Working on What Works: enhancing relationships in the classroom and improving teacher confidence

Working on What Works (WOWW) is a solution-oriented classroom management intervention. Following an outline of Berg and Shilts’ WOWW programme in the United States, this paper reviews and evaluates WOWW, which has been implemented as a classroom intervention strategy in a Scottish local authority since 2007. Qualitative analysis of the comments of children and teachers from 12 classes suggests that WOWW may be an effective classroom management intervention that helps teachers to feel more confident and also produces tangible improvements in the way children work and behave. Children also report positive differences in how they perceive their class and teacher.     

Evaluating the effectiveness of a social skills training (SST) programme for victims of bullying

Several programmes have been developed to help support victims of bullying, but few have been formally evaluated. On the basis of previous research and from a review of existing programmes, a Social Skills Training (SST) Programme was developed for victims of bullying, and the effectiveness of this intervention was evaluated. Twenty-eight children (aged nine to 11 years) took part in the SST Programme – 15 in the experimental group and 13 in the waiting-list control group. A Peer Nomination Inventory was used to assess social skills problems, peer victimization and friendship/peer acceptance. In addition, a number of psycho­social adjustment variables (i.e. depression, anxiety, self-esteem) were assessed, using self-report. The measures were completed at three time points over the course of an academic year. It was found that there was an increase in ‘global self-worth’ (i.e. self-esteem) for the experimental group (compared to the control group). However, there were no other significant improvements, e.g. in terms of social skills problems or victim status. These findings have important implications for interventions to tackle the negative effects associated with bullying in schools.     

Synergies between theoretical approaches to mathematics education with technology: A case study through a cross-analysis methodology

Mathematics education as a research domain is characterized by a plurality of theoretical approaches. Acknowledging the existence of such diversity and the risks of an excessive theoretical fragmentation does not mean to search for a unifying theory but to urge the community to develop strategies for coping with this diversity. This article is meant to show the potential of a “cross-analysis” methodology for establishing connections between different theoretical approaches to mathematics education with technology. Within the frame of the ReMath European Project, two Teaching Experiments were realized, centred on the use of a same ICT tool—Casyopée. Two distinct theoretical approaches shaped both the Teaching Experiments design and their enactments: the Theory of Didactical Situations and the Theory of Semiotic Mediation. The two Teaching Experiments have then been analysed from both theoretical points of view. In this article we will provide some examples drawn from this cross-analysis that show the synergy which can be established between the aforementioned theoretical approaches. Beyond contributing to a deeper understanding of the observed “didactical phenomena”, that synergy allows establishing connections between the two approaches that lead to their reciprocal enrichment.     

The Desegregation Aims and Demographic Contexts of Magnet Schools: How Parents Choose and Why Siting Policies Matter

This paper is designed to specify a set of new opportunities for educators, school administrators, and scholars to realize the practical aims and strategic advantages envisioned in magnet schools. The paper is divided into three distinct sections. In Section I, we examine the extensive research literature on parents’ choice patterns and school preferences in magnet schools and other school-choice programs. In Section II, we compare the reasons parents choose particular schools with the criteria school districts use to select magnet school locations (and themes). This section highlights desegregation goals and district-level magnet school policies pegged to the following questions: What is the policy context for siting decisions in districts with magnet schools? Are siting policies strategically aligned with what is known from the research literature about parents’ school preferences? Do neighborhood characteristics play a part in magnet school siting policies and specific decision-making? In Section III, we use geographic information system (GIS) tools to add both clarity and complexity to the convergence of parent choice patterns and sociodemographic diversity in our four selected school districts. The maps depict the racial and socioeconomic characteristics of the magnet schools in each district, as well as the demographic characteristics of surrounding census tracts (extended school neighborhoods). We conclude that GIS can be a viable option for improving the citing decisions for magnet schools, and that this can allow for the merging of parent choice priorities with educational equity and diversity goals of the district.     

Magnet Schools: Reform and Race in Urban Education

Popular film impacts the work of educators and education in a variety of ways. In this article, the authors examine popular films' portrayals of education and K-12 schooling and higher education instructors from a variety of perspectives. The authors also investigate how education provides a platform for the examination of contemporary cultural concerns. The authors and education graduate students offer recommendations for fruitful viewing. In addition, the authors provide some rationales for further study of education in popular film.     

Social Perception in Infancy: A Near Infrared Spectroscopy Study

The capacity to engage and communicate in a social world is one of the defining characteristics of the human species. While the network of regions that compose the social brain have been the subject of extensive research in adults, there are limited techniques available for monitoring young infants. This study used near infrared spectroscopy to investigate functional activation in the social brain network of 36 five-month-old infants. We measured the hemodynamic responses to visually presented stimuli in the temporal lobes. A significant increase in oxyhemoglobin was localized to 2 posterior temporal sites bilaterally, indicating that these areas are involved in the social brain network in young infants.     

The Etiology of Science Performance: Decreasing Heritability and Increasing Importance of the Shared Environment From 9 to 12 Years of Age

During childhood and adolescence, increases in heritability and decreases in shared environmental influences have typically been found for cognitive abilities. A sample of more than 2,500 pairs of twins from the Twins Early Development Study was used to investigate whether a similar pattern would be found for science performance from 9 to 12 years. Science performance was based on teacher-assessed U.K. National Curriculum standards. Science at 9 years showed high heritability (64%) and modest shared environmental (16%) estimates. In contrast to the expected developmental pattern, heritability was significantly lower at 12 years (47%) and shared environmental influences were significantly higher (32%). Understanding what these increasingly important shared environmental influences are could lead to interventions that encourage engagement in science throughout the lifespan.     

Examining the Motivation of Health Profession Students to Study Human Anatomy

Students' motivation is a vital determinant of academic performance that is influenced by the learning environment. This study aimed to assess and analyze the motivation subscales between different cohorts (chiropractic, dental, medical) of anatomy students (n = 251) and to investigate if these subscales had an effect on the students' anatomy performance. A 31-item survey, the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire was utilized, covering items on intrinsic and extrinsic goal orientation, task value, control of learning belief, self-efficiency for learning and performance, and test anxiety. First-year dental students were significantly more anxious than chiropractic students. Second-year chiropractic students attached more value to anatomy education than second-year medical students. The outcome of this research demonstrated a significant relationship between first- and second-year chiropractic students between anatomy performance and motivation subscales controlling for gender such as self-efficacy for learning and performance was (β = 8, CI: 5.18–10.8, P < 0.001) and (β = 6.25, CI: 3.40–9.10, P < 0.001) for first year and second year, respectively. With regards to intrinsic goal orientation, it was (β = 4.02, CI: 1.19–6.86, P = 0.006) and (β = 5.38, CI: 2.32–8.44, P = 0.001) for first year and second year, respectively. For the control of learning beliefs, it was (β = 3.71, 95% CI: 0.18–7.25, P = 0.04) and (β = 3.07, CI: 0.03–6.12, P = 0.048) for first year and second year, respectively. Interventions aimed at improving these motivation subscales in students could boost their anatomy performance.