The social psychology of education: New field of study or just educational psychology? 1

The social psychology of education is examined to determine its status as a unique field of study. Recent research in five areas of specialization, attribution theory, school organization, group dynamics, teacher‐pupil relationships, and affective learning is summarized to indicate substantive advances in the field. The contribution of educational social psychology in interpreting school learning is cited with a corresponding theory of learning. Two themes which are pervasive in the social psychology of education, the importance of attitudinal outcomes and the influence of interactions between each person and school social structures on individual behavior, are summarized with implications for educational psychologists.     

Visuospatial superiority in developmental dyslexia: Myth or reality?

Anecdotal evidence indicates that dyslexia is positively associated with superior visuospatial ability but empirical evidence is inconsistent. We explicitly tested the hypothesis that dyslexia is associated with visuospatial advantage in 20 dyslexic and 21 unimpaired adult readers using paper-and-pencil measures and tests of 'everyday' visuospatial ability. We found no main effect of group on visuospatial task performance but did observe a series of significant sex × group interactions. Relative to dyslexic and unimpaired women, dyslexic men were significantly better at identifying shapes in ambiguous figures, reproducing complex figures, reproducing designs using coloured blocks, and recalling the direction of the Queen's head on a postage stamp. They were also significantly faster and more accurate than unimpaired men at navigating and recreating a virtual environment. These data suggest that visuospatial advantage in dyslexia may be confined to men. Possible explanations for this are discussed.     

Academic drift in Danish professional engineering education. Myth or reality? Opportunity or threat?

This article examines whether and, if so, to what extent academic drift can be said to have taken place in Danish professional engineering education. If the answer is affirmative, what were the driving forces behind it and what are the consequences – if any? First, a theoretical and conceptual framework for the discussion is introduced. This is followed by a case study of institutional change in higher education in Denmark, with a particular emphasis on two institutional examples, the two previously independent engineering colleges that recently merged with universities. The two examples are based on data gathered in interviews with teachers and management in these two engineering colleges (now both part of a university). In conclusion, based on the findings the questions posed in the title of this article are addressed and possible benefits and drawbacks of increased academisation of professional engineering education are discussed.     

Origins of individual differences in theory of mind: from nature to nurture?

In this study of the origins of individual differences in theory of mind (ToM), the Environmental Risk (E-Risk) Longitudinal Twin Study sample of 1,116 sixty-month-old twin pairs completed a comprehensive battery of ToM tasks. Individual differences in ToM were striking and strongly associated with verbal ability. Behavioral genetic models of the data showed that environmental factors explained the majority of the variance in ToM performance in this sample. Shared environmental influences on verbal ability had a common impact on ToM and explained more than half the phenotypic correlation between these two skills. Possible underlying proximal mechanisms are discussed, including maternal speech and mind-mindedness, sibling interactions, and peer influences.     

The psychology of the chinese classroom

I.Introduct ion More and more linguists and language teachers have come to realize thatlanguagelearnersshould be.thecentral figures In any languageteackingtheory（stem 1983:360）The learners’as D Allright（et al 1991）puts it,“bringwith themtheir whole expernce of learning and of life In the classroom alongwltht大eir Own reasonsforbeing there,andthelr ownparticulgr needs thatthey“hopeto see satisfied” Wkent上e teacherandstudentscome to the classroom,。everything stslldepends on how they react to each other-students to students,students toteacher andteacbertostudents.This lsa matter ofinteraction.     

Matthew effects in reading comprehension: myth or reality?

The presence of Matthew effects was tested in students of varying reading, spelling, and vocabulary skills. A cross-sequential design was implemented, following 587 Grade 2 through 4 students across five measurement points (waves) over 2 years. Students were administered standardized assessments of reading, spelling, and vocabulary. Results indicated that the hypothesized fan-spread pattern for Matthew effects was not evident. Low and high ability groups were formed based on 25th and 75th percentile cutoffs on initial measures of spelling, reading accuracy and fluency, vocabulary, and reading comprehension. Multilevel modeling suggested that low and high ability groups had significantly different starting points (intercepts) and their pattern of growth on passage comprehension did not indicate that the gap would increase over time. Instead, some analyses, especially of the youngest cohorts, showed significant convergence. However, there was no evidence of eventually closing the gap. Thus, although the poor students may not be getting poorer, they do not get sufficiently richer either.     

