Book Review: Teaching With Integrity, the Ethics of Higher Education Practice

Teaching With Integrity,the Ethics of Higher Education Practice by Bruce Macfarlane. London: Routledge Falmer, 2003. ISBN 0­415­33509­4. 192 pp. £22.50 Do not be put off by the thought of ethics being abstract, ethereal or deeply intel- lectual. This is a practical, useful book which I expect to inform many courses for new teaching staff. The issues it raises are, however, equally pertinent to experi- enced academics, and I am sure that many colleagues will enjoy engaging with the ethical dilemmas posed. The book is built around a number of fictional case studies in which a variety of academics run into a series of realistic, everyday troubles. The author does not attempt to solve these dilemmas himself, but reports back on the collected wisdom of 24 experienced HE practitioners who were asked for their thoughts and solutions. The book then goes on to try and identify the key desirable character- istics or 'virtues' of an ethically-sound practising academic. The author is able to demonstrate a genuine understanding and empathy for'front-line' academics. It is noticeable that the case studies all reflect work situations in which staff are hard- pressed, overly-busy and harassed. They certainly could not be used to attract people into the profession! Part one of the book (The Professional and Ethical Context) is masterly. The author provides a well-written, clear and terse overview of the state of UK higher education today, drawing upon his experience to explain why things are the way they are. He then goes on to describe what he calls the 'pedagogical gap' between the professional competency approach to academic development and the ethical complexities of teaching and managing students. It is this issue which is really the thrust of the book; how we really do not do enough (anything?) to equip academics to make good choices in relation to their ethical responsibilities. The case studies themselves form part two and are split into four sections, each relating to an area of the professional practice of an academic; teaching, assessing, evaluating and managing. In each case, a scenario unfolds in which a member of staff is faced with a number of dilemmas. The reader is invited to consider what the member of staff should do, and then the view of the experienced HE prac- titioner panel is recounted. If anything, this section is overly brief. Since this is the heart of the book I would have liked to see a few more scenarios, perhaps starting with some basic situations (ethics for beginners) and build to some more chal- lenging ones. Having said that, the brevity of this section makes it easier to navigate and will contribute to making the book more useable as a development manual. I commend this book to anyone with an interest in the professional develop- ment of academic staff and/or the ethics of the HE workplace. It is an interesting topic, made very accessible and I challenge anyone not to be drawn into the case studies. M I K E C O O K University of Lincoln A C T I V E L E A R N I N G I N H I G H E R E D U C AT I O N 6(1) 88 08 ALH 051355 (to/d) 3/2/05 2:07 pm Page 8

Teaching in the Middle Grades Today: Examining Teachers’ Beliefs About Middle Grades Teaching

Since the beginning of the middle school movement in the mid-1960s, middle level advocates have called for a school experience for young adolescents grounded in adolescent development that engages students in meaningful learning (Eichhorn, 1966; Alexander & Williams, 1965). The aim of this exploratory multi-case study was to understand middle level teachers’ beliefs about middle level instruction in the current educational environment. To gain this understanding, researchers asked ten current middle grades teachers with varying levels of experience to discuss their beliefs regarding their primary purpose as a middle grades teacher, the current status of middle level teaching, their best and worst instructional lessons, and their perceived barriers to teaching at the middle level. The teachers described the role of teaching in the middle grades as challenging and stressful, but of great importance. In general, they described instruction that included discovery, student engagement, and relevance in an effort to address students’ academic development. There was minimal mention of the non-academic aspects of adolescent development. Finally, teachers viewed curriculum restrictions, students’ attitudes toward learning, difficulty with differentiation, and lack of technology as significant barriers to their success in the classroom

The Status of Middle Schools in the Southeastern United States: Perceptions and Implementation of the Middle School Model

For more than 100 years, education communities have debated how best to educate the young adolescent. Proponents of both the junior high school model and the current middle school model have advocated for a specialized approach to educating adolescents that emphasizes the developmental needs of students. To accomplish this, various organizational structures and instructional approaches are recommended. This survey study examines the perceptions of these middle school practices and the implementation of those practices in middle schools in the Southeastern region of the United States. We note several key trends in our results and highlight key differences in perception of importance and implementation of middle school components and strategies compared to the most recent large scale survey administered by McEwin and Greene (2011)

The impact of cultural diversity on web site design

Close your eyes. Envision a succulent two-inch slab of dripping-rare prime rib. Is your stomach rumbling, your appetite peaked, or are you offended since your fundamental belief system precludes harming animals? A single image or idea can create many diferent feelings or interpretations. Consider the diversity within your own organization, campus, or community. Does everyone agree on what is appropriate, acceptable, appetizing, or attractive? An image pleasing to one group of people may alienate or even seriously offend many others. Something as simple as color may elicit dramatically different mental images. For example, in the U.S., white is generally associated with purity, but in Japan it represents death (Chau et al, 2002)

(De)Valuing Multimodality: Exploring One Teacher-Writer’s Uneven Development in a Multimodal Composition Course

This paper examines the learning experiences and identity development of one ELA pre-service teacher (Elise) in a multimodal composition course. The authors rely on single-case study methods to understand Elise’s multimodal compositions and reflections across the semester. This inquiry asks: a) In what ways does a multimodal literacy course influence PSTs\u27 views of and positions on multimodal literacy instruction? b) What influence does a course focused on multimodal literacy/composing have on the identity development of ELA/writing teachers? c) What prior experiences and understandings facilitate or prevent PSTs uptake of multimodal concepts? Findings detail 1) how Elise at once valued and devalued multimodal composition, often in subtle ways and 2) how prior discourses and learning experiences -- such as a reliance on “learning styles” theory -- both supported and interfered with her learning of multimodal concepts. The authors conclude with recommendations for ELA teacher educators