The Lag in Teacher Education

Making Consistent Judgments (MCJ) was a systemic professional development program designed to increase teachers’ capacity to make consistent judgments about students’ achievement of educational standards in government schools in Western Australia; the MCJ program was in operation from 2004 to 2007 (Department of Education and Training 2007 Department of Education and Training. 2007. Department of Education and Training annual report 2006–2007, East Perth, Western Australia: Government of Western Australia. Available at www.det.wa.edu.au/education/AnnualReport/docs/det0607.pdf [Google Scholar]; 2008). The author describes the MCJ program as a case study in the context of the educational environment in which it was implemented and evaluated. Data were collected as a result of participant observation, documentation, and artefacts. Examples are drawn from the English learning area.     

Opportunity or exploitation? Women and quality assurance in higher education

Based on interviews with 18 UK women academics and managers on quality and power in higher education, this article interrogates the impact of quality assurance discourses and practices on women in higher education. Micro‐level analysis of the effects of audit and the evaluative state seem to suggest that hegemonic masculinities and gendered power relations are being reinforced by the emphasis on competition, targets, audit trails and performance (Morley, 2003a Morley, L. 2003a. Quality and power in higher education, Buckingham: Open University Press.  [Google Scholar]). Furthermore, pedagogic space for exploring social justice issues is closing with the emphasis on learning outcomes and student consumerism (Morley, 2003b Morley, L. 2003b. “Reconstructing students as consumers: new settlements of power or the politics of assimilation?”. In Higher education and the lifecourse, Edited by: Slowey, M. and Watson, D. Buckingham: Open University Press.  [Google Scholar]). Yet women are also gaining new visibility as a consequence of the creation of a new cadre of quality managers. Quality assurance, as a regime of power, appears to offer both repressive and creative potential for women. This article will explore whether quality signs and practices are gendered and whether these represent opportunity or exploitation for women in the academy.     

Educator perceptions of children who present with social,emotional and behavioural difficulties: a literature review with implications for recent educational policy in England and internationally

In support of their recommendations, recent policy pronouncements in England on behaviour (DFE (Department for Education). 2010 DFE (Department for Education) 2010. The Importance of Teaching – The Schools White Paper. London: TSO. [Google Scholar]. The Importance of Teaching – The Schools White Paper. London: TSO) and on reform of special educational needs and disabilities make reference, respectively, to educator perceptions of poor behaviour by children and to practitioner views about social, emotional and behavioural difficulties (SEBD). The evidence base for this analysis appears absent (DFE 2010) or is at best unclearly articulated (DFE (Department for Education). 2012 DFE (Department for Education) 2012. Support and Aspiration: A New Approach to Special Educational Needs and Disability – Progress and Next Steps. London: DFE. [Google Scholar]. Support and Aspiration: A New Approach to Special Educational Needs and Disability – Progress and Next Steps. London: Department for Education). In response, this article offers a timely brief review of research, published since 2000, exploring educator perceptions of children who present with SEBD. Research included does not offer clear support to the views expressed by recent policy in England, although it does, in varied ways, suggest the need for positive change in educational practice which affects children who present with SEBD, with particular emphasis upon the need for enacting educational inclusion. Articles included in this literature review are also, briefly, analysed in terms of their: methodological features; theoretical basis, particularly applications of the theory of planned behaviour; broad disciplinary affiliations; and also underpinning rationale. Recommendations for future research and implications for international policy on this topic are outlined: particularly the role of research in persuading practitioners and policy-makers away from deep-rooted but simplistic conceptualisations about this highly varied population of children.     

Moving to a Global Stage: A Media View

The Times Higher Education Supplement was the first newspaper to publish an international ranking of universities in November 2004 Jobbins, D. 2002. “The Times/The Times Higher Education Supplement – League Tables in Britain: An Insider's View”. Higher Education in Europe, 27(4): 383–389. [Taylor & Francis Online] [Google Scholar]. This article describes the evolution of the international rankings from their origin in a limited peer review exercise through the gradual refinement of a national ranking based on, as far as possible, publicly available, verifiable, and accepted data. The author describes the methodology of the international ranking and presents the case for the integrity of commercially produced rankings, national and international, which can be as objective, robust, and transparent as initiatives from within the university community itself.     

