Shared values as anchors of a learning community: A case study in information systems design

This paper examines the role in both individual and organizational learning of the system of values sustained by a community undertaking a design task. The discussion is based on the results of a longitudinal study of a community of novice information system designers supported by a Web-based shared design memory which allows reuse of design precedents, the sharing of peer reviews and the examination of links established among design cases as a consequence of partial reuse. It is argued that values are primarily constructed and transmitted by 'ways of talking' about the design artifacts, are used by the learners to generate meanings relevant to engage in the design activity and as a way to manage the complexity of the design task. By taking into account some insights concerning values creation and transmission, respectively, from the communities of practice and memetics theoretical frameworks, some conclusions are drawn on how a digital medium, such as the shared memory, can better anchor the learning process.     

Ethical issues in listening to young children in visual participatory research

ABSTRACT

Ethical issues involving young children in research are complex and individual to each child, requiring the researcher to be reflexive and aware of the nature of the child’s participation. This paper draws on the experiences of 16 5- to 7-year-old children, transitioning from kindergarten to first grade in Chile as reported by them through visual participatory research. Integral to the ethical principles were the use of a visual participatory design, a listening framework and the child’s rights perspective. In order to be faithful to the research design proposed, different ethical guidelines were revised and followed to ensure protection, anonymity, the right to withdraw and privacy to the children deciding to get involved in the research process. Essential to this work was recognising the child as the most knowledgeable agent in her/his own experiences in order to minimise issues of power and increase children’s awareness during the data collection process. Findings from the study demonstrate different situations in which the researcher’s self-reflexivity can enhance positive outcomes related to ethical issues and young children’s ability to understand the research process, communicate meanings and jointly create new meanings through the tools provided and activities proposed. Ethical challenges and implications for future research with children are discussed.     

WOWW: a solution orientated approach to enhance classroom relationships and behaviour within a Primary three class

A Working on What Works (WOWW) approach was utilised over six sessions in a mainstream Scottish primary class to enhance classroom relationships and behaviours. The aim of the intervention was to manage everyday classroom problems within a natural classroom environment. WOWW incorporates positive psychology and implements a solution-focused approach. The quantitative results illustrated an improvement in the teacher ratings and class ratings for the class goals set by the class teacher, and helped the teacher to feel more confident in her class. From the qualitative comments, class teacher and pupils reported a positive experience of WOWW and noticed a difference within the classroom. In summary, WOWW influenced a positive change to relationships and behaviour within the classroom.     

Contributions of print exposure to first and second grade oral language and reading in Chile

This study examines the contribution of print exposure to oral language (expressive vocabulary and listening comprehension) and reading (word reading and reading comprehension) in first and second grade in Chile, and tests whether the contribution of print exposure to reading comprehension is mediated by language and word reading skills. Two‐hundred and eighty one children (mean age 6.55 years) participated. Print exposure was measured with a book‐cover recognition task in first grade, and outcomes were measured both in first and second grade. Print exposure had direct effects on all outcomes in first grade and indirect effects in second grade. Effects on first grade reading comprehension were partially mediated by listening comprehension and word reading, but not vocabulary. We discuss the importance of the findings for improving reading comprehension in countries with low access to books.     

Can higher education stimulate entrepreneurial intentions among engineering and business students?

This paper approaches the issue of higher entrepreneurship education in motivating young people to start their own business as a viable alternative to the successful integration of university graduates on the labour market. The fundamental question of this research is if, currently, entrepreneurship education influences students’ entrepreneurial intentions and to what extent. The research results, based on the statistical analysis of data collected through a questionnaire distributed to Romanian business and engineering bachelor students in the final year, highlight that business students assessed the effectiveness of higher entrepreneurship education and its positive influence on entrepreneurial intentions to a greater extent than the engineering students. Furthermore, entrepreneurial intentions of engineering students are influenced positively much more by entrepreneurial family background than by entrepreneurship education. The findings provide important highlights for future research, in order to identify the most effective ways of approaching, modernising and expanding entrepreneurship education, aiming to increase entrepreneurial intentions among students, regardless of the graduated field of study.     

