On Interdisciplinary Research: with particular reference to the field of environment and development

Interdisciplinary research is fashionable, but also controversial; yet it is far from agreed what is meant by the term. This paper analyses some central issues concerning interdisciplinary research, both in general and with particular reference to the field of environment and development. It draws on earlier literature, especially Becher (1989) and on experience from universities in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, U.S.A and Britain. The paper includes an analysis of how disciplines interact, focussing on economics, ecology and anthropology. It also addresses two 'great divides'. The first is that between the 'two cultures': a gap which is indeed important, although it does not lie precisely between the natural sciences on the one hand and the social sciences and humanities on the other. The second is the gap between research and application; research that is usable by policy-makers, it is argued, is typically, and necessarily, not of high quality judged in academic terms.     

Curriculum as an instrument of change with particular reference to the social sciences

The social science curriculum of the future must prepare students to face rapidly changing circumstances in their world. The home and church seem to be unable to deal with those changes that are leading to a deterioration in human relationships and moral standards. The school seems to have the greatest potential for meeting the challenge and it is argued here that the most suitable setting in the school is the classroom with a wide range of ability and racial groups in it. The methodological principles stemming from the Taba Curriculum in Social Studies, supplemented and refined by those of Piaget and Kohlberg, offer possibilities for effecting positive social changes to meet the moral crisis at present facing Western society.

---

Résumé Dans le futur, le programme d'études des sciences sociales devra préparer les élèves à faire face aux changements rapides de leur monde. La maison et l'église semblent incapables de s'occuper des transformations qui mènent à la déterioration des relations humaines et des valeurs morales. Il semble que l'école a le plus grand potentiel pour faire face à ce défi et l'auteur soutient que le meilleur milieu dans l'école c'est la salle de classe composée d'élèves qui ont des aptitudes variées et qui viennent de différents groupes raciaux. Les principles méthodologiques qui dérivent du programme scolaire dans les ciences sociales de Taba, augmenté de ceux de Piaget et Kohlberg, offrent des possibilités d'effectuer des changements sociaux positifs afin de faire face à la crise morale qui confronte à présent la société occidentale.

     

Concept image and concept definition in mathematics with particular reference to limits and continuity

The concept image consists of all the cognitive structure in the individual's mind that is associated with a given concept. This may not be globally coherent and may have aspects which are quite different from the formal concept definition.The development of limits and continuity, as taught in secondary school and university, are considered. Various investigations are reported which demonstrate individual concept images differing from the formal theory and containing factors which cause cognitive conflict.     

恩格斯《英国工人阶级状况》中的共同利益思想及其影响

恩格斯《英国工人阶级状况》中展现了丰富的共同利益思想,包括基于共同利益的无产阶级意识和基于特殊利益的资本主义的发展。这些思想也是理解现代社会主义的一把钥匙。     

Charting teacher education policy in the Republic of Ireland with particular reference to the impact of economic recession

Background: Teacher education is an area of concern both in the policy and practice domains in both international and national contexts. Internationally, there are a wide range teacher education programmes and there is also considerable diversity with reference to policy approaches that operationalise such provision.

Purpose: This paper focuses on teacher education policy in Ireland and explores the relationships that exist between policy and teacher education as a sub-system of the education system.

Sources of evidence: Data from Governmental legislation, discussion papers, professional bodies commentaries, institutional practice and research.

Main argument: The paper provides a critical analysis of existing policy and practice in the area and it reflects on recent policy approaches in the context of the difficult economic circumstances, which Ireland has been experiencing since 2010.

Conclusions: The process of policy formation has been historically slow and rarely rational. It is likely to remain so for the foreseeable future given the current fiscal crisis and the need to further reduce public spending, with teacher education viewed primarily in terms of promoting economic objectives.     

