Work History Research Articles

Curating the Past

Abstract We talk about curatorship as a process in which someone carefully and thoughtfully chooses and organizes a way to present particular artworks to the public. Some have theorized that curating an art exhibit and exercising the selection and organization of artworks is very similar to telling a story. This analogy invites us to expand it and reflect on how it can help illuminate what historians do as storytellers of the past. The central point of this paper is to think of historical work as a curatorial practice. This, in turn, allows us to understand the constructive enterprise that historians engage in and challenge a rooted and prevalent commitment in the historical discipline that the past is discovered rather than constructed. Historians as curators of the past select and organize undetermined materials that become determined when subsumed under a narrative that bestows the past with a particular meaning. The analogy also serves to clarify that no epistemic or metaphysical tension need exist between a notion of the real and an acknowledgment of narrative construction.

Review of testing methods to inform materials selection in high‐temperature structural applications

AbstractCareful material selection is paramount to meet the significant challenges posed by harsh environments in advanced applications. Ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) have come to the forefront of consideration for many of these applications where environmental resistance needs to be combined with structural stability at high temperatures (1200°C+). Many gaps exist in understanding how material variations pose unique material and design challenges that affect the final performance in a particular application. Thorough materials testing at relevant temperatures is required for various candidate materials to realize an analytical approach to materials selection. This review will discuss mechanical and environmental tests and their use at high temperatures including tensile tests, flexure tests, lifetime testing methods, interlaminar tests, and environmentally relevant tests. Challenges for performing these tests at high temperatures and on CMCs will be discussed. A literature review will provide examples of state‐of‐the‐art testing, and the test results from historical work and improvement opportunities will be addressed. This review aims to provide an overview of the current capabilities and practices for high‐temperature testing and recommend best practices for performing high‐temperature tests and interpreting and sharing the results and metadata with the larger community to expand the CMC material property database.

Personal Libraries in Russia: Research Results

The study of personal libraries is important for understanding socio-cultural processes that cannot be assessed by examining other historical events, phenomena and facts. The article deals with the monograph by O.N. Ilyina “Personal Libraries in Russia: Terminology and Historiography” (St. Petersburg, 2022), published in the series “The Book in Russia in the 19th — early 20th Century” by the Russian National Library and the winner of the All-Russian competition of scientific works on library science, bibliography and book studies in the nomination “The best scientific work in the field of library science” in 2023. The structure of the historical and book studies edition, the content of the chapters and the peculiarities of the author’s approach to the coverage of historiography, as well as the stages of the formation of terminology for the study of personal libraries in the domestic humanitarian knowledge in the second half of the 18th — early 21st century are characterized. The emphasis is made on the artificiality of the division of periods in the study of personal libraries in 1917, noted by O.N. Ilyina, because up to the end of the 1920s, book historians, whose professional career began before the October events of 1917, continued to carry out active research activities. This idea is confirmed by contemporary works devoted to the life and work of book historians and bibliographers born in the second half of the 19th century. Special attention is paid to the terminology for describing the history of book collections as a whole (and the collections within them), as well as book marks and marginalia in individual copies. A number of remarks on the design of the reference apparatus of the edition and the rubrication of the text are made, which, however, do not prevent interested readers. The quality, relevance and scientific novelty of the monograph are noted.

Modern Western Sovietology on the problem of child homelessness in the USSR in the 1920s - 1930s

The article analyzes the main works of modern Western historians considering the problem of child homelessness in the USSR of the 1920s-1930s. The classification of foreign studies depending on the object of study is proposed. Highlights the main provisions of the works concerning these problems, as well as the specific features of the methodology of the authors. As a result of the analysis, the strengths and weaknesses of Western Sovietology on the studied problems were highlighted, and a conclusion was made about the complementarity of Russian and foreign studies on this topic.

