“Looking back (and forth)”: Acknowledging the people who make personal narratives plausible

The past decade has seen a noticeable rise in the number of people embracing autoethnography as an “alternate” research methodology. As a result, a plethora of first-person narratives and pieces of creative non-fiction now exist for truth-seeking scholars to access for authentic inspiration. The author’s unique contribution to the ongoing conversations was first inspired by the professional confessions of a friend and former colleague. Sociological introspection, packaged as a piece of creative non-fiction, should stimulate sociological imagination, evoking a memorable, equally meaningful reaction. In this paper, the author’s goals is to inspire rather than inform, encouraging readers to take time to think about their sport management memories and the meanings attached to their sport management experiences. Readers should question the plausibility of producing professional narratives of self. Readers are encouraged to have a conversation between themselves and the various leaders, legends, and legacy-makers they have followed in order to become who they are. The author encourages readers to reflect on the things they have seen, the places they have been, and the lived experiences they have produced along the way. Readers are prompted to consider the costs and consequences of presenting autoethnography through the guide of creative non-fiction.     

Students’ perceptions of the academic environment and approaches to studying in British postgraduate business education

Recent research on student learning in higher education has identified clear associations between variations in students’ perceptions of the academic environment and variations in their study behaviour. This study investigated a general theoretical model linking students’ demographic characteristics, perceptions and study behaviour with measures of outcome, and in particular, compared three accounts of the causal relationship between perceptions and study behaviour. Data were obtained from 469 postgraduate students at six British business schools. Path analysis was used to assess the causal relationships among the students’ age and gender, their scores on the Course Experience Questionnaire, their scores on the Revised Approaches to Studying Inventory and their ratings of general satisfaction with their programmes. This yielded evidence for the causal efficacy of most of the paths identified in the general theoretical model. In particular, as in the case of students taking more traditional academic subjects, there exists a bidirectional causal relationship between variations in students’ perceptions of the academic environment and variations in their study behaviour.     

中澳学生评教比较研究

文章对澳大利亚和我国的学生评教进行了比较分析,主要探讨了两者在评价标准的名称与评价指向、指标体系范围、调查结果的公布及其指向性、学生主体地位的体现、调查结果的使用等方面的区别。澳大利亚的学生评教经验对我国的评教无疑是有所启示的。     

The long-term preservation of identifiable personal data: a comparative archival perspective on privacy regulatory models in the European Union,Australia, Canada and the United States

This article analyses the extent to which archival exemptions for historical, scientific and statistical research in privacy legislation support preservation in selected European Union countries, and comparable aspects of Australian, American and Canadian law within a legal, ethical and digital archival perspective. The authors recommend that the further processing of personal data under data protection law be given a wider scope of interpretation for archival preservation purposes in both the public and private sector, coupled with the use of researcher and archival codes in relation to access to personal data. They also recommend early appraisal and integration of privacy with freedom of information and archival regimes.

An idealistic view of teaching: teacher students’ personal practical theories

Personal practical theories (PPTs) are built based on underlying beliefs, experiences, values and conceptions regarding ‘good teaching’. Having a vision of teaching and valuing the work may have a strong effect on one’s sense of identity, resilience and commitment. This study focused on Finnish teacher students’ (N = 84) PPTs constructed during the middle or at the end of their studies, on average during their fourth year of a five-year MA programme. All of the PPTs, written as statements (N = 647), were combined, and a unified conception of the theories was formed using inductive content analysis. The three main categories found were the foundations of good teaching, the teacher and the teacher’s daily work. The analysis of the statements shows that the notions of good teaching are very idealistic: they emphasise abstract ideologies and high standards for the teacher, but also everyday matters of teaching, although also here the ideology of the pupil’s individuality is at the centre. The paper concludes by arguing that it is good to have high aims and values for teaching, although in reality some of them might be difficult to achieve.     

Exploring literacy and growth: An analysis of three communities of readers in urban Senegal

This paper consists of two parts. The first part reviews how the arguments supporting literacy education have changed over the last five decades. Although there has been a shift in emphasis from economic to socio-cultural and personal dimensions, literacy is still considered mainly as an instrument for economic growth and poverty alleviation. The second part presents a case study of three different establishments which provide reading materials in urban Senegal. The analysis indicates that people are more likely to practise reading when they have access to materials which genuinely interest them. These materials are not necessarily about development or livelihood—themes often judged as ‘appropriate’ for socio-economic growth by policy makers and practitioners. People read stories and history books for their own pleasure – rather than out of a sense of duty – to transcend the mundane routine of their daily lives. This ‘reading for pleasure’ aspect needs to be taken more account of in literacy education.     

构建教师网站 转变师生关系

信息技术的发展冲击着整个现代教育,更促使传统的教育思想、教育行为、教育体制、教学模式等发生一系列的变革。本文从建立良好师生关系的角度出发,指出建立教师网站的必要性及此类网站应具备的特性。最后还就构建教师网站应注意的问题作了一些探讨。