Playing the game: examining parental engagement in schooling in post‐millennial Queensland

The abolition of the probationary year for teachers in 1991 by the Department for Education was short-lived, with new requirements for the setting of Induction Standards, monitoring of performance, the administration of assessment procedures, and the possible de-registration of new teachers introduced in the Teaching and Higher Education Act 1998. The article describes the policy context of the initiative; the characteristics of the new requirements; the complex induction problem, which needs solving; and the failed promises on induction, which preceded the new provision. It argues for a more imaginative alternative to be developed, capable of ensuring that new teachers are able to contribute actively and in meaningful ways to the reconstruction of education.     

Defining maltreatment according to substantiation: distinction without a difference?

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether children with substantiated maltreatment reports between 4 and 8 years of age differ from children with unsubstantiated reports on any of 10 behavioral and developmental outcomes. METHOD: Longitudinal data from 806 children and their adult caregivers collected in four US study sites were pooled and analyzed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and multivariate linear regression. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the mean scores of children with unsubstantiated and substantiated maltreatment reports filed between 4 and 8 years of age for any of the 10 behavioral and developmental outcomes. In the multivariate analysis, substantiation status was not significantly associated with any of the 10 outcomes after adjusting for prior functioning, prior maltreatment status, and sociodemographic characteristics. Findings from within-site analyses were generally consistent with the pooled analyses in finding no association between substantiation status and the outcomes examined. CONCLUSIONS: In this high-risk sample, the behavioral and developmental outcomes of 8-year-old children with unsubstantiated and substantiated maltreatment reports filed between ages 4 and 8 were indistinguishable. Future research should attempt to replicate these findings on probability samples that represent the full range of childhood maltreatment risk and with models that control for the impact of social services.     

School structure and its relationship to instructional methods and student outcomes in mathematics

Details of teachers' instructional approaches, and students' achievement and attitudes from a probability sample of 102 Ontario schools with grade 8 classes were examined as a function of school structure (public vs. separate, the number of pupils, the teachers' qualifications). Students in separate (Roman Catholic) schools, while not differing from their public schools peers in socio-economic background and plans for further education, reported less use of English in the home and less family help with mathematics. Except in a few details, the teachers at the schools in question do not differ in their educational approaches. The conclusions suggested by the research literature, of the better achievement and attitudes of pupils in separate schools, were supported in the case of attitudes, but contrary to expectations, student achievement differences, when they occurred, favoured students enrolled in public schools. On the whole, the differences which were observed amongst pupils were neither a function of student background characteristics nor of differences in teachers' experience.

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Zusammenfassung Einzelheiten der Lehransätze von Lehrern und der Leistungen sowie Einstellungen von Schülern wurden in einem Wahrscheinlichkeitssample an 102 Schulen mit einer 8. Klasse als Funktion einer Schulstruktur untersucht (öffentliche im Gegensatz zu separaten Schulen, d.h. römisch-katholischen, die Schülerzahl, die Qualifikationen der Lehrer). Obwohl sich Schüler an separaten (römischkatholischen) Schulen in ihrem sozio-ökonomischen Hintergrund und ihren Plänen bezüglich ihrer Weiterbildung von ihren Altersgenossen an öffentlichen Schulen nicht unterschieden, berichteten sie, daß der englische Sprachgebrauch zu Hause weniger üblich sei und daß sie weniger häusliche Hilfe bei Mathematikaufgaben erhielten als jene. Bis auf ein paar Einzelheiten unterschieden sich die Lehrer der besagten Schulen nicht in ihren Lehransätzen. Die Schlußfolgerungen, die in der Forschungsliteratur über bessere Leistungen und besseres Verhalten der Schüler an Separatschulen nahegelegt wurden, unterstützten diese Einstellungen, aber anders als erwartet, fielen die Unterschiede bei den Schülerleistungen, wenn sie auftraten, zugunsten der Schüler an öffentlichen Schulen aus. Insgesamt lassen sich die festgestellten Leistungsunterschiede der Schüler weder auf deren sozialen Hintergründe noch auf unterschiedliche Erfahrungen der Lehrer zurückführen.

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Résumé Les détails relatifs aux approches éducatives des enseignants, aux acquis et attitudes d'élèves pris sur un échantillon de probabilité de 102 écoles de l'Etat de l'Ontario avec des classes du degré 8 ont été examinés en tant que fonction de la structure scolaire (école publique par rapport aux écoles libres, nature des effectifs, qualification des enseignants). S'ils ne se distinguaient pas de leurs pairs des écoles publiques par leur milieu socio-économique ou les plans d'éducation continue, les élèves des écoles libres (catholiques) ont rapporté qu'ils faisaient un moins grand usage de l'anglais à la maison et recevraient moins d'aide de leur famille pour résoudre leurs exercices de mathématiques. A quelques détails près, les enseignants des écoles en question ne différaient pas par leurs approches éducatives. Les conclusions suggérées par les travaux de recherche sur les acquis plus positifs et les attitudes plus favorables des élèves des écoles libres étaient corroborées pour ce qui est des attitudes mais, contrairement aux attentes, les différences en matière de connaissances acquises, si de telles différences se manifestaient, étaient à l'avantage des élèves inscrits dans les écoles publiques. En général, les différences de niveau observées chez les élèves ne dépendaient pas des caractéristiques de leur milieu de provenance, ni de l'expérience des enseignants.

     

So near and yet so far: a grounded theory study of incarcerated Filipino elderly’s experiences of emotional geography

ABSTRACT

Emotional geography defines how emotions affect the interaction of individuals within their setting. Considering that prison has been described as a place saturated with negative emotions, previous studies have only dwelt on the negative impact of incarceration on the emotional well-being and interactions of the inmates. However, no attempt has been made that dilates on how emotional geography facilitates the establishment of good relationships inside the penal institution, hence this investigation. The overall intent of this investigation is to describe the process of emotional geography among a select group of incarcerated Filipino elderly. This study utilized the qualitative, grounded theory design. A purposive sample of 25 incarcerated Filipino elderly from the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City, Philippines participated in this study. Interestingly, this study afforded the development of de Guzman, Henson, Gumba, Fradejas, and Valdez Shoelace Model of Emotional Geography which describes how the incarcerated Filipino elderly’s emotions affect their interactions in achieving positive relationships with other inmates while inside the penal institution. This emerged model is comprised of three phases, namely: isolating (embracing a wall of mistrust), integrating (making connections through shared stories), and intertwining (strengthening the bonds thru emotional understanding). The emerged theoretical model has successfully described the process of emotional geography, which can be utilized by gerontological workers, nurses and other health professionals in addressing and accommodating the social and custodial needs of this vulnerable group.     

Re-thinking America's Teacher Education Programs

More than ever before, our nation needs teachers who are not only motivated to teach but who are also properly educated, trained, and prepared for the many challenges that are facing our nation's K-12 public schools. The education departments and schools at our colleges and universities cannot continue to do business as usual—they need to adjust their teacher preparation programs to effectively support the changing times, and to provide our future teachers with a realistic and rigorous education. There is little or no disagreement among educators, social scientists, or anyone else for that matter, that great schools are the product of great teachers. It makes sense, therefore, to create a world-class teacher education and training program.