Search results for ""Open University Press""
Open University Press Professional Learning Communities: Divergence, Depth and Dilemmas
“All who are interested and concerned about educational reform and the improvement of schools will find this book a must read. It stimulates, it challenges, and it informs, such that the reader is most surely enriched by its plenitude.”Dr Shirley Hord, Scholar Emerita“At last we have a book of international cases to add to the literature on networks! Policymakers and practitioners alike will find the reasons why networks are fast becoming the reform organizations of choice. The book elevates network understanding to a new level.”Ann Lieberman, Senior Scholar at the Carnegie Foundationfor the Advancement of Teaching What is a professional learning community? What are the key challenges facing these communities and how might they be resolved? Is it time to extend our thinking about professional learning communities? There is great interest internationally in the potential of professional learning communities for enhancing educational reform efforts and sustaining improvement. This international collection expands perceptions and understanding of professional learning communities, as well as highlighting frequently neglected complexities and challenges. Drawing on research, each chapter offers a deeper understanding of topics such as distributed leadership, dialogue, organisational memory, trust, self-assessment and inquiry, and purpose linked to learning. The last section of the book focuses upon three of the most challenging dilemmas that face developing professional learning communities - developing professional learning communities in secondary school, building social capital, and sustaining professional learning communities. The authors provide pointers on why these challenges exist, offering rays of hope for ways forward.Professional Learning Communities is key international reading for education professionals, school practitioners, policymakers, academics and research students. It is a must-read for anyone interested in building capacity for sustainable learning and the ability to harness your community as a resource for change.
£30.99
Open University Press The Animation Producer's Handbook
Animation is one of the fastest-growing fields in film and television, and it is also integral to video games and web development. Once an esoteric and hard-won skill, technology has advanced to the point that simple animated projects can now be produced on a home PC. Its many enthusiasts have fuelled a range of new courses in universities, and in public and private colleges. Drawing on their extensive experience in the field, the authors offer a systematic overview of the role of the animation producer and the production process. They explain how to develop a concept, pitch it to obtain funding, and find a market. They offer detailed advice on recruiting a team, managing different stages of production (including overseas suppliers), quality control, budgeting and scheduling. They also outline the key aspects of 2D and 3D production.From project development, seeking investment to pre- and post-production, for film, television, and the web, The Animation Producer’s Handbook is the ‘one-stop shop’ for budding animators everywhere.
£26.99
Open University Press Teachers Matter: Connecting Work, Lives and Effectiveness
Teachers Matter offers the most definitive portrait of teachers’ lives and work to date. At a time when teaching standards are high on the political and social agenda, the quality and commitment of teaching staff is seen as paramount and they are viewed as pivotal to the economic and social well being of society. But: What are the influences that help or hinder teachers’ commitment? Is there an association between commitment and pupil attainment? Why are teachers’ identities important? What are teachers’ needs and concerns in different professional life phases? Does school context count? Based on a DfES funded study of 300 teachers in 100 primary and secondary schools in England, the authors identify different patterns of influence and effect between groups of teachers, which provide powerful evidence of the complexities of teachers’ work, lives, identity and commitment, in relation to their sense of agency, well-being, resilience and pupil attitudes and attainment. This, in turn, provides a clear message for teachers, teachers’ associations, school leaders and policy makers, in understanding and supporting the need to build and sustain school and classroom effectiveness. The book addresses issues such as the importance of career development, the relationships between school leadership, culture and teachers’ lives, maintaining a work-life balance, identity and well-being and the connection between commitment, resilience and effectiveness in the classroom. Original and highly relevant, Teachers Matter is invaluable reading for teachers, head teachers, researchers and teacher educators.
£27.99
Open University Press Understanding Desistance from Crime
Why do people stop offending? What are the processes they undergo in stopping? What can be done to help more people who have offended put their pasts behind them? The growth of interest in why people stop offending and how they are resettled following punishment has been remarkable. Once a marginal topic in criminology, it is now a central topic of research and theorising amongst those studying criminal careers. This book is both an introduction to research on desistance, and the report on a follow-up of two hundred probationers sentenced to supervision in the late 1990s. The reader is introduced to some of the wider issues and debates surrounding desistance via a consideration of the criminal careers of a group of ex-offenders. This lively engagement with both data and theoretical matters makes the book a useful tool for both academics and students. The book will appeal to undergraduates, postgraduates and academics studying criminology, criminal justice, sociology, social work, social policy and psychology, as well as trainee probation officers.
£28.99
Open University Press Critical Reflection in Health and Social Care
"... the book makes an excellent contributionto the library of those keen to delve further intothe realm of critical reflection, understand variousinterpretations of interdisciplinary practices, anduse these to aid their own and others’ professionalpractice, exploration and development."Learning in Health and Social Care How can professionals reflect critically on the aspects of their work they take for granted? How can professionals practise with creativity, intelligence and compassion? What current methods and frameworks are available to assist professionals to reflect critically on their practice? The use of critical reflection in professional practice is becoming increasingly popular across the health professions as a way of ensuring ongoing scrutiny and improved concrete practice - skills transferable across a variety of settings in the health, social care and social work fields. This book showcases current work within the field of critical reflection throughout the world and across disciplines in health and social care as well as analyzing the literature in the field. Critical Reflection in Health and Social Care reflects the transformative potential of critical reflection and provides practitioners, students, educators and researchers with the key concepts and methods necessary to improve practice through effective critical reflection.Contributors: Gurid Aga Askeland, Andy Bilson, Fran Crawford, Jan Fook, Lynn Froggett , Sue Frost, Fiona Gardner, Jennifer Lehmann, Marceline Naudi, Bairbre Redmond, Gerhard Reimann, Colin Stuart, Pauline Sung-Chan, Carolyn Taylor, Susan White, Elizabeth Whitmore, Angelina Yuen-Tsang.
£31.99
Open University Press Education in a Post Welfare Society
Reviews of the first edition"This book must become the classic text for students of education, social and welfare policies. Sally Tomlinson, doyenne of policy-orientated education and social research, has written with commendable clarity and comprehensiveness a superb book on British education." – Journal of Social Policy“This book provides a context for understanding education policy which is currently missing from education and social policy courses. It should be compulsory reading." – Len Barton, Institute of Education, University of London"The persistence and reinforcement of class advantage through English education policy is a key theme... this book does a superb job of both highlighting the key social justice concerns and controversies over the last fifty years and providing an overview of education policy developments over the same period." – British Journal of Sociology of EducationHighly commended - S.E.S Book Prize 2002The acclaimed first edition of Education in a Post-Welfare Society provided a critical overview of education policy since 1945. It demonstrated how a relatively decentralised education system became a system in which funding, teaching and curriculum are centrally controlled and privatisation encouraged, with education becoming a prop for global market economy rather than a pillar of the welfare state. The second edition continues the policy story up to 2005, covering two terms of a New Labour government and their plans for a third term. It also continues an examination of the relationship of education policy to social class, race, gender and the economy, paying attention to the educational disadvantages of some ethnic groups and refugee children. The book includes chronologies of education acts, reports and initiatives and summaries of major legislation. This is an invaluable resource for all those concerned with social policy and education, including educational researchers, professionals and politicians.
£31.99
Open University Press Social Science
What is social science? Does social scientific knowledge differ from other kinds of knowledge, such as the natural sciences and common sense? What is the relation between method and knowledge? This concise and accessible book provides a critical discussion and comprehensive overview of the major philosophical debates on the methodological foundations of the social sciences. From its origins in the sixteenth century when a new system of knowledge was created around the idea of modernity, the author shows how the philosophy of social science developed as a reflection on some of the central questions in modernity. Visions of modernity have been reflected in the self-understanding of the social sciences. From the positivist dispute on explanation vs. understanding to controversies about standpoint to debates about constructivism and realism, Delanty outlines the major shifts in the philosophy of social science. He argues that social science is an intellectual framework for the transformation of the social world.The new edition is updated and expanded throughout with the latest developments in the field, including a new chapter on feminist standpoint epistemology, and additional material on neo-positivism, pragmatism, and reflexivity. This is one of the most ambitious and wide-ranging texts in recent years on debates on method and the contemporary situation of social science. It is of interest to undergraduate students and postgraduates as well as to professional researchers with an interest in the philosophy of the social sciences and social theory.
