Regular class teachers' perceptions of transition programs for EMR students and their impact on the students

This study was designed to obtain the perceptions of regular class teachers who taught children who had been in EMR programs, but had been decertified (D) and returned to regular classes in response to court cases and recent legislation. A cohort of regular class (RC) students were selected for comparative purposes. It was found that D students were placed into low ability classes; yet, teachers perceived D subjects to be significantly lower than RC students in both academic achievement and social acceptance. Only a small proportion of teachers indicated that the enrollment of D students had much impact on the regular class instructional program. However, the teachers were rather critical of the services received under the auspices of a transitional program, indicating in large part that the services were either not apparent or ineffective.     

Follow-up of high-risk children identified in kindergarten through direct classroom observation

Sixty-one children, originally identified at the beginning of kindergarten on the basis of 4 distinct clusters of observable classroom behavior, were evaluated at completion of first grade. Teacher ratings and individual achievement test scores partially confirmed the predictive validity of the original clusters. Children in the nonrisk cluster continued to do well, while children in the high-risk cluster were still doing poorly in some areas. An unexpected finding was that children in another cluster, originally seen as nonrisk, also seemed to be in some difficulty. Concerns about specific aspects of observable behavior were discussed.     

Tough acts to follow: the challenges to science teachers presented by biotechnological progress

The public controversies associated with biotechnological progress (genetic modification, cloning, and so forth) increasingly impact upon biology teaching in school; teachers find themselves engaged in discussions with pupils on value‐laden issues deriving from the social and ethical implications of the ‘new science’. The research described in this paper focused upon the thinking of a sample of 41 biology teachers as they endeavoured to implement the first year of the new Scottish Advanced Higher Biology course and to face the challenges associated with these controversies. Following questionnaire returns, the investigation employed semistructured, in‐depth interviews with 10 teachers and, separately, with their 61 pupils (17–18 years of age) and was part of a medium‐term to long‐term evaluation of a university summer school that had endeavoured to update these teachers on recent biotechnological advances. While teachers were found to be fairly positively disposed to handling discussion of such contentious matters, they were none‐too‐clear as to its precise merits and functions; many lack confidence in handling discussion. The research indicates that much needs to be tackled by way of professional development for science teachers now engaged in dimensions new to science teaching.     

Learning Strategies Training

A learning strategies program emphasizing primary (text-oriented), and support (affective) strategies was evaluated. Participants were given training in one of two sequences: primary-support or support-primary. A no-treatment group served as a control. In general, the results revealed that strategy training significantly improved performance on both text-processing and self-report measures. The primary-support group typically scored higher than the support-primary group on the text-processing measures. Conversely, the support-primary group reported more positive responses on the self-report measures. Long-term follow-up results are also presented.     

An evaluation of outcomes following the replacement of traditional histology laboratories with self‐study modules

Changes in medical school curricula often require educators to develop teaching strategies that decrease contact hours while maintaining effective pedagogical methods. When faced with this challenge, faculty at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine converted the majority of in‐person histology laboratory sessions to self‐study modules that utilize multiple audiovisual modalities and a virtual microscope platform. Outcomes related to this shift were investigated through performance on in‐house examinations, results of the United States Medical Licensing Examination^® (USMLE^®) Step 1 Examination, and student feedback. Medical School College Admissions Test^® (MCAT^®) scores were used as a covariate when comparing in‐house examinations. Results revealed no significant change in performance on in‐house examinations when the content being assessed was controlled (F(2, 506) = 0.676, P = 0.51). A significant improvement in overall practical examination grade averages was associated with the self‐study modules (F(6, 1164) = 10.213, P < 0.01), but gradual changes in examination content may explain this finding. The histology and cell biology portion of USMLE Step 1 Examination remained consistent throughout the time period that was investigated. Student feedback regarding the self‐study modules was positive and suggested that features such as instructor narrated videos were an important component of the self‐study modules because they helped recreate the experience of in‐person laboratory sessions. Positive outcomes from the student perspective and no drop in examination performance suggests that utilizing self‐study modules for histology laboratory content may be an option for educators faced with the challenge of reducing contact hours without eliminating content. Anat Sci Educ 10: 276–285. © 2016 American Association of Anatomists.     

Truth(s), Fiction,and Storytelling in Performance Improvement

The consulting‐oriented field of performance improvement is ideally based on a radically empirical foundation. We are supposed to be data driven and evidence based and to derive all of our processes and all of our advice to clients from empirical evidence (which can be either qualitative or quantitative) that allows us to make clear and distinct links from cause to effect. But much of the time we are simply unable to make conclusions based solely on actual performance data that unambiguously shows us a clear path for identifying gaps and effecting changes. In such a case, what is an earnest professional to do? The answer is, tell a story and change it as you go.