Higher education: discipline or field of study?

Tertiary Education and Management - Higher education, or more strictly higher education studies, is sometimes referred to as a discipline, though it is more often referred to as a field, sector or...     

The door‐in‐the‐face compliance strategy: An individual differences analysis of two models in an AIDS fundraising context

This study examined the reciprocal concessions and self‐presentation accounts of the door‐in‐the‐face (DITF) compliance strategy within a fundraising context. Subjects were classified as low or high in exchange orientation, and as low or high in approval motivation on the basis of a pretest questionnaire. As predicted on the basis of reciprocal concessions theory, a significant interaction was obtained between exchange‐orientation and message strategy. For high exchange‐oriented subjects, the DITF message strategy substantially increased compliance rates, relative to the single‐request control message. However, low exchange‐oriented subjects were actually more charitable in response to the control message. Analysis of a post‐treatment measure of obligation to the requestor revealed that obligation could account for less than half of the interaction effect, a finding which is inconsistent with concessions theory. Self‐presentation theory suggests that DITF should work best when directed toward targets who are high in their approval motivation, but this hypothesized interaction between approval motivation and message strategy did not materialize.     

Sex differences in the missing-letter effect: A question of reading or visual–spatial skills?

When readers must search for a target letter while reading a continuous text, they are more likely to miss targets in frequent function words than in less frequent content words. This missing-letter effect has been found across many languages, methodologies, and types of reading materials. Despite the ubiquity of the missing-letter effect, sex differences have been reported, but their pattern is conflicting and no clear interpretation has been offered so far. In two experiments, sex differences were examined in the letter search task, while also measuring spatial and reading skills. In both experiments, the missing-letter effect was found for both genders and a larger missing-letter effect was found for faster readers. It is concluded that when sex differences are observed in the missing-letter effect, they are likely due to reading speed and not to spatial skills as previously hypothesized. Results are interpreted in light of the Attentional Disengagement model of the missing-letter effect.     

Empowerment of children through circle time: myth or reality?

The focus of this paper is circle time, a widely used method in primary schools in Ireland and elsewhere. It involves children sitting in a circle with their teacher using method-specific techniques and strategies for self-esteem enhancement, promoting positive relationships and development of social skills. Qualitative research was undertaken in 2010–11 in five Irish primary school classrooms. Methods included observations, analysis of teacher journals and pre-and post-observation interviews. The theoretical and conceptual framework adopted for the research had empowerment of children as a central principle, supported by theories of self-esteem, emotional intelligence and voice and participation theory. Findings relating to rules and processes and aims and benefits are reported here. While teachers generally followed the Mosley Model of circle time, there were differences in relation to some rules and processes. Teachers in the research were aiming to develop social and personal skills, confidence, equality of voice and a positive classroom atmosphere. Benefits included enjoyment for both teachers and children, a sense of safety and ease of communication. A shift in aims and processes is suggested that would place more emphasis on social and personal skills development, the use of children's voice for agency and respect for children's right to contribute or not in circle time.     

