Boxing clever: using shoeboxes to support home–school knowledge exchange

A key tenet of the Home–School Knowledge Exchange Project is that children's learning will be enhanced if the knowledge and experience that are to be found both at home and in school can be brought together. In this paper we explore ways of connecting home and school to support literacy learning at Key Stage 1, focusing on the home‐to‐school direction. We discuss how shoeboxes, filled with children's artefacts, can support a range of literacy‐related activities in school. It is suggested that the extensive diversity of knowledge and interests reflected in the chosen objects presents teachers with an invaluable opportunity to personalise children's literacy learning.     

Purposes of education for young people with severe learning difficulties: exploring a vocational teaching resource – ‘A stepping stone to…’ what?

This article examines the purposes of education with a particular focus on young people with severe learning difficulties (SLD). The topic is explored with reference to a specific case, whereby some of the key findings of an evaluation of the first year of ‘The Greenside Studio’, an English special school’s vocational teaching resource for young people with SLD, are presented. A conceptualisation of different ‘sides’ to the Studio is discussed in relation to the purposes of education for these learners in which the view of vocational learning as a stepping stone to paid employment and independence is presented as problematic. With a broader interpretation of vocational education this stepping stone is reconfigured as a bridge to life after school, whatever form that takes. It is argued, however, that the nature of this life must be viewed aspirationally.     

The pedagogical benefits of enacting positive psychology practices through a student–faculty partnership approach to academic development

Academic development that supports the enactment of positive psychology practices through student–faculty pedagogical partnership can increase faculty confidence and capacity in their first year in a new institution. When student partners practice affirmation and encouragement of strengths-based growth, processes of faculty acclimation and self-authoring can be accelerated. This article presents a student–faculty pedagogical partnership program and positive psychology practices that focus on faculty strengths and capacities as the foundation for reinforcing and revising existing pedagogical strategies and for sustaining energy for continued development. It combines collaborative autoethnographic and comparative case study approaches to investigate the pedagogical benefits of these practices.     

Understanding the role of the Teaching Assistant: comparing the views of pupils with SEN and TAs within mainstream primary schools

The number of teaching assistants (TAs) in schools in the UK has risen in recent years, but there remains a lack of clarity about the roles being undertaken by these support staff. This article reports findings from a study investigating how the TA role is understood both by the pupils being supported and by TAs themselves. Eleven students with SEN were interviewed regarding the support received from TAs within school. Following this, the TAs were also interviewed and asked to explain how they viewed their main support role. The data suggest a difference in the understanding of the role between the two groups, with pupils primarily focused on academic support and TAs focusing instead on behavioural support. Implications for practice include the need to clarify the TA role to support consistency across settings, and the importance of ensuring that pupils with SEN are supported to understand the role of TAs within schools.     

Family background,subject specialization and occupational recruitment of Scottish university students: Some patterns and trends

University entrants from different social backgrounds tend to specialize in different subjects at university. Self-recruitment operates to a large extent in the ancient professions of medicine, dentistry and law, and few working class students enter these faculties. Self-recruitment of male students to engineering, business, farming and to a lesser extent teaching, is also evident. Working class university entrants frequently specialize in education or engineering. Comparisons with data from earlier years show little change since the 1930s in occupational recruitment patterns at Scottish universities.     

Cultural awareness training for New Zealand counsellors

Counsellors working in a multicultural society need special training if they are to meet the needs of culturally different clients. Consciousness raising, knowledge of other cultural groups and learning appropriate counselling skills are all essential components of this training. The main focus of such training, however, should be on acquiring cultural self-awareness. Knowledge of one's own cultural values, beliefs and assumptions are essential before effective interaction with persons from other cultures is possible. Training methods should concentrate on experiential learning and discussion. There should be provision for some interaction with members of other cultural groups.     

How to achieve accurate peer assessment for high value written assignments in a senior undergraduate course

The psychometric measures of accuracy, reliability and validity of peer assessment are critical qualities for its use as a supplement to instructor grading. In this study, we seek to determine which factors related to peer review are the most influential on these psychometric measures, with a primary focus on the accuracy of peer assessment or how closely peer-given grades match those of an instructor. We examine and rank the correlations of accuracy, reliability and validity with 17 quantitative and qualitative variables for three senior undergraduate courses that used peer assessment on high value written assignments. Based on these analyses, we altered the single most significant variable of one of the courses. We demonstrate that the number of reviews completed per reviewer has the greatest influence on the accuracy of peer assessment out of all the factors analysed. Our calculations suggest that six reviews must be completed per reviewer to achieve peer assessment that is no different from the grading of an instructor. Effective training, previous experience and strong academic abilities in the reviewers may reduce this number.     

E-learning in Chinese higher education: the view from inside

Despite the upsurge in interest in e-learning (or online learning) in Chinese higher education, little is known about the ways in which lecturers design and run their online courses, or about how they perceive e-learning. This paper reports the results of interviews with higher education teachers in China working in conventional, campus-based universities, concerning their conceptions and beliefs of e-learning. The interviews were analysed from a grounded theory perspective that gave rise to seven emerging themes, namely: the ‘centrality of the lecture’, ‘online cooperative learning’, ‘network learning’, ‘student learning’, ‘lecture plus online work’, ‘infrastructure and access’ and ‘professional development’. Discussion of these emerging themes helps us understand the ways in which these teachers think about e-learning and teaching, the beliefs they hold about their ‘e’ practice, the ways in which they implement e-learning, the problems they face in incorporating e-learning into their courses and the ways in which they perceive e-learners. This provides a fascinating and unique insight into e-learning in Chinese higher education. Evidence shows that it is a complex area with many influences, some of which can be attributed to social, cultural and Confucian-heritage factors. It is concluded that, despite enthusiasm by some for innovating e-learning, the dominance of traditional teaching methods in China suggest that the conditions for mainstreaming e-learning in the near future are not strong.     

Interactive Multimedia in Introductory Accounting: A preliminary analysis

This paper describes the development of an interactive multimedia package designed for incorporation into the teaching program for degree‐level first year accounting. The initial module forms part of a pilot study at James Cook University where interactive multimedia will form an integral part of the teaching program in accounting. This module includes four sessions, equivalent to one quarter of the semester's requirement. These sessions were trialed by students, colleagues and practitioners to assess the package's effectiveness in communicating introductory accounting concepts and enhancing the learning process. Some results of these trials are presented.