Fertility or sterility? Darwin,Naudin and the problem of experimental hybridity

Darwin came to realize that he could never devise an experiment that would demonstrate the development of new species by crossing hybrids. Instead, he turned to the problem of sterility within a species. The difference between Darwin's experimental and theoretical approach and that of French scientists working in the Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle in Paris can be shown most vividly by tracking Darwin's experiments in botany and his interest in those of Charles Naudin on hybrid plants. In his discussion of Mendel, Robert Olby has provided an interesting analysis of Naudin's hereditary concepts. I have approached some of the same work here with an emphasis on the question of sterility raised by Darwin, not simply between hybrids but within members of the same species and the light that he thought this could throw on both heredity and the origin of species.     

‘To Give an Example is a Complex Act’: Agamben’s pedagogy of the paradigm

Abstract

Agamben’s notion of the ‘paradigm’ has far-reaching implications for educational thinking, curriculum design and pedagogical conduct. In his approach, examples—or paradigms—deeply engage our powers of analogy, enabling us to discern previously unseen affinities among singular objects by stepping outside established systems of classification. In this way we come to envision novel groupings, new patterns of connection—that nonetheless do not simply reassemble those singular objects into yet another rigidly fixed set or class. Agamben sees this sort of ‘paradigmatic understanding’ as our richest source of intelligibility. For Agamben the paradigm is ultimately about learning to see again, starting not with already perfectly known and categorized objects (or ideas), but rather with a fresh experience of one individual object and the analogical relations it may have to others, and to novel groupings that may arise. The paradigm is a method, a way in which educators might respond to a wide range of educational challenges. For a paradigmatic relation suspends while exposing, deactivates while revealing, complicates while clarifying. But articulating the enigmatic paradigmatic relation between example and class is far more than a method. It is epistemological (a way of knowing and conception of knowledge), ethical (a fostering of freedom from presupposed categories and reified principles) and ontological (a type of being that exposes the potential of knowing and communicating—their intelligibility and communicability). In these qualities, paradigms exhibit to educators a free, a new use of singularities.     

Daycare Staff Emotions and Coping Related to Children of Divorce: A Q Methodological Study

This Q methodological study explores emotional experiences and coping of daycare staff when working with children of divorce and their families. Two main coping strategies among daycare staff were identified: 1) Confident copers, and 2) Non-confident copers. Interviews exemplify the two main experiences. Both groups may struggle with coping in this work. Still, Non-confident copers seem to experience more problems than do Confident copers. Both Confident and Non-confident copers find it difficult to work with parents who argue in front of the children. Accordingly, we suggest tailored education and counseling in this field to increase knowledge and coping among staff, to help them in their work with children of divorce.     

Pre-service physical education teachers' beliefs about competition in physical education

The discourse of competitive sport is, and has been, a defining feature of physical education for many years. Given the privileged and dominant position competition holds in physical education curricula, it is concerning that competitive physical education remains steeped in traditional pedagogies and that these pedagogies are constrained by teachers' everyday philosophies rather than any explicit understanding of pedagogy or the needs of pupils. This in turn affects pupils' experiences of physical education and specifically the type and form of activities that are offered to pupils. Physical education teachers' biographies generally show a profound attachment to sport, and in particular competitive sport, and the value of competitive sport is significant in the lives and identities of physical education recruits. However, there is a paucity of research specifically in relation to in-service and pre-service physical education teacher's beliefs about competition and its place in physical education. It is well documented that the implicit theories that pre-service, beginning and experienced teachers hold influence their reactions to teacher education and their teaching practice, with their beliefs acting as a filter through which a host of instructional judgements and decisions are made. Thus, it is important to understand pre-service physical education teachers' (PSTs') beliefs about competition. Thirty five (16 men, 15 women, 4 unknown) PSTs completed a reflective journal alongside their participation in a University-based module focused on models-based practice. The data generated were analysed using the procedures and techniques of grounded theory which revealed five major themes grouped in the discussion under the sub-categories of: (1) defining competition; (2) learning through competition; (3) competitive physical education and the sporting pathway; (4) competition needs to be got out of children; and (5) a little competition. The discussion challenges how we transform traditional views of competition and the competitive practices that alienate some young people from physical education.     

