背景：中國在發展城市社區衞生服務/基層醫療的過程中，基於當地經濟社會發展情況和特點，主要形成了政府辦政府管、院辦院管、以及私營三種模式。近年來中國學者對大陸社區衞生服務/基層醫療的研究主要關注于服務的基本現狀與功能的描述性研究，以及患者主觀層面的滿意度調查等，對城市社區衞生/基層醫療組織形式與服務模式建設的研究相對缺乏。初級衞生評價工具( Primary Care Assessment Tool, PCAT) 由美國約翰霍普金斯大學初級衞生保健政策中心開發，將初級醫療的五個核心方面進行量化，從患者對社區衞生服務/層醫療服務的客觀體驗角度出發，客觀評價醫療服務品質。本研究關注於基層醫療服務的過程層面，作為珠江三角洲六城市基層醫療研究項目的一部分，聯合廣州醫學院公共衛生與全科醫學學院，在廣東省衞生署以及香港智經研究中心的大力支持下，其他學者將研究基層醫療服務的結構和結果層面。 / 目的：本研究關注從病人體驗角度出發，在城市社區衞生/基層醫療服務的過程層面，評價和比較三種不同的社區衞生服務/基層醫療模式，以及不同地區在實施國家初級衞生政策時的不同策略所導致的在初級醫療五個核心方面的差異。 / 方法：首先，本研究進行了全面的文獻檢索，回顧了PCAT工具在全球和地區的應用。其次，本研究根據國際上認可的跨文化翻譯過程將PCAT（成人簡化版）翻譯成中文官方語言（普通話）並使其與中國國情相適應，並通過問卷的信度和效度分析，證明中文PCAT成人簡化版在評價社區衞生服務/基層醫療的過程層面方面具有較高的可靠性和有效性。進而，本研究採用多階段整群抽樣方法，在珠江三角洲六個城市的社區衞生中心，由訓練有素的調查員進行現場訪談。最後，本研究採用多元線性回歸和多元方差分析統計分析，評估和比較了不同城市和不同模式下，社區衞生服務/基層醫療服務五個核心方面的PCAT分數的差異。 / 結果：中文PCAT（成人簡化版）包含了九個不同維度，從五個方面評價初級保健服務過程，具有良好的結構效度。克隆巴赫係數反映了問卷具有良好的內部一致性。本研究共調查了3,360名在社區衞生服務中心接受基層醫療服務的成人患者，問卷整體回收率達86.1。本研究基於PCAT 分數從不同城市和不同服務模式角度分別評價和比較了社區衞生服務/基層醫療服務的過程。研究發現，與院辦院管及私營模式相比，政府主導模式下的社區衞生服務/基層醫療服務使用者具有更好的病人體驗，主要是因為政府主導模式下，社區衞生服務在首診利用及基層醫療服務協調統籌維度層面達到更高的水準。 / 結論：本博士論文研究確立了中文PCAT（成人簡化版）在評價社區衞生服務/基層醫療服務過程的可靠性和有效性。本研究率先在中國大陸採用PCAT 工具對廣東省珠江三角洲地區城市社區衞生服務/基層醫療模式開展了大規模調查。該項研究可以填補目前中國大陸在PCAT應用以及城市社區衞生服務/基層醫療模式研究方面的空白，探索適合中國國情的社區衞生/基層醫療服務發展道路，為中國大陸進一步發展及完善初級衞生體系提供翔實的政策依據。 / Backgrounds: China’s current healthcare reform has an overall goal towards re-strengthening primary care. Establishment and expansion of primary care network based on community health centres (CHCs) in urban areas has been prioritized. Due to various socio-economic status of local population and policy context across urban areas in mainland China, primary care is delivered by three main organisational models: government-owned CHCs, hospital-owned CHCs, and privately-owned CHCs with each model being adopted in various localities. This PhD study focuses on studying the process of primary care provided under different CHC models in the six cities of Pearl River Delta (PRD) and it is part of a larger study entitled “A Study of Comparing Primary Care Services among Six Cities in the Pearl River Delta funded by Bauhinia Foundation Research Centre, in which other co-investigators have studied the structure and outcome of the primary care. / Objectives: This PhD study aims to use the Primary Care Assessment Tool (PCAT) within Donabedian’s framework of structure, process and outcome to measure and compare the quality attributes of primary care from patient’s perspective under different CHC models in the six cities of PRD where each city has different responses to the national policy for delivering primary care services. / Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted to review the utilization of PCAT both globally and locally. The PCAT - Adult Edition (short version) was translated into Mandarin Chinese following an internationally recognized procedure and was cross-culturally adapted into Chinese context. The reliability and validity of the PCAT instrument were evaluated through test-retest approach, exploratory factor analysis, and internal consistency reliability analysis. Multistage cluster sampling method was adopted to select CHCs in the six cities of PRD. All interviews were conducted on-site by trained interviewers. Statistical analysis including multiple linear regression and multivariate analysis of covariance were used to assess and compare the quality attributes of primary care (PCAT scores) provided by different organisational models of CHCs in the six cities of PRD. / Results: The Mandarin Chinese version of PCAT-AE (short version) contains nine primary care scales with good construct validity. Cronbach’s alpha within all the nine primary care scales achieved moderate to high internal consistency reliability. A total number of 3,360 adult primary care service users were surveyed on-site at CHCs with an overall response rate of 86.1%. Descriptive city-by-city analysis based on the PCAT scores was conducted to depict primary care process in each of the six cities. Primary care service users under government-owned