Comparison of Quebec and British teachers' beliefs about,training in and experience with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Abstract

This study compares belief patterns of teachers from Quebec and Britain about attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It also compares teacher training in ADHD in both countries, as well as their experience with students who have this disorder. The results indicate that: (1) teacher belief patterns about ADHD in Quebec and Britain are different, although teachers from both countries have predominant beliefs about ADHD that are of an allopathic medical nature; (2) British teachers have received less information on ADHD in their initial training than Quebec teachers; and (3) British teachers are contacted more often than Quebec teachers by doctors when they have a youngster using medication to treat ADHD in their classroom. Results are discussed from a sociological and an educational perspective.     

MultiMap: An Interactive Tool for Mathematical Experimentation

Abstract

This article describes a computer program, “Multi‐Map,” designed to introduce experimentation and exploration in the precollege mathematics curriculum. The central activity in MultiMap involves the creation of planar maps which may be applied interactively to graphical objects. The maps may be affine or nonlinear; and (among other activities) they can easily be edited, composed, or applied iteratively. We outline MultiMap's interface and basic functionality, describe a wide variety of exploratory mathematical activities that can be undertaken with the program, and present some observations on the use of MultiMap in the classroom.     

Closing the Achievement Gap in Disadvantaged Communities: Lessons from Successful Schools

Abstract

The fact that all children must attend school has characterised South Africa over the past two decades. While many schools are struggling to address this challenge, others have made strides and progress in closing the gap between groups. This article recounts how these secondary schools have been able to narrow the achievement gap and sustain their success over time. The three schools described here are all large public schools that serve disadvantaged communities in Mpumalanga, South Africa. Data was collected during meetings with the three schools which consisted of two rounds of focus group and one whole group session. These meetings helped the researcher to gather important information about each school’s characteristics, school change process, school climate, role of the curriculum and instructional practices in promoting learner achievement. While each of the participating schools has unique characteristics, a set of important common practices emerged.     

Computers in schools

He has been responsible for OECD publications in this area and has written many articles in this and other educational fields.     

An Epistemological Approach to French Syllabi on Human Origins during the 19th and 20th Centuries

This study focuses on how human origins were taught in the French Natural Sciences syllabuses of the 19th and 20th centuries. We evaluate the interval between the publication of scientific concepts and their emergence in syllabuses, i.e., didactic transposition delay (DTD), to determine how long it took for scientific findings pertaining to our topic to be introduced in teaching. Conceptions were categorised into four successive periods, each of which lasted approximately half a century. We showed that the DTD on human origins was influenced in each period by the conceptions of the curriculum developers, by the educational system and, more generally, by the socio-political context.     

The relationship between the school as a learning organisation and staff outcomes: A case study of Wales

Does the school as a learning organisation affect staff outcomes? This article examines the relationship between the school as a learning organisation and staff job satisfaction and the school's responsiveness to staff needs using a purposefully designed “Schools as Learning Organisations Survey” completed as part of an OECD study in Wales. A positive and significant relationship is found between the school as a learning organisation and both job satisfaction of staff—that is school leaders, teachers and teaching support staff—and the school's responsiveness to staff needs. The article proposes ways of realising these outcomes and identifies areas for further research. Policy makers, school staff and other stakeholders in education and other public sectors internationally can use these findings as supporting evidence in recommending people to develop their organisations into learning organisations, given the potential benefits for employees and the organisation at large.