From Studying to Teach to Learning to Teach: A Self-assessment Approach in Mentoring Primary Student Teachers

ABSTRACT: In an attempt to throw some light on the issues of mentoring student teachers, this article reports on a small-scale investigation carried out in a state-owned school, following an encouraged self-assessment and evaluation approach to help a primary student teacher to more easily move on from acting like a teacher to thinking like a teacher during the teaching practice. It offers some insights based on the analysis of the student teacher's reflections and self-evaluation in her teaching practice diary. Implications are drawn about the importance of self-evaluation and self-assessment in initial teacher education. РЕЗЮМЕ: В опит да се хвърли малко светлина по въпроса за наставничеството на стажант-учителите, тази статия представя едно проучване, проведено в държавно училище, следвайки самооценъчен подход по време на учебната практика, който да помогне на стажант-учителите по-лесно да преминат от "играта" на учител към мисленето на учител. Статията предлага коментар, базиран на анализа на размислите и самооценката в дневник на учебната практика на един студент. Направени са изводи за важността на самооценката в обучението на стажант-учителите. RESUME: Cet article, dans une tentative d’éclaircir dans une certaine mesure la question du monitoring des instituteurs-stagiaires, présente une étude, réalisée dans une école d’Etat, en suivant une démarche d’autoévaluation lors de la pratique éducative qui puisse aider les instituteurs-stagiaires de passer plus facilement du “jeu” d’enseignant à la manière de penser des enseignants. L’article offre un commentaire, basé sur l’analyse des réflexions et de l’autoévaluation dans un registre de la pratique éducative d’un étudiant. Des conclusions sont faites sur l’utilité de l’autoévaluation dans la formation des instituteurs-stagiaires

Lost in Translation: Why Organizations Should Facilitate Knowledge Transfer

Even if knowledge transfer has been extensively studied both in theory and in practice in the last few years, little analysis has been made regarding rhetoric. With very few exceptions (Czarniawska and Joerges, 1996; Gherardi and Nicolini, 2000) organizational knowledge transfer - defined as the process through which one unit (eg. group, department or division) is affected by the experience of another (Argote and Ingram, 2000: 151) - has been mainly represented as a communication process. Complementary to this view, I propose to interpret the circulation of knowledge in organizations as a process of translation: knowledge is not only transferred between two entities but is transformed during that process.To support my view, I look at the different theoretical views on knowledge transfer in the organizational context. Four pieces of analysis can be found: the cognitive approach, the economic approach, the situated approach and the translation approach. First, knowledge transfer can be seen as a dyadic process between a sender and a receiver. In this cognitive approach, knowledge transfer is seen as a way to change the knowing activity. In the second analysis, knowledge is considered as a commodity built on routines. Transferring knowledge means choosing and re-using the right routines to ensure the evolution of the organization. The situated approach tries to make a synthesis of both of the previous approaches by analysing knowledge in the context in which it is created, used and transferred. Finally, the translation approach focuses on the modifications of knowledge that take place when it is translated. It involves creating convergences and homologies by relating things that were previously different (Gherardi and Nicolini, 2000). Because the process involves very different communities and social actors, both geographically and functionally it is one of the most frequent ways in which knowledge crosses organisational and geographical boundaries to move into other areas (Czarniawska and Joerges, 1996).To illustrate my view, I examine a story of knowledge transfer in a multinational company. The story is about the re-use of a new device called the “lump-breaker” which improves the manufacture in a gypsum plant. I examine the story before and after the implementation of a knowledge management structure. Before, the knowledge is “lost in translation” because of lack of support from the central organization (ie. knowledge management) that creates confusion of different meanings: when the sender has made little effort to translate the best practice into simple terms, the receiver has more difficulty to re-use the device. After having put in place a knowledge management structure, the device is subsequently adopted by different factory managers who have read the database which contains the best practice. At this point, the role of the knowledge management team (ie. the “translator”) is to ease the re-use of the knowledge by “packaging” the best practice. If the effort is not made by the sender, the knowledge management team acts as a “translator” for the receiver. One implication is to minimize the role of technological mechanisms (databases and information portals) if the sender does not play his role: the practice has to be described in such a way that others can implement it. If not, the practice is lost.Knowledge Management, Best Practice Transfer, Translation

Economics of the Firm and Economic Growth. An hybrid theoretical framework of analysis

The characterization of individual firms is an essential step toward the study of the behaviour of industries and other more aggregated units of economics, and so to the analysis of economic growth processes. Hence, the main goal of this study is to achieve a critical discussion around the conceptualisation of the firm and its role in the dynamical process of economic growth. The approach to the main topic starts with the construction of a theoretical matrix of the economics of the firm, opening with the two major traditions of institutionalist thought in economics, and evolving then towards some considerations around the contractual and the evolutionary approaches. Another important theoretical stream that deals with organizations in economic and sociological terms also appears, the population ecology approach. After this overview, it is developed a cross-exam of distinct theoretical perspectives and the identification of possible flaws of the neoclassical theory. This confrontation, which goes throughout many imperative and controversial issues within economics such as the nature of the firm and the cognitive capacities of economic agents, results in a systematisation about the impact of this discussion on economic growth. The conclusions appear as crucial to develop further research aiming the construction of economic growth models based on a microeconomics that is closer to the reality of firms.Firm; Economic Growth; Institutionalism; Evolutionary theory; Contractual Theory; Ecology Population Theory.

