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In Scotland, ICT is clearly integral to the existing curriculum in primary and secondary education, see, for example, the 5-14 Development Programme or Higher Still in which information technology is identified as one of the core skills areas (HSDU, 1998). In light of current UK-wide developments such as the National Grid for Learning (NGfL) and the New Opportunities Fund (NOF) funded training in ICT for teachers and librarians, it is all the more important to understand teachers' ICT skills and knowledge needs, to discover their priorities for future development and to establish what will encourage teachers to adopt ICT where appropriate in their professional lives as classroom practitioners, as planners and managers and as learners. An investigation of the ICT skills and knowledge needs of teachers working in Scotland was therefore commissioned by the Scottish Office and completed by the authors. This paper reports on that study indicating relatively low use of ICT and a number of key issues which have implications for teacher training and development. The full report is available on the Scottish Executive website number of these critics do not rule out the use of ICT completely and acknowledge a role for the effective use of ICT in education, opinions do differ as to how 'effective use of ICT' should

2Evidence-based practice in teaching: an information perspective. AbstractPurpose -This paper explores UK teachers' use of research-based information, with a particular focus on issues relating to access to information in schools, information literacy, and the role of the school librarian and school library services.Design/methodology/approach -The study adopted a mixed methodology. Indepth qualitative data gathered through vignette interviews (n=28), group exercises (4 groups of between 3 and 5 teachers) and a discussion forum were supplemented by quantitative data gathered through surveys of teachers (n=312), head teachers(n=78), school librarians (n=78) and school library services (n=26).Findings -Teachers' professional use of research information reflects a preference for predigested information and informal sources. Although professional bodies and government departments promote the use of research by teachers and provide a range of customised websites for information, lack of ready local access to information and lack of time were cited as major barriers to the use of research information. Teachers also revealed uncertainties and lack of confidence in their own ability to find and evaluate such information. The findings suggest scope for more targeted provision by school librarians of both information and skills to support the professional development of teachers. However this raises issues of priorities and resources, and needs to be seen in the context of a wider change in ethos supported by senior management. The study also raises questions about teachers' own experiences and approaches to the use of information in professional learning, and how this might impact on the provision of support for their pupils and the potential for collaborative working between librarians and teachers.Research limitations/implications -The qualitative aspects of the study provided a rich source of data from teachers with varying levels of experience and involvement with the use of research information. However a low response to the teacher questionnaire survey (10.9%, overall, 312 teachers) resulted in a bias towards more research orientated teachers in that particular data set. While the data from research-orientated teachers does appear to triangulate it is difficult to generalise to other teachers. Therefore teacher survey data has been treated with some caution and drawn on only to aid further understanding of the issues raised in interviews and group exercises.Originality/value -In focussing attention on teachers' information behaviour and information literacy, this paper a) provides a new perspective on the issues affecting the lack of uptake of research evidence within the teaching profession; b) contributes to the literature on information behaviour and information literacy in professional contexts; c) contributes to the understanding of factors which may have a bearing on the development of student information literacy in schools.

This paper describes empirical research examining secondary school teachers' conceptions of student information literacy and reflects on the implications for the development of information-literate students. The research was designed to be practitioner centred, focusing on curriculum-based information activities and the student learning process from the teacher perspective. The study took a broadly phenomenographic approach and data were collected through a series of group discussions and interviews with subject teachers. Teachers described student information literacy in terms of a variety of skills and processes which overlap with existing models and frameworks. However, significant differences from other models and definitions included the absence of defining the information need and knowledge building. Teachers' conceptions evolved during the study and were influenced by individual experiences and curriculum priorities. The study suggests that overemphasis on mechanistic skills development without local debate and understanding hinders the alignment of information literacy with independent and lifelong learning. A number of challenges are identified for the development of information literacy in UK secondary schools, not least the fact that information literacy was understood by teachers in isolation from the subject curriculum. The study also sheds light on possible reasons why students may not leave school as information-literate individuals.

The search for reliable early indicators of age-related cognitive decline represents a critical avenue for progress in aging research. Chronological age is a commonly used developmental index; however, it offers little insight into the mechanisms underlying cognitive decline. In contrast, biological age (BioAge), reflecting the vitality of essential biological systems, represents a promising operationalization of developmental time. Current BioAge models have successfully predicted age-related cognitive deficits. Research on aging-related cognitive function indicates that the interaction of multiple risk and protective factors across the human lifespan confers individual risk for late-life cognitive decline, implicating a multi-causal explanation. In this review, we explore current BioAge models, describe three broad yet pathologically relevant biological processes linked to cognitive decline, and propose a novel operationalization of BioAge accounting for both moderating and causal mechanisms of cognitive decline and dementia. We argue that a multivariate and mechanistic BioAge approach will lead to a greater understanding of disease pathology as well as more accurate prediction and early identification of late-life cognitive decline.