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A repeated crossover experiment comparing learning among students handing in pen-and-paper homework (PPH) with students handing in web-based homework (WBH) has been conducted. The system used in the experiments, the tutor-web, has been used to deliver homework problems to thousands of students in mathematics and statistics over several years. Since 2011, experimental changes have been made regarding how the system allocates items to students, how grading is done, and the type of feedback provided. The experiment described here was conducted annually from 2011 to 2014. Approximately, 100 students in an introductory statistics course participated each year. The main goals were to determine whether the above-mentioned changes had an impact on learning as measured by test scores in addition to comparing learning among students doing PPH with students handing in WBH. The difference in learning between students doing WBH compared to PPH, measured by test scores, increased significantly from 2011 to 2014 with an effect size of 0.634. This is a strong indication that the changes made in the tutor web have a positive impact on learning. Using the data from 2014, a significant difference in learning between WBH and PPH for 2014 was detected with an effect size of 0.416 supporting the use of WBH as a learning tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the proliferation of information available online and through academic libraries, students are increasingly reading from the screen. Academic documents can be long and complex, requiring sustained concentration to read deeply. This paper reviews current literature on the advantages and disadvantages of electronic and paper media for academic reading. Theoretical and empirical research into screen reading in academic institutions falls broadly into the following categories; reading and comprehension theory, the effect of a document’s platform, design and tools on reading, and screen versus paper research studies. These categories inform and provide the structure for this review. This paper concludes by considering how academic librarians can manage their collections and deliver library services in response to recent screen reading research. This overview of the literature on reading theory, the platforms and tools integral to reading electronic documents, and screen versus paper reading research, will enable academic librarians to make more informed collection management and library service decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Psychosomatic obstetrics and gynecology (POG) encompasses a wide variety of topics. While specialists in this field agree that it is important for practicing clinicians to be familiar with psychosomatic issues related to women's health, there is no consensus about the best practices for teaching and assessing this knowledge, or even which are the topics that should be included. By examining existing literature on educational methodology, this paper aims to suggest best practices that are proven useful in teaching issues related to POG. The paper considers learning objectives for what should be taught, recommendations as to best practices for curriculum delivery, and suggestions for how to assess learners' ability to meet the objectives. Establishing guidelines for teaching POG may be useful for learners at different levels and in various settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite agriculture being the largest employer of young people, South Africa faces a youth unemployment crisis. The youth are increasingly disinterested in agriculture and often view it as a last resort in the absence of alternative employment opportunities. This paper explores strategies to change these negative perceptions and attract young people to agriculture. Drawing on twenty-two studies conducted over the past decade, national grade 12 statistics, University enrolments, yearbook reviews, and twenty job advertisements, I identify five key areas for intervention. First, the youth interested in agripreneurship need support to access financial and physical resources. They also need training offered jointly by tertiary institutions and the government. Second, agricultural education in primary and secondary schools will likely attract and retain youths to agriculture. Third, we need to reform the education system at all levels to ensure holistic student development opportunities, including the technical and soft skills required by agricultural sector employers. Fourth, our marketing strategies need reform; collaboration with the media is necessary to increase awareness and change youths’ perceptions about agriculture and agricultural careers. Five, we need to strengthen the role of agricultural associations to bridge the gap between the agricultural sector and secondary and tertiary education institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This case study investigated how 23 students adapted to using a completely online textbook in lieu of a traditional paper text. All were enrolled in a single advanced MSW practice course. A variety of adaptation styles evolved. The students' primary strategy was to revert to making paper copies when permitted to do so instead of reading the assigned materials online. While a few students adapted to the electronic textbook, most generally did not because of interface design, time constraints, and study strategies. Implications for further research on relying completely on electronically-distributed reading materials are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Without achieving gender equality for girls in education, the world has no chance of achieving many of the ambitious health, social and development targets it has set for itself. (UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, March 2005) [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Despite providing objective, benchmark statistics on the condition and progress of US education since 1867, the National Center for Education Statistics has been the center of scrutiny over the last dozen years for its lack of resources and agility as well as for its diminished stature and autonomy. Motivated by the COVID-19 pandemic exposure of NCES’ bureaucratic hurdles, Congress’ interest in reauthorizing the agency and its umbrella organization, and the 2022 National Academies’ report, A Vision and Roadmap for Education Statistics, we explore legislative changes and attendant administrative actions that would contribute to building the trust of respondents who provide data to NCES and users who depend on the agency’s products; our paper offers recommendations to that end.  [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traces the evolution of the elementary PROTEACH teacher education program. Goal of the program; Key features of elementary PROTEACH; General structure of the program; Thematic focus; Factors influencing the implementation and revision of PROTEACH.

This paper describes the design and implementation of a political advocacy project in an Organic Chemistry II course. The advocacy project was designed to demonstrate that organic, green, and sustainable chemistry can be applied outside of laboratory and industrial settings to help solve issues related to environmental sustainability. After the instructor identified pending state legislation relating to sustainability, students read and summarized the bill. After class discussion, students did further research into questions raised in the discussion and prepared talking points. The talking points were developed into a white paper or postcard in advance of a class trip to the state capitol to share the views with legislators. Student reflections indicated a positive experience with advocacy, a greater understanding of environmental issues that affect them, and better awareness of how they can affect change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a comment from the author on the work of Mark Ashton, commenting the former's article "Education for Capability: A Critique." Views on conceptual analysis; Concept of a person's capability to fulfill his tasks and responsibilities; Discovery of a hidden message in the author's work in what Ashton cites as a highly satirical passage.

Teacher wellbeing and teacher resilience are frequently used constructs when discussing and researching teachers' work and lives. However, these terms are often used interchangeably and without clarification, highlighting a need to strengthen both conceptual clarity and understanding of the relationship between wellbeing and resilience in teacher research. To address this need, our discussion paper examines how teacher wellbeing and teacher resilience have been conceptualised and introduces an integrative model that aims to elucidate the relationship between the two. First, we reviewed papers that addressed teacher wellbeing as well as teacher resilience during the last 10 years. In terms of their relationship, we identified four different positions. The most prominent position was that teacher resilience supports the maintenance and development of teacher wellbeing. Second, based on these findings, we developed the Aligning Wellbeing and Resilience in Education (AWaRE) model to specify the relationship between the two constructs and the key aspects of a resilience process. We explain the framework, the individual components of the model and outline the crucial role of appraisals and emotions within the resilience process. We also discuss how this model contributes to the field and may be used as a framework for future research. The AWaRE model describes a resilience process that is embedded in contextual as well as individual challenges and resources. Within the process, the individual teacher aims at maintaining, restoring and developing their wellbeing. Further research is needed, including empirical validation of the model across the teaching profession. However, the AWaRE model is proposed as a useful tool that