Psychological burden in Portuguese university student's during COVID-19 pandemic

Este estudo teve como objetivo avaliar o impacto psicológico da pandemia por COVID-19 nos estudantes da Universidade do Porto, a segunda maior universidade portuguesa, e descobrir possíveis fatores associados a indicadores de saúde mental. Neste trabalho, realizámos um estudo transversal através de um inquérito online que avaliou as perceções, atividades diárias e bem-estar psicológico dos estudantes da Universidade do Porto durante a pandemia. Os sintomas e risco de depressão foram medidos pelo Questionário de Saúde do Paciente-9 (PHQ-9) e os níveis de resiliência foram quantificados pela Escala de Avaliação de Resiliência de 9 itens. Avaliou-se ainda os níveis de ansiedade e o estado de saúde mental auto-percecionados pelos estudantes. Recolheram-se 1751 respostas, tendo-se incluído 1447 na análise. A maioria dos estudantes era do sexo feminino (72.3%) e estava inscrita em cursos de Mestrado (58.4%). O curso com maior número de respostas foi Engenharia (25.5%), seguido por Medicina (13.2%). A prevalência de níveis elevados de ansiedade, risco de depressão e baixa resiliência foi 66.7%, 37.3% e 24.9%, respetivamente. Os fatores associados a melhores indicadores de saúde mental foram ser do sexo masculino, dedicar mais tempo a estudar, ter um trabalho, praticar atividades extracurriculares, exercício físico ou atividades de relaxamento. Pelo contrário, passar mais tempo a ver notícias, ter dificuldades em aceder a atividades de ensino online e a ausência de contacto com a família ou amigos, são fatores associados a piores indicadores de saúde mental. Apesar de todos os cursos evidenciarem níveis consideráveis de sintomas depressivos, os estudantes de Arquitetura/Artes, Ciências e Letras pontuaram significativamente mais na escala de depressão. Os estudantes de Medicina evidenciaram níveis de resiliência significativamente mais elevados que os restantes. Este trabalho indica que a pandemia por COVID-19 teve um impacto considerável na saúde mental dos estudantes da Universidade do Porto. Deste modo, devem ser equacionadas e implementadas medidas que visem preservar a saúde mental dos estudantes.This study aims to evaluate the psychological burden of the COVID-19 pandemic in the students of the University of Porto, the second largest Portuguese university, and to uncover factors associated with mental health indicators. We used an online survey to perform a cross-sectional study that evaluated students' perceptions, daily activities, and psychological state during the pandemic. Depression symptoms and risk were measure by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and resilience levels were quantified by the 9-item Resilience Evaluation Scale. Self-perceived levels of anxiety and mental health status were evaluated. Among 1751 responses obtained, 1447 were included. Most students were female (72.3%) and were taking a Masters degree (58.4%). The course with more responses was Engineering (25.5%), followed by Medicine (13.2%). The prevalence rates for higher anxiety levels, depression risk and low resilience levels were 66.7%, 37.3% and 24.9%, respectively. The factors associated with better psychological outcomes were being male, spending more time studying, having a job, performing extracurricular activities, physical exercise and relaxing activities. In contrast, spending more time watching news, difficulty accessing on-line teaching and absence of contact with family or friends, were associated with worse psychological indicators. Although all areas of formation presented substantial levels of depressive symptoms, Architectures/Arts, Sciences and Humanities scored significantly more in the depression scale. Medicine students had significantly higher resilience levels compared to other areas of formation. The COVID-19 outbreak had a considerable impact in the psychological state of University of Porto's students. Therefore, measures should be taken to reduce the psychological burden caused by the pandemic

Processo de trabalho na Unidade de Terapia Intensiva Neonatal: construção de uma atenção orientada pela integralidade

