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This paper explores how Chinese academics, working in the field of English as Foreign Language Education in universities in China, conceptualise research quality. The paper uses a phenomenological approach and four qualitative methods (survey, interview, focus groups and document analysis) to investigate what a sample of these scholars perceive as high-quality research. We found that the participants viewed quality through various lenses and identified several different criteria. We categorised their elaboration of the criteria under three headings: methodology, contextualisation and impact. The participants nominated many general criteria that were similar to western standards of research quality, especially in relation to methodology; however, some contextual criteria were specific to the Chinese context. The paper indicates that there is much in the university research community that could be altered to enable people who are directly involved in research to disseminate their criteria for research quality, and potentially to affect and develop the quality of educational research in the Chinese context, and/or elsewhere.

The purpose of this study is to explore how an online-structured dialogue environment supported (OSDE) collaborative learning about the nature of science among a group of trainee science teachers in the UK. The software used (InterLoc) is a linear text-based tool, designed to support structured argumentation with openers and "dialogue moves". A design-based research approach was used to investigate multiple sessions using InterLoc with 65 trainee science teachers. Five participants who showed differential conceptual change in terms of their Nature of Science (NOS) views were purposively selected and closely followed throughout the study by using key event recall interviews. Initially, the majority of participants held naïve views of NOS. Substantial and favourable changes in these views were evident as a result of the OSDE. An examination of the development of the five participants' NOS views indicated that the effectiveness of the InterLoc discussions was mediated by cultural, cognitive, and experiential factors. The findings suggest that InterLoc can be effective in promoting reflection and conceptual change.

Unacceptable levels of adverse healthcare events, combined with changes to training, have put the spotlight on junior doctor decision-making. This study aimed to describe the decisions made by junior doctors and the contextual factors influencing how decisions were made and justified. Stimulated recall interviews with 20 junior doctors across five hospitals in SW England were undertaken to co-construct accounts of observers (researchers) and performers (junior doctors), enabling deep insights into individual capability and support needs. Decisions identified included prioritisation of patients and of tasks, and whether and when to intervene clinically. There were a surprising number of "inherited decisions", made by somebody else but enacted by the junior doctor. Through their decisions, participants sought various outcomes, including impressing senior staff. Two contrasting theoretical lenses that focused on the individual decision-maker and the healthcare system enabled creative ideas about supporting education and training to emerge as recommendations.

Recent dominant models of student teacher learning include apprenticeship and reflective practice, but these are now being challenged, extended and enriched by broader sociocultural models of learning. These new models direct attention to how learning is shaped by an interplay between the characteristics of the student teachers, their lecturers and their teacher mentors, and the characteristics of the university, schools and societal contexts within which these students, lecturers and mentors work. Sociocultural theories also reveal the importance of how learning is transferred and transformed as the student teacher moves between different contexts (e.g. between university and school, or between one school and another). In the context of teacher education in England, this paper explores the nature of student teachers' thinking at the end of their initial teacher education (ITE) programme, and questions how the student teachers learnt to think about teaching in these ways--in particular what they felt they learnt in the university and school contexts, and how they dealt with differences between the ideas which were valued in those different contexts. Data were collected by questionnaire from a volunteer sample of student teachers of science and mathematics close to the end of their ITE course. Questions generally called for free response answers which were transcribed, coded and then related to a framework of ideas derived from our synthesis of sociocultural theories of learning. From the insights gained, we develop a theoretical understanding of the emerging aspects of student teachers' thinking and learning which we summarise under the term "progressive filtering". We discuss the relationship of this idea to the classical literature on socialisation of teachers and on "reality shock", and also relate this idea to activity theory. We illustrate how this theoretical framework offers insights that could enable ITE to address issues which have remained problematic for some time. (Contains 7 notes and 1 table.)

