How technology for comprehension training can support conversation towards the joint construction of meaning

Two studies assessed the role of Separate Control of Shared Space (SCoSS) technology in supporting peer collaborative discussion and comprehension. We hypothesised that providing equitable shared input to two literacy tasks (both good predictors of comprehension skill) would support discussion to promote the joint construction of meaning, and hence individual progress. Study 1: 50 7–9‐year‐olds took a reading‐specific multiple classification (RMC) pre‐test, categorising words on two dimensions, before training on the task in pairs using SCoSS, dual‐control or individual technology. Discussion produced more accurate post‐test classification performance and SCoSS was associated with higher frequency of statements during training that combined both RMC dimensions (surface form and meaning of words). Study 2: 12 8–9‐year‐olds were pre‐tested on story recall and worked in pairs on a SCoSS‐supported story construction task, requiring collaborative inference‐making, hypothesis generation and selection. Post‐test story recall was predicted by the frequency of deductive causal statements during training. We discuss how technology can be used to promote collaboration and discussion that supports joint understanding and individual comprehension development.     

Management in the Public and Private Sector

This paper, drawing on a six-country study, summarises the pressures to change on organisations and managers in both public and private sectors. The differences and similarities between the experiences of managers in the two sectors are drawn out and some conclusions about the lessons each can learn from the other are suggested.     

Reconceptualizing perceptual development: The identification of some dimensions of spatial competence in young children

In this examination of young children's acquisition of geometric skills, spatial performances were conceptualized as specific combinations of actions applied within stimulus contexts. Since both actions and context can vary, a number of different combinations can be specified. In this study, the relationships among eight such combinations were examined and predicted patterns compared with observed ones. Fifty-four 3-, 4-, and 5-year-old children were presented with 24 geometric displays depicting a variety of geometric relations. Subjects were required to either match or recall the displays in both a reconstruction and a recognition task format thereby responding across different types of action demands. The geometric displays depicted information organized either around a single axis (horizontal or vertical) or around both axes, the variation in context. The results of a mixed design ANOVA revealed a good fit with the hypothesized predictions. The findings are discussed in terms of the development of spatial skills, information theory, and of skill generalization.     

Physical environment as a 3-D textbook: design and development of a prototype

The use of the physical environment as a three-dimensional (3-D) textbook is not a common practice in educational facilities design. Previous researches documented that little progress has been made to incorporate environmental education (EE) into architecture, especially among the conventional designers who are often constrained by the budget and building area requirements. This article presents an exploratory project to develop a prototype for the 3-D textbook. The author does not formulate ideas and concept based on the pre-determined specs in a design brief. Instead, the design solution evolved through a qualitative case study conducted at the Green School in Bali, Indonesia. Data were collected through a series of interviews and on-site observations. The qualitative findings uncovered four design features for the 3-D textbook. A prototype was subsequently developed using the design features as a blueprint. The prototype serves as a testing ground for new ideas as well as a platform to promote awareness and acceptance of the 3-D textbook among the practitioners. Consequently, this article attempted a significant proposition to bring together architecture and EE, thus potentially contributing to a field of knowledge that embraces design and education.     

Teaching in the Yukon: Exploring teachers’ efficacy beliefs,stress, and job satisfaction in a remote setting

This article presents a mixed methods examination of teachers’ job beliefs in the Yukon Territory in northern Canada. In Study 1 we used questionnaires to examine job beliefs for 221 teachers from the Yukon and western Canada. Teachers’ self- and collective efficacy and workload stress were lower for Yukon teachers, but levels of overall stress and satisfaction were similar across settings. In Study 2 we conducted interviews to examine how geographical, community, and cultural factors were related to Yukon teachers’ job beliefs. Results showed that job stress and job satisfaction were influenced by physical and human geography, level of connection with the community, and by the community's cultural transitions. The findings highlight the influence of cultural and community factors on teachers’ working lives.