Sixth form religion in Northern Ireland: the Protestant profile 1968–1998

The aim of the present study was to build on John Greer’s systematic set of studies concerned with teenage beliefs and values conducted among samples of sixth form students attending County and Protestant voluntary schools in Northern Ireland in 1968, 1978 and 1988. The present study replicated the earlier surveys for a further time in 1998. The results provide a unique snapshot of the persistence of religious affiliation, belief and practice across the latter part of the twentieth century in a nation which has continued to resist the secularisation process so eroding the place of religion in the neighbouring nations of England, Wales and Scotland.     

Career Development in the Pacific Islands: Key Issues Influencing Educational and Vocational Achievement

The Pacific Islands provide anexample of cultural heterogeneity compoundedwith economic, historical and geographicbackgrounds that limit the scope foreducational and vocational achievements as wellas the study of career development. Althougheducation is a regional priority, an emphasison formal systems of assistance for careerdevelopment is not evident; it is embeddedwithin personal self-direction, familytraditions or the educational system. Atentative model is proposed for (a) theanalysis of educational and vocationalachievements; and (b) for career developmentresearch in the region.     

The science of professional development

In this commentary, I discuss the science of professional development. A great deal is already known about how to provide professional development that supports teachers' implementation of evidence-based practices and the factors that enhance or inhibit teachers' sustained use of the practices. I summarize the work of researchers who have achieved some success in facilitating teachers' learning of new practices, highlighting my own research with colleagues. Professional development is known to be most successful when (a) researchers work closely with school districts, so that everyone is on the same page, and the practices that researchers are teaching are aligned with the district's curriculum and standards; (b) student outcome data showing that the practice works are provided to all; (c) administrative support is clearly evident; (d) long-term support is provided for teachers (including demonstrations and coaching); and (e) teachers take ownership of the practices and responsibility for mentoring their peers.     

Out of the Hood,But Not Out of the Woods: The School Engagement and Cohesion of Black Students Based on Exposure to Violence and Victimization

The Urban Review - This study examines how violence exposure and victimization (VEV) influences the school engagement and racial cohesion of Black college students. Although VEV has been...     

High school biology today: what the Committee of Ten actually said

This essay describes how in the 1890s the Committee of Ten arrived at their recommendations about the organization of the high school biological sciences and seeks to correct the frequently held, but erroneous view that the Committee of Ten was the initiator of the Biology-Chemistry-Physics order of teaching sciences prevalent in high schools today. The essay details the factors underlying the changing views of high school biology from its “natural history” origins, through its “zoology, botany, physiology” disciplinary phase to its eventual integration into a “general biology” course. The simultaneous parallel development of the “Carnegie Unit” for measuring coursework is highlighted as a significant contributor in the evolution of the present day high school biology course. The essay concludes with a discussion of the implications of the grade placement of the sciences for the future development of high school biology.     

Learning disabilities in Australian universities: hidden, ignored, and unwelcome

Although more students with learning disabilities (LD) are enrolling in Australian universities, their learning needs are not well understood. This article reports on the experiences of students with LD who are encouraged to enter the academy by Australian university policies and government legislation but, once there, find that the promise of equal opportunity is often not kept. This article provides some insights into how university lecturers' normative expectations and practices can affect students' everyday experiences. Interviews with students with LD showed that they do not often receive support services, their "stories" are not believed, and they often feel that they do not "belong".     

Ice hockey skating sprints: run to glide mechanics of high calibre male and female athletes

ABSTRACT

The skating acceleration to maximal speed transition (sprint) is an essential skill that involves substantial lower body strength and effective propulsion technique. Coaches and athletes strive to understand this optimal combination to improve performance and reduce injury risk. Hence, the purpose of this study was to compare body centre of mass and lower body kinematic profiles from static start to maximal speed of high calibre male and female ice hockey players on the ice surface. Overall, male and female skaters showed similar centre of mass trajectories, though magnitudes differed. The key performance difference was the male’s greater peak forward skating speed (8.96 ± 0.44 m/s vs the females’ 8.02 ± 0.36 m/s, p < 0.001), which was strongly correlated to peak leg strength (R ² = 0.81). Males generated greater forward acceleration during the initial accelerative steps, but thereafter, both sexes had similar stride-by-stride accelerations up to maximal speed. In terms of technique, males demonstrated greater hip abduction (p = 0.006) and knee flexion (p = 0.026) from ice contact to push off throughout the trials. For coaches and athletes, these findings underscore the importance of leg strength and widely planted running steps during the initial skating technique to achieve maximal skating speed over a 30 m distance.     

Operationalizing Culturally Relevant Pedagogy: A Synthesis of Classroom-Based Research

In this article, we present a synthesis of classroom-based research on the implementation of culturally relevant pedagogy. We examine 45 classroom-based research studies from 1995 to the present, highlighting culturally relevant pedagogy as enacted in classrooms. In the final section we address a few conundra and unanswered questions stemming from the research. By describing and synthesizing how others have operationalized culturally relevant pedagogy in the classroom, we offer illustrative discussion points that will assist preservice teachers, experienced teachers, and teacher educators in developing a more holistic understanding of what culturally relevant pedagogy “looks like” in classrooms.     

Mentoring for school based teacher education in Australia

This article is to explore the possibilities of mentoring for school based teacher education in Australia. Traditionally, supervision at the school level during the practicum in Australia has been focused on the classroom teacher whose role was to oversee and watch the direct work of the student teacher. However with the reforms in teacher education within the higher education sector which began in the late 1980s, a new challenge has arisen, which emphasises a shift of focus within the practicum from the role of classroom teacher as supervisor to one of mentor. Therefore, teachers who wish to become mentors will require new skills and competencies which extend beyond those of supervision, which necessitates the need for further training and education of classroom teachers. This article examines the mentoring role and the skills needed by teachers in supporting the development and education of student teachers into the teaching profession. The article also briefly examines the implications that this shift in focus from supervisor to mentor may bring for the participants involved in the education of student teachers.