A world of Indigenous languages: Politics,pedagogies and prospects for language reclamation

International Review of Education -     

Exploring the role of ‘brokers’ in developing a localised curriculum

ABSTRACT

There is a move in some countries, including England, towards less curriculum control by government. This stands in contrast to a national curriculum which may be universally applied in all schools within a state/country. National curricula tend to use either content-based (subject mastery) or process (skills)-based models. More localised curricula have the potential to be more issue- and problem-centred using local resources and people as part of their building blocks. However, marketisation and globalisation typified by Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) ‘effect’ on national policies have discouraged teachers' creativity and curriculum innovation and negated teacher agency. Unfortunately, schools and community partners can find it hard to work together because of logistical, communication and cultural impediments, which gives significance to the role of curriculum brokers who can bridge these divides. This paper offers a case study of two brokers in order to describe, understand and conceptualise their role in curriculum development. The wider implications for curriculum development are outlined.     

The role of received social support and self-efficacy for the satisfaction of basic psychological needs in teacher education

We conducted a cross-sectional questionnaire study in 2016 with 697 student teachers from two Universities. The study used structural equation modelling to analyse the effects of received social support from family and fellow-students as well as perceived self-efficacy in relation to the basic psychological needs in teacher education. To measure the effects of received social support on the satisfaction of basic needs, we developed two scales adapting Mansfield’s qualitative approach on teacher resilience. Perceived self-efficacy turned out to be effected directly by received fellow-students’ support as well as having a mediation effect on higher levels of autonomy and competence, whereas received family support leads only to higher levels of autonomy. Especially received fellow-students’ support is directly connected to higher levels of need satisfaction. Finally, we discuss conclusions for shaping conditions of university-life according to experiencing what is necessary for a higher level of perception and satisfaction of basic psychological needs.     

The Zeitschriftendatenbank and the Elektronische Zeitschriftenbibliothek: An Update on Services

The authors discuss the Zeitschriftendatenbank (the German Union Catalog of Serials) and the Elektronische Zeitschriftenbibliothek (the Electronic Journals Library). They then present an overview of the cooperative efforts to integrate the two databases at a functional level, the services that have resulted so far from these efforts, and the prospects for the future.     

Stories of practitioner enquiry: using narrative interviews to explore teachers’ perspectives of learning to learn

The Campaign for Learning’s Learning to Learn Phase 4 was a research project in which teachers undertook practitioner enquiry to explore innovative pedagogies under the umbrella term of learning to learn. In 2008, to gain greater understanding of what this process meant to the participating teachers the research team at Newcastle University undertook narrative interviews which examined three key areas: the motivation for undertaking practitioner enquiry, the experience for both teachers and students, and the support needed to facilitate success. This paper examines how the decision to use narrative interviews in conjunction with an iterative validation process supported a meaningful and ethical exchange between the teachers and researchers, where knowledge generation was foregrounded, and how despite each teacher producing a unique, highly contextual story, cross-narrative themes emerged which have enabled the research team to broaden our understanding of practitioner enquiry.     

What to do when feeling bored?: Students' strategies for coping with boredom

The goal of this study was to explore different strategies for coping with boredom. A questionnaire was developed targeting two dimensions of coping, namely approach versus avoidance oriented coping and cognitive versus behavioral oriented coping. First, based on the responses of 976 students (51% female) from grades 5 to 10, the structure of the coping with boredom scales was verified by confirmatory factor analysis. In a second step, 3 different boredom-coping groups were identified by latent profile analysis. These three groups were named Reappraisers, Criticizers, and Evaders. Third, differences between these groups concerning their frequency of experiencing boredom, their academic achievement, and other emotional, motivational, and cognitive aspects of academic achievement situations were analyzed. Relative to the other 2 groups, Reappraisers preferred cognitive-approach strategies, were less frequently bored, and experienced the most positive pattern of emotional, motivational, and cognitive outcomes. Finally, methodological and educational implications and directions for future research are discussed.     

Opting out or opting in? Conscience clauses,minority belief communities and the possibility of inclusive Religious Education in Northern Ireland

A recent research study has examined the role and effectiveness of conscience clauses as a means of protecting the freedom of religion and belief of members of minority faith communities in relation to the teaching of religious education (RE) in schools. While the specific context for this study related to young people from such communities in Northern Ireland, its implications have wider application to other national contexts. In this article, the principal focus is on the significance of the study for the content of, and approach to, RE in schools.     

Anorexia athletica in pre-professional ballet dancers

Abstract

Competitive sport has been under increasing discussion as a possible favourable factor in the development of eating disorders among children and adolescents. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of sport-specific eating disorders, in line with the concept of anorexia athletica. This prospective field study included one experimental group and two control groups (disease and healthy). Fifty-two pre-professional ballet dancers aged 13–20 years were tested for clinical eating disorders, anorexia athletica criteria, eating disorder related psychopathology and self-concept, and were compared with 52 patients with anorexia nervosa and 44 non-athletic controls of the same age. The study was conducted using semi-structured interviews as well as self-report questionnaires. A clinical eating disorder diagnosis was made in 1.9% of the ballet dancers versus 0% of the high school students; anorexia athletica was diagnosed in 5.8% of the dancers versus 2.3% of the students. Ballet dancers scored lower than patients with anorexia nervosa with regard to eating disorder related psychopathology and higher than the patients with regard to self-concept. We conclude that more sensitive tools to differentiate between sport-specific (eating) patterns, anorexia athletica and clinically relevant eating disorders are needed, especially for aesthetic sports such as ballet. It remains an important goal to identify athletes with symptoms of anorexia athletica irrespective of their physique and/or sport.