scholarly journals Teacher Professionalism in Light of Biometric Controls on Teacher Mobility and Autonomy

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Knott
Keyword(s):  
Middle Eastern ◽  
Working Hours ◽  
Education Institution ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Teacher Professionalism ◽  
Teacher Mobility ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Biometric Technology ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Gulf States

In this paper, I investigate the introduction of biometric technology, specifically fingerprint scanners, for the purposes of managing faculty members’ working hours at a higher education institution (HEI) located in the Middle Eastern Gulf States. Utilizing semi-structured interviews to collect qualitative data, three expatriate teachers of English discussed their experiences before and after management installed the fingerprint scanners, discussing the influence such a change has on their professional identities and the additional impacts on their teaching, their identification with the institution, and the overall culture of the HEI. The results show that the existence of the fingerprint scanners adversely affects the teachers’ professionalism, but the greater issue for the participants is the dynamic between faculty and management: in this case, characterized by one-directional communication from the administration and a lack of voice for teachers in decision-making.

scholarly journals A Critical Inquiry into Orientation for Expatriate Faculty in the GCC

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 47-58
Author(s):  
David Knott
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
English Language ◽  
Education Institution ◽  
Orientation Programs ◽  
Cultural Issues ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Use Of Time ◽  
Gulf States ◽  
New Students ◽  
Increasing Demand

With increased internationalization of higher education, many institutions have adopted English as a medium of instruction (EMI). This generates an increasing demand for English language professionals, many of whom are expatriates, potentially creating cultural issues for students, institutions, and teachers. As with most new teachers, orientation programs are organized to assist in their adaptation to their new position, a more complicated undertaking due to the international nature herein. This study takes a critical view of one such program at a higher education institution (HEI) in the Middle East’s Gulf States, also known as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), investigated through a series of semi-structured interviews with the newly-hired teachers. Several key themes emerged, engendering heightened stress amongst the teachers: official communication, settling in, permanent accommodation, use of time during orientation, and starting classes with new students. In line with other research and the literature, recommendations for orientation programs are made to address the issues arising in this study.

Teacher trainees' understandings of mentoring within a Middle Eastern BEd program

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 325-339
Author(s):  
Joy Pattisson
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Middle Eastern ◽  
Rate Of Change ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Collaborative Approach ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Word Clouds ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Teachers Professional Development

PurposThe purpose of this study was to explore young Arab women's understandings of mentoring as part of a pre-service teacher training program both before and after an extended internship throughout which a collaborative approach to mentoring was practiced. It aimed to identify the opportunities and challenges such an approach would bring in the quest to support trainee teachers' professional development.Design/methodology/approachData for this small-scale qualitative study were collected using a brainstorming class-based activity, semi-structured interviews and reflective journals. Data were analyzed using word clouds, and the identification of themes through the coding of transcripts.FindingsThe dominant findings in this study were that mentoring was perceived as emotional support, pedagogic and professional support, evaluation and relationship. While understandings of mentoring amongst participants did shift as a result of mentors adopting a collaborative approach, data indicated that the strength of cultural assumptions held by the participants hindered the rate of change, creating an obstacle to the desired outcome of increasing trainees' agency.Originality/valueWhile perceptions of mentoring reported within this study indicate considerable overlap with those in other geographical and cultural contexts, closer examination of the data identified differences also. Without an understanding of the nature and influence of the social assumptions that underlie these differences, mentors who participate in culturally diverse mentor–trainee pairings can misinterpret an unwillingness of trainees to fully engage with the mentoring process and thus fail to provide the required scaffolding and support needed to maximize professional development.

scholarly journals Algorithmic prediction of failure modes in healthcare

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayala Kobo-Greenhut ◽  
Ortal Sharlin ◽  
Yael Adler ◽  
Nitza Peer ◽  
Vered H Eisenberg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Adverse Events ◽  
Failure Modes ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Hazard Analysis ◽  
Working Hours ◽  
Hazard Identification ◽  
Patient Identification ◽  
Complete Identification ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Fmea Method