£26.99
Open University Press Understanding Educational Leadership: People, Power and Culture
This book shows how school leaders at all levels – from the most senior manager to the classroom teacher – can help to build learning communities through collaborating and negotiating with their colleagues, students and students’ parents and carers, as well as with external agencies and local communities, to sustain and develop the enjoyment of successful learning among the members of a school. It looks at how positive cultures can be constructed that support inclusive and exciting teaching, enthusiastic teachers and engaged students, parents and carers.Drawing on research, the book examines topics such as the nature of leadership, especially distributed and teacher leadership; the politics of education management; the construction of inclusive cultures in schools; school improvement; and the construction of collaborative and inclusive work groups. It uses a range of critical perspectives to examine processes of change and the relationships of people in school communities to each other and to their social, economic and policy contexts. The book argues that it is essential to develop inclusive education in order to promote student engagement, social justice and equity within formal education.Understanding Educational Leadership is key reading for teachers, headteachers, school leaders, policy makers, Education students and practitioners, and others who have an interest in improving schooling.
£30.99
Open University Press Working with Denied Child Abuse: The Resolutions Approach
How can professionals build constructive relationships with families where the parents dispute professional allegations of serious child abuse? How can meaningful safety for children be created in these families? How can professionals work together constructively in such cases? Situations where parents refute child abuse allegations made against them are often deemed to be impossible or untreatable by statutory and treatment professionals. These cases can consume enormous amounts of professional time and energy and frequently become bogged down by ongoing professional-family mistrust and dispute. Often, the decision to close such cases comes about not because the children are safe, but rather because the professionalsrun out of ideas, time and energy.Working with 'Denied' Child Abuse presents an innovative, safety-focused, partnership-based, model called Resolutions, which provides an alternative approach for responding rigourously and creatively to such cases. It describes each stage of this practical model and demonstrates the approach through many case examples from therapists, statutory social workers and other professionals working in Europe, North America and Australasia. The book is key reading for legal, health and social care professionals working in the area of child protection.
£33.99
Open University Press Scoping the Social
Social theory is central to the disciplines of sociology, cultural studies, criminology and media studies. Many students, however, find it difficult to relate theory to their other courses, projects, dissertations and theses, let alone imagine themselves producing theory. In contrast to conventional social theory textbooks that restrict themselves to the description and analysis of theories and what other professionals have said about them, this innovative book shows students how to use, criticise and contribute to the development of theory. Treating theory as a variety of ‘visual work’ that is intimately connected with the process of empirical investigation, and with the help of clear diagrams and carefully chosen quotations, Part 1 provides an exceptionally clear introduction to the different ways of practicing social theory. Part 2 provides a practical example of how to theorise by producing and demonstrating the effectiveness of a new concept of reflexivity in the course of an outline of the history of the development of social theory since 1945.This is important reading for students and researchers in sociology and related fields.
£30.99
Open University Press Counselling Skills In Social Work Practice
·In what ways is counselling relevant to contemporary social work?·How do counselling skills integrate with social work roles and responsibilities?This book examines these skills and their applicability, drawing from social work and counselling theories and methods using clear, practical examples. Skills are discussed with reference to social work knowledge and values illustrating how, when used competently, contextually and sensitively they can appropriately underpin good social work practice. Questions and activities for self development are linked to the practices discussed.This new edition of Counselling Skills in Social Work Practice has been thoroughly revised to reflect the National Occupational Standards for social work which identify the importance of communication skills and a developmental understanding of people in their social contexts. The chapters are linked to the six key roles for social work practice. This book builds on the strengths of the first edition, as well as addressing the challenges of practice in relevant legislative and policy contexts. The book includes: ·Evidence of how the competencies which underpin counselling practice are directly transferable to effective social work practice·Practical advice on communication skills·Examples of how to build effective working relationships; a whole chapter is now devoted to the specific skills required for working within inter-agency and multi-disciplinary teamsThis book is key reading on the subject of ethical and effective social work for those teaching, studying or practising in the field.
£30.99
Open University Press Art Therapy and Cancer Care
Inspired by the experience of art therapists who have pioneered work with people with cancer and including those who have experienced this devastating illness at first hand, this book acknowledges the outstanding work of the Corinne Burton Trust which has supported the development of art therapy services in hospices and clinics throughout the United Kingdom. Narratives, case studies, new theoretical insights, and the inclusion of writing from Italy, France and the United States of America contribute to the strength and originality of the book. Therapeutic work is placed in its institutional context, demonstrating the importance for the art therapy service of being understood, supported and valued at managerial level – and how the lack of this can impact adversely on patient care. Moreover, many of the contributions have a sociological and anthropological nature, which gives the book a unique and challenging dimension. Art Therapy and Cancer Care is key reading for art therapists, artists in health care and other health or social care professionals who are looking for approaches that will improve the quality of living for cancer patients, yet not shy away from the process of dying. The contributorsJacqui Balloqui, Maureen Bocking, Timothy Duesbury, Ken Evans, Cinzia Favara-Scacco, Barry Falk, Elizabeth Goll Lerner, David Hardy, Kathryn Horn Coneway, Paola Luzzatto, Caryl Sibbett, Elizabeth Stone Matho, Michele Wood, Diane Waller.
£28.99
Open University Press Analysing Exemplary Science Teaching
"I read lots of books in which science education researchers tell science teachers how to teach. This book, refreshingly, is written the other way round.We read a number of accounts by outstanding science and technology teachers of how they use new approaches to teaching to motivate their students and maximise their learning. These accounts are then followed by some excellentanalyses from leading academics. I learnt a lot from reading this book."Professor Michael Reiss, Institute of Education, University of London"Provides an important new twist on one of the enduring problems of case-based learning... This is a book that deserves careful reading and re-reading, threading back and forwards from the immediate and practical images of excellence in the teachers’ cases to the comprehensive andscholarly analyses in the researchers’ thematic chapters."Professor William Louden, Edith Cowan University, AustraliaThrough a celebration of teaching and research, this book explores exemplary practice in science education and fuses educational theory and classroom practice inunique ways.Analysing Exemplary Science Teaching brings together twelve academics, ten innovativeteachers and three exceptional students in a conversation about teaching and learning.Teachers and students describe some of their most noteworthy classroom practice,whilst scholars of international standing use educational theory to discuss, define andanalyse the documented classroom practice.Classroom experiences are directly linked with theory by a series of annotatedcomments. This distinctive web-like structure enables the reader to actively movebetween practice and theory, reading about classroom innovation and then theorizingabout the basis and potential of this teaching approach.Providing an international perspective, the special lessons described and analysed aredrawn from middle and secondary schools in the UK, Canada and Australia. This bookis an invaluable resource for preservice and inservice teacher education, as well as forgraduate studies. It is of interest to a broad spectrum of individuals, including trainingteachers, teachers, researchers, administrators and curriculum coordinators in scienceand technology education.
