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Article
Publication date: 11 May 2018

James S. Damico, Alexandra Panos and Mark Baildon

This study was designed to be an agonistic encounter between two pre-service teachers from different academic disciplines and with opposing climate change beliefs. The purpose of…

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Abstract

Purpose

This study was designed to be an agonistic encounter between two pre-service teachers from different academic disciplines and with opposing climate change beliefs. The purpose of this study was to create an opportunity for this pair of future educators to voice, acknowledge and engage their differences, rather than avoid or skirt them.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a paired interview approach, two pre-service teachers discussed online sources about climate change. The analysis focuses on critical literacy practices of textual critique and reader reflexivity, considering how students from different beliefs and perspectives engage in agonism and negotiated practices.

Findings

While there was evidence of the two students engaged in critical literacy practices of textual critique, most of this engagement with the sources remained more at a surface level with somewhat superficial criteria to evaluate the sources. The two students engaged reflexively during the interview discussion in terms of their academic disciplines and climate change beliefs. This reflexive work produced the most compelling exchanges during the interview discussion and pointed to two rich sites for agonistic engagement: their differing conceptions of reliability and their competing perspectives about the intersection of science and politics.

Originality/value

Agonism offers a lens that helps ensure we understand that all pursuits toward facts and truth are necessarily contested as we engage with respected adversaries, not enemies we need to vanquish. There is an urgent need for dialogue across difference, especially for people in the increasingly polarized USA with complex topics and challenges such as climate change.

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English Teaching: Practice & Critique, vol. 17 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1175-8708

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Article
Publication date: 1 March 2010

James S. Damico, Mark Baildon and Daniel Greenstone

This paper begins by framing the concept of historical agency as a complex relationship between structural forces and individual actions. We then describe general features of…

53

Abstract

This paper begins by framing the concept of historical agency as a complex relationship between structural forces and individual actions. We then describe general features of historical fiction and consider ways of using this type of text in classrooms. Using the concept of historical agency, we examine three historical fiction texts for upper elementary or middle level readers (Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, The Fighting Ground, and Dragon's Gate). The analysis reveals the similarities and differences in the ways the authors construct historical agency. The paper concludes with a set of four key questions that teachers and students can apply to historical fiction to help students refigure the ways in which they construct knowledge about the past.

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Social Studies Research and Practice, vol. 5 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1933-5415

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Article
Publication date: 1 November 2008

James S. Damico, Mark Baildon and Karen L. Lowenstein

This article examines the ways in which the authors of a text set of children’s literature constructed the United States government’s decision to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima…

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Abstract

This article examines the ways in which the authors of a text set of children’s literature constructed the United States government’s decision to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II. Analysis of this text set reveals the ways agency is mostly absent, displaced, or obscured through the grammatical devices of nominalization and passivization. Nominalization refers to an author’s use of verbs as nouns, and passivization refers to an author’s use of passive verbs without the presence of agents. To support teachers and students toward investigations of how authors use nominalization and passivization to construct historical events in different ways, five guiding questions about agency are presented. Grappling with these kinds of questions can engender critical reading practices of which readers can more actively enact their own agency as readers of history and as citizens in a democracy.

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Social Studies Research and Practice, vol. 3 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1933-5415

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Article
Publication date: 1 March 2014

John H. Bickford III and Cynthia W. Rich

Common Core State Standards Initiative mandates increased readings of informational texts within English Language Arts starting in elementary school. Accurate, age-appropriate…

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Abstract

Common Core State Standards Initiative mandates increased readings of informational texts within English Language Arts starting in elementary school. Accurate, age-appropriate, and engaging content is at the center of effective social studies teaching. Textbooks and children’s literature—both literary and informational—are prominent in elementary classrooms because of the esoteric nature of primary source material. Many research projects have investigated historical accuracy and representation within textbooks, but few have done so with children’s trade books. We examined children’s trade books centered on three historical figures frequently incorporated within elementary school curricula: Eleanor Roosevelt, Rosa Parks, and Helen Keller. Findings revealed various forms of historical misrepresentation and differing levels of historicity. Reporting such lacunae is important for those involved in curricular decisions. We believe children’s books, even those with historical omissions and misrepresentations, provide an unique opportunity for students to incorporate and scrutinize diverse perspectives as they actively assemble historical understandings. All secondary narratives, even historically representative children’s books, can benefit from primary source supplementation. We guide teachers interested in employing relevant and rich primary source material.

