scholarly journals NZ school librarians, technology leaders?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Susan Clephane

<p>The purpose of this qualitative research study is to examine what role and views New Zealand school librarians currently have within their schools as technology leaders. At a time of technological developments in education, with both access to and implementation of ICT within school curriculums, what aids and hinders school librarian’s position as a technology manager? A variety of Auckland secondary schools were approached requesting a 30-60 minute interview with one of their librarians. Of the ones that agreed eight semi-structured interviews took place. The librarians were asked 14 open ended questions, some which were investigated further when necessary, and their answers were recorded, transcribed and results were drawn from their information. My results found that the majority of librarians felt well supported by their colleagues. Each school, had its own distinct hierarchy that effected the way librarians conducted their jobs and the place they had. Most librarians felt that their role was not meant to be a “technology leader” per-say, but rather someone that would incorporate it within the library to make the library a useful resource. Some schools had specific positions for their librarians to partake in technology leadership. This made the library more of an ICT focus for the school. Overall the librarians all had a variety of experiences, mostly stemming from the hierarchical dynamics within the schools and their own education in the library field. The implication for schools and their librarians, from this research may aid in considering the hierarchical set up their school currently has, how librarians view their role and what is a ‘norm’ versus alternative ideas. I think the discovery also reveals the various attitudes towards technology. This research may also increase awareness of the possible roles for school librarians in the future.</p>

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Susan Clephane

<p>The purpose of this qualitative research study is to examine what role and views New Zealand school librarians currently have within their schools as technology leaders. At a time of technological developments in education, with both access to and implementation of ICT within school curriculums, what aids and hinders school librarian’s position as a technology manager? A variety of Auckland secondary schools were approached requesting a 30-60 minute interview with one of their librarians. Of the ones that agreed eight semi-structured interviews took place. The librarians were asked 14 open ended questions, some which were investigated further when necessary, and their answers were recorded, transcribed and results were drawn from their information. My results found that the majority of librarians felt well supported by their colleagues. Each school, had its own distinct hierarchy that effected the way librarians conducted their jobs and the place they had. Most librarians felt that their role was not meant to be a “technology leader” per-say, but rather someone that would incorporate it within the library to make the library a useful resource. Some schools had specific positions for their librarians to partake in technology leadership. This made the library more of an ICT focus for the school. Overall the librarians all had a variety of experiences, mostly stemming from the hierarchical dynamics within the schools and their own education in the library field. The implication for schools and their librarians, from this research may aid in considering the hierarchical set up their school currently has, how librarians view their role and what is a ‘norm’ versus alternative ideas. I think the discovery also reveals the various attitudes towards technology. This research may also increase awareness of the possible roles for school librarians in the future.</p>


2018 ◽  
Vol 41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teralee Elbasri

Current school librarian standards highlight the need for school librarians to be technology leaders in their schools, and current research supports the ability of the school librarian to be a strong technology leader. However, there is a lack of research on how pre-service schools are preparing their students to become these leaders. The following article proposes research that would examine current school librarian preparation program syllabi for technology leadership theories and concepts. The results of the proposed research will enable school librarian preparation program administrators and faculty to reflect on their curricula and prepare their students to be technology leaders. 


Author(s):  
Alexander P. Parobek ◽  
Patrick M. Chaffin ◽  
Marcy H. Towns

Reaction coordinate diagrams (RCDs) are chemical representations widely employed to visualize the thermodynamic and kinetic parameters associated with reactions. Previous research has demonstrated a host of misconceptions students adopt when interpreting the perceived information encoded in RCDs. This qualitative research study explores how general chemistry students interpret points and trends on a RCD and how these interpretations impact their inferences regarding the rate of a chemical reaction. Sixteen students participated in semi-structured interviews in which participants were asked to interpret the points and trends along provided RCDs and to compare relative reaction rates between RCDs. Findings derived from this study demonstrate the diversity of graphical reasoning adopted by students, the impact of students’ interpretations of the x-axis of a RCD on the graphical reasoning employed, and the influence of these ideas on inferences made about reaction rate. Informed by analytical frameworks grounded in the resources framework and the actor-oriented model of transfer, implications for instruction are provided with suggestions for how RCDs may be presented to assist students in recognizing the critical information encoded in these diagrams.


