Becoming a Mathematics Teacher-Educator: Conceptualizing the Terrain Through Self-Reflective Analysis

My purpose in this article is to contribute tothe conceptualization of the complex terrainthat often is indiscriminately termedmathematics teacher educator development.Because this terrain is largely unresearched, Iinterweave experience fragments of my owndevelopment as a mathematics teacher educator,and reflective analysis of those fragments, asa tool to abstract notions of generalimplication. In particular, I postulate aframework consisting of four stages ofdevelopment that are distinguished by thedomain of activities one's reflections mayfocus on and the nature of those reflections.Drawing on this framework, I presentimplications for mathematics teacher educatordevelopment and for further research.     

Internationalisation of Business Education: Meaning and implementation

The internationalisation of business has been one of the most prominent features of the second half of the twentieth century, with its pace and breadth touching all elements of the value-adding network. In this environment, the higher education sector has been revising its aims and objectives to incorporate an international dimension to the skills and knowledge development of students. However, interpretation of the educational challenges posed by internationalisation in the form of guidelines that specify how the curriculum might be internationalised, is in its infancy. Despite early efforts, little work has been done to translate this trend into a developmental overview of curriculum delivery. This paper begins by synthesising the literature regarding globalisation, curriculum internationalisation and student learning in higher education. It seeks to bridge the gap between the aims of curriculum internationalisation and the subject curriculum. It applies well-accepted educational principles to the task by presenting a three-stage typology of business curriculum internationalisation. These stages are international awareness, international competence and international expertise. Directions for further research are also provided.     

Text memory: Recalling Twice,using different perspectives

Three hundred College students read a 760 word text under one of two instructed perspectives. After full recall, an additional recall (squeeze) was requested under either the same (unchanged) or the alternative perspective. The first recall confirmed earlier results: a strong bias towards perspective related ideas. The second recall yielded substantial additional material. It was expecially effective in recalling alternative perspective related ideas and this most markedly so if the instructions were to recall using the alternative perspective. These results confirm and complement the results of Anderson & Pichert (1978) in so far as it is both the chance of a second recall as well as the change in perspective that raises the amount of recalled material.     

How students use distance teaching materials: an institutional study

Despite the growth of distance education, little systematic knowledge is available concerning the ways in which students use the distance teaching materials provided to them. Using the diary as the data‐gathering instrument and a sample of twenty‐five students, answers were sought to several questions on the ways in which students use the materials, especially in relation to use of time, the range of materials consulted, the self‐assessment activities undertaken, and the sequence in which materials are studied. The results are summarised and discussed. While these have an interest specific to the Institute of Advanced Education at James Cook University, it is felt that they may also be of interest to the wider distance‐teaching community, since this was an A.S.P.ES.A.‐sponsored project.     

Curriculum-Based Measurement progress data: Effects of graph pattern on ease of interpretation

Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM) is a system for monitoring the progress of and evaluating instructional program effectiveness for students with learning difficulties. Although a large amount of research has been conducted on CBM, little has focused on the interpretation and use of the data for instructional decision-making, despite the fact that it is data use that leads to performance gains. In this study, we examine factors affecting the interpretation of CBM data. Specifically, we examine the effect of CBM graph patterns on ease of graph interpretation. Thirty college/university students completed a two-part study in which they viewed various slope-to-goal and slope-to-slope patterns of CBM-graphed data and answered decision-making questions. Response times and accuracy were measured. Results revealed that graph patterns differed in terms of ease of interpretation. Differences depended on the type of question. Implications for interpretation and use of CBM data for decision-making are discussed.     

Dimensions of effective interactive learning with telematics for distance education

Increasingly, telematics is being used for distance education in Australia. Two forms of telematics, audiographics and live interactive television, are described. Audiographics involves two telecommunications links, one which connects computers via modems and a second link which provides an audioconferencing medium through a normal telephone connection. Live interactive television involves the combination of a one-way television signal with a toll-free callback telephone enabling students to communicate directly with the teacher during program transmission. Research and evaluation studies indicate that the interactivity currently implemented via telematics is minimal and that it does not support higher-order cognition among students. In light of our investigations and contemporary cognitive learning theory, a number of dimensions of effective interactive learning with telematics are suggested: (a) collaboration, (b) generative learning, (c) contextual engagement, (d) personal autonomy, and (e) motivation. His research interests include instructional technologies and developing effective learning environments for open learning and distance education. His specialist areas include evaluating technology-rich learning environments, electronic user performance support systems and interactive learning systems.     

