The civic mission of schools and students’ participation in school governance

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 229-241
Author(s):  
Timothy Wai Wa Yuen ◽  
Chi Keung Eric Cheng ◽  
Chunlan Guo ◽  
Yan Wing Leung
Keyword(s):  
High School Students ◽  
Empirical Model ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
School Leaders ◽  
Student Participation ◽  
School Governance ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Positive Contribution ◽  
Content Type ◽  
School Vision

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationships between the civic mission of schools and students on participation in school governance through an empirical study. It articulates the importance of school mission on nurturing citizenship of high school students. Design/methodology/approach The research used a mixed method with questionnaire survey in the first phase and qualitative interviews in the second phase. Quantitative data were obtained from a survey completed by 3,209 students and 495 teachers (including principals) from 51 secondary schools in Hong Kong. Qualitative data were collected from 41 individual interviews with principals and teachers and 17 focus group interviews with 56 students in five case study schools. Findings Both students and teachers believed that good citizenship qualities should include students’ participation in school governance. Schools in general took up the civic mission to nurture good and participatory citizens. A mission of nurturing students to become good and participatory citizens made a significant and positive contribution toward achieving students’ actual participation in school governance. However, students’ actual impact on major school policies was minimal. A paradox existed whereby students, knowing their influence over managerial issues was much circumscribed, still gave it a higher rating than their teachers. Originality/value The paper contributes an empirical model for school leaders to develop school vision for promoting student participation in school governance. Based on a large-scale research supported by public funding, the paper contributes an empirical model for school leaders to develop school vision for promoting student participation in school governance. It further adds to the literature on relationship between citizenship education, civic mission of school and student participation in governance.

A model for promoting student participation in school governance

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 737-749
Author(s):  
Eric C.K. Cheng ◽  
Yan Wing Leung ◽  
Wai Wa Yuen ◽  
Hei Hang Hayes Tang
Keyword(s):  
Citizenship Education ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Cultural Practices ◽  
School Leaders ◽  
Student Participation ◽  
Equation Model ◽  
School Governance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Quasi Experimental

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to highlight the urgent need for a genuinely effective and attainable citizenship education model in Hong Kong’s schools, which focusses on promoting student participation in school governance. It is an empirical citizenship education management model for school leaders that illustrates the predictive effects of personally responsible, participatory, justice-oriented and patriotic citizenship, necessarily supported by school management practices, school ethos and teacher beliefs. Design/methodology/approach A total of 3,209 students from 51 secondary schools in Hong Kong participated in a quasi-experimental design questionnaire survey. A structural equation model (SEM) was applied to confirm the model. Findings The results of the SEM show that the values and cultural practices held by a school’s teachers drive the implementation of its citizenship education. Moreover, it is well known that organizational values can exert a powerful influence and it is the same within educational structures: management practices in schools have an impact on ethos, teachers’ beliefs and student participation in school governance. Practical implications The paper provides practical proposals for school leaders to create opportunities for student participation in school governance. Originality/value This study builds on existing literature and provides school leaders with a practical model for implementing student participation in school governance.

4WD mobile robot for autonomous steering using single camera based vision system

2014 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 168-182
Author(s):  
Min Hyuc Ko ◽  
Kyoung Chul Kim ◽  
Abhijit Suprem ◽  
N. Prem Mahalik ◽  
Boem Sahng Ryuh
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Robot ◽  
System Integration ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Vision System ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Performance Study ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Brushless Dc ◽  
Weed Mapping ◽  
Stepper Motors

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate System-of-Systems (SoS) approach to design and development of unmanned robotic platform for greenhouse agricultural application. Design/methodology/approach – SoS design approach is important in developing engineering products. It was observed that while system integration considers designs in a multi-disciplinary level framework, SoS is viewed as a solution focussed approach. In this paper, the authors have demonstrated SoS approach to develop a mobile robot platform. The wheels of the platform are independently controlled by using brushless DC and stepper motors based on fieldbus type Distributed Control System scheme. Findings – The constraints for autonomous traveling were identified during the first phase followed by development of 12 distinct sub-routines during second phase of training. Optimal camera installation angle, driving speeds, steering angle per pixel were found to be valuable constraints for feed-forward parameters for real-time driving. The platform was field tested in a tomato planted greenhouse for yield and weed mapping. Research limitations/implications – The paper focusses on studying vision-based autonomous four-wheel-drive (4WD) constraints and their implementation limitations. Practical implications – The platform was field tested in a tomato planted greenhouse for yield and weed mapping. Social implications – The platform can be used for agricultural operations such as crop scouting, monitoring, spraying, and mapping in a medium to large-scale greenhouse setting. Originality/value – The research and presentation is original. Starting from its mechanical specification to wheel performance study, development of path patterns for training and global navigation algorithm for testing and validation were achieved. The platform can autonomously be driven without any manual intervention.

