Evolution in Freedom? The Meanings of ‘Free School’ in Chile

This article examines the background in which enterprises called free schools, as well as complementary educational activities, have taken root in Chile. Two kinds of recently burgeoning free schools are identified; one supplementing regular schooling with a social justice focus, and another that is a fully fledged alternative to other schooling. The history of freedom itself in Chile is explored from a historical perspective, contrasting somewhat with freedom as it is understood in more developed countries. Parallels to Anglophone free schools such as AS Neill’s Summerhill are also discussed, as well as the sociopolitical context in which Chilean free schools continue to develop.     

Creating a dialogic environment for transformative science teaching practices: towards an inclusive education for science

Abstract

This paper focuses on the design and application of a teacher training strategy to promote the inclusive education of students with disabilities in the science classroom, through the creation of adult learning environments grounded on the principles of dialogic learning. Participants of the workshop proposal consisted of a group of twelve teachers who were working at various educational levels. Teacher teams proposed and implemented in their classroom, innovative, inclusive science-learning activities about a topic of their choice. Data were collected from interviews with teachers five months after the courses, teachers’ portfolios about their practice during implementation of such sequences, and researchers’ observations. The data suggest that it is possible to stimulate a gradual transformation of teaching practices through a teacher training proposal that promotes self-awareness and critical reflection, situated in the creation of meaning and a willingness to change in the spirit of solidarity and social action. We found elements to recommend the incorporation of these innovations at the curricular and practical level for teacher training schools and for in-service teacher development programmes in Mexico and elsewhere.     

Cognitive,Motivational, and Volitional Dimensions of Learning: An Empirical Test of a Hypothetical Model

The principal aim of this research is to contrast empirically a hypothetical model developed on the basis of the fundamental assumptions of current self-regulated learning models. In line with evaluation criteria of model fit, a high rate of congruence between the hypothesized theoretical model and the empirical data was observed. Analysis of the effects between the variables of the model revealed the following relevant aspects: students' predisposition to feel responsible for the results of their academic behavior (internal attribution) is related to positive self-image (academic self-concept), both being important conditions for development of learning-oriented motivation (learning goals). All of this involves selection and use of learning strategies for deep information processing (deep learning strategies), which leads students to assume responsibility with high levels of persistence, perseverance, and tenacity so as to achieve goals defined by the motivational orientation. This persistence and effort to achieve the proposed goals has in turn a positive and significant effect on academic achievement.     

A blended learning curriculum for training peer researchers to conduct community-based participatory research

Peer researchers (PRs) are research team members who share traits (e.g. gender, age, sexual orientation, diagnosis, income, housing situation, etc.) with study participants. Participatory methods and some fields (e.g. HIV/AIDS) expect PRs to be equitably involved in a project. Moreover, in Canada, there is a current impetus to include ‘the patient’ in health research. PRs often join a project without any formal research training, yet they are frequently tasked with suggesting appropriate language, recruiting participants, conducting interviews, administering surveys, analyzing data, and presenting findings. While there is literature on PR hiring, ethical considerations of PR engagement, and PR experiences, the methods of training PRs remain underreported. A blended learning curriculum (i.e. combination of webinars, didactic in-person presentation, filmed simulation, etc.), informed by the principles of action learning and the concept of reciprocity, has shown preliminary effectiveness in training PRs across two studies. This paper will present the curriculum, alongside exploratory evaluation results (n?=?7), with details on how the curriculum changed from one study to the next and how reciprocity between academic and peer researchers led to stronger collaborations.     

Investigating Image Formation with a Camera Obscura: a Study in Initial Primary Science Teacher Education

Research in Science Education - This article presents the results of a qualitative study aimed at determining the effectiveness of the camera obscura as a didactic tool to understand image...     

Practical Experience of Blended Mentoring in Higher Education

The need of a guided and supervised learning has become the cornerstone of the new model of higher education. One response to such need has been the introduction of mentoring programs to facilitate student learning and to provide guidance. In this way, the main aim of our study is to determine the extent to which the implementation of information technology (IT) into a traditional mentoring program, improves students’ global satisfaction, and therefore its effectiveness. A survey was conducted of program participants’ overall satisfaction with the mentoring and also with each of the activities carried out. We concluded that the inclusion of IT in a traditional (face-to-face) mentoring model increases overall student satisfaction with the program, and thus its effectiveness. The findings obtained can serve as a resource to clarify the importance of educational interventions in the field of student guidance, to design new mentoring programs and to improve existing ones.     

