Lacan and Badiou: logic of the pas-tout

The fact that statements about "nothing" are, or are always equivalent to, a universal statement raises the question of a non-universalizable, non-completable nothing. Lacan’s pas-tout is an attempt to logically capture this incompleteness that can never be completed. While the pas-tout is relevant to the field of sexuation, its logic can be considered independent of it. This logic is, of course, a "deviant" logic, and for this reason raises questions about how it is to be interpreted. Alain Badiou criticizes Lacan for adopting a pre-Cantorian attitude towards the infinite and for advocating the strictures of intuitionism. I argue that Lacan is not an intuitionist but a constructivist about mathematics. I also consider Jacques-Alain Miller’s suggestion that Lacan’s pastout can be considered a variant of the Aristotelian negative particular statement, "Not all As are B" or "Not every A is B"

Moving the andragogy of teacher educators forward: the potential and challenges of Problem-based Learning in Teacher Education

Objectives To explore the benefits of Problem-based Learning (PBL) for pre-service trainee teachers, as a preparation for teaching in the primary school. Methods A case study at one centre of teacher education in Wales is reported, using a pragmatic, mixed methods approach. The research tools used included semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, and analysis of video-recorded group meetings and module marks. Results Two hundred and eighty students (160 postgraduate and 120 undergraduate) responded to the questionnaire. Almost all report PBL to be highly motivating, engaging and relevant to teacher training. PBL modules had higher average marks for both postgraduate and undergraduate students than non-PBL modules. Interviews and video analysis with a focused group of fourteen students reveal perceived learning gains in applying theoretical knowledge to real-life problems, understanding multiple viewpoints and challenging assumptions. The greatest perceived challenges were self-directed research and time management. Conclusion Current discourse around the quality of initial teacher education in the UK focuses on institutional structures, location of training and leadership. We argue that PBL, and the quality of andragogy generally among teacher educators, should feature more strongly in these discussions. Keywords: teacher education, higher education, problem-based learning, Wale

Improving memory performance in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and older adults with subjective decline: an intervention aimed at reducing the excess disability associated with negative stereotypes of ageing

It is increasingly evident that the memory performance of older Australians can be negatively affected by culturally-shared stereotypes and negative self-perceptions of cognitive ageing. Drawing on age-stereotype research and literature from positive psychology, the purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate a three-day group intervention administered to both older adults with subjective memory decline and older adults with MCI. A randomised, controlled, repeated measures design was employed to examine whether the objective and subjective memory performance of older adults would improve after participating in the intervention, designed to challenge negative stereotypes of cognitive ageing and to encourage more positive perceptions of the ageing self. It is anticipated that the results will be able to identify a set of techniques that can demonstrate improvements in the memory functioning of two different groups of older adults who may be more vulnerable to the effects of ageist stereotypes

An International Survey of Animals in Schools: Exploring What Sorts of Schools Involve What Sorts of Animals, and Educators’ Rationales for These Practices

Over recent decades, the use of animal-assisted interventions (AAIs) in educational settings has attracted growing international interest both among educators and the research community. However, there has been little comparative analysis of the demographics of participants and the rationale behind such practices. The aim of this paper is to address this. An anonymous online questionnaire was distributed via social media and other networks. Quanti-tative and qualitative data were collected from 610 participants across 23 countries, mostly from the United Kingdom and North America. In total, 315 (51.6%) participants reported involving animals in their settings. The results show that although animals featured from preschool to adult education contexts, the primary school years (5–11) accounted for 60% of responses. More than 30 different species were reported, with dogs being the most popular. The overriding reason educators give for involving animals is the perception that they make an important contribution to children’s well-being. Practices around the involvement of dogs provide a focus for discussion. The research breaks new ground in highlighting commonalities and contrasts in school demographics associated with the involvement of animals across a range of international contexts. It also points to a consensus around the perceived well-being benefits for children of such interventions. For practitioners, the paper has value in prompting reflection on the need for a clear rationale before embarking on such an intervention, and highlights practical considerations needed before bringing an animal into an educational setting. The paper also suggests potential areas for future research, relating to possible benefits for and agency of the animals who are involved

'Leave me alone and let me teach.' Teachers’ views of Welsh Government education policies and education in Wales

The purpose of this article is twofold: firstly, to discuss what teachers in Wales think about the Welsh Government’s recent education (mainly school) policies and secondly, how the educational system in Wales might be improved. It is based on the findings from a general survey conducted by the Wales Institute of Social & Economic Research, Data & Methods (WISERD) Education. The views of 220 primary and secondary teachers and head teachers were gathered in 2014. The paper’s central theme is that teachers in Wales generally welcome policies with a strong element of social justice but believe that there have been too many educational initiatives over recent years. They think the educational system in Wales can be improved through various means, including: reducing bureaucracy, increasing their professional autonomy, developing quality professional development and clear leadership. The findings are limited by the nature of a small-scale survey but reinforce conclusions reached in other research studies in the United Kingdom, regarding teachers’ criticisms of the pace of curriculum change and initiative overload (Berliner, 2011; NUT, 2014) as well as general pointers towards more effective educational systems (OECD, 2014). For its part, the challenge for the Welsh Government is building consensus at a time when the performance of Welsh youngsters, relative to other countries, is poor

Zoonotic malaria transmission and land use change in Southeast Asia: what is known about the vectors

Zoonotic Plasmodium infections in humans in many Southeast Asian countries have been increasing, including in countries approaching elimination of human-only malaria transmission. Most simian malarias in humans are caused by Plasmodium knowlesi, but recent research shows that humans are at risk of many different simian Plasmodium species. In Southeast Asia, simian Plasmodium species are mainly transmitted by mosquitoes in the Anopheles leucosphyrus and Anopheles dirus complexes. Although there is some evidence of species outside the Leucosphyrus Group transmitting simian Plasmodium species, these await confirmation of transmission to humans. The vectors of monkey malarias are mostly found in forests and forest fringes, where they readily bite long-tailed and pig-tailed macaques (the natural reservoir hosts) and humans. How changing land-uses influence zoonotic malaria vectors is still poorly understood. Fragmentation of forests from logging, agriculture and other human activities is associated with increased zoonotic Plasmodium vector exposure. This is thought to occur through altered macaque and mosquito distributions and behaviours, and importantly, increased proximity of humans, macaques, and mosquito vectors. Underlying the increase in vector densities is the issue that the land-use change and human activities create more oviposition sites and, in correlation, increases availably of human blood hosts. The current understanding of zoonotic malaria vector species is largely based on a small number of studies in geographically restricted areas. What is known about the vectors is limited: the data is strongest for distribution and density with only weak evidence for a limited number of species in the Leucosphyrus Group for resting habits, insecticide resistance, blood feeding habits and larval habitats. More data are needed on vector diversity and bionomics in additional geographic areas to understand both the impacts on transmission of anthropogenic land-use change and how this significant disease in humans might be controlled