For-profit Schools in England : the state of a nation

Trends towards the marketisation of the schooling sector have led to suggestions that state-funded schools in England will soon be allowed to operate on a for-profit basis. This article has two aims: to contribute to understanding of the regulation and characterisation of existing for-profit schools in England; and to assess the claim that for-profit schools ‘significantly outperform’ all independent schools by exploring the use of large scale databases including the National Pupil Database (NPD). This study highlights the growth of the for-profit sector, and the scarcity of legislation detailing the financial governance, educational oversight and staffing requirements of schools in the for-profit schooling sector. The for-profit schooling sector is found to be underperforming in terms of school inspection ratings at a level of statistical significance in comparison to the state funded schooling sector. Furthermore, performance indicators relating to GCSE and A level results suggest that the for-profit sector is underperforming compared to the not-for-profit independent sector. As such, the findings of this research have implications in undermining the neoliberal argument that has driven significant change in the schooling landscape in recent times

The Subviral RNA Database: a toolbox for viroids, the hepatitis delta virus and satellite RNAs research

BACKGROUND: Viroids, satellite RNAs, satellites viruses and the human hepatitis delta virus form the 'brotherhood' of the smallest known infectious RNA agents, known as the subviral RNAs. For most of these species, it is generally accepted that characteristics such as cell movement, replication, host specificity and pathogenicity are encoded in their RNA sequences and their resulting RNA structures. Although many sequences are indexed in publicly available databases, these sequence annotation databases do not provide the advanced searches and data manipulation capability for identifying and characterizing subviral RNA motifs. DESCRIPTION: The Subviral RNA database is a web-based environment that facilitates the research and analysis of viroids, satellite RNAs, satellites viruses, the human hepatitis delta virus, and related RNA sequences. It integrates a large number of Subviral RNA sequences, their respective RNA motifs, analysis tools, related publication links and additional pertinent information (ex. links, conferences, announcements), allowing users to efficiently retrieve and analyze relevant information about these small RNA agents. CONCLUSION: With its design, the Subviral RNA Database could be considered as a fundamental building block for the study of these related RNAs. It is freely available via a web browser at the URL:

Applying self-processing biases in education:improving learning through ownership

Accepting ownership of an item is an effective way of associating it with self, evoking self-processing biases that enhance memory. This memory advantage occurs even in ownership games, where items are arbitrarily divided between participants to temporarily ‘own’. The current study tested the educational applications of ownership games across two experiments. In Experiment 1, 7 to 9-year-old children were asked to choose three novel, labelled shapes from an array of nine. The experimenter chose three shapes and three remained ‘un-owned’. A subsequent free-recall test showed that children reliably learned more self-owned than other-owned or un-owned shapes. Experiment 2 replicated this finding for shapes that were assigned to owners rather than chosen, and showed that ownership enhanced memory more effectively than a control game with no ownership manipulation. Together, these experiments show that ownership games can evoke self-processing biases in children’s memory, enhancing learning. Implications for education strategies are discussed

Flexible Mathematical Understanding in an Ironworking Apprenticeship Classroom

The relationship between learning and context has long been an issue of interest and concern in the field of adult mathematics education. In particular, the questions of whether and how learning can be transferred from one context to another, remains a focus of researchers (Lave 1988, Lerman 1999, Evans 2000, Carraher and Scheliemann 2002). In this paper we look at the mathematical understanding of a group of apprentice ironworkers working on a construction task, and explore the flexible nature of their understanding. We consider the ways in which they are able to use quite formal mathematical ideas and operations and make sense of these within the specific context of their trade. Then we discuss how this process is more than one of simple transfer

Barriers and facilitators to family participation in the care of their hospitalized loved ones

This study’s objective was to better understand family members’ experiences in order to identify how healthcare organizations can facilitate their participation in the care of a hospitalized loved one. Eighteen individuals at the bedside of a hospitalized loved one were interviewed individually. Roles at the bedside and factors that facilitated their participation or represented barriers were examined. A qualitative analysis using a mixed inductive/deductive approach was performed. Reassurance and emotional support, as well as sharing information with the healthcare team emerged as main roles. Quality and timeliness of the information received about the patient’s condition, prognosis and changes in medical condition, as well as information on how to participate in their care, were the factors most frequently evoked as facilitating participation. On the other hand, the need to improve communication channels and access to doctors were highlighted. Most family members having no prior knowledge or exposure to healthcare environments reported feeling overwhelmed in this foreign environment. Among the suggestions on how to improve their experience, having a well-identified contact person who liaises with them and who can instruct them on how to participate in care during hospitalization and back at home was frequently suggested. Furthermore, many mentioned that recognizing the experiential knowledge they have of the patient allows for more holistic care and contributes to improve both patient and family experience. Families need to be adequately recognized and supported and have access to information in a timely manner so that their contribution to their loved one’s care is maximized and the burden associated with this stressful experience alleviated

Doing International Business: From Cultural Perspectives

The remarkable growth of the global economy over the past 50 years has been shaped by the dynamic interplay of various driving and restraining forces. From business and HRD (Human Resource Development) aspects, an understanding of globalization as it applies to the field of training and educational programs enables organizations to develop competencies and skills to respond to these emerging challenges faced by globalization. In recent reports (Yager, 2001; O’Regan, 2001), employers are increasingly having trouble finding workers who have excellent (1) soft skills, (2) business etiquette, (3) interpersonal communication skills, and (4) intercultural communication skills. An international business organization cannot succeed if cultural factors are ignored, and the same is true for educational programs. The central goal of this study was to explore the aspects needed for cultural understanding in formal course offerings such as language courses, as well as possible activities/subjects that could improve culture understanding. Significant differences regarding how students’ academic profiles affected their attitudes toward culturally related issues were discovered in this study. Recommendations were made for changes in language courses taught to Hospitality majors

Free-choice learning in school science : a model for collaboration between formal and informal science educators

The informal science education sector has been found to foster engagement with science, whereas formal science education has been criticised as disconnected from students’ lives and experiences. Consequently, there have been calls for greater collaboration between formal and informal sectors. This study aimed to create such a ‘third space’ for science education by linking a university science educator with schools to create spaces for increased student choice in learning. The community of inquiry pedagogical model was used to manage a series of discussions about cutting edge science with 507 students aged 11-14 in 20 state schools in the UK. These classes substituted for school science lessons. Studying learning in free choice environments is challenging due to the range of possible outcomes. Data was collected using participant observations, questionnaires and interviews. Teachers’ and students’ responses were analysed using Falk and Dierking’s Contextual Model of Learning. This allowed us to consider the totality of students’ experiences whilst acknowledging the complexity of free choice spaces. Findings indicate that this third space allowed students to exercise choice and control over their learning, and to connect science with their prior knowledge and interests. However, choice can also act as a barrier to learning if students lack sufficient prior knowledge or are uncomfortable with content. Students identified the role of peers and facilitated discussion as important. This indicates that there are benefits to opening up spaces for free choice learning in school science, and we suggest the community of inquiry as a model to achieve this

Curriculum Review: A Model

Hospitality programs in the United States are continually undergoing curriculum review to stay current and to produce graduates who will excel in the industry. This article describes the revision process used by one university