Individual Perseverance: A theory of home tutors’ management of schooling in isolated settings

This article reports a study of parents’ management of the education of primary school‐aged children in their care in remote and rural locations of Western Australia. It presents a theory of the ways in which these parents, in the role of home tutors, “manage” the schooling of their children in a distance education regime in isolated settings. The home tutors in this study were mothers in families isolated by physical distance from centres in Western Australia, which usually provide educational, medical, financial, and retail services. In this environment, at the time of data collection, schooling was supported by print, that is, “sets” of learning materials, and by a regular schedule of interactive lessons through Schools of the Air when atmospheric conditions permitted. The conditions of outback Western Australia “present some of the worst conditions for use of electronic equipment” (Tomlinson, Schooling in rural Western Australia: The ministerial review of schooling in rural Western Australia. Perth, Australia: Education Department of Western Australia, 1994 Tomlinson, D. 1994. Schooling in rural Western Australia: The ministerial review of schooling in rural Western Australia, Perth, , Australia: Education Department of Western Australia.  [Google Scholar], p. 91). Moreover, the nature of station life on isolated sheep or cattle properties (stations) is such that mothers frequently have multiple and sometimes conflicting roles (that is, cook, housekeeper, station hand, business partner, accountant, first aid officer, wife, mother, and teacher). This qualitative study was concerned with how parents “manage” their schoolroom work as “home tutors,” using grounded theory techniques for gathering and analysing data. The term “manage” comes from the theoretical framework of symbolic interaction (Blumer, Symbolic interactionism: Perspective and method. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1969 Blumer, H. 1969. Symbolic interactionism: Perspective and method, Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.  [Google Scholar]), and in this article refers specifically to the ways in which the home tutors juggle their multiple roles.     

Rearranging pigeonholes: interrupting the ethnic hierarchy of a school's workforce

Increasing the cultural and linguistic diversity of the teaching workforce in Australia was a key recommendation of the House of Representatives Standing Committee Inquiry into Teacher Education in their report, Top of the Class (written by L. Hartsuyker Hartsuyker, L. 2007. Top of the class: Report of the inquiry into teacher education, (Report by the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Education and Vocational Training) Canberra, Australia: The Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia.  [Google Scholar]). The report reflects findings from national and international research that support the need to increase the diversity of the teaching profession as a means to improve student outcomes, particularly given the increasingly diverse make-up of student populations. The Hartsuyker Report also notes, as a “national concern”, the relatively low enrolment of World English-speaking (WES) students in Australian teacher education courses and calls for targeted funding by the federal government for further research into why this is the case (as discussed by J. Han and M. Singh in 2007 Han, J. and Singh, M. 2007b. Getting World English speaking student teachers to the top of the class: Making hope for ethno-cultural diversity in teacher education robust. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 35(3): 291–309. [Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] [Google Scholar]). This paper seeks to add to current research on the attraction and retention of WES students into Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes in Australia. It does so by relating some of the key findings from a case study of three WES Education Assistants, originally from Malaysia, who retrained to become teachers through an ITE programme at an Australian university. Significantly, as a result of a partnership developed between a school and a university, they entered the programme through an alternative access course, were awarded Recognition of Prior Learning for their work experience, and were able to remain in their community while studying externally. They were also provided ongoing mentoring support by the teaching staff and myself as programme co-ordinator. This paper aims to add to current research in this field by identifying the key driving and restraining forces that impacted on their ability to become teachers via an Australian ITE programme.     

Vader-Mccormick,Nancy (2011). the Engaged Teacher: What Works with Today's Students.

Community colleges have responded to the increased use of technology for instruction by providing support and professional development opportunities for faculty. However, differences in perceptions, expectations, and opportunities exist between full-time faculty at community colleges and their adjunct colleagues when it comes to adopting technology into instruction. Because adjunct faculty represent 68.5% of faculty teaching at community colleges (U.S. Department of Education, 2007 U.S. Department of Education . ( 2007 ). National Center for Education Statistics, 2007 Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), Winter 2007–08. Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d09/index.asp  [Google Scholar]), it is imperative to understand their intentions to integrate technology into instruction. This study adopted the Decomposed Theory of Planned Behavior (DTPB) as a theoretical framework to survey 130 community college adjunct faculty member's intentions to participate in technology integration. Multiple regression analyses were used to analyze the data collected. Results showed that DTPB was useful in explaining much of the variance in the intention to integrate technology into teaching by community college adjunct faculty. Results also suggested that community college administrators can play an important role toward increasing technology integration by adjunct faculty through leveraging types of influence in support of behavioral intention. Research implications for instructional technologists at community colleges indicated that professional development programs should be designed based on the significant predictors in the DTPB.     

