Showing papers in "Educational Review in 1999"

Relationships Between Parents and Schools: A case study

Abstract: The complexity of the relationships between parents and teachers rests not only on the ambiguity of their shared interests but in the way in which official policies affect them. This study, based on qualitative ethnographic research, explores teacher's, headteacher's and home/school liaison worker's experience of and attitudes towards the relationship between schools and parents. The research focuses on the differences between the desire to have closer and mutually supportive relationships and the various impediments, both psychological and the result of government policies. Only by understanding how deeply relationships are affected by the different barriers can the latter be overcome.

Everyday and Mathematical Language in Children's Argumentation about Proof

Abstract: In this paper I conceptualize the relationship between the children's actively constructed argument, and the formal conventions of the culture of schooling and mathematics which the teacher introduces, in ways which move beyond the dichotomous view of reasoning as either everyday or scientific-mathematical. The analysis draws on Vygotsky's (1986) notion of spontaneous (informal) and scientific (formal, schooled) learning as well as, on Halliday (1975, 1978) and Pimm's (1987) view of register.

One Teacher and a Class of School Students: Their perception of the culture of their mathematics classroom and its construction

Abstract: In this paper, the culture of the mathematics classroom is inspected through the lens of one teacher and one class of school students. The intention here is to privilege the voices of the participants, particularly those of the young people themselves, whose views and experiences are sometimes absent from educational studies. A metaphor of spaciousness is invoked in drawing together curriculum, pedagogy, epistemology and classroom practices and relationships. In the classroom under study, the students developed connected and authoritative understandings about the nature of mathematics; they linked these to the classroom relationships and linked these in turn to the curriculum. The comments from the students suggest that a reappraisal and renegotiation of what it means to be a teacher in the secondary mathematics classroom is timely.

Sharing books with babies: evaluation of an early literacy intervention

Abstract: This paper reports an evaluation of an early book reading literacy initiative, the Kirklees 'Babies into Books' project. Baby Book Bags, including a free book and other literacy information, were given to 40 care givers in two targeted areas when their baby was 7 months old, together with an invitation to join a literacy support group. All care givers were interviewed to assess book-related activity in the home when given the Baby Book Bag. Second interviews two months later with 20 care givers revealed significant differences in terms of increases in the number of books owned by the baby, frequency of baby reaching for books and mother and baby looking at children's books and catalogues. These results, and comparison with a control group, confirm the value of this type of very early intervention.

An Evaluation of Success in an Alternative Learning Programme: Motivational Impact versus Completion Rate.

Abstract: The present study examined an alternative learning programme and its effect on student motivation and self-esteem in a large urban school district located in the central region of the United States. The dependent variables of interest were student motivation, goal orientation, self-efficacy and self-esteem. The goal of this project was to determine if this specific alternative learning programme could have a positive effect on the variables described above. Additionally, this project was intended to provide feedback in the form of a status report to the local school system regarding the effectiveness of their programme, including completion rates of participants. This research was based upon existing research in motivational theory and on additional programmes that provide alternative forms of educational service for at-risk students. Interviews were also conducted with students and staff members of the alternative programme in an effort to provide anecdotal information in support of the data that was col...

Teaching the Holocaust in Primary Schools in Scotland: Modes, methodology and content

Abstract: Most consideration of teaching the Holocaust in Britain is based on teaching pupils aged 12-15 in England (Supple, 1993; Short, 1995; Carrington & Short, 1997; Brown & Davies, 1998). This paper directs attention to some experiences of teaching the Holocaust to pupils of primary stages 5-7 in Scotland (i.e. those aged between 9 and 11) and considers the significance of teaching Holocaust history in the primary context. The rationale for teaching this area is examined both in terms of the topicality, the universality of its lessons and the suggestions in various documentation about developing positive values in pupils. Eight primary teachers, five of whom regularly teach aspects of the Holocaust to this age group in Scottish schools when allocated the upper primary stages, were interviewed at length to ascertain the nature of the integration of the Holocaust into the Scottish 5-14 curriculum, the methodologies applied and the content of their studies. These findings are analysed and their implications discu...

Secondary Teachers' Views and Actions Concerning Literacy and Literacy Teaching

Abstract: Within the context of the current government's concerns to raise literacy standards and its stated intention to examine literacy practices in the secondary school, this report details a survey concerning secondary teachers' views of and knowledge about literacy and literacy teaching. It argues that whilst the majority of secondary teachers acknowledge their role in supporting pupils' literacy, they are often uncertain of how to proceed; they make limited use of many literacy teaching strategies and may even assist their pupils in 'retreating from print'. The survey reveals that few secondary teachers have had any training in literacy development although teachers from all curriculum specialist areas indicate their willingness to engage with literacy training and INSET. It is argued that secondary schools will need such support and the sharing of good practice within and across schools if they are to be successful in supporting literacy development across the curriculum.

