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Functioning is a construct capturing how an individual's engagement in everyday life emerges from the interaction between the individual and their environment. The World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) provides a biopsychosocial framework of functioning. Previously, the ICF was adapted for use in autism by developing Core Sets, a selection of ICF codes from the entire classification for specific conditions. Here, we present the first revision of the ICF of the Core sets for autism from a Delphi-like technique, based on evidence from Core Sets validation/linking studies, stakeholder feedback, and the development and piloting of the autism ICF Core Sets platform. Two ICF second-level codes were removed, and 12 were added to the comprehensive autism Core Set. The added codes reflect body functions in various sensory domains, fine hand use, and environmental factors. Changes were extensive for the age-appropriate brief Core Sets where ICF codes from the initial Core Sets were added or removed. The revisions conducted indicate a continued need for regularly updating Core Sets, based on empirical evidence and stakeholder involvement. We recommend the updated Core Sets for future use in autism research and practice in different age groups and contexts.

Recent studies have reported that strengths-based programs, leveraging autistic adolescents' abilities and interests, could improve their skills and facilitate social engagement. However, little is known about the long-term impact of strengths-based approaches. This study aimed to explore the long-term outcomes of community strengths-based programs designed to support autistic adolescents in developing interests and skills in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) and the factors influencing their participation in these programs. A repeated cross-sectional survey study over three years recruited 52 parents in 2018, 52 parents in 2019, and 38 parents in 2020. Results highlighted the positive impact of these programs on autistic adolescents' health and well-being, social relationships and interactions, self-confidence and self-esteem, sense of belonging, and activities and participation. Five key elements influencing participation included the enthusiasm of the participants, their self-perception, the approach of the programs, the learning environment, and the attitudes of the mentors. This study implies that strengths-based approaches to intervention and support for autistic adolescents in a supported environment are a social model solution that could potentially have positive participant outcomes. Findings from this study could provide a framework underpinning future strengths-based interventions.

Caregivers of children with neurodiverse needs are known to experience challenges and hardship due to the increased needs of the child and the lack of support available. This study aimed to explore the support needs and well-being of caregivers of children with neurodiverse needs in Australia. Sixty-six caregivers participated in an online survey asking questions about support needs. The results highlighted five main themes that caregivers commonly experienced including: barriers to community engagement, impact on close relationships, negative impact on mental health and identity, financial hardship, and identified support needs. Findings identified multiple unmet needs existing amongst caregivers and further emphasises the importance of addressing these needs to improve the quality of life of caregivers of children with neurodiverse needs.

Previously, we described a course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) for first-year students that featured a unique approach to brain mapping in a model organism (rat). In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we adapted this course for an online learning environment, emphasizing image analysis (identifying immunoreactive signal in an immunohistochemical stain, making neuroanatomical distinctions in a cytoarchitectural stain) and translation of image data to the brain atlas. Using a quasiexperimental mixed methods approach, we evaluated aspects of student engagement and perceived gains in student confidence with respect to the nature and process of science and student science identity development. Additionally, we examined the dynamics of mentorship and student connectedness experienced in the online-only context. We found that the majority of students reported positive affective outcomes for the course in domains such as project ownership and project engagement in addition to positive responses toward perceived mentorship received during the course. Unsurprisingly, students expressed frustration in not being able to freely communicate with members of the course in an organic face-to-face environment. Furthermore, we found that students encountered greater difficulty in mastering image software skills causing a delay in producing consistent-quality data maps. From our analysis of the course, we have identified both useful approaches and areas for course improvement in any future iterations of the online research course. New & Noteworthy: Herein, we describe the process of converting a novel, face-to-face neuroanatomy course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) to an online-only research setting. We document student affective and skill gains resultant from participating in this course and examine best practices for structuring online CUREs to maximize student learning and success.

