Teacher education for inclusive practice – Responding to policy

This article draws on research on the way in one teacher education in England and examines the ways in which the programme prepares student-teachers for inclusive practice in science teaching. We frame our analysis by drawing on aspects of institutional mediation of official policy in teacher education programmes, we need pedagogies of praxis that move beyond (and sometimes against) the official policy definitions of inclusion, and draw instead on a more critical approach to the formation of future professionals.http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02619768.2015.1031338http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02619768.2015.103133

Educational technology behaviors and expectations of students entering three dental programs : a bi-coastal study

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Children's biobehavioral reactivity to challenge predicts DNA methylation in adolescence and emerging adulthood.

A growing body of research has documented associations between adverse childhood environments and DNA methylation, highlighting epigenetic processes as potential mechanisms through which early external contexts influence health across the life course. The present study tested a complementary hypothesis: indicators of children's early internal, biological, and behavioral responses to stressful challenges may also be linked to stable patterns of DNA methylation later in life. Children's autonomic nervous system reactivity, temperament, and mental health symptoms were prospectively assessed from infancy through early childhood, and principal components analysis (PCA) was applied to derive composites of biological and behavioral reactivity. Buccal epithelial cells were collected from participants at 15 and 18 years of age. Findings revealed an association between early life biobehavioral inhibition/disinhibition and DNA methylation across many genes. Notably, reactive, inhibited children were found to have decreased DNA methylation of the DLX5 and IGF2 genes at both time points, as compared to non-reactive, disinhibited children. Results of the present study are provisional but suggest that the gene's profile of DNA methylation may constitute a biomarker of normative or potentially pathological differences in reactivity. Overall, findings provide a foundation for future research to explore relations among epigenetic processes and differences in both individual-level biobehavioral risk and qualities of the early, external childhood environment

Scales of governance: Translating multiscalar transitional pathways in South Africa's energy landscape

In this paper, we argue for a multiscalar focus on the governance of energy policy and practice. This perspective reveals the translation of agendas and policies across scales stretching from the global to the local. We analyse South Africa’s energy landscape, which is influenced by: a highly complex and dynamic set of generation and production networks, policy strategies, multiple state and non-state actors, and the continuing impact of apartheid. In the paper, we establish a dialogue between Actor-Network Theory and studies of socio-technical transitions to analyse the translation and purification of discourses and practices across scales, and to consider how these processes may impact on spatialised processes of energy transition

Means of avoiding and resolving disputes during construction

Abstract: The construction industry has had a history of increasing litigation. Due to the uncertainties inherent in assessing and predicting subsurface construction conditions, and a greater potential to encounter unforeseen conditions than in comparable above-ground work, underground construction projects have lead the industry in this regard. This trend toward debilitating litigation has arisen due to the contributing actions of owners, engineers, and contractors. Owners have been unwilling to authorize adequate geologic exploration programs or take responsibility for unanticipated ground conditions. Engineers have often prepared incomplete, vague, or inconsistent plans and specifications. Contractors have tended to be excessively optimistic in their attempts to be the low bidder. Finally, the construction industry has had to battle inbred adversarial attitudes on behalf of the parties to a construction contract. In discussing means to avoid and resolve disputes in underground construction, there are three primary considerations: 1. Tools need to be implemented within the construction contract to confront the uncertainty of the subsurface conditions to be encountered during construction. 2. Pro-active steps need to be taken by the three principal parties (i.e., the owner, design engineer/construction manager, and contractor) to foster a cooperative attitude among the parties toward the avoidance of disputes. 3. Tools need to be implemented through the construction contract to assist in solving contractual problems equitably and expediently, without resorting to litigation. Four elements of improved contracting practice that address these primary considerations are gaining increasing acceptance within the international underground construction community: Geotechnical Baseline Reports; Disputes Review Boards; Escrow Bid Documents; and Partnering. This paper addresses the matter of uncertainty of subsurface ground conditions, provides an historical perspective on how owners, engineers, and contractors have attempted to leverage that uncertainty for their individual benefit, and describes how each of the above elements can aid in the avoidance and resolution of disputes in underground construction

Doing research with children and young people who do not use speech for communication

Despite emphasis in policy on participation of disabled children, we still know relatively little about how to obtain the views of disabled children with significant communication impairment and their views are often overlooked in planning and service provision. This article describes how the views of children who do not use speech were accessed in research aiming to identify disabled children and young people's priorities regarding outcomes of social care and support services. The main challenge was to develop a method that was reliable, non-threatening, enjoyable and relevant to individual children, as well as enabling children to think beyond their everyday life and express what they aspire to