How teachers manage their work in inclusive classrooms

The aim of the study reported in this paper was to develop substantive theory regarding how teachers manage their classroom work when they are placed in the position of having a student with a severe or profound intellectual disability included in their class. The result was the theory of selective adaptation. The theory proposes that teachers can be classified as ‘technicians', ‘strategists', or ‘improvisers’ according to the extent to which they selectively adapt their classroom practices. Furthermore, there is a correspondence between the extent to which teachers selectively adapt their classroom work and the impact of inclusion on their lives.     

Do Morals Featured in Media Content Correspond with Moral Intuitions in Media Users?: A Test of the MIME in Two Cultures

ABSTRACT

The model of intuitive morality and exemplars (MIME) predicts that moral representations in media content can activate related moral intuitions in audiences, and that audience members in turn are influenced by their moral instincts to select content featuring corresponding moral values. This proposition was tested and confirmed in a two-phase study. Content analyses measured the frequency of moral domain representations in top-rated popular TV serials from India and the U.S., while an implicit measure (MF-AMP) gauged the strength of corresponding moral intuitions in viewers and non-viewers of these shows.     

Information Technology Courses in Teacher Education: the need for integration

ABSTRACT

Although computers have become common features of schools worldwide, their impact on education and learning has been far less than what could be expected from such a versatile and powerful technology. A significant deterrent has been teachers’ lack of skills and expertise with the new technologies but although computer education is increasingly becoming a significant component within teacher education programmes, this paper will argue that the direction and nature of the teaching and learning in many of these courses is counter‐productive and unable to provide the skills and expertise required from new teaching graduates. The paper posits that these skills can best be developed and achieved through instructional programmes in teacher education that mirror the models that student teachers will be required to embrace in their own classrooms. In order to achieve this, the IT component within teacher education must become an integral part of the programme.     

Examining charter student achievement effects across seven states

Since their inception, charter schools have been a lighting rod for controversy, with much of the debate revolving around their effectiveness in improving student achievement. Previous research has shown mixed results for student achievement; this could be the consequence of different policy environments or varying methodological approaches with differing assumptions across studies. In our analysis, we discuss these approaches and their assumptions and estimate charter school achievement effects using a consistent methodology across seven locations.     

Two decades of charter schools: Expectations,reality, and the future

The first charter school law was passed in Minnesota in 1991 and with it, a new school reform movement began. After two decades, 41 states and Washington D.C. have adopted charter legislation. This special issue provides an opportunity for scholars to reflect upon the promises and limitations of charter schools and to offer policy advice for those in a position to influence future reforms. Together, the papers within this special issue examine the achievement effects of charter schools, their cost effectiveness, the competitive pressure created by charter schools, the degree to which charter schools are innovative and how some of the operational and policy features of charter schools may affect outcomes.     

Longitudinal Goal Patterns and Their Effects on Students’ Motivation in Running Programs

In this study the authors examined longitudinal achievement goal patterns and their effects on students’ motivation and performance from the 5th to 6th grade in physical education running programs. In their 5th and 6th grade, 412 participants completed questionnaires assessing their task and ego orientations, expectancy beliefs, task values, and intentions for future participation in running. They also completed a timed 1-mile run. Results revealed low task/low ego, low task/high ego, high task/low ego, and high task/high ego remained stable as goal patterns across the 5th and 6th grade. The majority of students moved to more motivationally adaptive goal patterns over time.