Book reviews

The following books are reviewed.

Research Method in the Postmodern JAMES J. SCHEURICH (1997) Qualitative Studies Series 3 London: Falmer Press. 190 pp., ISBN 0 7507 0709 7, hardback, £58.00, ISBN 0 7507 0645 7, paperback, £16.99

Digital Diversions: youth culture in the age of multimedia JULIAN SEFTON-GREEN (Ed.) (1998) London: UCL Press. ISBN 1 85728 856 4, hardback, £48.00, ISBN 1 85728 857 2, paperback, £14.99

Reflective Teacher Development in Primary Science PETER OVENS (2000) London, Falmer Press. 230 pp., ISBN 0 750 70863 8, hardback, £50.00, ISBN 0 750 70862 X, paperback, £15.99     

Joe L. Kincheloe: Embracing criticality in science education

This article reviews significant contributions made by Joe L. Kincheloe to critical research in science education, especially through a multimethodological, multitheoretical, and multidisciplinary informed lens that incorporates social, cultural, political, economic, and cognitive dynamics—the bricolage. Kincheloe’s ideas provide for a compelling understanding of, and insights into, the forces that shape the intricacies of teaching and learning science and science education. They have implications in improving science education policies, in developing actions that challenge and cultivate the intellect while operating in ways that are more understanding of difference and are socially just.

Self-actualization: The Heart and Soul of a Potential-based Life Skills Program for a Child with Multiple Disabilities

Although every child with disabilities may come to self-actualization by different means and measurements it is, nevertheless, an important goal. The child with disabilities may be guided toward her goal of self-actualization by being encouraged to find her individual strengths and capacities, and by being assisted to successfully interact with her environment. This article explores the use of the scientific method to support the development of a potential-based program that has nurtured self-actualization and the joy of learning for a child with multiple disabilities and chronic illness.     

Retention in a Bachelor of Education (Early childhood studies) course: students say why they stay and others leave

The literature suggests that student attrition at the university level has been of growing concern in many countries. Student attrition has a number of implications for universities, chief amongst them are losses to revenue and investment in higher education. While many studies have examined causes for attrition from an institutional perspective, this study examines how the Bachelor of Education (Early childhood studies) that sits within the School of Education can support the retention of students from the students’ perspectives. Using a qualitative methodology that recorded up to 40 hours of interviews with 20 students provided insights into why they stay at university and what aspects of the Early childhood studies degree support them in staying. Conversely, the students also comment on those aspects that are not supportive and could impact on retention. The data revealed that a sense of belonging was very important and that particular course-specific activities at certain times supported developing this belonging. The students identified the importance of a mentorship program and how this program needs to be made available from the commencement of their course. Other factors contributing to retention included well-placed practicums, career choice, designated study times, as well as study groups and supportive and responsive lecturers.     

Professional learning opportunities from uncovering cover stories of science and science teaching for a scientist-in-transition

Members of particular communities produce and reproduce cultural practices. This is an important consideration for those teacher educators who need to prepare appropriate learning experiences and programs for scientists, as they attempt to change careers to science teaching. We know little about the transition of career-changing scientists as they encounter different contexts and professional cultures, and how their changing identities might impact on their teaching practices. In this narrative inquiry of the stories told by and shared between career-changing scientists in a teacher-preparation program, we identify cover stories of science and teaching. More importantly, we show how uncovering these stories became opportunities for one of these scientists to learn about what sorts of stories of science she tells or should tell in science classrooms and how these stories might impact on her identities as a scientist–teacher in transition. We highlight self-identified contradictions and treat these as resources for further professional learning. Suggestions for improving the teacher-education experiences of scientist–teachers are made. In particular, teacher educators might consider the merits of creating opportunities for career-changing scientists to share their stories and for these stories to be retold for different audiences.