can help to clarify the constructs of resilience and wellbeing in educational contexts, and can assist educational practitioners to better understand the resilience process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Architecture is a profession in a perpetual state of change. Thus, it is essential for students to have a solid research foundation on which they can apply their knowledge and evidence-based solutions to architectural design, to enhance the quality of the built environment. Despite the fact that students' views and engagement in research have been receiving great attention recently, no studies have yet been conducted to assess Jordanian students' perspectives regarding scientific research. This paper examines the attitudes of a Jordanian university's architecture students toward scientific research. The descriptive study sampled 184 students from the College of Architecture who were asked to fill out a sel-fadministered questionnaire. The data were both descriptively and quantitively analyzed using correlation, a Mann-Whitney U Test, and a Kruskal-Wallis Variance Test. The findings revealed that female students' outlook on research was more optimistic than that of male students. Moreover, fifth-year students had the least favorable opinions compared to third and fourth-year students. Furthermore, participants who followed architectural channels and broadcasts had more favorable sentiments toward research than those who did not. Finally, participants with previous experience in scientific research had fewer unfavorable opinions regarding research than those who were inexperienced. In conclusion, the majority of the students who participated in this study had positive attitudes toward scientific research. However, there is still a need to promote a culture of scientific research among undergraduate students, encouraging them to engage in scientific activities and providing them with opportunities to conduct research that will contribute to the architectural scene in Jordan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban projects are developed partly to solve local problems but often have wider aims to influence policy and practise. However, there is very little long-term evaluation carried out, and few systematic efforts to link the experience gained in project development and implementation to wider learning and capacity building. I have written this opinion piece based on my experience both in practise in the public and private sectors and in teaching and research. The paper is divided into three parts. First, why urban projects and programmes are important for learning and capacity building. Second, how we learn from projects and the opportunities and barriers to learning. Third, how we could increase learning by explicitly including learning objectives in project planning and evaluation, strengthening links between practice and learning, and improving long-term access to project materials with learning potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Asenze study has the long-term goal of promoting better physical, cognitive and psychosocial functioning of children in a rural area in KwaZulu-Natal, 50 km from Durban, with a view to planning interventions to promote growth and development for very young children. The specific objective in this paper was to provide information for the Child Health and Development project of the Valley Trust to assist with intervention planning. The broader goal was to assess developmental delays in communities ravaged by the HIV epidemic. The Asenze study was designed in two phases from 2008 and 2012. The current paper reports on 1 581 4–6-year-old children in the baseline phase (2008–2010) in the five adjacent tribal areas in the study area. Method: The participants included all the 4–6-year-olds whose parents had consented to inclusion in the project and their caregivers. Data were derived from a brief questionnaire administered in the homes of participants, and subsequently from medical and psychological assessments of the children and their caregivers at the Asenze clinic. The association between child factors and other factors (geographic area, socioeconomic status (SES), parental level of education, the child's preschool education) on the one hand, and the child's cognitive performance (as measured by the Grover Counter and subtests of the KABC-11) were analysed. Linear regression models were employed to determine which predictor variables of interest in a model were associated with the children's cognitive scores as the dependent variables. Results: Based on the data, the principal factors associated with children's cognitive outcomes were height-for-age z-score (HAZ), preschool education and the area of residence. Generally children who had low cognitive scores were more often stunted (as defined by the WHO anthropometric tables), had not had preschool education, and came from areas less favourable in terms of local infrastructure and access to employment opportunities and arable land. Conclusion: The finding from this cross-sectional analysis of baseline data showed that in addition to height for age and preschool education, which are commonly thought to impact on cognition, the local authority area where the children lived was associated with their scores on cognitive tests. This has implications for intervention planning. The functioning of local government in promoting the type of community development that will protect the rights of children should be taken into account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Reflecting increased cross-disciplinary interest in the significance of the body in education, this paper considers that a greater appreciation of John Dewey's conceptualisations of experience and habit would benefit contemporary theory- and practice-related concerns. Sources of evidence and main argument: The paper draws upon pragmatist-informed epistemological insights into the nature of experience and the habitual body from John Dewey. In doing so, the paper highlights how embodied experiences could become more central to realising a diverse range of educational goals. These include contexts where students appreciate that embodied learning practices can play a reconstructive part in shaping their identity, as well as the culture and school environments they share with others. Conclusion: The paper concludes by exemplifying and critiquing some conceptual possibilities which recognise the benefits of intensifying bodily experiences and cultivating related habits in everyday contemporary schooling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teaching Impact Assessment (IA) is both important and challenging. In this context, international literature presents a set of Best Practice Principles for IA Teaching and Training. This paper proposes and applies a framework of 14 indicators to analyse the content of IA teaching. It focuses on the Brazilian Environmental Engineering Programs, and the methodological process involved examining the literature as well as content analysis. The framework application showed to be practical and objective. Results indicate that the capacity to incorporate the specifics of the IA system is a strength of IA teaching in Brazil. On the other hand, the results highlight many weaknesses, e.g. the focus on teaching only IA applied to projects (in spite of the many IA types present in IA literature and international practice), focus on impact assessment statement (instead of the whole IA process) and gaps related to study of alternatives, cumulative impacts and public participation. Suggestions to improve IA teaching in Brazil include presenting IA as a process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Education and training in global health and social justice is crucial to ensuring the next generation of health professionals are poised to tackle the pressing issues of our time. To develop and implement an intensive summer course on global health and social justice for high school students at the University of Southern California. This paper reviews the course aims and curriculum, its implementation both onsite and online, and reports on student course evaluations and long-term student outcomes. Student satisfaction with the program was extremely high, which endured when the course went virtual during the COVID-19 pandemic. The most popular elements of the course included interactive, game-based activities and guest speakers. Many students reported that the course motivated them to pursue higher education and careers in global health or related fields. More universities should consider offering summer programs or other extension programs targeting high school students in order to meet the increasing demand for global health education. Recommendations for implementing global health courses for younger learners include having an interdisciplinary focus with a range of topics and diverse perspectives; provision of scholarships to allow low-income students and students from abroad to participate; prioritizing the integration of active learning and experiential educational opportunities; and incorporating debriefing and reflection as integral parts of learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adolescence is a stage when significant changes in moral development take place. Sometimes, a discrepancy between adolescents' thoughts, emotions and actions may result in socially undesirable outcomes. The question is not whether emotions produce moral behaviour, but how awareness of emotions may influence moral action. In this paper, the interaction among cognition, emotions, and action is considered from two theoretical perspectives: cognitive-developmental and social domain theory. We argue that with increased awareness of cognition and emotion, actions may be influenced, and propose meta-moral cognition process as an active mediator of the cognition and emotions involved in making moral decisions. The meta-moral cognition strategies are also provided for