The present study sought to examine the justification of faculty claims regarding bias in students' assessments of faculty performance that stem from external factors which do not include the quality of their teaching. Specifically, we sought to examine the hypothesis that there is a correlation between lecturer ranking and grades given by…

This article explores how racial, cultural, and linguistic diversity are addressed in secondary English curriculum policy in Massachusetts, U.S.A. Data are analyzed through theories of the sociology of knowledge and the myth of the United States melting pot. Analysis revealed that curriculum policy privileged Eurocentric literature and the English…

The experience of teaching informal logic (sometimes called practical logic) at the introductory level over the last fifteen years has allowed the author the opportunity to identify some interesting problems. These problems have been encountered by students attempting to understand some of the ideas presented in the informal logic course and by…

In a pioneering study undertaken in Pakistan, urban men's sexual behaviors, perceptions and knowledge regarding sexually transmitted infections including HIV/AIDS were determined by employing both qualitative and quantitative research methods. Focus group discussions were carried out initially and followed by a structured cross sectional survey…

Meiosis is a biological concept that is both complex and important for students to learn. This study aims to explore first-year biology students' explanations of the process of meiosis, using an explicit theoretical framework provided by the Structure of the Observed Learning Outcome (SOLO) model. The research was based on responses of 334…

Scotchmoor and a team of natural scientists, social scientists, philosophers, and educators developed a Web site called Understanding Science ("www.understandingscience.org") to explain to teachers, students, and the general public "how science "really" works." The site, launched in January 2009 and funded by the National Science Foundation,…

The idea of integrating programs for the gifted into the total fabric of the school program is so central to the work of the field in the last 20 years or so that it is hard to believe that the myth of separatism is still alive and well. There is little question but that gifted programs must show a connection to the work that all of public…

Doctoral students in counselor education programs and their major academic advisers may unfortunately encounter role confusion in their relationships, affecting both parties personally and professionally. To mitigate misunderstandings, the authors recommend the use of adviser disclosure statements. Advantages for faculty members and students are…

This article challenges a number of assumptions underlying marking of student work in British universities. It argues that, in developing rigorous moderation procedures, we have created a huge burden for markers which adds little to accuracy and reliability but creates additional work for staff, constrains assessment choices and slows down…

There is speculation about madaris in Pakistan as sources of terrorists and about levels and reasons for enrolment, but a dearth of empirical data. We studied madarsah enrolment among 53,960 representative households; 853 focus groups of parents discussed enrolment choices. In 2004, 2.6% of all children (3.8% of school-going children) aged 5-9…

Utilising Pierre Bourdieu's formula for studying social practice, this study explored the construction of technological expertise amongst a heterogeneous group of New Zealand teenagers. The qualitative study employed observations and interviews with five boys and three girls aged 13-17, who considered themselves to be technological experts; their…

Creativity is generally considered to be something to encourage in young children. It is, however, popularly associated more with the arts than with the sciences. This study used phenomenographic analysis to identify some primary school student teachers' conceptions of creativity in school science lessons (a class of 16 final year students on a…

Recent policy changes have facilitated an expanded role for VET in Schools in supporting school completion, with vocational education and training (VET) in schools qualifications and subjects receiving increasing recognition in senior secondary certificates. Despite increased attainment of VET qualifications amongst 15 to 19-year-olds (Australian…

Scientists' involvement in education has increased in recent years due to mechanisms such as the National Science Foundation's "broader impacts" expectations for research projects. The best investment of their effort lies in sharing their expertise on the nature and processes of science; film is one medium by which this can be done…

There is an inextricable link between democracy, education and the law. After 15 years of constitutional democracy, the alarming percentage of dysfunctional schools raises questions about the efficacy of the system of local school governance. We report on the findings of quantitative and qualitative research on the democratisation of schools and…