COVID-19 calls for new approaches and frameworks for the delivery of work-integrated learning (WIL). Standalone WIL opportunities are also increasingly difficult to realize, with the current economic climate limiting industry resources available for placements and WIL partnerships. The hybridized WIL model presented in this paper thus proposes the scaffolding of simulated WIL experiences into core undergraduate design curriculum to promote deep, authentic, transformational learning, fostering broader student employability. Noting a gap in design educational research relating to embedded scaffolded WIL, the paper refers to examples of scaffolded WIL experiences across core design studio subjects of a four-year embedded honors interior architecture program. Conceived as a way to prepare students for more significant standalone, cross-disciplinary and cross-national WIL, the authors argue that this model develops the professional skills required by industry and better prepares students to navigate the dynamic real-world problems that societies face, particularly during the pandemic.

Self-regulated learning theory is central to computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL) and depends on learner autonomy to create socially shared learning, and yet function within the restraints and goals of a specific class pedagogy. By integrating the rich theoretical CSCL literature with an inductively derived theory of role-playing game practice, we develop an insightful foundation for designing, implementing, and measuring the effectiveness of low-cost scripts. This takes the form of a prompt (mere exposure prompt) that nudges learners toward a pedagogical goal while maintaining freedom of learner creativity and minimizing instructor intrusion. We assert learner engagement can be viewed through the lens of role-playing's emphasis on aligning players' creative agendas with game design to create a shared imagined space. Through behavioral trace data and social network analysis, we measure behaviors that differ between test/control groups, receiving the prompt, and comparing a fully online versus blended course delivery over a semester of group-based simulated business negations following role-playing game design principles. Fully online test group members accurately recall the prompt's messages while exhibiting behaviors congruent with the pedagogical script. Learners in the blended mode recall the prompt, but their behavior is unchanged. This suggests socially shared regulation of learning in the classroom context conforms to established classroom norms, overlooking the script prompt. Learners in the fully online mode, in contrast, initiate fewer social interactions, but search out opportunities across many players, thereby demonstrating the effect of the script prompt message.

Until recently, built environments have been designed exclusively to meet the needs of neurotypical populations; however, there is increasing recognition of the need to make built environments more accommodating for neurodiverse populations, including autistic individuals. This scoping review aims to comprehensively explore and synthesise this literature on the internal built environment for autistic individuals providing recommendations for designers, policymakers and clinicians. Five electronic databases were searched, resulting in a total of 28 studies being reviewed. Recommendations are provided for design and construction, lighting, sound, aesthetics, temperature and air quality. While in its early stages, evidence demonstrating the impact that particular qualities of light, colour, sound and spatial planning have on the human sensorium is emerging. In turn, this new knowledge is informing design decisions that are progressing interior environments towards inclusivity. Understanding the positive and negative impacts of decisions made in the design of the built environment has the potential to facilitate the participation and inclusion of autistic individuals.

Content validity describes the extent to which a measure represents, and is relevant to, the construct it aims to assess. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health and derived Core/Code Sets (Sets) for autism, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder, cerebral palsy and early developmental delay and disability are adequate to establish the content validity of measures aiming to assess functioning in young children with neurodevelopmental conditions (NDCs). This article aimed to assess the content validity of comprehensive assessments of functioning for young children with NDCs against these standards. Twenty-two common measures of functioning were evaluated for content validity against the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health at a domain level, with 10 measures analysed at the item-level and compared to the Sets relevant to young children with NDCs. Measures covered between 21% and 57% of the combined Set codes and 19% to 63% of codes from specific Sets. Much of this variation was between measures, with some variation due to differences between individual Sets. The percentages reflect that measures heavily focus on activities and participation areas, with environmental factors rarely assessed. These findings are useful for clinicians, policymakers, and researchers in identifying the most appropriate measures for assessing functioning in young children with neurodevelopmental conditions.

Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs), which often engage students as early as freshman year, have become increasingly common in biology curricula. While many studies have highlighted the benefits of CUREs, little attention has been paid to responsible and ethical conduct of research (RECR) education in such contexts. Given this observation, we adopted a mixed methods approach to explore the extent to which RECR education is being implemented and assessed in biological sciences CUREs nationwide. Survey and semistructured interview data show a general awareness of the importance of incorporating RECR education into CUREs, with all respondents addressing at least one RECR topic in their courses. However, integration of RECR education within the CURE environment primarily focuses on the application of RECR during research practice, often takes the form of corrective measures, and appears to be rarely assessed. Participants reported lack of time and materials as the main barriers to purposeful inclusion of RECR education within their courses. These results underscore a need for the CURE community to develop resources and effective models to integrate RECR education into biology CUREs.

Where do novel ideas come from? What mental processes facilitate them? The disinhibition hypothesis suggests creative cognition can be assisted by reducing cognitive inhibition of ideas, facilitating looser associative thoughts to bond with one another to produce novel concepts. Past exploration of the disinhibition hypothesis has been drawn from neuroatypical populations, examining the effects of substances, mood, or distraction tasks to overcome cognitive fixation on a single idea. This study explored the disinhibition hypothesis effect on divergent thinking (a measure of creative potential), in a neurotypical population of post-graduate students (n = 50; f = 31; mean age = 24), via a dual-task distraction task (the Simon Task) designed to occupy participants' inhibitory attention. Unlike past work, the present dual-task design enables clarification of whether it is the distraction that facilitates creative responses, or whether the latter are merely an effect of the passage of time between being presented with a problem and offering a solution. Further, the repeated measures design facilitates querying to what degree this form of cognition is environmentally malleable. Participants significantly improved across all four metrics of divergent thinking (fluency; flexibility; originality; elaboration) under dual-task distraction conditions, with a large effect observed for total score improvement.

Advancement of the scientific enterprise relies on individuals conducting research in anethical and responsible manner. Educating emergent scholars in the principles of ethics/responsible conduct of research (E/RCR) is therefore critical to ensuring such advancement. The recent impetus to include authentic research opportunities as part of the undergraduate curriculum, via course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs), hasbeen shown to increase cognitive and noncognitive student outcomes. Because of theseimportant benefits, CUREs are becoming more common and often constitute the first research experience for many students. However, despite the importance of E/RCR in theresearch process, we know of few efforts to incorporate E/RCR education into CUREs. TheEthics Network for Course-based Opportunities in Undergraduate Research (ENCOUR)was created to address this concern and promote the integration of E/RCR within CUREsin the biological sciences and related disciplines. During the inaugural ENCOUR meeting, afour-pronged approach was used to develop guidelines for the effective integration of E/RCR in CUREs. This approach included: 1) defining appropriate student learning objectives;2) identifying relevant curriculum; 3) identifying relevant assessments; and 4) defining keyaspects of professional development for CURE facilitators. Meeting outcomes, includingthe aforementioned E/RCR guidelines, are described herein.

This article draws attention to international evidence that highlights the value and challenges of promoting youth participation among and for young people affected by, or at risk of, sexual violence. The article draws on evidence from two pan-European projects that took place between 2013 and 2017 and aimed to give young people a voice in order to prevent sexual violence. The central argument of the article is that young people, particularly those directly affected by sexual violence, including those affected by child sexual exploitation, have an important role to play in shaping practice and policy which addresses sexual violence. However, participation work is complex and requires training, resources and support to enable practitioners to undertake this work with the necessary confidence and skills to safely, ethically and meaningfully engage young people. Involving young people affected by sexual violence is significant and goes beyond generic discourse regarding participation as there are specific risk factors associated with working with "marginalised" or "hard to engage" young people . We suggest that this evidence can inform international policy and practice. Organisations, and in turn State parties, need to properly resource such work and meet their obligations, which are outlined in European conventions.

