Valsa Koshy

Action research in healthcare

Introduction What Is Action Research? Engaging in Action Research Reviewing Literature Steps in the Action Research Process: Practical Considerations Gathering Data Analyzing Data and Generating Evidence Writing up and Publishing Action Research Glossary Useful Websites References

Mathematically gifted and talented learners: Theory and practice

There is growing recognition of the special needs of mathematically gifted learners. This article reviews policy developments and current research and theory on giftedness in mathematics. It includes a discussion of the nature of mathematical ability as well as the factors that make up giftedness in mathematics. The article is set in the context of current developments in Mathematics Education and Gifted Education in the UK and their implications for Science and Technology. It argues that early identification and appropriate provision for younger mathematically promising pupils capitalizes on an intellectual resource which could provide future mathematicans as well as specialists in Science or Technology. Drawing on a Vygotskian framework, it is suggested that the mathematically gifted require appropriate cognitive challenges as well as attitudinally and motivationally enhancing experiences. In the second half of this article we report on an initiative in which we worked with teachers to identify mathematically gifted pupils and to provide effective enrichment support for them, in a number of London Local Authorities. A number of significant issues are raised relating to the identification of mathematical talent, enrichment provision for students and teachers’ professional development.

Gifts, Talents and Meritocracy.

This paper investigates aspects of policy implementation that relate to ‘Excellence in Cities’, a UK government initiative. Local Education Authority (LEA) personnel and school teachers, responsible for implementing the Gifted and Talented (G&T) strand of that initiative, were interviewed. These co‐ordinators were involved in the selection of school students to participate in an interventionist programme, the Urban Scholars programme at Brunel University. The Urban Scholars programme has nine participating LEAs in the London region. The LEA co‐ordinator and one school co‐ordinator from each authority were interviewed through a semi‐structured interview schedule. They were asked the question: ‘What influenced your choice of school student for the Urban Scholars programme?’ This generated data on their definitions of gifted and talented and the way the register of pupils, selected as gifted and talented, was socially constructed. The analysis of the responses to this question suggests that the social construction of the G&T register is an example of what had been described in policy sociology literature as performativity and fabrication. Further, we found that the LEA and school co‐ordinators were struggling to align their educational philosophy with a selection process that offers particular children extra resources. The dissonance between policy and practice highlights the concept of meritocracy as problematic.

Enablers and barriers for male students transferring life skills from the sports hall into the classroom

There is a widespread belief that sport can be used as a vehicle to promote positive youth development. In particular, using sport to teach young people various life skills has become popular over the previous decade. However, little research has examined the transfer of life skills into other academic and life domains. The transfer-ability programme (TAP) was a multi-faceted intervention, which sought to deliberately teach 20 underachieving, male students life skills through sport. Previous statistical findings from TAP show the intervention groups’ academic grades significantly improved during the intervention to a level above teaching prediction. This suggests that teaching life skills through sport may reduce male underachievement. The purpose of this paper is to examine the enablers and barriers that may influence life skill transfer from the sports hall into the classroom. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 (12–13 year old) male students from a secondary school in London, UK. Analysis revealed five higher order themes: Support from peers, Pride, Opportunities, Rewards and Transfer experience. These findings are discussed with reference to how teachers and physical educators may teach life skills within their lessons, and how life skill transfer may enhance the school experience for students across the school environment.

Too long neglected: Gifted young children

SUMMARY Identifying gifted and talented children and providing appropriate educational experiences for them has been firmly placed on the educational agenda in England by the Labour government since 1999. In the U.S.A., gifted education has received a high profile for several decades. In both countries, however, the needs of the younger gifted child have received scant attention. In this paper the authors argue that it is important to make provision for this group of children. They review available research findings on both identification of younger gifted children and what we known about intervention programmes. The paper also provides a background of what is currently happening in England and in the U.S.A., with reference to younger gifted children. It is hoped that this paper will provide a framework for international debate and provide some impetus for policy making and for practitioners.

