Cultural Well-Being in Classroom Communities in Australia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sherridan Emery
Keyword(s):  
School Culture ◽  
School Reform ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Australian Study ◽  
Cultural Participation ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
Cultural Aspects ◽  
Complex Power ◽  
Classroom Communities ◽  
Schooling Policy

Well-being is an increasingly important topic of schooling policy and research internationally. While the concept of well-being is understood in various ways, little attention has been given to its cultural aspects. The convergence between culture, well-being, and learning is being realized, and the concept of cultural well-being presents new insights relevant to ongoing school reform efforts. Cultural well-being is a nascent concept in education considered to relate to students’ sense of connection to school, people, places, and cultures. A typology of cultural well-being produced from an Australian study of teachers’ perceptions depicts three prominent interpretations of culture: (a) school culture, (b) processes of recognition, and (c) cultural participation and production. The typology of cultural well-being enables the interrogation of complex power relations, revealing some of the ways that schools continue to reproduce social and cultural inequalities. The application of a typology of cultural well-being illustrates the interplay between school culture, recognition, and cultural participation and can support international initiatives to reform schooling with a greater emphasis on the well-being of all students, potentially addressing and reducing inequalities.

Diversity in teachers’ approaches to movement integration: A qualitative study of lower secondary school teachers’ perceptions of a state school reform involving daily physical activity

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 429-447
Author(s):  
Henrik Taarsted Jørgensen ◽  
Sine Agergaard ◽  
Michalis Stylianou ◽  
Jens Troelsen
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
School Reform ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
Physical Activity Policy ◽  
Danish School ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
Movement Integration

In the context of implementing a physical activity policy as part of a national school reform in Denmark, the purpose of this study was to explore lower secondary teachers’ interpretations and perceptions of the physical activity policy with a focus on movement integration. In total, 14 teachers from four different schools were selected to take part in this qualitative study, which involved semi-structured interviews, focus group interviews, go-along observations and informal interviews. A thematic analysis framework was employed to identify and describe patterns of meaning within data. The findings showed substantial diversity among teachers’ interpretations and perceptions of movement integration, and consequently a lack of definitional clarity regarding movement integration and a possible misalignment between policy and practice. Teachers’ perceptions and interpretations of movement integration were influenced by other and more prioritised policies and discourses regarding academic achievement, as well as by intrapersonal, interpersonal and institutional factors. The findings also suggested a lack of support and collaboration within the school and provided insights into the strengths and weaknesses associated with the autonomy afforded in the Danish school reform.

Confinement risks and social inequality in Latin America: Evidence from Argentina

2021 ◽  
pp. 001139212199001
Author(s):  
Fiorella Mancini
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Social Inequality ◽  
Social Inequalities ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Cultural Aspects ◽  
Sociological Approach ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Health And Well Being

Social distancing and isolation measures in response to COVID-19 have confined individuals to their homes and produced unexpected side-effects and secondary risks. In Latin America, the measures taken by individual governments to mitigate these new daily and experiential risks have varied significantly as have the responses to social isolation in each country. Given these new social circumstances, the purpose of this article is to investigate, from the sociological approach of risk-taking, the relationship between confinement, secondary risks and social inequality. The author argues that secondary risks, despite their broad scope, are deeply structured by social inequalities in contemporary societies, especially in developing countries. To corroborate this hypothesis, a quantitative comparative analysis is performed for the Argentine case. Using data from a web-survey and correspondence analysis (CA), there are three major findings: (1) there are some widespread experiences similarly distributed across all social strata, especially those related to emotional and subjective matters; (2) other risks follow socio-structural inequalities, especially those corresponding to material and cultural aspects of consumption; (3) for specific vulnerable groups, compulsory confinement causes great dilemmas of decision-making between health and well-being.

