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Measuring emotions and empathy in educational leadership
Get PDFEducational leadership requires a combination of transformational and transactional leadership. However, this combination is not in equal parts, instead favouring transformational leadership. This approach to leadership is principally focused on an individual’s social interactions and their ability to identify emotions and to react empathetically to those of others. Opposing this is transactional leadership which focuses on the processes necessary to achieve a desired outcome, regardless of the individuals involved (Psychogios & Dimitriadis, 2020). Many leadership theorists suggest the ability to have and display empathy is an important part of leadership (Bass, 1990; Walumbwa et al., 2008). However, until recently the focus of determining an individual’s ability to recognise emotions has been through a self-reporting questionnaire. Yet these questionnaires can only be used to report emotional feelings, which are expressed emotional manifestations in our body, incurring sensational changes picked up by self-awareness, such as anger, sadness and joy. Therefore, what individuals are actually doing is reporting their awareness and externalising of the sensation based on what the person perceives the emotion to be. This chapter explores the use of neuroscientific techniques, primarily electroencephalogram (EEG) and eye-tracking to better understand empathy. What this chapter highlights are that these techniques are more accurate at measuring an individual's ability to recognise emotions than the traditional self-reporting questionnaire
Playful Encounters: Games for Geopolitical Change
Get PDFBringing together literatures on play, (video) games, and alter- (native) geopolitics this paper explores how digital games offer
playful encounters that challenge popular understandings of geopolitics. While geographical scholarship has exposed the ways video games promote geopolitical and militaristic cultures, this paper concentrates on the disruptive qualities of play. More
specifically, the paper focuses on This War of Mine (2014), a game which fosters playful encounters that encourage the player to reflect on the everyday consequences of conflict in urban spaces and their civilian populations. Drawing on an analysis of player reviews of the game, this paper demonstrates how play shapes imaginaries of the geopolitical context(s) of urban conflict and stimulates players to reflect on their attitudes towards violence. In doing so, the paper critically demonstrates how digital games offer important cultural outlets in encountering alternative understandings of geopolitics
Reforms to improve reproducibility and quality must be coordinated across the research ecosystem: The view from the UKRN Local Network Leads
Get PDFMany disciplines are facing a “reproducibility crisis”, which has precipitated much discussion about how to improve research integrity, reproducibility, and transparency. A unified effort across all sectors, levels, and stages of the research ecosystem is needed to coordinate goals and reforms that focus on open and transparent research practices. Promoting a more positive incentive culture for all ecosystem members is also paramount. In this commentary, we - the Local Network Leads of the UK Reproducibility Network - outline our response to the UK House of Commons Science and Technology Committee’s inquiry on research integrity and reproducibility. We argue that coordinated change is needed to create (1) a positive research culture, (2) a unified stance on improving research quality, (3) common foundations for open and transparent research practice, and (4) the routinisation of this practice. For each of these areas, we outline the roles that individuals, institutions, funders, publishers, and Government can play in shaping the research ecosystem. Working together, these constituent members must also partner with sectoral and coordinating organisations to produce effective and long-lasting reforms that are fit-for-purpose and future-proof. These efforts will strengthen research quality and create research capable of generating far-reaching applications with a sustained impact on society
Improving research and initiatives to support veterans and their families
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Exploring psychological growth in adult offspring following perceived parental rejection in childhood
Get PDFMuch of the research around the experience of perceived parental rejection (PPR) in childhood focuses on the predicted outcomes and negative impact on the adult throughout the lifespan. This study is mindful of the body of PPR research and offers originality in focusing on the literature pertaining to the enabling factors that facilitate psychological growth, in a small-scale phenomenological study. The research question was, ‘What are the enabling factors which lead to psychological growth in adult offspring who have experienced perceived parental rejection in childhood?’ The aims of the research are to add to the literature base that explores post-traumatic growth, in offering data and debate specifically linked to the phenomenon of PPR, and to make suggestions for practice and further research in this domain. In addition, there is a consideration of coping subtheory pertaining to Interpersonal Acceptance and Rejection theory (IPARTheory). Nine research participants, who self-identified as having experience of PPR in childhood, and who self-reported psychological growth in adulthood, were interviewed using semi-structured interviews. