DOLPHIN ASSISTED THERAPY: INNOVATIVE LEARNING FOR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES

In this article the dolphin assisted therapy is presented as an innovative method of learning for children with disabilities. The historical overview of dolphin assisted therapy is introduced. Currently it has received the legal recognition in Lithuania and expanded to family-centered programs. Newly developed dolphin assisted therapy program can be integrated into the education process of the child with disabilities as well as the whole family system. The aim of this article, then, is to focus on the dolphin assisted therapy as the classic form of animal assisted therapy, and to analyse how the dolphin assisted therapy has gained its current status as an innovative learning method for children with disabilities and their family members in Lithuanian society. Research methods. Qualitative research was conducted with content analysis. Ten families raising children with cerebral palsy participated in the research. The research results brought to the light that educational sphere supports families’ wishes to visit dolphin assisted therapy, educators highlight the experiental aspect of the whole family. The research results are important for constructing the collaborative joints of educational sphere and dolphin assisted therapy. KEYWORDS: learning with animals, dolphin assisted therapy, children with disabilities.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15181/atee.v1i0.66

TEAM LEADERS’ EXPERIENCES WITH RECEIVING POSITIVE FEEDBACK

The study focused on team leaders’ experiences with receiving positive feedback in an organization. The purpose was to understand how employees without a formal managerial position interpret receiving positive feedback. There are multiple studies regarding feedback in work communities, but not from the experiential perspective of team leaders. The research material was collected by interviewing seven team leaders who worked in a public organization. The research methodology applied and methods used were based on an existential-phenomenological approach. The empirical results consist of seven variants of received positive feedback as experienced by team leaders. Although the variants indicate that receiving positive feedback has favourable effects on team leaders, the effects are conditional. A favourable effect might be realized only if the team leader trusts the feedback giver or if the feedback is experienced to be truly earned. Furthermore, mental closeness with both managers and co-workers improves the perceived reliability of the received positive feedback. The results are similar to previous feedback research with one notable exception. Based on this study, job performance is not related to the received positive feedback as previous research has concluded. Results indicate that positive feedback has many favourable effects but they are mediated by the features of a feedback incident. The existential-phenomenological approach is helpful in understanding a feedback situation as a relation between the experiential worker receiving feedback and the actual work setting including the given feedback. KEY WORDS: team leader, positive feedback, work community, existential-phenomenological approach, phenomenological method, experience

Positiivinen näkökulma konfliktijohtamiseen – esimiesten onnistumiset ristiriitatilanteiden ratkaisussa

A positive view on conflict management – resolving conflict situations successfullyThis research aims to reveal managers’ conceptions about the successful ways of resolving conflict situations between employees. The research question is “What conceptions do managers associate with the successful ways of resolving conflict situations between employees? ” The research data was collected through a questionnaire posted to managers in the public health care sector. Out of 47 managers, 20 responded to the questionnaire. Eventually, 19 responses were included in the analysis, which we conducted using the phenomenographic approach. On the basis of the analysis, the following three description categories were formed: a manager’s own action; cooperation between a manager and both parties of a conflict; and a resolution by a third party. A manager’s interaction and attitude proved to be important factors in resolving conflicts. Using the accrued data, we formed four classes – diplomatic, assertive, empathic, and delegativ

Unmanned Aircraft Systems - Education Activities in Finland, UCNDrone Perspective

Non peer reviewe