Self-control in the monkeymacaca fascicularis

Two experiments tested two cynomolgus monkeys’ self-control—choice of a longer, more delayed reinforcer over a shorter, less delayed reinforcer. In Experiment 1, subjects exhibited significant selfcontrol in a procedure in which reinforcer amounts and delays were held constant throughout a condition. In Experiment 2, subjects exhibited significantly greater sensitivity to variation in reinforcer amount than to variation in reinforcer delay in a procedure in which the reinforcer delay associated with the self-control alternative was adjusted until each macaque was indifferent between the two alternatives. Both experiments indicated that, in laboratory paradigms in which humans show self-control and pigeons and rats show impulsiveness, macaques show self-control. These results are inconsistent with the hypothesis that species differences in self-control are a function of language ability or of specific types of prior training. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that species differences in self-control are related to the ratio of brain size to body weight (a possible indicator of general cognitive ability) or to shared phylogeny.     

A multivariate examination of parent involvement and the social and academic competencies of urban kindergarten children

The primary objective of this study was to obtain a multidimensional picture of parent involvement in kindergarten. Participants in this study were 307 low‐income, ethnic minority children and their primary caregivers in a large, urban school district in the Northeast. Results revealed that kindergarten parent involvement dimensions (i.e., from the Parent Involvement in Children's Education Scale; Fantuzzo, Tighe, McWayne, Davis, & Childs, 2002) were congruent with those established with preschool (Head Start) parents. Multivariate relationships were found between kindergarten parent involvement dimensions and children's social and academic competencies. Parents who actively promote learning in the home, have direct and regular contact with school, and experience fewer barriers to involvement have children who demonstrate positive engagement with their peers, adults, and learning. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 41: 363–377, 2004.     

Cognitive preferences and creativity: An exploratory study

Cognitive preference, a cognitive style acquired through life and learning experiences and representing a distinct orientation to the processing of information, is related to creativity in this study. Significant correlations were observed between cognitive preference and verbal creativity but not with figural creativity as measured by the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking.     

Five Critical Stances Towards Liberal Philosophy of Education in Britain

In this paper John White argues that there has been a decline in interest in and support for liberalism in British philosophy of education. He provides examples of work by leading figures in the field that demonstrates scepticism about the key liberal value of autonomy and offers an analysis of new influences in the field that have contributed to this decline. In particular he notes the increase of work from a religious perspective. Doubts are expressed about the practical relevance to education of some of these avenues of thought, and the suggestion is made that they cause those within the field to be more out of touch with society at large, in which liberal values have continued to be the major source of animation. The paper is followed by short responses from four philosophers of education whose work he criticises.     

“ACCENTUATION EFFECTS” OF DISSIMILAR ACADEMIC DEPARTMENTS: An Application and Exploration of Holland's Theory

This longitudinal study of college students found accentuation of initial group differences among academic subenvironments for Artistic abilities of both male and female students and for Enterprising abilities of male students. It also showed that male and female students in Artistic subenvironments-for whom Artistic abilities and interests were each of the two gender groups' initially prominent characteristic-increased still further in score on the Artistic abilities and interest scale over four years of college; and parallel results were found for male students in Enterprising subenvironments in terms of Enterprising abilities and interests. Moreover, both male and female students initially high on Artistic and Enterprising abilities and interests gained more on these attributes if they entered congruent academic subenvironments (Artistic and Enterprising subenvironments, respectively) than if they entered any of the other subenvironments. Whereas these findings support Holland's theory, other data (primarily for Investigative and Social abilities and interests of students) were either less supportive or unsupportive of Holland's theory. Some implications of these results are discussed.     

Working Memory and Children’s Mathematical Skills: Implications for mathematical development and mathematics curricula

This study examined the contributions of the different components of the working memory (WM) model to a range of mathematical skills in children, using measures of WM function that did not involve numerical stimuli. A sample of 148 children (78 Year 3, mean age 8 years and 1 month, and 70 Year 5 pupils, mean age 9 years and 10 months) completed WM measures and age‐appropriate mathematics tests designed to assess four mathematical skills defined by the National Curriculum for England. Visuo‐spatial sketchpad and central executive, but not phonological loop, scores predicted unique variance in children’s curriculum‐based mathematical attainment but the relative contributions of each component did not vary much across the different skills. Subsequently, the mathematics data were re‐analysed using cluster analysis and new performance‐related mathematics factors were derived. All three components of WM predicted unique variance in these performance‐related skills, but revealed a markedly distinct pattern of associations across the two age groups. In particular, the data indicated a stronger role for the visuo‐spatial sketchpad in the younger children’s mathematics performance. We discuss our findings in terms of the importance of WM in the development of early mathematical ability.     

Education for sustainable development,governmentality and Learning to Last

As Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) slowly moves up the UK Government's policy agenda, practical implementation issues are increasing in significance. This paper offers a retrospective reflective account of a major national ESD initiative, Learning to Last, funded by the Quality and Standards Directorate of the Learning and Skills Council. At the centre of the Learning to Last experience was a tension between a managerialist approach to project development, common within the Learning and Skills sector, and an ecological, networked and synoptic methodology more in keeping with and sympathetic to the values of ESD. Applying the concepts of ‘governmentality’ and new public management, Learning to Last is viewed as a target and output driven initiative offering restricted opportunities for creative development and conceptual learning. Only with a more reflective and reflexive engagement with sustainability and learning will the possibilities of achieving a more sustainable future and of negotiating our ‘society of government’ be realised.