Making history relevant to students by connecting past,present and future: a framework for research

History teaching usually focuses on understanding the past as an aim in itself. Research shows that many students don’t see the point of this and perceive history as not very useful. Yet history plays a major role in the orientation on present and future. If students fail to see this, the question arises whether this is due to a lack of explicit attention in history classes on the application of knowledge about the past to the present and the future. This article explores two questions: (1) If history is to be more relevant to students, what kind of objectives should play a central role in history teaching? (2) What kinds of teaching strategies align with these objectives in history teaching? The first question is answered by means of historical and educational theory. The second is answered by exploring a number of teaching strategies that have been described in the literature, as well as a small-scale experiment conducted by the authors. This article aims at providing a basis for developing meaningful history curricula as well as for research into educational strategies which can be deployed to teach students how to make connections between past, present and future.     

Service learning: preparing teachers to understand better culturally and linguistically diverse learners

Almost a decade ago, the new subject of citizenship was created in the English National Curriculum and several universities were funded to train teachers in this new subject. This presented a rare challenge, namely how to train people to teach a subject that did not exist in schools, and in which they were unlikely to have a specialist degree. In this article we have taken the opportunity afforded by the tenth birthday of the report in which Crick recommended this curriculum reform to reflect on that experience from the perspective of teacher educators. Through reflecting on the case study of citizenship education in England we highlight several themes that are of more general interest to teacher educators. The key issues that have emerged in this case study relate to the general problems of translating central policy into classroom practice; the nature and aims of subjects in the curriculum; and the identities of teachers in secondary schools. The article illustrates how teacher educators responded to the formidable challenge of creating (or at least contributing to) a new subject and a subject community.     

The negotiated project-based learning: understanding the views and practice of kindergarten teachers about the implementation of project learning in Hong Kong

A global trend towards formulation of curriculum has emerged over the past decade. The concepts of project approach have aroused growing attention, and many literatures have indicated its benefits to children. It is believed that to achieve these potential benefits of project learning, teachers needed to formulate a curriculum that follows the interests of children, to design appropriate activities, to build a good relationship with children and help them in the process of learning. The study revealed that teachers were positive towards the impact of project learning on children's experience but fell back to a traditional way of implementing curriculum.     

Transformative learning through open listening: a professional development experience with urban high school teachers

This article relates how an English teacher in an urban high school described his efforts to listen and to perceive a seemingly disaffected student in his efforts to support her learning. He observed her responding to his efforts in positive and unexpected ways that involved her increased involvement in learning in his class. This teacher described how this student had presented many challenges to his teaching and how difficult attending to her overt anger and sullenness in his class was for him. However, by doing so, he said that his perceptions and understandings of her and subsequently, another student, shifted profoundly in ways that he believed helped him help these two students learn more meaningfully in his classes. This example of open listening on the part of a teacher toward his two students opened up new possibilities for learning for all three and may indicate a cycle of transformative listening which will be defined and discussed in this article. Stuart’s experiences in a professional development seminar, facilitated by the author, where teachers’ interpretive and evaluative ideas were listened to openly by colleagues and the facilitator may have influenced Stuart in his responses to his students. His involvement in this study group may have contributed to his learning to see his students in new, unique, and fuller ways, which he said he thought helped him help these students learn better in his classes.

Building an indigenous learning community through lesson study: challenges of secondary school science teachers

Universalists believe that indigenous knowledge should not be studied since it excludes non-indigenous people. A qualitative method was used to explore the impact of lesson study on a science teacher at a secondary school. The research indicated that lesson study has positive impacts on teachers professionally by improving their science content knowledge, developing their teaching strategy and skill, enhancing their interest in working collaboratively, and creating a sense of an indigenous paradigm. The four categories of impact are interrelated and mutually influential. Through a lesson study, a relationship of mutual trust is well established in an indigenous learning community.     

中职数学课堂教学中学生学习兴趣的培养

中职学生数学学习兴趣缺乏,严重影响教学质量.课堂教学是学习兴趣培养的主渠道.为此,教师在课堂教学中要充分利用各种有利因素,克服消极因素,培养学生的学习兴趣.     

初中生理科课程学习动机与学习策略的调查研究

采用问卷调查形式,研究了初中生学习理科课程的学习动机与学习策略的发展情况.经过标准比数据处理,结果发现初中生在理科课程学习中内、外动机是相互促进的,二者对学习策略的影响都很显著.学习理科课程时监控策略运用最多,而精加工策略运用水平不高,这可能与传统的教学方式有关.     

不同的视角 不同的声音——教师和学生对大学本科课程的看法

本研究对北京大学本科课题进行了调查 ,调查结果表明 :教师和学生对大学本科课程的现状、问题、培养效果、公共选修课以及学生缺乏的课程领域等问题的看法存在较大差异。因此 ,大学本科课程改革不仅要注意自上而下的意见 ,还要倾听自下而上的声音     

Understanding collaborative language learning in novice-level foreign language classrooms: perceptions of teachers and students

This study explored the congruence and disparities among three groups of foreign language (Chinese, French, and German) students’ and teachers’ perceptions of collaborative/cooperative language learning (CLL) strategies in novice-level classroom contexts. A total of 168 participants from a university in the USA took part in this mixed-method study. The quantitative findings from a 10-item CLL questionnaire suggested that while the students’ and teachers’ perceptions of CLL strategies were generally consistent and positive, some disparities emerged in terms of their perceptions towards pair work, 3–6 as a group work, interview, and role playing. The qualitative findings from interviews and classroom observations provided some possible explanations to the differences discovered. The quantitative findings also revealed that foreign language type was not a factor differentiating students’ and teachers’ perceptions of CLL strategies. Some practical implications are provided for the effective implementation of CLL strategies in novice-level foreign language classrooms.     

