Vygotskian Theory and Special Education Practice in Russia

This paper discusses tensions and dilemmas that arise in the implementation of Vygotskian psychology. It analyses the development of special educational needs (SEN) provision and practice in the former Soviet Union from this perspective and identifies similarities and differences with the changes in emphasis being witnessed in England and Wales. The analysis is illustrated via reference to interviews conducted during recent visits to Russian schools and the Moscow State University.     

Pedagogical approaches for e-assessment with authentication and authorship verification in Higher Education

Checking the identity of students and authorship of their online submissions is a major concern in Higher Education due to the increasing amount of plagiarism and cheating using the Internet. The literature on the effects of e-authentication systems for teaching staff is very limited because it is a novel procedure for them. A considerable gap is to understand teaching staff' views regarding the use of e-authentication instruments and how they impact trust in e-assessment. This mixed-method study examines the concerns and practices of 108 teaching staff who used the TeSLA—Adaptive Trust-based e-Assessment System in six countries: the UK, Spain, the Netherlands, Bulgaria, Finland and Turkey. The findings revealed some technological, organisational and pedagogical issues related to accessibility, security, privacy and e-assessment design and feedback. Recommendations are to provide a FAQ and an audit report with results, to raise awareness about data security and privacy, to develop policies and guidelines about fraud detection and prevention, e-assessment best practices and course team support.     

Teaching Self‐management Strategies for Independent Story Writing to Children with Classroom Behaviour Difficulties

Abstract Seven primary school children with behaviour difficulties showed low levels of on‐task writing behaviour, high levels of off‐task disruptive behaviour and a low number of words written during regular classroom story writing sessions. Introduction of self‐recording of work behaviours during story writing for the whole class of 34 children was associated with increased on‐task, decreased off‐task disruptive behaviour and an increased number of words written for target children. There was also an increased number of words written by six other children for whom story writing data was collected. Introduction of say‐do correspondence training for five of the target children showed further increases in independent story writing behaviour and reductions in off‐task behaviours that disrupted the written language sessions.     

Childhood sexual assault victims: long-term outcomes after testifying in criminal court

We report a longitudinal study of long-term outcomes of participating in criminal cases following child sexual abuse (CSA). In the 1980s, 218 child victim/witnesses took part in a study of short-term sequelae of legal involvement. Approximately 12 years later, 174 of them, as well as a comparison group of 41 matched individuals with no CSA history, were interviewed about their mental health and legal attitudes. Being young when the legal case started was associated with poorer later adjustment. Additionally, even when controlling for psychological problems at the start of the legal case and other familial, CSA, and life stressors, testifying repeatedly in childhood predicted poorer current functioning. These associations were often moderated by the severity of both the CSA and the perpetrator's sentence: Testifying repeatedly in cases involving severe abuse, and not testifying when the perpetrator received a light sentence, predicted poorer current mental health. In partial contrast to the mental health results, being older when the case began and the perpetrator receiving a lenient sentence predicted more negative feelings about the legal system. In addition, not having testified when the perpetrator received a light sentence predicted more negative legal attitudes. Individuals' emotional reactions while waiting to testify and while actually testifying were also associated with their current mental health and attitudes toward the legal system: Greater distress predicted poorer adjustment, especially in individuals who were adolescents when they went to court. Greater distress also predicted more negative attitudes. Finally, when the former CSA victim/witnesses were compared with individuals with no CSA history, the former reported poorer adjustment and more negative feelings about the legal system. Results have implications for multilevel-transactional models of development, for understanding developmental sequelae of legal involvement following childhood trauma, and for social policy concerning the treatment of child victim/witnesses.     

Supervision of Higher Degree Students — Problem Areas and Possible Solutions

Supervision of postgraduate students remains an area of concern to university administration, to supervisors, to student unions and the individual research student. Many studies have examined student dissatisfaction with supervision. However, there is also considerable uneasiness among academic staff about the extent of their supervisory role and functions. In a series of workshops in several tertiary institutions problem areas were discussed with supervisors, both experienced and inexperienced; and practices and strategies were explored which facilitate effective supervision. Those provisions for and approaches to supervision which supervisors have found to be effective are presented and discussed as they apply at the institutional, departmental or individual level.     

