Perceived interplay between flexible learning spaces and teaching,learning and student wellbeing

In recognition of the evolving learning needs of twenty-first century school students, changes to teaching practices and the incorporation of technology are increasingly accompanied by modifications to the built classroom environment. Typically rows of desk and chairs are replaced with a range of furniture that can be configured in various ways to facilitate teaching and learning. This article explores the perceived relationship between these flexible learning spaces and teaching, learning and wellbeing outcomes. The perceptions and experiences of 12 school principals, 35 teachers and 85 students from four primary and four secondary schools in Australia were examined. Flexible learning spaces were reported to facilitate student-centred pedagogy and selfregulation, collaboration, and student autonomy and engagement. Modified spaces were reportedly more enjoyable, comfortable and inclusive and allowed greater interaction. The findings are discussed in light of Beaton’s five key design principles of student-centred learning environments to explore the connection between the physical classroom environment and teaching and learning. Self-Determination Theory is used to interpret how elements of the physical space facilitate the creation of a social environment that encourages greater motivation to learn and increases student wellbeing. The research contributes to an understanding of how flexible learning spaces are used and with what effect, thereby addressing a present gap in the literature.     

Evaluation of Self by Young People with Down Syndrome

There have been relatively few studies of self-esteem with young people with moderate and severe intellectual disability. One reason for this is likely to be measurement difficulties. The purpose of the present study was to assess the usefulness of three measures of self-esteem in 72 young people with Down syndrome aged from 17 to 24 years. Forty-five young people, mean VMA 5 years 10 months, were assessed on the Pictorial Scale of Perceived Competence and Social Acceptance for Young Children and the Joseph PreSchool and Primary Self-Concept Screening Test. Nineteen young people, mean VMA 8 years 9 months, completed the Self-Perception Profile for Learning Disabled Students. Validity was assessed by reading scores and by interviews with the young people and their parents. Eight young people with the most severe intellectual disability could not do any test; the remainder were able to respond to the format of the appropriate tests. On all measures they rated themselves positively. Internal consistency estimates were high, but validity was only demonstrated for the Self-Perception Profile for Learning Disabled Students, supporting its use with the young people who had VMAs of around 7 years. Evaluation of self also showed a standard developmental trend.     

Faculty role orientation and perceived teaching effectiveness: The case of an intervening variable

This study was designed to explore the relationship between faculty role orientations and student perceptions of teaching effectiveness in community colleges. Survey questionnaires were completed by 260 faculty members and 12,396 students at five Pennsylvania community college campuses. Using a conceptual framework drawn from symbolic interaction theory, it was hypothesized that faculty members holding a student-centered role orientation will be perceived as more effective teachers than those holding a subject-matter orientation. Results indicate that whereas there is an association between a student-centered role orientation and perceived teaching effectiveness, the relationship is due to an intervening variable—the expected course grade. An examination of the causal chain of relationships among these variables is presented.This is a revision of a paper presented at the 1975 annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association (see South, Morrison and Hill, 1975).     

A study of international students' perspectives on cross-cultural adaptation

The aim of this study was to discover and describe how international students experience and adapt to their new academic, social, cultural and linguistic environment. Questionnaires were given to 12 post-graduate students and interviews conducted on the basis of the responses. It might be expected, given the range of culture shock literature which often presumes the stressful and even pathological nature of cross-cultural transitions, that international students from cultures very different to that found in New Zealand would report high levels of frustration, stress and even depression. While most reported on obstacles to integration as being loneliness, mismatch of culture, frustration with the lack of deep integration with New Zealanders as well as irritation with aspects of their host culture, there was not a high level of stress reported. The greatest block to adaptation was lack of intercultural communicative competence.     