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Social Studies Research and Practice, vol. 9 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1933-5415

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Article
Publication date: 20 September 2018

John Dean

Mental health is a growing concern amongst UK employers, yet eight in ten employers currently have no mental health policy. This paper aims to highlight why employers should…

781

Abstract

Purpose

Mental health is a growing concern amongst UK employers, yet eight in ten employers currently have no mental health policy. This paper aims to highlight why employers should implement such a policy and gives advice on implementing an effective well-being policy.

Design/methodology/approach

Punter Southall Health and Protection recently released “Employee Wellbeing Research 2018”, carried out in association with Reward & Employee Benefits Association. This research report looks at the current trends in workplace well-being.

Findings

The Employee Wellbeing Research 2018 report revealed that 73 per cent of respondents said high pressure working environments are now the biggest threat to well-being and are worried about the negative impact on their employees. But one striking issue the research revealed is that programmes are not being driven by the Board. Less than one in ten (8 per cent) said that their Board actively drives the organisation’s well-being agenda and one in 20 (5 per cent) reported that their Board has little or no interest in employee well-being.

Originality/value

This paper is aimed at HR professionals, senior management, CEOs and board members.

Details

Strategic HR Review, vol. 17 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1475-4398

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Publication date: 11 September 2012

David Brody and Avigail Friedman

Kindergarten teachers are increasingly being called on to deal with emotionally laden topics in their classrooms. Little is known about effective means of supporting early…

Abstract

Kindergarten teachers are increasingly being called on to deal with emotionally laden topics in their classrooms. Little is known about effective means of supporting early childhood educators in their professional development to cope with these issues effectively. This study examines the utility of the Community of Practice (COP) model to address this need. A two-year COP was established among veteran and novice Israeli kindergarten teachers focused on teaching the Holocaust in their classrooms, which is a culturally mandated topic in preschools and kindergartens in their country. Six teachers were interviewed, and the data was analyzed using grounded theory. Findings show the COP to support teachers in learning more about the subject matter and thinking deeply about its teaching in the early childhood classroom. In addition the COP provided a community of peers that encouraged meaningful feedback in a safe environment, which served to break professional isolation. The COP format was also found to be an effective tool for professional growth due to its support of cooperative learning, professional assurance, empowerment, mindfulness, and a disposition for focusing on the child's needs rather than the demands of the curriculum.

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Early Education in a Global Context
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78190-074-1

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Article
Publication date: 1 March 2015

John H. Bickford III and Cynthia W. Rich

State and national initiatives place an increased emphasis on both students’ exposure to diverse texts and teachers’ integration of English/language arts and history/social…

22

Abstract

State and national initiatives place an increased emphasis on both students’ exposure to diverse texts and teachers’ integration of English/language arts and history/social studies. The intent is for students to critically examine diverse accounts and perspectives of the same historical event or era. Critical examination can be accomplished through teachers’ purposeful juxtaposition of age-appropriate, engaging trade books and relevant informational texts, such as primary source materials. To guide interested elementary and middle level teachers, researchers can evaluate trade books for historical representation and suggest divergent or competing narratives that compel students to scrutinize diverse perspectives. Researchers can locate germane primary sources and modify them in ways that maintain their historicity. As students read, they scrutinize, contextualize, and corroborate sources, which enables them to actively construct historical understandings. We examined children’s literature centered on child labor. We juxtaposed trade books targeting elementary students with those intended for middle level students. While our findings revealed various forms of historical misrepresentation, child labor trade books appear far more historically representative than those centered on slavery.

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Social Studies Research and Practice, vol. 10 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1933-5415

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Article
Publication date: 1 March 2014

John H. Bickford III and Cynthia W. Rich

Middle level teachers, at times, link historical content with relevant English literature in interdisciplinary units. Elementary teachers periodically employ history-themed…

118

Abstract

Middle level teachers, at times, link historical content with relevant English literature in interdisciplinary units. Elementary teachers periodically employ history-themed literature during reading time. Interconnections between language arts and history are formed with developmentally appropriate literature for students. Historical misrepresentations, however, proliferate in children’s literature and are concealed behind engaging narratives. Since literacy and historical thinking are essential skills, children’s literature should be balanced within, not banished from, the classroom. Using America’s peculiar institution of slavery as a reference point, this article examines children’s literature, identifies almost a dozen areas of historical misrepresentation, and proffers rich primary source material to balance the various misrepresentations. We provide teachers with reason for caution when including such literature; but also model how to locate, use, and, at times, abridge primary source material within an elementary or middle level classroom. Such curricular supplements provide balance to engaging but historically-blemished children’s literature and enable educators to attain the rigorous prescriptions of Common Core.