£26.99
Open University Press Evidence-based Practice in Education
"Where does hunch end and evidence begin? Too much is written and said about school improvement - about improvements in teaching and learning - with far too little attention to this question. This book provides vivid discussion from distinguished protagonists and antagonists about what gets called 'evidence-based practice'. Reading it, all involved in education - policymakers and practitioners alike - can proceed more confidently."- Professor Tim Brighouse, London Schools CommissionerThe movement to evidence-based practice in education is as important as it is controversial, and this book explores the arguments of leading advocates and critics.The book begins with an explication of evidence-based practice. Some of the ideas of its proponents are discussed, including the Campbell Collaboration, and the application to education of Cochrane-style reviews and meta-analyses. The thinking behind evidence based practice has been the subject of much criticism, particularly in education, and this criticism is aired in the second part of the book. Questions have been raised about what we mean by evidence, about how particular kinds of evidence may be privileged over other kinds of evidence, about the transferability of research findings to practice, and about the consequences of a move to evidence-based practice for governance in education. Given that the origins of the interest in evidence-based practice come largely from its use in medicine, questions arise about the validity of the transposition, and contributors to the third part of the book address this transposition. The issues raised in the book, while primarily those raised by educators, are of relevance also to professionals in medicine, social work and psychology.
£31.99
Open University Press A Critical and Cultural Theory Reader
Praise for the first edition“The selection is judicious and valuably supplemented by thorough commentaries that contextualise and clarify the debates and issues and the importance of each excerpt. Though today there may be many readers in and around cultural and media studies, Easthope and McGowan’s remains vital…” Times Higher Educational SupplementThis Reader introduces the key readings in critical and cultural theory. It guides students through the tradition of thought, from Saussure’s early writings on language to contemporary commentary on world events by theorists such as Baudrillard and Žižek. The readings are grouped according to six thematic sections: Semiology; Ideology; Subjectivity; Difference; Gender and Race; and Postmodernism. The second and expanded edition of this highly successful Reader reflects the growing diversity of the field. Featuring thirteen new essays, including essays by Homi Bhabha, Simone de Beauvoir, Franz Fanon and Judith Butler With a general introduction as well as useful introductions to each of the thematic sections Including summaries of each of the extracts – invaluable for students and lecturers. Key reading for areas of study including cultural studies, critical theory, literature, linguistics, English, media studies, communication studies, cultural history, sociology, gender studies, visual arts, film and architecture. Essays by: Louis Althusser, Roland Barthes, Jean Baudrillard, Homi K. Bhabha, Judith Butler, Hélène Cixous, Simone de Beauvoir, Ferdinand de Saussure, Jacques Derrida, Umberto Eco, Frederick Engels, Franz Fanon, Michel Foucault, Sigmund Freud, Julia Kristeva, Jacques Lacan, Jean-François Lyotard, Colin MacCabe, Pierre Macherey, Karl Marx, Kobena Mercer, Laura Mulvey, Rajeswari Sunder Rajan, Edward Said, Slavoj Žižek.
£29.99
Open University Press Assessment for Learning
"This is a surprising and welcome book... a heartening read that shows the power of assessment for learning and the potential for academics and teachers jointly to put into practice ideas that can improve classroom learning and teaching."TES The starting point of this book was the realisation that research studies worldwide provide hard evidence that development of formative assessment raises students' test scores. The significant improvement in the achievements of the students in this project confirms this research, while providing teachers, teacher trainers, school heads and others leaders with ideas and advice for improving formative assessment in the classroom.Assessment for Learning is based on a two-year project involving thirty-six teachers in schools in Medway and Oxfordshire. After a brief review of the research background and of the project itself, successive chapters describe the specific practices which teachers found fruitful and the underlying ideas about learning that these developments illustrate. Later chapters discuss the problems that teachers encountered when implementing the new practices in their classroom and give guidance for school management and LEAs about promoting and supporting the changes.This book offers valuable insights into assessment for learning as teachers describe in their own words how they turned the ideas into practical action in their schools.
£31.99
Open University Press Qualitative Research in Health Care
This book is a comprehensive guide to selecting approaches and carrying out qualitative research. Rather than being prescriptive, it provides information on various data collection procedures and how to make decisions about specific qualitative approaches. Its aim is to extend researchers’ understanding of the participants in research, be they patients, peers or students, and to improve clinical practice on the basis of evidence from qualitative studies. Each chapter is illustrated with examples of research projects. Topics discussed include: The nature of qualitative research The selection of a specific qualitative research approach The collection and analysis of qualitative data Writing up qualitative research Written by contributors who are academics and/or practitioners from a variety of health professions and disciplines, Qualitative Research in Health Care is key reading for all health professionals, academic and clinical, who are involved in research work, as well as advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students in health studies.Contributors: Mark Avis, Rosalind Bluff, Dawn Freshwater, Kathleen Galvin, Immy Holloway, Ron Iphofen, Jenny Kitzinger, Debbie Kralik, John Larsen, Frances Rapport, Siobhan Sharkey, Andrew Sparkes, Clare Taylor, Les Todres, Stephen Wallace.
£28.99
Open University Press Engaging the Curriculum
There is greater interest than ever before in higher education: more money is being spent on it, more students are registered and more courses are being taught. And yet the matter that is arguably at the heart of higher education, the curriculum, is noticeable for its absence in public debate and in the literature on higher education. This book begins to redress the balance. Even though the term ‘curriculum’ may be missing from debates on higher education, curricula are changing rapidly and in significant ways. What we are seeing, therefore, is curriculum change by stealth, in which curricula are being reframed to enable students to acquire skills that have market value. In turn, curricula are running the risk of fragmenting as knowledge and skills exert their separate claims. Such a fragmented curriculum is falling well short of the challenges of the twenty-first century. A complex and uncertain world requires curricula in which students as human beings are placed at their centre: what is called for are curricula that offer no less than the prospect of encouraging the formation of human being and becoming. A curriculum of this kind has to be understood as the imaginative design of spaces where creative things can happen as students become engaged.Based upon a study of curricula in UK universities, Engaging the Curriculum in Higher Education offers an uncompromising thesis about the development of higher education and is essential reading for those who care about its future.
£36.99
Open University Press The Ethical Teacher
This book presents the concept of ethical knowledge as it is revealed, as it is challenged, and as it may be used in schools. The book combines empirical expressions of teachers' beliefs and practices with a discussion of the connections between the moral dimensions of schooling and applied professional ethics in teaching: Ethical knowledge relies on the teacher's awareness, understanding, and acceptance of the demands of moral agency. Ethical knowledge is compromised by moral dilemmas and complexities that routinely challenge teachers. Moral tensions may be eased by three avenues of renewal based on heightened attention to ethical knowledge: a renewed sense of teacher professionalism, renewed school cultures, and renewed teacher education and professional learning. The Ethical Teacher is for teachers and teacher educators and for those who conduct research about their worlds.
£31.99
Open University Press Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia
Praise for the first edition:"...this thoroughly researched and very detailed book provides the serious student of eating disorders with a great deal of useful and constructive information...it provides a complete picture of the individual sufferer's dilemma and notes the wide-ranging behavioural patterns that can occur in these conditions...The authors have made extensive use of their own experiences {of helping people recover} which help to illustrate their findings in a most straightforward and enlightening manner." - British Review of Bulimia and Anorexia Nervosa"This brilliant book helped me and my family to see that the illness is so much more than an effort to control weight. Sharing the book could also provide you with an excellent channel of communication." - The Guardian"...many therapists would benefit from reading this book. If more helpers treated their patients with the authors' degree of empathy and integrity, treatment of anorexia nervosa would take a huge step forward." - Society for the Advancement of Research into Anorexia"...a detailed and comprehensive guide to theories of causation, intervention and therapy. It discusses methods of treatment, help, and self-motivation in this demanding field of psychology, medicine and counselling." - Nursing Textbook ReviewThis new edition continues the outstanding tradition of excellence for which Duker and Slade's Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia: How to Help is internationally recognised. Updated to meet contemporary concerns, this book is a 'must' for anyone who wants to do something practical about anorexia nervosa/bulimia. Its unique contribution is the now widely acknowledged whirlpool theory which unifies the physiological and psychological aspects of the illness. This provides much needed alternatives for the helpers who are all too often drawn into coercing the sufferer to eat, which is psychologically destructive, or ignoring the physical aspects of the problem which can be dangerous. It also offers a basis for resolving continuing medical and legal dilemmas. To illustrate their approach, the authors draw extensively on their own research and many years of experience providing effective therapy. There is no other book that attends in such detail to the minute steps involved in leaving an anorexic/bulimic lifestyle behind.As incidence of all forms of the illness continues to increase, this new edition is more relevant than ever.