Modifying Achievement Test Items: A Theory-Guided and Data-Based Approach for Better Measurement of What Students With Disabilities Know

Federal regulations allow up to 2% of the student population of a state to achieve proficiency for adequate yearly progress by taking an alternate assessment based on modified academic achievement standards (AA-MAS). Such tests are likely to be easier, but as long as a test is considered a valid measure of grade level content, it is allowable as an AA-MAS (U.S. Department of Education, 2007b U.S. Department of Education. 2007b. Standards and assessments peer review guidance, Washington, DC: Author.  [Google Scholar]). In this article, we examine procedures for developing, modifying, and evaluating items and tests using an evolving modification paradigm, as well as a classic reliability and validity framework. Theoretical influences, such as principles of universal design, cognitive load theory, and item development research, are discussed. The Test Accessibility and Modification Inventory, a tool that provides systematic and comprehensive guidance to help educators modify grade-level tests, is introduced. Cognitive lab methods and experimental field tests are then described, along with examples and key findings from each, relevant to AA-MASs. The article concludes with a discussion of precautions, lessons learned, and questions generated about the methods used to improve both access and test score validity for the students who are eligible for this new alternate assessment.     

Research on training wheels – embedding academic literacy and numeracy in vocational pedagogy through action research

Concerns about developing academic staff capability in literacy and numeracy development led members of the Academic Literacies Team in a New Zealand institution to research ways for achieving and sustaining educational change. The findings indicated that enquiry through action research could be beneficial for supporting the process of integrating literacy and numeracy development with the educational practices of lecturers (Tertiary Education Commission 2008 Tertiary Education Commission. 2008. “Learning Progressions for Adult Literacy and Numeracy: Background Information.” edited by Tertiary Education Commission. Wellington: Tertiary Education Commission. [Google Scholar]; Whatman, Potter, and Boyd 2011 Whatman, J., H. Potter, and S. Boyd. 2011. Literacy, Language and Numeracy: Connecting Research to Practice in the Tertiary Sector. Wellington: Ako Aotearoa. [Google Scholar]) to improve existing vocational pedagogy (Lucas, Spencer, and Claxton 2012 Lucas, B., E. Spencer, and G. Claxton. 2012. How to Teach Vocational Education: A Theory of Vocational Pedagogy. London: City &; Guilds. [Google Scholar]). This article introduces the approach taken with the second Literacy + Numeracy Enquiry Group and the research methodology that combines the gathering of impact data and process evaluation. Overall evaluation findings are outlined. Lecturers shared their challenges, successes and perceptions of how participating impacted on them. The findings show that participants clearly appreciate action research enquiry as a means of achieving change in their teaching. Moreover, the results of the evaluation also indicate the value of employing action research methodology to improve learning and teaching as evidenced by the participants of this study.     

The conflicts and contradictions of working in a mass higher education system

Education must be a force for opportunity and social justice, not for the entrenchment of privilege. We must make certain that the opportunities that higher education brings are available to all those who have the potential to benefit from them, regardless of their background (DfES, 2003 Department for Education and Skills. 2003. The Future of Higher Education, London: The Stationery Office. Cm 5735 [Google Scholar] : 67).

We will continue to widen participation in higher education and encourage students of all backgrounds with academic potential to go to university (Queen’s Speech, 15 November 2006).     

Quality Psychological Advice for Teachers,Parents/Carers and LEA Decision‐makers with Respect to Children and Young People with Special Needs

The educational psychologist can be a very important resource to a school. The psychologist’s knowledge of the school and its context is key. Through regular consultation with schools, educational psychology services can provide help in clarifying problems and devising problem solving strategies; in carrying out specialised assessments, including techniques in managing behaviour and evaluating pupil progress. (DfES, 2001 Department for Education and Skills (DES). 2001. Special educational needs code of practice, Nottingham: DfES Publication.  [Google Scholar], Code of Practice, Section 10.8)     

The Early Literacy Support Programme (ELS) and the blend and clash of national educational policy ideologies in England

In this article we consider the development of key policy issues in England, related to the area of literacy learning and children who are considered to have difficulties in literacy in their early years. We trace the tensions which have arisen since the 1980s between different policies and practices in these areas. These tensions include pressures to raise standards of literacy and to support children with difficulties, and the establishment of a prescribed curriculum for young children. In particular, we focus on the blend and clash of national educational policy ideals in areas related to literacy and children who have been categorised as having ‘special educational needs’, and how these have influenced the development of the Early Literacy Support Programme (ELS) (DfES, 2001 Department for Education and Skills 2001a Early Literacy Support Programme, materials to support teachers working in partnership with teaching assistants London DfES  [Google Scholar]a; 2001 Department for Education and Skills 2001b Early Literacy Support Programme, session materials for teaching assistants London DfES  [Google Scholar]b). This is a programme set up by the Department for Education and Science in England for children in Year 1, aged 5 to 6 years old.     

