How can children with mild literacy difficulties be supported at the transition to secondary school? A small‐scale quasi‐experimental study

There is evidence that pupils with weak literacy skills struggle on transition to secondary school. Many experience a drop in attainment in the summer break between the two. A British government‐funded programme of rigorously designed research on boosting literacy at transition had (by 2015) found only four of 15 interventions evaluated had positive effects. This small‐scale quasi‐experimental study investigated the effectiveness of support for pupils with mild literacy difficulties on transition to secondary school. Thirty‐two pupils in three schools were involved; half received the programme. Pairs were matched on reading, spelling, age and gender. Intervention was designed around the individual needs of each pupil, focusing variously on language skills, writing, reading and spelling. The group receiving the programme made modest gains in spelling, reading efficiency and single word reading. The comparison group lost ground, relatively, in all three areas. The results suggest a promising line for more rigorous investigation.     

Change management and the SENCo role: developing key performance indicators in the strategic development of inclusivity

This article follows an earlier publication highlighting the changing role of special educational needs co‐ordinators (SENCos) in England. SENCos are now required to manage change strategically and deliver inclusive school cultures. School‐based action research undertaken by a teacher studying for the postgraduate National Award for SEN Co‐ordination (NASENCO) is featured in the article; a strategic review of resource allocation increased the availability and quality of interventions for students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The commentary which frames the study acknowledges that many SENCos are not yet members of a senior school management team (SMT) despite their mandated strategic whole‐school remit. Featuring the process through which one SENCo has strived to enhance SEND provision and develop context‐specific key performance indicators brings official guidance on the SENCo's role in strategic change management into sharp focus, raising questions that should concern both SMTs and non‐SMT SENCos.     

EUROPEAN DISSERTATION SUMMARIES

To alleviate teachers’ reluctance toward practical work, there has been much discussion on teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge, teaching materials, and failsafe strategies for practical work. Despite these efforts, practical work is still regarded as a challenging task for many elementary science teachers. To understand the complexity of teachers’ conflicts in practical work, this study examines teachers’ ideas about teaching and learning that influence teachers’ decision‐making and action on teaching practical work. More important than knowing technical–rational aspects of practical work is to understand the internal contradictions that teachers have to resolve within themselves regarding their capabilities and beliefs about science teaching and practical work. Using stories and experiences of 38 third‐year university students in a science method course in Korea, we seek to understand the conflicts and negotiations that they experience as they make decisions regarding practical work throughout their course. Reflective writings and group discussions on their lived experiences and concerns were used to probe participants’ ideas on teaching using practical work. From written and verbal data, themes were saturated in terms of the aspects which could (dis)encourage their practice. Results suggest that there are multifactorial challenges in pre‐service teachers’ understandings and concerns in practical work. Besides time, materials, and curriculum, pedagogical assumptions and values also compositely challenge the minds of teachers. As the pre‐service elementary teachers negotiated within themselves the importance of science in classroom and social levels, the question is raised about their identities as pre‐service elementary teachers to appreciate the balance between science teaching and practical work.     

Latin@ advocacy in the hyphen: faculty identity and commitment in a Hispanic‐serving institution

This study examines our experiences as female junior scholars with multicultural backgrounds teaching at the same Hispanic‐serving institution. As education scholars with mixed‐heritage families, we identify with the commitment to serving Latinos and the number of mixed‐heritage people in the USA. The election of Barack Obama, whose racial background is both black and white, to the US presidency signifies the emergence of mixed‐heritage people as a demographic presence in this country. Our research suggests that more understanding is needed about the experiences of mixed‐heritage faculty in academia, as well as the ways in which faculty from any background may develop multiple affiliations with cultural communities and pursue professional agendas related to communities that they do not neatly fit into. Despite this variation in backgrounds and research agendas, we share our efforts in advancing Latin@ educational attainment.     

提高切削加工表面质量方法的探讨

机械零件加工表面质量的好坏,对零件的使用性能有很大的影响。本文主要探讨已加工表面的形成过程,已加工表面质量的影响因素以及提高切削加工表面质量的一些方法。     

TiNYT15涂层车刀刀具使用寿命实验研究

本文主要介绍了用阶梯切削法来建立YT15氮化钛涂层车刀的刀具使用寿命计算公式方法,并对涂层刀具和未涂层刀具的切削数据进行了处理和比较,进一步从理论上和实验上论证了涂层刀具的使用寿命远高于未涂层刀具的事实。     

对国家性质与国家形式基本概念界定的商榷

高职高专《宪法》教材对国家性质与国家形式这两个基本概念所作的界定值得商榷。国家性质与国体，政权组织形式与政体在内涵与外延上应有区别，不能简单等同。     

新型氧气-丙烷气割嘴

与乙炔相比,无论工作性能还是气源条件,丙烷都具有相当的优势.介绍了一种新型氧气-丙烷气割嘴,以改进传统的采用氧气-乙炔的气割方式,并采用F luent软件对氧气-丙烷的混合情况进行了数值模拟,结果显示割嘴出口速度场分布均匀,氧气-丙烷的混合情况对燃烧有利,证明此种割嘴形式具有较好的混气效果.     

输水渠道横断面设计水深测试及计算(综合性)实验

输水渠道横断面设计水深测试及计算实验结合“灌溉排水工程学”及“水力学”等学科的知识,在实验过程中,通过对实验数据的测试、分析及计算和渠道模型实物的观摩,加深了对渠道设计原理的理解,与课堂上的理论教学起到了良好的互动作用。     

审计为国有企业改革和发展服务的思考

审计要为国有企业改革和发展服务，首先要将服务的观念和意识贯穿于整个审计监督的全过程；其次，审计要在观念、内容和重点、对象和范围、方法等方面实现转变；最后提出审计服务的具体措施：一、转变观点．以全新思维开展工作；二、不断开拓审计工作新领域；三、明确国家审计、内部审计的职责．发挥其功能；四、执行审计法规，实现审计工作的制度化和规范化；五、进一步改进审计方法。