982 research outputs found
The learning portfolio in higher education: an integrative review
The learning portfolio is often lauded as a powerful pedagogical tool, and consequently,
is rapidly becoming a central feature of contemporary education. This paper synthesizes and
critically reviews the literature pertaining to its use in higher education contexts specifically. Three
key themes are identified and discussed. First, although the theory underlying the use of learning
portfolios is promising, robust empirical evidence supporting their effectiveness remains sparse.
Second, the tool is rooted in a complex pedagogy, and its potential can only be realized if the
processes underlying this pedagogy are properly understood by advocates and executed by users.
Third, there is a recurring tension between the developmental (process) and evaluative (product)
conceptualizations of the learning portfolio. On the basis of these findings, some recommendations
for future research and practice in this area are identified
Irish pre-service teachersâ expectations for teaching as a career: a snapshot at a time of transition
Recent graduates of teacher education programmes in Ireland are entering their careers at a
time characterized by an erosion of teacher autonomy, increased bureaucratic demands,
and narrower curriculum specifications. These changes are typical features of what Sahlberg
(2011) has termed the global educational reform movement (GERM), and evidence suggests
that they can have a negative impact on teacher morale, and on how teaching as a career is
perceived. This, in turn, can have detrimental effects on teacher recruitment and retention.
This study examined the career expectations of two cohorts of Irish pre-service teachers
(n=491) at the point of transition between college and work. The data gathered were also
used to investigate if recent changes to the B.Ed. programme are associated with any
changes in career expectations. Overall, teachers indicated strong expectations on issues
such as doing a worthwhile job, feeling satisfied with pupil achievement and fulfilling
personal needs, however, expectations with regard to the adequacy of salaries were low,
and appear to have diminished further throughout the period 2014 to 2016
Practice tests: do they work? Can they work better?
Within the diverse field of certification and licensure, millions of tests are administered each year by non-governmental bodies and state agencies. A perusal of relevant websites suggests that most of the major certification and licensure tests have associated sample
items, practice tests and/or preparatory tests (prep tests) either in hard copy or online available to potential candidates. All three are described in the standards of the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA, 2016). Sample items are offered simply to give
potential test candidates an idea of what items on the test may look like. Practice tests are made up of numerous sample items and may, in some instances, be constructed to match a test plan. Prep tests can be distinguished from practices tests on the basis that they are
always constructed to match test specifications closely, and are used to provide candidates with a predicted score for the real test. While sample items are usually provided at no cost and prep tests have to be purchased, practice tests can either be offered for free (often by
the organisation responsible for setting or administering the test1
) or charged for by the entities that developed them (the certification/licencing authority2 or other organisations3).
These distinctions are worth noting; however, for simplicity, the general term âpractice testsâ is used in this paper to refer to various types of practice and preparation materials
The print and packaging forum: a report on the print industryâs review of its own performance
This report is presented to the Print and Packaging Forum in fulfilment of the activities envisaged under Research Agreement signed between the Leadership, Innovation and Knowledge Research Centre DCU and the Irish Printing and Packaging Forum dated 15 July 2010.
The remainder of this report sets out our research findings and response to the requirements set out in the Research Agreement.
Section 3 sets out our approach and research methodology including limitations on this study and subsequent findings.
Section 4 details the research findings. A survey was conducted of the industry to provide information on various aspects of its performance. Unfortunately no firms operating in the newspaper or paper sectors responded thus impacting on the representativeness of the survey. The main findings are summarised below.
The vast majority of companies surveyed continue to be private Irish-owned firms. Sales performance of surveyed companies is in decline. The Industry faces competition internationally; the overwhelming majority of companies surveyed do not export. The respondents considered themselves relatively capable against Irish competitors however less competitive across nearly all areas against International competition. Particular factors in their lack of competitiveness are seen as raw material costs and access and overall relative cost position.
Average employment is 20 persons, inferring a significant decline when compared to the 2005 Report. This confirmed supporting data from Forfas. On average over 55% of employees of respondent companies are operatives or crafts people. Less than 20% of respondent companies had vacancies compared to over half reported in 2005.
Both overcapacity and low capacity usage remain features of the industry however expected lead times and time lost due to breakdowns has improved when compared to the 2005 Report. Average capacity utilisation for companies in the survey was 69% with over a third operating at below 60%. Over 80% of companies surveyed indicated that they undertake benchmarking; this is a significant increase on the level reported in the 2005 Report
Teacher perspectives on standardized testing of achievement in Ireland
In the years since 2007 the role of standardized testing in Irish primary (elementary schools has
become increasingly prominent. All schools are now required to administer tests in English
reading and mathematics in 2nd, 4th and 6th grades, and to report aggregated results to their Boards
of Management and the Department of Education and Skills (DES). Schools are also required to
share the results with parents/guardians at the three mandatory testing points and to do this in
written format using end-of-year school reports DES, 2011. As of September 2017, the results are
used at national level as part of the process involved in determining the allocation of special
educational teaching resources to schools DES, 2017.
The research described in this paper represents a collaboration between the Centre for Assessment
Research, Policy and Practice in Education (CARPE) based at Dublin City University and the Irish
National Teachersâ Organisation (INTO) - the largest teachers' trade union in Ireland representing
95%+ of all teachers at the elementary level. In examining elementary teachers use of and attitudes
to standardized tests at a time when the stakes associated with this form of assessment are growing,
the research exemplifies the AERA 2020 conference theme: âThe Power and Possibilities for the
Public Good When Researchers and Organizational Stakeholders Collaborate.
A cross-cultural study of High School teachersâ tacit knowledge of interpersonal skills
Effective teachers are characterized not only by pedagogical abilities and subject area mastery, but
also by interpersonal skills. Using the Tacit Knowledge Inventory for High School Teachers (TKI-HS) â
a situational judgement test consisting of 11 challenging interpersonal scenarios â this study
compared how experienced teachers in England (n=108), Ireland (n=45) and Russia (n=492) rated
seven possible response options for each scenario, to examine the extent to which the concept of
âskilled interpersonal behaviorâ varies across cultures. The results indicate that judgments of âbadâ
responses are more similar across these three cultures, whereas there seems to be less agreement
about what constitutes a âgoodâ response. The importance of teachersâ tacit knowledge and how it
varies across cultural contexts are discussed
The Return of a River: The Willamette River, Oregon
2 p. Review produced for HC 441: Science Colloquium: Willamette River Environmental Health, Robert D. Clark Honors College, University of Oregon , Spring term, 2004. File contains the content of the Web site that was reviewed, captured Dec. 19, 2005Print copies of the reviewed title are available through the UO Libraries under the call numbers: Law Storage TD224.O7G57; and: SCA OrColl HD1694.O7G5
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