Native american related materials in elementary science instruction

The low achievement of Native American students, as measured by standardized tests, results from a number of factors, including the lack of cultural relevance of curriculum materials used in their instruction. Using a pretest–posttest control group design, Native American students in Bureau of Indian Affairs schools in Grades 4–8 who were taught science using culturally relevant materials achieved significantly higher and displayed a significantly more positive attitude toward Native Americans and science than comparable students who were taught science without the culturally relevant materials. It is suggested that when educators of Native Americans teach science, they should use materials that incorporate frequent reference to Native Americans and science.     

A Teacher's and Researcher's Experiences with Power and Representation within the Practical Argument Process

The purpose of this paper is to explore the tensions that erupted between the two authors during the final stages of their engagement with the practical argument process. These tensions arose when the 'researcher' constructed a representation of 'the teacher's' reality. In this paper, the researcher shares her representation and the teacher responds to her analysis. The teacher's response to the researcher's representation of her and her teaching suggests tensions arose between the teacher and the researcher over how the researcher constructed the teacher's practical argument. As the teacher and the researchers, we analyze our experiences with the practical argument process and our collaborative relationship. The result is an enlarged view of the place of story and practical argument within research collaborations. In addition, we learned the necessity of continuing dialog between researcher and teacher through the writing of the project. This ensures that, regardless of the research method, both collaborators are heard and their tales are told in the public representation.     

Engagement and kindness in digitally mediated learning with teachers

This paper explores the significance of designing online learning led by the principle of direct and meaningful participant engagement. It considers the notion of kindness as a crucial value contributing to pedagogy and the development of meaningful learning relationships. The paper challenges the ‘delivery’ approach to online learning, suggesting that the flexible and explicit design of engagement opportunities from a sociocultural perspective is a more meaningful and human approach to learning online. The paper clarifies the term Digitally Mediated Learning (DML) to establish connections to important pedagogic positions. The research approach is based around a qualitative professional reflective enquiry. It considers the experiences of learners on a Masters in Education online module and concludes that design, engagement nurturing, community cohesion and kindness can become crucial aspects of successful DML, if institutions learn to value the life projects of others more fully.     

Students’ experiences of supervision in academic and industry settings: results of an Australian study

The joint supervision of Research Higher Degree (RHD) students by an industry and university supervisor is likely to increase in forthcoming years with a rise in the number of university–industry collaborations. Research students may become involved in these collaborative arrangements for a variety of reasons and may launch into their RHD without considering how they will serve two masters, and how this complex relationship will affect their RHD experience. Moreover, little research has been conducted to assess the impact of these arrangements on current RHD students’ experiences. The experiences of students with academic and industry supervisors were, therefore, explored in a survey of confirmed RHD students at an Australian research‐intensive university. This paper investigates whether RHD students conducting research in traditional academic settings have a different experience to students working on industry‐related projects in industry settings, specifically in regards to supervision and institutional access and engagement.     

The Effects of Peer‐Mediated Instruction in Mathematics for Students with Learning Problems: A Research Synthesis

The purpose of this synthesis is to summarize the effectiveness of peer‐mediated interventions on the mathematics performance of both students with disabilities and those at risk for mathematics disabilities. Meta‐analytic techniques were used to calculate mean effect sizes for 17 studies that met inclusion criteria. Results indicate that peer‐mediated interventions in mathematics are moderately effective for improving students' mathematics performance. Also, findings are strongest for students at risk for mathematics disabilities, elementary‐aged participants, and mathematics computation content. Recommendations for future research and practical implications are discussed.     

Supporting English non-dominant language authors’ efforts to publish: perspectives from the editors-in-chief of highly recognised journals in Mathematics Education

Educational Studies in Mathematics - In this article, we document the support provided by highly recognised journals in Mathematics Education in response to the challenges faced by English...     

Perceived parental monitoring and school motivation during adolescence: a bidirectional model

European Journal of Psychology of Education - School motivation is key to promoting optimal educational pathways. Some studies suggest that parental monitoring behaviors foster school motivation...     

The early assessment conundrum: Lessons from the past,implications for the future

The early childhood educational field has garnered attention with initiatives to foster skill acquisition in young children prior to kindergarten entry. These initiatives, in conjunction with the rigorous demands of curricular reform and a burgeoning accountability movement, invoke questions regarding the adequacy of the instruments used to assess young children and the inherent difficulties in conducting such assessments. Because the effectiveness of education relies critically on the sound diagnoses of children's readiness for learning and the measurement of their subsequent progression throughout the schooling process, critical issues in early assessment must be addressed. An examination of past practices was synthesized with recent research to focus awareness on the insufficient content domain, restrictive context, adverse timing and questionable psychometric properties, specifically the inappropriate norms and low predictive validity, of many instruments. Both the implications of and compensatory strategies for each issue are considered. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 41: 737–749, 2004.