Recognising fathers: the needs of fathers of children with disabilities

In this article, the authors aim to develop a better understanding among practitioners of the issues faced by fathers of children with a learning disability, and suggest how schools can involve the parents who are regarded by many as ‘hard to reach’. They recontextualize the roles and perceptions of fathers in the light of outcomes from the recent ‘Recognising Fathers’ report published by the Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities. Following an introduction to Government policy and literature relating to fathers, the outcomes of semi‐structured interviews conducted with 21 fathers in the course of the ‘Recognising Fathers’ study are summarized in terms of the emotional impact, the roles and responsibilities, the impact on fathers’ paid employment, support and father–practitioner interaction. The article concludes with practical suggestions for how practitioners might meet the needs of fathers in their own schools and provide them with an effective support network.     

Tensions in Teaching and Teacher Education: Professionalism and professionalisation in England and Canada

The argument in this article derives from a comparative case study of two pre-service teacher education programmes in England and in Canada. Using Goodson and Hargreaves' propositions about the seven principles of postmodern teacher professionalism, we discuss the tensions between government professionalisation agendas for teaching and teacher education, on the one hand, and on the other hand, the creation of conditions in schools and faculties of education in which professionalism is diminished or even systematically undermined. We extend the analysis to consider the particular tensions teacher educators experience as they manage competing definitions of professionalism within university and school contexts.     

The value of information supplied to clinicians by health libraries: devising an outcomes–based assessment of the contribution of libraries to clinical decision–making

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Naive Knowledge and the Design of Science Museum Exhibits

The Naive Knowledge Study at the Franklin Institute Science Museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, took place over a three-and-one-half-year period ending in April 1992. It was both a research and application project to uncover widespread misconceptions about the concept of gravity held by museum visitors and to test the efficacy of hands-on exhibits in altering these naive notions. Exhibits were designed to counter typical and persistent misconceptions and enable visitors to shift from the naive knowledge of the “novice” to the more sophisticated understanding of the science “expert.” The study revealed that hands-on exhibits with carefully worded labels can, indeed, alter naive notions and open the door to new understanding.     

Gendered Readings: Helping boys develop as critical readers

ABSTRACT This paper reports recent findings from a national survey of the reading habits of boys and girls aged 10, 12 and 14. Boys' reading habits are considered in the light of concerns about boys' underachievement in school, and in relation to girls' reading and changing patterns of literacy over time. The authors argue that helping boys develop as critical readers involves taking their voluntary reading seriously and rejecting deficit models. The paper argues that boys need to be encouraged to understand how they have been socially constructed as readers; they need to be engaged in discussion about their reading and the implications of the choices they make. It is only by taking differences seriously that critical and discerning readers will bedeveloped, and critical readers are necessary to undermine current highly gendered reading practices which potentially disadvantage both sexes.