Recent Developments in the Scottish Process of School Inspection

Scottish education has been going through a period of rapid educational change. This paper describes some of the approaches being adopted by HM Inspectorate of Schools both to hold the educational system accountable and to support its further development. It provides an account of the outcomes which are considered central to the inspection process, the ways in which inspections are subsequently followed up and the impact of the inspection process on schools. At the same time, the paper considers the strategies which have been pursued in recent years to create a ‘quality culture’ in Scottish education. These have included work on the features of ‘effective’ schools, the wider sharing of the criteria being used to inspect schools, the introduction and support of approaches to development planning and further work on potential performance indicators     

Equality of educational access reconsidered: The postsecondary case in Ontario

This paper is divided into four sections. The first discusses a recent report of the Department of University Affairs, which suggests that, in terms of combined family income, economic differentials in access to postsecondary education have been greatly reduced in the past few years. The second section reviews some recent studies concerned with equality of access and suggests that variables other than income or financial need may well be equally relevant in any definition of what constitutes equality of access. The third section analyzes an existing pool of data to test and evaluate hypotheses set forward in the second section. The last section develops final conclusions from the findings and develops the authors' point of view.

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Résumé La présente communication se divise en quatre sections. Le premier traite d'un rapport récent du Ministère des affaires universitaires. D'après ce rapport, il semble que, au cours des dernières années et enfonction du revenu familial combiné, il y a eu une forte réduction dans les disparités économiques qui affectent l'accès à l'enseignement post-secondaire. Le deuxième section passe en revue certaines études récentes consacrées à l'égalité d'accès à ce niveau d'enseignement. Les auteurs estiment que des variables autres que le revenu ou le besoin financier pourraient être tout aussi valables lorsqu'il s'agit de définir ce qu'on entend par égalité d'accès. Quant au troisième section, il comprend une analyse de l'actuel pool des données destinées à vérifier et à évaluer les hypothèses éconcées au deuxième section. Le dernier section est consacré aux conclusions définitives tirées des observations recueillies et à l'exposé du point de vue des auteurs.

     

校长怎样增强领导能力

校长怎样增强领导能力,以更好地履行他们多方面的职责?需关注八个方面的主题,即心中有学生、做有学问的领导者、办事合乎道德、把对教学的领导放在首位、实施有效的管理、构建互信关系、知道期待什么、构建和谐的学校-社区伙伴关系。     

Teachers' Attitudes Towards Children's Behaviour Problems in Nursery Classes in Greece

The study was undertaken in Greece to investigate teachers' perceptions of children's behaviour problems in nursery classes in Greece. A questionnaire developed in an earlier study was applied to a female teacher sample of 154, selected from nursery schools in cities, small towns and rural areas in three distinct geographic locations in Greece. The total sample of pupils in the study was.3.091 (boys N:1.568, girls N:1.523)

The overall prevalence rate identified by teachers for all behaviour problems was 14.3 percent, with 2.1 percent perceived as ‘very serious’ and 5.8 percent ‘serious’ and ‘very serious’. More boys than girls were perceived to have behaviour problems in general (ratio 2:1) and conduct problems in particular. However, almost equal percentage of boys and girls were perceived as showing serious emotional problems. Gender, age, children's academic achievement teachers' teaching experience were found to be significant factors, but the socio‐economic status of the child was insignificant in this study.     

Evidence and education policy – some reflections and allegations1

The paper reflects on the use by the UK central government of statistical evidence in educational policy matters. Particular attention is given to school league tables. The paper is generally critical of government attitudes, but suggests that progress towards rational decision‐making does occur.