Building a support system toward tenure: challenges and needs of tenure‐track faculty in colleges of education

This article describes the experiences, perceptions, and available support systems of untenured faculty from a south eastern United States public university system in their progress toward tenure. Survey results were used to develop a model support system for new faculty. Data were collected from an online survey sent to 191 tenure‐track faculty in colleges of education, yielding a 50% (n = 96) response rate. The following research questions guided this research: (a) What are the expectations for teaching, research and service in the colleges of education surveyed? (b) In what ways are untenured faculty supported and/or mentored? (c) What kind of support system(s) need(s) to be in place to assist new faculty in balancing teaching, research, and service expectations? In this mixed‐methods study, respondents were asked about their workload, expectations for tenure, and formal and informal support they received on the tenure track. Untenured faculty reported stressful and unbalanced lifestyles, and work expectations exceeded assigned workloads for several institutions. A new faculty comprehensive support system model is suggested.     

“I learned by watching my mentor.” Nurturing teacher leadership with an induction program

ABSTRACT

How do educators learn to be teacher leaders? In this qualitative survey research study, we explored perceptions of 227 former induction program participants concerning teacher leadership (65% response rate). Methodologically, we conducted qualitative coding of open-ended survey data. Defined teacher leadership, participants often referred to their mentor. They reported currently serving in a wide variety of teacher leadership roles. They suggested the induction program and their mentors nurtured them to become teacher leaders. Examining the data, we conclude that during the program mentors demonstrate to novices teacher leader characteristics, as they share best practices, model professionalism, and offer support. They normalize that leadership is simply a part of good teaching. When the participants graduate and work in classrooms, many draw upon their induction experiences and emerge as teacher leaders. Data suggest that to increase teacher leadership, more comprehensive, full-time mentoring induction programs are warranted.     

Re´sume´ in Motion: Sensory self-awareness through movement

This small-scale, qualitative study explores the nature of sex and relationship education (SRE) in two primary schools in England. It investigates the similarities and differences in relation to the pedagogical approach and curriculum content of the SRE programmes from the perspectives of teachers and pupils. An illuminative evaluation methodology was used to investigate the cultural, social, historical and political contexts of those participating in the programme within the two schools. The main findings indicate that there were indeed similarities and differences in the provision of SRE: whilst the pupils involved showed an understanding of sex within a loving relationship, further findings suggest that some teachers were concerned about parental views of SRE content and this affected the scope of provision. A key concept of ‘bravery’ was identified as a highly compelling factor for teachers to create a context of and conditions for creativity in their approach to SRE with a view to capitalising on the inquisitive behaviour of the children. This highlights that effective SRE requires a bold pedagogical approach to curriculum design and content.     

Turning Sceptics into Missionaries: the case for compulsory information technology courses

ABSTRACT

This paper considers the problem of persuading reluctant teachers to use information technology in the classroom. Previous work has shown that only a small proportion of teachers integrate information technology into their teaching. Many teachers use the computer only as a side activity for children who have finished their other work, and some avoid the use of it altogether. Different training methods for such teachers have been considered, but often found to be ineffective. The course reported here is a one year 90 hour course offered as an ‘option’ on a two year part‐time B.Ed degree for experienced teachers. Due to the course structure in its last year, the teachers who had made particular choices in the first year of the degree were given no alternative but to take this option. They came with great reluctance and left as missionaries in the field.     

Studying cultural diversity using information and communication technologies in teacher education: pedagogy,power and literacy

Abstract

This article investigates the relationship between new technologies, pedagogy and cultural diversity. It is clear from the project discussed in this article that studying diversity issues on-line provides scope for developing what has been called cultural literacy following Bourdieu's (1990) notion of ‘different ways of seeing’. However, there are a number of unintended effects of power that emerge in this new cultural field which need examination. These include the importance of understanding the embodied context as much as the virtual, the need to be explicit about literacy practices to challenge the dominant liberal discourse of ‘voice’ in on-line discussion, and the effects of power that emanate from teaching and learning in this field.     

Stutterers' perceptions of more satisfying communication: Interaction strategies for fluent speakers

Persons who stutter must conduct their daily lives by interacting with fluent speakers. A majority of fluent speakers, however, are unaware of the communicative behaviors that can increase the frequency and severity of stutterers' dysfluencies. Moreover, extant research is scant regarding the strategies used by fluent speakers to increase interactive satisfaction with persons who stutter. This investigation addresses this void by sharing an empirical study in which stutterers offer the behaviors and strategies which they suggest result in more satisfying communicative interactions among fluent persons and stutterers.     

Orphans Adopted Eighty-Nine Years after Conception,or, Cataloging Updating Loose-Leaf Publications

Until the 2002 revision to AACR2 was adopted, cataloging rules for updating loose-leaf publications were orphans—they were excluded from previous Anglo–American rule compilations. To offer guidance to catalogers, over the years the Library of Congress issued a series of rule interpretations and supplemental resources outlining best practices and rules for cataloging loose-leafs. This article chronicles the publication, or lack of practical publication, of cataloging rules for updating loose-leafs and the impact on libraries. Also included is a review of the various organizations instrumental in garnering support for the creation and acceptance of a new paradigm and standards and concepts that would ensure the inclusion of cataloging rules for updating resources. Finally, the impacts on libraries and cooperative organizations resulting from the implementation of the new rules are examined.     

Belonging in science classrooms: Investigating its relation to students' contributions and influence in knowledge building

Meaningful participation in science and engineering practices requires that students make their thinking visible to others and build on one another's ideas. But sharing ideas with others in small groups and classrooms carries social risk, particularly for students from nondominant groups and communities. In this paper, we explore how students' perceptions of classrooms shape their contributions to classroom knowledge building in science across a wide range of classrooms. We examine the claim that when students feel a sense of belonging in class, they contribute more and perceive their ideas to be more influential in knowledge building. Data comes from classroom exit tickets (n = 10,194) administered in 146 classrooms as part of a 10-state field test of a new middle-school science curriculum, OpenSciEd, which were analyzed using mixed effects models. We found that students' sense of belonging predicted the degree to which they contributed ideas out loud in class (Odds ratio = 1.57) as well as the degree to which they perceived their contributions as influencing others (Odds ratio = 1.53). These relationships were particularly strong for students who reported a lower a sense of belonging. We also found significant differences by both race and gender in whether students said they contributed and believed their ideas influenced those of others. These findings suggest that a learner's sense of belonging in class and willingness to contribute may be mutually reinforcing, highlighting the need to promote content-specific strategies to foster belonging in ways that support collaborative knowledge building.