Perspectival Instruments

Despite its potential implications for the objectivity of scientific knowledge, the claim that ‘scientific instruments are perspectival’ has received little critical attention. I show that this claim is best understood as highlighting the dependence of instruments on different perspectives. When closely analysed, instead of constituting a novel epistemic challenge, this dependence can be exploited to mount novel strategies for resolving two old epistemic problems: conceptual relativism and theory ladeness. The novel content of this paper consists in articulating and developing these strategies by introducing two fine-grained notions of perspectives as the key units of analysis: ‘broad perspectives’ and ‘narrow perspectives’

Program, complexity, and system when evaluating sustainable development

In light of the challenges of the Anthropocene, it is common today for evaluators to propose a systems rather than a program perspective. A program perspective is reproached for its simplicity and linearity, while the systems perspective is praised for its ability to account for complexity and emergence. This article argues that even before the systems perspective appeared on the horizon, the story of program evaluation had been characterized by a confrontation between “simplifiers” and “complexifiers.” It enquires into the lessons that the complexifiers of the evaluation of programs have handed on to evaluators who are facing the current challenges of sustainable development. On the other hand, when analyzing what a systems perspective contributes, the article is alert to the risk that a “holistic” view may ignore lessons complexifiers have to offer. This argument is supported by considering the way in which a systems perspective is understood in the practice of evaluation. Conclusions invite readers to overcome a misleading opposition between the two perspectives and indicate possible cross-fertilization across different units of analysis and approaches.

The mental map as an instrument to define indicators in complex systems: an application on the environmental knowledge of local horticultural farmers

The reductionist and disciplinary paradigm of the Green Revolution coexists with the emerging paradigm of complexity, which values the holistic and the interdisciplinary. Agroecology promotes the need to understand the multiple biophysical relationships that exist in agroecosystems, and this calls for the development of new methodological tools. Sustainability indicators are an example of this. However, their implementation is not simple, as this requires an instrument to simplify the construction of such indicators. The objective of this work is to use the “mental map” as a guide for the development and application of indicators. The graph follows the conceptual path that facilitates the understanding of the variable and its breakdown into smaller and measurable units of analysis, i.e. the indicators. The created mental map has two stages: the development of indicators and their application. Its utility is presented in a case study that addresses local environmental knowledge (LEK). The results of this work show that complexity can be translated into quantifiable, measurable, and comparable variables, without this representing the loss of its characteristics. In addition, it proves that the created tool facilitates the evaluation and understanding of the functioning of agroecosystems, which contributes to decision-making.

Social entrepreneurship organisations and collaboration: taking stock and looking forward

PurposeThe aim of this systematic literature review (SLR) is to map out the current state of the research on collaboration in the context of social entrepreneurship organisations (SEOs), synthesise this line of research and advance a research agenda.Design/methodology/approachA SLR of 40 scientific articles found in the Scopus and Web of Science databases built the foundation for an analysis of the state-of-the-art of the research addressing the interplay of SEOs and collaboration. This area of research has been very recent since the selected articles have been published since 2005 and more than half of which have appeared since 2017.FindingsThe findings suggest that collaboration is increasingly perceived as a crucial entrepreneurial activity and process for SEOs. The results indicate that collaboration is a vibrant and rapidly growing line of research which spans different fields of study, contexts, varied theoretical perspectives and multiple units of analysis. Furthermore, a total of five key research themes are identified pertaining to collaboration in the context of SEOs, such as motivations and strategies of collaboration, its antecedents, the interplay of institutional logics and tensions arising in collaboration, the impact of collaboration on the mission of SEOs and collaborative processes and practices.Originality/valueTo lend structure to this fragmented field of inquiry, this study systematically reviews and synthesises research on collaboration in the context of SEOs. In doing so, the study reveals that this line of research is under-researched, offering a significant scope for further scrutiny.

Stages of Rural Transformation in the National Strategic Tourism Area of Borobudur

The Borobudur area has grown into a world-class tourist destination. With the existence of Borobudur, Mendut, and Pawon temples, the area was appointed as National Strategic Tourism Area (NSTA). The condition influences the villages surrounding it. Borobudur village, Wanurejo, and Candirejo have developed into alternative tourist villages. During their development, these villages have undergone several transformation stages, which are interesting for further observation. In this background, the study aims to identify the transformation stages of the tourist villages in the Borobudur area, from the beginning as a people settlement to become tourist villages, and what causes the development of these stages. This study used a multiple-case study method with diachronic time series analysis, with three village units of analysis: Borobudur, Candirejo, and Wanurejo. Therefore, it will produce the stages of the village's transformation, especially, those related to tourism activities in the Borobudur area. It is expected that the results of this research will provide tourism development guidelines at each stage of the transformation of tourism villages so that they can be the basic for proper tourism planning for the government in rural tourism, especially in the development of tourism villages in NSTA. In addition, it can also be the basic of a scientific approach in researching the development of tourist areas, especially tourism village.

