Moving with modernisation and civilisation: Taiwanese nativist education in the early 1930s

This study examines localisation endeavours in contemporary Taiwan to explore the history of the Taiwanese localisation movement as a way of reimagining meanings of Taiwaneseness constructed under different historical circumstances. It focuses on the xiāngtǔ (nativist) literature movement in colonial Taiwan in the early 1930s that was initiated by Taiwanese intellectuals to create real Taiwanese literature on Taiwan and for the Taiwanese masses. Besides being a social education initiative to improve Taiwanese mass literacy, the xiāngtǔ literature movement was a localisation effort to reform Taiwanese language and preserve Taiwanese culture under Japanese occupation. The reform discourse made a turn towards specifically Taiwanese linguistic and cultural traditions, instead of pursuing modern Japanese and Chinese language and culture, which were the then available cultural impulses in colonial Taiwan. Local Taiwanese language and folk culture were essential curricular materials in the social education agenda that created particular meanings of Taiwaneseness for colonial Taiwan.     

Modelling adult skills in OECD countries

Research in the social sciences has focused extensively on the relationship between family background, educational attainment and social destination, on the one hand, and on the processes of skills creation and skills use, on the other. This paper brings these two branches of the literature together by examining the correlation between a range of social factors. The methodology we adopt provides a comprehensive approach to the study of the channels through which literacy skills are acquired, taking into account the interrelation of family background, educational attainment, and the use of skills at work and at home. We use the Programme of International Assessment of Adult Competences (PIAAC) dataset and apply a structural equation model (SEM). Our results show that family background and education play an important role in the configuration of adult skills and skill practices. Unequal family access to resources has a strong impact at later stages in life and strongly affects educational attainment and skills outcomes. Additionally, skills use has a positive and direct impact on adult skills.     

Self-efficacy and literacy: a paired difference approach to estimation of over-/under-confidence in mathematics- and science-related tasks

Subject-specific self-efficacy is a measure of confidence in one’s own ability to complete tasks related to that subject. This confidence does not necessarily reflect actual ability in the subject and can be an over- or underestimate of true ability. We use nationally representative samples of 15-year-old students from the US to measure the degree of over-/under-confidence in mathematics and science, and explore its relationship with student demographic characteristics such as gender, grade and race. Our results suggest that white students consistently underestimate their ability, whereas black and Hispanic students consistently overestimate it. This pattern in over-/under-confidence persists even after controlling for student and school level differences. Implications are discussed.     

Teaching for genetics literacy in the post-genomic era

Research in genetics and genomics is advancing at a fast pace, and thus keeping up with the most recent findings and conclusions can be very challenging. At the same time these recent findings and conclusions have made necessary a reconceptualization of genes and heredity, both in science and in science education, beyond the mostly gene-centred view of the twentieth century. The teaching of genetics at schools should have a key role in helping students achieve genetics literacy. However, the literature on research in genetics education reports persistent difficulties and misunderstandings. We first consider the public understanding of and the attitudes towards genetics. Then, we review the most recent literature and present the most typical conceptions found among secondary students in various countries, ages and backgrounds. We argue that particular factors such as intuitive thinking, teachers, textbooks, and the media affect students’ development of erroneous or outdated ideas related to genetics. Finally, we suggest how these problems might be addressed in order for genetics teaching at the secondary level to fulfil the aim of contributing to students’ genetics literacy in the current post-genomic era.     

Exploring the Efficacy of The Word Within the Word for Gifted and Typically Developing Students

An exploratory study of the efficacy of The Word Within the Word tested students’ abilities to recognize, use, and recall vocabulary. Ten middle school teachers and their 493 students participated. Five teachers used The Word Within the Word, and five used traditional vocabulary materials. Students completed an out-of-level sentence completion test and a test of prompted vocabulary recall. Analysis of sentence completion data revealed significant differences with moderate effect sizes, favoring students in The Word Within the Word sixth- and seventh-grade classes. Analysis of prompted vocabulary recall data revealed significant differences with moderate to large effect sizes at all grade levels, favoring The Word Within the Word classes. Results suggest that in this case, both gifted and typically developing students in classrooms using The Word Within the Word were more skilled in vocabulary recognition, use, and recall than students in classrooms using traditional methods of vocabulary instruction.     

