Improving research supervision in nursing

In this paper, four experienced researchers from the UK, China and Australia offer guidance in research supervision based on their experiences and the recent document, Improving standards in postgraduate research degree programmes [Higher Education Funding Council for England, 2003. Improving standards in postgraduate research degree programmes. Formal consultation. Department for Employment and Learning, Northern Ireland, Higher Education Funding Council for England, Higher Education Funding Council for Wales, Scottish Higher Education Funding Council, HEFCE, London]. Supervision is an important aspect of not only the development of the neophyte researcher, but of academic staff and research activity in general. With increased academic accountability, good supervision should be an integral component of a quality research governance framework and resourced as such. Recommendations include: adoption of these standards; rigorous selection of research students and supervisors and development of projects; development of departmental procedures for monitoring, feedback and intellectual property; and transparency, rigour and fairness in examination procedures. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Playfulness in children with autistic disorder and their typically developing peers

This study investigated the playfulness of 24 children with autistic disorder (AD) and 34 typically developing children aged 3-7 years, in free (unstructured) and adult-facilitated (structured) play conditions within a clinical play environment. Video recordings of play were rated using the Test of Playfulness (Bundy 2003). The data were analysed using repeated measures ANOVA and ANCOVA and qualitative observations. The children with AD were less playful compared with the typically developing children (F = 49.64, p < 0.001), even when developmental age was accounted for (F = 28.20, p < 0.001). Both groups of children were slightly more playful in a structured environment with adult facilitation (F = 7.72, p = 0.007). Despite statistically significant differences in playfulness between play conditions, considerable overlap in observations for both groups suggests that this may not be as clinically meaningful. When developmental age was accounted for, the play conditions no longer had a significant effect on playfulness (F = 1.54, p = 0.220). The implications of the findings and the limitations of the study are discussed

Highlighting hybridity: A critical discourse analysis of teacher talk in science classrooms

There is evidence that alienation from science is linked to the dominant discourse practices of science classrooms (cf. Lemke, J. L. (1990). Talking Science: Language, Learning, and Values. Norwood, NJ: Ablex). Yet, in secondary science education it is particularly hard to find evidence of curriculum reform that includes explicit changes in pedagogic discourses to accommodate the needs of students from a wide range of backgrounds. However, such evidence does exist and needs to be highlighted wherever it is found to help address social justice concerns in science education. In this article, I show how critical discourse analysis can be used to explore a way of challenging the dominant discourse in teacher-student interactions in science classrooms. My findings suggest a new way of moving toward more socially just science curricula in middle years and secondary classrooms by using hybrid discourses that can serve emancipatory purposes. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals. Inc.

The handbook of physical education

What is the current condition of the field of physical education? How has it adapted to the rise of kinesiology, sport and exercise science and human movement studies over the last thirty years? This Handbook provides an authoritative critical overview of the field and identifies future challenges and directions. The Handbook is divided in to six parts: - Perspectives and Paradigms in Physical Education Pedagogy Research; - Cross-disciplinary Contributions to Research on Physical Education; - Learners and Learning in Physical Education; - Teachers, Teaching and Teacher Education in Physical Education; - Physical Education Curriculum; - Difference and Diversity in Physical Education. This benchmark work is essential reading for educators and students in the field of physical education.

Instruction to support mental computation development in young children of diverse ability

Fostering young children's mental computation capacity is essential to support their numeracy development. Debate continues as to whether young children should be explicitly taught strategies for mental computation, or be afforded the freedom to develop their own. This paper reports on teaching experiments with two groups of students in their first year of schooling: those considered 'at-risk', and those deemed mathematically advanced. Both groups made considerable learning gains as a result of instruction. Importantly, the gains of the at-risk group are likely to renew both their own, and their teacher's confidence in their ability to learn. In this paper, the instructional programs are documented, highlighting the influence of instruction upon the children's development.

Distortion product otoacoustic emissions in school children: Effects to gender, ear asymmetry and handedness

Accurate interpretation of distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) data cannot be made without realizing the effects of non-pathological factors on DPOAEs. The present study aimed to examine the effects of ear asymmetry, gender and handedness on DPOAEs obtained from school children. One thousand and three children (528 boys and 475 girls) with a mean age of 6.2 years (SD = 0.4, range = 5.2 7.9 years) were tested in a quiet room at their schools using the GSI-60 DPOAE system. The stimuli consisted of two pure tones of different frequencies f1 and f2 presented at 65 and 55dB SPL respectively. A DP-gram was obtained for each ear with f2 varying from 1.1 to 6.0 kHz and the ratio of f2/f1 being kept at 1.21. The signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) (DPOAE amplitude minus the mean noise floor) at the tested frequencies 1.1, 1.5, 1.9, 2.4, 3.0, 3.8, 4.8, and 6.0 kHz were measured. The results revealed a small, but significant difference in SNR between ears, with right ears showing a higher mean SNR than left ears at 1.9, 3.0, 3.8 and 6.0 kHz. At these frequencies, the difference in mean SNR between ears was less than 1 dB. A significant gender effect was also found, with girls exhibiting a higher SNR than boys at 3.8, 4.8 and 6.0 kHz. The difference in mean SNR, as a result of the gender effect, was about 1 to 2 dB at these frequencies. The results from the present study indicated no significant difference in mean SNR between left-handed and right-handed children for all tested frequencies. In conclusion, these non-pathological characteristics of DPOAEs should be considered in the interpretation of DPOAE results for school children.