A time of change

An investigation of classroom environment factors affecting pupil progress in mathematics during the transition from primary to secondary schoolThe study took place in North East Scotland, a rural area with diverse industries. The sample of pupils selected for the study was from a small group of primary schools associated with three secondary schools. A number of quantitative and qualitative measures were developed to collect data for the study: a number of mathematical tests to determine the mathematical progress made by pupils between Primary 7 and Secondary I; pupil and teacher questionnaires and an observer's schedule. Perceptions from each of these measures were used to 'describe' the classroom environment. The measures were tested through a pilot study and adjustments made for their use in main research study. Formal and informal interviews with teachers and pupils were also used to provide additional depth to classroom profiles.The analysis of the quantitative data enabled pupil progress to be confirmed for most sample pupils. It was also possible to identify small groups of pupils who improved and regressed exceptionally. By focusing on these groups, factors affecting exceptional improvement were highlighted. Some of these factors were linked to primary school experience, for example,teacher interest and pupil method of working. The main classroom environment factors affecting pupil progress were pupil perception of performance and a high level of teacher/pupil interaction. Pupil placement in school attainment groupings (sets) was related to pupil progress, mostly regression. No single factor was associated with exceptional regression. The construction of a number of primary and secondary classroom environment profiles showed the strong impact of a highly positive environment on pupil progress

Exploring how practitioners support and protect adults at risk of harm in the light of the Adult Support and Protection (Scotland) Act 2007

This was a joint academic and practitioner research project that interviewed practitioners and people about their experience of assessment and intervention under the Adult Support and Protection (Scotland) Act 2007. Findings include: the complex and interconnected nature of harm, the value of skilled and open minded practitioners, the need to build and maintain respectful relationships; that thresholds not as clear cut as we might like them to be, protecting means supporting, interagency work was variable in its quality and opportunities for justice through court might still be limite

Legislative context and shared practice models

The application of psychological theory to the practice of educational psychology does not take place in a political or conceptual vacuum: the duties of EPs in the UK have reflected the prevailing goals, values and understandings embedded in the legislation of the time (Boyle & MacKay, 2010; MacKay & Boyle, 2013; Wooldridge, 1994). In turn, EPs have influenced statutes, government circulars and guidance and local education authority policy, most notably in the areas of special educational needs and social inclusion, with more recent developments reflecting the paradigm shift of the 1970s and 1980s from a medical model of assessment and intervention to a more ecological, educational approach (Gillham, 1978; Kirkaldy, 1997). This chapter considers the impact of legislative and policy contexts upon the practice of educational psychology and the impact of this practice upon legislation and policy in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland, the four distinctive education systems of the UK. The extent to which legislation has created contexts which have given rise to shared models of practice within these systems and may thus be regarded as a framework per se in its own right for such practice will also be discussed together with the implications for future developments in the UK. Readers interested in developments outwith the UK are referred to the reviews of legislation, policy, organisation and EP practice in over 40 countries by Jimerson, Oakland & Farrell (2007) and Boyle & Lauchlan (2014) and to Dahl, Hoff, Peacock and Ervin’s (2012) review of the impact of legislation on the practice of school psychology in the US

Development and Validation of a Scale to Explore Pre-Service Teachers’ Sense of Preparedness, Engagement and Self-Efficacy in Classroom Teaching

Raising the quality of initial teacher education can make an important contribution to raising the overall quality of the school system. In Australia, the National Framework for Professional Standards for Teaching is used as a common framework to set standards for the accreditation of teacher education programs. However, institution-wise assessments need to be carried out regularly to explore the quality of preparation pre-service teachers receive and to what extent they feel well prepared to enter teaching. This will enable teacher education programs to implement strategies to strengthen the link between university coursework and professional practice of pre service teachers. This paper discusses the development and validation of a scale to measure pre- service teachers’ perceptions of preparedness to teach, readiness to engage with the teaching profession and self-efficacy in teaching. The study also proposes a model describing the relationship among these variables. Data was collected from 235 final year pre-service teachers using a newly developed questionnaire at an Australian university. Data shows that the Pre service Teacher Professional Experience (PTPE) scale is a theoretically sound, gender invariant and psychometrically valid instrument. The implications of using the scale in teacher education programmes are discussed in the context of the findings

Pasture Improvement Needs and Options for New Zealand Sheep and Beef Farms

In recent years in New Zealand, sheep and beef farming has been outcompeted for prime land. This means that the government and industry targets to increase sheep and beef production have to be achieved on farms with significant constraints on pasture production. They are increasingly restricted to hilly and other locations with variable climates and soils, and landscape constraints on farming practices. Thus there are limits on the ability to improve pasture production – whether by pasture renewal or through means like grazing management, fertiliser use, or weed and pest control

A comparison of tumour and host prognostic factors in screen-detected versus non screen-detected colorectal cancer: a contemporaneous study

Aim: In addition to TNM stage, there are adverse tumour and host factors, such as venous invasion and the presence of an elevated systemic inflammatory response (SIR) that influence the outcome in colorectal cancer. The present study aimed to examine how these factors varied in screen detected (SD) and non-screen detected tumours (NSD). Method: Prospectively maintained databases of the prevalence round of a biennial population FOBt screening programme and a regional cancer audit database were analysed. Interval cancers (INT) were defined as cancers identified within two years of a negative screening test. Results: Of the 395 097 invited, 204 535 (52%) responded, 6159 (3%) tested positive, and 421 (9%) had cancer detected. From this cohort, a further 708 (63%) NSD patients were identified (468 (65%) non-responders, 182 (25%) INT cancers and 58 (10%) did not attend or did not have cancer diagnosed at colonoscopy). Comparing SD and NSD patients, SD patients were more likely to be male, and have a tumour with a lower Dukes stage (both p<0.05). On stage-by-stage analysis, SD patients had less evidence of an elevated SIR (p<0.05). Both the presence of venous invasion (p=0.761) and an elevated SIR (p=0.059) were similar between those with INT cancers and in those that arose in non-responders. Conclusion: Independent of TNM stage, SD tumours have more favourable host prognostic factors than NSD tumours. There is no evidence that INT cancers are biologically more aggressive than those that develop in the rest of the population and hence are likely to be due to limitations of screening in its current format