12244 research outputs found
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Deconstructing the rationalities and epistemologies of school accountability in England
Full text linkSchools’ accountability for student performance outcomes is an established policy lever in many education systems. However, the meaning of ‘accountability’ and the mechanisms through which schools are held to account often escape scrutiny. Based on a conceptual analysis and empirical data from expert interviews, this article identifies three problems with how accountability has been deployed as a driver of school improvement in England. First, accountability is assumed to serve the overarching purpose of school improvement through enforcement rather than justification of schools’ decisions and actions. Second, accountability is aligned with the rationalities and technologies of government, which problematise schools’ conduct to warrant external intervention. Third, the reductive epistemology of calculation and control, which makes schools accountable for student performance in high-stakes tests and uses punitive measures when schools do not measure up, makes accountability opaque, defeating the idea of accountability as giving a transparent account of one’s actions to provide information, justify and explain. Coupled with competition, accountability is yet to deliver the significant improvement promised by successive governments. This article, therefore, argues for a reconfiguring of accountability, with implications for policy and practice in England and other education systems which rely on accountability as a driver of improvement
Entrepreneurial spirits in toddy production in Sri Lanka: is kasippu worth a shot?
No full textIn recent years, Sri Lanka has seen a resurgence of interest in toddy tapping to produce its local alcoholic beverage, Arrack. Once seen as a poor man's drink, this centuries old spirit has become a favorite of the hipster generation and can be found in bars across UK, France and Germany. While toddy tapping itself is a legal and regulated endeavor, the fermentation process of the coconut tree sap to create Arrack or its illegal counterpart, Kasippu is where this once dying industry begins to blur the lines between productive and destructive entrepreneurship. Sri Lanka is one of the highest per capita alcohol consuming countries in the world despite the 20% increase of import duties on foreign alcohol and the high tax on local spirits. However, only 20% of the liquor consumed in Sri Lanka is legal. The country has been experiencing rising costs of raw materials and soaring inflation coupled with a low per capita income for households, which has contributed to the rise in prices of Arrack. Statistics show that revenue from legal alcohol (Arrack) has declined by 6% in 2020. This chapter explores the demand for cheap alcohol and the factors that are fueling the 80% illegal alcohol consumption in Sri Lanka. It will analyze under what conditions the production and sale of Arrack and Kasippu coexist. This chapter contributes a dual perspective on destructive entrepreneurship by highlighting the toddy tapping industry as an example of economically and socially harmful entrepreneurial activity that results in negative externalities and negative impact on society
Salt warning labels in the out-of-home food sector: online and real-world randomised controlled trials in the UK
Full text linkHigh salt intake increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. The salt content of many commonly consumed foods in the out-of-home food sector (eg, restaurants) is excessive, but there are few policy options to address this problem. In this study, we evaluated an emerging policy approach-high salt warning labels on packaged food and resturant menus-for which, to date, there is little supporting evidence from randomised controlled trials. These randomised controlled trials (one online study and one trial conducted in a real-world setting) were conducted in the UK. For study 1, an online study, participants (stratified by age, sex, and education to be representative of the UK adult population) were eligible if they were a current UK resident, aged 18 years or older, fluent in English, purchased supermarket sandwiches and savoury snacks, and ate out at or ordered from restaurants at least monthly. Exclusion criteria included being pregnant or breastfeeding or having major dietary restrictions. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1:1:1:1) to one of four different salt warning label conditions or to a control condition (QR code). Participants assigned to each group completed three packaged food scenarios and three restaurant ordering scenarios, all online, followed by questionnaires about the labelling and their food choices. The primary outcome was the perceived message effectiveness of salt warning labels. In study 2, the inclusion criteria were similar, except that participants who ate an out-of-home meal at least once a month were recruited. Exclusion criteria were severe dietary allergies and veganism. As in study 1, participants were stratified by age, sex, and education. Participants were randomly assigned (block randomisation with block size ~50) to receive menus with or without salt warning labels, from which they purchased and consumed lunchtime meals in a real-world restaurant. Participants then completed questionnaires. Primary outcomes were perceived message effectiveness and salt awareness. In both studies, perceived message effectiveness was measured with adapted versions of the University of North Carolina Perceived Message Effectiveness Scale. Participants in both studies were paid and masked to the study aims. Study 2 is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT06458270) and is complete. In study 1, 2549 participants were randomly assigned to one of four salt warning label groups (red triangle, n=512; black triangle, n=512; red octagon, n=509; and black octagon, n=510) or to the control group (n=506), with data collected between Feb 20, 2024, and April 2, 2024. 