Treatment for abused children: when is a partial solution acceptable?

Physically maltreated children display a range of serious psychological problems. Despite the availability of effective treatment of similar problems in other populations of children, direct psychological treatment of abused children has rarely been reported. It is argued that such direct treatment, while constituting only a "partial solution" to the problem of child abuse, needs to be addressed through research and application.     

What is play fighting and what is it good for?

Play fighting is a common form of play reported among species of mammals, birds, and some other taxa. The competition present in play fighting revolves around gaining some advantage, such as biting a partner without being bitten. The behavior simulated during play fighting need not be restricted to that present in adult serious fighting, but can involve competitive interactions derived from amicable behavior, such as sex and social grooming, or from nonsocial competition, such as predation. What unifies play fighting, irrespective of the functional behavior being simulated, is that it involves some degree of reciprocity, or turn taking, that requires that the competition be attenuated by cooperation. However, there are several different ways in which cooperation can be inserted into playful interactions, and these vary in use across different species. The moderation of competition with cooperation forces animals to monitor their own actions and those of their partners, and this common feature appears to be one vehicle through which the experience of play fighting in the juvenile period can train animals for greater psychological resilience. The monitoring and contextual adjustment of actions influences the development of executive functions of the brain, which, in turn, leads to the development of more adaptable adults.     

Managing a modern university: is it time for a rethink?

The corporate approaches introduced in the late 1980s and now prevalent in universities in Australia have led to irrevocable changes in the way universities are managed and academics work. The management approaches widely applied in Australian universities are largely based on a top‐down corporate management model, with central control over policy and budget driven by the need to meet stringent external accountability requirements. This form of management rewards compliance and predictability. The economic environment over this period has changed drastically, becoming more global and uncertain. The prevailing management processes are not suited to the modern economic environment. A modern university is expected to operate more as an enterprise, but to do so effectively it needs flexible and responsive forms of management that are more inclusive of academics in the decision making process. This paper explores the organisational management literature and links it to the context in which universities operate. It considers the implications for managers and academics, as key stakeholders in a modern university, in this changeable environment.     

Reading self‐concepts and task choices for children with reading difficulties

Abstract

This project examined the personal and the social basis of children's self‐concepts about reading. Study 1 [N= 55] was a correlational study. Results suggest a stronger personal than social basis for children's self‐concepts about reading. In particular, children made stronger comparisons among content areas than gender groups. Study 2 [N= 18] was an intervention study. The focus was on the personal basis of self‐concepts, for children with reading difficulties. Results showed that self‐concepts were responsive to the intervention, with associated change in task choices. Findings support a self‐categorization approach to understanding children's self‐concepts, and imply that this approach would be useful in motivating children about reading.

Reading is regarded as integral to general living skills and is central to children's learning across many areas of schooling. This means that we need to understand more about the self‐concepts that motivate children to take up and persist with reading activities. H is a particularly pressing issue for children who experience difficulties with reading. This project therefore examined the personal and social basis of children's self‐concepts about reading. The focus was the salience of children's personal and social categorisations about reading that underpin reading self‐concepts and associated choices of reading tasks.     

Scoring methods for multiple choice assessment in higher education – Is it still a matter of number right scoring or negative marking?

In higher education, a multiple choice test is a widely known format for measuring student's knowledge. The debate about the two most commonly used scoring methods for multiple choice assessment – number right scoring (NR) and negative marking (NM) – seems to be a never-ending story. Both NR scoring as NM do not seem to meet the expectations. However, available research hardly offers alternative methods. Clearly, there is a growing need to explore these alternative scoring methods in order to inform and support test designers. This review aims to present an overview of (alternative) scoring methods for multiple choice tests, in which strengths and weaknesses of each method are provided.     

Vascular architecture:is it a helpful histopathological biomarker for hepatocellular carcinoma?

Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) remains one of the major public health problems throughout the world.Although originally associated with tumorigenic processes,liver angiogenesis has also been observed in the context of different liver in-flammatory,fibrotic,and ischemic conditions.Here we investigate the fractal dimension as a quantitator of non-Euclidean two-dimensional vascular geometry in a series of paired specimens of primary HCC and surrounding non-tumoral tissue,and discuss why this parameter might provide additional information regarding cancer behavior.The application of fractal geometry to the measurement of liver vascularity and the availability of a computer-aided quantitative method can eliminate errors in visual interpretation,and make it possible to obtain closer-to-reality numerals that are compulsory for any measurement process.     

Ability grouping—what good is it?

Conclusions It is very clear that reducing the range of ability in these classes was not associated with increased achievement in reading. The lesson for the school administrator is equally clear — homogeneous grouping is not a panacea for educational ills. The school administrator who looks to homogenous grouping as a means of improving pupil achievement will find the process of little value unless definite programs, specifically designed for the several ability levels into which they group their classes, are developed. Grouping by itself, without curricular modification as a concomitant, will not give rise to the desired outcome of improved pupil performance.Dr. Joseph Justman is acting director of the Bureau of Research for the Board of Education of the City of New York.     

