Disordered eating and disordered schooling: what schools do to middle class girls

This paper focuses upon relationships barely explored in the sociology of education either in the UK or elsewhere that lie between the practices and processes of formal education and the aetiology (the ‘causations’) and development of eating disorders, specifically, anorexia nervosa (AN) in young women and girls. In so doing, it also touches on other relationships relatively under explored in the sociology of education, between formal education and ‘the middle class’. Our analyses point to the ways in which social trends outside schools relating to ‘the body’ and health generate and intersect with what we refer to as performance and perfection codes following Bernstein (2000 Bernstein B (2000) Pedagogy, symbolic control and identity (Boston, Rowman & Littlefield)  [Google Scholar]) and Evans and Davies (2004 Evans J Davies B (2004) The embodiment of consciousness: Bernstein, health and schooling in: J. Evans, B. Davies & J. Wright (Eds) Body, knowledge and control: studies in the sociology of physical education and health (London, Routledge/Falmer)  [Google Scholar]). These create conditions of school work that, while increasingly difficult for many students, may be deeply damaging to the identities and health of the vulnerable few, especially if they coincide with other problematic features of their lives. Our request, as articulated through the voices of the young people in our study, is for greater understanding of the ways in which formal education and schooling may be implicated in the production of disordered eating and ill‐health. Such understanding might better equip teachers and others to help young people, irrespective of their class and cultural background, avoid falling prey to conditions that may damage or even potentially destroy their young lives.     

Understanding teacher morale and job satisfaction

This article contributes to the study of teacher morale and job satisfaction. It presents, as a case study, findings of the author's research into staff morale and job satisfaction at an English Primary school. The effects on individual teachers of prevailing, context-specific circumstances and of specific events are described, highlighting the importance, as morale and job satisfaction determinants, of factors such as leadership and individuals' professionality orientations, relative perspectives and realistic expectations.     

International students of speech and language therapy in the UK: Choices about where to study and whether to return

The qualification leading to professional practice in speech and language therapy (SLT, also known as speech and language pathology) is not evenly available across the world. Geographic mobility and the availability of information are greater than at any other time in our history. Thus, initial SLT qualification courses in many countries are likely to have students from overseas among their intake. The professional nature of SLT programmes means that many aspects are culturally and linguistically bound. This may impact adversely on international students’ success on such courses. A study of all initial SLT qualifying courses in the UK was undertaken to identify the countries of origin of past and current international students, to explore the reasons behind their decision to study in the UK and to find out where and in what role they planned to work, or were already working, on qualification. Analysis of questionnaire and interview data revealed a wide variety of reasons for studying in the UK; linguistic, cultural, financial, and personal. The students come primarily from Europe, particularly Greece; but also from Asia; Africa and the Americas. Familiarity with English language and the perceived status of UK higher education, together with the related colonial and post-colonial links between the student’s country of origin and the UK, appear to have an impact on students’ decision to study in the UK. The short- and long-term employment plans of respondents are discussed, along with factors influencing decisions about whether to work in Britain, their home country or elsewhere.     

Exploring the Relationship between Cognitive Style and Teaching Style

To a great extent the nature of the relationship between the cognitive style of a student teacher and their predominant teaching style in the classroom has been ignored by educational research. This study used an opportunist sample of 84 trainee teachers studying for one year full time for a Post Graduate Certificate in Education, in a range of subject specialist areas, based at a single English university. Students' cognitive styles were assessed, and those with more extreme cognitive style scores were selected to participate in semi‐structured interviews. A subject specialist mentor had been assigned to each student; 77% (n=59) completed a questionnaire on their perceptions of the teaching style of their PGCE student. Statistically significant differences in approaches to learning and teaching were identified between the four cognitive styles. Gender differences were also noted with analytic‐verbaliser females adopting the most analytical style in the classroom and wholist‐imager males the most wholist style. Qualitative analysis identified differences in approach to teaching between the students with more extreme cognitive styles. Wholists were more sensitive than analytic students to situational factors such as the culture of the school, support from the mentor, and in their ability to accept criticism. Further research is recommended to verify such findings. In this respect, a longitudinal study focusing on changes in cognitive style and approach in the classroom could be fruitful. Consequently, universities need to adopt varied teaching and assessment tools varied in order to accommodate the continuum of cognitive styles.     

Do organisational commitments matter in teaching approaches among academics in elite universities in Beijing?