Employment within student affairs divisions offers environments in which students can apply the knowledge they have gained, as well as acquire new competencies, helping them to build solid foundations for their futures. Researchers used an online survey to assess the outcomes associated with part-time student employment within the student affairs division at a large Midwest university. Results show duration of employment, rank, sense of community, civic engagement, and cultural awareness to be strong predictors of student development in preparation for their futures.

This paper examines the current level of ethics integration across the accounting curriculum, analyzing the quantity, methods and topics included in coverage. Results of a survey of U.S. accounting faculty from 44 states and 97 different institutions on these issues are presented. The study is broken into two sections: the actual level of ethics integration and what is actually being taught. Prior research in the field has been limited to the extent to which ethics is covered in the classroom and avoided looking at what specifically is being done. This study extends this research by providing an update on the level of coverage as it exists today in the U.S., and by identifying the specific ethics topics being covered. Overall, we find that ethics integration efforts on a per-course basis are modest, and may be inadequate. We suggest that accounting programs that integrate ethics develop a formal ethics integration plan to ensure essential topics are covered, and to maximize the impact on students' ethics.

The design and fabrication of functional scientific instrumentation allows students to forge a link between commonly reported numbers and physical material properties. Here, a two-point and four-point probe station for measuring electrical properties of solid materials is fabricated via 3D printing utilizing an inexpensive benchtop fused-deposition modeling system and designed by standard computer-aided design software. Stainless steel tapestry needles serve as probes for contacting a sample; these are also electroplated in order to study their electrical performance, and provide a framework for discussion of electrical charge transport, contact resistance, and conductivity in materials. A microcontroller board is integrated into the probe and controlled using open-source software. Our robust and simple design provides an instrument that is easily fabricated by students and readily applied to a wide range of classroom settings focused on materials science, mechanical and electrical engineering, as well as solid-state physics and chemistry. This 3D printed probe station costs less than $100 US in materials per unit excluding source meter. We demonstrate that two- and four-point resistance measurements carried out on a solid-state semiconductor differ only by less than 5% in magnitude when compared to data collected using a standard and expensive commercial probe station. Two- and four-point resistance measurements carried out on gold deposited on silicon and on the soft nanostructured organic semiconductor poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) result in reproducible and accurate current versus voltage (I-V) curves.

Critical Race Theory (CRT) is formed from a series of different methodological tools to expose and address racism and discrimination. Counter-stories are one of these tools. This article considers the potential of counter-stories as a methodological, theoretical and practical tool to analyse existing educational inequalities for Traveller communities. Although discrimination towards Traveller communities is well documented, there has been limited use of CRT to examine this position and challenge the social injustice they experience. In this article "stock stories", or commonly held assumptions and stereotypes about Traveller communities are highlighted and refuted with Travellers' own accounts. It is hoped this article will dispel stock stories, raise awareness of the real inequalities Travellers face and inform methodological debate.

The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) is an Irish amateur sporting and cultural organisation. It represents in excess of 20,000 teams nationwide and is committed to supporting the development of players and coaches through its Coach Education Programme (CEP). A strategic goal of the CEP is to supplement the traditional field based coach education model with a blended learning approach using online multimedia resources. Two eLearning professionals employed by the GAA are seeking to develop online resources to enhance the knowledge and skills of coaches nationwide. Whilst both professionals possess the expertise and relevant technical skills to create high quality resources, their participation in a Masters in Education and Training Management (eLearning) programme in the Institute of Education, Dublin City University (DCU) is ensuring that the multimedia resources will be based on solid pedagogical insights in order to facilitate the organisation's move to online learning.

Testing water samples for arsenic contamination has become an important water quality issue worldwide. Arsenic usually occurs in very small concentrations, and a sensitive analytical method is needed. We present here a 1-day laboratory module developed to introduce Earth Sciences and/or Chemistry student undergraduates to key aspects of this topical issue. In this practical session, students were first introduced to the worldwide problems of arsenic contamination in groundwaters as a motivation of the experimental work. The latter consisted of quantification of arsenic levels in surface and drinking water at trace levels (nM, ppb) using the electroanalytical technique of anodic stripping voltammetry and the method of standard addition. Results were discussed with respect to water quality guidelines and geology. The complexity of data interpretation in this exercise can be tailored to a range of abilities and subject areas suited to the students and the course.

