References of speech acts as characteristics of mathematical classroom conversation

In the article three parts of classroom conversation are studied with respect to the linguistic interference between teacher and pupils. Special attention is given to the reference of words and symbols of teacher and pupils. Some conclusions are:

- In classroom conversation we may consider the references of speech act as one of the basic features of learning.

- For succesful transfer of references between teacher and pupil, it is necessary that they are handling the same referential frameworks. Those frameworks are very fundamental in every day speech (‘form’ and ‘color’).

- Differences in references between teacher and pupils may lead to blockages in the learning. Sometimes they result in learning that is an imitation of teacher behaviour.

- To avoid these unwanted effects of learning, the teacher has to ensure that learning takes place within the everyday language of the pupils. So he will have to stimulate the pupils to explicate by themselves what they perceive and what they think.

     

Not an outgroup, not yet an ingroup: Immigrants in the Stereotype Content Model

Stereotype research depicts the generic immigrant as incompetent and untrustworthy. The current research expands this image, specifying key information dimensions (e.g. nationality, socioeconomic status) about immigrants. To see how perceivers differentiate among particular immigrant groups, we extend a model of intergroup perception, the Stereotype Content Model (SCM; Fiske, Cuddy, Glick, & Xu, 2002. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 82, 878–902), to immigrant subgroups. The SCM predicts that perception centers on competence and warmth, and relates to targets’ perceived status and competition within society. Specified by nationality, race, ethnicity, and class, images of immigrants differ by both competence and warmth, with most groups receiving ambivalent (low–high or high–low) stereotypes rather than the uniform low–low for the generic immigrant. As predicted, ambivalent stereotypes reflect target nationality combined with socioeconomic status, supporting the SCM's ambivalent stereotypes and social structural hypotheses, as well as better defining immigrant stereotypes and their contingencies.     

Science Instruction for Students with Learning Disabilities: A Meta‐Analysis

Although science has received much attention as a political and educational initiative, students with learning disabilities (LD) perform significantly lower than their nondisabled peers. This meta‐analysis evaluates the effectiveness of instructional strategies in science for students with LD. Twelve studies were examined, summarized, and grouped according to the type of strategy implemented. Effect sizes (ES) were calculated for each study. Across all studies, a mean ES of .78 was obtained, indicating a moderate positive effect on students with LD science achievement. Findings also align with past reviews of inquiry‐based instruction for students with special needs, indicating that students with LD need structure within an inquiry science approach in order to be successful. Additionally, results suggest that mnemonic instruction is highly effective at increasing learning disabled students' acquisition and retention of science facts.     

Educational Programs for Elementary Students with Learning Disabilities: Can They Be Both Effective and Inclusive?

One of the most controversial issues in special education over the last 40 years has been the extent to which students with learning disabilities (LD) should be educated in general education classrooms. Recent mandates in federal law requiring that all students with disabilities have access to the general education curriculum and make adequate yearly progress relative to this content have intensified this debate. In this article, a brief summary of research regarding the nature of instruction that produces significantly improved educational outcomes for students with LD is provided. This is followed by a review of research related to the delivery of this high‐quality instruction in inclusive, general education classrooms and in resource settings. We conclude that this research provides the foundation for reconsidering full inclusion and how services are delivered for elementary students with LD.     

Mathematical thinking in second-grade children with different forms of LD

Based on their performance on a standardized achievement test, second-grade children (N = 49) were classified as having mathematics difficulties with normal reading achievement (MD only), both mathematics and reading difficulties (MD/RD), reading difficulties with normal mathematics achievement (RD only) and normal mathematics and reading achievement (NA). Each child was given a series of tasks so that we might assess their thinking across four areas of mathematics: number facts, story problems, place value, and written calculation. Children with MD/RD performed significantly worse than NA children in most areas of mathematical thinking, whereas children with MD only performed worse than NA children only on complex story problems. The MD-only group outperformed the MD/RD group on story problems and written calculation. No significant differences were found between the RD-only and NA groups on any of the tasks. The results suggested that among children with mathematics difficulties, the MD/RD subgroup is distinct from the MD-only subgroup, with the former being characterized by pervasive deficiencies in mathematical thinking and the latter by more specific deficits in problem solving.     

Dispelling Myths about Latino Parent Participation in Schools

This qualitative study was conducted to discuss and dispel commonly held myths about Latino parents' involvement in their children's education. Differences between teacher perceptions of Latino parent involvement and parents' understanding of their roles in supporting their children's education—including the learning and use of the English language—were explored. Results indicated that some teachers held negative perceptions of Latino parents. The study also revealed that Latino parents had high expectations of their children's academic achievement and wanted to be more involved in their education, but felt excluded from the school community.     

Environmental attitudes of pre-service teachers: A conceptual and methodological dilemma in cross-cultural data collection

Human generated environmental problems are significant issues of global concern. Despite this, varying attitudes towards environments continue to exist across the globe, impacting on environmental decision-making and action at local, national and international levels. This paper probes some of the similarities and differences in environmental attitudes amongst pre-service teachers in Australia, Republic of Maldives and Indonesia. Data were collected using an established environmental attitude questionnaire and individual interviews. The three communities exhibited a similar range of environmental attitudes using the established questionnaire but significant differences emerged when the interview data were analysed phenomenographically. These differences reflect diversity within and across cultural groups that cannot be satisfactorily explained by the theory underpinning the established questionnaire. Consequently, a revised conceptual framework is proposed.