The Renewal of Science Teachers’ Knowledge: a pilot professional development project

This paper describes a pilot project for the professional development of science teachers, a major aim of which was to update teachers’ science content knowledge. The paper focuses on the rationale and background of the project, the model of inservice education, the arrangements for credentialling and recognising participating teachers, and the findings of the external evaluation of the initial stages of the project. It concludes with a summary of the features of the project which appear to be facilitating the achievement of its aims.     

Rethinking the ‘Western Tradition’: a response to Enslin and Horsthemke

This is a reply to an article authored by Enslin and Horsthemke (2014) published in Educational Philosophy and Theory (EPAT). Enslin and Horsthemke argue that those who they refer to as ‘friends of the subaltern’ pit themselves against a straw-person that is swiftly dismissed in pointing out blindness of the Western tradition. They point out that in doing so ‘friends of the subaltern’ pursue a ‘politics of resentment’. In their reply, Le Grange and Aikenhead argue that Enslin and Horsthemke mischaracterise their work by cherry picking from their selected works and by taking their words out of context. They suggest that Enslin and Horsthemke produce their own straw-person arguments that they accuse others of doing. Le Grange and Aikenhead argue that their research programmes seek cognitive justice which is not tantamount to engaging in a politics of resentment.     

An analysis of the role of peers in supporting female students’ choices in science subjects

This exploratory study investigated the role and importance of peers in providing personal and academic support for Year 11 female students, enrolled in physics and biology. While these areas of support had been identified in earlier research by Holland and Eisenhart (1981), this study attempted to investigate further their importance within an Australian context. Questionnaires, completed by one hundred female students, were analysed using Principal Components Analysis and MANOVA. The statistical analysis found no significant differences between the six relevant factors and science subjects, however, significant differences emerged in relation to schools and particular factors. Subsequently, six interviews were conducted with selected students to elaborate upon the statistical differences that emerged from these results. The interviews corroborated the findings of the quantitative analysis and provided explanations for these differences. Overall, the results of this study suggest that while the supportive role provided by peers is similar regardless of the science subject undertaken by a female student this role varies between schools.     

Integrating multiple perspectives on the human-nature relationship: A reply to Fletcher 2017

The concept of “connectedness with nature” is increasingly used in environmental and sustainability discourse. However, this construct has also been critiqued and proponents charged with harboring an ambivalence that paradoxically reinforces a sense of separation from “nature”. We respond to one critique by demonstrating that whilst problematizing aspects of “connectedness with nature” has merit, selective use of examples misconstrues efforts in this field, undermines common ground and conflates theoretical conceptualizations with practical implementation. In addressing problems of perception and praxis, we emphasize the primacy of direct experience in shaping ways of knowing and recommend integral ecology (based on Wilber’s integral theory) as an inclusive framework for attending to multiple perspectives on the human-nature relationship.     

Sleep and adjustment in preschool children: sleep diary reports by mothers relate to behavior reports by teachers

Prior literature suggests that there may be relations between children's sleep disorders or inadequate amounts of sleep and behavioral adjustment. Most relevant studies concern clinical populations, however, and relatively few concern community populations. Moreover, previous studies have not addressed empirically the possible role of family functioning as a factor in the relation between children's sleep and adjustment. The present study, conducted in a predominantly low-income, community sample (N = 202), measured 4- to 5-year-old children's sleep patterns through daily logs kept by mothers, and measured family stress and parenting practices through detailed, multifaceted interviews and incidental observations of parent-child interactions. Children's adjustment, both positive and negative, was measured through preschool teacher reports on multiple occasions. A structural equation model showed that disrupted child sleep patterns (variability in reported amount of sleep, variability in bedtime, and lateness of bedtime) predicted less optimal adjustment in preschool, even after considering the roles of family stress and family management practices.     

