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The Link Between Perception and Production in the Laryngeal Processes of Multilingual Speakers
Get PDFThe present paper investigates the link between perception and production in the laryngeal phonology of multilingual speakers, focusing on non-contrastive segments and the dynamic aspect of these processes. Fourteen L1 Hungarian, L2 English, and L3 Spanish advanced learners took part in the experiments. The production experiments examined the aspiration of voiceless stops in word-initial position, regressive voicing assimilation, and pre-sonorant voicing; the latter two processes were analyzed both word-internally and across word boundaries. The perception experiments aimed to find out whether learners notice the phonetic outputs of these processes and regard them as linguistically relevant. Our results showed that perception and production are not aligned. Accurate production is dependent on accurate perception, but accurate perception is not necessarily transferred into production. In laryngeal postlexical processes, the native language seems to play the primary role even for highly competent learners, but markedness might be relevant too. The novel findings of this study are that phonetic category formation seems to be easier than the acquisition of dynamic allophonic alternations and that metaphonological awareness is correlated with perception but not with production
Black student experience on an introductory STEM module: Closing the awarding gap by listening to our Black students
Get PDFIn the UK HE sector, including the Open University, White students tend to achieve better outcomes compared to their Black peers. This difference is the awarding gap between Black and White students’ outcomes. The module S112, Science Concepts and Practice, is a first year, interdisciplinary science module currently serving 24 qualifications. 2019 data revealed that the pass rate for Black students (35%) was low in comparison to White students (67%) and students of other ethnicities, despite comparable completion rates. The S112 awarding gap was wider than both Faculty and Institutional values. This report summarises the findings, conclusions, and recommendations from a completed project to investigate Black student experience on S112. The findings from an online focus group followed by interviews with Black students are presented, together with a concurrent intersectionality study investigating possible double disadvantages for S112 Black students. Thematic analysis identified a lack of representation of Black scientists and University staff, together with a lack of sense of belonging for the university’s Black students, as being the most impactful barriers to success. Other themes such as perceived hidden costs associated with study could be relevant to wider student communities. The report summarises recommendations to address issues likely to be faced by Black students and highlights the need for further research to investigate an apparent lack of trust in the University, to open two-way channels of communication with University staff
The 13th eSTEeM Annual Conference Proceedings: Sharing Best Practice - Implementing What Works
Get PDFEnergy from waste in the Global South and its role in achieving net zero
No full textRecovering value from municipal wastes is becoming common practice in the Global North where legislation restricts landfills. Energy is recovered by combustion in energy from waste facilities (C-EfW) and anaerobic digestion (AD) is used to produce biogas from organic wastes. Some AD is carried out in the Global South, but C-EfW is generally not used. This is due to the high cost and the need for a well-established waste collection infrastructure. An assessment of data on waste composition has demonstrated that, in many countries in the Global South, household waste would not be suitable for C-EfW owing to its high moisture and low heat contents. A carbon footprint calculation shows that, if the waste is suitable for combustion, C-EfW results in the lowest carbon footprint. Where the mixed waste is not suitable for C-EfW, AD is the best option. How the non-digestible waste should be managed depends on its compositio
Clients' Preferences for Their Therapists' Relational Styles in Psychotherapy: A Consensual Qualitative Research Study
Get PDFBackground
Accommodating clients' preferences is a cornerstone of evidence-based practice. However, little is known of clients' preferences for their therapists' relational styles.
Methods
We conducted a secondary analysis focused on identifying clients' preferences for their therapists' relational styles, using original data from Cooper et al.'s (2023) consensual qualitative research (CQR) study. Initial data collection involved conducting semi-structured interviews with a cohort of 13 clients who had completed up to 24 sessions of pluralistic psychotherapy. Of these participants, 10 identified as female and three identified as male.
Findings
Four themes and six sub-themes emerged: (1) Clients preferred their therapist to be active/not passively disengaged and to provide input, challenge and guidance (n = 10); (2) Clients preferred their therapist to display relatedness, warmth and validation (n = 8); (3) Clients preferred some flexibility, attunement and for their therapist to adapt the therapy to their unique needs (n = 5); (4) Clients preferred to be listened to, having a space to talk and to explore (n = 4).
