‘They’re True Stories? Yeah,No They’re Not’ Questions of Authenticity and Authority Raised by the Use of Comic Books to Represent Biblical Narratives in Religious Education

ABSTRACT

The affordances of the comic book medium facilitate individual, interpretive readings of narrative and as such challenge the notion of a single message or meaning. This article explores how secondary school students encounter and re-orientate themselves to personal concepts of religious and educational authority and authenticity as a consequence of reading a comic book biblical narrative in a Religious Education lesson. Through this encounter and dialogue with one another, they negotiate these concepts, the meanings of which are necessarily embedded in the social and are thus enabled to take a stance on competing truth claims. This article also considers the implications of rendering sacred texts as comic books.     

Assessing preschool number sense: skills demonstrated by children prior to school entry

Components of early number sense, as identified in two Delphi studies and in the number sense literature related to mathematics difficulties, were assessed for 176 children in preschools and childcare centres across one local government area in Sydney, Australia, using tasks or modifications of tasks reported in the number sense literature. In addition, the children’s receptive vocabulary was measured using The Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (third edition) and math reasoning was measured using Woodcock‐Johnson III Tests of Achievement. Although the children demonstrated a broad range of skills, there were no significant differences between children attending childcare and preschools for any of the measures. However, boys performed significantly better than girls in quantitative concepts and girls performed better than boys in subitising. In discussing the data, a comparison is made of the skills demonstrated by children and skills that were highlighted in the two Delphi studies and in the early number sense literature as being essential components of number sense prior to school entry. Implications for kindergarten mathematics curricula and approaches to the teaching of early number skills are discussed.     

As pliant as the bamboo: A grounded theory study of incarcerated Filipino elderly people’s sense of resiliency

The impact of prison upon incarcerated individuals is considerably destructive and may lead to low mental health resiliency. Despite a large body of literature on resiliency, little is known about the process that the elderly go through in developing resiliency in the penal setting—hence, this grounded theory investigation. The overall intent of this investigation is to describe the process by which older male adults develop resiliency while in prison. The study used a grounded theory design. To gather the needed data, a two-part research instrument that included a robotfoto and a semistructured interview was employed. A total of 25 incarcerated Filipino elderly in New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City, Philippines were purposively selected. Field text was subjected to thematic analysis following Corbin and Strauss coding procedure. Interestingly, this study yielded the Maze Theory of Resiliency, which describes the Filipino elderly’s road to achieving resiliency. Initially, they go through the sending up phase in which they feel condemnation and uncertainty. The sending off phase captures the moments in which prisoners show signs of optimism and readiness to experience life in their new environment. Lastly, the sending in phase, prisoners became accustomed to the dynamics of penal environment—thus, achieving their sense of resiliency. The emerged theory from this study could help nurses in the early recognition of psychological deterioration and in providing counseling services to the incarcerated elderly without any prejudice. And at the same time, the theory could help implement nursing interventions appropriate for each stage of resiliency.     

The impact of ICT initiatives in Scottish schools: cultural issues

At the beginning of a series of ICT initiatives in Scottish schools by the Scottish Executive and again, two years later, a survey of teachers and pupils provided evidence of the impact that these strategic investments had made on the classroom. The findings indicate that while there are innovative and enthusiastic teachers taking advantage of the opportunities afforded, a number of practical and cultural obstacles remained. While practical shortcomings, such as access to suitable hardware and software, might be fairly readily overcome if the financial will were there, the culture and practices of the school may prove more stubborn. The focus in this paper is on the views, hopes and expectations of the primary and secondary teachers who participated in the surveys and how they will influence the implementation of the ICT initiatives.

Au commencement d'une série d'initiatives de recherche sur l'utilisation de l'informatique dans les établissements scolaires écossais à l'initiative du ‘Scottish Executive‘, et, encore deux années plus tard, des sondages ont été réalisé au près des enseignants et des étudiants. Ces sondages ont montré l’impact que ces investissements financiers pour l’informatique ont fait dans les salles de classe. Les conclusions indiquent que bien qu'il y ait un nombre de professeurs innovateurs et enthousiastes qui profitent pleinement de ces chances, il reste pour certains autres des obstacles pratiques et culturels. Les obstacles pratiques, par exemple, l'accès à des logiciels et à des softwares appropriés, pourraient être assez facilement surmontés si des financements étaient disponibles. Par contre, les obstacles culturels et les détails pratiques dans certaines écoles pourraient être plus difficiles à surmonter. Cet article parle des opinions, des espoirs et des espérances des enseignants qui ont participé à ces sondages et de la façon dont ils influenceront la réalisation de ces initiatives par rapport à l'informatique.

Al principio de una serie de iniciativas de informática en escuelas escocesas por parte del gobierno autonómico escocés y una vez más, dos años después, una encuesta de maestros y alumnos proporcionó evidencia del impacto que estas inversiones estratégicas habían producido en el aula escolar. Los resultados indican que mientras los maestros más innovadores y entusiastas sacan provecho de las oportunidades ofrecidas, aún existen un número de obstáculos prácticos y culturales. Mientras que los problemas prácticos, tales como el acceso a software y hardware adecuados, pueden solucionarse en cierto modo con la ayuda económica adecuada, los aspectos culturales y prácticos de las escuelas pueden resultar más difíciles de solucionar. El enfoque de este ensayo está en las opiniones, esperanzas y expectativas de los profesores de primaria y secundaria que participaron en las encuestas, y en cómo van a influenciar la puesta en práctica de estas iniciativas informáticas.

