International partnerships of women for sustainable watershed governance in times of climate change

This chapter describes and assesses collaborative research with women actively engaged in local and global community engagement processes for water management in times of global climate change. As an equity-focused response to climate change, the interrelated networks and initiatives described in the chapter involve organizations and individuals in Brazil, Mozambique, South Africa, Kenya, and Canada. These collaborations are focused on strengthening low-income women's voices, and legitimizing their knowledge and action within water management institutions and processes. The chapter draws from what people learned through two international projects, the Sister Watersheds project with Canadian and Brazilian partners, and a Climate Change Adaptation in Africa project with partners in Canada, Kenya, Mozambique, and South Africa. The methods and approach of the Sister Watersheds project proved to be applicable to climate change education and organizing in Canada as well as in Brazil. The chapter summarizes that women are working together on climate education and water governance, helping to inspire and generate related strategies.This research was supported by the International Development Research Centre, grant number IDRC GRANT NO. 106002-00

The commodification of British higher education : international student curriculum initiatives

This thesis examines the effects of market forces in UK higher education on professional practice in universities and their consequences for the educational experience of international students and those who teach them. It explores whether it is possible in practice for HEIs to reconcile the professional ethics of educators with externally set targets and economic imperatives in an environment which is commercial in orientation and where operational practices are based on a free market philosophy. Policies and practices in international student affairs in Britain are viewed in historical perspective, charting the transition of roles from guest to client with a consequent shift in the demography of the international student body. This, coinciding with a decrease in the public funding of universities, has meant that international study has grown in importance in terms of revenue. The argument is put that this has resulted in international students' acquiring a measure of consumer power the demands of which are thought to impact on British HE. Moreover, the new clients are less likely to possess cultural capital and relevant background in British institutions than their predecessors, and this is liable to impact on curriculum planning and policy making. The thesis identifies Japan as a major source of full-fee paying students. An educational profile of Japan demonstrates how the Japanese have made continuing use of international study to meet the development needs of their society. It shows how, throughout their history, they have been engaged in the importation of educational goods and services and in the consumption of international education overseas. A case study of a curriculum initiative, customised for Japanese students is presented which exemplifies the place of international study in contemporary British higher education. It is field-focused and uses a participant observer ethnographic approach underpinned by statistical data from the 1960s to the present day, thus setting the commodification issue in a historical continuum of international student policy making. The study identifies the factors and forces driving Japanese students abroad and discloses the impact of these movements on the operational practices of institutions, thus serving as a microcosm of the political economy of study abroad. The study concludes that external commercial pressures can be hazardous to academic freedom and professional autonomy yet the consequent operating environment can be exploited in the pursuance of curriculum innovation and the professional development of practitioners and planners

A descriptive study of the relationship of teaching level and subject area assignment to teachers\u27 attitudes toward critical thinking

This study describes teachers\u27 attitudes toward critical thinking: their definitions of critical thinking, the importance of critical thinking in their daily lives, how important it is to them that their students use critical thinking in class, whose responsibility it is to teach critical thinking, and who or what has influenced their attitudes about critical thinking. Each of these aspects of critical thinking was analyzed by teaching level (elementary, middle, or high school) and by subject area assignment (English, social studies, mathematics, science, and other ) to determine if relationships exist between these attributes and attitudes toward critical thinking. The population sample (n=408) consisted of 106 elementary, 123 middle, and 179 high school teachers from a large school division in central Virginia. These teachers completed a Critical Thinking Survey developed by this researcher. Results indicate that teachers define critical thinking and critical thinking skills very broadly. There is a lack of consensus about the definition. This is consistent with the literature in the field.Teachers report a high level of importance of critical thinking in their daily lives. They also report that they believe critical thinking to be of great importance to their students, yet only half of the include assessment of critical thinking in their student evaluation procedures. Teachers seem to accept the responsibility for teaching critical thinking to students. They seem confident in their ability to teach critical thinking, yet they report that they have not had adequate professional training for the task. College, graduate school, and job responsibilities have had a great impact on their attitudes about critical thinking. There were no significant differences by level or assignment with regard to definition. With regard to identification of critical thinking skills, differences were significant for ten of the 23 listed skills. There were also differences on ten of 31 items measuring importance of critical thinking, and on three of ten activities for teaching critical thinking skills

Correlates of job satisfaction of early career employees in printing and publishing occupations

This survey-based study examined the overall job satisfaction of graduates in graphic arts programs from the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). Survey results were used to conduct further analysis to determine which correlates of overall job satisfaction were statistically significant. Personal gratification derived from doing one’s job was found to be the most strongly correlated job facet to overall job satisfaction

Teachers and Tea-Fetchers – What the Future Holds for Japan's Junior College Graduates

