Scaffolding practices that enhance mathematics learning

It is over 25 years since Wood, Bruner and Ross (1976, Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 17, 89–100) introduced the idea of ‘scaffolding’ to represent the way children’s learning can be supported. Despite problems, this metaphor has enduring attraction in the way it emphasises the intent to support a sound foundation with increasing independence for the learner as understanding becomes more secure. It has resonance with the widely accepted notion in teaching of construction and the constructivist paradigm for learning. The discussion that follows will characterise some teaching approaches that can be identified as scaffolding, revisiting some of the original classifications, and identifying further scaffolding strategies with particular reference to mathematics learning. Examples will be given from studies relating to geometry learning with four to 6 year olds and to arithmetic learning with older pupils.     

小学课堂教学中师生交往阻隔的生成机制及干预策略

师生交往阻隔是影响课堂教学质量的重要因素.本文首先对小学课堂教学中师生交往阻隔的生成机制进行深入剖析,其次寻找出当前小学课堂教学中师生交往阻隔的产生原因,在此基础上提出减少小学课堂教学中师生交往阻隔的干预策略.     

The role of the teacher's culture in classroom management: A case study of primary schools in French Polynesia

Polynesian Languages and Culture (PLC) lessons in primary schools focus on, among other things, passing on Tahitian legends and linguistic content that is specific to the Polynesian languages (Reo mā'ohi). A co-analysis of the PLC teachers' culture of origin conducted with the teachers to identify the dimensions of their actual activity revealed a strong connivance between the teaching object and the teacher/pupils relationship (notably through gestures, postures and proxemics). This relationship was representative of the 'rapports de place' (relationships of place) found in particular in the non-school sphere. Respect for the roles and statuses of 'elders' and 'magisters', the importance of a commitment to learning, the valorisation of speaking up and the benevolence of encouraging pupils to persevere in their learning were all fundamental values of belonging in the Tahitian community. Beyond the Polynesian context, this research contributes to a conceptual enlargement of the theoretical field of 'didactique professionnelle' because it demonstrates that taking into account the influence of the context and its inherent values better identifies the resources that teachers implicitly draw on and that they refer or do not refer to in an interactive situation with learners.     

Teacher–Student Interactions in Korean High School Science Classrooms

This paper provides a preliminary picture of teacher–student interaction in Korean senior high schools. In order to do this, the Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction (QTI) was translated into Korean and administered to 439 students (99 science-independent stream students, 195 science-oriented stream students and 145 humanities stream students). Based on the results from this survey, interviews with some students and teachers were also carried out and three science classrooms were also observed. It was found that the teacher–student interactions in Korean senior high school science classrooms reflect the general image of the youth-elder relationship in society as well as the senior high school's unique nature – portraying a scene of directing teachers and obeying students. It was also found that students experience unique interactions in their science classrooms with their particular teachers. It was considered that this difference comes from the overlapping of a teacher's personal characteristics with the nature of a stream (e.g., curriculum, expectation towards the students in that stream). This article reports part of a larger study conducted with Korean senior high school students and teachers. The aim of the main study was to investigate three different aspects of the high school science classroom environments in Korea, namely, the degree of implementation of constructivism, the pattern of teacher–student interactions, and the learning environment in laboratory classes. Based on the realisation that teacher–student interactions have not been systematically dealt with especially at the senior high school level in Korea, this article pays particularly attention to this aspect. The intention was also to provide useful insights for improving the current situation in senior high school science classrooms in Korea.     

可压缩湍流的多尺度方程组

The short-range property of interactions between scales in the compressible turbulent flow was examined. An estimation of the short-range scale scope and some formulae for the short-range eddy stress and heat transfer etc. were given. A concept of resonant-range interactions between extremely contiguous scales was introduced and some formulae for the resonant-range eddy stress and heat transfer etc. were also given. Multi-scale equations for the compressible turbulent flows were presented. The multi-scale equations are approximately closed and do not contain any empirical constants. The compressibility effects on turbulence are determined by the Farve averaged variables and the nonlinear relationships between the Farve- and physical-averaged variables.     

Age difference and face-saving in an inter-generational problem-based learning group

This study used grounded theory methodology to investigate whether learning in a problem-based learning (PBL) group was influenced by student demographic diversity. Data comprised observations, in the form of video footage, of one first-year PBL group carried out over the period of an academic year, along with student interviews. Using the concepts of ‘face’ and face-threatening acts to critically explore student interactions, it appeared that inter-generational issues could reflect and create positions of power. At interview, all individuals constructed themselves as similar to or different from others in the group first and foremost by age, suggesting this is a primary concern for students. The data also highlighted many occasions, linked to generational difference, where students failed to share knowledge and experiences or to engage critically in deep exploratory learning. This finding has not been reported previously in the PBL literature.     

Pentaquarks: Do they exist?

Recently there has been great excitement about the possible existence of pentaquarks. In this article, we will discuss the quark model and multiquark structures as well as the recent experiments carried out to study the existence of pentaquarks.     

Who benefits from dyadic teacher–student interactions in whole-class settings?

To what extent can teacher–student dyadic interactions modify the hierarchy of student performances within a single class? To answer this insufficiently researched question, the authors conducted two parallel studies involving 33 Grade 5 classes in France (759 students) and 15 Grade 5 classes in Luxembourg (243 students). Interactions were observed during whole-class lessons. Posttest scores were analyzed using multilevel models controlling for five level-1 variables and two level-2 variables. The authors did not find any effect of dyadic interactions on relative student performance in mathematics or in language (French or German), in France or in Luxembourg. This result is interpreted in terms of both the public character of dyadic interactions in whole-class settings and the class management functions of these interactions.     

Teaching literacy in primary schools using an interactive whole-class technology: facilitating student-to-student whole-class dialogic interactions

Much of the research conducted on the use of interactive whole-class technologies in primary school classroom focuses on teacher-to-student interactions. This paper, drawing on a social theory of learning, reports on a qualitative case study undertaken with two primary school classes in one school in New South Wales, Australia where the interactive whiteboard (IWB) was used. Here the focus of the lessons was on literacy where students were learning to write reviews. The results of the study demonstrate that the use of the IWB can provide for learning in a whole-class setting where interactions between students feature. Consequently, the teacher is able to take on a facilitator’s role.     

Interpersonal Skills in the Reference Workplace

SUMMARY

Reference librarians are expected to interact effectively with a variety of clientele and are taught skills such as approachability, showing interest, and verbal and non-verbal cues. Librarians who have a knack for interpersonal skills do very well both at the reference desk and interacting with their co-workers. An area that is rarely addressed in the literature (or in library school) is that of educating librarians about how to establish professional, collegial relationships with one another. It is assumed that if a reference librarian can interact well with patrons, in a professional manner, he or she will be able to successfully “fit into” almost any reference department. This article discusses the importance of interpersonal skills within the Reference Department and ideas for improving these skills to enhance co-worker relations.