Exploring barriers and solutions to academic writing: Perspectives from students,higher education and further education tutors     

Imose Itua  Margaret Coffey  David Merryweather  Lin Norton  Angela Foxcroft 《Journal of Further & Higher Education》2014,38(3):305-326

Staff and student perceptions of what constitutes good academic writing in both further and higher education often differ. This is reflected in written assignments which frequently fall below the expected standard. In seeking to develop the writing skills of students and propose potential solutions to writing difficulties, a study was conducted in a university and a nearby further education college in the north west of England to explore barriers and solutions to AW difficulties. This paper reports the findings generated using unmoderated focus groups with second-year university health studies students (n=70) and moderated focus groups with further education college teachers (n=3) and health studies lecturers in a university (n=6).

Findings indicated that staff and students’ perceptions of what constitutes AW differed. The barriers to academic writing that were identified included lack of time and confidence; lack of extended writing at FE level; lack of reading and understanding of academic texts or journals; referencing; and academic jargon.  相似文献   

Parenting Practices in Preschool Leading to Later Cognitive Competence: A Family Stress Model     

M. Angela Nievar  Amanda Kay Moske  Deborah Jean Johnson  Qi Chen 《Early education and development》2014,25(3):318-337

Research Findings: This study investigates the effect of the early home environment on self-regulation in preschoolers, and how self-regulation relates to later school achievement, while taking into account family resources. Participants were part of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development's Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development. Our model tested paths from family income and maternal depression through parenting to dyadic and child outcomes, including attachment, self-regulation, and child cognitive outcomes in the 1st grade. Findings indicated that family income and maternal depression had a substantial effect on parenting practices. Children whose parents did not display negative affect toward them during episodes of depression were more likely to maintain healthy attachment styles. Parenting, which was directly affected by family income, was the most important predictor of children's cognitive development. Practice or Policy: Regarding implications for practice, this research indicates that parents who provide a safe and stimulating environment for their children, despite limited financial resources or mental health issues, are more likely to have children who are prepared for school. School counselors, child care administrators, and policymakers should be aware of the importance of parenting to school success and should provide opportunities for parent education and involvement during the first years of life.  相似文献   

‘A Not-so-simple Story from My Life’: Using Auto-ethnography and Creative Writing to Re-frame the Heteronormative Narratives of School Life     

Angela Rickard 《Changing English: An International Journal of English Teaching》2014,21(4):348-358

Reflecting on my experience as a teacher and a lesbian in a second-level school in Ireland in the early 1990s, I use an auto-ethnographic approach first to explore some of the ways dominant narratives can silence, constrain and marginalise some people. Projecting forward to an imagined future, I draw on creative writing to ‘re-frame’ how identity could be represented and experienced. While it is noted that context, attitudes and experiences have changed for the better in the intervening decades, legislative frames still hold fast, and heteronormativity continues to curb expressions of difference. Adopting a creatively disruptive style and format, I hope to provide a glimpse of a new normal in schools where more positive and less alienating experiences are imaginable … for everyone.  相似文献   

Listening for Creative Voices amid the Cacophony of Fiscal Complaint about Art and Design Education     

Angela Clarke  Kylie Budge 《The International Journal of Art & Design Education》2010,29(2):153-162

The current tertiary education climate in Australia and other Organisation for Economic Co‐operation and Development (OECD) countries is one where class numbers are increasing and contact hours between students and teachers are reducing to keep them financially viable. In this context increasing pressure is being placed on teachers to essentially ‘do more with less’ and to perform well, despite the changing conditions. Students, too, are challenged to learn in an environment where they have less time with their teachers. What seems surprising is that all of this is occurring whilst the rhetoric of tertiary institutions is being more closely aligned with contemporary constructivist theories of learning with a focus on producing creative graduates. This pressure is now being keenly felt in creative disciplines where studio models of teaching, which require small classes and substantial contact hours, are seriously under threat. If tertiary institutions genuinely want to produce creative graduates there needs to be more widespread understanding of how creative processes are nurtured and creative minds are fostered. Many experienced teachers in creative disciplines have developed such understanding. Their voices need to be encouraged and supported so that the artistry of their creative pedagogies may be articulated and heard above the cacophony of fiscal complaint. We do not naively suggest that financial issues should be disregarded. We do, however, call for a middle way where sophisticated conversations, about both the quality and viability of creative educational practice, amongst all stakeholders can allow for an authentically creative future to emerge.  相似文献   

Practitioner Perceptions of the A3 Method for Process Improvement in Health Care     

John K. Visich  Angela M. Wicks  Faiza Zalila 《Decision Sciences Journal of Innovative Education》2010,8(1):191-213

