Cognitive Style and Motor Skill and Sports Performance

A pool of 116 14-18-year-old secondary school pupils who had been given the computer-presented Cognitive Styles Analysis was used to provide two sub-samples to explore the relationship between style and motor skills and sports performance. The Motor Skills sub-sample of 69 (32 males and 37 females) did a battery of motor skills tests. A factor analysis suggested four skills factors - bodily movement, interactive skills, mechanical skills and aiming. All of these except the mechanical skills showed a significant relationship to style. The Sports Performance sub-sample of 99 (46 males and 53 females) were rated on a five-point scale by their teachers on performance in rugby, soccer and cricket for the boys, and hockey, netball and tennis for the girls. Here, there was a significant effect of style for tennis but not for the team games. The findings were discussed in terms of their practical implications.     

Pre-service teachers’ personal epistemic beliefs and the beliefs they assume their pupils to have

In their workaday life, teachers are faced with multiple complex tasks. How they carry out these tasks is also influenced by their epistemic beliefs and the beliefs they assume their pupils hold. In an empirical study, pre-service teachers’ epistemic beliefs and those they assume of their pupils were investigated in the setting of teacher education for vocational schools in Germany. Results of the empirical study point at significant inconsistencies between pre-service teachers’ beliefs, the beliefs they assume of their pupils and beliefs conducive to the curricular and didactic concept preferred for vocational schools. Partly, these inconsistencies can be explained by pre-service teachers’ learning experiences in school and university. It seems important that the education of teachers in vocational education aims at scaffolding pre-service teachers in developing beliefs that are conducive for their future profession.     

Supporting online,non-traditional students through the introduction of effective e-learning tools in a pre-university tertiary enabling programme

The increasing number of external students enrolling at Charles Darwin University has led to the university investing in new technologies to provide better support for students studying online. Many students, however, come from non-traditional backgrounds and lack some of the skills and confidence to participate successfully in an e-learning environment at university. This article discusses the findings of a pilot study conducted in a pre-university tertiary enabling programme. Three e-learning tools were developed for external students to enhance their understanding of the learning materials and create a greater sense of connectedness between students, staff and the learning materials. Academic staff implemented the use of video clips and synchronous online tutorials and also refined their use of discussion groups to facilitate interactive engagement with learning materials.     

Cognitive Style and GCSE Performance in Mathematics,English Language and French

A preliminary study was undertaken of cognitive style and performance in General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE), the British public examination for pupils at 16 years. The positions of 182 pupils on two fundamental cognitive styles dimensions (Wholist‐Analytic and Verbal‐Imagery) were assessed by means of the Cognitive Styles Analysis (CSA). The pupils were from two comprehensive secondary schools and all took Mathematics, English Language and French in the GCSE administered by the Midland Examining Group (MEG) in 1991. Comparison of cognitive style and GCSE performance indicated that, for overall performance across the subjects, the pattern was a modified dome shape with the candidates who were intermediate on both dimensions of cognitive style doing best. There was a significant interaction between the styles of the candidates and the GCSE subjects in their effect on performance. The results were discussed in terms of the implications for GCSE and for further research.     

“I don’t talk or I decide not to talk? Is it my culture?”—International students’ experiences of tutorial participation

Active participation in university tutorials seems to be commonly argued as one of the learning difficulties of non-English-speaking background (NESB) Asian students enrolled in Western English-speaking universities. These students are often portrayed as being passive in class and this is commonly attributed to their background culture. Using Australia as a setting, this paper challenges these misconceptions through the lens of the contextual approach or ‘small culture’ approach. It is argued that NESB international Asian students’ participation in Australian university tutorials is influenced by the classroom context in which they learn rather than by their cultures. This paper also provides a framework for teachers, who are the most important and powerful member in the ‘context’, to critically reflect on their pedagogical practices.     