The Norwegian Case of School Reform, External Quality Control, and the Call for Democratic Practice

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann Elisabeth Gunnulfsen ◽  
Eivind Larsen
Keyword(s):  
School Reform ◽  
Performance Indicators ◽  
International Student ◽  
Student Assessment ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Monitoring And Control ◽  
International Student Assessment ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Norwegian Education ◽  
Prejudice And Discrimination

Traditionally, the Norwegian education system has been built on equality and democracy as core values, but the disappointing results in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) introduced the perception of a “crisis in education” and increased the occurrence of national reform initiatives. New assessment policies with an emphasis on performance measurement and emerging accountability practices have characterized the transition processes over the last decade. With increasing focus on monitoring based on performance indicators, there is a risk that the purpose of promoting democracy in schools will be downplayed by instrumental and managerial regulations. However, the Norwegian school reform of curriculum renewal in 2020 also highlights democracy and participation as separate interdisciplinary themes and includes a concrete elaboration of this topic, which strongly emphasizes that schools should promote democratic values and attitudes as a counterweight to prejudice and discrimination. To obtain more knowledge about how school professionals deal with possible tensions and dilemmas in their work with the contemporary reform, it is important to unpack the interplay between managerial accountability based on performance indicators and identify how educators legitimize their work on promoting democracy in schools. To capture the dynamic nature of educational leadership and the daily subtle negotiation, a micropolitical perspective and theory on democratic agency were used to analyze theoretical and empirical material from two larger studies focusing on certain aspects of school reforms in Norwegian lower secondary schools. The findings suggest that educational professionals respond to the policy of inclusion through negotiating and translating tensions between equalizing students’ life chances and being subjected to collective monitoring and control. The findings also illuminate stories characterized by a predominantly individualistic interpretation of the democratic purpose of education and the challenges and opportunities involved in balancing academic achievement with students’ well-being.

The experiences of grandparents raising grandchildren in Indonesia

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-26
Author(s):  
Rista Fauziningtyas ◽  
Retno Indarwati ◽  
Delisa Alfriani ◽  
Joni Haryanto ◽  
Elida Ulfiana ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Well Being ◽  
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cultural Aspects ◽  
Cultural Aspect ◽  
Supportive Role ◽  
The Family ◽  
Rest Time ◽  
Depth Interviews

PurposeThe raising of grandchildren by grandparents is a global phenomenon, and it is common in Indonesia. This is because parents are often unable or unwilling to raise their own children. However, the debate around “grandparenting” is still limited in Indonesia. The purpose of this paper is to gain a better understanding of the experience and views of grandparents on “grandparenting.”Design/methodology/approachThe methodology employed was qualitative and informed by phenomenology. The authors conducted in-depth interviews with 13 grandparents who were raising their grandchildren who were under five years old. The data were analyzed using thematic content analysis.Findings5 main themes and 13 subthemes emerged from the analysis of the data. The themes were responses, strategies for overcoming negative responses, the grandparents’ role, the reason for raising grandchildren, and the cultural aspect of “grandparenting” in Java. All of the grandparents enjoyed their roles as grandparents. They felt that they helped fulfill their grandchildren’s physical and educational needs.Social implicationsThe experience of raising a grandchild can be both positive and negative, depending on the cultural aspects in the Java and the family as a whole system. Grandparents require healthcare and informal support to maintain their well-being.Originality/valueThis paper provides new insights into “grandparenting” closely related to social and cultural aspect within the community. Grandparents enjoy being a part of the Javanese tradition. The supportive role of grandparents in Indonesia is important. However, older adults need to balance the role of “grandparenting” and rest time so that they remain healthy and happy.

scholarly journals SUSTAINING THE CULTURAL VITALITY OF URBAN PUBLIC MARKETS: A Case Study of Pasar Payang, Malaysia

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 228 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khalilah Zakariya ◽  
Zumahiran Kamarudin ◽  
Nor Zalina Harun
Keyword(s):  
City Planning ◽  
Local Economy ◽  
Local Identity ◽  
Cultural Participation ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Public Markets ◽  
Cultural Aspects ◽  
Public Market ◽  
The City

