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UNDERSTANDING APPROACHES TO ESD RESEARCH ON TEACHING AND LEARNING IN HIGHER EDUCATION
No full textTo begin a review of the purpose(s) of ESD research, we must first ask the basic question of the purpose of research generally. Definitions of research normally centre on it comprising systematic investigation which contributes to knowledge or understanding of phenomena or a problem. A distinction is commonly drawn between pure or basic research which focuses on understanding phenomena and issues, and applied research where the primary emphasis is on research which contributes to the solution of problems or some systemic improvement rather
than knowledge for its own sake. Some commentators see action research as a third category as it is predicated on the researcher being part of the research process which itself is committed to personal or social change. ESD research as an area of interest is perhaps unusual because it accommodates and crosses these categories. It also engages in philosophic research regarding cultural, worldview and ethical dimensions of sustainability education – critically important dimensions of ESD research, but not within the scope of this chapte
Modifying English for non-native speakers: lessons in ‘rough tuning’ from the language classroom
Get PDFInitial training courses and textbooks for English language teachers place a strong emphasis on the importance of appropriately graded ‘teacher talk’. However, typically little or no specific advice is given as to how exactly an English teacher should go about modifying his or her language in the classroom. This skill appears to be fed by the assumption that effective teacher talk comes from a mixture of intuition and experience, and does not require any technical elaboration. In and outside the field of English language teaching, unfortunate comparisons have been made with both infant-directed speech and ‘plain English’; this article takes the view that these analogies are misguided, and explores the fragmentary research on the topic of so-called foreigner-directed speech, then provides some tentative guidance to new English language teachers. Much remains to be done to develop this area of research, which largely fell out of fashion after the 1980s, as its benefits could extend far
outside of the language classroom. The UK government, for example, discourages the translation
of official documents for the benefit of migrants, suggesting that ‘plain English’ versions be used instead. In reality, the nature of such ‘plain English’ is far more complex than assumed
Reflective practice undertaken by healthcare and medical trainees and practitioners: so what’s all the fuss about?
Get PDFHaving worked with healthcare and medical trainees and practitioners for a number of years as medical educators, we have often noticed a glazed, irritated or frustrated look in the eyes of many of them when the terms reflective practice or reflection are used. These two sets of words have come to be known as the ‘R’ words. This has prompted us to consider the modern
origins of the concept of reflective practice and also the etymological roots and philosophical foundation of the meaning of the term ‘practice’. At the same time, this has raised issues of who owns the process and product of reflective practice (e.g. individuals; peers; tutors; assessors) and whether the outcomes should be formally assessed given the associated ethical and
authenticity dilemmas that often seem to arise from such assessment
Public Understanding and Knowledge of Rip Currents and Beach Safety in the UK
Get PDFRip currents present a severe hazard for water users on beaches and account for the greatest cause of lifeguard rescues worldwide. The physical dynamics of rip currents are well studied, and more recently, the social and behavioural science research surrounding human interaction of rip currents has been expanding, providing a social perspective and feeding into public education strategies. The aim of this study was to assess levels of public understanding of rip currents and beach safety on UK beaches. A questionnaire was undertaken (N = 407) during the summer of 2012 on four beaches. Beach users had a poor knowledge of rip currents (n = 263), but those who have been caught in a rip have a higher level of knowledge. Conversely, beach users had a good understanding of what the beach safety flags indicated (n = 314), and most people complied with this flag system (n = 339). In addition, people previously educated on rip currents had a higher knowledge, and lifeguards proved to be the most effective form of education. The study presents an insight into UK beach users’ knowledge of rip currents and provides more evidence with which to pilot a rip current education scheme within the UK
Sustainable Stoke:Transitions to Sustainability in the Surfing World
Get PDFWhat does sustainability mean in the surfing world? This question is answered by more than 40 of the most influential figures from the surf industry, academia, non-profit organisations, and the surfing community, exploring the cutting edge of the surfing world's transition to sustainability. High profile contributors include: 1) President of the International Surfing Association and founder of Reef, Fernando Aguerre, 2) 1978 World Champion and former CEO of the Association of Surfing Professionals Wayne Rabbit Bartholomew, 3) Professional Surfer, former Waterman of the Year and twice inducted into the Surfer s Hall of Fame Rob Machado, 4) President of the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association Doug Alladini, 5) Founder of Surfrider Foundation Glenn Hening, 6) Co-Founder of Surfers Against Sewage Chris Hines, 7) Fred Hemmings 1968 world champion, founder of the Pipeline Masters and the World Championship Tour, and former state senator, and 8) Bob McKnight former CEO and current chairman of the board at Quiksilver, and many more. Sustainable Stoke systematically explores how surfing culture and industry impacts on social, economic and environmental areas of life at both international and local levels. Innovations and initiatives are highlighted providing the foundations for technological transitions as well as social and environmental initiatives that are improving the lives of thousands of people all over the world
