Specific Learning Difficulties (Dyslexia): Equal Opportunities Issues

Their article raises important questions concerning the lack of attention to issues of equal opportunity in the literature on specific learning difficulties. The authors identify five objectives for professional practice and research.     

Literacy Difficulties and Single-Case Experimental Design

It is widely agreed that methods for evaluating the persistence of literacy difficulties require further development and research. This paper considers the use of single-case experimental design and reports an intervention study that involves monitoring the learning of eight children. The research examines to what extent the children make progress on the 'probe tests' based on the teaching programmes and, if progress is made, how it is reflected in scores on the Phonological Assessment Battery, British Ability Scale tests of reading and spelling, and the Neale Analysis of Reading Ability. The advantages and pitfalls of single-case experimental design are discussed in the light of this research .     

Information behavior of journalists: Analysis of critical incidents of information finding and use

This study is aimed at investigating information behavior of journalists in Kuwait. It attempted to seek answers to questions such as how search for information is initiated, what information sources are preferred and how successful is information finding? Journalists were asked to report critical incidences of information finding related to their recent journalistic assignment through a questionnaire. Analysis of 42 critical incidents indicated that journalistic assignments were in four major areas: political, cultural business, and sports. In most cases, background information was most frequently sought type of information. Internet was the most frequently used information source even though some journalists perceived that information available on the various websites may not be very objective. A follow up study is planned to be carried out to discuss the findings with a selected group of journalists using focus group discussions.     

��Romantic��, ��Classic�� and ��Baroque�� Views of Nature: An Analysis of Pictures About the Environment in Greek Primary School Textbooks��Diachronic Considerations

Taking the view that pictures are not a transparent but rather a deforming mirror of reality, shaping representations of the world bound up with the interests of the social institutions within which pictures are circulated and read, our aim is to explore what view of nature and of the human-nature relationship is built in Greek natural science school textbooks. The particular textbooks analysed have been recently introduced (in 2006 and 2007) into Greek education. The pictorial analysis suggests that a ??baroque?? view of nature and of the human-nature relationship predominantly emerges, according to which nature is constantly in motion, and therefore random and unpredictable natural change could be ??normal??. Natural environments are viewed in materialistic terms, being transformed by humans and serving as a resource. A comparison with our analysis of the older textbooks written in the early 1980s (Korfiatis et al. 2004) seems to indicate important conceptual differences between the two series of textbooks. The ??romantic?? and ??classic?? views of nature in the old textbooks could express the vigour, the optimism and the innocence characterising industrial societies (or in the process of industrialisation) about human interventions in the environment. Conversely, the ??baroque?? view found in the new textbooks probably marks the scepticism of post-industrial societies about natural phenomena.     

Extraction of DNA suitable for PCR applications from mature leaves of Mangifera indica L.

Good quality deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is the pre-requisite for its downstream applications. The presence of high concentrations of polysaccharides, polyphenols, proteins, and other secondary me- tabolites in mango leaves poses problem in getting good quality DNA fit for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) applications. The problem is exacerbated when DNA is extracted from mature mango leaves. A reliable and modified protocol based on the cetyl- trimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) method for DNA extraction from mature mango leaves is described here. High concentrations of inert salt were used to remove polysaccharides; Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and β-mercaptoethanol were employed to manage phenolic compounds. Extended chloroform-isoamyl alcohol treatment followed by RNase treatment yielded 950?1050 μg of good quality DNA, free of protein and RNA. The problems of DNA degradation,contamination, and low yield due to irreversible binding of phenolic compounds and coprecipitation of polysaccharides with DNA were avoided by this method. The DNA isolated by the modified method showed good PCR amplification using simple se- quence repeat (SSR) primers. This modified protocol can also be used to extract DNA from other woody plants having similar problems.     

“It's not as if we've been teaching them…” reflective thinking in the outdoor classroom

Research undertaken during a six week mountaineering expedition to Iceland in July 2003 set out to investigate approaches to facilitating the reflective process in 20 participants aged between 14 and 18. A number of models were examined to help determine the educational philosophy underpinning the expedition. The research methods involved documentary searches, observations and semistructured interviews. Findings suggest that the approach of expedition leaders accorded with the 'mountains speak for themselves' model as the leadersmade little or no attempt to encourage, facilitate or enable reflection on the part of participants. With few exceptions the participants did, however, engage in reflective thought both about the activities they had been involved in and the holistic benefits of the expedition. The findings suggest that whilst the facilitator/interventionist model and the Kolb cycle do little to explain the pedagogy within this expedition, there was evidence of much reflective learning from the participants.