The relationship between inclusion and academic achievement in English mainstream schools

This article presents the key findings and discusses the implications of a major study that explored the relationship between academic achievement and the inclusion of pupils with special educational needs (SEN) in mainstream schools in England. It is based on a statistical analysis of nationally held data on all pupils in England that is collected at the end of each of the 4 key stages, when pupils are aged 7, 11, 14, and 16. The analysis considered the relationship between academic achievement and inclusivity having controlled for a range of other variables. Findings indicate that there is no relationship between academic achievement and inclusion at the local authority (LA) level while there is a small but, for all practical purposes, insubstantial relationship at the school level. In addition, there is also a large degree of variation at the school level, suggesting strongly that there are other factors within a school's make up, rather than its degree of inclusivity, that impact on the average academic achievements of its pupils. The overall conclusion, therefore, is that mainstream schools need not be concerned about the potentially negative impact on the overall academic achievements of their pupils of including pupils with SEN in their schools.     

Conceptions of Biology and Approaches to Learning of First Year Biology Students: Introducing a technique for tracking changes in learner profiles over time

We surveyed first year students at the start and at the end of their first semester of university biology (n?=?285) as to their approaches to study (surface, deep) and their conceptions of biology (fragmented, cohesive). Hierarchical cluster analysis was used to group students who responded similarly to the survey; this resolved four Learner Profiles based on specific combinations of approach to study and conception of biology. By comparing cluster membership at the start and end of the semester we could assess whether students (1) maintained their incoming approach to study and conception of the discipline of biology, i.e. their ‘Learner Profile’ and (2) whether certain Learner Profiles were more persistent than others. Approximately half the student cohort did not alter their approach to study or conceptions of biology by semester's end. Students in the disengaged profile, i.e. who returned mostly negative responses to survey items, appeared the most resistant to changing their Learner Profile; while the greatest migration occurred towards less than desirable learning strategies (particularly to the disengaged profile). We were able to confirm the significant migration patterns by assessing the heterogeneity of each cluster at the start of semester clusters with respect to the students' approaches and conceptions at the end of semester. Thus we present a process to accurately track Learner Profile changes that may tell us more about how we can enhance students' learning and provide a means by which to gather the empirical data to support decisions relating to curriculum change.     

Using Decision Tree Analysis to Understand Foundation Science Student Performance. Insight Gained at One South African University

The Foundation Programme of the Centre for Science Access at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa provides access to tertiary science studies to educationally disadvantaged students who do not meet formal faculty entrance requirements. The low number of students proceeding from the programme into mainstream is of concern, particularly given the national imperative to increase participation and levels of performance in tertiary-level science. An attempt was made to understand foundation student performance in a campus of this university, with the view to identifying challenges and opportunities for remediation in the curriculum and processes of selection into the programme. A classification and regression tree analysis was used to identify which variables best described student performance. The explanatory variables included biographical and school-history data, performance in selection tests, and socio-economic data pertaining to their year in the programme. The results illustrate the prognostic reliability of the model used to select students, raise concerns about the inefficiency of school performance indicators as a measure of students' academic potential in the Foundation Programme, and highlight the importance of accommodation arrangements and financial support for student success in their access year.     

Introduction: Through our eyes and in our own words

The realities of Indian belief and existence have become so misunderstood and distorted at this point that when a real Indian stands up and speaks the truth at any given moment, he or she is not only unlikely to be believed, but will probably be contradicted and "corrected" by the citation of some non-Indian and totally inaccurate "expert." More, young Indians in universities are now being trained to see themselves and their cultures in terms prescribed by such experts rather than in the traditional terms of the tribal elders ?. In this way, the experts are perfecting a system of self-validation in which all semblance of honesty and accuracy is lost. This is not only a travesty of scholarship, but it is absolutely devastating to Indian societies. (Deloria, as cited in Rose, 1992, p. 404)     

Pervasive and Non‐pervasive Conduct Problems in a Clinic Sample Aged 4–8 years: Child,family and day‐care/school factors

