Real-world geographers and geography students using GIS: relevance, everyday applications and the development of geographical knowledge

While Geographical information systems (GIS) are increasingly being seen in school geography classrooms, there remains significant reluctance among teachers to engage with the technology (e.g. Hong, 2017), as well as limited consideration of students’ perspectives on GIS. In response to this, we have undertaken research to explore how a programme of GIS training, integrated within a two-year A-Level examination course, develops students’ perceptions of the value and nature of GIS, their subsequent engagement with it, and its impact on their geographical knowledge. This paper reports on one strand of the longitudinal research which focuses on how tapping into the expertise of real-world, industry experts can affect students’ perceptions of the relevance of GIS to geography and support their acquisition of geographical knowledge. The project, an interpretive case study, used questionnaires, interviews and analysis of students’ work to elicit students’ developing perceptions of and engagement with GIS, as well as changes in their geographical knowledge. Results suggest that engagement with industry experts aids students’ understanding of what GIS is, allowing them to develop a more nuanced appreciation of its real-world applications; this then appears to play both a direct and indirect role in the subsequent development of students’ geographical knowledg

Learning from MARQuIS: future direction of quality and safety in hospital care in the European Union.

This article summarises the significant lessons to be drawn from, and the policy implications of, the findings of the Methods of Assessing Response to Quality Improvement Strategies (MARQuIS) project--a part of the suite of research projects intended to support policy established by the European Commission through its Sixth Framework Programme. The article first reviews the findings of MARQuIS and their implications for healthcare providers (and particularly for hospitals), and then addresses the broader policy implications for member states of the European Union (EU) and for the commission itself. Against the background of the European Commission's Seventh Framework Programme, it then outlines a number of future areas for research to inform policy and practice in quality and safety in Europe. The article concludes that at this stage, a unique EU-wide quality improvement system for hospitals does not seem to be feasible or effective. Because of possible future community action in this field, attention should focus on the use of existing research on quality and safety strategies in healthcare, with the aim of combining soft measures to accelerate mutual learning. Concrete measures should be considered only in areas for which there is substantial evidence and effective implementation can be ensured

Eco-Capabilities: Making nature explicit in children’s drawings about wellbeing

Global interest in children’s wellbeing is growing and is now central to major international policy documents regarding children’s life quality. Substantial benefits for wellbeing may be derived from contact with nature; despite this, in the last 30 years the number of children regularly playing in wild places fell by 90% and children living with high deprivation are significantly less likely to have access to green spaces. An innovative way to address this is through art in outdoor places; there is evidence that separately both nature and the arts can improve wellbeing and social inclusion. The Eco-Capabilities project is situated at the intersection of these issues. It builds on Sen’s work on capabilities as a proxy for wellbeing, developing the term eco-capabilities to describe how children define what they feel they need to live a fully good life through environmental sustainability, social justice and future economic wellbeing. We will undertake arts-based practice with 8-year old children in two primary schools in Cambridgeshire, UK (fieldwork has been delayed as a result of Covid-19). The project deliberately focuses on children living with high deprivation who generally have less access both to green spaces and the arts. This poster presents data from the pre-intervention stage of the project which explored children’s wellbeing through their drawings and discussions. Ninety-one seven and eight-year old children from two primary schools in areas of relatively high deprivation in eastern England participated. We identified indicators of wellbeing that were made explicit in children’s drawings, such as the need for safety, happiness and positive relationships; however, of note was that indicators of the environment and nature were prolific but generally remained implicit. We analysed these findings through the theoretical lenses of positive psychology, self-actualisation, social mentality and the human-nature relationship, and ultimately speculate that these implicit references to nature in children’s drawings could be because of a tendency towards taking for granted the presence of nature for positive wellbeing. We suggest that making nature explicit, and restoring the interconnectedness between the arts and nature in the current literature, should be a priority for future research and practice on children’s wellbeing

Hospital-based social workers’ perceptions of generalist- and specialist-level palliative social work activities

Summary: A social work advisory group recently proposed 41 generalist-level palliative social work activities applicable to any venue, including hospital-based social work, but this applicability has not been empirically tested. Therefore, we used critical realist grounded theory analysis of qualitative interviews to explore whether the activities proposed by the advisory group reflect inpatient social workers’ perceptions of their generalist-level palliative activities when caring for patients alongside specialist-level palliative social workers. Fourteen Masters educated social workers from six hospitals in the Midwest United States participated. Corresponding concepts from interview data of hospital-based social workers’ perceptions of what facilitates or hinders collaboration with specialist-level palliative social workers were identified and mapped onto the 41 generalist-level palliative social work activities. We used NVivo to organize and track data. Findings: Inpatient social workers find it challenging to engage in specific generalist-level palliative social work activities; provision of generalist-level palliative services is shaped by discharge planning duties, the consultation model, and the concentrated role of specialist-level palliative social workers. Competency in cultural and spiritual aspects of care could be lacking. Applications: Most of the 41 generalist-level palliative social work activities are present in hospital-based social workers’ clinical practice. However, not all activities may be applicable or realizable in the inpatient venue. In the hospital, an emphasis on discharge planning and related time-barriers can mean seriously ill patients and their families lack access to generalist-level palliative social work services. Clarification is needed about which of the 41 activities are relevant to and actionable within the inpatient venue

Teaching climate change and sustainability: A survey of teachers in England

This report shares detailed findings as to the current state of climate change and sustainability education in England in 2022-23, with a particular focus on teachers’ practice and professional development. The results reveal both strengths and gaps in the provision of climate change and sustainability education in England. The report serves as an evidence base for researchers, policymakers and practitioners who seek to support teachers to fulfil their important roles in society’s transformation to a sustainable future. UCL’s Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability Education (CCCSE) conducted a survey of teachers in England entitled ‘What do climate change and sustainability education have to do with me?’. Between October and December 2022, teachers were invited to respond to an online questionnaire about their views and experiences. Teachers were recruited through email lists, professional networks, social media and via the CCCSE website. The questionnaire investigated their teaching practice, professional development, and sense of confidence and preparedness to incorporate climate change and sustainability into their teaching. It included a range of question types and generated quantitative and qualitative data. The survey gathered 870 responses, with over two thirds (70.7%) teaching at secondary level, and geography (41.3%) and science (37.2%) being the most frequently reported subjects taught. Those who responded represented a wide range of teaching experience, from one year to 20+ years, with university-led PGCE programmes the most commonly reported route into teaching (87.2%). The significant majority of respondents were female (73.9%) and from white backgrounds (90.5%)

Databases as policy instruments. About extending networks as evidence-based policy

Background. This article seeks to identify the role of databases in health policy. Access to information and communication technologies has changed traditional relationships between the state and professionals, creating new systems of surveillance and control. As a result, databases may have a profound effect on controlling clinical practice. Methods. We conducted three case studies to reconstruct the development and use of databases as policy instruments. Each database was intended to be employed to control the use of one particular pharmaceutical in the Netherlands (growth hormone, antiretroviral drugs for HIV and Taxol, respectively). We studied the archives of th