Taking Stock

Late in 1965, the Inner London Education Authority decided to set up its own television service for the schools and colleges in its area. Some questioned the justification for this in a situation where national broadcasts for schools were already available on two channels and for further education on three. Now that the ILEA service has been operational for one and a half years, it is possible to make a preliminary attempt to assess to what extent original plans and expectations are being realised, and how far initial thinking has been modified in the light of experience.     

Ethical issues of behavior modification research in schools

Behavior modification research in the classroom was examined by the National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects because of the increasingly widespread use of behavioral procedures in the schools, the effectiveness of these procedures in changing academic and social behavior, and the consequent concern about potential misuse. In order to foster the responsible use of behavior modification procedures in the schools on a practical as well as a research basis, the following ethical issues being considered by researchers and the involved public are discussed: informed consent, determination of classroom goals, legitimacy of rewards and aversive controls in the classroom, conceptions of behavior modification as manipulative and mechanistic, who can implement the procedures, research design, and accountability. The authors conclude that the issues regarding protection of human subjects in behavior modification research are no different from other treatment-oriented research with children. However, the high degree of parental and teacher involvement in both research and practice requires shared responsibility for the prevention of misuse of behavior modification procedures.     

Operant Techniques in School Psychology

In recent years there has been increasing recognition of the fact that the role of the school psychologist in this country is changing. The conception of the school psychologist as psychometrician and clinician has given way to the notion that the school psychologist may best serve school needs by functioning as a consultant to the school (Derner, 1965; Leton, 1964; McDaniel & Ahr, 1965; Schmidt & Pena, 1964). A major part of consultant service involves work with teachers regarding the problems of children. The purpose of the present article is to describe the usefulness of operant techniques in enabling the school psychologist to implement effectively this aspect of his newly acquired consultant role. In a child's environment events precede and follow behavior. Events subsequent to behavior may accelerate the behavior, decelerate the behavior, or have no observable effect. Most subsequent events in a child's environment occur unsystematically. When the school psychologist aids teachers in arranging planned schedules of particular events to follow specific child behavior the operant approach is being employed. Figure 1 illustrates the operant paradigm.     

Using Human Givens therapy to support the well‐being of adolescents: a case example

This article outlines the use of Human Givens (HG) therapy with adolescents reporting poor subjective well‐being. HG therapy is based on the assumption that human beings have innate needs, which, if unmet, lead to emotional distress and mental health problems. Hitherto, there has been no independently published empirical research into the efficacy of HG as a therapeutic intervention with young people. The article examines the theory and background to HG therapy; the emotional well‐being of children; and young people and counselling and therapeutic interventions in schools, before describing an exploratory case study into the effectiveness of the HG approach. This involves assessing the efficacy of an individual HG intervention for three young people reporting high anxiety or depression and/or low self concept. The HG process and therapy structure are detailed through an illustrative case study regarding a 16‐year‐old girl with moderate levels of anxiety and low self‐concept. Positive outcomes are observed for all three young people, providing tentative evidence that HG therapy might be useful to practitioners delivering therapeutic interventions in schools, although limitations of the small‐scale research design are highlighted. Issues relating to the provision of individual therapeutic interventions in school are discussed more widely, as are other possible applications of the HG approach in schools.     

Children Who Help Victims of Bullying: Implications for Practice

Over the years, literature on the phenomenon of bullying has evolved from treating bullying as an individual behavior to understanding it as a group process. Other than those of the bully and the victim, researchers have identified several roles children assume in bullying situations, with some assuming a pro-social role, often called the defender, in bullying scenarios. Practice literature continues to concentrate its attention narrowly on the bully and the victim, rather than on defenders. Understanding the individual and social circumstances related to defending suggests new avenues for practitioners interested in promoting improved peer relations in schools.     

