This book studies the variety of organizational strategies selected to cope with critical uncertainties during crises. This research formulates and applies an institutional sense-making model to explain the selection of strategies for coping with uncertainties during crises to answer the question why some organizations select a rule-based strategy to cope with uncertainties, whereas others pursue a more ad hoc-based strategy. It finds that the level of institutionalization does not affect strategy selection in the initial phase of responding to crises; that three rigidity effects can be identified in the selection of sense-making strategies once organizations have faced the failure of their selected strategies; that discontinuities in the feedback loop of sense-making do not necessarily move organizations to switch their sense-making strategies, but interact with institutionalization to contribute to switching sense-making strategies. This book bridges the gap between institutional thinking and crisis management theorizing. A major step forward in the world of crisis management studies! --Professor Arjen Boin, Leiden University, the Netherlands In a world of increasingly complex, sociotechnical systems interacting in high-risk environments, Professor Lu's analysis of how organizations manage uncertainty is both timely and profound. --Professor Louise K. Comfort, Director, Center for Disaster Management, University of Pittsburgh, USA Prof. Lu greatly enhances our understanding of how organizations cope with uncertainty and make sense of their challenges under the pressures of catastrophe. --Dr. Arnold M. Howitt, Faculty Co-Director, Program on Crisis Leadership, Harvard Kennedy School, USA This book provides not only a theory of crisis management but also a key concept around which research and practice can be conducted. --Professor Naim Kapucu, Director of School of Public Administration, University of Central Florida, USA A generic institutional model for analyzing and managing hazards, disasters and crises worldwide. --Professor Joop Koppenjan, Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands This book has done an excellent job in opening the black box of how organizations make sense of the crisis situations they face and develop strategies to respond. It should be read by all of us who wish for a peaceful and safe world. --Professor Lan Xue, Dean of School of Public Policy and Management, Tsinghua University, China

This book seeks to illustrate the research on mathematics competencies and disposition in China according to the conceptual development and empirical investigation perspective. Mathematics education in China has a distinguishing feature a focus of attention to mathematical competency. Paradoxically, there has not been an explicit, refined, and measurable evaluation system in place to assess mathematical competency in China. While academic achievement surveys or evaluations are common, these can only give an overall conclusion about mathematical thinking skills or problem solving abilities. In response to this deficiency, China is beginning to carry out national projects that emphasize defining both a conceptual framework on core competencies in school mathematics and developing a corresponding assessment framework. Thus, the main focus of this volume is the current investigations of different mathematics competencies and mathematical disposition of Chinese students, with the aim of promoting interaction between domestic and international student performance assessment, to provide a more comprehensive understanding of mathematics competencies and disposition in mainland China, and to stimulate innovative new directions in research. The primary audience of this volume is the large group of researchers interested in mathematics competencies, mathematics teaching and learning in China, or comparative studies, or the relation of the three. The book will also appeal to teaching trainers or instructors, as well as be an appropriate resource for graduate courses or seminars at either the master's or doctoral level.

This book seeks to illustrate the research on mathematics competencies and disposition in China according to the conceptual development and empirical investigation perspective. Mathematics education in China has a distinguishing feature a focus of attention to mathematical competency. Paradoxically, there has not been an explicit, refined, and measurable evaluation system in place to assess mathematical competency in China. While academic achievement surveys or evaluations are common, these can only give an overall conclusion about mathematical thinking skills or problem solving abilities. In response to this deficiency, China is beginning to carry out national projects that emphasize defining both a conceptual framework on core competencies in school mathematics and developing a corresponding assessment framework. Thus, the main focus of this volume is the current investigations of different mathematics competencies and mathematical disposition of Chinese students, with the aim of promoting interaction between domestic and international student performance assessment, to provide a more comprehensive understanding of mathematics competencies and disposition in mainland China, and to stimulate innovative new directions in research. The primary audience of this volume is the large group of researchers interested in mathematics competencies, mathematics teaching and learning in China, or comparative studies, or the relation of the three. The book will also appeal to teaching trainers or instructors, as well as be an appropriate resource for graduate courses or seminars at either the master's or doctoral level.

This book investigates three novice high school mathematics teachers' professional learning processes in the early stages of their careers at schools in Shanghai, China. Teacher professional learning is examined as a complex and dynamic system that connects both cognitive and situated perspectives on learning theory. Inspiring mathematics teachers to adopt student-focused pedagogies is challenging, particularly in China where tensions in teacher-centred, content-focused and examination-oriented practices are predominant. The three novice teachers who participated in this study brought different beliefs and knowledge derived from their different individual experiences to bear on their teaching practices. However, they were strongly influenced by the environments in which they taught and mainly adopted a professional learning approach to teacher-centred practices, despite reporting that they favoured student-centred teaching practices. The study also observed professional learning towards student-centred pedagogical aspects in a single teacher case with mentorship support, indicating that student-centred pedagogies may be promoted within the constraints of the existing dominant teaching practice.

This book studies the variety of organizational strategies selected to cope with critical uncertainties during crises. This research formulates and applies an institutional sense-making model to explain the selection of strategies for coping with uncertainties during crises to answer the question why some organizations select a rule-based strategy to cope with uncertainties, whereas others pursue a more ad hoc-based strategy. It finds that the level of institutionalization does not affect strategy selection in the initial phase of responding to crises; that three rigidity effects can be identified in the selection of sense-making strategies once organizations have faced the failure of their selected strategies; that discontinuities in the feedback loop of sense-making do not necessarily move organizations to switch their sense-making strategies, but interact with institutionalization to contribute to switching sense-making strategies. This book bridges the gap between institutional thinking and crisis management theorizing. A major step forward in the world of crisis management studies! --Professor Arjen Boin, Leiden University, the Netherlands In a world of increasingly complex, sociotechnical systems interacting in high-risk environments, Professor Lu's analysis of how organizations manage uncertainty is both timely and profound. --Professor Louise K. Comfort, Director, Center for Disaster Management, University of Pittsburgh, USA Prof. Lu greatly enhances our understanding of how organizations cope with uncertainty and make sense of their challenges under the pressures of catastrophe. --Dr. Arnold M. Howitt, Faculty Co-Director, Program on Crisis Leadership, Harvard Kennedy School, USA This book provides not only a theory of crisis management but also a key concept around which research and practice can be conducted. --Professor Naim Kapucu, Director of School of Public Administration, University of Central Florida, USA A generic institutional model for analyzing and managing hazards, disasters and crises worldwide. --Professor Joop Koppenjan, Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands This book has done an excellent job in opening the black box of how organizations make sense of the crisis situations they face and develop strategies to respond. It should be read by all of us who wish for a peaceful and safe world. --Professor Lan Xue, Dean of School of Public Policy and Management, Tsinghua University, China