Science Teachers’ Beliefs about the Influence of their Summer Research Experiences on their Pedagogical Practices

This study sought to determine the beliefs that tenured, in-service high school science teachers hold about how their participation in a large mid-Atlantic university’s 6-week summer research experiences for teachers (RET) program might influence their pedagogical practices. The findings show a number of factors that teachers believed helped them to be successful during their summer RET program that center on science content knowledge, laboratory experiences, cognitive skills, and mentor dispositions. Teachers further believed that the successes they experienced during their summer RET program influenced how they would plan to teach their own students science. The findings suggest that having science teachers conduct research might help to facilitate changes in their beliefs about their pedagogical practices.     

MOVING DOWN THE ROAD: COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AT THE UNIVERSITY

This study examines the relationship between 34 personal, demographic, and environmental characteristics of community college transfer students and their academic performance over a 2‐year period. The subjects for the study were 267 transfer students admitted to a research university during a fall semester. Data on the characteristics were collected through a survey and analyzed in relation to first and second semester GPAs and second year GPAs. Five characteristics showed a consistent statistical relationship with three or more GPA measures. A multiple regression analysis was used to identify which of these characteristics were useful in predicting the GPAs of the transfer students based on their previous backgrounds and attitudes.     

Spelling Performance in Children with Developmental Language Disorder: A Meta-Analysis across European Languages

ABSTRACT

Spelling difficulties often occur in children with developmental language disorder (DLD), the extent and drivers of these difficulties are underspecified. Meta-analyses were conducted to address this gap. We identified child-based factors (age, language spoken, profile of difficulties) and task-based factors (text production or dictation) as potential moderators of the impact of DLD on spelling performance. Thirty-two studies were analyzed, including 984 children with DLD. Large differences between the spelling of children with DLD and their age-matched peers were found. The average mean effect size was ?1.42, 95% confidence interval [?1.60, ?1.24]. Heterogeneity was large. Effect size estimates were larger when participants had additional phonological or reading difficulties than when they did not. No differences were found between participants with DLD and their language-matched peers. The results are discussed with respect to the underlying processes that impact on spelling across languages. Specific recommendations for future studies are made.     

Ecological footprinting: its potential as a tool for change in preservice teacher education

Environmental and sustainability issues pose challenges for society. Although education is seen as being a contributor to addressing sustainability, teacher education has been slow to act in preparing future teachers to teach sustainability. Recent Australian curriculum documents nominate sustainability as one of three cross-curriculum priorities. In one Australian university course, an Ecological Footprint Calculator tool has been employed to challenge preservice early childhood teachers to consider the sustainability of their lifestyles as a means for engaging them in learning and teaching for sustainability. Students enrolled in an integrated arts and humanities subject voluntarily engaged with the online calculator and shared their findings on an electronic discussion forum. These postings then became the basis of qualitative analysis and discussion. Data categories included reactions and reflections on reasons for the ‘heaviness’ of their footprints, student reactions leading to actions to reduce their footprints, reflections on the implications of the footprint results for future teaching, reactions that considered the need for societal change, and reflections on the integration of sustainability with the visual arts. The power of the tool’s application to stimulate interest in sustainability and education for sustainability more broadly in teacher education is explored.     

A Professional Learning Experience for Pre‐service and In‐service Teachers and One Teacher Educator: reflections and lessons learned

Abstract

In this paper we reflect on our efforts during the 1992–93 academic school year to create a different type of teacher education experience — one based on active learning, and collegiality and mutuality. Drawing on a model for classroom‐based teacher development described by Thiessen (1992), we begin with an overview of how we worked to (a) improve the quality of learning for all participants; (b) create a supportive learning environment for all the stakeholders; (c) leant in the complex and changing situation of classroom life; (d) combine personally meaningful, educationally defensible and socially justifiable evaluation practices; and (e) engage in reflective, interactive and transformative experiences. After this we. describe tension we experienced, which resulted from a lack of shared vision among us and from our efforts to examine our own practice. We also explore how we tried to deal with the tension. We conclude with lessons learned from our experience which have led to new questions about teacher education reform.     

