Review article: Ever decreasing circles

Review of P.J. ASHMORE, Calanais: survey and excavation 1979-88, and RICHARD BRADLEY & COURTNEY NIMURA (eds), The use and reuse of stone circles: fieldwork at five Scottish monuments and its implications

Linguistically Responsive Leaders: Working With Multilingual Students and Their Families

The demographic composition of the United States (US) has transformed since the early 1990s with immigrant arrivals from Mexico and Central America. Education leaders frequently exit preparation programs without content focused on opportunities around working successfully with multilingual students. This qualitative case study explores the implementation of online learning modules focused on engaging multilingual students and their families that were embedded into advanced leadership preparation coursework. Utilizing data (e.g., classwork, fieldnotes, semi-structured interviews) collected from 10 participants, findings include recommendations for stronger preparation on multilingual learners and flexible learning experiences that encourage the application of knowledge in professional practice

Diversity or divide? In search of flexible specialization in the UK television industry

"In ihrem Beitrag über die britische Fernsehindustrie untersuchen die Autoren ausgehend von der These einer zunehmenden flexiblen Spezialisierung, die Organisation der Produktion und Distribution von Programminhalten. Angesichts neuer technologischer Möglichkeiten und ökonomischer Notwendigkeiten sowie unter Betonung des in Großbritannien wichtigen Einflusses der Reregulation dieser Industrie, finden die Autoren tatsächlich einen Trend zur Produktionsorganisation in flexibel spezialisierten Unternehmensnetzwerken, gleichzeitig aber auch die Weiterexistenz von Inhouse-Produktionen und eine Zunahme von Unternehmungsübernahmen in diesem Bereich. Der zunehmenden Diversität in der Produktionsorganisation stellen die Autoren die Konzentration im Bereich der Programmdistribution durch Fernsehsender gegenüber und geben eine Einschätzung der sich vor diesem Hintergrund verändernden Beziehungen zwischen Produktion und Distribution." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)"Competitive pressures are driving firms in many industries towards more flexible organizational forms. In particular, stable, vertically integrated organizations are being challenged by those drawing together resources in unique, 'flexibly specialised' webs or 'networks'. Some analysts suggest that the growth of network organizations marks a major 'industrial divide' and that, with the decomposition of mass markets, organizations based upon the principles of economies of scale are no longer viable. This paper questions the interpretation of the flexible specialization thesis as a production paradigm via an examination of the UK television industry. In particular, the diversity of emerging organizational forms in UK television is explored by presenting flexible specializations as a 'mode of production' which can manifest itself in a diversity of organizational models. As a result of such analysis, it is concluded that emergent forms of organization in television are not subject to any one particular categorization, and indeed that to search for a dominant production paradigm is counter-productive." (author's abstract, IAB-Doku

Finding the Questions: A Longitudinal Mixed Methods Study of Pre-Service Practitioner Inquiry

Thesis advisor: Marilyn Cochran-SmithTeacher quality is a central concern of the profession. College-based teacher education, the core of teacher preparation in the United States, has increasingly included some form of practitioner inquiry in the pre-service program to encourage teacher candidates to be reflective, adaptive teachers who systematically and intentionally examine practice to improve pupil outcomes and continue their own professional development. While it is assumed that pre-service practitioner inquiry has a positive influence on pupils' learning, there is still little empirical evidence to support this assertion. Most empirical data on pre-service practitioner inquiry is confined to a short time period and does not examine what happens to pre-service candidates when they enter their own classrooms. Additionally, this research is generally conducted using interpretive qualitative methods. Thus, this dissertation uses a longitudinal mixed methods approach to examine what happens when teacher candidates engage in practitioner research in a pre-service program focused on inquiry with the goal of improving pupil learning. A modified sequential explanatory mixed methods design was employed as the best means of addressing this complex question. The study included data from three sources in a teacher preparation program focused on practitioner inquiry. The first analysis took a broad view of the quality and range of teacher candidates' research papers through the analysis of rubric scores for 92 teacher candidate inquiry papers in two cohorts (spring, 2006 and spring, 2007). Looking at the quality and nature of these projects, content analysis on a sample of twelve papers taken from the range of these scores was conducted. Finally, in-depth case studies of two participants were developed using data accumulated during the one-year pre-service program and through the first two years in the classroom. Findings in the quantitative analysis indicated that the rubric was reliable in differentiating among papers, but that there were fewer outstanding inquiries than expected, which were not explained by analysis of the scores. Content analysis of a sample of these papers indicated that differences were in how questions were formed; candidates' ability to interpret and use data recursively; whether and how candidates connected their learning to pupil learning; and if candidates connected their inquiry to issues of social justice in meaningful ways. The case studies showed that several factors influenced whether and how candidates moved toward the development of inquiry as stance. These factors included candidates' view of inquiry; teacher capacity; demands of curriculum planning and development; understandings of learning to teach for social justice; as well as school support and context. Overall, the three analyses in this dissertation indicated that requiring teacher candidates to engage in pre-service practitioner inquiry did not guarantee that they would understand inquiry as intended, develop an inquiry stance, or continue to inquire into practice in their own classrooms. These findings suggest implications for research, practice, and policy, which are discussed.Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2009.Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education.Discipline: Teacher Education, Special Education, Curriculum and Instruction

A PhD research project on safety risk assessment of complex changes to railway infrastructure and vehicles

