Metatheory for Second Language Teaching

Outline (1) Theories in applied linguistics: SLA not SLT (2) Concepts for an explanatory theory of SLT – 2.1. Explanatory theories – 2.2. Multiple causality and oPen systems – 2.3 Aclivc agents intcracting – 2.4 Lcvels of thmry –– (3) Gencrative mcchanisms relating SL learning and teaching – 3.1 Thc tcachcr-lcarncr system –– (4) Elemcnts of a systematic theory of SLT – 4.1 Good systcmatics is that which rcflects cxplanatory theory – 4.2 Elements of a thtx.rry of SLT bascd on SLA – 4.3 Elcmcrrts of a theory of SLT not basc'd on SLA: Teaching leamcrs as opPoscd to teaching a leamer –– (5) lndividual theories of SLT and a scientific theory of SLT –– (6) Summar

Modelling the Developing Mind: From Structure to Change

This paper presents a theory of cognitive change. The theory assumes that the fundamental causes of cognitive change reside in the architecture of mind. Thus, the architecture of mind as specified by the theory is described first. It is assumed that the mind is a three-level universe involving (1) a processing system that constrains processing potentials, (2) a set of specialized capacity systems that guide understanding of different reality and knowledge domains, and (3) a hypecognitive system that monitors and controls the functioning of all other systems. The paper then specifies the types of change that may occur in cognitive development (changes within the levels of mind, changes in the relations between structures across levels, changes in the efficiency of a structure) and a series of general (e.g., metarepresentation) and more specific mechanisms (e.g., bridging, interweaving, and fusion) that bring the changes about. It is argued that different types of change require different mechanisms. Finally, a general model of the nature of cognitive development is offered. The relations between the theory proposed in the paper and other theories and research in cognitive development and cognitive neuroscience is discussed throughout the paper

Actor-relational planning in deprived areas : challenges and opportunities in luchtbal Antwerpen, Belgium

In this article we report and discuss our experience with actor relational approaches in the regeneration of a post war housing estate in Luchtbal, Antwerp, Belgium. Actor relational approaches are informed by post-structuralist ideas of space, complexity theory and actor network theory. Although ARA itself is not new, the application of ARA to deprived area’s such as Luchtbal is novel. We report how the approach has been elaborated, its process and outcome. We conclude with our evaluation from an insider’s perspective

Scholarly Commentaries on Hirschheim’s “Against Theory”

This paper presents seven scholarly commentaries on Hirschheim’s “Against Theory” essay published in this issue of the Journal of the Association for Information Systems. Each commentary is written by a renowned IS researcher. Following the individual commentaries is Hirschheim’s response to the commentaries. Each commentary provides an insightful exegesis on theory in its own right and, collectively, the commentaries and response provide thought-provoking reflections for researchers in IS and beyond

Causal Responsibility and Counterfactuals.

How do people attribute responsibility in situations where the contributions of multiple agents combine to produce a joint outcome? The prevalence of over-determination in such cases makes this a difficult problem for counterfactual theories of causal responsibility. In this article, we explore a general framework for assigning responsibility in multiple agent contexts. We draw on the structural model account of actual causation (e.g., Halpern & Pearl, 2005) and its extension to responsibility judgments (Chockler & Halpern, 2004). We review the main theoretical and empirical issues that arise from this literature and propose a novel model of intuitive judgments of responsibility. This model is a function of both pivotality (whether an agent made a difference to the outcome) and criticality (how important the agent is perceived to be for the outcome, before any actions are taken). The model explains empirical results from previous studies and is supported by a new experiment that manipulates both pivotality and criticality. We also discuss possible extensions of this model to deal with a broader range of causal situations. Overall, our approach emphasizes the close interrelations between causality, counterfactuals, and responsibility attributions

The Implications of Merleau-Ponty for the Human Sciences

The Implications of Merleau-Ponty for the Human Sciences Ryan Marcotte Cobb Faculty Sponsor: Galen Johnson, Philosophy The American Anthropology Association (AAA) made headlines in November 2010 due to a controversial change in their \u27Long-Range Plan.\u27 The revised AAA mission statement omits all mention of the word \u27science\u27 and this omission has sparked a fierce debate within the anthropology community. The debate reveals that the study of social phenomena can be approached from two competing points of view – a scientific and a non-scientific perspective. This project is concerned with the historical and intellectual developments that led to this competition between science and other forms of knowing within the domain of social inquiry. Furthermore, I argue that the AAA was correct in supporting alternative knowledge systems; in particular, phenomenological philosophy has much to offer social inquiry. I support Edmund Husserl’s claim that the sciences have undergone a radical transformation since their inception in Ancient Greek thought, which conceived of both science and philosophy as two manifestations of the same theoretical attitude. After the technization of science during the late Renaissance, science and philosophy grew distant and the methods and common assumptions of scientific practice were conceived of as an exclusive source of knowledge generation. This scientific rationality reached its peak of popularity during the positivist movement of the early 20th century in both natural scienceand linguistics. The positivist rationality, however, that all intelligible aspects of existence can be clarified through the application of a particular empirical method, will not suffice to answer the questions that mankind finds most burning – questions of the meaningfulness of human existence and relations. An examination of positivist social science methods reveals its inability to explain social phenomena that are familiar to us in our everyday experiences. In particular, positivist social science cannot take into account the meaning of human behavior and social relations since meaning is a conceptual instead of an empirical problem. In light of the difficulties within positivist social science, philosophers like Peter Winch argue that, as a conceptual problem, social phenomena can be clarified by philosophical analysis. Not every philosophy, however, is able to clarify social relations; only a philosophy that accounts for intersubjectivity can explain meaningful behavior. The phenomenology of Merleau-Ponty is the philosophy best suited for social inquiry because it takes intersubjectivity as its starting point. The later works of Merleau-Ponty call for a new philosophy of science and a new metaphysics to inform our understanding of social phenomena. If any meaningful knowledge of the social world is possible, Merleau-Ponty gives us the concepts through which we must speak of it. The social world is a shared world of overlapping existential situations and social structures. No matter how much our situation might bind us, however, Merleau-Ponty explicates the phenomenological notion of freedom that allows us to transcend the given situation and alter the social reality in which we live. My honors project is a study of key texts by Edmund Husserl and Maurice Merleau-Ponty regarding the significance of phenomenology as a philosophy of science, particularly as a philosophy of the human sciences