Stretch characteristics of kinesiology tape: a practical application
No full textThe use of kinesiology tape (K-tape) has expanded massively in recent years. However, there is little information about the best way to apply it. This article discusses the literature and presents research results about the importance of calculating how much tape to use and how to apply it with the optimum stretch. If you use or are interested in using K-tape, this article will help you get the best out your K-tape applications
Youth Work and the Power of ‘Giving Voice’: a reframing of mental health services for young people
Get PDFDyslexia, Literacy and Inclusion: Child Centred Perspectives
No full textThis book is about raising standards in literacy for children with dyslexia by putting the child at the centre of everything you do, focusing on wellbeing, and recognising the role that adults have to play in ensuring all children reach their potential
Translational research in education for knowledge mobilisation: a study of use and teacher perception in primary schools in England, UK
No full textIn order to achieve the standard expected in the classroom, teachers benefit from continuing professional development that enables access to resources with which to inform their practice. Smith and Helfenbein's “Translational Research in Education: Collaboration and Commitment in Urban Contexts.” In The Collaborative Turn: Working Together in Qualitative Research (2009), edited by W. S. Gershon. Rotterdam: Sense, identified that translational research ‘creates a space for collaborative, co-constructed inquiry that values and utilises the expertise of all stakeholders involved’ (page 91). This paper presents an overview and investigation of a founding model, MESH (Mapping Education Specialist knowHow guides, www.meshguides.org), for translational educational research and knowledge mobilisation in schools and colleges. MESH guides aim to support improved evidence-based and research-informed teaching practice, to in turn improve professional practice for better student attainment. Findings from this qualitative investigation focusing on the use of one MESH guide on the teaching and learning of spelling – in 120 Primary Schools in the South West of England, UK for curriculum development – suggest that teachers value evidence-based resources for curriculum planning and delivery. Furthermore, when resources such as MESH guides are used they do help in planning curricula and lessons and have an impact on both pedagogy, by improving opportunities for learning, and on practice, by reducing planning time. Translational research for knowledge mobilisation in education is shown to give confidence to the teacher through resources that are perceived to be ‘tried and tested’, and can therefore be ‘trusted’ to improve learning
Restless legs syndrome does not affect 3-year mortality in hemodialysis patients
Get PDFObjective: In chronic hemodialysis (HD) patients, the prevalence of restless legs syndrome (RLS) is significantly higher than in the general population. Uremic RLS has been related to an enhanced mortality of HD patients. In the general population, however, studies of this association have yielded inconsistent results. The aim of the
present study was to re-evaluate the relationship of RLS and mortality in HD patients.
Methods: We recorded the 3-year mortality rate in a population of 579 HD patients after assessment for RLS symptoms. In addition we analyzed the 5-year mortality rate
after end-stage renal disease onset (i.e., commencement of HD). This HD patient population has been previously included in a cross-sectional survey of RLS
prevalence in which RLS diagnosis was based on the essential clinical criteria of the International RLS Study Group. Mortality data were acquired from the national endstage renal disease registry. Survival probability was calculated by means of the Kaplan–Meier method and analyzed by the log-rank (Mantel–Cox) test. For multivariate survival analysis, we implemented a proportional hazards regression (Cox regression) model.
Results: During the 3-year follow-up period, we documented 118 deaths and an overall 3-year mortality of 20.6%. Mortality was 15.6% in patients with RLS and 22.3% in patients without RLS (p = 0.079). According to the Cox regression analysis,there was no significant association between RLS and 3-year mortality, either in an age- and gender-adjusted model (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.772, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.488–1.219, p = 0.267) or in a multivariate adjusted model (HR = 0.667, 95%
CI = 0.417–1.069, p = 0.092). Similarly, there was no association between RLS and 5-year mortality after end-stage onset based on our univariate (HR = 0.653, 95% CI =
0.417–1.022, p = 0.063) and multivariate (HR = 0.644, 95% CI = 0.399–1.0380, p = 0.071) analyses.
Conclusion: Diagnosis of RLS according to the essential clinical criteria of the International RLS Study Group does not seem to influence the 3-year mortality in HD patients. Our findings are in contrast to those in some previous reports, and reinforce the need for further studies of RLS and mortality in HD patients