Promoting communication skills for information systems students in Australian and Portuguese higher education: Action research study

This paper aims to examine the value of communication skills learning process through various assessments in Information Systems (IS) postgraduate units in Australia and Portugal. Currently, communication skills are indispensable to students in expanding their social networks and their knowledge at university and in the future workplace, since businesses expect their employees to have strong communication and presentation skills. This paper provides empirical evidence based on the anonymous quantitative and qualitative data collected during 2 years from 126 postgraduate students, which were collected via formal and informal feedback. Various assessment methods were used in Information Systems units to promote and develop the communication skills; these assessments are: reflective journal, business plan and prototype, discussion forum, presentation, and final examination. A Communication skills model (CSM) was developed based on Action research principles to promote the assessments which will assist IS students to enhance their communication skills. The research outcomes indicated that integrating communication skills in the assessments will allow students to promote their communication skills and boost their self-esteem skills. Furthermore, this paper added a new theoretical and practical contribution to higher-education teaching and learning literature, especially the action research for teachers to promote and develop communication skills among students. Finally, integrating these skills in the units should meet the objectives and aims of the units, Master’s degrees, universities, and businesses’ needs, and satisfy our student’s needs.     

Seeking Understanding of Foreign Language Teachers’ Shifting Emotions in Relation to Pupils

Teaching is recognised as an emotional practice. Studies have highlighted the importance of teachers’ emotional literacy in the development of pupils’ emotional skills, the central position of emotions in teachers’ ways of knowing, and in their professional development. This longitudinal study draws on a dialogic understanding of emotion to present findings from qualitative interviews with teachers. This study aims to provide further understanding in this area by offering a perspective into 7 foreign language teachers’ emotions in relation to their pupils during their first decade in the profession. The most important finding was that negative emotions decreased while the positive emotions increased. Understanding what emotions teachers face and how they deal with them may help practicing teachers better understand their daily work and support student teacher preparation.     

What Does Wiki Reveal About the Knowledge Processing Strategies of School Pupils?

On the basis of one teaching project carried out in a school, this article discusses collaborative writing in wiki platforms. It aims to find out what wiki reveals about pupils’ knowledge construction, creation, and division and their collaborative writing skills. In this project, wiki is treated as a useful tool for analyzing these processes because it gives us the possibility of studying those elements and stages of educative writing that are normally hidden from the teacher or researcher’s eye. Also, it shows us the interaction between pupils. The theoretical background of the project lies in collaborative writing and writing research.     

Classroom studies into cognitive style in mathematics for pupils with dyslexia in special education in the Netherlands, Ireland and the UK

The project reported here was designed to explore the cognitive style used by pupils with dyslexia when answering a range of mathematical questions. The research involved 132 pupils aged between 9 and 13 years, including 66 pupils in mainstream and 66 pupils in specialist schools, in three countries in Europe.
Detailed studies of the methods used by pupils attempting the given questions on a test of cognitive style suggested that they fell into two main categories. These pupils were observed when completing the test and their responses were categorised accordingly. The resulting numerical data were then analysed for differences between pupils within each country and between their non-dyslexic counterparts.
The results showed significant differences in the balance of cognitive styles employed by pupils with dyslexia as opposed to their non-dyslexic counterparts. Also there were interesting differences occurring between the pupils with dyslexia within the three countries on initial testing. Further differences were established after a six-month intervention period, suggesting that the characteristics of different curriculum models do have an impact upon pupils' flexibility as learners.     

Learning in the Finnish outdoor classroom: Pupils’ views

ABSTRACT

Finnish nature schools are environmental education organisations offering outdoor programmes for classes in natural environments. They are intended to contribute to the aims of the national curriculum in various subjects. This qualitative study examines how students describe their learning in a nature school context and how they describe differences between learning in nature and learning in the classroom. After a nature school day, 30 10–11-year-old pupils participated in focus groups interviews. The data were analysed through inductive content analysis. Nature school learning was described as cognitive, affective, social and as providing practical skills learning, although some pupils claimed that they had not learned anything. The differences between the learning environments were described as differences in learning activities, concreteness, external conditions, learning topics, perceived ability to concentrate and differences in motivation. We stress the importance of reflection on learning in order to raise pupils’ awareness of their outdoor learning.     

