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MUDDY greens and a dry. dispassionate beige were the only colon in the small, rectangular living room. The furniture\u27s square lines were arranged along the outer edges or the room. 1 lie dark green carpet and drab curtains stifled the street noises that were trying in vain to permeate (he house. In (he center ol the floor a small boy lay on his stomach, alone, playing quietly with coat hangers that he had bent into doll-shapes. Now and then he stopped to listen to his father raging in the kitchen. Although he could not hear his mother\u27s feeble answers, he knew she was there..

The Effect of Class Size on the Teaching of Pupils Aged 7-11 Years

There is still little consensus on whether and how teaching is affected by small and large classes, especially in the case of students in the later primary years. This study investigated effects of class size on teaching of pupils aged 7-11 years. We used a multi-method approach, integrating qualitative information from teachers’ end-of-year accounts and data from case studies with quantitative information from systematic observations. Results showed that there was more individual attention in smaller classes, a more active role for pupils and beneficial effects on the quality of teaching. It is suggested that teachers, in both large and small classes, need to develop strategies for more individual attention but to also recognize the benefits of other forms of learning, e.g., group work

Deployment and impact of support staff in schools : characteristics, working conditions and job satisfaction of support staff in schools (strand 1, waves 1-3 in 2004, 2006 and 2008)

This study was designed to obtain up to date and reliable data on the deployment and characteristics of support staff and the impact of support staff on pupil outcomes and teacher workloads. The study covered schools in England and Wales. It involved large scale surveys (Strand 1), followed by a multi method and multi informant approach (Strand 2).It provided detailed baseline data by which to assess change and progress over time. It sought to understand the processes in schools which lead to the effective use of support staff. This report presents results from the three waves of Strand 1 which took place in 2004, 2006 and 2008. At each wave there were three questionnaires: the Main School Questionnaire (MSQ), the Support Staff Questionnaire (SSQ) and the Teacher Questionnaire (TQ). The DISS project was funded by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and Welsh Assembly Government

Hatching Success of Rainbowfish Eggs Following Exposure to Air

Translocation of fishes within and between drainage basins is widely recognised as a threatening process to Australian native fishes. While many translocations are deliberate, for example for fisheries enhancement, it is possible that translocation can occur naturally. In the Wet Tropic region of Australia, the widespread eastern rainbowfish, Melanotaenia splendida, has begun to colonise the Atherton tablelands. This is of particular concern because the area is home to several endangered endemic species such as the Lake Eacham rainbowfish, M. eachamensis, and its allies. It is likely that some of the translocations have occurred through the use of this species as bait, but the recent invasion of Lake Eacham may have occurred naturally via the movement of eggs between nearby streams running into Lake Tinaroo. Here we determine whether rainbowfish eggs could be transported over land by examining their desiccation tolerance. In the first experiment we plucked eggs from spawning media and exposed them to air for varying amounts of time. The results showalmost100%mortality after just 15 min. Rainbowfish eggs have a web-like projection that enables them to adhere to aquatic vegetation. In the second experiment, therefore, eggs were exposed to air attached to simulated weed (wet acrylic wool). Around 20% of eggs on the simulated weed where still viable after an hour. The results show that rainbowfish eggs could readily be transported between catchments by aquatic birds or human leisure activities such as kayaking or swimming. The implications for conservation management of Australian freshwater species is discussed