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[Birdsong]: Pedagogies of Attunement and Surrender with More-than-Human Teachers
Get PDFOur current ecological predicament requires a shift to a post-anthropocentric educational paradigm in which we educate for and about a world that is not “for us,” but comprised of a multitude of eco-systems of which we are simply a part. To facilitate this, education should be enacted differently; we need to experience learning not as furthering entrenched nature/culture binaries, but as “worlding” processes, whereby imaginary divides between individual and environment are troubled, as humans and the material world are revealed to be relational and entangled. Posthumanism offers an affective turn towards a social and ecological justice that accounts for such entanglements; enacted through necessary processes of de-familiarisation from the dominant vision of education. In this article we firstly explore the theoretical underpinnings of critical posthumanism to critique sustainability education-as-usual and propose new modes of teaching that lean into affective processes of noticing and surrender. We then discuss a research project in which participants came together to explore what happens when we cease to privilege humans as the ultimate instructors and holders of knowledge. In doing so we disrupt normative methodologies, drawing on affect, embodiment, relationality, transdisciplinarity and an ethics of care which extend learning to more-than-human kin
Navigating transitions into, through, and beyond peer worker roles: insider insights from the Supporting Harm Reduction through Peer Support (SHARPS) study
Get PDFBackground Peer workers are individuals who draw on their personal experiences in a professional capacity to support clients. Existing research on the role of peer workers in mental health, homelessness, and substance use services has primarily focused on their impact on client outcomes. This paper describes the development of peer workers as they transition into, through, and beyond this role. Utilising data from the Supporting Harm Reduction through Peer Support (SHARPS) study, where Peer Navigators supported people experiencing homelessness and substance use challenges, this paper explores the sense-making involved in an intensive peer support worker role, adaptation to organisational culture, and engagement with opportunities for professional advancement. Methods Semi-structured interviews with three Peer Navigators were conducted by two SHARPS study researchers at four time points in 2018 and 2019 corresponding with the beginning, middle, and end of the intervention. These data were analysed along with entries from the three Peer Navigators’ reflective diaries. Analysis followed a multi-stage approach to thematic analysis utilising both inductive and deductive processes. The Peer Navigators’ personal reflections have also been incorporated into the recommendations. Results The foundational training provided to the Peer Navigators before taking up their role helped to ensure readiness and build confidence. This training illuminated the dynamics of supporting individuals with complex health and social challenges. Integrating into diverse organisational environments, the Peer Navigators adapted to new professional expectations and consistently advocated for harm reduction and psychologically informed approaches, sometimes encountering resistance from other professionals. Establishing effective relationships with participants and professionals was essential and involved dealing with challenges such as overcoming personal biases and navigating systemic obstacles. the Peer Navigators benefitted from the specially designed training to support career progress with personal and professional development opportunities which enabled successful transitions beyond the SHARPS study. Conclusions Pre-work training, coupled with support and adherence to key principles, enabled the Peer Navigators to integrate effectively into diverse organisations. Quality relationships were vital in achieving client outcomes and supporting the professional growth of the Peer Navigators. These findings are important for services employing peer workers and underscore the importance of a commitment to training and continuing professional development
Sprinting to Success?: F1 Fans’ Excitement towards Change in Sport Competition Formats
No full textDriven by an increasing digitalised consumption of leisure, and consumer preferences evolving to favour speed and immediate gratification during consumption, new shorter formats of sport competitions are being introduced. Since 2021 Formula One have been discussing complementing their traditional race format, with alternative shorter formats to re-ignite the excitement of their fans. In this study, we explore the proclaimed excitement of fans towards the three different proposed formats of F1 races through a large-scale survey (N=2,107), showing the in fact negative effects that proposed format changes have on F1 fans’ anticipated excitement. What emerges instead is the importance of the length of fandom in influencing fans’ receptivity to format changes, rather than the generation in which they belong, stressing thus the significance of intra rather than inter-generational exploration of fandom.Output Status: Forthcoming/Available Onlin
The birthday problem: repeated sampling of animal populations and ethics of experimental design
Get PDFResearchers who use animals in science must balance statistical power with the need to satisfy the three Rs, whereby researchers are required to reduce numbers of animals, refine what they experience, and use alternatives to (replace) higher animals where possible. In repeated sampling over time-series studies, there is potential loss of power as well as ethics implications posed by repeated sampling of individual animals, where this cannot be managed or avoided. Here, we consider the mathematics of repeated sampling from three perspectives: that of the population at large, from the experience of the individual, and the conditional probability of sampled individuals being sampled again. The calculations are illustrated using four theoretical case studies across veterinary epidemiology with different practical implications and a provided R Shiny tool for researchers. Despite the availability of exact calculations, it is necessary to also consider the biological factors which may affect capture and recapture rates in sampling studies such as animal personality and response to capture. Researchers must also choose their question carefully to avoid inappropriate framing of ethical concerns around repeated sampling
The Influence of Overseas Study on Saudi Female EFL Instructors: A Narrative Inquiry
No full textThis narrative study investigates the experiences of Saudi female English as a Foreign Language (EFL) instructors who have completed their postgraduate education overseas and returned home to teach in Saudi higher education institutions. The main aim of this study is to understand how their experiences at home and abroad have informed and determined their educational choices and their current teaching beliefs and practices. The practical relevance of this study is underscored by the growing number of Saudi academics, including EFL instructors, who pursue postgraduate education overseas, yet there remains a limited understanding of the effects of these international experiences, both on the academics themselves and on the students they teach. The study addresses a) the undocumented learning and teaching experiences of female EFL instructors, b) the limited research on Saudi EFL female instructors’ professional learning in relation to overseas education, and c) the need for holistic methodologies when examining teachers’ development (Mockler, 2011).