Differences between pervasive (home and day‐care/school) versus non‐pervasive (home only) conduct problems were examined in regard to various child, parent/family, and day‐care/school characteristics in an outpatient clinic sample of 120 children aged 4–8 years. All children scored above the 90th percentile on the Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory for home problems and met the criteria for a possible or a confirmed diagnosis of oppositional defiant behaviours. The proportion of children with pervasive conduct problems was high, 83%. Teachers in day care and school reported children in the pervasive group to have significantly more attention and internalizing problems as well as lower social competence scores than those in the non‐pervasive group. Children in the pervasive group also showed consistently more problems in their relationships both with teachers and peers than those in the non‐pervasive group. The implications for assessment and treatment of children with conduct problems in these age‐groups are discussed.     

Creating atmosphere for radio drama

PRACTICAL REASONING IN HUMAN AFFAIRS: STUDIES IN HONOR OF CHAIM PERELMAN. Edited by James L. Golden and Joseph J. Pilotta. Dordrecht: Reidel, 1987; pp. x + 404. $79.00.

INVENTING THE PEOPLE: THE RISE OF POPULAR SOVEREIGNTY IN ENGLAND AND AMERICA. By Edmund S. Morgan. New York: W. W. Norton &; Company, 1988; pp. 318. $18.95.

AMERICAN SILHOUETTES: RHETORICAL IDENTITIES OF THE FOUNDERS. By Albert Furtwangler. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1987; pp. vii + 168. $17.50; paper $10.95.

ORATORICAL ENCOUNTERS: SELECTED STUDIES AND SOURCES OF TWENTIETH‐CENTURY POLITICAL ACCUSATIONS AND APOLOGIES. Edited by Halford Ross Ryan. Forward by Edward P.J. Corbett. New York: Greenwood Press, 1988; pp. xxv + 329. $39.95.

CONSTRUCTING THE POLITICAL SPECTACLE. By Murray Edelman. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1988; pp. vi + 137. paper $7.95.

HANDBOOK OF DISCOURSE ANALYSIS, VOLUME 1: DISCIPLINES OF DISCOURSE. Edited by Teun A. van Dijk. London: Academic Press, 1985, pp. xvii + 302. $58.00.

HANDBOOK OF DISCOURSE ANALYSIS, VOLUME 2: DIMENSIONS OF DISCOURSE. Edited by Teun A. van Dijk. London: Academic Press, 1985, pp. xvii + 279. $58.00.

HANDBOOK OF DISCOURSE ANALYSIS, VOLUME 3: DISCOURSE AND DIALOGUE. Edited by Teun A. van Dijk. London: Academic Press, 1985, pp. xix + 251. $58.00.

HANDBOOK OF DISCOURSE ANALYSIS, VOLUME 4: DISCOURSE ANALYSIS IN SOCIETY. Edited by Teun A. van Dijk. London: Academic Press, 1985, pp. xvii + 228. $58.00.

COMMUNICATING WITH YOUR DOCTOR: RX FOR GOOD MEDICAL CARE. By J. Alfred Jones, M.D. and Gerald M. Phillips. Carbondale, IL: Southern Illinois University Press, 1988; pp. viii + 184. $19.95.

GROUP PROCESSES. Edited by Clyde Hendrick. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage, 1987; pp. 294. Paper $14.95.

GROUP PROCESSES AND INTERGROUP RELATIONS. Edited by Clyde Hendrick. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage, 1987; pp. 256. Paper $14.95.

A.J. GREIMAS AND THE NATURE OF MEANING: LINGUISTICS, SEMIOTICS, AND DISCOURSE THEORY. By Ronald Schleifer. Forward by Christopher Norris. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1987; pp. xxvi and 223. $28.95; paper $10.95.

THE ABUSE OF CASUISTRY: A HISTORY OF MORAL REASONING. By Albert R. Jonsen and Stephen Toulmin. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1988; pp. ix + 420. $45.00.

KENNETH BURKE AND MARTIN HEIDEGGER: WITH A NOTE AGAINST DECON‐STRUCTIONISM. By Samuel B. Southwell. Gainesville: University of Florida Press, 1987; pp. ix+ 156. $15.00.

