Valuing the Arts: A Contingent Valuation Approach

Government funding of the arts has received considerable attention in the United States in recent years. Efforts to cut funding to the National Endowment for the Arts and declining budgets for state arts agencies have raised questions about how much individuals value the arts. This paper applies the contingent valuation method to assess this value, using surveys of random households and of arts patrons. Our analysis estimated a mean willingness to pay (WTP) among all Kentucky households from $6 to$27, depending on the estimation technique used and on whether the scenario discussed is to increase arts performances by 25 per cent, or to avoid a 25per cent or 50 per cent decrease in the number of performances. Among arts patron households, the mean WTP ranges from $61 to $132.Consumer demand for arts performances in large part follows a predictable pattern. The likelihood of respondents agreeing to make the donation that is requested rises as the size of the donation decreases. The likelihood is higher to avoid a 50 per cent decline in performances than to avoid a 25 percent decline in performances. The mean WTP rises with income, and arts patron households have a much higher WTP than all households. WTP rises with on-site use factors such as frequency of attendance. The WTP also rises for arts patrons households with off-site use such as watching arts events on television or reading about the arts in newspapers and magazines.     

Influence of a conservative sleep management strategy during a solo Pacific Ocean crossing on anxiety and perceived fatigue: a case study

The aim of this case study was to determine whether a sailor's deliberate choice of a conservative strategy to manage sleep deprivation would allow him to cross the Pacific Ocean and to minimize his state of anxiety and perceived fatigue. The participant, who had more than 10 years' sailing experience in severe conditions, was tested on a small catamaran without any living quarters during a solo Pacific Ocean crossing. Estimations of sleep hours, state anxiety, and perceived fatigue were self-reported by the sailor on a daily basis using a specific questionnaire. The most important finding is that the sailor's deliberate sleep strategy, 5.4 h sleep per day (24% less than on-shore), was enough to keep his anxiety and perceived fatigue within acceptable limits and enabled him to achieve his goal, which was the first crossing of the Pacific Ocean on a catamaran of less than 6 m. In conclusion, our results suggest that the sailor observed in the present case study was able to minimize anxiety and perceived fatigue with adequate sleep to optimize his performance, security, and to achieve his goal.     

The passion of successful leadership

This paper reports multiperspective research on 10 successful, experienced headteachers working in a range of urban and suburban schools of different sizes (with different school populations and free school meals indices of between 20% and 62%). All had raised the levels of measurable pupil attainments in their schools and all were highly regarded by their peers. A key characteristic among the heads was that, regardless of styles and strategies, all revealed a passion for education, for pupils and for the communities in which they worked. The research revealed that the 10 headteachers sustained their success by the application of the a combination of 10 essential leadership qualities, skills and principles and that these enabled them to manage a number of tensions and dilemmas associated with the management of change. Fundamental to the achievement of success, however, was their passion for students, school and community. This paper explores the nature of this passion in relation in particular to six factors which are fundamental to success; achievement, care, collaboration, commitment, trust and inclusivity.1 This research is part of a longitudinal, international, eight country study (ISSLP) which is seeking to establish cross‐country, cross‐cultural comparisons of successful headship in Australia, Canada, China, Denmark, England, Norway, Sweden and the USA. For details of this project see: www.oise.utoronto.ca/～schoolleadership/ssl.html. The English study on which this research is based was financially supported by N.C.S.L., NAHT and S.H.A.      

The Challenge to be the Best: Reckless curiosity and mischievous motivation

In recent years, 'being the best' as a teacher has become less of a moral imperative based on a sense of integrity and trust, and more of a dictat from governments intent on imposing their performativity agendas on teachers in the name of raising standards. One consequence of the rise of the so-called school reform agenda is that there has been a demise of teacher renewal. Each of the papers in the present issue has addressed this paradox in one way or another. The present paper suggests that the models of teacher development adopted by policy-makers do not adequately address teachers' learning needs over a career or contribute to enhancing motivation and commitment essential to raising standards in the classroom. It concludes by suggesting that universities themselves have a moral commitment to develop further new kinds of sustained knowledge, creating roles with schools and teachers through which teachers' active professionalism will be enriched.     

HIDDEN CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNITY COLLEGE TEACHERS

This article explores faculty viewpoints, values, and behavior regarding faculty student interaction in and outside of the classroom.

The research is qualitative in nature, consisting of systematic observations of five effective community college faculty members interacting with students in the classroom, supplemented with open‐ended interviews of faculty.

The results of the study validate earlier research on effective college teaching and suggest additional “hidden characteristics” that help to explain why some professors are particularly effective. These characteristics are significant in that they have not been previously reported. Attention is shifted away from just looking at a teacher's command of the subject, organizational skills, and rapport with students. Characteristics such as charisma and altruism also come into consideration, bringing forth the concept of teacher as messiah.

For these faculty, teaching is more than an occupation; it's a dedication to leave the world a better place, an opportunity to make a difference in another's life, a chance to enhance one's own life.