Enriching a collaborative teacher inquiry discourse: exploring teachers’ experiences of a theory-framed discourse in a Singapore case of lesson study

This paper explores how a learning theory enriched a collaborative teacher inquiry discourse where lesson study was adopted as the educational action research model to promote teacher professional development. Four Grade 9–10 biology teachers in Singapore drew from variation theory to collaboratively plan and teach new genetics content as part of teacher research. As a researcher-facilitator, I have drawn from the teachers’ experiences of infusing variation theory into their teaching practice, of developing their own theories of teaching and learning, and of developing student-focused pedagogies to highlight the roles variation theory played. These included providing concrete examples of patterns of variations teachers could use, increasing the teachers’ attention and sensitivity to students, and developing the teachers’ theoretical lens in their approach to teaching. Reflecting on the teachers’ experiences, I made an appeal for teachers’ development of theoretical lenses in teacher inquiry, and bridging of theory and research to teaching practice.     

Network dynamics in regional clusters: Evidence from Chile

A wealth of empirical literature shows that one of elements of success for regional clusters is that they facilitate the formation of local inter-organizational networks, which act as conduits of knowledge and innovation. While several studies analyse the benefits and characteristics of regional cluster networks, very little is known about how such networks evolve over time and the extent to which their dynamics can affect development processes. Using longitudinal data on a wine cluster in Chile and Stochastic Actor-Oriented Models (SAOM) to measure network dynamics, this paper examines the microdynamics underpinning the formation of new knowledge ties among wineries. It finds that the coexistence of cohesion effects (reciprocity and transitivity) with the weak knowledge bases of some firms in the cluster contribute to a stable informal hierarchical network structure over time. The empirical results have implications for theories on network dynamics in regional clusters and cluster policies.     

Social identification and acculturation in the Basque Autonomous Community

Basque origin undergraduates in four universities of the Basque Autonomous Community (BAC) completed the Host Community Acculturation Scale (HCAS) in three life domains: marriage, culture, and work. Undergraduates with a strong Basque identity (N = 308) and those with a strong dual Basque-Spanish identity (N = 219) completed the HCAS towards the co-national Spanish minority and “devalued” Moroccan immigrants residing in the BAC. Results indicate that (1) undergraduates have a preference for individualism and integrationism towards Spanish co-nationals and Moroccans; (2) Strong Dual identifiers endorse individualism and integrationism more than Strong Basque identifiers towards Spanish co-nationals; (3) Strong Dual identifiers favored Spanish co-nationals over Moroccan immigrants in their acculturation orientations, whereas Strong Basque identifiers endorsed more welcoming acculturation orientations towards Moroccans than towards Spanish co-nationals; and (4) undergraduates endorsed more individualism, integrationism, and assimilationism in the work domain, while they endorsed more segregationism and exclusionism in the culture domain. Results are discussed using the Interactive Acculturation Model.     

An individual learning journey: learning as becoming a vocational teacher

In this paper, I address a perceived gap in the lifelong learning literature. There is very little research which addresses how learning should be construed, when individuals transition across a longitudinal span of their working life. This transition which could be viewed as a process of ‘becoming somebody’, often oversimplifies the full complexity of individuals’ learning experiences. Using a sociocultural perspective, the paper explores the lived experiences of individuals in the process of becoming a vocational teacher, in order to help conceptualise the individuals’ learning through their working life. The study draws upon data from a completed research on a group of vocational education trainee teachers learning to teach. This paper argues that learning varies significantly from individual to individual, time to time, context to context and also in different stages of individuals’ lives. This transition could be viewed as an individual learning journey, through understanding the interrelationship between individuals and the contexts, across the individuals’ lives. Drawing from this understanding, the individual’s agency is presented as a way that individuals construct their own lifecourse through the actions and choices they made within the opportunities and constraints of the context. The findings of the study also contribute to the understanding of changes, from the individual learner’s perspective, which could be useful for policy and practice relating to lifelong learning.     

Mountains to Molehills: The Past,Present, and Future of Cataloging Backlogs

While backlogs have existed in libraries and the literature that describes them, the decline in the acquisition of physical collections relative to digital resources, as well as the availability of cataloging copy has called into question the continued viability and relevance of arrearages. Yet, at a time of economic restraint, a rethinking of library operations is timely, if not urgent. What does nearly sixty years of research tell us about materials that are removed from cataloging workflow pending availability of a bibliographic record? This article analyzes the characteristics of, and reasons for, arrearages, and assesses approaches to reducing or eliminating backlogs.     

Disentangling Mathematics Target and Access Skills: Implications for Accommodation Assignment Practices

Appropriate assignment of accommodations is predicated on a clear distinction between target skills and access skills. In this study, we examine the agreement between test developer/researchers’ and educators’ classification of target and access skills as a possible explanatory mechanism for assigning accommodations. Findings indicate that participants with expertise in mathematics education had the highest agreement when classifying target skills, as evidenced by a higher overall sensitivity value and the greatest number of items with the highest sensitivity value. Conversely, special education faculty members had the highest overall agreement when classifying access skills, as evidenced by a higher overall specificity value. Mathematicians, however, had the highest sensitivity values for the greatest number of items. Implications for accommodation assignment practices are discussed.     

Validating the English Language Learner Motivation Scale (ELLMS): Pre-college to measure language learning motivational orientations among young ELLs

This study modified and validated a measure of motivational orientations – grounded in self-determination theory and originally developed for postsecondary students – for use with younger (pre-college) English language learners (ELLs). Exploratory factor analysis results in Sample A (n = 528) indicated that the data were best explained by a three-factor solution (intrinsic motivation, introjected regulation, and external regulation) that explained 51.6% of the variance. These results were corroborated by a confirmatory factor analysis in an independent Sample B (n = 529; GFI = .97, CFI = .96, SRMR = .04, RMSEA = .05). The test for invariance across the two samples further supported the validity of the measure. The modified instrument, named English Language Learner Motivation Scale (ELLMS): Pre-College, showed strong psychometric characteristics for use with elementary (ages 9–11 years), middle (ages 12–14 years), and high school (ages 16–17) ELLs. Applications of the measure are discussed.     

Holistic face processing in newborns, 3-month-old infants, and adults: evidence from the composite face effect

Holistic face processing was investigated in newborns, 3-month-old infants, and adults through a modified version of the composite face paradigm and the recording of eye movements. After familiarization to the top portion of a face, participants (N = 70) were shown 2 aligned or misaligned faces, 1 of which comprised the familiar top part. In the aligned condition, no visual preference was found at any group age. In the misaligned condition, 3-month-olds preferred the face stimulus with the familiar top part, adults preferred the face stimulus with the novel one, and newborns did not manifest any visual preference. Results revealed that both infants' and adults' eye movements may be affected by holistic face information and demonstrated holistic face processing in 3-month-olds.