Teamwork — teach me, teach me not: A case study of three Australian preservice teachers

Explicit training in teaming skills (both preservice and inservice) has been identified as a key means of facilitating the effective functioning of teaching teams (Main, 2007). This case study explored how groupwork tasks within university coursework can prepare preservice education students to work effectively in teaching teams. Three students in their final year of study were primed to the skills that have been identified as necessary for successful team practices. The students then participated in a semi-structured interview about their groupwork experiences at university. Results from this study of preservice teacher education students reflected findings from studies of students’ groupwork experiences in other disciplines (i.e., business). Students reported opportunities to practise teamwork. However, they were not explicitly taught “how” to work effectively together. It was also found that the assessment focus was entirely on the final “product” and not on the group “process”.     

Avoiding sexism in early childhood education

Conclusion Television, other media, and adults in their daily interactions give children cues about what's appropriate for girls and for boys. It is the daily, continual combination of these events, occurring without thought of the hidden messages they convey to children, which creates an environment organized around sex roles. The message to all of us who work with young children is clear: Provide equal access of space and materials to every child; expect children to engage in all kinds of activities regardless of sex; expect children to exhibit a full range of behavior and reinforce them without regard to sex; and, finally, “liberate” the teacher's role by providing equal access and choices to adults and expecting a full range of responses from men and women alike. Above all, we must recognize that the maintenance of sexist environments and practices prevents every one of us from realizing his or her fullest potential.     

Inquiry-Learning with WebLab: Undergraduate Attitudes and Experiences

The Microelectronics WebLab at MIT allows students to do actual (not simulated) laboratory research on state-of-the art equipment through the Internet. This study assesses the use of WebLab in a junior-level course on microelectronic devices and circuits in 2004–05 and 2005–06. In quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews, students and faculty reported that WebLab was effective as an instrument of learning, and grew more so with refinements of the program. WebLab allowed undergraduates to learn at their own pace and on their own schedules. It enabled them to use different processes of learning (intuitive, visual, abstract), and it gave them an opportunity to link individual and collaborative effort in creative combinations. Online laboratories on this model have broad applications in the experimental sciences and in other research-oriented disciplines.     

The relationship of organizational corruption with organizational culture, attitude towards work and work ethics: a search on Turkish high school teachers

The aim of this study is to analyse organizational corruption and to determine its level of relation to attitude towards work, work ethics and organizational culture. The data in study have been collected from 441 public high school teachers employed in the central districts of Ankara in the school year of 2008–2009. Data have been collected through ‘Scale for Organizational Corruption’, ‘Scale for Attitude towards Work’, ‘Scale for Work Ethics’ and ‘Scale for Organizational Culture’, all of which were developed by the researchers in this study. Correlation and regression analysis techniques have been used in analysing the data. It is concluded from the study that there is a significant, though at an average level, relation between organizational corruption, organizational culture and work ethics and that there is a negative significant relation, though at a low level, between organizational corruption and attitude towards work. It is also concluded that the variables for attitude towards work, work ethics and organizational culture explain 38% of the variation in organizational corruption.     

Demonstration of a new biosensing concept for immunodiagnostic applications based on change in surface conductance of antibodies after biomolecular interactions

We report an important observation that the surface conductivity of antibody layer immobilized on polylysine-coated glass substrate decreases upon the formation of complex with their specific antigens. This change in conductivity has been observed for both monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies. The conductance of monoclonal mouse IgG immobilized on polylysine-coated glass substrate changed from 1.02×10⁻⁸ Ω⁻¹ to 1.41×10⁻¹¹ Ω⁻¹ at 10 V when complex is formed due to the specific biomolecular interactions with rabbit anti-mouse IgG F(ab′)₂. Similar behavior was observed when the same set up was tested in two clinical assays: (1) anti-Leishmania antigen polyclonal antibodies taken from Kala Azar positive patient serum interacting with Leishmania promastigote antigen, and (2) anti-p21 polyclonal antibodies interacting with p21 antigen. The proposed concept can represent a new immunodiagnostic technique and may have wide ranging applications in biosensors and nanobiotechnology too.     

Homi Bhabha

Homi K. Bhabha is not only a major postcolonial theorist, but he has also become an important thinker for education. This article reviews the major themes of Bhabha’s work as it applies to education. The article also cautions us that the pressures in scholarship are to “reify” thinkers and their concepts and then “spend” those concepts like currency in the academic marketplace. This form of commodification is antithetical to progressive scholarly work. The article encourages a resistance to this form of commodification through a more complex engagement with the theories developed by Bhabha and an appreciation of the contradictions in the process of that engagement.     

Affection and cognition in transaction and the mapping of cultural space

Summary In this article, an attempt has been made to treat affection and cognition “transactionally” and to report work underway in the development of a rationale for mapping “sign components” of “cultural space.” The development of statistical procedures and applications remains to be undertaken.     