Motivating first-year university students by interdisciplinary study projects

ABSTRACT

In order to increase student commitment from the beginning of students’ university careers, the Technische Universität Darmstadt has introduced interdisciplinary study projects involving first-year students from the engineering, natural, social and history, economics and/or human sciences departments. The didactic concept includes sophisticated task design, individual responsibility and a differentiated support system. Using a self-determination theory framework, this study examined the effects of the projects based on survey findings from two projects with more than 1000 students. The results showed that the projects were successful in fulfilling students’ basic psychological needs and in promoting students’ academic engagement. Basic psychological needs were found to be significant predictors of academic engagement. These findings suggest that interdisciplinary study projects can potentially contribute to improving higher education as they fulfil students’ basic psychological needs for competence, relatedness and autonomy and enhance students’ academic engagement.     

Les graphes de flux dans l'Enseignement secondaire

Sans résuméTravail effectué dans le cadre du groupe de recherche en didactique de la mathématique du Conseil National des Recherches.     

Learning with and from: positioning school students as advisors in pre-service teacher education

This article reports on an innovative pedagogical approach within the Learning Partnerships program in which school students help to ‘teach the teachers’ within pre-service teacher education. Classes of school students join with classes of pre-service teachers to provide input on how teachers can enhance school students’ engagement and wellbeing. The article draws on data collected from 125 students (aged 13–16) and 120 pre-service teachers in these workshops. Findings generated from a mixed methods study combining pre-workshop focus groups (n = Students: 38, Teachers: 33) and post-workshop focus groups (n = Students: 69, Teachers: 15) and post-workshop surveys (n = Students: 96; Teachers: 101) demonstrated that the workshops were mutually beneficial for both students and pre-service teachers. Participants found that workshopping together enhanced their belief in the possibility of positive student–teacher relationships. The pre-service teachers reported greater confidence in communicating with young people about the issues that affect student engagement and wellbeing. The school students reported that they were more willing to use teachers as a source of help. Implications include the need for increased attention to a ‘third space’ for learning in teacher development which provides opportunity for learning with and from young people about how to foster their engagement and wellbeing.     

A Caring Teacher: Explorations into primary school teachers' professional identity and ethic of care

This article explores primary school teachers' conceptions of caring within teaching and discusses the relevance of an ethic of care for teaching. Thirty-two Swiss and English primary school teachers participated in this exploratory study. The methodology included semi-structured interviews as well as image-based approaches employing photographs and drawings. Caring within teaching can be understood in a range of ways: caring as commitment, caring as relatedness, caring as physical care, caring as expressing affection, such as giving a cuddle, caring as parenting and caring as mothering. The author suggests that these definitions of caring within teaching can be placed along a continuum. Caring understood as mothering at one end of this continuum is distinctly associated with traditional Western notions of femininities whereas caring as commitment is non-gender-specific. Caring as relatedness can be linked with the concept of ethic of care, which has been conceptualised as a moral perspective more often held by women. The findings of this study challenge this view, as an ethic of care understood as responsibility for and relatedness to their pupils emerged amongst men as well as women.     

Framing gender identity and sexual orientation: media influence on young men who have sex with men’s health

Sex education takes place in a wide range of contexts including through the media. Media use among young men who have sex with men is high and gender identity and sexual orientation are topics often integrated into today’s media. Little is known about young men who have sex with men’s perceptions of how the media frames messages about gender identity and sexual orientation and the implications these messages have on HIV prevention. A greater understanding of young men who have sex with men’s perceptions of media framing about gender identity and sexual orientation is needed to ensure prevention efforts reach those most impacted by HIV. Focus groups were conducted with forty-two African American men who have sex with men, aged 18–21, living in the Southeastern USA. Thematic analysis revealed that participants reported using the Internet and television to access gender identity and sexual orientation information. Participants felt that the media’s framing of gender identity and sexual orientation only worsened HIV-related stigma and discrimination. Findings illustrate the important role that media can play in educating about gender identity and sexual orientation and the implications this framing has for HIV prevention.