Educational reform as a dynamic system of problems and solutions: Towards an analytic instrument

Large-scale educational reforms are difficult to realize and often fail. In the literature, the course of reform and problems associated with this are frequently discussed. The explanations and recommendations then provided are so diverse that it is difficult to gain a comprehensive overview of what factors are at play and how to take them into consideration. In this article, a model to provide a comprehensive framework for the analysis of educational reforms is presented. Education is conceptualized as a social system and educational reform thus as the manner in which this social system adapts to a changing context. The upper secondary education reforms undertaken in the 1990s in the Netherlands are adopted as a test case to evaluate the utility of the model. The results of the study paint a picture of educational reform as a loosely organized system of problems and solutions. The possibilities and potential limitations of the model are discussed in closing.     

Typologies of Greek inactive older adults based on reasons for abstaining from exercise and conditions for change

Abstract

The main purpose of this study was to examine typologies of non-exercisers based on reasons for physical inactivity and conditions reported to be necessary to change exercise behaviour. These typologies were then compared on psychological variables of interest and exercise history. Questionnaires were distributed to Greek older adults aged 60 and above who were recruited from social clubs and city cafés. Only individuals engaging in no regular exercise were recruited (n = 188). The results of hierarchical and k-means cluster analyses revealed two clusters for males (“approachable” and “unconvinced”) and three for females (“unconcerned”, “approachable”, and “unconvinced”). The clusters differed significantly on psychological variables not used in the cluster solution. Exercise history distinguished between clusters only among males. The results reveal that physically inactive older adults are not a homogeneous group of individuals. Implementers of physical activity interventions should probably use a range of strategies that take into consideration that some sedentary older adults are more amenable to consider taking up exercise than others.     

Instructional Climate in Dutch Secondary Education

Research, aimed at constructing an instrument for measuring instructional climate, was conducted in 121 Dutch schools for senior general secondary education. The instrument comprised scales for students, teachers, heads of department and principals. All scales proved to be sufficiently reliable and valid. The results show that the following variables are significantly related to students' results in mathematics: students' enjoyment of mathematics; students' attitude towards high grades; students' enjoyment of learning; appreciation of how teachers prepare students for tests; students' appreciation of the teacher as a person; students' appreciation of teaching abilities; an orderly instructional climate in the classroom; frequent monitoring of student results; emphasizing achievement by teachers; and the principals' emphasis on a task oriented climate.     

Goals in physics and chemistry education as seen by teachers and high school students

A contribution is made to the discussion of how science in general, and physics in particular, can be made more interesting and attractive to girls. Members of the PLON‐project have been working for five years on a new curriculum for higher forms of havo (intermediate secondary education) consisting of 10 units. On the basis of evaluation results, girls’ appreciation of the new curriculum can be related to specific subject areas and contexts. Since girls’ reactions have been encouraging we can now draw some general conclusions and relate these to features of the havo curriculum. These features suggest some ways in which girls’ interest in and liking for physics can be stimulated and we compare them with proposals made in the literature about the subject.     

Systems Modelling and the Development of Coherent Understanding of Cell Biology

This article reports on educational design research concerning a learning and teaching strategy for cell biology in upper‐secondary education introducing systems modelling as a key competence. The strategy consists of four modelling phases in which students subsequently develop models of free‐living cells, a general two‐dimensional model of cells, a three‐dimensional model of plant cells, and finally they are engaged in formal thinking by modelling life phenomena to a hierarchical systems model. The strategy was thought out, elaborated, and tested in classrooms in several research cycles. Throughout the field‐tests, research data were collected by means of classroom observations, interviews, audio‐taped discussions, completed worksheets, written tests, and questionnaires. Reflection on the research findings eventuated in reshaping and formalizing the learning and teaching strategy, which is presented here. The results show that although acquiring systems thinking competence at the metacognitive level needs more effort, our strategy contributed to improving learning outcomes; that is, acquisition of a coherent conceptual understanding of cell biology and acquisition of initial systems thinking competence, with modelling being the key activity.     

Writing retreats as a milestone in the development of PhD students’ sense of self as academic writers

Writing retreats are structured events during which a group of people write in the same room over several days. In this paper, we report on findings from a study exploring the impact of writing retreats on PhD students’ writing and their sense of self as academic writers. A second aim of the study was to contribute to the search for appropriate pedagogies to support writing at the PhD level. The data consist of interviews with 19 PhD students who had taken part in writing retreats as well as evaluations and pre- and post-retreat reflections by these students. In the interviews, we discussed the role of writing retreats in the context of the students’ wider biographies as writers and how it relates to their experiences of writing. Our findings suggest that writing retreats can be important events for PhD students positively affecting their relationship with literacy [Besse, J.-M. 1995. L’écrit, l’école et l’illettrisme. Paris: Magnard]. Taking part in a retreat generates pleasure, emphasising the role of emotions in academic writing. Writing retreats and the opportunities they offer students to write and to reflect on their experiences as writers are a valuable part of PhD training.     

Coeducational or single‐sex school: does it make a difference on high school girls’ academic motivation?

The aim of the present study was to further examine the impact over time of single‐sex and coeducational school environments on girls’ motivation in language arts and mathematics. Two cohorts comprising 340 girls (7th to 9th grade; 9th to 11th grade) from eight coeducational and two single‐sex schools were followed during a period of three academic years in a longitudinal research scheme. Data were collected with a self‐reported questionnaire including several scales: parental and teachers’ support, competence beliefs, utility‐value and achievement goals. In general, mixed‐design repeated measures analyses of variance indicated no effect of the environment or of the interaction between environment and time of measurement. Significant time effects on several variables indicated a general decline of achievement motivation over time. Consequently, the multiplication of non‐mixed high schools, as proposed by some, would constitute an expensive and inefficient social policy, as far as girls’ motivation is concerned.