Irma Eloff – författare

This open access book introduces vignette research to new and experienced researchers by guiding them through its history, theory and underlying principles before delving into step-by-step practical guidance on how to do vignette research.Vignette research is an innovative qualitative, narrative and phenomenological research methodology that has gained international recognition, sparking interest from a wide range of individuals and institutions in global contexts. Vignettes are concise narratives, which capture human experiences in real life settings. They reveal surprising or intriguing facets and intangible moments. The experiential narratives resonate with readers and reduce the distance between the researcher and the researched. The ebook editions of this book are available open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence on bloomsburycollections.com. Open access was funded by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF).

This open access book introduces vignette research to new and experienced researchers by guiding them through its history, theory and underlying principles before delving into step-by-step practical guidance on how to do vignette research.Vignette research is an innovative qualitative, narrative and phenomenological research methodology that has gained international recognition, sparking interest from a wide range of individuals and institutions in global contexts. Vignettes are concise narratives, which capture human experiences in real life settings. They reveal surprising or intriguing facets and intangible moments. The experiential narratives resonate with readers and reduce the distance between the researcher and the researched. The ebook editions of this book are available open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence on bloomsburycollections.com. Open access was funded by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF).

If you are wanting insight into the vibrant field of educational psychology in South Africa at the present moment, this is the book for you. Researchers and practitioners from sixteen South African universities have collaborated to provide succinct, thoughtful and contextually relevant insights into the dynamics encountered in educational psychology today. Educational psychology as a science is explored within a variety of environments and connected to the dynamic profession of being an educational psychologist. The text presents South African examples, which are deeply rooted in the South African context, and presents nuanced understandings of the complexities of educational Psychology as a developing field.

Advances in Psychological Assessment in South Africa provides a detailed, practical and critical appraisal of the evolution of psychological testing since the publication of Psychological Assessment in South Africa: Research and Applications (2013). Editors Laher and Cockcroft once again bring together practitioners and researchers to explore new tools and methods used to evaluate mental processes and behaviours in South Africa’s unique and diverse contexts.The book covers a wide range of psychological domains, including cognitive abilities, personality traits, vocational interests and neuropsychological functions. It examines established testing methods while introducing innovative approaches, technology-driven tools and artificial intelligence-based assessments. These advancements allow for more efficient, accurate, and accessible testing, which is critical given the varied educational, cultural and linguistic backgrounds of South Africans.The country’s diversity presents both opportunities and challenges for psychological assessment. Tests must be relevant to local languages, cultures, and social realities to ensure fairness and accuracy. The book highlights efforts to develop and refine tests that reflect these needs, addressing practical issues like accessibility and ethical concerns in the aftermath of apartheid.Written for practitioners, researchers, educators, and students, the book serves as both a reflection on progress and a guide for the future. It showcases how far South Africa has come in creating reliable, culturally sensitive assessments and points to emerging trends, like the integration of Artificial Intelligence to personalise and streamline testing processes. This makes it a valuable resource for those within and beyond South Africa who are interested in understanding how psychological tools can be applied in diverse settings.

This volume centres around concepts of personal and cultural authenticity as they play out in various contexts of foreign language teaching and learning worldwide. The chapters cover a wide range of contexts and disciplines, including both theoretical and empirical work; together they comprise both a rigorous analysis of authenticity in language teaching and a step away from notions of native-speakerism and cultural essentialism with which it is often associated. Written by a group of scholars working across several continents, the chapters offer diverse perspectives regarding the role language plays in processes of personal growth, learning, development, self-actualisation and power dynamics. The book addresses the theoretical and philosophical nature of authenticity while remaining grounded in the teaching and learning of languages, with authenticity viewed as a practical concern that guides our actions and beliefs. The book will be of interest to scholars, researchers and students of authenticity as well as foreign language teachers interested in the theoretical underpinnings of their practice.

This volume centres around concepts of personal and cultural authenticity as they play out in various contexts of foreign language teaching and learning worldwide. The chapters cover a wide range of contexts and disciplines, including both theoretical and empirical work; together they comprise both a rigorous analysis of authenticity in language teaching and a step away from notions of native-speakerism and cultural essentialism with which it is often associated. Written by a group of scholars working across several continents, the chapters offer diverse perspectives regarding the role language plays in processes of personal growth, learning, development, self-actualisation and power dynamics. The book addresses the theoretical and philosophical nature of authenticity while remaining grounded in the teaching and learning of languages, with authenticity viewed as a practical concern that guides our actions and beliefs. The book will be of interest to scholars, researchers and students of authenticity as well as foreign language teachers interested in the theoretical underpinnings of their practice.

This handbook reflects on quality-of-life in societies on the continent of Africa. It provides a widely interdisciplinary text with insights on quality-of-life from a variety of scientific perspectives. The handbook is structured into sections covering themes of social context, culture and community; the environment and technology; health; education; and family. It is aimed at scholars who are working towards sustainable development at the intersections of multiple scientific fields and it provides measures of both objective and subjective quality-of-life. The scholarly contributions in the text are based on original research and it spans fields of research such as cultures of positivity, wellbeing, literacy and multilinguism, digital and mobile technologies, economic growth, food and nutrition, health promotion, community development, teacher education and family life. Some chapters take a broad approach and report on research findings involving thousands, and in one case millions, ofparticipants. Other chapters zoom in and illustrate the importance of specificity in quality-of-life studies. Collectively, the handbook illuminates the particularity of quality-of-life in Africa, the unique contextual challenges and the resourcefulness with which challenges are being mediated. This handbook provides empirically grounded conceptualizations about life in Africa that also encapsulate the dynamic, ingenious ways in which we, as Africans, enhance our quality-of-life.