Hermann von Helmholtz's empirico-transcendentalism reconsidered: construction and constitution in Helmholtz's psychology of the object

This paper aims at contributing to the ongoing efforts to get a firmer grasp of the systematic significance of the entanglement of idealism and empiricism in Helmholtz's work. Contrary to existing analyses, however, the focal point of the present exposition is Helmholtz's attempt to articulate a psychological account of objectification. Helmholtz's motive, as well as his solution to the problem of the object are outlined, and interpreted against the background of his scientific practice on the one hand, and that of empiricist and (transcendental) idealist analyses of experience on the other. The specifically psychological angle taken, not only prompts us to consider figures who have hitherto been treated as having only minor import for Helmholtz interpretation (most importantly J.S. Mill and J.G. Fichte), it furthermore sheds new light on some central tenets of the latter's psychological stance that have hitherto remained underappreciated. For one thing, this analysis reveals an explicit voluntarist tendency in Helmholtz's psychological theory. In conclusion, it is argued that the systematic significance of Helmholtz's empirico-transcendentalism with respect to questions of the mind is best understood as an attempt to found his empirical theory of perception in a second order, normative account of epistemic subjectivity

Research and Practice in History Education in England : A Perspective from London

This paper reflects on the current state of history education research and practice in England by exploring the aims that history education serves in theory and in practice and by sketching recent trends in English history education research and scholarship. Aims are explored through reflection on the ways in which they have been discussed in English history education literature and through an analysis of recent English curriculum documents. The paper goes on to explore teachers’ ideas about aims, as revealed in recent curriculum contestation, and teacher and student thinking about aims, as revealed in aspects of two published studies – on student teacher’s thinking about what history education is for and school students’ understandings of the value of learning history. Changes in history education research and theory are explored by comparing three editions of an influential book, written for teachers and teacher educators. These editions span the period between 2000 and the present and analysis of the focus on the chapters in the editions enables change and continuity in research and theorizing during this period to be considered. The paper ends by identifying possible future agendas for English history education research and theorizing

Inductive Empiricism, Theory Specialization and Scientific Idealization in IS Theory Building

This paper distinguishes and discusses three strategies for theory building in Information Systems (IS) - inductive empiricism, theory specialization and scientific idealization - and contrasts them in terms of three desiderata of theories - realism, generality and precision - and tradeoffs between them. Inductive empiricism, emphasizing realism and generality, represents the received view with the classic Grounded Theory Methodology as a prime example. The paper argues for openness to theory specialization in practical disciplines such as IS. Theory specialization implies sacrificing generality of theories for their realism and precision. The distinctive attention of the paper lies in scientific idealization, sacrificing realism of theories for their precision and generality. It has been almost completely omitted in in the literature on IS theory building. The special focus of the paper lies in IT applications as a category of IT artifacts and in design-oriented theories which provide knowledge of how to design “better” IT applications. The paper illustrates its points using TAM/UTAUT research as an example

The Work of Communication

The Work of Communication: Relational Perspectives on Working and Organizing in Contemporary Capitalism revolves around a two-part question: "What have work and organization become under contemporary capitalism—and how should organization studies approach them?" Changes in the texture of capitalism, heralded by social and organizational theorists alike, increasingly focus attention on communication as both vital to the conduct of work and as imperative to organizational performance. Yet most accounts of communication in organization studies fail to understand an alternate sense of the "work of communication" in the constitution of organizations, work practices, and economies. This book responds to that lack by portraying communicative practices—as opposed to individuals, interests, technologies, structures, organizations, or institutions—as the focal units of analysis in studies of the social and organizational problems occasioned by contemporary capitalism. Rather than suggesting that there exists a canonically "correct" route communicative analyses must follow, The Work of Communication: Relational Perspectives on Working and Organizing in Contemporary Capitalism explores the value of transcending longstanding divides between symbolic and material factors in studies of working and organizing. The recognition of dramatic shifts in technological, economic, and political forces, along with deep interconnections among the myriad of factors shaping working and organizing, sows doubts about whether organization studies is up to the vital task of addressing the social problems capitalism now creates. Kuhn, Ashcraft, and Cooren argue that novel insights into those social problems are possible if we tell different stories about working and organizing. To aid authors of those stories, they develop a set of conceptual resources that they capture under the mantle of communicative relationality. These resources allow analysts to profit from burgeoning interest in notions such as sociomateriality, posthumanism, performativity, and affect. It goes on to illustrate the benefits that investigations of work and organization can realize from communicative relationality by presenting case studies that analyze (a) the becoming of an idea, from its inception to solidification, (b) the emergence of what is taken to be the "the product" in high-tech startup entrepreneurship, and (c) the branding of work (in this case, academic writing and commercial aviation) through affective economies. Taken together, the book portrays "the work of communication" as simultaneously about how work in the "new economy" revolves around communicative practice and about how communication serves as a mode of explanation with the potential to cultivate novel stories about working and organizing. Aimed at academics, researchers, and policy makers, this book’s goal is to make tangible the contributions of communication for thinking about contemporary social and organizational problems