This study investigates the risk assessment of railway changes in an interconnected environment. Systems are a collection of subsystems and parts, and this thesis develops a new method, the Combined Assessment Method (CAM), to analyse them. CAM potentially applies to many industries, including aviation, defence and nuclear, where there is a requirement to assess system safety objectively. The railway is a specific case of a closely coupled socio-technical system of critical physical interfaces between systems and a stringent example of systems in other industries. The Author has carried out: an assessment of current techniques, a review of relevant literature, a survey of risk assessment practitioners, an appraisal of current methods, and a review of accident data to identify current accident characteristics. CAM incorporates established assessment techniques to perform subsystem analysis. Subsystem results are combined using systems engineering methods in a novel way producing an overall risk assessment for a system, which incorporates emergent behaviours. The assurance of CAM is through a case study and two test cases. It uses safety performance, ease of use, and economic saving criteria to judge success. Illustrative studies include a metro system, indicating that CAM is potentially a process and is application-independent. Furthermore, test cases illustrate that CAM combines the risks from multiple parts of a whole system into overall risks. Finally, test cases measure the verification through a match between the findings of official incident reports and the CAM output. This thesis is the first step to creating CAM as a fully-fledged system safety risk analysis method. Further work is proposed to take CAM forward and address identified weaknesses. Finally, suggestions have been made for further work to “productionize” CAM to increase the likelihood that practitioners in the field will use CAM

The design and distribution of stone circles in Britain : a reflection of variation in social organization in the second and third millennia BC.

Stone circles are a diverse monument form which may well incorporate a complex palimpsest of sites of varying functions and dates. Multivariate analyses of their architectural variability provide the basis for a taxonomy which divide the data into 14 distinct types of stone circle. These are argued to form a base for further research which avoids many of the problems inherent in simplistic comparisons of stone circles as a whole. A corpus of stone circles has been compiled. The design, date and distribution of each stone circle class is examined. In addition, the controversial hypotheses instigated by Thom, on geometry, metrology and astronomical orientation, are reviewed and placed within the more general interpretive framework used here to define stone circle taxonomy. The other major theme presented here is an analysis of the distribution of the 14 stone circle types in relation to topography, settlement and other monuments. This highlights a diverse range of patterns which becomes apparent once differential survival rates are accounted for. At one extreme, 1n peripheral areas such as the Peak District's East Moors, are simple one to one correlations of field systems/ca1rnf1elds to small, similarly designed monuments. Towards the other end of the spectrum, as on Dartmoor, are complex patterns where hierarchies of different monument forms exist, which can be argued to function on different levels; ranging from the purely local to regional meeting places. Variation in the character of such patterns from region to region are argued to reflect significant differences in social organization across Britain. While some of these differences can be seen in terms of 'core' and 'peripheral' zones, others suggest that some lowland communities were organized very differently from those in areas such as Wessex

When Claiming to Teach for Social Justice is Not Enough: Majoritarian Stories of Race, Difference, and Meritocracy

To understand how dominant messages about race and effective pedagogy impact teacher beliefs and practice, this study employs critical race theory (CRT) in a case study analysis of Rebecca Rosenberg, a mid-career entrant into the teaching profession who was terminated from her first job before the end of her district’s probationary period. Despite believing she was teaching for social justice, being prepared in a program oriented toward social justice, and being hired in a school with a comparable mission, Rebecca’s beliefs and practices affirmed uncritical perspectives of the status quo regarding race, schooling, and social ascendance. This research underscores the substantial work to be done in preparing teachers to be reflective of the overarching cultural myths and majoritarian stories that may guide their practice

When Claiming to Teach for Social Justice is Not Enough: Majoritarian Stories of Race, Difference, and Meritocracy

To understand how dominant messages about race and effective pedagogy impact teacher beliefs and practice, this study employs critical race theory (CRT) in a case study analysis of Rebecca Rosenberg, a mid-career entrant into the teaching profession who was terminated from her first job before the end of her district’s probationary period. Despite believing she was teaching for social justice, being prepared in a program oriented toward social justice, and being hired in a school with a comparable mission, Rebecca’s beliefs and practices affirmed uncritical perspectives of the status quo regarding race, schooling, and social ascendance. This research underscores the substantial work to be done in preparing teachers to be reflective of the overarching cultural myths and majoritarian stories that may guide their practice

Remember Icarus! Seven risks that threaten Business Schools

Business schools, according to certain measures, have been a major success story in the recent past of the university, enjoying significant demand growth. We suggest that their future may be more problematic. We offer different possible scenarios for business schools and identify seven key risks that they face. We argue that the most significant challenge business schools must negotiate is to redefine and clarify their mission and redesign themselves to meet these risks. We conclude that the business schools best able to survive and prosper in the future are likely to be very different from those that currently exist

Interpreting Early Career Trajectories

Career decisions of four teachers are explored through the concept of figured worlds in this qualitative, longitudinal case study. Participants were purposefully chosen for similarity at entry, with a range of career trajectories over time. Teacher career paths included remaining in one school, repeated changes in schools, attrition after relocation, and nonrenewal of contract. Data included interviews, observations, participants’ assessments, and pupils’ work. Cross-case analysis suggests that no single teacher attribute or workplace condition determined teachers’ career decisions; rather, teachers’ ability to refigure their identity within the figured world of teaching shaped career trajectory. Key factors such as ability to address disequilibrium, teacher identity, agency, and collaborative capacity are examined. Implications call for pre-service preparation and professional development to navigate cultures of schools, amended administrative involvement in teacher retention, and policy reform acknowledging the complexity of teachers’ figured worlds