Partnership as conversation: why partnerships are condemned to talk and what they need to talk about

Participants and observers regularly complain that multi-agency partnerships are “talking shops,” engaged in constant discussion which gets in the way of “doing” the work of partnership. In this paper we engage with and criticize this characterization. Drawing on ideas from the Cultural Theory of Mary Douglas, we argue that true multi-agency partnerships are structurally condemned to talk. Instead of criticizing this talk and contrasting it with “doing” we should see it as a critical part of the doing of partnership. We should therefore concentrate on organizing and structuring partnership talk in order to move things forward rather than trying to minimize it. In the second half of the paper we therefore put forward a proposal for how partnership talk should be organized into five “conversations” concerning the principles, policies, processes, practices and politics of partnership. While we can make no predictions for the outcome of these conversations in any given case, we can, we believe, establish some necessary preconditions for effective interaction. We illustrate our arguments drawing on a range of empirical work in education and wider public services reform

Integrating the Primary Grades Curriculum Using a Science Activity Handbook for a Classroom Pet

An integrated activity handbook for a guinea pig, a classroom or home pet, has been developed to aid teachers in incorporating science into the elementary classroom. Studies indicate the importance of science education for young children. This integrated approach has been found to be a means to connect various academic areas such as science, reading, and mathematics. The Washington State Essential Academic Learning Requirements contain many elements, features, and forms that can be met in the materials and activities in this project. Research and literature regarding science education were explored

Using critical incident technique to investigate pre-service teacher mathematics anxiety

High level of mathematics anxiety in pre-service primary teachers affects both their current study, and their future teaching of mathematics. This paper proposed Critical Incident Technique as an appropriate research method, and reports how it was used in a teacher education course to increase pre-service primary teachers’ understanding of the impact of previous mathematics classroom experiences on their identities as learners and teachers of mathematics. The results also provided insights for teacher educators and teachers into strategies that could prevent or diminish their students’ mathematics anxiety. The discussion highlighted the need for teacher educators to be aware of the perspectives of PSTs, the importance of verbalisation and the sharing of emotions, and outlined recommendations for further research

My struggle with maths may not have been a lonely one: Bibliotherapy in a teacher education number theory unit

Bibliotherapy provides a new approach to eliciting and understanding the affective responses of pre-service primary teachers. This paper further explores bibliotherapy as a reflective tool in teacher education by analysing affective responses of pre-service primary teachers studying an elective number theory unit. Pre-service teachers voluntarily wrote responses to readings about school students’ learning, discussed their understanding of their own experiences in the light of the readings, and identified readings that impacted most on them. The paper describes the responses using the five stages of the bibliotherapy and identifies some factors which affect levels of engagement with the process

Mature age pre-service teachers' mathematics anxiety and factors impacting on university retention

The ability of primary (elementary) pre-service teachers to engage effectively in mathematics units in a rigorous program is vital to producing citizens who are able to use mathematics effectively in their lives. Mathematics anxiety affects pre-service primary teachers’ engagement with and future teaching of mathematics. The study measured the range of mathematics anxiety in two hundred and nineteen pre-service teachers starting a teacher education course in an Australian university. They completed the Revised Mathematics Anxiety Scale (RMARS) and a set of demographic questions. Age differences in anxiety were found to be significant, and this has implications for university retention of mature age pre-service primary teachers

Pre-service teachers constructing positive mathematical identities: Positing a grounded theory approach

Mathematics anxiety in pre-service primary teachers is an important issue in teacher education. This leads to the question of how pre-service primary teachers with mathematics anxiety perceive their mathematical identities. The paper explores the potential to develop a research-based model to identify the process whereby pre-service primary teachers with mathematics anxiety could develop more positive identities as learners and potential teachers of mathematics. It indicates emerging themes from previous research using subsequent preliminary data analysis and argues that a grounded theory approach to building a theoretical model for this process would make a valuable contribution to teacher education

