Knowledge acquisition and effective socialization: the role of the psychological contract

Although studies reveal that acquiring knowledge about a new workplace during organizational socialization leads to better integration, the pathway through which this occurs is not well understood. Previous research has explored the psychological contract as an outcome of socialization. This study explores its role within the socialization process. A total of 161 organizational newcomers undertook surveys at months one and three of tenure, with data used to test a model within which four psychological contract dimensions mediate the relationship between knowledge acquisition and employee outcomes. At month one, organizational and employee promise strength mediated the relationship between knowledge and outcomes. At month three, organizational and employee promise fulfilment mediated this relationship. Findings confirm the role of the psychological contract in the socialization process and suggest that effective integration requires extensive knowledge provision and active employee knowledge acquisition. Practitioner points Acquisition of knowledge about a new work environment during the very early stages of tenure can positively affect newcomers’ attitudes and perceived employment relationships. Learning leads to mutual promises that are perceived to be stronger and more likely to be fulfilled, as well as reduced stress, greater commitment, and greater service quality behaviour. Employers should provide newcomers with information about their role, team, and organization, whilst newcomers should be encouraged to ask questions

THE VOICE AND THE SONG FRO A GLOBAL AND INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACH INPRIMARY EDUCATION

Through the voice and song we can find the right tools to work in an interdisciplinary, globalized and changing learning environment. This approach is about creating new strategies for working with different competencies required in the acquisition of knowledge, promoting active and collaborative methodologies and in consideration of diversity. During this process students involved Teacher Education and teachers from different knowledge areas of the Faculty of Education at the University of Zaragoza (Spain). The song will apply its power to stimulate emotions, develop sensitivity, memory and imagination. Our principal objective is to use the voice and the song as an interdisciplinary tool for students taking a Master Degree in Primary Education (6-12 years) in the acquisition of different competencies. The results take into consideration the potential lack of a musical background that students may have, an emphasis has been placed on the selection of the material used and the change in attitude of participants during the process, in assessing the experience positively

Embodied interaction: Learning Chinese characters through body movements

This experimental study examined the design and effectiveness of embodied interactions for learning. The researchers designed a digital learning environment integrating body joint mapping sensors to teach novice learners Chinese characters, and examined whether the embodied interaction would lead to greater knowledge acquisition in language learning compared to the conventional mouse-based interaction. Fifty-three adult learners were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The study adopted a pretest, an immediate posttest, and a delayed posttest on knowledge acquisition. Although higher scores were found for the embodied interaction group in both posttests, only the delayed posttest showed a statistically significant group difference. The findings suggested that active embodied actions lead to better knowledge retention compared with the passive visual embodiment. The body-moving process works as an alternative and complementary encoding strategy for character understanding and memorization by associating the semantic meaning of a character with the construction of a body posture

Teaching languages online: Professional vision in the making

This experimental study examined the design and effectiveness of embodied interactions for learning. The researchers designed a digital learning environment integrating body joint mapping sensors to teach novice learners Chinese characters, and examined whether the embodied interaction would lead to greater knowledge acquisition in language learning compared to the conventional mouse-based interaction. Fifty-three adult learners were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The study adopted a pretest, an immediate posttest, and a delayed posttest on knowledge acquisition. Although higher scores were found for the embodied interaction group in both posttests, only the delayed posttest showed a statistically significant group difference. The findings suggested that active embodied actions lead to better knowledge retention compared with the passive visual embodiment. The body-moving process works as an alternative and complementary encoding strategy for character understanding and memorization by associating the semantic meaning of a character with the construction of a body posture

Conceptions of Learning Among the Sudanese Students in Universiti Putra Malaysia

The main point of the study is that human learning should be studied from a second-order perspective. Twenty-five post-graduate Sudanese students from various faculties at Universiti Putra Malaysia were asked about their view of learning. The qualitative data that has been acquired were analysed by using the inductive process known as phenomenography. The result of the analysis has identified four categories of learning conceptions: 1. acquisition of knowledge, 2. application of acquired knowledge, 3. understanding, and 4. changing human behaviour. Most of the subjects in this study fall under the third and fourth categories that are, understanding and changing human behaviour respectively. In the third category, the subject goes deeply into the meaning of what he learned, so learning in this category is an active process that involves looking deeply into the materials. In the fourth category, the change occurs due to the knowledge that was acquired by the person

Learners’ Perceptions of Translation in English as the Medium of Instruction (EMI) at University Level

Translation can be used as a learning strategy by students who learn their academic subjects through English as the Medium of Instruction (EMI). The purpose of this study is to investigate the perceptions of students towards the use of translation at university level courses offered in English at various departments. This qualitative research characterized as a case study consists of an interview developed to interpret how students relate translation to developing subject matter knowledge. The data were collected through written interviews with students of international relations, political science, international trade and marketing, and business administration. The data were analyzed using qualitative methods and suggest that most students turn to translation as a tool for both understanding the subject matter and learning new vocabulary; however, they were found to have limited knowledge of and even some misconceptions towards the potential uses of translation. The findings also provide implications for learning and researching through activities that involve translation, thus enabling learners to actively participate in the process of acquisition of content knowledge through active translation. Keywords: Translation, Learners’ perceptions, EMI, Tertiary educatio

Transforming epistemological invisibility: (re)claiming intercultural learning within an ESOL teacher education programme

This paper analyses critiques, shared by first generation migrant ESOL(English for Speakers of Other Languages) teacher ‘trainees’, on officially validated dominant perceptions of professional competency and identity within an ESOL teacher education programme. Drawing on the work of Street and Lea (1999;2000) and Dahlstrom (2006) this paper seeks to address the following questions: • What type of issues related to voice, visibility and agency are involved in officially validated conceptualisations of ESOL teaching competency and professional identity? • How is the learning trajectory of first generation migrant ESOL teacher trainees impacted on by issues of power and representation? • How do they critique ESOL teaching/learning practice in terms of second language acquisition theory, teaching methodology and reflective practice? Through ethnographic vignettes I (re)present the multicultural practices and identities of first generation migrant ESOL teacher ‘trainees’ as forms of (un)validated knowledge. I examine how intersectionality in terms of ethnicity, class, age, religion and gender impacts on their learning and learning identities. I consider how a process of (re)claiming intercultural learning (see Collard and Wang 2005) may encourage a more active engagement with the (un)validated knowledge and socio-cultural realities of minority groups of ESOL teacher ‘trainees’. Based on a twelve month ethnographic style study on a pre-service ESOL teacher education programme, this paper strives to provide insights into ‘other’ realities which form a part of the subjective processes through which diverse polyvocal situated gendered first generation migrant ESOL teacher ‘trainees’ understand, use and create knowledge to write themselves into multilayered representations. Through the use of data collection methods such as: participation observation, semi-structured interviews, and focus group discussions my presentation provides an account of historical practices not possessing a ‘knowing’ of ESOL teacher ‘trainees’ but rather miming the route of how I could not ‘know’ without their voice (Spivak 1999)