Books published by Anchor Academic Publishing

The question of whether states pursue absolute or relative gains has divided neo-realism and neo-liberalism for quite some time now. Thus whereas neo-realists contend that states seek comparative advantages relative to others, neo-liberal scholars argue that they are primarily interested in absolute individual gains. In applying social-constructivist ideas, however, this book will demonstrate that such a preference for relative or absolute gains is not naturally predetermined, but inextricably linked to the continual 're-construction' of states' national identities and interests. By analyzing the Truman Administration's decision for using nuclear weapons against Hiroshima and Nagasaki, this case study will show that American leaders were much more preoccupied with achieving absolute rather than relative gains. Such absolute considerations were influenced by the pressures of an anarchic self-help system, specific domestic imperatives and the personal views of individual policy-makers who believed that only swift socio-economic recovery and the creation of a more peaceful security environment would ultimately ensure their country's long-term international position.

The purpose of this study is to identify and elucidate the influence of coaching in teachers¿ attitude and performance as perceived by inexperienced in coaching practice nursery school. The question that guided this study is ¿What is the impact of coaching in a Greek nursery school?¿ This study focuses on three research questions:¿ How do teachers evaluate the coaching experience?¿ What are the benefits and the implementing of coaching?¿ If and how teachers¿ interaction with coaching changes their attitude? The author¿s research was influenced by her first degree in early childhood education, and her own professional background. One head teacher and five teachers provided the study evidence. The qualitative approach was used to collect and analyse the data. This research has been a follow-up to a descriptive, exploratory qualitative case study. The findings were based on several different research tools such as semi-structured interviews, reflective journals, criteria sheets, coaching sheets, and SWOT sheets.The examination of the data highlights 5 key issues: the leadership effects in the working environment and teachers¿ performance; the coaching understanding concerns the degree in which respondents clarify the different aspects of coaching; the next category, on coaching difficulties, includes the perceived reasons for which coaching was ineffective; the coaching benefits introduces the positive contributions of the coaching process; and the final key point is the coaching influence in the teachers¿ attitude.The findings support that coaching influences the participants¿ attitude to a limited but significant degree.