CHC model reported receiving better primary care experiences than those under privately-owned CHC model and hospital-owned CHC model, largely because of the greater achievements in first contact utilization and better score in the coordination domain (information system). / Conclusions: The Mandarin Chinese version of PCAT-AE (short version) was found to be reliable and valid as a measure of primary care in mainland China from patients’ perspective. The study suggested that the government-owned CHCs had better quality attributes than other organisational models, and offered a direction for quality improvement in the five domains of primary care. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Wang, Haoxiang. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2012. / Includes bibliographical references. / Abstract also in Chinese; some appendixes also in Chinese. / ABSTRACT --- p.i / ABSTRACT (IN CHINESE) 摘要 --- p.iii / ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS --- p.v / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.viii / LIST OF APPENDICES --- p.xii / LISTS OF TABLES --- p.xiii / LISTS OF FIGURES --- p.xv / ABBREVIATIONS --- p.xvi / PREFACE --- p.xvii / Chapter CHAPTER 1: --- BACKGROUND --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- What is Primary Care? --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Why Primary Care? --- p.2 / Chapter 1.3 --- Healthcare Reform in mainland China --- p.3 / Chapter 1.4 --- Primary Care in Mainland China: A Brief History and Current Status --- p.8 / Chapter 1.5 --- Three CHC models of primary care delivery in urban areas --- p.13 / Chapter 1.5.1 --- Hospital and Hospital-owned CHCs --- p.13 / Chapter 1.5.2 --- Government and Government-owned CHCs --- p.14 / Chapter 1.5.3 --- Private sector and Privately-owned CHCs --- p.15 / Chapter 1.6 --- Pearl River Delta: an open window for primary care research --- p.16 / Chapter 1.7 --- Primary Care Assessment Tool: assessment of primary care from an international perspective --- p.21 / Chapter SUMMARY OF CHAPTER 1 --- p.23 / Chapter CHAPTER 2: --- LITERATURE REVIEW OF PRIMARY CARE ASSESSMENT TOOL --- p.25 / Chapter 2.1 --- Introduction --- p.25 / Chapter 2.2 --- Criteria for review and search strategy --- p.26 / Chapter 2.3 --- Key messages from the literature review --- p.28 / Chapter 2.4 --- Research gaps in the literature --- p.33 / Chapter 2.5 --- Conclusion --- p.34 / Chapter SUMMARY OF CHAPTER 2 --- p.36 / Chapter CHAPTER 3: --- ADAPTION OF PRIMARY CARE ASSESSMENT TOOL IN MAINLAND CHINA --- p.38 / Chapter 3.1 --- Introduction --- p.38 / Chapter 3.2 --- Methods --- p.39 / Chapter 3.2.1 --- Translation of PCAT --- p.39 / Chapter 3.2.2 --- Validation of the translation --- p.40 / Chapter 3.2.3 --- Face validity and peer evaluation --- p.40 / Chapter 3.2.4 --- Pilot test and test-retest reliability --- p.41 / Chapter 3.3 --- Results --- p.43 / Chapter 3.3.1 --- Translation of PCAT into Mandarin Chinese and validation of the translation --- p.43 / Chapter 3.3.2 --- Face validity --- p.46 / Chapter 3.3.3 --- Demographic characteristics of the survey sample in the pilot test --- p.46 / Chapter 3.3.4 --- Test-retest reliability --- p.48 / Chapter 3.4 --- Discussion --- p.48 / Chapter SUMMARY OF CHAPTER 3 --- p.51 / Chapter CHAPTER 4: --- VALIDATION OF MANDARIN CHINESE VERSION OF PRIMARY CARE ASSESSMENT TOOL --- p.53 / Chapter 4.1 --- Introduction --- p.53 / Chapter 4.2 --- Methods --- p.54 / Chapter 4.2.1 --- Study design and study subjects --- p.54 / Chapter 4.2.2 --- Scoring --- p.55 / Chapter 4.2.3 --- Factor analysis and construct validity --- p.57 / Chapter 4.2.4 --- Item analysis and internal reliability --- p.61 / Chapter 4.3 --- Results --- p.62 / Chapter 4.3.1 --- Demographic profile --- p.62 / Chapter 4.3.2 --- Analysis of the correlation matrix --- p.63 / Chapter 4.3.3 --- Factor analysis and construct validity --- p.63 / Chapter 4.3.4 --- Item analysis --- p.66 / Chapter 4.3.5 --- Internal reliability of the primary care scales --- p.67 / Chapter 4.4 --- Discussion --- p.68 / Chapter SUMMARY OF CHAPTER 4 --- p.70 / Chapter CHAPTER 5: --- PRIMARY CARE PROFILES IN SIX CITIES OF PEARL RIVER DELTA --- p.72 / Chapter 5.1 --- Introduction --- p.72 / Chapter 5.2 --- Methods --- p.73 / Chapter 5.2.1 --- The instrument to assess primary care --- p.73 / Chapter 5.2.2 --- Training of the interviewers and the assessment of inter-rater reliability --- p.74 / Chapter 5.2.3 --- Study location and sampling framework --- p.75 / Chapter 5.2.4 --- Target population --- p.76 / Chapter 5.2.5 --- Identification of primary care source --- p.76 / Chapter 5.2.6 --- Data collection --- p.77 / Chapter 5.2.7 --- Statistical analysis --- p.78 / Chapter 5.3 --- Results --- p.79 / Chapter 5.3.1 --- Inter-rater reliability, response rate, and demographic characteristics --- p.79 / Chapter 5.3.2 --- Comparison of primary care assessment scores in the six cities (city-by-city analysis) --- p.80 / Chapter 5.3.2.1 --- Primary care service users and primary care quality attributes in City A --- p.83 / Chapter 5.3.2.2 --- Primary care service users and primary care quality attributes in City B --- p.89 / Chapter 5.3.2.3 --- Primary care service users and primary care quality attributes in City C --- p.94 / Chapter 5.3.2.4: --- Primary care service users and primary care quality attributes in City D --- p.99 / Chapter 5.3.2.5 --- Primary care service users and primary care quality attributes in City E --- p.105 / Chapter 5.3.2.6 --- Primary care service users and primary care quality attributes in City F --- p.110 / Chapter 5.2.3 --- Factors associated with overall primary care experience --- p.115 / Chapter 5.2.4 --- Comparison of primary care assessment scores among the three CHC organisational models --- p.116 / Chapter 5.2.4.1 --- Presence of ‘hukou’ registry and primary care experience --- p.118 / Chapter 5.2.4.2 --- Presence of medical insurance and primary care experience --- p.119 / Chapter 5.2.4.3 --- Presence of chronic disease and primary care experience --- p.122 / Chapter 5.4 --- Discussion --- p.124 / Chapter 5.4.1 --- Patient characteristics and primary care profiles in the six cities --- p.124 / Chapter 5.4.1.1 --- Ageing --- p.126 / Chapter 5.4.1.2 --- Household registry --- p.126 / Chapter 5.4.1.3 --- Medical insurance --- p.127 / Chapter 5.4.2 --- Factors significantly associated with primary care assessment scores --- p.128 / Chapter 5.4.2.1 --- Healthcare utilization and health characteristics --- p.128 / Chapter 5.4.2.2 --- Socio-demographic characteristics --- p.129 / Chapter 5.4.3 --- Primary care experience in the government-owned CHC --- p.130 / Chapter 5.4.3.1 --- Separation between revenue and expenditure --- p.130 / Chapter 5.4.3.2 --- Central planning and multi-sectoral collaboration --- p.130 / Chapter 5.4.3.3 --- Towards health equality --- p.131 / Chapter 5.4.3.4 --- First contact --- p.132 / Chapter 5.4.3.5 --- Suboptimal service capacity --- p.132 / Chapter 5.4.4 --- Primary care experience in the privately-owned CHC --- p.133 / Chapter 5.4.4.1 --- Lower healthcare utilization --- p.133 / Chapter 5.4.4.2 --- Insufficient funding support --- p.134 / Chapter 5.4.5 --- Primary care experience in the hospital-owned CHC --- p.135 / Chapter 5.4.5.1 --- Large service capacity --- p.135 / Chapter 5.4.5.2 --- Tackling aging population with chronic diseases --- p.136 / Chapter 5.4.5.3 --- CHCs in the less socio-economic developed urban area --- p.136 / Chapter 5.4.5.4 --- Disparities due to socio-demographic status --- p.137 / Chapter 5.4.6 --- Study limitations --- p.137 / Chapter 5.4.7 --- What is already known and what this study adds --- p.139 / Chapter SUMMARY OF CHAPTER 5 --- p.141 / Chapter CHAPTER 6: --- CONCLUSION AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS --- p.144 / Chapter 6.1 --- Conclusion --- p.144 / Chapter 6.2 --- Policy implications for mainland China --- p.146 / REFERENCES --- p.150 / APPENDICES --- p.161

