Documenting diversity: an early portrait of a collaborative teacher education initiative

This article documents a two‐year journey developing and implementing a teacher education programme that required preservice teachers and teachers, administrators, and students in six cooperating schools to address issues of diversity, multi‐/transculturalisms, inclusion, anti‐racism/anti‐oppression and social justice. We describe approaches and analyse changing attitudes, commitment and activism among those who participated in this ‘Diversity’ cohort initiative—a collaboration between the University of British Columbia’s Faculty of Education and the Vancouver School Board. We profile the courage and commitment of those who began to see themselves as important allies and agents of change in Canada’s most multicultural environment. We acknowledge the less successful aspects, and generate implications for teacher education partnerships that seek to embrace ‘critical’ multicultural, inclusive, and social justice education.     

History of the Film (General)

Robert M. Honderson's D. W. Griffith: The Years at Biograph (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $7.50)

Martin Levin's edited collection, Hollywood and the Great Fan Magazines (Arbor House/ World, $10.00)

Kalton C. Lahue and Sam Gill's Clown Princes and Court Jesters (A.S. Barnes, $8.50)

Collecting Classic Films (Hastings House, $6.95)

Sheilah Graham's The Garden of Allah (Crown, $5.95)

Hugo Munsterberg's The Film: A Psychological Study (sub-titled The Silent Photoplay in 1916) (Dover Paperbacks, $2.00)

Sergei Eisenstein's Notes of a Film Director (Dover Paperbacks, $3.00)

Jay Leyda's Film Essays and a Lecture (Praeger Paperbacks, $2.95)

George P. Garrett, O.B. Hardison Jr., and Jane R. Gelfman, Film Scripts One (Appleton-Century-Crofts, price to be set)

Peter Noble's The Negro in Films (Port Washington, NY: Konnihat Press, $10.00)

Eileen Bowser's edited collection, Film Notes (Museum of Modern Art, $5.00)     

Implementing the Process of Modularisation in Higher Education: Some Trans-National Issues

This article examines the modularisation movement in higher education in the light of a comparative study of recent experience at the universities of Ghana and Bristol. Particular attention is given to an identification of motivating factors, both internal and external, and to an analysis of similarities and differences in the implementation of the modularisation process. The analysis focuses primarily upon perspectives articulated by government and administrators in the modularisation debate; but points to the need for further studies that more directly document the nature of the academic response.     

The benefits and challenges of the integrated programme for children with disabilities in mainstream kindergarten-cum-child care centres in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region: implications for social change

Initially developed from policies implemented under British rule, the integrated programme for children with disabilities has not been widely publicised in the context of early childhood education in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). Local communities have responded differently to the integrated programme implemented in mainstream kindergarten-cum-child care centres (Kg-cum-CCCs), which serve children from 2 to 6 years old. This study focuses on the perceived benefits and challenges of the integrated programme implemented in mainstream Kg-cum-CCCs. Thirty stakeholders (18 school personnel and 12 parents of children with and without disabilities) from six integrated Kg-cum-CCCs took part in a series of semi-structured in-depth interviews, providing a comprehensive database for this study. The data were analysed with reference to previous studies on the integrated programme for children with disabilities in the context of the current educational experience in the HKSAR. The findings indicate that the stakeholders believe that the integrated programme can benefit children with and without disabilities, but that it can also cause challenges for these children. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.     

Early Childhood Educators’ Self-Efficacy in Science,Math, and Literacy Instruction and Science Practice in the Classroom

Research Findings: Quality early science education is important for addressing the low science achievement, compared to international peers, of elementary students in the United States. Teachers’ beliefs about their skills in a content area, that is, their content self-efficacy is important because it has implications for teaching practice and child outcomes. However, little is known about how teachers’ self-efficacy for literacy, math and science compare and how domain-specific self-efficacy relates to teachers’ practice in the area of science. Analysis of survey and observation data from 67 Head Start classrooms across eight programs indicated that domain-specific self-efficacy was highest for literacy, significantly lower for science, and lowest for math. Classrooms varied, but in general, engaged in literacy far more than science, contained a modest amount of science materials, and their instructional support of science was low. Importantly, self-efficacy for science, but not literacy or math, related to teachers frequency of engaging children in science instruction. Teachers’ education and experience did not predict self-efficacy for science. Practice or Policy: To enhance the science opportunities provided in early childhood classrooms, pre-service and in-service education programs should provide teachers with content and practices for science rather than focusing exclusively on literacy.     