TIME AND NARRATIVE, Vol. 3. By Paul Ricoeur. Translated by Kathleen Blarney and David Pellauer. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1988; pp. 355. $29.95.

RHETORIC AND HISTORY IN REVOLUTIONARY NEW ENGLAND. By Donald Weber. New York: Oxford University Press, 1988; pp. xii + 207. $22.50.

THE PAPERS OF DANIEL WEBSTER: SPEECHES AND FORMAL WRITINGS, Two Volumes. Edited by Charles M. Wiltse and Alan R. Berolzheimer, Associate Editor. Hanover: University Press of New England. Volume 1 (1987), pp. xx + 641. $70.00; Volume 2 (1988), pp. xvii + 700. $75.00.

HERMOGENES’ ON TYPES OF STYLE. Translated by Cecil W. Wooten. Chapel Hill and London: The University of North Carolina Press, 1987; pp. xviii + 159. $19.95.

TRIALS OF CHARACTER: THE ELOQUENCE OF CICERONIAN ETHOS. By James M. May. Chapel Hill and London: The University of North Carolina Press, 1988; pp. viii + 215. $27.50.

THE SOPHISTS. By Harold Barrett. Novato, CA: Chandler &; Sharp, 1987; pp. v + 85. Paper $6.95.

POLITICAL ETHICS AND PUBLIC OFFICE. By Dennis F. Thompson. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1987; pp. viii + 263. $25.00.

TELEDEMOCRACY: CAN TECHNOLOGY PROTECT DEMOCRACY? By F. Christopher Arterton. Beverly Hills: Sage, 1987; pp. 224. $29.95; paper $14.95.

SELLING SCIENCE: HOW THE PRESS COVERS SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY. By Dorothy Nelkin. New York: W. H. Freeman, 1987; pp. 224. $16.95.

THE SOCIAL MEANING OF CIVIC SPACE: STUDYING POLITICAL AUTHORITY THROUGH ARCHITECTURE. By Charles T. Goodsell. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 1988; pp. xv + 229. $25.00.     

New books in review

BULWER AND MACREADY: A CHRONICLE OF THE EARLY VICTORIAN THEATRE. Edited by Charles H. Shattuck. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1958; pp vii+278. $5.75.

THE KABUKI THEATRE. By Earle Ernst. New York: Grove Press, 1959; pp. xxiii+296. With 58 half‐tone illustrations. Paper $2.45.

JAPANESE THEATRE. By Faubion Bowers. New York: Hill and Wang, 1959; pp. xxi+294. Paper $2.25.

DIRECTING THE PLAY: FROM SELECTION TO OPENING NIGHT. John Wray Young. New York: Harper, 1958; pp. xiv+171. $3.50.

THE ANATOMY OF AMERICAN POPULAR CULTURE, 1840–1861. By Carl Bode. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1959; pp. xxii+292. $6.00.

ERNESTINE ROSE AND THE BATTLE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS. By Yuri Suhl. New York: Reynal, 1959; pp. x+310. $5.75.

“SUNSET”; COX: IRREPRESSIBLE DEMOCRAT. By David Lindsey. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1959; pp. xx+323. $5.00.

ROAD OF PROPAGANDA: THE SEMANTICS OF BIASED COMMUNICATION. By Karin Dovring. Introduction by Harold D. Lass‐well. New York: Philosophical Library, 1959; pp. 158. $4.75.

PERSONALITY AND PERSUASIBILITY. By Irving L. Janis, Carl I. Hovlund, and others. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1959; xiv+333. $5.00.

FALLACY: THE COUNTERFEIT OF ARGUMENT. By W. Ward Fearnside and William B. Holther. Englewood Cliffs, N. J.: Prentice‐Hall, 1959; pp. vi+218. Paper $1.95.

TEACHING: A PSYCHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS. By C. M. Fleming. New York: John Wiley, 1958; pp. xiii+291. $5.00.