Complexity of Practical Work in Portuguese Primary Science Textbooks

Practical work and textbooks have an important role in primary science education. This study analyses the complexity of practical work in Portuguese primary science textbooks. The level of complexity was appreciated by the level of conceptual demand of practical work, as given by the type of practical work, the complexity of scientific knowledge, the complexity of cognitive skills and the degree of relation between theory and practice. The explicitness of practical work was also analysed. The study followed an approach that combines quantitative and qualitative methods of analysis and a total of 176 units of analysis were evaluated from six science textbooks, chosen among the most selected in Portuguese primary schools. The results showed that textbooks evidence a tendency towards a low level of conceptual demand of practical work, considering the proposals for practical activities and the related evaluation questions. Practical activities, mainly focused on practical exercises and illustrative experiences, tend to mobilize scientific knowledge and cognitive skills of a low level of complexity and point out to an apparent relation between theory and practice. The evaluation questions present a lower level of conceptual demand. The results also showed a weak concern with the explicitness of the practical work. However, findings also indicated that there are differences between the textbooks.

СТУДИЈСКИ ПРОГРАМИ ОСНОВНИХ АКАДЕМСКИХ СТУДИЈА ПЕДАГОГИЈЕ НА ФИЛОЗОФСКОМ ФАКУЛТЕТУ У НИШУ ОД 2000. ДО 2021. ГОДИНЕ

The paper analyzes six study programs of the Department of Pedagogy from its establishment until this year, 2021. The technique of content analysis of available program documents was used. The basic units of analysis were: study program (within it: subjects, electives, accreditation, ECTS, professional practice), purpose, goal and outcomes of the program. The results of the analysis show unequivocal progress in the development of the program since the establishment of the Department until today. In each new program, new subjects were added in accordance with the needs and development of the education system and the social community, which was conditioned by the presence of more adequate potentials at the Department of Pedagogy. There are more and more elective modules and subjects in the programs, and professional practice is represented in an increasingly adequate way. Continuous additions to goals and outcomes, and the creation of new subjects, are the result of constant critical review of the current program, numerous analyzes and the expression of aspirations to reach the highest level of study program quality and competencies of graduate students of pedagogy. Of course, there will always be a space in which each study program can be further improved and changed in accordance with the dynamic society in which we live. Keywords: Department of pedagogy, OAS, pedagogy, study program. Цитирање

Novice and expert Grade 9 teachers’ responses to unexpected learner offers in the teaching of algebra

In South Africa, limited studies have been conducted investigating responsive teaching and little is known about how teachers respond to unexpected events ‘in the moment’ that did not form part of their planning. In this article, we report how a Grade 9 novice and expert teacher responded to unexpected learner offers during the teaching of algebra using a qualitative case study approach. Three consecutive lessons for each teacher were video recorded, transcribed and analysed. Our units of analysis for episodes were teachers’ responses to unexpected learner offers and we coded the responses as ‘appropriate’ or ‘inappropriate’. Indicators used to highlight the degree of quality of the response were ‘minimum’, ‘middle’ and ‘maximum’ if a response was coded as appropriate to a learner’s offer. Once lessons were analysed, the first author conducted video-stimulated recall interviews with each participant to gain insight into the two teachers’ thoughts and decision-making when responding to unexpected learner offers. The findings from this study illustrated that the novice teacher failed to press learners when their thinking was unclear, chose to ignore or provided an incorrect answer when faced with an unexpected learner offer. Conversely, the expert teacher continuously interrogated learner offers by pressing if a learner offer was unclear or if she wanted learners to explain their thinking. This suggests that the expert teacher’s responses were highly supportive of emergent mathematics learning in the collective classroom space.

A Comparative Analysis of Residential Care: A Five-Country Multiple Case-Design Study

Background Despite a global policy push toward the advancement of family- and community-based care, residential care for children and youth remains a relevant and highly utilized out-of-home care option in many countries, fulfilling functions of care and accommodation as well as education and treatment. Objective As part of a larger project involving five European countries (Finland, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, and Spain), the objective was “to map” the context and content of residential care in each country, thereby building a foundation for meaningful comparisons and deepened understanding of each system’s inherent logic. Within the context of global deinstitutionalization efforts, the study also aimed to understand factors that hinder or enhance the transformation of residential care. Method Using an embedded multiple-case design, data was gathered by each country on its residential care macro context as well as salient variables related to three units of analysis–residential care system/program features, residential care training and personnel, characteristics of youth. Cross-case synthesis was used to summarize and compare cases across relevant dimensions. Results The analysis highlighted areas of overlap and singularity, particularly with regard to utilization rates, concepts and methods, workforce professionalization, and characteristics of youth. Conclusions Findings provide a more nuanced understanding of how residential care continues to be viewed and utilized in some countries, challenging the ‘residential-care-as-a-last-resort-only’ rhetoric that is currently dominating the discourse on residential care. It further provides an understanding of historical and sociocultural factors that need to be considered when trying to transform services for children, youth, and their families.