Interaction of efficacy,commitment, and expectations in the formation of faculty attitudes toward collective bargaining

A model of the formation of faculty attitudes toward collective bargaining is developed which reflects recent developments in theory and research in organizational behavior. The model is an alternative to those grounded in need-satisfaction theories and takes into account interaction effects among variables. Hypotheses are formulated which explore how faculty members develop: (1) beliefs about, and effective responses toward, their work environment; and (2) propensities to wish to change that environment by implementating collective bargaining. Empirical data are analyzed to assess the main effects of, and interactions among, organizational commitment, perceived personal efficacy, and expectations with respect to the impact of bargaining.An earlier draft of this article was presented before the Association for the Study of Higher Education, Chicago, March 1978.     

Faculty roles and role preferences in ten fields of professional study

Teaching faculty in ten entry-level professional fields reported varying amounts of time devoted to teaching, research, consulting, and professional practice but did not differ in time devoted to administration. The faculty member's own role view was most closely related to time use, but for time spent in teaching and research, faculty age and institutional type (but not gender) were also significant predictors. Even after several general demographic characteristics and environmental variables that potentially differentiate professional from discipline-based faculty are taken into account, different professional fields may be characterized by group climates which influence or reinforce certain faculty roles.     

Higher education research as tribe, territory and/or community: a co-citation analysis

This article builds upon existing research which has been mapping and analysing the field of higher education research, and, in particular, on the analysis of the articles (n = 406) in 17 specialist higher education journals published in the English language outside of North America during the year 2000. It extends that analysis by examining the citations (n = 10,065) given in the articles, in particular the patterns of co-citation. This enables a clearer identification of the tribes or communities of practice that occupy the territory of higher education research. An attempt is be made to identify the key members of these tribes or communities, and to chart the key relationships within and between them.     

‘Bunking off’: The impact of truancy on pupils and teachers

There is widespread interest in the impact of unauthorised absence on pupil attainment, links with disaffection, exclusion from school and criminality. However, little is heard about what those who take unauthorised absence from school think that the effect has been on them; nor do we hear the voices of other pupils and their teachers. This article presents evidence from a one‐year study of absence in seven local authorities in England funded by the Department for Education and Skills. It defines ‘truancy’, explores some issues from existing literature on pupil non‐attendance, and presents evidence to show the impact that absence from school has on truants, other pupils and teachers. Finally, it suggests that although the greatest impact is on the academic and socio‐psychological development of persistent absentees, the attitudes and learning of other pupils and the workload and morale of teachers are also affected.     

‘I don’t do the mothering role that lots of female teachers do’: male teachers,gender, power and social organisation

The present article reports on a research project investigating the experiences of male primary teachers in Queensland, Australia. While its findings cannot be presented as indicative of all male teachers in all contexts, it does, however, send a warning to policy‐makers that the employment of more male teachers may not be in the best interests of gender justice unless such strategies designed to attract more male teachers are informed by sophisticated understandings of gender and social power. Utilising a (pro) feminist post‐structuralist theoretical perspective, it is demonstrated how some male teachers contribute to the maintenance of segregated work roles, which is of central importance to the continuance of gender power differentials in a patriarchal society. The research method focused on social relationships and involved a series of semi‐structured/life history interviews with 11 male teachers, six female teachers, two male principals and two female principals. An important implication from this research is that the employment of male teachers must be accompanied by an awareness of how teacher practice impacts upon the socialisation of students and how such practice reinforces or contributes to change in the broader gender system.     

Silencing and freedom of speech in UK higher education

Freedom of speech in universities is currently an issue of widespread concern and debate. Recent empirical findings in the UK shed some light on whether speech is unduly restricted in the university, but it suffers from two limitations. First, the results appear contradictory. Some studies show that the issue of free speech is overblown by media reportage, whilst others track serious concerns about free speech arising from certain university policies. Second, the findings exclude important issues concerning restrictions to speech on campus that fall outside the traditional debate around violations to free speech rights. This is particularly the case when certain voices are excluded from important policy conversations, and in issues around diversifying the curriculum. This article overcomes these two limitations by developing a novel conceptual framework within which to situate current debates concerning speech-related matters in universities. It does so by developing a taxonomy around the concept of ‘silencing’. It then considers the current issue of speech matters in universities within this framework to determine whether, and to what extent, speech is indeed unduly restricted, and where this is a concern for free speech violations, and where it falls outside this issue.