On the drivers of eco-innovations: Empirical evidence from the UK

The environmental economics literature emphasises the key role that environmental regulations play in stimulating eco-innovations. Innovation literature, on the other hand, underlines other important determinants of eco-innovations, mainly the supply-side factors such as firms’ organisational capabilities and demand-side mechanisms, such as customer requirements and societal requirements on corporate social responsibility (CSR). This paper brings together the views of these different disciplines and provides empirical insights on the drivers of eco-innovations based on a novel dataset of 1566 UK firms that responded to the Government Survey of Environmental Protection Expenditure by Industry in 2006. By applying the Heckman selection model, our findings indicate that demand factors affect the decision of the firm to undertake eco-innovations whilst these factors exhibit no impact upon the level of investments in eco-innovations. Hence, we suggest that firms initiate eco-innovations in order to satisfy the minimum customer and societal requirements, yet, increased investments in eco-innovations are stimulated by other factors such as cost savings, firms’ organisational capabilities, and stricter regulations. Based on a quantile regression analysis, the paper offers interesting insights for policy makers, by showing that the stringency of environmental regulations affects eco-innovations of the less innovative firms differently from those of the more innovative firms.     

Stakeholders integration in higher education: supply chain approach

Supply chain management principles have emerged in the last decade as a strategic option to meet new challenges in global business environment. Viewing business environment as part of a chain, starting from raw material suppliers to end customers passing by producers, is at the heart of supply-chain management. Many management principles have emerged for better planning and controlling this chain to the benefit of all parties involved. This paper explores the implications of supply-chain management principles on higher education. First, a supply-chain view of higher education is described and its environment is analysed for the possibility of adopting supply-chain principles. Features that might be catalysts or hurdles towards these principles are identified. Second, a framework for supply-chain coordination and integration in higher education that takes into consideration these features are developed. Finally, existing practices that address supply-chain in higher education are identified and some new practices representing a natural extension of supply-chain management practices are suggested. A potential case study for implementing these concepts is presented.     

Improving the pedagogy of Islamic religious education through an application of critical religious education,variation theory and the learning study model

This study presents a new theoretical and pedagogical framework based on the theories of Critical Religious Education (CRE), Variation Theory (VT) and the Learning Study model with the purpose of improving teaching and learning in Islamic Religious Education (IRE). It reports a Learning Study conducted in a secondary girls Muslim school in London on the topic of ‘Islam and being Muslim’. The aim of this research study is to examine if and how the proposed framework can be applied to IRE lessons, and how it affects the students’ learning. Thirty students of two seventh grade classes and their religious education teacher participated in the study. The data was collected through interviews and written tasks with the students before and after their participation in the study, video-recordings of the research lessons, and meetings with the teacher. Phenomenography and VT were utilised in the analysis of the data. The results suggest that the use of CRE, VT and Learning Study in teaching Islam contributes to students’ learning outcomes by means of helping teacher consider students’ diverse perspectives on religious phenomena when planning and implementing the curricular content, increasing students’ awareness of the ontological and epistemological dimensions of their faith as well as allowing them to make informed judgments about religious phenomena.     

Online project based learning via cloud computing: exploring roles of instructor and students

This one semester case study intended to explore the roles of the instructor and students in design activities based on project based learning via cloud computing technology. Participants were 13 pre-service computer teachers enrolled in an internet programming course at faculty of education. Online course records, interviews and questionnaires were used to collect data. The data were analyzed via qualitative techniques. Results suggested that cloud computing facilitates planning, collaboration, and communication and also supports individual learning in online project based design activities. The instructor exhibited the roles of guidance, technical support, administrate and communicate. Students’ roles were found as cooperation, coordination, communication, leadership, practice, effort provide in project based activities. The results are hoped to provide insights about the roles of the instructor and students in online project based design activities. Along with the study findings, some implications were discussed for using cloud computing effectively in project based learning.     

Utilization of biological variation data in the interpretation of laboratory test results – survey about clinicians’ opinion and knowledge

IntroductionTo interpret test results correctly, understanding of the variations that affect test results is essential. The aim of this study is: 1) to evaluate the clinicians’ knowledge and opinion concerning biological variation (BV), and 2) to investigate if clinicians use BV in the interpretation of test results.Materials and methodsThis study uses a questionnaire comprising open-ended and close-ended questions. Questions were selected from the real-life numerical examples of interpretation of test results, the knowledge about main sources of variations in laboratories and the opinion of clinicians on BV. A total of 399 clinicians were interviewed, and the answers were evaluated using a scoring system ranked from A (clinician has the highest level of knowledge and the ability of using BV data) to D (clinician has no knowledge about variations in laboratory). The results were presented as number (N) and percentage (%).ResultsAltogether, 60.4% of clinicians have knowledge of pre-analytical and analytical variations; but only 3.5% of them have knowledge related to BV. The number of clinicians using BV data or reference change value (RCV) to interpret measurements results was zero, while 79.4% of clinicians accepted that the difference between two measurements results located within the reference interval may be significant.ConclusionsClinicians do not use BV data or tools derived from BV such as RCV to interpret test results. It is recommended that BV should be included in the medical school curriculum, and clinicians should be encouraged to use BV data for safe and valid interpretation of test results.     

The effects of mind games in math and grammar courses on the achievements and perceived problem-solving skills of secondary school students

The goal of this study is to determine the effectiveness of mind games played by secondary school sixth grade students as classroom activities in math and grammar courses on their perceived problem-solving skills and achievements. In the quantitative part of the study, the nonequivalent groups pre-test–post-test control group design from single-factor quasi experimental designs was used. Qualitative data collection and analysis approaches have also been used to support and explain quantitative data. The study's sample group, which was formed using a convenience sampling method, consisted of 48 sixth grade secondary school students who studied in a moderately developed city center in Turkey and their teachers. An achievement test, perceived problem-solving skills scale and semistructured interview guide were used as the data collection tools. According to the findings, the students in the experimental group who played mind games showed development in their perceived problem-solving skills and achievements compared to the control group. The opinions of the teachers and students on the effects of the mental practices were also found to be positive.     

Primary school curriculum for educable mentally retarded children： A Turkish case

Educable mental retardation is a delay in acquiring basic reading, writing and counting skills emerging through late speaking and linguistic development along with social, emotional or behavioral problems. It is pointed out that such children have intelligence in the 45-74 range, and that they are incompetent in terms of language skills, perception power, memory capacity, imagination and creativeness. Primary school curriculum for educable mentally retarded children was adopted so as to implement beginning in 2001-2002 academic year. The curriculum was designed so as to apply in primary education schools where educable mentally retarded children attend or in private classes included in the body of primary education schools. It was designed in order for such children to improve their skills of understanding themselves, establishing positive social relations, adjusting to the social, technological and physical environment, and surviving independently. This current study is based on a qualitative method, and is focused on educable mentally retarded children who are at primary school age in Turkey. Having described the characteristics of such children, their needs are explained, the curriculum developed for such children is described, and teachers＇ views concerning the implementation of the curriculum are presented in this research.