Conceptualizing sources, key concerns and critical factors for manufacturing flexibility adoption

2016 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 379-407 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruchi Mishra ◽  
Ashok K. Pundir ◽  
L. Ganapathy
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Manufacturing Flexibility ◽  
Critical Factors ◽  
Focus Group Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Key Issues ◽  
Group Interviews

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate factors influencing manufacturing flexibility adoption and simultaneously explores some of the key issues prevailing in manufacturing flexibility adoption in Indian context. The study also stratifies critical factors for successful manufacturing flexibility adoption. Design/methodology/approach – Using exploratory sequential design, a series of focus group interviews were conducted with Indian manufacturing professionals and these interviews were supplemented by 127 follow-up structured questionnaires. Findings – Two major themes emerged from the first phase of the study – role played by some of the unexplored antecedents of manufacturing flexibility and key issues in manufacturing flexibility adoption. In the second phase, a list of factors was categorized based on their degree of importance in manufacturing flexibility adoption. Research limitations/implications – Being qualitative in nature, the study suffers from inherent risk of subjectivity associated with manufacturing practitioners. A large-scale survey and rigorous quantitative analysis would be helpful to further validate the list of factors and underlying relationships among proposed factors. Practical implications – The identified list of factors and some of the key issues in manufacturing flexibility adoption can be of great help to practitioners. The stratified list of factors can be further used by academicians to develop an instrument for manufacturing flexibility adoption. Originality/value – The paper identifies a set of factors that affects manufacturing flexibility adoption. It offers a basis for instrument development for manufacturing flexibility adoption and provides direction for future quantitative research in manufacturing flexibility area.

Effects of mixture ingredients on interlayer adhesion of concrete in Contour Crafting

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 584-592 ◽  
Author(s):  
Babak Zareiyan ◽  
Behrokh Khoshnevis
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Model ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Three Dimensional Printing ◽  
Contour Crafting ◽  
Model Condition ◽  
Dimensional Printing ◽  
Significant Factors

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the strength at interlayer of specimens fabricated using Contour Crafting (CC) to develop a concrete mixture for large-scale three-dimensional printing. Design/methodology/approach The collected data from several experiments were analyzed to understand significant factors and their interactions. After developing the empirical model, condition for maximum desirability was identified and the model was validated. Findings The experimental investigation of varied combination of concrete components introduced an empirical model which can predict the strength at interface. Moreover, an optimized mixture within constrains of the CC nozzle was developed and validated. Originality/value Several experimental samples were tested, and the derived empirical model was validated after more than 600 h of work.

scholarly journals Systems Analysis of NADH Dehydrogenase Mutants Reveals Flexibility and Limits of Pseudomonas taiwanensis VLB120’s Metabolism

2020 ◽  
Vol 86 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Salome C. Nies ◽  
Robert Dinger ◽  
Yan Chen ◽  
Gossa G. Wordofa ◽  
Mette Kristensen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Respiratory Chain ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Nadh Dehydrogenase ◽  
Metabolic Flexibility ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
Nadh Dehydrogenases ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACT Obligate aerobic organisms rely on a functional electron transport chain for energy conservation and NADH oxidation. Because of this essential requirement, the genes of this pathway are likely constitutively and highly expressed to avoid a cofactor imbalance and energy shortage under fluctuating environmental conditions. We here investigated the essentiality of the three NADH dehydrogenases of the respiratory chain of the obligate aerobe Pseudomonas taiwanensis VLB120 and the impact of the knockouts of corresponding genes on its physiology and metabolism. While a mutant lacking all three NADH dehydrogenases seemed to be nonviable, the single or double knockout mutant strains displayed no, or only a weak, phenotype. Only the mutant deficient in both type 2 dehydrogenases showed a clear phenotype with biphasic growth behavior and a strongly reduced growth rate in the second phase. In-depth analyses of the metabolism of the generated mutants, including quantitative physiological experiments, transcript analysis, proteomics, and enzyme activity assays revealed distinct responses to type 2 and type 1 dehydrogenase deletions. An overall high metabolic flexibility enables P. taiwanensis to cope with the introduced genetic perturbations and maintain stable phenotypes, likely by rerouting of metabolic fluxes. This metabolic adaptability has implications for biotechnological applications. While the phenotypic robustness is favorable in large-scale applications with inhomogeneous conditions, the possible versatile redirecting of carbon fluxes upon genetic interventions can thwart metabolic engineering efforts. IMPORTANCE While Pseudomonas has the capability for high metabolic activity and the provision of reduced redox cofactors important for biocatalytic applications, exploitation of this characteristic might be hindered by high, constitutive activity of and, consequently, competition with the NADH dehydrogenases of the respiratory chain. The in-depth analysis of NADH dehydrogenase mutants of Pseudomonas taiwanensis VLB120 presented here provides insight into the phenotypic and metabolic response of this strain to these redox metabolism perturbations. This high degree of metabolic flexibility needs to be taken into account for rational engineering of this promising biotechnological workhorse toward a host with a controlled and efficient supply of redox cofactors for product synthesis.

