Seminars
"Parents Count Too: Exploring the Role of Home Numeracy Activities in Children’s Early Mathematics"
Tuesday 9 June 2009 4.30 to 6pm
Jo-Anne LeFevre
Professor of Psychology and Cognitive Science, Carleton University
All children come to school with a variety of early numeracy skills and yet some children are much more prepared for subsequent mathematical instruction than others. I will discuss data from several studies in which we connected home numeracy activities with children’s mathematical achievement. Home numeracy activities can be broadly categorized either as direct (e.g., practicing arithmetic facts, counting objects) or indirect (e.g., playing games that involve numbers; measuring while cooking). Our data suggests that both kinds of activities are related to mathematical outcomes for 5- to 8-year-old children, but that direct and indirect activities may foster different aspects of mathematical skill. Surprisingly, few researchers have linked the mathematical content of specific home activities with children’s performance. I will discuss various factors (such as parent and teacher attitudes towards their own mathematical skills) that might have led to neglect or disinterest about the role of home numeracy experiences in children’s mathematical development.
"Researching Pakistani Teachers’ Knowledge about Mathematics, Mathematics Teaching and Learning"
Tuesday 19 May 2009 11am to 12.30pm
Munira Amirali
Aga Khan University
In this seminar I will share some findings from the first phase of my doctoral research. In phase one survey was conducted where the sample of 200 secondary school mathematics teachers was drawn both from the public and private school system. I will also share the survey questionnaire development process including the challenges faced in administering the tool in the field. In addition, I will share how the initial analysis is creating a need for further literature review.
"Interactions among curriculum, teachers, and classrooms"
Tuesday 5 May 2009 4.30 to 6.00pm
Professor Ruhama Even
Weizmann Institute of Science
This talk will present some aspects of the research program Same Teacher – Different Classes, which investigates the complex interactions among teachers, curriculum and classrooms. The methodology comprises of multiple case studies. Each case includes a teacher who teaches the same mathematics curriculum program, syllabus, or topic in two classes. Illustrations of analysis of the mathematics addressed in class will be taken from case studies of teaching the same probability syllabus in high-school classes of different matriculation levels, and from case studies of teaching the same algebra curriculum program in 7th grade classes in different schools.
"The Researching Effecting CPD in Mathematics Education (RECME) project: a discussion of the findings" (Marie Joubert, Jenni Back, Christine Hirst and Rosamund Sutherland)
Wednesday 18 March 2009, 2.00 - 3.30pm, Seminar Room D
Presented by Marie Joubert, Jenni Back and Els De Geest
Convened by Jane McNicholl
"The Development of Diagnostic Language Tests for Trainee Teachers of Modern Foreign Languages"
Thursday 28th February 2008, 1.30 pm - 3pm. Rooms K & L
Professor Brian
Richards and Dr. Jon
Roberts
Institute of Education, University of Reading
There appears to be little overall consensus in the language assessment literature on the features and precise functions of diagnostic testing. Nevertheless, we take the view that, for a specific context, it is possible to identify a set of desiderata, most of which can be found as part of published definitions, that can be operationalized in the form of tests, systematic monitoring and individualized programmes of learning.
This paper provides a model for the above and shows how it can be incorporated as a programme of formative assessment into the training of language teachers. Here the context is a one-year course for postgraduate trainees intending to teach French or German in secondary schools in England. The domain under consideration consists of areas of linguistic knowledge that are deemed essential for anyone teaching the 11-18 age range, but which are known to cause difficulty, even for postgraduate trainees, and contrasts implicit and explicit knowledge. We describe the process of identifying the areas to be tested, developing a diagnostic test and supporting instruments and procedures, followed by piloting, revision and validation trials. Additional qualitative analyses contribute to the overall evaluation, and the additional potential of the diagnostic test as a research tool is also explored.
"Teacher Supply: A golden age or back on the slippery slope? A review of recent trends in teacher supply including predictions for 2008"
Monday, 18 February 2008 5.00 - 6.30 pm, Seminar G & H, 15 Norham Gardens
John Howson, University of Oxford and Educational Data Systems
Dr Almut Sprigade, Education Data Systems
Dr David Montagu, The Royal Society
download the ppt by John Howson
download the ppt by David Montagu
"A visiting teacher educator from Hong Kong is to give a seminar for the T&TE Research Group, entitled: Issues in field experience assessment in teacher education in a standards-based context"
Tuesday, 7 October 2008 4.00 - 5.30 pm, Seminar Room E, 15 Norham Gardens
Sylvia Tang
download the ppt
download the paper: Issues in field experience assessment in teacher education in a standards-based context
download the paper: Communicating feedback in teaching practice supervision in a learning-oriented field experience assessment framework
download the paper: Supporting Student Teachers' Professional Learning with Standards-Referenced Assessment
"Some considerations on doing ethnography for a socio-cultural informed study in secondary school"
Friday, 2nd November 1.30 - 3.00 pm, Seminar E, 15 Norham Gardens
Alaster Douglas download the ppt by Alaster Douglas "Ways of Understanding the Work of School Mentors in ITE from an Activity Theoretical Perspective"
(in assocation with OSAT)
Tuesday, 6th November 2.00 - 3.30 pm, Seminar G, 15 Norham Gardens
Gill Boag-Munroe
(in association with OSAT)
download the ppt by Gill Boag-Munroe
download the bibliography to key methodological texts
"Interrogating Student Voice: Pre-occupations, purposes and possibilities"
Monday, 26 November 5.00 - 6.30 pm, Seminar G & H, 15 Norham Gardens
Professor Michael Fielding, Institute of Education, University of London
download the ppt by Michael Fielding
download suggested readings