Misoprostol-is more research needed?

Misoprostol (Cytotec) is a synthetic prostaglandin E1 analogue that was designed for the prevention and treatment of peptic ulcer associated with the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. In obstetrics, misoprostol has been administered for induction of first and second trimester abortion, for induction of labor in the third trimester, and to control postpartum hemorrhage. None of these uses has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Nevertheless, misoprostol is widely used in the United States and throughout the world. Advantages are cited as reduced rate of cesareans, shorter time from induction to birth and, particularly in developing countries, lower cost, oral, vaginal or rectal administration, and stability without refrigeration. Disadvantages are uterine hyperstimulation and, in rare instances, uterine rupture and death. Mothers should be informed of both the risks and the possible benefits of misoprostol. Further research with large samples is necessary to determine whether the risks outweigh any possible benefits.     

Making the transition to formal proof

This study examined the cognitive difficulties that university students experience in learning to do formal mathematical proofs. Two preliminary studies and the main study were conducted in undergraduate mathematics courses at the University of Georgia in 1989. The students in these courses were majoring in mathematics or mathematics education. The data were collected primarily through daily nonparticipant observation of class, tutorial sessions with the students, and interviews with the professor and the students. An inductive analysis of the data revealed three major sources of the students' difficulties: (a) concept understanding, (b) mathematical language and notation, and (c) getting started on a proof. Also, the students' perceptions of mathematics and proof influenced their proof writing. Their difficulties with concept understanding are discussed in terms of a concept-understanding scheme involving concept definitions, concept images, and concept usage. The other major sources of difficulty are discussed in relation to this scheme.This article is based on the author's doctoral dissertation completed in 1990 at the University of Georgia under the direction of Jeremy Kilpatrick.     

Learning from Texts and Visual Aids: a Developmental Perspective

The aims of this research were to investigate the ways in which students in primary and secondary schools process texts and accompanying visual aids and to ascertain any developmental patterns. Think-aloud protocols were gathered from 119 Grade 5, Grade 7 and Grade 9 students while they read and studied grade-appropriate History and Science materials which contained both text and visual aids (tables, diagrams). Analyses of the think-aloud protocols yielded over 50 different processes, subsumed under 10 major categories. While the History results showed no reliable grade differences in the 10 think-aloud categories, the Science results showed developmental differences. Older students demonstrated a more diverse array of strategies, and explicit linking of text and visual aid information was not as evident in the younger students. ANOVAs following cluster analyses showed weak relationships between cluster membership and outcomes. Implications for instruction are discussed.     

Cross-cultural “distance”, “friction” and “flow”: exploring the experiences of pre-service teachers on international practicum

The focus of this paper is to illustrate Australian regional pre-service teachers' perceptions of an international practicum: their cross-cultural understanding, notions of privilege and teacher/professional identity development. Findings indicate that there were three overlapping dimensions of cross-cultural understanding for pre-service teachers: distance, friction and flow. At times students acknowledged the value of their placement, yet indicated a lack of empathy and engagement with the culture visited. At other times there was clear frustration at the cultural differences, alongside a growth in awareness. The fullest dimension was where pre-service teachers and their students learnt from each other, signalling a sharing towards cross-cultural understanding. Implications of these findings aim to inform how international practicums are designed in the future, as well as signalling directions for further research relating to these border crossings.     

Pedagogy and possibility thinking in the early years

Connecting to current work in the area of creative pedagogies, this paper reports findings of an exploratory study that sought to identify what characterises possibility thinking in young children's learning experiences and how teachers’ pedagogical practice fosters this critical aspect of creativity. It focuses in particular on pedagogy, seeking to demonstrate how approaches adopted facilitated children's possibility thinking. Possibility thinking has been conceptualised as being central to creative learning although its role, as manifest in the learning engagement of children and the pedagogical strategies of practitioners has not been fully illuminated. The co-participative research team involved in this study comprised staff in an early childhood centre, in an infant and a primary school, working collaboratively with three university-based researchers. The 12-month long segment of a longer study employed various data collection methods including video-stimulated review (VSR) to facilitate reflection, critical conversations, classroom observation, interviews and examination of planning documents. The paper illuminates the perspectives and embedded values that the teachers expressed whilst reflecting upon their practice, and highlights common pedagogical themes, including the practice of ‘standing back’, profiling learner agency and creating time and space. Particular strategies were employed by each of the teachers. These approaches appeared to foster possibility thinking in young learners. In addition, the paper considers the development of the teachers’ thinking through the phases of the research process and presents a model for conceptualising a pedagogy of possibility thinking.     

Reciprocal Teaching of Comprehension‐fostering and Comprehension‐monitoring Activities with Ten Primary School Girls

Abstract This paper reports an experimental evaluation of a direct instruction procedure in which children are taught and practise activities to both foster and monitor their comprehension while reading. Three different class groups of low comprehenders, Standard 4, Form 1 and Form 2, were serially exposed to 21 days of 20‐25 minutes instruction in four study activities: summarising, questioning, clarifying and predicting. Instruction was by reciprocal teaching whereby the adult tutor and children took turns leading a dialogue centred around the important topics of the instructional text. The design of this study incorporated both with‐subjects multiple baseline and between‐subjects comparisons, the no treatment comparison groups being average and above average comprehending class peers. Daily comprehension assessment on a different text at the same difficulty level as that used for reciprocal teaching and pre and post intervention scores on a reading comprehension test served as the dependent measures for the study. Results show significant increases in accuracy on comprehension tests for all experimental groups upon introduction of the reciprocal teaching procedure. On completion of the intervention two of these groups scores matched those of the above average controls. Follow‐up probes eight weeks later showed that all groups had maintained their comprehension gains.     

Adopting birth philosophies to guide successful birth practices and outcomes

Research studies conducted recently in hospitals located in Switzerland and Canada reveal the importance of birth philosophies in attaining successful birth practices and outcomes.     

Immediate and long-term effects of a cognitive intervention on intelligence,self-regulation,and academic achievement

The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a package of activities, knows as “Portfolio”, on cognitive functioning, self-regulation, and academic achievement. The study was carried out with a group of 40 students from Compulsory Secondary Education (mean age 13 years old) during 12 hours distributed over two school years. A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest-1 and posttest-2 design was employed. Treatment consisted of the administration of specifically selected tasks, assessed in previous studies, from the psycho-pedagogical Instrumental Enrichment Program, the Philosophy for Children Program, and Project Intelligence. The students were evaluated in the criteria variables at the beginning and at the end of treatment, and once again two years later. The results indicate that the procedure was effective in all the variables studied and that gains observed at posttest-1 were maintained for at least two years after the intervention. Some relevant conclusions and suggestions at the educational and scientific level are commented upon.