Searching the literature on teaching strategies and approaches for pupils with special educational needs: knowledge production and synthesis

This paper considers the problems that were encountered in searching and using the literature (about practice) to answer questions about future directions for policy in teaching learners with special educational needs (SEN). It draws upon a recently completed scoping study on the effectiveness of different approaches and strategies used to teach pupils with a range of special educational needs ( Davis & Florian, 2004 ) which foregrounded issues of search strategy, knowledge organisation and synthesis. The paper argues that a literature review is historically, culturally and socially produced knowledge and is an important but limited piece of evidence. Guidance for undertaking a review of literature on teaching practice is offered.     

‘Tough love and tears’: learning doctoral writing in the sciences

Contemporary changes to the doctorate mean student researchers are likely to be expected to write differently, write more and more often, and yet, despite a growing interest in doctoral education, we still know relatively little about the teaching and learning practices of students and supervisors vis-a-vis doctoral writing. This paper draws from a research study into the writing experiences of higher degree students and their supervisors in one science, health and technology-based university Faculty. The study used surveys, interviews and focus groups to collect information from students and supervisors about their experiences of doctoral writing and their perceptions about its development. By attending to the writing-related pedagogical practices of supervisors, this article explores how doctoral writing can be the stage for the playing out of tensions over changing roles and identities aggravated by contemporary pressures on doctoral education.     

Lifelong Learning in Social Work Education: A Review of the Literature and Implications for the Future

Social workers practice in rapidly changing and complex environments where they encounter challenges that include increasing evidence-based practice requirements, a shifting information landscape, and diminishing workplace resources. To address these challenges, social workers need to engage in lifelong learning. The purpose of this article is to explore conceptual elements and assumptions underlying lifelong learning; propose social work specific approaches to lifelong learning; present a conceptual model to orient social work educators to the possibilities inherent in lifelong learning for practice, with inclusion of suggested practice behavior; and offer a research agenda for practice.     

Contrasting computer input devices for teaching children with severe learning difficulties to read

Many teachers make the assumption that CAL systems which use a touch screen are more effective for children with severe learning difficulties than those which use a concept keyboard. These two experiments look at which is more effective in helping these children to maintain a previously acquired sight vocabulary, and to learn new sight words. It was predicted that the touch screen would prove more effective because it places fewer information processing demands on pupils. Surprisingly, no difference was found between the two systems.     

The impact of L2 German on component processes of reading

Background

In Germany, there is a substantial gap in reading literacy between monolingual children and their L2‐speaking peers. Nevertheless, it is still unclear where these performance differences are rooted.

Methods

We investigated children of grades 5, 6 and 7 with comparable socio‐economic status, who completed a battery of tests assessing their linguistic and executive functioning skills as well as their reading performance on the letter, word, sentence and text level.

Results

Whereas L1 speakers showed better linguistic skills, there was no difference between groups in executive functioning. After controlling for individual differences on each level of reading, groups only differed in text comprehension. This effect, however, disappeared when participants' linguistic skills were additionally controlled.

Conclusions

In sum, results show that reading problems in L2 speakers cannot be attributed to deficits on specific component processes of reading, but to a lack of linguistic skills, which negatively affects reading comprehension.     

Understanding the intention to use interactive whiteboards: model development and testing

The effective use of an interactive whiteboard (IWB) in teacher-education institutions depends strongly on student teachers' intention of using it. Despite the recent surge in published research on the widespread applications for IWBs in teaching and learning, few have developed a model to elucidate the factors which influence student teachers' behavioural intentions (BIs) regarding the use of IWBs. The aim of this study was to develop a model which demonstrates the variables that affect student teachers' intentions and which also explain their interactions. The proposed research model is based on previous models of technology acceptance. Six variables (technology self-efficacy (TSE), performance expectancy (PE), effort expectancy (EE), social influence (SI), facilitating condition, and BI) were selected to build a model for this study. Structural equation modelling was used as the main technique for data analysis. The research model was found reliable and valid, the findings being based on a self-reported survey of 156 student teachers in Australia. Of the seven hypotheses which were formulated, five were supported by the findings. From the effect sizes, the dominant determinant of BI was found to be PE, this being followed by TSE, EE, and SI.     

Personal tutoring from the perspectives of tutors and tutees

Personal tutoring is considered to be an important support mechanism for students in higher education. However, the existing personal tutoring system at the British University in Egypt has needed for quite some time to be reviewed and improved as anecdotal evidence suggests that it is ineffective. This article therefore aims to identify the factors affecting the personal tutoring system at the university. Data were gathered from four sources: (1) a tutor questionnaire, (2) semi-structured interviews with personal tutors, (3) semi-structured interviews with teaching assistants, and (4) focus group meetings with students. The results indicated a number of factors affecting the personal tutoring system: the students’ lack of awareness of the system and personal tutor role, lack of contact and meetings between both parties, the ‘buy in’ of tutors and tutees, the qualities of the tutors, and the time taken to disseminate information on the system to tutees. It is recommended that the existing personal tutoring system be replaced with a personal tutoring unit within each faculty and that the university establish a central support system for students with learning disabilities and also a counselling service.