Coping strategies for adaptation to new teacher appointments: Intervention for retention

Findings are presented from a qualitative longitudinal collective case study of 29 teachers newly appointed to rural or remote schools in Western Australia. All participants experienced stress and articulated coping strategies in response: direct-action, palliative and avoidant strategies. Where protective structures and processes existed in environments, teachers employed direct-action problem-solving strategies. Avoidant strategies were more common in young and mature-aged novices, rather than experienced teachers.Three critical times were identified to support adaptation: first weeks of appointment for information, first semester for assistance, support, feedback for development of competence and three months before the year-end for stability and certainty.     

Children’s Memory: A Primer for Understanding Behavior

This paper provides the opportunity to understand children’s behavior from a memory viewpoint. For the last three decades, cognitive developmentalists have been asking the question, “what develops in children’s memory?” Four answers to this question are presented, complete with explanations, examples, and possible applications where appropriate. The purpose of the paper is to provide early childhood educators and other practitioners who work with children a different lens through which to view children’s behavior. The memory view is compatible with current best practices in early childhood education, and may provide practitioners an additional viewpoint from which to draw when implementing developmentally appropriate practice.     

Reception Teacher Responses to the Foundation Stage Réactions des enseignants des premières classes du primaire à la phase de fondation Las Racciones de los Maestros del Primer Año (de un parvulario) respecto a la Etapa Preparatoria

Teachers of children aged four and five years in England (the Foundation Stage), since 2000, have been bound by the Curriculum Guidance produced by central UK Government. We were interested to learn of the responses of these teachers to this newly introduced document. We found that teachers welcomed the Foundation Stage Curriculum Guidance, not least because it recognised that there exists a valuable and separate stage in children's education. Further, the teachers were relieved that there was, within the document, the acknowledgement of the importance and value of play as integral to the educational needs of young children. The teachers indicated that the document was also beneficial in that it allowed them to return openly to what they felt to be sound Early Years practice which some had felt had been undermined by previous curriculum guidance. However, concerns remained in that not all stakeholders are yet aware of the needs of young children and of the resources necessary to meet these needs. En Angleterre, depuis 2000, les enseignants des enfants de quatre et cinq ans (phase dite de 'fondation') doivent se conformer à la Curriculum Guidance (Lignes directrices des programmes scolaires) produite par le gouvernement central du Royaume-Uni. Nous souhaitions connaître les réactions de ces enseignants face à ce nouveau document. Nous avons constaté que les enseignants accueillent favorablement la Foundation Stage Curriculum Guidance tant elle reconnaît l'existence d'une phase utile et distincte d'assimilation chez les enfants. En outre, les enseignants ont été soulagés de constater que la document reconnaît l'importance et l'utilité du jeu comme faisant partie intégrante des besoins éducatifs des jeunes écoliers. Ils ont également fait savoir qu'ils trouvent ce document utile dans la mesure où il leur permet de revenir ouvertement à des pratiques qu'ils considèrent comme étant saines pendant les premières années scolaires des enfants et qui, selon certains, avaient été amoindries par les lignes directrices des programmes scolaires précédents. Ils s'avèrent néanmoins toujours préoccupés du fait que toutes les parties prenantes ne sont pas encore conscientes des besoins des jeunes enfants et des ressources nécessaires pour les satisfaire. Desde el año 2000, en Inglaterra, los profesores de niños de la edad de 4 y 5 años (la Etapa de Fundación) han tenido que conformar con las reglas de curriculum introducidas por el gobierno central del Reino Unido. Tuvimos interes de enterarnos de las respuestas de aquellos profesores a ese documento nuevo. Encontramos que los profesores estan de acuerdo con la 'Guía de Curriculum de la Etapa de Fundación', por lo menos porque reconoció que existe una etapa válida y aparte en la educación de niños. Además estuvieron contentos que el documento reconició la importancia y validez de juegos infántiles imprescindible en el desarrollo del niño. Los profesores indicáron que el documento fue beneficioso también porque les permitió volver abiertamente a lo que sentieron que fueron 'prácticas sanas' de los años primeros que algunos de ellos pensaron que habían estado desacreditadas por las 'Guías de Curriculum' previas. No obstante quedan preocupaciónes que algunos interesados todavía no estan enterados de lo que los niños necesitan y los recursos que hacen falta.     

How university teaching changes teachers: Affective as well as cognitive challenges

This paper argues that the teaching of a subject can change our understanding of what it means to know, to teach and learn that subject. It also argues that when our understanding is questioned and changes then academic work can become an emotionally charged endeavour. This paper reports on a study where, over a semesters teaching, around two thirds of teachers changed some aspect of their scholarly thinking or practice. These teachers were teaching a range of first and second year classes, they were not new to teaching, nor were they unfamiliar with the teaching of the subject. For approximately one third, the change in understanding was not major. It involved a change in teaching practice but it did not involve the questioning of their existing understanding of subject matter. For another third, however, the change was substantial. These teachers, in some way, questioned previously taken for granted assumptions, they re-thought aspects of the structure of the discipline or the relationship of the subject to the discipline. They also revised their ideas about how to best teach that subject and what learning the subject involved. This change invariably involved anxiety and uncertainty and in some cases this was extreme. Little attention has been paid to change in teachers understanding of subject matter and little, or no, research has focused on the emotional impact of this change. This initial exploration of these neglected aspects of university teaching suggests a rich vein for further exploration. This paper builds on previous work that has used phenomenography to examine changes in university teachers understanding of subject matter taught. An analysis of metaphor is used to explore change and to tap into the rich and complex emotional experiences that accompany this change.     

TRAINING OLDER AND YOUNGER ADULTS TO USE SOFTWARE

Forty‐six subjects (22 young, 24 old) received three training sessions with software (Borland's “Sidekick"). Each session lasted a maximum of S h. The fourth session was a test. Subjects were randomly assigned to two learning environments, partnered or individual, and half were given a computer “jargon” sheet before training. All instructions were written, learning was self‐paced, and tasks were formulated according to discovery‐method guidelines. Attitudes toward computers were measured before Session 1 and on completion of Session 3. The results showed that older adults took twice as long as younger ones but achieved nearly equal performance levels, exceeding young adults in one condition but falling slightly below them in others. Older adults requested help two to three times as frequently. Session 3 attitude scores were positively correlated with the mark achieved on the final test, and changes in attitudes were related to training conditions.     

Pragmatic language in deaf and hard of hearing students: correlation with success in general education

Deaf and hard of hearing children have shown delays and difficulties in pragmatic behaviors due to insufficient exposure to common daily discourse and underlying impoverishment in all components of language development. In a study in a school district in a southeastern U.S. state, the researchers investigated the relationship between sociolinguistic pragmatic competence in 81 deaf and hard of hearing students and these students' degree of hearing loss, communication mode, and degree of success in general education. Two measures, one devised by the state's department of education and one developed within the local school system, were used: the Criterion-Referenced Competency Test (Georgia Department of Education, 2000) and the Socio-Pragmatic Skills Checklist for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students (Cobb County School District, 1997). The researchers found that whether the students used spoken language or signed language, socio-pragmatic language had a high, positive correlation with academic outcomes.