What play therapists do within the therapeutic relationship of humanistic/non-directive play therapy

Play therapists are increasingly being employed in schools, yet there is confusion among many health, education and social care practitioners about the role of play therapists. This paper explains how play therapists position themselves and what they do through an examination of the therapeutic relationship between the therapist and child. It discusses the core conditions of congruence, acceptance and empathy with reference to recent research. Play therapists vary their practice in terms of verbal or non-verbal interaction, the tools in their playroom and how they physically place themselves. This paper argues for placing an emphasis on the non-verbal mirroring of the child, the incorporation of expressive media such as paint, clay and sand into the play room and the positioning of the therapist within the play space.     

THE BRIGHTON LANGUAGE TEACHING PROJECT

Research at the Language Teaching Research Unit of Brighton Polytechnic has focussed on two questions. The first is the use of CCTV as a catalyst for social interaction and the development of individual communication skills and the second has been the use and effectiveness of broadcast foreign language courses, both for adults and in schools. The first stage of the research of this second focus was a large‐scale national enquiry, backed up by tests, classroom observation and in‐depth interviews. This is now being followed up by two projects, one investigating a postulated need for a support strategy to consolidate the motivation of adult home‐learners, and the other exploring the role of the teacher's expectations and attitudes in his mediation of broadcast material in the school classroom     

The motivations of mentors: promoting relationships,supporting pupils,engaging with communities

Mentoring as a means of supporting young people perceived as having difficulties or being at risk of disaffection has become an important feature of pastoral support approaches in and around schools in recent years. The provision of support that is based upon a highly personalised relationship and founded upon principles of unconditional positive regard has been a feature of many schools and has been endorsed at government and local authority levels. Drawing upon two recently conducted research projects, this paper considers the motivations of mentors, the definition and development of the mentoring role and the ways in which it is being developed in respect of young people. The authors suggest that a certain ambiguity and fluidity of definition of the role of the mentor may be a strength rather than a weakness when developing supportive pastoral systems. The paper considers the motivations of mentors and how these may impact upon the success of mentoring schemes.     

An Investigation into the Use and Perceived Value of an Educational TV Programme Made for Schools

This paper reports on a preliminary investigation on a small scale of the way the schools programme ‘Look and Read’ is used and evaluated both by teachers and pupils. The research was carried out among a small group of primary schools in an outer London Borough and began by eliciting responses from individual teachers concerning their use and attitudes towards the programme. A more detailed comparison was then made between two schools; first in their use of ‘Look and Read’ and secondly amongst children themselves in an attempt to assess the impact of the programme. The paper concludes that although the programme has the potential for enhancing children's reading development, this potential is not being fully realised and teachers need to be more aware of educational TV as a valuable learning resource.     

‘They call me wonder woman’: the job jurisdictions and work‐related learning of higher level teaching assistants

This paper reports on an in‐depth interview study of the roles, job jurisdictions and associated learning of higher level teaching assistants (HLTAs). This role has the core purpose of covering classes to enable teacher release for planning, preparation and assessment. HLTAs’ individual job jurisdictions are described and discussed as are implications for their knowledge and practice. The HLTAs are found to have wide‐ranging job domains and, sometimes, unexpected involvements which mean they have to improvise practice. The study acknowledges that these HLTAs are being creatively managed and deployed by head teachers for the sake of teachers and schools. However, they are, at times, required to take on planning and cover duties which are beyond their knowledge and training with a likely impact on children’s learning. Given their training and experience it is asked if covering classes to release teachers is the most effective use of their abilities and time.     

