The role of test stimuli in matching to compound samples by pigeons

Two pigeons matched to sample in a three-key operant conditioning chamber. In Experiment I, two different kinds of samples were presented on the center key.Element samples were members of one of two sample sets — colors (a red or blue disk) or lines (a vertical or horizontal orientation of a set of white lines). These samples were followed by their respective sample sets on the side keys as comparison stimuli.Compound samples consisted of a set of lines superimposed on a colored disk. Following these samples, either sample set could appear as comparison stimuli. Matching to compound samples was less accurate than matching to element samples. One interpretation is that sharing of attention among elements of a compound sample weakened stimulus control by each element. A different interpretation is that an element sample controlled matching better because it was physically identical to a comparison stimulus whereas a compound sample was not. Experiments II–IV evaluated this “generalization decrement” alternative by testing element- vs. compound sample control with both element and compound comparison stimuli. Irrelevant elements were added to form compound comparison stimuli, some of which were physically identical to a preceding compound sample, but never identical to an element sample. In all experiments, the addition of irrelevant elements of comparison stimuli reduced sample control. However, the generalization decrement hypothesis failed to predict how differences in performance maintained by element and compound samples were affected by different tests of sample control. Matching accuracy appeared to be independently determined by the number of elements in a sample and whether irrelevant elements were present during tests of sample control.     

Race and class silences in teacher education: resisting strategy-based approaches to literacy methods instruction

This article draws on qualitative and practitioner research methodologies to unpack one critical incident from an undergraduate literacy methods course in which possessing complex understandings of endemic poverty proved central to assessing student achievement. In particular, we use an example of a comprehension lesson based on the children’s book Leah’s Pony as a key example through which to consider the dangers inherent in teaching pre-service teachers to adopt strategies that seem universal and innocuous, like answering comprehension questions or filling in worksheets, outside of broader critiques of social class, racism, poverty and student positioning in schools.     

The effect of morphine preexposure on the acquisition of morphine-induced taste aversions: A nonassociative effect

In Experiment 1, the amount of time rats spent engaged in a range of behaviors was recorded immediately prior to and following the intraperitoneal administration of morphine sulfate (6 mg/kg) or distilled water. No behavioral differences were observed between these groups. In Experiment 2, preexposure to this low dose of morphine attenuated the subsequent acquisition of a morphine-induced taste aversion independent of the similarity of the preexposure and conditioning environments. These results with a dose of morphine that does not produce any behavioral effects, which in turn could potentially mask associative conditioning during preexposure, confirm that the attenuating effects of morphine preexposure on taste aversion learning are nonassociative.     

The development of semantic categories for addition and subtraction

Research conducted in several countries has shown consistent patterns of performance on change, combine and compare word problems involving addition and subtraction. This paper interprets these findings within a theoretical framework that emphasizes the development of empirical, logical and mathematical knowledge.     

The ability to label the letters of the alphabet at school entry: a discussion on its value

The article discusses the main findings of a research project into the development of reading in the first year of school. The research questions were addressed by: 1) assessing the range of literacy development exhibited by 191 children on entry to school; 2) identifying the entry skills that most reliably predict success in reading by the end of the first year of school; and 3) considering the extent to which reception teachers facilitate a mastery of literacy by both capitalising on, and teaching to, each pupil's prior knowledge. The findings from the data related to the first two research questions are the focus of this paper. The analyses showed that the ability to identify and label the letters of the alphabet and to write one's own name at school entry were the most powerful predictors of successful reading by the end of the year. Understandings of the conventions of print, although weaker, still had a positive relationship with reading, both at school entry and at the end of the reception year. An explanation of these findings is offered.     

Australian teachers voice their perceptions of the influences of stereotypes,mindsets and school structure on teachers’ expectations of Indigenous students

Research demonstrates that teachers’ expectations of students have long-term effects on students’ educational, occupational, health and well-being outcomes. In this Australian-based study, teachers were invited to explore the questions Do teachers have different expectations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students? Why/why not? The findings provide insight into how teachers perceive the expectations of other teachers in relation to Indigenous learners and highlight the underlying assumptions of those perceptions. Teachers also provide valuable insight into what they feel is needed to address these issues. Recommendations are made to enhance pre-service teacher education and professional development to better support those working with Indigenous learners.     

Technical documents as rhetorical agency

This research argues that documents can become intermediaries which affect the relationships between disparate groups. Through a critical analysis of materials distributed during an online protest, the author traces the life of a single technical document, simultaneously describing how it was described during deliberation between several groups. Marcusean critical theory and rhetorical criticism framed the analysis. It is suggested that certain documents act as a locus between otherwise unaffiliated groups and that those documents become agents who can mediate deliberation. Further, it is suggested that document analysis can become an important aspect for interpreting group relationships. Future research examining the agency of documents is suggested.     

Leadership, Learning and Systemic Reform

For three consecutive years, opinion polls in the US have placed education as the top national issue (USA Today, 1999). `Education, Education, Education' has been the personal mantra of UK Prime Minister Tony Blair. These responses are not unique, governments across the globe are engaged in the education reform business, motivated by a range of concerns. Drawing on the experience of a number of countries, this article explores the context for education reform, offering insights into the reform process and questioning some of the conventional orthodoxies about the nature of education change. The author argues that the structural reforms which have been the pre-occupation of governments over recent years have been limited in their impact because of their lack of connection to learning – teacher learning and student learning – and because of the ways in which policy-makers have embarked on the change voyage. She argues that governments need to move away from a compliance models of educational reform, towards an approach which reflects the aspirations of schools and communities, and which is supported by forms of leadership connected to learning.