How did I become an abductive ethnographer? Reflections on a research journey

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 129-143 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lila Le Trividic Harrache
Keyword(s):  
Research Question ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Theoretical Research ◽  
First Year ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Peer Reviewing ◽  
Upper Secondary ◽  
First Time ◽  
Upper Secondary Schools ◽  
Initial Research

Purpose Drawing on part of a French doctorate research journey, the purpose of this paper is to illustrate how an initial research design gets to be questioned and deconstructed when confronted to fieldwork. Design/methodology/approach The paper reflects on the second year of the doctoral project when the theoretical research object that had been built during the first year was confronted to fieldwork, driving the author to reshape the initial research question. Findings The paper explains how doing ethnographic work helped the author to deconstruct the author’s own theoretical and epistemological assumptions. The author started to investigate on the uses of pupils’ “mental suffering” in French upper secondary schools and administration in order to understand the labelling process. The author explains how fieldwork, writing and peer-reviewing made the author realise that the author was not focussing on the appropriate categories. Throughout the reflection, the paper highlights the epistemological shift that this journey reveals. Originality/value This paper aims to contribute to methodological debates scrutinising the black box of the research process. It aims to be helpful to those experiencing for the first time the chaos of reformulating the research object.

A quantitative investigation of the effects of new generation vs traditional upper secondary schools in Cambodia through the lens of STEM transfer model

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sovansophal Kao
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Schools ◽  
Attitudes Toward Science ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Math Teachers ◽  
Upper Secondary ◽  
New Form ◽  
K 12 ◽  
New Generation ◽  
Upper Secondary Schools ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThis study aimed to examine the effects of Cambodia's New Generation Schools (NGS), as compared to their traditional counterparts, in enhancing the seven constructs: (1) science and math achievement, (2) science and math self-efficacy, (3) science and math outcome expectations, (4) attitudes toward science, (5) interactive science and math lessons, (6) support from science and math teachers and (7) encouragement and support in science from family.Design/methodology/approachThe two observations data was collected using self-rated questionnaire from 301 11th graders from five upper secondary schools located in three provinces of Cambodia. Independent sample t-test, Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) and dependent sample t-test were used to analyze the repeated measures data.FindingsThe study revealed that students from the NGS exhibited statistically higher scores for most constructs, especially for attitudes toward science. However, when controlling for the differences in the first observation data, the significant effects of the three constructs have been neutralized. Moreover, though there was an increase in science activities outside school, there was a negative trajectory in the other two sub-constructs of attitudes toward science and support from science and math teachers, both in NGS and traditional schools.Practical implicationsThese findings point some practical implications for enhancing the effectiveness of the two school types and further research.Originality/valueThere is heavy investment in new form of schools across the world to enhance students' learning and academic achievement in science and math in K-12 and to promote their interest in STEM in higher education. However, there is little document on the effectiveness of this new form of school, particularly in the Cambodian context.

Entrepreneurship education and start‐up activity: a gender perspective

2013 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 216-231 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vegard Johansen
Keyword(s):  
Entrepreneurship Education ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Control Group Design ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Group Design ◽  
Start Up ◽  
Upper Secondary ◽  
Start Ups ◽  
Upper Secondary Schools

PurposeThis article seeks to evaluate whether entrepreneurship education (EE) in upper secondary schools promotes male and female start‐up activity. The Company programme (CP) reaches more than 200,000 European youths annually.Design/methodology/approachThe control‐group design is methodologically strong, and the empirical data are from Norway. Telephone interviews were conducted with 1,171 24‐25 year olds; 50 per cent of the respondents had been involved in CP in the period 2004‐2006, and 50 per cent had not. The analyses also control for other factors of relevance to start‐up activity.FindingsResults from econometric analyses indicate a positive correlation between participation in CP and start‐up activity. The analyses also indicate that CP has more impact on male start‐up activity as compared to women.Research limitations/implicationsA lot of other influences occur between the participation in CP and the start‐up activity. Although CP may be associated with more start‐ups, these are not necessarily start‐ups of a higher quality, survival rate or growth potential. The analysis also conceals variations in start‐up activity among CP‐participants with regard to time spent on CP, position in the CP, and obligatory vs voluntary participation.Practical implicationsTo promote start‐up activity among women more effectively, CP could be more focused on shaping confidence and increasing perceived competency among girls participating in the programme.Social implicationsOne solution for how to increase start‐up activity among young men and women could be to offer EE within upper secondary schools.Originality/valueThe study measures experience with start‐up activity 6‐8 years after EE‐participation in upper secondary school, it compares the impact of EE on male and female business start‐ups, and the control‐group design is advantageous compared to previous studies.

