The conceptual change approach to improving teaching and learning: An evaluation of a Hong Kong staff development programme

This paper reports a study ofthe effectiveness of an innovative approach tostaff development, the conceptual changeapproach, which attempts to change teachers'frameworks for conceptualising teaching andlearning. The evaluation investigated theprogramme at three levels: the impact on theconceptions of teaching of the participants,the resultant impact on teaching practices, andthe consequential effect on student learning.Encouraging results were obtained. Theprogramme brought about detectable conceptualchange or conceptual development in two-thirdsof the sample group. Subsequently, all the`changed' teachers received better ratings ontheir teaching practices from their students inthe following academic year while none of thosewho did not change their conceptions showedsimilar gains in student rating scores. Aresultant positive impact on their students'studying approaches was observed for half ofthe teachers who changed their conceptions.     

Inequalities in the Overlooked Associations in Urban Educational Collaborations

This study examines the relationships between families and staff from community agencies and organizations in a poverty level urban neighborhood in the Northeast. A central concern of this study is to address how the existing relationships between these groups may affect urban educational restructuring efforts that encourage collaborations of families, schools, and community institutions to support the social and academic development of children. If community agencies and organizations are to engage in successful collaborations with inner city schools, it is critical that they be able to work with the children and families affiliated with these institutions. Findings from this study suggest that though these educational collaborations may yield support for children and their families, there are reasons to proceed cautiously which stem from the existing relationships between families and staff from community agencies and organizations. The relationships between these groups often rest on inherent inequalities. These inequalities stem from inequitable structural conditions which place a large population of urban residents at an economic disadvantage and compel them to seek services. Structural conditions, accompanied by public policies embedded in assumptions regarding which family members are deserving of support, subsequently has influenced who receives services. Mothers and their children typically are recipients of services. The inequalities that are inherent to these relationships, likewise, carry through to the roles that families and staff assume with each other in their daily associations.     

Doctoral Students' Experiences with Pedagogies of the Home,Pedagogies of Love,and Mentoring in the Academy

In this article, a group of nontraditional and/or doctoral students of color and our advisor discuss how the advisor-advisee mentoring relationship has positively affected our experiences within academia. The mentoring relationship, cultivated within a group mentoring model, was integral to our acclimation of the hidden culture of our doctoral programs. We elaborate on the history and mentoring model of the group of which we are a part, and follow with a review of the literature on mentoring practices and a discussion of methodology. Finally, through autoethnographic vignettes, each author discusses his/her experience as a non-traditional and/or student of color and how our relationship with the group has provided us with the logistical, emotional, and psychological support needed to progress in and complete our programs.     

Gender and Inquiry: an investigation into identifying and defining the role of inquiry in higher-order thinking

This paper studies differences between girls ‘ and boys ‘ perceptions of mathematical and scientific higher-order thinking, ways of identifying when higher-order thinking occurs, and methods of mathematical and scientific inquiry that assist in developing higher-level thinking in both young students and pre-service teachers. Participants included 17 pre-service teacher candidates (16 female, 1 male) enrolled in an integrated elementary mathematics and science methods course, and 102 elementary students from large, metropolitan schools (52 females and 50 males from lower-middle- and high-middle-class homes). A 15-item Likert-style rating scale instrument was used. Qualitative measures including observations, interviews and reflections were completed in conjunction with the more quantitative rating scale measure to triangulate the design. Pre-service teacher candidates rated the significance of childrens’ responses and reflected on findings. Results revealed similar ratings between genders and significance on items relating to perceptions of what science and mathematics are, whether girls should be scientists, and objects/manipulatives versus paper/pencil tasks in mathematics.     

Researcher Development of Doctoral Students: Supports and Barriers Across Time

We used content analysis to analyze 42 counseling doctoral students' reports of supports and barriers influencing their researcher development across 3 years. In line with social cognitive career theory, the students named cognitive-person, environmental, and social-context influences. Analyses indicated no differences in frequencies of supports and barriers across time but significant differences by cohort.     

Museums and Indigenous People in Australia: A Review of Previous Possessions,New Obligations: Policies for Museums in Australia and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples

Previous Possessions, New Obligations was launched by Museums Australia Inc. in 1993, the International Year for the World's Indigenous People, as a policy framework to guide the development of relationships between museums in Australia and Indigenous Australians. The policy was based on consultation with Indigenous people to develop protocols, policies and procedures for more sensitive collection management and for including Indigenous people in research and public programs; and to address issues of governance. It expressed the values that would underpin new relationships between museums in Australia and Indigenous Australians. An evaluation of the policy was conducted in 2000 in a collaboration between the Australian Museum Audience Research Centre, Sydney, and Museums Australia Inc., Canberra. The evaluation found that the policy had substantially met its goals, particularly in establishing the primary rights of Indigenous people to control their cultural material in museum collections. However, a range of substantially new issues emerged which require new policy responses and initiatives.     

Women Faculty of Color: Stories Behind the Statistics

In this qualitative study we address two primary research questions: What are the experiences of women faculty of color (WFOC) who departed the tenure track at predominantly White, research universities? Using the modified lens of the newcomer adjustment framework, what socialization factors may have contributed to the WFOCs’ departure? Through a longitudinal, in-depth examination of three WFOC who left their university prior to earning tenure, themes of gendered and racialized tokenization and isolation, a need for a more intrusive style of mentoring, and poor institutional fit were identified. Implications for future research on faculty members’ social identity and promising practices for faculty development are shared.     

Creating a Web-accessible,point-of-care,team-based information system (PoinTIS): the librarian as publisher

The Internet has created new opportunities for librarians to develop information systems that are readily accessible at the point of care. This paper describes the multiyear process used to justify, fund, design, develop, promote, and evaluate a rehabilitation prototype of a point-of-care, team-based information system (PoinTIS) and train health care providers to use this prototype for their spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury patient care and education activities. PoinTIS is a successful model for librarians in the twenty-first century to serve as publishers of information created or used by their parent organizations and to respond to the opportunities for information dissemination provided by recent technological advances.     

Physical profiles of elite,sub-elite,regional and age-group netballers

Physical profile data from elite, sub-elite, regional, under 21s (U21), under 19s (U19) and under 17s (U17) (n = 845) players from a state netball association in Australia were analysed. Within season changes were examined for the elite and sub-elite players. Longitudinal changes were examined for the elite across four consecutive netball seasons.

Elite were significantly older (24.3 ± 3.4years), taller (182.4 ± 7.2cm) and heavier (73.42 ± 6.95kg) than other playing levels (p < 0.001, ES 0.49–3.26) and had higher vertical jump (VJ) data compared to all groups (p < 0.001, ES 0.47–0.93). U17’s were significantly faster than elite, sub-elite and U19 players over 5m (p < 0.05, ES 0.36–0.58) while elite were faster over 20m compared to all groups (p < 0.01, ES 0.45–0.72). Elite achieved a greater distance (1350.8m; p < 0.05, ES 0.32–0.50) in the Yo-YoIRT1 compared to the sub-elite, regional, U19 and U17. VJ height significantly increased from the 2014 (51.6 ± 4.8cm) to the 2017 season (59.6 ± 6.3cm) for the elite players (p < 0.01, ES 1.18). Yo-YoIRT1 test scores increased significantly between the pre-season and in-season phases (p < 0.05, ES 0.17).