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Paradise in the classroom: SEND, Salam and Surahs in maktab education
No full textSince 2024, the number of children in England who have special educational needs and disability (SEND) has increased. Simultaneously, calls to reform and fund the mainstream system to ensure appropriate support for these pupils have been made. Yet, within this evolving national context and despite the growing body of research in Islamic education, the intersection of SEND and maktab pedagogies and the experiences of Muslim teachers with SEND pupils in this sector remain a largely neglected area. This original research addresses that gap by examining how a pioneering maktab in Northern England conceptualises and practices inclusive education. It adopts a case study approach and interviews, observations, digital images and documentary analysis to explore how their theological, cultural and educational perspectives inform their responses to SEND. This article highlights how educators are reimagining inclusion through spiritual values and pedagogical innovation, offering a model of compassionate education grounded in Islamic principles
Achieving Sustainable Development by Integrating Circular Economy Principles into Solid Waste Management: A Systematic Literature Review and Research Agenda
No full textThis study analyses the role of the circular economy (CE) and solid waste management (SWM) in addressing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and establishes links to address challenges such as environmental degradation, resource depletion, and social inequality. Uncontrolled waste impacts the social, environmental, and economic well-being of households, communities, and businesses worldwide. Yet, a comprehensive review of how the integration of the CE into SWM can address the SDGs is still missing.
This work is important for managers and policymakers alike in that it is a complete analysis of how SWM and CE models can be employed to address the entire spectrum of the 17 SDGs. To achieve this, a systematic review of 64 English-language peer-reviewed articles is conducted and the key roles of social, economic and environmental sustainability in SWM and the CE are discussed. This careful selection aligns with state-of-the-art review methods and includes the most relevant and recent studies to give a clear and trustworthy overview of the topic.
The finding shows that SDG 12 (sustainable consumption and production), SDG 13 (climate action) and SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities) have received top priority, identifying that waste management directly relates to environmental sustainability and reduces the climate footprint in urban and rural contexts. Social concerns regarding equality and income were found to be less discussed but promising avenues, especially in the Global South, which faces great challenges in implementing the CE in SWM. Moreover, our results indicate the potential of the CE in SWM to combine the reduction of environmental and health burdens with the creation of income opportunities. To make these results tangible, a framework presents how the reviewed literature relates three groups of CE principles to five groups of SDGs. Moreover, a two-level research agenda outlines four research avenues on strengthening social considerations, technological innovation, policy, and developing countries, as well as two transversal research directions on using a wider set of CE practices and methods
Sustainability of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) in Post-Emergency Contexts: A Conceptual Framework
No full textIn refugee camps, Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) services are essential for health and well-being, yet they face sustainability challenges in post-emergency contexts. Despite considerable research on WASH services in urban and rural areas, a gap exists in addressing sustainability within refugee camps. This study fills that gap by proposing a framework for evaluating WASH system sustainability in such settings. Through a convergent mixed methods research design, sustainability dimensions, metrics, and indicators were first identified via a literature review. These were then validated through expert interviews. The study applies a five-dimensional FIETS (financial, institutional, environmental, technical, and social) framework to assess WASH sustainability. Findings reveal that financial sustainability is the most critical dimension, followed by institutional, technical, social, and environmental factors. The research also identifies key challenges such as limited funding, political barriers, and limited water resource availability. It underscores the importance of coordinated efforts among stakeholders to overcome these obstacles and achieve long-term sustainability. This framework provides a structured approach for practitioners and policymakers to assess and improve WASH services in refugee camps, contributing to broader discourse on sustainable development and water resource management
Desistance and Substance Use: An Exploration of the Support in the Community for Service Users on Probation with a Particular Focus on Alcohol Use
