Participative and Decolonial Approaches in Environmental History

This chapter explores the relationship and use of decolonial participative approaches in environmental history. The main argument is that decolonial and participative methods are useful tools to build environmental histories that are more inclusive and communicate better with today’s society. Furthermore, it is argued that using participative and decolonial approaches contribute to environmental awareness and political action, making environmental history a powerful discipline in contributing to a decolonial environmental justice. To explore this argument, we first review how the discipline of history has understood participative methods. We then trace the development of participative approaches to research, and finally, give an overview of how environmental history in Latin America has been enriched from these discussions. The chapter finishes by discussing the usefulness of the concept of “memory” to facilitate this approach in research. We conclude that decoloniality and participation can be powerful allies of environmental history research. Specifically, the decolonial approach helps to read the past through a critical lens that connects specific cases with larger phenomena, such as imperialism and capitalism, highlighting the spaces for change within them. Similarly, participation challenges historical research to go beyond inclusion and place people’s knowledge at the centre of scientific work.

Using Photographs and Memory-Work to Engage Novice Teachers in Collaborative Learning About Their Influence on Learner Behaviour

This article offers an account of using photographs and memory-work as a visual participative method in research conducted by a deputy principal with novice teachers in a South African primary school. The study was prompted by observations of how novice teachers struggled to manage learner behaviour in socially just and compassionate ways. It aimed to help novice teachers express the uncertainties and challenges they encounter, and prompt candid discussions on learner behaviour. The article shows how visual participative methods can facilitate collaborative learning with novice teachers. Additionally, it illustrates how the novice teachers came to see their critical role in influencing learner behaviour and the value of positive teacher-learner relationships in supporting learner behaviour. This work will be valuable to educational researchers in diverse contexts interested in growing their participative research methods repertoire. Furthermore, it illustrates how working with photographs and memory-work can facilitate the expression of participants' viewpoints and understandings and intensify educational researchers' learning from and with others in the interests of social change.

This is how we learn A Best Practice Case of Qualification in SMEs for Work 4.0 - A Best Practice Case of Qualification in SMEs for Work 4.0

Digitalization is forcing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to rethink their work and production processes. Initiated by this process, the organization of production and employees are subject to change. As a result, the job profiles of employees are changing and expanding, as well as the way how knowledge is imparted. Innovative and digitized formats should be integrated into existing training programs and presented in a way that is suitable for use on mobile de-vices. Therefore, suitable and target group-specific teaching/learning formats are needed that support participative methods and digital collaboration. For this purpose, a digital teaching and learning format for the application area of automotive engineering in SMEs was designed. This prototypical teach-ing/learning format was created and evaluated in an iterative process through the participation of the potential users and taking into account existing usability criteria. The two methods used to evaluate the format were Think-Aloud and focus group, the results of this evaluations are presented in this paper. The results show that when evaluating the teaching/learning format, the test subjects mainly refer to the usability criteria of DIN ISO 9241-110, the structure of the course and the information content of the course. Recommendations for the creation of future digital teaching and learning formats for SMEs are derived from these findings.

Notes for an Archaeology of Discarded Drug Paraphernalia

This article explores the values and challenges of an archaeological approach to illicit drug use, based on the study of discarded drug paraphernalia. It builds upon recent archaeological studies of homeless people, refugees and other marginalised communities that have used participative methods to challenge societal stigma and erasure. Following a critique of previous archaeological studies of drug use, the core of the article is a detailed analysis of an assemblage of drug paraphernalia in Oxford, UK. In interpreting this assemblage and its material and emotional contexts we draw on our respective contemporary archaeological and drug user activist experience and expertise. By providing a critical overview of previous studies and a detailed case study, this article aims to provide a practical and conceptual foundation for future archaeological studies of illicit drug use.

