The educational effectiveness of bilingual education

Bilingual education is the use of the native tongue to instruct limited Englishspeaking children. The authors read studies of bilingual education from the earliest period of this literature to the most recent. Of the 300 program evaluations read, only 72 (25%) were methodologically acceptable - that is, they had a treatment and control group and a statistical control for pre-treatment differences where groups were not randomly assigned. Virtually all of the studies in the United States were of elementary or junior high school students and Spanish speakers; The few studies conducted outside the United States were almost all in Canada. The research evidence indicates that, on standardized achievement tests, transitional bilingual education (TBE) is better than regular classroom instruction in only 22% of the methodologically acceptable studies when the outcome is reading, 7% of the studies when the outcome is language, and 9% of the studies when the outcome is math. TBE is never better than structured immersion, a special program for limited English proficient children where the children are in a self-contained classroom composed solely of English learners, but the instruction is in English at a pace they can understand. Thus, the research evidence does not support transitional bilingual education as a superior form of instruction for limited English proficient children

Working Memory Deficits and Emotion Dysregulation in Youth with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Understanding Relationships and Treatment Implications

Evidence suggests that working memory (WM) impairment is a primary deficit in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), underlying core symptoms of the disorder and associated impairments. However, the relationship between deficits in different WM components and emotional problems specifically in ADHD has not yet been studied. Knowledge of the cognitive substrates contributing to emotional deficits in ADHD could inform efforts toward refining cognitive remediation as a treatment for emotion dysregulation in this population. The first aim of this study (Aim 1) investigated whether WM deficits, as a global construct, were related to and mediated the relationship between ADHD and emotion dysregulation. The first sub-aim (Aim 1A) examined whether different components of WM, as defined by the traditional Baddeley Model (i.e., phonological loop, visuospatial sketchpad, central executive), were related to and differentially mediated emotion regulation deficits in ADHD. The second sub-aim (Aim 1B) examined whether WM constructs mediated the relationship of ADHD symptoms severity with degree of emotion dysregulation, after examining mediating effects of, and adjusting for, other factors related to emotional functioning. Other factors included inattention (relative to total ADHD symptoms), hyperactivity/impulsivity (relative to total ADHD symptoms), comorbid ODD symptoms, negative parenting behaviors, parental stress, and social skills deficits. Given a possible relationship between WM deficits and emotion dysregulation, Aim 2 investigated whether improvement in WM skills following cognitive remediation was related to improvement in emotion regulation ability. Participants were youth with ADHD (ages 7 - 11 years) who were recruited for a larger treatment study investigating the augmentative and complementary effects of combined WM training and behavioral parent training. At a baseline visit, objective neuropsychological data measuring Baddeley components of WM ability and parent-ratings of emotion dysregulation, ADHD symptoms, comorbid ODD symptoms, parenting behaviors, and parental stress were collected (Aim 1). Teacher ratings of ADHD symptoms, ODD symptoms, and social skills were also collected at baseline. For Aim 2, participants were randomly assigned to an active or low-level, non-scaffolded ( placebo ) condition of WM training. Upon the completion of WM training, WM deficits and parent-rated emotion dysregulation were again measured. Aim 1 and sub-aims results: Deficits in WM, as a composite measure, were not associated with emotion dysregulation in this sample and, therefore, not included in the mediation model. With regard to the Baddeley components of WM, a deficit in the phonological loop was associated with parent-rated emotion dysregulation in ADHD (but not visuospatial sketchpad and central executive deficits). As such, the phonological loop factor was included in the mediation model. Lastly, a phonological loop deficit, comorbid ODD symptom severity, negative parenting behaviors (e.g., inconsistent use of discipline), parental stress, and social skills deficits together mediated the relationship between ADHD and emotion dysregulation. However, no variables contributed to the mediation above and beyond comorbid ODD symptom severity. Aim 2 Results: Improvement in overall WM functioning was significantly associated with better emotion regulation from pre-to-post WM training in the active group relative to the placebo group. Results suggest that many factors, including a deficit in the phonological loop, contribute to emotional impairment in youth with ADHD, the strongest being severity of comorbid ODD symptoms. Results also suggest that, while comorbid ODD may contribute most strongly to emotion dysregulation in this study, improvements in total WM ability after cognitive remediation were nonetheless associated with improvement in emotion regulation skills. Taken together, cognitive remediation may have effects on emotional functioning in youth with ADHD; developing a more precise understanding of the neurocognitive substrates underlying emotional deficits in ADHD could thus inform treatment strategies

Managerial tacit knowledge transfer and the mediating role of leader-member-exchange and cognitive style

