To create dream teams, allow ‘a thousand flowers to bloom’

Dream teams evolve over different stages of a project and avoid pre-conceived features and styles, writes Feng L

Principles of inclusive school practice

A number of schools in a major regional Queensland city have been identified as effectively meeting the needs of students from diverse backgrounds. Two such schools were identified by Regional Education Queensland schools and both were approached to participate in this research, in part this research was to feed into similar research in the secondary context. Schools capable of adjusting to the pressures of vastly diverse student populations do exist and yet it is often difficult to pinpoint exactly what the point of difference is between such schools and ones with less complexity who find it difficult to thrive

What are the reasons for clinical network success? A qualitative study

Background Clinical networks have been established to improve patient outcomes and processes of care by implementing a range of innovations and undertaking projects based on the needs of local health services. Given the significant investment in clinical networks internationally, it is important to assess their effectiveness and sustainability. This qualitative study investigated the views of stakeholders on the factors they thought were influential in terms of overall network success. Method Ten participants were interviewed using face-to-face, audio-recorded semi-structured interviews about critical factors for networks’ successes over the study period 2006–2008. Respondents were purposively selected from two stakeholder groups: i) chairs of networks during the study period of 2006–2008 from high- moderate- and low-impact networks (as previously determined by an independent review panel) and ii) experts in the clinical field of the network who had a connection to the network but who were not network members. Participants were blind to the performance of the network they were interviewed about. Transcribed data were coded and analysed to generate themes relating to the study aims. Results Themes relating to influential factors critical to network success were: network model principles; leadership; formal organisational structures and processes; nature of network projects; external relationships; profile and credibility of the network. Conclusions This study provides clinical networks with guidance on essential factors for maximising optimal network outcomes and that may assist networks to move from being a ’low-impact’ to ‘high-impact’ network. Important ingredients for successful clinical networks were visionary and strategic leadership with strong links to external stakeholders; and having formal infrastructure and processes to enable the development and management of work plans aligned with health priorities

Inclusive Schoolwide Pedagogical Principles: Cultural Indicators in Action

“Inclusion!” is the catch cry heard across both educational and community contexts and yet the reality is often less than ideal. The diversity and complexity of student needs within regular classrooms are both an asset and a challenge for schools and classroom teachers. We believe, with Nelson Mandela, that “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world” and in order for such a dream to be achieved, it is essential that the pedagogical practices that support the needs of diverse learners are clearly understood and supported by both teachers and school leaders. Most existing research emphasises the need to improve the skill sets of both teacher graduates and practising teachers as a means of enhancing student support. We suggest that it cannot stop at the individual classroom practice level. To maximise student outcomes, inclusive pedagogical practices must be school wide, and well understood, thus resulting in a culture of inclusion becoming embedded in school wide practices and maintained over the long term. Inclusive schoolwide pedagogical (SWP) frameworks and shared practices lie at the heart of the two case study examples used to illustrate the key messages from our research

Benefitting or suffering from a paradoxical leader? A self-regulation perspective

Why do followers’ reactions to perceived paradoxical leader behavior (PLB) differ? To answer this question, we draw from self-regulation theory and argue that making sense of a paradoxical leader’s seemingly contradictory behavior can pose a challenge for followers and requires specific cognitive traits and abilities that enable them to navigate such complex and dynamic environments. We propose that followers who lack these cognitive traits and related abilities find it more difficult to make sense of and navigate their paradoxical leader’s behavior, thereby perceiving them as behaviorally unpredictable. This, in turn, impairs followers’ self-regulation when working with such leaders, and leads to lower well-being. Conversely, followers endowed with appropriate cognitive traits can make sense of PLB and thrive in these environments. To test our propositions, we conducted two multi-wave field studies. In Study 1, we examine the role of followers’ trait cognitive flexibility in interpreting PLB; whereas Study 2 explores the role of followers’ trait self-regulation. The findings from these studies support our hypotheses, with an important implication: the efficacy of PLB may not only solely depend on a leader’s ability to enact these behaviors but also on their followers’ ability to interpret and make sense of them

Improving Educational Experiences of Students With Disabilities at a Private Postsecondary University

The problem addressed in this research study was that students with disabilities were experiencing challenges at a private postsecondary university in the United States that were impacting their educational experience. The purpose of this research study was to discover the challenges individuals with disabilities experience at a private postsecondary university and to find possible resolutions to those challenges. It was anticipated that this research study may improve the education experiences of students with disabilities at a private postsecondary university in the United States. It was equally important to discover (a) challenges experienced by students with a disability in a private postsecondary university and (b) possible resolutions to those challenges. A phenomenological qualitative approach was utilized to answer three research questions. Data were gathered utilizing a survey developed by the researcher. Data gathered were analyzed utilizing qualitative methodology. A qualitative analysis of the survey results found three predominant themes or challenges that involved (a) course work assignments, (b) exams and testing, and (c) classroom accommodations. An analysis of the responses for course work assignments indicated that 11 (30%) of 38 participants with a disability experienced challenges. An analysis of the responses indicated that 20 (53%) of 38 participants with a disability experienced challenges with exams and testing. An analysis of the responses revealed that 13 (34%) of 38 participants with a disability experienced challenges with classroom accommodations. Interpretation and implications of these findings are described