Mathematics learning with multiple solution methods: effects of types of solutions and learners’ activity

It is commonly suggested to mathematics teachers to present learners different methods in order to solve one problem. This so-called “learning with multiple solution methods” is also recommended from a psychological point of view. However, existing research leaves many questions unanswered, particularly concerning the effects of different types of solution methods and different degrees of learner’s activity. In this context, two experiments were conducted. In Experiment 1, a 2 × 3-factorial design was implemented, with the first factor concerning multiple versus uniform solutions and the second factor addressing different combinations of formal and informal solution methods. No “multiple solutions effect” was found. An integration of informal methods did not affect learning outcomes; however, it significantly reduced the subjective difficulty of the problems. Then, in Experiment 2, the effectiveness of multiple versus uniform solutions and of measures to foster an active processing was examined using a 2 × 3-factorial design (“number of solutions”: multiple versus uniform; “activity”: complete examples versus incomplete examples versus example-problem pairs). The “multiple” conditions significantly outperformed the “uniform” conditions, and complete examples and example-problem pairs significantly outperformed incomplete examples. Based on the results of Experiment 1 and 2, preconditions under which multiple solutions can improve learning outcomes are discussed.     

What is global education and where is it taking us?

Global education began as a movement to reform education and society in the 1960s and 1970s, through the work of educationalists, NGOs and also intergovernmental organisations. The global approach seeks to break with a curriculum that is grounded in subject knowledge and national culture. Instead, it seeks to explore alternative rationales for education and alternate futures. A second wave of global or international education occurred from the 1990s alongside discussion of globalisation, which brought the movement into mainstream education. One of the characteristics of global/international education is its ambiguity. It seeks to break with the past curriculum, but it is not always clear what will take its place. For some, preparing young people for the global market is foremost, while others aim to facilitate the child's sense of himself or herself as a personal being. What is common to both is a desire to challenge the boundaries that previously gave meaning to education (especially theoretical knowledge and culture) and a search for meaning and opportunity in the projection of power beyond national boundaries. We conclude by questioning whether children are adequately prepared to act as global citizens without an education based on academic knowledge and an ethical framework that is culturally grounded.     

What Makes the Difference? Children and teachers talk about resilient outcomes for children 'at risk'

Research has been conducted into childhood resilience, a term which according to A. Masten, K. Best and N. Garmezy (Resilience and development: contributions from study of children who overcome adversity, Development and Psychopathology, 2, pp. 425-444, 1990) is defined as the process of, capacity for or outcome of successful adaptation despite challenging or threatening circumstances. The study to be presented here asked 9-12 year olds and their teachers from primary schools in disadvantaged areas in South Australia what it was they thought made the difference between 'kids with tough lives who do O.K.' and 'kids with tough lives who don't do O.K.' Using Bronfenbrenner's ecological theory to frame the analysis, this paper explores how the two groups of respondents discussed how the family, the school and the community might help make the difference. While both children and teachers tended to see the role of the family and the community in promoting resilient behaviour in fairly similar terms, the two groups saw very different roles for the school.     

What are the outcomes for children born preterm and how can interventions meet their needs?

Recent medical advancements have resulted in improved survival rates for “preterm” children, born before 37 weeks gestation. However, this population remains vulnerable to adverse physiological, neurological and emotional outcomes. Research suggests that the professionals involved with them as they enter and progress through school, such as teachers and educational psychologists (EPs), have limited knowledge of the vulnerabilities of children born preterm. Using a bio-psychosocial approach, this paper gives an overview of some common outcomes for children born preterm and makes suggestions for evidence-based interventions aimed at minimising adverse outcomes. Particular attention is paid to holistic environmental interventions, to which the EP might contribute and advise, including classroom moderations, a focus on play and language, and the potential value of delayed school entry.     

Improving outcomes for young children: can we narrow the gap?

This article explores the considerable developments in both early years policy and in the provision of services for young children in England since 1997, noting the role that such services have had in informing the broader Every child matters agenda. Many challenges remain, however, not least the numbers of children and families who still live in poverty and the continuing gap between those children who do well and those who do not. In examining how this gap can be narrowed, through intervention and support during the early years, the work of the Narrowing the Gap project is described, a project that continues with the Centre for Excellence and Outcomes in Children’s Services (C4EO). Whilst high‐quality early years services provide a very positive start in life for young children, reducing inequality remains the key priority.     

The multiple deficit model of dyslexia: what does it mean for identification and intervention?

Research demonstrates that phonological skills provide the basis of reading acquisition and are a primary processing deficit in dyslexia. This consensus has led to the development of effective methods of reading intervention. However, a single phonological deficit is not sufficient to account for the heterogeneity of individuals with dyslexia, and recent research provides evidence that supports a multiple-deficit model of reading disorders. Two studies are presented that investigate (1) the prevalence of phonological and cognitive processing deficit profiles in children with significant reading disability and (2) the effects of those same phonological and cognitive processing skills on reading development in a sample of children that received treatment for dyslexia. The results are discussed in the context of implications for identification and an intervention approach that accommodates multiple deficits within a comprehensive skills-based reading program.     

Understanding children’s motives when using iPads in Saudi classrooms: is it for play or for learning?

ABSTRACT

Even though studies of the accessibility of digital technologies in educational contexts have become progressively more extensive, understanding children’s motive for play or for learning is essential for identifying the way they relate to touch technology. This research paper seeks to understand the relation between the motive for play and the motive for learning when iPads are introduced into a grade one class in the Saudi Arabian education setting, where there is no custom for the use of digital technologies (five children, age range 5.5 (6 years old; n=80 hours of video observations; n=12 hours of children and class teacher interviews). The teacher put in place a new learning configuration involving the iPads, and by studying how the children interpret this new situation it is possible to see what factors influence the development of their motive for play to their motive for learning. The findings are important for the Saudi context, but also for early years teachers generally because it gives insights into how digital tools can act as a vehicle through which learning can be enhanced.