Abstract Background Preventing medical errors is crucial, especially during crises like the COVID-19 pandemic. Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) is the most widely used prospective hazard analysis in healthcare. FMEA relies on brainstorming by multi-disciplinary teams to identify hazards. This approach has two major weaknesses: significant time and human resource investments, and lack of complete and error-free results. Objectives To introduce the algorithmic prediction of failure modes in healthcare (APFMH) and to examine whether APFMH is leaner in resource allocation in comparison to the traditional FMEA and whether it ensures the complete identification of hazards. Methods The patient identification during imaging process at the emergency department of Sheba Medical Center was analyzed by FMEA and APFMH, independently and separately. We compared between the hazards predicted by APFMH method and the hazards predicted by FMEA method; the total participants’ working hours invested in each process and the adverse events, categorized as ‘patient identification’, before and after the recommendations resulted from the above processes were implemented. Results APFMH is more effective in identifying hazards (P < 0.0001) and is leaner in resources than the traditional FMEA: the former used 21 h whereas the latter required 63 h. Following the implementation of the recommendations, the adverse events decreased by 44% annually (P = 0.0026). Most adverse events were preventable, had all recommendations been fully implemented. Conclusion In light of our initial and limited-size study, APFMH is more effective in identifying hazards (P < 0.0001) and is leaner in resources than the traditional FMEA. APFMH is suggested as an alternative to FMEA since it is leaner in time and human resources, ensures more complete hazard identification and is especially valuable during crisis time, when new protocols are often adopted, such as in the current days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

scholarly journals Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Retail Structure in Barcelona: From Tourism-Phobia to the Desertification of City Center

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
pp. 8215
Author(s):  
Lluís Frago Clols
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Scales ◽  
Real Estate Market ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
City Center ◽  
Urban Theory ◽  
The Real Estate ◽  
Tourist Flows ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The City

COVID-19 has meant major transformations for commercial fabric. These transformations have been motivated by the collapse of consumer mobility at multiple scales. We analyzed the impact of the collapse of global tourist flows on the commercial fabric of Barcelona city center, a city that has been a global reference in over-tourism and tourism-phobia. Fieldwork in the main commercial areas before and after the pandemic and complementary semi-structured interviews with the main agents involved highlight the relationship between global tourist flows and commercial fabric. The paper shows how the end of global tourism has meant an important commercial desertification. The end of the integration of the city center into global consumer flows has implications for urban theory. It means a downscaling of the city center and the questioning of traditional center-periphery dynamics. It has been shown that the tourist specialization of commerce has important effects on the real estate market and makes it particularly vulnerable. However, the touristic specialization of commercial activities as a strategy of resilience has also been presented. This adaptation faces the generalized commercial desertification that drives the growing concentration of consumption around the online channel.

scholarly journals Impact of the Paralympic Games on the Beliefs of Children with Physical Disabilities Engaging in Sports and Physical Activities: A Chinese Perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (14) ◽  
pp. 7296
Author(s):  
Jing Qi ◽  
Jin-He Cai ◽  
Xun Meng
Keyword(s):  
Attitude Change ◽  
Physical Disabilities ◽  
Chinese Children ◽  
Physical Education Teachers ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Negative Attitudes ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Sports And Physical Activity ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Paralympic Games

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the beliefs of Chinese children with physical disabilities engaging in sports and physical activity (PA), and the impact of the Paralympic Games on these beliefs. Five Chinese children with physical disabilities (female = 2, male = 3) were recruited for participating in the workshops of the Paralympic Games and PA, and received individual semi-structured interviews before and after the workshop implementations. Interview transcripts were analysed and presented as descriptive summaries. Three themes emerged based on the analysis of the participants’ interview data: (1) shocked, knowledgeable, and useful; (2) willingness to try, and (3) hope to obtain support. Results indicated that children with physical disabilities in this study acknowledged the positive outcomes of participating in the workshops of the Paralympic Games on the sports and PA engagement attitude change. However, children with disabilities also expressed that they need more related knowledge and information. The results of the study revealed that impairment and contextual factors (i.e., lack of support from family and physical education teachers, unsafe environments, and negative attitudes of peers without disabilities) were barriers to sports and PA engagement among children with physical disabilities in this study.

The Ideological Dimensionality in the Middle Eastern and North African Constitutions: A New Era in the Evolution of Islamic Constitutionalism

2020 ◽  
pp. 147892992091294
Author(s):  
Berna Öney
Keyword(s):  
Middle Eastern ◽  
Political Regime ◽  
North African ◽  
New Era ◽  
Regime Changes ◽  
Political Debates ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Popular Movements ◽  
Ideological Dimension

