Teachers' education, classroom quality, and young children's academic skills: results from seven studies of preschool programs

In an effort to provide high-quality preschool education, policymakers are increasingly requiring public preschool teachers to have at least a Bachelor's degree, preferably in early childhood education. Seven major studies of early care and education were used to predict classroom quality and children's academic outcomes from the educational attainment and major of teachers of 4-year-olds. The findings indicate largely null or contradictory associations, indicating that policies focused solely on increasing teachers' education will not suffice for improving classroom quality or maximizing children's academic gains. Instead, raising the effectiveness of early childhood education likely will require a broad range of professional development activities and supports targeted toward teachers' interactions with children.     

Evaluating electronic resources: Personal Development Planning resources at the Open University,a case study

This paper discusses the evaluation of Web‐based tools to support Personal Development Planning (PDP) in order to illustrate issues associated with the introduction and assessment of the effectiveness of online resources. The aims of the evaluation were based on concerns about the very complex situation that offering online resources including PDP poses for part‐time off‐campus students. In this paper the authors utilize a modified RUFDATA framework (Saunders, 2000 Saunders, M. 2000. Beginning an evaluation with RUFDATA: theorising a practical approach to evaluation planning. Evaluation, 1: 7–21.  [Google Scholar]) and consider the benefits a range of methods, including surveys and observational studies, can offer evaluations of electronic resources. They found that students used and valued some aspects of the provision but that even with best efforts of instructional designers, and user testing at the draft stage, students do not always behave as intended. This evaluation highlighted the need for a range of strategies for evaluating online resources and that regardless of student attitude there are real worries about eLearning imposing extra workload burdens on ‘time poor’ adults.     

Understanding aims and values of science: developments in the junior cycle specifications on nature of science and pre-service science teachers’ views in Ireland

Irish science education is aiming to develop post-primary students’ knowledge of and about science through the introduction of ‘nature of science’ (NOS) in the new junior cycle science specification. This study aimed to investigate pre-service science teachers’ views about a particular aspect of NOS, namely the aims and values of science. Aims and values in relation to science can be considered from epistemic, cognitive, cultural, social, political, moral and ethical perspectives. In this paper, we focus on the epistemic, cognitive and social aims and values of science to provide a broad overview and investigate pre-service science teachers’ understanding of them. Qualitative methods are used to highlight two case studies that provide an in-depth record of how pre-service science teachers interpret aims and values of science. Although the sample is limited in terms of its generalisability to pre-service teacher education at large, the study provides a framework for (a) what to target and investigate about NOS in science education, particularly about aims and values of science, and (b) how pre-service science teachers are likely to make sense of such relatively new curricular goals. Implications for pre-service science teacher education are discussed.     

Geographic clustering of economic activity: The case of prominent western visual artists

This article compiles original data relating to artists’ place of birth and work migration patterns using various art history dictionaries. The broad historic pattern, from the 13th to the 20th century, of the birth locations of prominent artists is examined, followed by a detailed study of the work migration patterns of prominent artists in two important situations, namely Renaissance Italy and France in part of the 19th century. The evidence indicates a marked clustering of activity of prominent artists, both arising from birth location and migration patterns. Some possible explanations for the observed patterns are briefly outlined.

Heart rates of high school physical education students during team sports, individual sports, and fitness activities

This study examined how activity type influenced heart rates and time spent in target heart rate zones of high school students participating in physical education classes. Significantly higher average heart rates existed for fitness (142 +/- 24 beats per minute [bpm]) compared to team (118 +/- 24 bpm) or individual (114 +/- 18) activities. Similar results occurred for the percentage of activity time spent within a target heart rate zone (fitness 81.7 +/- 15.9%, individual 68.4 +/- 30.5%, and team 60.6 +/- 30.5%). Boys attained higher heart rates during team activities, while female students had higher rates during individual activities indicating male and female adolescents respond differently to activity types. The highest mean heart rates were observed during fitness activities.     

Developing Culturally Competent Preservice Teachers

An unfortunate, yet persistent, truth in U.S. public schools is the large achievement gap existing between children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and their White, middle-class counterparts. The potential for cultural dissonance between contemporary teachers and their students necessitates that educators must persistently seek culturally responsive practices. Much has been written regarding strategies for culturally responsive pedagogy; therefore, this article moves beyond a review of culturally responsive pedagogy. Rather than providing teacher candidates with more suggestions for culturally responsive teaching activities, the authors provide teacher educators with specific resources for facilitating the development of cultural competence among preservice teachers.     

Alcohol sponsorship and its impact on sports participants’ consumption

The aim of this study was to examine the association between alcohol consumption, alcohol sponsorship in sports and preferences of sponsored sportspeople regarding sponsorships/consumption. We investigate the impact of alcohol sponsorship on sportspeople in the Australian population using a national survey of sportspeople (N?=?2367), representing a range of club and professional sports. The results show an association between alcohol sponsorship of sport and increased alcohol consumption among sports participants (i.e. ‘sportspeople’). Additionally, a preference for sponsored alcohol brands was found by sponsored sportspeople. Our research adds to the growing evidence for policy review of alcohol sponsorship of sports and extends prior studies investigating impacts of alcohol sponsorship upon sports participants by generalizing to a large, national sample of sportspeople.     

The power of circulation: digital technologies and the online Chinese fans of Japanese TV drama

Focusing on the online Chinese fans of Japanese TV drama, this paper explores the way in which the fan subculture, in connection with digital technologies, has carved out alternative practices in the circulation, production and consumption of Japanese TV drama. As ‘minority audiences’ who are not targeted as the objects of capitalist interests, online Chinese fans invent spaces for Chinese transnational networking with self‐help and sharing, as a way of resisting the aloofness from marketing strategies of Japanese TV distributors in Asia. This case study reveals that the online Chinese fan clubs, the websites for downloads, pirated VCD markets, digital file conversion, and private VCD burning – all of these have linked endless networks for the digitalized circulation and consumption of Japanese TV drama. The online Chinese fans are guerrilla fighters in the politics of autonomy, network and low‐cost digital technology; they are attempting to break down time–space constraints and the official distribution hierarchy. Such fan practices shed light on the new trends of audio‐visual consumption via digitalization.