Implications for Practice
The themes offer insights that can serve as a foundational framework for future research and contribute to the development of training programmes tailored to enhance counselling psychologists' preference work and relational styles
A new approach to children’s work that prioritises resilience, well-being and agency: emerging findings from a ‘cash plus’ intervention in Bangladesh
Get PDFBackground Criticism of mainstream approaches to child labour is widespread and well-established. The Child Labour Action Research in South and Southeast Asia (CLARISSA) Cash Plus pilot sought to address these critiques through an innovative programme that prioritised the development of household resilience and well-being, and through increasing household capacity to make alternative choices around children’s work.
Research Funded by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, this pilot delivered unconditional cash transfers (UCTs) and needs-based case management and community mobilising across an entire slum neighbourhood in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Cash worth about 20% of household monthly income was delivered to all households for 7 months, with case work and community organising wrapped around for 21 months. The intended outcomes were that families would be able to increase their economic resilience and develop alternative capacities to meet their needs,
with the intended goals of increasing well-being and the ability to make choices other than difficult or dangerous work for children. Research into impact was rooted in contribution analysis and combined bimonthly monitoring surveys administered by the community mobilisers; surveys at multiple time points; three rounds of targeted focus group discussions; three rounds of key informant interviews with case study households; community mobiliser diaries; and ethnographic observation.
Results and conclusions The results strongly suggest that UCTs reduce poverty, increase economic resilience; improve well-being; and generate various household-level improvements that relate directly and indirectly to children’s work. They further suggest that case work and community organising act as a beneficial form of social protection and a tool for developing locally appropriate micro-responses to collective problems that commonly impact directly on
well-being and indirectly on children’s work. These results point to the potential for this intervention to be scaled-up in efforts to achieve the eighth Sustainable Development Goal of ensuring decent work for all, including the elimination of child labour
Catch Up Education in Ethiopia: Addressing Foundational Literacy, Numeracy, and Social Emotional Learning Skills in Conflict Affected Areas – Research Report. .
Get PDFIntroduction
World Vision launched the Catch Up Program (CUP) in response to the educational disruptions caused by Covid-19. CUP focuses on helping children in vulnerable communities acquire early grade literacy and numeracy skills. The Program provides safe, play-based, and inclusive instruction that is carefully sequenced to meet children at their current learning levels, while also addressing their social and emotional needs.
The Catch Up Program in Ethiopia
CUP in Ethiopia is a community-based intervention aimed at helping children recover from learning losses caused by education disruptions due to conflict in North Gondar Zone. This is the first time that CUP has been implemented in Ethiopia and is therefore at the ‘try and learn’ stage. The Program specifically targets children with gaps in literacy, numeracy, and social-emotional learning, which are essential skills for effective (re-)engagement in school and its broader curriculum. For children aged 6-9, CUP provides structured support through community based Catch Up clubs. These clubs offer 32 sessions, held twice a week, with additional remediation sessions as needed, led by trained community-based facilitators. It was implemented in Ardiakay and Debark (Town and Zuria) Woreda (districts) in 10 centres. In Cycle 2 (January to June 2024), in Ardiakay Woreda, 162 children (72 girls and 90 boys) enrolled to CUP. In Debark (Town and Zuria) Woreda, 177 learners (94 girls and 83 boys) enrolled, with 57 children (22 girls) out of school and 162 (83 girls) in school.
Methodology Overview
This mixed methods research seeks to understand learners’ progress and achievements, and the challenges, adaptations, and opportunities in implementing CUP in Ethiopia. The quantitative study draws on data from Diagnostic and Proficiency Assessments (DAPA) in literacy (Amharic) and numeracy, and Social Emotional Learning (SEL) instruments. It uses descriptive analysis (univariate and bivariate) and logistic regression modelling. The qualitative study draws on focus group discussions (FGD) with parents / caregivers, facilitators, and community members, SEL interviews and FGD with learners, World Vision Ethiopia team reflections, and Centre observations. It uses a six-phase thematic analysis.
Quantitative Findings
A dataset of the 312 (out of 314) children, who completed Cycle 2, was analysed. Key findings include:
• 72.4% of children show an improved literacy DAPA score during the learning cycle.
• 81.4% of children show an improved numeracy DAPA score during the learning cycle.
• Girls are significantly more likely to improve in literacy than boys, with no gender differences in numeracy.
• Older children are more likely to improve across all measures compared to younger children.
• Children in three centres - Didley, Rasdjen and Zabzaba - showed better outcomes, particularly in numeracy, compared to other centres.
Qualitative Findings
The thematic analysis identified five key features contributing to CUP achievements, in particular in relation to learning progression, in Ethiopia.