Have the changes introduced by the 2004 Higher Education Act made higher education admissions in England wider and fairer?

‘Widening participation’ and ‘fair access’ have been contested policy areas in English higher education since at least the early 1990s. They were key facets of the 2003 White Paper – The Future of Higher Education – and the subsequent 2004 Higher Education Act, with stated objectives that the reach of higher education should be wider and fairer. In particular, there has been considerable concern about admissions to ‘top universities’, which have remained socially as well as academically exclusive. The principal policy tools used by the Act were the introduction of variable tuition fees, expanded student grants, discretionary bursaries and the new Office for Fair Access (OFFA). This paper draws on publicly available statistics to assess whether the changes implemented by the 2004 Office for Fair Access (OFFA). 2004. Producing Access Agreements: OFFA guidance to institutions, Bristol: OFFA.  [Google Scholar] Act have indeed made access to English higher education wider and fairer in relation to young people progressing from state schools and colleges and from lower socio‐economic groups. It concludes that, while there is some evidence for modest improvements, these have been concentrated outside the ‘top universities’, which have seen slippage relative to the rest of the sector. The paper concludes with a discussion of the reasons why financial inducements appear to be a flawed and naive approach to influencing student demand.     

The Bologna Process: The Impact of Higher Education Reform on the Structure and Organisation of Doctoral Programmes in Germany

This paper aims to outline the main higher education reforms in Germany, including the implementation of the Bologna Process. It takes as its focus the doctoral phase, conceptualised by “Bologna” as the third cycle of study but held by many to be the first phase of independent scientific research. In the context of increasing internationalisation of higher education and the European Commission's forecast that 700,000 more researchers will be needed (European Commission, 2003 European Commission. 2003. “Researchers in the European Research Area: One Profession, Multiple Careers” COM(2003) 436 final of the 18.07.2003 [Google Scholar]), it is vital to get the reform of the system right. The paper considers the effects of the German Higher Education Framework Act and regional laws as well as those of the Bologna Process on Germany's ability to recruit and train national and international doctoral candidates in the natural sciences.     

Quality Psychological Advice for Teachers,Parents/Carers and LEA Decision‐makers with Respect to Children and Young People with Special Needs

The educational psychologist can be a very important resource to a school. The psychologist’s knowledge of the school and its context is key. Through regular consultation with schools, educational psychology services can provide help in clarifying problems and devising problem solving strategies; in carrying out specialised assessments, including techniques in managing behaviour and evaluating pupil progress. (DfES, 2001 Department for Education and Skills (DES). 2001. Special educational needs code of practice, Nottingham: DfES Publication.  [Google Scholar], Code of Practice, Section 10.8)     

Women's path into science and engineering majors: a structural equation model

The intent of this study was to investigate the adequacy of Weidman's (1985 Weidman, J. C. 1985. “Undergraduate socialization: A conceptual approach”. In Higher education: Handbook of theory and research, Edited by: Smart, J. C. Vol. V, 298–322. New York: Agathon Press.  [Google Scholar], 1989 Weidman, J. C. 1989. “The world of higher education: A socialization-theoretical perspective”. In The social world of adolescents: International perspectives, Edited by: Hurrelmann, K. and Engel, U. 87–105. New York: W. de Gruyter.  [Google Scholar]) theoretical undergraduate socialization model as an empirical-based causal model pertaining to women's career path choice into a science or engineering (SE) major via structural equation modeling. Data were obtained from the Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (1996–2001) from the U.S. Department of Education. Results indicate that Weidman's model was somewhat supported. Results from the evaluation of the causal model suggest that women's path into an SE major was influenced by both collegiate and non-collegiate factors, with 1st-year college grades and high school math grades being the dominant indirect influences.     