How school districts influence student achievement

2019 ◽  
Vol 57 (5) ◽  
pp. 519-539 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth Leithwood ◽  
Jingping Sun ◽  
Catherine McCullough
Keyword(s):  
Student Achievement ◽  
School Districts ◽  
School Leadership ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
School Leaders ◽  
School Level ◽  
Content Type ◽  
District Improvement ◽  
The Status ◽  
Family Variables

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to test the effects of nine district characteristics on student achievement, explored the conditions that mediated the effects of such characteristics and contributed to understandings about the role school-level leaders play in district efforts to improve achievement. Design/methodology/approach Data for the study were provided by the responses of 2,324 school and district leaders in 45 school districts to two surveys. Student achievement evidence was provided by multi-grade provincial measures of math and language achievement. The analysis of these data included calculation of descriptive statistics, confirmatory factor analysis and regression mediation analysis. Findings Seven of nine district characteristics contributed significantly to student achievement and three conditions served as especially powerful mediators of such district effects. The same three conditions, as well as others, acted as significant mediators of school-level leader effects on achievement, as well. Practical implications District characteristics tested in the study provide a powerful framework for guiding the district improvement work of senior educational leaders. The organizational improvement efforts of both district and school leaders would be substantially enhanced by a better understanding of how to diagnose and improve the status of those conditions acting as significant mediators of the effects of both district and school leadership on student achievement. Originality/value This is one of a very few large-scale quantitative studies examining the extent to which characteristics frequently identified by district effectiveness research explain variation in student learning. It is also one of the very few studies identifying classroom, school and family variables that mediate district effects on such learning. The study also adds to a growing body of evidence about variables which mediate school leaders’ effects on such learning.

Financial distress determinants among SMEs: empirical evidence from Sweden

2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 547-560 ◽  
Author(s):  
Darush Yazdanfar ◽  
Peter Öhman
Keyword(s):  
Financial Crisis ◽  
Financial Distress ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Global Financial Crisis ◽  
Binary Logistic Regression ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Global Financial Crisis

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to empirically investigate determinants of financial distress among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) during the global financial crisis and post-crisis periods.Design/methodology/approachSeveral statistical methods, including multiple binary logistic regression, were used to analyse a longitudinal cross-sectional panel data set of 3,865 Swedish SMEs operating in five industries over the 2008–2015 period.FindingsThe results suggest that financial distress is influenced by macroeconomic conditions (i.e. the global financial crisis) and, in particular, by various firm-specific characteristics (i.e. performance, financial leverage and financial distress in previous year). However, firm size and industry affiliation have no significant relationship with financial distress.Research limitationsDue to data availability, this study is limited to a sample of Swedish SMEs in five industries covering eight years. Further research could examine the generalizability of these findings by investigating other firms operating in other industries and other countries.Originality/valueThis study is the first to examine determinants of financial distress among SMEs operating in Sweden using data from a large-scale longitudinal cross-sectional database.