Parenting a Child with a Learning Disability: A Qualitative Approach

The present study describes experiences associated with parenting children diagnosed with learning disabilities. Parents whose children were diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, dyslexia/language problems, and Asperger syndrome, related to poor performance at school, took part in the study. A qualitative study design was implemented, using three focus groups. The data obtained were analysed following an inductive thematic approach. Five major themes were identified: parenting emotions, diagnosis and cause, daily experiences, social relationships and concerns about the future. The parents in this study experienced a range of emotions, and assigned different explanations to the learning disability, depending on the diagnosis (attention, verbal or non-verbal). Daily experience, both at home and at school, was influenced by the child’s specific impairment. All parents, independently of the diagnosis, believe a central role is played by social relationships and expressed concerns about their child’s future development. Emotional interventions targeting these parents should take these considerations into account and address the specific type of learning disability.     

Promoting Gypsy children's behavioural engagement and school success: Evidence from a four‐wave longitudinal study

Low schooling, high non‐attendance and school dropout rates are critical phenomena within disadvantaged groups, especially among the Gypsy community. For example, in the UK, 10%–25% of Gypsy children do not attend school regularly and have significantly higher levels of overall absence from school (percentage of half‐day sessions missed) than pupils from other ethnic groups. In Portugal, available data on Gypsy children is sparse, yet data from one geographic region of the country reports high school failure (45%) and dropout rates (15%) among this population. The present study assessed the efficacy of a four‐year intervention to promote Gypsy children's behavioural engagement and school success. Gypsy communities were contacted and 30 children participating in the four waves were randomly distributed into control and experimental groups. Every school day throughout four years, 16 children in the experimental group were called at home and invited to go to school. The effectiveness of the intervention was evaluated in four waves (at the end of each of the four school years), assessing behavioural engagement (i.e. school non‐attendance, classroom behaviour) and school achievement (i.e. mathematics achievement, student progression). Findings show the efficacy of the intervention on promoting behaviour engagement and academic success without devaluing Gypsy people's culture.     

Implementation of a project-based engineering school: increasing student motivation and relevant learning

The School of Engineering at Universidad Europea de Madrid (UEM) implemented, starting in the 2012–2013 period, a unified academic model based on project-based learning as the methodology used throughout the entire School. This model expects that every year, in each grade, all the students should participate in a capstone project integrating the contents and competencies of several courses. This paper presents the academic context under which this experience has been implemented, and a summary of the work done to design and implement the Project-Based Engineering School at the UEM. The steps followed, the structure used, some sample projects, as well as the difficulties and benefits of implementing the programme are discussed in this paper. The results are encouraging as students are more motivated and the initial set objectives were accomplished.     

‘We aren’t heroes,we’re survivors’: higher education as an opportunity for students with disabilities to reinvent an identity

The partial results of ongoing research in the ‘University Barriers and Aids Identified by Students with Disabilities’ Project are presented. This four-year study (2011–2014) was carried out by a University of Seville research team with lecturers from a variety of fields and areas of knowledge (Educational Sciences, Economics, Health Sciences and Experimental Sciences). The general aim was to discover, from listening to the students themselves, barriers and aids they identified as affecting access, academic performance and overall perception of their higher education experience. The biographical narrative method, which allows the participants to talk freely about themselves without silencing their subjectivity, was used. This information was acquired by data collection techniques, such as in-depth interviews, observations, photographs and interviews with key persons in the life of each student. A structural analysis was implemented using an inductive system of categories and codes included in the MaxODA10 data analysis program. This study revealed the most personal and private feelings of the participants as they discussed such things as their perception as students, identification of disabilities or their strategies for facing ‘adversities’. The discourse revealed higher education as a privileged scenario in which they are socially included and able to reinvent an identity that may have deteriorated during other stages of their education.