The ability of an organisation to transfer knowledge is one of the key sources of competitive advantage for many of today’s organisations (Argote, 2000). New knowledge is created through interactions between explicit and tacit knowledge (Nonaka and Takeuchi, 1995). From the distinction between explicit and tacit knowledge made by Polanyi’s (1966), it is clear that the former can be transferred with relative ease, particularly using recent advances in information technology. Transfer of tacit knowledge on the other hand, requires social interactions with peers, colleagues, mentors and supervisor (Lahti et al, 2002; Cavusgil et al, 2003). Difficulties associated with this have been referred to as ‘internal stickiness’ (Szulanski, 1996) and is believed to be due to several factors. This study examines difficulties associated with the transfer of managerial tacit knowledge in the relationships involving supervisor and subordinates who work as managers in the Malaysian public sector. After examining previous literature in the field it is hypothesised that the stickiness of knowledge transfer may be associated with the quality of leader member exchange relationships, especially between leaders and their ‘in-group’ versus ‘out-group’ members. For example, in-group relationships are associated with higher levels of trust, respect and obligation compared with out-group relations. Another construct known to be associated with the quality of dyadic relationships is cognitive style (Armstrong, 1999). Cognitive style refers to individual differences in ways of perceiving, organising and processing information and differences in ways in which individuals solve problems, take decisions and relate to others. The research employed a quantitative approach using survey methods. Instruments used in the study included a measure of knowledge transfer stickiness (Szulanski, 1996), Leader Member Exchange (LMX7) (Graen and Uhl-Bien, 1995), Tacit Knowledge Inventory for Managers (TKIM) (Wagner and Sternberg, 1989) and the Cognitive Style Index (CSI) (Allinson and Hayes, 1996). The survey was administered to 1200 managers in the Malaysian Public Sector and 344 completed surveys were returned representing a response rate of 28.7%. Results from a final sample size of 300 managers comprising supervisors and their immediate subordinates are reported. The study successfully determined the relationship between knowledge transfer stickiness, LMX, cognitive style and managerial tacit knowledge. As expected, high-quality LMX leads to higher quality exchanges and concomitant improvements in the transfer of managerial tacit knowledge. Moreover, as hypothesised, individual differences and similarities in cognitive style also influence the transfer of tacit knowledge between supervisor and subordinate. Practical implications are given and recommendation made for future research

Perceptions of high school principals on instructional leadership and implications for practice and professional development

The purpose of this study was: (a) to determine how Iowa high school principals perceive their instructional leadership practice as defined by ISSL/ISLLC Standard 2 and the knowledge, dispositions, and performance descriptors; (b) to determine which Standard 2 indicators are most essential for the high school principal\u27s instructional leadership practice; (c) to determine if the practices of high school principals as instructional leaders align with the identified essential indicators of Standard 2; (d) to define and describe how Iowa high school principals define instructional leadership; (e) to determine if demographics impact the instructional leadership practices of Iowa\u27s high school principals; (f) to determine what sources of professional development are most helpful for actual instructional leadership practice; and (g) to determine what professional development needs principals have in relationship to the ISSL/ISLLC Standards. The framework for this study was Standard 2 of the ISSL/ISLLC Standards. The ISSL/ISLLC Standards are the new standards for licensure and re-licensure of Iowa school principals. This study included both qualitative and quantitative research methods. Surveys were sent to 365 Iowa high school principals and as part of the survey, principals were asked to nominate peers they considered exemplary instructional leaders. Six nominated principals were personally interviewed at their school sites. The major finding of the study was the congruence between the high school principals\u27 perceptions of their instructional leadership proficiencies and those descriptors of instructional leadership deemed most essential for instructional leadership. In addition, the interviews not only yielded similar information as the surveys, but also added richness to the description of instructional leadership practices in Iowa high schools. Findings from the study will be usable for principals, preparation institutions, professional development organizations, and the Department of Education. An understanding of ISSL/ISLLC Standard 2 and the essential knowledge, dispositions, and knowledge descriptors is imperative for the development and support of principals who can lead and manage an educational program focused on teaching and learning

Visualizing Words and Knowledge: Arts of Memory from the Agora to the Computer

This dissertation examines rhetoric\u27s fourth canon--the art of memory--tracing its development through the classical, medieval, and early modern periods. It argues that for most of its history, the fourth canon was an art by which words and knowledge were remediated into visual, spatial forms, either in the mind or on the page. And it was this technique of visualization, I argue, that linked the canons of memory and invention throughout history. In contemporary rhetorical theory, however, memory palaces and mnemonic imagery have been replaced with a conception of memory grounded in psychology and critique. I argue that this move away from memory as an artificial practice has obscured the classical art\u27s visual precepts, consequently severing the ancient link between memory and invention. I suggest that contemporary rhetorical theorists should return to visualization to revitalize the fourth canon in the twenty-first century. Today, digital tools that visualize words and knowledge are ubiquitous. Framing data visualization as a twenty-first century analogue to the art of memory allows us to think about visualization as a tool for invention rather than as a reified representation of data. As creative remediations, memory palaces once allowed rhetoricians to interface with knowledge in an adaptable way and to imagine how knowledge might be assembled together in a new discourse. Thinking about data visualization as a memory palace thus enables us to think not only about representing data but about the new ways we might interface with it in order to generate insight. Data visualization becomes an art to facilitate invention, as the classical art of memory was designed to do

