A Novel Whiteheadean Science Program for 14-16 Year Olds in England and Wales

A novel “Whiteheadean” science program was initiated in England and Wales in September 2006. Following a critical House of Commons report in 2002, the government altered the National Curriculum targets and thus forced the Examination Boards to alter their specifications in order to come in line. Assessment at GCSE level (i.e., the 14-16 year cohort) was criticised for: a) failing to inspire students to continue with science, b) discouraging students from thinking for themselves, c) neglecting contemporary science, d) lacking flexibility, and e) making practical work into a tedious and dull activity. The British government has insisted that all pupils in state funded schools must know the names of some modern scientists and their work. They must discuss some current scientific problems. History and philosophy of science is included under the topic heading “How Science Works.” In Chemistry these objectives have destroyed the traditional linear top-down sequential approach of teaching into an approach based more closely on Whiteheadean lines (cf., the ideas expressed in The Aims of Education, 1926, Chapters 1-3).     

Role salience and anticipated work--family relations among young adults with and without hearing loss

This study examined the effect of hearing status on role salience and anticipated work-family relations among 101 unmarried young adults aged 20-33 years: 35 with hearing loss (19 hard of hearing and 16 deaf) and 66 hearing. Participants completed the Life Role Salience scale, anticipated conflictual relations scale, anticipated facilitory relations scale, and a background questionnaire. The deaf participants demonstrated a significantly higher level of commitment to work but anticipated the significantly lowest level of conflict. Hearing status was a significant variable in predicting anticipated conflictual relations among all participants. Mode of communication was a significant predictor of conflictual relations among the hearing loss group. Implications for theory and practice were discussed.     

A Review and Meta-Analysis Examining the Relationship of Music Content with Sex,Race, Priming,and Attitudes

This meta-analysis (k = 35, N = 11,629) examines the effect that listening to music, particularly popular music, has on consumers. Results demonstrate that listening to music generates an effect on listeners consistent with the content of the music (average r = .210, k = 35, N = 11,629). This effect was similar when considering survey research (r = .227) or experimental research (r = .265). The tenets of excitation transfer theory received some support, particularly when considering the effects of music as a priming material (r = .399), demonstrating the impact of music as a means of establishing mood, and ultimately the subsequent reactions of individuals. One conclusion is that efforts toward media literacy or education may prove far more productive than media content restrictions when attempting to curb potential undesirable media effects. Additional implications for policy and theory are discussed.     

CO2-Einsparpotenziale des Energietr?gers Erdgas

Zusammenfassung Angesichts der staatlichen Klimaschutzziele stellt sich die Frage, wie diese mit m?glichst geringer Beeintr?chtigung einer sicheren Versorgung zu günstigen Preisen erreichbar sind. Erdgas, das im Vergleich zu anderen fossilen Energietr?gern deutlich kohlenstoff?rmer ist und darüber hinaus bei der Verbrennung auch keine weiteren Schadstoffe emittiert, kann hier einen Beitrag leisten. Gegenw?rtig hat Erdgas für die Versorgung mit W?rme sowie bei der Erzeugung von Strom eine erhebliche Bedeutung, die zukünftig weiter wachsen wird. Anhand verschiedener Szenarien werden Prognosen zur weiteren Entwicklung von Erdgas und die Auswirkungen auf die CO₂-Emissionen angestellt. Es zeigt sich, dass der Anteil von Erdgas im Bereich der W?rmeversorgung von 46 % auf 56 % steigen wird. Durch ?nderung des Energiemix und Effizienzsteigerungen kann der CO₂-Aussto? für Raumw?rme daher bis 2020 um 8,3 % gesenkt werden. Für die Stromerzeugung werden alternative Szenarien berechnet. Beim derzeitigen Energiemix k?me es zu einer j?hrlichen Steigerung des CO₂-Aussto?es um 0,8 %. Würde Kohle komplett durch Gas ersetzt, k?nnte der CO₂-Aussto? j?hrlich um 1,9 % gesenkt werden.

