The non-education of Kurds: A Kurdish perspective

Educational provision in Kurdistan (embracing parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey) violates most of the language-in-education requirements of international law. The same is true for Kurds in diaspora in most parts of the world. Linguistic and cultural genocide is attempted, with the tacit complicity of the West. The future of Kurdish education depends to a large extent on the political situation in the Middle East. Political solutions are needed before educational problems can be tackled. Within international law, a new interpretation by the UN Human Rights Committee of Article 27 in the International Convenant on Civil and Political Rights (UN 1986) might give grounds for hope for the future.

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Zusammenfassung Bildungsmöglichkeiten in Kurdistan (einschließlich Teilen Irans, Iraks, Syriens und der Türkei) entsprechen nicht den internationalen Forderungen zur Sprachpolitik in der Bildung. Das gleiche gilt für Diaspora Kurden in den meisten Teilen der Welt. Mit stillschweigender Übereinkunft des Westen wird der linguistische und kulturelle Massenmord angestrebt. Die Zukunft der kurdischen Bildung hängt größtenteils von der politischen Situation im mittleren Osten ab. Bevor jedoch das Bildungsproblem gelöst werden kann, braucht man politische Lösungen. Innerhalb des internationalen Gesetzes könnte eine neue Auslegung des Artikel 27 im Internationalen Convent über zivile und politische Rechte (UN 1968) durch das Menschenrechtskommittee der Vereinten Nationen Hoffnung für die Zukunft bringen.

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Resumen La educación prestada en Kurdistán (que comprende partes de Irán, Iraq, Siria y Turquía) viola la mayor parte de las exigencias que el derecho internacional establece en cuanto a la educación en la lengua correspondiente del individuo. Esto también rige para los kurdos, que se encuentran en la diáspora, en muchas partes del mundo. Con ello se intenta un genocidio cultural, con la complicidad tácita del mundo occidental. El futuro de la educación kurda depende en gran medida de la situación política de Oriente Medio. Se requieren soluciones políticas que permitan abordar los problemas de la educación, Dentro del derecho internacional, puede dar lugar a esperanzas una nueva interpretación que el Comité de Derechos Ilumanos de las Naciones Unidas hizo del artículo 27 en el Convenio Internacional de Derechos Civiles y Políticos (UN 1986).

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Résumé Les formes d'enseignement dispensé au Kurdistan (partagé entre l'Iran, l'Iraq, la Syrie et al Turquie) violent la plupart des exigences envers les langues dans l'enseignement établies par le droit international. La même constatation est valable pour la diaspora kurde disséminée sur la quasi-totalité de la planète. Il ya a en fait tentative de génocide linguistique et culturel, avec la complicité tacite de l'Occident. L'avenir de l'éducation kurde dépendant dans une large mesure de la situation politique au Moyen-Orient, les problèmes pédagogiques ne peuvent être abordés que si la situation politique est résolue. Dans le adre du droit international, une nouvelle interprétation de l'article 27 de la Convention internationale des droits civils et politiques par le Comité des droits de l'hommes (ONU 1986) pourrait donner un nouvel espoir pour l'avenir.

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Occupational interests of Barbadian adolescents

A sample of 850 adolescents in the Caribbean island of Barbados indicated their general interest in 90 locally available occupations which were designated male, female or either sex in accordance with judgements of present employment of the sexes in these positions, and named up to three jobs for which they had particular preference. Results showed sex to have a pervasive influence on both general interest and particular job choice, although both males and females were most strongly attracted to modern sector, mid/high status managerial positions. Implications for career guidance in schools, and for further research, are discussed.     

Career Development and the Needs of Young College-Educated Females in Taiwan

This interpretive study examined the lived experiences of young college-educated Taiwanese women employed as clerical workers. Using hermeneutic phenomenology as the research methodology, the study explored the meanings of the participants lived experiences. Systematic text analysis of the data revealed various experiences and expectations. Experience themes identified in the study were: (a) bored and busy; and (b) disrespected and mistrusted. Major expectation themes revealed are: (a) career dreams and aspirations; and (b) desire for meaningful work. The study emphasised the importance of career development education in young Taiwanese women. The experiences of Taiwanese female clerical workers as recorded in the study reflected a need for career development, which might provide insightful information for career development scholars and practitioners.     