The dialectics of authoring expansive learning: tracing the long tail of a Change Laboratory

2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 245-262 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annalisa Sannino ◽  
Yrjö Engeström ◽  
Johanna Lahikainen
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Scale Transformation ◽  
Dialectical Tensions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Organization Model ◽  
Expansive Learning ◽  
Conceptual Argument ◽  
University Library ◽  
Dialectical Process ◽  
Cultural Historical Activity

Purpose The paper aims to examine organizational authoring understood as a longitudinal, material and dialectical process of transformation efforts. The following questions are asked: To which extent can a Change Laboratory intervention help practitioners author their own learning? Are the authored outcomes of a Change Laboratory intervention futile if a workplace subsequently undergoes large-scale organizational transformations? Does the expansive learning authored in a Change Laboratory intervention survive large-scale organizational transformations, and if so, why does it survive and how? Design/methodology/approach The paper develops a conceptual argument based on cultural–historical activity theory. The conceptual argument is grounded in the examination of a case of eight years of change efforts in a university library, including a Change Laboratory (CL) intervention. Follow-up interview data are used to discuss and illuminate our argument in relation to the three research questions. Findings The idea of knotworking constructed in the CL process became a “germ cell” that generates novel solutions in the library activity. A large-scale transformation from the local organization model developed in the CL process to the organization model of the entire university library was not experienced as a loss. The dialectical tension between the local and global models became a source of movement driven by the emerging expansive object. Practitioners are modeling their own collective future competences, expanding them both in socio-spatial scope and interactive depth. Originality/value The article offers an expanded view of authorship, calling attention to material changes and practical change actions. The dialectical tensions identified serve as heuristic guidelines for future studies and interventions.

scholarly journals Is Agriculture Always a GHG Emitter? A Combination of Eddy Covariance and Life Cycle Assessment Approaches to Calculate C Intake and Uptake in a Kiwifruit Orchard

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 6906
Author(s):  
Federica Rossi ◽  
Camilla Chieco ◽  
Nicola Di Virgilio ◽  
Teodoro Georgiadis ◽  
Marianna Nardino
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Greenhouse Gases ◽  
Eddy Covariance ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Substantial Reduction ◽  
Co2 Absorption ◽  
Positive Contribution ◽  
Efficiency Ratio

While a substantial reduction of GHG (greenhouse gases) is urged, large-scale mitigation implies a detailed and holistic knowledge on the role of specific cropping systems, including the effect of management choices and local factors on the final balance between emissions and removals, this last typical of cropping systems. Here, a conventionally managed irrigated kiwifruit orchard has been studied to assess its greenhouse gases emissions and removals to determine its potential action as a C sink or, alternately, as a C source. The paper integrates two independent approaches. Biological CO2 fluxes have been monitored during 2012 using the micrometeorological Eddy covariance technique, while life cycle assessment quantified emissions derived from the energy and material used. In a climatic-standard year, total GHG emitted as consequence of the management were 4.25 t CO2-eq−1 ha−1 yr−1 while the net uptake measured during the active vegetation phase was as high as 4.9 t CO2 ha−1 yr−1. This led to a positive contribution of the crop to CO2 absorption, with a 1.15 efficiency ratio (sink-source factor defined as t CO2 stored/t CO2 emitted). The mitigating activity, however, completely reversed under extremely unfavorable climatic conditions, such as those recorded in 2003, when the efficiency ratio became 0.91, demonstrating that the occurrence of hotter and drier conditions are able to compromise the capability of Actinidia to offset the GHG emissions, also under appropriate irrigation.

Dynamic output feedback control for nonlinear large-scale interconnected systems

2020 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 801-821
Author(s):  
Ezzeddine Touti ◽  
Ali Sghaier Tlili ◽  
Muhannad Almutiry
Keyword(s):  
Decentralized Control ◽  
Output Feedback ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Optimization Problem ◽  
Lyapunov Theory ◽  
Interconnected Systems ◽  
Dynamic Output Feedback ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Dynamic Output ◽  
Control Scheme

Purpose This paper aims to focus on the design of a decentralized observation and control method for a class of large-scale systems characterized by nonlinear interconnected functions that are assumed to be uncertain but quadratically bounded. Design/methodology/approach Sufficient conditions, under which the designed control scheme can achieve the asymptotic stabilization of the augmented system, are developed within the Lyapunov theory in the framework of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs). Findings The derived LMIs are formulated under the form of an optimization problem whose resolution allows the concurrent computation of the decentralized control and observation gains and the maximization of the nonlinearity coverage tolerated by the system without becoming unstable. The reliable performances of the designed control scheme, compared to a distinguished decentralized guaranteed cost control strategy issued from the literature, are demonstrated by numerical simulations on an extensive application of a three-generator infinite bus power system. Originality/value The developed optimization problem subject to LMI constraints is efficiently solved by a one-step procedure to analyze the asymptotic stability and to synthesize all the control and observation parameters. Therefore, such a procedure enables to cope with the conservatism and suboptimal solutions procreated by optimization problems based on iterative algorithms with multi-step procedures usually used in the problem of dynamic output feedback decentralized control of nonlinear interconnected systems.

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