title: Promoting higher levels of reflective writing in student journals

authors: Hume, Anne Christine

subjects: levels of reflective writing

abstract: This paper traces the development over several years of an initiative involving student journals that was introduced into a tertiary science education course for pre-service teachers to promote enhanced learning of how to teach science. Very soon after introducing the journals into course work the lecturer began engaging in 'unplanned' informal reflection (reflection-in-action and reflection-on-action) when she witnessed the shallow, often trivial nature of her students' reflective writing and the lack of pedagogical insights they were gaining from the exercise. Motivated by her own ongoing scholarship the lecturer introduced purposeful coaching of reflective skills into her pedagogy to scaffold students' learning and promote more useful reflection. The impact of these interventions on students' reflective capabilities and learning were investigated using a formal action research cycle. Findings indicate that student teachers' reflective skills improved and resulted in deeper and more focused thinking about how to teach science for learning.

text: Promoting higher levels of reflective writing in student journals This paper traces the development over several years of an initiative involving student journals that was introduced into a tertiary science education course for pre-service teachers to promote enhanced learning of how to teach science. Very soon after introducing the journals into course work the lecturer began engaging in 'unplanned' informal reflection (reflection-in-action and reflection-on-action) when she witnessed the shallow, often trivial nature of her students' reflective writing and the lack of pedagogical insights they were gaining from the exercise. Motivated by her own ongoing scholarship the lecturer introduced purposeful coaching of reflective skills into her pedagogy to scaffold students' learning and promote more useful reflection. The impact of these interventions on students' reflective capabilities and learning were investigated using a formal action research cycle. Findings indicate that student teachers' reflective skills improved and resulted in deeper and more focused thinking about how to teach science for learning.

year: 2009

title: Tragedy and farce, attending 'violently' to the discipline of the conjuncture

authors: Smith, Thomas

subjects: Conjunctural Analysis

abstract: Beginning with justifying the focus on history as a core part of any analysis of society - this section details how the ‘science’ of social sciences should be viewed/constructed. Further, discussion will shift toward a critique of the Althusserian view of Marx’s method and the notion of an ahistorical and non-ideological ‘true’ Marxist science. The key issue is that Althusser’s ahistorical Marxism fundamentally weakens the Marxist sciences ability to enact social change and develop a historically significant project. This in part is why the left (at least academically) is unable to develop a tangible counter-hegemonic project. Following this I acknowledge the importance of some of the core concepts developed by Althusser (the Problematic, overdetermination, contradiction etc.) Shifting from here into Hall’s analysis of the 1857 introduction to the Grundrisse, a view of Marx’s methodology which I feel is more in line with my intended project will be outlined. This is a historical reading of Marx and cements the importance of history as a tool to understand and analyse the mechanisms of society as it plays out within the long range unfolding of capitalism. Hall’s development from here of a detailed methodology for conjunctural analysis, alongside defining what is meant by conjuncture, introduces a topic important to the following chapters, Thatcherism and the birth of neoliberalism. Following Halls analysis, a reading of Marx’s Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte is discussed as an exemplar of a historical conjunctural analysis which can still offer key insights into the emerging conjunctural moments of the present, despite the temporal difference from the events of the text. Finally, the lessons of the Eighteenth Brumaire are applied to the present moment of conjunctural crisis in the rise of Trump and his specific brand of Bonapartism. The key comparisons and similarities are discussed with a view to using the example as a springboard for investigating the terrain so as to better understand what is required for a coherent counter-hegemonic movement on the Left.

text: Tragedy and farce, attending 'violently' to the discipline of the conjuncture Beginning with justifying the focus on history as a core part of any analysis of society - this section details how the ‘science’ of social sciences should be viewed/constructed. Further, discussion will shift toward a critique of the Althusserian view of Marx’s method and the notion of an ahistorical and non-ideological ‘true’ Marxist science. The key issue is that Althusser’s ahistorical Marxism fundamentally weakens the Marxist sciences ability to enact social change and develop a historically significant project. This in part is why the left (at least academically) is unable to develop a tangible counter-hegemonic project. Following this I acknowledge the importance of some of the core concepts developed by Althusser (the Problematic, overdetermination, contradiction etc.) Shifting from here into Hall’s analysis of the 1857 introduction to the Grundrisse, a view of Marx’s methodology which I feel is more in line with my intended project will be outlined. This is a historical reading of Marx and cements the importance of history as a tool to understand and analyse the mechanisms of society as it plays out within the long range unfolding of capitalism. Hall’s development from here of a detailed methodology for conjunctural analysis, alongside defining what is meant by conjuncture, introduces a topic important to the following chapters, Thatcherism and the birth of neoliberalism. Following Halls analysis, a reading of Marx’s Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte is discussed as an exemplar of a historical conjunctural analysis which can still offer key insights into the emerging conjunctural moments of the present, despite the temporal difference from the events of the text. Finally, the lessons of the Eighteenth Brumaire are applied to the present moment of conjunctural crisis in the rise of Trump and his specific brand of Bonapartism. The key comparisons and similarities are discussed with a view to using the example as a springboard for investigating the terrain so as to better understand what is required for a coherent counter-hegemonic movement on the Left.

year: 2019

title: Chief’s Mana in action; a study investigating the team’s perspective.

authors: Howarth, Joelene

subjects: Sports psychology

abstract: Team culture, and its relevance to performance behaviour and attitudes, has recently gained increased focus in sport psychology research and practice (Schroeder, 2010; Cruickshank & Collins 2012; Morgan, Fletcher & Sarkar, 2014). Cruickshank and Collins (2012) state that“high performing cultures prevail when the shared perception and action of the elite team environment members; (a) supports sustained optimal performance; (b) persists across time in the face of variable results(i.e. wins, losses, ties); and most importantly, (c) leads to consistently high performance” (p.340). Spink et al. (2013) found preliminary evidence that a positive psychological climate, as defined by the significance and meaning of the work environment to the individual, is also linked to increased athlete effort. Various researchers suggests that it is a difficult task to change, cultivate and maintain a team culture, that is the social and psychological environment, which promotes best performance (Cruickshank & Collins 2012; Schroeder, 2010).

text: Chief’s Mana in action; a study investigating the team’s perspective. Team culture, and its relevance to performance behaviour and attitudes, has recently gained increased focus in sport psychology research and practice (Schroeder, 2010; Cruickshank & Collins 2012; Morgan, Fletcher & Sarkar, 2014). Cruickshank and Collins (2012) state that“high performing cultures prevail when the shared perception and action of the elite team environment members; (a) supports sustained optimal performance; (b) persists across time in the face of variable results(i.e. wins, losses, ties); and most importantly, (c) leads to consistently high performance” (p.340). Spink et al. (2013) found preliminary evidence that a positive psychological climate, as defined by the significance and meaning of the work environment to the individual, is also linked to increased athlete effort. Various researchers suggests that it is a difficult task to change, cultivate and maintain a team culture, that is the social and psychological environment, which promotes best performance (Cruickshank & Collins 2012; Schroeder, 2010).

year: 2016