Potential conflicts between ownership rights and environmental protection: Swedish undergraduate students’ views

Abstract

This study examines the perspectives of Swedish undergraduate students regarding potential conflicts between ownership rights and environmental protection. Conceptions of ‘ownership’ are relevant in relation to the environment and environmental protection as they can highlight a more transboundary relationship between the individual/society and nature. Students studying economics, law and political science were chosen because of their potential future transformative roles as decision makers and policy makers. Content analysis was employed to examine the written responses of 747 students from seven different universities to the open-ended survey question: Can ownership rights and environmental protection come into conflict? Students’ responses were measured twice: at the very beginning of the first semester and then again at the end of the semester. The results show that students expressed a dominant view of ownership in terms of individual ownership, and associations to collective ownership were largely absent. In regards to the potential conflict between ownership rights and environmental protection, most students perceived such a conflict, and it was more common for the environment to be conceptualised as the losing party rather than the landowner. More research is needed regarding how teaching and instruction can deal with the potential conflicts between ownership (private/corporate/governmental) and environmental protection.     

Moral development in a violent society: Colombian children's judgments in the context of survival and revenge

Ninety-six Colombian children (mean age = 7.7 years) and adolescents (mean age = 14.6 years) made judgments about stealing and physical harm in the abstract and in the context of survival and revenge. All participants judged it wrong to steal or hurt others because of considerations with justice and welfare, and most also judged it wrong to engage in such actions even when they can aid in survival. Their judgments in the context of revenge were more mixed, with a sizable proportion endorsing stealing and hurting in that condition. Furthermore, the majority expected that people would steal and hurt others in most situations. Significant age differences were also found. The consequences of political violence for moral development are discussed.     

Cultural‐competence considerations for contemporary school‐based threat assessment

Threat‐assessment procedures are advanced for their utility in reducing racial disparities in punitive and exclusionary school discipline outcomes. Generally unexamined, however, is bias in who gets referred for school‐based threat assessment and under what circumstances. Cultural‐competence considerations hold promise for addressing sources of bias in the evaluation of threats made in the school setting. Using a quantitative approach, this systematic literature review examines the degree to which contemporary cultural‐competence considerations are embedded in 24 school‐based threat‐assessment articles published between 2007 and 2017. Results indicate generally poor coverage of considerations for cultural competence both within and across threat‐assessment articles. An analysis of change in cultural‐competence considerations by year of publication suggests that more recently published threat‐assessment literature has generally not integrated concurrent advancements in concepts of cultural competence. Preliminary guidance for incorporating contemporary cultural‐competence considerations into school‐based threat‐assessment procedures are provided.     

In Pursuit of a Connected Way of Knowing: The Case of One Mathematics Teacher

In this paper, we offer illustrations of a mathematics teacher’s difficulties with content knowledge when trying to find connections between school mathematics and science; we do so by describing the development of this teacher’s thinking and learning in her pursuit of connections between the concepts of slope of a line and density of matter. The paper is based on a sub-study that is part of a larger Colombian project, PROMESA (Creating Science and Mathematics Connected Learning Experiences that Open Opportunities for the Promotion of Algebraic Reasoning), which incorporated a Professional Learning Programme (PLP) seeking to integrate school science and mathematics teachers into working teams, in order to create science and mathematics connected learning experiences that considered the promotion of algebraic reasoning. The ‘challenging questions’ that emerged for this teacher, during the workshops of the induction stage of the PLP, became the driving force for her continued engagement in learning mathematics content in a connected way, as opposed to the compartmentalised content-item thinking that she had experienced as a school student. We provide illustrations of first steps in the development of a teacher’s mathematical understanding, which can support growth of mathematical knowledge for teaching.     

The public returns to public educational investments in African-American males

This paper calculates the public savings (financial benefits) from greater public investments in the education of African-American males. Over one-fifth of each age cohort of black males in US is not a high school graduate. We identify five interventions that would—based on credible research—increase the graduation rate; we also report the public cost of each intervention. We then calculate the lifetime public benefits in terms of increased tax revenues and lower spending on health and crime. In present values, for a black male aged 20, these public benefits amount to $256,700 per new graduate and the median intervention would cost only $90,700. The benefit/cost ratio is 2.83. Simply equating the high school graduation rate of black males with that of white males would yield public savings of $3.98 billion for each age cohort. These results suggest that increased investments in education for black males at risk of dropping out of high school should be an economic priority.     

Understanding inclusion support systems: three inspiring experiences / Comprendiendo los sistemas de apoyo para la inclusión: tres experiencias inspiradoras

This article presents the findings of an empirical study that aimed to gain an in-depth understanding of how inclusive support systems are configured. A qualitative case study approach was used to explore the trajectories, shared beliefs and daily practices that shape the dynamics of three educational centres recognized by external assessors for their inclusive policies and attention to diversity. The analysis carried out enabled the identification of patterns of worldviews and practices that underpin the development of sustainable inclusive school proposals, as well as an understanding of the complex interrelationship between context, resources, opportunities, threats and teaching approaches that define particular dynamics. The findings obtained help to illustrate and provide inspiration for other schools committed to defending the basic rights of all children and young people, as well as designers of educational policies and programmes.     

The CCD Camera and Its Applications in Science Teaching

In this paper, we intend to illustrate some of the possible uses of the CCD camera in science teaching. We start with an introduction of the Flexcam which is one form of the CCD camera used primarily by biology teachers. We then explain the structure, working principles, and applications of the CCD camera at large. Examples of demonstrations, observations, and scientific skill using the CCD camera in connection with the TV monitor for topics under each of the main science subjects, biology, chemistry, physics and general science, in high school will be presented. Modifications needed in order to adopt the camera are elaborated in each case. Finally, a brief history of our adventure and some remarks are given to encourage readers to explore further uses of the CCD camera in one's own teaching.