The Myth of ＂Paradise＂ in ＂The Bible＂ ~ the Rheological History of the Literary Prototype

《圣经》中的“乐园”神话是西方文学的一个宝藏,它蕴涵有丰富的人生寓意,是文学家创作出传世佳作的温床,由“乐园”神话构筑了一个个文学原型。这一切在基督教文化中又被以原罪与救赎、迷惘与净朗、善与恶等思想形式保存下来。     

The ‘self‐interested’ woman academic: a consideration of Beck's model of the ‘individualised individual’

The work of Ulrich Beck, particularly his concept of the ‘individualised individual’, is increasingly cited by educational social scientists. As yet, there have been few empirical investigations that consider how applicable and relevant is the notion of the ‘individualised individual’ in understanding how people make sense of their lives (for an exception, see Reay, 2003 Reay, D. (2003). A risky business? Mature working‐class women students and access to higher education. Gender and Education, 15(3): 301–317. [Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] [Google Scholar]). This paper considers Beck's assertion that social class is of increasingly less importance as society shifts from a first to a second modernity. Interviews were carried out into the career experiences of a group of academic women working in higher education institutions. The conclusions reached suggest that if Beck's theory is to be useful in understanding contemporary actors in contemporary societies then the critical concepts he introduces need to be articulated by researchers in more complex ways.     

Transforming schools: illusion or reality?1

This paper explores the claim that appropriately trained heads can motivate teachers and students to achieve challenging targets and transform the prospects of future generations. Theory derived from the leadership literature is tested against the experience of three headteachers in the field. Case study evidence is used to examine how Hillside School was improved. Applying recommended styles, the heads won the commitment of their colleagues and built the capacity for further progress, despite adverse circumstances that included social disadvantage. Although the ‘turn around’ was achieved quickly, the interpersonal styles adopted by the heads were only part of a leadership repertoire that included beliefs, values, professional knowledge and micro-politics. Variations in the combination of context, leaders and followers seem to have been more significant than the common elements emphasized by the school improvement literature and national training programmes. OfSTED reported that the school's effectiveness was greatly enhanced. Test and examination results were more or less unchanged, however, confirming recent studies that have found little evidence of leadership impact on student outcomes. This supports the suggestion that intake mix may influence results more than the organizational characteristics shaped by heads. The paper concludes that while leadership training may improve school climate, a transformation in performance is unlikely.     

The new higher education reality: what is an appropriate model to address the widening participation agenda?

Along with the massification of higher education comes a need for new models to support the success of greater numbers of diverse students. A greater proportion of these students are ‘non-traditional’ in terms of preparedness, socioeconomic status and geography. This paper introduces an Associate Degree model designed to support this new higher education reality of broader student cohorts, thin regional markets and cross-sectoral collaboration. Background literature on challenges facing the higher education sector and its prospective students is presented, with a particular focus on regionality. An argument is made for the role of curriculum and pedagogy as enablers of non-traditional student success. This is supported by the results of a mixed-methods exploratory study. This Associate Degree model was attractive to students and institutes. Students experienced similar levels of challenge, workload and progress to their traditional peers. While technology was essential for the success of the model, it played a supporting role to the relationships and multiple modes of learning it facilitated. This article provides insights for institutions seeking to address the broadening participation agenda.     

Who's calling the plays in school psychology?

This paper reviews several forces, singly and in interaction, that are producing an impetus for change in both the practice of and training in school psychology. Imperatives for change in professional training and practice are reviewed.     

Adapting mentoring to individual differences in novice teacher learning: the mentor’s viewpoint

Being adaptive to the individual novice teacher is considered a condition for effective teacher mentoring. The aims of this study are therefore to explore (1) mentoring activities through which mentors intend to adapt to the individual novice teacher and (2) characteristics of adaptive mentors. Information was collected through on-site, post-mentoring conversation interviews with 18 mentors holding different mentoring conceptions, from different programs for Initial Teacher Education in the Netherlands. Four adaptive mentoring activities were identified: (1) aligning mutual expectations about the mentoring process, (2) attuning to the novices’ emotional state, (3) adapting the mentoring conversation to match the reflective capacity of the novice teacher, and (4) building tasks from simple to complex relative to the novices’ competence level. Adaptive mentors were (1) more likely to mention activities intended to support construction of personal practical knowledge and (2) less likely to mention activities intended to create a favourable context for novice teacher learning. Suggestions for using findings to enhance mentor adaptiveness are discussed.