Doing justice to inclusion: a response to John Wilson

This study explored mainstream education teachers' perceptions of instructional adaptations in inclusive classrooms and its feasibility, effectiveness, and desirability of implementation. It was of particular interest to know how teachers of different grade levels would respond to such adaptations. Kindergarten (n = 16), elementary (n = 34), secondary (n = 26) and high school (n = 13) teachers rated the feasibility, effectiveness and desirability of 29 items on the Teaching Adaptation Scale. Results indicated a moderate teacher acceptance of instructional adaptations. Additionally, statistically significant differences between grade grouping (high school vs compulsory grades) surfaced. Findings are discussed in the light of needs of professional practice and significant reforms to improve curriculum preparation programmes.     

Trustees versus Directors,Whom Do They Serve? Boards,For‐Profits and the Public Good in the United States

Postsecondary education in the United States is provided by public, not‐for‐profit and for‐profit institutions. Public and not‐for‐profit institutions are expected to serve the public good due to state control or chartering requirements; for‐profit institutions are not. Therefore, the decision to serve the public good is vested in the board. The for‐profit director's role as representative of shareholders' interests does not ensure deference to the public good. Currently, national priorities are aligned with shareholder interests creating an environment ripe for expansion of for‐profit education. However, there are implications as national priorities shift to positions that do not complement shareholder interests. Most critically, continued growth of for‐profit postsecondary education may lead to a reduction of service of the public good by all institutions. Private institutions (not‐for‐profit or for‐profit) exist in every large country; therefore, a thorough analysis of the legal distinctions among sectors is encouraged to understand the implications of growth.     

Investigating teachers’ professional learning in an advanced Master’s degree programme

This study examined how multiple measures can be used to study experienced teachers’ learning. The study was conducted in an advanced Master’s degree programme, aligned with the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards in the United States. The programmatic features and key learning experiences found in the programme are described and connected to the multiple measures used to investigate teachers’ professional learning. Results of the study indicated that multiple measures can be used to examine a programme’s effects on teacher learning; prompted reflections can provide evidence of a programme’s influence on teacher thinking; and programme structure and content are important elements to consider when designing and assessing programmes for experienced teachers. This study also addresses how building a programme around measurable outcomes and then examining the results through multiple measures is an important link in understanding teacher learning.     

The perceived needs of support of parents and classroom teachers a comparison of needs in two microsystems

The aim of this study was to describe and compare from a systems perspective the perceived needs of parents and teachers of school-age children with intellectual impairments. The relationship between type and degree of impairment to perceived needs was analysed. Comparisons revealed that while the parents and teachers differed regarding their respective needs, they agreed on specific informational needs. It was found that certain child characteristics in interaction with contextual factors evoked specific needs within microsystem settings. Motor impairments tended to correlate with needs regarding family routines, and impairments in communication and behaviour tended to correlate with family informational needs. Teachers expressed significantly more and stronger needs than parents, and teachers who instructed according to a reading based curriculum expressed more and stronger needs than teachers who instructed according to a life-skills based curriculum. These findings are discussed, together with their implications for future research and changes in teacher education.     

Book reviews

Journal Publishing By Gillian Page, Robert Campbell and Jack Meadows, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997, 420 pp £35.00, ISBN: 0 521 44137 4 Small Publishers A–Z: The guide to good publishing By Daphne Macara, West Molesey: Pandor House Publications, 1997, 44pp £6.50, ISBN: 1 871248 03 5     

Levels of social complexity and dimensions of peer experiences in youth sport

We assessed young adolescent female soccer players' perceptions of their peer group experiences. Data were collected via interviews with 34 girls from two youth soccer teams (M age = 13.0 years). Following inductive discovery analysis, data were subjected to an interpretive theoretical analysis guided by a model of peer experiences (Rubin, Bukowski, & Parker, 2006). Five categories of peer experiences were identified across three levels of social complexity. At the interaction level players integrated new members into the team and learned to interact with different types of people. At the relationship level players learned about managing peer conflict. At the group level a structure of leadership emerged and players learned to work together. Findings demonstrated interfaces between peer interactions, relationships, and group processes while also simplifying some apparently complex systems that characterized peer experiences on the teams studied.