No full textThis thesis is an examination of how effective support for substance use and desistance from crime, was within Staffordshire and West Midlands Community Rehabilitation Company (SWM CRC). This thesis provides insight into positive practice and identifies possible areas for change. Furthermore, with SWM CRC being a newly formed part-privatised element of the probation service at the time fieldwork being undertaken, it provides a unique insight into how support works within a part-privatised service. There is limited information from those receiving or delivering provision, on the level and effectiveness of substance use and desistance support, and the experiences of delivery, in Staffordshire and the West Midlands. Additionally, despite the legality of alcohol and its link to violent behaviour, the focus is often on generic substance use rather than alcohol. This research therefore intended to understand the service users’ and practitioners’ perspectives and experiences of what works, and what areas may need to change. Additionally, this thesis acts as a piece of contemporary history in acknowledging the experiences and challenges that can come from a part-privatised probation service, and therefore provide a basis for the future. The study adopted a qualitative approach, drawing on semi-structured interviews with 8 service users on probation, and 10 practitioners. The data collected was analysed using Hermeneutic Phenomenology (van Manen, 2016). There was a general positivity felt by service users regarding their probation provision, however there was a clear desire shown for less outsourcing, and development in the delivery of substance use support. Practitioners shared issues regarding the delivery of provision, particularly of supporting service users with treatment requirements, and the challenges of working within a part-privatised service
Evaluating The Adoption of Industry 4.0, Sustainability, and Circular Economy Drivers to Achieve Sustainable Development Goals-Oriented Agri-Food Supply Chains
No full textThe consideration of Industry 4.0, sustainability, and Circular Economy (I4.0-S-CE) drivers plays a pivotal role in the development of agri-food supply chains (AFSCs) that aim to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs). Establishing SDGs-oriented AFSCs is critical for meeting the agricultural needs of developing countries, prioritizing agricultural SDGs, and developing effective agricultural policies. However, this requires integrating I4.0-S-CE into AFSCs. This study is the first to propose this integration to create SDGs-oriented AFSCs, aiming to identify key I4.0-S-CE drivers and rank agricultural SDGs in developing countries. A literature review and expert opinions were utilized to identify the three main drivers and eighteen sub-drivers to achieve this goal. Then, the importance level of each driver was determined using the Fuzzy Best Worst Method (FBWM), and the agricultural SDGs were ranked based on their Fuzzy Weighted Aggregated Sum Product Assessment (FWASPAS) scores. The validity of the findings was assessed through comparison with other decision-making techniques and one-at-a-time sensitivity analysis. This study demonstrates how the integration of I4.0-S-CE drivers contributes to the achievement of the SDGs-oriented AFSCs. Moreover, this study offers valuable guidance to practitioners regarding the prioritization of agricultural SDGs and identifying drivers to support the development of SDGs-oriented AFSCs in developing countries
Mediating yoga: An exploration of the cultural translation of yoga in the UK through its popular representations (1955-1975)
No full textThis thesis uses media representations of yoga during a phase of its popularisation in the UK (De Michelis, 2004) to examine the processes of its cultural translation as a transcultural practice. Located at the intersection of yoga studies and media and cultural studies, it considers the contextual (re)creation of yoga as the product of a series of overlapping and competing understandings. Using a discourse-theoretical analysis approach (Carpentier & De Cleen, 2007; Van Brussel et al., 2019) and the framework of cultural translation (Maitland, 2017), such understandings of yoga emerge as the result of a complex interplay of discourses and relationships rather than attempts to replicate a pre-existing practice. This approach, in turn, enables the work to address issues relating to yoga’s appropriation and commodification from a new perspective.
Based on a study of media texts and archive materials relating to yoga from 1955 to 1975, the thesis draws out a series of key ‘discursive contours’ as used by Bowman (2021). These are used to interrogate how representations of yoga in the UK were shaped in part by colonial and orientalist discourse, media engagement, the contextual understandings and experience of yogis, and commercial interests. These representations are triangulated with ethnohistorical interviews with practitioners from the period and their personal collections, conceptualised within a (yoga) community archive ecology model. This allows the research to challenge and/or corroborate the mediations of yoga, not in terms of whether they were factually accurate, but as important discursive texts themselves.
