No public value without a valued public

This study aims to enlighten the controversial discussion about the term public value in an innovative way. Instead of normative pronouncements and paternalistic posits, this study combines a theoretical, literature-based conception with an empirical quantitative approach. For this, the key term, public value, is split into its constituent parts of customer value and citizen value and is transformed into measurable attributes. By means of a choice-based conjoint analysis on panel data for Germany and the United Kingdom, we explore which performance attributes of public service broadcasters are the most important. Based on the results, we create a conception of public value from the perspective of the license fee payers as the main stakeholder of public service broadcasters. Our findings may unlock existing potential to increase our understanding of what is meant by the term public value.     

Pushy or a Princess?

Four times as many males as females appeared as experts on flagship television and radio news programmes in the United Kingdom as of the early 2010s. This study draws on four complementary sets of data to explore the reasons behind this disparity. The findings point to a combination of journalists’ news production processes and women’s perceptions of appropriate social norms and roles. A high proportion of woman experts surveyed lack confidence, saying they fear they will be perceived as self-promoting and “pushy” for wanting to appear on air. Broadcast journalists report women need to be persuaded and wooed, acting like “princesses” and therefore making male experts less trouble to recruit.     

Selection of serial publications to support researchers (based on the example of scientific works on nuclear power)

A comprehensive methodology for selecting the world’s scientific periodicals that are necessary to carry out research on specific natural science and technical directions is given based on the use of citation analysis taking into account both citation indexes of selected publications in specialized journals and their citation of specialized journals. A list of world journals and other publications is obtained based on which it is suggested to create the corresponding scientific and information environment.     

What's on TV? The Impact of Brand Image and Celebrity Credibility on Television Consumption from an Ingredient Branding Perspective

Today's multichannel, multimedia marketing environment presents a new layer of challenges. New demands from potential television viewers translate directly into the need of the creation and development of effective marketing strategies for the television (TV) market. This study proposes and validates a research model that analyzes an individual's TV show consumption by testing the impact of brand image and celebrity credibility. Based on the theoretical discussion, hypotheses were derived and tested with structural equation modeling on a basis of 306 consumers. Generally, the article provides evidence that brand image is the driving force in the explanation of a viewer's motivation to consume specific television content.     

Reinforcing the Empty Fortress: an examination of recent research into the treatment of autism

Infantile autism was first diagnosed by Kanner, when he described a group of children as having “autistic disturbances of affective contact”. His 12 characteristics of autism are still influential today. There is little agreement among professionals of an aetiology for autism or of an appropriate treatment. Different schools of thought have dominated autistic research in the past, although behaviour modification has become more influential during the last 20 years and it is arguably the most effective form of intervention. The different approaches towards an aetiology and subsequent treatment for autism have all encountered problems. The existence of so many different approaches could be evidence for the lack of success in any one area. Behaviour modification is one approach which can claim consistent successes in terms of the treatment of autistic children. It may not be a permanent answer but, in the absence of further research, behaviour modification could provide the best method of alleviation for the symptoms of autism and can be put to good use in intervention programmes.     

Preparing professionals for lifelong learning: Comparative examination of master’s education programs

There has been continued debate regarding educational policies and practices regarding the lifelong learning social order with significant focus upon the preparation of educators of children and youth for this global lifelong learning society. However, there has been limited discussion and research regarding the professional preparation of lifelong learning adult educators. This article investigates the current status of graduate professional programs to prepare lifelong learning adult educators (individuals who are prepared and credentialed through a professional graduate master's degree in adult education and human resource development). Because of differing international policies and structures of graduate education, this discussion will present a comparative examination of current structures and characteristics of master's degree programs at two institutional sites located in Denmark and the USA. Current objectives, characteristics, and understandings of graduate professional preparation programs will be delineated between these two case studies. Contextual issues and influences in the preparation of lifelong learning adult educators will be discussed, with comparative discussions of cultural norms and policies regarding graduate professional preparation, innovative programmatic and instructional efforts, engagement of theory and best practices in lifelong learning, and comparative cultural differences between program students and faculty.     

Supporting primary-level mathematics teachers’ collaboration in designing and using technology-based scenarios

In this article, we address how the design of educational scenarios can support teachers’ adoption of both technology and open-ended projects indorsing creativity and innovation. We do that by describing how groups of teachers develop digital learning environments supporting using a combination of GeoGebra and Google sites. Both teachers and pupils work with the concept of “game” as something they design, and furthermore, the pupils immerse themselves into the scenarios that the teachers create in a way similar to “playing a game.” We investigate teachers participation in collaborative development and testing through qualitative means, aiming to describe the teachers’ appropriation of (1) GeoGebra as a tool for doing and teaching mathematics, and (2) game as a metaphor supporting open-ended projects addressing creativity and innovation in the classroom. The data from the project suggest that the notion of “game” can support collaborative scenario design is a viable way of introducing technology and open-ended projects to primary school teachers.