£29.99
Open University Press Supporting Inclusion in the Early Years
This accessible text provides guidance on the inclusion of young children with special educational needs or disabilities in a variety of early education settings. The author highlights the complexity of early identification and assessment of children described as having special educational needs. Practitioners are encouraged to consider make exclusion visible and consider important questions relating to the language and values underpinning the early years policy and practice. The emphasis is on inclusion as a process aimed at supporting young children and their families in order to enable all children with SEN or disabilities the opportunity to participate in activities available to all children in an inclusive learning environment. The author promotes the development of inclusive early years cultures where inclusion of all children is regarded as a right rather than an option. The text has implications for the teaching and learning of all young children not only those perceived as having special educational needs. The theoretical perspectives are supported by examples based on concerns and experiences of parents, children and practitioners. It is essential reading for those working or intending to work with young children.
£27.99
Open University Press A Handbook for Teacher Research
“This informative book helped me to understand research in general and to bring focus and clarity to my current research project. The text answers questions and provides guidance and support in a manner that is user-friendly and easy to comprehend…. After reading this book, I feel empowered as a teacher-researcher and would unhesitatingly recommend it to other teacher-researchers, graduate students and educators.”Francesca Crowther – teacher and doctoral student, Nova Scotia, Canada.This book provides a comprehensive and detailed approach to teacher research as systematic, methodical and informed practice. It identifies five requirements for all kinds of research, and provides clear and accessible guidelines for teachers to use in conducting their own classroom-based studies.Features: A clear definition of teacher research which insists on more than ‘stories’ and anecdotal ‘retrospectives’ Innovative organisational structure based on the collection and analysis of spoken, written and observed data, with strong emphasis on the design of research projects Easy-to-use and widely applicable tools and techniques for collecting and analysing data in qualitative research Informed by the authors’ own wide-ranging experiences, A Handbook of Teacher Research provides everything the teacher researcher needs in order to conduct good quality practitioner research. It is ideal for upper level undergraduate Education programmes and for postgraduate research, as well as for teacher researchers who conceive and drive their own independent studies.
£28.99
Open University Press Body Psychotherapy
"...a well-rooted resource for bodywork courses and a useful introductory text for a broad audience." Caduceus"It's not a big book but it's got a vast amount of information and knowledge in it. ...if you are interested in getting a good overall picture of the subject you couldn't do better." The FulcrumBody psychotherapy is an holistic therapy which approaches human beings as united bodymind, and offers embodied relationship as its central therapeutic stance. Well-known forms include Reichian Therapy, Bioenergetics, Dance Movement Therapy, Primal Integration and Process Oriented Psychology.This new title examines the growing field of body psychotherapy: Surveys the many forms of body psychotherapy Describes what may happen in body psychotherapy and offers a theoretical account of how this is valuable drawing in current neuroscientific evidence Defines the central concepts of the field, and the unique skills needed by practitioners Accessible and practical, yet grounded throughout in current research Body Psychotherapy: An Introduction is of interest to practitioners and students of all forms of psychotherapy and counselling, and anyone who wants to understand how mind and body together form a human being.
£32.99
Open University Press Controversial Issues In A Disabling Society
At its best Disability Studies is an arena of critical debate addressing controversial issues concerning, not just the meaning of disability, but the nature of society, dominant values, quality of life, and even the right to live. Indeed, Disability Studies is itself the subject of controversy, in terms of its theoretical basis and who controls courses and research and whether it should be shaped and controlled by disabled academics or grassroots activists. Within these debates, generated by the social model of disability, are fundamental challenges to policy, provision and professional practice that are directly relevant to all who work with disabled people, whether in the field of social work, health or education. Controversial Issues in a Disabling Society has been written specifically to raise questions and stimulate debate. It has been designed for use with students in group discussion, and to support in-depth study on a variety of professional courses. It covers a wide range of specific, substantive issues within Disability Studies in a series of succinct chapters. Each chapter sets a question for debate, places the key issues in context and presents a particular argument. This is an accessible and engaging book which challenges dominant positions and ideologies from a social model viewpoint of disability.
£33.99
Open University Press Barriers, Defences and Resistance
This book analyses the debates around the related concepts of barriers, defences and resistance across different forms of psychotherapy. Rather than presenting a single model, different understandings and usages of these terms are compared and contrasted using biopsychosocial, developmental and contextual perspectives. The book suggests how divergent theoretical positions might usefully be connected, but also highlights the pitfalls of poaching ideas and metaphors from other approaches with different epistemological or ethical foundations. Readers are invited to reflect on their own habitual and preferred standpoints in therapy, supervision and training, to help enhance the use of self in therapeutic relationships. Like other books in the series, the main focus of this book is on theoretical integration and interplay rather than practice, but clinical implications are also discussed throughout. Barriers, Defences and Resistance succeeds in discussing these concepts not simply in relation to therapy itself, but in relation to the broader field of professional psychotherapy such as supervision and training. It is essential reading for counsellors, counselling and clinical psychologists, psychotherapists and health professionals with an interest in therapeutic relationships.
£27.99
Open University Press ACTIVIST TEACHING PROFESSION
"This is a thoughtful, provocative and important book. Clear, concise, articulate and pulling no punches, Judyth Sachs maps out an agenda for a new 'transformative professionalism' which celebrates the complexities of teacher' identities and work, and acknowledges the tensions between standards of accountability and autonomy. She argues persuasively for a reorientation of policy from managerial to a democratic and radical reconceptualisation of teacher education programmes and notions of teacher professionalism. Her text, richly supported by case studies of practice, will appeal to teachers and teacher educators worldwide who are committed to principles of active participation, trust and community." - Professor Chris W. Day, University of Nottingham* What forms of professionalism are shaping the teaching profession?* How can the concept of teacher professionalism be revitalized so that it is relevant to the needs and aspirations of teachers working in increasingly difficult and constantly changing work environments? The Activist Teaching Profession examines the issue of teacher professionalism as a social and political strategy to enhance the status and activities of the teaching profession. The book is contextualized within current debates, both government policy and scholarly, about teacher professionalism.Evidence to support the development of alternative forms of teacher professionalism utilizing new structural arrangements with various stakeholders through collaboration and cooperation, is represented using examples from Australia and elsewhere. Teacher inquiry is presented as an initiative whereby teacher professionalism can be developed.A strategy for re-establishing the moral and intellectual leadership of the teaching profession along activist lines is developed in the last section of the book. Issues surrounding teacher professional identity are examined in the light of the discourses that are shaping teacher professionalism. Rethinking professional identity provides a basis for developing new forms of teacher professionalism. The Activist Teaching Profession is both a wake up call and a call to action for teachers and the community alike.
£28.99
Open University Press Models Of Psychopathology
Models and theories of psychopathology and their associated clinical practice do not represent scientific fact so much as a variation in perspective within psychopathology itself. Several favoured models exist within any society at a given time, and as well as changing historically over time, they also differ culturally between societies. This book examines:. the similarities, differences and points of integration in the main models of psychopathology. how the theoretical conceptualizations underpinning these models are reflected in the theory and the clinical practice of different schools of psychotherapy. how various models are used in everyday practice . whether clinicians adhere to the rules of a given model or whether, in fact, there is more integration in practice than there appears to be in theoretical conceptualizations.Models of Psychopathology is aimed at advanced undergraduates and postgraduate students of clinical psychology, counselling psychology, psychotherapy and counselling. It will also be of interest to therapy students in professional training courses and experienced clinicians who want to know more about this aspect of psychotherapy.
