How to respond to the demands set by the communicative approach? New challenges second‐language (L2) teachers face in the classroom

This study investigates prospective teachers' language needs in L2 teacher training programmes. A questionnaire was constructed and administered to a total of 79 first, second and third year students in the teaching training school at the University of the Balearic Islands (UIB). The questionnaire attempted to elicit student teachers' views on the following aspects: a) L2 teachers' qualities; b) Relevance of a Methodology, a Theory and a Language Improvement component in training courses; c) Perceived command of the English language and d) Potential use of English in future classes. The results confirm the value of including a Language Improvement component in teacher training courses to better meet the needs of future teachers and help them respond to the new demands set by the communicative approach. Results also suggest that a more balanced approach between both a Language Improvement and a Methodology component can play a crucial role in the successful implementation of the communicative approach in L2 contexts.

Ce travail étudie les besoins linguistiques des futurs professeurs de seconde langue dans les programmes des professeurs des écoles. Pour ce faire, un questionnaire a été élaboré et administré à un total de70 élèves de première, seconde et troisième année de formation des professeurs à l'Université des Îles Baléares.

Le questionaire aspirait à obtenir l'opinion des étudiants au sujet de: a) Qualités des professeurs de L2; b) Pertinence de la composante méthodologique, théorique, et de Formation Linguistique dans les curricula (programmes) de ces études; c) Perception de l'autorité de la langue anglaise et d) Utilisaton potentielle de la langue anglaise en classe dans le futur.

Les résultats confirment l'importance de l'inclusion d'une composante de Formation Linguistique dans le curricula des études de professeurs pour mieux répondre aux besoins des futurs professeurs et, en conséquence, les aider à s'adapter aux nouvelles exigences mises en place par l'approche communicative.

Les résultats suggèrent aussi qu'une approche plus équilibrée entre les composantes méthodologique et de Formation Linguistique peut jouer un rôle capital dans la mise en oeuvre de l'approche communicative dans le contexte de L2

Este estudio investiga las necesidades lingüísticas de los futuros profesores de segundas lenguas en los programas de formación del profesorado de primaria. Para ello se elaboró un cuestionario y se administró a un total de 70 alumnos de primer, segundo y tercer curso de magisterio en la Universitat de les Illes Balears. El cuestionario pretendía recoger la opinión de los estudiantes sobre los siguientes aspectos: a) cualidades del profesorado de segundas lenguas; b) relevancia del componente Metodológico, Teórico y de Formación Lingüística en los programas de formación del profesorado; c) presunto dominio de la lengua inglesa y d) uso potencial del inglés en clases futuras. Los resultados del estudio demuestran la importancia de incluir un componente de Formación Lingüística en los cursos de formación del profesorado de magisterio para poder responder mejor a las necesidades del futuro profesorado de primaria de modo que puedan enfrentarse a las nuevas exigencias planteadas por el enfoque comunicativo. Los resultados del estudio también sugieren que un balance equilibrado entre los componentes Metodológicos y de Formación Lingüística puede desempeñar un papel primordial en la implementación efectiva del enfoque comunicativo en el contexto de segundas lenguas.

In der folgenden Untersuchung werden die Sprachbedürfnisse der auszubildenden Fremdsprachenlehrer der Primarstufe ermittelt. Dafür wurde einen Fragekatalog entwickelt, der von 70 Studenten im ersten, zweiten und dritten Jahr des Lehrerstudiums an der Universität der Balearen ausgefüllt wurde. Das Ziel der Befragung war, die Meinung der Studenten über folgende Aspekte ihrer Ausbildung zu erfahren: a) Fähigkeiten der Fremdsprachenlehre; b) Bewertung der methodologischen, theoretischen und sprachlichen Inhalte in der Lehrerausbildung; c) Einschätzung über die Beherrschung des Englischen und d) Möglichkeiten über den Gebrauch des Englischen im zukünftigen Unterricht.

Die Ergebnisse der Studie zeigen die Notwendigkeit einer sprachlichen Weiterbildung der Lehrer während des Studiums, damit sie auf die zukünftigen Anforderungen der kommunikativen Methode in ihrer Lehrertätigkeit besser reagieren können.

Die Ergebnisse deuten auch darauf, dass das Gleichgewicht zwischen methodologischen Inhalten und sprachlicher Fortbildung eine zentralle Rolle in der effektiven Umsetzung der kommunikativen Methode im Fremdsprachenunterricht spielen kann.     

The limitations of retraction notices and the heroic acts of authors who correct the scholarly record: An analysis of retractions of papers published from 1975 to 2019

While researchers with retracted papers – publications that are withdrawn because of significant errors or scientific misconduct – carry a permanent stain on their publishing records, understanding the causes and initiators of such retractions can shed a different light on the matter. This paper, based on a random sample of 2,046 retracted papers, which were published between 1975 and 2019, extracted from Retraction Watch and the websites of major publishers, shows that 53% of the retraction notices do not specify who initiated the retraction. Nearly 10% of the retraction notes either omit or do not contain information related to reasons for retractions. Furthermore, most of the retracted papers in our sample have no limitation section; those who do are commonly unhelpful or irrelevant. The results carry three implications for scientific transparency: retraction notices need to be more informative; limitation sections ought to be a required and even an open section of all published articles; and finally, promoting ‘heroic acts’ in science can positively change the current publishing culture.     

