Implementing Effective Group Work for Mathematical Achievement in Primary School Classrooms in Hong Kong

The Hong Kong Education Bureau recommends that primary school pupils’ mathematical achievement be enhanced via collaborative discussions engendered by group work. This pedagogic change may be hindered by Confucian heritage classroom practices and Western-dominated group work approaches that predominate in Hong Kong. To overcome these obstacles, we introduced a relational approach to group work in a quasi-experimental study. Our sample included 20 teachers randomly allocated to experimental (12) and control (8) conditions and their 504 mathematics pupils (aged 9–10). The relational approach focused on the development of peer relationships in a culturally appropriate manner and was implemented over 7 months. Pupils were pre-/post-tested for mathematical achievement and systematically observed, and the teachers were assessed for subject knowledge and pre-/post-tested for pedagogic efficacy. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) results show enhanced mathematical achievement, supported by improved peer-based communication skills and time-on-task for the experimental pupils. Experimental teachers raised their pedagogic efficacy. Results indicate the potential of the relational approach for boosting academic achievement via enhanced child-peer-teacher interaction and the need to reassess the role of peer-based latent collectivist learning in Confucian heritage classrooms.     

HIV/AIDS knowledge, attitudes, and risk-behaviors among African-American and Caribbean college women

The HIV/AIDS knowledge, attitudes, and sexualrisk-taking behaviors of a sample ofAfrican-American and Caribbean college wereinvestigated. The study also explored therelationship between the women's self-esteem,self-efficacy, sexual communication, andreligiosity and their HIV knowledge, attitudes,and risk behaviors. Findings revealed thatwhile both groups of women were fairlyknowledgeable about HIV/AIDS transmission andprevention, their sexual risk-taking behaviorswere still relatively high. TheAfrican-American women were more knowledgeableabout HIV/AIDS than were the Caribbean women. Also, the African-American women engaged insignificantly fewer sexual risk-takingbehaviors than their Caribbean femalecounterparts. No significant cultural groupdifferences emerged on attitudes towardHIV/AIDS as a disease, HIV infected persons,and AIDS-related issues. A number ofsignificant correlations were found. The studyconcludes that HIV/AIDS counseling andprevention approaches that are ethnic,cultural, and gender appropriate are vital forincreasing both cognitive and behavioralchanges in culturally diverse young women.     

Working with Muslims in Counselling—Identifying Sensitive Issues and Conflicting Philosophy

Islam is currently at the forefront of world news and the publicity it receives does not always reflect the reality which counsellors meet when working with Muslim clients. This paper proposes that in working with Muslim clients it is important to identify and avoid making false assumptions concerning Muslim beliefs, values and practices and in the process and content of counselling, to be acutely aware of issues and practices, which are sensitive, and to work within the boundaries which religious beliefs set. The final section attempts to identify some key areas of training for counsellors working with Muslim clients.This article is based on a talk given at the IAC (International Association for Counselling) Conference in Geneva in April 2003.     

Taking up the challenge of evidencing value in educational development: from theory to practice

Measurable targets, key performance indicators, value for money – whatever we may think of the ‘impact agenda’, it looks like it is here to stay. Are we trapped in a positivist, new managerialist spiral of demonstrating the value of our work, or can we take the lead in reframing the discourse on how educational development proves its worth? This paper suggests that how we gather and present evidence is currently not fit for the purpose of demonstrating the value of educational development to our institutions. The paper argues that reconceptualising ‘impact’ as ‘evidencing value’ could release us from inadequate or instrumental approaches to evaluation. Evidencing does involve measuring and evaluating, but it also acknowledges the role of judgement, experience, and contextual knowledge in determining what needs to be evaluated, and how. It allows us to reconfigure what can legitimately be included in our heterogeneous mix of evaluation data. Examples of frameworks which might support us in evidencing value are offered.     

Notebook computers as note-takers for handicapped students

This article is based on a study undertaken as an extension of our Phones for the Deaf programme. In the original programme, PC computers, linked by modems and null-modems, have been used very successfully as a means of communication between hearing-impaired persons and their hearing peers. In this study, the use of cable-linked computers has been extended into the classroom to provide an extremely effective note-taking system. This use of computer technology has proved to be both more efficient and at the same time far less intrusive than the conventional note-taker or signing systems. It provides at the same time complete participation within the class for the student and a hard-copy of the proceedings for later study.     

STRUCTURAL CONSTRAINTS ON GENDER EQUALITIES WITH REGARD TO UNIVERSITY CAREERS IN FINLAND

This article begins by recognizing that Finnish women, like those in the other Nordic countries, were admitted to universities relatively early. Although they now constitute some 52 percent of enrolled students in Finnish higher education and 47 percent of the labour force, they have lagged behind men in terms of obtaining academic employment and even more so with regard to being appointed to leadership positions in universities and in other academic organizations. A combination of factors accounts for this situation: the tendency to channel aspiring women academics into non‐scientific fields, the failure of women academics to be included in the informal professional networks, the deprecating attitudes of male academics towards the research results of women, and in general, a societal power structure which favours men. Finally, an economic climate which is leading to cutbacks in higher education budgets is creating a situation which makes catching up by women academics next to impossible. Only major structural changes in Finnish society will lead to further progress for Finnish women in academic careers.     

The effect of interactive engagement teaching on student understanding of introductory physics at the faculty of engineering,University of Surabaya,Indonesia

This study investigates the effect of a teaching method consisting of peer instruction, worksheets utilization, constructivist classroom dialogue and in‐class demonstration. These teaching elements are intended to promote the interactive engagement of first year undergraduate students in an introductory physics course. The conceptual understanding of students in the experimental classes was better than that of students in the control classes which received traditional lecturing. The students in the experimental classes expressed positive responses towards the activities conducted to involve them actively in the learning process. It is also revealed that students still possess a traditional paradigm of teaching–learning. Several suggestions are presented to improve the implementation of this teaching method.     

Improvisations around the National Literacy Strategy

This article is an account of how a group of Year 1 children (age 5/6 years) responded to and appropriated aspects of the National Literacy Strategy. In each of the three episodes of the account they worked with a different aspect of the Strategy. Displaying increasing literacy and collaborative skills they worked with consonant blends, alphabetical order and spelling. Led by a child who disliked the discourse of public display, the children collaborated over extended periods of time, transforming the style of the NLS to achieve their own literacy purposes and showing that the NLS is not the whole story when it comes to learning about literacy.     

Transfer of learning in Swedish technical vocational education: student experiences in the energy and industry programmes

One of the most important issues in vocational education is the interaction between learning at school and at different workplaces. Students need to transfer what they have learned in and between these different learning arenas. However, little agreement exists among researchers on how to conceptualise and empirically study transfer of learning. This article aims to enhance our understanding of this process in technical vocational education by adding a new perspective on transfer: the phenomenological lifeworld approach. Eleven interviews with students enrolled in the Energy and Industry programmes at a Swedish upper-secondary school were conducted. Three transfer themes emerged from the data: learning for new situations, variation and integration of theory and practice. The student perspective, based on the lifeworld approach shows that the different learning arenas – the school and workplaces – can complement each other. The learning arenas offer different opportunities for learning, and learning in both arenas is necessary in order to prepare for an unknown future, according to the students in this study.