Children’s learning of all the news that’s fit to picture

It has been shown that pictures greatly facilitate children’s recall of story information, But will they have the same positive effect when the passages to be recalled are more directly educational? In these experiments, both single pictures illustrating the passage’s main idea and a group of pictures, one illustrating each sentence, helped fourth graders recall the illustrated content of newspaper articles.     

Reflections on an Emerging Field: Researching Mathematics Teacher Education

This paper reports a survey of research in mathematics teacher education from 1999 to 2003 done by an international team of five mathematics educators and researchers. The survey included published research in international mathematics education journals, international handbooks of mathematics education and international mathematics education conference proceedings. Some regional sources from various parts of the world were also included. We investigated who was writing, from and in what settings, with what theoretical frameworks, and with what sorts of study designs for what core questions. We also examined the range of findings and conclusions produced in these studies. Our analysis presented here focuses on four themes that stood out from our initial investigation of almost 300 published papers, and systematically elaborated through a focused study of a 160 papers across key journals and conference proceedings in the field. From this vantage point, the paper offers a reflection on the current state of the field of mathematics teacher education research. Our aim is to stimulate discussion that can support the development of the field, not make final pronouncements about its nature. The research presented in this paper was done by five mathematics education researchers, the authors listed above, and presented at ICME10 in Copenhagen in July 2004. This Survey Team (Survey Team 3) was nominated by the International Program Committee for the Congress and asked to survey “Professional Development of Mathematics Teachers” and present this in a plenary at the Congress. A copy of the presentation can be viewed at: http://www.wits.ac.za/jadler/presentations.html. An earlier version of this paper will also appear in the ICME10 proceedings.     

Being “in a Limbo”: Perceptions of Immigration,Identity and Adaptation of Immigrant Students in South Africa and the United States

Much research is available that details student experiences of immigration and adaptation to receiving countries and schools, but few studies analyze the metaphors used by immigrant students (IS) when talking about the immigration experience, or offer a comparative lens through which to view identity negotiation in two very different contexts. The present paper aims to address these gaps by conducting a comparative linguistic analysis of 20 interviews conducted with IS at universities in South Africa and the United States in order to gain a greater understanding of immigration and the types of identity negotiation processes learners undergo in these very different countries. Findings reveal interesting similarities between metaphorical conceptions of immigration across different cultural contexts and a remarkable resilience in the use of adaptation strategies and identity development that leads to salient pedagogical implications for teachers of higher education who face increasingly international classrooms.     

A blended approach to learning: added value and lessons learnt from students' use of computer-based materials for neurological analysis

This paper examines BSc Physiotherapy students’ experiences of developing their neurological observational and analytical skills using a blend of traditional classroom activities and computer‐based materials at the University of Birmingham. New teaching and learning resources were developed and supported in the School of Health Sciences using Web Course Tools combined with a wide range of video clips of patients with neurological disorders on CD‐ROM. These resources provided students with the opportunity to observe “real patients” prior to clinical placements, thus bridging the gap between their theoretical understanding of these disorders and their practical experience of evaluating abnormal movement in the clinical setting. This paper considers how this blended approach to learning enhanced students’ experiences of developing their neurological skills and of preparing for their clinical placements. This paper also discusses the lessons that have been gained from students’ experiences to provide future or similar projects with the opportunity to learn from these experiences.     

Comparison of standardized assessment methods: logistics,costs, incentives and use of data

Critical thinking, problem solving and communication are fundamental elements of undergraduate education, but methods for assessing these skills across an institution are susceptible to logistical, motivational and financial issues. Queen’s University conducted two research studies investigating the use of standardised tests to assess cognitive skill development across the institution. Synthesis of results from implementing the Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA+), the Critical Thinking Assessment Test (CAT), and the HEIghten^TM test found that student test effort was a significant factor, and effort level correlated with performance at r?=?.33. Test incentives were also a significant factor; effort levels for the $25 financial incentive group were one standard deviation higher than effort for the in-class test group. A dedicated computer lab was the preferred option for computer-based testing. A paper-based test was found to be much simpler to administer, but test results were not available for a long time, therefore limiting the usefulness of data. The true cost of tests was greater than the price of the instrument; recruitment, training, proctoring and marking costs need to be included in the calculation. Generally speaking, alignment of test objectives with student or course objectives, and timeliness of data, were key for participation and motivation.     

The Development and Validation of the Perceived Academic Underachievement Scale

Academic competence beliefs have been widely studied. However, conceptual and measurement efforts have not yet been directed toward understanding perceived underachievement (feeling that one's accomplishments fall below perceived capability). We conducted two studies in order to develop and examine validity evidence for the Perceived Academic Underachievement Scale (PAUS). Participants were individuals enrolled for credit in at least one post-secondary course. In Study 1, we evaluated content validity and conducted an exploratory factor analysis. In Study 2, we conducted a confirmatory factor analysis and investigated external validity. For both samples, PAUS demonstrated good internal consistency reliability, and items loaded strongly onto a single factor. PAUS was empirically distinct from a range of related constructs. Findings represent preliminary validation evidence.     

Leadership for effective teacher training transfer in Kuwaiti secondary schools

This article reports on the findings of a study undertaken to examine the links between leadership practices of a transformational nature and the transfer of teacher training in the public high schools in Kuwait. The participants in the study were teachers who had undergone mandated professional development (PD) aimed at improving teaching practice in English language classes in these schools. The purpose of the study was to examine these teachers’ perceptions of the leadership behaviors of their Heads of Department that increased their motivation and supported their efforts to transfer their learning from PD sessions to their classrooms, and the extent to which practices identified as successful related to transformational leadership characteristics.     

Paint-by-Number Teachers and Cookie-Cutter Students: The Unintended Effects of High-Stakes Testing on the Education of Gifted Students

This study examined the utility of the Gifted Composite (GC) formula derived from selected subtests on the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales, Fifth Edition (SB5) for evaluating intellectual giftedness. A sample of 52 children were administered both the SB5 and Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement, Third Edition (WJ-III ACH). The ability of the Full-Scale IQ (FSIQ) and the GC to predict reading and math achievement were compared. Though both the FSIQ and GC significantly predicted standardized achievement test scores, the FSIQ explained more of the variance. Sequential regression analyses suggested that the SB5 factor scores preformed differently in their contribution of unique variance to the predictions. The inclusion of working memory scores in the calculation of the FSIQ appears to account for the difference in predictions between the FSIQ and GC for reading but not math skills.