classroom practices with the intention to support adolescents' meta-moral cognitive development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Understanding the nature of wellbeing as multidimensional and complex provides a policy window to generate a strengths-based policy orientation to promote wellbeing in education settings. The purpose of this exploratory paper is to map how wellbeing is interpreted across public education policy documents in Aotearoa New Zealand. Method: To explore the narrative that this group of documents weave, we draw on models of holistic wellbeing, ecological systems and appreciative inquiry. Policy documents were analysed using text mining software to track notions of wellbeing; their occurrence and co-occurrence with related concepts. Results: Key findings include the predominance of wellbeing, the interrelatedness of wellbeing with relationships, and the predominance of student wellbeing over the wellbeing of other stakeholders, highlighting that current education policy does not interpret wellbeing as relational, complex or contextual. Conclusion: We argue that interpreting such documents through a wellbeing lens demonstrates the complexity and disparity of the conceptualization and contextualization. We assert that it is critical to explore possibilities for deliberate and ecological wellbeing connections within educational policy and practice for the good of all stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mission statement of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) is "to reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease". The ESC is the leading scientific society for cardiovascular health care professionals across Europe and increasingly the world. Recognising the need for democratisation of education in cardiology, the ESC has for many years embraced the digital world within its education programme. As in all areas of medicine, the COVID-19 pandemic required an agile response to be able to continue to provide not only a digital congress but also education, training and assessment in an almost totally digital world. In this paper we will describe the digital learning activities of the ESC, the successes and the challenges of the transformation that has taken place in the last 18 months as well as an overview of the vision for education, training and assessment in the post-COVID digital era. We understand the need to provide a portfolio of educational styles to suit a diverse range of learners. It is clear that digital CME provides opportunities but it is likely that it will not entirely replace in-person learning. In planning for the future, we regard the provision of digital CME as central to fulfiling our mission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our MOOC on Engineering Mechanics aims to develop in our learners 'Engineers' eyes'. Over 50 small videos support three interdependent strands: experiments that learners can do themselves; classical Engineering Analysis; and design applications. Learning activities span the technology spectrum from on-line Adaptive Tutorials to paper and pencil 'Retro Tutorials'. It all produces a flood of data on student backgrounds, their progression, and their response to the course. To avoid being overwhelmed by this invaluable resource, we have automated the analysis. Attrition rates are typical of MOOCs (despite continuous improvement), but learners who stay the course give glowing reports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a summary of one of the most troubling situations, sure to evoke de ja vu in most instructors who teach fresh men students to write formal research papers. Diagram that help understand the concept of constructing the jigsaw puzzle; Using sources creatively in a research paper as compared to solving a jigsaw puzzle; How students understand the concept of the jigsaw puzzle assignment, a mini research paper.

There is increasing global attention to the importance of menstrual health and hygiene (MHH) for the lives of those who menstruate and gender equality. Yet, the global development community, which focuses on issues ranging from gender to climate change to health, is overdue to draw attention to how addressing MHH may enable progress in attaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To address this gap, we undertook a collective exercise to hypothesize the linkages between MHH and the 17 SDGs, and to identify how MHH contributes to priority outcome measures within key sectoral areas of relevance to menstruating girls in low- and middle-income countries. These areas included Education, Gender, Health (Sexual and Reproductive Health; Psychosocial Wellbeing), and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH). These efforts were undertaken from February – March 2019 by global monitoring experts, together with select representatives from research institutions, non-governmental organizations, and governments (n = 26 measures task force members). Through this paper we highlight the findings of our activities. First, we outline the existing or potential linkages between MHH and all of the SDGs. Second, we report the identified priority outcomes related to MHH for key sectors to monitor. By identifying the potential contribution of MHH towards achieving the SDGs and highlighting the ways in which MHH can be monitored within these goals, we aim to advance recognition of the fundamental role of MHH in the development efforts of countries around the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To promote better collaboration for patient care, interprofessional education (IPE) is required in many health professions courses. However, successful IPE implementation at scale can be challenging because of complicated logistics and competing priorities. Implementing across multiple geographies adds further complexity. This paper describes the implementation of a full cohort IPE activity for medical and pharmacy students delivered at both the Australian and Malaysian campuses of Monash University. We designed a 150-minute, blended learning activity centred around asthma care for second-year medical and pharmacy students. Student perceptions were measured with a pre- and post-activity survey using the validated ten-item, three-factor, SPICE-R2 instrument. Analysis focused on differences between professions and countries. All second-year medicine (N = 301 in Australia and N = 107 in Malaysia) and pharmacy students (N = 168 in Australia and N = 117 in Malaysia) participated in the learning activity. A total of 326/693 (47%) students participated in the associated research by completing both the pre- and post-activity surveys. The pre-activity survey showed significant differences in four items between medicine and pharmacy students in Australia and two items in Malaysia. Post-activity, we observed significant changes in 8/10 items when the two professions were combined. Specifically, we noted changes across the countries in perceptions of roles and responsibilities for collaborative practice and patient outcomes from collaborative practice. IPE across different professions and countries is feasible. Positive outcomes in role understanding and perceived patient outcomes are achievable through a context-sensitive, locally driven approach to implementation. Longitudinal experiences may be required to influence perceptions of teamwork and team-based care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: International achievement studies such as the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) have an increasing influence on education policy worldwide. The use of such data can provide a basis for evidence-based policy-making to initiate educational reform. Finland, a high performer in PISA, is often cited as an example of both efficient and equitable education. Finland’s teachers and teacher education have not only garnered much attention for their role in the country’s PISA successes, but have also influenced education policy change in England. Main argument: This article argues that the Finnish model of teacher education has been borrowed uncritically by UK policy-makers. Finnish and English philosophies of teacher preparation differ greatly, and the borrowing of the Finnish teachereducationmodel does not fit within the teachertrainingviewpoint of England. The borrowed policies, thus, were decontextualised from the wider values and underpinnings of Finnish education. This piecemeal, ‘pick “n” mix’ approach to education policy reform ignores the fact that educational policies and ‘practices exist in ecological relationships with one another and in whole ecosystems of interrelated practices’. Thus, these borrowed teacher preparation policies will not necessarily lead to the outcomes outlined by policy-makers in the reforms. Sources of evidence: Two teacher preparation reforms in England, the University Training Schools (outlined in the UK Government’s 2010 Schools White Paper,The Importance of Teaching) and the Master’s in Teaching and Learning (MTL), are used to illustrate the problematic nature of uncritical policy borrowing. This article juxtaposes these policies with the Finnish model of teacher education, a research-based programme where all candidates are required to complete a Master’s degree. The contradictions exposed from this analysis further highlight the divergent practices of teacher preparation in England and Finland, or the disparate ‘ecosystems’. Evidence of educational policy borrowing in other settings is also considered. Conclusions: Both the MTL and the White Paper reforms overlook the ‘ecosystem’ surrounding Finnish teacher education. The school-based MTL contrasts with the research-based Finnish teachers’ MA. Similarly, the University Training Schools scheme, based on Finnish university-affiliated, teaching practice schools, contrasts heavily with the rest of the White Paper reforms, which contradict the philosophies and ethos behind Finnish teacher education by proposing the move of English teacher preparation away from the universities. The analysis highlights the uncritical eye through which politicians may view international survey results, looking for ‘quick fix’ options instead of utilising academic evidence for investigation on education and education reform. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: Many primary school students encounter the educational system positively from the outset. However, over the school years, students develop negative attitudes towards school, which peaks during secondary education. According to the literature, we conceptualise this process as school alienation: a decreasing sense of belonging in terms of learning, teachers and classmates at school. Purpose: This article critically examines the research on school alienation, with a focus on primary and secondary education. In this overview, we consider definitions, general conceptual approaches and specific concepts of school alienation, as well as methodological issues, including operationalisations of school alienation. Based on our identification of the strengths and shortcomings of previous theoretical and empirical approaches, we propose a definition and model of school alienation that may guide future research efforts. We argue that future research on school alienation needs to focus on the processes by which school alienation manifests itself; moreover, it must take into account how school alienation can differ with regard to various domains in school (i.e. alienation from learning, from teachers, from classmates). Overall, we argue that instead of an emphasis on general alienation from school, a more specific approach to school alienation is required. Sources of evidence: We used scientific research search engines to identify the body of literature that explicitly studies the phenomenon of school alienation. Firstly, we identified different types of school/student alienation definitions and concepts. Then, we selected papers addressing school alienation as a crucial issue, as well as papers investigating this issue in relation to an outcome, such as violent student behaviour and drop-out, for review. Further, we related our review to comparable concepts, such as disengagement, to show similarities and/or differences. Main argument: The findings of our overview point to a lack of a clear definition of school alienation, a lack of systematic concepts and a diversity of operationalisations based on manifold theoretical approaches. Thus, we propose a contemporary concept of school alienation by bridging different concepts: particularly, the concepts of alienation and disengagement. Our approach specifies core domains to which school alienation is linked: academic learning, teachers and classmates. Furthermore, in regard to each domain, cognitive and affective aspects can be identified, while behavioural aspects are conceptualised as consequences of school alienation. Conclusions: The need for studies aimed at a more profound understanding of the process of school alienation during different stages of educational pathways (such as primary and secondary education) seems to be evident. Panel data are necessary to reconstruct student trajectories in order to take individual changes into account. Different levels of analysis (individual student level/micro, school or classroom levels/meso, societal level/macro), as well as interaction between these levels, need to be studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the paper is to examine the challenges of girls' education in a poor urban context in Nairobi. This paper is motivated by the need to identify challenges affecting girls' education in poor urban context in Nairobi. These challenges are identified from the lens of the community gatekeepers and the parents, who are key stakeholders in education at the local level. Data come from a qualitative component of the baseline study conducted in Korogocho and Viwandani, in Nairobi, collected in June and July 2013 using in-depth interviews and focus group discussions (FGDs). One of the most striking finding was role modelling to their daughters. This was evident from those households that had single parents. The study emphasizes that children should be better raised with the support of the whole community. This would enable parents to provide effective support to girls' education and hence realize their full potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background:This paper approaches evidence-informed practice from the perspective of evidence-informed policy-making. Using the findings of a recent study of evidence-use by educational policy-makers to raise questions about evidence-use by educational practitioners, it seeks to explore what such a study might tell us about how to understand and improve evidence-use by educational practitioners. Purpose:The paper aims, therefore, to identify potential connections, shared insights and common issues between evidence-use in policy and evidence-use in practice. It does this by focusing on two specific areas: the nature of the evidence (i.e.whatevidence is used) and the nature of the use (i.e.howevidence is used). The paper outlines what was found about each of these aspects of evidence-use in policy, and then considers what questions and issues these findings might raise for evidence-use in educational practice. Sample:The empirical study on which this paper is based was an in-depth study of the use of evidence within educational policy development in Australia. It focused on the development of three specific education policies within one Australian state education department and involved interviews with 25 policy-makers who were actively involved in the development of these policies. Design and methods:The policy-based study involved the following data collection processes: (i) in-depth semi-structured interviews with 25 policy-makers who were involved in the development of the selected policies; (ii) documentary analysis of policy documents, background research reports and other relevant papers relating to the selected policies; (iii) unstructured observation (where possible) of meetings and events connected with the development of the selected policies; and (iv) feedback from 40 wider policy staff who took part in a verification workshop to discuss the project’s emerging findings. Findings:Drawing on the findings from the original policy study, two areas of potential connection to evidence-use in practice are explored. First, in relation to ‘varieties of evidence and uses’, the negotiation of diverse evidence types and the potential for using evidence in multiple and varied ways appear to be features of evidence-use that are common to educational policy-makers as well as educational practitioners. Secondly, in relation to ‘narrowness of evidence sources’, there is potential for both policy-makers and practitioners to use a narrow (rather than broad) selection of evidence, due to a tendency to work with certain evidence types as a starting point (e.g. performance data) and a tendency to draw on certain evidence sources more frequently (e.g. well-known, familiar research sources). Conclusions:This paper emphasises: (i) the need for more integrated (or joined-up) understandings of evidence-use across contexts of practice and contexts of policy; (ii) the importance of continued efforts to understand and represent evidence-use more effectively within educational practices; and (iii) the value of paying careful attention to the quality and qualities of evidence-use within and across the different settings of educational practice and policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background:Knowledge about the brain has been growing rapidly since the 1990s as a result of developments in neuroscientific research linked to improvements in functional neuroimaging and other brain imaging technologies. As the brain is the ‘principal organ involved in learning’ (1), it would seem reasonable to assume that education should be one of the chief beneficiaries of this research, leading to advances in our understanding of how people learn, the development of new curricula and innovative teaching and learning approaches. However, the linkage between neuroscience and education has, historically, always been weak, and, we suggest, continues to be so, notwithstanding important research initiatives since the year 2000. Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to critically explore current theoretical understanding of joint neuroscientific and educational research, herein referred to as ‘neuroeducational’ research. There is a particular focus on a critique of the transdisciplinary model as applied in a study of imitation in learners with autism. Main argument and sources of evidence:The review of the literature in the first half of the paper identifies the key barriers to neuroeducational research, including neuromyths, lack of shared understanding, the problem of the translation of neuroscientific findings to schools and clashing research assumptions, methodologies and traditions. However, a model of transdisciplinarity is presented as a possible way forward. This model is tested in the second half of the paper against the experiences of the authors in conducting transdisciplinary research in autism and imitation in the secondary classroom. Here, we develop the concepts of ‘transfer affordances’, ‘transfer challenges’ and ‘transfer opportunities’ to structure our analysis of the various dimensions of the transdisciplinary research process. These new concepts are defined, and their relevance and utility explained. Conclusions:The main conclusion of the paper is that the transdisciplinary research process within neuroeducation is complex, far from fully understood and requires further mapping. It is proposed that the concepts of ‘transfer affordances’, ‘transfer challenges’ and ‘transfer opportunities’ are useful theoretical ideas in pursuit of this aim. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: Sustainable development, as an area of knowledge, appears in several different places in the curriculum and does not fit neatly within the scope of traditional subject areas. In many countries, including Sweden, it has long been upheld as an important tool for increasing understanding of, and dealing with, environmental problems. It is not clear, however, what role education can actually have in the making of a more sustainable future. Even though there are several potential ways for sustainable development to be involved in education, the concept raises many questions when transferred to the school context. Purpose: This paper investigates how teachers deal with the difficulty of defining and approaching sustainable development as an area of knowledge in Swedish schools. Sample: This article is based on semi-structured interviews with 40 teachers, 13 of whom were lower secondary school teachers (pupil age 12-15) and 27 were upper secondary school teachers (pupil age 15-18). The study involves teachers in all subjects where sustainable development is a goal in the syllabus. The study is also based on participant observation in one upper secondary class. A total of 17 different schools were involved, from a wide range of locations in Sweden. Design and methods: The paper builds on qualitative data and the analysis of transcribed interviews and group interviews with teachers in Swedish lower and upper secondary schools. Group interviews, involving three or more people, were conducted on eight occasions. The pupils at an upper secondary school were also observed while they were working on a course called 'policy and sustainable development'. Data were transcribed and analysed thematically. Findings: The analysis suggests that, according to the teachers' experiences, the demands of equivalence and measurability in school have increased and that this affects how sustainable development is approached in teaching and learning. Three main categories of knowledge were identified. The study also presents two representations that model how teachers may approach knowledge about sustainable development - metaphorically termed 'the Accountant' and 'the Adventurer' - and their different effects on knowledge. Conclusions: There is a tendency for complex knowledge areas such as sustainable development, which do not fit seamlessly into traditional curriculum subjects, to become oversimplified when translated into teaching situations. According to the representations that we described metaphorically, the teacher, as an accountant, is characterised by 'knowledge instrumentalism', which means that teachers administer knowledge and the pupils consume it. In this transactional model, the accountant is also very dependent on external governance and control. Alternatively, the teacher, as an adventurer, is characterised by authority, knowledge and self-control. In this model, knowledge sometimes grows in an unpredictable way in the meeting between people who share common experiences. For adventurers, sustainable development is a matter of commitment and awareness, and it involves an explicit stance. The metaphors can be placed on a continuum which describes how teachers manage the demands of the school system in relation to the knowledge area of sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Green Chemistry Initiative (GCI) is a student-led group founded in 2012 with the primary mission of promoting green chemistry education at the University of Toronto. In order to achieve this, the GCI's activities have included undergraduate curriculum development, arrangement of an external speaker seminar series, and organization of an annual three-day symposium along with biweekly trivia challenges. To broaden education beyond the Department of Chemistry, a successful YouTube video campaign articulating the Twelve Principles of Green Chemistry in an accessible manner has also been undertaken (acquiring over 40,000 views), in addition to monthly blog posts and conference/outreach presentations. Descriptions of these activities are discussed in this paper, along with the resulting impact they have had. Through such efforts, undergraduate and graduate students are showing a growing understanding of the relevance of green chemistry in today's world, with the GCI serving as a platform for similar groups to build upon across Canada. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present an active-learning strategy for undergraduates that applies Bayesian analysis to candy-covered chocolate m&m's®. The exercise is best suited for small class sizes and tutorial settings, after students have been introduced to the concepts of Bayesian statistics. The exercise takes advantage of the nonuniform distribution of m&m's® colors, and the difference in distributions made at two different factories. In this paper, we provide the intended learning outcomes, lesson plan and step-by-step guide for instruction, and open-source teaching materials. We also suggest an extension to the exercise for the graduate level, which incorporates hierarchical Bayesian analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Guidelines and instructions for Environmental Impact Assessment and Strategic Environmental Assessment (together referred to as EA here) are developed to improve the quality of legal requirements' implementation and to support EA procedure accomplishment. However, to date, it has not been checked whether they are useful for practitioners. Therefore, the aim of the study underlying this paper was to verify, based on the experience of Polish EA experts, whether guidelines and instructions are useful in their everyday work. A qualitative study comprising of a questionnaire survey and interviews tested whether (1) EA practitioners know and use the Polish and EU guidelines, (2) how EA practitioners evaluate the validity and usefulness of such instructions, and (3) in which areas there is a lack of instructions and guidelines. The results show a low level of knowledge of national and EU handbooks. Those guidelines focusing on legal procedures, road investments and designing animal passageways are considered to be the most useful. Moreover, practitioners indicate that EU guidelines should be translated into Polish. Most important for practitioners is the linking of guidelines with the EA procedure, so that they can become a platform for dialogue of all stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Scandinavian countries have a long history of implementing social interventions, but the interventions have not been examined using randomised controlled trials until relatively recently compared with countries like the United States and the United Kingdom. Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the history of randomised controlled trials in Scandinavian compulsory schools (grades 0-10; pupil ages 6-15). Specifically, we investigate drivers and barriers for randomised controlled trials in educational research and the differences between the three Scandinavian countries Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Methods: To locate relevant trials, we performed a systematic search of four bibliographic databases and a search for grey literature. Results were combined with trials located through direct contact with researchers and government officials. A trial was included if one or more interventions were randomly assigned to groups of students and carried out in a school setting with the primary aim of improving the academic performance of children aged 6-15 in grades 0-10 in Denmark, Norway, or Sweden. We included both conducted and ongoing trials. Publications that seemed relevant were screened based on full-text versions. Data extraction included information from the included studies on grade level, study period, sample size (N), project owner, funding source, and theme. In addition, we conducted two semi-structured interviews by phone or in person with central employees in funding agencies and ministries and 25 correspondences with researchers and policymakers. Findings and conclusion: RCTs in grades 0-10 were few in all of Scandinavia until about 2011, after which there was an increase in all three countries, although at different rates. The largest number of trials has been conducted in Denmark, and the increase is more marked in Denmark and Norway compared with Sweden. International trends towards more impact evaluations and results from international comparisons such as PISA have likely affected the development in all countries, but while many trials in Denmark and Norway are the result of policy initiatives, only one such example in Sweden was identified. We believe the lack of government initiatives to promote RCTs in Sweden is the most likely explanation for the differences across the Scandinavian countries. Funding and coordination from the government are often crucial for the implementation of RCTs and are likely more important in smaller countries such as the Scandinavian ones. Supporting institutions have now been established in all three countries, and we believe that the use of RCTs in Scandinavian educational research is likely to continue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose: Studies of education and learning that were described as experiments have been carried out in the USA by educational psychologists since about 1900. In this paper, we discuss the history of randomised trials in education in the USA in terms of five historical periods. In each period, the use of randomised trials was motivated by the research interests and conditions of the era. We have characterised these periods in terms of decades with sharp boundaries as a convenience. Sources of evidence and main arguments: Although some of the early studies used random allocation (and even random allocation of clusters such as schools), early researchers did not clearly understand the role of randomisation or clearly distinguish it from methods such as alternation. In 1940, E. F. Lindquist published an important book whose goal was to translate R. A. Fisher’s ideas