Ground-penetrating radar scanning and historical interpretation of the location of the destroyed Epiphany Cathedral in Kyiv Brotherhood Monastery (Ukraine)

Background The article presents results of a ground penetrating radar (GPR) scanning carried out in a site of the Epiphany Cathedral of Brotherhood Monastery in Kyiv, Ukraine, destroyed in 1936 by the Soviets. The Cathedral is known as a burial site of Hetman Petro Sahaidachnyi (1582–1622), a Ukrainian Cossack political and civic leader, guardian and patron of Kyiv Brotherhood Monastery. The collection of archival documents, blueprints, stock sources, photographs and cartographic materials of the 17th-19th centuries, as well as historical works of the 19th-21st centuries, were thoroughly analyzed and used as a basis for the interpretation of geophysical results. The set of historical data covers the period from 1615, that is, from the beginning of the construction of the wooden Epiphany Church, the predecessor of the cathedral, to the present day. Methods Summarized information about the construction, restoration after the fire, functioning and destruction of the Cathedral, as well as about the construction on its site in the 20th century, archaeological research in the 20th-21st centuries, was used to clarify possible location of hidden foundations and target GPR measurements. In this context, written testimonies of archaeologists who personally observed the foundations of the cathedral became especially valuable. The shielded GPR antennas, with a central frequency of 300 MHz and 700 MHz, is used for non-invasive investigation. Results GPR scanning specified the site and showed the best-preserved group of foundations of the western wall of the Epiphany Cathedral. Conclusions An integrated historical and geophysical study provided the basis to certify the foundation of the Epiphany Cathedral as a protected object of cultural heritage and facilitated its archaeological research.

Curiosity Opens Relationships of the World and with Others: Narratives from Doing Teaching and Learning Through Curiosity

What potentials does curiosity bear for education? Some characterizations portray curiosity as self-motivated search for answers, a drive conformable with conventional education’s imperative for correct answers. For participants in this study, curiosity engages them with their relationships to the world. This article examines curiosity from along my developing in learning and teaching. While school settings limited or excluded curiosity, both for me as a student and as a teacher, it relates how I encountered the value of curiosity in examples of my father, mentors, and other experiences. Beginning with a gradual and uncertain process, I transitioned from being an educator bound by conventional expectations, to a teacher-researcher creating environments where learners’ expressions and acts of curiosity constitute the educational work that I actively support and seek to extend. Curiosity in the classroom generates trajectories and engagements that differ from conventional instruction. This article demonstrates and researches the educational work of curiosity, through contextual narratives from my teaching as a beginner at accommodating students’ curiosity, and from my recent teaching, where students and I more fully commit to the relational and educational possibilities of encouraging curiosity. In facilitating these experiences, I apply the research pedagogy of Eleanor Duckworth, ‘critical exploration in the classroom’. In narratives from my teaching, curiosity propels exploring relationships among: floating and sinking; trees, leaves and acorns; dye in water; maple sap sweetness; bubbles in water; and permutations of objects. Provocations from historical works include: Leonardo’s drawings; Hooke’s and Ramón y Cajal’s microscopy; Keats’ “negative capability”; Dewey’s reflections on interdependency among children and adults; and children’s creations in Reggio Emilia preschools. As experience builds through curiosity, relations deepen in ways simultaneously unadulterated—exploring unconstrained—and unchildlike—sustaining commitment. Participants characterize our process as having “No End Goal” imposed from outside themselves, unlike formal instruction that suppresses personal curiosity in favor of pre-ordained goals. The natural world, opened by curiosity, embodies ever-emerging relationships that accommodate concurrent widening and deepening of learners’ involvement and realizations. Learning experiences happening through relationships are infused with emotion, aesthetic qualities, and social connections and concerns.

