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The aim of this article is to show the ways of implementing information technology into education in Kazakhstan based on the work of the Kazakhstan Institute of Management, Economics, and Strategic Research under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan (KIMEP).     

Teacher-student development in mathematics classrooms: Interrelated zones of free movement and promoted actions

This paper applies and extends Valsiner’s ‘zone theory’ (zones of free movement and promoted actions) through an examination of an intervention to establish inquiry communities in primary mathematics classrooms. Valsiner’s zone theory, in a classroom setting, views students’ freedom of choice of action and thought as mediated by the teacher. The extension of this theory adds that teachers’ freedom of choice of action and thought is mediated by ‘significant others’ and also by the actions of students with new freedoms. The paper presents necessary theoretical constructs and provides extracts from lessons and from teacher-teacher collaboration to illustrate the theoretical extension.     

A security-embedded infrastructure for Tele-Traffic Speed Control

In this paper we introduce a novel approach, relying on intelligent engineering, whereby the maximum speed limit at which vehicles on the road can cruise is controlled from some central or distributed facility. The system, as designed, leverages the use of the ubiquitous cellular infrastructure to cut down the costs involved that would otherwise accrue as a result of the need to build a dedicated traffic control system.In the new system maximum speed limits are transmitted from a Central Control Facility (CCF) to all stretches of roads and highways dispersed across urban areas in a highly dynamic manner. The system uses information arriving via a dynamic feedback system on prevailing weather conditions, road conditions, and bulk of traffic, amongst others, before it would broadcast maximum speed limit information to various destinations. When deployed in its final release, this will be done using a highly automated system with little human intervention.The work presented in this paper elaborates the TTC Network Design and RSU Network Distribution for the Tele-Traffic Speed Control System, to remotely manage, enforce, and control the maximum speed limit allowed on road stretches in rural and urban areas for different vehicle categories.The new system has been deployed successfully in a laboratory controlled environment on three vehicle categories; one category representing passenger vehicles, another buses and commuter transport, while the third representing trucks and freight traffic. It is expected that when the system is fully deployed on the wireless infrastructure, speed-related traffic accidents will witness a drop by more than 65-70% according to known accident statistics.     

Stability of total and free prostate specific antigen in serum submitted to intermittent cold storage conditions

The goal of this study was to determine the stability of Total Prostrate Specific antigen (PSA-T) and Free Prostrate Specific Antigen (PSA-F) in archival serum stored at 4°C and −20°C and subjected to temperature shift due to interruption in power supply. Our study showed that PSA-T was stable up to 285 days and PSA-F was stable for 158 days under these conditions. Since power supply interruption is an unavoidable problem in developing nations, our study has implication on the validity of measurement of PSA-T and PSA-F in serum that was not properly stored due to emergency situations and for certain types of retrospective studies.     

Consumerisation in UK higher education business schools: higher fees,greater stress and debatable outcomes

For many UK higher education business schools, the continued recruitment of UK, EU and international students is crucial for financial stability, viability and independence. Due to increasingly competitive funding models across the sector, many institutional leaders and administrators are making decisions typical of highly marketised consumer environments. Thus, this paper explores academics’ perceptions of the impact of consumerisation in UK higher education business schools. To achieve this, 22 business school academics were interviewed within three UK higher education institutions (HEIs) in the North of England. Participants had a minimum of three years teaching experience. Data was analysed using template analysis taking an interpretive approach. The findings indicate that academics perceived the introduction of tuition fees to have been the catalyst for students increasing demonstration of customer-like behaviour: viewing the education process as transactional, with the HEI providing a ‘paid for’ service. It is argued that these changes in UK higher education have created tensions between university leaders and academics, creating genuine dilemmas for those with decision-making responsibilities who must balance academic integrity and long-term institutional financial viability.     

Doing an effective job? Measuring the impact of casework

This article describes an initiative to evaluate the impact of educational psychologists’ (EPs’) casework. Previous studies have often focussed on evaluating processes or reducing outcomes to measurable units. The authors argue that qualitative research methods can be used to illuminate EP effectiveness. They describe a real world and proportionate methodology, crucially aimed at supporting self‐reflection and development. An evaluation of this initiative showed that it can demonstrate EP impact and has validity for individual and service improvement. Implications, including the need to face up to less than positive feedback, are discussed.     

The fault is in ourselves: looking at ‘failures in implementation’

While implementers are often blamed, reformers themselves are usually responsible for sub‐optimal implementation of educational reform projects. This article shows that the conditions for successful implementation, which are known and accessible, are frequently ignored. The case study concerns a university that is engaged in in‐service teacher education reform in Pakistan, focusing on introducing a ‘learner‐centred’ approach in schools. The research identified severe shortcomings related to implementation of the new approach, mostly relating to a failure by the teacher‐educators to understand and adapt to the actual contexts in which the teachers work. Finally, we suggest reasons why there are so many instances of failed reforms in developing countries.     

The impact of workforce agility on organizational memory

Existing literature has generally focused on organizational memory (OM) and workforce agility. Yet, less concentration has been devoted to the impact of workforce agility on OM. This research proposed a model that studies the impact of workforce agility on declarative OM and procedural OM. The model focused on aspects related to proactivity, adaptability, and resiliency. The study targeted the cell phone industry in Jordan. The study sample included 430 individuals involved in managerial and professional knowledge positions in mobile communications companies in Jordan. The article concluded that a proactive workforce has a significant impact on declarative OM and proactivity also improves procedural OM. Consequently, practical implications for managers, and suggested future research are presented.     

Bridging theory and practice: a conceptual framework for consulting organisations

A growing number of organisations are emerging as partners to districts pursuing systemic improvement. Given the critical role a consulting organisation could play in supporting system reform efforts, how does a district leader looking to establish a consulting partnership determine what characteristics in a consulting organisation may be more likely to yield success? This paper utilises an exploratory sequential mixed methods approach for two purposes: (1) to assess whether the quality domains of consultants most prevalent in the literature are consistent with multiple sources of expert knowledge at the point of practice and (2) to determine which, if any, quality domains of consultants are perceived as more important than others for partnership success. Overall, the findings corroborated that the domains identified through the literature are influential to partnership success. While no specific domain or set of domains emerged as most dominant, interpersonal skills and content expertise are foundational indicators that crosscut the other domains.