Perceptions of the barriers to effective inclusion in one primary school: voices of teachers and teaching assistants

This study examined the barriers to inclusion in one primary school in the north of England. Qualitative data were collected from teachers and teaching assistants through the use of a focus group. The evidence suggested that practices within the school were varied and ranged from highly inclusive to highly exclusive. Some teachers worked in good faith to develop effective inclusion for learners with special educational needs. Conversely, other teachers displayed negative attitudes towards these pupils and this impacted negatively on the school's commitment to inclusion. Lack of funding, resources and training were identified as key barriers to inclusion. Parental resistance to inclusion was also evident within the context of this school and there was a strong feeling that the inclusion agenda was problematic in the context of the standards agenda. Despite these issues there was a strong sense that practitioners should be willing to commit to the principles of inclusive education and the study considers some ways in which schools can advance their practice in this respect. Within this study the term ‘practitioner’ is used to represent teachers and teaching assistants.     

Report from the People's Republic of China

This report is an extract reprinted from the article “Science reborn in China” originally published inNature Vol. 274, 31 August 1978, and now reproduced in short-ened form by courtesy of the editor and with the kind co-operation of the author.     

Autonomy-supportive teaching and its antecedents: differences between teachers and teaching assistants and the predictive role of perceived competence

European Journal of Psychology of Education - Research predicated on self-determination theory (SDT) has established a positive relationship between autonomy-supportive teaching and a range of...     

Mathematical olympiads in the People's Republic of China

Conclusions This new series of Chinese olympiads is admittedly experimental. Chinese educators are studying the results of these contests. Building upon this acquired experience, they hope to improve and expand such competitions in the future. New standards of mathematical excellence are now being established in the PRC and future mathematical olympiads will accordingly be more demanding. It appears evident that in the near future, a team from the People's Republic of China will participate in the International Mathematical Olympiad [10].     

论中华人民共和国国威

伟大的革命历程奠定了中华人民共和国的历史和现实基础.中华人民共和国国威的主要内容和表现是:科学的理论指导,坚强的党的领导.团结奋进的人民,巩固的人民民主专政,强国之路的改革开放,不断壮大的综合国力,强大的国防力量,独立自主的和平外交,稳定的和谐社会.     

1978 Mathematics olympiads in the People's Republic of China

It has been said that the one thing that remains constant in China is change. 1978 is the year in which Chinese mathematics educators re-instituted provincial and national mathematics competitions at the school level, after an absence of fourteen years. The objective of these competitions is to seek out mathematically talented youth, an objective which is consistent with Chinese efforts to revitalize scientific development and move towards achieving the Four Modernizations: Science and Technology, National Defense, Agriculture, and Industry. The reader is provided, in this article, with an overview to the nature of mathematics competitions now unfolding in China.     

Teaching assistants and class teachers: differing perceptions,role confusion and the benefits of skills-based training

Research has shown that teaching assistants (TAs) working in mainstream classrooms with special needs students in Australia are being required to perform quite complex tasks such as curriculum modification and differentiation yet they are not required to have any formal qualifications nor training in these tasks. In the United Kingdom, TAs are not required to have any formal qualifications, while TAs employed in the USA are required to hold a two-year post-secondary degree or have obtained an associate’s or higher degree. Initial research was undertaken in Stage 1 to identify the roles and responsibilities, skills and training needs of TAs working with special needs students in one school in Canberra, Australia. Information was obtained through separate focus group interviews conducted with class teachers and TAs. Stage 2 involved the design and implementation of five skills-based training modules developed to respond to needs identified in Stage 1. In Stage 3, interviews were conducted with the TAs to determine the effect the training had on their skills and their ability to assist both the class teachers and the students whom they support. Results from the study indicate that there exists role confusion as well as a different emphasis and perception by class teachers and TAs of the skills required to perform in the role of a TA. Results also indicated that specifically targeted skills-based training benefited the TAs and the TAs perceived that this benefit flowed through to the class teachers and the students they support.     

