From immersion to establishment. The challenges facing new school heads and the role of ‘New Visions’ in resolving them

New heads taking up their appointments in English schools in recent years have had supportive programmes to help them, both prior to headship and on taking up the role. This study examines the experience of heads new to their role in primary and secondary schools over the period 2002–2004. All were participants in the National College for School Leadership ‘New Visions’ programme for new heads. The study analyses the early experiences of these heads, following the framework offered by O'Mahony and Matthews, and considers what influence the New Visions programme had on the way they addressed issues and problems encountered in their role.     

Science teacher characteristics by teacher behavior and by student outcome: A meta-analysis of research

A meta-analysis was conducted of studies which addressed characteristics (gender, course-work, IQ, etc.) as the independent factor, and: (1) their teaching behavior in the classroom (questioning behavior, teaching orientation, etc.); and (2) student outcome characteristics (achievement, attitude toward science, etc.) as the two dependent factors. The population under study was science classes, ranging from kindergarten through twelfth grade, located in the United States, and the teachers of these classes. The studies integrated were reported in dissertations, journal articles, and other forms. Relationship data obtained from the studies were converted to Pearson product moment correlations. In general, quite low relationships were found between teacher background characteristics and (1) their touching behavior in the classroom and (2) student outcome characteristics. Summary tables showing the relationships are presented along with discussion of the strongest relationships.     

Characteristics of professional development that effect change in secondary science teachers' classroom practices

We studied the outcome of a professional development opportunity that consisted of 2‐week‐long resident institutes for teams consisting of a secondary science teacher and two students. The science content of the National Science Foundation (NSF)‐funded professional development institute was monarch butterfly ecology. The first institute took place in Minnesota during the summer, and the second in Texas during the fall. Staff scientists provided intense instruction in inquiry, with numerous opportunities for participants to conduct short inquiry‐based research projects. Careful attention was paid to introducing each step of the full inquiry process, from asking questions to presenting research findings. All participants conducted independent team full inquiry projects between the two institutes. Project findings show that the number of teachers providing opportunities for their students to conduct full inquiry increased significantly after their participation. A mixed‐methodology analysis that included qualitative and quantitative data from numerous sources, and case studies of 20 teachers, revealed that the characteristics of the program that helped teachers successfully translate inquiry to their classrooms were: deep science content and process knowledge with numerous opportunities for practice; the requirement that teachers demonstrate competence in a tangible and assessable way; and providers with high expectations for learning and the capability to facilitate multifaceted inquiry experiences. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Gender Integration and the Promotion of Inclusive Classroom Climates

The purpose of this article is to highlight the important role that gender plays in organizing and affecting the quality of the classroom climate. We review research showing how students’ peer relationships tend to be segregated by gender and discuss the consequences of children spending much of their time almost exclusively with same-gender peers, which perpetuates and exaggerates gender segregation. We suggest that a more beneficial pattern is enhancing students’ exposure to other-gender peers—that is, promoting gender integration. We describe the theories that support the benefits of integrating across social groups. Next, we review methods and results of strategies we have used to promote integration. Finally, we draw attention to the issues about gender integration that require further consideration and argue for more research that can help guide the development of effective strategies that build more inclusive environments, practices, and policies for today’s children and youth.     

Where Words Fail: Rational Education Unravels in Maria Edgeworth''s The Good French Governess

This essay argues that precepts for cultivating the rational child, set forth by Maria and Richard Edgeworth in their handbook Practical Education, collide with fictional presentations of those precepts in Maria's novella The Good French Governess. The resulting gap between the novella's pedagogically driven narrative and a subtext that undermines the pedagogical agenda cannot be bridged by words. This ironically draws the reader to question the primacy accorded to words—to reasoned arguments and precise verbal articulation—that play such a significant role in the program for rational education. Further, the collisions between the demands of ideology and the needs of fiction invite us as readers to raise questions about genre, about our expectations of nonfictions and fictions pertaining to education.     

Mother–Child Interaction: Links Between Mother and Child Frontal Electroencephalograph Asymmetry and Negative Behavior

It is well accepted that parent–child interactions are bidirectional by nature, yet not much is known about the psychophysiological activity underlying these interactions. This study examined, during a parent–child interaction, how a child's negativity statistically predicted maternal frontal electroencephalograph (EEG) asymmetry and how a mother's negativity statistically predicted child frontal EEG asymmetry. Thirty‐four mother–child dyads participated in the study. Maternal and child behaviors and physiology were measured during a puzzle task. Results indicated that mothers whose children exhibited more challenging behaviors during the dyadic interaction displayed more right (relative to left) asymmetry, as did children whose mothers were high in negativity during the interaction. These findings suggest that mothers and children react to each other's signals not only behaviorally but also physiologically.     

Toward a Conceptual Model of Mentoring Research: Integration with Self-Regulated Learning

In this article, we present a model for academic mentoring research that incorporates theory and research on self-regulated learning. Academic mentoring research has increased in recent years, and researchers have linked mentoring with positive outcomes for protégés and mentors. This research, however, has not investigated the process whereby mentoring exerts its effects. An integration of mentoring with self-regulated learning seems valuable because self-regulated learning researchers have employed methodologies to assess its dynamic nature. We review assumptions of mentoring and self-regulated learning theories, representative mentoring research studies, and methods of assessing self-regulated learning. Following presentation of the mentoring research model, suggestions are given for types of research studies to identify the operation of key processes before, during, and after mentoring interactions. We conclude with implications of this integrated perspective for theory development and educational practice.     

Are gender differences in perceived and demonstrated technology literacy significant? It depends on the model

This paper examines gender differences related to Information and Communication Technology (ICT) literacy using two valid and internally consistent measures with eighth grade students (N = 1,513) from Florida public schools. The results of t test statistical analyses, which examined only gender differences in demonstrated and perceived ICT skills, indicate significant differences in all areas in favor of females. Females had higher factor scores in perception measures for Frequency of Computer Use, Perceived ICT Skills, and Attitudes toward Computers. In addition, female students had significantly higher scores on all six sections from the Student Tool for Technology Literacy, a performance-based assessment. These results counter many empirical research studies that show males generally perform better with ICT skills and have overall better attitudes toward computers than their female counterparts. However, when adding predictors to the model and using multilevel modeling statistical methods, findings indicate that gender was no longer significant. These findings question the importance of the gender differences related to ICT skills that were found with previous statistical examinations. Using more advanced statistical methods to answer research questions pertaining to ICT skills is important in order to determine which factors have the greatest potential for intervention programs that focus on developing equitable ICT skills and career choices for all students.