into language congenial to education researchers, but this had little impact on education research outside of psychology. There was a substantial increase in the number of randomised trials during the period from 1960 to 1980, as the US government enacted and evaluated a variety of social programmes. This was followed by a dramatic decrease during the period from 1980 to 2000, amid debates about the relevance of randomised trials in education research. The creation of the US Institute of Education Sciences in 2002 provided major financial and administrative support for randomised trials, which has led to a large number of trials being conducted since that time. Conclusions: These developments suggest that there is a promising future for randomised trials in the USA. American education scientists must remain committed to explaining why evidence from randomised field trials has an indispensable role to play in making wise decisions about education policy and advancing our capacity to improve education for a productive workforce and a successful society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the reference desk, librarians engage in an often predictable sequence of instruction with students that centers on assisting students with focusing their topics before they can move to the information collection stage. It is an area of instruction that is often taken for granted and that most faculty are unaware of, but it is critical for successful student research papers. The author summarizes some of the strategies librarians use to assist students in focusing their topics and some suggestions for teaching faculty on how to build topic focus strategies into their research assignments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses data from the 1995 and 2000 World Values Survey to examine and compare the relationship between social capital, education and political participation in Western and Eastern Europe. The concept of social capital is measured using indicators of trust and membership in voluntary organizations, while the concept of political participation is put into operation through indicators of political action. The research uncovers clear indicators showing that social capital is a factor in political participation in Eastern Europe and that the existence of general social trust is a characteristic of the most successful transitions. The paper finds evidence to support the theory that a trust-building mechanism based on reciprocity and a "critical mass" is indeed at work in the democratization process and that social capital is an integral part of transition for the Eastern European states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The current global cohort of youth has been called ‘a generation at-risk’, marked by a dramatic rise in youth who are not in employment, education or training programmes. In 2010, youth were three times as likely as adults to be unemployed, with youth unemployment worsening in 2012 and 2013. Accordingly, there is an urgent need to examine educational structures that can promote greater labour market attachment and successful transition into employment for youth worldwide. Vocational and work-based education (WBE) has been identified as one of the most recommended and promising educational structures for curtailing youth under- and unemployment. However, WBE takes many forms, making it difficult to discern which WBE programme is most likely to meet the diverse needs of any individual at-risk youth. Moreover, there has been a dearth of theoretical conceptualisations to explain WBE as a context that promotes resilience for at-risk youth as they transition into the world of work. Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present a revised model for WBE as an enabling context for at-risk youth in transition from school to employment. Specifically, a person-in-context approach is used, situating youth-related facets (e.g. agency) in relation to systemic facets (e.g. political, cultural) to provide a comprehensive theoretical basis for WBE. The revised model maintains three overlapping domains – the individual, the social-cultural and the economic-political – to address a theoretical gap in the literature on transition systems while providing a foundation for practical efforts to prepare at-risk youth for engaging in a changing labour market. Design and Methods: The model was constructed through a systematic and interdisciplinary integrative literature review that examined empirical, conceptual, policy-based and practice-based literature on at-risk youth transition from school to work. Articles and documents were analysed for both individual and contextual factors that influence transition, in order to contribute towards the development of a robust person-in-context model. Existing models of transition and other systems were also examined that addressed the needs of at-risk youth. A ‘person-in-context’ approach was selected for our model as it enabled representation of both macro- and microcosmic factors that shape effective WBE programming. Conclusions: The model is organised around three critical domains that were identified as being influential for school-to-work transition: the individual domain, the social-cultural domain and the economic-political domain. Within each of these domains, multiple facets are described that shape youth transition. WBE is positioned at the centre of the model as an educational structure that can attend to the multiple facets that shape engagement in school and work. The paper concludes with an explicit research agenda linked to the model and practical implications for WBE programming. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: In its communications, the European Commission stresses the importance of vocational education and endorses apprenticeship training. Educational systems that have dual tracks of academic alongside vocational learning routes have been shown to generate better labour market outcomes for school leavers and smooth the school-to-work transition. On the other hand, dual tracked educational systems can reinforce the effect of social origin on educational performance: the differences between the achievement of students from a background characterised by low socio-economic status and students from high socio-economic status backgrounds are greater in a tracked system than in a comprehensive one. In addition to these general tendencies, the content and organisation of vocational education differ in individual countries, as do its strengths and weaknesses and impacts on the labour market prospects of young people. Purpose: This paper studies vocational education in the Czech Republic: specifically, its apprenticeship track leading directly to the labour market. It seeks to answer questions about whether the Czech apprenticeship education system provides its students with the knowledge and skills necessary for success in the modern labour market, and whether it facilitates their transition from school to work. The paper also studies the impact of the high vocational specificity of the Czech education system on educational inequalities and the development of these inequalities over time. Sample: The research questions are answered using statistical data and analyses of Czech data from international surveys of adult skills: the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), which studied probability samples of adults aged 16–65 years. The IALS data were collected in 1998 and included 3132 cases, and the PIAAC data were collected in 2012 and included 6102 cases. Design and methods: The IALS and PIAAC data were analysed using binary logistic regression. Descriptive statistics from PIAAC, statistical yearbooks of education and national surveys on the transition from school to work were also used to provide evidence. Results: The analyses show that in spite of its high vocational specificity, the efficiency of the Czech education system in facilitating transition to the labour market is relatively low, as are the achievement outcomes of its apprentices. This high differentiation, moreover, contributes significantly and increasingly to educational inequalities. In the light of those findings, the paper discusses features of the Czech apprenticeship education system and intended policy measures that are aiming to retain the current structure of the system and foster apprenticeship education. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background:Education systems rely on both teacher and test-based assessments. Where these assessments are used for summative purposes particularly, it is important to understand why, and for which groups of students, teachers’ assessments may produce different results from test-based assessments.Purpose:This paper assesses whether the difference between teacher and test-based summative assessment at age 11 and 15 – as a measure of bias or uncertainty in assessment – is linked systematically to observable pupil characteristics. We also consider the important question of whether these measures of uncertainty and bias in assessment have any relationship with pupils’ subsequent educational choices at age 16.Sample:To the best of our knowledge, this is the first paper focused on the Spanish educational system that has compared teacher and test-based assessments for school-age children. The sample consists of 3000 primary and secondary students.Design and methods:This research is conducted using regression analysis on quantitative data, comparing teacher and test-based assessments conducted during the academic year 2009/10.Results:The gap between test scores and teacher assessments is particularly large for female students in mathematics, who obtain significantly higher teacher assessments compared with their test scores. Students from semi-private schools (concertadas), who are more likely to be socially advantaged, gain higher test scores in relation to their teachers’ assessments.This is particularly noticeable in reading.Conclusions:This finding is consistent with the notion that teachers overestimate the achievement of girls in mathematics, relative to their test scores. Teachers tend to assess pupils in a relative way and hence teachers in semi-private schools (with higher achieving pupils) underestimate the achievement of their pupils. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: This article reports on a mentoring programme which was implemented in selected Scottish secondary schools with the view to supporting students with school work, transition to further education/higher education, careers, and interpersonal skills. Mentoring students can enhance their academic, social, career and other outcomes. Mentoring relationships, when properly implemented, have been found also to yield positive results for mentors. Purpose: This paper is an investigation into a school-based mentoring programme which was implemented in 6 selected Scottish secondary schools. In so doing, we hope to contribute to an evolving framework for designing and implementing successful school-based mentoring. Sample: The sample for this study included 10 students aged between 16 and 17 years old in the second year of a broader 2-year business/education project, which aimed to promote student uptake of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers after secondary school. There were 11 mentors, who were drawn mainly from the science, health and the education sectors. Design and method: Methodologically, this study was qualitative interpretivist in nature. Data collection involved focus group discussion and individual semi-structured interviews. Results: The findings show mentee and mentor preparation, clarity of expectations, mentee–mentor matching, mentee motivation, appropriateness of meeting spaces and power relations, modes of communication including the use of social media, and the role of schools as essential conditions which influenced the quality of mentoring relationships. Conclusion: The findings suggest that mentoring programmes involving students in school and ‘external’ adult mentors need to consider a range of factors to achieve success when designing and implementing mentoring. This paper raises important issues for example, communication using social media, which have implications for practice in business sector and school partnerships involved in school-based mentoring. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper considers concepts of transliteracy and digital storytelling (DS), and reports on the research findings of the DS project, iTell. The project involved the development of digital stories based on a creative reading task and an investigation into transliteracy and student engagement with learning in a high school setting. Findings indicate that iTell provided an environment conducive to the development of transliteracy skills, aided student engagement with learning and had some impact on participants beyond the span of the project. The results are discussed in relation to transliteracy and DS, which have attracted considerable interest in information and educational professions, with scarce research-based evidence. The paper contributes to the literature about transliteracy and DS, and provides some research evidence for their role in learning. It further contributes to bridging a gap between discussions in the profession and academic literature. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Communication; cancer; existential; spiritual; religious; general practitioners; vocational training; continuing medical education. Design: The UK Medical Research Council's (MRC) framework for complex intervention research was used as a guide for course development and evaluation and was furthermore used to structure this paper. The development phase included: identification of existing evidence, description of the theoretical framework of the course, designing the intervention and deciding for types of evaluation. In the evaluation phase we measured self-efficacy before and after course participation. To explore further processes of change we conducted individual, semi-structured telephone interviews with participants. Subjects and setting: Twenty practising GPs and residentials in training to become GPs from one Danish region (mean age 49). Results: The development phase resulted in a one-day vocational training/continuing medical education (VT/CME) course including the main elements of knowledge building, self-reflection and communication training. Twenty GPs participated in the testing of the course, nineteen GPs answered questionnaires measuring self-efficacy, and fifteen GPs were interviewed. The mean scores of self-efficacy increased significantly. The qualitative results pointed to positive post course changes such as an increase in the participants' existential self-awareness, an increase in awareness of patients in need of existential communication, and an increase in the participants' confidence in the ability to carry out existential communication. Conclusions: A one-day VT/CME course targeting GPs and including the main elements of knowledge building, self-reflection and communication training showed to make participants more confident about their ability to communicate with patients about existential issues and concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundThis paper considers the role of collaborative enquiry as a means of developing equity in education. The context was a collaborative project in which a university was supporting local schools in carrying out enquiry into their practice, with the purpose of moving the practice towards greater equity. PurposeThe research question addressed is as follows: What characterises and explains teachers’ different and changing perspectives in a process of enquiry directed towards more equitable schooling? SampleParticipants were teachers involved in a systematic process of collaborative action research in the north-west of England. Design and methodsDuring an 11-month period, spanning a school year, the authors engaged with teachers, supporting enquiry processes. Teachers’ perspectives were explored as they participated in this enquiry network. The study design was ethnographic, with tools introduced to generate systematic data within the process. In particular, five months into the process, 16 of the teachers were invited to participate in an activity based on Q-sort methodology. They were asked to rank, and comment on, statements which described how they might be thinking about, and responding to, the enquiry process. ResultsAnalysis of the ways that teachers sorted the cards led to identification of four groups of participants: (1) those focused on practice, (2) research, (3) collaboration and (4) those feeling themselves to be outsiders to the process. As the two dominant perspectives were ‘practice’ and ‘research’ (groups 1 and 2), two contrasting case studies were then developed in order to explore the perspectives in more detail. While the initial questions generated by the participants arose out of their existing development plans, and both aimed to contribute to equity in the school, analysis showed that the processes in the two schools differed and suggested that teachers’ experience of enquiry in the two case studies was also different, both in terms of the ways they were empowered to consider their own work critically, and the contexts in which they worked. ConclusionsEnquiry can work as a tool, offering teachers a way of tackling a problem. But, in addition, enquiry can change the way teachers see themselves, overall leading to a deepening of teacher professional identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background:This paper discusses teachers’ perspectives on learning networks and their motives for participating in these networks. Although it is widely held that teachers’ learning may be developed through learning networks, not all teachers participate in such networks. Purpose:The theme of reciprocity, central to studies in the area of learning in networks, is often approached from a rational exchange perspective. This study attempts to extend this approach with reference to the concept of symbolic interactionism. The study was guided by the following research question:What is the relationship between teachers’ perceptions of learning networks and their motives for participation or non-participation in these networks? Design and methods:In order to address this research question, semi-structured interviews among 25 teachers in secondary education in the Netherlands were carried out. The semi-structured interviews consisted of three parts: background information, perspectives on learning networks and personal experiences with those networks. Data were analysed qualitatively and analyses consisted of within-case analysis, and cross-case analysis of interview fragments. Three themes were considered: (1) perspectives on learning networks, (2) motives for participation perceived as rational exchange, (3) motives for participation perceived as related to social order. Findings:The findings are presented around these three themes. Each theme is discussed in relation to relevant aspects from the literature. Findings indicated that teachers perceived learning networks to be organised both within-school and outside school, and mostly focused around specific content knowledge. Reasons for participation or non-participation were related to rational costs and rewards (such as time, technology, self-efficacy); in symbolic motives (such as joy, sharing and mutual understanding), and also in a sense of meaning that resulted from networking activities. Conclusions:We conclude that, in addition to social exchange motives, the data suggest that symbolic aspects of communication and interaction play an important role in considerations for participation in learning networks. This may be described in terms of four ‘types’ of networking teachers: theCommunity focused networking teacher,theLocally focused networking teacher,theNot-yet-networking