The Uses and Misuses of Evaluation

Current research indicates that creativity in teaching can and should be enhanced in order to promote student learning. This article begins by stressing the importance of creativity in education and the ways in which creative teaching benefits students. Next, it addresses key points for better understanding classroom creativity by identifying common barriers that counteract or hinder teacher creativity. After identifying the characteristics of teachers who are considered creative educators, this article concludes with general recommendations, as well as specific strategies, for increasing the level of creative teaching in today's classrooms.     

Vedic metal and e-mediated space: a perspective from Singapore

This paper explores the local and transnational social linkages engendered among communities of practice from the production of cyberspace in the musical practice of a notable Singapore-based Extreme Metal group Rudra which they call Vedic metal. The significance of space in lived and living experiences of contemporary communities of practice is encapsulated in Lefebvre's writings, notably his triad of spatial concerns: spatial practice, representations of space and representational space. In the present context of Rudra, phenomena and practice of space via musical behaviour cannot avoid terms of reference such as technique and technology, particularly with the Internet as new mediated space. Technique, as skill acquisition of ‘instrumental techniques’, in conventions of practice and standards of excellence emerges as disciplined behaviour. But these techniques serve more as a/venues by which voices are en/abled towards what may be considered expressive ‘know-how’. From the case study of Rudra's cultural productions, therefore technology as ‘know-how’ cannot be understood merely as a function of musical and instrumental technique, but also as a function of the human capacity in intentional material action. Both practice-as-technique and practice-as-technology suggest that intentional materiality is amenable to observation and replicable elsewhere. Re/productivity of living space is therefore contingent upon other spaces of connectivity, albeit with varying degrees of strength contributing to their myriad activities.     

APPLYING BAKHTIN SCHOLARSHIP ON DISCOURSE IN EDUCATION: A CRITICAL REVIEW ESSAY

A bstract .  Recently, Bakhtinian philologists have charged scholars of education with misapplying Bakhtin's scholarship in their field. In this critical essay, Eugene Matusov reviews two recent edited collections relevant to this issue: Arnetha F. Ball and Sarah Warshauer Freedman's Bakhtinian Perspectives on Language, Literacy, and Learning and Bonny Norton and Kelleen Toohey's Critical Pedagogies and Language Learning . He uses these texts to consider whether Bakhtin has been misapplied in education, how and whether Bakhtin's literary scholarship can be useful for education, and how education can inform Bakhtinian scholarship. Matusov shows that the philologists' critique of educational scholars is grounded but unjustifiably all-encompassing. Finally, he problematizes whether Bakhtin's notions of dialogism and internally persuasive discourse are compatible with institutionalized education.     

Higher Education,College Degree Major,and Police Occupational Attitudes

Existing police research has produced mixed results regarding the benefits of college education on the outlooks of officers. In addressing many of the well-documented methodological concerns of prior research, the current study augments the existing police education-occupational attitudes literature by examining the impact of varying levels of education (i.e. high school, some college, and bachelor’s degree and higher) on officers’ job satisfaction, views of top management, and role orientation(s). In addition, among those with a bachelor’s degree, the relevance of degree major on officers’ occupational outlooks is assessed. Our results address and inform advocacy efforts to make college education a bona fide occupational qualification.     

Science and mathematics Advanced Placement exams: Growth and achievement over time

Rapid growth of Advanced Placement (AP) exams in the last 2 decades has been paralleled by national enthusiasm to promote availability and rigor of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Trends were examined in STEM AP to evaluate and compare growth and achievement. Analysis included individual STEM subjects and disaggregation by ethnicity. Analysis indicates growth in STEM AP was extraordinary but was slightly outmatched by non-AP subjects. Moreover, growth in STEM AP has been most pronounced among underrepresented minorities, even though their achievement has slightly declined. Interestingly, the proportion of students scoring at the lowest level grew steadily for all students from 1997 to 2010, yet this proportion was substantially less for Asian and White students compared to underrepresented minorities. Finally, it was found that achievement in most high-participation STEM subjects slightly decreased from 1998 to 2013, while achievement held steady or slightly increased in lower participation STEM AP subjects.     

What Makes a Good School Leadership Program? A Qualitative Study of the Lookstein Center Educational Leadership Advancement Initiative (ELAI)

How do educators become successful leaders? This qualitative study set out to learn more about The Lookstein Center ELAI program as well as mentoring and leadership training in general, with the hope of offering insights to other school leadership programs. The mentor-mentee relationship was seen to develop into a collaborative partnership, with the reflective relationships becoming enriching for both the mentor and mentee. The findings also emphasize the value of mentoring for midcareer educators. In addition, the importance of the cohort experience was stressed. Finally, unique to the ELAI program, location was viewed as a very influential aspect of this leadership training program for Jewish educators.     

Preference for the interval schedule following multiple variable-ratio yoked-variable-interval schedule training

Pigeons were studied on multiple variable-ratio yoked-variable-interval schedules in which components had equal rates of food reinforcement and appeared equally often on each of two keys. Interpolated between component changes on the final multiple schedule were 10-sec probes in which both schedule stimuli were present, one on each key. During multiple schedule training, variable-ratio response rates were greater than yoked-variable-interval rates; however, response rate differences in the components were not a function of the mean ratio value for the 40-to-320-ratio range studied. During the choice probes, subjects responded more to the stimulus associated with the interval schedule than to the one associated with the ratio schedule. It was concluded that pigeons prefer interval schedules over equal reinforcement rate ratio schedules, because the former generate fewer responses per reinforcement.     

Choice responding following multiple schedule training

Pigeons’ choice responding on 10-sec interpolated probes was studied after baseline training on multiple variable-interval variable-interval schedules of food reinforcement. Unreinforced choice following training with three different relative reinforcement rates (Experiment 1), with a 3-ply multiple schedule (Experiment 2), and with three different relative reinforcement durations (Experiment 3) was examined. Least squares lines were fit to choice relative response rate and schedule relative response rate as functions of training relative reinforcement rate; choice slope was significantly greater than schedule slope in all three experiments. This result is counter to the prediction of Herrnstein’s (1970) theory that these slopes should not differ. Luce’s (1959) theory also failed to account for the data. It was concluded that choice responding was controlled by both approach to the stimulus associated with the smaller mean interreinforcer interval or the longer duration, and avoidance of the other stimulus.