Purpose: This article illustrates how successful leaders combine the too often dichotomized practices of transformational and instructional leadership in different ways across different phases of ...their schools’ development in order to progressively shape and “layer” the improvement culture in improving students’ outcomes. Research Methods: Empirical data were drawn from a 3-year mixed-methods national study (“Impact Study”) that investigated associations between the work of principals in effective and improving primary and secondary schools in England and student outcomes as defined (but not confined) by their national examination and assessment results over 3 years. The research began with a critical survey of the extant literature, followed by a national survey that explored principals’ and key staff’s perceptions of school improvement strategies and actions that they believed had helped foster better student attainment. This was complemented by multiperspective in-depth case studies of a subsample of 20 schools. Findings: The research provides new empirical evidence of how successful principals directly and indirectly achieve and sustain improvement over time through combining both transformational and instructional leadership strategies. The findings show that schools’ abilities to improve and sustain effectiveness over the long term are not primarily the result of the principals’ leadership style but of their understanding and diagnosis of the school’s needs and their application of clearly articulated, organizationally shared educational values through multiple combinations and accumulations of time and context-sensitive strategies that are “layered” and progressively embedded in the school’s work, culture, and achievements. Implications: Mixed-methods research designs are likely to provide finer grained, more nuanced evidence-based understandings of the leadership roles and behaviors of principals who achieve and sustain educational outcomes in schools than single lens quantitative analyses, meta-analyses, or purely qualitative approaches. The findings themselves provide support for more differentiated, context sensitive training and development for aspiring and serving principals.
Rapidly occurring advancements in molecular genetics, such as recent developments in epigenetics, are challenging traditional genetics as it is taught at schools. For example, the adoption of ...epigenetics—which provides molecular mechanisms for the environment to directly alter phenotypic variation—would mean that pivotal tenets in genetics instruction, such as the central dogma, will require revision. Despite the important implications of epigenetic mechanisms in human health and biological evolution, it is seldom considered at secondary school. The aim of this research was to evaluate the possibility of introducing epigenetics to secondary school students, to foresee the conceptual barriers that might arise and, accordingly, to give some clues which might guide instruction. A short introductory lecture on epigenetics, followed by an open-ended question based in a real case showed that more than half of the students (424 students in 12 schools) were able to understand that environmental factors influence differential gene expression, and over 25% of the students at grade 12 mentioned also some epigenetic molecular mechanisms. However, the students held some conceptual barriers likely hindering comprehension of epigenetics: lack of basic genetic knowledge, genetic determinism, and misunderstanding of the process of adaptation to the environment. The results of this research suggest that it is feasible to introduce epigenetics in secondary school curriculum: at lower levels, special attention should be paid to avoid inducing misconceptions that can work as conceptual barriers to complex genetic concepts exceeding linear determinism; the explicit teaching of technical details might better be addressed at later, post-obligatory levels.
Gendered patterns in mathematics and science interest emerge in early childhood, develop over time, and ultimately reflect advanced course selection in secondary education. During the crucial time ...adolescents become aware of their strengths and interests and specialize accordingly, they get the opportunity to participate in out‐of‐school learning programs such as mathematics and science competitions. This raises the question whether mathematics and science competitions contribute to gender equity by equally promoting female and male interests. In this article, we present a systematic review on gender differences and the mechanisms explaining success and failure in mathematics and science competitions. On an international level, we found large gender differences regarding participation in all Olympiads with the exception of the biology Olympiad. In fairs and national Olympiads, overall participation rates were not gendered as such, but females preferred biology topics whereas males preferred physics related topics. Male and female achievement in fairs was comparable, but males clearly outperformed female participants at the Olympiads, with the smallest differences in the biology Olympiad. Variables and theoretical frameworks explaining participation and achievement and the role of gender in mathematics and science competitions are discussed. We suggest that gender stereotypes, through their influence on self‐concept and interest, play an important role in the mechanisms resulting in low female participation rates in and beyond mathematics and science competitions (especially in physics and chemistry). The mechanisms we found explaining female representation during a national selection competition might be considered as reflecting those in female mathematics or science careers and could thus serve as food for thought on countering the gender gap in mathematics and science.
Science curriculum is delivered to students through a controlled process at different levels and in various contexts. Although it has been said that science teachers' viewpoints and attitudes ...influence the interpretation of curricula, this study is interested in factors affecting their pedagogical perspectives, such as their beliefs and teaching practices. Therefore, the objective of this study is to assess the factors involved in forming lower secondary science teachers' pedagogical perspectives in Japan. To achieve this objective, we conducted a survey of lower secondary science teachers in the city of Hiroshima in Japan and the city of Leeds in England (we do not intend to imply that Leeds is representative of all of England). We then examined their pedagogical perspectives both quantitatively and comparatively. Based on the empirical research data, we discussed science teachers' pedagogical perspectives in the context of proximal fields of study, and with reference to research literature more closely related to the present investigation. Through empirical and theoretical analyses, we could confirm the influence of the so-called 'sociocultural contexts' composed both of the social environments that act indirectly and the cultural contexts that act directly. In other words, we concluded that sociocultural contexts imbued in Japanese society serve as universal elements and are accepted implicitly by Japan's science teachers. These customs serve to regulate science teachers' pedagogical perspectives in Japan.
The common purpose of models is to provide simplified representations of other phenomena. Depending on type, they are suitable for communication, documentation, prognostication, problem solving, and ...more. Various types of models, such as drawings, mock-ups, flow charts, and mathematical formulae, are important tools in engineering work. An introduction to the area of technological modelling is therefore an essential component in secondary technology and engineering education, both to prepare for future studies and work, and to instil a general technological literacy. Models in the form of technical drawings and physical models are mentioned in several international curricula and standards for secondary education, but the nature of models or the modelling process are seldom elaborated upon. The purpose of this article is to investigate the ‘why?’, the ‘what?’, and the ‘how?’ of teaching and learning about models and modelling in secondary technology and engineering education. We discuss the roles of models and modelling and suggest a modelling framework for technology and engineering education consisting of a six-step modelling process that can be used in education with increasing level of complexity:
identification
,
isolation
,
simplification
,
validation, verification
, and
presentation
. Examples from Swedish curricula and secondary school textbooks are used to highlight the progress (or lack thereof) concerning model creation and model use. It was found that especially
validation
and
verification
are downplayed or missing in these accounts. Special attention needs to be given to the
simplification
step, where the balance between simplicity and realism often leads to difficult decisions in the modelling process.
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