From Aspiration to Action: A Learning Intentions Model to Promote Critical Engagement with Science in the Print-Based Media

Science programmes which prepare students to read critically and respond thoughtfully to science-based reports in the media could play an important role in promoting informed participation in the public debate about issues relating to science, technology and society. Evidence based guidance about the practice and pattern of use of science-based media in the classroom is limited. This study sought to identify learning intentions that teachers believe ought to underpin the development of programmes of study designed to achieve this end-result. Teachers’ views of knowledge, skills and attitudes required to engage critically with science-based news served as a basis for this study. Teachers developed a pedagogical model by selecting appropriate statements of learning intentions, grouping these into coherent and manageable themes and coding them according to perceived level of difficulty. The model is largely compatible with current curricular provision in the UK, highlights opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration and illustrates the developmental nature of the topic.     

Care practice #5: spontaneous pushing in upright or gravity-neutral positions

This updated edition of Care Practice Paper #5 presents the evidence for the benefits of spontaneous pushing in upright or gravity-neutral positions during labor. Various pushing positions and techniques are described, and the advantages and disadvantages are reviewed. Women are encouraged to push when and how their bodies tell them to and to choose the positions for birth that are the most comfortable.     

Parents sharing books with young deaf children in spoken english and in BSL: the common and diverse features of different language settings

Twelve parents of young deaf children were recorded sharing books with their deaf child--six from families using British Sign Language (BSL) and six from families using spoken English. Although all families were engaged in sharing books with their deaf child and concerned to promote literacy development, they approached the task differently and had different expectations in terms of outcome. The sign bilingual families concentrated on using the book to promote BSL development, engaging in discussion around the book but without referring to the text, whereas the spoken language families were focused on features of the text and less inclined to use the book to promote wider knowledge. Implications for early intervention and support are drawn from the data.     

THE EFFECT OF INTERVENTION ON ACCURACY OF STUDENTS’ RESPONSES AND REACTION TIMES TO GEOMETRY PROBLEMS

This study investigates the effect on student performance in drawing their attention to relevant task variables, focusing on accuracy of responses and reaction times. We chose this methodology in order to better understand how such interventions affect the reasoning process. The study employs a geometry task in which the irrelevant salient variable (area) interferes with the reasoning process related to perimeter comparison. We compared eighth graders’ performances in a pretest and a posttest, with or without intervention. The posttest results showed that raising students’ awareness of the relevant task variable activates effortful and time-consuming control mechanisms which help them overcome the interference of the irrelevant variable. The paper discusses the educational importance of helping students to attend selectively to relevant information in order to overcome interference, thus promoting logical reasoning.