This research aimed to establish the effectiveness of a mindfulness-based intervention facilitated by a trainee educational psychologist and a class teacher, with a class of Year Four children. The study took a pragmatist approach to research, whereby a mixed method approach was considered the best way to address the study’s research questions. The Year Four children in a mainstream primary school participated in a six week mindfulness-based intervention, with activities from ‘60 Mindful Minutes’ (The Nurture Group Network, 2014). Quantitative data were collected and analysed in relation to the children’s social and emotional well-being, levels of mindfulness, and observable behaviour (peer relationship difficulties, prosocial behaviour, conduct problems and hyperactivity and inattention) at four time-points. Qualitative data was collected at follow-up: the class teacher was interviewed and the children were asked to provide written feedback. Both the quantitative and qualitative data indicated that the children became more “mindful” after completing the intervention. Additionally, positive effects for their social and emotional well-being were found. The intervention was well-accepted by the children and their class teacher, and evidence was found at follow-up for the maintenance of mindfulness practices. The findings provide positive implications for practice, in regards to educational settings and educational psychologists.

No description available.

Thesis (MPH)--University of Limpopo, 2009. / Background Primary Health Care is a basic mechanism that brings healthcare as close as possible to the people. In South Africa, it is seen as a cost effective means of improving the health of the population. It is provided free of charge by the government. This service should be accessible to the population so as to meet the millennium health goals. Aims The aims and objectives of the study were: • To investigate whether Primary Health Care services were accessible to the communities of Tshwane Region. • To determine the utilization of the health care services in the three Community Health Care centres of Tshwane Region. Methodology Data were collected at the three Community Health Care centres of Tshwane Region using self-administered questionnaires. A document review of the Community Health Care centres records was conducted to investigate the utilization trends of services. Descriptive statistics were used. The analysis was based on the information that was elicited from the questionnaires that the people who utilize the Community Health Care centres of Tshwane Region provided. The extracted data emanating from the records from the three centres were also used. Results The study demonstrated that in terms of distance, the Community Health Care centres of Tshwane Region are accessible as most participants lived within 5km. They traveled 30 minutes or less to the clinic. The taxi and walking was the most common form used to access the clinic. The services were utilized with the Tuberculosis clinic being the most visited. Generally, people were satisfied with the service and their health needs are met. Conclusion The Community Health Care centres of Tshwane Region are accessible and utilized effectively. Key words: Primary Health Care, accessibility, utilization.

The research explores the practice of mathematics teaching in Malawian primary schools – such as its relevance, teacher’s mathematical knowledge, assessment practices and teaching styles in massive classes – as well as the context in which it takes place – including languages used, attitudes towards gender, ideas of the purpose of education, massive class sizes but high dropout rates. It also draws together the policy documentation related to all these issues, such as government policies, the official curriculum and textbooks, and explores the extents to which policy influences practice, and practice determines policy. It concludes with a simple model suggesting that policy, properly conceived and implemented, might help overcome some of the constraints that presently overwhelm the system.

