A comparison of Australian and Chinese teachers' attributions for student problem behaviors

The present study compared Australian and Chinese teachers' causal attributions for student behavior. A total of 204 Australian teachers and 269 Chinese teachers rated the importance of four causes (ability, effort, family, teacher) of six student problem behaviors. Results showed that both groups of teachers attributed misbehaviors most to student effort and least to teacher factors. Chinese teachers emphasized family factors more while Australian teachers placed greater importance on ability. There was significant variation in attribution patterns for different types of problems, with effort attribution being equally and strongly emphasized across cultural contexts and behavior types. The results are interpreted in the light of how individualistic and collectivistic values influence teacher thinking, and implications for school‐based interventions for behavior problems are discussed.     

Searching for pedagogical adaptations by exploring teacher’s tacit knowledge and interactional co-regulation in the education of pupils with autism

The purpose of this article is to introduce a research design, which aims to find useful pedagogical adaptations for teaching pupils with autism. Autism is a behavioural syndrome characterised by disabilities and dysfunctions in interaction and communication, which is why it is interesting to explore educational processes particularly from an interactional perspective in a class with pupils with autism. The main focus is in exploring teacher’s tacit knowledge and interactional co-regulation between the teacher and the pupils. This study is a part of a larger Finnish project, which involves the education of pupils with autism in the primary school system. In the study described, six video recordings (each about 30?min) were taken under analysis due to the uniqueness in the research context of special education: the videos are rare in that they involve only the teacher and her six pupils with autism; no helpers are present in the classroom. This study explored the phenomenon ethnomethodologically. This study indicated that it is possible to apply a general theory of interaction when exploring people with autism, although the main diagnostic criteria of autism are disabilities in social interaction and communication. It was possible to extract episodes from the behaviour of the teacher that showed her tacit knowledge becoming concrete. These results could be taken into consideration when planning and carrying out teaching in different contexts and in teacher education, too.     

The future of digital working: knowledge migration and learning

Against the backdrop of intensified migration linked to globalisation, this article considers the implications of knowledge migration for future digital workers. It draws empirically on a socio-material analysis of the international software localisation industry. Localisers' work requires linguistic, cultural and software engineering skills to adapt digital products to be marketed worldwide. The article addresses the problem of the need for better understanding of knowledge practices in digital working and offers new insights by examining work and learning against the theoretical question of how knowledge migrates. Drawing on the writing of sociologist Karin Knorr Cetina, it illustrates how workers reformulate knowledge and practise visibility through object relations that support learning. The article concludes with five recommendations for incorporating insights gained through this analysis in education.     

The Center Academy of the Brooklyn Jewish Center

“It is revealed and known in front of the One who spoke and the world came into existence that a child loves¹ his mother more than his father because she appeases him with words. Therefore the Holy One Blessed be He put love of father before love of mother. And it is revealed and known before He who spoke and the world came into existence that a child fears his father more than his mother because he teaches him Torah. Therefore, the Holy One Blessed He put fear of mother before fear of father.²     

Digital resources in the family-school relationship during the 0–3 stage / Recursos digitales en la relación familia y escuela en la etapa 0–3

Abstract

Digital resources can open up new means of communication between families and schools, helping to create links and build relationships between both educational agents. The role played by digital resources to establish family-school relationships in pre-schools for children up to three is identified and analysed on the basis of experiences in schools in which ICT resources are being used for communicative processes. The results show that the most commonly used resources are blogs/websites and email, mainly for providing families with information. It is also observed that the introduction of ICT tools in these relations lacks the pedagogical reflection that would determine the communicative goals and the role played by both educational agents in the relationship scenarios mediated by ICT.     

Kawaii Killers and Femme Fatales: A Textual Analysis of Female Characters Signifying Benevolent and Hostile Sexism in Video Games

ABSTRACT

Game developers potentially convey socio-cultural values about gender through design choices. This study interpreted the designs of 11 purposively selected female game characters, developed by studios located in the United States and Japan, through the lens of ambivalent sexism. This social psychological theory posits that sexism consists of hostile and benevolent attitudes about women. Two themes emerged across characterizations: bodies as objects, bodies as weapons and (in)dependence. Both consisted of empowering qualities paired with problematic beliefs about women. This analysis contributes to interdisciplinary literature by using an empirical perspective to interpret gender representations in video games.     

Does Title-By-Title Selection Make a Difference? A Usage Analysis on Print Monograph Purchasing

This article compares the usage of print monographs acquired through firm orders and approval plans to determine whether title-by-title book selection makes a difference. The circulation data of print monographs acquired in a four-year period were extracted and separated according to their acquisition methods. Usage data were analyzed according to the Library of Congress Classification system and library's three subject area groups (Humanities, Social Sciences, and Sciences). The results indicate that books acquired via firm orders had a higher circulation rate in almost all subject areas. The authors discuss how the findings can be used to inform future collection practices.