Assessment of reading skills in Gaelic medium education: Exploring teachers' perceptions and present practice

A distinctive feature of education in Scotland is the provision of Gaelic-medium education (GME), which spans preschool, primary and secondary education. During 2010-€“2011, over 2000 children were enrolled within 60 primary schools in 14 education authorities. Considering that GME was only formally introduced in 1985 these figures can be taken as an indicator of the demand for GME (HM Inspectorate of Education, 2005, 2011). However, concurrent developments have not transpired in the assessment tools available to Gaelic-medium teachers or indeed educational psychologists linked to GME schools. Difficulties with reading may be just as prevalent for Gaelic speaking pupils as for English speaking pupils. The aim of this study is to explore how language skills are assessed in GME. To this end, a teacher from each of the 60 GME schools and units spread across Scotland was invited to complete a questionnaire and comment on their experience regarding additional support needs in GME. In general, there was a reliance on teacher judgement to act as a means of assessment. Tools and tests available for use for assessment purposes were informal measures, and regularly found to be a translated version of existing tests. Tests that have been translated may suffer from inadvertent weaknesses, especially when the phonology of one language differs greatly from another. In order to support learners at an early stage in their education, not only do such tests need to be developed, but crucially they ought to be based on the Gaelic language

Learning with nature and learning from others: nature as setting and resource for early childhood education

Nature-based learning is an increasingly popular type of early childhood education. Despite this, children's experiences-in particular, their form and function within different settings and how they are viewed by practitioners-are relatively unknown. Accordingly, the use of nature as a setting and a resource for learning was researched. A description and an emerging understanding of nature-based learning were obtained through the use of a group discussion and case studies. Practitioners' views demonstrated their eagerness to share experience that ranged from positive examples to challenges encountered within practice. Case studies recorded in a Scottish nature kindergarten and two Nordic counterparts take a situated view of nature-based learning. Findings indicate that nature is utilised as setting, as resource and as educator within children's learning and this holds true within different countries. Local, social and cultural contexts exert influence on pedagogical practice and implications for practice based upon these are given. © 2013 © Institute for Outdoor Learning

Everyday teaching and outdoor learning: developing an integrated approach to support school-based provision

In the UK, teachers are increasingly being encouraged to support and undertake outdoor learning. Despite such support there is a paucity of research that has considered how outdoor learning can be implemented and offered on a regular basis by teachers. The lack of empirical research that has centralised the role of the teacher is at odds with the interest in this topic and the need for theory-driven guidance suited to teachers. Research is reported that aimed to support the provision of outdoor learning opportunities for children aged between three and eleven at nine settings (pre- or primary schools) in Scotland and England. A set of flexible guidelines that link theory and practice were used by 14 teachers. This article focuses on teachers’ reports of their activity. The incorporation of outdoor learning within conventional teaching and learning approaches is found to be feasible and the implications for practice and future research are explored

Everyday teaching and outdoor learning: developing an integrated approach to support school-based provision

In the UK, teachers are increasingly being encouraged to support and undertake outdoor learning. Despite such support there is a paucity of research that has considered how outdoor learning can be implemented and offered on a regular basis by teachers. The lack of empirical research that has centralised the role of the teacher is at odds with the interest in this topic and the need for theory-driven guidance suited to teachers. Research is reported that aimed to support the provision of outdoor learning opportunities for children aged between three and eleven at nine settings (pre- or primary schools) in Scotland and England. A set of flexible guidelines that link theory and practice were used by 14 teachers. This article focuses on teachers’ reports of their activity. The incorporation of outdoor learning within conventional teaching and learning approaches is found to be feasible and the implications for practice and future research are explored