5112 research outputs found
Sort by
Establishing interrelationships and dependencies of critical success factors for implementing offsite construction in the UK
Full text linkPurposeThe United Kingdom (UK) construction sector is transforming with increasing confidence in offsite construction (OSC) solutions following its accrued benefits. To sustain this momentum, exploring viable strategies to promote successful OSC implementation is a top priority. This paper aims to identify and establish interrelationships and logical dependencies of critical success factors (CSFs) for implementing OSC on building projects in the UK.Design/methodology/approachThis study utilised a qualitative research approach. Following a critical review of extant literature, brainstorming and focus group sessions were carried out with OSC experts in the UK construction industry to identify and contextualise CSFs for OSC implementation. Interpretive structural modelling (ISM) and matrix impact cross-reference multiplication applied to a classification (MICMAC) were used to analyse and model the interrelationships between the contextualised CSFs.FindingsThe study identified eighteen CSFs for implementing OSC on projects in the UK positioned on seven hierarchical levels and clustered into dependent, linkage and independent factors. The top five CSFs established were client commitment, top management support, adequate OSC knowledge and experience, flexible leadership and flexible business models. These were located at the base of the ISM model, possessing the highest driving powers in facilitating the successful implementation of OSC on projects.Originality/valueThis study established a hierarchical interrelationship and the importance of the CSFs influencing the successful implementation of OSC. This would assist OSC clients and project teams in identifying and prioritising particular areas for strategic actions, which offer advantages in pursuing successful OSC project outcomes in the UK. Previous research on OSC implementation in the UK had not examined CSFs' interrelationships
Exploring the experiences of women academics in England:the combined effects of societal, structural and life-stage factors
No full textThis study explored the experiences of women who are academics working in UK higher education (HE), using a feminist approach and narrative methods and analysis. The purpose of the research was to explore the experiences of women, with a view to highlighting potential shared experiences, informing the policies of universities, and to add to the body of knowledge on women in HE. Findings include narrative themes around gender roles, male-dominated academia and life-stage impact on career. Concluding recommendations include meaningful recognition of pastoral roles, and promotion tracks which value these skills; and support for women’s life-stages, including maternity, motherhood, menopause and sandwich caring
Supporting primary teachers to address loss and death in the classroom::a case study of an interdisciplinary, creative pedagogical intervention using education, children’s literature, architecture/design and the arts
No full textSchools inevitably face difficult discussions with children about loss and death, irrespective of whether it is factored into formal teaching. A range of societal factors in many countries, not least a lack of training, compound to leave many teachers unprepared to manage these sensitive issues. Whilst resources and guidance are widely available, there is a gap in generating pedagogical tools which are underpinned by solid theoretical grounding. This article addresses that gap, reporting on a case study of staff (n=12) working in an infant school in England, where an interdisciplinary project was implemented to explore whether creative pedagogies could empower staff to address these difficult topics with young children. Contextualised within thanatology, (the study of death and its social practices), an intervention was designed and co-created with teachers synthesising education, literature, architecture/design and the arts. The paper details its theoretical and practical development, and the participants’ responses to it. The article concludes that despite initial ambivalence among some school staff about using creative pedagogies, responses at the end of the study were positive and confidence had increased. The need for theoretically sound approaches is supported as part of the long-advocated calls for mandatory death/life education, although the potential dissonance between academics and practitioners’ views about the value of theory is acknowledged. However, the paper argues that co-created interdisciplinary projects such as this can help bridge theory-practice divides. Furthermore, they can offer practical spaces for reflection and confidence building in time-effective ways to benefit teachers and children
Academic skills in legal education
No full textThis entry considers academic legal skills, highlighting that they are focused on how to do things with legal materials and think critically about legal issues. It notes that legal reasoning is at the core of academic skills but that this is also contested. Digital and assessment literacy skills are also important academic skills. The entry notes that there is little consensus and the best way and best time to teach legal skills but that much skills teaching is focused on the first year of legal study whether that takes place in skills modules or as part of substantive law teaching
