Tackling Controversial Issues in Primary Education: Perceptions and Experiences of Student Teachers

This paper considers the nature and definition of controversial issues in primary education, exploring how they may be deemed controversial in different ways according to context. Drawing on research undertaken with student teachers in their final year of study at universities in England, it explores the issues that they feel apprehensive about facing in their first teaching post and those that they feel it is important to explore with children. It identifies issues relating to relationships, religion and belief and bereavement as being of significant concern, suggesting priorities for teacher training courses and contrasting these with research undertaken a decade earlier

Where would I be without my right-hand (wo)man?: Professional knowledge and technical skills in R&D

Trabajo presentado a la EU-SPRI Conference: "Science and Innovation Policy: Dynamics, Challenges, Responsibility and Practice", celebrada en Manchester (UK) del 18 al 20 de junio de 2014.Trades and technical workers are involved in a wide range of activities directly related to fulfilling the objectives of their professional co-workers. These activities included five key roles: installing, calibrating and customizing instruments; design; linking R&D to production; health and safety regulation; and training. The contribution of trades and technical workers to R&D exceeded simple execution of plans or designs provided by scientists or engineers. Key forms of craft knowledge were important to the conduct of research programs and projects. These included knowledge of the properties of materials, the importance of design for maintenance and the carriage of non-codified knowledge particularly of as-built artefacts and of ongoing adaptation to technical change from one project context to another. Professional respondents were clear in their articulation of the importance of highly skilled technical workers to have the necessary capabilities to be their 'hands and eyes', whether in the laboratory or in the field. The hands-on involvement of technical workers means they are always 'close to the action', from the conceptualization stage of professionals' plans and designs and continuously into the development, testing and modification stages. Throughout, technical workers interact directly with professionals in a variety of formal and informal contexts. For example, collective engagement with a material artefact such as a prototype, was an arena in which the different knowledge bases of scientists, engineers and skilled technicians could be translated and negotiated to settle on a shared understanding of progress and potential future strategies. The central finding of the study is that trades and technical workers should be understood as providing far more than 'support' in R&D contexts. Rather, the appropriate integration and timely involvement of trade and technical occupations in project teams adds dimensions of skill, risk management and collective learning to R&D work processes that can have significant benefits not only for the conduct of knowledge intensive work, but also for the efficient subsequent translation of knowledge between R&D, quality control and production processes.Peer Reviewe

Extracellular electron transfer mechanism in Shewanella loihica PV- 4 biofilms formed at indium tin oxide and graphite electrodes

Electroactive biofilms are capable of extracellular electron transfer to insoluble metal oxides and electrodes; such biofilms are relevant to biogeochemistry, bioremediation, and bioelectricity production. We investigated the extracellular electron transfer mechanisms in Shewanella loihica PV-4 viable biofilms grown at indium tin oxide (ITO) and graphite electrodes in potentiostat-controlled electrochemical cells poised at 0.2 V vs. Ag/AgCl. Chronoamperometry and confocal microscopy showed higher biofilm growth at graphite compared to the ITO electrode. Cyclic voltammetry, differential pulse voltammetry, along with fluorescence spectroscopy showed that direct electron transfer through outer membrane c type cytochromes (Omcs) prevailed at the biofilm/ITO interface, while biofilms formed at graphite electrode reduced the electrode also via secreted redox mediators, such as flavins and quinones. The biofilm age does not affect the prevalent transfer mechanism at ITO electrodes. On the other hand, secreted redox mediators accumulated at biofilm/graphite interface, thus increasing mediated electron transfer as the biofilm grows over five days. Our results showed that the electrode material determined the prevalent electron transfer mechanism and the dynamic of secreted redox mediators in S. loihica PV-4 biofilms. These observations have implications for the optimization of biofilm-based electrochemical systems, such as biosensors and microbial fuel cells

The relevance and role of gaming machine games and game features on the play of problem gamblers

