The Struggles of Attending Introductory English Courses in Bangladeshi Universities

Considering the recent economic milestone achieved by Bangladesh, a downright reformation has emerged as obligatory which is a sustainable and all-round delivery of English throughout the academic journey of all the learners. Still, students are found struggling with the elementary language skills while attending introductory English courses at the universities. This study, conducted in mixed-mode, recounts the findings based on the data collected from twenty-one universities. Through this investigative work, the researchers have tried to diagnose the reasons behind the struggles faced by the learners and attempt to explain such outcomes from the perspectives of the gaps between policy and practice, attitude towards English, and the state of ELT in Bangladesh. Findings suggest that the issue of maintaining the synergy between separate levels of education is ignored by the stakeholders as well as the policy makers since the policy itself fails to uphold the significance of English as an international language. In addition, faulty application of CLT in the learners’ secondary levels create a fearful image of English in their minds hindering them from conceptualising English as an international language as well as a tool for their future academic success.

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The Bridge between Policy and Practice: Implementors’ Belief Systems

Journal of School Leadership ◽

10.1177/105268469200200309 ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 2 (3) ◽

pp. 345-354 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Carol Z. Mcgrevin ◽

Anne Spidell Rusher

Keyword(s):

Early Childhood ◽

Young Children ◽

Belief Systems ◽

Belief System ◽

Educational Programs ◽

The State ◽

District Level ◽

Educational Practices ◽

Policy And Practice ◽

Policy Makers

The belief system of teachers and principals regarding what constitutes sound educational practices for educating young children is a key ingredient in implementing successful early childhood educational programs. This fact must be taken into consideration by policy makers at the state and district level as they formulate policies affecting the education of our nation's young children.

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Editorial: Introducing Remittances Review

REMITTANCES REVIEW ◽

10.33182/rr.v1i1.439 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

pp. 1-4

Author(s):

Ibrahim Sirkeci

Keyword(s):

Cutting Edge ◽

Migration Studies ◽

Policy And Practice ◽

Policy Makers ◽

Rigorous Research ◽

Migrant Remittances ◽

Money Transfers ◽

Advance Theory

Remittances Review is a new journal that offers a quality outlet for exchanges between academics, researchers, and policy makers. There are more journals dealing with migration than ever before, and most have similar mandates to publish research for researchers. There has been a proliferation of journals in migration studies in the last five to ten years. However, most have grown with similar mandates that replicate breadth and interests. Remittances Review is the first international academic peer reviewed journal dedicated to money transfers, migrant remittances and the challenges and issues related to these flows across borders. Remittances Review invites contributions that include new data, rigorous research, and thoughtful analysis. We expect quality contributions that advance theory and methods as well as drawing implications for policy and practice. Readers will benefit from cutting edge research conceptual innovations, and reviews and reports.

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Military Veterans and Welfare Reform: Bridging Two Policy Worlds through Qualitative Longitudinal Research

Social Policy and Society ◽

10.1017/s1474746421000166 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-14

Author(s):

Lisa Scullion ◽

Katy Jones ◽

Peter Dwyer ◽

Celia Hynes ◽

Philip Martin

Keyword(s):

Welfare Reform ◽

Longitudinal Research ◽

Military Veterans ◽

Armed Forces ◽

Veterans Affairs ◽

Civilian Life ◽

Policy And Practice ◽

Policy Makers ◽

The Social ◽

The Uk

There has been an increasing focus in the UK on the support provided to the Armed Forces community, with the publication of the Armed Forces Covenant (2011), the Strategy for our Veterans (2018) and the first ever Office for Veterans’ Affairs (2019). There is also an important body of research – including longitudinal research – focusing on transitions from military to civilian life, much of which is quantitative. At the same time, the UK has witnessed a period of unprecedented welfare reform. However, research focused on veterans’ interactions with the social security system has been largely absent. This article draws on the authors’ experiences of undertaking qualitative longitudinal research (QLR) to address this knowledge gap. We reflect on how QLR was essential in engaging policy makers enabling the research to bridge the two parallel policy worlds of veterans’ support and welfare reform, leading to significant policy and practice impact.