Identification of iron gall inks, logwood inks, and their mixtures using Raman spectroscopy, supplemented by reflection and transmission infrared spectroscopy

Raman spectral references for various formulations of iron gall inks, logwood inks and mixtures of both types were acquired during this study. The samples, either liquid or dry inks and applied on paper, were analysed using a portable Raman spectrometer, both with 852 and 785 nm excitation lines, and a confocal dispersive Raman microscope with two different excitations, namely 785 and 532 nm. It was found that longer wavelengths are more suitable for the analysis of iron gall inks and that the spectral response of logwood inks is relatively more dependent on the excitation line. For the mixtures, it is suggested analyses be performed with both longer and shorter wavelengths, since with a 785 nm line mainly the characteristic features of the metal-polyphenol complex in iron gall inks are detected, while the spectra collected with a 532 nm excitation contain information on the presence of logwood inks. The study was complemented by non-invasive reflectance infrared spectroscopy, which enabled the detection of tannic acid in iron gall inks and in the mixtures, and by micro-Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy to complement the reference set. The study aims to contribute to the development of non-invasive protocols for identification of inks in historic and artistic works on paper, such as manuscripts and drawings.Graphical

Women's rescuers network: Community support for self-managed abortion in Argentina

The availability of medications to induce abortion, especially in contexts of restricted access, has transformed practices and allowed women and/or their community organizations to assist other women in obtaining abortions, whether or not they interact with the healthcare system. This study recovers the experience of a feminist community organization that, from the province of Neuquén, extends throughout the country, creating a network of community care. An exploratory descriptive study with a qualitative approach was conducted to analyze the experiences of women who facilitate access to permitted abortion in Argentina. Through in-depth interviews with three leaders of the feminist collective La Revuelta and semi-structured interviews with 33 members of the socorrista groups, conducted between November 2019 and December 2020, we describe their history and processes of work and growth; we explore their motivations and feelings and characterize the interactions of these organizations with public and private health systems. The results of this work align with the international conversation and bibliographic production about these organizations and their particularities, and with the need to incorporate these forms of care into institutional health systems.

Рецепція «Історії України-Руси» Михайла Грушевського в сучасній українській історіографії

The purpose of the study is to reconstruct the process of understanding M. Hrushevskyi's "History of Ukraine-Rus" in modern Ukrainian historiography. The research methodology involves the use of the principles of objectivity, historicism, and systematicity, as well as general scientific and special-historical methods typical for historiographical research. The scientific novelty of the article lies in the study of the little-known problem of the reception of M. Hrushevskyi's "History of Ukraine-Rus" in the historiography of the late 20th - early 21st centuries. Conclusions. The article has concluded that the research of M. Hrushevskyi's main work has acquired unprecedented intensity during the last three decades. This was facilitated by wider-scale publishing work - the mass reprinting of the original and English-language versions of "History of Ukraine-Rus" made it available to a wide range of readers and researchers. As a result, numerous different-format studies of individual problems and nuances of the grand narrative (historiosophical, methodological, problem-thematic, etc.) as well as attempts to understand it holistically in the context of the progress of Ukrainian studies at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 21st centuries appeared. These studies convincingly showed "History of Ukraine-Rus" as the most significant historical work for Ukrainian historiography, which metaphorically established the title of "historical passport of the Ukrainian people". At the same time, the mentioned intensity of research reflection makes it possible to outline further historiographical perspectives. Thus, the work on the contextualization of the historiographical ideas and problems of the multivolume work is far from finished. For example, a special elucidation of the specifics of the establishment of the Sobornist ideology on its pages seems to be promising. However, the most important task seems to be the need to synthesize current studies on individual parts of the "History of Ukraine-Rus" and prepare a general work on this monument, which should appear as a collective interdisciplinary project.