Extending the classroom walls: using academic blogging as an intervention strategy to improve critical literacy skills with elementary students

‘Academic blogging’ is a way of extending the primary classroom walls and enhancing learning through collaborative reflective responses to open-ended questions from prescribed text. Students learn from each other, develop critical literacy skills, voice their opinions and ask questions through blogging. This pedagogical approach broaches the areas of social media etiquette, cognitive dissonance, Information Communication Technologies, collaborative learning and utilises virtual conversations to deepen student's understanding of text. Through the methodology of Action Research with the spiral steps of; Plan, Act, Observe and Reflect an intervention strategy is devised to improve the critical literacy skills of Year 5 students in the comprehension skills of metacognition and reflection. A strategy was devised that involved the creation of a class blogosphere to share reflective insights on a class novel. While the children's results were positive using this intervention strategy the teacher's own learning as an educator and researcher is evident through this action research project.     

Contorting identities: figuring literacy and identity in adolescent worlds

This paper explores connections and disconnects between identity and literacy for a group of adolescents in a second level classroom setting. We build on Mead and Vygotsky’s conceptualisations of identity formation as an intricate emergent happening constantly formed/reformed by people, in their interactions with others [Mead, G. H. 1999. Play, School, Society. Edited by M. J. Deegan. Oxford: Peter Lang; Vygotsky, L. 1978. Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes. Cambridge, UK: Harvard University Press]. This paper will set to explore the impact of this on adolescent literacy practice, student choice and agency [Lewis, C., P. Ensico, and E. M. Moje. 2007. “Reframing Sociocultural Research on Literacy: Identity, Agency, and Power.” The Electronic Journal of English as a Second Language 12 (3): 1–205]. The concept of figured worlds plays a fundamental role in our theorisation of adolescent literacy and identity. Literacy and identity remain interwoven in very complex ways for adolescents as they attempt to make sense and meaning from in and out of school experiences [Burnett, C., J. Davies, G. Merchant, and J. Rowsell. 2014. New Literacies Around the Globe: Policy and Pedagogy. New York, NY: Routledge; Davies, J. 2013. “(I’m)Material Girls Living in (in)Material Worlds: Identity Curation Through Time and Space.” Presentation at UKLA Conference, Liverpool]. A combination of quantitative and qualitative research was used in carrying out this exploration with a thematic approach to data analysis. The findings of the exploration identify that there is a disconnect between identity in and out of school. We then see the struggle students have in coming to terms with their various figured worlds, and varying identities in given scenarios. There is an emphasis on the dated nature of some prescribed texts for study on the English course and the need for a review of these to bridge the scholastic and social divide evident from the findings. This paper explores the literacy and identity experiences of one group of adolescents alongside their opinions about the English literacy curriculum.     

L. V. Shcherba: a ‘new slant’ on modern foreign languages in the school curriculum?

In this paper, I offer a critical reflection on the thesis of the general educational value of foreign languages developed by Russian linguist Lev Vladimirovich Shcherba. I do so against the background of current debates on the positioning of foreign languages in the school curriculum in the United Kingdom (UK). I argue that Shcherba's thesis, which was developed almost a century ago, retains its currency and can make an important contribution to the on-going discussion on the value of foreign languages in UK schools. The paper outlines Shcherba's scholarly explorations in general linguistics which underpin his arguments in favour of the inclusion of foreign languages in the basic school curriculum. The conception of language as a system immanently positioned in social experience assigns the foundational role to language in the literacy project. The conscious analytic processing of language phenomena is viewed as an essential pre-condition of literacy, and foreign languages are shown to be instrumental in developing such an analytic capacity of mind. Shcherba's argumentation reflects a comprehensive and interdisciplinary approach, both to foreign language education and to curriculum matters, and merits the attention of language practitioners, educationalists and policy-makers alike.     

Literacy in Citizenship Preparatory Classes

Beliefs and theories about literacy, from traditional literacy to multiliteracies to critical literacy, contain assumptions and ideologies about what it means to be literate. In the realm of U.S. citizenship, naturalization requires a certain level of English literacy and knowledge of history/civics, ascertained by a standardized interview. This article investigates views and practices of literacy in the naturalization test and citizenship preparatory classes. Ethnographic observations of three such classes indicate that English literacy is taught as discrete, decontextual, and superficial, and accuracy is accentuated over fluency. Overlooked, but equally important to become a naturalized citizen, are de facto literacy practices such as participation in high-stakes institutional discourse. In concluding that neither citizenship classes nor the citizenship test promote critical literacy or citizenship, I end with suggestions for promoting a more active and critical citizenry.