Assessing Pre-Service Teacher Attitudes and Skills With the Technology Integration Confidence Scale

As technology integration continues to gain importance, preservice teachers must develop higher levels of confidence and proficiency in using technology in their classrooms (Kay, 2006 Kay, R. H. 2006. Evaluating strategies used to incorporate technology into preservice education: A review of the literature. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 38: 383–408. [Taylor &; Francis Online] , [Google Scholar]). The acceptance of the National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers (NETS-T) by National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) has compelled teacher education programs to reexamine their curricula. However, most of these efforts lack the theory-based measures (Netemeyer, Bearden, &; Sharma, 2003 Netemeyer, R. G., Bearden, W. O. and Sharma, S. 2003. “Scaling procedures: Issues and applications”. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar]) of NETS-T dispositions and proficiency. In an effort to address this need, the Technology Integration Confidence Scale (TICS) was developed at Brigham Young University's McKay School of Education. This article describes the development of the TICS, which consists of 28 self-efficacy items based on tasks described in the NETS-T. It was pilot tested on preservice teachers during the spring 2006 term (N = 52), and the results were analyzed for item functioning and reliability. Evidence was also gathered to support the result's validity.     

Every child matters: Can educational psychology contribute to radical reform?

This is a time of radical change for all services working with children in the UK. For educational psychologists recent publications outlining government strategy have created an urgent need to consider future directions that go well beyond those discussed in the Department for Education and Employment (DfEE, 2000 Department for Education and Employment (DfEE). (2000) Educational psychology services (England): Current role, good practice and future directions London The Stationary Office  [Google Scholar]) report on educational psychology services. In this paper we suggest that decisions about strategic direction and developments in practice should be based on a shared set of values focused clearly on the rights of children and young people. In particular, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (United Nations, 1989 United Nations (1989) Convention on the rights of the child Retrieved 16th November 2003 from www.unhchr.ch./html/menu3/b/k2crc.htm.  [Google Scholar]) could provide the framework for a compact between the profession and children. This will require an evaluative focus within educational contexts that goes beyond school satisfaction surveys. Both schools and support professionals will need to demonstrate the achievement of improved outcomes for pupils. Difficult questions about the value added by educational psychologist involvement can no longer be evaded.     

An evaluative case study of the dilemmas experienced in designing a self‐assessment strategy for Community Nursing students

The Dearing Report’s (1997 Dearing, R. 1997. Higher education in the learning society: report of the National Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education, London: Her Majesty’s Stationery Office. (Chair) [Google Scholar]) radical proposals challenged lecturers in higher education to develop innovative assessment strategies. This paper explores the dilemmas experienced by one teaching team in designing and implementing a student self‐assessment strategy within a community nursing degree programme. The paper reviews the impact on students’ sense of autonomy and critical thinking skills. In addition, it considers, in depth, the risks associated with developing and implementing a strategy involving self‐assessment. Drawing on a range of sources it examines the drivers for the initiative, the response from the range of stakeholders involved and the impact on the student experience. The academic team found that developing such a creative initiative is time consuming, provokes anxiety and requires extensive negotiation and collaboration between academic and practice colleagues. However, the adoption of a self‐assessment initiative has a significant effect on students’ critical thinking skills and warrants the effort.     