£30.99
Open University Press Interventions And Techniques
Interventions and Techniques focuses on specific techniques and interventions therapists use to produce change. This volume describes, defines, and demonstrates the clinical applications of these techniques throughout diverse approaches to treatment. Some schools of Psychotherapy do not claim to contain techniques, a claim which this book examines. However, all schools describe some contextual, communication, or interaction models that easily lend themselves to classifications of techniques or the intervention processes.Written in clear, concise language, Interventions and Techniques presents a thoughtful examination of the conceptual framework upon which psychotherapy is built. It will be of interest to students and practitioners in fields such as: clinical psychology, counselling, social work and psychotherapy.
£27.99
Open University Press Narratives and Fictions in Educational Research
"In this bold and very important work, Peter Clough shows how the truths about educational issues can be told using fictional devices. This work legitimates the narrative turn in the human disciplines. He shows educational researchers how narrative inquiry can be used for progressive moral and political purposes". -Norman K. Denzin, University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignThis compelling book takes a fresh approach to educational research, considering the role and use of literary and ethnographic approaches. There is growing interest in the use of narrative and fictional methods and this book sets out to:* locate narrative and fictional methods within the traditions of education research;* exemplify the use of narrative in studies of educational and social settings; * explain the processes of composing narrative and fictional researchA distinctive feature of the book is the inclusion of five 'fictional' stories which demonstrate the use of narrative in reporting research. Detailed discussion of these five stories shows how they were created from actual events and the varied role of the author in their creation. The methodological implications of such an approach are considered along with its potential merits and difficulties and its possible uses.
£25.99
Open University Press Media and Audiences: New Perspectives
“a simple yet excellent overview of the multilayered path of audience research, tracing its evolution over the last century…” European Journal of Communication*How has the concept of 'the audience' changed over the past 50 years?*How do audiences become producers and not just consumers of media texts?*How are new media affecting the ways in which audiences are researched?The audience has been a central concept in both in media and cultural studies for some considerable time, not least because there seems little point exploring forms of increasingly global communication in terms of their content if the targets of media messages are not also the focus of study. This book ranges across a wide literature, taking both a chronological as well as thematic approach, in order to explore the ways in which the audience, as an analytical concept has changed, as well as examining the relationships which audiences have with texts and the ways in which they exert their power as consumers. We also look at the political economy of audiences and the ways in which they are 'delivered' to advertisers as well as attending to the ratings war being waged by broadcasters and the development of narrowcasting and niche audiences. Finally, the book looks ahead to the future of audience research, suggesting that new genres such as 'reality TV' and new ICTs such as the internet, are already revolutionising the way in which research with audiences is taking place in the 21st century, not least because of the level of interactivity enabled by new media.
£30.99
Open University Press Citizenship in a Global Age
* What is citizenship?* Is global citizenship possible?* Can cosmopolitanism provide an alternative to globalization?Citizenship in a Global Age provides a comprehensive and concise overview of the main debates on citizenship and the implications of globalization. It argues that citizenship is no longer defined by nationality and the nation state, but has become de-territorialized and fragmented into the separate discourses of rights, participation, responsibility and identity. Gerard Delanty claims that cosmopolitanism is increasingly becoming a significant force in the global world due to new expressions of cultural identity, civic ties, human rights, technological innovations, ecological sustainability and political mobilization. Citizenship is no longer exclusively about the struggle for social equality but has become a major site of battles over cultural identity and demands for the recognition of group difference. Delanty argues that globalization both threatens and supports cosmopolitan citizenship. Critical of the prospects for a global civil society, he defends the alternative idea of a more limited cosmopolitan public sphere as a basis for new kinds of citizenship that have emerged in a global age.
£28.99
Open University Press Psychotherapy Supervision
"...Maria Gilbert and Ken Evans have given us a beautifully written and richly illustrated account of psychotherapy supervision...Providing clear guidelines for effective clinical supervision, the book describes and vividly illustrates how the supervisor monitors, instructs, models, consults and supports the supervisee, all within the context of respect and empathy." - Marvin R. Goldfried, Ph.D. State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook , New York, USA"...Don't read this book if you have a well-worked-out, pre-determined model of supervision that you don't want to change...it will only disturb, distract and challenge you. If you would like to review your model of supervision, on the other hand, update it in the light of modern scholarship and insights, open it to 'manufactured uncertainty' so as to adapt it to the contemporary issues of the day, then it's a 'must' for you. It's a book of tomorrow in the light of the best of yesterday and indisputably for today." - Michael Carroll, Ph.D. Chartered Counselling Psychologist and BAC Fellow"...Gilbert and Evans' book is sure to become a key text in the area of psychotherapy supervision from an integrative perspective...the authors reveal an extensive knowledge of the work of other experts in the field and a deep understanding of how this knowledge may be translated into practice...Gilbert and Evans draw much needed attention to the often neglected aspect of the contexts within which supervision takes place. Their focus on the multi-cultural aspects of supervision and their advocacy for anti-oppressive practices is of note...very accessible and highly recommended to beginning supervisees and seasoned supervisors alike. This book will make a substantial contribution to the field for a long time to come." - Gillian Straker, Professor of Psychology at the University of Sydney* What are the primary goals of clinical supervision ?* What is the basis for ethical decision making in supervision ?* How can anti-oppressive practice be embedded in the training of supervisors ?This book presents an integrative relational model for psychotherapy supervision. The focus is on the primacy of the relationship both in psychotherapy and in supervision. This is one of the few books in the field of supervision to focus exclusively and in-depth on issues in clinical supervision. It provides an integrative relational model of supervision drawing on developmental theory that is applicable to the fields of psychotherapy, counselling, and clinical and counselling psychology. The authors believe that this integrative framework for supervision will be of use to supervisors of 'pure-form' approaches as well as to those supervisors involved in cross-orientation supervision since its main focus is on the quality of the supervisory alliance. Psychotherapy Supervision contains a balance of theoretical material, examples of in vivo supervision and a discussion of techniques. The book presents some interesting and innovative material on ethical decision making and on anti-oppressive practice in training organisations. The authors illustrate their material with frequent examples of supervision from their own practice to show the reader the model in action. The book is aimed at supervisors of counsellors, psychotherapists and psychologists at all levels.
£34.99
Open University Press Counselling Skills For Teachers
* Tina says she is pregnant and considering a termination.* Marcus wonders whether he should tell his friends he is gay.* You worry whether Gulshan has some form of eating disorder.* Stephen's father is very angry with you about the school's treatment of his son.* Jane boasts to you that she and her friends were drunk and smoked cannabis at a party last night.How would counselling skills help a teacher in these situations? Gail King explores the counselling skills which teachers need in their pastoral role, and examines them using examples from teachers' typical experience. Counselling Skills for Teachers is a practical book written for both new entrant and experienced teachers who work with school students aged 11 to 18 in mainstream education. It describes the basic listening and responding skills, and how to conduct a helping interview. It covers issues such as professional boundaries, role conflict, self-disclosure, referring on, self-awareness, and cross-cultural awareness. It also includes teachers' legal responsibilities with respect to confidentiality, sex education and the Children Act; and an invaluable section listing relevant organizations.Counselling Skills for Teachers tackles the pitfalls and the dilemmas faced by teachers in pastoral roles, and provides invaluable guidance as to how counselling skills can be successfully deployed.