teacher,and theNon-networking teacher.It is hoped that these exploratory findings could be helpful in supporting the development of learning networks for all teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Typically, the core-required undergraduate business statistics course covers a broad spectrum of topics with applications pertaining to all functional areas of business. The recently updated American Statistical Association's GAISE (Guidelines for Assessment and Instruction in Statistics Education) College Report once again stresses the pedagogical importance of topic and application relevancy in an increasingly data-centered world. To this end, only two introductory textbooks have incorporated some financial investment measures (Sharpe ratio and beta coefficient) in the teaching of numerical descriptive measures and simple linear regression analysis, respectively, while a few others include them as real-data application exercises at the end of their respective chapters. Although this latter coverage is in compliance with GAISE College Report recommendations on the importance of using relevant real data applications in the teaching of introductory business statistics, it forgoes an opportunity to provide more detailed discussion within the text itself and add value to a business student's learning. Given that all business students will have an opportunity to learn about financial investment, regardless of their functional area major, this paper offers a more proactive use of these and other financial investment measures as part of the current, traditional course or as part of a suggested dedicated introductory business statistics course for finance majors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundNetworks play an important role in today’s societies. As a consequence, changes are apparent in the political, economic, cultural, educational and social agendas. PurposeThe main goal of this article is to map the situation of school networks in Spain. The research questions are focused on what forms collaboration and networking take in the Spanish education system; how policy and practice are providing a framework for the development of networks; and what the main barriers to fostering school-to-school collaboration in this context are. MethodsA mix of case studies and documentary analysis was used. Two regions located in the Southwest (Extremadura and the Canary Islands) were selected to examine their legislation about networks in education. The following aspects were considered: aims and aspirations, areas of interest, organisational structure, benefits and incentives, network project and evaluation and improvement proposals. In this way, Spain is presented as an example of a country that is exploring the possibilities offered by networks. Findings and conclusionsThere is no common state policy to support networking between schools. Rather, every local educational authority acts with different purposes and a variable extent of development. This particular situation offers a diverse map of education networks. The case studies show that networks are being developed bottom-up, through topics of interest, such as library, ecology, health-promotion, equality, emotional intelligence, educational research, enterprise and physical education. The paper concludes by reflecting on and discussing the current landscape of educational networks. Some barriers identified are related to: the networks’ structures that could be more inclusive, the loose culture of collaboration, the weak mechanisms to link social and professional capital provided by policy-makers, the importance of belief in the network society and community power by stakeholders and also to the necessity to increase incentives for people involved, in terms of working-time conditions and resources. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: Young females have been found to out-perform males in terms of grades and university degrees in many studies. At the same time, young women seem to exhibit lower levels of well-being compared with men. Interestingly, little work has evaluated the interplay between educational success and well-being. However, antecedents and consequences of educational success will likely affect life chances and further educational and occupational trajectories. Purpose: This paper contributes to this important, but as of yet, underdeveloped topic. The interplay between educational success – conceptualised as successful intergenerational educational mobility – and well-being is analysed as a dynamic, reciprocal and gendered process. Sample: Panel data from the Transition from Education to Employment Project (TREE) is used to study the gendered interplay between educational success and well-being. TREE focuses on post-compulsory educational and labour market pathways of the PISA 2000 cohort in Switzerland. It is based on a sample of 6343 young people who left compulsory schooling in 2000. Data were collected annually from 2001 to 2007. At the time of the first interview, the age range of the middle 50% of the youths was between 16.5 and 17.3 years. Design and methods:As previous research shows, episodes of educational mobility will not be evenly distributed over the observed period. Thus, an autoregressive cross-lagged mixture model framework is employed to account for the expected unequal distribution of the variables over time and the multilevel structure of the data. Within this framework, two modelling approaches are combined to test the implied reciprocal relationship between educational success and well-being. In the Latent Transition Analysis part of the model, success is measured as latent classes with fixed outcome categories. In the Autoregressive Structural Equation part of the model, well-being is specified to correlate over time. Models were estimated separately for males and females to allow for different error variances. Results:The models reveal that mechanisms of social comparison are gendered and operate differently at various stages of the observed period. Young females seem to be more likely to succeed and to experience positive effects in terms of well-being during successful episodes when compared to males. On the downside, females’ well-being seems to be more strongly affected by failure. Conclusions:This paper shows that well-being is a gendered personal resource during the transition to adulthood. These findings contribute to the literature on gender differences in educational success as they show how gender, as a social process, operates to create different success and well-being outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: The paper plots some shifts in educational policy between 1988 and 2009 in England that launched the rhetoric of a ‘gender gap’ as a key political and social concern. The rhetoric was fuelled by a rise in the importance of quantification in technologies of accountability and global comparisons of achievement. A focus on boys and attainment emerged, along with new requirements for measuring educational achievement in the context of debates about standards and the growing marketisation of education following the 1988 Educational Reform Act (ERA) in England and Wales. Purpose: Theoretically, the paper explores the effect of ‘gender gap’ rhetoric on pedagogy. The arguments about pedagogy presented here are based on the premise that sex-group is different from gender. Sex-group is a form of labelling and categorising persons as either male or female with reference to a biological classification that focuses on genitalia and reproductive organs. The emergence of ‘gender gap’ rhetoric is investigated within a temporal perspective, through an overview of guidance to teachers about pedagogy published between 1932 and 2007. This temporal lens becomes a heuristic for presenting the main point of the paper, which is that technologies of measurement construct reified representations of the learner. This is used to demonstrate how gender, as a sociocultural and political phenomenon, morphed into sex-group, a biological categorisation, and how this has had unintended effects of pedagogy. Sources of evidence: Analysis of three landmark educational documents focuses on changes in representations of society, the learner and pedagogy. The documents are the Hadow Report (1931), the Plowden Report (1967) and a guidance document for teachers called ‘Confident, Capable and Creative: supporting boys’ achievements’ (Department for Children, Schools and Families 2007,http://www.foundationyears.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Confident_Capable_Boys.pdf). Main argument:Analysis demonstrates the way that technologies of measurement construct reified or ‘ideal’ representations of the learner and how technologies used for measuring sex-group difference have changed across time. Shifts in representations of the learner, from the ‘bone child’ to the ‘gene child’ and eventually to the ‘masculine child’ were detected. These shifts represent a gradual decline in the emphasis on pedagogy as nurture, towards a heightened focus on the supposedly innate characteristics of individuals, in line with neoliberalism. Conclusions:The discussion points to some of the unintended effects on pedagogy and practice that take place when gender becomes sex. If teachers are constantly presented with the message that boys and girls learn differently due to innate genetic make-up, they may assume that whatever pedagogic strategies they employ, these will be ineffective in the face of what some educational consultants tell them are boys’ and girls’ innate genetic features. In effect, teachers are being told that biology controls learning and that social and cultural contexts, and thus their own classroom environments, cannot counter the forces of nature. Some methodological implications of studying gender as opposed to sex-group are discussed. The conclusion advocates a shift back to the study of gender as a historical, sociocultural phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]