Research globally has shown that many children lose interest in science towards the end of primary school and throughout the post-primary phase. This article explores children's experience and views in Irish schools that have adopted innovative practices that aim to empower, excite and inspire children in science. One of these focuses on explicit teaching of the nature of science, using an inquiry-based science approach. The second involves a 25-week programme whereby scientists and primary teachers co-teach "rocket science" through games, experiments and challenges. Children's views are used to suggest some recommendations, which may help to improve their experience of science during transition from the primary to the post-primary phase.

This chapter will discuss how institutional research professionals might integrate co-curricular learning outcomes into larger measures of institutional effectiveness. By mapping co-curricular learning outcomes to align with curricular and institutional goals, linkages can be made that demonstrate mission-congruent activities and outcomes across the institution.

Synthesizing and testing bicomposite adsorbents for the removal of environmentally problematic oxy-anions is high on the agenda of research-led universities. Here we present a laboratory module successfully developed at Imperial College London that introduces the advanced undergraduate student in engineering (chemical, civil, earth) and science (chemistry, materials, earth science) to several fundamental principles associated with this research area in a simple, engaging and safe way. This includes (i) the synthesis of inorganic bicomposite sorbents, (ii) the evaluation of the adsorption-removal process, and (iii) the analysis of the sorbate; all underpinned by theory. We devise an experiment using phosphate oxyanions and an iron-titanium oxide bicomposite sorbent, which is simple to synthesize. The adsorption of phosphate solutions of varying concentration is tested and assessed at pH 5 and 9. Phosphate concentrations at equilibrium are analyzed using UV-vis spectroscopy to plot adsorption isotherms and compare the Langmuir and Freundlich models. This topical introduction to environmental engineering is an excellent opportunity to investigate adsorption processes. The complexity of data interpretation can be tailored to a range of abilities, and the topics addressed in the experiment are relevant starting points for further exploration of environmental geochemistry, pollution control, element transport, and adsorption. We present ready-to-use spreadsheets for the students to facilitate data analysis.

The difficulties Traveller pupils experience in school are well documented. Yet those in home educating go unreported. Monk suggests this is because some groups are overlooked; that gypsies and Travellers are often not perceived as home educators. This article highlights how the move to home education is seldom a free choice for Traveller families. Although existing literature suggests this is a consequence of Traveller culture and mobility patterns, this article argues that problems in school drive uptake. Issues of race and ethnicity continue to drive educational inequality and there is an urgent need to redress this is in educational policy and practice.

Qualitative interviews were employed to assess the effectiveness of a leadership program geared toward African American male personal and professional development, and to examine the relationship between program participation and connectedness. Elements of both social engagement (mentoring and being mentored, peer-to-peer relationships, and networking) and student/professional development (pre-entry characteristics, self-awareness and reflection, legacy planning and succession, and leadership skills) were found to be important to personal and professional development.

The Electronic Learning and Mobility Project (ELAMP) was a nationally funded project by the Department for Children, Schools and Families, which ran from 2004 to 2010. The main aim of ELAMP was to improve the education of Traveller children, particularly highly mobile learners. ELAMP focussed upon the use of mobile technology and distance learning to support, enhance and extend young Travellers' educational and vocational opportunities. This article will reflect upon the learning and technological experiences and opportunities that the ELAMP project provided for Traveller children, young people and their families. In doing so it will critically consider the value of information technology in working with Traveller communities and advancing their educational opportunities. Reviewing ELAMP work will also demonstrate how the use of mobile technology can improve educational outcomes and Traveller families' digital inclusion. Now that the project has ended, this article will question why we are not using what we learnt from ELAMP to move forward. The author was a tutor on the project who also evaluated the Strand B, Wider Key Skills element of ELAMP for The University of Sheffield between 2008 and 2010, which is the main focus of this particular article. (Contains 8 notes.)