Unmasking luxury consumption and its psychology:an experimental approach to understanding the motivations behind ethical and sustainable brand preferences
No full textThis research delved into the dynamics between pride, sustainability detectability, and product consciousness through three experimental studies conducted among Chinese millennials focusing on lavish brand. Grounded in the positive emotions theory, this study sought to discern the circumstances in which individuals with materialistic tendencies exhibit willingness to engage with sustainable luxury brands. The results of this meticulous experimental design indicate a positive relationship between materialism and the intention to purchase sustainable luxury brands, with pride identified as a mediating factor, and discussed the involvement of high conspicuousness of the product in the context of detectability of the brand's sustainability. Furthermore, this study offers insights through the positive emotion theory and examining the impact of self-conscious emotions on buyer preferences regarding sustainable luxury brands. The findings from this theoretical research provide valuable insights for brand managers, scholars, and policymakers aiming to develop sustainable brands that resonate with the sentiments and values of conscientious consumers.</p
“I Like the Olympics, but I’m here not just for the Olympics”:sex tourism, destination image and the dark side of mega-event tourism in Rio De Janeiro
No full textThe Olympic Games are a major tourism attraction and are used by host cities and destinations to try and positively affect destination image and drive tourism attractiveness. Olympic tourists travel to enjoy the sport and carnival of the event, but some also seek to engage in sex tourism. This study draws on interviews with 10 heterosexual male sex tourists during the 2016 Rio Olympics in order to investigate the relationships between the Olympic Games, destination image, and sex tourism. Findings reveal that the limonoid atmosphere of the event provides an appealing atmosphere for sex tourists to engage in sexual encounters with sex workers and local women. The image of Rio as a destination was important in this, as it was seen as a relaxed and fun destination and Brazilian women as beautiful and sexually available. Issues of power between the mainly white sex tourists from the Global North and more economically vulnerable local women in destinations in the Global South were identified and recommendations o
The good prison officer and rehabilitation:an inside perspective
No full textThis article is a transcript of a presentation given at The Perrie Lectures in 2024. The Perrie Lectures is an annual event which has the purpose of stimulating dialogue between criminal justice organisations, the voluntary sector, and all thosewith an academic, legal, or practical interest in people in prison and their families. The theme of the 2024 event was ‘Recruiting, training, and developing great prison officers’
The perfect storm for teacher education research in English universities:the tensions of workload, expectations from leadership and research
No full textIn this paper we report on data from our survey of the university initial teacher education (ITE) sector in England, concerning responses to questions about perceptions of workload and research. Our survey collects responses annually (since 2021) from approximately 12% of the cohort, and includes questions on a variety of topics, with Likert scale and text responses. Here we report on three interconnected areas with potential impact on the future of teacher education in England, and with pertinent findings for other nations; research expectations and opportunities, workload and the extent to which university leaders understand ITE. Our data show that academics working in ITE face high workloads, and importantly, very little time for research, and in some cases, low expectations from their institutions in terms of their research output. We compare this picture with systematic review findings about the predominantly insider-research nature of ITE research in England, and implications for a sector that has no time, energy or opportunity to carry out research on their own practice and experience. We consider the impact of these patterns for teacher educators’ work and the longer-term sustainability of individuals, the sector and the research evidence for teacher education
Post-prandial hyperlipidaemia impairs systemic vascular function and dynamic cerebral autoregulation in young and old male adults
No full textSubject knowledge development framework for computing trainee teachers:poster for research proposal
No full textParticipatory action research based on a constructivist paradigm to a focus on trainee’s stories, meanings and subjectivity and the personal thoughts derived from their unique experiences and beliefs (Burns et al., 2022). The trainees will be actively involved in an intentional inquiry for improvement using action learning sets within the University and targeted deliberate practice and reflection within school placements. The data from SK audits, individual tutorials, reflective journals, observations and the action learning sets will be analysed using interpretive Phenomenological Analysis