Developing Resilience in Children Who are in Public Care: The educational psychology perspective

Significant adults who support and teach children are only too aware of the effects of adverse experiences on intellectual, social and personal development. Less easily predicted, however, is a small number of young people who, despite many negative experiences, seem to make a considerable success of their lives. In this paper, the intriguing notion of 'resilience' will be explored and some suggestions will be offered on how educational psychologists could use both the concept and the underpinning research to challenge current practice in childcare and education, and to generate strategies for carers and teachers that can enable them to enhance the resilience of vulnerable children and young people.     

Engagement in Academic Work: The Role of Learning Goals, Future Consequences, Pleasing Others, and Perceived Ability

Engagement in academic work was viewed from a multiple goals perspective. Two studies were conducted in which high school math students completed an instrument measuring five goals students might have for doing academic work (learning goals, performance goals, obtaining future consequences, pleasing the teacher, and pleasing the family), perceived math ability, self-regulatory activities, strategies (deep or shallow) used when studying for math, and the amount of effort and persistence expended on the class. Factor analysis indicated that the five goals scales and the perceived ability scale represented unique factors. The correlations among the variables revealed theoretically consistent interrelationships. Multiple regression analyses indicated that various goals (e.g., learning goals, obtaining future consequences, and pleasing the teacher), perceived ability, and some interactions accounted for significant amounts of variance in the task engagement measures (self-regulation, strategy use, effort, and persistence) and achievement. Results are discussed in relation to current theory and their practical implications.     

Project work in university mathematics education

This article discusses project work in university mathematics education. The practice perspective is obtained as students and teachers from Aalborg University share their experiences. A theoretical framework is introduced. It includes the following key-terms: Problem-centered studies, interdisciplinarity, participant-directed studies, and the exemplarity principle. The contrasting of this theoretical conception of project work with the practice shows that the original notion of project work has been modified as a consequence of its encounter with practice. The modification can be perceived as both a success and a failure. To discuss this, different perspectives on project work in mathematics are suggested.     

Techno‐pedagogy and the Conversational Learning Paradigm: Delivering the Curriculum at the Centre for Individual Language Learning

Techno‐pedagogy or the powerful combination of various technologies and pedagogy provides new opportunities to support a range of learning environments. This article describes how the Centre for Individual Language Learning (CILL) at Temasek Polytechnic in Singapore applies techno‐pedagogy to a conversational self‐organised learning (S‐O‐L) environment. The concept of S‐O‐L is explained in terms of conversational constractivist learning events within a social context. We also review the pedagogy of S‐O‐L in terms of delivering task management components within a learning organisation. We then show how the CILL facility functions as a self‐organised conversational learning environment with its adapted working model of S‐O‐L pedagogy. We then discuss the three key technologies available in CILL and explain how the integration of these three technologies provides for a conversational scaffolding learning environment that helps deliver the CILL curriculum. This pedagogic process facilitates in learners the development of independent learning skills through both collaborative and individualized language learning encounters that enables them to take increased responsibility for self‐organising their own learning in both school and the community. The article concludes by discussing the benefits of techno‐pedagogic solutions and how these have shaped learning within a self‐organised conversational learning environment at CILL.     

Teaching criteria that matter in university academic promotions

While many universities have taken steps to recognise teaching in academic promotions, debate continues on the teaching criteria to be used and their evaluation. This article analyses the 10 criteria that inform the evaluation of teaching and eventual promotion decisions at a South African university: rationale for teaching, teaching methods, postgraduate supervision, assessment, student evaluations, peer evaluations, ongoing study of higher education, developing courses, sharing teaching experiences and special recognition of teaching. The study investigated which criteria, if any, were significant in the overall evaluation of teaching and in academic promotion outcomes for different rank levels. The unexpected key finding was that each of the criteria demonstrated statistically significant correlations and differences with both teaching evaluations and promotion outcomes. While all 10 teaching criteria mattered in the evaluation of teaching and academic promotion outcomes, postgraduate supervision and sharing teaching experiences were especially important for those who were successful at the rank of full professor. A multidimensional approach that rigorously assesses multiple criteria in evaluating teaching at all rank levels, including the professoriate, contributes to its credence and currency in academic promotions. Analyses of actual assessments of teaching criteria and their relation to promotion outcomes can contribute to consensus on evaluating teaching.