Educator perceptions of children who present with social,emotional and behavioural difficulties: a literature review with implications for recent educational policy in England and internationally

In support of their recommendations, recent policy pronouncements in England on behaviour (DFE (Department for Education). 2010 DFE (Department for Education) 2010. The Importance of Teaching – The Schools White Paper. London: TSO. [Google Scholar]. The Importance of Teaching – The Schools White Paper. London: TSO) and on reform of special educational needs and disabilities make reference, respectively, to educator perceptions of poor behaviour by children and to practitioner views about social, emotional and behavioural difficulties (SEBD). The evidence base for this analysis appears absent (DFE 2010) or is at best unclearly articulated (DFE (Department for Education). 2012 DFE (Department for Education) 2012. Support and Aspiration: A New Approach to Special Educational Needs and Disability – Progress and Next Steps. London: DFE. [Google Scholar]. Support and Aspiration: A New Approach to Special Educational Needs and Disability – Progress and Next Steps. London: Department for Education). In response, this article offers a timely brief review of research, published since 2000, exploring educator perceptions of children who present with SEBD. Research included does not offer clear support to the views expressed by recent policy in England, although it does, in varied ways, suggest the need for positive change in educational practice which affects children who present with SEBD, with particular emphasis upon the need for enacting educational inclusion. Articles included in this literature review are also, briefly, analysed in terms of their: methodological features; theoretical basis, particularly applications of the theory of planned behaviour; broad disciplinary affiliations; and also underpinning rationale. Recommendations for future research and implications for international policy on this topic are outlined: particularly the role of research in persuading practitioners and policy-makers away from deep-rooted but simplistic conceptualisations about this highly varied population of children.     

Developing Peer Mentoring Support for TAFE Students Entering 1st-Year University Early Childhood Studies

At Queensland University of Technology (QUT, Australia), in the Bachelor of Education (BEd) (Early Childhood) (EC), Technical and Further Education (TAFE) students with a diploma enroll with advanced standing (1 year’s credit). These students share many challenges faced by 1st-year university students—workload, technology, academic orientation, and application. They also experience feelings of isolation and uncertainty in dealing with the “university culture” (Cantwell & Scevak, 2004 Cantwell, R. H. and Scevak, J. J. 2004. Engaging university learning: The experiences of students entering university via recognition of prior industrial experience. Higher Education Research and Development, 23(2): 131–145. [CSA][CROSSREF][Taylor & Francis Online] , [Google Scholar]; Dickson, 2000 Dickson, J. (2000, July). TAFE child care graduates beginning a university teaching degree. Paper presented at the Australian Association of the Research in Education, Sydney, Australia. www.aare.edu.au/00pap/dic00164.htm (Accessed: 5 March 2005).  [Google Scholar]). Often, they do not perform as well academically and their attrition rates are higher than those for 1st-year students and the remainder of the BEd (EC) cohort (Strategic Information & Analysis Division of Finance, Resources, Planning, QUT, 2003). This project addresses issues facing these students in their transition to university by developing an integrated and contextualized mentoring program designed specifically for their needs. Nine early childhood 3rd- and 4th-year students were enlisted as mentors to groups of approximately six transition TAFE students. In this paper we discuss the dynamics of the mentoring scheme and future directions for mentoring projects within the BEd (EC).     

Education Policy Borrowing: Professional Standards for School Leaders in China

Abstract

Realizing there is a global policy convergence that emphasizes the standardized key qualities of and expectations for “successful” school leaders, this article provides an in-depth analysis on the initiation of the Professional Standards for Compulsory Schools Principals (Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China 2013 Ministry of Education of People’s Republic of China. 2013, February 16. Notice of Introducing the Professional Standards for Compulsory Schools Principals. Available at: http://www.moe.edu.cn/publicfiles/business/htmlfiles/moe/s7148/201302/xxgk_147899.html [Google Scholar]) in China. Using policy borrowing as an analytical framework, this study sheds light on critical questions concerning why this standards-based leadership policy is borrowed, and how this policy document responds to local Chinese contexts. In alignment with an understanding of national policy across the local-global nexus, which is derived from critical policy analysis, this study uncovers the influences of global leadership discourses on its formation. It also focuses on the ways in which neoliberal ideology and Chinese sociocultural contexts have intertwined, and how this negotiates and shapes this policy. Finally, this article concludes that the introduction of this initiative suggests China’s efforts in its quest for a world-class education system, through the standardization of school leaders’ practices, which is both locally and internationally situated. It argues that while understanding the contested positions on standards-based policies around the globe, China did not blindly borrow this policy from “the West,” but rather employs it as a strategy for legislation, to reposition itself in the global order and gain broader international recognition.     