2008 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 50-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karin Minnie ◽  
Hester Klopper ◽  
Christa Van der Walt

The objective of this study was to explore and describe the factors that influence the decision by pregnant women to be tested for HIV. This was achieved through a qualitative research study that was exploratory, descriptive and contextual in nature. A sample of 13 pregnant women participated. Data obtained from semi-structured interviews was analysed according to a protocol based on a combination of methods of analysis. The three main themes, namely factors that contribute to the decision by pregnant women to be tested for HIV, factors that contribute to the decision by pregnant women not to be tested for HIV and organisational factors that influence the decision by pregnant women to be tested for HIV, were divided into nine subthemes. Conclusions and recommendations to promote counselling to pregnant women being tested for HIV are provided. Opsomming Die doel van die studie was om die faktore wat die besluit van swanger vroue om vir MIV getoets te word, te verken en beskryf. Dit is gedoen deur middel van verkennende, beskrywende, kontekstuele kwalitatiewe navorsing. ’n Steekproef van 13 swanger vroue het deelgeneem. Inligting is verkry deur middel van semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude. Hierdie inligting is ontleed aan die hand van ’n protokol gebaseer op ’n kombinasie van ontledingsmetodes. Die drie hooftemas, naamlik faktore wat bydra tot swanger vroue se besluit om vir MIV getoets te word, faktore wat bydra tot swanger vroue se besluit om nie vir MIV getoets te word nie en organisatoriese faktore wat swanger vroue se besluit beïnvloed om vir MIV getoets te word, is in nege subtemas onderverdeel. Gevolgtrekkings en aanbevelings ter bevordering van berading van swanger vroue vir MIV-toetsing, word verskaf.


2021 ◽  
Vol 31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eliana Mendes de Souza Teixeira Roque ◽  
Diene Monique Carlos ◽  
Geraldo Romanelli ◽  
Cintia Aparecida da Silva ◽  
José Eurípedes Martins ◽  
...  

Abstract The aim was to know and analyze the meanings of intrafamily sexual violence experienced and the Court support for adolescents who underwent the questioning. A qualitative research study through semi-structured interviews and free observation with nine adolescents aged between 13 and 17 years old, in a specific Court of Childhood and Youth. Data was analyzed using the technique of content analysis, with “Distance and negative”, and “Secondary victimization” pointed out. First, by signifying the intrafamily sexual violence suffered, the adolescent presents memory lapses about what happened, and it shows a wide spectrum of detrimental effects of intrafamily sexual violence. Secondly, it shows that the intervention of the Judiciary Branch has caused secondary victimization, gaps in care, and reproduction of power relationships. It was concluded on the importance to articulate a children and adolescents rights guaranteeing system, considering the new social frameworks, as well as the issue of human development.


2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 652-670 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Langwell ◽  
Dennis Heaton

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine how small- and medium-sized organisations that were already participating in recognised sustainability programmes in Iowa, USA, in how they were utilising activities normally associated with human resources (HRs) to implement sustainability – activities included communication, engagement, incentives and recruitment and retention. Design/methodology/approach – The authors were interested in how small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) were utilising HR functions to implement sustainability. This was an exploratory, qualitative research study utilised semi-structured interviews to obtain data. Findings – Based on the findings, some of the functions are being utilised more than others, with some activities not being implemented at all. Research limitations/implications – This research offers empirical research on how sustainability is achieved in SMEs. Practical implications – This paper outlines some practical methods that any SME could utilise to help implement sustainability within an organisation. Originality/value – This paper adds empirical research on how SMEs are implementing sustainable practices into their operations by using activities normally associated with the HR department.


