No abstract

In response to continuing concerns about student attainment and participation in science and mathematics, the epiSTEMe project took a novel approach to pedagogy in these two disciplines. Using principles identified as effective in the research literature (and combining these in a fashion not previously attempted), the project developed topic modules for early secondary-school teaching in the UK, arranged for their implementation in classrooms, and evaluated the results. This paper reports the development, implementation, and evaluation of one of the epiSTEMe science modules. Entitled Forces and Proportional Relations, the module covers standard curricular material in the domain of forces, while paying particular attention to the proportional nature of many key constructs. It was developed in collaboration with a small group of teachers; implemented subsequently in 16 classrooms, in all cases involving students from the first year of secondary school; and evaluated through comparison with first-year students in 13 control classrooms who were studying the topic using established methods. Evaluation addressed topic mastery and opinions about the topic and the manner in which it was taught. While further research is required before definite conclusions are warranted, results relating to topic mastery provide grounds for optimism about the epiSTEMe approach. Furthermore, student opinions about the module were positive.

No abstract

There is strong empirical evidence on the universal development of phonological awareness from large to small units. However, comparatively little research has been conducted to determine whether the predictive weight of these units differs according to the language in which the child is learning to read. While rhyme is a unit that carries significant predictive power in English, there is little evidence of its relevance in Spanish. The purpose of the present study is to determine the predictive weight of consonant rhyme on reading accuracy, reading speed and reading comprehension from kindergarten to first grade. Ninety-four Chilean Spanish-speaking non-reader kindergarten children (49 girls and 45 boys) from low SES were tested. The results indicated that consonant rhyme has no predictive power on any of the reading skills measured. The transparency of Spanish and the main reading strategies used by children in this language are analysed as explanatory elements of the results found.