Undergraduate non-completion rates: a comment

Our comment is a response to a recent paper in this Journal on non-completion rates in UK universities (Johnes and Taylor 1989). The causal inferences which that paper draws are ill-founded because they are based on data aggregated to university level. Individual-level data are essential, and data on other levels may also be necessary. We make other criticisms, and also comment on implications for performance indicators.     

The Unfulfilled Potential of Institutional Review

Institutional review rarely produces benefits commensurate with the effort expended. Major causes of this disappointing result are neglecting the political dimension of evaluation and separating the review process from ongoing decision making. Reviews often engender suspicions of bias and covert motives. These must be allayed by a clear commitment to respect the rights of participants, to recognise the legitimacy of their divergent viewpoints, and to negotiate about the purposes and control of the evaluation. The separation of the complementary processes of evaluation and planning arises from the common practice of forming a special committee to undertake an institutional or departmental review. Furthermore, review reports generally contain fragmented arrays of assessments for individual components of institutional/departmental performance. The information obtained is usually not structured to relate directly to current problems and decision choices. Evaluation and planning can be integrated by expanding the responsibilities of policy and management committees to include the continuing review of institutional/departmental peformance. The notions of effectiveness and efficiency, re‐cast in a form which accommodates the ambiguity and conflict in higher education, can provide a useful structure for organising review information.     

Student Engagement and the Social Relations of Pedagogy

Drawing on the 'sociology of pedagogy', the present article addresses a continuing challenge for teachers and policy-makers. The challenge is how to encourage disengaged learners to take up offers of educational success. The article brings important theoretical frames from the sociology of pedagogy into current research debates about 'productive pedagogies'. Focusing on the social relations of pedagogy, the article promotes a theoretical and empirical imperative to look keenly to the insights provided by students to construct clearer solutions to the challenge of providing engaging pedagogies.     

Moving Adapted Physical Activity: The Possibilities of Arts-Based Research

ABSTRACT

Where is the moving body in our written bodies of work? How might we articulate truly unspeakable and deeply moving moments of understanding? In what ways can we reflect and honor the knowledge of those who do not use academic words, English words, or any words at all? How might art move us to answer these questions differently—and more importantly, to ask different questions? These lines of inquiry have driven arts-based research movements within many fields including nursing, medicine, and education. In this article, we explore existing and potential uses of arts in adapted physical activity research and practice. We weave theoretical exploration, artistic engagement, and our personal experiences as researchers, practitioners and disabled movers. We do so in order to demonstrate how artistic epistemologies can enrich and expand our inquiry, understanding, and engagement in adapted physical activity.     

Extended households and the life course of young mothers: understanding the associations using a sample of mothers with premature, low birth weight babies

This paper examined whether the greater average schooling and employment, and lower parenting competence, of young mothers who reside with adult relatives reflect preexisting differences versus potential causal mechanisms. The sample included 554 young mothers (ages 13 to 25; nearly two thirds African American) from the Infant Health and Development Program (IHDP) a random-assignment intervention study of premature, low birth weight babies followed 8 times from birth to age 3. Ordinary least squares, fixed-effects, and random-effects models indicated that young mothers of low birth weight babies sorted into extended households based on preexisting characteristics that were correlated with their lower parenting skills and knowledge. In contrast, coresidence predicted greater schooling or employment across models, with some variations for different subgroups.     

Implementing AAC with children with profound and multiple learning disabilities: a study in rationale underpinning intervention

There is a developing research base to support the rationale underpinning augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) for people with learning disabilities. However, there is a paucity of research examining the process involved in implementing AAC support for people who have profound disabilities. This paper seeks to explore the processes involved in planning and implementing AAC systems to support the communication of two 6 year olds with profound and multiple learning disabilities. Following assessment, a plan of intervention involving specific implementation of objects of reference, gestures and signs was implemented to enhance communication opportunities for both children. Both children improved their communication skills through use of specific AAC supports. Results suggest that important aspects to include when planning intervention are understanding the level of each child's cognition in relation to their receptive abilities and a consistent, collaborative approach where strategies are agreed between team members. Specific challenges are discussed.     

Contested spaces: trans-inclusive school policies and parental sovereignty in Canada

ABSTRACT

This article analyses five public consultation meetings about revisions to an LGBTQ-related school board policy on unceded Coast Salish territory in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. These meetings focused largely on the new provision that students in publicly funded schools be allowed to use the washroom that corresponds with their gender identity. Almost all of the objections to the policy revisions were articulated by parents of non-queer, or not openly queer students. We found that these parental concerns centred around two perennial issues in Canadian educational studies; namely, how schools regulate students’ gender identities and expressions, and the role of the state in publicly funded schooling. We conclude by drawing upon emerging literature on best practices for trans youth in schools to offer alternative visions for how these issues can be better addressed with the public, and parents in particular.     

The creation of digital artefacts as a mechanism to engage students in studying literature

The aim of the project was to motivate school students to learn about the national literature of their own and others’ countries. Engagement was fostered via the creation of digital artefacts (or “e-artefacts”) such as online comic strips, live videos or animations. The pedagogical rationale was based on Papert’s constructionism and Bloom’s revised taxonomy. Participatory action research put school teachers at the centre of the research process. School teachers from five schools (Croatia, Denmark, Poland, Sweden and the UK) chose their own pedagogical approaches for classroom activities. Data on how teachers viewed the use of e-artefacts in their classroom practice were gathered using focus groups. Teachers in all five schools identified the same process for relating texts to activities: involving a close reading of the text, collaborative formatting for the e-artefact, and points for reflection and discussion. Students and staff were not only more excited with studying the literature, learners also showed improvement in language learning. Teachers also reported that specific students showed noticeable increases in self-efficacy and classroom participation. By providing alternative means for students to excel and show competencies beyond academic capabilities, more students feel included and valued. Furthermore, the process of creating e-artefacts demanded greater reflection from students, which was a result of greater engagement with the materials. Finally, including the creation of e-artefacts in the curriculum, while maintaining more traditional approaches, offers a more inclusive and rewarding provision of learning for both students and staff.