Opportunities Lost: The Pendulum in the USA National Science Education Standards

This article is based on my recent book Time for Science Education (Plenum Publishers, 1998). It begins with the treatment afforded the pendulum in the US National Science Education Standards, and a number of other contemporary curriculum documents. It notes that all of these documents advocate liberal, or wide, goals for science education, including students understanding something of the historical and cultural significance of science. It notes that all the documents ignore the very significant role played by the pendulum in the foundation of modern science, in solving the longitude problem, and in enabling the first accurate clocks to be constructed. There are thus lost opportunities for realising the laudable goals that the Standards set for US science education. Finally, it is claimed that realising these cultural goals for science education requires that the history and philosophy of science be more routinely incorporated into preservice and inservice courses for science teachers.     

Range effects using instrumental choice procedures

Pigeons were trained to discriminate visual flicker-rate stimuli using two types of instrumental choice procedures. One experiment used a free-operant concurrent schedule with multiple schedule components. Two additional experiments used a two-alternative, discrete-trial procedure. In all experiments, the range of training stimuli was manipulated across conditions. Results from all three experiments showed typical range effects on discrimination performance. That is, performance declined with increases in the overall range of variation of training stimuli. These range effects occurred with either continuous response rate measures or discrete choice measures. Moreover, range effects appeared with relatively high or low levels of overall discrimination accuracy and with either symmetrical or asymmetrical extensions of stimulus range. The results of these experiments suggest that increasing stimulus range influences both perceptual sensitivity and bias to response alternatives.     

Environmental and Genetic Variance in Children's Observed and Reported Maladaptive Behavior

The genetic and environmental contributions to children's maladaptive behavior are assessed in a sample of 154 twin pairs (77 MZ twin pairs and 77 DZ twin pairs), who range in age from 6 to 11 years. To bridge the strengths of behavioral genetic methods and environmental assessment techniques, we use a multimethod, multimeasure approach to data collection, and analyze the data using behavioral genetic modeling techniques. Results indicate that genetic variation accounts for a majority of the variance in parent-reported child maladaptive behavior (average = 62%). One parent-report measure also suggests a smaller, significant contribution of shared environmental variance. In contrast to the parental ratings, the observational coding and global impressions of parent-twin interactive behavior suggest that shared environment is the primary source of variance accounting for parent and child maladaptive behavior. This is due, in part, to the direct influence one's interactive partner has on the expression of maladaptive behavior in an interactive setting. When controlling for the co-participant's behavior, genetic variation increases and shared environmental variation decreases.     

The American Statistics Poster Competition

This article covers the history and organisation of the American Statistics Poster Competition, and gives our view of what a statistical poster is.     

The effect of gender composition of faculty on student retention

The gender composition of faculty is an important issue on many campuses. Substantial efforts are taken by colleges to hire a diverse faculty where women are equitably represented. Several papers suggest that female faculty can act as role models for female students. This issue is particularly emphasized in science and engineering programs. However, empirical research finds mixed support for this hypothesis. We provide a new test of this issue by examining whether female students have higher first-year retention rates when a greater percentage of their classes are taught by female faculty. There is a positive relationship between retention of female students and the percentage of their science and mathematics classes taught by female faculty. Also faculty gender has a greater impact on female students when their classes have few female students. Thus this study provides support for gender-based programs for hiring.     

School Failure in the United Kingdom

This paper comprises five sections. Section 1 is concerned with the aims of education and definitions of pupil success and pupil failure, including criteria for determining success/failure; and section 2 proposes a model of pupil ssuccess/pupil failure which is analysed in terms of (i) ‘within-child’ characteristics and previous learning experiences, (ii) the physical, social and educational environment, and (iii) the extent to which there is a match or mismatch between educational provision and educational needs. The different criteria for measuring success/failure (educational attainment and pupil progress; pupil behaviour; pupils’ self-concepts and expectations of success; attitudes to school; number of pupils assessed as having special educational needs) are identified in section 3, and sources of evidence are analysed. Section 4 traces the legislative basis of educational provision from the 1944 Education Act, through the Education Act of 1988, which introduced the National Curriculum, to the present, while section 5 examines current developments in education.     

Workplace‐based Learning Degrees: a new business venture,or a new critical business?

There is increasing emphasis in higher education on preparing students for the workplace and recognising the learning that occurs in the workplace. Workplace learning has been exemplified in aspects of traditional courses by work experience, practicum, sandwich courses and practice‐based courses. Recently, however, academic attention has focused on the development of subjects and degree programs that are entirely workplace‐based. Such programs are negotiated with organisations to meet their own learning needs and promote the learning of individual company employees in the performance of their everyday work. Workplace‐based courses have developed in response to employer demand, restricted government funding for higher education and the need for universities to appeal to new markets. These factors have created a context of considerable tension between traditional academic practice and beliefs, and those that accompany this new approach. These tensions present challenges for universities as they attempt to respond in ways that maintain rigour and integrity while meeting the demands created by contemporary economic, political and social pressures.     

A Canadian Perspective on Portfolio Use in Student Assessment

Portfolios can serve as a means of collecting information that can be seen as evidence for evaluating the achievement of students in classrooms. The use of portfolios has a long history although their general use in classroom assessment is a recent phenomenon. Portfolios are not widely used in large‐scale assessments; they are a classroom‐based phenomenon in Canadian schools. In this paper, we explore three themes related to portfolio use in the Canadian context. First, we consider examples of policies and procedures as recommended by Ministries of Education to illustrate the range of statements provided. Next, we review surveys of portfolio use and acceptance by teachers and, to a lesser degree, administrators. Finally, we describe and discuss three studies that have begun to investigate the use and interpretation of portfolios.     

Target Setting in Special Schools

Jim Muncey, Chief Adviser, City of Coventry Education Service, and John McGinty, Headteacher, Wainbody Wood School, examine a model which ensures that target setting in special schools reflects both national demands and the particular nature of special provision.