Thriving at the Intersection: Integrating Social Determinants of Health and Sexual Health Education to Achieve Positive Outcomes for Youth

Abstract

Social determinants of health are the key to understanding and addressing persistent disparities in adolescent pregnancy in the United States. However, there is little guidance on what concrete steps organizations can take to work at the intersection of social determinants of health (SDoH) and sexual and reproductive health (SH). Two community-based organizations completed a case study using a structured interview guide to illustrate their transition working at this intersection. The Alexandria Campaign on Adolescent Pregnancy and Identity, Inc. arrived at the intersection of SDoH and SH from opposite ends of the road. Despite clear differences in their trajectory, their experiences share four key elements that marked their success in expanding their core work: (a) both organizations enjoyed ample community and political support, (b) they used data to drive strategic decisions, (c) they used funding opportunities to move toward the intersection of sexual health and social determinants, and (d) they leveraged existing programs to sustain their efforts. Organizations working at the intersection must continuously leverage community, political, and financial capital to pursue partners, expand services, and change policies that sustain a holistic approach to youth health and well-being.     

Overseas students' intercultural adaptation as intercultural learning: a transformative framework

In the context of increasing recruitment of overseas students by British higher education (HE) institutions, there has been a growing need to understand the process of students' intercultural adaptation and the approaches that can be adopted by British academic institutions in order to facilitate and support these students' learning experience in the UK. Drawing upon one‐year of in‐depth qualitative research investigating the experience of a small cohort of Chinese postgraduate students' in a British university, I explore the three‐fold ‘stress‐adaptation‐growth’ intercultural learning process of these participants by focusing the discussions on the their lived experience in the UK. The key argument of this article is that intercultural adaptation is in itself a process of intercultural learning, which has the potential to bring about profound changes in overseas students themselves, transforming their understanding of the learning experience, self knowledge, awareness of the Other, and values and worldview.     

Listening to Young People with Physical Disabilities' Experiences of Education

There is a general acceptance that inclusion is morally and ethically the most appropriate form of education. However, more research needs to focus on how best to accommodate and support the educational needs of all students, including those with physical disabilities. Listening to young people with physical disabilities talk about their educational experiences is one way to do this. The aim of this research was to investigate the life stories of a small number of young people with physical disabilities, in particular focusing on their educational experiences. Nine young people, between the ages of 10 and 13 years, who used a manual or powered wheelchair and had the cognitive ability to participate in a series of biographical interviews, were recruited. They collaborated in the writing of their life stories. One theme identified in the analysis of these life stories was their educational experiences. The results highlight that the participants held mixed views about their education. The four who attended a segregated special school were generally positive about their experiences. Participants who had attended a mainstream school talked about positive and negative experiences. Individual and differing perspectives on friendships and the ethos of their school were noted. It is suggested that young people with physical disabilities need to be considered as individuals and that if schools are to achieve the goal of inclusion they need to develop ways to accommodate each individual's needs.     

A “can-do” Attitude for Students with Disabilities: Special Education in Rural Charter Schools

ABSTRACT

Charter schools are often the only alternative to traditional public schools for students with disabilities in rural communities. Part of a larger study, we employed a qualitative multiple case study design to examine special education practices in five rural charter schools to understand the services provided, barriers to providing these services, and any novel practices used to provide these services. Data analysis revealed the following themes: (a) intentional school models facilitated individualized approaches, (b) schools responded to tight labor supply by prioritizing retention and making efficient use of staff time, and (c) schools demonstrate flexibility and willingness to problem solve.