A tale of two probabilities

Two contestants debate the notorious probability problem of the sex of the second child. The conclusions boil down to explication of the underlying scenarios and assumptions. Basic principles of probability theory are highlighted.     

Records of Achievement and The Learning Society: a tale of two discourses

The first part of the paper briefly explores the implications of creating a learning society’ in terms of the changes this implies for how education is currently organized and delivered. The argument is made that the steadily increasing influence of the discourse of the ‘assessment society‘ — which assumes that all aspects of quality can and should be measured in an overt way — is actively inhibiting the development of a learning society’. The argument is illustrated by a case‐study of the records of achievement initiative — one of the earliest attempts to change the focus of assessment practice in the UK. It concludes by suggesting that while an assessment discourse of ‘performativity’, rather than ‘empowerment’ remains dominant, initiatives like recording achievement are unlikely to have more than a marginal impact.     

Electronic portfolios in grades one,two and three: a cautionary tale

Some electronic portfolios (EPs) developers are proposing that EPs are suitable for implementation in primary education (i.e. kindergarten to grade three). Yet, empirical research evaluating the implementation and efficacy of EPs used in primary school settings at both the teacher and the student level is scarce. In this research, the authors attempted to implement EPs in grades one, two and three (approximate ages 6 through 8). EPs were reviewed to make the EP selection and in-depth collaborative planning with the teachers ensued. The main challenges for teachers and students were at the user interface level. Results from this cautionary tale suggest that implementation of EPs in primary education may be premature. While much potential exists in EPs, it has yet to be realised. Recommendations for improving EPs are suggested.     

A tale of two mailing lists

This paper serves to report a research study on the use made of two separate mailing lists or listservs, for professional development—Oz-Teachers and UK-Schools. Both lists were, and still are, used by teachers in Australia and the United Kingdom, as well as by teachers across the globe, to communicate electronically with each other. The practice of this communication is typically characterised by text messages that pose questions or offer answers; by threads of discussion based around single or combined themes; and by statements of information. In this context, two windows are opened in this study: one shows a dynamic picture of teachers at work and play in the technology of listservs, developing skills and practices in asynchronous communications. The other looks into the content of many of the postings, demonstrating the practices, views, ideas and concerns teachers have with using technology in traditional school and classroom environments. Whilst this paper provides a detailed overview of the study, the full report of the research programme, of which this study constitutes one part, can be found elsewhere, in Lankshear et al. (1997) and Wild (1999).     

Power,prestige and pedagogic identity: a tale of two programs recontextualizing teacher standards

Worldwide there has been a range of initiatives in the area of standards for teachers as part of a discourse of professionalism. In Australia there are a plethora of standards: state and territory frameworks, generic and subject‐specific, systemic and cross‐systemic, for pre‐service, beginning and experienced teachers. Little has been written as to how teacher education programs are responding to the standards agenda. This paper positions standards as integral to the recontextualizing field (Bernstein, 2000 Bernstein B 2000 Pedagogy, symbolic control and identity: theory, research, critique (Lanham, Rowman & Littlefield)  [Google Scholar]) for teacher educators and their programs. Using Bernsteinian concepts of fields, identities and framing, we compare the responses of two physical education teacher education programs to their state's standards imperatives. The authors conclude that the academic orientation of the university, together with the framing of the standards, affect the degree of programmatic change it will undertake in response to the changes in teacher certification standards.     

Becoming civil in Hong Kong: a tale of two schools

This chapter describes the study as it was conducted in Hong Kong in two case study schools. The first is a new school located in a recently developed area close to the mainland border. The second is a long established school, operated by the Anglican Church. The results suggested that the goals promoted by the government were not a strong feature of the schools’ implemented programs. Although the planned goals of civic education in the first school reflected the national policy, in practice, the emphasis was on prescribing correct attitudes and the maintenance of order and discipline. In the second school, there was no continuity between the school's goal and the national policy; however, there was a strong continuity between the school's goal and the perspectives of all stakeholders.     