Se trata de un estudio cualitativo que tuvo como objetivo analizar la acción de los profesionales y su contribución en la construcción del cuidado integral al recién nacido internado en la Unidad de Terapia Intensiva Neonatal (UTIN). El estudio fue realizado en el Hospital Sofía Feldman, en Belo Horizonte (Minas Gerais) y tuvo como sujetos 10 profesionales que asisten al recién nacido en la UTIN y 7 padres de recién nacidos, allí internados. Para recolectar los datos se utilizó el Taller de Trabajo y la Observación Participante. El tratamiento y el análisis de los datos recolectados fueron hechos por medio del Análisis del Discurso. A partir de los datos se evidenció el potencial de la práctica de los profesionales orientada por el sentido del cuidado integral, por los actos de salud que materializan el cuidado integral, las diferentes percepciones de los participantes acerca del trabajo realizado por el equipo y de que forma la lógica de la organización del proceso de trabajo inscribe el quehacer del colectivo de los trabajadores.This is a qualitative study aimed at analyzing the performance of healthcare professionals, as well as their contribution to a holistic-oriented care towards newborn babies in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). The study was carried out in the Sofia Feldman Hospital, in Belo Horizonte, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The study's subjects were ten healthcare professionals who cared for newborns in the NICU, and seven parents of admitted newborns. Data was collected by means of workshops and participant observation processes. Data were treated and analyzed by means of discourse analysis concepts. The resulting data highlighted the following aspects: the potential and holistic-oriented practices of healthcare professionals; the presence or absence of healthcare actions that materialized the holistic care; the different perceptions of the participants about the work carried out by the team; and in what sense the rationale of the work organization encompassed the workers' collective performance.Trata-se de um estudo qualitativo, que teve como objetivo analisar a ação dos profissionais e sua contribuição na construção da integralidade do cuidado ao recém-nascido internado na Unidade de Terapia Intensiva Neonatal (UTIN). O estudo foi realizado no Hospital Sofia Feldman, em Belo Horizonte (Minas Gerais), e teve como sujeitos 10 profissionais que assistem o recém-nascido na UTIN, e 7 pais de recém-nascidos ali internados. Para coleta de dados utilizaram-se a Oficina de Trabalho e a Observação Participante. O tratamento e a análise dos dados coletados foram feitos por meio de Análise de Discurso. A partir dos dados, evidenciaram-se as potencialidades da prática dos profissionais orientada pelo sentido da integralidade, os atos de saúde que materializam ou não a integralidade, as diferentes percepções dos participantes acerca do trabalho realizado pela equipe, e de que forma a lógica da organização do processo de trabalho inscreve o fazer do coletivo de trabalhadores

Basic Skills for Complex Lives: Designs for Learning in the Community College

Outlines the Strengthening Pre-collegiate Education in Community Colleges project's activities, results, and lessons learned, including five principles for teaching underprepared students. Recommends an institution-wide focus and faculty collaboration

Filipino American Parental Beliefs and Perceptions about Managing Care for Children and Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability that affects 1 in 54 children in the United States. This developmental disability impacts an individual’s behavior, communication patterns, and social interactions. ASD strikes 17.9 per 1,000 Asian American and Pacific Islander children in the United States. A dearth of knowledge exists about ASD within the Filipino American community. Shame and stigma related to ASD negatively affect how Filipino Americans perceive the developmental disability, and contribute to underreporting and delayed intervention.Grounded theory was utilized to explore Filipino American cultural beliefs and perceptions about ASD, describe how Filipino American parents manage care for children and adults with ASD, and generate an explanatory framework about processes involved in Filipino American parental management of care for children and adults with ASD. Social constructionism was used as a theoretical framework and symbolic interactionism was used as a philosophical underpinning.Research participants partook in a personal interview to capture cultural beliefs and perceptions about ASD using Kleinman’s Explanatory Model of Illness and explore parental management of children and adults with ASD. Demographic information and levels of acculturation and parent adjustment to illness were also collected. Coding processes, memos, reflexive journals, diagrams, and field notes were utilized for data analysis.Eighteen participants enrolled in the research study. Traditional Filipino cultural values and generational differences influenced beliefs and perceptions about ASD. Causal beliefs of ASD were attributed to environmental factors, medical conditions, pharmaceutical products, prenatal events, genetic history, and/or superstitious beliefs. Management of ASD involved recognizing signs and symptoms of ASD, seeking help, learning about ASD, organizing daily schedules, integrating into social settings, de-escalating challenging behavior, incorporating self-care, worrying about the future, navigating cultural awareness, accepting the diagnosis, defining parenting role, and being an advocate.Filipino American cultural beliefs and perceptions influence how ASD is understood, perceived, and managed. Integration of culturally tailored screening tools, educational programs, and interventions are essential to ensure that nurses provide comprehensive, holistic care for Filipino Americans with ASD. Raising awareness about ASD in the Filipino American community is necessary to further understand the developmental disability, which has no cure, throughout the lifespan