The decline of the modern paradigm in education

The education system is widely perceived to be functioning poorly, and this paper argues that there is in fact a deep crisis caused by the gap between the system and the changing world that surrounds it. Post-modern conditions stress the production of information rather than the productivity of land or capital, and a relativistic world-view rather than adherence to a fixed religion or ideology, which in turn gives rise to pluralism and shifting social frameworks. At the same time, the pursuit of Truth is no longer seen as the highest goal in life, and the possession of proof of education is no longer a guarantee of access to the Good Life. Educational institutions are dysfunctional because they remain wedded to outmoded parameters in their aims, activities, structures, methods and perceptions of their clientele. Through a wide-ranging review of recent conceptual debate and assessment of social trends, the paper explores the implications of radical contemporary changes in the parameters: the search for a new paradigm of education has only just begun.

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Zusammenfassung Das Bildungssystem wird weitgehend als unzulänglich betrachtet, und dieser Artikel argumentiert dahingehend, daß es in der Tat eine tiefgreifende Krise gibt, die durch die Kluft zwischen dem System und der sich ändernden Welt um es herum ist. Postmoderne Bedingungen legen eher Wert auf die Erstellung von Informationen als auf die Produktivität von Land oder Kapital. Man zieht eine relativistische Weltanschauung einer festgelegten Religion oder Ideologie vor, die wiederum Pluralismus und sich ändernde soziale Rahmenbedingungen fördert. Gleichzeitig wird die Suche nach der Wahrheit nicht länger als oberstes Ziel im Leben angesehen und der Besitz von Bildungsnachweisen ist nicht länger eine Garantie für ein gutes Leben. Bildungsinstitutionen funktionieren nicht mehr, weil sie in ihren Zielen, Aktivitäten, Strukturen, Methoden und Wahrnehmungen ihrer Zielen, Aktivitäten, Strukturen, Methoden und Wahrnehmungen ihrer Zielgruppen mit unzeitgemäßen Normen verknüpft sind. Mittels eines weitreichenden überblicks über jüngste Debatten über Konzepte und die Einschätzung sozialer Trends, untersucht der Artikel die Auswirkungen radikaler zeitgenössischer Anderungen der Normen; die Suche nach einem neuen Paradigma der Bildung hat gerade erst begonnen.

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Resumen Hay una percepción general de que el funcionamiento del sistema de educación es deficiente, y este trabajo sostiene que, efectivamente, se produce una profunda crisis causada por la brecha existente entre el sistema y el mundo cambiante que lo rodea. Las condiciones postmodernistas ponen énfasis en la producción de informaciones más que en la productividad de la tierra o del capital, y en una óptica del mundo relativista más que en la adhesión a una religión o ideología fija, lo que por su parte da origen al pluralismo y a sistemas sociales cambiantes. Al mismo tiempo, la busca de la Verdad ya no es considerada como la meta más importante en la vida, y la titularidad de pruebas de formación ya no garantiza el acceso a la Buena Vida. Las instituciones de la educación muestran una disfunción porque aún se atienen a parámetros obsoletos en cuanto a objetivos, actividades, estructuras, métodos y percepciones de su clientela. A través de una amplia reseña de debates conceptuales recientes y de la valoración de tendencias sociales, el trabajo explora las implicaciones que los cambios radicales contemporáneos tienen en los parámetros; la busca de un nuevo paradigma de educaión solamente acaba de comenzar.

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Résumé Le système éducatif a la réputation largement répandue de mal fonctionner, et l'article expose qu'il existe en effet une crise profonde due à l'écart entre le système d'éducation et le monde en évolution qui l'entoure. Les conditions de vie post-modernes font passer au premier plan la production de l'information à la place de la productivité de la terre et du capital, et une vision du monde relativiste remplace l'adhésion à une religion ou une idéologie fixe, qui à son tour engendre le pluralisme et la modification des structures sociales. Parallèlement, la recherche de la vérité n'est plus le but suprême dans la vie, et la détention d'une preuve d'éducation n'est plus une garantie d'accès à une vie réussie. Le dysfonctionnement des institutions éducatives réside donc dans leur attachement obstiné à des modèles périmés quant à leurs objectifs, leurs activités, leurs structures, leurs méthodes et leur vision de la clientèle. Sur la base d'une vaste étude sur le récent débat conceptuel et une évaluation des tendances sociales, l'article analyse les conséquences des changements radicaux contemporains sur ces modèles: la recherche d'un nouveau type d'éducation ne fait que commencer.