建国以来经济模式更替的历史启示

本文从所有制结构和经济体制变迁的角度,考察了建国以来三种经济模式更替的历史缘由.认为新民主主义经济实践所创造的在国营经济领导下的混合经济模式,为在社会主义条件下中国经济发展模式的选择提供了实证的经验.社会主义初级阶段经济模式在许多关节点上是对新民主主义经济模式的继承和发展,但并不是一种简单的复归,它是在新的时代环境和国际条件下大胆创新的产物,比之过去的模式更丰富、更成熟、更能体现中国社会主义的特色.从经济发展的连续性和相关性来看,也不应忽视它与传统社会主义模式之间的继承关系.     

An exploration of the features of effective collaboration between teachers and teaching assistants in secondary schools

This article explores notions of support and collaboration between teachers and teaching assistants (TAs) in two secondary schools in England. In particular it reviews how team members created opportunities and established collaborative practices aimed at including each other in the task of providing support for children who are described as having difficulties in learning. The data from the ethnographic study, which were collected through a variety of methods and were generated with the support and participation of teachers, heads of departments, special educational needs co‐ordinators (SENCOs) and teaching assistants, suggest that the successful inclusion of students is dependent on how schools as organisations and communities are able to support the inclusion of adults as well.     

Marketization of higher education in the People's Republic of China

Reforms of higher education in P.R.C. since the overall promulgation of the socialist market economy have impacted both the employment of graduates and the funding mechanism of higher education. All students are charged tuition starting from the academic year of 1995/96 and are “employed” rather than “assigned to jobs” after graduation. It is evident that market forces start to have a role to play in marketization of higher education in P.R.C. because it influences both the students' choices of disciplines leading to future career opportunities and the government's allocation of public spending in higher education. British universities are ahead of their Chinese counterpart in experiencing the impact of market forces on higher education. The framework of marketization of higher education in Britain will be discussed with considerations of unique characteristics of higher education in the P.R.C.     

Video material as a support to developing effective collaboration between teachers and teaching assistants

At a time of rapid development in the role of teaching assistants and of corresponding increase in their numbers, studies of how TAs and teachers collaborate are particularly welcome. In this article, Sue Pearson, Gary Chambers and Ken Hall explore the potential of video recordings as a tool in joint professional development.     

试析研究性学习在《中华人民共和国史》教学中的运用

在高校《中华人民共和国史》的教学中,教师应注重引导学生开展研究性学习,提高学生的自主学习能力。教师可充分运用历史史料,培养学生客观评价历史的思维;可开展专题研究,培养学生多角度看问题的意识;可利用撰写学年论文的形式,培养学生对问题的研究能力。     

我国无效婚姻制度若干问题探析

文章根据我国现行无效婚姻制度的内容和立法状况,以2001年《婚姻法》修正案和相关的司法解释为基础,探讨了我国无效婚姻制度存在的优点和不足之处,并且针对以上所发现的问题,提出了一些个人的设想和立法建议,以期使我国现行的无效婚姻制度更加完善。     

Change in higher education in the People's Republic of China

Developments in Chines higher education since the creation of the People's Republic in 1949 are reviewed with special reference to the periods before and after the Cultural Revolution. Recent changes in admission policies the use of work experience, the linking of theory with practice, length of course, and teacher-student relationships are discussed.     

Regulations Concerning Academic Degrees in the People's Republic of China

Article 1: The Regulations are laid down to promote the growth of special talents in science, raise the academic level of various branches of learning, and forward the development of education and science so as to meet the needs of socialist modernization.     

Knowledge and attitudes towards attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): a comparison of teachers and teaching assistants

ABSTRACT

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) rates in classrooms have increased considerably in recent years. Previous literature has acknowledged the significance of teachers’ knowledge and attitudes towards ADHD when making referral and intervention decisions. Using Mulholland, Cumming and Jung’s (2015) knowledge (SASK) and attitude (SASA) scales, ADHD training and perceived support were compared across public school teachers (n = 165) and teaching assistants (TAs) (n = 157) in the UK. Results indicated that teachers and TAs displayed adequate levels of knowledge, and TAs held better knowledge and more positive feelings towards ADHD than teachers. Training increased knowledge for TAs, but not for teachers, and training and support appeared important for both the teachers and TAs’ attitudes. Both teachers and TAs reported inadequate training and expressed a desire for further ADHD training, and a significant association was found between knowledge and attitudes for teachers only. The implications for these findings are discussed.