Making sense of separation

Judith Leipzig is an Infant/Parent, Development Specialist in West Nyack, New York.     

Making sense of science in the reception class

In the context of growing awareness of young children's capabilities, and debates about the nature of their reasoning in science, this study set out to explore the ways in which reception children make sense of classroom experiences in science. A particular challenge of the study was to develop appropriate and productive approaches to investigating young children's developing thinking. The first phase of research, reported in this paper, concentrated on the topic of electricity. A series of case studies was undertaken to examine children's learning in a classroom context. Classroom sessions were video recorded and transcribed to examine the development of children's practical competence in circuit making, and interviews were carried out to elicit children's views about electric circuits. Analysis of the classroom sessions revealed children's growing competence in circuit making through their self‐directed efforts. The interviews prompted predictions and explanations that were not offered spontaneously. Responses indicated a range of models of the circuit and forms of explanation for what was happening in the circuit. The relationship between children's practical competence, predictions and explanations was not straightforward. Analysis revealed marked differences in models of the circuit and forms of explanation in children with the same levels of practical competence. This has important implications for the ways in which children's views are assessed.     

Making sense of the new academic disciplines

Peter Shaw is consulting editor of Academic Questions and Will Ariedl Durant Professor of Humanities for 1990–1991 at St. Peter’s College, Jersey City, NJ 07306.     

Making sense in education: Deleuze on thinking against common sense

According to a widespread view, one of the most important roles of education is the nurturing of common sense. In this article I turn to Gilles Deleuze’s concept of sense to develop a contrary view of education—one that views education as a radical challenge to common sense. The discussion will centre on the relation of sense and common sense to thinking. Although adherents of common sense refer to it as the basis of all thought and appeal to critical thinking as instrumental in eliminating its occasional errors, I shall argue, following Deleuze, that common sense education in fact thwarts thinking, while only education which revolves around making sense may provoke thinking that goes beyond the self-evident. I demonstrate how making sense can become an educational encounter that breaks hierarchies and generates thinking independently of the thinker’s knowledge and place in the sociopolitical order. The present article attempts, therefore, to put some sense into Deleuzian education for thinking, and thereby shed new light on its radical-political, counter-commonsensical power.     

Making sense of the development of inclusive practices

Schools in England are currently being asked to pay greater attention to the issue of educational inclusion. This paper reports some of the findings of a collaborative action research Network that was set up to address the implications of this trend. The Network involves teams of university researchers in working with practitioners in order to encourage the development of inclusive practices. As a result of this work, it is argued that the development of such practices is not about adopting ‘recipes’ of the sort described in much of the existing literature. Rather, it involves social learning processes that occur within a given workplace. The paper attempts to provide deeper understandings of what these processes involve. To assist in this analysis use is made of the idea of ‘communities of practice’, as developed by Etienne Wenger, focusing specifically on the way he sees learning as a characteristic of practice. It is argued that the development of inclusive practices involves collaborative working arrangements; that they can be encouraged by engagement with various forms of evidence that interrupt ways of thinking; and that the space that is created through such interruptions can enable those involved to recognize overlooked or, indeed, new possibilities for moving practice forward.     

Making sense of technology in educational leadership programs

Conclusion Identify standards, align curricula, support technology—these are the three strategies that bring clarity to the process. As technology changes, the standards, curricula and support must change. ACTIVStudio, interactive whiteboards and cyber diaries are not just buzzwords — they are the new language of technology. The Citadel School of Education is paying attention — making sense of the challenge of keeping current technology in educational leadership programs. She is a former teacher and school administrator and currently teaches graduate courses, including microcomputers and school management, to aspiring administrators. Ms. Alice B. Hambright, a former public school teacher.     

Making sense of research-based learning in teacher education

Research-based learning challenges teacher educators to rethink pedagogical strategies, particularly so in a context where views about the role of research in pre-service teachers' professional development are contested. The views of academics implementing a research-based learning course in teacher education are examined through qualitative semi-structured interviews in order to understand how learning autonomy is fostered. Variation was found in what teacher educators thought the course was intended to achieve and in their teaching strategies. The basis for pedagogical decision-making appeared to be their own research learning experiences. Implications for teacher education and for implementing research-based learning more generally are discussed.     