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Roos and José, two children in a mixed ability group

One of the purposes of the Dutch research project Mixed ability groups in mathematics education 12–16 (S.V.O. 0647) is to support the mathematics department of the S.L.O., foundation for curriculum development, in the development of a mathematics for all curriculum. Two booklets on graphs are partially evaluated by pre- and posttests, interviews and classroom observations in a comprehensive school. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of observations and tests show considerable progress in most of the children. This progress is most pronounced in children with a low score on their pretest.

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Minority workers or minority human beings? A European dilemma

European identities may be politonymic, toponymic, ethnomyic or linguonymic (Bromley 1984). Each dimension may affect whether migrant minorities are treated as European, and influence their schooling, integration and rights. Treatment and terminology vary in different states and periods of migration. However, the position for immigrated minorities is that they are still largely seen as workers rather than human beings with equal rights. Lack of success in schools is blamed on the migrants themselves rather than the educational system. This construction of migrants as being deficient is parallel to educational practice which falls within a UN definition of linguistic genocide, and contributes to mis-education. If current efforts in international bodies to codify educational linguistic human rights were to lead to greater support for minorities, this could assist in a redefinition of national identities and a reduction of racism and conflict.

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Zusammenfassung Europäische Identitäten können politonym, toponym, ethnonym oder linguonym sein (Bromely 1984). Jede Gruppe kann darauf Einfluß haben, ob Migrantenminderheiten als Europäer behandelt werden und Schulwesen, Integration und Rechte respektiert werden. Noch werden immigrierte Minderheiten jedoch weitgehend als Arbeiter und nicht als Menschen mit gleichen Rechten angesehen. Schulische Mißerfolge werden eher ihnen selbst als dem Bildungssystem angelastet. Diese Darstellung von Migranten als defizitär entspricht derjenigen Handlungsweise im Bildungsbereich, welche unter die Kategorie des linguistischen Genozids definiert wird und welche zu einer mis-education beiträgt. Wenn gegenwärtige Bemühungen internationaler Gremien um die Kodifizierung der Rechte der Menschen auf ihre Sprache Minderheiten unterstützen, könnte dies zu einer Umdefinition nationaler Identitäten und einer Reduzierung von Rassismus und Konflikten führen.

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Resumen Las identidades de los Europeos pueden ser politonímicas, toponímicas, etnomímicas o linguonímicas (Bromley 1984). Cada una de estas dimensiones puede influir en que minorías de inmigrantes scan tratadas de Europeos y con ello en su educación escolar, en su integración y en sus derechos. El tratamiento y la terminología varían conforme a los períodos y las circunstancias de la inmigración. No obstante, la posición que se adopta frente a las minorías inmigrantes es la de considerarlos en gran medida como trabajadores y no tanto como seres humanos de iguales derechos. La falta de éxito en los estudios se atribuye a los inmigrantes mismos, más que al sistema de educación. Esta consideración de los inmigrantes como inferiores es paralela a una práctica de la educación que cae bajo una definición de la Naciones Unidas de genocidio lingüístico y contribuye a la educación deficiente. Si los esfuerzos actuales que las organizaciones internacionales ponen en codificar los derechos humanos lingüísticos de la educación estuvieran destinados a brindar un mayor apoyo a las minorías, esto podría ayudar a definir con mayor precisión las identidades nacionales y a reducir el racismo y los conflictos.

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Résumé Les identités européennes peuvent être politonymiques, toponymiques, ethnonymiques ou linguonymiques (Bromley 1984). Selon leurs affinités avec chacun de ces domaines, les personnes appartenant aux minorités migrantes sont considérées ou non comme européennes, et cela influence leur scolarité, leur intégration et leurs droits. La façon dont ces personnes sont traitées et la terminologie évoluent selon les différentes étapes et périodes de migration. Mais le plus souvent, les minorités immigrantes sont encore davantage considérées comme des travailleurs que comme des personnes bénéficiant des mêmes droits. Les échecs scolaires sont mis sur le compte des migrants eux-mêmes et non sur celui du système éducatif. Le fait que l'on considère les migrants comme inférieurs se reflète dans une pratique éducative que les Nations Unies appellent génocide linguistique et se traduit par une éducation inadéquate. Si les efforts actuels de la part des institutions internationales pour codifier les droits de l'homme en matière de pédagogie linguistique apportaient un plus grand soutien aux minorités, cela contribuerait à donner une rédéfinition des identités nationales et à réduire le racisme et les conflits.

