Future aspirations of urban adolescents: a person‐in‐context model

Recognizing the importance future aspirations play in the developmental outcomes of adolescents, this study illuminates the role that individual and contextual factors play in the formation of future aspirations among urban youth. The data for this study were collected prior to the implementation of an intervention program at an urban high school. Focus groups, questionnaires, goal maps and a group identity collage were employed to solicit the perspectives of urban adolescents about their future aspirations and the influences on them. Using a grounded theory methodology, the authors classified the multiple sources of data into a theoretical model of urban adolescents’ future aspirations. Participants’ voices, which were used to construct the theoretical model, are also provided here to vivify the model. This ‘person‐in‐context’ model encompasses both individual/contextual resources and barriers to the future aspirations of urban youth. Limitations and directions for future research are discussed.     

The Influence of Contextual Factors on the Sustainability of Professional Development Outcomes

This study investigated how contextual factors influenced the sustainability of outcomes from a 3-year, state-funded professional development program that provided science assistance for K-2 teachers in small, rural school districts. The research used a case-study approach with a purposive sample of five elementary schools that varied in instructional time in science several years after the funding period. The primary data sources were teacher surveys and interviews conducted 2 and 3 years after the end of the professional development program. The findings highlight variations across schools and the influence of principal support, resources, collegial support, personal commitment, and external factors. The research holds practical implications for enhancing long-term sustainability of professional development outcomes in science education.     

Longitudinal outcome differences among promoted and transitional at-risk kindergarten students

This study investigates the outcomes from a transitional first-grade school readiness program (SRP). SRP-placed and nonplaced SRP-recommended students advanced directly into first-grade samples were equated on sex, chronological age at entrance to kindergarten, Gesell School Readiness Test scores, and a developmental delay statistic. The role of teacher-rated student social, problematic, behavioral, motivation, success, self-esteem, classroom participation, and engagement domains, as well as selected demographic background variables, were examined along with standardized achievement outcomes. Referral and placement rate profiles support educational services of special education, remedial reading, Chapter 1, social skills, and counseling services across the two samples. Parent surveys examined the role of parental level of education, attitudes, and other contextual factors. Controlled analyses note nonsignificant academic outcome differences between SRP-placed and controlled nonplaced samples. Students recommended for SRP placement yet not placed did not exhibit significant second-grade differences compared with the year-older SRP-placed students across achievement, related services, parental factors, or teacher rating outcomes.     

International scholarships and home country civil service: Comparing perspectives of government employment for social change in Ghana and Nigeria

Many international scholarships aim for national development outcomes, including reforms in government—an institution central to catalyzing social change on a national level. This paper examines alumni trajectories from one program whose graduates were expected to advance social justice at home. Focusing on Ghana and Nigeria, this research compares (a) alumni perceptions of home country governance and government employment and (b) its influence on alumni pathways. Results emphasize the importance of specific contextual factors identified by alumni, such as perceptions of government efficacy and workplace conditions, that influence their decisions to pursue government employment. Findings inform governments and scholarship funders, especially those aiming for government capacity building or social justice reform.     

Mandatory voice: Implementation of a district‐led student‐voice program in urban high schools

This qualitative case study explores how urban high schools implement a district‐initiated student‐voice program, referred to as Student Advisory Committees, intended to improve school climate. The study uses an implementation science framework to analyze interview data from principals and advisors in 22 urban high schools. An iterative, top–down thematic analytic procedure was used for analysis and interpretation of the data. The results suggest wide variation in how the program was implemented in terms of fidelity, dosage, quality, program reach, and adaptation, with contextual school factors—namely, principal and school characteristics—that help to explain this variation. In addition, the findings indicate that these contextual factors had a significant influence on how the school district implemented the student advisory committees. The authors discuss the implications for program implementation in the context of urban school districts and for school psychologists.     

Private Communication Between Students in the Classroom in Relation to Different Classroom Features

The aim of this study is to present an overview of communication patterns between students during ordinary lessons in a compulsory school system. The results, based on observations of 70 lessons, reveal that every lesson is filled with internal communication between students. Even if this interaction is mostly out of teachers’ conscious control, it is not random. The results do not provide any evidence to support an assumption that chatter between peers will increase in larger classes. The students’ participation in private interaction may to some extent depend on their position in the classroom. However, some factors of greater importance and highly relevant to peer interaction are the age of students (school level) and the form of work. The study demonstrates both the intensity of students’ private communication during ordinary lessons and also the relationship to some contextual factors. These contextual factors can be seen as educational means which teachers can use or misuse in their pupils’ ‘identity‐seeking process’. When teachers place children at different desks, and when they choose a special form of work, they are creating interactive arenas for their students. These arenas are important elements in the developmental setting which the school offers each individual child.     

Teachers in schools transitioning from one year level to another: what impact does this have on teachers’ professional identity?