Am Anfang einer Reihe von ICT Initiativen in schottischen Schulen durch die Scottish Executive (Scottische Regierung) und noch einmal 2 Jahre später erbrachten Untersuchungen von Lehern und Schülern den Nachweis der Bedeutung, die diese strategischen Investitionen in den Klassenräumen gemacht hatten. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass trotz innovativer und enthusiastischer Pädagogen, die die bereitgestellten Möglichkeiten vorteilhaft nutzten, eine Anzal von praktischen und kulturellen Hindernissen bestehen blieb. Während praktische Unzulänglichkeiten, wie die Bereitstellung geeigneter hard‐und software, relativ schnell überwunden werden können, wenn der finanzielle Wille vorhanden ist, erwiesen sich kulturelle Hindernisse und die Schulpraxis an sich als schwieriger zu verändern. Der Fokus dieses Papiers liegt auf den Ansichten, Hoffnungen und Ertwartungen der Primarstufen‐ und Sekundarstufenlehrer, die an den Untersuchungen teilnahmen und wie diese die Implementierung der ICT Initiativen beeinflussen.     

Self-paced learning with video for undergraduates: a multimedia Keller Plan

The Keller Plan for self-paced learning has been shown to be effective in enhancing learning, especially in basic science and mathematics, but it is little used nowadays. The author reports on its use with extensive electronic backup (25 half-hour videotapes, an interactive videodisc and computer delivered tutorials). He found that in this way improved examination marks can still be obtained while the amount of tutorial support can be reduced to an economic level.     

GERONTOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE AND ELDERLY HEALTH CARE SERVICES IN ALASKA: AGING IN THE LAST FRONTIER

The current research assessed Alaskan health and mental health care professionals’ perceptions regarding Alaska's elderly health care services as well as professional educational and training needs. Fifty‐four percent of community professionals sampled indicated that preexisting services in their community were not adequate to meet the needs of the elderly population. In addition, 55% indicated that the knowledge level of community professionals regarding the elderly and the aging process was insufficient and 51% believed they were not well educated in meeting the needs of Alaskan native elders. An overall 91.8% indicted that they were in need of further training in the field of aging and geriatrics. They noted in particular the lack of knowledge and training opportunities in mental health and Alzheimer's disease. The significance of these findings is discussed in terms of the broader social implications associated with meeting gerontological and geriatric education and training needs, as well as the specific education and training problems of Alaskan health care professionals in keeping up with the recent trend of “aging in the last frontier.”     

School Experience and Reflection: An On-Going Study of Teachers' Views and Students' Experience

Most teacher-education programmes aim to develop students into reflective practitioners who are independent learners with skills of critical analysis and evaluation. This article outlines preliminary evidence from a longitudinal study of teacher training at the University of Strathclyde where it is attempted to identify effective strategies, both within in-faculty and school experience components, for the development of those skills. Differences in support needed at different phases of placement are discussed and the variation in teachers' perceptions of their role, and the appropriate timing of skill development are explored. Résumé La plupart des programmes de formation d'enseignants visent à faire de leurs étudiants des praticiens réfléchis, "apprenants" indépendants dotés de la capacité critique d'analyse et d'évaluation. L'article trace les grands traits de cette évidence à partir d'une étude longitudinale de la formation des enseignants à l'Université de Strathclyde o[ugrave] nous tentons d'analyser des stratégies efficaces pour développer cette capacité, à la fois dans le cadre universitaire et dans la pratique pédagogique. Les différences dans le soutien nécessaire aux différentes phases de la mise en place sont étudiées et les variations de représentations de leur rôle par les enseignants ainsi que le rythme adéquat du développement de cette capacité sont analysées. (Traduction: Claude Carpentier, Sciences humaines et sociales, Université de Picardie Jules Verne, Amiens)     

THE DYNAMICS OF LEARNING SCIENCE IN EVERYDAY CONTEXTS: A CASE STUDY OF EVERYDAY SCIENCE CLASS IN KOREA

With recognition of the importance of scientific literacy for the nation and yet the increasing students’ disinterest in science through school science curriculum, the Korea Science Foundation launched an innovative program called ‘Everyday Science Class (ESC)’ in partnership with universities and local government offices in 2003. In this work, we introduce the structure and dynamics of the ESC program in K-district through examining (1) how everyday contexts helped learners’ perceptions and attitudes toward science and (2) how the dynamics of learning environments effected learners’ learning process. We employed interviews and video recording of classes for data collection. To analyze the data, we used the process of thematic coding to understand the outcomes and effects of ESC program. The research findings showed that everyday context and a unique environment of learning with parents in the ESC program could bring forth learners’ understandings on the connection between science and their everyday lives and positive attitudes toward science learning. We also found that there were certain issues to be taken into account in terms of children’s cognitive development for further development.     

Project stream: A 13‐year follow‐up of a pre‐college program for middle‐ and high‐school underrepresented gifted

This current, longitudinal study addresses two critical issues related to underrepresented gifted: identification and programming. As a follow‐up of minority and low‐income students identified as gifted in middle school, the study provides insight into the potential predictive value of specific gifted attributes on later academic performance: high‐school graduation, matriculation in an institution of higher learning, and completion of a college degree. Findings support the value of multiple forms of identification, specifically in problem‐solving, teacher identification of leadership ability, and grade point average. The study also evaluates the impact on academic outcomes of a long‐term, university/school pre‐college partnership program for middle‐ and senior‐high‐school underrepresented gifted. Results show a significant relationship between the level of student involvement in program activities and successful achievement of academic outcomes.