Rearranging pigeonholes: interrupting the ethnic hierarchy of a school's workforce

Increasing the cultural and linguistic diversity of the teaching workforce in Australia was a key recommendation of the House of Representatives Standing Committee Inquiry into Teacher Education in their report, Top of the Class (written by L. Hartsuyker Hartsuyker, L. 2007. Top of the class: Report of the inquiry into teacher education, (Report by the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Education and Vocational Training) Canberra, Australia: The Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia.  [Google Scholar]). The report reflects findings from national and international research that support the need to increase the diversity of the teaching profession as a means to improve student outcomes, particularly given the increasingly diverse make-up of student populations. The Hartsuyker Report also notes, as a “national concern”, the relatively low enrolment of World English-speaking (WES) students in Australian teacher education courses and calls for targeted funding by the federal government for further research into why this is the case (as discussed by J. Han and M. Singh in 2007 Han, J. and Singh, M. 2007b. Getting World English speaking student teachers to the top of the class: Making hope for ethno-cultural diversity in teacher education robust. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 35(3): 291–309. [Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] [Google Scholar]). This paper seeks to add to current research on the attraction and retention of WES students into Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes in Australia. It does so by relating some of the key findings from a case study of three WES Education Assistants, originally from Malaysia, who retrained to become teachers through an ITE programme at an Australian university. Significantly, as a result of a partnership developed between a school and a university, they entered the programme through an alternative access course, were awarded Recognition of Prior Learning for their work experience, and were able to remain in their community while studying externally. They were also provided ongoing mentoring support by the teaching staff and myself as programme co-ordinator. This paper aims to add to current research in this field by identifying the key driving and restraining forces that impacted on their ability to become teachers via an Australian ITE programme.     

Graduate attribute development and employment outcomes: tracking PhD graduates

The provision of diversified research training is regarded as one of the most significant contributions made by the Australian Cooperative Research Centres (CRC) programme [Howard Partners 2003 Howard Partners. 2003. Evaluation of the cooperative research centres programme, Canberra, ACT: Department of Education, Science and Training.  [Google Scholar], Evaluation of the cooperative research centres programme, Department of Education, Science and Training, Canberra, ACT]. Yet, a systematic evaluation of Australia’s CRC research training programmes and outcomes has not yet been undertaken. This article reports on a pilot questionnaire designed to provide the beginnings of such an evaluation. Participants were science‐based research graduates who were awarded with a PhD within the four‐year period 2000–2003 and had completed the majority of their PhD project either in a university school or in a CRC environment. The questionnaire results provide insights into participants’ perceptions of the graduate attributes they developed prior to and during their PhD studies. It also investigates their perceptions about the relative importance of particular skills in university and industry settings. This article argues that understanding the perceptions and employment experiences of recent research graduates is a vital way of ensuring that PhD programmes are more effectively designed to prepare research graduates for a range of careers. In particular, these results confirm the importance of constant re‐evaluation and improvement of all PhD training programmes.     

Sexual Health Education for Individuals with Disabilities: A Call to Action

Expressing sexuality is part of the human experience, yet sexual health is often ignored in regard to persons with disabilities. Individuals with disabilities are at risk of sexual abuse and exploitation, unwanted pregnancies, and sexually transmitted diseases. Additionally, many adolescents with disabilities lack the knowledge needed to develop a healthy sexual identity, therefore, increasing their vulnerability (Baladerian, et al., 2013 Baladerian, N. J., Coleman, T. F., &; Stream, J. (2013). Abuse of people with disabilities: Victims and their families speak out: A report on the 2012 national survey on abuse and people with disabilities. Retrieved from http://disability-abuse.com/survey/survey-report.pdf [Google Scholar]; Boehning, 2006 Boehning, A. (2006). Sex education for students with disabilities. Law &; Disorder, 1, 56–66. [Google Scholar]; Preston, 2013 Preston, M. (2013). ‘Very very risky’: Sexuality education teachers' definition of sexuality and teaching and learning responsibilities. American Journal of Sexuality Education, 8(1-2), 18–35. doi:10.1080/15546128.2013.790223.[Taylor &; Francis Online] , [Google Scholar]; SEICUS, 2012 SIECUS: Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States. (2012). Bibliography: Sexuality and disabilities. Retrieved from http://www.siecus.org [Google Scholar], 2014 SIECUS: Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.siecus.org [Google Scholar]). Resources have been developed to improve the sexual health of individuals with disabilities; however, those who need this education may not have access to the resources. The purpose of this literature review is to examine sexual health education for individuals with disabilities; it focuses on risks to people with disabilities, current barriers to education, and available resources.     