非正式教师存在的合理性及合理性原则

非正式教师是国家公办教育机构中未进入国家和所在学校正式教师编制体系、不享受国家和所在学校公办教师特殊权益的从教人员。通过对古今中外非正式教师的归纳推理发现,非正式教师都有一定的文化知识和教育知识,都有从教的意愿。非正式教师的存在合乎教育发展需要与正式教师数量不足之理,合乎教师流动规律及其发展目的的统一之理,合乎其存在的组织行为目的与其个体发展价值统一之理。非正式教师的存在需要以辅助性、合格性、同工同酬性、地方主导与学校主体相结合的原则为其存在的合理性前提。     

Evidence on the efficacy of school-based incentives for healthy living

We analyze the effects of a school-based program that offers children an opportunity to win prizes if they walk or bike to school during prize periods. We use daily child-level data and individual fixed effects models to measure the effect of the prizes, with variation in the timing of prize periods across different schools allowing us to estimate models with calendar-date fixed effects to control for day-specific attributes, such as weather and proximity to holidays. On average, we find that being in a prize period increases the riding behavior of participating children by sixteen percent, a large impact given that the prize value is just six cents per student. We also find that winning a prize lottery has a positive impact on ridership over subsequent weeks; consider heterogeneity across prize type, gender, age, and calendar month; and explore differential effects on the intensive versus extensive margins.     

Global–local dynamics of curriculum policy development: a case-study from Singapore

Non-government education is often a highly emotive and frequently irrational area of educational debate, especially when it centres on the degree of government funding and support. Frequently people take fortified positions, being either for or against it, often on political grounds and often without taking into account the cultural contexts and complexities involved. The purpose of this article is to look beyond these confines. It is based on a research project focusing on ‘whole’ curriculum policy at the individual school level in non-government schools in a variety of English-speaking countries in the developed world. The article is in three parts. The first part outlines the conceptual framework employed to guide our research project on curriculum policy. The second part presents a case-study of Chinese High School (CHS) in Singapore. This is an exemplar of the type of case-study of curriculum policy in non-government schools being undertaken as part of our research. Also, it is an interesting case in its own right; while the school has developed a global orientation to its curriculum policy and has incorporated ‘the global’ into ‘the local’ extremely rapidly, this curriculum transition has not been without its tensions and costs. The third part of the article offers a discussion of the ‘bigger picture’ implications of the findings.     

Subject and Subject: English Teaching and Learning in China

This article examines the influence of English on China, especially on Chinese English learners. What role has English played in China? Who decides the way it is structured? In what way has it affected Chinese society, especially schools? And how can educators face the cultural dilemmas it brings? Presenting the historical and contemporary position of English in China, the author argues that English has played a unique role in reinforcing the social stratification in China. English has never been just a subject or discipline in Chinese schools, but the Chinese must become aware of the danger of being the subject of its power.     

The Alert Program for self-management of behaviour in second level schools: results of phase 1 of a pilot study

This article reports on Phase 1 of a pilot programme on self-management of behaviour with challenging class groups of students as part of the evidence-informed practice of the National Behaviour Support Service. The Alert Program is a structured active learning programme using an engine analogy. The person’s engine runs on high, low or just right for the task in hand. The focus of this first phase of the pilot was on the appropriateness of module content, teaching approaches, resource materials and classroom management strategies. Eighty-five first year students (aged 12–13 years) and four teachers in four second level partner schools in areas of social disadvantage were involved. Trial 1 offered five class sessions and Trial 2 offered eight. Phase 1 was occupational therapist led with class teacher support. Perceptions from teachers and students were gathered by questionnaires. Teachers reported that the content and class management strategies were appropriate. Students gained an understanding of their behaviour and identified self-management strategies for use in the class. They recommended that all teachers working with the class group should be familiar with the language and techniques of the programme to reinforce learning. Feedback from 85% (72) of students confirmed that the learning tasks were considered by the majority to be enjoyable and relevant. The group of students perceived to be the most challenging gave the most positive scores, and 100% of these indicated their intention to use their new self-management strategies in class. The positive results led to Phase 2 of the pilot in which teachers took the lead role with occupational therapist support in a national pilot in 16 schools in areas of social disadvantage.     

