Nest site of Molluccan Hanging Parrot in the wild

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A rigorous approach to the teaching of reading? Systematic synthetic phonics in initial teacher education

This paper argues that no single method of teaching children to read is superior to any other. Although research suggests that a systematic approach to phonics produces gains in word reading and spelling, there is no clear evidence that synthetic phonics is the most effective approach for supporting reading development. We highlight the current policy allegiance to synthetic phonics in England. This approach is mandated in the teachers’ standards and the inspection framework for initial teacher education in England. This attempt to regulate the way new teachers are prepared to support children’s reading development is extremely concerning, given the body of research which demonstrates that no single approach is necessarily more effective than another

Using Minority Stress Theory as a Conceptual Lens to Frame the Experiences of Teachers Who Identify as LGBTQ+

Throughout history teachers who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender or Queer (LGBTQ+) have experienced prejudice, discrimination and restrictions to their agency. Heteronormative cultures have prevailed in schools worldwide, despite advances in legislation and the existence of more liberal attitude towards non-normative gender identities and sexual orientations in recent years. This has resulted in teachers passing off as heterosexual or covering up their personal identities, resulting in internalised homophobia. This paper draws on Meyer’s model of minority stress (Meyer, 2003) to illustrate how minority groups can be affected by overlapping stressors. It examines the limitations of this framework and presents an adapted version which more accurately reflects the factors which shape the experiences of teachers who identify as LGBTQ+

Student perceptions of feedback in higher education

© 2019 The authors and IJLTER.ORG. All rights reserved. Text Feedback is critical to students’ academic development in higher education. Despite this, evidence suggests that students do not consistently engage with feedback or recognise the value of it. This study explored student perceptions of feedback in one university in England. Data were collected using focus groups. The results indicated that the participants valued feedback that is detailed and personal. They also demonstrated a preference for verbal feedback rather than written feedback. Participants recognised the benefits and limitations of peer feedback and there was evidence to suggest that participants valued the judgements of their lecturers above those of their peers. The data indicate that lecturers should utilise a range of feedback modes, including face-to-face, verbal, written, audio and video feedback. The study suggests that the use of written feedback in higher education may not be effective because students may not engage effectively with it, particularly if they achieve a high grade. Taking into consideration the important role that feedback plays in promoting learning, it is vital that modes of feedback are used which students are likely to engage with. Given the fact that students have different preferences, it is therefore suggested that lecturers utilise a variety of modes of feedback. The limitation of this study was the small sample size and therefore the results are not generalisable

Some pupils should know better (because there is better knowledge than opinion). Interim findings from an empirical study of pupils’ and teachers’ understandings of knowledge and big questions in Religious Education

In this paper, we draw on interim findings of our research project on Religious Education (RE), knowledge and big questions. We have found Miranda Fricker’s concept of epistemic injustice useful in our analysis—that is, the notion that a person can be wronged “specifically in their capacity as a knower (Fricker 2007, 1). In interviews with Key Stage 3 pupils (aged 12–14) we found that for many pupils, their capacity to know was hindered by the prioritisation of respect for opinion. Where opinion is considered something not to be questioned, this seems to be a key indicator of epistemic disadvantage while some pupils valued and could employ criticality when considering knowledge claims (including opinions). Epistemic advantage in this way exacerbates epistemic injustice, broadening a gap between the epistemic haves and have-nots. This research is part of a larger project where we attempt to answer the question: ‘Does Religious Education have a distinctive contribution to make to the development of epistemic literacy?’. We begin with our account of epistemic literacy underpinned by Young’s powerful knowledge (Young and Muller 2010) and contextualise our data with discourses about knowledge and school education. We focus largely on the emergent theme of (respect for) opinions and we argue that the prioritisation of respect in RE is (for some pupils) a barrier to knowledge. We go on to explore why this matters for individuals, society and RE

Active flutter control for flexible vehicles, volume 1

An active flutter control methodology based on linear quadratic gaussian theory and its application to the control of a super critical wing is presented. Results of control surface and sensor position optimization are discussed. Both frequency response matching and residualization used to obtain practical flutter controllers are examined. The development of algorithms and computer programs for flutter modeling and active control design procedures is reported