Gifted and Talented Education The English Policy Highway at a Crossroads

In 1999, the British government launched an education program for gifted and talented pupils as part of its Excellence in Cities initiative (EiC) that was initially designed to raise the educational achievement of very able pupils in state-maintained secondary schools in inner-city areas. Although some activities targeting gifted children had already been initiated by various voluntary organizations over several previous decades, this was the first time that the topic of improved provision for these pupils had been placed firmly within the national agenda. This article provides the background to the English gifted and talented policy “highway” and an overview of what was expected of schools. How practitioners responded to the policy, their beliefs and attitudes toward identifying gifted and talented pupils, and the opportunities and challenges that arose along the way to the current crossroads are explored. The need to empower teachers to feel more confident in classroom provisions for gifted and talented pupils is identified along with the potentially pivotal role of action research and “pupil voice” in the process of continued professional development and support.

Mathematics for primary teachers

Section A Introduction 1. Teaching and Learning Mathematics Paul Ernest Section B Introduction 2. Whole Numbers 3. Fractions, Decimals and Percentages 4. Number Patterns and Sequences 5. Measures 6. Shape and Space 7. Probability and Statistics 8. Mathematical Proof Section C Effective Teaching of Numeracy Margaret Brown, Kings College, London Mental Mathematics Jean Murray, Brunel University Childrens Mistakes and Misconceptions Valsa Koshy, Brunel University Using Writing to Scaffold Explanations in Mathematics Christine Mitchell and William Rawson, University of Exeter Differentiation Lesley Jones and Barbara Allebone, Goldsmiths College, University of London

The landscape of gifted and talented education in England and Wales: how are teachers implementing policy?

This paper explores the evidence relating to how primary schools are responding to the ‘gifted and talented’ initiative in England and Wales. A questionnaire survey which invited both closed and open-ended responses was carried out with a national sample of primary schools. The survey indicated an increasing proportion of coordinators, compared with a survey carried out in 1996, were identifying their gifted and talented children as well as having associated school policies. However, the survey also highlighted a number of issues which need addressing if the initiative is to achieve its objective of providing the best possible educational opportunities for children. For example, it was found that a significant number of practitioners were not aware of the existence of the National Quality Standards for gifted and talented education, provided by the UK government in 2007, and the subject-specific criteria provided by the UK’s Curriculum Authority for identification and provision have been largely ignored. The process of identifying children to be placed on the ‘gifted and talented’ register seems haphazard and based on pragmatic reasons. Analysis of teachers’ responses also revealed a range of views and theoretical positioning held by them, which have implications for classroom practice. As the ‘gifted and talented’ initiative in the UK is entering a second decade, and yet more significant changes in policy are introduced, pertinent questions need to be raised and given consideration.

A National Curriculum and the Sovereignty of Higher Ability Learners

Over the past half-century, the British education system has undergone three major changes in relation to higher ability pupils: an extension of opportunity for very able working class children to attend selective, state-funded grammar schools; a leveling out of opportunities within state-funded schools by abolishing the 11-plus examination, the purpose of which was to select higher ability pupils for grammar school entry; and the introduction of a National Curriculum, imposing statutory curriculum requirements for all state funded schools. The main focus of this paper is on the last of the three, and the way in which British teachers perceive how the National Curriculum may have affected educational opportunities and sovereignty of higher ability pupils.

Empowering the Teacher to Meet the Challenge of the Able Child

In recent years there has been an increased awareness of aspects of provision for able pupils in United Kingdom schools. This has been manifested through the amount of media coverage of the subject and an increased amount of Ofsted inspections highlighting the need for more effective provision for higher ability pupils. Yet, there seems to be very little substantial support offered to teachers in the form of longer courses relating to the education of higher ability pupils. In this paper, we describe some aspects of an in‐service programme offered to practising teachers which were evaluated by the participants as useful and practical. The context of the article is our on‐going work at the Brunei Able Childrens Education (BACE) centre, providing teacher support and conducting research on aspects of educating able children.