“I just do what the boys tell me”: Exploring small group student interactions in an integrated STEM unit

Gender equity issues remain a challenge in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, where women are highly underrepresented. As integrated STEM instruction becomes increasingly popular in elementary and middle school classrooms, it is important to consider whether the small group activities that are commonplace in STEM instruction support the equitable participation of young girls. This study builds on the existing body of literature to better understand how gender is related to student participation in small group STEM activities and whether students participate differently in science and engineering activities. A single embedded case study was used to explore the experiences of four students aged 10–11 years as they participated in small group work within an integrated STEM unit in their fifth-grade classroom. Two girls and two boys worked together throughout the unit to explore science content related to electromagnetism and apply their content knowledge to an engineering design challenge. Video and audio of students' small group interactions were analyzed using an observation protocol to code their participation in each 3-min segment of STEM activity. Student- and case-level analyses were used to identify patterns of interaction based on gender and type of activity (science vs. engineering). Findings suggest that boys and girls participate in small group STEM activities in different ways, adopting distinct roles within their group. In addition, students displayed divergent patterns of interaction in science- and engineering-focused lessons, suggesting that students need additional practice and support in navigating between science and engineering in integrated STEM units.     

Supervisors’ experiences in supervising higher education students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds during work-integrated learning of health and non-health courses

The growing number of students who are culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) relative to the host university undertaking fieldwork placements raises questions about how to best support their needs and the needs of their fieldwork supervisors so as to maximize the experience for both parties. This research aims to quantify and compare fieldwork supervisors’ perceptions of CALD versus non-CALD students’ performance during placements, the areas and levels of concern they experience in providing this supervision. Placement supervisors from health and non-health courses affiliated with an Australian University were randomly assigned to a survey containing question sets relating to their experiences in supervising CALD (n = 153) or non-CALD students (n = 168). The survey comprised Likert scale questions assessing “pressure points” to supervision and open-ended questions including strategies fieldwork supervisors typically used to assist students. Using univariate ordinal logistic regression analyses, “speaking” (coefficient, 95% CI 2.1 (1.56, 2.65)), “writing” in English (1.69 (1.17, 2.20)), and “adapting to culture of workplaces” (1.20 (0.71, 1.69)) were perceived by placement supervisors as the top “pressure points” in supervising CALD students. Interaction effects demonstrated that “difficulties in assessing CALD students’ competency” (coefficient, 95% CI?1.14 (?2.27, ?0.01), “feeling competent in supervising students for placements” (1.35 (0.26, 2.45)), and the “perception of lack of support” from either the university or employing organization (?1.70 (?2.83, ? 0.56)) were evident within fieldwork placement of health courses only. These results can assist universities and placement organizations to prioritize resources to address the key areas affecting CALD students’ performance on placements, and to improve supervisors’ experience in supervising CALD students on placements in health courses.

     

An Evaluation of a Children's Safety Training Programme

This paper reports an experimental evaluation of a children's safety training programme,Kidscape, which aims to increase primary school children's ability to deal with four types of potentially unsafe situation: being bullied, being approached by a stranger, being subject to inappropriate intimacy from a known adult and to pressure from such adults to keep such intimacy secret. Assessments of children's safety awareness were carried out in three schools which used the programme, and in three matched control schools which did not, with children at two age levels, 6 years and 10 years. These assessments of children's awareness were made on three occasions: before, immediately after and 2‐3 months after the training programme for the experimental sample (60 children) and on corresponding occasions for the control sample (60 children). The results revealed a significant improvement in the safety awareness of the experimental (trained) group after training and also a significant difference between the groups, in favour of the trained group. However, an improved performance of the control (untrained) group suggests that factors other than the Kidscape programme itself may influence these differences. Age differences in children's wariness of the four safety situations are also discussed.     

Using Reader Profiles as Snapshots to Investigate Students' Reading Performance

Explanatory patterns regarding situational differences in reading comprehension performance may be best captured by multidimensional reader profiles. Data from 56 third- and fifth-grade students were collected to investigate the applicability, scope, and convergent validity of a reader profiling scheme based on Alexander's (2005) reader profile framework and then compared with results from a hierarchical cluster analysis and a Bayesian cluster analysis. The reader profiling methodology used identified examples of all six of Alexander's reader profiles at each grade level, along with an additional hypothesized profile, the interest-reliant reader. The reader profiles related as expected to reading outcomes on a researcher-designed comprehension measure and a standardized comprehension assessment, with a few exceptions, and explained variance in those outcome measures better than the use of cluster analysis, except for the third-grade standardized scores. Finally, interesting differences emerged in the proportions of elementary students assigned to each profile across the grade levels.