25 research outputs found
Examining the Relationships Between Distance Education Students’ Self-Efficacy and Their Achievement
This study aimed to examine the relationships between students’ self-efficacy (SSE) and students’ achievement (SA) in distance education. The instruments were administered to 100 undergraduate students in a distance university who work as migrant workers in Taiwan to gather data, while their SA scores were obtained from the university. The semi-structured interviews for 8 participants consisted of questions that showed the specific conditions of SSE and SA. The findings of this study were reported as follows: There was a significantly positive correlation between targeted SSE (overall scales and general self-efficacy) and SA. Targeted students' self-efficacy effectively predicted their achievement; besides, general self- efficacy had the most significant influence. In the qualitative findings, four themes were extracted for those students with lower self-efficacy but higher achievement—physical and emotional condition, teaching and learning strategy, positive social interaction, and intrinsic motivation. Moreover, three themes were extracted for those students with moderate or higher self-efficacy but lower achievement—more time for leisure (not hard-working), less social interaction, and external excuses. Providing effective learning environments, social interactions, and teaching and learning strategies are suggested in distance education
Exploring Food and Health Communicative Practices: An Ethnographic Study in a Suburb of Dakar, Senegal
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, cancers and diabetes, kill 41 million people each year, 77% of them in the Global South (World Health Organization, NCDs fact sheets, 2021). In Senegal, NCDs have been increasing, yet the health system appears unable to respond to emerging needs. My study seeks to understand why health education and information to prevent and manage NCDs are often unable to make a difference on the ground. I explore communicative practices, both official and informal, around health and food from the perspective of literacy as a social practice to contribute to this gap in knowledge.
Adopting an ethnographic approach, I stayed over 10 months in Malika, a suburb of Dakar, where I volunteered in a local Non-Governmental Organisation in literacy and development. I accessed community activities relating to health and food in a cooperative house for women, a walking group, and participants’ households and family events. I observed the everyday environment and communicative practices that comprise local knowledges, food practices and gender roles. Bringing key ideas from literacy as a social practice, health promotion and gender, I researched how people learned and shared knowledge in face-to-face and virtual spaces, including community-based health sites and a WhatsApp group.
I found that the verticality of communication prevails: a command-and-control approach to messages and channels in the ways providers produce and disseminate health information and education. Moreover, the dominant use of French language in health-related texts and scientific literacy at both institutional and community-based levels, while the lingua franca is Wolof, reinforces inequalities in access and power. This one-way communication and top-down messaging positions patients as health consumers, disregarding important determinants of women’s health and failing to challenge gender roles. I argue that exploring health literacy through the contextually embedded concept of health communicative practices has the potential to enhance the impact of health education and communication in ways that can empower communities to make informed choices. This is particularly important in the absence of a supportive health infrastructure
Helping people with dementia to eat well at home: An investigation to understand and enhance nutritional care
There are three studies in this thesis which have been published. The substantial contribution to co-authored papers was made by the candidate. Chapters 3, 4 and 5 contain the manuscripts, and are presented in the format requested by the respective journal.In this thesis I developed a complex intervention to help people living at home with dementia to eat well, and improve nutritional care. This was achieved through four studies conducted using multiple methods.
A scoping review found 61 studies reported in 63 articles after searching six databases from inception to July 2016. Content analysis was used, and the overarching categories were: ‘timely identification of nutritional risk and subsequent regular monitoring of nutritional status’, ‘multi-component tailored interventions’, and the ‘influence of the caregiving dyad on nutritional status’. Most studies were cross-sectional (n=24), cohort (n=15) or qualitative (n=9). Only three were randomised controlled trials. People living at home with dementia are identified as a vulnerable group (n=35), however only four studies tested interventions to improve nutritional care.
In two qualitative studies, semi-structured interviews were used (alongside diaries and a vignette) to explore the experiences of the nutritional care of people living with dementia at home from the perspectives of family members, healthcare professionals and homecare workers. Eight family carers (mean age of 69.6 years) and seven healthcare professionals and homecare workers (mean time spent in profession = 8.9 years) were purposively recruited and interviewed between October 2017 and March 2018. An Interpretative phenomenological analysis approach was used. Three superordinate themes were identified for family carers: ‘becoming carer and cook’, ‘changing role and relationships’, and ‘emotional eating’. Four superordinate themes were identified for healthcare professionals and homecare workers: ‘responsibility to care’, ‘practice restrained by policy’, ‘in it together’, and ‘improving nutritional care’. Family carers, healthcare professionals and homecare workers feel that they do not have adequate knowledge to support someone if they are nutritionally compromised. They are conscious about ‘doing the right thing’ when it comes to providing nutritional care.
The acceptability and feasibility of three podcasts designed for homecare workers about providing nutritional care to someone with dementia were trialled. Six homecare workers took part between October and December 2019, attending a focus group, and completing a quiz. Normalisation process theory underpinned the thematic analysis of qualitative data. Knowledge improved from a score of 5.5 (median) before listening to 7.5 (median) after listening. Eight themes represented the views of the participants. Podcasts about nutritional care and dementia are acceptable to homecare workers, and knowledge of the nutritional concerns associated with dementia improved.