The popular movements in 2011 led to many regime changes that resulted in amended or new constitutions in the Middle East and North Africa region. The constitutional debates concentrated mainly on the functions of the constitutions in authoritarian regimes, constitution-making processes, and the role of Islam during and after the uprisings. However, no research has analyzed the ideological dimensionality of the Middle Eastern and North African constitutions. By analyzing 19 newly enacted, drafted, and amended constitutions before and after the popular movements in the region, this article shows that the single ideological dimension in the constitutions can be defined by the openness of a state for liberal and modern values. This ideological dimension encompasses all the regional political debates on the political regime dynamics, the inclusion of rights and liberties, and the role of Islam. Besides offering an alternative typology for the constitutions in the region, this article also provides evidence for the beginning of the fourth phase of Islamic constitutionalism that merges the ideas of rule of law, which originates from democratic notions, and Islamic norms.

scholarly journals Technological Platforms for Inclusive Practice at University: A Qualitative Analysis from the Perspective of Spanish Faculty Members

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 4755
Author(s):  
Víctor H. Perera ◽  
Anabel Moriña ◽  
Nieves Sánchez-Díaz ◽  
Yolanda Spinola-Elias
Keyword(s):  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Virtual Environments ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
University Teaching ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Good Account ◽  
Inclusive Learning ◽  
Spanish Public Universities ◽  
Technological Platforms

Currently, the development of new virtual environments as a complementary tool to face-to-face teaching and the increased presence of students with disabilities at university classrooms are changing the landscape of university teaching. This article analyses the actions of faculty members who carry out inclusive practices in the context of technological platforms. The research was based on the assumptions of the qualitative paradigm, using individual semi-structured interviews with 119 faculty members from 10 Spanish public universities. The results show the reasons for inclusive learning with technological platforms, the use that faculty members make of these platforms in their inclusive educational practices, and the influence of these on the learning of students, especially students with disabilities. The conclusions give a good account of the conditions that determine the pedagogical use that faculty members make of virtual environments to facilitate the inclusion of students.

Comparative CSR decision-making in the Middle East: an exploratory study

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre El Haddad ◽  
Alexandre Anatolievich Bachkirov ◽  
Olga Grishina
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Middle East ◽  
Middle Eastern ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Managerial Decision ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Nodal Model ◽  
Comparative Csr ◽  
High Level ◽  
Corporate Social

Purpose This study aims to explore the commonalities and differences of corporate social responsibility (CSR) perceptions among business leaders in Oman and Lebanon, two Middle Eastern countries forming a comparative dyad with a high level of cultural variance within the Arab cluster. Design/methodology/approach Semi-structured interviews were used to elicit qualitative data that were analyzed by means of multilevel analysis. Findings The findings provide empirical evidence that CSR is a powerful factor in managerial decision-making in the Middle East with the national cultures of Oman and Lebanon exerting partially differing effects on CSR decision-making. Practical implications The study enlightens practicing managers and policymakers in terms of the salience of multiple actors’ influence on CSR decision-making processes and the responses they may receive when developing and implementing CSR initiatives in the Middle East. Originality/value The study proposes a seven nodal model, which captures the flow of CSR decision-making in the research contexts.

scholarly journals 3416 Building Resilience & Wisdom in Clinical and Translational Researchers: A Mixed-Method Study of a Pilot Curricular Intervention

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (s1) ◽  
pp. 63-63
Author(s):  
Sandra Burks ◽  
Karen Johnston ◽  
Nicole Chiotta-McCollum ◽  
Natalie May ◽  
John Schorling ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Development Program ◽  
Junior Faculty ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Curricular Intervention ◽  
Resilience Scale ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Study Population ◽  
Career Development Program ◽  
Research Workforce

OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: The clinical and translational research workforce is in jeopardy due to investigator attrition and competing demands upon researchers. Resilience and wisdom are measurable traits that can be acquired. The aim of this study was to examine a pilot curricular intervention promoting resilience and wisdom formation in early-career translational researchers. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: We conducted a prospective, mixed-methods evaluation of a curricular intervention promoting the development of wisdom and resilience among junior faculty in a career development program. Six 90 minute sessions were delivered between September 2017 and January 2018. Pre- and post- resilience and wisdom were measured using the Connor Davidson Resilience Scale and 3D-Wisdom Scale. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted before and after the intervention RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Five scholars participated. Median resilience and wisdom scores revealed moderate levels of each trait; pre- and post-scores were not significantly different. Four themes emerged from the analysis of interview transcripts: 1. “Success” broadly defined; 2. Adversity threatens success; 3. Community breeds resilience; and 4. Wisdom formation parallels growth towards independence. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: An intervention aimed at developing capacities of resilience and wisdom is feasibly delivered to early career researchers. The relationship between these capacities and the sustainability of a research career warrants additional study.

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