‘Good books’: is there a future for academic writing within the educational publishing industry?

This paper draws on questionnaire responses received (via e‐mail) during the period 2002–2003 from senior commissioning editors located within seven of the major UK publishing outlets. Drawing on the analytical framework of an earlier study by Nixon (1999 Nixon, J. (1999). Teachers, writers, professionals. Is there anybody out there. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 20(2): 207–221. [Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] [Google Scholar]), it focuses on the mediation of educational studies by market forces operating within and upon the educational publishing industry. More specifically it explores issues relating to the construction of readership, authorship and editorship within that force field of market pressures. Central to the argument is the claim that, in its increasing exposure to market forces, the public space afforded by educational publishing is now highly restrictive. The paper concludes with a call for a sustained debate on the future of academic publishing in general, and educational publishing in particular.     

Concerns about research and prevention strategies in Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy (MSBP) abuse

There would seem to be three motives for research into Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy (MSBP) abuse; first to enhance treatment; second to enhance our understanding of the psychopathology of those who carry out the abuse; and third to find interventions to prevent its occurrence. We will argue that only the first justification is valid. The second and third should be questioned for several reasons including: MSBP abuse is the wrong kind of event to think of in terms of categorical diagnosis; rare events are inherently difficult to predict; and better research targets are available. We propose that research energy would be more productively directed towards furthering our understanding of somatization and certain problematic aspects of modern pediatric practice. We offer suggestions as to appropriate areas for research.     

The Virtual Field Station (VFS): using a virtual reality environment for ecological fieldwork in A-Level biological studies—Case Study 3

Case studies are one way of producing the evidential base necessary for ICT to become embedded in everyday teaching and learning. Such case studies are vital for the purposes of generalisation. Also, teacher generated case-studies have the benefit of being research that is done by teachers in conjunction with Higher Education support and mediation, as opposed to research being done to teachers by Higher Education. One such teacher-generated case study at the cutting edge of ICT researches the effectiveness of a Virtual Field Station for the teaching of an A Level biology topic. The subject was the exotic one of the Mediterranean sea turtle. Student fieldwork involving these fascinating creatures is desirable but difficult, as the sea turtle's habitat is the archipelago of the Aegean Sea. The paper argues that a Virtual Field Centre is an effective substitute for actuality in terms of the development of student knowledge and understanding for examination purposes. As such, it is an innovative development that sits at the forefront of an area of Science Education that is rapidly developing, ie ICT-mediated teaching and learning.     

Do public schools have a future? A case study of retrenchment and its implications

The present paper describes a model for predicting the consequences of reduced funding for public education and a case study designed as an initial test of the validity of the model. The case study highlights an inner-city high school in San Jose, California, during the aftermath of Proposition 13. As a result of the passage of Proposition 13 in 1978, severe limitations were placed on the ability of school districts in California to generate revenues from property taxes. San Jose High School was forced to cut programs and personnel. The impact of these cuts on the capacity of the school to serve its urban clients is investigated. Findings from the case study support the model's prediction that budget cuts in public education are more likely to exert a negative impact on disadvantaged students than on students from middle-class homes. Implications of further cuts in public education in general are discussed in the concluding section of the paper.     

Examination of a learning style topology

This study provides an initial examination of a learning style topology through the comparison of information processing and instructional preference toponymies. It was hypothesized that learning style modes would be discernible within each of these toponymies and that the toponymies would demonstrate orthogonality. Data analyzed for 429 university students supported these hypotheses.     

Relationships among L1 print exposure and early L1 literacy skills, L2 aptitude, and L2 proficiency

Authors examined the relationship between individual differences in L1 print exposure and differences in early L1 skills and later L2 aptitude, L2 proficiency, and L2 classroom achievement. Participants were administered measures of L1 word decoding, spelling, phonemic awareness, reading comprehension, receptive vocabulary, and listening comprehension in 1?C5th grades, and then followed into 9?C10th grades where measures of L2 aptitude, L2 proficiency, and L1 print exposure were administered. Students?? responses on the L1 print exposure measure were used to divide them into High, Average, and Low Print groups. Findings showed significant differences between the High versus Low Print groups on all L1 skill measures, L2 aptitude and L2 proficiency tests, and L2 classroom achievement after controlling for IQ. L1 skill differences between the groups emerged as early as 1st grade. L1 phonemic awareness, L1 word decoding, and L1 spelling measures were the best discriminators of L1 print exposure among the three groups. Results suggest that early success in L1 reading and reading volume prior to L2 study may be related to differences in L2 aptitude, L2 proficiency, and L2 achievement several years later.     

Power dynamics with international students: from the perspective of domestic students in Korean higher education

This paper explored the power dynamics between domestic and international students in the context of higher education in an Asian non-English speaking country, Korea. Despite increased international student mobility in recent years, little is known about the relationship dynamics among students from different countries, especially related to power issues. The findings in this study suggested that international students’ countries of origin and language of communication created different power statuses compared to Korean students by their empowerment and discrimination. Power differentials also existed among Korean students due to variations in their English ability to interact with international students. Conversely, international students’ attitudes and acceptance influenced Korean students’ attitudes toward them, irrespective of power differentials created by countries and language, as perceived by Korean students. The implications related to the recent trend of international student mobility are discussed.     

Text interpretation and educational design in Norwegian textbooks of religious education

Drawing on sociocultural perspectives on educational design, this article presents a qualitative study investigating how religious texts emerge as educational objects and mediating artefacts in Norwegian textbooks of religious and moral education. The article describes how the distribution of text references in textbooks influences the formation of religious traditions as objects. It also describes how religious texts are given various roles and how textbook assignments use various means to facilitate the interpretation of religious texts in a response to the demands posed by Norwegian syllabuses of religious and moral education.     

Toward Practical Procedures for Predicting and Promoting Success in Virtual School Students

Abstract

Two lines of research have emerged to study the causes and prevention of student failure in virtual (K–12) schools: studies of learner characteristics and studies of learning environment characteristics. To develop a useful model for predicting failure and promoting success in virtual school environments, a study was designed to measure the relation between a combination of student and environmental factors derived from previous research and successful course completion during one semester at a large (N =?4,100) virtual school. Study findings yielded a model that can discriminate between successful and unsuccessful online school students and is especially effective at identifying those likely to succeed.