158 participants were excluded from analysis, resulting in a final analytic sample of 2391 (1205 [50%] female, 1181 [49%] male, and five [<1%] preferred not to say). All salt warning labels were perceived as significantly more effective at discouraging salt intake than the control, with mean perceived message effectiveness differences of 1·23 (95% CI 1·12-1·34; p <0·0001) for packaged food scenarios and 1·22 (95% CI 1·11-1·33; p <0·0001) for menu scenarios. In study 2, 465 eligible participants were randomly assigned to menus with red triangle salt warning labels next to high-salt items (n=240) or to the restaurant's standard menu (control group; n=225), with data collected between June 5, 2024, and Sept 14, 2024. Full data from 11 participants were excluded from analysis, resulting in a final analytic sample of 454 (246 [54%] female, 203 [45%] male, and five [<1%] missing). The labelled menu was rated as significantly more effective than the control menu in terms of perceived message effectiveness, with a mean difference of 1·00 (95% CI 0·79-1·18; p<0·0001). Participants assigned to the labelled menu condition were significantly more likely to think about the salt content of the meals when ordering than were participants assigned to the standard menu (odds ratio 19·50, 95% CI 8·24-46·16; p<0·0001). Salt warning labels on restaurant menus are a promising policy option to discourage high salt intake in the out-of-home food sector. Further real-world studies are needed to optimise potential policy to reduce actual salt intake
Marital satisfaction of South Asian migrants settled in Australia
No full textSouth Asian married migrants (N = 191), settled in Australia, completed online measures and open-ended questions about their demographics and marital satisfaction. Data were analyzed using quantitative and qualitative methods. Logical hierarchical regression indicated that women had lower levels of marital satisfaction, while an increase in the number of, education, full-time employment, as well as self-reported ‘good’ relationship with their spouse, increased marital satisfaction. The qualitative findings endorsed having a happy and gratifying relationship and communication with spouse, support from extended families, participation in cultural and community activities, and cultural and religious beliefs, as facilitators of high marital satisfaction. Marital satisfaction was negatively impacted by restrictive socio-cultural norms, patriarchy and gendered roles/responsibilities, interference by extended family, poor communication skills, and spousal conflicts over varying needs, expectations, and views. The findings address gaps in literature and assist in developing appropriate services and policies to support South Asian migrants settled in Western countries
Gen AI – Gen Z: understanding Gen Z’s emotional responses and brand experiences with Gen AI-driven, hyper-personalized advertising
Full text linkIntroduction: Gen Z, a tech-savvy consumer group, has highly evolved in its approach to new-age advertising. The rise of Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI) has revolutionized advertising by enabling hyper-personalized content, making it essential to understand its influence on Generation Z (Gen Z) population. This study explores the responses of Gen Z participants in India to Generative Artificial Intelligence based, hyper-personalized advertisements, with a specific focus on emotional responses and brand interactions which are significant predictors of advertisement success.
Methods: Using qualitative research methods, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 40 Gen Z participants. Thematic analysis of the data was performed to understand the major themes pertaining to emotional responses and brand interactions to this form of Gen AI-driven advertising.
Results: Two major themes and five sub-themes were revealed through thematic analysis. The first theme, diverse emotional responses, encompassed two sub-themes, curiosity and interest as well as fear and suspicion. The second major theme, enhanced brand experience, encompassed three sub-themes of advanced targeted marketing; initial attraction and brand engagement; and brand connection and loyalty, as perceived by the participants.
Discussion: Findings imply that brands can harness Gen AI-driven, hyper-personalized advertisements to evoke meaningful emotions, enhancing consumer loyalty and building stronger, more personal connections with their audience
Random Precision Amendments
No full textHow do visual methods and material constraints shape creative writing? Random Precision Amendments (RPA) is a research project exploring this question, bringing together 30 visual collages with 30 paired poems.
Inspired by Ian Bogost’s concept of finding novelty within constraints, the project transforms found materials ranging from old art postcards to National Geographic magazines - into something new.
This exhibition invites you to reflect on the intersection of image-making and language-making:
- How do rules in artistic practice shape creative outcomes?
- Can poetry and collage create a new relationship between text and image
Stories of practice in primary science from mixed-age classes
No full textGrouping children into classes where their ages span more than a year is a common, yet
under-researched, area of practice. In order to provide an insight into current practice in
primary science, five teachers from Scotland and one teacher from England share examples
from their schools. As a collaborative article, teachers are co-authors, with a visible voice
within the text. The stories of practice share common themes, such as the opportunities for
practical work in open-ended enquiries or challenges, which provide an accessible means of
teaching science to mixed-age classes. Authors also note the difficulties of repeating content
or deciding on the most appropriate grouping for children with different levels of maturity.
The stories of practice largely take a positive stance, with authors sharing examples of how
they have created successful primary science teaching experiences