Quality of Life Comparison between Front-Line Residents and Medical Students during COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: The Covid-19 disease was the most significant pandemic of the century. Health care providers showed great sacrifices in managing this disease and saving humanity, and they suffered many injuries. So, this study aimed to investigate the effect of Covid-19 on the resident’s quality of life and comparison with medical students. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 223 Residents and 225 medical students. Using a random sampling method, WHOQOL-BREF 26 questionnaire was distributed among the participants. The collected data were analyzed with SPSS 21 software using T-test and ANCOVA. Results: The results showed that covid-19 had caused a decrease in the quality of life of residents compared to medical students (P value<0.001). In addition, more advanced statistical analyzes showed that high work and study hours, irregular sleep, work history in COVID-19 wards, and the experience of CPR and intubation conditions of covid-19 patients have independent effects on the quality of life. Conclusion: Covid-19 hurt all aspects of the quality of life of residents. Considering the essential role of residents in educational and treatment hospitals, it is necessary to make plans to improve the quality of life and psychological support of these people to prevent the decline in the quality of healthcare services.

The State of Education in Kyrgyzstan at the End of the XIX Beginning of the XX Century

This article examines the situation of education at the end of the XlX-beginning of the 20th century in Kyrgyzstan. It describes the methods and ways of education in Kyrgyzstan before the Soviet era, as well as the types of schools and educational institutions. It is known from history that Kyrgyz from ancient times were a people striving for knowledge. With the accession of Kyrgyzstan to Russia, the relationship between the Muslim and Turkic peoples living there intensified, the works of Kyrgyz scientists and historians began to be published. Based on this, it is said that the number of schools, educational institutions, madrasas, as well as the number of students and educated people has increased in Kyrgyzstan. At the end of the XlX-beginning of the 20th century, state educational institutions were opened for the Turkic peoples of the Volga region, the Caucasus and Central Asia. This contributed to the management of a new method of education. The programs of these schools were developed in 1905-1906 at a congress of Muslims in the city of Nizhny Novgorod. In such schools, not only religious classes were held, but also general education classes. In 1901-1902, Russian-native schools of a new type began to appear in Kyrgyzstan. Representatives of the new type of education Jadidists who criticized religious schools with old methods of education, tried to change the general school system in accordance with the requirements of that time. Through these schools, the Muslim population of Russia, including Kyrgyz, began to get acquainted with European civilization. Later, graduates of these schools subsequently formed the basis of the leading intelligentsia of Kyrgyzstan. The article studied some aspects of the organization of a new type of school, the subjects taught were fully consistent with religious beliefs, the national mentality, which positively led to the consciousness of local residents. The features of educational institutions in Kyrgyzstan, the role and importance of educating the younger generation, along with the formation of pre-existing religious madrasah schools and writing culture, were analyzed. The influence along with enlightenment work, knowledge and culture of other peoples and indigenous people, their place and significance before Soviet power were studied. A comprehensive study of the history and culture of Kyrgyzstan on a scientific basis was carried out in the second half of the XlX century.

Three-dimensional sectional measurement approach for serial volume changes in shoulder muscles after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair

PurposeThis study assessed the serial volume changes in multiple shoulder muscles simultaneously following arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (ARCR) by a three-dimensional (3D) modeling-based sectional measurement. These volume changes were correlated with background preoperative factors. MethodsFour consecutive magnetic resonance imaging scans (preoperatively and postoperatively at 3, 6, and 12 months) of 33 shoulders from 31 patients who underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff repair were examined. We focused on the sectional volume differences of the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis between preoperatively and 3 months postoperatively (Dif.pre.3mo) and between 3 and 12 months postoperatively (Dif.3.12mo). The correlation between volume differences and clinical/demographic parameters was determined by a multivariate analysis. ResultsNo statistically significant differences were observed for most serial changes in the shoulder muscle volumes. The tear-site muscles (supraspinatus and infraspinatus) showed similar tendencies for volume changes, whereas the non-tear-site muscles (teres minor and subscapularis) differed. A negative correlation was observed between Dif.pre.3mo and Dif.3.12mo for the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, and teres minor. These perioperative volume differences might correlate with tear size and symptom duration in the supraspinatus, as well as with a history of steroid injections and work and sports activity levels in the infraspinatus and teres minor. ConclusionThe serial volume changes in multiple shoulder muscles after ARCR measured using our 3D sectional approach exhibited different tendencies and clinical implications depending on the primary and non-primary site of tears. Our method may serve as a potential indicator to facilitate muscle recovery and prevent the progression of postoperative muscle atrophy.