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Learning to spell regular and irregular verbs

Several conventional spelling sequences for morphemes do not conform to letter-sound correspondence rules. One example is the -ed spelling for the inflectional morpheme at the end of English past verbs. Previous work has shown a close relationship between children's awareness of grammatical distinctions and their success in learning about this spelling sequence. However, this research was with real verbs and the children's spelling might have been influenced by familiarity with the words. To check this, we devised a task with pseudo-verbs. This is a novel use of pseudo-words, which hitherto have been a tool for testing letter-sound knowledge; here the spellings violated letter-sound relationships and followed a morphological pattern. The children heard passages with a pseudo-verb in the past tense and in other tenses and had to write the pseudo-verb in the past tense. The task contained both regular pseudo-verbs, whose stem was the same in the present and past tense, and irregular pseudo-verbs, which had different stems in the present and the past tense. The children's scores in a grammatical awareness task predicted their use of the -ed spelling sequence over a 21 month period. The children also used -ed endings significantly more often in regular than irregular pseudo-verbs. We conclude that the use of -ed endings for regular verbs reflects a morphological spelling strategy based on children's grammatical awareness.     

Literacy from a linguistic and a sociolinguistic perspective

This paper examines the impact of two major approaches to literacy programs — the linguistic and the sociolinguistic. The principal difference between the two perspectives is that the linguistic negates the importance of sociological and ethnographic factors in a person's attaining literacy, while the sociolinguistic magnifies these influences. From one viewpoint, literacy is seen as cracking a linguistic code, while from the other, in Freire's (1987) phrasing, reading the world is necessary before reading the word. Academic/cultural literacy and functional literacy are examined as types affiliated with the linguistic perspective. Types of ethnographic literacy programs are analyzed to show their sociolinguistic orientation. The last section of the paper examines the language planning consequences of which perspective a country adopts and focuses on some recent literacy programs in Peru which incorporate elements of both the linguistic and sociolinguistic perspectives.

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Zusammenfassung Dieser Artikel untersucht den Einfluß zweier Ansätze zu Alphabetisierungsprogrammen — den linguistischen und den soziolinguistischen. Der Hauptunterschied zwischen beiden Perspektiven liegt darin, daß die linguistische die Bedeutung soziologischer und ethnologischer Faktoren beim lernen verneint, während die soziolinguistische Perspektive diese Einflüsse unterstreicht. Eine Seite versteht unter Lese- und Schreibfähigkeit die Lösung eines linguistischen Codes, während die andere Seite mit Freires (1987) Worten gesprochen, Lesen der Welt in seiner Wichtigkeit vor Lesen des Wortes stellt. Akademische/kulturelle Schreib-u. Lesefähigkeit und funktionelle Schreib- u. Lesefähigkeit werden als Beispiele untersucht, die eng mit der linguistischen Perspektive verbunden sind. Ethnographische Alphabetisierungsprogramme werden in ihrer soziolinguistischen Orientierung analysiert. Der letzte Teil des Artikels setzt sich mit den Folgen für Sprachprogramme auseinander, in Bezug zur eingenommenen Perspektive. Der Artikel konzentriert sich auf einige Alphabetisierungsprogramme in Peru, die beide Perspektiven einbeziehen.

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Resumen El trabajo examina el impacto de dos importantes enfoques de programas de alfabetización: el lingüístico y el sociolingüístico. La principal diferencia entre ambas ópticas reside en que la lingüística niega la importancia que revisten los factores sociológicos y etnográficos para la persona que está aprendiendo a leer y a escribir, mientras que la sociolingüística magnifica estas influencias. Desde un punto de vista, la alfabetización es considerada como la solución del código lingüístico, mientras que desde el otro, según las palabras de Freire (1987), se sostiene que antes de reading the word (leer la palabra) será necesario reading the world (interpretar el mundo). Estudia la alfabetización académico-cultural y la alfabetización funcional como disciplinas asociadas a la óptica de la lingüística. Analiza tipos de programas etnográficos de alfabetización para mostrar su orientación sociolingüístca. La última parte del trabajo examina las consecuencias de la planificación del lenguaje según la perspectiva que un país adopta, y enfoca algunos programas de alfabetización recientes del Perú, que incorporan elementos tanto de la óptica lingüística como de la sociolingüístic.