CONFLICT MANAGEMENT AS THE EFFORT OF ACCOMPLISHING REPORT TOWARD MALADMINISTRATION OF THE POPULATION

East Java is one of the regions that have the highest population maladministration reports in Indonesia. In 2017-2018, the Indonesian Ombudsman Representative Office in East Java experienced an increase in maladministration reports. This case caused many complaints from the public regarding the slow progress of population administration and led to internal and external conflicts of employees. This study aims to describe the function and role of the Indonesian Ombudsman Representative of East Java, the report completion process, and the strategy to overcome maladministration reports. This study employs a qualitative case study approach and is supported by the analysis using Atlas.ti software. Data collection is conducted through interviews, observation, and documentation. The findings reveal the role and function of the Indonesian Ombudsman Representative in East Java in terms of their effort to eradicate maladministration. Conflict management using progressive and participative methods (PROPARTIVE) is carried out for the completion of maladministration reports. PROPARTIVE methods explore the objectives of the reporter as a family to be open and mediate all parties to find solutions. The obstacles experienced by the Ombudsman in eradicating maladministration are the limited number of employees, the disobedience of the compliance with competencies, and the uncooperative reports between the reporter and the reported parties. Meanwhile, the supporting factors are the strategic location of the Indonesian Ombudsman Representative Office in East Java, the cooperation between employees and institutions, and the support of the Ombudsman website to facilitate the management of reports

Mobility of ICT Services in Namibian Institutions: A Literature Review

In today's world information and communication technology (ICT) play a crucial role and at the same time, it affects our lives every day. In the current digital age, many organisations across the globe make use of ICT as a tool to facilities teaching and learning (Bosamia, 2018). These technologies have been used to enable end-user to access content materials offered online such as portable devices such smartphone, laptops and so on which operate for information, speed, and communication anywhere and anytime without physically visiting the location where the service is offered. With the use of ICT, e-commerce comes into play which enables end-user to send an email, market shopping to on-line shopping, classroom learning to e-learning where class are conducted over the internet. In the Namibian education systems environment high institutions of learning use traditional methods of teaching which is concerned with the teacher/ lecturer being the controller of the learning environment. Hence, power and responsibility are held by the teacher/lecturer and they play the role of instructor (in the form of lecturers) and decision maker (in regards to curriculum content and specific outcomes through different types of teaching methods such as Teacher-centred methods, learner-centered methods, content-focused methods and interactive/ participative methods which is done using face-to-face mode of teaching and learning without embedding fully ICT infrastructures that support teaching and learning to take place.

The Balance of Theoretical and Practical Skills in Agricultural Technical Schools in Haiti: An Exploration of the Curriculum

Haiti, with its alarming hunger index, and serious concerns for the population’s food security status, suggests that its agricultural production and productivity are insufficient to guarantee availability of food for the people. Increased productivity supposes the dissemination of best agricultural practices among farmers, and enough qualified extension agents carrying the scientific findings into the rural communities. However, studies in Haiti, have found that the extension activities are mostly conducted by graduates from TVET schools. Meanwhile, little is known about the quality of the training provided in these institutions. This study explored the balance of practice and theory in Haitian TVET curricula. Individual interviews to directors and teachers and focus groups with students explained the role of practical experiences in TVET curriculum by emphasizing on the importance, the purposes and the amount of such practical experiences in the program of study. The various instructional methods used to ensure sufficient practices were also revealed, specifically, participative methods, research and various field activities. Nevertheless, many barriers impede more practices, which were (a) scheduling, (b) lack of resources, (c) students’ attitudes, (d) absence of laboratories in Haiti, and (e) the rural reality and environmental issues. Keywords: Haiti; experiential learning; technical schools; agriculture

Identification of organisational pathologies

Purpose The purpose of this is to explore the potential of the combined use of the viable system model (VSM) and social network analysis (SNA) to identify organizational pathologies. Design/methodology/approach Using a well-documented case study based on an academic consultancy intervention and Action Research Project, participative methods for the diagnostic of the VSM and questionnaires for the collection of connectivity data for the SNA were used to develop a heuristic to integrate these two tools and identify organizational pathologies. Findings This study provides empirical evidence of the benefits of the combined use of SNA to enhance the identification of organizational pathologies in VSM interventions, by providing an additional qualitative and quantitative framework for the interpretation of findings coming from VSM organizational diagnostics. Research limitations/implications This work explores some analytic routines of SNA frequently used in management. The validation is constrained to the nature of the data set from a case study. The document invites to a discussion of further and more advanced applications on the integration of the VSM and SNA. Practical implications The enhanced identification of organizational pathologies can contribute to the emerging new interest in applications of the VSM in management, providing robustness to the structural analysis of organizations. Originality/value This paper proposes a guideline to exploit the potential of the combined use of SNA and VSM. It opens new avenues for the study of organizational pathologies.