The history of floristic research of forest biogeocenoses in the Northern Steppe Dnipro region

The study of the history of flora research in the forests of the Northern Steppe of Ukraine is extremely important for understanding the ecological processes and changes occurring in this region. The forests of the Northern Steppe Dnipro region, as unique ecosystems, have undergone significant transformations under the influence of anthropogenic factors. Understanding the historical aspects of these changes allows us to assess the current state of the forests and develop effective strategies for their conservation and restoration. This article aims to highlight the historical development of botanical research, from ancient historians' descriptions to modern scientific works. Despite its importance, the historical course of flora research in the forests of the Northern Steppe of Ukraine has remained insufficiently studied. The lack of a systematic review of research, from ancient times to the present, has limited the ability to fully understand the changes in species composition and ecological conditions of these forests. It is also important to assess the contributions of the first European travelers and scientists to the study of the region's flora and to determine the impact of anthropogenic factors on these ecosystems. The article provides a detailed review of historical sources related to the study of the flora of the forests of the Northern Steppe of Ukraine. The works of ancient historians, such as Herodotus, and European travelers of the XVII–XVIII centuries, including Guillaume Le Vasseur de Beauplan, Johann Anton Güldenstädt, and Peter Pallas, are considered. The contributions of XIX century scientists, such as Karl Friedrich von Ledebour and Ivan Schmalhausen, are analyzed. Special attention is given to the research of the XX century, which reflects changes in ecosystems under the influence of industrialization and agricultural development. The study revealed that anthropogenic factors, in particular, deforestation, the expansion of agricultural lands, and melioration works, have significantly affected the flora of the forests of the Northern Steppe of Ukraine. The analysis of historical data showed that past botanical research is an important source of information for modern understanding of the region's ecological dynamics. These data help develop strategies for the conservation and restoration of forest ecosystems. The historical development of flora research in the forests of the Northern Steppe of Ukraine is an important part of the scientific heritage, which contributes to expanding knowledge about natural resources and ecological processes of this region. Studying the historical aspects of changes in species composition and ecological conditions of the forests allows for the development of effective strategies for their restoration and conservation. The results obtained emphasize the need for further research and efforts to preserve biodiversity and restore the forest biogeocenoses of the Northern Steppe Dnipro region.

Pengaruh Art Therapy (Painting) dengan Media Tote Bag terhadap Self Efficacy pada Pasien Skizofrenia di RSJD Dr. Amino Gondohutomo Provinsi Jawa Tengah

Abstract Background: Schizophrenia is a group of psychotic symptoms that affect different areas of the functioning of a person. Schizophrenics will experience impaired social functioning that is influenced by self-efficacy. Self-efficacy is a very important motivating factor to achieve success. One of the non-pharmacological therapies that can be given is art therapy (painting). Objectives: This study was used to determine the effect of art therapy (painting) with tote bag media on self-efficacy in schizophrenia patients at RSJD Dr. Amino Gondohutomo Province of Central Java. Methods: This research is a pre-experimental quantitative research with one group pre and post-test design. The sampling technique uses purposive sampling with a population of 35 samples. Self-efficacy was measured using the Indonesian version of the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES) instrument. Hypothesis testing uses the Wilcoxon test. Results: The results showed that the age was predominantly late adulthood (45.7%), the majority were female (65.7%), the work history was predominantly non-working (37.1%), the majority of the sample had a marital status of being unmarried (60.0%), education level was dominated by SMA/MAN/SMK (42.9%), and the majority of the sample had an unspecified diagnosis of schizophrenia (65.7%). The average pre-test score is 21.91 and the post-test score is 29.89 with a difference of 7.98, which means there are differences in the results of the self-efficacy examination in the research sample. The results of this research were measured using the Wilcoxon test, obtaining a p-value of 0.000 (p-value <0.05). Conclusion Activities of art therapy (painting) with tote bag media influence self-efficacy in schizophrenia patients at RSJD Dr. Amino Gondohutomo Province of Central Java. It is hoped that the results of this research can become a routine therapeutic activity for schizophrenia patients at RSJD Dr. Amino Gondohutomo Province of Central Java. Keywords : Art Therapy (Painting), Self Efficacy, Schizophrenia