£30.99
Open University Press Unobtrusive Methods in Social Research
“a book all self-respecting social researchers should read” SRA News * What are unobtrusive methods in social research?* How are they undertaken and what are their advantages?* What are the problems associated with their use?Webb et al's 1966 classic, Unobtrusive Methods introduced the concept of unobtrusive research. Since then very little else has been written in the field. This book revisits the ground covered by Webb et al, re-contextualizing it for the information age and putting the case for an increased use of unobtrusive methods. Unobtrusive Methods in Social Research provides an updated discussion of the role of unobtrusive methods in social research. It explores the theoretical underpinnings of Webb et al's approach in order to understand more explicitly how unobtrusive methods are generated and examines some of the wider ethical issues raised by the use of unobtrusive methods in social research. In addition, it offers a discussion of using the Internet as a tool for unobtrusive research.Unobtrusive Methods in Social Research is a worthy successor to Webb et al. It is up to date, comprehensive and clearly written. It will help undergraduates to understand what has become a standard topic on research methods courses and it is hoped that it will encourage postgraduate students and professionals to make more use of unobtrusive methods in their research.
£29.99
Open University Press The Social Shaping of Technology
Reviews of the 1st Edition:"....This book is a welcome addition to the sociology of technology, a field whose importance is increasingly recognised." - Sociology"....sets a remarkably high standard in breadth of coverage, in scholarship, and in readability and can be recommended to the general reader and to the specialist alike." - Science and Society"....This remarkably readable and well-edited anthology focuses, in a wide variety of concrete examples, not on the impacts of technologies on societies but in the reverse: how different social contexts shaped the emergence of particular technologies." - Technology and Culture How does social context affect the development of technology? What is the relationship between technology and gender Is production technology shaped by efficiency or by social control? Technological change is often seen as something that follows its own logic - something we may welcome, or about which we may protest, but which we are unable to alter fundamentally. This reader challenges that assumption and its distinguished contributors demonstrate that technology is affected at a fundamental level by the social context in which it develops. General arguments are introduced about the relation of technology to society and different types of technology are examined: the technology of production; domestic and reproductive technology; and military technology.The book draws on authors from Karl Marx to Cynthia Cockburn to show that production technology is shaped by social relations in the workplace. It moves on to the technologies of the household and biological reproduction, which are topics that male-dominated social science has tended to ignore or trivialise - though these are actually of crucial significance where powerful shaping factors are at work, normally unnoticed. The final section asks what shapes the most frightening technology of all - the technology of weaponry, especially nuclear weapons.The editors argue that social scientists have devoted disproportionate attention to the effects of technology on society, and tended to ignore the more fundamental question of what shapes technology in the first place. They have drawn both on established work in the history and sociology of technology and on newer feminist perspectives to show just how important and fruitful it is to try to answer that deeper question. The first edition of this reader, published in 1985, had a considerable influence on thinking about the relationship between technology and society. This second edition has been thoroughly revised and expanded to take into account new research and the emergence of new theoretical perspectives.
£29.99
Open University Press Understanding Governance
Understanding Governance asks:* What has changed in British government over the past two decades, how and why?* Why do so many government policies fail?* What does the shift from government to governance mean for the practice and study of British government?This book provides a challenging reinterpretation which interweaves an account of recent institutional changes in central, local and European Union government with methodological innovations and theoretical analysis. It emphasizes: the inability of the 'Westminster model', with its accent on parliamentary sovereignty and strong executive leadership, to account for persistent policy failure; the 'hollowing out' of British government from above (the European Union), below (special purpose bodies) and sideways (to agencies); and the need to respond to the postmodern challenge, rethinking the methodological and theoretical assumptions in the study of British government. Professor Rhodes makes a significant and timely contribution to our understanding of government and governance.
£33.99
Open University Press EDUCATION REFORM
This book builds upon Stephen J Ball's previous work in the field of education policy analysis. It subjects the ongoing reforms in UK education to a rigorous critical interrogation. It takes as its main concerns the introduction of market forces, managerialism and the National Curriculum into the organization of schools and the work of teachers. Ball argues that these reforms are combining to fundamentally reconstruct the work of teaching, to generate and ramify multiple inequalities and to destroy civic virtue in education.The effects of the market and management are not technical and neutral but are essentially political and moral. The reforms taking place in the UK are both a form of cultural and social engineering and an attempt to recreate a fantasy education based upon myths of national identity, consensus and glory. The analysis is founded within policy sociology and employs both ethnographic and post-structuralist methods.
£33.99
Open University Press Introduction to Childhood Studies
This popular and bestselling textbook provides an introduction to the field of childhood studies and offers a broad-based, comprehensive and accessible insight into the area. Reflecting the nature of childhood studies as an interdisciplinary field that crosses many traditional academic and professional boundaries, each chapter is authored by a leading figure in a specific area of childhood studies. With its range of key themes and insightful analysis this book has firmly established itself as a much loved and essential resource. This new third edition builds on the success of earlier editions retaining its classic chapters of enduring value while incorporating some fresh new content. Four new chapters - chosen to highlight and consider new developments in the field - explore anthropological approaches to childhood; integrated working with children; the sexualization of childhood; and children in armed conflict. Intellectually robust, scholarly and confident in its academic approach, this new edition also includes some new interactive activities to help you get to grips with the issues. An Introduction to Childhood Studies 3E is invaluable reading for students, lecturers and practitioners with a range of professional and academic interests and particularly for those studying courses in Childhood Studies.Mary Jane Kehily is Professor of Gender and Education at The Open University
£27.99
Open University Press Recovery in Mental Health Nursing
Recovery is a key concept throughout mental health, but its meaning is elusive and hard to grasp in day to day practice. This textbook is an accessible and practical guide to recovery in mental health, demystifying the concept and helping students and practitioners to develop a personal awareness of what recovery is and what it means at an individual level.The book presents recovery as being intimately connected to our values and who we are as people. The chapters build upon what we understand recovery to be and apply these ideas to various areas of practice, such as communication, being self-aware, reflective practice, clinical supervision and how we engage with service users, families and the multi-disciplinary team. Explanations are given of the most popularly used recovery concepts and approaches such as the Tidal model, Repper and Perkins’ Psychosocial model, and the WRAP and Path models, and their use in daily practice. The book features:• Practice-based examples and real-life case scenarios to illustrate how recovery varies from client to client• Exercises to encourage you to reflect and come up with your own personal approach• Consideration of ethical and professional dilemmas in practice• A view of recovery that takes into account political and resourcing issues• Explanation and discussion of key concepts in recoveryThis is an excellent resource for all students and practitioners in mental health nursing."An exciting and essential read for professionals to understand the nature of recovery. Explicit but comprehensive, this book is for nurses and other professionals in mental health. The book takes us from the origins of recovery through to practical advice and scenarios that place the service user at the core. This encapsulates the true meaning of recovery and how we can implement and facilitate these approaches within contemporary healthcare. The book acknowledges politics and how the political arena can influence and shape services"May Baker, Senior Lecturer in Mental Health, Liverpool John Moores University, UK
£25.99
Open University Press Social Work Perspectives on Human Behaviour
Using a bio-psychosocial framework, this popular textbook explains the wide basis of perspectives on which we build an understanding of people's behaviours and why and how we respond in the way we do. This book accessibly explains key concepts including attachment, trauma, developmental psychology and oppression to highlight and enhance social workers' understanding of practice.Thoroughly updated since its popular first edition, the book now includes: A brand new chapter on Attachment More coverage of neurological concepts and their influence on behaviour Expanded material on older people and resilience, crime and violence against black and minority ethnic groups, and domestic violence issues More coverage of mental health, alcohol and drugs and their impact on behaviour Fully updated to reflect the Munro report and recent social worker task force recommendations, this new edition also includes brand new and additional case studies and pedagogy, making this a practical, insightful and wonderfully comprehensive text suitable for all students of social work. "This second edition is a most inclusive, accessible and fully updated text. It provides a thorough overview of the major theories and concepts and brings these to life with case examples. The inclusion of contemporary issues such as domestic abuse is a welcome feature. I would fully recommend this text to any student studying for a social work qualification."Debbie Thackray, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK"This second edition expands on topics that are vital to good social work practice. The chapters on attachment and trauma are particularly well-written, and speak to topics often overlooked in academic texts. The sections on foetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) provide readers with essential knowledge that will enhance practice on many levels. Although this has been written in the context of social work practice, this important book will be compulsory reading for a broad range of students... I consider this an invaluable contribution to any student library."Jill Davey, Framework Lead for Social Work, Sociology, Social Policy and Anthropology, Bournemouth University, UK"This is the most useful text I have ever found for teaching social care and youth students the basic explanatory frameworks for human behaviour. It is superbly balanced in that it gives weight to all perspectives and proffers critiques of key theories. It is also very strong in applying theory to practice - a skill which is always difficult to develop in students. Particular areas of strength are the chapters on attachment and mental health/ trauma. The work is an engaging read as it includes some fascinating historical insights and illustrations as well as contemporary case studies. I will certainly recommend it to my students."Gwen Chaney, Course Leader for Social Care & Faculty Lead for Learning and Teaching, University of Gloucestershire, UK
£30.99
Open University Press What is This Thing Called Science?
