Stimulated recall — An effective methodology for examining successful teaching in science

Previous research by the authors (Meade, McMeniman, Wilson, Kanes and Davey, 1991) indicated the effectiveness of the stimulated recall (SR) methodology for examining the knowledge bases underlying the classroom actions of effective teachers in secondary mathematics and science. This study investigates more fully the robustness of the SR technique with special reference to: (i) making explicit the implicit theories of teaching; and (ii) the ways in which teachers construe effective teaching and learning. It probes the teaching practices of one effective high school science teacher, and compares the findings to another such teacher from the 1991 study. The conclusions made are that despite its labour intensive and time consuming nature, SR is a useful methodology for gaining profound insight into the implicit theories and beliefs of teachers, and the relationship between beliefs and actions. In particular, these theories and beliefs mainly concentrate on general pedagogical knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge.     

Individual and Sociocultural Views of Learning in Science Education

In this paper we consider how theories of learning can inform the practice of scienceteaching in formal settings. We describe two broad strands of learning theory that havebeen drawn upon in science education, namely individual and sociocultural views. Weshow how aspects of both views can usefully inform our understanding of teaching andlearning science in formal settings. A perspective on science learning in formal settingsis presented which draws on and develops features of both individual and socioculturalviews, and the implications of this perspective on science learning for research and practice are discussed. The paper concludes with reflections on some of the recent critiques of so-called `constructivist views of learning' in the light of the perspective developed.     

‘Let Them Eat Caviar’: Alternative pathways for university students attending to ‘unfinished business’

This paper reports on a study into the educational experiences of a group of students who are accessing tertiary education through alternative entry programmes. There were three purposes for the study. The first was to identify why the students either did not finish school or go to university after school. The second was to explore the students' stated reasons for returning to university later in their lives. The third was to share the students' secondchance experiences in their first semester as university students. The study drew on theoretical ideas surrounding how students who reject school, or who have been rejected by school, may come to view education as unfinished business in their lives. Reconnection with education coincides with wider processes of individuals defining and redefining educational identities.     

Photography: Three Production Guides

George M. Craven, Oblect and Image: An Introduction to Photography (Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1975—$11.50)

Phil Davis, Photography (Dubuque, Iowa: Wm. C. Brown, 1975—$14.95/9.95)

Clifton C. Edom, Photojournalism: Principles and Practices (Dubuque, Iowa: Wm. C. Brown, 1976—$14.95)     

Assessing the Support Needs of Children with a Disability in Regular Classes

This paper reports the development of an instrument to assess the support needs of students with a disability in regular classes. The instrument was developed by a University-based research team on behalf of the New South Wales Department of Education and Training, and was used as the basis for providing funding support for over 12,000 students in the year 2000. The developmental process was robust in that it was based on three types of information: assessment approaches being used in other locations; expert judgement by Departmental officers; and statistical analyses of data obtained using an initial form of the instrument. Statistical analysis was based on a final form of the instrument consisting of 11 focus areas structured into three domains - physical needs, learning needs, and social needs of students. These domains had good construct and face validities and high score reliabilities.