This research investigated the statistical predictive power of organisational commitments for academics’ teaching approaches. Participants were 268 academics working in six elite universities in Beijing, mainland China. Results showed that academics’ organisational commitments as measured by the Organisational Commitment Inventory significantly predicted their teaching approaches as assessed by the Approaches to Teaching Inventory – beyond gender, age, taught academic discipline, academic rank and type of institution. Limitations and theoretical contributions of the study are noted; and practical implications of the findings are discussed in relation to academics and university senior managers.     

Assessing the social and affective outcomes of inclusion

The systematic assessment of the social and affective outcomes of inclusion has been lagging behind the assessment of academic outcomes. This is particularly problematic in view of research evidence supporting concerns about peer rejection and bullying. In this article, Norah Frederickson and Elizabeth Simmonds, of University College London, and Lynda Evans and Chris Soulsby, from Foxwood Special School, report their evaluation of the social and affective outcomes of a special- mainstream school inclusion initiative that places particular emphasis on peer preparation. Measures completed by pupils were used to assess peer group inclusion, social behaviour, bullying and feelings of belonging at school. Results showed that pupils who had transferred from special to mainstream schools experienced positive social outcomes and none experienced peer group rejection. However, results were less positive for mainstream pupils with special educational needs and the authors discuss possibilities for development. Trends in peer reports of bullying suggest that there is no room for complacency and that ongoing monitoring is required.     

Making the transition to higher education in Hong Kong: a tale of two cohorts

The academic year 2012/13 marked a major milestone in the history of Hong Kong higher education as it witnessed the admission of two markedly different cohorts of Cantonese-speaking freshmen to the city’s English-medium universities: those embarking for the last time upon the traditional 3-year programme modelled on the British system of initial disciplinary specialisation and those commencing the new 4-year programme featuring an American-influenced first year of general education. This article presents the findings of a study which sought to compare the perceptions and experiences of the two cohorts on the challenging process of adjusting to the demands of university study. It was hypothesised that students in the 3-year cohort (3YC) would experience fewer difficulties adjusting to university learning and teaching than the 4-year cohort (4YC) as it was assumed that their A-level programme (years 12–13) placed greater emphasis on university-related skills, practices and habits of mind than the new senior-secondary curriculum (years 10–12). This hypothesis was tested by means of a survey completed by 1480 students at Hong Kong Polytechnic University towards the end of the academic year. The results largely support this hypothesis, although the evidence suggests that both cohorts had adjusted moderately well to university study by the end of the year. The results indicate that the principal difference between the two cohorts and the key to the 3YC’s smoother transition was their greater confidence and competence in English, which presumably stemmed from their extra year at school and the greater depth of the traditional sixth-form curriculum.     

Crime,Camping, and Fear: Developing High Impact Practices in Criminal Justice

High Impact Practices (HIPs) have been shown to increase critical thinking skills, student engagement, persistence, and GPA. Examples of HIPs include research experiences, collaborative projects, study abroad, and internships. One of the main characteristics of a HIP is the effort they require. This effort not only applies to the experience, but the development of the experience itself. In the fall of 2014, a HIP was utilized to provide criminal justice students an opportunity to engage in research and data collection. This paper will explore the logistics, best practices, benefits, and pitfalls of developing a high impact practice.     

“The True Story of Insy Winsy by A. Spider”

This paper investigates how the writing of some Year 6 children was influenced by exposure to the work of a contemporary author of children’s literature and through reading a variety of fairy stories, traditional tales, fables and nursery rhymes. Their growing awareness of the way in which story structures are constructed in particular genres resulted in some thought–provoking short stories which exhibited intertextual references linked to life experiences and to parts of other texts they had read.     

Multivariate analyses of performance in a DRL paradigm

Multivariate analyses were used to explore the interrelations between response measures used in a DRL-20 schedule. A principal components analysis revealed two major components which accounted for a majority of the variance in all measures. One component included responses, reinforcements, efficiency, and a decrease in short-latency interresponse times; it could be viewed as supporting the previous use of the construct inhibition in the interpretation of DRL results. The other component was primarily associated with increased responding in the first period in which reinforcement was available; it could be viewed as a measure of temporal discrimination. A discriminant function, with blocks of trials as the criterion, was used to obtain from IRT/OP data a single measure summarizing change in behavior as a function of experience. The discriminant function incorporated both of the above sources of variance. The findings indicate that currently used summary measures do not fully reflect changes that occur under the DRL schedule.