Willeke Rietdijk

Meet the Scientist: The Value of Short Interactions Between Scientists and Students

Students have been reported to have stereotypical views of scientists as middle-aged white men in lab coats. We argue that a way to provide students with a more realistic view of scientists and their work is to provide them with the opportunity to interact with scientists during short, discussion-based sessions. For that reason, 20 scientists from 8 professional areas were asked to share their experiences of becoming and being a scientist, in short sessions with groups of 7–8 students. The student sample consisted of 223 students between 13 and 15 years. Student and scientist questionnaires were used before and after the sessions to assess students’ views of scientists and their work, and scientists’ experiences of interacting with students. The pre-session questionnaires revealed that students considered scientists as ‘boring’ and ‘nerdy’ whereas after the sessions students focused extensively on how ‘normal’ the scientists appeared to be. The face-to-face interactions with scientists allowed students to view scientists as approachable and normal people, and to begin to understand the range of scientific areas and careers that exist. Scientists viewed the scientist–student interactions as a vehicle for science communication. Implications discussed include the need for future training courses to focus on developing science communicators’ questioning and interaction skills for effective interactions with students.

A Longitudinal Study to Explore the Impact of Preservice Teacher Health Training on Early Career Teachers’ Roles as Health Promoters

Teachers play a key role in promoting children and young people’s health and therefore require health training during their initial teacher education (ITE). However, little is known about the impact of such training on teachers’ knowledge, attitudes, confidence, and competence toward promoting health in school, especially long term. We report on Phase 1 of an 18-month project examining the long-term impact of an innovative health education program, based on socio-constructivist learning and critical reflection, during preservice teacher training at one ITE university in England. It also explored barriers and facilitators to promoting health in school. We sent a questionnaire to 1,014 primary and secondary school teachers from three consecutive cohorts: preservice teachers (N = 334), newly qualified teachers (N = 334), and early careers teachers (N = 346). Of these, 164 (16%) responded (32% of preservice teachers, 8% of in-service teachers). This low response rate presents limitations but is in accordance with other research following up early career teachers. The majority of the respondents found the training useful, felt confident and knowledgeable teaching and dealing with health issues, and held positive attitudes about promoting health. They indicated that practical experience, supportive colleagues, and a positive school ethos toward children’s health and well-being were important facilitators to teaching health education. We conclude the training is associated with a positive, long-term effect in the minority who responded, and we argue that the socio-constructivist nature of the health education training is a contributor. However, school environment factors might mitigate or support the impact of training provided during ITE.

Improving physics teaching through action research: the impact of a nationwide professional development programme

This article presents an independent evaluation of the Action Research for Physics (ARP) programme, a nationwide professional development programme which trains teachers to use action research to increase student interest in physics and encourage them to take post-compulsory physics. The impact of the programme was explored from the perspective of the teacher participants, the programme tutors and the teachers’ senior managers who authorise attendance on professional development training courses. Although teachers and senior managers viewed ARP as an unmitigated success in improving classroom practice, the evaluation raises some other important implications for teaching physics and the professional development of physics teachers. Relatively few teachers have experience of action research, and there is a need for further training in this area. The study also highlights the key role of senior managers in giving physics teachers access to appropriate professional development and opportunities to carry out suitable activities in the classroom.

Enquiry-Based Science in the Infant Classroom: "Letting Go".

ABSTRACT Enquiry-based science in primary classrooms is key to encouraging childrens interest and curiosity about the world around them and as a result helps to stimulate their understanding and enjoyment of science. Yet many primary teachers lack the confidence to implement enquiry-based approaches effectively. The reasons are myriad and often result in the teacher controlling and orchestrating the lesson leaving little room for childrens exploration and autonomy. This paper explores how one infant school teacher was willing to relinquish control and ‘let go’ and expand her pedagogical repertoire to manage the many obstacles to including enquiry-based science in her classroom. The autonomy the children were given resulted in genuine enquiry-based science with the consequential benefit to their learning. Furthermore the teachers confidence and self-efficacy seem to have been raised ensuring that that she would continue to include enquiry-based science as part of her practice in the future. As a model for other primary teachers this approach could help them overcome their reticence to engage with enquiry-based science.

Teaching health education: a thematic analysis of early career teachers’ experiences following pre-service health training

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand early career teachers’ perceptions of the impact of a pre-service health education programme on their health promotion practice in schools and the contextual factors that influence this. Design/methodology/approach Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 primary and secondary trainee and qualified teachers who had trained at a university in England. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings The teachers found the training to be a useful introduction, particularly when it was relevant to their practice. They valued gaining practical skills at university, on placement and in school once qualified. They reported that witnessing pupils’ lives in school had increased their awareness that health education is important. Their personal qualities, life experience, the school’s ethos and competing pressures influenced their practice. Teachers considered that building relationships with colleagues, pupils and parents facilitated health promotion, and that health education needs to be relevant to pupils. Some teachers expressed that teaching about health could be a “minefield”. They also discussed whether schools or parents are responsible for educating pupils about health issues and the place of health promotion within education’s wider purpose. Originality/value Few studies have followed-up trainee teachers once they are in teaching posts to explore the longer-term perceived impact of pre-service health education training. The findings suggest that teachers’ development takes place via an interaction between training and practice, suggesting that training could particularly aim to provide teachers with a contextualised understanding of health issues and practical experience.

Advanced qualitative research: a guide to using theory

appropriateness of the case study today. The final chapter proposes an ‘anatomy’ of the case study. This is how a case study should be designed and constructed in three phases: locating a subject and an object; deciding whether it would be a single case study or multiple case studies; and focusing on intuition, theorisation and analysis. Finally, the authors characterise a good case study as detailed with ‘thick description’ and analysis that connects ideas and provides explanation. They emphasise that without such theorisation or analysis the deeper understanding possible from a case study may elude the researcher and result in it being simply an illustration rather than an explanation. In conclusion, Thomas and Myers systematically unpack epistemological and practical issues related to case study as a form of social science inquiry. Their work provides a clear structure for case study in social science inquiry. The authors have done an excellent job tackling the two main issues related to case study – deficiency in generalising power and lack of structure. They provide complex theoretical insights in real world research and I think readers will easily understand the technical concepts in the book because adequate explanation is given. I strongly encourage the critics of the case study method in social science inquiry to look at The Anatomy of the Case Study. I believe this book achieves its aim in offering a theoretical and practical framework with extended examples for both the experienced researcher and graduate students who choose to use a case study.

Schooling internationally: globalization, internationalization and the future for international schools

Book review of Schooling Internationally: Globalization, Internationalization and the Future for International Schools, edited by Richard Bates, Oxon, Routledge, 2011