Family carers and people living at home with dementia should be supported when making appropriate food and drink choices, preventing the risk of malnutrition. It is anticipated that the findings of the studies included in this thesis, will encourage healthcare professionals and researchers to place more focus on the nutritional needs of people with dementia living at home. Further development is required for podcasts, and evaluation of their impact in terms of practice and clinical outcomes are required.This study was financed with the aid of a studentship from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care (CLAHRC) South West Peninsula, now recommissioned as NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) South West Peninsul
Proceedings of the 21st International Congress of Aesthetics, Possible Worlds of Contemporary Aesthetics Aesthetics Between History, Geography and Media
The Faculty of Architecture, University of Belgrade and the Society for Aesthetics of Architecture and Visual Arts of Serbia (DEAVUS) are proud to be able to organize the 21st ICA Congress on “Possible Worlds of Contemporary Aesthetics: Aesthetics Between History, Geography and Media”.
We are proud to announce that we received over 500 submissions from 56 countries, which makes this Congress the greatest gathering of aestheticians in this region in the last 40 years.
The ICA 2019 Belgrade aims to map out contemporary aesthetics practices in a vivid dialogue of aestheticians, philosophers, art theorists, architecture theorists, culture theorists, media theorists, artists, media entrepreneurs, architects, cultural activists and researchers in the fields of humanities and social sciences. More precisely, the goal is to map the possible worlds of contemporary aesthetics in Europe, Asia, North and South America, Africa and Australia. The idea is to show, interpret and map the unity and diverseness in aesthetic thought, expression, research, and philosophies on our shared planet. Our goal is to promote a dialogue concerning aesthetics in those parts of the world that have not been involved with the work of the International Association for Aesthetics to this day. Global dialogue, understanding and cooperation are what we aim to achieve.
That said, the 21st ICA is the first Congress to highlight the aesthetic issues of marginalised regions that have not been fully involved in the work of the IAA. This will be accomplished, among others, via thematic round tables discussing contemporary aesthetics in East Africa and South America. Today, aesthetics is recognized as an important philosophical, theoretical and even scientific discipline that aims at interpreting the complexity of phenomena in our contemporary world. People rather talk about possible worlds or possible aesthetic regimes rather than a unique and consistent philosophical, scientific or theoretical discipline
Epidemiology of Injury in English Women's Super league Football: A Cohort Study
INTRODUCTION: The epidemiology of injury in male professional football has been well documented (Ekstrand, Hägglund, & Waldén, 2011) and used as a basis to understand injury trends for a number of years. The prevalence and incidence of injuries occurring in womens super league football is unknown. The aim of this study is to estimate the prevalence and incidence of injury in an English Super League Women’s Football squad. METHODS: Following ethical approval from Leeds Beckett University, players (n = 25) signed to a Women’s Super League Football club provided written informed consent to complete a self-administered injury survey. Measures of exposure, injury and performance over a 12-month period was gathered. Participants were classified as injured if they reported a football injury that required medical attention or withdrawal from participation for one day or more. Injuries were categorised as either traumatic or overuse and whether the injury was a new injury and/or re-injury of the same anatomical site RESULTS: 43 injuries, including re-injury were reported by the 25 participants providing a clinical incidence of 1.72 injuries per player. Total incidence of injury was 10.8/1000 h (95% CI: 7.5 to 14.03). Participants were at higher risk of injury during a match compared with training (32.4 (95% CI: 15.6 to 48.4) vs 8.0 (95% CI: 5.0 to 10.85)/1000 hours, p 28 days) of which there were three non-contact anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries. The epidemiological incidence proportion was 0.80 (95% CI: 0.64 to 0.95) and the average probability that any player on this team will sustain at least one injury was 80.0% (95% CI: 64.3% to 95.6%) CONCLUSION: This is the first report capturing exposure and injury incidence by anatomical site from a cohort of English players and is comparable to that found in Europe (6.3/1000 h (95% CI 5.4 to 7.36) Larruskain et al 2017). The number of ACL injuries highlights a potential injury burden for a squad of this size. Multi-site prospective investigations into the incidence and prevalence of injury in women’s football are require
Human capital investment for front-line non managerial employees in the hospitality sector in Dubai (U.A.E.)
The topic of this research is “Human Capital Investment for front-line non managerial employees in the hospitality sector in Dubai (U.A.E)”.
The purpose of this research is to explore the commitment towards human capital investment offered by five star hotels in Dubai to lower level employees within the Rooms and Food and Beverage departments from a training perspective. Dubai is known for its worldwide reputation of delivering high quality service and luxury products to its international clientele. Dubai is attracting millions of guests into the hotels every year, and forecasting a tremendous growth of the travel, tourism, and hospitality sectors in future. Despite its oil production, Dubai has realised the potential and growth of these sectors as well as retail, medical and finance. Hence, this laid emphasis on the responsibility of hotel companies to offer quality training to its workforce in order to continue with growth, success, expansion plans, and increased worldwide reputation. Furthermore, the country is a creator of employment since it is heavily dependent on labour migrants and expatriates, originating from all over the world, attracting primarily people from the Subcontinent, Asian, European, and other Middle Eastern countries. Consequently, a much-diversified workforce with different levels of education, skills, and background is employed in the hospitality industry. Therefore, there is a need to conduct this study focusing on the following aims. Firstly, to examine the current human capital needs for employees in the hospitality sector in Dubai (U.A.E.). Secondly, to consider and evaluate current efforts by hotel training departments to devise and deliver training to front-line employees. Thirdly, to assess employees’ views regarding the current investment in human capital and to identify areas for improvement. Lastly, to develop a training model underlining the importance of HCI and its constructs within five star hotels in Dubai (U.A.E.).