A brand new edition of an internationally-renowned philosophy of science bestseller.Now well into its fourth decade, What is This Thing Called Science? has become something of a classic the world over, available in 19 languages. Each decade, Alan Chalmers has drawn on his experience as a teacher and researcher to improve and update the text. In his accessible style, Chalmers illuminates the major developments in the field of the philosophy of science over the past few years.The most significant feature of this fourth edition is the addition of an extensive postscript, in which Chalmers uses the results of his research into the history of atomism to illustrate and enliven key themes in the philosophy of science. Identifying the qualitative difference between knowledge of atoms as it figures in contemporary science and metaphysical speculations about atoms common in philosophy since the time of Democritus proves to be a highly revealing and instructive way to pinpoint key features of the answer to the question 'What is this thing called science?'This new edition ensures that the book holds its place as the leading introduction to the philosophy of science for the foreseeable future.'Successive editions have retained and refined its clear, engaging and witty discussions of the most important topics in the field, incorporating the best new research in the field. This latest edition also adds a valuable layer of grounding in the history of science, particularly based on Chalmers' recent extensive research on the history of atomism'. Hasok Chang, Department of History and Philosophy of Science, Hans Rausing Professor of History and Philosophy of Science, University of Cambridge, UK
£31.99
Open University Press Positive Psychology: Theory, Research and Applications
The second edition of Positive Psychology features ground-breaking evidence and thinking on the topics of happiness, flow, optimism, motivation and more. Discover how to increase happiness levels, what obstacles to flourishing affect our day-to-day lives and how to apply positive psychology to diverse professional disciplines. The authors map the key positive psychology interventions available and discuss their merits with an emphasis on practice and evaluation. Ilona Boniwell and Aneta Tunariu skilfully combine a breadth of information about positive psychology with reflective questions, critical commentary and up-to-date research. Written in a witty, engaging and contemporary manner, this new edition includes: • Chapter summaries to help you check your understanding and speed up your revision• Experiments boxes to highlight research methodologies and contextualize the latest psychological findings• Personal development exercises to enhance your skills in wellbeing • Review questions to test your knowledge• Suggested resources to make your study time more efficient• Time out boxes to highlight key concepts and thinkers • Think about it boxes to develop your critical thinking skills• Measurement tools to introduce you to current thinking and debates • Mock essay questions to help you practise for your exam• Further reflection topics to delve deeper• Links to media materials within as well as beyond the typical academic literature• End of chapter quizzes to help you check your understandingPositive Psychology is essential reading for students taking modules in positive psychology and wellbeing; will be of interest to students of applied, coaching and sports psychology; and can help develop practising psychologists, coaches, counsellors and researchers interested in this burgeoning field of mental wellbeing and human happiness."A highly recommended resource for teaching and studying positive psychology. Up-to-date, incorporating both the history and the latest developments in this field. Very clearly laid out, with key topics and concepts explained well along with practical learning activities for the use in classroom and/or for students’ individual learning."Vanessa King, MAPP (UPenn), Board Member Action for Happiness
£31.99
Open University Press Applied Systems Thinking for Health Systems Research: A Methodological Handbook
Patient safety in health systems has become more and more important as a theme in health research, and so it is not surprising to see a growing interest in applying systems thinking to healthcare. However there is a difficulty – health systems are very complex and constantly adapting to respond to core drivers and fit needs. How do you apply systems thinking in this situation, and what methods are available? National health authorities, international donors and research practitioners need to know the “how-to” of conducting health systems research from a systems thinking perspective. This book will fill this gap and provide a range of tools that give clear guidance of ways to carry out systems thinking in health, with real-world examples. These methodologies include:• System dynamics and causal loops• Network analysis• Outcome mapping• Soft systems methodologyAnd many more.Written by an international team of experts in health research, this handbook will be essential reading for those working in or researching public health, health policy, health systems, global health, service improvement and innovation in practice..“With this new book, health researchers have a detailed guide for applying system thinking tools in day-to-day operations to identify and solve issues related to health policy and systems.”Ghaffar Abdul, Executive Director of the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research, Switzerland“This book is the first to present practical options for applying systems thinking to understand complexity in health systems. The editors compile an essential collection of practical tools for understanding complex problems and framing research questions, as well as for determining and managing related solutions.” Ligia Paina, PhD, Assistant Professor, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, USA“This keenly-awaited book offers a lucid and comprehensive discussion on how to research complex health systems. The book provides invaluable help in navigating this complexity and applying rigorous as well as pragmatic approaches to capturing dynamic interactions between system elements and causal loops.” Dina Balabanova, PhD, Associate Professor, Health Systems/Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UK“This book is timely to help equip individuals or researchers with practical tools that are expected to empower the field and facilitate greater and more relevant evidence production for better policy making in health.”George Gotsadze, Director, Curatio International Foundation“This methodological handbook includes variety of essential tools and provides excellent guidance for health system researchers and managers when investigating and resolving complex health systems problems.”Fadi El-Jardali, Professor of Health Policy and Systems, American University of Beirut, Lebanon
£30.99
Open University Press Social Work Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis: A Methodological Approach for Practice and Research
“This book should be read by research students, early career researchers, social work practitioners as well as doctoral supervisors new to IPA, who will all find it helpful and insightful.” Dr Angie Bartoli, School of Social Sciences Student Experience Manager, Principal Lecturer in Social Work, Nottingham Trent University, UK “This book will be an extremely helpful companion to social work researchers at all stages of the research process from design though to dissemination, as well of being of real value to those supervising IPA projects.” Dr Martin Kettle, Senior Lecturer, Glasgow Caledonian University, UKThis first of its kind book provides a theoretical and practical exploration of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) for Social Work. Accessibly written for those considering IPA from different perspectives, including social work students, social work practitioners, doctoral students, and research supervisors the book will guide all readers through its application in this field.Social Work Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis takes the reader on a journey through how lived experience can be discovered, how effective social work research can be designed and explore practical strategies for maximising quality. The book is organised under three key parts:• Discovering Lived Experience Through IPA Social Work Research• Doing IPA Social Work Research• Determining Social Work Knowledge Using IPAThis accessibly written, comprehensive book explores the specific fit of IPA within social work as a professional practice and research discipline drawing together values, skills and knowledge for eliciting, responding to and representing accounts of lived experience.Sarah Vicary is Professor of Social Work and Mental Health at The Open University, UK.Gillian Ferguson is a Lecturer in Social Work at The Open University, UK.
