Preparing general educators to teach in inclusive classrooms: Some food for thought

Abstract

Teacher education programs designed to prepare general education classroom teachers to teach in classrooms that include students with disabilities should be developed based on current research into the variables that are key to the successful inclusion of students with disabilities in general education classroom settings. The authors attempt to build a bridge from research to practice by describing one such research project, presenting some of its findings, and offering some food for thought on designing teacher preparation programs.     

Editorial

In a series of policy documents over the past decade, the idea of a ‘New Professionalism’ for teachers has been constructed. It encompasses three core components: a national framework of professional standards; performance management; and continuing professional development (CPD). The planned interplay of these components into a coherent whole has been at the heart of a reframing of the teacher's role. While much has been said about the vision in both positive and negative terms, few studies have provided empirical insight into the implementation and experience of this policy. Drawing upon the findings of a TDA-funded nationwide (England) research project, the extent to which these ideas and policies have been adopted in practice, and what implications these actual behaviours carry for the debate about ‘New Professionalism’, are assessed.

A key finding was that while the framework of professional standards and the structures of performance management processes were essentially in place, the third plinth of the New Professionalism, CPD, remains mainly as a bolt-on, pragmatically allocated and inconsistently accessed in schools. As such, it is unable to bear the weight of what is required of it, and claimed for it. The widespread failure to tackle the strategic dimension that links performance management to CPD, to engage in criterion-based evaluation of training or to identify appropriate development opportunities in schools, have all tended to obstruct the road to ‘New Professionalism’.     

Does a doctoral degree pay off? An empirical analysis of rates of return of German doctorate holders

The empirical analysis examines differences in salaries and working time of doctorate holders in comparison to graduates with a master or equivalent degree (in Germany, the first university degree is called a “diploma” or “state examination” depending on the field of study. The diploma degree and the state examination are equivalent to a Master’s degree as they typically require a 5 year full time study program. Only recently, after the implementation of the so-called Bologna reform in 1998, have German universities started to introduce Bachelor and Master’s degrees), distinguishing between different fields of study. Human capital theory is used as the theoretical basis for our empirical analysis of a sample from the microcensus (2006) of the German Federal Statistical Office. The results indicate that doctorate holders tend to work longer hours than graduates with a master degree, especially doctorate holders in Economics and Law and the Social Sciences. Moreover, a doctoral degree has a positive effect on the income-situation in nearly all tested fields of study. Graduates from the field of Economics and Law in particular earn comparatively high incomes.     

Civic learning: moving from the apolitical to the socially just

This study examines the knowledge and skills that characterize civic learning for young people. Building on a literature review, it reports an exploratory case study with students and teachers in four secondary schools in the Ottawa, Canada region. The perspectives of researchers co‐operating with educators and students against a backdrop of provincial government curricula and secondary literature on youth citizenship engagement provide an enriched understanding of the state and potential of civic learning. It concludes that current civic learning is primarily characterized by procedural knowledge and compliant codes of behaviour that do not envelope students in collective action for systemic understandings of political issues. This study argues for renewed efforts to put social justice at the heart of student learning. To present a convincing civic educational programme, schools should prepare students to analyse power relationships, investigate the ambiguities of political issues, and embrace opportunities for social change.     

Occupational Well‐being among Aging Teachers in Finland

This article presents an examination of occupational well‐being among teachers in Finland who are over 45‐years of age (n = 1012). Occupational well‐being was described by affective (job anxiety and depression, burnout), behavioral (job competence and aspiration) and health (psychosomatic Symptoms and work ability) components. The structure of well‐being turned out to be two‐dimensional, consisting of affect‐health and behavior dimensions. The level of well‐being among aging teachers was quite high, although 36% of the teachers had Problems of well‐being related to both ajfect‐health and behavior. However, according to the work ability index, only 4% of the 45‐49‐year‐old and 12% of the 55‐59‐year‐old teachers were classified as having poor work ability. Of the demographic variables examined (sex, age, subject and teaching level) the most Variation in occupational well‐being was produced by subject and teaching level. The level of well‐being was lowest among vocational subject teachers in vocational schools and highest among Special dass teachers in comprehensive schools. Attention should thus be directed to the work Situation of vocational teachers, in particular.     