This article presents an interview with Paul Avon, the former executive director of the Canadian Virtual College Consortium. Avon has spent over fifteen years in the distance learning (DL) field managing the production and delivery of online learning at TVOntario, Humber College, the Sri Lankan National Online Distance Education Service, and the American University of Afghanistan. Avon is now living in Sri Lanka and working on commercial online projects. In the interview, Avon shares his experience and insights on distance education. He describes the scope and focus of the consortium that he coordinates, and how long it has been in operation.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe specific techniques of "inquiry-based learning" employed by three instructors in Engineering schools, one in Europe and two in the USA. Design/methodology/approach: Theorists such as Bransford et al. argue that twenty-first century educators need to teach students to do more than simply remember and repeat information. Engineering educators Prince and Felder critique traditional methods of teaching in which instructors focus on mathematics and theory, but fail to convey practical applications of that knowledge. They advocate moving students to a higher level of learning--past the stage of memorizing and reciting data--to more sophisticated methods of analysis, synthesis, and application of knowledge. To enact such transformations, Prince and Felder recommend "inductive teaching methods," including "inquiry-based learning," in which students learn through engaging with challenges and a series of questions. The paper provides examples of inquiry-based learning activities from each of the authors. The paper then discusses the cross-pollination of ideas and describes how the authors have shared inquiry-based teaching strategies and collaborated to develop new and relevant assignments and approaches to teaching. Findings: The willingness of learners to discuss a range of pedagogical topics, from specific practices to shared experiences and readings, led to an exchange of ideas, and also to deeper reflections on current practices. The cross-pollination of assignments and techniques resulted in well-structured, stimulating, and relevant research projects that engage engineering students from Texas to Portugal, and from communication to technical classes. Research limitations/implications: The use of inquiry-based learning activities and the sharing of resources across continents aimed at improving learning and teaching requires expanding upon and further development. Originality/value: The paper demonstrates the use of cross-pollination of ideas, development of assignments and improved approaches to teaching. (Contains 5 tables and 2 figures.)

This article is a reflective narrative bringing together personal, collective, and action learning reflections from three women: all mothers, feminists, and community psychology practitioners. Its focus on mothering highlights the interconnectedness and tensions across these roles, as well as the shared learnings arising from this collaboration. The article draws on our experiences in two participatory action research projects in different parts of Melbourne, Australia, to illustrate how our feminism informed approaches to improving mothers' and children's well-being within a community environment. Learnings for practice include the importance of support and partnership with and empowerment of mothers in all their diversity, and of community change towards communal and child-centered structures. The combined community psychology and feminist focus may assist those working with mothers in other communities. Sociocultural and political considerations include individualistic notions of motherhood, judgements about "good" and "neglectful" mothers, and lack of priority for children's needs in community contexts. (Contains 1 footnote.)

Context: Examination of factors related to the retention or voluntary turnover of Registered Nurses (RNs) has mainly focused on urban, acute care settings. Purpose: This paper explored predictors of intent to leave (ITL) a nursing position in all rural and remote practice settings in Canada. Based on the conceptual framework developed for this project, potential predictors of ITL were related to the individual RN worker, the workplace, the community context, and satisfaction related to both the workplace and the community(s) within which the RN lived and worked. Methods: A national cross-sectional mail survey of RNs in rural and remote Canada provided the data (n = 3,051) for the logistic regression analysis of predictors of ITL. Findings: We found that RNs were more likely to plan to leave their nursing position within the next 12 months if they: were male, reported higher perceived stress, did not have dependent children or relatives, had higher education, were employed by their primary agency for a shorter time, had lower community satisfaction, had greater dissatisfaction with job scheduling, had lower satisfaction with their autonomy in the workplace, were required to be on call, performed advanced decisions or practice, and worked in a remote setting. Conclusions: The statistical evidence for predictors of ITL supported our framework with determinants related to the individual, the workplace, the community, and satisfaction levels. The importance of community makes this framework uniquely relevant to the rural health context. Our findings should guide policy makers and employers in developing retention strategies. (Contains 1 figure and 3 tables.)

