The Role of Sex of Peers and Gender‐Typed Activities in Young Children's Peer Affiliative Networks: A Longitudinal Analysis of Selection and Influence

A stochastic actor‐based model was used to investigate the origins of sex segregation by examining how similarity in sex of peers and time spent in gender‐typed activities affected affiliation network selection and how peers influenced children's (N = 292; M_age = 4.3 years) activity involvement. Gender had powerful effects on interactions through direct and indirect pathways. Children selected playmates of the same sex and with similar levels of gender‐typed activities. Selection based on gender‐typed activities partially mediated selection based on sex of peers. Children influenced one another's engagement in gender‐typed activities. When mechanisms producing sex segregation were compared, the largest contributor was selection based on sex of peers; less was due to activity‐based selection and peer influence. Implications for sex segregation and gender development are discussed.     

An Exploration of the Use of Break Times to Promote the Social Curriculum in Secondary Schools

The social curriculum is taught implicitly in many schools and, whilst the new 'citizenship education' attempts to structure this 'hidden curriculum', secondary school break times seem to be providing pupils with opportunities to learn social and citizenship skills. The writer suggests that break times, especially in secondary schools, are an unused resource for developing values inherent in citizenship education. Currently there is little research which includes an investigation into the secondary school break time and which aims to understand the social value of break times. This paper reports such an investigation and suggests that break time is a potential location for the development of skills relating to citizenship.     

Excluding Primary School Children – The Outcomes Six Years On

This article reports and discusses a study which followed up, through case records, 726 children excluded permanently, indefinitely or for fixed–term periods in 1993/4 in 10 LEAs. The outcomes at secondary level in 1998/9 were found to be moderately poor with the problems intensifying for half the sample. Forty six per cent had further primary school exclusions and 36 per cent received exclusions in their secondary education. Looked–after children and those with special educational needs fared worse and achieved less. Case studies showed the kinds of commitment and support that can work even with very difficult cases.     

Action learning as an element within an assessed and supported year in employment for newly qualified social workers: a three-role perspective

The assessed and supported year in employment (ASYE) is employer-led and provides a programme to support and assess newly qualified social workers (NQSWs) working with children and families and adults during their first year of employment. Action learning was brought into Cambridgeshire County Councils ASYE programme as a 12-month pilot from October 2015 to September 2016, with the view of providing an opportunity for the 55–60 NQSWs to develop critical thinking, problem-solving and leadership skills. This paper gives an account of the journey from the perspective of the roles of the accoucheur and action learning lead, ASYE Programme Lead and Evaluator and identifies key learning points. In writing this paper, the authors acknowledge the contribution of their colleague facilitators and the NQSWs who participated in action learning sets.     

The Issue at a Glance

The Issue at a Glance

The Issue at a Glance     

The Issue at a Glance

THE ISSUE AT A GLANCE

The Issue at a Glance     

Comparing the use of the empty number line in England and the Netherlands

Efforts to meet the needs of children's learning in arithmetic has led to an increased emphasis on the teaching of mental calculation strategies in England. This has included the adoption of didactical tools such as the empty number line (ENL) that was developed as part of the realistic mathematics movement in the Netherlands. It has been claimed that the English use of the ENL differs from that of the Dutch. In this study curriculum guidance materials are examined to investigate these differences. Two examples of teaching sequences are provided to illustrate them further. It is proposed that the different uses stem from different pedagogical principles. The implications of the English use are discussed in relation to the presentation of mental calculation strategies in an algorithmic way.     

Professional Development for School Library Media Professionals: Elements for Success

The American Association for School Librarians suggests an important mission for school librarians is to ensure personal growth through ongoing exposure to conferences, journal articles, webinars, presentations, and membership in professional organizations. As professional educators, School Librarians should exemplify the vision for being life-long learners. Methods and means to grow in the profession should be evaluated and examined for elements that lead to success in growth and maturity as professionals in school library media. This article investigates the attributes of successful professional development experiences which include learning environment, characteristics of learners, methodologies, and instructional design of staff development workshops.