This article reports on the results of a study which explored teachers transitioning from one year level to another in primary schools in New Zealand, and in particular the impact of this transition on teachers’ professional identity. While this transition could be considered to be a commonplace occurrence in schools, the lack of literature indicates that it is currently under-researched. Findings from the study indicate that teachers can strengthen their professional identity as they experience positive outcomes in terms of their practice, pedagogy and relationships when they transition from one year level to another. However, attention is drawn to contextual factors which, if not fully understood and addressed, can lead to teachers having negative outcomes from transition. Finally, the important role that school leaders play to help alleviate these negative outcomes and ensure that teachers can successfully transition is also highlighted.     

A Developmental Investigation of Inattentiveness and Hyperactivity

The development of inattentiveness and hyperactivity in middle childhood was investigated using a prospective longitudinal approach. Endogenous and exogenous predictors measured in infancy and in early and middle childhood were examined independently and in combination. In early childhood, quality of caregiving more powerfully predicted distractibility, an early precursor of hyperactivity, than did early biological or temperament factors. Caregiving and contextual factors together with early distractibility significantly predicted hyperactivity in middle childhood. While environmental variables also predicted hyperactivity in later elementary years, these factors did not improve the prediction beyond the influence of hyperactivity in early elementary years. The findings support a developmental view of the origins and course of hyperactivity in childhood, that is, that the emergence and persistence of AD/HD symptoms depend on developmental history along with current circumstances.     

Multi-level model of contextual factors and teachers’ assessment practices: an integrative review of research

We present a multi-level model of contextual factors that may influence teachers’ assessment practices, and use this model in a selected review of existing literature on teachers’ assessment knowledge, views and conceptions with respect to these contextual factors. Adapting Kozma’s model, we distinguish three levels of influence on teachers’ practices: micro, meso and macro. We searched for relevant articles in EBSCO, JSTOR and other databases, and review selected articles with a focus on the complex relationships within and across these levels. Findings reveal a large body of research at the micro-level (teacher), such as on teachers’ values, conceptions and knowledge. However, there is relatively less research at the meso-level (school) or connecting it with the micro- or macro-levels. Implications for future research are also discussed.     

Digital technologies to teach and learn mathematics: Context and re-contextualization

The central assumption of this paper is that, especially in the field of digital technologies to teach and learn mathematics, the influence of the context in which research is carried out has not been given enough attention, so that research results are not really useful outside this context. We base our discussion on the work of a group of European teams carrying out research with a special methodology of “cross-studies” and carrying out “cross-analyses” of particular studies. A context for a research study is described as a dynamic construction by researchers, connecting relevant contextual characteristics in the settings (empirical and academic) where research activity takes place and helping to gain insight from the outcomes of the study. Analyzing the design of two “Didactical Digital Artefacts,” and the associated cross-studies involving teams of three countries, we identify more or less conscious influences of characteristics in the researchers' contexts upon research outcomes. Cross-studies and cross-analysis help to go further by making researchers more aware of their context and of its characteristics. It also helps researchers to “re-contextualize,” that is to say to identify new contextual characteristics in the settings they are acting in, to gain insight from research outcomes that emerged in other contexts.     

The challenges and possibilities of a narrative learning approach in the Finnish early childhood education system

Finnish curriculum guidelines for early education emphasise play and creative activities as significant factors in healthy child development. Constructivist theory loosely frames the guidelines, but the recommended approach lacks precise developmental goals. Since 1996, we have carried out a narrative learning project with vertically integrated multi-age groupings and carefully designed play-based learning environments for children from 4 to 8 years old. Data showed that the children learned to use symbolic tools to conquer their fears, solve problems, and master basic social skills. Findings support the view that the narrative learning approach can yield visible results in concert with the tenet that play promotes positive developmental outcomes, including the development of learning potential.     

Halting the Summer Achievement Slide: A Randomized Field Trial of the KindergARTen Summer Camp

In this randomized field trial of KindergARTen Camp, a 6-week summer enrichment program in literacy and the fine arts, we analyzed the summer learning outcomes of 93 treatment and 35 control students from high-poverty schools in Baltimore, Maryland. This experiment offers evidence concerning the causal effect of the program on 5 measures of students' literacy achievement. We found treatment effects during the summer months that were of both practical and statistical significance on the Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA) and the Word List A assessments. In addition, results from surveys of KindergARTen Camp students, parents, and teachers revealed strong satisfaction with the program. We conclude by discussing the contextual factors that may have contributed to these results.     

The Effect of Mentor Intervention Style in Novice Entrepreneur Mentoring Relationships

In this study, we aimed to determine whether mentor intervention styles influence benefits gained by novice entrepreneurs through their mentoring relationship. An empirical study conducted with 360 mentees who had received mentoring services shows that an intervention style which combines a maieutic approach with mentor involvement produced the best results. This style made it possible for the mentor to play a more decisive role with the mentee and also fostered the development of certain mentee outcomes. Mentoring program directors can make their mentors aware of the importance of their mentoring style to maximize outcomes for novice entrepreneurs.     