What is the mechanism by which a linguistic change advances across successive generations of speakers? We explore this question by using the model of incrementation provided in Labov 2001 and analyzing six current changes in English. Extending Labov's focus on recent and vigorous phonological changes, we target ongoing morphosyntactic(-semantic) and discourse-pragmatic changes. Our results provide a striking validation of the incrementation model, confirming its value as a key to understanding the evolution of linguistic systems. However, although our findings reveal the predicted peak in the apparent-time progress of a change and corroborate the female tendency to lead innovation, there is no absolute contrast between men and women with respect to incrementation. Instead, quantitative differences in the social embedding of linguistic change correlate with the rate of the change in the speech community.

Post-secondary education sees an increasing variety of instructional media and an increasing diversity among learners. The goal of this study was to ascertain whether students of different learning styles, majors, and genders benefited from particular instructional media. Students completed a learning styles inventory and a survey of perceived usefulness of each instructional medium. Qualitative information was collected in student focus groups. All students perceived some of the same instructional media as useful and all valued a mix of media. A rich ecology of media appears to enhance student learning. (Contains 2 tables, 2 figures, and 1 note.)

This article presents one part of a wider study which looks at the space afforded to MFL teachers to make decisions about their teaching at the planning stage and in the classroom. The article focuses on the classroom observations which were one of the sources for the collection of rich data. In an attempt to quantify the space available, the study looks for evidence of interaction between the participants in the lessons with close analysis of the work of three MFL teachers. Interaction can take on different meanings to different people and I use it to mean an exchange, not necessarily vocal, between pupils and teacher. The article looks at the space for interaction in modern foreign languages lessons and compares Key Stage 3 (KS 3) with GCSE Key Stage 4 (KS 4) classes through an analysis of the data gathered in lesson observations. For each teacher two slices of lessons are analysed allowing comparison of the types of interaction between KS 3 and KS 4 lessons. The initial findings seem to indicate that some teachers adopt a more instructional style as they move into KS 4 and closer to the GCSE examination. In GCSE classes, there is a marked increase in the number of instructions as opposed to interactions together with an indication that in KS 4, more tasks are conducted as tests than is the case in KS 3. This difference has implications for the scope available to the MFL teachers in shaping their lessons. (Contains 2 tables.)

This article describes an assignment for a secondary education course in which students compiled curriculum resource guides on ability, class, sexual identity, gender identity, and race/ethnicity. Student groups presented at least twenty resources, with no more than four resources of the same medium. Resources included videos, books, guest speakers, organizations, websites, music, and art. This assignment helped students expand their knowledge of current sociopolitical issues in education and provided for the development of resource guides that could be used in their future teaching practices. For this annotated resource guide, authors researched and compiled appropriate resources provided by the students. Also included are additional resources as deemed relevant to this collective guide. The course context and the course theoretical framework are explained, and a variety of resources that K-12 teachers may use when considering issues of ability, class, sexual identity, gender identity, and race/ethnicity within the context of their classroom curricula are presented.

Whereas many researchers have examined differences in values and behavior between Westerners and Asians, fewer have investigated differences within Asian cultural groups. A recent government initiative in Taiwan to encourage international education has led to the development of an international MBA program at the National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan; both Chinese and Southeast Asian students participate in the program. They exhibit different behaviors in their classes, particularly in their postings in online discussion boards. For reasons that can be partly explained by the students' responses on a Chinese-Value Survey, Chinese students tend to post fewer messages than Southeast Asians, and both groups post fewer messages than Westerners in the classes under study. Instructors in multicultural classes have to consider such differences when they design assignments and set expectations for students in online discussions. (Contains 1 table.)