Many researchers have completed a range of studies to evaluate the relationship of intrinsic, extrinsic and amotivation, particularly on how it influences on a student's academic achievement. This study expanded on these studies by examining the relationship of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation within the context of lower and upper primary school classrooms. One issue that has received minimal attention is the relationship between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and academic achievement in young students. In order to examine this relationship, students completed a motivation questionnaire (Academic Motivation Scale), as well as a Standardised Academic Test (State-wide Government Year 3 & 7 Tests). Correlational analysis identified the relationship between these constructs and was used to examine the connection between students' gender and motivational orientation. It was hypothesised that students operating from the intrinsic motivation perspective, are more likely to be high achievers within their year level. It was furthermore hypothesised that students in the lower year level would show higher levels of intrinsic motivation and as students progressed through primary school intrinsic motivation levels would decline while extrinsic motivation would increase. The results of this research study concluded that high academic achievers operated with high levels of both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. The study also discovered that there is a decline in both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation as students progre§s through their primary education.

This qualitative research study aimed to identify, through classroom observation and conversation, some characteristics of children’s spirituality in Australian Catholic primary schools. In the context of this study, spirituality was described as an essential human trait. While much of the recent literature in the field describes spirituality in terms of connectedness and relationality, in this study spirituality was described as a movement towards Ultimate Unity (de Souza, 2004a, 2004b), whereby at the deepest and widest levels of connectedness, an individual’s true Self may experience unity with Other. Spirituality was also described as the outward expression of such unity in terms of how one acts towards Other. Located within the constructionist epistemology, and in taking its philosophical stance from interpretivism, this qualitative study took its theoretical impetus from that stream of human science known as hermeneutic phenomenology. The videotaped life expressions of two groups of approximately six children in Year three (8-years-olds) and Year five (10-years-olds) in each of three Australian Catholic primary schools formed the texts that were reflected upon in order to gain insight into the spirituality of these children. The researcher met with each group on three occasions. Each group meeting, consisting of a semi-structured interview (conversation) and an activity (observation) was structured around the three categories of spiritual sensitivity – awareness sensing, mystery sensing and value sensing – as proposed by Hay and Nye (1998). van Manen’s (1990) lifeworld existentials were drawn upon as guides to reflection upon the life expressions of these children. Hermeneutic phenomenological reflection upon the texts of this present study identified four characteristics of these children’s spirituality – the felt sense, integrating awareness, weaving the threads of meaning, and spiritual questing. As well, two factors which appeared to inhibit these children’s expression of their spirituality were also identified – material pursuit and trivialising. Each of the four characteristics identified reflected the descriptions of spirituality drawn upon throughout this study, particularly the notion of spirituality as a movement towards Ultimate Unity (de Souza, 2004a, 2004b). In some instances, these characteristics also revealed the emergence of the Collective Self, in which the individual Self of each child became unified with every other Self among the group of children. It was argued then, that a movement towards Ultimate Unity may entail the emergence of a Collective Self, in which, at the deepest and widest levels of connectedness, Self and Other become one and the same. The two inhibiting factors indicated that such a movement was thwarted in that these factors prevented the children from moving beyond their superficial self towards deeper levels of connectedness. As the result of this investigation, this present study proposed some recommendations for learning and teaching in the primary religious education classroom which may nurture spirituality. These include the creation of appropriate spaces for nurturing spirituality, allowing children time to engage in the present moment of their experience, the use of tactile experiences in religious education, and the need to begin with the children’s personally created frameworks of meaning. A learning model for addressing the spiritual, affective and cognitive dimensions of the curriculum has also been offered as a means by which to realise these recommendations for learning and teaching. As well, recommendations for the personal and professional learning of teachers and leaders in Catholic primary schools who seek to nurture the spirituality of their students have also been proposed in light of the characteristics of children’s spirituality that were identified. These include the formation and professional learning for teachers of religious education, and the possibility of revisioning the curriculum to explore where spiritual development might be addressed across the curriculum.