THEORY AND TECHNIQUE OF INTERPRETATION. By Martin Cobin. Englewood Cliffs, N. J.: Prentice‐Hall, 1959; pp. xii+256. $4.50.

CREATIVE DISCUSSION. By Rupert L. Cort‐right and George L. Hinds. New York: Macmillan, 1959; pp. xii+303. $4.50.

REPRESENTATIVE AMERICAN SPEECHES: 1958–1959. The Reference Shelf, Vol. 31, No. 3. Edited by A. Craig Baird. New York: H. W. Wilson, 1959; pp. 195. $2.50.     

Resources In Review

Abstract

The RFF Reader in Environmental Science and Resource Management , edited by Wallace E. Oates. Washington, DC: Resources for the Future. 1999. Paperback. $22.95. ISBN 0-915707-96-9.

Science through Multiple Intelligences: Patterns that Inspire Inquiry , by Robert Barkman. Tucson, AZ: Zephyr Press, Inc. 1999. Paperback. 165 pages. $39.00. ISBN 1-56976-096-9.

Earth Report 2000: Revisiting the True State of the Planet , edited by Ronald Bailey. New York: McGraw-Hill. 2000. Paperback. 362 pages. $19.95. ISBN 0-07-134260-5.

Hard Green: Saving the Environment from the Environmentalists (A Conservative Manifesto) , by Peter Huber. New York: Basic Books. 1999. Hardcover. $25.00. ISBN 0-468-03112-9.

Song of the Meadowlark , by James Eggert. Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed Press. 1999. Paperback. 145 pages. $12.95. ISBN 1-58008-034-0.

The Greening of Planet Earth: The Effects of Carbon Dioxide on the Biosphere , Greening Earth Society, 4301 Wilson Blvd., Suite 805, Arlington, VA 22203-4193; tel. 703-907-6168; fax 703-907-6161; info@greeningearthsociety.org. 1992. Color. 27 min 50 s. $15.00.

The Greening of Planet Earth Continues: The Promise for the 21st Century & Beyond , Greening Earth Society. 1998. Color. 27 min 30 s. $15.00 (or both for $25.00).

Nature's Nation: An Environmental History of the United States , by John Opie. New York: Harcourt Brace and Company. 1998. Paperback. 515 pages. ISBN 0-15-500219-8.

Visions of Paradise: Glimpses of Our Landscape's Legacy , by John Warfield Simpson. Berkeley: University of California Press. 1999. Clothbound. 387 pages. $35.00. ISBN 0-520-21364-5.

Beyond the Land Ethic: More Essays in Environmental Philosophy , by J. Baird Callicott. Albany: State University of New York Press. 1999. Paperback. 427 pp. $24.95. ISBN 0-7914-4084-2.

The Morning After Earth Day , by Mary Graham. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution Press. 1999. Hardcover, 153 pages. ISBN 0-8157-3236-8.

Natural Resource Management and Institutional Change , by Diana Carney and John Farrington. New York: Routledge. 1998. Hardback. 120 pages. $60.00. ISBN 0-415-18604-8.

Green Ink: An Introduction to Environmental Journalism , by Michael Frome. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press. 1998. Paperback. 204 pages. $19.95. ISBN 0-87480-582-1.     

Rigidity in Gender‐Typed Behaviors in Early Childhood: A Longitudinal Study of Ethnic Minority Children

A key prediction of cognitive theories of gender development concerns developmental trajectories in the relative strength or rigidity of gender typing. To examine these trajectories in early childhood, 229 children (African American, Mexican American, and Dominican American) were followed annually from age 3 to 5 years, and gender‐stereotypical appearance, dress‐up play, toy play, and sex segregation were examined. High gender‐typing was found across ethnic groups, and most behaviors increased in rigidity, especially from age 3 to 4 years. In addressing controversy surrounding the stability and structure of gender‐typing it was found that from year to year, most behaviors showed moderately stable individual differences. Behaviors were uncorrelated within age but showed more concordance in change across time, suggesting that aspects of gender‐typing are multidimensional, but still show coherence.