Inclusive Inquiry: Student–teacher dialogue as a means of promoting inclusion in schools

This article traces the development of Inclusive Inquiry, a new approach to the promotion of inclusion in schools. It explains how this builds on a programme of research carried out by the authors over a period of 20 years. Central to the approach is dialogue amongst teachers and their students about how to make lessons more inclusive. This involves children becoming researchers who learn how to use research techniques to gather the views of their classmates, as well as observing lessons. The approach was refined as a result of a 3-year action research study carried out with a network of eight secondary schools, in three European countries. It was then trialled in 30 primary schools, in five European countries. In each country a team of university researchers supported, recorded and analysed the action research as it occurred, using observations, interviews and surveys. The article provides an analysis of the impact on the thinking and practices of teachers, and on the attitudes and engagement of students in learning. It is argued that Inclusive Inquiry is an approach that facilitates dialogues that can lead to transformations of practices and thinking, and the development of inclusive schools. Some of the challenges involved in using the approach in schools are identified.     

THE CHANGING NATURE OF MUSEUMS

Abstract This informal essay explores the changes natural history and science museums may encounter as their purpose, foundation, and patronage evolve from this histroical era to the next. The historical circumstances—scientific, social, and economic—that brought forth the great museums of the world no longer exist. In their place is a new public context that shifts attention from museums whose business is objects to organizations whose business is information. At the same time, the economic‐survival mechanism of museums is shifting from grand philanthropy to innovative development programs and market‐sensitive commercial endeavors. Meeting the needs of the next generations of visitors and cultivating the next generation of funders will not be simple. Massive changes in the social fabric of the nation will soon demand new kinds of institutions that play new roles in society. Museums that meet this challenge will not simply be competing with other sectors of society for public attention and funds. Future success will require the fundamental reinvention of museums so that their purpose is obvious and their mission is clearly aligned with the needs of future generations.     

Understanding the influence of perceived fatigue on coordination during endurance running

ABSTRACT

During the course of a training programme, runners will typically increase running velocity and volume possibly encountering fatigue during a run, which is characterised as a feeling of general tiredness. The purpose of the current study was to identify whether or not level of perceived fatigue affects coordination and coordination variability in healthy runners during the recovery velocity of an endurance interval run. A total of 20 endurance runners completed a 1-hour run that included running velocity intervals at 75% of estimated 10 k race pace (5 minutes) and estimated 10 k race pace (1 minute). After each run, participants completed a fatigue questionnaire and were grouped based on their post-run self-reported perceived fatigue. 3D motion capture data were collected during the run and analysed to generate coordination patterns and variability of the patterns as dependent variables. Multiple mixed model ANOVAs were conducted to test for differences between perceived fatigue groups. Coordination and variability differences were reported in a number of couplings during transition phases (late and early stance) and events (toe-off and foot contact) of the gait cycle. It was concluded that the level of perceived fatigue affected coordination and coordination variability during the recovery velocity of a 1-hour interval run.     

The role of LEAs in developing inclusive policies and practices

Mel Ainscow and Peter Farrell (from the Faculty of Education, The University of Manchester), Dave Tweddle (Senior Assistant Education Officer, Oldham MBC) and George Malki (research assistant) report on the findings of their DfEE-funded study into LEAs' (local education authorities') policies andpractices on inclusion.     

Communicating variations of blackness: An intersectional trans and intersex Africana studies perspective

Courses: This unit is intended for courses that center inquiries in critical communications, including communications studies, Africana studies, ethnic studies, and women, gender, and sexuality studies.

Objectives: The purpose of this course is to illuminate silences around race, gender, and sexuality and interrogate absences in communication studies and other interdisciplinary fields. This course asserts an intersectional framework for radically inclusive pedagogies and centers voices often marginalized and discounted.     

The Development of a Discussion Rubric for Online Courses: Standardizing Expectations of Graduate Students in Online Scholarly Discussions

This paper reports on the design and evaluation of a rubric for assessing discussions in online graduate level education courses. The aims of the research were twofold. The first goal was to develop a discussion rubric that provides guidance to graduate students participating in online courses that are heavily discussion based. The second goal was to evaluate the efficacy of the rubric in student comfort with the expectations for the course and the quality of the discussions. Qualitative and quantitative course evaluations from four sections of an online graduate course are utilized to report on the effectiveness of the rubric upon implementation. Student average grades also show a statistically significant increase with the implementation of the rubric.     

Implementing community-based comprehensive sexuality education with high-risk youth in a conservative environment: lessons learned

Although comprehensive sexuality education programmes have the potential to improve the sexual health and well-being of young people, many socially conservative rural states in the USA have laws and policies restricting school-based comprehensive sexuality education and supporting abstinence-only education. This paper describes the process of building a community-university partnership to implement a community-based comprehensive sexuality education peer education programme for high-risk young people and presents preliminary findings from a longitudinal evaluation. Through purposive recruitment, the sample included 386 young people (mean age) who were more diverse than the local community. Important university-community partnership components included (1) establishing local connections and legitimacy, (2) adapting and tailoring programmes to meet community context, (3) sustainability planning, and (4) flexibility, persistence, and patience. Building community trust and capitalising on the mutual benefits of community-university partnerships are effective methods of building community sexuality education programming in a conservative environment. Tailoring evidence-based approaches to comprehensive sexuality education in a politically restrictive environment shows promise in improving the sexual and reproductive health of young people.