Expert and non-expert at the same time: knowledge integration processes and dynamics in interdisciplinary teamwork

Contemporary sustainability issues require the integration of diverse knowledge to study and address them holistically. How interdisciplinary knowledge integration arises in teamwork is, however, poorly understood. For instance, studies often focus on either individual or team processes, rather than studying their interplay and thereby contributing to understanding knowledge integration in an integral manner. Therefore, in this study we aimed to understand how knowledge integration processes are shaped by interactions in interdisciplinary teamwork. We present insights from an ethnographic case study of interdisciplinary teamwork among eight master's students. In this student team, we observed two dynamics that impeded knowledge integration: (1) conformative dynamic manifested as avoiding and ignoring differences, and (2) performative dynamic as avoiding and ignoring not-knowing. Based on earlier work, we expected that contributing one's own and engaging with each other's knowledge would ensure knowledge integration. However, the dynamics exposed that it did not only depend on whether knowledge was contributed and engaged with, but also which knowledge was exchanged and manipulated in the teamwork. We coin the concept 'relative expertise', which emphasizes that interdisciplinary teamwork requires that collaborators act simultaneously as expert-in relation to their own contributory expertise-and non-expert-in relation to others' contributory expertise. The dynamics hampered acting as a relative expert, and we saw that this was shaped by an interplay of students' individual epistemic competencies, shared assumptions about teamwork, and social context. The insights may help recognize dynamics and underlying factors that impair knowledge integration, and thereby inform targeted interventions to facilitate knowledge integration

PLoS One

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0221789.]

კადრი ფილმიდან "ბატონი ავანტიურისტები"

It has been widely argued that trust plays a key role in building entrepreneurial networks and entrepreneurial success. Despite this interest, there are still very few longitudinal empirical studies on trust building. This study shows how nascent entrepreneurs develop trust and entrepreneurial networks in poor rural Bangladeshi environments, and how they use both for entrepreneurial transactions. Data were obtained through longitudinal monitoring, questionnaires and interviews over a two year period. Using the framework of Lewicki et al. (1998) that considers trust and distrust to be separate, co-existing dimensions, this study shows how sustainable entrepreneurial relations, requiring interpersonal trust, can evolve in an initially distrusting environment - and explains why this process follows a particular sequence of events. We found that an external trust broker played a crucial role in trust building. Four domains of trust that play a role in entrepreneurial relations were identified, with thresholds in each domain that need to be reached for progress to the next

Prevalence and Determinants of Unintended Pregnancy in Sub -Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review

Over forty percent of pregnancies worldwide are unintended, with a quarter of these from Africa. There is a growing body of evidence regarding the adverse health, economic, societal, and developmental consequences of unintended pregnancies. The main aim of this systematic review is to report on the current prevalence and determinants of unintended pregnancies in sub-Saharan Africa. A literature search (in PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO and Scopus) was performed up to 29 May 2019. The Joanna Briggs Institute Reviewers' Manual guidelines to assess the quality of peer-reviewed quantitative articles were used to select articles that met our inclusion criteria. A total of 29 articles from 9 countries were included in the final review. The mean unintended pregnancy rate was 33.9%. The mean unwanted pregnancy rate was 11.2%, while the mean mistimed pregnancy rate was 22.1%. Mistimed pregnancies were more frequent across the 13 studies that classified unintended pregnancies into the unwanted and mistimed pregnancy sub-groups. Being an adolescent (19 years old or less), single, and having 5 children or more were consistent risk factors for unintended pregnancy. Awareness and use of modern contraception, level of education, socio-economic status, religion, and area of residence as independent variables were either protective or associated with an increased risk of reporting a pregnancy as being unintended. The unintended pregnancy rate in sub-Saharan Africa remains high, especially among singles, adolescents, and women with 5 or more children. There was no uniform tool used across studies to capture pregnancy intention. The studies did not capture pregnancy intention among women whose pregnancies ended up as stillbirths or abortions. More research is required to ascertain when it is best to capture pregnancy intention, and how exclusion or inclusion of pregnancies ending up as stillbirths or abortions impact reported unintended pregnancy rates

‘The idea is nice… but not for me’:First-year students’ readiness for large-scale ‘flipped lectures’—what (de)motivates them?

The flipped classroom is proposed as an answer to challenges in higher education. However, studies that explore its influence on first-year student motivation are largely lacking. Using the self-determination theory, this study examines the influence of large-scale flipped lectures, here called ‘expert labs’, on first-year student motivation in the context of a health sciences course (n = 219 students). A mixed-method approach was used, including questionnaires and focus groups with students and tutors. Paper-and-pencil surveys included questionnaires based on the Basic Personal Needs Satisfaction and Frustration Scale to compare student motivation in both traditional lectures and expert labs. Focus groups explored student’s and teacher’s experiences in relation to strengths and points for improvement of the flipped classroom. Results suggest that a large-scale flipped setting offers a possibility to enhance the relatedness of first-year students through increased interaction and in-class group assignments. First-year students appreciate the flexibility of pre-lecture preparation and an increased understanding of content through active application and peer learning. Nonetheless, first-year students indicate a need for guidance in pre-lecture preparation, explicit expectation management, and possibly the addition of external incentives to be motivated. When designing a large-scale flipped course, the challenge remains to tailor a blended course to support first-year student motivation by, for example, combining teacher support, scaffolding, and an autonomy supporting environment

From "having the will' to "knowing the way': Incremental transformation for poverty alleviation among rural women in Bangladesh

