An analytical framework for analyzing student teachers’ verbal interaction in learning situations

This paper focuses on the study of student teachers’ verbal interaction in learning situations generated in a classroom corresponding to a mathematics methods course. In our work, we incorporate two ‘ways of seeing’ a group: as an entity or as a set composed of individualities. We present an analytical framework that considers two dimensions connected with these ways of seeing the group and four variables corresponding to these dimensions, through which the verbal interaction between student teachers in a group can be considered. As regards the first dimension, the variables included are specific language, cognitive processing, social processing; the second dimension considers the relational variable. We describe each of the different variables that form the framework, and how this framework allows us to analyse the verbal interaction in three groups of student teachers. We believe that building analytic frameworks that allow the study of verbal interaction in detail is worthwhile in the educational field due to their important role in the analysis of learning-teaching processes.     

A sociocultural analysis of mandated curriculum change: the implementation of a new senior physics curriculum in New Zealand schools

We analyse the implementation of a new New Zealand physics curriculum from a socio‐cultural perspective. We explore the development of the curriculum document and examine the obstacles to its implementation. Change was compromised by the lack of any intersubjective linkage between teachers and the curriculum designers. The teachers’ own community of practice was most influential in how implementation occurred.

Curriculum change processes and discourses must be made transparent so that teachers can have a framework for ‘dereification’ of a curriculum document into their classroom practices. Without planning for teachers’ participation in the negotiation of curriculum meanings, curriculum developers themselves become marginalized, and the cultural objects they have developed will be adopted in unanticipated ways.     

The rhetorical construction of the nation in education: the case of Flanders

This paper examines what can be learnt from ‘new rhetoric’ (focusing on the work of the American rhetorician Kenneth Burke [1897–1993]) about (national) identity and discusses how nationalism can be taught from such a rhetorical perspective. Despite the ‘deconstruction’ of nation(alism) as a grand narrative, there is a new tendency towards emphasizing national identity, caused by trends such as globalization and multiculturalism. In the language and literature teaching curriculum, this paradoxical situation often causes frictions for teachers who very often are expected to teach standard language and national literature. The hypothesis is that rhetoric is a tool to deal with these tensions in the curriculum. This paper focuses on Flanders as a case‐study. Together with pre‐service teachers it analysed the rhetorical construction of Flanders from a dramatistic perspective. It is argued that Burke’s concepts are useful tools to make students ‘symbol‐wise’: to understand the way national symbols work, and to develop critical engagement with, as well as on behalf of, those symbols.     

Kohlberg's Theory of Moral Development and Its Relevance to Education

Isaksson, A. 1979. Kohlberg's Theory of Moral Development and Its Relevance to Education. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research 23, 47‐63. The main assumptions and categories of Kohlberg's theory of moral development are succinctly outlined. New empirical studies and critical reviews are discussed, and their implications for the theory assessed. It is concluded that the theory is correct in its basic assumption of viewing moral development as a sequential progression towards more complex structural wholes that can be conceptualized as levels or stages. Empirical evidence is found to lend greater support to the identity of three sequential structural levels than to six distinct stages. Kohlberg's and his associates’ approach to moral education is briefly described. The relevance of the theory to moral education is seen as self‐evident. The conditions for the efficacy of moral educational programmes are discussed. The general conclusion of the article is that Kohlberg's approach has proven its basic theoretical and heuristic value. The theoretical framework favoured by the author is cognitive‐developmental.     

The Influence of Teachers in the Operation of Basic Schools in Iceland1

The governance of basic schools (grades 1–10) in Iceland was transferred from state control to municipal control in 1995 with a new Basic School Act. This transfer was in line with the emphasis on school‐based management that was stressed in the Act. This policy was criticised by many, including teachers and their union representatives. Research indicates that basic principals are very pleased with their new working environment, but showed indication of dissatisfaction amongst teachers. Accordingly, it was of interest to investigate how this policy has influenced the working environment of basic school teachers: Has it facilitated increased autonomy of schools? Has it enhanced participative decision‐making and co‐operation amongst teachers? What kind of pressures and expectations has it generated from parents and municipal educational authorities? A questionnaire was sent to a sample of 750 teachers during the spring of 2005. The findings indicate that there seems to be a gap emerging between the perceived professional independence of schools and the professional independence of teachers. This study also indicates that the general teacher wants to be more involved in decision‐making in his/her school in areas such as development projects, in‐service planning and distribution of financial resources. The study also shows that external demands and pressures on teachers have increased considerably, particularly in urban areas.     

