Student Drop-out: A case study in new managerialist policy

Since the incorporation of the further education (FE) sector student drop-out has become an issue for policy makers, and colleges with higher than average rates of non-completion have been penalised. This process, which is consistent with the 'new managerialist' approach described by Randle and Brady (1997) in an earlier volume of this Journal, results in a loss of funding and 'naming and shaming' via inspection reports and performance tables. It is suggested that this policy response to student drop-out represents a mechanistic reaction to the 'standards' agenda and could impede other policy priorities such as widening participation. The paper examines the growing body of research evidence which challenges the view that drop-out is caused by colleges which 'don't care'. Studies of the influence of factors external to colleges, such as financial hardship, feeder schools and the impact of 'habitus' on a student's disposition, illustrate the problem of trying to reduce the complex issue of drop-out to a single, generalisable cause. The paper concludes that the development of a more sophisticated analytical model is necessary if student retention is to be improved.     

Student Teachers Speak

The school itself should serve as a laboratory for the study of social science concepts and generalizations, maintains Dr. Schlechty.     

Beliefs about Language Learning Held by Pre-service Teachers:A case study

Language learning beliefs play a very important role in influencing learners’ attitudes,motivations and also shape their experiences and actions in classroom.Successful learners develop insightful beliefs about language learning process,their own abilities and the use of effective strategies.However language learning beliefs can be different because of individual learner differences and contextual diversity.This study aimed at exploring beliefs about language learning held by pre-service teachers.159 pre-service teachers majoring in English at Qianan Normal College for Nationalities participated in the study.A 34-item questionnaire adapted from Horwitz’s(1987) BALLI was used to collect the data.The results were reported and discussed from the following five aspects:1) beliefs about foreign language aptitude,2) beliefs about difficulty of language learning,3) beliefs about nature of language learning,4) beliefs about learning and communication strategies,and 5) beliefs about motivation and expectations.Suggestions on pedagogical implications and for future research were also indicated.     

Neuromyths Among Teachers and Student Teachers

Many so‐called brain‐based educational approaches have been strongly criticized for their lack of empirical support and occasionally for their use of pseudoscientific concepts. As a result, several use the term neuromyths to refer to false beliefs or misinterpretations regarding neuroscientific facts. We surveyed both teachers and student teachers concerning their agreement toward hemispheric dominance, modality dominance, and the Brain Gym© method. Results suggest that teachers as well as student teachers believe in the reality of hemispheric and modality dominance but only a few were aware of the Brain Gym© method. Correlation analyses show moderate relationships across different beliefs and/or their perceived benefits in education. Teachers believed more than student teachers in hemispheric dominance and its pedagogical relevance. Together with other studies, the results suggest that teachers and student teachers could benefit from appropriate training in this new field of research.     

Teachers Conceptualizing Student Achievement

Although teachers vary widely in their perceptions of education, student achievement, and methods of assessment, more than psychometricians and other people they concentrate on student performance of tasks. To the teacher, grades are an indication of successful acquisition of particular knowledge and an increase in skill. Achievement is not thought of so much as enhancing a trait or increasing an ability, but as successfully completing the task. They visualize the experience, more so than the competence. When emphasis is given to standardizing curricula and testing, even though goals and standards can be expressed as task performance, the technology of testing and school reform devises indicators of success in terms of human ability. Ability is generalized; task performance is particularized, contextualized. When the success of teaching or schooling is interpreted in terms of test scores, the teacher is pressed to reconceptualize teaching and, directly or indirectly, to teach for the test.     

幼师高专钢琴教学现状、成因及对策——以石家庄幼儿师范高等专科学校为例

钢琴课程,是作为幼师生重要的专业必修课程,随着学校的"升格"和社会对毕业生要求的不断提高,多年形成的固有钢琴教学体系已不能适应当前教育发展的大环境,幼师高专钢琴教学起点低、目标高,与职业对接不够紧密,为此,结合钢琴教学实际情况,以石家庄幼儿师范高等专科学校钢琴教学为例,对其现状及成因进行系统分析,实践并构建出系列建设性的改革对策与实施意见:完善课程目标,调整课程安排,转变授课模式,教学方式与评价方式的多样化等.     

Literacy Assessment and Student Diversity: An Australian case study

This article describes the reported practices in literacy assessment, recording, and reporting in 12 Australian schools characterised by populations of diverse learners. The findings indicate the problems and challenges teachers face in providing socially just and inclusive literacy assessment in heterogeneous classrooms. We make a number of suggestions related to enhancing assessment, recording, and reporting at the classroom level and argue for systemic support for teachers.     