scholarly journals Applying and Evaluating Understanding-Oriented ICT User Training in Upper Secondary Education

10.28945/3126 ◽  
2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cornelia Brodahl ◽  
Marit Fagernes ◽  
Said Hadjerrouit
Keyword(s):  
Training Method ◽  
User Training ◽  
Upper Secondary Education ◽  
Upper Secondary ◽  
Constructivist Learning Environments ◽  
Teacher Students ◽  
Training Courses ◽  
Ict Training ◽  
First Time ◽  
Upper Secondary Schools

ICT training courses have recently undergone some important changes. These changes are made possible by new pedagogical approaches to ICT training. As a result, the focus has changed from memorizing, recall and reproduction of knowledge to conceptual understanding of the underlying software. One of these approaches is the Herskin’s understanding-oriented ICT training method. This paper assesses students’ learning when confronted with the task of implementing this method. More specifically, it addresses critical factors of success and potential obstacles when implementing the ICT training method in upper secondary schools. It also presents teacher students’ common misconceptions and simplifications when practicing the method for the first time. Finally, the article outlines a framework for rethinking ICT training within constructivist learning environments.

The relationship between teacher leadership and collective teacher efficacy in Chinese upper secondary schools

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peng Liu
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Efficacy ◽  
Teacher Leadership ◽  
Collective Efficacy ◽  
Collective Teacher Efficacy ◽  
Positive Relationships ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Upper Secondary ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Upper Secondary Schools ◽  
Positive Environment

PurposeThe aim of this study was to understand the relationship between teacher leadership and collective teacher efficacy in Chinese upper secondary schools.Design/methodology/approachBased on survey answers from 1,074 upper secondary teachers in a Chinese city, path analysis was conducted to understand the relationship.FindingsThis study identified that a number of dimensions of teacher leadership (recognition, collegiality, participation and positive environment) had positive relationships with group competence. Meanwhile, the dimensions of developmental focus, participation and positive environment had positive relationships with task analysis. Additionally, when the authors treated collective efficacy as a single variable, the dimensions of developmental focus, congeniality, participation and positive environment had positive relationships with collective efficacy.Originality/valueThis study is to understand the relationship between teacher leadership and collective teacher efficacy in a collective culture and hierarchical education system.

Human flourishing: an enabler of entrepreneurial intention in Latin American students

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Geraldina Silveyra ◽  
Lucía Rodríguez-Aceves ◽  
Humberto Charles-Leija ◽  
José Manuel Saiz-Álvarez
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Schools ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Entrepreneurial Intention ◽  
Human Flourishing ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Upper Secondary ◽  
American Students ◽  
Latin American Students ◽  
Upper Secondary Schools

Purpose This study aims to propose a causal relationship between the level of students’ human flourishing (HF) and their entrepreneurial intention (EI) and the mediation role of entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE). Design/methodology/approach The study uses a sample of 5,035 first-year university students who graduated from 950 different upper secondary schools in Mexico and abroad. Data were analysed using structural equation modelling. Findings The results reveal that HF increases EI and ESE; ESE positively impacts EI; and the student’s ESE partially mediates the HF-EI relationship. Practical implications These findings may improve educational strategies in upper secondary schools and higher education institutions’ management programmes to impact graduates’ HF and EI. To the knowledge, the authors are the first to measure how HF in upper secondary school graduates contributes to increasing their EI. Social implications Recommendations are made to increase Latin American students’ HF and EI. Originality/value The authors propose an inverse relationship between HF and EI, as HF can be enhanced in upper secondary education to boost EI later in students’ lives.