2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (9) ◽  
pp. 521-526 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin J Oleary ◽  
Margaret M Chapman ◽  
Shandu Foster ◽  
Lyndsey O'Hara ◽  
Bruce L Henschen ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND: A small proportion of patients accounts for a large proportion of hospitalizations. OBJECTIVE: To obtain patients’ perspectives of factors associated with the onset and continuation of high hospital use. DESIGN: Qualitative research study where a research coordinator conducted one-on-one semi-structured interviews. A team of researchers performed inductive coding and analysis. SETTING: A single urban academic hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Patients with two-unplanned 30-day readmissions within 12 months and one or more of the following: ≥1 readmission in the last six months, a referral from a clinician, or ≥3 observation visits. RESULTS: Overall, 26 participants completed the interviews. Four main themes emerged. First, major medical problems were universal, but the onset of frequent hospital use varied. Second, participants perceived fluctuations in their course to be related to psychological, social, and economic factors. Social support was perceived as helpful and participants benefited when providing social support to others. Third, episodes of illness varied in onset and generally seemed uncontrollable and often unpredictable to the participants. Fourth, participants strongly desired to avoid hospitalization and typically sought care only after self-management failed. CONCLUSIONS: Emergent themes pointed to factors which influence patients’ onset of high hospital use, fluctuations in their illness over time, and triggers to seek care during an episode of illness. These findings enable patients’ perspectives to be incorporated into the design of programs serving similar populations of frequently hospitalized patients.


2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 133-149
Author(s):  
Qurrat-ul-Ain Qazi ◽  
Nighat G. Ansari ◽  
Amani Moazzam

 The Gender wage gap has attracted the attention of a wide range of theoretical and empirical frameworks derived from a multitude of disciplines including, psychology, sociology, and economics. Human Resource Management, considering the gender wage gap's reported influences on employees‟ attitudes and behaviours in the work places, is now studying a variety of its aspects. This qualitative research study, conducted in the telecommunication sector of Pakistan, investigates women employees' perceptions regarding discriminatory pay practices and explores their attitudinal factors that might be responsible for the perpetuation of prevalent gender wage disparity in terms of acceptance / challenge to. Empirical data generated through purposive sampling, and by applying semi-structured interviews of women working in the private telecom sector, revealed that only a handful of women raised their voices or supported other women who stood up for their rights; a majority preferred to remain silent or accept the discrimination, even justifying it on account of various excuses. This accepting attitude of women serves to perpetuate discriminatory pay practices in the workplace.


Author(s):  
Antonio Jesús Ramos-Morcillo ◽  
David Harillo-Acevedo ◽  
David Armero-Barranco ◽  
César Leal-Costa ◽  
José Enrique Moral-García ◽  
...  

International institutions facilitate the contact of health professionals to evidence-based recommendations for promoting exclusive breast feeding (BF). However, the achievement of good rates of exclusive BF is still far from the optimum. The intention of the present work is to determine the barriers identified by managers and health professionals involved in the implementation and sustainability of Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPG) for breastfeeding under the auspices of the Best Practice Spotlight Organization program. A qualitative research study was carried out. The participants were managers, healthcare assistants, nurses, midwives, pediatricians and gynecologists. Semi-structured interviews were conducted which were transcribed and analyzed using the six steps of thematic analysis. Twenty interviews were conducted, which defined four major themes: (1) Lack of resources and their adaptation; (2) Where, Who and How; (3) Dissemination and reach of the project to the professionals; and (4) The mother and her surroundings. This research identifies the barriers perceived by the health professionals involved in the implementation, with the addition of the managers as well. Novel barriers appeared such as the ambivalent role of the midwives and the fact that this CPG is about promoting health. The efforts for promoting the implementation program should be continuous, and the services should be extended to primary care.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katelyn Bosveld

This qualitative research study explores the experiences survivors of sexual violence across rural Ontario accessing Sexual Assault Evidence Kits, as told by service providers from Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Treatment Centres. Using a narrative thematic analysis, semi-structured interviews were completed and subsequently analyzed from an intersectional feminist perspective. The purpose of this approach was to identify themes that occurred across multiple interviews in order to understand the barriers that exist for survivors and solutions proposed by service providers in the field. Factors such as transportation, including reliance on police for transportation, are explored, as are the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic which arose partway through the research process. Additionally, implications for social work practice and service providers to survivors of sexual violence, strengths and limitations, and areas for future research are discussed.


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