Environmental Dynamics in Animal Waste Reclamation in the Scaling up of Livestock in Thailand

Thailand has seen a scaling up of pig production in numbers and structure. Nonetheless, in-house separation and agricultural reclamation of pig solid waste are common practice. Waste reclamation is not taking place under small-scale farming and its environmental dynamics cannot be simply understood as a direct projection to larger scales. Scaling up has transformed the environmental significance of waste reclamation, including waste transfer from livestock to agriculture farmers. Waste transfer benefits pig farmers by trade and removal of waste by agriculture and aquaculture farmers and is key to the environmental dynamics of pig production. However, waste reclamation is not clearly defined as a management option in environmental frameworks. Waste management is mainly addressed as in-farm wastewater with limited attention to agro-environmental values of present practices. To recognise present practices in agro-environmental policies this thesis suggests a descriptive strategy focused on the transfer of waste. Such strategy would avoid command-and-control norms, avoid conflicting with an environmental culture centered in biogas technology and support knowledge transfer in agriculture. A focus on waste transfer from animal farms to agriculture [and aquaculture] plots is interpreted as off-site waste management. Off-site waste management calls for the inclusion of geographical variables beyond animal farms. This leads to an extended area of environmental influence (EAEI). Resulting environmental dynamics allows an interpretation of environment beyond resource in classical agricultural geography to a connotation where environment is also significant to agriculture and livestock because of the impacts from production. The recognition of reclamation practices and, consequently, of the integral environmental dynamics, and hence the connotation of environment, would contribute to connect livestock with agriculture through environmental geography. Intensive livestock is then defined as distribution and not location. Formalisation of reclamation practices entails the acknowledgment of agro-ecological cycles in livestock

Navigating Airwaves and Waterways: An Ethnography of Mobile ICT Use on the Digital Ship

Commercial shipping is a vital part of Canadas economy, moving goods through an intricate network of waterways, lakes, rivers and ports. It is also an industry that is undergoing a remarkable transformation, as new (at least to the industry) digital technologies are taking hold in the wheelhouses and engine rooms of these freighters and tankers. Coupled with the emergence of the digital ship, sailors now have access to a broad array of mobile information and communication technologies, including cellphones, and satellite-based internet access. In light of this, this thesis considers the experiences of sailors who grapple with these changes, to explore how mobile ICTs challenge, complicate, enhance, and otherwise transform their lives. This thesis draws on ethnographic research conducted over a month-long, 4,000 nautical mile journey on an articulated tug and barge that transports liquid asphalt and other black oil products through the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway system. Drawing upon media studies, science and technology studies, and mobilities studies, I seek to understand the physical, representational, and virtual worlds of sailors as an assemblage of devices, people, movements, geographies and histories. To do so, three interconnected narratives emerge. The first is a story of connectivity, as sailors manage the home-work divide. The second story is about the sociotechnical power of mobile ICTs, as expertise and autonomy are being eroded by the use of digital devices. The third story is perhaps in response to mobile ICTs, a story about how, even with all of these digital and automation technologies now permeating the fabric of sailors everyday lives, they still, first and foremost, rely on their embodied knowledge to do their jobs. I argue that while the virtual and the representational worlds of the sailor are important, the physical world still holds sway

Using Video in a Collaborative Teacher Team Within a Special Education School: A Case Study

This dissertation focused on studying ways in which a mandated professional development policy influenced teachers’ professional learning within a special education school and within a single collaborative teacher team. The study explored Advance, the teacher evaluation system introduced by the NYCDOE to support teaching and learning. An emphasis of the research was utilizing video as a professional learning tool to gather specific evidence in conjunction with the Danielson Framework for Teaching to support teachers of students with disabilities. The primary methodology driving the study was case study; however, ethnography and action research were used for data collection analysis. Video proved to be useful in supporting teachers learning as it provided the “professional vision” which allowed teachers to “notice and interpret significant events” that took place in one teacher’s classroom. This study makes it clear that the framework is, indeed, not a one-size-fits-all tool to guide the evaluation process and professional development of teachers. However, the framework can be used to inform classroom practices and provide teaching and learning language to guide feedback even within special education classrooms. The possible examples provided under the current evaluative mechanism does not provide relevant supports for classrooms with students with disabilities (SWD). This study points to the knowledge gaps amongst school leaders who work with teachers of students with disabilities and who apply the framework. Among the key claims that this study makes about video as a professional learning tool are that it presents opportunities to (1) facilitate discourse in a collaborative team, (2) identify problems of practice, (3) define possible examples specific to special education classrooms, and (4) provide the teachers a lens through which to see their own practices