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Résumé Cet article étudie l'incidence des deux principaux modes d'approche des programmes d'alphabétistion, l'un linguistique et l'autre sociolinguistique. La différence principale entre ces deux perspectives est la suivante: La linguistique nie l'importance des facteurs sociologiques et ethnographiques dans le processus d'alphabétisation d'une personne, alors que la sociolinguistique amplifie ces facteurs d'influence. La première considère l'alphabétisation comme le décryptage d'un code linguistique, pour la seconde, selon l'expression de Freire (1987), il faut lire le monde avant de lire le mot. Les formes d'alphabétisation dites académique, culturelle et fonctionnelle sont présentées comme appartenant à l'optique linguistique. Des programmes d'alphabétisation ethnographique sont également examinés pour en montrer l'orientation sociolinguistique. La dernière partie de l'article analyse les conséquences sur la planification linguistique quand un pays adopte l'une ou l'autre conception, et termine par la présentation de quelques récents programmes d'alphabétisation au Pérou, qui intègrent des éléments à la fois linguistiques et sociolinguistiques.

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Whitehead and a new look at teaching elementary science

If Whitehead is right, science teachers who try to increase student interest by making the science they teach more pure and by covering more material are going about their work in just the wrong way. Science, for purposes of precision in measurement, translates the dynamic world of feeling and force, of causal efficacy (for example, the San Francisco earthquake), into a static representation spatialized and given presentational immediacy (for example, the Richter scale). But notice that the Richter scale isn't very interesting (even as abstract art) apart from its connection, via symbolic reference, to the earthquake. Such reference is essential to give both a sense of reality and a feeling of interes to the subject, but it makes the science less pure, and it takes more time to cover the material. An example of teaching pure and impure formal logic is given as a case study.     

Child-methods in secondary mathematics

An earlier research project, the Concepts in Secondary Mathematics and Science (Mathematics) project, identified both a hierarchy of levels of understanding in different areas of secondary mathematics, and a number of particular errors which were made by significant proportions of the children tested. Preliminary consideration of these errors and the strategies which appear to have given rise to them suggests that the use of informal naive methods which are limited in their applicability is widespread even at fourth-year level. The suggestion is made that there may be two systems of mathematics coexisting in the secondary school classroom: the formal taught system, and a system of child-methods which are based upon a counting, adding-on or building-up approach, and by which children attempt to solve mathematical problems within a human-sense framework. The difficulties which some children appear to experience in mathematics is suggested to be due in part to these children's non-initiation into the formal taught system. The implication of such a view for teaching and research are indicated.     

Idealisation and Galileo’s Pendulum Discoveries: Historical, Philosophical and Pedagogical Considerations

Galileos discovery of the properties of pendulum motion depended on his adoption of the novel methodology of idealisation. Galileos laws of pendulum motion could not be accepted until the empiricist methodological constraints placed on science by Aristotle, and by common sense, were overturned. As long as scientific claims were judged by how the world was immediately seen to behave, and as long as mathematics and physics were kept separate, then Galileos pendulum claims could not be substantiated; the evidence was against them. Proof of the laws required not just a new science, but a new way of doing science, a new way of handling evidence, a new methodology of science. This was Galileos method of idealisatioin. It was the foundation of the Galilean–Newtonian Paradigm which characterised the Scientific Revolution of the 17th century, and the subsequent centuries of modern science. As the pendulum was central to Galileos and Newtons physics, appreciating the role of idealisation in their work is an instructive way to learn about the nature of science.     

Refugees and education in Canadian schools

This article summarizes some of the findings and recommendations of a research project focusing on the nature and needs of refugee students in Canadian schools. The school performance of refugee students is examined under the following headings: immigration regulations; initial identification, assessment, placement and monitoring; unaccompanied youngsters; at risk students; academic needs; the conflict of cultures. In particular, the article discusses the changing role of the school in the light of recent immigration trends. Many of the findings are applicable to other national settings.

