Children and objects: affection and infection

This paper considers young children’s (aged 3–5 years) relations with objects, and in particular objects that are brought from home to school. We begin by considering the place of objects within early years classrooms and their relationship to children’s education before considering why some objects are often separated from their owners on entry to the classroom. We suggest that the ‘arrest’ of objects is as a consequence of them being understood as ‘infecting’ specific perceptions or constructs of young children. We further suggest that a focus on the dichotomy between affection/infection for and of certain objects may offer new possibilities for seeing and engaging with children, thus expanding the narrow imaginaries of children that are coded in developmental psychology, UK early years education policy and classroom practice.     

Investigating shareable feedback tags for programming assignments

This article presents an investigation into the usage of shareable feedback tags as a way of delivering feedback to three different cohorts of programming students. A series of research questions are examined; these include investigating any perceived benefit from students using feedback tags and exploring how students interact with their feedback. Results indicate that students with both the lower and higher marks in a cohort are more likely to opt to share their feedback and programming work than students with mid-ranged marks. A variety of reasons, both for and against sharing, given by students are discussed. Six categories of student behaviour exhibited during interaction with their feedback have been identified in this article. This article has shown that feedback tags can be used successfully as a form of shareable feedback and that a number of future research possibilities exist that can extend this topic.     

Widening participation to doctoral education and research degrees: a research agenda for an emerging policy issue

Widening participation is on the political agenda but, to date, policy, practice and research has focused on undergraduate education. This article identifies an emerging widening participation focus on doctoral education. Using England as a case study, the article examines this development within the context of the long-standing concern with equity in education, before reviewing the relatively small literature addressing who participates (and why) in doctoral and more general postgraduate education. An analysis of Widening Participation Strategic Assessments produced in 2009 by 129 English Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) reveals an emergent institutional awareness of this new development. Finally, a research agenda for widening participation to research degrees, focusing on research students, HEIs and policy-makers, is outlined. The conclusion calls for this agenda to be pursued at institutional, national and cross-national levels so that future policy can be made and implemented on the basis of a robust evidence base.     

Oral presentation as a form of summative assessment in a master’s level PGCE module: the student perspective

This paper examines the student perception of oral examination on a pre-service teacher education course at the Institute of Education, University of London. Students are required to carry out a school-based project and to present their findings at master’s level to a group of peers and examiners. Initial student evaluations showed the experience to be overwhelmingly positive, yet the qualitative comments suggested there were negative emotions unrepresented in the quantitative data. This study reports on a more detailed evaluation completed by 254 students in the 2009–2010 cohort, which explored the tension between the positive overall student experience and the complex emotions involved. In examining the student perspective in greater depth, it became clear that the combination of a school-based enquiry and an assessed oral presentation created an authentic learning context. Although there were anxieties associated with presenting findings to an audience, students felt there was a constructive alignment between their learning and the mode of assessment and the process supported the students’ developing professional identity.     

Policy changes in post–school learning for people with disabilities and learning difficulties and the implications for practice

In this article Liz Maudslay argues that a strong infrastructure is required in the post–school sector if people with disabilities and learning difficulties are to benefit from the recent changes in post–school education. In her analysis of these legislative changes she considers the implications of issues such as transition, the place of specialist colleges, excluded groups and the role of multi–agency working.     

Young children at risk of literacy difficulties: factors predicting recovery from risk following phonologically based intervention

This longitudinal project identified young children at risk of literacy difficulties and asked why some of these children fail to benefit from phonologically based intervention. Reception class children were screened to identify a group at risk of literacy difficulties and a matched group of children not at risk. Profiles were compiled for each child including measures of reading, spelling, memory, rapid naming, vocabulary and phonological awareness. A daily, 15‐week, small group intervention was implemented with 67 at‐risk children. Those who had not made progress in their literacy following this intervention participated in a second, individually administered intervention. The results indicate that letter knowledge and expressive vocabulary are key factors mediating a child's ability to benefit from a phonologically based intervention. Findings are discussed in the context of a lexical restructuring account of the development of spoken word recognition.     

Landmarks in the professional and academic development of mid-career teacher educators

This paper focuses on the professional and academic development of mid-career teacher educators from two universities in England. The objectives of the study were to analyse and compare the career experiences of teacher educators; in particular, to identify stages of development, landmark events and contextual factors affecting professional learning and academic identities. In-depth biographical interviews were carried out with 12 teacher educators, together with living graphs of their career paths. Clear landmarks were identified in both contexts, with development in teaching seen as largely positive, while research development was much more varied. Teacher educators who were further on in their careers saw research development as transformative personally as well as academically. In analysing the findings within a sociocultural learning framework, the authors draw in particular on Swennen et al.’s model of teacher educators’ sub-identities, Akerlind’s categorisation of an academic identity and Eraut’s contextual and learning factors.