This was achieved through both primary and secondary research. Based on the literature review a suggested training model was developed which kept changing according to the results of the primary research.
The methodological approach of this study is twofold. A mixed methods approach is been adopted and hence the study starts with the collection of data through the qualitative phase including interviews with Learning and Development Directors/managers of five star hotels, followed by observations of training programmes. The second phase relates to the quantitative data collection with the use of a questionnaire self-administered to front-line employees of five star hotels in Dubai.
The key findings of this study demonstrate that the company regards front-line employees as key assets and hence human capital investment in five star hotels in Dubai is high. Furthermore, there is organisational and management support towards training, which supports the function of the Learning and Development department despite being just a support department. The effectiveness of the Learning and Development department is reflected upon the adequacy of the training department, and high levels of satisfactions are expressed by front-line employees as well as by Learning and Development managers. Because of these training interventions, positive outcomes are associated with employees, customers and organisations. Furthermore, front-line employees agree that because of training, benefits relate not only to their knowledge, skills, and abilities but also to their attitude and behaviour. Learning and Development managers expressed concerns with challenges closely link to the Human Resource practices as well as lack of support by line-managers, whereas front-line employees shared high levels of satisfaction with line-managers support towards their training and developmental activities. Furthermore, despite the effectiveness of the Learning and Development, a major weakness relates to the lack of evaluation and follow up which in turn results to lack of reporting return-on-investment to executive board as well as shareholders. The study hence developed two additional models based on each set of results. Besides, by using data triangulation the study recommends a training model underlining the importance of HCI and its constructs within five star hotels in Dubai based on the new constructs emerged from the findings.
Conclusions are drawn based on model 4 which explains human capital investment from a training perspective in the luxury hotel sector within Dubai reflecting on the contribution to academic knowledge as well as limitations and suggestions for further research are proposed
Knowledge and Management Models for Sustainable Growth
In the last years sustainability has become a topic of global concern and a key issue in the strategic agenda of both business organizations and public authorities and organisations.
Significant changes in business landscape, the emergence of new technology, including social media, the pressure of new social concerns, have called into question established conceptualizations of competitiveness, wealth creation and growth.
New and unaddressed set of issues regarding how private and public organisations manage and invest their resources to create sustainable value have brought to light. In particular the increasing focus on environmental and social themes has suggested new dimensions to be taken into account in the value creation dynamics, both at organisations and communities level.
For companies the need of integrating corporate social and environmental responsibility issues into strategy and daily business operations, pose profound challenges, which, in turn, involve numerous processes and complex decisions influenced by many stakeholders. Facing these challenges calls for the creation, use and exploitation of new knowledge as well as the development of proper management models, approaches and tools aimed to contribute to the development and realization of environmentally and socially sustainable business strategies and practices
Putting Chinese natural knowledge to work in an eighteenth-century Swiss canton: the case of Dr Laurent Garcin
Symposium: S048 - Putting Chinese natural knowledge to work in the long eighteenth centuryThis paper takes as a case study the experience of the eighteenth-century Swiss physician, Laurent Garcin (1683-1752), with Chinese medical and pharmacological knowledge. A Neuchâtel bourgeois of Huguenot origin, who studied in Leiden with Hermann Boerhaave, Garcin spent nine years (1720-1729) in South and Southeast Asia as a surgeon in the service of the Dutch East India Company. Upon his return to Neuchâtel in 1739 he became primus inter pares in the small local community of physician-botanists, introducing them to the artificial sexual system of classification. He practiced medicine, incorporating treatments acquired during his travels. taught botany, collected rare plants for major botanical gardens, and contributed to the Journal Helvetique on a range of topics; he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of London, where two of his papers were read in translation and published in the Philosophical Transactions; one of these concerned the mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana), leading Linnaeus to name the genus Garcinia after Garcin. He was likewise consulted as an expert on the East Indies, exotic flora, and medicines, and contributed to important publications on these topics.
During his time with the Dutch East India Company Garcin encountered Chinese medical practitioners whose work he evaluated favourably as being on a par with that of the Brahmin physicians, whom he particularly esteemed. Yet Garcin never went to China, basing his entire experience of Chinese medical practice on what he witnessed in the Chinese diaspora in Southeast Asia (the ‘East Indies’). This case demonstrates that there were myriad routes to Europeans developing an understanding of Chinese natural knowledge; the Chinese diaspora also afforded a valuable opportunity for comparisons of its knowledge and practice with other non-European bodies of medical and natural (e.g. pharmacological) knowledge.postprin