E-technology and work/life balance for academics with young children

Since the late 1980s, research on post-industrialized economies shows that the boundary between work and family is increasingly becoming blurred. The continuing evolution of e-technology allows work for some to be done anywhere, anytime. This article examines the degree to which e-technology has transferred work into the home lives of academics and how this has affected their work/life balance. Drawing on a study in an Australian university of academics with young children, we utilise the terms ‘work extensification’ and ‘work intensification’ to explore whether these new technologies are a blessing or a curse in their work lives. At the same time we describe the deteriorating working conditions for Australian academics whose work has intensified and extended into their private lives with longer working hours in a speeded up environment. Our findings revealed the use of metaphors such as invasion and intrusion of e-technologies into academics’ homes and their need to establish boundaries to separate work and family life. Most felt that having e-technologies at home was of benefit to their work but they came at a cost to their family life—delivering a blessing and a curse.     

Problem solving strategies and mathematical resources: A longitudinal view on problem solving in a function based approach to algebra

This study is an attempt to analyze students' construction of function based problem solving methods in introductory algebra. It claims that for functions to be a main concept for learning school algebra, a complex process that has to be developed during a long period of learning must take place. The article describes a longitudinal observation of a pair of students that studied algebra for 3 years using a function approach, including intensive use of graphing technology. Such a long observation is difficult to carry out and even more difficult to report. We watched for three years classrooms using the ‘Visual-Math’ sequence, and sampled students that exhibited various levels of mathematics achievement. The analysis method presented here is a non-standard case study of a pair of lower achievers students and their work is often juxtaposed to the work of other pairs participating in the study. The students' attempts to solve a linear break-even problem is analyzed along three interviews which present the development of the use of mathematical resources and the patterns of problem solving at different learning phases. Beyond describing solving attempts, the article offers terms for describing and explaining what and how do learners appreciate and make out of solving introductory school algebra problems over a three years course. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Critical reading comprehension in an era of accountability

This paper argues for the need for critical reading comprehension in an era of accountability that often promotes reading comprehension as readily assessable through students answering multiple choice questions of unseen texts. Based upon a 1 year study investigating literacy in Years 4–9 the ways strong-performing primary schools develop serious and in-depth reading for learning are explored. School and teacher features which allow for the development of sophisticated pedagogical repertoires and space for critical reading comprehension, without losing the complexity of curriculum offerings, are outlined. How one experienced middle primary teacher operates strategically, ethically and critically in supporting her ESL students to learn to read is illustrated. The teacher’s work is situated within the complex accountability demands faced by classroom teachers. This was accomplished by a teacher whose pedagogical repertoire has been assembled across a career teaching in low-SES high ESL communities in a school with a balanced literacy program and high level of collegial support. Risks for schools and teachers whose circumstances work against their capacities for prioritisation and strategic decision-making are identified and discussed.     

What do Pre-Service Teachers See as Their Roles in Promoting Positive Social Environments? “I see Myself as a Facilitator of Acceptance”

Teacher educators describe a developmental process they use for preparing pre-service teachers to support preschool-age children with and without disabilities in becoming socially competent. Social competence is crucial in developing the “whole” child and may actually foster other areas of development. Using qualitative data gathered from multiple classes over several years, the authors explain ways they guide future teachers in learning how to provide positive social environments. They describe their observations of changes in students’ beliefs about their roles and responsibilities, which appear to be influenced by the guided experiences they have provided. Activities implemented in early childhood and early childhood special education courses are shared, as well as student work samples that illustrate developing awareness and understanding.     

Professional Competence and Intuitive Decision Making: A Simulation Study in the Domain of Emergency Medicine

Intuition presents as a crucial component of professional competence for many occupations, including emergency physicians because many of their decisions have to be made quickly. When arriving at the scene of an accident, they promptly have to assess the circumstances and initiate immediate life-saving measures without opportunities for deep analyses of patients’ conditions. Therefore, spontaneous and intuitive decisions are required to solve the problem appropriately, rather than more intentional and time-consuming forms of decision-making. Yet, the efficacy of and processes underpinning these intuitive activities remain far from fully understood or clearly conceptualised. The study reported here aims at revealing the efficacy of such intuition by analysing decision-making behaviour of emergency physicians. Based on patient simulation mannequins, which can be programmed to present specified clinical situations, three groups of participants with different levels of emergency medicine expertise (n ₁  = 10 novices, n ₂  = 10 semi-experts, n ₃  = 10 experts) each addressed two different authentic problem cases. In the first simulation, time pressure was utilised to press participants to decide intuitively. In the second simulation, the participants had to legitimise their decisions without any time pressure in order to generate rational decisions. Whereas no clear difference in the participants’ performances between both cases could be identified, experts and semi-experts performed better than novices in their intuitive decision-making, thereby supporting beliefs about the efficacy of intuition. It is proposed that medical education, as well as other forms of occupational preparation, should consider theories of mental simulations in order to improve surgeons’ professional education.     

