Cultural Mediation of Children’s Cosmologies: A longitudinal study of the astronomy concepts of Chinese and New Zealand children

These longitudinal studies investigated the cultural mediation of children’s thinking about the Earth using an interview technique designed to elicit responses from children from all “levels” of their conceptual organization (intuitive, cultural, and scientific). Close scrutiny of the research literature in this field reveals that some strategies used in the past to probe children’s ideas have been influenced by the background of the interviewer, either in the design of their questions or in the use made of concrete props (e.g., of the Earth’s shape). This has tended to obscure the degree of cultural influence in those interviewed. Central to the current research was the development of an interview method (“instrument attunement”) that was flexible, culturally adaptable, and could be tuned to the response level of the child. The participants included 129 boys and 113 girls from China, and 217 boys and 227 girls from New Zealand. The methodology utilizing observational astronomy led into discussion of the motion and shape of the Earth, Sun and Moon. Surprisingly, the development of children’s concepts was found to be remarkably similar within the three main ethnic groups (Han, New Zealand European and New Zealand Maori) in the two cultures (China and New Zealand). Cases of cultural mediation were detected using the new methodology but these could be assimilated into a common taxonomy of cosmological concepts for all participants.     

A sociocultural analysis of mandated curriculum change: the implementation of a new senior physics curriculum in New Zealand schools

We analyse the implementation of a new New Zealand physics curriculum from a socio‐cultural perspective. We explore the development of the curriculum document and examine the obstacles to its implementation. Change was compromised by the lack of any intersubjective linkage between teachers and the curriculum designers. The teachers’ own community of practice was most influential in how implementation occurred.

Curriculum change processes and discourses must be made transparent so that teachers can have a framework for ‘dereification’ of a curriculum document into their classroom practices. Without planning for teachers’ participation in the negotiation of curriculum meanings, curriculum developers themselves become marginalized, and the cultural objects they have developed will be adopted in unanticipated ways.     

THE PERSONALITY PROFILES OF CIVIL ENGINEERING STUDENTS

The importance of determining the personality profile of the civil engineering profession is stressed. Personality profiles for civil engineering students have been determined and compared with those of other subject areas. The personality factors were also compared with the examination performance in order to determine the extent to which penonality factors are significant in the civil engineering degree course. It was not possible to separate the top students from the bottom students in the examination on the basis of personality; a similar set of personality factors were important for both groups.     

MUMEDALA—An approach to multi-media authoring

The MUMEDALA (MUlti-MEDia Authoring LAnguage) system is an authoring facility that is designed to enable the creation and control of a sophisticated interactive learning environment. Such an environment might contain a variety of channels that enable (1) the presentation of instructional material, and (2) the capture of student response and monitoring data. The latter provides the means of achieving highly individualized instructional schema based upon the use of a range of teaching media. This paper presents an overview of the MUMEDALA system, its design features and the progress being made towards its realization.     

ASPIRATIONS AND YOUNG PEOPLE’S CONSTRUCTIONS OF THEIR FUTURES: INVESTIGATING SOCIAL MOBILITY AND SOCIAL REPRODUCTION

The United Kingdom’s Coalition government has introduced an education policy that is focused on increasing the opportunities to promote and advance social mobility for all children within state education. Raising young people’s aspirations through school-based initiatives is a prominent theme within recent policy texts, which are focused on improving educational outcomes and thus advancing social mobility. This article draws on qualitative data from paired interviews with 32 students in two academies to first investigate if our participants’ aspirations indicate a desire for intragenerational social mobility and second, to explore our participants’ perceptions of the influences of their family background on their aspirations for the future. Analysis of our data highlights the mismatch between our participants’ aspirations for the future and the government’s constructions of what they should aspire to, as articulated in policy texts. By investigating aspirations, as part of a wider project to understand social mobility qualitatively, our data shows the important role of family in shaping our participants’ varied and diverse aspirations that are frequently at variance with government policy.     

Values and Practice: History teaching 1971-2001

From the biographical perspective of his own career as a history teacher and trainer, the author explores how the ideological ferment of the last 30 years has shaped the values and principles that have informed classroom practice in the period. The paper contrasts the tolerant, progressive humanism of the post-war era with the intense political controversies of the 1970s and explains how history teachers who recognised the post-modern dilemma and responded with new approaches and methods found themselves blamed for moral decline and falling standards. The arguments of Thomas Greenfield and Alasdair MacIntyre, with their frank acknowledgement of the contested nature of truth and knowledge, are compared with the certainties of Rhodes Boyson, Sheila Lawlor and Melanie Phillips. The History National Curriculum, with its apparatus of objectives and levels, is criticised as an incoherent set of bureaucratic procedures designed to close down classroom debate that appeared to threaten the established order. Research from Texas is cited as evidence that this standardised method may hinder teaching and learning, inducing compliance rather than understanding. In conclusion, a visit to the Beth Shalom Holocaust Centre provides an example of how effective history teaching engages with inescapable controversy and is trivialised by an excessive concern with objectives, tests and examinations.     

A Practical Introduction to Authoring for Computer-Assisted Instruction. Part 10: knowledge-based CAL

Within all modern societies human survival depends critically upon the generation, dissemination and assimilation of vast quantities of information. In situations where there is rapid technological change, conventional information and knowledge transfer mechanisms are often both inappropriate and inadequate. This paper examines the role of computers as knowledge/information transfer agents and how knowledge-based computer-assisted learning may provide an effective and efficient means of aiding learning and training processes.     

A Practical Introduction to Authoring for Computer Assisted Instruction. Part 3: MICROTEXT

MICROTEXT is a new CAI authoring facility that has recently been developed by the United Kingdom's National Physical Laboratory. This paper presents an overview of the language, describes the mechanism of lesson creation and then outlines some of the applications for which we have been using it.     

Improving methods of consulting with young people: Piloting a new model of consultation

National and international legislation has increasingly placed a duty on professionals to consult with young people about matters affecting their lives. Consequently, conducting consultation exercises with young people in order to improve the quality of services available is becoming established practice in many areas. Following on from previous research which asked children and young people about ways they prefer to be consulted, this study developed a new model of consultation to enhance the effectiveness of meetings that young people attend in order to discuss their additional support needs. This model was implemented in a series of consultation meetings in three secondary schools, and was evaluated by examining the views of the key stakeholders (pupils, parents, school staff, visiting professionals) through questionnaires and interviews. The findings suggest that this new model did have a positive impact on the young people who were involved and was perceived positively by all stakeholder groups. This model can provide guidance for EPs and other professionals who wish to effectively involve children and young people in the consultation process.