Researchers' attitudes and perceptions towards data sharing and data reuse in the field of food science and technology

This work analyses the perception and practice of sharing, reusing, and facilitating access to research data in the field of food science and technology. The study involved the coordination of a focus group discussion and an online survey, to understand and evince the behaviour of researchers regarding data management in that field. Both the discussion group and the survey were performed with researchers from several institutes of the Spanish National Research Council. The lack of a data sharing culture, the fear of being scooped, and confusion between the concepts of the working plan and the data management plan were some of the issues that emerged in the focus group. Respondents' previous experience with sharing their research data has been mainly in the form of appendices to peer‐reviewed publications. From the survey (101 responses), the most important motivations for publishing research data were found to be facilitating the reproducibility of the research, increasing the likelihood of citations of the article, and compliance with funding body mandates. Legal constraints, intellectual property, data ownership, data rights, potential commercial exploitation, and misuse of data were the main barriers to publishing data as open data. Citation in publications, certification, compliance with standards, and the reputation of the data providers were the most relevant factors affecting the use of other researchers' data. Being recent or recently updated, well documented, with quality metadata and ease of access were the most valued attributes of open research data.     

Health sciences libraries in Germany: new directions

This feature is part of a series about medical library services in various countries. It gives an overview of the state of and selected current developments of medical library services to support research, education and clinical practice in Germany. Findings from an online survey and issues of access to health information are discussed in relation to the German health care system.J.M.     

The Project ‘Art for Learning Art’ in Contemporary Art Museums

Projection‐based augmented reality and virtual reality are used in a visual arts‐based educational project in contemporary art museums from an a/r/tographic perspective. The project ‘Art for Learning Art’ (in Spanish, Arte para aprender arte), at the Museo CajaGRANADA in Granada (Spain) has been developed in collaboration with the University of Granada since 2013. We have employed creative, educational and research methodologies inspired by exhibited works in art museums to encourage visual feedback of visitors participating in collaborative installations. Two such experiences also were produced at the Tate Liverpool Gallery and Museum in March 2018; utilising the methodology of mediation through projection‐based augmented reality and virtual reality, which introduces facets of visual and physical experience that alter the whole experience for the museum's public. By putting on virtual reality headsets, and playing with physical movements, we generate images and change the projections in the museum using projection‐based augmented reality to disrupt the way the public typically moves in the museum. The purpose of the developed interrelations with artworks in the Museo CajaGRANADA and the Tate Liverpool Gallery and Museum was to create collaborative digital images by playing with select artworks exhibited in the museums’ collections. We use this kind of mediation in art museums to develop a visual understanding to provoke learning about art through art creation in a contemporary way. The results are extraordinary as images; they are collaborative artworks, which connect visually with the artworks in the exhibition.     

Towards Good Practice in Community‐Based Arts Education in Hong Kong

Through the participation of local communities in the arts, Community‐Based Arts Education (CBAE) raises awareness of ecology and the environment, and also facilitates the search for and establishment of a socio‐cultural identity. It provides students with specific forms of experiential learning involving out‐of‐classroom experiences. Since 2003 the Education Bureau in Hong Kong has promoted learning arts in the community in an informal arts educational context. To suit the needs of CBAE, since 2011 the Leisure and Cultural Services Department has offered four successful community‐based arts educational schemes to local primary and secondary students. The aim of the schemes is to enrich students’ knowledge of arts and culture and strengthen their capacities to learn arts appreciation and criticism. Between 2011 and 2013, over 30,000 primary and secondary students participated in the schemes. This article reports on a study of the schemes which aimed to identify key elements of good practice in CBAE from students’ and teachers’ perspectives. In this larges‐cale study, a total of 15,430 students between Primary 1 and Secondary 6 (age 6 to 17) and 1,306 teachers who participated in the schemes were invited to take part in surveys and focus group interviews. The results show that the three central tenets of self‐determination theory, namely, competence, autonomy and relatedness, are the key elements of good practice in CBAE. It is hoped that the research findings will enrich existing knowledge of and provide a new research direction for CBAE.     

Benefits,Challenges, and Opportunities of Conducting a Collaborative Research Course in an International University Partnership: A Study Case Between Kansas State University and Tallinn University of Technology

A globalized world requires research to transcend geographical boundaries; this includes training students in international collaborative research. The purpose of this project was to identify the benefits, opportunities, and challenges of students from two universities (Kansas State Univ. and Tallin Univ. of Technology) working on an international research project together. For this purpose, six graduate students from the Center for Sensory Analysis and Consumer Behavior, Kansas State Univ., partnered with 20 Food Science major students from a Product Development class at Tallinn Univ. of Technology. Students worked together by distance in a partnership developing a rye bread sensory lexicon for systematically understanding the sensory properties of this product category, conducting Landscape analysis by using sensory mapping techniques on rye bread products from Northeast Europe for capturing the market complexity and to identify opportunity for new product development and new products concepts. Students from Kansas then went to Estonia for further meetings. After the trip, students and professors were asked for their feedback. Results showed that students identify learning food trends from another country as the main benefit of their international collaboration, followed by intercultural skills and knowledge transfer. Language and difference in time zones, as well as educational backgrounds, were identified by students as the main challenges of the collaboration. When US students were asked to rate the learning outcomes stated in the syllabus, understanding the cultural characteristics of Estonia was the one scored highest. Professors mentioned this opportunity is unique because it gives a cultural component programs usually not only an offer and a chance to develop time management skills by working across divergent time zones, but also to practice options for managing language barriers. This project shows that it is possible to setup a partnership between students across different countries and have a positive outcome that includes unique learning experiences for students; especially in terms of time and project management.