Investigating morphological awareness and the processing of transparent and opaque words in adults with low literacy skills and in skilled readers

For adults with low literacy skills, the role of phonology in reading has been fairly well researched, but less is known about the role of morphology in reading. We investigated the contribution of morphological awareness to word reading and reading comprehension and found that for adults with low literacy skills and skilled readers, morphological awareness explained unique variance in word reading and reading comprehension. In addition, we investigated the effects of orthographic and phonological opacity in morphological processing. Results indicated that adults with low literacy skills were more impaired than skilled readers on items containing phonological changes but were spared on items involving orthographic changes. These results are consistent with previous findings of adults with low literacy skills reliance on orthographic codes. Educational implications are discussed.     

Presenting Food Science Effectively

While the need to present food science information effectively is viewed as a critical competency for food scientists by the Institute of Food Technologists, most food scientists may not receive adequate training in this area. Effective presentations combine both scientific content and delivery mechanisms that demonstrate presenter enthusiasm for the topic and generate audience interest. This paper provides food science presentation “best practices” based upon the results of the author's 10 y of experience teaching communication skills to 1st‐year graduate students. Topics include development of a “Presentation Inventory” that encourages presenters to consider why they are presenting, who they are presenting to, what information they plan to present, and how they plan to present the information. More specific sections of the paper address presentation introductions and conclusions, developing visual aids, responding to audience questions, flow, pacing, and time management, technological competency, and tips on how to practice a presentation. Such information should be applicable to all types of food science practitioners including undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, teaching and research academics, and government, industrial, and consulting food scientists. An awareness of such “best practices” among presenters of food science information can help raise the bar to improve the quality of contemporary food science presentations.     

The perceived value of work placements and part-time work and its diminution with time

This paper explores the perceptions of degree students at two UK universities regarding their work placement and part-time working activities, to assess if the two activities converge. The research comprises three stages: interviews for preliminary exploration of students’ perceptions towards work placement and part-time work; interviews to examine how placement opportunities link with career aspirations; a survey of students who had completed a placement, and those currently on placement. Students acknowledged part-time working helped their placement activity, providing transferable skills beneficial to both study and career aspirations. A significant finding was with respect to time: the closer to the placement activity the data was collected, the stronger the impact of appreciating the value of placement. The paper therefore highlights the value of timing in the assessment of work placement. It also offers value for universities’ by providing insight into students’ perceptions regarding embedded external work activities that can enhance graduate employability and career prospects.     

Affecting Education Policy through Border Crossing between Special Education and General Education

ABSTRACT

A review of current self-study research related to teacher education policy in the United States indicates that at local, university, and state levels teacher educators are affected emotionally and professionally by policy and, in most cases, feel that policy is something done to teacher educators as opposed to something to which they can contribute and make a difference. In this article, we use our review as a base from which to consider how both special educators and general educators might use self-study to know one another better, to work collaboratively to affect policy, and to understand how policy affects them. We argue that teacher educators must work together across content areas in order to interrogate the implementation and impact of policy and to influence the development and implementation of policy.     

Which future,university or bureaucracy?

This article is critical of major institutions of higher education because they often establish criteria for rewarding professors and organizational processes that have little to do with developing a real university. The author argues for the reconstruction of universities based on values of freedom and responsibility. A model based on such values, a creative university is developed and contrasted with educational bureaucracies. Arguments are given to favor the creative university as our best hope for the future.     

The Connection Between Teaching Methods and Attribution Errors

We collected data at a large, very selective public university on what math and science instructors felt was the biggest barrier to their students’ learning. We also determined the extent of each instructor’s use of research-based effective teaching methods. Instructors using fewer effective methods were more likely to say the greatest barrier to student learning was the internal deficiencies of the students (the “fundamental attribution error”). They listed deficiencies such as poor preparation and work ethic. In total, 37 % of the instructor attributions were to student deficiencies, but this fraction varied dramatically between departments.     

School choice with education vouchers: an empirical case study from Hong Kong

This paper seeks to question what impact education vouchers have on the process of school choice. The context examined in the paper is the Pre-primary Education Voucher Scheme (‘Voucher Scheme’) introduced in 2007 in Hong Kong. Using a Straussian grounded theory method, data collected from 40 parent interviews are coded, analysed and developed into categories. The paper analytically situates the findings within a model, derived from the data, which is based on two properties: orientation and time. Orientation differentiates and emphasises the significance of choice factors in relation to the school versus the family, and time is related to focus on the present versus the future. The paper subsequently presents the data related to these properties and reflects on the intricate dynamic of parents’ school choice decisions under the Voucher Scheme.     

Educational implications of Kohlberg's cognitive-developmental view

Kohlberg's attempt to derive from cognitive-developmental theory the conclusion that specific instruction cannot contribute significantly to cognitive development is viewed as a category error, an attempt to set into opposition two concepts that are not of the same type. His distinctions of structural versus nonstructural, generalized versus situation-specific, and permanent versus impermanent behavior change are found to apply equally to changes resulting from instruction and natural behavior changes. It is suggested that a more educationally relevant distinction is one between developmental accomplishments that depend upon adult-child interaction and those that do not.

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Résumé La tentative de Kohlberg visant à conclure, à partir de la théorie du développement cognitif, que l'enseignement spécifique ne peut pas contribuer de façon importante au développement cognitif, est considérée comme une erreur de catégorie dans ce sens que sa thèse cherche à mettre en opposition deux concepts d'ordre différent. En effet, les distinctions que Kohlberg approte entre le changement structural et non structural au niveau du comportement, généralisé et limité à un cas particulier, permanent et transitoire s'avèrent également applicables aux changements attribuables à l'enseignement et aux changements naturels du comportement. L'article suggère qu'une distinction plus pertinente du point de vue éducationnel est celle qu'on établit entre les réalisations du développement qui dépendent de l'action réciproque de l'adulte et de l'enfant et celles qui n'en dépendent pas.