Data for this study were collected through four rounds of narrative interviews with six participants. Framed within a constructivist paradigm, the data analysis attends to both the narrated events and narrating events (Wortham & Reyes, 2015) of the narrative. The participants' narratives are approached through a joint model of agency (Emirbayer & Mische, 1998; Giddens, 1984) to explore their educational choices, learning experiences, and teaching practices. The study provides insights into the complex interplay of factors that influence Saudi female EFL instructors’ educational choices and learning and teaching experiences.
Findings reveal that Saudi female EFL instructors' educational choices are shaped by both personal aspirations and external factors like family, societal norms, and the job market. Despite challenges, they demonstrate agency in pursuing desired educational pathways. Their learning journeys, from local BA programmes to overseas MA programmes, are marked by challenges and growth, leading to transformed perspectives on teaching. Overseas experiences, in particular, emerge as a catalyst for adopting more student-centred approaches. However, implementing these approaches is influenced by institutional support, student readiness, workload, and alignment between assessment and teaching philosophies. The study highlights the impact of overseas education on teaching practices while emphasising the need to address contextual factors to support pedagogical innovation in local institutions
Care poverty and conflicts in social citizenship: the right to care?
Get PDFThis chapter places the theory of care poverty in the context of other theories of care and provides an overview of the conflicts inherent in these theories, including the idea of ‘social citizenship’ – the right to access resources to meet needs, in this case care needs. Ideas about care poverty are used to offer a theoretical way of synthesising previous conflicting theories of care, testing this against kinship versus formal care provision. The chapter concludes that the concept of care poverty enables us to talk about the need for care as a social right, to reframe our thinking away from vulnerabilities and needs and towards a more emancipatory approach to care provision. As well as ontological power, the concept also has political power. The care poverty theory needs to be empirically tested and there is work to be done in comparative social policy to examine the ideas, institutions and actors that exacerbate and alleviate care poverty.Good Health and Well-BeingGender Equalit
Investigating spat mortality in Scottish farmed blue mussels (Mytilus edulis)
Get PDFMussel spat in Loch Eil, Scotland, experiences alarmingly high mortality rates. This study investigates the underlying causes through field surveys, environmental monitoring, and controlled experiments. Mortality in Loch Eil reached 68.3%, significantly higher than the near-zero mortality observed in Loch Sunart. Environmental analyses revealed distinct differences between the lochs, including variations in temperature, salinity, and heavy metal concentrations. Potential pathogens, including Photobacterium spp. and Vibrio spp., were identified. Controlled experiments demonstrated significant impacts of water quality, salinity fluctuations, and UV exposure on spat survival. Cohabitation experiments highlighted the potential role of genetic variability in determining spat resilience. This research provides crucial insights into the complex factors driving high mortality in Loch Eil mussel spat
Objective and subjective experiences of developmental prosopagnosia
No full textIn this thesis, I investigated objective and subjective experiences of developmental prosopagnosia (DP), a neurodevelopmental condition that results in severe face recognition difficulties. To assess objective face processing, I first screened for general cognitive deficits that could explain poor face test performance. Participants completed a fluid reasoning task using abstract shapes. Potential DPs were more accurate than controls but significantly slower, suggesting speed-accuracy trade-off in non-face tasks. To address this, I calculated the Balanced Integration Score (BIS). Results showed no group differences, highlighting that DPs clearly adopted a different strategy from controls. I next investigated which face memory measures best classified DP. Participants completed two face memory tests, the Cambridge Face Memory Test (CFMT) and Old New Faces, a bicycle memory task and a famous faces recognition test. I directly compared how well accuracy and (BIS) classified DP. BIS was a more sensitive measure than accuracy alone on these tasks, classifying 83% vs 58% of DPs respectively and produced larger group effect sizes. I next systematically tested which subprocesses of face perception were impaired in DP. Single case analysis, group comparisons and intraclass correlations showed that face perception ability was highly heterogenous. Data showed evidence for two sub types of DP; an apperceptive subtype, in which both face perception and face memory are impaired and a mnemonic subtype (in which only face memory is impaired). Finally, I explored subjective experiences of living with DP using a mixed methods survey. Responses provided further evidence of the heterogeneity of the condition and highlighted the types of difficulties that DPs experienced in everyday life and their priorities for future research. Being unable to recognise close friends and family was a common experience and lower CFMT scores were not associated with the ability to recognise friends and family
Current Perceptions of Virtual Reality Technology
Get PDFUser experience is a key predictor of future use of goods and services. The presented study collected a combination of qualitative and quantitative data from both experienced users and novices about their perceptions of virtual reality (VR) equipment, any concerns surrounding the data collected by the equipment, and facets that needed to be taken into consideration for future developments. The purpose of this research was to understand the current user experience of VR and ways in which it can be improved. The findings indicated that the majority of people have used VR, albeit infrequently, and that the most common use for it was for entertainment purposes. The most important characteristics of VR systems were judged to be the available content and price. While it was reported to be enjoyable to use, the ways in which it was suggested to be improved were through a reduction in size and weight of the headsets, and incorporating wireless capabilities. Concerns about the use of VR were the potential for sickness, discomfort, and eye strain, the disconnect from the real world and the subsequent risks that this poses, as well as the use and privacy of user data. The findings from this research can be used as a stepping stone toward the advancement of VR technologies
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