Key values of a Dutch cooperation school and the practice of religious education

This article presents the results of a single case study from a cooperation school in the Netherlands. A cooperation school is the result of a merger between a public and a denominational school. Pupils from secular and religious backgrounds meet in the classroom. This religious diversity in this school is explored by an empirical research study. The research question was how key values of the school and of its teachers are exerted in religious education. Content analysis of interviews and videos of the ‘moment of contemplation’ show that there is a discrepancy between the school values and the practice of this moment. Conclusions concerning a social and a substantive perspective are drawn in the light of theoretical insight concerning diversity in religious education.     

Understanding of the alphabetic principle through invented spelling among hearing‐impaired children learning to read and write: experimentation with a pedagogical approach

Given the problems experienced by hearing‐impaired individuals in learning the written language, a pedagogical approach was tested. The study examined the links between the development of representations of alphabetic system and the results in reading and writing of first graders. In the study, there were 31 hearing‐impaired children and 25 hearing ones. Invented spelling was measured three times during the school year. Reading and writing tests were given at the end of the year. The results obtained revealed a similarity between the learning profile of the hearing‐impaired children and that of the hearing children. It also demonstrated the importance of the work done through invented spelling, among the hearing‐impaired children. Thus, like their hearing peers, hearing‐impaired children are able to use procedures to process the written word based on the alphabetic principle, but continuous support‐implying invented spelling constantly adjusted to the progression of their representations must be provided.     

Molecule matters

Divalent carbon compounds which were once considered as highly reactive organic intermediates have been tamed by the modern day synthetic chemist in the form of N-heterocyclic carbenes. The land marks in the history of development of these compounds and their applications as ligands in the Nobel Prize winning work on olefin metathesis catalysts are described. Anil J Elias is a professor at the Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi.     

Simulating Oppression: Digital Gaming,Race and the Education of African American Children

Educational game designers and educators are using digital games as a platform for teaching academic content, including multicultural curriculum. However, it is unclear how well digital game-based learning can coexist with the goals of multicultural education for the purpose of meeting the needs of African American children. In this essay, we raise serious questions about the use of digital games to teach about social oppression in ways that privilege the psychological well-being of African American children. We argue that digital games that intend to recreate histories of racial oppression can be harmful to African American children if they reproduce popular and problematic notions of indigenous lives and experiences. We illuminate some of the dangers of such digital games through a preliminary exploration of one digital game designed to teach about facets of African American enslavement. Our essay concludes with recommendations for culturally relevant digital game-based learning design and instruction.     

Region,Locality Characteristics,High School Tracking and Equality in Access to Educational Credentials: the case of Palestinian Arab communities in Israel

A limited number of studies attempted to account for regional and community‐level variables in exploring the mediating mechanisms conditioning the structure of educational opportunities. As a result, contextual dynamics of social stratification remain largely obscure. The aim of the present paper is to examine the relative effects of regional, locality (community level) and high school variables on access opportunities of Palestinian Arab high school pupils in Israel to educational credentials. The analysis is based on the aggregate data of 46 Arab localities. Findings reveal that while high school tracking patterns are affected by high school variables at community level (such as average allocation of teaching‐time per class and gender enrolment ratios), access to educational credentials (high school matriculation certificates) is determined by community‐level SES and the locality's geographic location (region). The implications of these findings for the broader study of issues related to equality in educational opportunities are discussed.

     

A community of practice as an inclusive model to support children with social,emotional and behavioural difficulties in school contexts

Many school children throughout the world who exhibit antisocial or destructive behaviour or have social, emotional and behavioural difficulties (SEBD) do not receive the support they need. As a result, they are caught up in a cycle of vulnerability. Systemic collaborative support is needed to counter this. Although in some cases teachers and other professionals join forces, interventions are usually affected by individual professionals outside the framework of inclusive education. This literature review paper explores the support children with SEBD in school contexts receive. The findings of the thematic document analysis highlight the vulnerability of children with SEBD, the success or otherwise of attempts made by various approaches and intervention programmes to provide support to these children, and the barriers to inclusive support. We argue the merits of adopting a Community of Practice as an inclusive model to support school children with SEBD. This kind of inclusive model strengthens constructive partnerships that provide these children with opportunities to acquire the social capital they need to engage meaningfully at schools and in their future life.