Research Circles: Supporting the Scholarship of Junior Faculty

This article describes and assesses “Research Circles” as a mechanism for enhancing faculty collegiality and research. Recently established on our campus, these circles, composed of three to four faculty members, have had a particularly powerful effect on the new faculty members' adjustment to their tenure track positions, especially since they entered a context that might otherwise have been challenging: a new interdisciplinary upper-division campus with high expectations for teaching excellence. Based on the end-of-year evaluations, journals, and focus groups, the co-authors described themes that emerged from their participation in these circles. Circle participation not only facilitated faculty writing throughout their first year, but it also fostered the development of an interdisciplinary community which nurtured creativity and risk taking in writing. All authors are currently teaching in Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences (IAS) at The University of Washington, Bothell (UWB). Except for Diane Gillespie, Professor and Associate Director of IAS, all other authors are Assistant Professors in IAS. Diane Gillespie received her Ph.D. in cultural and psychological studies in education from The University of Nebraska, Lincoln. Her interests include critical pedagogy, narrative psychology, and cultural diversity. Nives Dolšak received a joint Ph.D. in public policy and political science from Indiana University. Her interests include public policy, environmental policy, and international relations. Bruce Kochis, received his Ph.D. in Slavic languages & literatures at the University of Michigan. He focuses on global human rights policy, discourse analysis, and political theory. Ron Krabill received his Ph.D. in sociology and historical studies from New School for Social Research. His interests include comparative media, politics and social movements with a special emphasis on South Africa, as well as the study of peace, conflict, social justice, and human rights. Kari Lerum received her Ph.D. in sociology from The University of Washington. Her interests include culture, organizations, sexuality, qualitative methods, and visual studies. Anne Peterson received her Ph.D. from Washington University. Her interests include urban politics and policy and the distribution of natural resources at the local level. Elizabeth Thomas received her Ph.D. in psychology from The University of Illinois at Urbana—Champaign. Her interests include community-based resources for adolescent development, cultural psychology, and the social context of learning.     

The contribution of Aboriginal epistemologies to mathematics education in Australia: Exploring the silences

Epistemology is a conceptual template for how we think about the world, and the study of how we come to know the world around us. The world does not dictate unequivocally how to interpret it. This article will explore this position on the fluidity of epistemic constructs through two prominent philosophical perspectives, those being derived from the works of Ludwig Wittgenstein and Michael Foucault, respectively. These insights will be used to more deeply unfold the current situation for Aboriginal students within dominant approaches to mathematics curriculum in Australia, and the subsequent approaches to the inclusion of Aboriginal knowledge and epistemologies. It is suggested that the epistemic constructs most valued and thus credited as conveyors of ‘truth’, and therefore positioned as powerful forms of knowledge within dominant curriculum and education policy, are those derived from Western, Eurocentric origins. This privileging of particular epistemological constructs over others is reinforced unconsciously through the articulation of educational goals deemed most appropriate, or ‘socially just’, for the Aboriginal student population. The place of Aboriginal knowledge within such constructs is therefore reflective of broader ideation around the role of education within society and its failure to challenge existing structures of power and injustice.     

Socrates,discussion and moral education

For Socrates, as he appears in Plato's dialogues, the process of discussion is essential for preparing human beings to lead a moral life. Only through discussion, Socrates maintains, can we be led to an understanding of such concepts as wisdom, courage and justice. The author of this article believes that the Socratic notion of the moral value of discussion is still valid. In support of this view, he examines two recent works:Dialogues on Moral Education by John Wilson and Barbara Cowell, andMoral Education, Secular and Religious by John L. Elias. Finally, the author suggests how the Socratic concept of dialogue might be used in moral education today.

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Zusammenfassung Für Sokrates, wie er in Platos Dialogen erscheint, ist der Prozeß der Diskussion wesentlicher Bestandteil der Vorbereitung des Menschen auf ein moralisches Leben. Sokrates behauptet, daß wir nur durch Diskussion an ein Verständnis von Begriffen wie Weisheit, Mut und Gerechtigkeit herangeführt werden können. Der Autor dieses Artikels glaubt, daß der sokratische Begriff des moralischen Wertes der Diskussion immer noch Gültigkeit besitzt. Zur Unterstützung dieser These untersucht er zwei kürzlich erschienene Werke: Dialogues on Moral Education (Dialoge zu moralischer Bildung) von John Wilson und Barbara Cowell und Moral Education, Secular and Religious (Moralische Bildung, weltlich und geistlich) von John L. Elias. Zum Schluß unterbreitet der Autor Vorschläge, wie das sokratische Konzept des Dialogs heutzutage in der moralischen Erziehung Verwendung finden könnte.

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Resumen Para Sócrates, tal como se presenta en los diálogos platónicos, el proceso de discusión es fundamental en la preparación de los seres humanos para llevar una vida moral. Sócrates sostiene que sólo la discusión nos podrá guiar hacia el entendimiento de conceptos tales como sabiduría, valor y justicia. El autor de este artículo sostiene que la noción socrática del valor moral de la discusión sigue teniendo vigencia. Corroborando este punto de vista, examina dos obras recientes:Dialogues on Moral Education, de John Wilson y Barbara Cowell,y Moral education, Secular and Religious, de John L. Elias. Al finalizar, el autor sugiere la forma en la que el concepto socrático del diálogo podría aplicarse en la educación moral de nuestros días.

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Résumé Comme Platon l'transcrit dans ses dialogues, le processus de la discussion était pour Socrate essentiel dans la préparation des hommes à un mode de vie moral. Il insistait sur le fait que ce n'est qu'à travers la discussion que nous pouvons accéder à la compréhension de concepts tels que la sagesse, le courage ou la justice. L'auteur de cet article expose que la notion socratique de la valeur morale de la discussion est toujours valable. Pour soutenir ce point de vue, il analyse deux ouvrages récents:Dialogues on Moral Education de John Wilson et Barbara Cowell, etMoral Education, Secular and Religious de John L. Elias. L'auteur conclut en suggérant des formes d'application du concept socratique du dialogue dans l'éducation morale d'aujourd'hui.