Social class and pedagogy: a model for the investigation of pedagogic variation

This article addresses an enduring concern in the sociology of education: how social class differences are reproduced through schooling. In particular it focuses on the functioning of pedagogy in this regard. The article presents a model that elucidates the inner logic of pedagogy in order to reveal the structuring of inequality with respect to different groups of students. Theoretical concepts are drawn from the work of Bernstein, Dowling (1998 Dowling, P. 1998. The sociology of mathematics education: Mathematical myths/pedagogic texts, London: Falmer.  [Google Scholar]) and Pedro (1981 Pedro, E.R. 1981. Social stratification and classroom discourse: A sociolinguistic analysis of classroom practice, Stockholm: Stockholm Institute of Education, Department of Educational Research.  [Google Scholar]). An analysis considering the relay of social class differences, what is relayed, and its organizational form is undertaken with respect to working class and middle class children learning literacy in a sample of South African primary schools.     

Neoliberal Exclusion and the Fantasy of Competition: What are Children Learning from Monsters University?

The Disney/Pixar film, Monsters University (2013) was a tremendous financial success. As a film written entirely about college students and their quest for social and economic attainment, but marketed primarily to children and adolescents, its messages about the purpose of college and the college experience deserve close examination given its widespread popularity. Theorists have argued that popular fiction (Tompkins, 1986 Tompkins, J. (1986). Sensational designs: The cultural work of American fiction, 1790–1860. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. [Google Scholar]), especially film (Giroux, 1996 Giroux, H. A. (1996). White panic and the racial coding of violence. Fugitive cultures: Race, violence, and youth, 27–54. [Google Scholar], 2008 Giroux, H. A. (2008). Hollywood film as public pedagogy: Education in the crossfire. Afterimage, 35(5), 7–13. [Google Scholar]; Gregory, 2007 Gregory, M. (2007). Real and teaching and real learning vs. narrative myths about education. Arts and Humanities in Higher Education, 6(1), 7–27. https://doi.org/10.1177/1474022207072197.[Crossref] , [Google Scholar]; Peterson, 2009), is a powerful vehicle for creating, reflecting, and reinforcing social values and norms. This article examines the film closely to challenge the many explicit and implicit stereotypes it portrays regarding meritocracy, elitism, and gender and reflects on the role of friendship in a neoliberal society.     

Constructing men who teach: research into care and gender as productive of the male primary teacher

This paper argues that in order to begin loosening the ties that bind care and gender in primary education, we need to re-examine the knowledge sought and found by educational research about teachers. The focus is primarily on how we understand men who teach. Through an examination of two scholarly texts – Ashley, M., and J. Lee [2003 Ashley, M., and J. Lee. 2003. Women Teaching Boys: Caring and Working in the Primary School. Stoke-on-Trent: Trentham. [Google Scholar]. Women Teaching Boys: Caring and Working in the Primary School. Stoke-on-Trent: Trentham] and King, J. [1998 King, J. 1998. Uncommon Caring: Learning from Men Who Teach Young Children. New York: TCP. [Google Scholar]. Uncommon Caring: Learning from Men Who Teach Young Children. New York: TCP] – I argue that we must be mindful that our research can effectively produce and reiterate common-sense understandings of men that binds them to the hegemonic masculine ideal. It is argued that mixed-method qualitative research that untangles the layers of context influencing the lives of men who teach is important. The paper also suggests that the study of male teachers' emotions, as at once individual and social, and private and public, can disrupt the rational–emotional binary that cements care to gender and reveal new configurations of the gender order.     