The Effectiveness of Academic Boards in University Governance

Despite considerable international literature acknowledging issues associated with the effectiveness of university academic boards (also known as academic senates or faculty senates), there is little current empirical research exploring why difficulties might exist and what (if anything) might be done about them. This article reports the findings of case study research conducted in Australian universities, which examined fulfilment of academic board terms of reference and perceived academic board strengths and weaknesses. Based on the data, the article then considers the characteristics of one particular “effective” academic board. It concludes by highlighting some potential implications of the research for those universities seeking to enhance the future role and function of their academic board, which include discussing the apparent importance of latent or tacit functions of university academic boards, versus those functions or responsibilities which are formally documented, and the building of intellectual and symbolic capital for their respective universities through a focus on the substantive quality of core academic programmes.     

‘It should be teamwork’: a critical investigation of school practices and parent advocacy in special education

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) suggests that parents are critical members of the special education system. Through conducting interviews with parents, observing individualised education plan (IEP) meetings, and analysing the discourse between the parent and the professional, this critical qualitative research investigates the parent–school relationship when parents are fighting for more inclusive placements for their children. This study uncovers the bureaucratic processes schools utilise, which do not allow for equitable parent participation in IEP processes including: medical and deficit discourse, professionalised discourse, policy interpretations, and meeting practices. We then describe strategies that parent-advocates use in order to obtain adequate services for their children including: networking, bringing an advocate, and education. We conclude with recommendations for schools and parents which promote enhanced parent–school collaboration throughout IEP planning, with an end goal towards improving educational opportunities for students with disabilities.     

Book reviews

When designing lessons to meet the needs of our increasingly diverse population of students, educators need to rethink planning and structuring lessons so that all students achieve better results. Therefore, teacher preparation programmes need to prepare pre‐service teachers accordingly. Within this paper, a new lesson planning template is unveiled that builds on many of the foundational concepts of inclusive education. This template is meant for teacher educators to use with pre‐service teachers across the curriculum to guide the design of inclusive lessons. This paper discusses the foundations, unique features, and applications of this student‐centred lesson design template to create creative and active learning for students in inclusive classrooms.     

Investigating Patterns of Participation and Conversation Content in an Online Mentoring Program for Northern Canadian Youth

In this study, we describe participant characteristics, conversation content, and program success of an online mentoring program for northern Canadian youth. We investigate the associations between demographics and program success. The profiles and conversations of students and mentors that participated in the program between 2009 and 2013 were analyzed. Students were categorized into two groups (high and low engagement) based on the number of words written to their mentors. The high group contained proportionally more urban than rural students and equal proportions of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students, while the low group contained equal numbers of rural and urban students and proportionally more Aboriginal than non-Aboriginal students. This study provides valuable information on the use of online mentoring in northern communities.     

Assessing physicians' intentions to talk about sex when they vaccinate nine-year-old to 15-year-old girls against HPV

The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine provides physicians with an opportunity to have conversations with girls about sex and sex-related topics. Current research suggests that these conversations are not happening. This study was designed to assess whether physicians would use the HPV vaccination as an opening to communicate with nine-year-old to 15-year-old female patients about sex using the Theory of Planned Behavior as a framework. The study also assessed what sexual health topics physicians were willing to discuss when they vaccinated patients and at what ages they would be willing to discuss each topic. Differences in communication were also examined between older and younger physicians and female and male physicians. A random sample (n = 207) of all family practice and pediatric physicians in a rural, Midwest state in the USA were mailed a survey about the HPV vaccine and their intentions to talk about sex-related topics. Specifically, the survey questions assessed the theoretical constructs: attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behaviour control. The results point to physicians' intentions to talk about sex when they vaccinate. Most physicians intended to talk about sexually transmitted infections when they vaccinate against HPV (90.3%). A multivariate linear regression reveals that physicians' intentions to talk about sex are influenced by attitudes (β = 0.18, p < 0.05), subjective norms (β = 0.53, p < 0.001), and perceived behavioural control (β = 0.15, p < 0.05). Physicians intended to talk about a variety of sex-related topics when they vaccinate nine-year-old to 15-year-old girls against HPV. The research indicated that physicians' intentions were high, but do not indicate how well physicians are prepared for this communication with nine-year-old to 15-year-old girls about sex.