THE ROLE OF EXPLICIT INSTRUCTION IN INTERLANGUAGE PRAGMATIC DEVELOPMENT

The aim of this article is twofold: 1. to review some literature focusing on instruction in interlanguage pragmatics; and 2. to provide an example of how interlanguage pragmatics research and instruction can be linked. In particular it focuses on explicit and implicit instruction, noticing, awareness raising, and metapragmatic instructions. The following areas of instructional research are discussed: subject of study, research questions, research design and findings. We also refer to how instruction can benefit from interlanguage pragmatics research on the example of the second stage of the project “The role of explicit instruction in developing pragmatic competence in learning English and German as foreign languages” carried out at Goce Delchev University, Stip, Republic of Macedonia

Narrative relations : resources for meaning-making and person-centred practices in geriatric care

Narrative approaches in healthcare have attracted a lot of academic attention, suggesting a strong potential in narrativity to help shift healthcare towards more compassionate and person-centred practices. Yet, there is still a need to better understand how narrativity might be understood, made relevant, and realized by healthcare staff in their everyday practices. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork, healthcare professionals’ practice-based experiences shared in focus groups discussions, and narrative theory, this thesis puts everyday healthcare practices at the centre of inquiry, with the overall aim to develop a deepened understanding of narrativity as a potential resource for person-centredness and meaning-making in inpatient geriatric care practice. This compilation thesis includes four academic papers, each contributing to illuminating different aspects of narrativity in everyday practices. The initial studies shaped the design of the latter, thus building cumulative knowledge pertaining to the overall aim. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork, Paper I explores how narrative meaning-making takes place and unfolds on a geriatric ward and discusses that in relation to contextual conditions and person-centred care. The findings render a multifaceted portrayal of the relational and intersubjective character of narrative meaning-making in healthcare practices and show how mundane events and activities of everyday life on a ward were often undervalued in terms of offering opportunities for exploring and co-creating possible understanding of patient situations between them and staff. Papers II & III are based on a constructivist grounded theory methodology. Vignettes developed from the previous ethnographic fieldwork were used to prompt focus group discussions with healthcare professionals. Paper II explores healthcare professionals' experiences and reflections about the use of narration in their everyday work. The findings reflect narration as an ongoing practice of mutual narrative interchange between multiple narrators, including patients, significant others, and staff, and thus introduce the notion of engaging in narrative relations. Moreover, the findings suggest potential consequences for clinical practice of people’s engagement in narrative relations. Paper III expands understanding about the notion of narrative relations by exploring how and where narrative relations are adopted and enacted in everyday practice on a geriatric ward. A main finding was the existence of a twofold practice whereby some activities and actions were generally approved as authorized tasks or routines, i.e. acknowledged practice, while other activities were not assigned this status, and thus took place as underground practices. Together with the concepts of clinical frontstage and backstage, the analysis constructed four distinct arenas for engaging in narrative relations. The findings discuss the transboundary function of narrative relations to interconnect these arenas and contribute to continuity in everyday practices. Finally, Paper IV explores conditions for engaging in narrative relations on a geriatric ward by delving into how healthcare staff interpret conditions for their practices. The findings from a hermeneutic analysis contribute to a deepening understanding of how everyday healthcare practices unfold not only governed by predefined organizational conditions, but that these conditions are continuously interpreted by people, which affect how practices are enacted. Whilst some interpretations were aligned with attitudes and activities enhancing narrative relations, others simultaneously thwarted narrative relations by enacting task-orientation, division, and a focus on measurable biomedical or functional improvements and outcomes. In summary, this thesis suggests a broadened understanding of narrativity that expands the focus beyond eliciting verbal narratives and coherent stories when aiming for fostering person-centredness, to entail a relational approach of continuously tapping into the ongoing narrative meaning-making that people – both staff and patients – engage in. This approach builds on the notion that multiple narratives continuously communicate through narrative relations. When consciously and ethically cultivated, staff practices of engaging in narrative relations may contribute to uphold foundational relational qualities in healthcare

Invoking the Studio Art & Design Spirit in Writing Instruction

This article will address pedagogical and theoretical conversations on the subjects of arts-based pedagogies and similar methods that oppose traditional writing instruction as evidenced in the studio environment. The goal here is to open these spaces to include compositional practices to establish new commonplaces that take students’ individual creative and analytical identities into consideration in writing instruction. “The studio” is a commonly invoked metaphor for writing instruction generally, but first-year writing specifically, for the potential of its pedagogies; however, in order to consider how these classrooms might employ (or do employ) some of these processes and practices, I will focus on pedagogical approaches such as constructivism and improvisation that are, in the studio environment, centered on students making artifacts in various media. The purpose of this examination is not only to examine what these disciplines privilege and why, but to find the spaces in our writing instruction that can benefit from a close examination of these beliefs and values