Bundled or unbundled? A multi-text corpus-assisted discourse analysis of the relationship between teaching and research in UK universities

Creating and disseminating knowledge through research and teaching has long been regarded as the hallmark of the modern university. However, new university business models have called into question the ‘bundling’ of teaching and research, and sustained research on the relationship between teaching and research has found little evidence of an insoluble connection between the two activities. In this article, we explore the relationship between teaching and research from the perspective of universities’ institutional discourse. We use corpus-assisted discourse analysis to examine the relationship between research and teaching as presented in two sets of institutional texts currently influential in UK Higher Education: Research Excellence Framework environment statements and Teaching Excellence Framework provider submissions (a total of 2143 documents and 12,492,071 words). Our findings show that, while universities emphasise the value of research to their teaching, they do not always emphasise (or sometimes even decry) the influence of teaching on their research. We empirically evidence that, according to what universities themselves write in institutional texts, teaching and research are not always in a mutually beneficial entanglement, but often rather a one-way relationship in which research expertise and institutional prestige are used to bolster claims of teaching excellence. This has implications for the communication of both the vision and the purpose of a university in regulatory exercises and wider policy, but also speaks to the broader idea and practice of being a university in the twenty-first century.     

Teachers’ self-efficacy and intercultural classroom practices in diverse classroom contexts: A cross-national comparison

This cross-national study provides new insights in teacher efficacy in today’s culturally diverse classrooms using survey data of 269 early childhood and primary school teachers in England, Italy, the Netherlands and Poland. Teacher efficacy can be viewed as a two dimensional concept in which both general beliefs are measured alongside (diversity-related) domain-specific beliefs. These beliefs are related to the cultural classroom context and the use of intercultural classroom practices. Our results indicate that policies and professional development targeted at the reciprocal relation between diversity-related efficacy and practices are important when preparing teachers for working in diverse classroom contexts.     

‘I would say nine times out of 10 they come to the LSA rather than the teacher’. The role of teaching assistants in supporting children's mental health

This research explored how seven primary school teaching assistants (TAs) experienced their role in supporting children's mental health. Interviews were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). The participants believed that they supported children's mental health and particularly referenced the close relationships that they formed with children. Throughout their accounts of supporting children, the TAs referenced helpful factors (e.g. support from other staff) and challenges (e.g. hierarchy) within the school system. Supporting children’s mental health was an emotional experience for the TAs; they discussed the rewarding element, however, the topic also elicited fear. The findings provide several implications for school staff and external professionals about how TAs can be supported in their role. These include involving TAs in training opportunities, providing TAs with supervision, considering communication systems in schools, and introducing a mental health policy.     

Discrete Choice Modeling in Education: An Innovative Method to Assess Teaching Practices

Self‐reported measures are an easy, time‐efficient, and low‐cost way to collect research data compared to other assessment methods. They are, however, characterized by several limitations regarding the quality and the clarity of the data they produce, especially when they are implemented in education. The main purpose of the current study was to use a method called discrete choice modeling (DCM) in education, in order to develop a self‐reported instrument that will reduce the bias for socially desirable responses and to assess teachers’ practices in physical activity. DCM method has the ability to overcome the respondents’ tendency to answer in a socially desirable way. A nationally representative sample of 531 Greek early educators participated in this study and were administered a self‐assessment questionnaire based on DCM. Results showed that the DCM based newly developed instrument manages to assess effectively educators’ practices and provided evidence of the applicability of the method in education. Further implications and future recommendations regarding the effective application of DCM in education are discussed.     

小学体育兴趣化游戏教学的多维性探索

随着新一轮教改工作在我国全国范围内的深入开展,体育已经成为各地小学素质教育工作中的重点内容。就目前来看,为进一步提高小学体育教学效率,兴趣化游戏教学已经逐步被引入实际教学工作中,该教学模式可以冲破传统教条主义教学思维的拘束,进一步提高学生对学习的兴趣,使被动学习转变为主动学习,从而更好地实现当今时代小学体育教学工作目标。     

高中篮球模块教学的实践与探索

随着体育的发展,模块教学理念深入学校的体育教学之中。模块教学是以学生为主体的教学模式,学生能够根据自己的特长和爱好选择适合自己的体育运动项目,从而保障了学习体育的积极性。针对于今天的教学来说,教师的教学目的一定不是单纯地去追求学生的学习成绩,今天随着新课标的不断深入,教师需要把以往从学生纯净的追求转变为对于学生综合素养的追求。这个时候体育学科的重要性就会有所体现,身体是革命的本钱,学生在学习的过程中一定要有一个好的身体素质,只有这样他们才能够更好地应对接下来的生活。     

Professional knowledge or motivation? Investigating the role of teachers’ expertise on the quality of technology-enhanced lesson plans

In an expertise study with 94 mathematics teachers varying in their relative teacher expertise (i.e., student teachers, trainee teachers, in-service teachers), we examined effects of teachers' professional knowledge and motivational beliefs on their ability to integrate technology within a lesson plan scenario. Therefore, we assessed teachers' professional knowledge (i.e., content knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, technological knowledge), and their motivational beliefs (i.e., self-efficacy, utility-value). Furthermore, teachers were asked to develop a lesson plan for introducing the Pythagorean theorem to secondary students. Lesson plans by advanced teachers (i.e., trainee teachers, in-service teachers) comprised higher levels of instructional quality and technology exploitation than the ones of novice teachers (i.e., pre-service teachers). The effect of expertise was mediated by teachers' perceived utility-value of educational technology, but not by their professional knowledge. These findings suggest that teachers’ motivational beliefs play a crucial role for effectively applying technology in mathematics instruction.     

从当前中小学体育教学现状看高校体育教育专业的教学改革

在新的历史时期，研究中小学校体育教学现状对于高等体育教育专业的教学改革十分必要。本主要采用问卷调查和献分析等方法对我国16个省、直辖市、自治区的241所中小学校进行问卷调查和分析，发现：当前中小学校体育教师的教学工作负担过重，科研的整体水平偏低，法律意识淡薄等不利因素；同时提出：在现阶段的高等体育教学中，应当加强对学生科研能力的培养，技术教学要突出“多能一专”的教学思想，并建议有关部门关注体育教师的“减负”问题。     

运动心理训练现状与发展动向分析

采用文献分析、调查研究等方法，通过对中外运动心理训练现状和发展动向的研究，为我国教练员和运动员提供了运动心理训练的有益信息。     

对"竞技运动教材化"的思考

通过对新的竞技运动概念的认识和思考 ,认为竞技运动教材化 ,将会给学校体育 ,尤其是高校体育带来一个新的视野。并认为在学校体育课程教材内容体系中存在着阶梯性和逻辑性关系 ,也存在着非阶梯性和非逻辑性关系。