Pizzas or no pizzas: An advantage of word problems in fraction arithmetic?

Fractions are an important but notoriously difficult domain in mathematics education. Situating fraction arithmetic problems in a realistic setting might help students overcome their difficulties by making fraction arithmetic less abstract. The current study therefore investigated to what extent students (106 sixth graders, 187 seventh graders, and 192 eighth graders) perform better on fraction arithmetic problems presented as word problems compared to these problems presented symbolically. Results showed that in multiplication of a fraction with a whole number and in all types of fraction division, word problems were easier than their symbolic counterparts. However, in addition, subtraction, and multiplication of two fractions, symbolic problems were easier. There were no performance differences by students’ grade, but higher conceptual fraction knowledge was associated with higher fraction arithmetic performance. Taken together this study showed that situating fraction arithmetic in a realistic setting may support or hinder performance, dependent on the problem demands.     

Who are the young children for whom best practices in reading are ineffective? An experimental and longitudinal study

The primary purpose of this study was to identify student characteristics that reliably predict responsiveness and nonresponsiveness to generally effective early literacy interventions. Participants were 104 children, including 7 with special needs and Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), who were tested in kindergarten and first grade. Responsiveness/nonresponsiveness status was determined after 2 years during which children participated in best practice instruction (a) in kindergarten and first grade, (b) in kindergarten only, (c) in first grade only, or (d) in neither year. This facilitated the study of three groups. Always responsive students met responsiveness criteria in both years. Sometimes responsive students met the criteria in only one year. Nonresponsive students did not meet the criteria in either year. Multivariate analysis of variance and discriminant function analysis indicated that the three groups were reliably different from one another on measures of problem behavior, verbal memory, sentence imitation, syntactic awareness, vocabulary, naming speed, and segmentation. A combination of naming speed, vocabulary, sentence imitation, problem behavior, and amount of intervention correctly predicted 82.1% of nonresponsive students, 30.0% of sometimes responsive students, and 84.1% of always responsive students. Fifty students from kindergarten and first grade were tested again at the end of what should have been their third-grade year. All but 1 of the nonresponsive students who received intervention had been identified as requiring special education and had an IEP with reading goals.     

Is Uncertainty a Barrier or Resource to Advance Science? The Role of Uncertainty in Science and Its Implications for Science Teaching and Learning

Science & Education -     

Apprentice or Student? The Structures of Construction Industry Vocational Education and Training in Denmark and Sweden and their Possible Consequences for Safety Learning

There is a notable difference in occupational injury rates in the two Scandinavian countries, Sweden and Denmark, with the latter having a 40% higher rate of fatal occupational injuries in the construction industry. This study explored differences in the vocational education and training (VET) systems between Sweden and Denmark that may be important for students’ safety learning and practice during VET. In both countries, students participate in full-time education, and the curriculum includes school-based as well as company- based training. However, during company- based training Swedish students retain their student status, whereas Danish students are employed as apprentices. From a perspective of viewing safety as a social practice developed through interactions of different social and institutional bodies, the analysis points to this difference in employment status as important for their safety practices and also for the teachers’ position to influence safety learning and practices during company-based training. An analysis of interview and survey data focusing on how VET students enact safety ‘knowings’ across learning sites, suggest how different forms of connectivity models in VET promote various forms of safety learning among students.     

Deafened by silence or by the sound of footsteps? An investigation of the recruitment,induction and retention of special educational needs coordinators (SENCOs) in England

The requirement for schools to appoint a special educational needs coordinator (SENCO) to coordinate provision for pupils with special educational needs (SEN) has existed since 1994. Since that time, the role has been subject to considerable research, debate and guidance. However, how the duty is being fulfilled in terms of the career pathways of the SENCOs is an under-researched area.
NASEN commissioned a postal questionnaire survey with a sample of 500 English SENCOs. Although the reliance on untriangulated data is a limitation, the study did highlight some of the issues from the perspectives of the post holders. There is evidence of a high turnover amongst SENCOs for a variety of reasons only partly explained by the demographics. This situation gives rise to particular concerns about the recruitment of SENCOs, and the extent, nature and value of the initial support offered to them. The role of the SENCO needs to be seen as attractive enough to ensure recruitment and an appropriate level of retention. It needs to be regarded as important enough to merit adequate, supportive induction. At present, in England, the situation is patchy with the respondents describing very different systems and sets of experiences. If all schools are to move beyond simply complying with the duty to ensuring the engagement of individuals willing or prepared to develop the necessary skills, then the views of current SENCOs should be taken into account.