Flowers of argument and engagement? Reconsidering critical perspectives on adult education and literate practices

This paper takes up an existing discussion around critical perspectives on adult education, in particular how empowerment and emancipation have been understood. Previously in this journal, concern has been raised with traditional understandings of critical adult education. The problem is that these tend to assume that learners require assistance from experts, be they teachers or researchers, in order to gain understanding of how they are oppressed. The purpose of this paper is to present a deeper engagement with this concern through an examination of how both empowering and emancipatory adult education have been understood and practised. The demarcation is examined in the context of the historical development of critical understandings and practices associated with adult literacies learning, as a significant field of adult education where the idea of empowerment and emancipation has been theorised. The ideas and practices associated with empowering literacies are defended as ways for learners to gain positions from which to speak and be heard, as well as support participation in work, community and family life. Informed by the ideas of Jacques Rancière, there is also acknowledgement that societal inequalities are increasing, necessitating a need to consider how adult education might encourage political transformation and emancipation.     

Clarity,consistency and communication: using enhanced dialogue to create a course-based feedback strategy

This article examines the outcomes of a study across four discipline areas in order to develop course-based assessment strategies in closer cooperation with students. Second-year students (n = 48) from different disciplines were engaged in two phases of activity-orientated workshops. Phase 1 sought their perceptions of feedback. Phase 2 saw students design a proposed strategy to present to the respective staff teams. We discuss the emerging themes which appeared to be very similar amongst this diverse cross section of students: a lack of faith in marking consistency; the need for clear guidelines and criteria; the greater use of positive feedback language; and a close association with tutors. The emergence of strategies specific to each course is discussed, along with the alignment of the outcomes of this approach with pedagogic knowledge. It is suggested that enhanced dialogue enabled staff and students to develop a common understanding, and gave impetus to improving assessment feedback practices. Outcomes recommended here include changes to practice such as a team approach to feedback development, the content and style of feedback, developing the usefulness of feedback for future work and the need for teams to periodically revisit staff development in this area.     

Improving Latino,English language learners' reading fluency: The effects of small‐group and one‐on‐one intervention

Reading fluency is a critical yet commonly neglected component of early reading instruction. For the large percentage of English language learners (ELLs) who are struggling with or at risk for reading difficulties, there is insufficient research available to help educators implement time‐efficient interventions with these students. Using an experimental design common in field‐based research, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the differential effects of a one‐on‐one (1/1) and small‐group (SG) reading fluency intervention, both implemented with Spanish‐speaking ELLs. Using three forms of data‐analytic strategies (visual analysis, standard error of measurement, and randomization tests), results showed that nearly all students benefitted from the 1/1 intervention, and two students clearly benefitted from the SG intervention. Standardized reading assessments also demonstrated the positive impact of students receiving the interventions. Implications of these findings are primarily discussed with respect to school‐based practice. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Self reported awareness of child maltreatment among school professionals in Saudi Arabia: impact of CRC ratification

Objectives

The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) was ratified by Saudi Arabia 15 years ago; yet addressing the issue of child maltreatment only began in more recent years. School professionals play a significant role in children's lives, as they spend a great deal of time with them and are hence essential to protecting and identifying those in danger or at risk. The objective of this study is to identify school professional's awareness of child maltreatment and the existing national policies and procedures to examine the extent of efforts made in Saudi Arabia and to activate the roles of schools and school professionals in protecting children from violence and implementation of Article 19 of the CRC.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional study, where school professionals from randomly selected schools throughout the country were invited to participate in a self-administered questionnaire.

Results

A total of 3,777 school professionals participated in the study. Fifty-five percent of professionals had at least 10 years of work experience. A low-level of awareness of child maltreatment was found in about 1/3 of school professionals. Only 1.9% of school professionals had ever attended any sort of specific training on child maltreatment, though 69.3% of those who had not, were willing to attend future training. With regards to awareness of CRC Article 19 or policies and procedures addressing child maltreatment, only 22% reported being aware of it.

Conclusion

The majority of school professionals in Saudi Arabia have a low-intermediate level of awareness of child maltreatment, ratification of CRC, and related national policies and procedures, yet most are willing to attend training programs on this subject matter. Efforts need to be made in the country to fill this gap.     

Children's participation in foster care hearings

Purpose

Empirical research regarding potential risks and benefits of children's participation in the legal system generally, and in the child dependency legal system in particular, is sparse and mostly characterized by small studies without comparison groups. The current study was designed to address the following questions regarding children's participation in dependency court hearings: (1) Is attending court harmful to children? (2) Is attending court beneficial to children? (3) Is judicial behavior with the child in the courtroom related to potential harms or benefits? and (4) Are there age differences in children's reactions?

Method

The authors measured children's reactions to attending dependency review hearings (n = 43) and compared them to a sample of children who did not attend their hearings (n = 50). One to 2 weeks following review hearings, both groups of children were interviewed about their reactions to the court process.

Results

Children who attended their hearings reported more positive feelings about the dependency process (e.g., trust in judge, perceived fairness, and more comfort with their guardians ad litem and caseworkers). For children who attended, there was no evidence of high distress immediately preceding or following their hearings. Court observations revealed that more active engagement by judges was related to positive responses from the children. Most children, including both children who attended hearings and those who did not, believed that all children should be able to attend their hearings.

Conclusion

Overall, the findings suggest that policies encouraging children's attendance at dependency hearings are viewed positively by and not harmful to children.     

What determines the return to education: An extra year or a hurdle cleared?

The 1973 Raising of the School Leaving Age from 15 to 16 has been used to identify returns to years’ schooling. However, because the first set of “high stakes” exams are taken in the UK at age 16, the reform affected the proportion with qualifications, as well as schooling length. In order to shed light on whether the returns reflect the extra length of schooling or the increase in qualifications, we exploit another institutional rule – the Easter Leaving Rule – which we argue only affected the probability of obtaining qualifications (and not the length of schooling). We find sizeable returns to academic qualifications – increasing the probability of employment by 40% points – and our results suggest that qualifications drive most of the returns to education.