基于“项目教学法”的《电子技术综合》课程教学改革与实践

针对《电子技术综合》课程原有教学内容、教学模式和教学方法上存在的不足,采用项目教学法对该课程进行了改革探索。一是开发项目驱动式一体化教材,从技能大赛和实际工作场合选择合适项目素材,将知识和能力融合到其中,将教学内容和要求转化为若干个教学项目;二是以学生为中心,采用"由简到难,逐步推进"的理论讲解方式,围绕项目组织和开展教学,使学生直接参与项目的全过程;三是充分利用面包板、PCB板和万用板等工具,多层次培养学生电子技术应用能力;四是采用"双教师授课,以学生为主体"的授课模式,注重考查学生创新能力,客观、全面的评价学生的学习过程。     

The high performance of Dutch and Flemish 15-year-old native pupils: explaining country differences in math scores between highly stratified educational systems

This paper aims to explain the high scores of 15-year-old native pupils in The Netherlands and Flanders by comparing them with the scores of pupils in countries with the same highly stratified educational system: Wallonia, the German Länder, the Swiss German cantons, and Austria. We use the data from the Programme for International Pupil Assessment (PISA) 2006 together with the specific PISA data of Germany and Switzerland. We apply a multilevel model that takes into account the individual-, curriculum-, and system-level features in these highly stratified educational systems. The high scores of the Dutch pupils can be explained by the size of The Netherlands' vocational sector. The high Flemish scores can be partly explained by the high curriculum mobility. Central exit exams are not a good explanation of the high Dutch scores. Despite being limited to highly stratified systems, we still find educational policies and arrangements to have significant effects on the educational performance of pupils.     

The Specialist Schools Programme: golden goose or conjuring trick?

The Specialist Schools Programme was launched in England in 1993. Under the programme, schools submit a bid to central government to specialise in specified curriculum areas. To qualify to participate they must raise private sponsorship to contribute to the cost of their development plans and set targets, including targets for pupils' attainment. The paper uses multiple linear regression and multi‐level modelling to examine pupils' attainment. Our evidence suggests that, in 2001, pupils at Specialist Schools achieved better examination results than pupils at non‐specialist schools and that those attending the earlier cohorts of Specialist Schools performed particularly well. We also suggest that some cohorts of Specialist Schools were achieving enhanced GCSE results before they became Specialist Schools but also that, for the earlier cohorts, the improvement in examination results associated with specialist status increased as schools had been part of the programme for a longer period. Analysis of GCSE results in specialist and non‐specialist subject areas indicated that Language and Sports Colleges achieved better than expected examination results in their specialist areas, Technology Colleges achieved better results in both specialist and non‐specialist areas but that Arts Colleges did not achieve significantly different results in either specialist or non‐specialist subjects.     

Supporting Pupils with Dyspraxia in the Visual Arts Does Drawing from Observation Function as an Official and Discriminatory Discourse?

This article examines the demands that pupils with dyspraxia may face when engaging with the secondary art and design curriculum in a mainstream secondary school. It explores the possibility that there is an exclusive approach to art and design, prioritising a formalist approach to the teaching of specific skills and mastery of techniques, and considers the implications that this may have for such pupils. Specific attention is paid to the role of observational drawing and the demands that this may make for pupils with dyspraxia. The article will explore existing guidance offered for subject‐based practitioners and aims to contextualise this within the current debates on art and design education and the recollections of individual experiences of art and design. It will outline the hypothesis that pupils with dyspraxia may be one group of pupils amongst many for whom their art and design experience does not offer an inclusive experience, and it seeks to question the existence of a hierarchy of practice and its subsequent relevance.     

Engagement Project: elements for a reformulation of the Tutorial Action Plan of the Teacher Training degrees at the University of Barcelona / Proyecto Engagement: elementos para una reformulación del Plan de Acción Tutorial de los grados de maestro en la Universidad de Barcelona

As a teaching method, tutorials are fundamental to university education, and are underpinned by the following goals: to accompany students; to help them establish a clear training pathway; and to promote their academic achievement. Our proposal aims to introduce psychological aspects into the Tutorial Action Plan (TAP) which, while often left unattended, are closely related to academic achievement. Our objective is to identify the relation between the academic commitment of pre-service teachers (preschool education, primary education and double degree students) at the UB and stress and coping skills, academic motivation, achievement and self-efficacy, as well as the opinions of students and tutors on the resources used during TAP and potential improvements to it. This is a transversal prospective exploratory study, applying the following questionnaires: Academic commitment (UWESS-9); Perceived Stress Scale (PSS); Self-efficacy (NGSE); Motivation (MSLQ); and two ad hoc online questionnaires. In conclusion, we hope that the results of this study will help us reformulate the TAP of said degree programmes, improving personalized attention and the quality of the student tutorial system, which is one of the standards used to assess universities.     

