Voting with your wallet? Municipal budget policy and election results

In this research letter, we examine the impact of municipal budget policy on the percentage of votes for the incumbent majority parties in subsequent elections. We contribute to the academic literature by examining the combined influence of taxes, expenditures and debt. Based on data for Flanders (Belgium) between 1994 and 2012, we find no significant association between these budget variables and the actual election results

Why do adults learn? Developing a motivational typology across 12 European countries

Participation in adult education is today generally considered an individual responsibility. However, participation is the result of a complex bounded agency between individuals, educational institutions and regulating governments. This paper explores the motives of 12,000 European adult learners in formal adult education in 12 European countries. Analysis shows consistent patterns comparable to welfare state typologies. Further exploration demonstrates that motives to participate in adult education courses can be interpreted in relation to the labour market, education and social policy in the country of participation.status: publishe

The Narrative Quality of Career Conversations in Vocational Education

Due to the individualization of society and the rise of a service economy, youngsters have to develop a career identity. In this article we explore to what extent career guidance conversations in vocational education enable the development of a career identity. Using core concepts of dialogical self theory, we understand identity development in terms of positioning: as a dynamic process from I-positions to a meta-position and subsequently to a promoter-position. We want to know what happens when in a conversation an I-position is formulated. Based on 30 guidance conversations between students and a teacher or workplace mentor, four different strategies of teachers or mentors are distinguished: ignoring the I-position, repositioning by talking on behalf of the student, broadening the I-position without conclusion, and dialogue resulting in the formulation of a promoter-position. The results show that dialogical self theory can support teachers and mentors in broadening their positioning repertoire to improve the narrative quality of their guidance conversations with students

Entrepreneurship Education and Training in a Small Business Context: Insights from the Competence-based Approach

The concept of competence, as it is brought into play in current research, is a potentially powerful construct for entrepreneurship education research and practice. Although the concept has been the subject of strong debate in educational research in general, critical analysis of how it has been used, applied and experienced in entrepreneurship education practice is scarce. This article contributes specifically to the discussion of entrepreneurial competence by theoretically unfolding and discussing the concept. Subsequently, the implications of applying a competence-based approach in entrepreneurship education are illustrated and discussed based on analysis of two cases t

Corrosion protection of Cu by atomic layer deposition

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is a vapor phase technique that is able to deposit uniform, conformal thin films with an excellent thickness control at the atomic scale. 18 nm thick Al2O3 and TiO2 coatings were deposited conformaly and pinhole-free onto micrometer-sized Cu powder, using trimethylaluminum and tetrakis(dimethylamido)titanium(IV), respectively, as a precursor and de-ionized water as a reactant. The capability of the ALD coating to protect the Cu powder against corrosion was investigated. Therefore, the stability of the coatings was studied in solutions with different pH in the range of 0-14, and in situ raman spectroscopy was used to detect the emergence of corrosion products of Cu as an indication that the protective coating starts to fail. Both ALD coatings provide good protection at standard pH values in the range of 5-7. In general, the TiO2 coating shows a better barrier protection against corrosion than the Al2O3 coating. However, for the most extreme pH conditions, pH 0 and pH 14, the TiO2 coating starts also to degrade. Published by the AVS