The focus of this article is to present students' perceptions of the recently developed A3 method, a structured problem-solving approach based on lean concepts and tools that have been adapted to the health care environment. The students were all employees of a large health care provider and were enrolled in a customized health care executive MBA Program. Each student was required to complete an individual A3 Project in order to improve a process at the department for which they worked. At the end of the semester the students presented their A3 projects to their peers who voted on the best projects. A survey measuring perceptions of the A3 method for problem solving in health care was administered and from it we present propositions for A3 implementation. These propositions are applicable both to health care practitioners and to academic researchers.  相似文献   

Ensuring Indigenous cultural respect in Australian undergraduate nursing students     

Tamara Power  Claudia Virdun  Edward Gorman  Anna Doab  Rachel Smith  Angela Phillips 《高等教育研究与发展》2018,37(4):837-851

Like other Westernised countries, Australia’s history of colonisation, racism and oppression has impacted upon Indigenous Peoples’ health and well-being. It is also evident that institutional racism and ongoing colonisation are present in the Australian health system. Better preparation of health professionals to work in a culturally respectful way can contribute to addressing health disparities and prejudices. One approach to enabling the development of cultural respect is through embedding an Indigenous graduate attribute (IGA) across curricula and ensuring the process is thoughtfully developed and assessed. This paper describes and discusses the process of developing an assessment criteria template (ACT) to assess Indigenous cultural respect in an undergraduate nursing degree programme. Critical to the project was meaningful engagement with Indigenous stakeholders and Indigenous leadership to inform the development and implementation process. Although the context will vary globally due to the diversity of Indigenous Peoples and each country’s history of colonisation, by publishing this work, we intend to provide transparency into the process we undertook to embed and assess an IGA ACT in an undergraduate nursing curriculum. We hope this is helpful for other tertiary institutions internationally who are also engaging in this space.  相似文献   

Home Visiting Among Inner-City Families: Links to Early Academic Achievement     

Angela Nievar  Amber L. Brown  Laura Nathans  Qi Chen  Veronica Martinez-Cantu 《Early education and development》2018,29(8):1115-1128

This study examines the long-term effects of a home visiting program, Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters, on students from mostly low-income, Latino families (n = 254). Children who were in the home visiting program during their early years were compared with a similar demographic group who participated in prekindergarten in the same inner-city area but did not participate in home visiting. Data linked participation in home visiting to state test scores and other information from public schools through the end of elementary school. Research Findings: Secondary data analyses tested for intervention effects on reading and math achievement in an urban school district using 4 waves of data covering kindergarten through 5th grade. Growth curve modeling showed that participation in home visiting predicted higher academic achievement through the 5th grade. Practice or Policy: Parent-focused intervention during early childhood appears to have a lasting impact on children’s achievement. In addition to parent engagement, quality school curriculum and quality instruction affect achievement in elementary school. A comprehensive curriculum focus throughout the early school years should be implemented regardless of preparation for high-stakes testing.  相似文献   

The Play-Literacy Interface in Full-day Kindergarten Classrooms     

Angela Pyle  Jessica Prioletta  Daniel Poliszczuk 《Early Childhood Education Journal》2018,46(1):117-127

The increasing accountability framework in Kindergarten education has put pressure on teachers to ensure that students reach certain literacy milestones before proceeding to the subsequent grade. One result of this shift is a tension between an emphasis on academic learning and the use of developmentally appropriate practices, such as play. However, there is evidence that play can be an effective context for literacy development. This study investigated the enacted integration of literacy learning and play-based pedagogies. Semi-structured interviews with 12 teachers who taught using a play-based Kindergarten program revealed differences in their beliefs about the role of play for literacy learning. Two groups of teachers emerged from the data analysis. The play and development group. Consisted of five teachers who dichotomized play and learning while the integrated play and learning group consisted of seven teachers who combined play and learning. Teachers in the play and development group expressed the concept that play may not be the best approach for literacy learning and were less likely to integrate the two. Teachers in the integrated play and learning group believed play was important for children’s literacy learning and articulated a range of strategies for integration. Classroom observations of children’s play showed evidence of more literacy-play integration by students in the integrated play and learning group. Teachers in this group were also more likely to become involved in children’s play, which supported children’s literacy engagement during play. Although there were differences in play-literacy integration between the groups, all teachers expressed challenges associated with implementing a play-based learning program.  相似文献   

COVID-19 reinfection in the presence of neutralizing antibodies     

Ju Zhang  Nan Ding  Lili Ren  Rui Song  Danying Chen  Xuesen Zhao  Budong Chen  Junyan Han  Jiarui Li  Yangzi Song  Lin Di  Kai Han  Fengting Yu  Ruming Xie  Zhihai Chen  Wen Xie  Jingyuan Liu  Shan Cen  Yuhai Bi  Angela R Wu  Fujie Zhang  Chen Chen  Hui Zeng 《国家科学评论(英文版)》2021,8(4)

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