La crisis de la noción de estructura lógica: análisis experimental del estadio de las operaciones concretas

RESUMEN

La investigación descrita en este artículo se centra en las críticas al enfoque estructural piagetiano y su postulado logicista. En su lugar, se aboga por un enfoque procedural encaminado al descubrimiento de estrategias y procesos cognitivos involucrados en la realización de tareas. Los sujetos fueron 240 niños que asistían a clases de tercero y octavo de EGB. La discusión de los resultados se realiza en términos de procesamiento de la información, esbozándose además un modelo teórico-evolutivo para ese estadio, así como una argumentación crítica en torno al logicismo.     

Resultados académicos y desarrollo cognitivo en un programa de inmersión dirigido a escolares de nivel socio-cultural bajo

Resumen

Este artículo hace un repaso de las principales características de los programas de inmersión así como de las bases psicopedagógicas en las que se fundamentan, encontrándose argumentos a favor de la aplicación de este tipo de programas a escolares con bajo nivel socio-cultural. Esta investigación ha llevado a cabo la evaluación y seguimiento al final del ciclo inicial de una muestra de alumnos que empezaron a los 4 años un programa de inmersión realizado en una escuela situada en el barrio del Carmel de Barcelona y ha comparado los resultados obtenidos con los de otra escuela, situada en el mismo barrio, que realiza la enseñanza en la lengua familiar de los alumnos (castellano).     

Educación formal y acciones de agrupación y memoria en adultos: Un estudio microgenético

Resumen

Se estudió la influencia de la educación formal en el empleo de acciones de agrupación y memoria en sujetos adultos. El trabajo tenía una doble perspectiva, transversal y microgenética. Los sujetos pertenecían a tres niveles educativos y se les estudió a lo largo de cuatro días, en dos pruebas de memorización y recuerdo y una prueba de categorization dirigida intercalada entre las anteriores. Los resultados mostraron la influencia esperada de la escolarización en el empleo de acciones de agrupación y memoria así como cambios a lo largo de las sesiones en el grupo intermedio. La interpretación de los resultados se basó en las nociones de subordinación de acciones mentales y de descontextualización de los instrumentos de mediación.     

Estudio de un caso problema de educación bilingüe

RESUMEN

Este trabajo expone un caso aislado de dificultades en el aprendizaje debidas a la implantación bilingüe castellano-euskera que le imposibilitan la adquisición de los conceptos básicos preescolares. El niño ha sido sometido a un programa de desensibilización con resultados apreciables. El autor destaca la necesidad de un diagnóstico precoz y generalizado de estos casos.     

Estudio del perfil de buenos y malos repetidores: algunas consideraciones sobre el fracaso escolar

Resumen

Este trabajo presenta un estudio comparativo entre dos poblaciones de buenos y malos repetidores, detectándose en unos y otros el primer fracaso desde los primeros cursos en lengua y matemáticas. Los repetidores con éxito suelen estar mejor integrados y adaptados al nuevo curso, están dotados de una mayor capacidad general y tienen de si mismos un mayor nivel de autoestima, coincidiendo ésta con la opinión favorable del profesor. Los malos repetidores, por el contrario, son más indisciplinados y están menos integrados a las exigencias académicas del curso, y si su nivel de autoestima es bajo, lo es más aun la opinión que tienen de ellos sus profesores.

El trabajo concluye con unas consecuencias psicopedagógicas: - La prevención de los problemas de la lecto-escritura y cálculo en el parvulario repercutirá en la prevención del fracaso escolar.

- El profesor deberá aprender a programar a diferentes niveles, deberá conocer y aplicar los principios de la enseñanza-aprendizaje lentos.

Sólo asi podrá resolverse el fracaso escolar, ya sea el fracaso objetivo—falta de adquisición de conocimientos mínimos—, como el fracaso subjetiro, el sentimiento de minusvaloración.