Teaching through social conflict

The shift from preoperational thought to operativity entails the construction of the idea of necessity. The concrete operativity tasks, particularly conservation, are analyzed from this perspective. The Genevans always assigned a significant role to the child's interaction with others as a critical factor in the transition to operativity. The results from a broad class of conservation training studies that are based upon various kinds of social interaction are also analyzed from the perspective of their efficacy, fidelity to necessity, and implications for school instruction.     

Newton,Lynn (ed.). 2002. Teaching for Understanding Across the Primary Curriculum. Clevedon,UK: Multilingual Matters. 90 pp. ISBN 1-85350-596-9.

International Review of Education -     

The mother-infant relationship and infant attachment in a South African peri-urban settlement

A sample of 147 mother-infant dyads was recruited from a peri-urban settlement outside Cape Town and seen at 2- and 18-months postpartum. At 18 months, 61.9% of the infants were rated as securely attached (B); 4.1% as avoidant (A); 8.2% as resistant (C); and 25.8% disorganized (D). Postpartum depression at 2 months, and indices of poor parenting at both 2 and 18 months, were associated with insecure infant attachment. The critical 2-month predictor variables for insecure infant attachment were maternal intrusiveness and maternal remoteness, and early maternal depression. When concurrent maternal sensitivity was considered, the quality of the early mother-infant relationship remained important, but maternal depression was no longer predictive. Cross-cultural differences and consistencies in the development of attachment are discussed.     

Living in a world different from the one in which we think

ABSTRACT

The rise of populist nationalism in many parts of the world poses urgent challenges for higher education institutions. Normally zones of liberal values and reasoned argument as well as sources of expert information, constructive criticism and useful advice for societies, universities face increasing uncertainty as a result of political and popular attack in a wide range of countries. Doing nothing is probably not an option. The challenge facing higher education broadly is to understand and to respond effectively to a geopolitical and social reality that is qualitatively new and threatening. Effective response will require a degree of self-examination, a re-articulation of purpose and a reconfiguration of action across multiple domains of university life.     

Difficult‐to‐manage Students: a survey of children who fail to respond to student discipline strategies in government schools

Previous studies of discipline problems in junior primary and primary schools have indicated that the majority of behaviour management problems both inside and outside classrooms can be attributed to relatively small numbers of children who persist in difficult‐to‐manage behaviour. This study explored particular aspects of these children's behavioural characteristics, as reported from the results of a survey of principals from the majority of junior primary and primary schools in South Australia. The data summarised propose a tentative profile of these difficult‐to‐manage children, together with findings concerning the impact their behaviours have on the school staff. Suggestions are offered for more effectively meeting the demands and needs of these children.     

A comparison of a subject-specific and a general measure of critical thinking

The majority of studies reporting gains in college students’ critical thinking due to instructional process variables measured critical thinking with subject-specific questions rather than general or decontextualized questions. However, it is uncertain whether these gains were attributable to the use of subject-specific questions or to other distinctive aspects of these studies (e.g., methodological). The present study provides a direct, controlled comparison between general and subject-specific test questions in the context of a laboratory-based true experiment assessing the effect of higher order review questions on gains in critical thinking. A stronger effect was found when the tests of critical thinking contained questions that were subject-specific (e.g., introductory psychology) rather than questions that focused on general topics.