Teaching Science Inquiry in Urban Contexts: The Role of Elementary Preservice Teachers’ Beliefs

This paper reports on a study of elementary preservice teachers’ inquiry-based practices, their efficacy beliefs, and the role beliefs had on two preservice teachers’ practices in urban classrooms. Results show inquiry-based practices can be cultivated through field-based experiences and preservice teachers’ efficacy beliefs, as it relates to practice in urban settings, are malleable. Specifically, personal efficacy beliefs about teaching science improved or were sustained for one cohort of preservice teachers. However, beliefs about students’ ability to learn science, that is outcome beliefs, were less stable. The results of two case studies show that science content knowledge was a factor in preservice teachers’ inquiry-based practices. However, why preservice teachers’ beliefs about student learning declined is less clear. More research is needed, along with follow-up data on teacher induction, to learn how preservice teachers’ beliefs impact urban students’ science education.     

Reclaiming Teacher Agency in a Student-Centred Digital World

This article examines the current dilemma faced by many teachers: the drive for a modern day pedagogy advocating student-centred, technology-enabled learning is at odds with teacher comfort zones still nestled in a teacher-talk, print-based classroom. Put another way, the 'techno-reluctance' of many teachers represents a negative reaction to the perception that new technologies represent a threat to their traditional roles and general sense of practical agency in the learning process or classroom. The paper interprets some of the key factors impacting on techno-reluctance as a means of moving beyond such a simplistic view of the connection between digital technologies and changing teacher roles. On this basis, it goes on to discuss the concept of 'technoliteracy' as a means of reclaiming teacher agency in a studentcentred, computer-mediated environment and also reframing teacher attitudes to electronic texts and related literacy practices.     

对抗光污染,请把黑夜还给我!

曾几何时,"不夜天""不夜城"被看作是一种表达繁华与欢乐的赞美。然而时至今日,"彻夜不眠"的璀璨灯光却成为众矢之的,因为其不光破坏了自然界关于黑夜白昼的自然规律,还影响了生态平衡,甚至有损人类的健康。听起来有点危言耸听,是不是?但或许,真的是时候对"光污染"say"NO"了。     

Voting Methods Matter

Data from a far from satisfactory election are used to illustrate the effects of changes in voting methods.     

A Graphical Display for Comparing Bowlers in Cricket

In cricket it is of interest to compare bowlers on the basis of bowling average, economy rate and strike rate. In this article is presented a simple graphical display for making simultaneous comparisons on the basis of these three summary measures. The method is illustrated with some examples from Test Match and other First-Class cricket.     

The UK Unemployment Figures

This article investigates the prblems of fitting a simple time series model to data in which there are rapid changes in trend. The UK monthly unemployment figures are used as an example.     

Valuing and evaluating student-generated online multimodal texts: rethinking what counts

Teachers are currently urged to integrate information and communication technologies into classroom learning experiences, and many enthusiastically do so, yet traditional print‐based assessment modes still dominate. In this paper we put forward the position that the production of digitally mediated texts cannot be assessed against traditional printbased assessment criteria. In support of this position, we explore the nature of multimodal text production and propose relevant assessment criteria for determining quality.