For newly qualified teachers (NQTs), the induction period of support is an important phase which has the potential to deepen learning that has already taken place in initial teacher education (ITE) as well as preparing the NQT for future learning. A particularly crucial time in the induction process is the first term of teaching, when NQTs are likely to be facing a "reality shock" in relation to their new responsibilities. Data were collected by questionnaire from a volunteer sample of student teachers of science and mathematics close to the end of their ITE course and then by questionnaire from the same sample towards the end of their first term as NQTs. The questionnaires were virtually identical and both consisted mainly of free response questions. The responses were transcribed and then coded in a grounded fashion. For this paper, five cases are examined within a framework of activity theory and drawing on ideas of identity. We identify three issues relating to the changes in thinking that occur as beginning teachers move from the role of students in ITE to NQTs in schools: concern for classroom management; school support for NQTs; and boundary crossing issues. We argue that the way the role of induction tutor is enacted determines the changes in thinking that take place for NQTs. (Contains 1 note.)

Newly qualified teachers of mathematics and science are a precious resource and it important that they are provided with appropriate support and challenge during their first year in post. This study examines the developing thinking and practice of a group of such teachers in England and the influence of their mentors within the workplace context of the school. We argue that thinking and practice is restricted by the concern to "fit in", by the belief that behaviour management should be addressed before teaching can be developed and by a lack of attention to the development of pedagogical thinking. We conclude that there is a need to change the beliefs and practices of induction mentors and develop their skills in discussing pedagogical ideas. This is most likely to be achieved within a school-wide culture of continuing professional learning. (Contains 3 notes and 1 table.)

As part of the Transforming Learning Cultures in Further Education (TLC) project, questionnaire data were collected from three consecutive cohorts of students in a wide range of learning sites, initially four in each of four Further Education (FE) colleges in England. This paper focuses on changes in perceived learning environment as mapped by these questionnaire items and seeks to relate these changes to changes in the circumstances of the students and the site, as understood from the extensive qualitative data also collected by the project. Although we make no suggestion that there were simple causal relationships, there is evidence that students' perceptions of their learning environment may have been affected by student and tutor disposition, curriculum, resources, broad aspects of college policy and by details of the overall FE framework. We argue that change in perception is particularly likely where there is synergy amongst two or more of these aspects within a site. On the basis of these findings we suggest that although change can be within the control of the tutor, the degree of control available will be affected by the broader circumstances in which the tutor and their students operate. (Contains 4 figures and 1 table. "Learning sites: codes, nature of sites and number of cases for quantitative analysis" is appended.) [This article was produced by Routledge Taylor & Francis Group. Transforming Learning Cultures in Further Education (TLC) was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council. ]

To achieve its aim of deepening understanding of the complexities of learning in Further Education (FE), the Transforming Learning Cultures in FE (TLC) project developed a model of learning as a cultural activity. The purpose of this paper is to explore the implications of taking a cultural view, not of learning, but of the research itself. The paper provides a description of the TLC project in cultural terms, but is also of general interest in the field of research methodology, with the account of this project serving as an illustration of how research generally might be described in this way. The paper draws heavily on Activity Theory and on the work of Bourdieu, showing how the latter further enriches the former. It concentrates on two examples of cultural analysis of the project: (i) managing large multiple case studies; (ii) integrating qualitative and quantitative methods within a consistent interpretivist approach. In describing the multiple case studies, the paper identifies the key boundary objects that enabled the different teams to collaborate on building a project-wide understanding of learning cultures in FE thus avoiding the risk that our large project could become little more than a series of loosely connected smaller case studies. In describing the combination of qualitative and quantitative enquiry, it shows how similar boundary objects enabled us to move iteratively across the qualitative/quantitative boundary. In both analyses, the paper shows how the habitus of the members of the project team was influential in allowing these boundary objects to come into full play, and how the details of the field affected our decision-making about optimal ways of working. We argue that our research decisions were particularly influenced by aspects of habitus and field when these showed an element of synergy, and illustrate the negative impact of a lack of synergy on one aspect of our project.