Religion and literacy: observations on religious education and the literacy strategy for secondary education in Britain

The target for the year 2004 is that 70% of all 14-year-olds should achieve Level 5 English. This figure rises to 85% for 2007. ‘Schools that are beginning to work on literacy across subjects … are asked to prioritise objectives from the Framework for teaching English: years 7–9’ (Department for Education and Employment, 2001 Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) (2001) Key Stage 3 National Strategy. Literacy across the Curriculum Ref DfEE 0235/2001  [Google Scholar], p. 3). When Literacy Across the Curriculum (LAC) is introduced in these terms, the implication is that all teachers should assist English in improving its standards. Even in the model lessons that appear in official documents, there are signs that religious education is expected to yield its learning objectives to English. This paper, however, is about LAC not for the sake of English but for the sake of religious education. It proposes an approach to literacy beyond the narrow conceptions of some LAC strategists, such as the collection and classification of subject-specific vocabulary.     

Every child matters: Can educational psychology contribute to radical reform?

This is a time of radical change for all services working with children in the UK. For educational psychologists recent publications outlining government strategy have created an urgent need to consider future directions that go well beyond those discussed in the Department for Education and Employment (DfEE, 2000 Department for Education and Employment (DfEE). (2000) Educational psychology services (England): Current role, good practice and future directions London The Stationary Office  [Google Scholar]) report on educational psychology services. In this paper we suggest that decisions about strategic direction and developments in practice should be based on a shared set of values focused clearly on the rights of children and young people. In particular, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (United Nations, 1989 United Nations (1989) Convention on the rights of the child Retrieved 16th November 2003 from www.unhchr.ch./html/menu3/b/k2crc.htm.  [Google Scholar]) could provide the framework for a compact between the profession and children. This will require an evaluative focus within educational contexts that goes beyond school satisfaction surveys. Both schools and support professionals will need to demonstrate the achievement of improved outcomes for pupils. Difficult questions about the value added by educational psychologist involvement can no longer be evaded.     

An Evaluation of the Use of the Behaviour Questionnaire

Effective and efficient assessment is essential to support school improvement, the progress of individual pupils and teachers’ classroom management. A group of educational psychologists used the items for measuring pupils’ emotional and behavioural development found in Supporting school improvement: Emotional and behavioural development (2001 Department for Education and Skills. 2001. Supporting school improvement: Emotional and behavioural development, Sudbury: QCA.  [Google Scholar]) to develop a questionnaire for use in their schools. Following the introduction of the Behaviour Questionnaire (BQ) its usefulness, ease of completion and potential as a tool to monitor intervention were evaluated. Most users found the Behaviour Questionnaire useful and easy to complete. Changes in the behaviour of pupils were identified indicating that the Behaviour Questionnaire has potential for use in monitoring and evaluating interventions.     

Graduate attribute development and employment outcomes: tracking PhD graduates

The provision of diversified research training is regarded as one of the most significant contributions made by the Australian Cooperative Research Centres (CRC) programme [Howard Partners 2003 Howard Partners. 2003. Evaluation of the cooperative research centres programme, Canberra, ACT: Department of Education, Science and Training.  [Google Scholar], Evaluation of the cooperative research centres programme, Department of Education, Science and Training, Canberra, ACT]. Yet, a systematic evaluation of Australia’s CRC research training programmes and outcomes has not yet been undertaken. This article reports on a pilot questionnaire designed to provide the beginnings of such an evaluation. Participants were science‐based research graduates who were awarded with a PhD within the four‐year period 2000–2003 and had completed the majority of their PhD project either in a university school or in a CRC environment. The questionnaire results provide insights into participants’ perceptions of the graduate attributes they developed prior to and during their PhD studies. It also investigates their perceptions about the relative importance of particular skills in university and industry settings. This article argues that understanding the perceptions and employment experiences of recent research graduates is a vital way of ensuring that PhD programmes are more effectively designed to prepare research graduates for a range of careers. In particular, these results confirm the importance of constant re‐evaluation and improvement of all PhD training programmes.     