scholarly journals Insights on the Process of Using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis in a Sport Coaching Research Project

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bettina Callary ◽  
Scott Rathwell ◽  
Bradley Young
Keyword(s):  
Lived Experiences ◽  
Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Phenomenological Analysis ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Rigorous Research ◽  
Qualitative Research Methodology ◽  
First Time

Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) is a qualitative research methodology used to understand participants’ subjective realities through personal interpretations of their lived experiences and the meanings they attach to these experiences (Smith, 2011). IPA has been used predominantly in health psychology, with rising interest within the field of sport psychology and coaching. This article seeks to describe insights about the processes of IPA by a research team using the methodological approach for the first time. These experiences are shared against the backdrop of research exploring the lived experiences of Masters athletes within the context of coached competitive swim programs. We describe how the multiple facets of IPA influence the refinement of the research question, the planning and implementation of data collection, and data analysis and interpretation. We elaborate on our perceptions of the complexities of IPA and make recommendations for how future research teams might smoothly navigate the rigorous research process to yield rich in-depth data and interpretations.

scholarly journals How Philosophizing the Dialogos Way Can Promote Education for Sustainable Development

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eirik Hæreid Marcussen ◽  
Michael Weiss ◽  
Guro Hansen Helskog
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Education For Sustainable Development ◽  
Dialogic Learning ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Action Inquiry ◽  
Upper Secondary ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
Curriculum Reforms

This paper is an inquiry into an action research process in which staff from a combined vocational and academic upper secondary school philosophized “The Dialogos Way” together, as part of ongoing curriculum reforms in Norway. Some teachers were also trained in facilitating such dialogs with their students. Since sustainable development is one of three interdisciplinary topics now supposed to run through all subjects at all educational levels, our chosen action inquiry research question in this paper reads as follows: How can training teachers in philosophizing the Dialogos Way promote attitudes and skills required for dialogic learning-and-teaching, and how can this form of learning-and-teaching support education for sustainable development? Using teachers’ and students’ meta-reflection notes as data, the authors find that the Dialogos approach offers a fruitful way of integrating sustainable development issues in the curriculum.

The high performance organization: proposed definition and measurement of its performance

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
André de Waal
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Performance ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Peer Group ◽  
Research Question ◽  
General Definition ◽  
Common Denominator ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
High Performance Organization ◽  
First Time

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to arrive at a general definition of an HPO and a (practical) way to measure an HPO. Managers are looking for techniques to strengthen their organizations in a way that they cannot only cope with threats but could also quickly take advantage of opportunities, and thus, grow and thrive. The academic and especially the practitioner fields reacted on this “thirst for high performance knowledge” with a plethora of books and articles on the topic of high performance organizations (HPOs). These publications each came with their own description and measurement of HPOs, which created a lot of confusion among practitioners. Design/methodology/approach In this study the following reserach question is answered: how can an HPO be defined and its performance measured? So that with the answer, this paper can take away the aforementioned confusion. This paper does this by conducting an extensive systematic review of the literature on HPO, after which this paper synthesizes the findings into a proposal on how to define and measure the HPO. Findings This paper was able to obtain from the literature a list of definitions and measurements for an HPO. The common denominator in these definitions and measurements turned out to be respondents given their opinion on the effects of the organizational practices they apply on organizational performance vis-à-vis that of competitors. This paper concluded therefore that an HPO should be defined and measured relative to competitors and should be based on the perception of managers and employees of the organization: An HPO is an organization that achieves results that are better than those of its peer group over a longer period of time. Research limitations/implications With the answer on the research question, this paper fills the current gap in the definition and measurement literature on HPOs, and thus, has moved the research into HPOs forward, as researchers can use these research results in their future studies on high performance and HPOs. Originality/value Although there is a plethora of literature on high performance and HPOs no univocal definition and measurement of the HPO can be found. This study provides for the first time an academically well-founded definition and measurement method.