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Simulating language knowledge across the EU: language regimes, language learning and consequences for linguistic disenfranchisement

Journal of Computational Social Science ◽

10.1007/s42001-021-00137-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Marco Civico

Keyword(s):

Language Learning ◽

Learning Strategies ◽

Language Skills ◽

Language Education ◽

Skills Acquisition ◽

Linguistic Distance ◽

Education Policies ◽

Policy Makers ◽

The Impact ◽

The Eu

AbstractThe objective of this paper is to develop an simulation model able to test different language education orientations and their consequences for the EU population in terms of linguistic disenfranchisement, that is, the inability of citizens to understand EU documents and parliamentary discussions should their native language(s) no longer be official. I will focus on the impact of linguistic distance and language learning. Ideally, this model would be a tool to help EU policy makers make informed decisions about language practices and education policies, taking into account their consequences in terms of diversity and linguistic disenfranchisement. The model can be used to force agents to make certain choices in terms of language skills acquisition. The user can then go on to compare different scenarios in which language skills are acquired according to different rationales. The idea is that, by forcing agents to adopt certain language learning strategies, the model user can simulate policies promoting the acquisition of language skills and get an idea of their impact. In this way, the model allows not only to sketch various scenarios of the evolution of language skills among EU citizens, but also to estimate the level of disenfranchisement in each of these scenarios.

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Corruption in Construction Projects: Bibliometric Analysis of Global Research

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13084400 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (8) ◽

pp. 4400

Author(s):

Zhao Zhai ◽

Ming Shan ◽

Amos Darko ◽

Albert P. C. Chan

Keyword(s):

Construction Projects ◽

Research Policy ◽

Mitigation Strategies ◽

Future Research ◽

Policy And Practice ◽

Policy Makers ◽

Research Areas ◽

Body Of Knowledge ◽

Emerging Trends ◽

Global Research

Corruption has been identified as a major problem in construction projects. It can jeopardize the success of these projects. Consequently, corruption has garnered significant attention in the construction industry over the past two decades, and several studies on corruption in construction projects (CICP) have been conducted. Previous efforts to analyze and review this body of knowledge have been manual, qualitative and subjective, thus prone to bias and limited in the number of reviewed studies. There remains a lack of inclusive, quantitative, objective and computational analysis of global CICP research to inform future research, policy and practice. This study aims to address this lack by providing the first inclusive bibliometric study exploring the state-of-the-art of global CICP research. To this end, a quantitative and objective technique aided by CiteSpace was used to systematically and computationally analyze a large corpus of 542 studies retrieved from the Web of Science and published from 2000 to 2020. The findings revealed major and influential CICP research journals, persons, institutions, countries, references and areas of focus, as well as revealing how these interact with each other in research networks. This study contributes to the in-depth understanding of global research on CICP. By highlighting the principal research areas, gaps, emerging trends and directions, as well as patterns in CICP research, the findings could help researchers, practitioners and policy makers position their future CICP research and/or mitigation strategies.

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The Neutral State: Optional or Necessary?: A Triangular Analysis of State–Religion Relationships, Democratisation and Human Rights Compliance

Religion and Human Rights ◽

10.1163/187103206781172934 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 1 (3) ◽

pp. 269-303 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jeroen Temperman

Keyword(s):