Making sense of number sense: implications for children with mathematical disabilities

Drawing on various approaches to the study of mathematics learning, Gersten, Jordan, and Flojo (in this issue) explore the implications of this research for identifying children at risk for developing mathematical disabilities. One of the key topics Gersten et al. consider in their review is that of "number sense." I expand on their preliminary effort by examining in detail the diverse set of components purported to be encompassed by this construct. My analysis reveals some major differences between the ways in which number sense is defined in the mathematical cognition literature and its definition in the literature in mathematics education. I also present recent empirical evidence and theoretical perspectives bearing on the importance of measuring the speed of making magnitude comparisons. Finally, I discuss how differing conceptions of number sense inform the issue of whether and to what extent it may be teachable.     

Making sense of institutional positioning in Finnish higher education

This paper examines how institutional positioning has emerged in the meaning-making activities between Finnish higher education institutions and the Ministry of Education and Culture. The study is based on a qualitative analysis of the performance agreement documents of all higher education institutions filed with the ministry for contract periods 2010–2012 and 2013–2016. The results show that, in the first cycle, higher education institutions used profiling vocabulary in vastly different ways, and their lists of priority areas were quite wide ranging. By the second cycle, profiling statements had become more specific and structurally more alike, but the lists of priority areas continued to have a wide scope. As a response, the Ministry has consistently demanded and rewarded more focused profiling efforts and used the concepts of profiling to support other steering measures.     

Making sense of institutional positioning in Finnish higher education

Tertiary Education and Management - This paper examines how institutional positioning has emerged in the meaning-making activities between Finnish higher education institutions and the Ministry of...     

Making sense of stewardship: metaphorical thinking and the environment

This paper sketches the fundamental characteristics of metaphorical language which enable it to subserve not only the shaping of particular discourses, but also crucial aspects of our powers of enquiry and understanding. It argues that without metaphorical creativity we cannot make adequate sense of the more complex and open‐ended aspects of our experience. This is illustrated from the way in which we deploy the closely related key environmental metaphors of ‘stewardship’ and ‘natural capital’, including the more specific ‘real option’ sub‐version of the latter idea reported on by other contributions to this Special Issue. But a condition of making such thinking operational and socially productive is the development of a genuine learning society.     

Making sense of boiling points and melting points

The boiling and melting points of a pure substance are characteristic physical constants of that substance in its pure state. Although it is not possible to predict these physical constants for a given substance, it is, however, possible to rationalize these values on a relative basis for given substances, taking into account the type of chemical bonding, the intermolecular forces and other factors. S Prahlada Rao is an R & D consultant for chemical industries with teaching as a hobby. Shravan Sunkada is a 5th year student at Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, pursuing a dual degree programme in Material Science and Metallurgical Engineering.     

The student-as-bricoleur: Making sense of research paradigms

Although there is consensus that qualitative approaches to social research are distinguished from quantitative approaches by their fundamental philosophical systems, there is resistance to incorporating philosophical distinctions into graduate level research courses. Resistance may be due to the recognition that students have limited experience with, and are intimidated by, the philosophy of science. This study was conducted to examine how students interpret and process the philosophical distinctions associated with research paradigms in the hope of identifying instructional strategies that may facilitate student appreciation of the philosophical distinctions.A multiple case study was conducted with three sections of a doctoral level introduction to qualitative research course during the 1999–2000 academic year. Data for this investigation included demographic characteristics gathered from the university's student information system, and a written exercise in which students are asked to reflect upon the philosophical concepts associated with three research paradigms presented in course readings and class discussion, and to formulate their own personal philosophies of research.Findings suggest that students readily acquire a basic understanding of major philosophical concepts associated with paradigmatic distinctions, and are generally comfortable with the coexistence of multiple research paradigms. However, they have difficulty seeing the logical relationships between philosophical concepts. According to the Reflective Judgment Model [Kitchener, K. S., & King, P. M. (1990). The Reflective Judgment Model: Transforming assumptions about knowledge. In: Mezirow, J., & Associates (Eds.), Fostering critical reflection in adulthood: A guide to transformative and emancipatory learning (pp. 159–176). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.], the reasoning strategies demonstrated by these students are consistent with those of undergraduate college seniors, master's level students, and advanced level graduate students. Instructional strategies that reinforce the strengths of the strategies used at these levels and encourage the development of more advanced strategies are described. Implications of these findings show promise for preparing the “researcher-as-interpreter bricoleur” as described by Denzin and Lincoln (2000)[ Paradigms and perspectives in transition. In N. K. Denzin, & Y. S. Lincoln (Eds.), Handbook of qualitative research (2nd ed.) (pp. 155-162). Thousand Oaks: Sage] that understands and can discuss the philosophical assumptions of all research paradigms.