Enterprise Innovation, Executive Experience and Internationalization Strategy: Evidence From High-Carbon Industrial Enterprises Versus Low-Carbon Industrial Enterprises in China

Industrial enterprises are the core subjects to reduce carbon emissions. Their innovations for low-carbon production are the key to determine the effect of carbon emission reduction. This paper examines the impact of executive experience, especially the overseas experience, on enterprise innovations across 3559 enterprises in low-carbon, medium-carbon and high-carbon industries respectively. Interestingly, it shows that the executive experience has only played a significant role in enterprise innovations of high-carbon industrial enterprises, indicating that the executive’s international vision might help to promote innovation in high-carbon industry. Then, it’s also discovered that there is a mediating effect of international strategy which helps to better understand the impact mechanism of executive experience on enterprise innovation in high-carbon industry.

Error Analysis on the Malaysian Students’ Writing for ESL Classroom

English has been regarded as one of the core subjects in the Malaysian Certificate of Education or known as the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM). There has been a concern over the writing components in English language papers at the SPM level. Writing requires students’ competence in syntax, coherence, developing and arranging ideas, mechanics in writing and appropriate use of vocabulary. A concern over students who produce very limited number of words in their essays has resulted in the lack of content to be assessed which then led to low scores. This paper presents an error analysis focusing on the types of errors found in students’ written test scripts to identify the weaknesses of students' writing abilities. The study adopts a qualitative approach where the students’ written assessment texts were collected. A total of 18 upper secondary Year Four students (aged 16 years old) were selected as the research participants. The selection of participants was carried out in a secondary school in one of the states in Malaysia. The students’ written tests were analysed to identify the emerging categories of language use, focusing on language and grammar inaccuracies. It is found that students have the idea on how to write the answers to the task but seem to have difficulties putting the ideas in the correct structure.

Learning Russian as a foreign language while working with a dictionary

Статья посвящена вопросу изучения русского языка как иностранного. Помощь в изучении русского языка может оказать словарь, как богатый источник информации. Целью работы является показать, что предложенная работа со словарём является полезным видом деятельности. Словарь можно использовать как при чтении, так и при выполнении письменных работ. Данная работа играет важную роль в изучении русского языка как иностранного. Авторы обращают внимание, что герменевтическая и лингвистическая функции представляют собой систему профессионально значимых операций, видов и форм учебной деятельности при овладении иностранным языком. К используемым методам относятся: метод пояснения, метод сопоставления, метод уточнения. Методологический основой послужили работы в области теоретической и практической методики преподавания иностранных языков. Результатом является описание профессионально значимых операций, видов и форм учебной деятельности, которые можно использовать при работе со словарём. К герменевтической функции относятся: понимание, восприятие, осмысление, узнавание предметов и явлений, речевая деятельность, структурная схема речевой деятельности, речь, понятие смысловой структуры текста и тектообразующая функция терминов. К лингвистической функции относятся: оперирование лексическими и грамматическими нормами оформления терминов, моделирование групп терминов, владение орфографическими, орфоэпическими нормами оформления терминов, оформление результатов обмена информацией, формирование отдельных навыков словоупотребления и осмысление экстралингвистической информации. Приводятся примеры работы со словарной статьёй. Результаты могут быть применены при обучении иностранных обучающихся русскому языку как иностранному в военно-морских вузах. Авторы пришли к выводу, что обучение иностранных слушателей возможно проводить по специально разработанной программе, которую необходимо строить с учетом учебного материала и тех видов речевой деятельности, в которые включается обучающийся на занятиях по профилирующим предметам. The article is devoted to the issue of studying Russian as a foreign language. A dictionary can help you learn Russian as a rich source of information. The purpose of the work is to show that the proposed work with the dictionary is a useful activity. The dictionary can be used both when reading and when doing written work. This work plays an important role in the study of Russian as a foreign language. The authors draw attention to the fact that hermeneutical and linguistic functions represent a system of professionally significant operations, types and forms of educational activity in mastering a foreign language. The methods used include: the method of explanation, the method of comparison, the method of clarification. The methodological basis was the work in the field of theoretical and practical methods of teaching foreign languages. The result is a description of professionally significant operations, types and forms of educational activities that can be used when working with a dictionary. The hermeneutic function includes: understanding, perception, comprehension, recognition of objects and phenomena, speech activity, the structural scheme of speech activity, speech, the concept of the semantic structure of the text and the tectonic function of terms. The linguistic function includes: the operation of lexical and grammatical norms of the design of terms, the modeling of groups of terms, the possession of spelling, orthoepic norms of the design of terms, the design of the results of information exchange, the formation of individual skills of word usage and the comprehension of extralinguistic information. Examples of working with a dictionary entry are given. The results can be applied in teaching foreign students Russian as a foreign language in naval universities. The authors came to the conclusion that the training of foreign students can be carried out according to a specially developed program, which must be built taking into account the educational material and those types of speech activity in which the student is included in the classes on core subjects.

