Investigating talk in challenging classrooms-boys enjoy the power of talk

This article attempts to develop the discussion on speaking and listening by investigating pupil perceptions of lessons involving small group talk. The sample of pupils came from a GCSE group in an all boys comprehensive school in an area of social disadvantage. The author used the pupil evaluations of oral work and some one‐to‐one interviews to draw together and analyse the pupils' thoughts and to discuss the teacher's role in planning for talk.     

An assessment of the condition of nine engraved sites in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

Nine engravings in the hinterland around Hong Kong Island have been studied independently by the authors, as part of an overall assessment of current management practices, the state of the engravings, conservation impacts and future survival. Four independent studies were commissioned in 2009 by the Hong Kong Heritage Museum in conjunction with the Antiquities and Monuments Office who have legislative responsibility for all archaeological sites within the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The sites have received varying levels of protection in the form of roofs, fences, and screens, and in more recent times, a range of conservation treatments aimed at prolonging their life and improving legibility. This paper reviews the state of the engravings from the point of view of protection and presentation and considers the effectiveness of the infrastructure in mitigating what are often conflicting needs. Modern conservation treatments must be considered in several dimensions: their effectiveness and durability in an aggressive climate, given that the engravings have survived for 3000 years, and the feasibility and cost of maintaining such treatments over the next 3000 years and longer. This paper describes field observations rather than measured data, due to the nature of the commission, highlighting the value of intelligent observation as an investigative tool. The main focus of the paper is on the impact of protective shelters and applied treatments as observed during two of the independent surveys, concluding that protection must address all environmental and visitor impacts to be fully protective.     

Are Head Start Effects Sustained? A Longitudinal Follow-up Comparison of Disadvantaged Children Attending Head Start, No Preschool, and Other Preschool Programs

This study investigates the sustained effects into kindergarten and grade 1 of Project Head Start for disadvantaged black children. Participation in generic Head Start programs was compared to both no preschool and other preschool experience for disadvantaged children in two American cities in 1969-1970. Incorporating both pretest/posttest and comparison group information, the study has advantages over other Head Start impact studies. Both preprogram background and cognitive differences were controlled in a covariance analysis design, using dependent measures in the cognitive, verbal, and social domains. Children who attended Head Start maintained educationally substantive gains in general cognitive/analytic ability, especially when compared to children without preschool experience. These effects were not as large as those found immediately following the Head Start intervention. Findings suggest an effect of preschool rather than of Head Start per se. Initial findings of greater effectiveness of Head Start for children of below average initial ability were reduced but not reversed. The diminution of effects over time, especially for low-ability children, may reflect differences in quality of subsequent schooling or home environment.     

Thriving at the Intersection: Integrating Social Determinants of Health and Sexual Health Education to Achieve Positive Outcomes for Youth

Abstract

Social determinants of health are the key to understanding and addressing persistent disparities in adolescent pregnancy in the United States. However, there is little guidance on what concrete steps organizations can take to work at the intersection of social determinants of health (SDoH) and sexual and reproductive health (SH). Two community-based organizations completed a case study using a structured interview guide to illustrate their transition working at this intersection. The Alexandria Campaign on Adolescent Pregnancy and Identity, Inc. arrived at the intersection of SDoH and SH from opposite ends of the road. Despite clear differences in their trajectory, their experiences share four key elements that marked their success in expanding their core work: (a) both organizations enjoyed ample community and political support, (b) they used data to drive strategic decisions, (c) they used funding opportunities to move toward the intersection of sexual health and social determinants, and (d) they leveraged existing programs to sustain their efforts. Organizations working at the intersection must continuously leverage community, political, and financial capital to pursue partners, expand services, and change policies that sustain a holistic approach to youth health and well-being.     

Teacher adaptation to flexible learning environments

Learning Environments Research - Teaching practices respond to the prompts, resources and inherent potential of a school’s physical, social and cultural landscape. This study involved how...     

Effects of an instructional gaming characteristic on learning effectiveness,efficiency, and engagement: using a storyline for teaching basic statistical skills

The study explored instructional benefits of a storyline gaming characteristic (GC) on learning effectiveness, efficiency, and engagement with the use of an online instructional simulation for graduate students in an introductory statistics course. A storyline is a game-design element that connects scenes with the educational content. In order to examine the interactions between the storyline GC and human performance, a storyline was embedded in a simulation. The goal of the simulation was to engage students in problem-solving and data analysis in the context of basic statistics by using real-world examples. The authors developed two different versions of the simulation: (1) Simulation+No GC, and (2) Simulation+Storyline GC. Both versions shared the same instructional content but differed in the presence or absence of a storyline GC. The results indicated that adding a storyline to a simulation did not result in significant improvements in learning effectiveness, efficiency, or engagement. However, both instructional methods (simulation and simulation with a storyline) showed significant learning gains from pre- to post-test. The findings of this study offer future directions for embedding a storyline GC into learning content.     

Effects of number of CS-US pairings on the strength of conditioned frustration in rats

Following 45 placements to a wet-mash reward, groups of rats received 0, 10, 20, or 40 frustration-conditioning trials during which primary frustration was paired with the apparatus cues plus a distinctive CS. Other groups received 0, 10, or 20 pairings of primary frustration and apparatus cues alone. In the CS condition, learning of a hurdle-jumping response which terminated the CS was nonmonotonically related to the number of frustration-conditioning trials on the first of 2 test days. Performance increased with the number of conditioning trials up to 20, then decreased following 40 such trials. Among groups which did not receive the CS during conditioning or testing, only subjects in the zero-pairing condition showed evidence of learning. The results were interpreted as supporting the conclusion that conditioned frustration had acquired aversive motivational properties since its effectiveness was found to vary systematically with the number of conditioning trials. It was further concluded that the superiority of hurdle-jumping performance by CS groups relative to NCS groups was the result of both a higher level of frustrative motivation and greater frustration reduction following the response for the former groups.     

Revisiting Debates on Oracy: Classroom Talk – Moving Towards a Democratic Pedagogy?

This article uses documentary evidence to review debates on spoken language and learning in the UK over recent decades. It argues that two different models of talk have been at stake: one that wishes to ‘correct’ children’s spoken language and another than encourages children to use talk to learn and represent their worlds. The article suggests that the latter, more democratic, approach is now under attack, but that the teacher can still choose to use learning talk in the classroom.