Bilingualism and Literacies in Primary School: Implications for Professional Development.

Abstract: The issues discussed in this paper concern the implications for professional development of teachers involved in the development of literacies with linguistic minority learners. The paper presents the two main approaches to understanding literacy and explores the dominant discourses which teachers are familiar with about literacy and being bilingual in England. The paper argues that teachers need to reflect on the principles of teaching/learning, which build on the experiences of learners, to make their practice effective and children's learning relevant. Examples of bilingual literacies' pedagogy are discussed together with the implications for including parents. At a time when the dominant discourse around literacy development is becoming more prescriptive in England it is important to consider other pedagogies which include rather than exclude learners' knowledge.

Paradigmatic Conflicts in Informal Mathematics Assessment as Sources of Social Inequity.

Abstract: Mathematics teaching in the UK has undergone several major externally imposed changes during the last decade. Current practices display a range of epistemological and pedagogical assumptions and behaviours, depending on teachers' interpretation of, adoption of and belief in current statutory requirements for teaching and assessment. This paper examines in detail differences within the informal assessment practices of 30 UK mathematics teachers. It is found that these illustrate several of the paradigmatic differences that permeate studies of human behaviour on a grander scale. Since informal assessment decisions can lead directly or indirectly to differentiated access to the curriculum and high-stakes grading, the use of teacher assessment as a focus for examining differences illuminates the possible inequities which might arise for pupils. Examination of differences within one system and one society gives information about effects of different educational practices which, were they to show up between soc...

'He's Such a Nice Man, But He's so Boring, You Have to Really Make a Conscious Effort to Learn': The views of Gemma, Daniel and their contemporaries on teacher quality and effectiveness

Abstract: This paper, based upon research into the gender gap at GCSE in a number of selective and comprehensive schools in Eastern England, contrasts girls' and boys' perspectives on 'good' teachers. It discusses the extent to which girls are willing to take more responsibility for their own learning than are boys, and considers how boys expect teachers to take greater responsibility for generating enjoyment and motivation in lessons. Contrasting attitudes to groupwork and classroom management issues are discussed, and significant differences are identified in girls' and boys' perspectives about teacher quality and effectiveness.

Integrating Science and Language Arts through Technology-based Macrocontexts

Abstract: This paper describes technology as a tool for creating meaningful experiences for integrating science and language arts using technology-based macrocontexts. Videos, virtual reality, and the Internet and the World Wide Web (WWW) can create macrocontexts for integrating science and language arts. Guidelines for selecting technological resources for integration are presented followed by examples of integrated science and language arts activities. Alternative ways of assessing students' performance in integrated instructional situations are also addressed. By using technology-based macrocontexts to integrate science and language arts, teachers may be able to facilitate meaningful learning and enhance student knowledge and understanding of science and language arts.

Discourses of Learning Difficulty and the Conditions of School Development.

Abstract: This paper identifies and illustrates a common assumption found in a significant body of recent educational research concerned with restructuring schools to create more inclusive forms of provision; I call this assumption the 'consensus thesis'. Drawing on the findings of a detailed study of two English secondary schools where initiatives were under way to develop provision for students with difficulties in learning, I question whether the consensus thesis is capable of accounting for the processes which were found to be at work in these schools. The paper concludes by outlining an alternative theoretical framework which offers a more nuanced insight into the complex dynamics of the school development process.

The 1944 Education Act Reconsidered

Abstract: The 1944 Education Act is a highly significant moment in educational history. It heralded numerous, far reaching reforms in the provision and governance of English schooling. There were several str...

Post-16 english teaching: From recitation to discussion

Abstract: In an earlier study of the discourse styles of 10 teachers of post-16 English from the northeast of England it was found that teacher-led recitation dominated the classroom discourse thereby imposing linguistic and cognitive constraints on the students. In a follow-up study, four of the teachers were coached in the use of strategies designed to break the recitation script in order to promote wider communicative and more cognitively demanding options for the students. The findings of the current study support the use of such strategies as a means of developing the quality of classroom discourse in post-16 English teaching. The need for more extensive research into teacher/student interaction is considered, together with the need for rigorous measures of quality.

The Crippled 'Pedagogue': Discourses in education and the Greek case

Abstract: This paper looks at principal discourses in education which are used as points of reference in an attempt to identify the character and the quality of contemporary discourse in the field of Greek educational policies. By illuminating the central expectations of the European Commission as well as the characteristics of critical inquiry on education, in which flexibility and autonomy are crucial determinants, we question whether the Greek case complies with them. The paper demonstrates that, insofar as it relates to the essential nature of their discourse, rather than being critical, the teachers' involvement in the national educational policy making has been problematic.

