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Research Draws (research + draw)
Selected AbstractsHeterogeneity, Group Size and Collective Action: The Role of Institutions in Forest ManagementDEVELOPMENT AND CHANGE, Issue 3 2004Amy R. Poteete Collective action for sustainable management among resource-dependent populations has important policy implications. Despite considerable progress in identifying factors that affect the prospects for collective action, no consensus exists about the role played by heterogeneity and size of group. The debate continues in part because of a lack of uniform conceptualization of these factors, the existence of non-linear relationships, and the mediating role played by institutions. This article draws on research by scholars in the International Forestry Resources and Institutions (IFRI) research network which demonstrates that some forms of heterogeneity do not negatively affect some forms of collective action. More importantly, IFRI research draws out the interrelations among group size, heterogeneity, and institutions. Institutions can affect the level of heterogeneity or compensate for it. Group size appears to have a non-linear relationship to at least some forms of collective action. Moreover, group size may be as much an indicator of institutional success as a precondition for such success. [source] Advancing Gender Equality: The Role of Women-Only Trade Union EducationGENDER, WORK & ORGANISATION, Issue 1 2002Anne-Marie Greene The need to improve the level of membership and the number of women activists has been a central feature of overall ,renewal' strategies of many British trade unions. Within this, equality education has been a key part of policy-making. This research draws on detailed case studies of two trade unions and focuses on their women-only education courses. We suggest that a greater understanding of the contribution of different types of trade union education to the advance of equality is a key factor in the ability of unions to maintain a central role at workplace level, within the context of an increasingly diverse labour market. [source] Foundations of communities of practice: enablers and barriers to participationJOURNAL OF COMPUTER ASSISTED LEARNING, Issue 6 2009K. Guldberg Abstract This research draws upon community of practice theory to explore the factors that enabled or hindered participation in an online ,Foundations of Communities of Practice' workshop , a course that is designed to align with Wenger's communities of practice perspective. The research used a mixed methods approach, drawing upon log-on and posting data, questionnaires and semi-structured interviews to explore participant experiences. The findings show that five dimensions either enabled or constrained participation. These were emotion, technology, connectivity, understanding norms and learning tensions. As enablers these dimensions led to successful participation within an online community of practice, but as constraints, they led to peripheral participation. The findings highlight implications for tutors of such courses. These include the need to (1) assess the technical expertise of participants, particularly when a number of different technological tools are used; (2) find ways to identify and evaluate emotional responses so learners can be supported in managing these; (3) ensure that participants understand the norms of a community; and (4) develop clear induction materials and processes. [source] Common sense clarified: The role of intuitive knowledge in physics problem solvingJOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN SCIENCE TEACHING, Issue 6 2006Bruce Sherin Over the last two decades, a significant body of research has documented the nature of intuitive physics knowledge,the knowledge of the world that students bring to the learning of formal physics. However, this research has yet to document the roles played by intuitive physics knowledge in expert physics practice. In this article, I discuss three related questions: (1) What role, if any, does intuitive knowledge play in physics problem solving? (2) How does intuitive physics knowledge change in order to play that role, if at all? (3) When and how do these changes typically occur? In answer to these questions, I attempt to show that intuitive physics knowledge can play a variety of roles in expert problem solving, including some roles that are central and directly connected to equations. This research draws on observations of college students working in pairs to solve physics problems. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 43: 535,555, 2006 [source] The Problem with Programs: Multiple Perspectives on Program Structures in Program-Based Performance-Oriented BudgetsPUBLIC BUDGETING AND FINANCE, Issue 2 2008CAROLYN BOURDEAUX Often the transition to performance-based budgeting requires the initial development of a program structure. While a substantial body of literature is available to assist governments in developing performance measures, program development has received little recent attention in the scholarly literature. This research draws on a case study of the State of Georgia's effort to develop a program structure. The problems encountered by Georgia provide the foundation for an analysis that explains how programs interact with competing budgetary purposes and agendas. The analysis in turn suggests ways that budget structures might be adjusted to better balance competing purposes. [source] | |||||||||||||