Misbehaviour in British and Turkish Primary Classrooms

This article opens with a general discussion of misbehaviour in classrooms. This is part of the theoretical framework for the research, which was a study of 'inappropriate behaviour' in primary classrooms in Turkey and Britain. The study used systematic observation and studied six classrooms in England and six in Turkey. The findings show the cultural differences in expectations of pupils and how this impacts on perceptions of misbehaviour. There were also gender differences in both countries. Teachers' attributions regarding the reasons for misbehaviour are also discussed.     

Effective use of health care information

A new book commissioned by the BritishLibrary looks at research in the field and highlights opportunities for health care librarians. Theauthor, Peter Merry, is a freelance consultant editor and writer, and editor of the NHSConfederation’s NHS Handbook.     

Indoctrination,Moral Instruction,and Nonrational Beliefs: A Place for Autonomy?

The manner in which individuals hold various nonevidentiary beliefs is critical to making any evaluative claim regarding an individual's autonomy. In this essay, I argue that one may be both justified in holding nonrational beliefs of a nonevidentiary sort while also being capable of leading an autonomous life. I defend the idea that moral instruction, including that which concerns explicitly religious content, may justifiably constitute a set of commitments upon which rationality and autonomy are dependent. I situate this discussion against the backdrop of a minimalist notion of autonomy. I then consider the case for nonrational beliefs, examining the difference between those whose content is objectionable on evidentiary grounds and those that are immune to verification. Next, I consider the indoctrination/moral instruction distinction through examining the various ways in which indoctrination is defined. I also consider the role that value coherence plays in shaping our identities, paying particular attention to fundamental commitments as defined by our respective families, cultures, and communities. Finally, I argue that individual psychology is central to our ability to assess the outcome of an upbringing purported to be indoctrinatory, and I emphasize the important role that experience and agency play in enabling us to evaluate our beliefs.