Anti-bullying procedures for schools in Ireland: principals’ responses and perceptions

The role of the principal is imperative in creating a school climate that nurtures differences and equality at the same time. Policy and legislation in Ireland dictates the responsibility of school principals in preventing and intervening in issues relating to bullying. The current research investigates the extent to which principals consider the impact of bullying on their students and the strategies they take to combat it in their schools. We consider how principals respond to bullying and what supports they feel are missing for them to adhere to relevant policy. A sample of 918 principals from a range of schools across Ireland completed an online survey. The results demonstrated some positive actions by principals such as the provision of anti-bullying policies. However, they also document areas that need more action such as increased access to counsellors and appointing a specific staff member to deal with and tackle bullying in each school. Guidance from the Department of Education and Skills in Ireland on the development and provision of an anti-bullying programme is called for. Results are discussed in light of the current Anti-Bullying Procedures established by the Department of Education and Skills and the Action Plan for Bullying 2013.     

The Framework for Posing Elementary Mathematics Problems (F-PosE): Supporting Teachers to Evaluate and Select Problems for Use in Elementary Mathematics

Educational Studies in Mathematics - An essential task for mathematics teachers is posing problems. Selecting mathematics problems that develop mathematical proficiency and engage students in...     

Examining student immobility: a study of Irish undergraduate students

This paper explores student mobility among Irish higher education students. It specifically focuses on the profile of ‘stayers’, that is, students who have no plans to study abroad, thus addressing an underexplored topic in existing literature on student mobility. The article aims to identify factors that impact on students’ decisions not to pursue study abroad. Drawing on a national survey of students, Eurostudent V, the findings demonstrate that immobility is predicted by mother’s level of education and family income, showing the salience of socio-economic factors. Age and language proficiency are also visible factors, with the main obstacles to mobility being finances, language barriers and not wanting to separate from family and friends. Trends are also visible in the education institution a student is enrolled in, with those in institutes of technology more likely to be immobile than those in universities.     

Creatine kinase,myosin heavy chains and magnetic resonance imaging after eccentric exercise

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between myosin heavy chain (MHC) release as a specific marker of slow-twitch muscle fibre breakdown and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of skeletal muscle injury after eccentric exercise. The effects of a single series of 70 high-intensity eccentric contractions of the quadriceps femoris muscle group (single leg) on plasma concentrations of creatine kinase and MHC fragments were assessed in 10 young male sport education trainees before and 1 and 4 days after exercise. To visualize muscle injury, MRI of the loaded thigh was performed before and 4 days after the eccentric exercise. All participants recorded an increase ( P ? 0.05) in creatine kinase after exercise. In five participants, T2 signal intensity was unchanged post-exercise compared with pre-exercise and MHC plasma concentration was normal; however, they showed an increase ( P ? 0.05) in creatine kinase after exercise. For the remaining five participants, there was an increase in T2 signal intensity of the loaded vastus intermedius and vastus lateralis. These changes in MRI were accompanied by an increase in MHC plasma concentration ( P ? 0.01) as well as an increase in creatine kinase ( P ? 0.01). We suggest that changes in MRI T2 signal intensity after muscle damage induced by eccentric exercise are closely related to damage to structurally bound contractile filaments of some muscle fibres. Additionally, MHC plasma release indicates that this damage affects not only fast-twitch fibres but also some slow-twitch fibres.     

UCF Library Express: Planning a Faculty Delivery Service

As it becomes increasingly difficult to demonstrate the worth of the library to the academic community, gate counts and usage statistics are no longer enough. Showing the impact the library has on the community requires planning new services with outcome measurement from the start. This article outlines a project plan for launching a faculty book delivery service at the University of Central Florida's John C. Hitt Library using Rhea Rubin's (2006) Outcome Measurement model. The article reviews the relevant literature, analyzes the current internal and external climate in which the service will be implemented, discusses the logistical aspects of the service such as cost, delivery method, and staffing, and concludes by determining the goals and outcomes of the service based on these factors. This article is the first in a series of three articles that together make up an entire project planning and management document, including planning, marketing, and assessing the service. The plan in its entirety provides an example of how to apply the Outcome Measurement model in an academic library setting.     

