Investigation of Tacit Knowledge in Principal Leadership

This study investigated how tacit knowledge was used by expert and novice principals during problem-solving situations. Through the use of a phenomenological, qualitative approach, novice principals were compared with expert principals as both went about their daily tasks of school leadership. Results of the study contribute to the research on effective leadership and offer implications for leadership training models. Results suggest that experience may not be the most critical factor in expertise.     

Insider research as part of a master's programme: opportunities lost and found within action learning sets

This account explores the role of action learning during and after an educational programme. We focus on the final stage of a master's programme and the insider research that is a key feature in many UK universities. Researching within one's own organization should lead to individual and organizational learning. However, there is relatively little published on how, indeed if, this learning occurs. Our account contributes to this gap and in doing so draws attention to the ethical and political challenges which can arise when undertaking research within one's own organization. We present the tale of two sets, one during and one after an educational programme. In doing so, we highlight the tensions involved in integrating learning with problem-solving. We illustrate how learning which seemed initially to be lost was later found through action learning.     

The effects of wind and altitude in the 400-m sprint

In this paper I use a mathematical model to simulate the effect of wind and altitude on men's and women's 400-m race performances. Both wind speed and direction were altered to calculate the effect on the velocity profile and the final time of the sprinter. The simulation shows that for a constant wind velocity, changing the wind direction can produce a large variation in the race time and velocity profile. A wind of velocity 2 m?·?s^?1 is generally a disadvantage to the 400-m runner but this is not so for all wind directions. Constant winds blowing from some directions can provide favourable conditions for the one-lap runner. Differences between the running lanes can be reduced or exaggerated depending on the wind direction. For example, a wind blowing behind the runner in the back straight increases the advantage of lane 8 over lane 1. Wind conditions can change the velocity profile and in some circumstances produce a maximum velocity much later than is evident in windless conditions. Lower air density at altitude produces a time advantage of around 0.06 s for men (0.07 s for women) for each 500-m increase in elevation.     

Transport sector training in Ecuador

In less developed countries, like Ecuador, there is often a lack of adequately trained professionals working in the transport sector, particularly in the public authorities. This paper reports on the achievements of a project, supported by the British Overseas Development Administration, which has established a postgraduate programme in transport planning and engineering at the Catholic University of Ecuador in Quito. This initiative has already produced a substantial body of trained professionals equipped with the technical skills needed to tackle Ecuador's transport problems and the ability to recognise and develop appropriate policies and programmes. Additionally, the project is helping to create a self-sufficient Centre for Transport Research based in Quito.     

Substance abuse and serious child mistreatment: prevalence, risk, and outcome in a court sample

This study examined the prevalence and specific types of substance abuse in a sample of 206 cases of serious child abuse or neglect brought before a metropolitan juvenile court on care and protection petitions. In 43% of the cases, at least one of the parents had a documented problem with either alcohol or drugs, a figure which rose to 50% when alleged instances of substance abuse were included. Alcohol, cocaine, and heroin were the three most frequently mentioned abused substances. Parents with documented substance abuse were significantly more likely than nonsubstance-abusing parents to have been referred previously to child protective agencies, to be rated by court investigators as presenting high risk to their children, to reject court-ordered services, and to have their children permanently removed. When the two factors of court investigator high risk ratings and presence of parental substance abuse were combined, it was possible to obtain even higher levels of prediction of which parents would reject services and have their children permanently removed. Results suggest (1) the importance of increased screening, evaluation, and treatment of parental substance abuse in cases of serious child mistreatment; and (2) the possibility of adopting a predictive approach as to which families will be able to respond to court-ordered treatment requests and have their children returned.     

Exploring the Probabilities of ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire?’

This article discusses three probabilistic scenarios based on the television game show ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire?’. These situations provide motivational opportunities for high‐school students to explore the concepts of expected value, permutations and independent events.     

A Novel Approach to Gross Dissection of the Human Pelvis and Perineum

Progressive curricular changes in medical education over the past two decades have resulted in the diaspora of gross anatomy content into integrated curricula while significantly reducing total contact hours. Despite the development of a wide range of alternative teaching modalities, gross dissection remains a critical component of medical education. The challenge posed to modern anatomists is how to maximize and integrate the time spent dissecting under the current curricular changes. In this study, an alternative approach to the dissection of the pelvis and perineum is presented in an effort to improve content delivery and student satisfaction. The approach involves removal of the perineum en bloc from the cadaver followed by excision of the pubic symphysis, removal and examination of the bladder and associated structures, examination and bisection of the midline pelvic organs in situ, and midsagittal hemisection of the pelvis for identification of the neurovasculature. Results indicate that this novel dissecting approach increases the number of structures identified by 46% ± 14% over current dissecting methods. Survey results indicate that students were better able to integrate lecture and laboratory concepts, understand the concepts, and successfully identify more structures using the new approach (P < 0.05). The concept of anatomic efficiency is introduced and proposed as a standard quantitative measure of gross dissection proficiency across programs and institutions. These findings provide evidence that innovative solutions to anatomy education can be found that help to maintain critical content and student satisfaction in a modern medical curriculum.     

A comparison of physical and sexual abuse: histories of sexual and non-sexual offenders with intellectual disability

OBJECTIVES: To review patterns of physical and sexual abuse in cohorts of sexual offenders and nonsexual offenders with intellectual disability. METHOD: Forty-six sexual offenders were compared with 48 male nonsexual offenders in relation to their experiences of sexual and physical abuse in childhood. Comprehensive assessments were taken over a period of at least one year, and were conducted independently by a range of professionals. RESULTS: Thirty-eight percent of the sexual offenders and 12.7% of the nonsexual offenders had experienced sexual abuse, while 13% of the sexual offenders and 33% of the nonsexual offenders had experienced physical abuse. CONCLUSIONS: Sexual abuse seems a significant variable in the history of sexual offenders, while physical abuse seems a significant variable in the history of nonsexual offenders. The results support the view that the "cycle of abuse" is neither inevitable nor an adequate explanation of future offending.