Tutors seen through the eyes of mentors assumptions for participation in third space in teacher education

The aim of this Norwegian study is to get a deeper understanding of the assumptions for building third spaces in teacher education. Learning in different contexts may open for development of new knowledge in the third space through intersubjectivity based on confidence, respectful disagreement and a common aim. This is the backdrop for the current study where a group of mentors with and without mentor education are interviewed focusing on tutors’ competences and responsibilities. Findings show that mentors have an unclear understanding of who the tutors are. Experiences from teaching are essential for mentors’ understanding of tutors as respectful collaborators. Educated mentors value theoretical knowledge and research higher than non-educated. The conclusion is that tutors and mentors should have knowledge about and respect for each-others’ competence and responsibilities and that mentor education is a promising assumption for building third spaces and developing a pedagogy for teacher education.     

Editorial

Ohne Zusammenfassung

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Editorial

     

Academic Values And Academic Practice In The New Universities

This paper reports some data of an ARC funded study of academic staff in a number of disciplines in colleges of advanced education and universities. Generally, more university than college academics scored high on academic motivation, on teaching‐research synergy and promotion of student independence, with college academics scoring higher on good teaching practice. There are disciplinary differences, too.

Slightly more than an average proportion of staff in the Social Sciences report good teaching practices. They are highly committed to promoting student independence, experience a fairly high level of teaching‐research synergy and have high intrinsic academic motivation. There is large‐scale consensus among Arts staff with university Arts academics scoring highest on promoting student independence, academic motivation, and teaching‐research synergy, and academics in CAE Arts departments scoring highest of all on good teaching practices.

Science staff seem to have different academic values and practices. Their academic motivation is about “average”, and fewer science academics report good teaching practices or practices that promote student independence. In their own work they also experience less teaching‐research synergy. Engineering staff show the lowest academic motivation, least commitment to student independence, experience least teaching‐research synergy, and report below average good teaching practices.

Health Science staff are akin to staff in Arts and Social Sciences in areas concerned with students, e.g. good teaching practices and promotion of student independence. In the areas which tap into their values as academics, e.g. academic motivation and teaching‐research synergy, they seem to be more like science and engineering staff.

Commerce/Law staff were on all aspects somewhere in the middle.     

Entwicklungsaufgaben von Lehramtsstudierenden,Referendaren und Berufseinsteigern

Zusammenfassung Der Beitrag thematisiert Lehrerbildung als berufsbiographisches Problem aus bildungsgangdidaktischer und professionalisierungstheoretischer Sicht. Leitend ist die These einer beruflichen Kompetenz-und Identit?tsentwicklung in der Bearbeitung beruflicher Entwicklungsaufgaben. Aus einer Auseinandersetzung mit aktuellen Professionalisierungstheorien werden vier berufliche Entwicklungsaufgaben von Berufseinsteigern gewonnen. Sie beziehen sich auf die eigenen Kompetenzen, die Fachvermittlung, die p?dagogische Fremdwahrnehmung der Schüler sowie auf die Institution Schule. Die Plausibilit?t dieser Entwicklungsaufgaben kann anhand der Ergebnisse zweier qualitativ-empirischer Forschungsprojekte zumindest vorl?ufig belegt werden. Anschlie?end wird gefragt, welche Anl?sse und Anregungen Studium und Referendariat für vorbereitende Bearbeitungen dieser Entwicklungsaufgaben bieten. Es geht also um die biographischen Konstruktionen, die in Abarbeitung an der „latenten Strukturierung“ der Lehrerausbildung dazu führen, dass Berufseinsteiger bereits über mehr oder weniger tragf?hige Teill?sungen ihrer Entwicklungsaufgaben verfügen.

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Summary „Developing tasks“ for qualifying and newly qualified teachers: A contribution to research on professionalization This paper sees teacher training from the perspective of the current and future biography of the participant. It argues that solving job-related problems leads to the development of professional competencies and identity. The objects of this development are conceived of in didactic terminology as „developmental tasks“. Current professionalization theories highlight four specific areas of development for job-starters: personal competencies, knowledge transfer, the pedagogic perception of pupils’ needs and wants and the institution ‘school’. The plausibility of an orientation towards developmental tasks is demonstrated through the results of two qualitative empirical research projects. Finally, the paper reviews the contribution which teacher training and preparatory teaching practice can make in preparing new teachers for these developmental tasks. Ideally, teacher training should offer teachers the chance to develop biographic constructs, which can be applied to the work situation as semi-solutions to their developmental tasks.