Towards a theory of curriculum implementation with particular reference to science education in developing countries

Improving science education is often regarded as a priority for developing countries in order to promote longterm economic development. Thus initiatives, both government and foreign-aid sponsored, aimed at improving science education in developing countries abound. However, all too often the focus of such initiatives is limited to the development of science curricula, while the details of how the curricula will be implemented at school level are often neglected. This paper represents an effort to lay the groundwork for a theory of curriculum implementation with particular reference to developing countries. We have drawn on school development, educational change, and science education literature in order to develop three constructs that could form the heart of such a theory, namely, Profile of Implementation, Capacity to Innovate, and Outside Support. Six propositions are offered to suggest how the constructs may inter-relate as a basis for the development of the theory. The implementation of the natural sciences learning area of the South African Curriculum 2005 is used to illustrate the emerging theory.     

Morning and afternoon sessions in the nursery,do they have equal status? With particular reference to storytime

The majority of state nursery education in the United Kingdom is part‐time. Although there are exceptions this usually means that children attend either in the morning or afternoon. The format of the afternoon session can often resemble the morning session, offering similar activities. This paper sets out to examine the comparative quality of experience for children attending part‐time nursery at different times of the day. It looks particularly at storytime, when the whole group of children is brought together to share a story. The findings suggest the two sessions are not of equal value to the children, that children may not be performing as well in the afternoon and that the traditional group storytime may not be as effective for the afternoon children. This type of storytime may need to be adapted/changed to match the needs of the particular group of children, taking into consideration performance during the day. Finally, suggestions are given for other ways to ensure children have worthwhile story experiences.     

Education and Decentralisation in Less Developed Countries: a comment on general trends,issues and problems,with particular reference to Papua New Guinea

The last two decades have witnessed numerous changes in the administrative systems of many less developed countries. A few have centralised their administrations, but a larger number have decentralised. Usually education has been affected as part of overall changes, though occasionally reforms in education have been initiated independently of other sectors.

This paper begins by discussing the meaning of decentralisation. It points out that the term is vague, that systems may have many contradictory strands, and that the terminology and processes may not be understood even by those in charge of decentralisation projects. The paper then discusses the advantages and disadvantages of different structures, and the experiences of several countries during the 1970s and 1980s. Particular prominence is given to events in Papua New Guinea.     

The Development of Giftedness and Talent Across the Life Span. Horowitz,F. D., Subotnik,R. F., & Matthews,D. J. (2009)

Doll, B. and Doll, C. (1997). Bibliotherapy With Young People: Librarians and Mental Health Professionals Working Together. Englewood, Colorado: Libraries Unlimited, Inc., (124 pp., $23.00 Pb, ISBN: 1–56308–407–4)

Ford, D. Y. (1996). Reversing Underachievement Among Gifted Black Students: Promising Practices and Programs. New York, NY: Teachers College Press (236 pp.,$24.95, ISBN‐0–8077–3535–3).

Harris, V.J. (1997). Using Multiethnic Literature in the K‐8 Classroom. Norwood, MA: Christopher‐Gordon Publishers, Inc. (300 pp., SBN 0–926842–60–9).

Ellis, A. and Llewellyn, M. (1997). Dealing with Differences: Taking Action on Class, Race, Gender and Disability. Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin Press, Inc. (158 pp., $24.95 paper, ISBN‐0–8039–6430–7).

Delisle, R. (1997). How to Use Problem‐Based Learning in the Classroom. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (107 pp., $12.95 paper, ISBN 0–87120–291–3).

Torp, L., &; Sage, S. (1998). Problems as Possibilities: Problem‐based learning for K‐12 education. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (102 pp., $15.95 paper, ISBN 0–87120–297–2)     

National call to action: Working toward the elimination of child maltreatment. The economics

No reliable estimates exist of the overall costs to society of child maltreatment that will withstand serious examination. Arguably some of the most important human costs of maltreatment are unquantifiable. Moreover, in many cases it is difficult if not impossible to separate the economics of child abuse and neglect from the economics of a host of other problems facing families. Still, even conservative estimates of government spending on behalf of abused and neglected children and their families illustrate that child maltreatment costs society a great deal, with much of that expense going for deep-end intervention rather than family support and prevention. Government expenditures directed at this social problem have grown rapidly since the rediscovery of child abuse in the 1960s and now exceed spending for a number of essential supports for children and families. Moreover, the new era of continuing commitment to child protection in the context of a revised social contract with the nation's poor raises serious questions about the economics of child maltreatment in the future.