UCF Library Express: Marketing a Faculty Delivery Service

As it becomes increasingly difficult to demonstrate the worth of the library to the academic community, gate counts and usage statistics are no longer enough. Showing the impact the library has on the community requires planning new services with outcome measurement from the start. This article outlines a marketing strategy for launching a faculty book delivery service at the University of Central Florida's John C. Hitt Library using Fisher and Pride's (2006) Blueprint for Your Library Marketing Plan. It includes a review of relevant literature on marketing delivery services, service and marketing goals and outcomes, target audiences, marketing messages, message delivery strategies, marketing budget, and management of staff responsibilities. This article is the second in a series of three articles that together make up an entire project planning and management document that is based on Rhea Rubin's (2006) Outcome Measurement model. The plan in its entirety provides an example of how to apply the Outcome Measurement model in an academic library setting.     

Learning from teaching: pre-service primary teachers’ perceived learning from engaging in formal Lesson Study

While there is abundant research reporting the impact of Lesson Study as a professional development framework for qualified teachers, its potential within initial teacher education remains relatively unexplored. We present a particular model of formal Lesson Study which has been experienced annually for a decade by Irish pre-service primary teachers. This study examines the perceived effects on learning of this Lesson Study model on a large sample of pre-service primary teachers (N?=?225) who worked in 45 different lesson study groups over a 10 year period (2008–2017). Data analysis reveals that participants’ perceptions of learning fell within two distinct themes namely ‘An awakening regarding teacher content knowledge’ and ‘Cornerstones of learner-centred practice’, each of which consisted of rich inter-connected sub-themes. As a result of engaging in Lesson Study, participants report an increased awareness of the importance of deep content knowledge in addition to adopting a learner-centred approach to their practice. Participants also believed that Lesson Study enhanced their professional knowledge and skills in the curricular area of focus (mathematics, in this case). While this study focuses on self-report data, these opinions are fundamental given research which proposes that interventions will fail if participants judge them to be ineffective.     

Sign language and the brain: a review

How are signed languages processed by the brain? This review briefly outlines some basic principles of brain structure and function and the methodological principles and techniques that have been used to investigate this question. We then summarize a number of different studies exploring brain activity associated with sign language processing especially as compared to speech processing. We focus on lateralization: is signed language lateralized to the left hemisphere (LH) of native signers, just as spoken language is lateralized to the LH of native speakers, or could sign processing involve the right hemisphere to a greater extent than speech processing? Experiments that have addressed this question are described, and some problems in obtaining a clear answer are outlined.     

Balancing competing demands: Enhancing the mathematical problem posing skills of prospective teachers through a mathematical letter writing initiative

Responding to mathematical problems is a core activity in classrooms. The problems that teachers select determine the mathematical content, processes and nature of mathematical inquiry occurring in classrooms and thereby contribute to the development of mathematical skills and dispositions. Selecting, designing or reformulating mathematical problems is a critical skill, then, for prospective and practising teachers. This study explores the influence of a mathematical letter writing initiative in developing the problem posing skills of 28 prospective primary teachers. We examine the characteristics of mathematical problems designed by prospective teachers, and their understandings of what constitutes a good mathematical problem, prior to and following completion of a 12-week letter writing initiative with 10–11-year-old children. Analysis of the data reveals the benefits of engaging in the initiative as evidenced in improvements in several problem characteristics. There was an increase in the number of multiple approach and multiple solution problems and in the level of cognitive demand of problems posed. The challenge of posing non-traditional problems, alongside the competing demands of building in opportunities for success, may have diminished participants’ ability to evaluate and attend to the cognitive demand of problems.