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Given the governmental climate targets, the question arises how these targets can be achieved without affecting a secure and cheap energy supply. As natural gas causes less carbon emissions than any other fossil fuel it might be able to make a contribution in this regard. Currently, in the generation of heat and power natural gas plays a significant role, which will further increase in the future. Using several scenarios, we predict the development of the importance of natural gas and the consequences for carbon emissions. The calculations show that the share of natural gas for the supply of heat will increase from 46 % to 56 %. Efficiency increases together with changes in the structure of power generation can reduce heating-related carbon emissions by 8.3 % until 2020. For power generation, we calculate alternative scenarios. If the current structure of power generation is held constant, carbon emissions will increase by 0.8 % p.a. If instead natural gas completely replaces coal and lignite, the carbon emissions will be reduced by 1.9 % per year.

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Dieser Beitrag ist eine Kurzfassung der Studie „Wirtschaftsfaktor Erdgasbranche“, HWWI Policy Paper 1–3, Hamburg     

Conditions that enable effective feedback

ABSTRACT

Despite an increasing focus on assessment feedback, educators continue to find that simply replicating an effective feedback practice from one context does not guarantee success in the next. There is a growing recognition that the contextual factors surrounding successful practices need to be considered. This article reports on a large-scale mixed methods project and proposes 12 conditions that enable successful feedback in higher education. The conditions were distilled from seven rich case studies through multiple stages of thematic analysis, case comparison and reliability checking. The conditions were also evaluated by surveying senior leaders of Australian universities. These conditions highlight the importance of carefully designing feedback processes, along with the need for addressing capacity and culture for feedback. This helps to explain why there are such variances in effective feedback across contexts, and offers insight into how it may be achieved.     

Birthdates of medical school applicants

We determined if the “relative age” effect, wherein older students in an age cohort in early grades do better academically, extends to birthdates of applicants to medical schools, and if birthdates are related to the success of their applications. We examined birthdays of applicants from Michigan to Wayne State University’s School of Medicine, relative to December 1, the cut‐off date for eligibility to enter kindergarten in Michigan. Significantly fewer applicants ≤22 years of age were born in the three‐month period (September, October, November) immediately preceding the December 1 cut‐off date, but there was no statistically significant difference in the probability of their acceptance. We conclude that delayed entry to kindergarten influences applications for medical school acceptance, but does not affect the success of their applications.     

How can an understanding of cognitive style enable trainee teachers to have a better understanding of differentiation in the classroom?

The relationship between cognitive style and trainee teacher conceptions of differentiation was studied to develop appropriate scaffolding of their learning. 149 trainee teachers enrolled on 1 year postgraduate initial teacher education (ITE) programmes at two UK universities completed the Cognitive Style Index (Allinson and Hayes, Journal of Management Studies, 33(1):119–135, 1996; Hodgkinson and Sadler-Smith, Journal of Occupational and Organisational Psychology, 76(2):243–268, 2003) and a questionnaire exploring their understanding of differentiation, conceptions of learning and learning preferences. A stratified sample of these trainees was also interviewed to assess their understanding and prior knowledge of differentiation and learning styles and how they would plan for these in the classroom. Responses were coded using content analysis procedures. Cognitive style was found to impact on trainees’ conceptions of differentiation; for example, trainees demonstrating higher levels of analysis and intuition had a more developed understanding of differentiation than other cognitive styles. In relation to the findings, the use of a constructivist pedagogical tool: a Personal Learning Styles Pedagogy (Evans and Waring, Zhang & Sternberg (Eds.), Perspectives on the nature of intellectual styles, 2009) is presented to inform the reconceptualisation of ITE programmes. In so doing, the use of this tool addresses key issues raised in recent international policy debates concerning the necessary development of ITE for twenty-first century learner needs.