Positioned neutrality: mathematics teachers and the cultural politics of their classrooms

Abstract: This paper focuses upon mathematics teachers' accounts of their professional life in their classrooms. As key social actors in this arena their assumptions about classroom interaction are key structuring devices for the prevailing classroom culture. By examining teachers' accounts of their work in the classroom, using data from two research projects concerned with school mathematics assessment, connections are made between classroom culture and formal assessment procedures. In England, over the last decade since the disruption of the Education Act 1988, there have been debates about teacher professionalism. The institution of a system of national testing and accountability measures has focused attention in these debates on the public dimensions, the outcomes of schooling. In the process, teachers' working relations with students have slipped into the background. In this paper, I turn my attention to these absences by exploring teachers' accounts of their work in assessing their students' mathematical capabilities within the classroom. By highlighting the complex social relations constitutive of classroom culture, I raise questions about the distanced professional position which teachers selectively appropriate in their accounts of students' assessments. I go on to explore the tensions between this position and the teachers' explicit recognition of the more personal interactions which influence both their classroom relations and consequently their judgements of students' achievements.

Cultural Factors in Mathematics Education Contributing to the Shortage of Women Professionals in Papua New Guinea.

Abstract: In a world which is realising that development cannot and must not be blind to gender, Papua New Guinea (PNG) as a developing nation has the opportunity to avoid the mistakes of history. The country's abundant natural resources demand research and technological development in the fields of agriculture, mining, fisheries, and forestry. Although women have traditionally been active in these areas at the grassroots level, they are severely under-represented in PNG's workforce. For example, only 11.6% of the senior management positions, and only 29.5% of the professional and technical jobs are held by women (UNDP Programme Officer, 1995). This has been partly attributed to the fact that mathematical competency is essential for advancement in these fields and there is a severe shortage of qualified female applicants with these skills. Several cultural factors contribute to this imbalance. Mathematics and science are considered as male subjects in PNG society. Boys are more exposed to Western culture. They have...

Students Talking: An analysis of how students convey attitude in maths talk

Abstract: This paper makes a comparative analysis between the maths talk of two 17-year-old students in dialogue with their teacher about some problems in coordinate geometry. The analysis uses linguistic clues to construct a portrait of each student, drawing on the work of Halliday, Stubbs and Hodge and Kress to examine how the students use modality markers to convey social and mathematical attitude. The analysis is used to draw comparisons between the ways in which the two students respond to the classroom mathematical culture.

Standards in Mathematics in Years 2 and 6: A 9 year cross-sectional study

Abstract: The National Curriculum was introduced into British primary schools in 1989 to raise standards of attainment, especially in the basic skills. What has been the effect of these measures on children's mathematical attainments? This paper analyses the mathematics standards of nine cohorts of Year 2 and Year 6 children from five randomly selected primary schools within one Local Education Authority (LEA) (n = 1740 and 1663) who had all done Mathematics 7 or Mathematics 11 from 1989-1997. Examination of the means of the standardised mathematics scores for each cohort reveals evidence of stable standards in attainment over the 9 years. In both age groups there are fewer over-achievers than one would expect and this indicates that fewer children in this sample are doing really well than was the case when the test was standardised. The available national test results of this sample indicate rising standards at KS1 and KS2. The results are discussed with reference to both the content of the tests in the light of t...

Protestant Schools in a Secular Society: the Dutch Case

Abstract: The paper presents the results of a Delphi-research project on the ideal Protestant junior school (15 respondents participated). The group comprised head teachers, teachers, board members of Protestant junior schools and academics. Although consensus could not be achieved on many aspects, it is possible to describe ideals for the Protestant school underwritten by almost all respondents. Knowledge of the Christian faith, and believing and acting in accordance with it are considered the basis for deciding aims, teaching methods and organisational structure in these schools. A major distinction is made between the beliefs of the teachers, who must be practising Christians, and those of the parents, who may have different beliefs. In a secular and multicultural society the Protestant school will emphasize the Christian faith, but will also teach children to respect people of other faiths.

On Devolving a Voice to the Participants of the Mathematics Classroom Culture: A Methodological Critique. Commentary on This Special Issue.

Abstract: Dans cet article, l'auteur donne une reponse personnelle aux articles du numero auquel il collabore sous le theme de l'environnement culturel d'une classe de mathematiques. Il souleve quelques questions d'ordre methodologique sur la conduite des recherches effectuees.