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Social Studies Research and Practice, vol. 9 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1933-5415

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Article
Publication date: 1 May 1901

The question of reprinting notable novels which have been allowed to fall out of print is somewhat different from the one discussed in previous articles. In that case the question…

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Abstract

The question of reprinting notable novels which have been allowed to fall out of print is somewhat different from the one discussed in previous articles. In that case the question was as regards keeping in print popular modern novels whose titles appeared in many Public Library catalogues, to invite attention and draw inquiries from readers as to their existence. In the present case, the question concerns the advantage or utility of reprinting novels which are of some literary value, and are frequently mentioned in histories of literature, magazine articles, &c. A very considerable number of the novels mentioned below are translations of foreign works which have not yet found their way into English Public Libraries, while many are American standard novels which have not been introduced to any extent in England. Both varieties, however, will be found in the Public Libraries of the United States. But, in addition to these American and foreign works, there are certain novels which are named and described in every extensive history of English literature; which are quoted by later writers; which possess considerable claims to remembrance; and yet, so far as I can learn, are not to be had in good modern editions either in England or in America. There are first, the novels which mark the dawn of prose fiction in English literature, and which are worth reprinting if only for the use of students. Such works as Barclay's “Argenis,” Sidney's “Arcadia,” Lyly's “Euphues,” Lodge's “Rosalind,” and all the early attempts at romance are deserving of reproduction in a decent modern dress which would place them within reach of students, libraries, and the general public. The novels of Samuel Richardson are not now obtainable in a handy form, and it is surprising that no publisher of good reprints has thought of issuing nice illustrated editions of these classics. Mrs. Aphra Behn's novels are not perhaps the very best of their kind, but they are celebrated, and should be obtainable. Other well‐known (or rather notable) novels are Johnston's “History of a Guinea,” Greaves' “Spiritual Quixote,” a very clever satire on the early Methodists which has considerable value; Brooke's “Fool of Quality,” Amory's “John Buncle,” and all the best novels of this period, which have been allowed to drop into oblivion. Brooke's “Fool of Quality,” it is true, was issued in the edition prepared by Kingsley, but a cheaper one‐volume edition is also wanted, especially as I believe the other is now out of print. Then it is very remarkable that such a powerful book as Godwin's “Caleb Williams” is not to be had in a worthy edition. Mrs. Shelley's “Frankenstein,” which is a very early and good example of the horrible in fiction, has yet to be issued in a properly illustrated and handy form. Hope's “Anastasius” does not appear in a modern form, and is not easy to obtain in a nice edition; and such Eastern tales as Fraser's “Kuzzilbash,” seem to have dropped completely out of notice. Morier's “Hajji Baba” has been reissued, so far as the Persian part is concerned, but the sequel, containing the humorous account of the embassy to England, also awaits issue. To many minds, the picture of the conflict between Eastern and Western ideas presented in “Hajji Baba in England” makes it much more interesting than the original Persian story. More recent works, like Croly's “Salathiel” and Savage's “Bachelor of the Albany,” should certainly be reprinted, and kept in print, as they deserve. The latter is a work which is frequently quoted, and yet it seems to have been forgotten. It would be possible to specify many good and deserving books which are worth reprinting, but, as they are mentioned in the accompanying list, it is needless to repeat their titles.

Details

New Library World, vol. 3 no. 11
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0307-4803

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Article
Publication date: 1 March 2016

Sue C. Kimmel, Danielle E. Forest, Yonghee Suh and Kasey L. Garrison

This study reports on an inductive, qualitative content analysis exploring depictions of the United States and U.S. citizens in translated, international literature for children…

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Abstract

This study reports on an inductive, qualitative content analysis exploring depictions of the United States and U.S. citizens in translated, international literature for children. The sample included 18 titles recognized with the Batchelder Award or Honor, a recognition given to U.S. publishers who translate and publish outstanding children’s literature with international origins. The study was situated within the framework of cosmopolitanism, a theoretical perspective acknowledging the importance of local values, culture, and traditions while embracing the global and the unfamiliar. Findings revealed depictions of the United States on the local level as a destination, refuge, and glamorized place of diversity. On the global level, the United States was portrayed as a world power with regard to its military, economics, media, and culture. These findings promote perspective taking and critical literacy as they offer a window for U.S. students into how people from other nations perceive their country.

Details

Social Studies Research and Practice, vol. 11 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1933-5415

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