Скульптор на распутье: урало-сибирское турне И.Д. Шадра (1918–1919)

The article attempts to reconstruct an underexplored episode of the artistic biography of the famous Russian sculptor I.D. Shadr — his lecture tour, which took place in 1918–1919 in Shadrinsk, Yekaterinburg, Omsk, and Tomsk. Separate parts of this tour were previously examined in the works of art historians, historians, culturologists and local historians, but it has not yet become the subject of a special scientific study. Shadr’s lectures touched upon a wide range of issues, including development paths of world and national cultures, artistic synthesis, art and religion. The lectures were supplemented by a demonstration of architectural and sculptural design of the Monument to the World’s Suffering. The article is based on the periodical press of the Urals and Siberian cities (Zauralsky krai, Gorny krai, Sibirskaya zhizn newspapers, etc.), including sources that are little‐known or just introduced into scientific circulation. The author of the article reveals the circumstances of Shadr’s tour and content of his lectures, analyses the response of the local audience, and researches into the artistic and socio‐political context of the tour. It is shown that Shadr, not least due to the success of his lectures, acquired the status of a famous sculptor and was able to get large commissions during his stay in White Omsk. Special attention is paid to the possible influence of Shadr’s ideas and his design of the Monument to the World’s Suffering on the architecture and monumental art of the Ural‐Siberian region in the 1920s. It has been suggested that echoes of Shadr’s concept can be found in some monuments and public buildings in the Ural and Siberian cities. The presented information sheds light on the dynamic and multifaceted activity of the sculptor in the extreme conditions of the Russian Civil War, filling in a number of gaps in his biography.

Выставка Михаила Врубеля как предмет искусствоведческой рефлексии

In this article, written after visiting the exhibition of works by M.A. Vrubel at the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow in the winter of 2021–2022, the author shares some of his impressions of the event. Vrubel appears as an innovator who predicted and anticipated in his work many phenomena in the art of the coming 20th century. The author examines the influence of Vrubel’s creative work on the artists of the Russian avant‐garde and the perception of his works by the masters of new trends in art. The purpose of the study is to analyse various connections between the young Russian artists of the 1900s‐1910s and the art and searches of Vrubel. The novelty of the work lies in the fact that this topic has not been fully studied to date. The significant exposition of Vrubel’s works at the Tretyakov Gallery provided a lot of new material for studying the influence of the artist’s work on the masters of the Russian art of the 20th century. In the article special emphasis is placed on the consideration of the last period of the master’s work associated with his illness. From the point of view of a modern researcher this period is a significant and completely independent phenomenon that completed his work of the 19th century and opened up new opportunities for the art of the 20th century. Research material for this article is presented by the works of Vrubel shown at the exhibition in the Tretyakov Gallery in 2021–2022, the memoirs and testimonies of the artists of the early 20th century, and subsequent works of the art historians of the 20th century.

