Social and cultural capital in educational research: issues of operationalisation and measurement

This article aims to contribute to the debate of how theoretical concepts can be operationalised when researching educational issues. Specifically, it examines the application of the concepts of social and cultural capital in empirical research seeking to provide explanations for educational processes relating to post‐secondary school choice making in contemporary Cyprus. The article argues that there are limitations in the various ways social and cultural capital are operationalised quantitatively in empirical research as often they do not capture adequately the full extent of the social dynamics that they draw attention to. Instead the use of qualitative methods where the researcher probes for details into the practices, habits, beliefs, and attitudes of individuals are seen as having powerful exploratory and explanatory potentials to address these limitations.     

Proofs through Exploration in Dynamic Geometry Environments

The recent development of powerful new technologies such as dynamic geometry software (DGS) with drag capability has made possible the continuous variation of geometric configurations and allows one to quickly and easily investigate whether particular conjectures are true or not. Because of the inductive nature of the DGS, the experimental-theoretical gap that exists in the acquisition and justification of geometrical knowledge becomes an important pedagogical concern. In this article we discuss the implications of the development of this new software for the teaching of proof and making proof meaningful to students. We describe how three prospective primary school teachers explored problems in geometry and how their constructions and conjectures led them see proofs in DGS. Constantinos Christou: Author for correspondence.     

Students' recording accuracy in the reciprocal and the self-check teaching styles in physical education

The aim of the study was to record students’ recording accuracy when they practised with the reciprocal and the self-check styles in physical education and examine whether recording accuracy contributed to students’ performance. Participants were 48 fifth- and sixth-grade students who were randomly assigned to 3 experimental groups (reciprocal style, self-check style, sequential use of the reciprocal and the self-check styles). The results showed that students were moderately accurate in peer- and self-recording with a tendency to overestimate their performance. No difference among the 3 experimental groups in recording accuracy was found. Students who received more accurate feedback outperformed in the chest pass test those who received less accurate feedback. The results are discussed with reference to the use of the reciprocal and the self-check styles and the development of self-regulated learning in physical education.     

Effort is virtuous: teacher preferences of pupil effort,ability and grading in physical education

Based on contemporary psychological approaches to attribution and emotions, this paper reports on three groups of pre‐ and inservice teachers and their preferences for different grading criteria for pupils based on the amount of effort and ability displayed in physical education. Consistent with our hypothesis derived from social psychological theories of social emotion, we found a clear preference for working with pupils who show effort. Two primary education student samples preferred students to achieve success in PE through effort rather than ability, whereas a sample of secondary PE teachers had a slight preference for high effort and high ability. This confirms other attributional research where ‘effort is virtuous’. As far as grading procedures were concerned, all three groups preferred to use pupil progress and effort the most. Scores on physical fitness tests and the performance of pupils relative to others were the least preferred options. Effort‐based grading procedures were correlated with a preference for pupils who showed high effort. All groups showed a preference to work with pupils who try hard and to grade them on this, as well as personal progress. There was little desire to assess pupils normatively.     

Religious education in Greece: a new curriculum,an old issue

Religious Education (RE) in Greece is a compulsory school subject according the 2011 new framework for compulsory education, entitled ‘New School’. This article focuses on two statutory documents for RE, ‘The Curriculum for RE’ and the ‘The Teacher’s Guide for RE’, and the pilot scheme of the new curriculum running in school years, 2011–2014, in 188 schools (primary and secondary education). Findings of the research demonstrate that, though the revision seems inevitable, the pedagogical and theological dimension of the RE curriculum is radical as it is based on contemporary theories and methodologies of the construction of the curriculum and RE approaches. However, the article indicates constructivist and critical approaches to RE that influenced the change to an actual non-confessional compulsory subject and also highlighted the tension between an overall constructivist approach to learning and the traditional orthodox content of much of the curriculum. The author opens a discussion on problematic aspects that need to be taken in to consideration when revising the curriculum.     

Widening participation in postgraduate studies in Greece: mature working women attending an e‐learning programme

This article examines issues relating to widening participation in postgraduate study programmes in Greece. It focuses on a group of mature women and examines their experiences from attending a novel postgraduate e‐learning programme at the University of the Aegean. It presents findings from a study, which looked into mature women’s decision to return to higher education in relation to their responsibilities stemming from marriage, motherhood, work and housework. In particular it examines how these women balanced their different and often conflicting roles, managing to operate within very tight time schedules and demands from their postgraduate studies. The findings of this study have policy implications for issues of equality of educational opportunities and participation in higher education in Greece and elsewhere.     

Assessment of student learning: the experience of two European institutions where outcomes-based assessment has been implemented

The programmes offered by both institutions are geared to the application of current technology. All the University of Derby programmes, including the BSc(Hons) degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering and the Higher Technical Institute Diploma in Electrical Engineering, are accredited in the UK at Incorporated Engineer level by the Institution of Incorporated Engineers. Both academic institutions have adopted outcomes-based assessment and this paper examines how this influences the assessment of student learning, and considers the experience gained from quite different approaches used to deliver a similar learning experience.     

Navigating Between National Religious/Confessional Ideology and Interreligiosity: The Case of Greek-Cypriot Teachers in Religious Education

This article examines what resources religious education teachers draw upon, in what ways, and under what conditions, to navigate between national religious/confessional ideology and interreligious values in education. The article is based on a year-long ethnographic research project on religious education in Greek-Cypriot schools. It shows the importance of teachers’ personal and professional biography, political affiliations, religiosity, the sociopolitical context of schools, and the wider society of Cyprus.