Interpretations of Independent Learning in the Early Years Interpre´tations de l'Apprentissage Inde´pendant dans le Secteur des Tre ¤ s Jeunes Enfants Interpretaciones del Aprendizaje Independiente en la Edad Infantil Temprana

There is currently widespread interest in fostering 'independent learning' among young children. This paper reports research concerned with ways in which teachers, parents and young children themselves perceive and interpret this notion and how these perceptions influence classroom practice and planning for children's learning in the first few years of schooling. The research used structured interviews with 48 children aged between 3 and 7 years in nursery, reception, Year 1 and Year 2 classes and self-completion questionnaires with their parents and teachers. The main findings suggest that children's abilities to think and act independently are underestimated by teachers, particularly children at the older end of the age range under study. Children were found to become more teacher dependent, rather than less, during the first few years in school. A tension emerged between teachers' intention to foster independence and the constraints of the social, organisational and curricular context of early years classrooms. Actuellement l'encouragement de l'apprentissage indépendant chez les jeunes enfants est d'un intérêt répandu. Cette étude se concerne des perceptions et des interprétations de cette notion de la part des enseignants, des parents et des enfants eux-mêmes, ainsi que les effets de ces perceptions sur le programme des activités en classe pendant les premières années scolaires. Les recherches consistent en des intervues avec 48 enfants âgés de 3 à 7 ans dans les classes maternelles, 'réception' et de la 1ère et 2e années. Les parents et les enseignants de ces enfants ont rempli individuellement des questionnaires. Les résultats principaux suggèrent que la capabilité des enfants d'apprendre et de se conduire indépendamment est sérieusement sous-estimée par leurs enseignants, en particulier chez les enfants dans le secteur le plus âgé des élèves étudiés. On a trouvé que les enfants deviennent plus, plutôt que moins, dépendants des adultes au cours des premières années scolaires. Une tension se développe entre les intentions des enseignants d'encourager l'indépendance et les contraintes imposées sur les classes des plus jeunes enfants par les neécessités de la société, de l'organisation de l'école et du programme d'études. Actualmente existe un interés amplio en fomentar el 'aprendizaje independiente' entre los niños pequeños. Este artículo presenta investigación referida a la manera en que profesores, padres y los mismos niños pequeños perciben e interpretan este concepto, y cómo esta percepción influye en la practica pedagógica y en el planeamiento para el aprendizaje de niños en los primeros años escolares. La investigación fue realizada a través de entrevistas estructuradas con 48 niños de 3 a 7 años de edad en guarderías, 'recepción', y los años 1ro y 2do y por medio de cuestionarios individuales a sus padres y profesores. Las conclusiones principales sugieren que las abilidades de los niños para pensar y actuar de manera independiente son subestimadas por sus profesores, particularmente en el caso de los niños en la edad mayor de la escala estudiada. Se encontróque, en vez de menos, los niños se volvían mas dependientes de los profesores en los primeros años escolares. Un conflicto surgióentre la intención de los profesores de estimular la independencia y las limitaciones del contexto social, organizativo y curricular de las clases de los primeros años.     

Book Reviews

Towards Electronic Journals: Realities for Scientists, Librarians and Publishers by Carol Tenopir and Donald W. King. Washington, DC: SLA Publishing, 2000 Science Editing and Information Management edited by Connie J. Manson. USA: Geoscience Information Society, 1999. Pp. 118. Paperback, $25.00. ISBN 0‐934485‐30‐5 Futurize Your Enterprise: Business Strategy in the Age of the E‐Customer by David Siegel. Chichester: Wiley, 1999. Hardback, £19.50, ISBN 0‐471‐357634 The Impact of Electronic Publishing on the Academic Community (the Wenner–Gren International Series, Volume 73) edited by I. Butterworth. London: Portland Press 1998, Pp. 191. Price £75. ISBN 1‐85578‐122‐0 University Library Spending on Books and Journals: A Major Concern by Peter Sowden. Available from CAPP at the Publishers Association (1 Kingsway, London WC2B 6XF)     

Beyond product: Materials development as a vehicle for professional growth

For several years in distance education settings, teaching‐learning specialists have collaborated with subject specialists to produce learning materials. In such partnerships, while a major focus has been on production per se, another outcome has been the professional development of the subject specialist. This paper reports on a collaborative project where the development of learning materials served as a vehicle for quite comprehensive professional development. This paper argues that such an approach, where product development and professional development are intertwined, is most effectively facilitated on a one‐to‐one basis where the specifics of the process are tailored to the needs of the subject specialist. Such collaborations are also most likely to be effective if grounded in strong theoretical principles. The case study reported here was founded on principles of action research.     

Common pressures,same results? Recent reforms in professional standards and competences in teacher education for secondary teachers in England,France and Germany

Over the last decade, the introduction of professional standards and competences in initial teacher education for secondary teachers in England, France and Germany has provided the cornerstone of education reform in all three countries. The precise number and specific content of a measurable set of skills for teachers have offered challenges for policy makers, teacher educators, student teachers and teachers alike. The concept of standardised teacher education feeds into the idea that there is some convergence towards a uniform teacher ideal. However, an examination of the skills required of teachers in each of the three countries in this study reveals distinct education systems where path divergence is more evident.     

Digital media as a reflective tool: creating appropriate spaces for students to become introspective

Global citizenship and competency development have become integral parts of political, economic and education discourses. This is particularly true in the USA, where higher education institutions are answering the global citizenship call through the promotion of short-term study abroad. Unfortunately, the ‘just do it’ analogy too often influences the ideology of study abroad, whereby simply providing students with an international experience is perceived to be sufficient in shaping global citizenship. Global citizenship, as an educational outcome, is optimally facilitated when educational experiences are married with appropriate pedagogy, including the shaping of subsequent understandings and actions with critical reflection. We postulate that reflective experiences can be further enhanced by meeting students on the platforms and forums where they live, communicate and already engage. Specifically, this communication, using the context of short-term study abroad programmes, will argue that: (1) critical reflection is an essential step to fostering global citizenship and (2) digital story telling (mobile pedagogy) can be a powerful tool for enriching the critical reflection process.     

Managing serious teacher misbehaviour

This article presents findings from a study of five head teachers who were responsible for the management of serious teacher misbehaviour (TMB) in England. In cases that included the downloading of extreme pornography on a school laptop and a sexual relationship with a pupil, the multiple impacts of TMB were potentially devastating to the well-being of pupils, staff and the reputation of the schools. The article highlights a number of strategies for managing serious TMB considered best practice by the head teachers as well as discussing other, more nuanced issues that accompany such cases including trust relations, the influence of gender and the difficulty of simultaneous immersion and detachment required of head teachers to effectively manage such cases.