Throughout Japan, enrolments in junior colleges, previously the higher education destination of choice for nearly 500 000 women a year at their peak in 1990, has plummeted recently to half that number. It is therefore of interest to investigate the quality of experience and post-graduation aspirations of the decreasing numbers of women who have elected to take up the short- term route. This study investigates the mission of the junior college in the 21st century, the quality and status of the courses, the extent to which they prepare women for their career goals, and the value of the exit qualification in the employment market. In an intensive period of fieldwork in a small college on the Tokyo/Yokohama borders in the summer of 2005 the views of students and their tutors were elicited. It was found that, on the whole, high numbers of women were resigned to the gendered roles for which they have been socialized throughout their life course but that a growing minority were resolved to use their junior college degree to open up possibilities for further study and enter an arena where their economic outcomes could be expanded

Abdominal massage for the relief of constipation in people with Parkinson’s: a qualitative study

Objectives. To explore the experiences of people with Parkinson’s (PwP) who suffer from constipation, the impact this has on their lives, and the effect of using lifestyle changes and abdominal massage as a form of constipation management. Method. Fourteen semistructured interviews were completed (8 males and 6 females; mean age 72.2 years) at the end of a care programme, which consisted of either lifestyle advice and abdominal massage (intervention group;) or lifestyle advice only (control group;). Data were analysed using constant-comparison techniques and Framework methods. Themes and key quotes were identified to depict major findings. Findings. Four key themes were identified: (i) the adverse impact of bowel problems on quality of life; (ii) positive experience of behaviour adjustments: experimentation; (iii) abdominal massage as a dynamic and relaxing tool: experiential learning (intervention group only); (iv) abdominal massage as a contingency plan: hesitation (control group only). Constipation was reported as having a significant impact on quality of life. Participants in both groups perceived lifestyle advice to relieve symptoms. Specific improvements were described in those who also received the abdominal massage. Conclusions. Both lifestyle advice and abdominal massage were perceived to be beneficial in relieving symptoms of constipation for PwP

The impact of pre-school on adolescents\u27 outcomes: Evidence from a recent English cohort

This paper investigates the relationship between attendance at pre-school school and children\u27s outcomes into early adulthood. In particular, we are interested in: child cognitive development at ages 11, 14 and 16; intentions towards tertiary education; economic activity in early adulthood; a group of non-cognitive outcomes such as risky health behaviour; and personality traits. Using matching methods to control for a very rich set of child and family characteristics, we find evidence that pre-school childcare moderately improves results in cognitive tests at age 11 and 14, and 16. Positive effects are especially noticeable for girls and children from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds. Results for non-cognitive outcomes are weaker: we do not find any significant evidence of improvement in psychological well-being, petty crime involvement, or on almost all health behaviours. While the cognitive effects may well serve to reduce lifecycle inequalities there is no support here for other important social benefits

Supporting newly qualified nurses in the UK: a systematic literature review

Aim: This is a systematic literature review of the existing published research related to the development of preceptorship to support newly qualified nurses in the United Kingdom (UK). Background: It has been known for some time that newly qualified nurses experience a period of unsettling transition at the point of registration. In the UK, preceptorship has been the professional body’s recommended solution to this for over 20 years. Data Sources: Searches were made of the CINAHL Plus and MEDLINE databases. Review Methods: A systematic review was carried out in August 2011. Twelve separate searches were conducted generating 167 articles, of which 24 were finally reviewed. Papers were critically reviewed and relevant data were extracted and synthesised using an approach based on Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis ( PRISMA). Results and Discussion: A results table is presented of the twenty-four sources generated by the systematic search. Three themes were identified from the empirical evidence base: ‘Managerial Support Framework’; ‘Recruitment and Retention’; and ‘Reflection and Critical Thinking in Action’;. Conclusion: There is strong evidence that the newly qualified nurse benefits from a period of supported and structured preceptorship, which translates to improved recruitment and retention for the employing organisations. Recommendations for Further Research and Practice: The existing literature provides an evidence base upon which to construct a preceptorship programme and a means by which to measure its efficacy and monitor its future development. Case study research projects should be considered for future preceptorship programmes in order to find the most effective methods of delivery.Research funded by Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Trus

How Latinas Come to Know about AIDS and AIDS Prevention

By the year 2000, Latinos will become the largest minority group in the United States. Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is occurring at a disproportionately high rate among Latinos. As care-giver and health decision-maker in the family, the Latina needs to know about AIDS and AIDS prevention. This research identified and offers an explanation of how the Latina comes to know about AIDS and AIDS prevention within the context of the family and the Latino culture. Grounded theory methodology was used to explore the complex socialization patterns within the Latino community that affect how the Latina perceives HIV/AIDS. Data were collected by means of sixteen individual interviews and a focus group discussion with five Latinas. Results indicated that knowing about AIDS for the Latina is more than defining a disease. It involves an interweaving of socialization patterns, relationships with men, and interpretations of television reports and gossip. Knowing about AIDS for the Latinas interviewed resulted in either preventing, pretending they were not susceptible, relying on their mate for protection, or in teaching family members. The findings of this study have implications for nursing research, nursing education, and nursing practice. The major implication is the need for AIDS prevention education for Latinas that is both gender and culturally sensitive