An Integrative Approach to Portfolio Evaluation for Teacher Licensure

The purpose of our overall research agenda is to develop and evaluate a methodology for the assessment of teachers in which experienced teachers, serving as judges, engage in dialogue to integrate multiple sources of evidence about a candidate to reach a sound conclusion. The project that provides the venue for this research agenda is the Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC), which is developing a portfolio assessment system to assist participating states in making a decision about teacher licensure. To develop the theoretical foundation necessary to support and evaluate such dialogic and integrative assessment practices, we turn, in part, to the tradition of philosophical hermeneutics, as a complement to psychometrics. In this article, we characterize and assess the processes in which judges, trying out an integrative approach to portfolio evaluation for the first time, engage as they collaboratively construct and document their conclusions, and we locate this work in the larger research agenda. The premise of this project, which is being carefully evaluated in the course of inquiry, is that these integrative practices cannot only lead to an epistemologically sound evaluation of teaching but also promote an ongoing professional dialogue of critical reflection on teaching practice.     

Brazilian schools: comparing students' interests with what is being taught

This paper aims to explore the complex relationship between self-image and community membership. It draws on an in-depth case study,which was originally part of a larger study examining the factors which contribute to pupils’ quiet, withdrawn and non-participatory behaviour in school. Based on observations and interviews collected during her last two years in primary school, this paper explains Rasheeda’s habitual non-participation in school in terms of her limited and unchanging self-image and her failure to perceive herself, and be perceived as, a member of a learning community.     

Staff development in information technology for special needs: a new, distance-learning course at Keele University

Whilst information technology has much to offer people with special needs, the availability of staff training in the use of special-needs IT in the UK and Europe is sparse. Keele University, with over a decade of experience in research and in supporting and training staff in the use of information technology, has launched a new, distance-learning course. This article describes the course background, its structure, and feedback from the first cohort of students. Results suggest that the course strikes an effective balance between the need of distance-learning students for face-to-face contact with peers and tutors, and the difficulties faced by students wishing to attend training whilst in full-time employment who are geographically distant. The course structure appears appropriate for a wide range of special-needs settings and the curriculum seems to have an appropriate mix of background theory and practical application. Difficulties faced with computer conferencing became apparent, which need to be addressed in future. The course could be a model for further staff development opportunities in IT for special-needs professionals.     

Killing the Goose: Conflicts between Pedagogy and Politics in the Delivery of a Creative Education

This article arises out of a research project which looks at the promotion of creativity in pre‐degree and undergraduate learners in art and design. The project considers ‘conceptual’ definitions of creativity and its promotion which have been evidenced by research, and ‘operational’ definitions and delivery methods used by lecturers and students in the art & design sector. The theoretical understandings and empirical evidence thus gained reveal the continuing existence of a radical and potentially effective pedagogic idealism within art & design education. However, a comparison between theory, experience and current realities, leads us to the conclusion that the existence of this educational desideratum is threatened by the commodification of education and the over‐elaborate monitoring which accompanies it. This is a personal and somewhat polemical view but, we believe, one that is also widely held in the sector. We suggest that a reaffirmation of experiential evidence is essential to counter the impact of an increasingly audit‐driven approach to education which focuses on outcomes rather than process and on systems rather than individuals.