The development of a public market in the city planning is pivotal in supporting the growth of the local economy. The market is also a place where the culture of the locals evolves daily. However, the unique qualities of the market are vulnerable to the redevelopment process. This study examines the cultural aspects of Pasar Payang in Terengganu, Malaysia, as one of the well-known markets among the locals and the tourists, which will soon be redeveloped. The aim of this paper is to identify the tangible and intangible qualities of the market, so that it can sustain its cultural qualities in the future. The methods adopted for this study comprise of conducting a survey among 497 visitors, and semi-structured interviews among 19 market vendors. The findings reveal that the cultural vitality of the market can be sustained by strengthening its local identity through its products and culture, providing spaces that can facilitate tourist activities and cultural participation, and enhancing the development of the local businesses.

Teachers’ perceptions of ICT issues in education: an approximation by gender and region in Mexico

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Florina Guadalupe Arredondo-Trapero ◽  
José Carlos Vázquez-Parra ◽  
Martín De Jesús González-Martínez
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Digital Technology ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Teaching Staff ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
Validated Questionnaire ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The aim of this study is to analyse teachers’ perceptions of information and communication technologies (ICT) and the effect they have on their students, comparing male and female teachers in rural and urban areas of Mexico. Design/methodology/approach This is a quantitative study with a validated questionnaire that records the perception of school teachers from a state in the northeast of Mexico. The questionnaire was designed by interviewing 20 teachers who have had problematic situations in the use of technology by students. The main problems that were perceived in their students were cyberbullying, cyberviolence, online pornography, excessive use of videogames and also lack of ability to use digital technology. Hypothesis testing was applied to identify differences between gender (female or male) and region (rural or urban), considering these problems and the efforts made by the school to address these issues. Findings Both the gender of the teaching staff and the region where the school is located are variables that are influencing the willingness to incorporate ICT issues that are affecting the well-being of students into the educational agenda. While teachers are the main actors in preparing their students on how to face these challenges, students in schools with mostly male teachers, or located in rural areas, will be in a situation of greater vulnerability to be victims of the problems that arise as part of ICT risks in a digital society Research limitations/implications This article only offers a first approach to ICT and teachers’ perceptions. It is necessary to broaden the scope of this type of research to include different educational contexts and to ask questions that reveal in greater detail how schools are dealing with ICT and its possible risks and the factors that have influenced the successes or failures they are having in these attempts. Practical implications This finding can help schools to promote programs focused to apply ICT for student flourishment and help them to deal with the risk that digital technology is generating in young students. Originality/value Although multiple research have been conducted to address teachers’ perception about diverse topics, there has been no specific research on the self-perception of teachers in dealing with technology and preparing students for the problems presented by ICT and its risks. This research contributes to the literature on the impact that teachers’ perceptions can have on the adoption of technology in education, and how this can be different by gender and region.

Integrated Spatial Planning

GEOMATICA ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 65 (3) ◽  
pp. 255-265
Author(s):  
Beat Huser
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Spatial Planning ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Spatial Decision Support System ◽  
Practical Application ◽  
Spatial Decision Support ◽  
Cultural Aspects ◽  
Development Scenarios ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Potential Use

More than ever our planet requires new approaches, effective policies and innovative tools to better manage and protect our natural resources and the services they provide. The challenge we face is to create a future where the economy interacts sustainably with the environment and where people's welfare and well being is considered along economic, environmental, social and cultural aspects. Today's complex and interconnected issues greatly benefit from integrating information and knowledge from different disciplines to achieve enduring outcomes. Integrated spatial planning is a concept that makes use of enhanced knowledge and vastly improved technologies to explore development scenarios in a world of finite resources and to visualise trade-offs along the way. This paper discusses three key elements of spatial planning and illustrates their practical application using examples from New Zealand. A recently developed Integrated Spatial Decision Support System (WISE) is described and its potential use for place-based planning and decision-making discussed. The paper concludes with some lessons learnt and ideas for a ‘way forward’.

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