Purism and the category of ‘the aesthetic’: the drama argument

This paper examines one component of Stephen Mumford’s case for the claim that we should regard sport, art and the aesthetic as more closely connected than has tended to be the case, under the influence of the work of David Best, in recent years. Mumford’s rejection of what I call ‘the drama argument’ is examined in detail and it is argued that all but one element of his case fails to do the job he envisages.     

Student perceptions of effective lecturers: the need to recognise the role of ethnicity and choice of discipline

ABSTRACT

University student perceptions of effective teaching have been explored in previous studies, however, research is lacking regarding how perceptions of teaching efficacy vary by ethnicity and programme of study. In this study, student perceptions of effective teaching are explored between STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and non-STEM major students of four ethnic groups: Europeans, Asians, Māori, and Pasifika. The study sample comprised 2073 students from a New Zealand university who completed a survey in 2016. Firstly, the findings indicated that non-STEM major students were more likely to report culturally knowledgeable as an important characteristic compared to STEM major students. Secondly, the distribution referring to content knowledgeable, creative, culturally knowledgeable, and passionate as characteristics of effective teaching was different between the four ethnic groups. In detail, Europeans and Māori were more likely to refer to content knowledgeable than Pasifika students, while Pasifika students were more likely to refer to culturally knowledgeable compared to Europeans. Furthermore, the highest percentage of referring to creative as a characteristic of effective teaching was for Asians, and the highest percentage of referring to passionate was for Māori students. The findings imply that lecturers should be well informed about these differences to be able to improve the quality of their teaching and student learning.     

THE REAL MISSION OF THE BUREAU

Education is a profession. It is unique in that most people believe they have a handle on what education should be. Education is the only profession for whom the service recipient believes himself to be as knowledgeable as the service provider. In Jewish education, this may be compounded to the extent that parents of the service recipient remember a negative experience in Hebrew school.     

Third grade African American students' views of the nature of science

This study examined the nature of science (NOS) views of lower elementary grade level students, including their views of scientists. Participants were 23 third‐grade African American students from two Midwest urban settings. A multiple instrument approach using an open‐ended questionnaire, semi‐structured interviews, a modified version of the traditional Draw‐A‐Scientist Test (DAST), and a simple photo eliciting activity, was employed. The study sought to capture not only the students' views of science and scientists, but also their views of themselves as users and producers of science. The findings suggest that the young African American children in this study hold very distinct and often unique views of what science is and how it operates. Included are traditional stereotypical views of scientists consistent with previous research. Additionally, participants expressed excitement and self‐efficacy in describing their own relationship with science, in and outside of their formal classrooms. Implications for teaching and learning NOS as it relates to young children and children of color are discussed. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 49: 1–37, 2012     

A Comparison of Statistical Models for Calculating Reliability of the Hoffmann Reflex

The Hoffmann reflex is obtained through surface electromyographic recordings, and it is one of the most common neurophysiological techniques in exercise science. Measurement and evaluation of the peak-to-peak amplitude of the Hoffmann reflex has been guided by the observation that it is a variable response that requires multiple trials to obtain a stable mean. As a result, reliability assessment of the Hoffmann reflex has thus far been limited to trial-to-trial variability or the mean of multiple trials across test days to evaluate day-to-day variability, without considering how the two dimensions of measurement interact to affect test–retest reliability. This article compares two analysis of variance models for reliability assessment of the peak-to-peak amplitude of the Hoffmann reflex: one model incorporated both days and trials, and the other used the mean of multiple trials on each test day. The intraclass correlation coefficient calculated from an analysis of variance model that incorporated both trial-to-trial and day-to-day error variances was R = .93. Using the mean of the trials for each test day as a single score resulted in a decrease in the intraclass correlation coefficient (R _2,1 = .76). This study demonstrated that an analysis of variance model that accounts for both trial-to-trial and day-to-day error variances provided a higher estimate of reliability. Further, reliability estimation based on the interaction between both trials and days revealed that a schedule with additional test days had a disproportionate impact upon securing a reliable measure of Hoffmann reflex amplitude.     

Racism and the future of antiracism in education: A critical analysis of the Sewell Report

This article provides an analysis and critique of the education component of the 2021 Sewell Report on Race and Ethnic Disparities. Discussion focuses on the report’s spurious claims to objectivity, the erasure of racism and the inadequacy of its recommendations. It is suggested, however, that despite its many flaws, the Sewell Report poses challenges for those who have traditionally been aligned with antiracism in education. The article concludes by setting out a vision for a new progressive project aimed at advancing racial and cultural justice that, it is suggested, can begin to address these challenges.