Some Issues of the “Great terror” Problem in Azerbaijan Historiography

The main purpose of writing this article is to assess, from the point of view of Azerbaijani historiography, the event known as the “Great Terror” that occurred in the Soviet Union in 1937–1938. The article, using the example of the Republic of Azerbaijan, examines this wave of repression carried out by the head of the USSR, Joseph Stalin, which entailed the murder of a large number of innocent people in all Soviet republics. In the course of the study, a number of questions are posed and attempted to be resolved. First of all, attention is paid to why and when repression occurs and how it begins. At the same time, the role played by the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan, Mir Jafar Bagirov, during the repressions is revealed, as his influence on the events, how many people became victims of repressions, and so on. The answers to these questions allow us to fully understand the nature of the Great Terror event and get an idea of the current situation. The materials collected during the study were analyzed, and the results obtained were synthesized, taking into account cause-and-effect relationships. During the study, to obtain more objective results, the opinions of individual researchers are critically evaluated, and, if necessary, the inductive method is used. In particular, the use of the inductive method allows us to obtain a general conclusion from individual facts and fully determine the position of Azerbaijani historiography on this issue. To obtain an overall result, the work of researchers studying repression was classified as research conducted by historians, philologists, journalists, archivists, and relatives of the repressed. Since our scientific direction is in the historical aspect, preference was given to the works of historians, but works written in other directions, depending on the topic, were also involved in the research.

Relationships between asbestos exposure and pleural plaques: dose and time effects using fractional polynomials

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to confirm the relationship between several parameters of exposure to asbestos and pleural plaques (PP) using data from a large cohort of retired workers...

초등학교 학교 자체 평가 정책실행에 대한 연구

Purpose: This study analyzed the different enactment contexts and drivers of school self-evaluation policies. Methods: The study used in-depth interviews with key actors, namely narrators, in five elementary schools. The interview questions and analysis utilized Ball, Maguire, and Braun's (2012) concepts of policy enactment. Results: This study analyzed the research subjects as ‘passive policy enactment’ and ‘active policy enactment’ according to the degree of autonomy utilized by the narrator in the process of enacting the school self-evaluation policy. The analysis showed the same policy text led to the restriction or expansion of autonomy depending on the interpretation, and the purpose of explanation and guidance differed depending on the characteristics of the narrator. There were differences in the narration according to the participation of school members, how autonomy was utilized in relation to the scope of policy enactment, and the flow of the evaluation process. The main drivers of the differences in school enactment were as follows. First, the characteristics of the key narrators, including their position in the school, their work history, and their experience with policy sense making. Second, the ways in which schools engaged with narration, including the phenomena of “multiparty engagement” and “connected engagement” in narration. Third, the way they made meaning of the policy, which was highly related to the professional cultures and schools’ specialisms. Conclusion: The enactment of the school self-evaluation policies differed significantly depending on the degree of autonomy utilized by the school, the degree of participation of school members, and the professional culture.

A Comparative Analysis of Foreign Perspectives on Tang Dynasty Narratives: Examining History of Imperial China and A History of China

History of Imperial China, published by Harvard University Press in the United States, and A History of China, published by Kodansha in Japan, are significant works on Chinese general history abroad. Due to differing perspectives and temporal and spatial contexts, these works exhibit distinct narrative styles and characteristics for the same historical period. This article compares the narrative variances between the Tang History Volume of History of Imperial China and A History of China, aiming to elucidate the underlying reasons for such disparities. Analysis reveals that the primary distinction between these two historical works lies in their overarching focus: while History of Imperial China adopts a global perspective, examining the evolution of China's imperial system, the volume China's Cosmopolitan Empire: The Tang Dynasty (History of Imperial China, Vol. III) delves into the shifts and adaptations of the Chinese imperial system during the Tang Dynasty. Conversely, each volume of A History of China boasts unique attributes, with Brilliant World Empires: The Sui and Tang Dynasties (A History of China, Vol. VI) adopting an East Asian perspective to scrutinize the Tang Dynasty's impact as a global empire. This article posits that the disparities in overall structure and specific content between the two works stem from several factors, including publishing objectives and target audiences, the scholarly traditions of Chinese history research in the United States and Japan, the historical relationship between respective countries and China during the Tang Dynasty, as well as the research fields and propositions of the authors.