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Zusammenfassung Dieser Artikel faßt einige der Ergebnisse und Empfehlungen eines Forschungsprojekts zusammen, das sich auf die Natur und die Bedürfnisse von Flüchtlingskindern in kanadischen Schulen konzentriert. Die Schulleistung der Flüchtlingskinder wird unter den folgenden Überschriften untersucht: Immigrationsvorschriften, ursprüngliche Identifizierung, Bewertung, Plazierung und Beobachtung, unbegleitete Schüler, Risiko studenten, akademische Bedürfnisse, der Konflikt der Kulturen. Der Artikel diskutiert im besonderen die sich ändernde Rolle der Schule hinsichtlich jüngster Immigrationstrends. Viele der Ergebnisse lassen sich auch auf andere nationale Gegebenheiten anwenden.

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Resumen Este artículo compendia algunos de los resultados y recomendaciones referentes a un proyecto de investigación que enfoca la naturaleza y las necesidades de estudiantes refugiados, en escuelas canadienses. El desempeño escolar de estudiantes refugiados se estudia bajo los siguientes aspectos: regulaciones de inmigración, identificación inicial, evaluación, colocación y asesoramiento; menores no acompañados, estudiantes de riesgo, necesidades académicas y el conflicto entre las culturas. En particular, el artículo trata del cambio que experimenta el papel de la escuela en vista de las tendencias de inmigración recientes. Muchos de estos resultados son aplicables a las circunstancias reinantes en otras naciones.

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Résumé Cet article présente un résumé des résultats et recommandations d'un travail de recherche, qui s'est penché sur les caractéristiques et les besoins de jeunes réfugiés fréquentant les écoles canadiennes. Les résultats scolaires de ces jeunes réfugiés sont étudiés par rapport aux critères suivants: réglementation de l'immigration; identification initiale, répartition, placement et suivi; mineurs non accompagnés; écoliers à risque; besoins intellectuels; conflits culturels. L'article examine en particulier l'évolution du rôle de l'école par rapport aux tendances apparues récemment dans la politique d'immigration. Nombre de ces résultats peuvent être appliqués à d'autres contextes nationaux.

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Vicarious learning from dialogue and discourse -- A controlled comparison

This study examined learning in the domain of sentence parsing and syntax tree-diagram construction. The aim of the study was to assess whether subjects could learn vicariously from recordings of interactions between a previous student and a tutor.Four intervention conditions and a control condition were compared. Subjects in a dialogue group (DL) read printed tutorial notes and subsequently vicariously viewed dynamic (animated) recordings of tree diagrams being constructed by a previous student in the presence of a tutor.The discourse (DI) condition was similar except that subjects viewed recordings of tree diagrams being constructed by a tutor who concurrently verbalised instructional discourse.In a third condition (DO), subjects viewed tree-diagram construction animation clips which were not annotated with either dialogue or discourse. In a linear text (LT) condition, subjects were given only printed tutorial notes. A control (CO) condition involved pre and post testing without any intervention.Results indicated that the dialogue condition was as effective as the discourse condition. This provides support for contention that re-usable dialogue is a useful resource for the vicarious learner. Another finding was that un-annotated animated diagrams were surprisingly effective. Several reasons for their effectiveness are suggested from the literature on instructional animations.     

Third Graders' Interpretations of Equality and the Equal Symbol

This paper analyzes the interpretations of equality and the equal symbol of the third-grade children who participated in a year long whole-class socio constructivist teaching experiment. These children initially interpreted the equal symbol as a command to perform an arithmetical operation; it was less natural to them to interpret it as a relational symbol to compare two quantities. By the end of the school year, children were able to conceptualize the quantitative sameness of two numerical expressions and describe it by using the phrase is the same as, the words equal or equals, or the symbols = or =s. These children expanded their conceptualizations of equality due to their active role in class discussions, the arithmetical tasks that took into account children's difficulties, and the teacher's intellectual sensitivity to strike a delicate balance between the force of teaching and the freedom of learning (Freudenthal, 1991, p. 55).     

Some aspects of the individual-difference modelling of causal attribution

A review of some contemporary studies based on an individual-difference model of student learning is presented. The exploratory fitting of conceptual models of student learning to atypical individual-similarity data structures is discussed, and an experimental categorisation procedure for producing such structures is outlined. Insofar as the features of some established conceptual models of student learning do not fit such atypical structures, either by virtue of their conceptual parsimony, or their underlying conceptual assumptions, the fitting of a locus model to such structures is explored. It is argued that, within the student experience of learning framework, conceptual models of student learning need to incorporate such additional dimensions of variation if such models are to be employed in individual-difference studies of student learning.     

