Middle leadership roles in universities: Holy Grail or poisoned chalice

Middle leadership roles in higher education have been identified as important for institutional effectiveness yet fraught with tensions, and those in middle leadership roles often feel unprepared and unsupported. This study of the responsibilities, skills and competencies, and support required for heads of school in a New Zealand university, drew on a survey and interviews with heads and focus groups or interviews with a range of stakeholders. The research found that while heads found satisfaction in their role, they also faced challenges associated with people management, workload and impact on their research careers. There was widespread agreement among stakeholders about the capabilities needed for the role and an awareness of the barriers to effectiveness. Suggestions for making the role more appealing include reducing workload, providing learning and development programs, clarifying the balance of professional and personal competencies required, and encouraging the distribution of leadership.     

Teachers' Beliefs and Practices in Relation to their Beliefs about Questioning at Key Stage 2

This study examines the relationship between teachers' beliefs and their practices at Key Stage 2 (ages 7-11) in relation to the use of questioning. Data were collected from interviewing and observing Key Stage 2 teachers at four schools in the West of England. A Straussian approach to grounded theory is followed broadly in order to analyse the data. In contrast to the findings of previous studies, which suggested a mismatch between teachers' beliefs and practices in that teachers, in certain respects, do less than they claim, the research revealed that teachers use a variety of skills during their teaching that they may not always be aware of. It is also argued that teachers do not share researchers' language to express the way they teach.     

Learning to be a good orthographic reader

Recent years have brought about rapid advances in our understanding of reading and how it develops, particularly in relation to the importance of alphabetic coding skills. However, much less has been known about the transition from alphabetic decoding to the rapid and automatic orthographic recognition of words, which is the hallmark of skilled reading. The purpose of this special issue is to focus specifically on orthographic processes in reading and how they are acquired. The present paper provides an overview of the special issue, drawing attention to key themes that run through the various contributions.     

Change‐of‐career secondary teachers: motivations,expectations and intentions

In New Zealand there is an increasing trend for people with prior occupational experiences to enter secondary teaching. At a time when the media is continually questioning the status and capability of the teaching profession, we explore what or who motivates people to change their occupational paths and enter the teaching profession. Our sample of 68 newly qualified change‐of‐career teachers reported multiple factors related to their decision to pursue teaching. The matrix of reasons involved a range of “push and pull” factors related to previous work and family experiences, values and task expectancies. Three cluster groups of teachers – “Looks Good”, “Time is Right” and “Teaching is Me” – were developed to illustrate the relative influence of different combinations of reasons. We looked at how these teachers' motivations and prior experiences impacted on early and long‐term career expectations and intentions.     

Towards a Gendered Skills Analysis of Senior Management Positions in UK and Australian Universities

Women remain outsiders in university leadership and management. The literature indicates that discipline base, career mobility, experience outside academia, selection processes, and gender stereotyping may impact on women becoming senior managers. This article reports on research with current and former Vice‐Chancellors, senior managers, and recruitment firms to identify skill requirements for effective leadership and management. Our research indicates gender is an issue in higher education leadership, in recruitment and selection, exclusion from male camaraderie, and preference for transformational leadership. This research will produce a skills benchmark to assess future leadership positions and hopefully cut across current gender bias.

     

Evaluation of an Innovative Interest-Based Post-School Transition Programme for Young People with Autism Spectrum Disorder

After leaving school, young people with autism spectrum disorder often struggle with social, educational and employment participation. A post-school transition programme underpinned by individualised case management, where mentees are guided to complete self-selected projects by mentors with multimedia skills, was evaluated using a qualitative approach. The programme’s impact on mentees’ social participation, emotional well-being, project skills and awareness of and transition to post-school options was examined. Eleven mentees (17–21 years), 12 family members and 7 mentors participated in semi-structured interviews. Mentors completed fortnightly records. Findings included positive impacts on mentees’ motivation and enjoyment, social participation, emotional well-being and skill development; and an appreciation of the programme flexibility and the high-quality mentor–mentee relationships. Some mentees developed their awareness of future options, while others struggled to articulate their goals. Two of 11 mentees transitioned to further education. Overall, the programme appeared to fulfil a critical need for nurturing, post-school transition programmes.     

Making models as a communicative practice – observing meaning making in a nursery

This article describes how making models provides an opportunity for young children to explore their narratives and express ideas. It engages with ideas from semiotics to suggest that children negotiate multiple sign systems while making meaning. These can be tracked and observed. Children, particularly boys and children from ethnic minority groups, may make models as a way of expressing thoughts which lie outside classroom experiences. The article draws on observations of nursery children for its data.     

The great leap backward: changes in the jumping performance of Australian children aged 11−12-years between 1985 and 2015

Previous data have indicated relative stability over time of paediatric jumping performance, but few data exist since the early 2000s. This study quantified the 30-year secular changes in jumping performance of Australian children aged 11?12-years using data from the Australian Schools Health and Fitness Survey (1985, n = 1967) and Growing Up in Australia’s Child Health CheckPoint (2015, n = 1765). Both cohorts measured jumping performance (standing long jump distance), anthropometric and demographic data. Secular changes in jumping performance means and quantiles were examined using multivariable linear and quantile regression. Between 1985 and 2015, jumping performance declined by 16.4 cm or by 11.2% (standardised change 0.66 SD, 95%CI 0.60 to 0.73). Adjustment for body mass reduced the effect by 32%, although the decline remained (absolute change – 11.1 cm, 95%CI ?12.5 to ?9.7; percent change 7.7%, 95%CI 6.7 to 8.6; standardised change 0.51 SD, 95%CI 0.44 to 0.57). This decline was evident across all quantiles. The jumping performance of Australian children aged 11?12-years has declined between 1985 and 2015, with body mass changes accounting for only part of the decline. Efforts should continue to promote paediatric muscular fitness, reduce adiposity, and aim to reverse this decline in jumping performance.     

Individual differences in the interleukin-6 response to maximal and submaximal exercise tasks

The inflammatory responsive cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) helps regulate immune responses to exercise. Evidence suggests that increases in IL-6 are related to exercise duration and intensity. However, the moderating effect of sex and underlying mediators have received limited attention. We compared plasma IL-6 responses to two cycling tasks with a resting control in young male (n = 12) and female (n = 12) recreationally active adults. Both 45 min tasks comprised an incremental test, either maximal or submaximal, followed by steady-state exercise at 55% peak power output. Interleukin-6 was elevated above baseline immediately after the maximal but not the submaximal task. Compared with the control condition, IL-6 was increased at 30 and 60 min after both exercise tasks. The IL-6 response was greater in women than men at 60 min after maximal exercise. Cortisol increased in both tasks compared with the control condition, the increase being greater after maximal than submaximal exercise. No associations were found between IL-6 responses and cortisol, heart rate, fitness or body mass index. The results show that 45 min of moderate-intensity exercise can increase IL-6 and suggest that the inclusion of maximal effort may accelerate this response. The finding that women showed a greater IL-6 response to maximal exercise may reflect a gender dimorphism in the immune response to stress.