It is argued that the cultural translations of yoga which permeated, and the way yoga came to be understood in this period, were never intended to be a facsimile or replication of a pre-existing South Asian practice (even if they suggested they were), but contextual creations built upon discourse, experience, and cultural needs. Therefore, the value of researching such varied representations comes not from questioning what aspects of yoga they focus on or omit but what they can reveal about the contextual time and space of their creation. This thesis will be of interest to those researching the transcultural movement of cultural practices or forms, and exploring the dynamics of power, which can play a role in shaping how something is understood and developed within that process
Probing the Effect of Business Intelligence on the Performance of Construction Projects Through the Mediating Variable of Project Quality Management
No full textBusiness intelligence is a new approach to helping project managers and personnel to make correct, informed decisions through preparing a series of analytical reports in a management dashboard by analysing and mining all of the related project data. This study aimed to investigate the effect of business intelligence on the performance of construction projects in Iran through the mediating variable of project quality management. In contrast to prior research that has evaluated the aforementioned variables in isolation, the current study introduced a comprehensive structural model to investigate the interrelationships among business intelligence, quality management, and construction project performance. This study employed a descriptive–correlational methodology utilising structural equation modelling, involving a sample of 102 Iranian construction industry specialists recruited by convenience sampling. Data were gathered using standardised questionnaires and analysed with structural equation modelling (SEM) in Smart-PLS and regression analysis in the SPSS software. The SEM indicated that business intelligence significantly enhances construction project performance (β = 0.534, p < 0.01) and influences project quality management (β = 0.743, p < 0.01) and that project quality management positively affects construction project performance (β = 0.396, p < 0.01). Furthermore, project quality management exerts a slight mediating influence in this relationship, with the indirect effect calculated at 0.295 and the direct effect assessed at 0.534. The regression analysis revealed that the business intelligence variable’s dimensions (technical and managerial, financial and economic, and data and information management) can predict construction project performance, while the technical and managerial and financial and economic dimensions can predict project quality management. Implementing business intelligence technologies in construction project management enhances decision-making for managers and elevates project performance. This study’s findings suggest that managers and specialists should employ data analysis technologies and business intelligence systems to enhance project quality and performance
Occupational stress and wellbeing: A qualitative exploration of the perspectives and experiences of migrant sonographers practising in the United Kingdom
No full textOccupational stress (OS) and burnout are prevalent in healthcare, including ultrasound. These challenges are exacerbated by staff shortages, increasing workload, and ageing population growth, leading to a growing reliance on ultrasound for diagnosis. In the UK, migrant sonographers fill critical staffing gaps but face unique work-related stressors that impact their well-being and mental health. This study explored the experiences and perspectives of migrant sonographers practising in the UK regarding OS and well-being.
Methods
Ethical approval was obtained from Health Sciences University, Bournemouth (HRS-2024-ECYBl). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 HCPC-registered migrant sonographers across ten regions in the UK who had experienced OS. These interviews were conducted via Microsoft Teams, transcribed verbatim, and analysed thematically using NVivo software. A descriptive qualitative approach was employed.
Results
Five major themes were developed: workplace dynamics, socioeconomic factors, practice-related factors, personal issues and coping mechanisms. Primary sources of stress identified were workload, difficult patients, managerial/leadership challenges, immigration issues, and lack of awareness of the procedure for reporting repetitive stress injury (RSI) and work-related stress.
Conclusion
The findings highlight unique stressors associated with migrant sonographers that negatively impact their mental and physical well-being and performance. Thus, emphasising the need for inclusive managerial approaches and culturally tailored support systems. Customised onboarding, stress management training, and RSI reporting protocols can enhance well-being, job satisfaction, and retention.
Implications for practice
Healthcare institutions must address the unique needs of migrant practitioners. Culturally competent onboarding programs and ongoing support systems should be prioritised to foster a resilient and satisfied workforce
Soft Skills for Teams in Public Linear Infrastructure: The Development of a Decision Support Tool
No full textDespite the plethora of digital and technological advances made in the construction industry over the past three decades, at its core, the sector remains human-centric. Consequently, this research investigates the core soft skills employed on public linear infrastructure (PLI) projects (during the construction phase) that are digitally enabled and concludes with the development of a decision support tool for PLI project team management. A mixed philosophical stance is implemented using interpretivism, postpositivism and grounded theory together with abductive reasoning to examine subject matter experts’ perceptions of the phenomena under investigation. Textual analysis is then utilised to formulate a decision support tool as a theoretical construct. The research findings demonstrate that communication, leadership and creativity/curiosity are the three main soft skills required of PLI projects. Furthermore, the key elements of a decision support tool—namely, trackable and measurable data, clear objectives and success criteria, and an easy-to-understand visual format—were identified. Such knowledge provides a strong base for building an emotionally intelligent project team. This research constitutes the first attempt to understand the essential soft skills required on PLI projects and, premised upon this, generate a decision support tool for project management in teams that helps to augment project performance through workforce investment via a learning organisation
Internalizing corporate social responsibility (CSR) in ASM: The making of small-scale miners as environmental and work safety "champions"
No full textPurpose
While the practice of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the mining sector is far from a new occurrence, far less common is an examination of the CSR-related activities of artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) firms. Drawing on Carroll (1991) four-part model of CSR as a lens, this paper aims to explore the discursive construction of some socioenvironmentally oriented activities of a small-scale mining operator to extend our understanding of CSR in practice.
Design/methodology/approach
This study employs a qualitative research design involving semistructured interviews with the management and staff of a small-scale mining company located in the Eastern region of Ghana.
Findings
The findings suggest small-scale mining operators, contrary to the dominant narrative of being inattentive to CSR concerns, could strategically leverage salient environmental management practices and novel worker safety procedures to make them unanticipated champions of CSR.
Originality/value
The study extends our understanding of how salient organizing practices of small-scale mining firms may cohere to give shape and form to the practice of CSR in context