The genesis of mentors’ professional and personal knowledge about teaching: perspectives from the Republic of Ireland

This study investigates the sources of mentors’ knowledge about teaching. A mixed-method research design combining quantitative and qualitative data collection methods was used to examine this area. The findings of the study suggest that: mentors’ knowledge about teaching is practice orientated and emerges from their professional experiences, their teaching skills, their pre-service teacher education and, to a considerable extent, from their own personal experiences. The authors argue that mentors require support to reflect on their early socialisation experiences and their attachment to practice-based experience as a source of professional knowledge, in this way they can better understand and carry out their role as mentors.     

Education and Welfare: Issues in Co-ordination and Co-operation

Allison and Von Wald (2010) highlight the substantial opportunities presented by expeditions to address the crucial topic of personal and social development. The present paper wishes to address the apparent oversight of transfer within such learning experiences. Issues that need to be addressed if the impact of transfer is to be optimised are exemplified using four categories, relating to both outcome and process considerations. Furthermore, it is argued that transfer should not be assumed, but rather carefully planned for and attended to as part of any curriculum or development activity. Consequently, facilitation of transfer outcomes by a leader may need to involve both transactional and transformational direction, in addition to consideration of environmental factors and the participants themselves.     

Development of an Instrument to Assess Student Opinions of the Quality of Distance Education Courses

This study describes the development of a learning process of genetic counseling and basic genetics using an e-learning model and its application to a group of psychologists in the state of Parana in southern Brazil. The aim was to analyze the impact on the increase of knowledge in the presented subjects and the possibility of applying this project on a larger scale. The results of two observations were compared. The observations consisted of scores on the same exams, applied before and after taking the course. Results indicated that the remote education process is indeed a viable alternative for genetic counseling education and is validated for application in large scale together with Centers for Family Health Care Assistance of the Brazilian Ministry of Health Care.     

Comparing effects of different writing activities on reading comprehension: A meta-analysis

The purposes of this review were to determine: (1) if different writing activities were more effective than others in improving students’ reading comprehension, and (2) if obtained differences among writing activities was related to how reading comprehension was measured? Meta-analysis was used to examine these questions across studies involving students in grades 1–12. Nineteen studies were located that met inclusion criteria, resulting in 4 writing activities comparisons with 4 or more studies per comparison: summary writing versus answering questions (k = 5), summary writing versus note taking (k = 7), answering questions versus note taking (k = 4), and answering questions versus extended writing activities (k = 6). Effect sizes calculated for each writing activities comparison indicated there were no statistically significant differences for any of these comparisons when effects were averaged over all reading comprehension measures, excluding treatment-inherent measures. However, statistically significant differences were found for two of the comparisons on specific measures. Extended writing enhanced reading comprehension better than question answering on measures where comprehension was assessed via an extended writing activity, whereas summary writing enhanced reading comprehension better than question answering on a free recall measure. The results provide limited support for the theoretical viewpoint that writing activities are differentially effective in improving reading comprehension based on how closely the writing activities are aligned with a particular measure.     

Science education and affect

Thought experiments are tools often used by physicists. Learning authentic physics then also means that students need to develop a familiarity with the reasoning processes of thought experiments. This study examines the nature of learning processes that involve communication about image‐based micro‐worlds in optics. The results of this study show that students’ investigations often have the structure of thought experiments. Thought experiments that use computer‐based microworlds are powerful because they capitalize on the human capability for imagery that allow learners to ‘see’ the physical processes and construct qualitative understandings. In this study, the structure of students’ activities as thought experiments arose from their collective efforts which started with the construction of an optics simulation. In the course of the activities, students’ understanding evolved from fragmented views of optical situations to system views that included multiple components. Collaborative thought experiments are therefore emergent phenomena, triggered by the events as a whole rather than being pre‐designed. In the course of the activities, students who participated in collective problem solving gradually adopted shared graphical representations and meanings.     