STEM education: A tale of two paradigms

Higher education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines has been in a turbulent period for several decades. Pressures for reform include declining STEM student enrollments, high attrition rates from STEM curricula, and the rise of powerful alternative teaching strategies shown by cognitive science and educational research to promote learning and curricular retention better than traditional teaching methods do. In addition, research has shown that online and face‐to‐face courses on average produce comparable learning outcomes, and hybrid courses that combine the best features of both are more effective than either face‐to‐face or online courses by themselves. Motivated by these and other pressures, many faculty members have adopted the new teaching methods, and distance education had become widespread well before the 2020 coronavirus pandemic forced most educators at all levels to teach online. As might be expected, however, many faculty members and administrators have resisted change, arguing that the traditional approach has always worked well and needs no major revision. Before the pandemic, most STEM courses were still being taught using the traditional methods, and many course instructors are eager to return to them. These different responses to calls for education reform have led to heated debates among university instructors and administrators regarding how STEM curricula and courses should be designed, delivered, and assessed, and the role technology should play in all three functions. This essay outlines two competing paradigms on each of these issues—the traditional paradigm, which has long dominated STEM education, and the emerging paradigm, which has become increasingly common in the last 30 years but is still not predominant at most universities and colleges. The essay concludes with speculation about the eventual outcome of the competition.     

Retaining faculty: A tale of two campuses

The results of a study examining factors influencing the decisions of faculty with firm offers to leave two universities are discussed. Particular attention is paid to the relative weight and importance faculty placed on the tangible, intangible, and nonwork-related benefits of the incumbent and offering employment situations. Comparisons are drawn to previous studies of this genre, as well as between the urban and rural universities represented in the study. The methods and findings of this research should be of special interest to those from institutions concerned both with attracting and retaining a quality faculty.An earlier version of this paper was presented at the 29th Annual Forum of the Association for Institutional Research, Baltimore, April 30–May 3, 1989.     

Emily and Rebecca: A tale of two teachers

Using a qualitative study, two teachers, Emily and Rebecca, who started their teaching careers in their forties were interviewed and followed for 3 years to document their experiences in the teaching profession. The tale of these two teachers includes their joys, frustrations, and problems that surround their lives as middle school math teachers. Discussing such topics as, college preparation, isolation, time required, extra duties, little respect for teachers, resistance to innovation, and the need for a mentorship program, Emily and Rebecca honestly paint a self-portrait that includes the influence of their past experiences before becoming a teacher and the reality of joining the profession of teaching.All administrators and educators should take note of Emily and Rebecca's tale in order for changes to be made that will create an environment that is encouraging and inviting for all teachers that will lead to teacher retention, and, in turn, focuses on the success for all students.     

A tale of two variances: between and within

In response to Worobey and Brazelton's thoughtful and welcome commentary on my assessment of the effectiveness of a Brazelton-based newborn intervention, 2 points are made. The first is that a healthy difference of opinion exists regarding the effectiveness of such interventions; I view the available evidence as less striking than they, but not as limited as they feel my initial study report implies. The second point of this essay is to provide empirical support for my critics' contention that how an intervention is delivered is as important as the fact that an intervention is delivered. By presenting data excised from my original submission to Child Development, it is shown that variation in parents' interest in, involvement with, and enjoyment of the Brazelton intervention was directly related to the intervention's outcome within the joint mother-father treatment condition--even often controlling for background factors related to engagement of the intervention. It is thus concluded that assessment of the process of intervention is critical to any complete evaluation of an intervention, regardless of the results of experimental-control group comparisons.     

A tale of two students: Building a culture of engagement in the community college

Enrolling in a community college may be as intimidating for those students who eventually succeed as it is for those who don't. Why, then, do some persevere while others leave before they meet their goals? Institutional practice can tip the balance.     

A tale of two technical cultures: Foreign language teaching

In broad terms this study investigated how the social organization of schools affects and is affected by the structures within which teachers find themselves: in essence how teachers shaped their reality. In particular this investigation was concerned with high school foreign language (FL) teachers' perceptions of their work environment; specifically how FL teachers in differing school contexts defined FL instruction and the manner in which these contextual definitions associated with their classroom behavior. Many previous investigations have focused on the relationship of teachers' classroom behavior and student outcomes. This study instead asked what the organizational antecedents for teachers' classroom practices are by documenting high school FL teachers' technical cultures—the processes designed to accomplish an organization's goals (Lortie, 1975; Rosenholtz, 1989).