Prepared for the Independent Gambling Authority in South Australia, this report examines aspects of the relationship between gaming machine technology and problem gambling. It looks at: • whether particular gaming machine games feature more commonly in the play of problem gamblers as compared to recreational gamblers; • whether there are particular characteristics of those games that distinguish them from other games; • whether those differences are the characteristics that attract problem gamblers and feature in problem gambling play; • to what extent those characteristics affect the play of recreational gamblers; and • to what extent those characteristics feature in a gamblers’ transition from recreational to problem gambler

Family Diversities Reading Resource (2nd edition)

An annotated bibliography of 150+ high quality children's picture books showing diverse families

Towards an Inclusive Understanding of Bullying: Identifying Conceptions and Practice in the Primary School Workforce

Bullying is defined in a variety of ways in different contexts, and each individual school in England is required to develop its own working definition, parameters and policy. This paper explores a variety of definitions from government and third sector organisations in the UK, making comparison with those from other contexts. In particular, it considers whether bullying is repeated behaviour or experience, and how labels such as target, victim and perpetrator have the potential to damage individual identities. It highlights common themes and differences across definitions and interpretations, comparing them with those of staff (n =131) drawn from research in 16 schools in one large local authority area in England, detailing their conceptions and experiences of bullying. These staff identify whether, where and how bullying is encountered in their settings, how they address such issues, and whether there are particular stimuli on which they focus. It concludes that a redeveloped, clear and understandable definition of bullying is needed that is accessible to all stakeholders in schools, including children. This needs to be inclusive in its focus, unambiguous and applicable across a broad range of settings, leaving aside the historical baggage associated with the subject

Skilled trades and technical workers in R&D: Occupations, organisation & innovation

Trabajo presentado a la 9th Globelics International Conference celebrada del 15 al 17 de noviembre de 2011 en Buenos Aires (Argentina).Human resource capacity for national innovation systems is generally focused on the availability of scientists and engineers. However, skilled technical occupations make up approximately one third of the workforce involved in R&D in OECD countries, yet little attention is paid to these occupations in analyses of the organisation and conduct of R&D. Given the outward migration of scientists and engineers from many developing countries development strategies might be better focused on maximising available innovation inputs from technical and trades skills. This paper describes aspects of an exploratory study undertaken in Australia with the key aim of developing better understanding of the role and contribution skilled trades and technical workers make in the diverse contexts of R&D. The study also investigated forms of work organisation and the influence of formalised routines and informal work practices on task and project performance. We found trades and technical workers were involved in a wide range of activities directly related to R&D. These activities composed five key roles: installing, calibrating and customizing instruments; design; linking R&D to production; health and safety regulation; and training. The contribution of trades and technical workers to R&D exceeded simple execution of plans or designs provided by scientists or engineers however. Key forms of craft knowledge were important to innovation in the conduct of projects and in their outputs. These included knowledge of the properties of materials, the importance of design for maintenance and the carriage of non-codified knowledge – particularly of as-built artefacts and of adaptation to technical change – from one project context to another. We conclude that trades and technical workers should be understood as providing far more than ‘support’ in R&D contexts. Rather, the appropriate integration and timely involvement of trade and technical occupations in project teams adds dimensions of skill, adaptation and learning to R&D that can have significant benefits for the conduct of knowledge intensive work and for efficiency in translating knowledge between R&D, quality control and production processes. This has significant implications for R&D project management and work organisation practices in developing economies.Peer Reviewe

Learning, Leaving and Linking: Tapping the training, careers and networks of knowledge workers for developing countries

Presented at the GLOBELICS 6th International Conference 2008 22-24 September, Mexico City, Mexico.The present paper, based on a survey analysis of 10,000 scientists and their collaborators explores research mobility and collaboration between developing countries and between developing countries and the north. We focus in particular on research training, research networks, collaboratve arrangements and options for future move. Our finding is that India and China are indeed becoming important anchors for south south development. However, our findings also show that the countries of the north are still key anchor points. While we concur that a spoke and hub model for development in the south, as proposed by Osma (2008) Our warning is that the hubs must remain connected to the north for some time yet. Finally, we argue that while it is important to build scientific capacity at home ( see for example Hassan, 2008) policy options should pursue a dual strategy of promoting international mobility and building a community of science at home