Mathematics motivation and engagement: an independent evaluation of a complex model with Australian rural high school students

Most traditional models of academic motivation focus on a small number of specific factors. However, the Student Motivation and Engagement Scale (MES) (Martin, 2007b Martin, A.J. 2007b. The motivation and engagement scale, Sydney, , Australia: Lifelong Achievement Group.  [Google Scholar]) includes a fairly comprehensive range of perspectives on general student motivation. The current study set out (a) to provide an independent test of the proposed 11-factor structure of the MES for boys and girls when (b) applied to high school mathematics in Australia (N = 1014; Years 7 to 11). It also examined (c) the covariation of different facets of motivation and engagement with gender, year level, and scholastic achievement. The hypothesised 11-factor model fit reasonably well across gender, and there was clear evidence of specificity to maths compared to English achievement. Some gender and grade effects were observed as well. The study provides support for the value of the Martin model and its instrument. It also extends our knowledge of student motivation to mathematics in Australian rural high schools.     

The field as a ‘pedagogical resource’? A critical analysis of students’ affective engagement with the field environment

This paper presents findings from research into students’ perceptions and experiences of geography fieldwork. The study focused on Year 9 students (13–14 years) from three state secondary schools in urban northern England. Geography fieldwork, depending on its conceptualisation and implementation, has the potential to provide students with a wide range of environmental learning experiences. This paper analyses the implicit values and ideologies underlying the three schools’ approaches to fieldwork using Fien’s (1993 Fien, J. 1993. Education for the environment: Critical curriculum theorising and environmental education, Melbourne, Australia: Deakin University Press.  [Google Scholar]) conceptual distinction between education about, through and for the environment. The significance of these underlying values and ideologies to the students’ affective engagement with the field environment is discussed. The paper concludes that, while some students engaged with the field environment in terms of their personal values and environmental ideologies, broader influences on the fieldwork agenda were also discernable. These findings deepen our understanding of the implicit values underlying environmental education and highlight a potentially important conflict between the cognitive and affective objectives of such work.     

Neoliberal Exclusion and the Fantasy of Competition: What are Children Learning from Monsters University?

The Disney/Pixar film, Monsters University (2013) was a tremendous financial success. As a film written entirely about college students and their quest for social and economic attainment, but marketed primarily to children and adolescents, its messages about the purpose of college and the college experience deserve close examination given its widespread popularity. Theorists have argued that popular fiction (Tompkins, 1986 Tompkins, J. (1986). Sensational designs: The cultural work of American fiction, 1790–1860. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. [Google Scholar]), especially film (Giroux, 1996 Giroux, H. A. (1996). White panic and the racial coding of violence. Fugitive cultures: Race, violence, and youth, 27–54. [Google Scholar], 2008 Giroux, H. A. (2008). Hollywood film as public pedagogy: Education in the crossfire. Afterimage, 35(5), 7–13. [Google Scholar]; Gregory, 2007 Gregory, M. (2007). Real and teaching and real learning vs. narrative myths about education. Arts and Humanities in Higher Education, 6(1), 7–27. https://doi.org/10.1177/1474022207072197.[Crossref] , [Google Scholar]; Peterson, 2009), is a powerful vehicle for creating, reflecting, and reinforcing social values and norms. This article examines the film closely to challenge the many explicit and implicit stereotypes it portrays regarding meritocracy, elitism, and gender and reflects on the role of friendship in a neoliberal society.     

Knowledge Exchange,Social Interactions,and Empowerment in an Intergenerational Technology Program at School

This is a sequel to previous theoretical papers (Gamliel, Reichental, & Eyal, 2007a Gamliel , T. , Reichental , Y. , & Eyal , N. (2007a). Intergenerational educational encounters: Part 1: A model of knowledge. Educational Gerontology , 33, 1–22.[Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar], 2007b Gamliel , T. , Reichental , Y. , & Eyal N. ( 2007b ). Intergenerational educational encounters: Part 2: Counseling implications of the model . Educational Gerontology , 33 , 145 – 164 .[Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) that proposed a Model of Knowledge in Volume 33 of this journal. The study examines the effects of digital education on intergenerational empowerment and social interaction among participants in the Israeli Multigenerational Connection Program (MCP). The program pairs seniors and children in computer-room activities at primary schools and encourages both groups to benefit by learning from each other. Findings from feedback questionnaires, field observations, and semistructured interviews show that the MCP was successful in building an intergenerational bridge. The flexible structuring of the roles of teacher and pupil contributed to participants' satisfaction with the program, and the intergenerational knowledge exchanges empowered both groups and allowed them to reach out to each other. Implications for educators, both in the community and in mainstream schools, are discussed.