Meaningful learning? Gendered experiences with an NGO-sponsored literacy program in rural Mali

This paper examines the effectiveness of an NGO-sponsored literacy program in rural Mali. The study employs ethnographic techniques to examine the type of literacy instruction provided, the level of participation, the meanings of literacy to participants, and the contextual factors that influence the social and personal effects of literacy. The analyses reveal that the program has been more advantageous for men, particularly in terms of opportunities for the use of literacy skills. Oversight of the cultural context combined with programmatic challenges including failure of the NGO to meet its own critical literacy goals have limited women's ability to access and derive benefits from the literacy program.     

Negotiating the Demands of Teaching Mathematical Literacy

The introduction of the school subject Mathematical Literacy (ML) was to develop numerate and well informed citizens in South Africa. However the success of the subject is dependent on the ways in which teachers mediate the subject with their learners. The purpose of the study reported on in this article was to explore the extent to which the approaches used by ML teachers supported the learners’ participation in the contextual settings. The article focuses on one case study that was drawn up from three lesson observations and an interview with one ML teacher. The data was synthesised using a narrative analysis approach. The study found that the teacher's explanations of contextual terms were sometimes incorrect and irrelevant. Her discussion often sidestepped the main issues and did not help the learners to engage more deeply with the contextual tools in ways that could allow them to increase their participation level in the relevant discourse. This raises concerns about the extent to which ML can achieve the intended outcomes.     

Tranformation in South Africa: The changing role of the guidance counsellor

Guidance counsellors can play an important contributing role in the reconstruction of education in South Africa. As Guidance and Counselling (G&C) should be a central program in the overall educational system, a program that is holistic with an emphasis on preventive. promotive and developmental approaches is proposed. The implications for training G&C personnel within such a program are examined.     

A basic model of integration of ICT by teachers: competence and use

The process to integrate information and communication technologies (ICT), where teachers play a decisive role, is complex. The objective of this study is to build a basic model that connects teachers’ ICT technological and pedagogical competences with the use of these technological resources by teachers (both personal-professional use and use with students). The model also considers how personal and contextual factors influence this relationship. A secondary analysis study was used, whose sample included 1095 male and female Primary, Secondary and Higher Education teachers from the Valencian Community (east Spain). Information was collected with a questionnaire from two survey design studies. Using an MIMIC model, teachers’ integration of ICT was optimally modeled. This model shows a complex relation between competence and use. Technological competences influence pedagogical competences and personal-professional use, while pedagogical competences influence personal-professional use and use in class. Use in class is influenced by both pedagogical competences and personal-professional use. Personal and contextual factors influenced the four dimensions of use and competence. This basic model of the relationship between teachers’ ICT competences and using these educational resources helps us to understand the complex process of integrating ICT into classrooms. Therefore, this model is a key element to guide teacher training in ICT.     

Unique issues faced by deaf individuals entering substance abuse treatment and following discharge

Several barriers can frustrate a deaf individual's intention to enter a substance abuse treatment program. Because few specialized programs work with the Deaf, it is difficult to determine the factors that influence a deaf individual's desire to maintain sobriety following completion of a residential treatment program. A sample of 100 individuals was drawn from the Minnesota Chemical Dependency Program for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Individuals, a model hospital-based inpatient treatment program. The study participants were asked to complete pretreatment and posttreatment surveys upon admission and discharge, respectively, in addition to a follow-up survey, to help determine which background factors might be associated with different treatment outcomes for deaf and hard of hearing persons who completed treatment in the program. Results are presented for the pretreatment and posttreatment assessments, and for the follow-up survey. Study limitations are discussed and recommendations are given for future treatment programs serving deaf and hard of hearing individuals.     

Psychosocial Adjustment Over a Two–Year Period in Children Referred for Learning Problems: Risk,Resilience, and Adaptation

Children with learning difficulties have an increased prevalence of psychosocial adjustment problems. We hypothesized that within the context of a risk and resilience model contextual variables influence adjustment, over and above any effects of academic performance. The Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC) was used to evaluate the relationship between psychosocial adjustment, changes in academic skills, and contextual factors longitudinally over a two–year period in 100 children (ages 7 to 11) referred for learning problems. Although there was little improvement in academic skills, contextual factors contributed to observed psychosocial outcome. Different factors were salient for parents, teachers, and children. Context–derived vulnerability and protective factors can be important determinants of adjustment in children with learning problems, even though the academic difficulties can remain chronic.     

Seeking and Finding Positive Youth Development Among Zulu Youth in South African Townships

A cross‐sectional study explored the presence and power of developmental assets in a sample of youth from rural South African townships. Learners (female = 58%; M_age = 17.1; N = 505) attending three township high schools completed self‐report measures of developmental assets and thriving outcomes. Participants reported contextual assets (e.g., family, school, community) in the vulnerable ranges, with gender, family structure, and school type accounting for some differences. Correlation and regression analyses revealed that five asset contexts (family, school, community, personal, social) were uniquely predictive of thriving outcomes. Discussion focuses on contextual expressions of positive youth development among Zulu township youth in challenging environments.