Perspectives on teaching and regulation of learning: a comparison of secondary and university teachers

Many factors play a role in the successful transition of students from secondary to university education: one of them is the (university) teacher. In this study the similarities and differences in the perspectives on teaching and learning of secondary and university teachers were investigated. A survey was performed among 675 teachers. Three perspectives on teaching and learning could be distinguished: (1) a development orientation with shared regulation, (2) a knowledge orientation with strong regulation, and (3) an opinion orientation with loose regulation. Secondary teachers scored higher on the first perspective than university teachers who scored higher on the third perspective. These findings have implications for the transition of students from pre-university to university education and especially for teachers' roles.     

新课改形势下历史教学中新型师生关系的构建尝试

中学历史教学中师生关系的现状和课程改革的发展决定了构建新型师生关系的必要。作为中学历史教师,积极投身改革,在实践中建立新型师生关系成为必需。     

Teaching history in schools: A Canadian debate

This paper examines the debate over the teaching of Canadian history that has been in progress in Canada since the early 1990s. It considers four criticisms: schools do not teach enough Canadian history and students, therefore, do not know it; the history that is taught is no longer sufficiently national; social history has destroyed the old nation-building narrative and dwells on the negative rather than the positive aspects of Canada's past; and child-centred teaching and other pedagogical fashions have led teachers to devalue factual knowledge. Finally, it examines the proposals that have been advanced for the reform of history teaching in Canada.     

Distinctiveness of curriculum provision at 14 to 16 for students with learning difficulties: opportunities and challenges

In this article, Hazel Lawson, principal lecturer in education at the University of Plymouth, Sue Waite, a researcher at the University of Plymouth, and Christopher Robertson, lecturer in special and inclusive education at the University of Birmingham, discuss the curriculum for students with severe and profound and multiple learning difficulties at ages 14 to 16. This phase of schooling, referred to as Key Stage 4 in the English system, is characterised, in mainstream settings, by examination processes. Drawing upon research work carried out for the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, they argue that developing a distinctive curriculum offer for students with severe and profound and multiple learning difficulties in Key Stage 4 presents both opportunities and challenges. Setting their argument in the context of current proposals for the reform of education between the ages of 14 and 19 in England, they highlight issues including the desire to maintain breadth and balance while meeting individual needs and preferences; progression towards more facilitative pedagogies and a diversity of contexts for learning; and tensions between providing continuity and introducing change intended to promote increased student autonomy. This article will be of direct interest to policy makers and practitioners in mainstream and specialist settings.     

Teacher professional development and ICT: an investigation of teachers studying a postgraduate award in ICT in education

The Schools IT2000 initiative, launched in 1997, was the first large-scale attempt to integrate information and communications technology (ICT) into teaching and learning in the Irish education system. As part of this initiative a training continuum was developed with the objective of enabling teachers to progress from novice to expert users of ICT. Short-term in-service courses were offered to all post-primary teachers in the state. Third-level institutions were invited to develop professional development programmes in the area of ICT in education to advance the training continuum. This article reports on the findings of a survey of teachers who had progressed along this training continuum and had opted to study for a postgraduate award in ICT in Education. The research aimed to determine the general profile of teachers electing to study on the programme, their current use of ICT and the types of in-service education and training in ICT they had previously been exposed to.     

Turning difficulties into possibilities: engaging Roma families and students in school through dialogic learning

Schools and communities may have a key role in reversing the cycle of inequality that the Roma suffer in Europe. Aiming at reducing existing inequalities, dialogic learning aims to ensure high levels of academic learning for all children, by involving the whole community through egalitarian dialogue. Less well known are the implications of this approach for the Roma in highly marginalised areas. This article presents the results of a longitudinal case study in a Spanish primary school, undertaken as part of the European Union-funded INCLUD-ED Integrated Project. It reports on educational actions grounded in dialogic learning, which have succeeded in engaging families and communities in the school, the classroom and other learning spaces. Based on a dialogic school-based transformation, Roma families participated in children’s learning activities and decision-making spaces. We explore how these actions involving Roma families are developed and the effect they may have in improving learning and engagement.     

Assisting secondary support teachers to work in the recommended service delivery model: introducing the concept of a subculture of learning support

The original concept of a subculture of learning support in secondary schools developed from a study of ‘Support Teachers, Learning Difficulties’ in New South Wales, Australia. The study examined the influence of school culture on the service delivery model used by these support teachers in three case studies, one of which is reported in this article. Both research and policy recommend consultation and co‐teaching with a minimum of withdrawal of students with learning difficulties for intensive instruction. To employ the recommended service delivery model it was found that support teachers need to be immersed in a subculture of learning support within the school, which involves interacting with others who share similar values and beliefs about the education of students with learning difficulties. If such a subculture does not exist the support teacher must play a major role in its development. The use of the recommended service delivery model will enhance the education provided for students with learning difficulties.     

The challenge of balancing content and language: Perceptions of Dutch bilingual education history teachers

The role of subject teachers in content and language integrated learning (CLIL) has received little attention, since most research focuses on language learning results of students. This exploratory study aims to gain insight into the perceptions of Dutch bilingual education history teachers by comparing teaching CLIL with regular history teaching. We used questionnaires and interviews to collect data. Results show that bilingual education history teachers perceived their dual task as language and subject teachers to be challenging. Teaching in English also enriched their teaching skills and eventually had a positive influence on their level of job satisfaction.