THE TEAM APPROACH TO INSTRUCTIONAL TELEVISION PRODUCTION: AN AMERICAN VIEW

Instructional television (ITV) is most likely to be successful when resulting from the coordinated efforts of a team of capable specialists, but the contributions of such specialists are frequently overlooked, oversimplified or perceived too late. The team or task force assigned to the organization and development of a televised teaching project should consist of (1) a specialist in the psychology of learning, (2) a content specialist/writer, (3) a production specialist, (4) a TV engineer, and (5) a research and evaluation specialist. Each of these specialists, when properly trained and experienced, can play a unique and significant part in the creation of effective ITV materials. It is possible for some of the roles to be combined, but this can be disadvantageous.

Public television stations in the United States have not made extensive use of the specialist team approach, for reasons of economy, scarcity of personnel and constraints of time and scheduling, but it is notable that the best known and apparently most effective producers of ITV programmes have used the specialist team approach. Amongst these successful users are the British Open University, the Children's Television Workshop, the Agency for Instructional Television, the University of Mid‐America and a few other large ITV consortia. Benefits to be derived from the specialist team approach should be carefully considered by all those engaged in the preparation not only of ITV programmes but also other audiovisual materials and multi‐media courses.     

Mission Impossible? Access and the Dash to Growth in British Higher Education

Access is a central issue in the debate about the future shape and characteristics of the post-binary system of higher education. It is seen as crucial to the shift towards a more open, mass system. This paper examines commitments to access in the contents of institutional missions and strategic plans. The results of our analysis suggest a widespread concern to be involved in the access process. However, we also reveal substantial differences in emphasis between the older universities, ex-polytechnics and colleges that comprise the post-binary system. On the basis of present institutional planning it would appear that access is frequently seen as an addition to, rather than a replacement of, the commitments of the binary era. Our evidence suggests that a fundamental shift of ethos within the system as a whole may be some way off.     

Using a blended learning approach to support women returning to STEM

ABSTRACT

This paper examines a blended learning model designed to support women returning to STEM after a career break and its delivery in a unique partnership between an online distance education provider and a community-based equality organisation. Through this partnership additional activities such as networking events, returnships, career clinics and webinars were used in conjunction with a structured online Badged Open Course (BOC), which enabled a successful return to employment for many of the participants. This article outlines the results and implications of this integrated model and argues that blended learning approaches need to be flexible and adaptable to be able to incorporate the needs of learners at different life-course stages, taking into consideration gender and other diversity characteristics.     

Extending the apprenticeship of observation: how mentee experiences shape mentors

Although the importance of mentor teachers in clinical teacher preparation is well established, few researchers explore the social identity development of these individuals. Through our study we contribute to the body of research by exploring mentor teachers’ social identity development through the concept of Apprenticeship of Observation – specifically, how they felt their own mentoring experiences influenced their approaches to mentoring. The multi-case study includes findings about mentoring beliefs and practices during the laboratory school component of an Alternate Route to Licensure program. Incorporating semi-structured interviews and video analysis, the findings demonstrate how four mentor teachers’ prior experiences as mentees – including Alternate Route to Licensure, traditional teacher preparation programs, and inservice teaching – influenced their interactions with teacher candidates as mentors. Recommendations for practice and implications for future research are provided.     

Mapping the landscape of academic integrity education programs: what approaches are effective?

Abstract

Research has shown that academic integrity education programs can have a positive impact on student attitudes and reduce breaches of academic integrity. Although programs vary across institutions, there is relatively little research on their comparative efficacy. Accordingly, this study examines how higher education institutions in Australia and New Zealand approach academic integrity education in order to identify particular features that are considered to be most effective. Forty-four institutions are represented in this research, with data collected via a survey and semi-structured interviews with selected participants. The findings reveal that, in many cases, current academic integrity education programs appear to lack comprehensive information on values, the potential risks to integrity and the pitfalls of assessment outsourcing. Instead, curricula tended to focus on plagiarism, student responsibilities and referencing. Institutions employ a range of different communication and administration strategies to encourage uptake, and it was found that centrally administered programs that employed sanctions for non-completion appeared to be the most effective method for achieving compliance. Whilst the use of sanctions may support completion, it is argued that future academic integrity programs should also be collaboratively designed, drawing on a timely educational approach for skill development that incorporates learner feedback into the process with a greater emphasis on underpinning values.