Increase in retention of a taste aversion by weanling rats after a long interval

Weanling rats were tested for retention of an aversion to a novel flavor (chocolate milk) that had been conditioned as a single-element conditioned stimulus (CS) or in compound with a novel ambient odor (banana). The presence of the ambient odor during conditioning had no effect on flavor aversion shortly thereafter, confirming previous results. The flavor aversion observed 21 days after conditioning, however, was significantly stronger for pups conditioned with the single-element CS than for those given the flavor-odor compound as the CS. This retention effect was due to a surprisingincrease in the conditioned aversion observed 21 days after conditioning with the single-element CS. A second experiment confirmed this paradoxical increase in retention of the aversion to chocolate milk. This experiment also verified that no such increase occurred in retention of the conditioned aversion to a different flavor (saccharin), whether the initial aversion was strong or weak. The results may be explained in terms of generalized latent inhibition from consumption of mother’s milk.     

From the Washington to the Post-Washington Consensus: The influence of international agendas on education policy and practice in Malawi

Education is receiving ever-increasing priority in the post-Washington consensus era, which views education as both a means to and end of development. However, justification for the attention given to education continues to be centrally focused on the notion of human capital. By consequence, marketisation and privatisation of education are becoming increasingly significant. With the World Bank and WTO joining forces to create a vision for a 'global education industry', emphasis is placed on free trade in educational goods and services. The paper examines critically the implications of this international education agenda for developing countries, focusing on the experience of Malawi.     

Anti-bullying procedures for schools in Ireland: principals’ responses and perceptions

The role of the principal is imperative in creating a school climate that nurtures differences and equality at the same time. Policy and legislation in Ireland dictates the responsibility of school principals in preventing and intervening in issues relating to bullying. The current research investigates the extent to which principals consider the impact of bullying on their students and the strategies they take to combat it in their schools. We consider how principals respond to bullying and what supports they feel are missing for them to adhere to relevant policy. A sample of 918 principals from a range of schools across Ireland completed an online survey. The results demonstrated some positive actions by principals such as the provision of anti-bullying policies. However, they also document areas that need more action such as increased access to counsellors and appointing a specific staff member to deal with and tackle bullying in each school. Guidance from the Department of Education and Skills in Ireland on the development and provision of an anti-bullying programme is called for. Results are discussed in light of the current Anti-Bullying Procedures established by the Department of Education and Skills and the Action Plan for Bullying 2013.     

Resistance as method: unhappiness,group feeling,and the limits of participation in a digital storytelling workshop

This paper offers a narrative case study of Mirabel, one participant in a digital storytelling workshop for women who were newcomers to Canada, whose experience compelled me to rethink conceptualizations of participation in social justice-oriented, community-based participatory media projects. Drawing on the work of Sara Ahmed, I consider how Mirabel’s resistance to the ‘promise of happiness’ offered by the group was interpreted by others as a failure to participate. Conversely, I suggest that Mirabel’s experience and her digital story are generative for thinking about resistance as a method of participation and a political resource for the group. I argue that conceptualizations of participation should be complicated to include the kinds of agency demonstrated by participants like Mirabel who resist the norms of the digital storytelling workshop and group culture.     

A comparison of role concepts between public and parochial school teachers

This study seeks to determine if the same five bipolar factors that appear for the ideal role concepts of public school teachers also appear for parochial school teachers. Subjects included 185 teachers from a Catholic diocese. The data were factor analyzed by means of a principal axis analysis with varimax rotation. An analysis of variance was used to compare the factor analyses. The results indicated that parochial and public school teachers have similar factor structures. When comparing factor scores of the two groups, there were significant differences on several factors, indicating that parochial school teachers adopt a more facilitating role than do public school teachers.     

Science in the middle years

This paper uses information obtained from a group of primary teachers during their first year as teachers. It uses illustrations from their experience of induction to suggest some strategies that teachers and schools might consider if they wish to make the induction period one of opportunities to learn as well as to survive.