An Evaluation of the Use of the Behaviour Questionnaire

Effective and efficient assessment is essential to support school improvement, the progress of individual pupils and teachers’ classroom management. A group of educational psychologists used the items for measuring pupils’ emotional and behavioural development found in Supporting school improvement: Emotional and behavioural development (2001 Department for Education and Skills. 2001. Supporting school improvement: Emotional and behavioural development, Sudbury: QCA.  [Google Scholar]) to develop a questionnaire for use in their schools. Following the introduction of the Behaviour Questionnaire (BQ) its usefulness, ease of completion and potential as a tool to monitor intervention were evaluated. Most users found the Behaviour Questionnaire useful and easy to complete. Changes in the behaviour of pupils were identified indicating that the Behaviour Questionnaire has potential for use in monitoring and evaluating interventions.     

The premise and promise of inquiry based mathematics in pre‐service teacher education: a poststructuralist analysis

Many teacher educators have recently implemented inquiry based instructional practices into their programs (Crawford & Deer, 1993 Crawford, K and Deer, C. (1993). Do we practise what we preach? Putting policy into practice in teacher education. South Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 21: 111–121. [Taylor & Francis Online] [Google Scholar]; Foss & Kleinsasser, 1996 Foss, D and Kleinsasser, R. (1996). Pre‐service elementary teachers’ views of pedagogical and ­mathematical content knowledge. Teaching and Teacher Education, 12(4): 429–442. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] [Google Scholar]; Klein, 1996 Klein M (1996) The possibilities and limitations of constructivist practice in pre‐service teacher education in mathematics Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Central Queensland University, Rockhampton, Australia  [Google Scholar], 1997 Klein, M. (1997). Looking again at the ‘supportive’ environment of constructivist pedagogy. ­Journal of Education for Teaching, 23(3): 277–292. [Taylor & Francis Online] [Google Scholar], 1998 Klein M (1998) New knowledge, new teachers, new times in: C. Kanes, M. Goos & E. Warren (Eds) Teaching mathematics in new times (Brisbane, Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia) 295 302  [Google Scholar], 2001 Klein M (2001) Correcting mathematical and attitudinal deficiencies in pre‐service teacher education in: J. Bobis, B. Perry & M. Mitchelmore (Eds) Numeracy and beyond (Sydney, Australia, MERGA) 338 345  [Google Scholar]; Schuck, 1996 Schuck, S. (1996). Reflections on the dilemmas and tensions in mathematics education courses for student teachers. Asia‐Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 24(1): 75–82. [Taylor & Francis Online] [Google Scholar]; Tillema & Knol, 1997 Tillema, M and Knol, W. (1997). Collaborative planning by teacher educators to promote belief changes in their students. Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice, 3(1): 29–46. [Taylor & Francis Online] [Google Scholar]). In mathematics education the promise has been that pre‐service teachers’ socialization into new interactive ways of learning will not only lead to the (re)construction of powerful mathematical ideas and relationships, but that it will facilitate the implementation of these inquiry based practices in the classroom. This promise, however, is not often realized (Foss & Kleinsasser, 1996 Foss, D and Kleinsasser, R. (1996). Pre‐service elementary teachers’ views of pedagogical and ­mathematical content knowledge. Teaching and Teacher Education, 12(4): 429–442. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] [Google Scholar]; Tillema & Knol, 1997 Tillema, M and Knol, W. (1997). Collaborative planning by teacher educators to promote belief changes in their students. Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice, 3(1): 29–46. [Taylor & Francis Online] [Google Scholar]). One reading of why this may be so, relying on and made visible through a poststructuralist analytic lens, is (a) that perhaps the pre‐service teachers’ ability to act in inquiry‐based, generative ways in the classroom does not necessarily follow from, but is produced or constituted in, teaching/learning interactions in school and teacher education, and (b) it may be that pedagogic practices in teacher education unintentionally and invisibly reproduce old epistemologies and ontologies that support knowledge transmission and teacher authority over student authored engagement and construction of ideas. In this paper the premise of a rational, autonomous agent of change on which so much of current practice is based is challenged, and the possible implications for teacher education discussed.