New hopes and prospects for Colleges of Education in England and Wales

This contribution offers a statistical and policy analysis of the movements of student enrolment in Colleges of Education and other teacher training institutions in England and Wales. It discusses the situation of the Colleges of Education, which differ widely in size, against the background of educational economics and policy after 1960, in particular the consequences of the rapid increase in the number of students and the resulting overcrowding of these institutions, especially the Colleges of Education. Thus some 1,000 more students than the Robbins Committee had anticipated for 1974 were already enrolled in Colleges of Education in 1969. The preponderance of women students with their specific study motivations also influences the work and results of the Colleges of Education. A principal factor in the organisation and content of the courses is the decision in favour of “concurrent courses” integrating specialist studies with practical teacher training. This design of the study programme will become an important issue in the integration of the Colleges of Education with other institutions where different didactic principles prevail, such as the universities (“consecutive courses”). Another point of crucial significance for the future of the Colleges of Education is the link between teacher training and further education for teachers. In the Annex the student population is analysed and extensive documentation provided on the possibilities of integrating these Colleges with other institutions.     

Examining learning rates in the evaluation of academic interventions that target reading fluency

The purpose of the current study is to determine whether single‐case intervention studies targeting reading fluency, ranked by traditional outcome metrics (i.e., effect sizes derived from phase differences), were discrepant with rankings based on instructional efficiency, including growth per session and minutes of instruction. Converging with prior findings, we found great variability in reported sessions and minutes of instruction across studies, as well as divergences in rankings based on outcome variables. These findings raise questions as to how literature syntheses on the topic of academic intervention are interpreted and how selection of evidence‐based intervention occurs.     

Moving beyond the deep and surface dichotomy; using Q Methodology to explore students’ approaches to studying

Student learning approaches research has been built upon the notions of deep and surface learning. Despite its status as part of the educational research canon, the dichotomy of deep/surface has been critiqued as constraining the debate surrounding student learning. Additionally, issues of content validity have been expressed concerning situational and contextual differences in its interpretation. Q Methodology was used as both a research method and an analytical technique for this study and has as its aim the exploration of subjectivity. The deep/surface dichotomy was not found in this study, but rather three unique types of study approaches. Moreover, though Q Methodology, new novel combinations of statements were able emerge and thus allowing the academic discussion to move beyond the deep and surface dichotomy.     

Instructions for Authors

Instructions for Authors

Instructions for Authors     

Ask Dr. Discovery: the impact of a casual mobile game on visitor engagement with science museum content

Educational technology research and development - This study examines the impact of a mobile game app on science museum visitors’ level of engagement with exhibit content, compared to a non...     

Childbirth educators, doulas, nurses, and women respond to the six care practices for normal birth

This collection of commentaries by childbirth educators, doulas, a labor and delivery nurse, and a woman preparing for the birth of her second baby provide an overall response to all six of Lamaze International's care practice papers that promote normal birth: Labor Begins on Its Own; Freedom of Movement throughout Labor; Continuous Labor Support; No Routine Interventions; Non-Supine (e.g., Upright or Side-Lying) Positions for Birth; and No Separation of Mother and Baby with Unlimited Opportunity for Breastfeeding. Strategies for using the position papers to facilitate learning in childbirth classes and for helping expectant parents access and understand research are presented. The commentaries describe the value of the position papers as a catalyst for professional growth, a foundation for creating change, a way to encourage reflection among professionals and women planning for the births of their babies, and an inspiration for everyone who advocates normal birth.