Not changing English: syllabus reform at Oxford

This article offers a personal view of the reform of the undergraduate English syllabus which is soon to come into effect at Oxford University. The particular example is analysed in relation to two more general developments: on one hand, changing conceptions of the place and purpose of language study in the discipline of English, and on the other, the pressures faced by UK universities as a result of new higher education funding policies.     

Do different routes to becoming a special educator produce different understandings of the profession and its core concepts?

There are multiple routes to becoming a special educator in Norway. In recent years, bachelor's degree programmes have offered an alternative to the traditional path in which special education coursework is taken as a part of teacher education. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether these different programmes produce different understandings of the special education profession and its core concepts. We surveyed 27 bachelor students and 36 teacher education students using open-ended questions concerning their future goals and expectations and the concepts of ‘inclusion,’ ‘learning disability,’ and ‘special educator’. Teacher education students were more likely to: (a) view inclusion from a broad perspective, emphasizing a sense of belonging and community, (b) define the concept of learning disability from a categorical perspective, and (c) perceive special educators as essentially ‘expert’ teachers for children with special needs. Bachelor’s degree students also emphasized special educators’ role in supporting individuals with special needs, yet were more likely to apply a relational perspective when describing the concept of learning disability.     

Learning in farm management: a New Zealand experience

Abstract

A universal goal of extension agents is the attainment of voluntary behaviour change in clients. Learning skills are critical to individuals that seek effective outcomes from behaviour change experiences. This paper reports on a study that estimated the cognitive changes occurring among a group of farmers, consultants and scientists in New Zealand. A model of the learning process directed the research. This model identifies two distinct components to learning: grasping information through conceptualisation or experience, and: transformation of information into knowledge, through reflection or experimentation. Individual clients are grouped into one of four distinct learning styles depending on the way they grasp information and transform it into knowledge. Research results detected learning preference and belief differences among the farmers, consultants and scientists in the group. The study suggests learning research methods assist extension agents plan and negotiate the specific behaviour changes that clients seek by implementing strategies that use learning preference and belief data. Researchers can improve approaches to technology development by exploring client needs using communication method's compatible with client learning preferences.     

Water Security and Farming Systems: Implications for Advisory Practice and Policy-Making

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to investigate agroforestry adoption by smallholder farmers in Gutu District, Zimbabwe.

Design/Methodology/Approach: The methodology was based on field data collected through household questionnaires, key informant interviews and direct observations.

Findings: Major findings reveal that traditional agroforestry was common in the study area. There were no cases of innovative agroforestry other than dwindling remnants from a former trees-with-pasture project. Majority of respondents were willing to adopt innovative agroforestry technologies to improve yields and income. Damage and destruction of plants by pests and animals due to lack of fences emerged as the major challenges to the adoption of agroforestry. Other challenges included seed availability and labour requirements. Possible coping strategies, identified through consulting farmers and other stakeholders, would include local initiatives and support from outside the community. Local and external efforts are required especially to secure inputs and raise awareness, knowledge and skills with respect to specific agroforestry technologies.

Practical Implications: The paper presents pointers on the involvement of women in agroforestry and on the cultural significance of indigenous and exotic fruit trees. It provides practical lessons useful to extension or rural development workers in a localised set-up.

Originality/Value: The case study gives an insight into the problems faced by peasant farmers and the requirements to make agroforestry successful. Practitioners in southern Africa could learn a great deal about issues relating to smallholder farmers from reading this paper.     

A MULTI‐INSTITUTIONAL EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM FOR OLDER LEARNERS

The rapid growth of educational programs for older adults has occurred in the general absence of overall planning or guiding principles. A model educational program (the Rosa Keller Campus) is described that was established using an explicit set of principles for creating successful multi‐institutional and disciplinary programs. In addition, the overall model incorporates methods of reducing barriers that prevent older adults from participating in education. The model delineates the organizational structure of the program and the conduct of both basic and applied research as integral components of the program.     

Something Old,Something New,Something Borrowed From Something Blue: Experiments on Dual Viewing TV and Twitter

The use of second screens to dual-view television and social media is exponentially increasing. As a result, television producers are increasingly augmenting television content with social media comments from viewers, which may serve as a type of real-time public opinion indicator. The current research effort utilizes two experimental studies to explore the effects of this new media production practice on viewer's attitudes and opinions. In these studies, a Twitter feed was integrated in to entertainment (Study 1) and political (Study 2) television broadcasts and manipulated to convey either positive or negative opinions of the content. Participants' opinions were found to conform to the majority opinion presented in the manipulated Twitter feed in nearly all of the analyses. Implications for dual viewing and second screen use are discussed in light of findings.     

Evaluating the structure of the Mathematics Teacher Questionnaire: A measure of exposure to mathematics instructional practices and content

Psychometric properties of 24 items from the fifth grade Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten Cohort Mathematics Teacher Questionnaire were investigated in a sample of 5,181 participants. These items asked teachers to report how often they had their classroom students engage in different mathematics content, skills and instructional practices. Exploratory factor analyses were employed to evaluate the underlying factor structure of the selected items. Results suggest that these items effectively measure three distinct latent constructs that are specific to mathematics instruction: Instructional Practices for Teaching Mathematics, Developing Number Sense, and Beyond Number Sense. These results support the use of this instrument as a guide for research and policy, or to inform teacher curriculum decisions.