Access to numeracy: a case study

More and more pupils with learning difficulties are being taught in mainstream settings but how inclusive is the teaching they experience? In this illustrative case study, Ruth Germain, a teacher in a mainstream primary school, looks at how Paul, a pupil with Down's syndrome, is supported during 'dedicated numeracy time'. She examines the relationships between whole-class, group and individual teaching; the nature of the support Paul receives; and his educational and behavioural responses. The article closes with a call for further research into the implications for teaching and learning of the inclusion of pupils with learning difficulties in mainstream contexts.     

Universities,cultural identity,and democracy: Some Canada-China comparisons

This paper begins with some broad comparative reflections on the role of universities in Canada and China. While the two societies could hardly be more different, their modern universities came into being around the same historical period. Patterned on foreign models, they have nevertheless been expected to contribute to national cultural identity.The second part of the paper considers the link between universities, cultural identity, and democracy in an increasingly globalized world community, and illustrates ways in which academic co-operation between China and Canada have the potential to enhance democratization, if principles of autonomy and intellectual freedom can be instituted in an international context.The third part returns to the question of universities and national cultural identity, comparing the different ways in which scholars in the two countries have conceptualized this link, and suggesting areas where comparative research on universities in the two societies could be carried out.     

Teacher's in-Service Education: A Proposal for Turning Teachers Into Teacher-Researchers

The paper focuses on the contribution of action research to teachers' in-service education at elementary schools in the Rio de Janeiro local system of education, linking thought and action indissolubly. This involves inviting teachers and learners to question their own practice, in their own process of building up citizenship, while striving to recover their place in a society that limits and makes their social relations difficult. The development of action research at the Faculty of Education in Rio de Janeiro State University, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, has brought to light ethical, scientific and political questions in the school system.     

Evaluating e‐book platforms: Lessons from the e‐book accessibility audit

E‐books are a potential assistive technology, offering significant advantages over print books, and accessible materials are now a financial and legal necessity within UK academia. It is often difficult to find supplier information on accessibility, for example, whether files have been tagged for reading order or whether the interface has been tested with assistive technologies. Equally, library staff may lack confidence in identifying accessibility features, making it hard to promote them to students or demand them from suppliers. This article reports on a crowdsourced e‐book audit of 44 e‐book platforms that was undertaken by 33 UK universities during 2016. The research scored different platforms for a range of accessibility issues, and the resulting open data set is presented in a manner that can be interrogated by libraries looking for specific features. A key finding was that the platform can dramatically affect the accessibility of a publisher's content, making it important for publishers to work with suitable vendors to disseminate their publications.     

Using computer animation and illustration activities to improve high school students' achievement in molecular genetics

Our main goal in this study was to determine whether the use of computer animation and illustration activities in high school can contribute to student achievement in molecular genetics. Three comparable groups of eleventh‐ and twelfth‐grade students participated: the control group (116 students) was taught in the traditional lecture format, whereas the experimental groups received instructions that integrated a computer animation (61 students) or illustration (71 students) activities. We used three research instruments: a multiple‐choice questionnaire; an open‐ended, written questionnaire; and personal interviews. Five of the multiple‐choice questions were also given to students before they received their genetics instruction (pretest). We found that students who participate in the experimental groups improved their knowledge in molecular genetics compared with the control group. However, the open‐ended questions revealed that the computer animation activity was significantly more effective than the illustration activity. On the basis of these findings, we conclude that it is advisable to use computer animations in molecular genetics, especially when teaching about dynamic processes; however, engaging students in illustration activities can still improve their achievement in comparison to traditional instruction. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 45: 273–292, 2008     

Staying with the text: the contribution of gender,achievement orientations,and interest to students’ performance on a literacy task

This study addresses concerns about boys’ underperformance on literacy tasks compared to girls, by investigating male and females students’ responses to narrative texts. Participants were 142 Grade 9 and 10 students. Achievement orientations, including goals, self‐efficacy, and self‐handicapping, were measured and approach and avoidance factors identified. Boys scored higher than girls on the avoidance factor. The task presented to participants involved reading sections from two narrative texts representing typically male or typically female reading interests. Interest ratings for the narrative text topics and interest levels while reading the texts were monitored, and students’ answers to multiple‐choice questions on text content recorded. Regression analyses confirmed that the influence of gender, achievement orientation, and on‐task text interest on reading performance varied with different patterns of task interest. The findings suggest that students’ achievement orientations and task interests are both important for understanding gender differences in students’ response to narrative texts.