£28.99
Open University Press The Body in Coaching and Training: An Introduction to Embodied Facilitation
Are you a coach or trainer looking to work more with the body? Do you want to work safely and help your clients make deeper change? Do you know that the body matters for facilitation, but are not sure practically how to develop this aspect of your work? This book will provide you with the theory and real-world tools for excellence in embodied facilitation. It contains over 50 simple exercises for both you and your clients, and offers a clear pragmatic framework for deepening your experience and developing your skills. Through core techniques such as awareness raising exercises, centring and embodied listening, you will learn how to help clients with a range of common coaching topics such as: • Leadership • Confidence • Finding purpose • Stress management • Communication skills Mark Walsh’s straight-talking approach offers a framework for understanding the field, in addition to techniques you can use with clients immediately. From processing trauma to centring yourself in times of stress, it is a no-nonsense resource for any coach, facilitator or teacher wanting to work more through the body. The body is a huge part of who we are, yet it is often ignored. This book will show you how to include it safely, skilfully and powerfully. Mark Walsh is a world leader in embodied facilitation. He founded the Embodied Facilitator Course and Embodied Yoga Principles, hosts The Embodiment Podcast, led the record-breaking Embodiment Conference and manages the business training company Integration Training. He holds a black belt in aikido, an honours degree in psychology, and a 50m swimming badge. He offends pirates with his swearing and impresses dads globally with his jokes.
£19.99
Open University Press Succeeding with Your Master's Dissertation: A Step-by-Step Handbook
Succeeding with your Master’s Dissertation is a thorough and comprehensive guide for postgraduate dissertation students. Now in its fifth edition, it offers clear, straightforward and practical support for each stage of the master’s dissertation.Brimming with examples of good practice, to help students to reach their full potential, this fully updated and revised edition takes students through the entire writing process, from start to finish, from proposal to submission.Featuring detailed guidance on how to:•Clarify your research objectives•Produce a research proposal•Complete each chapter of a traditional dissertation: Introduction, Literature Review, Research Methods, Findings, and Conclusion•Reference sources•Add a professional touch•Prepare for a vivaThis is essential reading for social science students of all disciplines. Additional, tailored advice is provided on: •Writing about theory and practice•Critiquing what you have created•Completing a systematic reviewI first became aware of John’s work on how to undertake your MSc when he came to give a presentation on this subject to our cohort of MSc students. I loved his methodology and practical advice. I bought this book and since then have tried to apply its advice to the MSc students I supervise and others I have tried to help. Buy it, it will help you – it’s worth every penny.Dr Mario Antonioletti, EPCC, The University of Edinburgh, UKIn this book John Biggam, offers a clear background on why a dissertation is a standard part of many Masters programmes, and provides a user-friendly approach to planning and writing large pieces of work. Pragmatic advice and guidance on good practise will help students to keep on track with their dissertation, and avoid common errors. The book is written in a reassuring way which should be applicable to students across disciplines.Donna Murray, Head of Taught Student Development, The University of Edinburgh, UKBiggam’s book, now in its fifth edition, is the go-to guide to researching and producing a Master’s dissertation. Taking a practical, skills-based yet scholarly approach, it is current, comprehensive and rigorous. Standout content includes sections on common mistakes made by students, useful templates and a unique chapter on Dissertations by Practice, making it an instructive resource for students of the social sciences and humanities alike.Dr Kate Daniels, Senior Teaching Officer in Academic Training & Development for International Students, University of Cambridge, UK
£27.99
Open University Press How to Get a PhD: A Handbook for Students and Their Supervisors
“A fresh update to a true classic. This is one of the most reassuring and useful books you will ever read about doing your PhD, no matter your topic - or where you are enrolled.”Professor Inger Mewburn, Director of Researcher Development, Office of the Dean of Higher Degree by Research, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia“How to get a PhD is both honest and thorough and thus immensely helpful, for supervisors as much as for students.”Professor Paul Allain, Dean of the Graduate and Researcher College, University of Kent, UK“The 7th edition! ‘How to get a PhD’ is proving its status as a must read for PhDs and supervisors.”Dr Hans Sonneveld, Founder and Board member, Netherlands Centre of Expertise for Doctoral EducationHow to Get a PhD 7e provides a practical and realistic approach for all students who are embarking on a PhD. In addition, supervisors will find invaluable tips on their role in the process, good supervisory practices and how to support students to work effectively. Thoroughly revised and updated throughout, the seventh edition provides an overview of what it means to undertake a PhD within a modern university, exploring both the challenges and rewards of a doctoral degree, including:• Contemporary challenges for students including transgender issues, sexual harassment, and exploitation within the academic environment• Time demands, the balance of academia and paid work, and the uncertainty of academic careers and how this can impact students’ mental health• Academic debates surrounding the increased importance of technology and open access• Emphasising diversity with an increased focus on how students, supervisors and universities can work together to make a more effective and welcoming academic environmentThe new edition is structured so that users can find the section that will help the specific stage of their work. With practical guidance through the application process, research, viva and post-viva, this book supports PhD students of all disciplines across their journey and beyond, including part-time, those returning to study and those who are practice-based.Estelle M. Phillips has enjoyed a long career as an academic and independent educational consultant. She has published widely on various aspects of the PhD and has spoken at universities on four continents about the skills required to complete and supervise a PhD.Colin G. Johnson is an associate professor at the University of Nottingham, and was formerly Associate Dean for Graduate Studies in the sciences at the University of Kent. He is an experienced PhD supervisor and examiner, and has led training courses for new PhD students and advised on postgraduate strategy for a number of universities.Professor Derek S Pugh (1930-2015) was Emeritus Professor of International Management of the Open University Business School, UK. He published 17 books and over 100 papers in his field and had considerable experience in the design of doctoral programmes and the successful supervision and examination of PhD students.
£25.99
Open University Press Writing for Academic Journals 4e
This comprehensive guide to writing journal articles addresses all the stages and recurring challenges, from targeting a journal to dealing with reviewer feedback. Drawing on many years of running ‘Writing for Publication’ workshops, Murray explores not only style and structure but also behaviours and emotions. As a key component of both research courses and careers, this timely text also addresses the struggle to make time for high quality academic writing and how to ensure a writing-life balance.Examining a variety of approaches, relevant to many different academic disciplines, this core text demystifies and defines writing practices and makes this form of high-stakes academic writing seem manageable. Writing for journals has never been more competitive, and writers, researchers, practitioners and students need expert guidance on productive practices and ways of maintaining focus and motivation, which Murray provides. This latest edition is completely updated and more relevant than ever for clinicians, practitioners and students. "This book was already a classic, but the update makes it even more useful. From finding time to write, doing a short literature review and identifying scam journals, Rowena Murray provides an excellent, concise and accessible companion for writing academic journal papers, which is appropriate for both students and working academics."Associate Professor Inger Mewburn, Director of Research Training, The Australian National University, Australia “Rowena Murray has approached publishing in a journal with scientific rigour. Following this book’s recommendations will make it impossible to find a convincing excuse for failure to publish. She herself writes with a high level of artisanal skill; this book is fast paced, stylish and highly readable. Her own extensive experience in supporting journal article writers tempers this book with the credibility of a seasoned veteran. Best of all, there is a wealth of wisdom here—in advising on how to publish, Murray is also advising on how to live a satisfying life as a writer.”Associate Professor Susan Carter, University of Auckland, New Zealand“In Writing for Academic Journals (4th edition), Rowena Murray’s voice is direct, down-to-earth and wise. Drawing on a depth of practical experience as both published author and writing teacher, she conveys the message that, yes, publishing in academic journals is demanding, but it’s also very possible. And that once you are successful, there is still much to be learned from reading books like this one and hanging out with others in writing groups and workshops. To that end, the book is a trove of tips and techniques helpful to all who pursue the challenging craft of (good) academic writing.”Barbara Grant, Associate Professor in the School of Critical Studies in Education at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, and author of Academic writing retreats: A facilitator's uide
£29.99