This narrative autoethnography tells the story of a small rural community over a ten year period through the ethnographic eye. It is told within the context of a primary rural school and the community that supports it. It reflects the aspirations, the pain and the dreams of the community. Within the telling of stories, lies the question of what a leader needs to ‘be’ for the people (the concept of educational leadership). This ‘being’ for the people should certainly be part of the body of thought on educational leadership. The literature review examines concepts of educational leadership pertaining to aspects or issues of change, community, teaching and learning and the inner life of the Principal. These issues are explored within the framework of the school and its community. Combining literary and ethnographic techniques allows the creation of a story that intends to devise a concept of educational leadership created by and authentic to the community to which the leadership belongs. This narrative autoethnography provides the vehicle for the researcher to explore Principal / Leadership. It connects modern day educational theory to an understanding of lived experiences – the stories lived by the people in the research. A multi-perspective approach is applied to provide analytical interpretation and reflection of the lived experience documented. The findings of this research study suggest that Principals need to reflect on the lived experiences of the communities they are within in order to understand the path of leadership. The research strongly recognizes that the formation of meaningful, ethical relationships is a vital foundation for authentic leading in an education world that is constantly changing.

This study aimed to determine the qualities of beliefs and practices apparent in a group of accomplished primary art teachers to ascertain if these may be used to inform and improve design and practice in preservice primary art teacher education programs within Australia. The participants in this study were twenty-two accomplished primary art teachers who possessed a recognised ability to successfully teach primary visual arts and who included specialist and generalist primary art teachers. Teachers were designated 'specialists' if they taught art across the school. If they taught across disciplines within the primary curriculum and taught a single class they were referred to as 'generalist teachers.' Primary school is the place in which Australian children aged four and twelve years old receive their education. The accomplished art teachers met for four group discussion sessions termed 'critical friends groups. These were facilitated by the researcher who then visited schools to observe the teachers in practice. Informal, reflective discussions involving the participants followed. The teachers' conversations were transcribed and interpreted using a critical appreciative framework that used themes to highlight qualities of practice and beliefs. These were presented as a collaged narrative including the voices of the accomplished teachers and my reflections as critic. The analogy of quilting represented the piecing together of teachers' conversations to form blocks and the analysis of these blocks in larger patterns of analysis. This research was underpinned by the belief that teaching is an art, and that accomplished teachers are artists. Models of criticism were applied to emphasise appreciation of the art teachers and their teaching. Observations, interpretation and presentation were viewed through the eyes of a critic who values the sensitivity and intuition of the creative mind. The results of the study indicated the importance of visual experiences and art appreciation in the formation of accomplished art teachers. These teachers valued individuality, creativity and ownership in children's art and respected the children as artists and visual communicators. They defined art as a process, grounded in the human need to communicate and contended that this process is teachable and that preservice art education needs to be enhanced to more adequately train future generalist art teachers. The research raised challenges to shift the focus in preservice art teacher education from linear models of instruction to a conception characteristic of risk-taking and flexibility. A stronger emphasis needs to be given to the place of art appreciation and significant visual encounters within preservice art education. Similarly, resource and studio management require greater prominence. The accomplished art teachers stressed the need to improve the profile of art education; the need for networks to overcome the isolation characteristic of primary art teachers; and greater training for generalist teachers rather than the wider introduction of specialist art teachers in primary schools. The art-based methodology of critical appreciation encouraged the development of an ethical and critical research community that enabled significant data to become apparent. The use of collaged narrative yielded a meaningful quilt that may be metaphorically moved and placed in a number of preservice art education contexts. The critical appreciative method revealed that research could be conducted within a strong aesthetic paradigm. The research indicated that accomplished primary art teachers possess considerable knowledge, skills and expertise that can be incorporated into preservice art education.

The aims of this field study are to examine whether or not a microcomputer can be integrated into a standard primary mathematics curriculum and to investigate generally if computers should be introduced into the primary school with the aim of improving, or adding to, the teaching-learning processes. Resource limitations restricted the project to the use of a comparatively cheap microcomputer into a fourth and fifth grade mathematics programme at the school where I was teaching. 15 children used the machine for approximately 10 minutes a day for 16 weeks. Gains on graded pre and post tests were compared with matched control groups' gains. Questionnaire and observation techniques were used to attempt assessment of children's and teacher's feelings towards computers in primary education. Naturally, these devices were less exact. The evaluation of these efforts suggests that using a computer in the classroom is a viable proposition, providing the school has some trained staff who are prepared to spend a considerable amount of extra time, especially in the initial stages.