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) (Smith, Flowers, & Larkin, 2022) was used to elicit the depth and richness of the experience of both phenomena. Participants were encouraged to describe their childhood experiences with parental figures and the impact this had, before relating their experience of psychological growth. The process of IPA yielded four Group Experiential Themes (GETs): Experience of Rejection; Concept of Self; Conditions of Change and Experience of Psychological Growth. The Findings suggest that the inner resource of grit is instrumental to psychological growth and that the condition of safety in the social environment supports the development of greater resilience. The Findings are conceptualised in a salutogenic model. The Findings relate directly to counselling and psychotherapy practice and the wider spectrum of health and social care and service users, in that they enable greater understanding of the phenomenon of psychological growth following PPR, and the therapeutic conditions that may mitigate for the acute and chronic consequences predicted in the existent literature
Hydrogen and Combined Heat and Power Production from the Steam Gasification of Plastic Wastes. An Experimental and Modelling Analysis Including Techno-Economic and Environmental Assessment
No full textIn this work a modular high temperature (850°C to 1150°C) steam gasification process (DMG®) for production of hydrogen, to be used mainly as a clean fuel in the transport system, and combined heat and power production from mixed unrecyclable plastic wastes is studied which is being developed for commercial production by Powerhouse Energy group (PHE). This includes experiments, process modelling, techno-economic and environmental assessments. Three main scenarios were defined for the process operating conditions which include production of 2 tonnes per day (TPD) hydrogen as the first scenario, the second scenario for maximum conversion of the carbon content of the feedstock to gas products, and the third scenario for the maximum hydrogen production. It should be noted that in the second scenario the maximum conversion of the carbon content of the feedstock may not be necessarily 100% conversion, or it may not be possible in a self-sustained process (in terms of energy). Therefore, this scenario is investigated to identify the possible process conditions and outputs for this scenario. An Aspen Plus model was developed for the process and was further calibrated and validated using experimental data obtained from a pilot-scale unit. The model was used for sensitivity analysis for a commercial unit with 35 TPD feed capacity based on the design capacity of the first commercial unit. The modelling results are used to define the optimum process conditions in each defined scenario. Then, each scenario was defined in the developed model for four process temperatures of 850°C, 950°C, 1050°C, and 1150°C. The results from process modelling including mass and energy balance are used for techno-economic analysis and environmental assessments. In techno-economic analysis, three approaches are considered, including fixed sale prices for all products and by-products, considering electricity sale price to domestic, and non-domestic customers, and performing economic evaluation of the process for all scenarios. In the environmental assessment two alternatives of landfilling and incineration to DMG® are defined and the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from each alternative are assessed for the same capacity and a comparison between the alternatives are made. Finally, the optimum process condition and sale strategy for the main products are suggested. Based on the results of the performed analyses, it was concluded that using the DMG® technology for production of hydrogen, electricity and heat can be economically viable and that hydrogen with a competitive sale price in compare with hydrogen produced from the available alternative technologies in the market can be produced. Also, it was concluded that DMG® has less environmental impacts in terms of GHG emissions than those from incineration, and considering the plans for banning landfilling of plastic wastes, DMG® can be a good alternative. The specific results are discussed in the result and discussion section and summarised in the conclusion chapter
The Function and Dynamics of Interpersonal Trust within Workplace Learning in High Pressure Context
Get PDFAgainst the backdrop of increasingly stressful bidding and sales workplace contexts, this study investigates the function and dynamics of interpersonal trust within workplace learning in high pressure context. It has significant relevance and importance to practice, as work related stress and ill health has become an international concern within the bidding profession, where relatively little is documented about the experiential ways in which knowledge is attained and how this may contribute to or mitigate the stress experienced by bid professionals. Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used to conduct twelve
in depth interviews with six bidding professionals. Contributions from the study include the importance of vertical trust and management support for learning in high-pressure context; the importance of positive emotion, humanity, social empathy and care for trust decisions; that a long-term learning strategy encourages trust motivation and trust decisions by reducing short-term perceived risk and sensitivity to trust discrepancy; and deliberate manipulation of trust for learning can arise when intra-team competition is high. Implications for practice include the necessity for career-long experiential learning curricula that balance the immediate and long-term development needs of the individual, with proactive engagement and an increased sense of control mitigating the perceived high pressure caused by a chaotic and highly reactive work context. The study proposes a framework for practice that can inform the design and delivery of workplace learning curricula for those working in this