Potential differences in self-concept among adult children of problem drinkers

Prior research has Indicated that the alcoholic home environment is destructive to a child\u27s emotional well-being* and that the conditions necessary to the development of high self-esteem are not consistently present, A large segment of previous research about children of alcoholics has not been tested with rigorous research techniques and often reflects the product of personal observations* results of extensive interviews* or case studies while working with these children. Moreover* there has been a tendency to focus on clinical populations of the young and adolescent offspring of alcoholics, with few studies being conducted in which adults were used as subjects. One purpose of the present study was to empirically examine potential differences In self-concept among adult children of problem drinkers.A second purpose was to focus on The Children of Alcoholics Screening Test (CAST) and other variables such as sex of subject, birth order* and number of siblings* and the possible role these factors may play in predicting self-concept scores. Based on previous research* it was hypothesized that: (a) adult children from households In which atleast one parent has been Identified as being a problem drinker would register lower self-concept scores than adult children of moderate drinkers or abstainers; this would be true for the Total Positive + Negative (P + N) score and the six empirical scales on the Tennessee Self Concept Scale (TSCS); (b) adult children of problem drinkers would register self-concept scores similar to those of an established psychiatric patient group; (c) female adult children of problem drinkers would exhibit lower scores than male adult children of problem drinkers on the Total P + N score and the six empirical scales on the TSCS* and Cd\u3e sex of the adult child* birth order* number of siblings* and total score on the CAST would be significant predictors of the Total P + N scores on the TSCS. A preliminary screening and a principal study were conducted. In the preliminary screening, subjects were 357 (113 males and 244 females) introductory psychology students. Each subject completed a survey entitled. Problems in Personal Living which the author designed to assess both personal and parental attitudes and behaviors in the following areas: cigarette use* alcoholuse* and weight control. Subjects for the principal study were selected on the basis of the use of alcohol section of this screening instrument with an attempt to differentiate parental drinking patterns Into the following three conditions: One or both parents abuse, bothparents drink moderately* and both parents abstain. In the principal study* the TSCS and the CAST were administered to 103 subjects (30 males and 73 females) from Intact families who met any one of the three parental drinking conditions as established in the preliminary screening. A 2 x 3 Analysis of Variance Design (Sex x Parental Drinking Condition) was used to examine the Total P + N scores and each of the six empirical scale scores on the TSCS. A Stepwise Multiple Regression was also utilized. This analysis had as its dependent criterion variable the Total P + N scores on the TSCS for the 103 subjects from the principal study. The predictor variables of sex of subject* birth order* and number of siblings* derived from the Problems in Personal Living screening Instrument* and the total score on the CAST were Included In the Multiple Regression to determine the amount of variance accounted for by each In predicting self-concept scores. The results of the present study at least partially support previous findings regarding the effects of parental alcoholism on children\u27s self-concept. The first hypothesis# that adult children of problem drinkers would register lower self-concept scores than children of moderate drinkers or abstainers received mixed support# as did the second hypothesis regarding similarities of adult children of problem drinkers to an established psychiatric patient group. Results indicated that adult children of problem drinkers tended to be more maladjusted and may have a greater propensity toward the development of- personality problems and neuroses. The third hypothesis regarding sex differences between children of problem drinkers was not supported.The fourth hypothesis was partially supported# Indicating that the CAST was the best predictor of self-concept. Thus# exposure to parental alcohol abuse In the home appeared to be significantly related to self- concept. Limitations of the study were discussed. Implications for future research were presented

TYGR 1996: A Literary Magazine

TYGR is the student art and literary magazine for Olivet Nazarene University. William Blake -- The Tyger [Historical Muse] William Blake -- The Lamb [Historical Muse] Cover Art: The Baths -- Elisa Archerhttps://digitalcommons.olivet.edu/stud_tygr/1016/thumbnail.jp

"Change my thinking patterns towards maths": A bibliotherapy workshop for pre-service teachers' mathematics anxiety

In small-group workshops, a joint initiative of the researcher and the student counsellor, primary (elementary) pre-service teachers (PSTs) wrote about critical incidents in their mathematics learning, and shared them with the group. Then, PSTs read extracts about mathematics anxiety (maths anxiety), and wrote and shared their reflections (bibliotherapy). Their experiences illuminated factors in their maths anxiety and helped them identify alternative conceptions. The discussion highlights the need for teacher educators’ awareness of perspectives of PSTs, verbalisation and sharing of emotions, and includes recommendations for further research

To heal and enthuse: Developmental bibliotherapy and pre-service primary teachers' reflections on learning and teaching mathematics

This paper advocates bibliotherapy as a powerful reflective tool in pre-service education. It can provide a new approach to understanding and improving the affective responses of pre-service primary teachers. In the study pre-service teachers analysing readings about school students' learning, reflected on and reconstructed their understanding of their own school experiences. The technique of bibliotherapy applied to readings about issues such as mathematics anxiety challenged their assessment of their capacity to learn and teach mathematics. This was a healing process that generated enthusiasm for teaching mathematics