“Without Contraries is no Progression”: Dust as an All-Inclusive, Multifunctional Metaphor in Philip Pullman's “His Dark Materials”

Drawing on John Milton's Paradise Lost and on motifs found within Gnostic mythology and the poetry of William Blake, this article explores Philip Pullman's reworking of the Judeo-Christian myth of the Fall. At the centre of this investigation is Dust: a conventional metaphor for human physicality inspired by God's judgment on humanity. This article suggests that Dust is re-presented in the trilogy in a more positive manner through the development of Milton's metaphor of the dark materials into a substance in which good and evil, and spirit and matter—conceptual opposites that form the basis of religious dualism—coexist.     

The cultural grid: A framework for multicultural counseling

The Cultural Grid suggests a structure for interpreting a person's behavior in the context of culturally learned expectations. When two persons' expectations are similar, but their behaviors are dissimilar, cross cultural misunderstanding is likely to result. When their expectations are dissimilar, the result is likely to be a personal misunderstanding even though their behaviors are similar. This article introduces a framework for differentiating personal and cultural differences in the interview which is essential for appropriate multicultural counseling. The alternatives are to allow apparent and obvious cultural differences to mask underlying personal differences or to incorrectly assume that two persons who appear culturally similar are having a personal disagreement.     

Sensing the Impact of Elementary School Science Reform: A Study of Stakeholder Perceptions of Implementation,Constructivist Strategies,and School–Home Collaboration

This case study of a midwestern school districts reform effort explored the treatment fidelity of the Science: Parents, Activities, and Literature (Science PALs) project. Data were collected from the perspectives of three stakeholders: students, school district, and parents. Students and school district supervisors perceptions indicated that teachers were implementing predicted curricular and instructional features promoted by the Science PALs project. Students perceptions of their current teachers classroom performance did not parallel the supervisors perceptions of the teachers implementation. Parents perceptions and comments indicated a high level of satisfaction with the implemented features. Collectively, the three perspectives suggest that the Science PALs project was successful in changing the classroom practices of K–6 teachers involved in the professional development. The results of this study appear to support the findings of other recent studies that indicate the need for extended professional development and support to fully implement changes in elementary school science instruction.     

Using Robotics to Motivate ‘Back Door’ Learning

This paper suggests that robotics can provide a vehicle for guiding primary and secondary school children toward an effective understanding of programming and engineering principles. It observes that children find robotics stimulating and motivating, and that their interest in, and focus on, making the robot do what I want leads them via the back door to learn about programming and engineering in a way that is both well-grounded and generaliseable.These observations arise from empirical studies of children participating in robotics competitions: we conducted observations and interviews with all the participating teams at two robotics events (one regional, one international), and we followed one young robotics team in a case study. The children had almost all built their robots using LEGO MindStorms for specific competitions, with soccer, rescue and dance events. The children typically worked in teams, building robots as an extra-curricular activity supported by a teacher/mentor. The children came from a variety of educational and social backgrounds.The paper considers what makes robotics motivating to children, including children who are not considered technically oriented. It describes learning that has emerged from children's experiences in building and programming robots. It describes examples of children learning subjects that they previously considered difficult and inaccessible, in order to solve problems in robotics. It describes examples of children identifying and understanding principles, concepts, and elements of practice that are fundamental to programming and engineering. It describes further how secondary school students working in teams learned that this programming and engineering knowledge has a social context.     

Assumptions Underlying Performance-Based Budgeting

Interest in performance budgeting is growing despite a lack of research on its effectiveness. U.S. states have largely used incremental and formula budgeting processes to fund higher education. However, more than half of them are experimenting with some form of performance budgeting. There have been similar attempts to reform budget practices in the U.S. in the past, but most of these processes have been largely abandoned. Governmental performance budgeting for higher education assumes policy objectives are stable, complex decisions on budget trade-offs can be made at governmental levels on the basis of data, institutions operate as bureaucracies, resources can be linked to outcomes, outcomes are identifiable and can be agreed upon, accountability can be achieved through budget policies, and current practices create incentives to enrol unqualified students. These assumptions are not realistic. Consequently, performance budgeting will not meet proponents expectations and will suffer the fate of past budget fads.