西藏小学藏语文教师对微课的认识及应用现状调查——以西藏小学藏语文国培教师为例

随着信息技术的发展,在微博、微信、微电影等作用越发凸显的时代,微课经历了从无到有再到迅猛发展的过程。本文编制了小学藏语文教师对微课的认识和应用现状的调查问卷,旨在对西藏自治区小学藏语文教师对微课的认识和应用微课教学的现状,以及微课在西藏自治区小学藏语文教学阶段运用的期望值及可能性进行调查。     

Exploring Conceptual Integration in Student Thinking: Evidence from a case study

Two reasons are suggested for studying the degree of conceptual integration in student thinking. The linking of new material to existing knowledge is an important aspect of meaningful learning. It is also argued that conceptual coherence is a characteristic of scientific knowledge and a criterion used in evaluating new theories. Appreciating this ‘scientific value’ should be one objective when students learn about the nature of science. These considerations imply that students should not only learn individual scientific models and principles, but should be taught to see how they are linked together. The present paper describes the use of an interview protocol designed to explore conceptual integration across two college‐level subjects (chemistry and physics). The novelty here is that a single interview is used to elicit explanations of a wide range of phenomena. The potential of this approach is demonstrated through an account of one student's scientific thinking, showing both how she applied fundamental ideas widely, and also where conceptual integration was lacking. The value and limitations of using this type of interview as one means for researching conceptual integration in students' thinking are discussed.     

Student Teachers Meet Ethnic Families

Sixty preservice teachers participated in a program which allowed them to research one ethnic culture, to spend one day as a participant observer in the life of an ethnic family, and to explore the similarities and differences between cultures and within cultures based on their own experience and the feedback of experts. Students self‐reported quantitative gains in empathy, self‐development, understanding of the relevance of multiculturalism in education and confidence to teach the culturally different. Qualitative change in attitudes indicated a decrease in stereotypic thinking, greater understanding of ethnic parents and children and a willingness to make further contact with people from diverse cultures. Benefits to participating hosts are also discussed.     

Reform Implementation and the Realities within which Teachers Work: A Namibian case study

Implementation is currently considered a critical stage of educational reform. This article focuses on the pivotal role of teachers in the achievement of effective implementation. They ultimately implement reforms. The teacher's role in the reform process however, has received little empirical research attention and tends not to be seriously considered by policy makers. This article discusses the findings of a three-year (1995-1997) research study in Namibia which suggests that the failure of policy makers to take into account the realities within which teachers work, their 'classroots realities', led to the development of English Language Teaching reforms that were significantly beyond teachers' capacity. Consequently, teachers did not successfully implement them. The article explores this within a framework of objective and subjective 'classroots reality' implementation factors. In view of the paucity of empirical research that explores implementation, this framework can improve our understanding of the depth and complexity of the implementation process and provide useful guidelines upon which policy makers can draw.     

School Environmental Education Programme Impacts upon Student and Family Learning: A case study analysis

This article uses a case study approach to explore the impact of two school environmental education programmes, from the perspective of participating students, their teachers and their parents. A total of 152 students (79 from primary schools and 73 from a secondary school), 3 teachers and 62 parents contributed their perceptions regarding the impact of the programmes. Each programme is described in detail and students' responses compared across the two programmes and across different class groups participating in each programme. It is concluded that both programmes were successful in engaging students in thinking and learning about environmental issues, although some programme features were more likely than others to lead to impacts beyond the bounds of the classroom. Recommendations are made regarding those features that need to be included in school environmental education programmes in order to maximise student and family learning outcomes.     

The Impact of Student Perceptions and Characteristics on Teaching Evaluations: A case study in finance education

This study uses an ordered probit model to examine the impact of student characteristics and perceptions of the teaching evaluation process on student ratings. The results indicate that expected grade, ethnic background, gender and age are a significant influence on student ratings. A primary student-based influence on teaching evaluation performance would appear to be the perceived potential outcome of the evaluation in terms of tenure, promotion and salary decisions, and improvements in teaching and staff allocation. The impact of student perceptions and characteristics is also found to vary across the various dimensions of teaching performance with the potential bias being highest for evaluation questions relating to overall performance, and lowest for questions relating to formative assessment and deep learning outcomes.