Models and Paradigms in Kuhn and Halloun

In Modeling Theory in Science Education, Halloun (2004) adopts the word ‘paradigm’, but his use of the term is radically different from that of Kuhn. In this paper, I explore some of the differences between Kuhn’s paradigms and Halloun’s paradigms. Where Kuhn’s paradigms are public, community-defining exemplars of practice, Halloun’s paradigms are private, individualized ways of thinking. Where Kuhn writes of the paradigm shift as a revolutionary, vision-altering conversion experience, Halloun writes of a gradual evolution from one way of thinking to another and an easy back-and-forth switch between paradigms. Since Kuhn’s paradigms are self-enclosed and incommensurable, there is no objective standard by which one paradigm can be shown to be superior to the other. But Halloun uses ‘viability’ as a standard for paradigm choice. Underlying all of this is the more basic question of whether the history of science is an appropriate metaphor for student progress in the classroom. I conclude with some brief thoughts on this question.     

Feedback in Distance Learning Programmes in Languages: Attitudes to linguistic faults and implications for the learning process

In distance learning provision in languages, fault correction and feedback can facilitate teacher–student dialogue. This article examines teachers’ beliefs and assumptions about faults and the attitudes of both teachers and learners towards the correction process, all of which can play a key role in fostering this dialogue. Our findings are based on two surveys, one of 215 students enrolled on an intermediate Open University Spanish course and one of a sample of 18 tutors who teach on this course. The results of the two questionnaires suggest that the strategies currently in use for identifying and correcting faults may not be explicit enough. We conclude that this problem may be addressed if both tutors and students are given the tools to make the process more transparent and are encouraged to see dialogue as an essential component in the feedback mechanism.     

Correlates of Work-Life Balance for Faculty Across Racial/Ethnic Groups

Very few studies have examined issues of work-life balance among faculty of different racial/ethnic backgrounds. Utilizing data from Harvard University’s Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education project, this study examined predictors of work-life balance for 2953 faculty members from 69 institutions. The final sample consisted of 1059 (36%) Asian American faculty, 512 (17%) African American faculty, 359 (12%) Latina/o faculty, and 1023 (35%) White/Caucasian faculty. There were 1184 (40%) women faculty and 1769 (60%) men faculty. The predictors of worklife balance included faculty characteristics, departmental/institutional characteristics and support, and faculty satisfaction with work. While African American women faculty reported less work-life balance than African American men, the reverse was true for Latina/o faculty. In addition, White faculty who were single with no children were significantly less likely to report having work-life balance than their married counterparts with children. Faculty rank was a significant positive predictor of work-life balance for all faculty. Notably, the findings highlight the importance of department and institutional support for making personal/family obligations and an academic career compatible. Institutional support for making personal/family obligations and an academic career compatible was consistently the strongest positive predictor of perceived work-life balance for all faculty. In addition, satisfaction with time spent on research had positive associations with work-life balance for all faculty, highlighting how faculty from all racial/ethnic backgrounds value being able to spend enough time on their own research.     

La Littérature De Jeunesse Entre Normes Pédagogiques Et Littéraires : Le Cas Des Pays Francophones D’afrique

YOUTH LITERATURE IN THE CONTEXT OF PEDAGOGIC AND LITERARY NORMS: THE FRENCH-SPEAKING COUNTRIES OF AFRICA – There are two approaches to children’s and youth literature, one didactic, the other aesthetic. This gives rise to the following question: taking into account the fact that children’s literature aspires to be a literary form in its own right, should more weight be attibuted to its aesthetic value when evaluating it? This paper examines this question – which has in the past been the subject of highly controversial discussions in the German-speaking regions – by focusing on youth literature in the French-speaking coutries of Africa. The pedagogic dimension cannot be ignored when considering this literary context because it is so much a part of the post-colonial dynamic. Youth literature in the French-speaking countries of Africa echoes current realities. Examples are used to demonstrate how literature can deal with vital questions without neglecting the literary aspect.     

‘We need a woman,we need a black woman’: gender,race, and identity taxation in the academy

In 1994, Amado Padilla used the phrase ‘cultural taxation’ to describe the extra burden of service responsibilities placed upon minority faculty members because of their racial or ethnic background. In this paper, we expand upon Padilla's work and introduce the concept of ‘identity taxation’ to encompass how other marginalised social identities (such as gender, race and gender, and sexual orientation) may result in additional non-academic service commitments for certain faculty. Using qualitative interviews with faculty members at a large, public university in the Midwest, we examine identity taxation involving gender and the intersection of gender and race to demonstrate how women faculty (in general) and women of colour (specifically) feel their gender and racial group memberships influence their experiences in academia.     

Changes on quality of life,self-efficacy and social support for activities and physical fitness in people with intellectual disabilities through multimodal intervention

Background: People with intellectual disability have poor levels of physical activity, quality of life, fitness condition and self-efficacy and social support when they want to undertake physical activity so it is very important to improve these parameters in this population.

Method: A prospective study was conducted. Data were measured before and after the multimodal intervention. Participants were 40 people with mild intellectual disability. The intervention was carried out over 8 weeks (2 h weekly).

Results: The results of this study show that after the multimodal intervention, there was significant improvement: quality of life, professional and peers’ support for activity, abdominal strength and walking METS (Metabolic equivalent of tasks). Conclusions: There are few studies that have carried out an intervention that combines physical activity and education in people with intellectual disability; these interventions are very important because they can improve some parameters that are difficult to improve with only a single intervention.

Conclusions: There are few studies that have carried out an intervention that combines physical activity and education in people with intellectual disability; these interventions are very important because they can improve some parameters that are difficult to improve with only a single intervention.     

Do more hours in center-based care cause more externalizing problems? A cross-national replication study

Whether high quantities of center-based care cause behavior problems is a controversial question. Studies using covariate adjustment for selection factors have detected relations between center care and behavior problems, but studies with stronger internal validity less often find such evidence. We examined whether within-child changes in hours in center-based care predicted changes in externalizing problems in toddlers and preschoolers (N = 10,105; 49% female; data collection 1993–2012) in seven studies, including from Germany, Netherlands, Norway, two from Canada and two from the U.S. Race/ethnicity data were only collected in the United States (57% and 80% White; 42% and 13% African-American; 1.2% and 5% Latinx). Meta-analyses showed no association (r = .00, p = .88) between hours in center-based care and externalizing problems.