Students’ Use of Multimedia Activities in an Open University Introductory Science Course

Surveys of students studying an introductory science course at a distance indicated that they had very favourable attitudes to CD‐ROM multimedia activities that are an integral part of the course teaching package. The research reported here focused on how students actually studied as they worked through the activities. Most students worked on the activities at the place indicated in the course materials and they generally studied them in one session. The majority made notes and were satisfied with their value, though only a small number used on‐screen facilities for making their notes. The instructions for navigating through the sequences left only a small number of students unsure of how to proceed. A small number of students also reported being unable to answer the questions in the activities. The Approaches to Studying Inventory (Richardson, 1990) was included in the survey, and it was found that students who adopt a predominantly ‘meaning orientation’ to studying had significantly more favourable attitudes to the multimedia activities than those who adopt a predominantly ‘reproducing orientation’. The latter students had a significantly higher preference for printed material rather than multimedia activities. The limitations of the surveys are identified and suggestions are made for future evaluation and research into students’ experiences in using multimedia activities, and for setting it in a broader framework of students’ patterns of study and learning     

Effects of stress inoculation training on self‐report,behavioural and psychophysiological reactions to abseiling

The study examined the effect of stress inoculation training on the level of self‐reported stress and anxiety, overt signs of distress and the physiological impact of the stress of abseiling. Twenty volunteer subjects were randomly assigned to either a ‘no training’ control group or a stress inoculation training group, following which both groups of subjects had to complete a test abseil from the roof of a 21.2 m building. Prior to descent, two self‐report measures were taken: an intensity score derived from the word or phrase chosen by subjects from the Perceived Stress Index to best describe their feelings and a state anxiety score from Spielberger's State Trait Anxiety Inventory. Overt distress was also evaluated by a ‘blind’ observer also using the Perceived Stress Index. In addition, heart rate was monitored just prior to and throughout the abseil using a telemetry system. The stress inoculation group showed significantly less self‐reported anxiety and stress and less behavioural signs of distress as judged by the observer. However, there were no significant differences between the groups in terms of heart rate. In addition, while self‐report and the assessment of the observer were highly inter‐correlated, these measures were poorly correlated with heart rate.     

The internship component of a teacher education program: Opportunities for learning

Abstract

Many preservice teacher education programs in recent years have increased the amount of time student teachers spend in field placements by adding an “internship “ component. An internship is typically longer than a practice teaching session and is designed as a bridge between being a student teacher and having full teaching responsibilities. This study explored the effect of an internship that had three key features: the interns were free to choose the nature of their field experience, no formal evaluation was involved, and the interns were attached to the school (or other institution) as a whole rather than a particular staff member. Under these conditions, the interns could (a) go more deeply into a specific teaching area; (b) gain greater knowledge of school culture; (c) become more familiar with school‐wide programs and activities; and (d) learn more about their distinctive interests and abilities as teachers.     

A School—University Collaborative Journey Toward Relevance and Meaning in an Urban High School Physical Education Program

The promise and potential for collaborative teams of school and university colleagues to address substantive issues in physical education were the focus of an international conference and a series of high-profile articles in the late 80s and early 90s. However, school-university partnerships have seldom focused on school reform. Few scholars address secondary school physical education, save for the occasional article describing its eminent demise. Successful implementation of innovative practices, such as curricular and instructional revisions, requires significant investments in teacher development. This paper details a specific collaborative effort in physical education that makes a case for systematic long-term commitments to improve young people's physical education experiences. Stories from a 4-year collaborative highlight the complexities and challenges faced by any subdisciplinary group that commits to connecting professional preparation and practice for the benefit of our respective constituencies.     

Does Homeschooling “Work”? A Critique of the Empirical Claims and Agenda of Advocacy Organizations

The phenomenal growth of homeschooling in recent years demonstrates not only the appeal of this educational approach but also the notable policy acumen of the homeschooling movement's leading advocates. This analysis examines and critiques the empirical claims made by homeschooling proponents to justify further expansion and deregulation of the movement, and sheds light on the homeschool advocacy agenda explicit in those claims. Advocates often strongly suggest a causal connection between homeschooling and academic success, postsecondary attainment, and even enjoyment of life. Seemingly, these benefits are experienced all at a reduced cost per student. It is through such claims that homeschooling advocates have expanded the practice of homeschooling and have pressed for fewer state regulations and less oversight. This article outlines and challenges those claims, showing the tenuous basis for such conclusions. Instead, in an era when policymakers demand evidence of effective educational practices, we note the remarkable lack of empirical evidence on the effectiveness of this popular approach and suggest that continued efforts to claim such evidence exists indicates the desire of advocates to further advance what is largely an ideological agenda of deregulation as an end in itself.     

School Leaders as Political Strategists: William Boyd's Contributions to our Understanding of the Politics of Leadership

William Boyd's contributions to the education field's understanding of the political nature of school leadership are formidable. In this article, I describe the growth and development, over a roughly 30-year time span, of his key insight that successful school leaders should have the capabilities of a political strategist and that the actualization of this capacity is related to school leaders’ political and policy context. The perennial question of “who governs education” was central to Boyd's work and his various answers are important touchstones for today's educational leaders.