Systemetic changes process I: Beginning the journary

Conclusion In summary, the panelists defined systemic change as change involving 1) a fundamental shift in purpose or focus, 2) a thoughtful redesign of all the system components to be in harmony with the new system orientation, and 3) an emphasis on continual maintenance through reevaluation. In addition, the importance of human factors such as trust and respect, and on human processes such as communication and collaboration were emphasized. Finally, the panelists seemed to agree that systemic change would not be an easy journey — a high level of motivation toward a compelling vision would be required.     

Helping the One You Hurt: Toddlers’ Rudimentary Guilt,Shame, and Prosocial Behavior After Harming Another

This study explored the role of guilt and shame in early prosocial behavior by extending previous findings that guilt‐ and shame‐like responses can be distinguished in toddlers and, for the first time, examining their associations with helping. Toddlers (n = 32; M_age = 28.9 months) were led to believe they broke an adult's toy, after which they exhibited either a guilt‐like response that included frequently confessing their behavior and trying to repair the toy; or a shame‐like response that included frequently avoiding the adult and seldom confessing or attempting to repair the toy. In subsequent prosocial tasks, children showing a guilt‐like response helped an adult in emotional distress significantly faster and more frequently than did children showing a shame‐like response.     

Dynamics of undergraduate student generic problem-solving skills captured by a campus-wide study

The ability to effectively problem solve is a highly valued competency expected of university graduates, independent of their area of study. Evaluation of problem-solving skill (PSS) development is hindered by a shortage of available tools for monitoring student progress and by lack of defined instructional strategies for development of these skills. Our research is aimed at addressing these problems. We have developed an evaluation tool, which we applied to study the dynamics of undergraduate student PSS. We tested first- and upper-year students from 26 different courses (total enrollment of 2229 students). Overall improvement of PSS was detected for the first-year students over their first term of study. There were no significant differences between the PSS of first- and upper-year students, and no improvement was detected over a single term by measuring PSS in upper-year students. Only three courses were effective at facilitating PSS. Our data indicate that most of the standard lecture approaches do not develop undergraduate student PSS and that universities and individual instructors must take active steps to advance this critical skill set in university students.     

Exploring the challenges experienced by international students during work-integrated learning in Australia

This study explores the challenges experienced by international students during Work Integrated Learning (WIL) in Australia. Student participation in WIL not only enhances individual student employability but also the attractiveness of Australia as a study destination. WIL, in particular work placements, is in high demand by international students who seek to gain relevant experience in their host country and increase their chances of employment post-study. Data were gathered from employers, academics and students on the challenges faced by international students during the WIL experience and how WIL is currently being managed for the international cohort. Stakeholders identified a number of challenges which impact on student performance and the success of their WIL experience. These include cultural differences, inflated expectations, difficulties managing assessment tasks, relatively weak language skills and an imbalance in the support needed by international students in comparison to what is on offer. Stakeholder strategies to manage these challenges are discussed.     

Government research evaluations and academic freedom: a UK and Australian comparison

Performance management systems have been an inevitable consequence of the development of government research evaluations (GREs) of university research, and have also inevitably affected the working life of academics. The aim of this paper is to track the development of GREs over the past 25 years, by critically evaluating their adoption in the UK and Australian higher education sector and their contribution to the commodification of academic labour, and to highlight the resultant tensions between GREs and academic freedom. The paper employs a literature-based analysis, relying on publicly available policy documents and academic studies over the period 1985–2010. GREs are a global phenomenon emanating from new public management reforms and while assessments of university research have been welcomed, they have attracted critique based on their design, the manner in which they have been applied, and the unintended consequences of their implementation on academic freedom in particular. Consistent with international research on the impact of GREs, Australian research assessments appear to be undoing the academic freedom that is central to successful research. Further empirical research on the impact of GREs on academics is urgently needed.     

The geography of opportunity: spatial heterogeneity in founding rates and the performance of biotechnology firms

One of the most commonly observed features of the organization of markets is that similar business enterprises cluster in physical space. In this paper, we develop an explanation for firm co-location in high-technology industries that draws upon a relational account of new venture creation. We argue that industries cluster because entrepreneurs find it difficult to leverage the social ties necessary to mobilize essential resources when they reside far from those resources. Therefore, opportunities for high tech entrepreneurship mirror the distribution of critical resources. The same factors that enable high tech entrepreneurship, however, do not necessary promote firm performance. In the empirical analyses, we investigate the effects of geographic proximity to established biotechnology firms, sources of biotechnology expertise (highly-skilled labor), and venture capitalists on the location-specific founding rates and performance of biotechnology firms. The paper finds that the local conditions that promote new venture creation differ from those that maximize the performance of recently established companies.     

Resisting plateauing: Four veteran teachers’ stories

This paper describes and interprets the career experiences of four veteran secondary teachers and their ability to resist plateauing. Three areas of veteran teacher research informed this study: career stages, plateauing, and resiliency. In-depth phenomenological interviews were conducted to investigate and depict the meanings these teachers attached to their career experiences.Several factors emerged for each participant’s resilience. First, building leaders influenced their enthusiasm and professional growth. Second, positive effects on students’ lives affirmed their work. Third, interactions with colleagues promoted growth, and individual support systems helped them bounce back from career frustrations.     

Motivation and students’ use of learning strategies: Evidence of unidirectional effects in mathematics classrooms

Considerable evidence indicates that student motivation and use of learning strategies are related. There is insufficient understanding, however, about their reciprocal effects—whether motivation affects strategy use, the converse, or whether the effects are bidirectional—and which components of motivation and strategies are involved. A two-wave longitudinal design was used to examine this issue among 9th grade students (N = 306) enrolled in high school mathematics classes during an academic term. A cross-lagged structural model found that students’ self-efficacy in mathematics and value predicted their reported use of learning strategies. There was no evidence, however, that learning strategy use predicted motivation and, thus, support for unidirectional effect of motivation during that time interval. Implications for models of self-regulated learning and instruction are discussed.