学校创新经营的国际经验借鉴

随着知识经济时代的来临,知识与创新成为国家竞争力的核心要素,而在提升个体或团体的创造力或创新能力方面,教育则扮演了重要角色。学校创新经营不仅有利于推动创造力教育,同时有助于学校取得竞争优势,从而能持续发展。文章论述了学校创新经营的概念,并介绍英美学校创新经营的国际经验,以启发我国学校的创新经营。     

Does it Work with the Older Ones? A Review of Behavioural Studies Carried out in British Secondary Schools since 1981

In 1981 the first author carried out a review of studies in behaviour modification in British educational settings. At that time 56 such studies were identified as having been carried out in primary schools, compared with only 24 in secondary schools. In his conclusion the author suggested the form that further empirical investigations might take and pointed out the need for more studies to be undertaken at the secondary level. In the present paper an attempt has been made to give an up‐to‐the‐minute review of the progress that has been made in exploring the usefulness of behavioural methods in secondary schools. What becomes apparent is that whilst behavioural methods have been shown to be equally effective in secondary and primary school settings, very few such studies have been reported: only 37 since the last review, many of these being from the same source. The vast majority of the new studies now reported comprise a ‘rules, praise and ignoring’ element. The reasons why behavioural methods are not more fully used, despite their success in secondary schools, is discussed, and suggestions are made for future action.     

Meeting the needs of pupils with learning difficulties. What do primary and secondary schools expect of their educational psychologists?

A questionnaire survey was conducted in all primary schools in the Dunbarton division of Strathclyde region (N=117) to obtain the views of headteachers regarding the involvement of local authority educational psychologists in the area of learning difficulties. This was a follow‐up to a previously published study of the views of learning support coordinators in secondary schools throughout the division. The results of the primary survey are presented and comparisons made with the secondary schools. The findings suggest that schools perceive psychologists as having a central role to play in the area of learning difficulties but indicate a considerable shortfall between present and desired levels of service. It was also noted that after more than a decade of reconstruction of psychological services in which a major theme has been a reduced emphasis on direct work with individual children, the traditional role of individual assessment and counselling is the one which continues to be strongly endorsed by teachers. Some implications for psychological services and schools are considered.     

Efficacy of teacher in‐service training for attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Children with attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) evidence many problems in the classroom. Teacher in‐service training is routinely used to inform school professionals about a number of special topics; however, the efficacy of such in‐service training for ADHD has not been established. The present study examined the efficacy of brief in‐service training focused on evidence‐based assessment and treatment of ADHD. Teachers from six schools (N = 142) in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area were randomly assigned at the school level to receive in‐service training immediately or to a waitlist control group that received in‐service training 1 month later. Measures of ADHD knowledge and use of behavior modification techniques were obtained at pre‐‐ and post‐‐in‐service intervention. Results indicated that the in‐service training resulted in increased ADHD knowledge. Special education teachers also reported increased use of behavior modification techniques resulting from the in‐service training. Clinical and research implications are presented. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Artifacts as authoritative actors in educational reform

Educational reforms are often translated in and implemented through artifacts. Although research has frequently treated artifacts as merely functional, more recent work acknowledges the complex relationship between material artifacts and human/organizational behavior. This article aims at disentangling this relationship in order to deepen our understanding of the role of artifacts within processes of educational change. In particular, we study the implementation of a data-transfer instrument developed to stimulate care continuity between primary and secondary schools. In order to understand an artifact’s authority and to unravel its role in processes of innovation, we turned to organizational routines and neo-institutional theory. Drawing on data from an artifact analysis and semi-structured interviews, this article reports how this artifact not only transfers data, but also changed the discursive interactions (routines) in the school team around care. From an institutional perspective, implementing the artifact can be viewed as an answer to institutional forces that are pressurizing organizations to conform to particular ideas of what care and care continuity should ideally look like. The use of the artifact contributed to the schools’ organizational legitimacy by serving their symbolic needs and it enabled them to position themselves towards stakeholders, parents and other schools as a truly legitimate school.