John Jessel

Snow White in different guises: Interlingual and intercultural exchanges between grandparents and young children at home in East London

Grandparents play a significant role in childcare and one activity that frequently occurs within this context is story-reading. However, relatively little attention has been given to the potential part that grandparents can play in terms of language and literacy development of young children.This article reports on work investigating the interlingual and intercultural exchanges occurring in a home setting in East London. In particular, it focuses on how the traditional heritage pattern of story and rhyme reading by a grandmother of Bengali origin is fused with practices experienced by her six-year old grandchild.The data reveal not only the multiple worlds inhabited by the grandchild during story-reading but also the syncretism of these worlds on a number of levels.This article contributes to the small but growing body of investigation into the reading styles occurring within families from different cultural backgrounds.

Investigating the extent and use of peer support initiatives in English schools

This survey aims to give a broad overview of the way peer support is currently used in English primary and secondary schools, and to highlight common patterns. Regional strata samples of schools were selected from an online database. Questionnaire data were obtained from 240 schools (130 primary and 110 secondary), of which 186 had peer support schemes. An adjusted estimation (which makes some correction for non‐response error) suggests that 62% of schools are using a structured peer support scheme. The survey results also give an indication of some common patterns and commonalities in the characteristics of existing schemes, as well as some differences between primary and secondary schools. The implementation of peer support is often multi‐dimensional, particularly in secondary schools after a scheme had been running for some time. The findings are discussed in relation to previous research and in terms of the nature of school‐based peer support programmes.

Intergenerational Learning Events Around the Computer: A Site for Linguistic and Cultural Exchange

The computer is widely recognised as a cultural tool with the potential to enhance learning, and children are considered to develop ICT skills with particular facility. However, young children still require assistance in order to gain the maximum educational benefit. This study investigates how such assistance was given to 3–6 year olds by their grandparents in Sylheti/Bengali-speaking families and monolingual English-speaking families living in East London. A multimodal analysis of video-recorded computer activities reveals the reciprocity of teaching and learning taking place between the generations. In each case, grandparents and grandchildren combined their resources in order to negotiate the activity, with adults usually providing knowledge of literacy and numeracy whilst children helped with computer skills. The intergenerational exchange was especially evident in Sylheti/Bengali-speaking families, where grandparents were less familiar with English or with the computer and operated bilingually with their grandchildren to co-construct learning. However, the support offered by grandparents was found to have common elements in all families, as they helped children to structure the learning event, maintain concentration and accomplish tasks relying on linguistic and cultural knowledge.

Reflective and Reflexive Practice in Initial Teacher Education: a critical case study

Abstract This article outlines approaches that are being adopted to encourage students training to be teachers on a Postgraduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) course to reflect upon their teaching. It takes the form of a special case designed to nurture good practice in Teacher Education. Applications for those working in higher education are discussed. A distinction has been made between reflection and reflexivity (Ashmore, 1989; Bourdieu & Wacquant, 1992). It was found that engaging students in reflexivity can have benefits in terms of classroom effectiveness and reflective writing can play an enhancing role in this process. It was found that many students were judged to have exhibited reflexivity in their teaching and in their written work. Ways in which the emphasis on reflective practice has led to the development of classroom skills were identified.

A Research Approach to Information Technology Development in Initial Teacher Education

ABSTRACT This paper presents the main ideas arising from the preliminary research and development work carried out by the Initial Teacher Education and New Technology project (INTENT) in the United Kingdom (UK). The opening two sections provide a rationale for integrating research with development in this field and describe the projects structure and aims (see also INTENT, 1992). The main body of the paper explores a number of issues including: possible management structures for supporting information technology development; strategies for leading the professional development of colleagues; and the resource implications of a project such as INTENT. The final section explores some questions of broader concern, such as: the possibility of teaching transferable skills for approaching technology; the need to take account of the diversities of ‘culture’ which exist in initial teacher education institutions; and the dilemma posed by the importance of subjecting information technology to critical appraisal whil...

Teachers' Experience and Reflections on Game-Based Learning in the Primary Classroom: Views from England and Italy

This study aims to provide a comparative account of teachers’ experience and views of their role when using digital games in primary classrooms in England and Italy. Interviews and a survey administered online and in hardcopy were used to find out teachers’ perceptions of game-based learning and how these impact upon their role as a teacher. This research also considers the interview findings in relation to the dynamics between curriculum design, learning culture and practice when implementing game-based learning. A strong link was found between how learning is designed to incorporate digital games, the theories and strategies that have been used in the context of a given curriculum and how these are realised in practice within the classroom. The research also showed that teachers are aware that their roles when using new technologies in education have changed. However, because of the lack of necessary training, teachers are not clear on how to adopt these changes. In some respects the curriculum was regarded to be flexible enough to accommodate game-based learning, however, in other respects it was felt that a more radical reform this would be needed. The difference in country-specific curricula, pedagogy and practice highlights the need for a flexible model or approach of embedding digital games into primary classrooms in a way that is sensitive to context. Some practical guidelines based on the current work are also provided.

Information Technology and Armenian Schooling: a possibility for change

ABSTRACT Following a major earthquake in Leninakan, Armenia, in 1988 the British government built a school for 400 pupils aged between 6 and 16 years. We report on some of the pedagogical, staff development, and management issues arising from the introduction and use of information technology facilities within that school. In particular, we argue for moving away from the more technical focus for information technology that prevails in the curriculum inherited from the former Soviet system. Strategies for further developments are then considered.