Changing over a project changing over: a project–research supervision as a conversation

Extracts from the written conversation between research student and supervisor show the nature of educative research supervision. The authors argue that researcher–supervisor relationships are methodological in nature as they shape and influence the people, the project and the field. Such relationships, which construct meanings, are complex. A conversational approach, spoken or written, with its freedom, spaces and power dynamics, provides possibilities for reflexivity and growth for all parties. This conversational freedom is illustrated in the structure of this text, as a dialogue to which the voice of the UK editor of this journal is added, constructing another layer to the conversation. As in conversation, the form and content of the text is messy and open to interpretation, yet its construction reflects the argument presented in the text. Supervision as conversation replaces then subverts the managerialist approach to research supervision and its carefully planned, linear route to a dissertation.     

Action Research on Hybrid Courses and their Online Communities

English: This article reviews a study conducted to establish the psychological basis for user responses to digital videoconferencing. Left and right brain laterality and the demographic factors of age and gender were examined as possible predictors of user response. Behavioural and affective responses were measured in a small group of distance learners (n=60). Affective measure ‘A’ concerned user perception of equipment functionality and usefulness, and the intention to repeat the experience, whilst behavioural measure ‘B’ examined anxiety level and self-consciousness. Significant differences were observed between age groups with older participants expressing greater satisfaction with functionality and less anxiety overall. A lesser effect was observed between males and females with the latter reporting higher satisfaction levels and lower anxiety with the technology. No significant difference between left and right brain lateralities was observed.

Francais: Cet article rend compte d'une étude conduite pour établir la base psychologique pour les résponses des étudiants à la vidéoconférence digitale. On a pris en compte la latéralité gauche et droite du cerveau et les facteurs démographiques d'âge et de sexe afin d'essayer de mieux prévoir les réactions des usageurs. Les réponses concerenant les attitudes et les réactions affectives ont été mesurées chez un group limité d'étudiants à distance (n=60). La mesure affective ‘A’ concernait la perception de la fonctionalité de l'équipement et de son utlité, ainsi que l'intention de répéter l'experiénce, tandis que les mesures d'attitude ‘B’ examinait le niveau d'anxieté et de conscience de soi. Des différences significatives ont été observées entre les groupes d'âge, les participants plus âgés exprimant davantage leur satisfaction de l'équipement et faisant preuve de moins d'anxiété en général. Un effet moindre a été observé entre les hommes et les fammes, ces dernières étant plus satisfaites et étant moins anxieuses devant la technologie. Aucune difference significative entre les latéralités droite et gauche n'a été observée.

Deutsch: In diesem beitrag wird uber eine studie berichtet, die zur herstellung einer psychologischen basis für nutzerreaktionen auf digitales videoconferencing diente. Linke und rechte hirnhälften und der demographische faktor bezüglich alter und geschlecht wurden als mögliche voreinstellungen für das nutzerverhalten untersucht. Das verhalten und affektive reaktionen wurden in kleinen gruppen (N=60) von distance-lernern gemessen: die affektive messung ‘A’ bezog sich auf nutzereinsicht in die ausstattungsfunktionalität und - nützlichkeit sowie die einstellung zu einer wiederholung des experiments, während die verhaltensmessung ‘B’ angstlevel und selbstbewusstsein untersuchte. Signifikante unterschiede wurden festgestellt bei gruppen mit älteren teilnehmern mit höherer zufriedenheitsrate bei der funktionalität und weniger angstüberschuss. Ein geringerer effekt wurde zwischen frauen und männern beobachtet, wobei die ersteren uber höhere zufriedenheit und geringerer technologieangst berichteten. Kein signifikanter unterschied wurde zwischen der linken und der rechten gehirnhälfte beobachtet.     

GCE performance of FE and sixth‐form college students

This study set out to examine and identify differences in GCE O/A‐level performance of a sample of further education and sixth‐form college students, employing selected biographical, intellectual and dispositional measures. The sample comprised 356 two‐year, full‐time students who entered further education and sixth‐form colleges immediately after completing their fifth‐form work in schools. The results show that taking account of students’ dispositional characteristics significantly increases the explained variation in attainment beyond that accounted for by intellectual ability and previous examination performance. Also indicated are significant differences in the factors associated with examination success; these are shown to be related to students who attend different types of institution. The findings would appear to have implications for current policies concerned with the educational provision for students in the 16‐19 age range.