We draw on two studies of student teachers as they learn about learning while interacting with pupils. We argue that the affective notion of relational agency needs to become more central to understanding pedagogy if we are to prepare learners for the demands of the knowledge age. Here relational agency is defined as a capacity to engage with the dispositions of others in order to interpret and act on the object of our actions in enhanced ways. The social practices of settings in which these dispositions for collaborative engagement are enacted are examined using the conceptual tools of sociocultural psychology and activity theory. Implications for both the learning of pupils and of student teachers are discussed.

Since 1997, the key trend in work has been the widening gap between good jobs and bad jobs. CONFINTEA took place in the middle of an international boom in high-tech development, with attendant optimism around creation of a "knowledge economy". While the subsequent crash of this sector is no doubt temporary, it draws attention to the volatility of the economic environment in which discussion of learning and work takes place. Both within member states and in the global south, the proportion of stable, healthy and well-paying jobs has been shrinking. A majority of workers on a global scale are now engaged in "non-standard" situations, whether in subsistence, the informal sector, migrant work, temporary, contract, or part-time contingent work. This article discusses the creative responses to this polarisation of income and knowledge and the need for fresh thinking to address this widening gap.

The physical and social environments are recognized as important therapeutic tools in the care of nursing home residents with dementia, yet little is known about the environments of rural nursing homes. This study was conducted in one rural health authority (16,000 km[superscript 2]) in the province of Saskatchewan. Long-term institutional care was provided in seven small (15 to 35 beds), publicly funded nursing homes, none of which had separate dementia special care units (SUCs). The Physical Environmental Assessment Protocol (PEAP) was used to evaluate the facilities on nine key dimensions of dementia care environments. Facilities were most supportive in "provision of privacy" and least supportive on "maximizing awareness and orientation." Focus groups were conducted with registered nurses, nursing aides, and activity workers. Staff caregivers identified six special needs of residents with dementia that were difficult to meet in the nursing homes, two of which were related to the physical environment (safety and a calm, quiet environment) and four of which were related to the social environment (meaningful activity and one-to-one contact, opportunity to use remaining abilities, flexible policy, and knowledgeable caregivers who enjoy working with persons with dementia). Staff suggested separate dementia SCUs as one approach to managing dementia care but also identified challenges in creating dementia units in small rural facilities. Results provide support for conceptual models of dementia care settings that emphasize the interaction of organizational, social, and physical factors. (Contains 3 tables.) [Abstract provided in both French and English.]

Conducted a confirmatory factor analysis of score profiles of the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) in the United Kingdom to determine whether tests can replace teacher-assessed coursework in the GCSE. Results suggest that replacing school project work by tests could undo a wholesale replacement of school project work by tests. (SLD)

A Canadian involved in trade union education reflects on the application of Freire's ideas in his work and the ways in which the labor movement has diverged from these ideas. (SK)

This study examined the relationship between perceived stress in family, school, and peer-group situations and four measures of psychological well-being. The sample of Canadian adolescents was studied to determine the mental health consequences of stress and the moderator effects of locus of control orientation on stress-outcome relationships. (DWH)

Teachers who were newly trained in Northern Ireland in 1985 and who found employment completed a questionnaire regarding their participation in either external or school-based induction programs. Secondary teachers were compared with primary teachers. Results are discussed. (Author/MT)

Great Britain's Nuffield report and the United States' Millis report suggesting strategies for reform in pharmaceutical education and pharmacy practice are compared. (MSE)

Discusses guidelines for the development of microcomputer-based courseware from the perspective of the teachers. Reserarch from Northern Ireland Schools is presented that highlights software design, courseware development, and teacher education; and seven factors that contribute to teachers' perceptions of good software are described. (21 references) (Author/LRW)