Striving for Enterprise Sustainability through Supplier Development Process

Much research has already been dedicated to the impact of the supply chain, but less attention has been paid to the potential of supplier development (SD) processes in strengthening enterprises’ sustainability performance. This study aimed to indicate how the approach to socially responsible supplier development has changed over the years (2010–2019) in the automotive sector considering the types of practices and the applied areas of social responsibility. The study was based on original and empirical content analysis research of sustainability reports of car producers. To identify changes in the approach to socially responsible supplier development (SRSD) practices, 17 criteria were identified within direct as well as indirect types of supplier development practices. Considering areas of social responsibility, we applied the core subjects of social responsibility based on the ISO 26000 standard. The findings revealed that during the analyzed period, there has been a recursive use of both direct and indirect SD practices by the car producers but to varying degrees. The environmental protection, human rights, labor practices, fair operating practices, and organizational governance issues were the major concerns. When comparing 2010 and 2019, a clear increase was observed within all identified SRSD initiatives. The study outputs and examples of SRSD practices of car producers can act as a role model for automotive suppliers as well as other industries regarding how to incorporate sustainability into supplier development processes.

Flipped Classroom Instruction as a Teaching Tool for Meaningful Learning of the core Subjects in Junior High School: Basis for Instructional Development Plan

This study aimed to determine the effects of two teaching methods namely, flipped classroom instruction and conventional instruction in teaching the least mastered competencies in the core subjects among Grade 8 students in one of the Junior High Schools in Zamboanga City who were purposively selected. A Quasi-Experimental Research using the non-randomized pre-test - post-test control group design and qualitative approach explored the effectiveness of the two teaching methods. The findings indicated that students in flipped classroom instruction and conventional instruction obtained higher scores in the post-test than the pre-test results in the core subjects. But, flipped classroom students got slightly higher mean scores as compared to those students who have been taught in the conventional instruction. However, statistically, no significant difference was found between the two methods in learning the least mastered competencies in Science, Mathematics and English. Further, results revealed that the students who were exposed to flipped classroom instruction and the conventional instruction improved in their level of knowledge in mastering the least learned concepts in the core subjects. The problems encountered in the flipped classroom model, however, were identified based on the interview conducted. It was found out that teachers were unfamiliar with the flipped classroom model and lack of time and resources hindered them to utilize the approach in their classes. Students were also challenged particularly on the availability of resources like gadgets and internet connection that resulted to disengagement of the students to watch the flipped videos at home. This study revealed that whatever method or approach used in teaching least mastered competencies would be considered effective in achieving life-long and meaningful learning. An instructional development program was developed to capacitate and elevate the performance of teachers in the implementation of the flipped classroom instruction to improve students’ performance.

Diagnosing Engineering Students’ Competence of English Language Skills at Entry Level Academic Programme

In the Indian context, an academic study program at the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) comprises a mixed group of learners coming from various social-economic, education, and a wide range of linguistic backgrounds. These learners secure admission into various engineering programs at IITs, having qualified for the Joint Entrance Exam (JEE), a national-level competitive exam. To qualify for this exam, students prepare rigorously, even at the school level. The JEE exam tests students’ knowledge in the core subjects such as Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Aptitude and Reasoning; hence, students seem to focus more on these core subjects but not on the English language. These learners vary widely in their English language proficiency level in terms of oral and written English proficiency. It is believed that the level of language proficiency of learners has a direct influence on their academic performance in the program in which they are admitted. Therefore, the study aims at diagnosing 405 engineering students’ competence of English language skills at the entry-level undergraduate engineering study programs of Bachelor of Technology at the Indian Institute of Technology, Bhubaneswar. A diagnostic test that comprised the components of English language skills was designed and administered to 405 students. The results were analyzed and interpreted qualitatively and quantitatively. It was found that the majority of the students who performed well in the test had better education backgrounds. For the students who performed poorly, the study recommends possible implications besides some remedial measures.