This paper describes the construction and testing of a model designed to inform contributors to online collaborative dialogues about the nature of their contribution, and to guide the input from tutors who facilitate these dialogues. In particular, the model was designed to assist reflection on learning behaviours in online dialogues by participants and by tutors. The overall goal was to generate a model to help groups construct knowledge through reflection on their own contributions--rather than to provide a means for external evaluation of individual progress. To develop the model, a participatory action research methodology was used, involving interested parties in a spiral of exploration, planning, implementation, systematic observation, reflection and then re-planning. After clarification of the objective of the action research, a range of learning theories were reviewed; then constructs used in the evaluation of online learning were considered. From this reconnaissance, a prototype model was constructed. This was used by three groups actively involved in online collaboration. A synthesis of their evaluative feedback was made on the basis of which a further model was designed and then evaluated. This resulted in the authors' current model, which is presented and then itself tested. (Contains 3 tables and 2 figures.)

In an investigation of the learning of science content knowledge in a postgraduate preservice education course, it was found that the 'failure of further learning' effect can be overcome, at least in part, in well-designed courses. Nevertheless the persistence of certain misconceptions among some students did indicate the partial salience of the effect in Postgraduate Certificate in Education science courses. Although the students' confidence in their knowledge of various topics, as indicated in self-audits, was positively related to their actual knowledge as displayed in their test answers, the relationship between confidence and knowledge was not strong, particularly for the biology topics.

Argues for including the concepts of "twentieth-century physics"--relativity, quantum mechanics, and chaos theory--within the National Curriculum in science for England and Wales, which almost entirely ignores them. (Contains 16 references.) (Author/ASK)

A study that examined action plans of 60 British special schools which had failed their inspections found school target-setting was almost universally not matching the expected criteria, monitoring and evaluation were frequently confused, and there was a wide variation in the support which schools gained from local authority advisers. (Author/CR)

Raising Pupil Achievement, a mentoring program for Years 7 and 12 in a British girls' secondary school, was evaluated through interviews, questionnaires, and analysis of scores. There was evidence of enhanced attitudes toward schoolwork and of increased motivation. The program had significant influence on higher achievement in Year 12. (SK)

The paper describes research on effectiveness of teacher-based identification of third form secondary pupils in four subjects (Mathematics, Physics, English, and French). Subject specific identification was found to be more effective than previous research (identification of children with high general ability) has found. (Author/CL)

The ability for high future performance in English, French, Physics, and Mathematics was examined in 13-year-old students in 11 British comprehensive schools. Among results are that most high performers on 0-level examinations were also nominated by subject teachers as high performers. (Author/MC)

This is a review of the literature on osteogenesis imperfecta and a case report of an edentulous patient with osteogenesis imperfecta rehabilitated with implant-supported fixed prostheses in the maxilla and mandible. Quality and quantity of the bone is of paramount importance for establishment of osseointegration. In osteogenesis imperfecta bone is osteoporotic. There are few reported cases in the literature of implant placement and subsequent rehabilitation of patients with osteogenesis imperfecta. To our knowledge, this is the first reporting of successful short-term follow-up of an edentulous osteogenesis imperfecta patient with implant-supported fixed prostheses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an investigation of the learning of science content knowledge in a postgraduate preservice education course, it was found that the 'failure of further learning' effect can be overcome, at least in part, in well-designed courses. Nevertheless the persistence of certain misconceptions among some students did indicate the partial salience of the effect in Postgraduate Certificate in Education science courses. Although the students' confidence in their knowledge of various topics, as indicated in self-audits, was positively related to their actual knowledge as displayed in their test answers, the relationship between confidence and knowledge was not strong, particularly for the biology topics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research reported here is the result of a collaborative project between a group of teachers in a secondary school and two university lecturers. The group has been meeting for several years and the issue of trying to improve communication arose as a result of findings from a previous study in the school. After reviewing the literature, we were able to identify actions for teachers to trial in the school and, following data collection and analysis, we were able to refine those actions for widespread adoption in the school. We were also able to identify issues that required further exploration. The research exemplifies a way in which university and school staff can engage in collaborative, high quality research. It also identifies some of the complexities involved for schools and teachers as they try to improve practice. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]