Small Group Work in Accounting Education: an evaluation of a programme for first‐year students

One important skill many students develop during their secondary schooling is the ability to work in groups, using the group both as a resource and a support system. At the tertiary level, where the traditional lecture/tutorial format is the main means for course delivery, these skills are not generally afforded formal recognition and often remain under‐utilised. Group work programmes in higher education that have been reported generally describe situations where group work is integrated into tutorials and lectures. This article explores the potential of group work schemes which operate outside the regular timetable. It describes a programme of small collaborative working groups which was offered to students in a first‐year accounting degree course and evaluates the programme's effectiveness in assisting students with their studies, and with their overall integration into university culture. The results, practical considerations for any academics wishing to duplicate the scheme, as well as areas for further research are discussed.     

A methodological framework for understanding and describing discipline‐based scholarship of teaching in higher education through design‐based research

Since their inception in 1993 at an Australian university, the workshop tutorials in physics have evolved and grown beyond the initiating department. In this paper, we adopt an interpretive perspective to: (i) reflect on why the tutorials continue to be successful; (ii) use models from literature to understand that success; and (iii) abstract key features that can inform scholarly inquiry into teaching and learning in higher education in other contexts and discipline areas. Practitioner (action) research and design‐based research not only provide useful methodological frameworks that support the success of the workshop tutorials, but they also offer a worthwhile methodological strategy for fostering scholarly inquiry into university teaching and student learning.     

Body,Caring and Power in Teacher–Pupil Relationships: Encounters in former pupils' memories

This narrative inquiry aims to look at teacher–pupil relationships through teacher memories. When 49 university students of education were asked to write their memories of teachers, they told about their teachers in relation to pupils. The data were analysed thematically and, based on that, re‐read through the concepts of body, caring and power in order to answer the question of how these can be understood as elements of the teacher–pupil relationship. We will also discuss the potential for encounter in teacher–pupil relationships, since we noticed that students especially seemed to recall encounters and non‐encounters in the relationship. By listening to former pupils, it is possible to elicit significant memories of what, from their point of view, is in the core of being a teacher. The meaning of recalling one's own teachers in teacher education is also emphasised.     

Evaluation of the effectiveness of the stay safe primary prevention programme for child sexual abuse

OBJECTIVE: This child abuse prevention study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the Stay Safe Programme in training unscreened 7 and 10 year old children in personal safety skills. Subsidiary aims were to evaluate the program's impact on children's self-esteem and parents' and teachers' knowledge and attitudes of relevance to child abuse and protection. METHOD: Changes in safety knowledge and skills and self-esteem of 339 children who participated in the Stay Safe Programme were compared with those of 388 waiting list controls. Children in the training group were also followed up at 3 months. In addition, the knowledge and attitudes of parents and teachers of children who completed the program were evaluated before and after the program and 5 month follow-up data were collected from teachers only. RESULTS: Compared with waiting-list controls, trained children showed significant improvements in safety knowledge and skills and these gains were maintained at follow-up. The greatest gains were made by 7 year olds. Children who participated in the program also showed significant improvements in self-esteem which were maintained at 3 months follow-up but only the 7 year olds in the training group made significantly larger gains in self-esteem than their control group counterparts. Children with a higher socioeconomic status benefited more from the program than less privileged children. Both parents and teachers showed significant improvements in knowledge and attitudes concerning protection over the course of the program and for teachers, these gains were maintained at follow-up. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that the Stay Safe Programme was effective in training children in safety skills and so may usefully be used as a primary prevention intervention for child abuse.