Competence in Science — enhancing the self image of students

This paper reviews the role of mentors in developing the self‐image of pre‐service science teachers on a post graduate programme.     

The Future of Graduate Study in Teacher Preparation in Physical Education

This article speculates about the future of graduate study in pedagogy of physical education. The argument is based on demographic trends, historical developments in the field of physical education, empirical evidence of effective teaching, and experiences with graduate courses that appear to have been successful. The article concludes that the demand for graduate programs, the mechanisms for delivering them, and the content of such programs in teacher education in physical education portend a bright future for the quality of teaching in physical education in America. If this is to be achieved, new efforts at defining the focus of the field of physical education must be undertaken.     

The Intersection Between Deep Moral Frames and Rhetorical Style in the Struggle over U.S. Immigration Reform

This essay highlights and explores a point of tension between theoretical writings on style and moral frames. Past political communication scholarship points to the importance of the feminine style in today's televisual era of politics. In this same political era, the conservative strict parent moral frame has dominated most policy debates. Surprisingly, this highly successful moral frame appears squarely at odds with the feminine style so closely connected with political success. This essay attempts to unravel this tension between styles and frames by examining discourse drawn from the 2007 debate over comprehensive immigration reform. To account for the success of conservative messages within this debate, this essay both (a) calls into question the nature of the relationship between the television medium and the feminine style and (b) expands our understanding of the discursive operation of deep moral frames by drawing a distinction between intra-familial and extra-familial policy discourse.     

The Search for Effective Schools

In the light of external reform pressures, many schools have found it difficult to implement medium‐to‐long‐term plans. Development planning was supposed to be a means of refining both the planning and the implementation of strategic priorities. Some recent writers are now casting doubts on planning and development planning and they are using chaos theory to justify this sceptical stance. This article is, in turn, sceptical about the application of chaos theory to school planning and instead suggests that control theory clarifies important differences between short‐term and long‐term planning and provides positive and practical insights into how development planning can be used by self‐managing schools as part of school improvement.     

From Crisis to Prevention: Developing a Pastoral Curriculum

David Hay discusses the ways that spirituality might be defined and its relationship to morality. He notes the well-intentioned documents produced by the SCAA Values Forum but argues that they have failed to get to grips with the ‘motivating reality of spiritual insight’. Perhaps spiritual awareness cannot be taught as it is part of the biological inheritance that makes us human. If this is the case, and he believes it is, then what the teacher must do is help children become aware of this and reflect on it in the light of the culture of which they are a part. He identifies a number of significant difficulties that have to be overcome before this can be done. In the remainder of the paper he considers the implications of creating such an awareness in children, and details the responsibilities of schools and teachers in this process.     

Online instruction and site assessment

Online instruction is a rapidly developing phenomenon in higher education and it presents many opportunities and challenges to criminal justice educators. One area deserving attention is the meaningful utilization of the numerous web sites available. This paper reports on the effort to integrate a site evaluation instrument into course structure in order to assist students in their assessment of web sites. The device used to accomplish this objective was a site survey form presented to two online classes. The criteria used by students to assess the quality of web sites was identified, and the highest and lowest rated sites for two classes were recognized.     

Culturally Responsive Pedagogy and Online Learning: Implications for the Globalized Community College

Implicit in the open-door mission of the community college is the mandate that every learning experience should offer full equity and inclusion for all learners, including those of diverse cultural backgrounds. This mission is paramount, given the cultural diversity represented among learners served by the globalized community college. This paper presents a cross-section of research, practice, and discourse focused on expanding our knowledge and understanding of the diverse learning needs of community college learners. The relevance of the literature to the planning, design, and implementation of distance-learning is discussed. In the end, the authors offer distance-learning instructional strategies that may accommodate the unique needs of Hispanic/Latino learners. Implications for community college educators are discussed.     

Success by Degrees: Addressing Teacher Shortages through a School-Community College-University Partnership

Using a teacher recruitment and preparation model, a unique partnership between PK–12 schools, a community college, and a university is examined. The focus is on the training and credentialing of future educators, particularly from underrepresented backgrounds, in an efficient and quality manner to assist in meeting the current PK–12 teacher shortage. Data indicate that the partnership is progressing towards, or has met, its targets in addressing said shortage.     

Resampling and Distribution of the Product Methods for Testing Indirect Effects in Complex Models

Recent advances in testing mediation have found that certain resampling methods and tests based on the mathematical distribution of 2 normal random variables substantially outperform the traditional z test. However, these studies have primarily focused only on models with a single mediator and 2 component paths. To address this limitation, a simulation was conducted to evaluate these alternative methods in a more complex path model with multiple mediators and indirect paths with 2 and 3 paths. Methods for testing contrasts of 2 effects were evaluated also. The simulation included 1 exogenous independent variable, 3 mediators and 2 outcomes and varied sample size, number of paths in the mediated effects, test used to evaluate effects, effect sizes for each path, and the value of the contrast. Confidence intervals were used to evaluate the power and Type I error rate of each method, and were examined for coverage and bias. The bias-corrected bootstrap had the least biased confidence intervals, greatest power to detect nonzero effects and contrasts, and the most accurate overall Type I error. All tests had less power to detect 3-path effects and more inaccurate Type I error compared to 2-path effects. Confidence intervals were biased for mediated effects, as found in previous studies. Results for contrasts did not vary greatly by test, although resampling approaches had somewhat greater power and might be preferable because of ease of use and flexibility.     

Listening to teachers–listening to students: substantive conversations about resistance,empowerment and engagement

This article examines contemporary research and debates about pedagogies of engagement that challenge the traditional assumptions and understandings of engagement. Three contesting epistemological constructions of student engagement are identified and examined through the contesting and resisting voices of teachers and students. The article's research suggests that an empowering and resistant pedagogy can (re)conceive student engagement so that it achieves the twin goals of social justice and academic achievement.