Easier Said Than Done: Rejoinder on Sijtsma and on Green and Yang

The main points of Sijtsma and Green and Yang in Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice (34, 4) are that reliability, internal consistency, and unidimensionality are distinct and that Cronbach's alpha may be problematic. Neither of these assertions are at odds with Davenport, Davison, Liou, and Love in the same issue. However, many authors in the testing community mention these terms not only together, but sometimes as if they are synonymous. Moreover, Cronbach's coefficient alpha is very popular as an index of reliability. Thus, articles discussing alpha are not only appropriate, but necessary. Our concerns are the same as formed the genesis of prior (2009) articles by these same authors, Sijtsma and Green and Yang. This rejoinder also makes comments about item parcels when tests are multidimensional and about factor analytic approaches to assessing reliability.     

Children's understanding of familiar astronomical events

In this paper I describe the notions used by children aged 9‐16 years to account for a number of easily observed astronomical events. General features in the development of the notions are identified and historical parallels are noted.

The data presented come from a wider study intended to develop materials and approaches for teaching astronomy as part of the science curriculum of all pupils. An indication is given as to how the findings of the survey are being used in developing appropriate curriculum materials.     

Adaptive Instructional Strategies for Teaching Rules in Mathematics

These researchers explored ways of adapting instruction to individual students. In one experiment, as an incentive for focusing on more difficult learning tasks, they assigned more points to tasks predicted to be difficult for the student. In a second experiment, they varied both incentives and number of examples offered to demonstrate the tasks, again on the basis of pretest scores. Included is a discussion of how the findings-that both techniques are beneficial—can be applied in classroom instruction. The authors acknowledge the contribution of Duncan N. Hansen, who directed the research project involving performance of the present studies and participated in the writing of earlier drafts. Requests for reprints should be sent to Steven M. Ross, Foundations of Education, Memphis State University.     

Whitehead and the Implications of the Process Metaphor for Mathematics

In Principia Mathematica Whitehead and Russell erected one of the cornerstones of modernist philosophy of mathematics. However, as an epistemological project seeking to secure the foundations of mathematics, this attempt failed, as Whitehead acknowledged. His later work in process philosophy represented a new direction. Although not explicitly a philosophy of mathematics, it provides a suggested metaphor for philosophy of mathematics. This paper explores the possible implications of organismic and process philosophy, both for the philosophy of mathematics, and for mathematics education and teaching.     

Pandemic,a catalyst for change: Strategic planning for digital education in English secondary schools,before during and post Covid

Following lockdowns in 2020 owing to Covid-19, schools needed to find a way to ensure the education of their pupils. In order to do this, they engaged in digital learning, to varying extents. Innovations emanated from all school staff including, for example, teachers, leaders and teaching assistants. Some were already innovating in this area and brought forward and implemented digital strategies, while others engaged with digital learning for the first time. While research is emerging about the effects of the pandemic restrictions on pupils and staff in relation to key issues such as mental health and educational attainment, very little is known about the impact on school leaders' strategic planning processes. To address this gap, this paper draws on a UK Research and Innovation funded study adopting a strategy as learning approach to report on 50 qualitative interviews with school leaders to examine digital strategy in English secondary schools, before, during and after July 2021, when restrictions were lifted in England. It draws on strategy as learning literature to evaluate if schools have changed their strategic planning for digital learning, as a direct response to having learned and innovated during the pandemic. The paper concludes that there is evidence that digital innovations during the pandemic have changed the ways in which leaders think about their digital strategy, thus supporting a strategy as learning approach. However it also concludes that although there is ample evidence that the pandemic has changed the way many schools view digital learning, for some schools, there remain persistent barriers to digital integration and planning. These emanate both from material and cultural considerations, as well as leader vision and belief in digital learning.