• Adapting to the needs of children, families, and communities.
• Fidelity of the CUP approach on learner engagement, outcomes, and completion.
• Changing children’s lives through social and emotional development.
• Creating safe and conducive learning environment for CUP learners.
• A multi-sectoral leadership and community approach to CUP implementation.
Social Emotional Learning
Mixed methods research findings, using the DAPA and SEL instruments for CUP, revealed key results with 30 participants in total, integrating subgroups of 5 children from 6 centres. The quantitative analysis showed that most of these children demonstrated progress in literacy, over half in numeracy, and many in developing SEL. This highlights the importance of fostering SEL development alongside academic skills. This was complemented by qualitative analysis, looking at the children’s largely positive experiences in respect of five aspects: Engagement in Activities: with enjoyment, Self-Confidence in CUP: with appropriate support, Sense of Belonging: in a safe environment, Independent Learning Skills: beyond CUP, Growth Mindset: overcoming learning obstacles
Early Mars habitability as constrained by sediment-magma interactions in a hydrothermal dike system in Utah
Get PDFLilian Baylis: The Visionary Impresario
No full textLilian Baylis (1874–1937) was one of the most influential impresarios in the history of the performing arts in Britain. We assert that through her work over the first decades of the twentieth century she was the architect for the creation of some of the UK's most important performing companies. Baylis died on 25 November 1937. In an appreciation the following day, The Manchester Guardian was clear about her contribution:
Miss Lilian Baylis . . . has left the most enduring memory. She made the Old Vic almost the one theatre in Britain to which an Englishman of cultivated tastes could go without first looking to see what was being played there – though not without first booking his seat. Her productions of Shakespeare did more than anything else to rescue our greatest dramatist from the hands of the unscrupulous actor-managers and to save him from the uncomfortable pedestal on which bardolaters had set him. It is significant that when this year controversy arose on the proposal to build a national theatre not only did Miss Baylis claim that she and her company were the national theatre but that many eminent authorities were ready to agree with her. Her work for opera was equally valiant, though its success was limited by the greater difficulties which surrounded it; the production of opera is an expensive pleasure, for which the English have always been unwilling to pay. Though Miss Baylis's name will always be connected with the Old Vic and Sadler's Wells theatres in London, she did not forget that London was not England. She sent a company to dance the ballets in the Northern cities and this year made it possible for Buxton to stage a dramatic festival of the highest quality. If she had lived longer this practical missionary of the theatre might have brought light into many dark places. 1
In this chapter, we trace Baylis’ career, paying particular attention to her ground-breaking innovations at the Old Vic and Sadler's Wells Theatres and role in establishing British ballet, and argue that her work laid the foundations for the creation of the National Theatre, English National Opera, The Royal Ballet, and Birmingham Royal Ballet
Risk factors associated with postpartum anxiety in Australia, Europe, and North America: A systematic review and narrative synthesis
No full textBackground
Reducing the prevalence and consequences of anxiety following childbirth (postpartum anxiety) is a strategic priority in the UK and many similar nations; a comprehensive review of risk factors can support the development of interventions and guide further research.
Methods
This registered systematic review was guided by ‘Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses’ (PRISMA) and analysed using ‘Synthesis Without Meta-analysis’ (SWiM) to answer the question; ‘What factors have been reported to increase the risk of maternal postpartum anxiety (PPA) in Australia, Europe, and North America?’. MEDLINE and PsycINFO were searched for relevant research from Australia, Europe, and North America, published up to July 2021.
Results
Screening yielded 39 reports (total N = 40,238). Seven risk categories were identified (Psychopathology and personality, Social, Socio-demographic, Health, Cognitive, Pregnancy and birth, and Infant characteristics and postpartum experiences). Historic and concurrent depression, historic anxiety, and low social support were the most frequently evidenced risk factors.
Limitations
The review was limited to three geographical regions with comparable health, political, and cultural contexts, and research pertaining only to special populations was excluded.
Conclusions
Findings synthesise new evidence of the risk factors associated with PPA, whilst the discussion highlights potentially modifiable factors as targets for intervention. Monitoring for risk factors during routine pregnancy and postpartum care would allow for additional surveillance and earlier intervention with those most at risk. Peer support should be offered to people with heightened vulnerability to PPA. Developing support strategies that address cognitive vulnerabilities (e.g., parenting-related confidence) could prove particularly beneficial