Sex differences in mathematical performance : what do we know about them?

It is generally accepted that mathematics is one academic field where male superiority of achievement is well-established. Far fewer women than men go into careers as mathematicians and those who do, generally do not reach equal employment status with men. Such facts seem to be the culmination of sex differences in mathematical performance which begin to appear around the age of 12 to 15. Up till then, the mathematical performance of boys and girls seems to be fairly equal at any of the three cognitive levels of computation, knowledge of concepts and problem-solving ability on which mathematical achievement is most common:y gauged. The change in performance at the secondary level of schooling tends to be in favour of males who are seen to perform better than females particularly on tasks involving visual spatialisation ability and mathematical reasoning. The girls' discontinuity of performance, even when they have had an identical learning background, has prompted researchers to investigate possible explanations for a phenomenon which Walden and Walkerdine (1982) stress should not be confused with an "overall failure."peer-reviewe

An approach to picture compositions

Most language teachers would agree that teaching composition, the "putting together ... of a sequence of connected sentences" (Byrne, 1978) is a long and often intricate process involving the use of a progression of techniques ranging fr:om very controlled exercises to "free compositions". Along this continuum of methods one finds a major technique which Sarkar (1978) describes as unsurpassed as a stimulus to creative expression": the use of the Picture Composition.peer-reviewe

Quality Evaluation of Early Childhood Education Programmes

In 1989 the New Zealand Council for Educational Research organised a seminar on Assessment in Early Childhood Education. This was one of the first times that the topic of assessment and evaluation received formal airing by the early childhood community. Until then, the generally accepted wisdom had been that assessment in early childhood education was inappropriate because of the very young age of the children who use this service and the great variability in developmental progress at this age. The 1990s saw a decided increase in interest in assessment and evaluation. Curricular change, and with it, assessment and evaluation, became part of the national policy agenda for all parts of the educational sector

"How Is My Child Doing?": Selected Case Studies of How Childcare Centres Meet the DoPs Requirement to Discuss Children's Progress with Parents

The 1989 New Zealand educational reforms heralded major changes in all sectors of education. These changes included the introduction of a charter, which is essentially a contract, between the Crown and each individual education service. The Early Childhood Charter Guidelines: A Statement of Desirable Objectives and Practices, promulgated by the Minister of Education in December 1990, became the basis for the contract document required of early childhood centres which sought to become chartered centres in receipt of government finding. The Early Childhood Charter Guidelines, commonly referred to as the `DoPs', include over 60 requirements and objectives which early childhood services must meet as part of their contractual obligations (Meade and Dalli, 1991). Included in these is a requirement that centre personnel make provision at all times 'for parents and families to discuss their child's progress and be informed about their child's daily programme' (Ministry of Education 1990, p.3). The meaning and intent of the above requirement was investigated in a study carried out in the second half of 1994 in which government agency, parent, and centre personnel understanding of the requirement was investigated. The study was carried out as part of the requirements of the Master of Education programme in which the first author was enrolled. This paper focuses on data from interviews with parents and teachers which show how teachers in eleven childcare centres translated the requirement into manageable systems within their centres. The paper also illuminates the practices that developed in the centres from these systems and the extent to which the requirement became a tool for the development of parent-teacher partnerships in the education and care of children

Editorial

Editorial for special issue of EECERJ from members of the Special Interest Group on Professionalism in Early Childhood Education and Care

Professionnalisation du système d’accueil et d’éducation

Le plan stratégique décennal pour l’éducation de la petite enfance initié en 2002 en Nouvelle-Zélande a suscité l’intérêt international parce qu’il visait notamment à constituer d’ici à 2012 des équipes de professionnels de l’éducation spécialisés dans la petite enfance. Cette politique de professionnalisation a commencé dans les années soixante-dix, en se donnant comme principes la qualité, l’équité et le respect de la diversité. Cet article reprend les étapes les plus importantes de l’évolution de ce secteur vers une professionnalisation et commente les orientations politiques actuelles.New Zealand’s ten-year strategic plan for early childhood education introduced in 2002 has attracted international interest particularly because of its aim to achieve a fully qualified childhood workforce in teacher-led services by 2012. The professionalisation agenda has a history stretching back to the 1970s in which quality, equity and respect for diversity have been driving forces. This paper reviews important milestones in the sector’s journey towards professionalism including commentary on current policy directions.El plan estratégico decenal para la educación de la pequeña infancia, iniciado en 2002 en Nueva Zelanda, suscitó el interés internacional, ya que pretendía concretamente constituir, con un horizonte fijado en el año 2012, equipos de profesionales de la educación, especializados en la pequeña infancia. Esta política de profesionalización empezó durante los años setenta, atribuyéndose como principios la calidad, la igualdad y el respeto de la diversidad. Este artículo retoma las etapas más importantes de la evolución de dicho sector hacia una profesionalización, y del mismo modo, comenta las orientaciones políticas actuales

Editorial: Reviewing the educational landscape of 2010

Reviewing the educational landscape of 201

Editorial: The educational landscape in 2011-2012

Editorial for issue 21