Individuals and Leadership in an Australian Secondary Science Department: A Qualitative Study

In this article, we consider the complex and dynamic inter-relationships between individual science teachers, the social space of their work and their dispositions towards teacher leadership. Research into the representation of school science departments through individual science teachers is scarce. We explore the representations of four individual teachers to the assertions of teacher leadership proposed by Silva et al. (Teach Coll Rec, 102(4):779–804, 2000). These representations, expressed during regular science department meetings, occur in the social space of Bourdieu’s “field” and are a reflection of the “game” of science education being played within the department. This departmentally centred space suggests an important implication when considering the relationship between subject departments and their schools. The development of an individual’s representation of teacher leadership and the wider “field” of science education appears to shape the individual towards promoting their own sense of identity as a teacher of science, rather than as a teacher within a school. Our work suggests that for these individuals, the important “game” is science education, not school improvement. Consequently, the subject department may be a missing link between efforts to improve schools and current organizational practices.     

Making the most of the mosaic: facilitating post-school transitions to higher education of disadvantaged students

Research studies of post-school education and training conducted in Australia and internationally have revealed a mosaic of students’ education and employment experiences, with a multiplicity of nonlinear pathways. These tend to be more fragmentary for disadvantaged students, especially those of low socio-economic background, rural students, and mature aged students seeking a ‘second chance’ education. Challenges faced by students in their transitions to higher education are made more complex because of the intersection of vertical stratification created by institutional and sectoral status hierarchies and segmentation, especially relating to ‘academic’ and ‘vocational’ education and training, and the horizontal stratification of regional, rural and remote locations in which students live. If we are to achieve the equity goals set by the Bradley Review (Bradley et al., Review of Australian Higher Education Final Report, 2008) we need to acknowledge and work with the complex realities of disadvantaged students’ situations, starting at the school level. Interrelated factors at the individual, community and institutional level which continue to inhibit student take-up of higher education places are discussed in the context of discursive constructions of ‘disadvantage’ and ‘choice’ in late modernity. Research highlights the need to facilitate students’ post-school transitions by developing student resilience, institutional responsiveness and policy reflexivity through transformative education.     

Tutor and teacher timescapes: Lessons from a home-school partnership

A partnership project was developed in which parents volunteered to support teachers in training years 1-3 children in computer skills at a primary school in a small, low socio-economic community. This article identifies the ways teachers and the ‘tutors’ (as the volunteers were called) understood the value of the project. ‘Being a teacher’ and ‘being a volunteer’ were structured by different forms of social engagement, which in turn influenced the ways individuals were able to work with each other in collaborative processes. We argue that the discursive practices encoded in homeschool-community partnership rhetoric represent ruling-class ways of organising and networking that may be incompatible with those of people from low socio-economic backgrounds. When such volunteers work in schools their attendance may be sporadic and short-term whereas teachers would like ‘reliable’ ongoing commitment. This mismatch wrought of teachers’ and volunteers’ differing everyday realities needs to be understood before useful models for partnerships in disadvantaged communities may be realised.     

Becoming a Woman Through Wicca: Witches and Wiccans in Contemporary Teen Fiction

The article examines Cate Tiernan’s ‘Wicca’ series. This series and the ‘Circle of Three’ books by Isobel Bird explore the experiences of teenage girls who embrace the pagan religion, Wicca. The texts reflect the growing interest in spirituality expressed by many young people and extend the literary representation of witchcraft. Tiernan produces stories of spiritual growth entwined with fantasy and romance. The series operates within a moral and religious framework that allows girls to feel positive about their bodies and their sexuality and acknowledges the complex moral decisions many young people face. Christine Jarvis is Dean of Education and Professional Development at the University of Huddersfield. She worked in community, adult and further education before moving into teacher education. Her doctoral thesis at the University of Leeds examined the educational uses of popular romantic fiction and she has published work on education and popular culture, romance, teen fiction and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.     

Implementing microcomputers in science teaching

Conclusion The most important finding from this study is that if one adheres to the guidelines from the literature on staff development and educational change, teachers can and will change their teaching behaviors. It is very easy, however, to underestimate the time and resources required to implement change in schools. Even a seemingly simple change such as increasing use of educational computing, which teachers can implement in their individual classrooms without an overhaul of schools, is immensely complex and difficult. Helping teachers and schools change requires a systematic effort, with intensive on-going support over a period of three or more years. Science educators, school leaders, and the public must learn that school improvement is not an event but a continual process of renewal and refinement. This study demonstrates the importance of allocating resources to staff development and implementation along with those for curriculum development. Fortunately, the National Science Foundation has recognized the importance of implementation in school improvement by requiring that implementation be an integral part of all curriculum development projects it funds. As Hall (1986) said, “It is not enough to build pretty boxes; what is important is to get the boxes used.” This article is based on work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. MDR-8470061. Any opionions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.