scholarly journals On the same page: collaborative research assignment design with graduate teaching assistants

2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 343-358
Author(s):  
Maggie Murphy
Keyword(s):  
Collaborative Research ◽  
Teaching Assistants ◽  
Graduate Teaching Assistants ◽  
First Year ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
First Year Writing ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Writing Courses ◽  
Graduate Teaching ◽  
First Time

Purpose This paper aims to explore how collaborative research assignment design consultations between instruction librarians and new graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) have the potential to improve the design of research assignments for first-year writing courses. Design/methodology/approach The author conducted a small number of questionnaires and structured interviews with first-time GTAs who serve as first-year composition instructors to explore their conceptions about teaching researched writing. Thematic analysis of the results of these qualitative instruments led to the design of a new framework for working with incoming cohorts of GTAs at her institution prior to the start of each fall semester. Findings New GTAs often emphasize strict source type parameters in research assignment design and expect their students to engage in expert research behaviors. Emphasizing the assignment design expertise of instruction librarians during new GTA orientation may lead to more assignment design consultations with first-time college writing instructors. Collaborative assignment design consultations between librarians and GTAs can improve the alignment of research assignment parameters with their shared goals for students' research and writing skills and habits of mind, including seeing research and writing as iterative and inquiry-based processes. Research limitations/implications While not every instruction librarian works with GTAs, working with instructors to collaboratively design research assignments that shift focus away from using specific search tools and locating particular types of sources opens possibilities for what librarians are able to achieve in one-shot instruction sessions, in terms of both lesson content and pedagogical strategies used. Originality/value The existing literature on first-year writing addressing faculty and librarian assignment design collaborations, and research assignments more generally, does not often explicitly examine the experiences of librarians who primarily work with GTAs. This paper adds to this literature by highlighting specific obstacles and unique opportunities in librarian–GTA teaching partnerships in first-year writing courses.

The impediments to the competitiveness of the rail industry in Australia

2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 127-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hadi Ghaderi ◽  
Jiangang Fei ◽  
Stephen Cahoon
Keyword(s):  
Research Question ◽  
Synthesis Process ◽  
Investment Strategies ◽  
Data Synthesis ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Complex Interactions ◽  
Rail Industry ◽  
First Time ◽  
Freight Market

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify current impediments to the competitiveness of the rail industry in the Australian non-bulk freight market. Design/methodology/approach – A systematic literature review was adapted to identify the impediments and challenge themes from 1,081 studies available on the Australian rail industry. To select the studies relevant to the research question, a tollgate criterion was then deployed. Impediments were identified by a structured data synthesis process and a heuristic algorithm was developed to explore the possible relationships between the impediments and challenges. Findings – Four major themes are apparent, each of which presents the rail industry with challenges in the non-bulk freight market. “Infrastructural inefficiencies and the need for further integration” was ranked as the main rail industry challenge, while “environmental concerns and the associated costs of externalities” was the least. In addition, across the four themes data synthesis identified 43 impediments from purely policy related to technical and operational aspects. Research limitations/implications – The major implication of this review is the identification of impediments that have no linkage to the four industry challenges as revealed by stakeholders in the literature. That means that the rail industry has been dealing with a number of issues that have not been explored and studied in depth either by practitioners or academics. The underlying elements of impediments in this group are perceived as managerial, organisational and leadership factors. The rail industry has failed to manage its organisational ties across the system, both horizontally and vertically. This issue has been intensified as the result of complex interactions between different transport modes and operators associated with the non-bulk freight sector. Originality/value – For the first time in the Australian context, this study provides an en masse and summarised picture of impediments to the competitiveness of the rail industry in the non-bulk freight market by systematically reviewing the reports generated by different stakeholders in the last ten years. The outcomes will assist the rail industry and government to understand impediments impacting on the quality of rail freight services that may lead to collaboration on decision-making and investment strategies.

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