Pre-service teachers’ attempts at debating contemporary issues in science education: A case study from Botswana

This paper constitutes an attempt to explore trends, issues and challenges that emerge when three different cohorts of pre-service teachers debate contemporary issues in science education at the University of Botswana. Apart from the author's experience of teaching the course, the impetus for this study also comes from a growing interest in the contemporary literature in the need for teachers who, in the context of globalization and knowledge economy, are ‘self-reforming’ through continually addressing the key issues of their profession. Unfortunately, the current situation is such that this burden of interrogation falls heaviest on teachers, despite their lack of skills in undertaking the task.     

Preservice teachers’ learning with Yuin Country: becoming respectful teachers in Aboriginal education

The ownership of Aboriginal knowledge and the Aboriginal perspective presented in school curriculum is always with Country. A number of preservice teachers were taken to a sacred story, “Gulaga a Living Spiritual Mountain,” to participate in an elective subject to engage in respectful reciprocal relationship with Country. The spirituality of Country is unknown to many preservice teachers, consequently the concept of Country as teacher in a respectful reciprocal relationship was unfamiliar. Engaging in Aboriginal ways of knowing, learning, and behaving provides an opportunity for preservice teachers to initiate a relationship with Country to respectfully implement Aboriginal perspectives in their own teaching. This article not only examines how preservice teachers developed a relationship with Country, but also importantly demonstrates how a relationship between Country, researcher, all the participants, and the research can inform respectful behaviour in reculturalising Aboriginal perspectives.     

Math-gender stereotypes in elementary school children

A total of 247 American children between 6 and 10 years of age (126 girls and 121 boys) completed Implicit Association Tests and explicit self-report measures assessing the association of (a) me with male (gender identity), (b) male with math (math-gender stereotype), and (c) me with math (math self-concept). Two findings emerged. First, as early as second grade, the children demonstrated the American cultural stereotype that math is for boys on both implicit and explicit measures. Second, elementary school boys identified with math more strongly than did girls on both implicit and self-report measures. The findings suggest that the math-gender stereotype is acquired early and influences emerging math self-concepts prior to ages at which there are actual differences in math achievement.     

Moral Leadership in the 21st Century: Everyone Is Watching—Especially the Students

Educational leaders continually must be vigilant about their actions as they speak volumes about the values that the leader supports. It is impossible for an educational leader to take an action without generating some comment about how things should be done—which by definition is moral action. What's more, everyone is watching—especially the students.

This article explores leadership relationships, interrelationships, and interdependence—and how administrative “moral leadership” rests with the institution's leader. First, it examines the concept of systems thinking to determine how relationships, support structures, and decisions made by school leaders impact the entire school—especially the students and the community at large. Second, it explores and furthers our understanding of moral leadership models by synthesizing concepts in the literature and offers a new paradigm of moral leadership for educational leaders in the 21st century.     

The Use of Computers in the Education of Open University Students with Disabilities

Abstract

In 1988 the Open University is implementing a major new policy on the use of computers in its courses; students taking certain courses will be obliged to have access to a microcomputer. This new policy has many far‐reaching consequences, not least for students who are disabled. In the past most computing in Open University courses has been done by students using terminals in local study centres, linked to the University's mainframe computers. Also, a number of students who are disabled have used computers in their studies, principally for word‐processing written work. By interviewing disabled students who have taken such courses, and surveying other disabled students, it has been possible to anticipate to some extent the likely impact of the home‐computing (HC) policy. Results suggest that for many disabled‐ students the HC policy represents an improvement in their opportunities; now they will be able to study courses involving computers entirely at home. However, a number of problems have also been identified. Hopefully, as many of these have been recognised at an early stage, it will be possible to address them before they affect students directly.     

Assessment of symptoms in adult survivors of incest: a factor analytic study of the Responses to Childhood Incest Questionnaire

Although research has established the long-term damaging effects of incest, these efforts have suffered from the lack of valid, standardized assessment instruments. The present study reports on the construction and factor validation of the Response to Childhood Incest Questionnaire (RCIQ), a self-report instrument that assesses a range of commonly reported symptoms experienced by adult survivors of incest. A clinical population of 104 adult women who had experienced childhood or adolescent incest completed the RCIQ. A factor analysis of the RCIQ items revealed seven factors which corresponded to hypothesized stress response themes experienced by survivors of traumatic events. These factors include vulnerability and isolation, fear and anxiety, anger and betrayal, reaction to the abuser, sadness and loss, and powerlessness. In addition, four factors corresponded to the diagnostic criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder: intrusive thoughts, avoidance and intrusive emotions, detachment, and emotional control and numbness. The usefulness of the RCIQ as a pre- and post-treatment measure and the need for further research is discussed.     

A Role for Music Therapy in Special Education

Music therapy is the planned use of music to achieve therapeutic aims. This article outlines the role and application of music therapy in special education with reference to findings documented in recent research and practice literature. Music therapy in Australia is practised in medical contexts (e.g., nursing homes, hospice care, hospitals) and education contexts (e.g., special schools, regular schools, and special education development units). Music therapists also work in private practice or in community programs.