“It is not the same”: relationships and dementia

People living with dementia may live in relationship with partners, family members, and significant others. Dementia has been shown to impact on such relationships but relationships also impact on the dementia condition. Thirteen people took part in the study: all were caring for a person living with dementia and two were themselves living with dementia. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants focusing on changes in close relationships, including changes in intimate (sexual) relationships where appropriate. Interviews were audiotaped, transcribed, and analyzed using thematic analysis. Four main themes were identified: changes in couple relationships; changes in non-partner relationships; talking about oneself in relationship; and talking about people with dementia in relationship. In conclusion, participants’ lived experiences highlight the need for ongoing relational support and an education-based counseling program that could potentially address many of participants’ highlighted needs.     

Teaching for Understanding in Earth Science: Comparing Impacts on Planning and Instruction in Three Professional Development Designs for Middle School Science Teachers

This paper compares and contrasts the impacts of three professional development designs aimed at middle school Earth science teachers on how teachers plan and enact instruction. The designs were similar in their alignment to research-based practices in science professional development: each design was of an extended duration and time span, included follow-up support to teachers, and incorporated active learning approaches in the professional development. In addition, the designs had a high level of coherence with other reform activities and with local standards. The main difference among the designs was in the roles of teachers in designing, adopting, or adapting curriculum materials. Evidence from teacher survey and observation data indicated that all programs had positive impacts on how teachers planned and enacted teaching for understanding, but differences among programs was more evident in their impacts on instructional planning.