context
Student perceptions of remote learning transitions in engineering disciplines during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-national study
Get PDFThis study captures student perceptions of the effectiveness of remote learning and assessment in two associated engineering disciplines, mechanical and industrial, during the COVID-19 pandemic in a cross-national study. A structured questionnaire with 24 items on a 5-point Likert scale was used. Parallel and exploratory factor analyses identified three primary subscales. The links between student perceptions and assessment outcomes were also studied. There was a clear preference for face-to-face teaching, with the highest for laboratories. Remote live lectures were preferred over recorded. Although students found the switch to remote learning helpful, group work and communication were highlighted as concern areas. Mean scores on subscales indicate a low preference for remote learning (2.23), modest delivery effectiveness (3.05) and effective digital delivery tools (3.61). Gender effects were found significant on all subscales, along with significant interactions with university and year-group. Preference for remote delivery of design-based modules was significantly higher than others.Although it was published Gold OA on 06/06/2022 the HD record was only pushed into ChesterRep on 01/12/2023
Low permittivity cordierite-based microwave dielectric ceramics for 5G/6G telecommunications
Get PDF5G and forthcoming 6G communication systems require dielectric ceramics with low relative permittivity (εr) and near-zero temperature coefficient of resonant frequency (τf) for the lower part of the microwave (MW) band and at sub-Terahertz. Mg2Al4Si5O18 (MAS) ceramics are promising candidates due to their low εr (~6) and high-quality factor (Q×f >40,000 GHz) but have a large f. In this study, 5.5wt% TiO2 (MAS-T5.5) was used to adjust τf of MAS to -2.8 ppm/℃ whilst retaining low εr (5.24) and good Q×f (33,400 GHz), properties consistent with those obtained by infrared reflectance. A demonstrator microstrip patch antenna with gain 4.92dBi and 76.3% efficiency was fabricated from MAS-T5.5
Pre- and peri-operative clinical information, physiological observations and outcome measures following flexible ureterorenoscopy (FURS), for the treatment of kidney stones. A single-centre observational clinical pilot-study in 51 patients
Get PDFBackground: Kidney stone disease contributes to a significant proportion of routine urological practice and remains a common cause of worldwide morbidity. The main aim of this clinical-pilot study was to investigate the effect of flexible ureterorenoscopy (FURS) on pre- and peri-operative clinical information, physiological observations and outcome measures. Methods: Included were 51 patients (31 males, 20 females), who underwent elective FURS, for the treatment of kidney stones. Pre-operative and peri-operative clinical information, and post-operative physiological observations and outcome measures were collected using a standard case report form. Pre-operative clinical information included age, gender, BMI, previous history of stone formation and hypertension. Pre-operative stone information included the size (mm), Hounsfield units (HU), laterality and intra-renal anatomical location. Peri-operative surgical details included surgical time in minutes; Laser use; Duration and energy of laser; and post-operative stenting. The physiological outcomes measured included systolic and diastolic blood pressure (mmHg), Likert pain score, temperature, heart rate (bpm) and respiration rate (bpm). Following initial descriptive analysis, a series of Pearson’s correlation coefficient tests were performed to investigate the relationship between surgical factors other variable factors. Results: A series of significant, positive correlations were observed between; age and surgical time (p = 0.014, r = 0.373); stone size and Hounsfield unit (p = 0.029, r = 0.406); surgical time and duration of laser (p < 0.001, r = 0.702); surgical time and BMI (p = 0.035, r = 0.322); baseline heart rate and Hounsfield unit (p = 0.026, r = − 0.414); base line heart rate and BMI (p = 0.030, r = 0.307).; heart rate at 120-min post FURS and age (p = 0.038, r = − 0.308); baseline pain score and BMI (p = 0.010, r = 0.361); baseline respiration rate and BMI (p = 0.037, r = 0.296); respiration rate at 240-min post FURS and BMI (p = 0.038, r = 0.329); respiration rate at 120 min post FURS and age (p = 0.022, r = − 0.330). Four patients developed post-operative complications (3—UTIs with urinary retention, 1–urosepsis). Conclusions: We report that following FURS there is an association between various physiological, clinical and surgical parameters. Although these correlations are weak, they warrant further investigation as these may be linked with untoward complications, such as infection that can occur following FURS. This data, however, will need to be validated and reproduced in larger multi-centre studies.Funder: Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/10001348
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