Media and technology in education: A constructivist view

This paper is a version of the seventh ECTJ/ERIC-IR Young Scholar Paper, an annual award initiated to stimulate writing by young professionals in the field of instructional technology. Preparation of the paper was supported by the ERIC Clearinghouse on Information Resources at Syracuse, NY. - Ed.     

Democratic constructivist science education: Enabling egalitarian literacy and self-actualization

Although pedagogical approaches drawing on constructivist learning theories often place students in environments that are to resemble professional knowledge-building communities, paradoxically, they also orchestrate students' re-constructions to harmonize with canons of Western science. Under the cover of social-constructivist epistemologies and Vygotskian pedagogies, students' prior conceptions are denigrated, their experiences regulated, their investigations shepherded, and their conclusions restricted. Such actions are undemocratic-citizens' literacy is confined to that narrowly defined by society's e´lite and, therefore, is not egalitarian. Students have few opportunities to become self-actualized-to develop in ways unique to their needs, interests, abilities and perspectives. After elaborating these concerns, I provide a framework for curriculum development that may help democratize science education. It is an approach that gives priority to personalization, inclusion, problematization, explicitness, apprenticeship, authenticity and freedom.     

Peer coaching: a constructivist methodology for enhancing critical thinking in postgraduate business education

Peer coaching (PC) is one experiential learning method that can be used to enhance the depth of learning in managerial education. The paper explores the concept of peer coaching, and reports on the experiences of 43 students who participated in a PC program as part of their postgraduate management education. Powerful learning effects are reported by participants, and characteristics for successful PC relationships are examined.     

Exploring the teacher-student relationship in graduate education: a constructivist grounded theory

Despite its significance, the teacher-student relationship in higher education remains an under-researched field. The current study used constructivist grounded theory, in order to enrich the relevant discussion. More specifically, it aimed at exploring how the teacher-student relationship in graduate education develops (and gradually evolves) based on the perceptions and experiences of the parties involved. Data was collected through intensive interviewing with twenty teacher educators and by five focus groups with twenty-five graduate students in Educational Sciences. Based on the combined constant comparative analysis of the teachers’ and students’ perceptions and experiences, the teacher-student relationship in higher education surfaced as a complex dynamic process. Despite the teachers’ hierarchical superiority, it is characterised by reciprocating in all its manifestations: mutually wanting to relate, developing characteristics of a meaningful relationship, overcoming obstacles, maintaining boundaries and experiencing the positive outcomes.     

Issues in generalization: Implications for special education

Cognitive and behavioral theories in psychology have failed to explain adequately the commonly reported failures in generalization exhibited by mentally retarded populations. This article provides background on generalization as viewed by behavior and cognitive psychologists, describes the failures to facilitate generalization, and offers an alternative explanation of such failures. This explanation describes the generalization process in terms of individual capacity for analogical reasoning.     

New conceptualizations for special education

During their secondary school years, a considerable number of students seriously consider choosing between learning and leaving. Leaving school early means that students do not complete their education. Early school leaving is the last step in a process in which students gradually lose interest and develop the intention to leave school. This study focuses on students with special needs and the impact of their social relations with parents, teachers and peers on their intentions to leave school early. The sample for this study comprises 1873 typical students and 132 students with special needs aged 16 from secondary schools in a large region of Norway. The intention to leave early can be predicted by teacher support and by loneliness as an indicator for peer support. The findings suggest that especially peer support is, for all students, a key variable in staying motivated for school. For students with special needs, teacher support is also important to stay in school in the early years. Over time, however, the support from teachers becomes less important for students with special needs. They too become more dependent on support from peers.     

A constructivist attempt to change attitudes towards children with special needs

ABSTRACT

A research programme was initiated to promote positive attitudes towards children with special needs. Fifteen students each taught four lessons to children from second to sixth class in Primary Schools. Their approach was constructivist involving discussion and activities designed to provide opportunities for the children to reconsider their ideas. A post‐test was given to 465 experimental and 326 control children. Experimental children were different from controls in being more prosocial in a number of ways. Children who knew somebody with a mental handicap were affected by the programme differently in comparison with inexperienced children, largely by becoming more aware of the difficulties of children with special needs. There were a number of age and gender differences in the ways children think about mental handicap.     

特殊教育信息化平台研发:融合教育理念的创新实践

数据不统一、数据来源多样、特殊教育教师缺乏、普通教师特殊教育专业知识缺乏以及特殊儿童康复教育档案不全等问题,为特殊教育信息化工作的推进带来了阻力。北京某高校联合广东佛山市某特殊教育学校,以促进区域多元化特殊教育服务机构融合为目标,通过构建区域化特殊教育服务平台业务流程,搭建了基于融合理念的特殊教育信息化平台,为教育管理平台用户、特殊教育机构用户和普通教师用户提供了个性化的服务,解决了区域内特殊教育数据来源不统一、特殊教育专业人员不足、普通教师特殊教育专业知识技能缺乏等问题,建立了区域化特殊教育资源共建共享机制、特殊儿童教育康复成长档案等,研究结论及建议将为后期特殊教育信息化的有效推进提供理论基础和实践依据。     

Leadership in inclusive education: a professional development agenda for special education

Leadership roles in special education have changed dramatically over recent years. Stephen Powers, Stephen Rayner and Helen Gunter, all of whom are lecturers and researchers in the School of Education at the University of Birmingham, conducted a questionnaire survey of the perceived professional development needs of heads, deputies and senior staff working in specialist contexts. The results reveal a significant concern with organisationally focused issues; support for school- and LEA-based courses and higher education provision; but a perceived lack of Government-funded training addressing the needs of those in leadership roles in special education. The authors conclude this article with a call for interested readers to become involved in further research in this important area.     

Inclusive education: Ireland's education provision for children with special educational needs

The concept of inclusive education is a relatively new phenomenon within the Irish education system, with considerable developments in government policy only occurring since the early 1990s. These developments are aiming to advance special education provisions and legislation for individuals with disabilities and special educational needs (SEN). This increased attention is illustrated by the Special Education Review Committee (SERC) report, the report of the Government Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities, A Strategy for Equality (1996 Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities (1996) A strategy for equality , Report of the Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities . [Google Scholar]), the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) Discussion Document (1999), Special Educational Needs: Curriculum Issues, the Education Act, the Equal Status Act and the recently published Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Bill and the Disability Bill (2004). However, despite these advancements in SEN developments, it can be argued that the Irish government and education system still fall short of providing a rights-based education to all children with a disability or SEN in the state. This article discusses the educational provision for children with SEN from 1990 to 2004.     

RESEARCH SECTION: Inclusive special education: the role of special education teachers in Finland

This study concentrates on the work of special education teachers in mainstream education in Finland, where these professionals work with children from various classes, usually in a separate room. The research reported in this article by Marjatta Takala of the University of Helsinki, Raija Pirttimaa of the University of Oulu and Minna Törmänen, who is studying for her PhD at the University of Helsinki, involved sending a questionnaire to 133 special education teachers and undertaking observations. The work of the special education teachers was revealed to consist of three elements: teaching, consulting and background work. Teaching, often focusing on giving support to children who had challenges in the main academic subjects, was realised in small groups, in co‐operative or individual settings. Consultation mainly concerned co‐operation and discussion. Behavioural challenges needed a targeted approach. The main problems experienced by the teachers were the lack of time for consultation and co‐operation, an unclear work profile and too much work. The work of special education teachers was partly inclusive, but also entailed segregative elements. The authors discuss the potential for promoting further steps towards inclusion as well as possible changes in organising special educational provision at school level.