An Analysis of Education Reforms and Assessment in the Core Subjects Using an Adapted Maslow’s Hierarchy: Pre and Post COVID-19

Through the lens of an adapted Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, I have analyzed (1) the impact of the three main educational reforms of the 20th and 21st centuries on culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD)and low-socioeconomic (SES)students in the core subjects up to the COVID-19 pandemic; (2) the efficacy of current classroom assessment practices, and (3) a brief reimagining of how changing equity standards in teaching and assessment post-COVID-19 could aid in CLD and low-SES students achieving a higher self-esteem level. I contend that student success, or self-esteem, can only be achieved by first satisfying the needs at the lower hierarchy levels. By analyzing CLD and SES students’ school experiences, educators and policy-makers can extrapolate the requirements for inclusive, rigorous, and responsive assessments that recognize students’ needs and utilize their cultural and linguistic diversity. As states begin the shift from remote learning back to face-to-face in the fall, more significant considerations of CLD and low-SES students must be ensured.

Imagine a school: Children draw and explain the ideal environmental school

Using drawings and accompanying written and oral explanations by third- and sixth-grade students, this phenomenological study is an examination of the children’s perception of the ideal environmental school. Analysis of the 128 features in the drawing yielded four categories: (1) physical – with natural areas and outdoor learning, (2) cognitive – core subjects and environmental ones, (3) emotional – the students’ feelings and the spaces for releasing stress and energy and (4) educational – environmental education (EE) includes a variety of pedagogies, features of nature and environmental solutions. While the drawings and explanations presented the school as the children know it, without boundary-breaking imagination and creativity, they also showed a desire for a positive school atmosphere, defined as essential to holistic EE and to leading environmental change. The positive atmosphere, nature and the environmental spaces can be the foundation of developing EE that is not fear based, which often generates helplessness and prevents action. The recommendations emphasise the need to enhance positive thinking and not to focus only on fear tactics as a means to enhance holistic EE and protect the environment.

Pre-service Social Sciences Teachers’ Reflections on a Teacher Preparation Program

The need for quality education in South Africa and beyond encourages research that interrogates the preparation of pre-service teachers and their ability to teach in the classroom after graduation. This qualitative paper focuses on the reflections of final year pre-service Social Sciences teachers in a South African public university. Gibbs’ reflective cycle is used as a lens. We used open-ended questions to gather data from 19 pre service Social Sciences teachers to explore their preparedness and readiness to teach in future. The research process constituted two phases. Phase one was implemented from 10 February 2020 to 9 March 2020 and phase two occurred in July 2020. Phase two was necessitated by the negative educational implications of COVID-19. Findings indicated that the participants faced challenges pertaining to content knowledge, which was aggravated by the introduction of online learning due to COVID-19. Despite these challenges, participants remained resilient and optimistic toward the teaching profession. Deducing from their voices, we recommend clarification of content in Social Sciences core subjects of History and Geography. Balanced tuition for content knowledge and pedagogy is recommended. Ongoing professional development is needed for academic advisors concerning subject specifications and for lecturers to empower them about remote teaching, communication, and technological skills to improve teaching and learning. Regular monitoring by the teaching and learning unit in the faculty is required to identify challenges and to intervene where necessary. The varied challenges of online learning also warrant the equipping of students with the necessary resources to facilitate learning.

Enhancements on Cognitive Performance and Academic Achievement in Adolescents Through the Hybridization of an Instructional Model With Gamification in Physical Education

This study examined the effect of an educational hybrid physical education (PE) intervention on cognitive performance and academic achievement in adolescents. A 9-month group-randomized controlled trial was conducted in 150 participants (age: 14.63 ± 1.38) allocated into control group (CG, n = 37) and experimental group (EG, n = 113). Inhibition, verbal fluency, planning and academic achievement were assessed. Significant differences were observed in the post-test for cognitive inhibition, verbal fluency in animals, and the average from verbal fluency in favour of the EG. With regard to the intervention, verbal fluency in animals, verbal fluency in vegetables, the average of verbal fluency, cognitive inhibition, language, the average of all subjects, the average of all subjects except PE, and the average from the core subjects) increased significantly in the EG. The last five variables (the academic ones and cognitive inhibition) also increased in the CG, in addition to mathematics. This study contributes to the knowledge by suggesting that both methodologies produced improvements in the measured variables, but the use of a hybrid program based on TPSR and gamification strategies produce improvements in cognitive performance, specifically through the cognitive inhibition and verbal fluency.