Short-term, linear, externally funded, project-based approaches to complex problems like women's poverty in rural Bangladesh are often unsuccessful. Taking a different approach, this paper documents a transdisciplinary action-research methodology that led to sustainable poverty alleviation for rural Bangladeshi women, gradual changes in gender relations at the household and community level and strengthened women's capabilities while simultaneously developing an approach to social entrepreneurship. Defining characteristics of this research process were clear articulation of objectives in which poverty alleviation always received priority, learning cycles in which women were the central actors of the research-action process, and fluid and changing leadership among different stakeholders at different stages in the process. The project demonstrates the strength of action-research in addressing complex challenges, such as poverty alleviation and unequal gender relations. Key lessons for development practice include the need for interventions that take place over a longer time-frame and for a vision of development that is not transformational but comprising small incremental, locally embedded changes and which recognises the role of social capital

A Cluster-Randomized Controlled Intervention Study to Assess the Effect of a Contact Intervention in Reducing Leprosy-Related Stigma in Indonesia.

BACKGROUND:Can deliberate interaction between the public and persons affected by leprosy reduce stigmatization? The study described in this paper hypothesises that it can and assesses the effectiveness of a 'contact intervention'. METHODS/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS:This cluster-randomized controlled intervention study is part of the Stigma Assessment and Reduction of Impact (SARI) project conducted in Cirebon District, Indonesia. Testimonies, participatory videos and comics given or made by people affected by leprosy were used as methods to facilitate a dialogue during so-called 'contact events'. A mix of seven quantitative and qualitative methods, including two scales to assess aspects of stigma named the SDS and EMIC-CSS, were used to establish a baseline regarding stigma and knowledge of leprosy, monitor the implementation and assess the impact of the contact events. The study sample were community members selected using different sampling methods. The baseline shows a lack of knowledge about leprosy, a high level of stigma and contrasting examples of support. In total, 91 contact events were organised in 62 villages, directly reaching 4,443 community members (mean 49 per event). The interview data showed that knowledge about leprosy increased and that negative attitudes reduced. The adjusted mean total score of the EMIC-CSS reduced by 4.95 points among respondents who had attended a contact event (n = 58; p < 0.001, effect size = 0.75) compared to the score at baseline (n = 213); for the SDS this was 3.56 (p < 0.001, effect size = 0.81). About 75% of those attending a contact event said they shared the information with others (median 10 persons). CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE:The contact intervention was effective in increasing knowledge and improving public attitudes regarding leprosy. It is relatively easy to replicate elsewhere and does not require expensive technology. More research is needed to improve scalability. The effectiveness of a contact intervention to reduce stigma against other neglected tropical diseases and conditions should be evaluated

Impact of socio-economic development, contact and peer counselling on stigma against persons affected by leprosy in Cirebon, Indonesia - a randomised controlled trial

Objectives: People affected by leprosy are often stigmatised, but stigma is rarely quantified and the effectiveness of interventions is often not evaluated. The SARI Project aimed to test and evaluate three interventions: counselling (involving peer counsellors), socio-economic development (SED) and contact between community members and affected people. Results: This study used a controlled trial design in which pairs of the stigmareduction interventions were randomly allocated to sub-districts in Cirebon District, Indonesia. The study sample consisted of one cohort of people affected by leprosy (on treatment or treated) and two independent samples of community members. The latter were selected through purposive sampling. Three scales (e.g. SARI Stigma Scale, Participation scale) were applied among leprosy-affected people and two scales (e.g. Social Distance Scale) were used among community members pre- and post-intervention. Among affected people (n ¼ 237), significant differences in reduction of stigma and participation restrictions were found in all intervention areas and an improvement in quality of life in some intervention areas. Social distance and social stigma significantly reduced among community members (n ¼ 213 and 375) in the two intervention areas where the contact intervention was implemented. Two of the five instruments indicated changes in the control area, but the changes in the intervention areas were much larger. Conclusion: The SARI Project has demonstrated that a measurable reduction in leprosy-related stigma can be achieved, both at community level and among people affected by leprosy, using reproducible interventions that can be adapted to different settings and target groups

Impact of socio-economic development, contact and peer counselling on stigma against persons affected by leprosy in Cirebon, Indonesia - a randomised controlled trial

Objectives: People affected by leprosy are often stigmatised, but stigma is rarely quantified and the effectiveness of interventions is often not evaluated. The SARI Project aimed to test and evaluate three interventions: counselling (involving peer counsellors), socio-economic development (SED) and contact between community members and affected people. Results: This study used a controlled trial design in which pairs of the stigmareduction interventions were randomly allocated to sub-districts in Cirebon District, Indonesia. The study sample consisted of one cohort of people affected by leprosy (on treatment or treated) and two independent samples of community members. The latter were selected through purposive sampling. Three scales (e.g. SARI Stigma Scale, Participation scale) were applied among leprosy-affected people and two scales (e.g. Social Distance Scale) were used among community members pre- and post-intervention. Among affected people (n ¼ 237), significant differences in reduction of stigma and participation restrictions were found in all intervention areas and an improvement in quality of life in some intervention areas. Social distance and social stigma significantly reduced among community members (n ¼ 213 and 375) in the two intervention areas where the contact intervention was implemented. Two of the five instruments indicated changes in the control area, but the changes in the intervention areas were much larger. Conclusion: The SARI Project has demonstrated that a measurable reduction in leprosy-related stigma can be achieved, both at community level and among people affected by leprosy, using reproducible interventions that can be adapted to different settings and target groups