea to its execution and post-pilot reflections, we examine the cultural appropriateness and translatability of the tool to Irish higher education. To frame the discussion of the process, we employ the concept of a community of practice, as defined by Wenger (1998). This was adopted to promote a culture of collaboration in an ever-growing neoliberal system that promotes competition between institutions, rather than facilitating their co-construction of knowledge. In the analysis, we demonstrate how forming this community of practice allowed for a cohesive assessment of the challenges and opportunities that arose through the pilot process. This was particularly important since each participating institution had different motivations for engaging with the pilot. Reflecting with some distance, we consider the value that comes from operating as a community of practice, as well as some shortcomings that we identified as specific to this pilot

Strategies for conducting situated studies of technology use in hospitals

Ethnographic methods are widely used for understanding situated practices with technology. When authors present their data gathering methods, they almost invariably focus on the bare essentials. These enable the reader to comprehend what was done, but leave the impression that setting up and conducting the study was straightforward. Text books present generic advice, but rarely focus on specific study contexts. In this paper, we focus on lessons learnt by non-clinical researchers studying technology use in hospitals: gaining access; developing good relations with clinicians and patients; being outsiders in healthcare settings; and managing the cultural divide between technology human factors and clinical practice. Drawing on case studies across various hospital settings, we present a repertoire of ways of working with people and technologies in these settings. These include engaging clinicians and patients effectively, taking an iterative approach to data gathering and being responsive to the demands and opportunities provided by the situation. The main contribution of this paper is to make visible many of the lessons we have learnt in conducting technology studies in healthcare, using these lessons to present strategies that other researchers can take up

Roadmap for Societal Engagement for Higher Education Institutions

Publicación derivada del siguiente Proyecto Europeo: Higher Education Institution for Societal Engagement. HEISE. http://www.mapsi.eu/heise/Higher education institutions (HEIs) play a key role in educating young people to understand the underlying values in societies and cultures, which create crucial abilities to foster social integration. To succeed in this, the teachers and students of HEIs need novel ways to increase intercultural understanding and social inclusion. Hence, in the project we aim to create a comprehensive educational model grounded in experiential and challenge based learning to increase the higher education institutions’ societal engagement (HEISE).This study was co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union within the Strategic Partnership for Higher Education (grant no. 2016-1-EE01-KA203-017334; HEISE project)

Land Use Strategy (LUS) Delivery Evaluation Project : Volume 1: Main Report

Scotland’s first Land Use Strategy (LUS) – Getting the best from our land – was published in March 2011. The LUS is a requirement of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009, highlighting the important contribution that Scottish Ministers expect land use and land management to make towards the climate change agenda in Scotland. The crucial component of the LUS are its ten principles for sustainable land use – the LUS Principles. The LUS Principles are the key mechanism by which the strategic intent of the national level LUS can be translated into regional and local level planning and decision-making, through existing land use delivery mechanisms, to inform action on the ground. The overall aim of the LUS Delivery Evaluation Project therefore was “to evaluate the range of current land use delivery mechanisms, to ascertain their effectiveness in translating the strategic Principles of the LUS into decision-making on the ground”. The evaluation considered eleven case study land use delivery mechanisms ranging from an urban Local Development Plan (LDP) to the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Partnership Plan

The work of reuse: birth certificate data and healthcare accountability measurements

Data reuse – long a key focus of information studies and CSCW research on eScience – is increasingly a major issue in organizations attempting to leverage data gathered using information systems for accountability functions such as performance measurements. Carrying out organizational analytics and performance measurements for accountability typically rests on the ability to successfully reuse existing, procurable data. We present results from an ethnographic study of the practices of recording birth certificate data and related attempts to assess and improve birth certificate data in response to a new re-use of birth certificate data for measurements introduced to hold hospitals accountable for the quality of the care they are delivering. Drawing on literature on data reuse and information infrastructure, we describe the situated work that must take place in order for birth certificate data to be reused for accountability purposes, and the organizational capacity building that must take place to facilitate the reuse of birth certificate data for measurement oriented to organizational improvement and accountability

Exceptional leadership in exceptional times: perspectives and ideologies of special education directors in Southern California

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the self-reported personal perspectives of special education directors in K-12 urban school districts in Southern California. Over 20,000 administrators oversee the delivery of special education services in the United States and the demand for such leadership exceeds the supply of qualified candidates (Crockett, 2007). This study is significant because a gap exists in the professional literature concerning the leadership of central office level special education directors. Four research questions addressed the following areas: whether special education directors use aspects of transformational leadership in their roles, beliefs and values concerning special education and how those impact leadership styles, unique challenges encountered in their work, and practices and strategies implemented to achieve positive outcomes for students and staff. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with each of six special education directors for data collection. The 13 interview questions were designed to elicit study participants’ candid reflections of their daily work experiences. The interviews were electronically recorded and transcribed for data analysis. Six key themes emerged from the interviews: charismatic leadership, intellectual stimulation, special education funding, litigation, shared responsibility for students with disabilities, and the types of support needed by special education directors. Bass’s (1985) transformational leadership theory was used as a conceptual framework for this study. Transformational leadership qualities are essential attributes for special education directors who must address the changing landscape of federal and state requirements amidst chronic levels of under-funding and litigation. Findings of the study yielded four conclusions. Study participants: use aspects of transformational leadership when implementing change, espouse beliefs and values that are congruent with their leadership styles, believe all children should be treated equitably and have opportunities to maximize their learning, and experience high levels of responsibility for factors that are beyond their control. The researcher recommends a future study in which district superintendents, cabinet members, and school site principals are interviewed for the purpose of juxtaposing perspectives of special education directors with perspectives of other central office administrators with regard to the various challenges, strengths, needs, responsibilities, and concerns of those working in the field of special education