Human Rights ◽

Religious Freedom ◽

Detrimental Effect ◽

The State ◽

Political Commitment ◽

Religious Denomination ◽

Policy And Practice ◽

Religious Difference ◽

Full Compliance ◽

State Neutrality

AbstractThis article suggests a signicant correlation between the notions of state neutrality and religious freedom. The absence of a considerable degree of state neutrality has a detrimental effect on human rights compliance. Under states which identify themselves strongly with a single religious denomination as well as under states which identify themselves negatively in relation to religion, there is no scope for human rights compliance. Both extreme types of state–religion identication are characterised by repression of all beliefs and manifestations thereof which do not correspond with the state sanctioned view on belief. This may be either the upholding of a specic religious denomination or of militant ideological secularism. Consequently, discrimination and marginalisation rather than compliance with the norms of freedom of religion and the promotion of non-discrimination comprise policy and practice under these regimes. Intermediate forms of state–religion afliation, i.e. types of identication in which the state is not drenched with the excluding ideals of a single denomination or with anti-religious sentiments, allow for a degree of democratic inclusion of religious difference and of religious tolerance. The most substantial scope for full compliance, however, lies in the combination of democratic inclusion of people from different religions and the indispensable political commitment characterised as state neutrality with respect to all people. State neutrality refers to a regime of state–religion identi cation that can best be understood as 'accommodative non-partisanship'.

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Cancer care coordination: building a platform for the development of care coordinator roles and ongoing evaluation

Australian Journal of Primary Health ◽

10.1071/py13037 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 21 (2) ◽

pp. 157 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Louise Freijser ◽

Lucio Naccarella ◽

Rosemary McKenzie ◽

Meinir Krishnasamy

Keyword(s):

Cancer Care ◽

Research Policy ◽

Contextual Influences ◽

Policy And Practice ◽

Care Coordinator ◽

Program Logic ◽

Policy Makers ◽

Patient Advocates ◽

The Individual ◽

Ongoing Evaluation

Continuity of care is integral to the quality and safety of care provided to people with cancer and their carers. Further evidence is required to examine the contribution Nurse Cancer Care Coordinator (NCCC) roles make in improving the continuity. The aim of the present study was to clarify the assumptions underpinning the NCCC roles and provide a basis for ongoing evaluation. The project comprised a literature review and a qualitative study to develop program logic. The participants who were purposively sampled included policy makers, practitioners, patient advocates, and researchers. Both the literature and participant reports found that NCCC roles are diverse and responsive to contextual influences to coordinate care at the individual (patient), organisational, and systems levels. The application of the program logic for the development of NCCC roles was explored. The conceptualisation of NCCC roles was also examined in relation to Boundary Spanning and Relational Coordination theory. Further research is required to examine how NCCCs contribute to improving equity, safety, quality and coordination of care. The project has implications for research, policy and practice, and makes explicit existing assumptions to provide a platform for further development and evaluation of these roles.

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Major construction risk factors considered by general contractors in Qatar

Journal of Engineering Design and Technology ◽

10.1108/jedt-03-2014-0012 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 165-194 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

Abdulaziz M. Jarkas ◽

Theodore C. Haupt

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Cost Effective ◽

The State ◽

Risk Allocation ◽

Relative Importance ◽

Related Factors ◽

Policy Makers ◽

Content Type ◽

Construction Risk ◽

General Contractors

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify, explore, rank the relative importance and determine the prevalent allocation response trends of the major construction risk factors considered by general contractors operating in the State of Qatar. Design/methodology/approach – A structured questionnaire survey comprising 37 potential risk factors was distributed to a statistically representative sample of contractors. The influence ranks of the factors explored were determined using the “Relative Importance Index (RII)” technique, whereas the prevalent trend of contractors’ attitudes toward risk allocation of each factor investigated was quantified and expressed as a percentage, based on the number of respondents who selected a specific option, in relation to the total number of respondents. Findings – The results obtained indicate that risks related to the “client” group are perceived as most critical, followed by the “consultant”, “contractor” and “exogenous” group-related factors, respectively. The outcomes further show that the “transfer” option is the contractors’ prevalent response to “client” and “consultant”-related risks, while the “retention” decision is the principal pattern linked to “contractor” and “exogenous” group-related risk factors. Research limitations/implications – The dominant respondents’ perception that the crucial construction risks are related to clients and consultants suggests that these two parties have an essential role in controlling the negative ramifications of the associated factors. Practical implications – The findings suggest that increasing designers’ awareness of the significant effect of applying the constructability concept can considerably help reducing the risks concomitant of the construction operation. Policy makers may contribute, moreover, in alleviating the risk of incompetent technical staff and operatives’ employment by controlling the migration of inexperienced and unskilled construction workforce into the State. Originality/value – Given the knowledge gap for the major construction risk factors considered by general contractors in Qatar, the results reported in this study can provide clients, industry practitioners and policy makers with guidance to effectively manage the significant risks determined, which can further assist in achieving a reasonable level of competitiveness and cost-effective operation.

