The purpose of this article is to explore the effects of radiofrequency ablation (RFA), an investigational treatment for breast cancer, on the quality of life of elderly women. For this descriptive phenomenological study, the authors interviewed 12 White women (aged 60-81 years) 4 months to 1 year after treatment and analyzed these interviews for common themes. They asked questions regarding the lived experience of RFA treatment and its effects on quality of life. Analyses focused on the effects of deciding to have the RFA treatment and the treatment itself. They found quality of life improved because the women felt empowered by (a) their decision to have the procedure, (b) knowing that the procedure might kill the tumor, (c) and feeling that they were contributing to cancer research. The level of support received from the medical team, family and friends, and other cancer survivors also improved participant quality of life.

The combining of subject areas or disciplines, referred to in this article as curriculum integration, has been recognised as being linked to high levels of student motivation and learning. Sheryl MacMath of the University of Toronto, Jillian Roberts of the University of Victoria, and John Wallace and Xiaohong Chi of the University of Toronto discuss the findings of their case study (n = 23 students) based in a Canadian secondary school where an integrated unit on energy was taught to pupils identified as being 'at risk' of not completing high school. Teacher and student interviews, classroom observations and surveys were used in the case study to investigate student motivation and learning. Results from the study illustrate that students experienced higher levels of motivation and academic success compared to work on previous units. The authors explore how higher levels of student self-efficacy were also recorded due to the repetition of content in different classrooms and across different contexts. The authors argue that further research in this area should examine more than student learning and motivation and highlights the need to focus specifically on opportunities for successful academic experiences where student efficacy is increased.

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Curriculum integration, focusing on multidisciplinary tasks/projects relevant to the real-world, lends itself to authentic assessment practices. However, attempting to incorporate assessment of, for, and as learning can be challenging. Using data from two mixed method case studies (n=52, n=27) which tracked middle school student learning throughout separate integrated units, we analyzed the types of assessments used by teachers and the relationship of assessment to student learning. Results and implications for teacher practice are explored.L’intégration des divers éléments des programmes, s’articulant autour de tâches et projets multidisciplinaires s’ancrant dans la « vraie vie », rend possible des pratiques d’évaluation authentiques. Cependant, tenter d’intégrer des mécanismes d’évaluation comme mode d’apprentissage, de et pour l’apprentissage peut se révéler un défi. Pour rédiger cet article, les auteurs se sont basés sur des données issues de deux études de cas mixtes (n=52, n=27) ayant suivi les apprentissages de jeunes étudiants du secondaire au sein de groupe distincts. Ils ont analysé les méthodes d’évaluations préconisées par les enseignants et les relations existant entre l’évaluation et les apprentissages des étudiants. Les résultats et leurs implications pour les pratiques enseignantes sont détaillés

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