Immediate Impacts of PALS: A school‐wide multi‐level programme targeting behaviour problems in elementary school

The article describes the main outcomes of the intervention programme “Positive behaviour, interactions and learning environment in school” (PALS). PALS is an adapted Norwegian version of the School‐Wide Positive Behaviour Support model, developed in the United States with school‐wide interventions aiming at the prevention of behaviour problems and the promotion of social competence through a supportive learning environment. The effectiveness was evaluated with a quasi‐experimental design in four elementary schools, two years after implementation. An equal number of comparison schools were included in the study. Informants were students (n = 735) in third to seventh grade and teachers working at least 50% (n = 82). The immediate reductions in teacher‐observed problem behaviour ranged from moderate to large, while the results based on student ratings of social competence and classroom climate were less encouraging. Differential effects were found and implementation quality was together with teacher collective efficacy significantly related to better outcomes. The programme and results are discussed in relation to prior research, limitations of study design, and future implementation and research.     

Smoking Habits among Teachers in Primary Schools in Norway 1977

Seip, A.K. 1982. Smoking Habits Among Teachers in Primary Schools in Norway 1977. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research 26, 183‐195. A representative sample (N = 1988) of members of the two main teachers’ organizations in Norway, the Norwegian Teachers’ Association and the Association of Secondary School Teachers, were mailed a questionnaire in the spring of 1977 regarding their past and present smoking habits, and 92 % responded. The percentage of daily smokers among the teachers was approximately half of that found in the general population. Also in recent years the decline in smoking among teachers has been greater than in the general population. Answers given to questions concerning reasons for stopping smoking as well as certain attitudinal indicators show that the teachers’ reduction in smoking is related to their professional involvement and comparatively high level of knowledge about the health hazards of smoking.     

School Choice in London,England: Characteristics of Students in Different Types of Secondary Schools

In England, parents make “choices” (in reality, “preferences”) for the state-maintained secondary schools they wish their child to attend. If there are more applicants than places, the school's published admissions criteria are used to give priority to applicants. This article examines how school composition in London varies by first comparing schools that are overtly academically selective with those that are nominally “comprehensive” (“all ability”); second, comparing “comprehensive” schools that control their own admissions with those that do not; third, comparing schools with and without selective admissions criteria; and fourth, comparing schools that use religious criteria with those that do not. We find that school compositions vary. Academically selective schools have fewer students from poor households than comprehensive schools in the same area and have fewer Black and more Indian and Chinese/Other Asian students. Comprehensive schools with autonomy over admissions admit higher attaining students and have fewer students from poor households and with special educational needs, and those with selective admissions criteria admit higher performing children. There are fewer Bangladeshi/Pakistani students and more Black students in schools with a religious character than in those without. Although a range of factors are likely to play a role in explaining the variation in school composition, the evidence suggests that there is “selecting in” and “selecting out” of more desirable students by some schools. Implications for policy are highlighted.     

Consecuencias cognitivas de la educación formal e informal

RESUMEN

Muchos trabajos han evidenciado la hipótesis de que las diferencias entre el aprendizaje formal (encarnado por la escuela) y el aprendizaje informal de la vida práctica dan lugar a diferentes sistemas de aprendizaje funcional. En el aprendizaje escolar el lenguaje tiene un papel crucial, pero muchas veces el esquema verbal aprendido no se conecta con sus referentes empíricos. Es un aprendizaje fuera de contexto que cubre una amplia gama de contenidos y cuya tendencia es generalizar las reglas y las operaciones. Las herramientas intelectuales son diferentes de las utilizadas en el aprendizaje de la vida diaria, que suele estar mediatizado por los instrumentos y tiene un carácter observacional. Sería necesario un estudio para ver en qué forma estos dos sistemas de aprendizaje interactúan en el aula. Parece que la base del conocimiento de la escuela está en conflicto con la cultura tradicional del adulto. En este sentido, se señala la necesidad de cambios básicos en la organización social de la educación.     

Observación de las situaciones didácticas

RESUMEN

Se hace una reflexión sobre la observación en el aula como método de investigación. Se deberá observar las conductas y verbalizaciones de los niños, sus intercambios con los otros y las intervenciones del maestro. El análisis de los datos se llevará a cabo en dos niveles: uno inmediato, con vistas a la acción pedagógica del maestro, y otro diferido, con vistas a profundizar en los procesos del desarrollo. Se enumeran una serie de dificultades a tener en cuenta y se definen qué intervenciones del maestro facilitan la actividad de los niños y cuáles la bloquean y en qué momentos.