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The National Referral Database: An initial overview

10.31236/osf.io/rgywq ◽

2019 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

James Steele ◽

Matthew Wade ◽

Marie Polley ◽

Robert J. Copeland ◽

Stuart Stokes ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Physical Activity ◽

Data Cleaning ◽

Current Trend ◽

Big Data Analytics ◽

Policy And Practice ◽

Local Data ◽

Policy Makers ◽

Exercise Medicine ◽

Exercise Referral

Background: In 2014 The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) called for development of a system to collate local data on exercise referral schemes (ERS) to inform future practice. This database would be used to facilitate continued evaluation of ERS. ‘Big data’ analytics is a current trend in healthcare with the potential to influence decision making. Indeed, the use of health databases can spur scientific investigation and generation of evidence regarding healthcare practice. NICEs recommendation has not yet been met by public health bodies. However, through collaboration between ukactive, ReferAll, a specialist in software solutions for exercise referral, and the National Centre for Sport and Exercise Medicine, data has been collated from multiple UK based ERS to generate one of the largest databases of its kind and move towards meeting NICEs recommendation. Method: This paper describes the formation of The National Referral Database, its structure including outcome measures, data cleaning processes, and in two accompanying manuscripts the first initial observational insights are presented from analysis of this data. Results: Collating data from 19 ERSs on 24,086 individuals, a database has been created containing pre and post referral data for metrics including; physical activity, blood pressure, BMI, resting heart rate, SWEMWBS scores, ESES scores, WHO5 scores and ERQoL scores. After data cleaning processes there were 14 ERSs remaining covering 23,782 participants with an average age of 51±15 years and 68% of whom were female. Further, the database contains demographic information, reason for referral, medical conditions, and information on the referrer. Conclusion: This database has now been created and the initial data is available for researchers to interrogate. The National Referral Database represents a potentially valuable resource for the wider research community, as well as policy makers and practitioners in this area, which will facilitate a better understanding of ERS and other physical activity related social prescribing pathways to help inform public health policy and practice. Longer term plans include establishment of the database as an open resource, continually updated with additional data and version controls, for researchers to access for further research and policy makers and practitioners to use to inform their policies/practices.

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Death: The Ultimate Transformative Experience

10.31231/osf.io/5r7bv ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Evan Thompson

Keyword(s):

Family Members ◽

The State ◽

Transformative Experience ◽

Policy Makers ◽

Whole Process ◽

Fundamental Significance ◽

Hospice Workers

Death is the ultimate transformative experience. “Death” here means not the state of being dead but rather the whole process of dying, culminating in the end of a person’s life. Death is “epistemically transformative” because you cannot know what it is like to die until you experience dying and this experience can enable you to understand things in a new way. Death is “personally transformative” because it changes how you experience yourself in ways that you cannot fully grasp before these changes happen. At the same time, death is unlike any other transformative experience. It is final, all encompassing, and has fundamental significance. Its power to reveal new truths about your self and your life is exceptional. It offers prospective and retrospective perspectives that differ from those of any other experience. This chapter examines death by describing its unique characteristics as the ultimate transformative experience. The practical benefit of this perspective is to suggest new philosophical resources for physicians, hospice workers, policy makers, and family members who care for dying loved ones.

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