Investigation of attitudes and classroom practices of educators and learners in relation to English as the medium of instruction at four primary schools in Rwanda

THESIS Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Applied English Language Studies, Faculty of Humanities, School of Education, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South AfricaThis study was conducted in the context of the 2009 language in education policy in Rwanda. It has a three-fold focus. Firstly, it investigates the attitudes of educators and learners towards English as medium of instruction (MoI) in four Grade Six primary schools in Rwanda. Secondly, it explores challenges posed by using a foreign instructional language in the classroom, and finally it investigates the strategies undertaken to address the identified challenges. The data was collected and analysed using the mixed method approach, and the study utilised triangulation as a research design. Data collection was done by means of questionnaires, audio-recordings, and observations of lessons and interviews. A total of 185 learners, 24 teachers, four principals, and two deputy principals participated in the study. The findings revealed that educators and learners have positive attitudes towards English as MoI underpinned by integrative and instrumental motivation. The role of government propaganda for English and the participants’ beliefs in investment in a foreign language were the main motivators. However, it was found that unreserved enthusiasm for English is not enough to make it the effective instructional language in Rwanda. This was evident in the challenges posed by the fact that English is simultaneously being learnt and being used as MoI. The study revealed many challenges in comprehension, speaking, reading, writing, and language structure. Using Vygotsky’s (1978) sociocultural theory as a theoretical framework, it was found that insufficient expertise in English inhibits the types of classroom interactions that are key to learning. Finally, the study identified different strategies used for learning in English in the four primary schools of Rwanda. The main strategy was switching between English, the instructional language, and Kinyarwanda, the participants’ mother tongue (MT). It was found that the use of Kinyarwanda plays an important meditational role for content learning and knowledge building. The study concludes by providing a number of recommendations that could be useful to Rwandan education stakeholders regarding what is happening in the English medium classrooms. The study positions itself among many others of the same nature and finds its value in sensitising the policy planners on the implications of learning a language while using it as the MoI

Mechanisms Underlying Oxidative Stress-Induced Chromatin Association Of Cockayne Syndrome Protein B (csb)

Cockayne syndrome is a devastating premature aging disorder characterized by extreme sun sensitivity and severe neurological and developmental defects. The majority of Cockayne syndrome cases are due to mutations within the ATP-dependent chromatin remodeler Cockayne syndrome protein B (CSB). CSB functions in transcription regulation and is required for transcription-coupled nucleotide excision repair (TC-NER). Importantly, CSB is also critical for the relief of oxidative stress. Studies suggest CSB may participate in the major repair pathway for oxidative DNA damage repair, base excision repair (BER), yet direct evidence supporting this hypothesis remains elusive and exactly how CSB functions in this process is unknown. CSB is also suggested to function in the relief of oxidative stress by regulating transcription. We demonstrated CSB’s interaction with chromatin is stabilized by oxidative stress and the goal of this work is to understand the role of CSB in the relief of oxidative stress by characterizing the mechanisms underlying CSB’s oxidative stress-induced chromatin interaction. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by deep sequencing (ChIP-seq) we characterized for the first time CSB’s genome-wide occupancy following oxidative stress. This revealed CSB is enriched at the binding motif for the CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF), and further analysis demonstrated CSB and CTCF directly interact and regulate each other’s targeting to specific genomic loci in response to oxidative stress. This, in addition to an increase in CSB’s occupancy at promoters, suggests CSB and CTCF may cooperate in regulating transcription in response to oxidative stress, perhaps by mediating long-range chromatin interactions. Analysis of CSB mutant constructs revealed CSB’s oxidative stress-induced chromatin association occurs by a mechanism distinct from that of its interaction upon UV irradiation, where it is required for TC-NER, in that it does not require CSB’s ATP hydrolysis activity and is mediated by it’s ATPase and C-terminal domains. While the BER proteins OGG1 and APE1 did not impact CSB-chromatin association upon oxidative stress, another DNA repair protein, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1) significantly enhances CSB’s interaction with chromatin in both a global and locus-specific manner. Together this work suggests CSB, CTCF, and PARP1 cooperate in the relief of oxidative stress by regulating transcription and facilitating DNA repair