Student Teaching in an Urban Context: Student Teachers\u27 Views and Construction of Identities

There is a shortage of secondary mathematics teachers throughout the United States (Howard, 2003, Matus, 1999). This deficit is heightened in urban areas (Bracey, 2002; Howard, 2003). Understanding how urban teachers develop into highly qualified, motivated teachers of urban learners may provide guidance in decreasing the shortage of urban secondary mathematics teachers and provide direction for teacher education programs in preparing future teachers of urban learners. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine the experiences pre-service teachers undergo during student teaching and how those experiences impact their views on teaching in an urban context, as well as how their experiences impact the construction of their identities as teachers of urban learners. Six secondary mathematics pre-service teachers who have made the conscious decision to teach in urban schools participate in this study. Phenomenology is used as a philosophical and methodological framework. The theories of teacher thinking, situated cognition, and social identity provided a foundation to examine to research questions: How do pre-service teachers experience student teaching in an urban context; how do pre-service teachers’ experiences impact their views on teaching in urban schools; and how do pre-service teachers’ experiences impact the construction of their identities as teachers of urban learners? Data were collected via initial interviews, journaling throughout the student teaching experience, and phenomenological interviews. Colaizzi’s method for phenomenological data analysis was used to develop textual and structural descriptions of the phenomenon. This method of analysis led to concluding that constructive student teacher – cooperating teacher relationships lead to positive views of teaching in urban contexts and collective teaching dispositions. Negative relationships caused an aversion to teaching in urban environments and individualistic classroom practices. In regards to the construction of an identity as teachers of urban learners, the quality of the student teacher-cooperating teacher relationship was a factor. When an affirming relationship was present the student teachers embraced some of the characteristics of their cooperating teachers. Whereas, detrimental relationships caused the pre-service teachers to dismiss the practices of their cooperating teachers and the rejection of any performance feedback provided

MORAL DISTRESS, LEADERSHIP INTEGRITY, ETHICAL CLIMATE AND TURNOVER INTENT IN CRITICAL-CARE NURSES

Objectives: To determine what relationships exist between moral distress, perceived leadership integrity, ethical climate, and turnover intent among adult critical care nurses and the moderating effect of leadership integrity and ethical climate on moral distress and subsequent turnover intent; to obtain a richer and fuller understanding of how critical care nurses experience moral distress within the context of critical care work. Participants: Adult critical care nurse members of AACN (n=254), 22-70 years old, recruited February – March 2016. Methods: A Qualtrics survey posted on the AACN eNewsline included the moral distress scale-revised, perceived leadership integrity scale, hospital ethical climate survey, turnover intent analog scales, and open ended questions to elicit qualitative data. Results: The direct effects of moral distress and leadership integrity and moral distress and ethical climate on intent to leave position were significant (R2 = .248, Adj R2 = .241, p \u3c .001; R2 = .256, Adj R2 = .249, p \u3c .001). The direct effects of moral distress and leadership integrity and moral distress and ethical climate on intent to leave profession were also significant (R2 = .234, Adj R2 = .224, p \u3c .001; R2 = .175, Adj R2 = .165, p \u3c .001). Neither outcome variable was moderated by leadership integrity or ethical climate significantly. Conclusion: Hospital ethical climate is a significant independent predicator variable and played a major role in the participants’ decision to change their current position and leave the nursing profession

The Experiences of Healthcare Workers and Lawyers Engaging in Remote Work

This study aims to compare the experiences of healthcare workers and lawyers engaging in remote work during the Covid-19 pandemic. The research poster presents a content analysis of the current research on the experiences of professions in the two fields mentioned above. In engaging in content analysis, the study advances a select number of thematic value codes that effectively characterize the similarities and differences between the two professions. With these thematic values codes, it has been found that the healthcare profession and law profession have had a similar experience working from home. With these similarities and differences, one can propose implications for future protocol changes in the respective professions and future research

Ushering in a New Day for Teacher Preparation

Teachers have to be ready to manage the classroom and impact student learning on the first day of school. This round table discussion will provide an overview of a previous study that focused on the development of undergraduate students participating in a yearlong study and also engage participates in a discussion on a proposed study with graduate students. These graduate participates have life experiences and professional identities other than a teacher identity. Will these life experiences and professional identities impact the participants teacher development differently. The researchers are interested in two aspects: (1) how will the yearlong internship impact their development as a teacher and (2) how do the two groups compare

Education for sustainable development in higher education: evaluating coherence between theory and praxis

Universities are an important part of the process of change taking place in society. However, this is often overshadowed by these institutions giving priority to technocratic models in the relationship between science and society. In this context, according to Habermas, theories can serve to clarify practical questions and guide praxis into the right actions (social emancipation and rational autonomy). Habermas introduces the need to evaluate the particular contexts in which scientific arguments are made and assessed. The aim of this study was to develop a set of assessment criteria for education for sustainable development in higher education curricula. These were developed in line with Habermas by introducing further adaptions within the context of education for sustainable development. These criteria were tested in a blended learning master’s programme in Environmental Citizenship and Participation at the Universidade Aberta, Portugal. The following research tools were used as follows: (i) a questionnaire survey to the graduates; (ii) content analysis applied to the information guide and to the abstracts of the dissertations that were produced. The case study revealed that an absence of theoretical frameworks could lead to inconsistencies between theory and praxis. Improvements to curricula are then drawn from this study

Evaluating the relationship between lean thinking and environmental performance in small to medium scale enterprises

With the pressing need for efficiency and waste reduction in the manufacturing sector, ‘lean and green’ thinking has evolved as a popular philosophy worldwide. While there is evidence of the co-existence of lean and green systems and synergistic effects of lean and green approaches on waste reduction SMEs were still encouraged to position their company’s lean and green actions in a matrix which enabled them to identify best practices. This is indeed an opportunity in Queensland (Australia), where more than 95 per cent of businesses are SMEs. A range of tools such as value stream mapping, 5S, cellular manufacturing, total productive maintenance have all shown quantitative improvements in environmental performance. However, it is still unclear how such thinking could holistically improve the environmental performance of small to medium enterprises (SMEs) who are aiming for sustainable business practice. \ud Within this context, this paper presents the findings of a study into how lean and green methods could be applied to achieve sustainable business practices in SMEs. This exploration enquires into, the existing lean and green tools adopted by SMEs and the pathways that SMEs took to integrate lean tools to improve environmental performance to achieve sustainable business practice and then re-conceptualises ‘lean thinking’ and ‘sustainable business practice’ consolidating diverse perspectives of industrial practitioners. This study employed a contextual literature review to summarise key findings on relationships between lean and green practice from previous research and a series of semi-structured interviews to further explore the application of lean and green practices in SMEs in Queensland. The interview strategy was established based on literature from the lean and green domain, targeting the research questions which then informed the interview questions. Drawing on a series in-depth interviews of CEOs and senior managers involved in sustainability and lean manufacturing decision-making, a range of views and experiences are presented from enterprises spanning rubber, textile, electronics, marine product, industrial machinery, mulch and paint manufacturing. Using this data the current and potential connectivity between ‘lean thinking’ and ‘sustainable business practice’ is clarified. Authors also reveal opportunities for using lean and green tools to improve sustainable business practice in specific environmental performance areas of waste, water, chemicals, emissions and energy management in SMEs. This research is an important contribution to dialogue about fostering sustainable business practice in SMEs. The conclusions can be used immediately by SMEs to prioritise expenditure on lean thinking tools, and to optimise existing lean and green practices