The nature of peer sexual health communication among college students enrolled in a human sexuality course

Most young people go to their friends for information on sexuality-related topics, thus it is important to understand the context of these communications so that we may gather insight into sexual values and the underlying emotions and styles of communication. We conducted qualitative weekly surveys regarding discussion of sexual health topics among peers with students enrolled in an undergraduate human sexuality course. A four-stage inductive analysis process was utilized to examine a total number of 824 survey submissions from 102 college students who agreed to participate. Seven relevant common themes emerged: safer sex, sexually transmitted infections, pregnancy, feelings about sex, sexual acts, peer support, and peer communication norms. Some perspectives varied between males and females. Life events create opportunities for peers to discuss sexual health with each other. The connection between life events and peer sexual health communication has numerous implications for both research and education.     

Couple reports of the perceived influences of a college human sexuality course: an exploratory study

Research on the effects of college sexuality education has been largely quantitative in nature and has focused on changes in individual attitudes, behaviours and knowledge. This study sought to explore, qualitatively, the influences of enrolment in a human sexuality course on relationships. Eight couples from an undergraduate human sexuality course completed a brief questionnaire and 60-minute semi-structured interviews, both together and individually. Interviews were analysed using critical qualitative methodologies. Findings suggest a wider range of perceived influences than indicated in the previous literature. In particular, after taking the class, participants felt less secretive about sex and more comfortable with sexuality overall. All participants shared some aspects of the class with their partners, exposing several themes surrounding perceived influences of the class. These included increased communication overall, and particularly about sex; changes to body image, self-confidence and agency; perceived changes to their relationship and sexual relationship; willingness to try new sexual behaviours or positions; and new information related to health and anatomy that led to increased health protective behaviours and, in some cases, increased sexual pleasure. Implications for intervention evaluation methods and for sexuality educators are discussed.     

Intersections of race and sexuality in a teacher education course

This paper examines the ways that one group of US pre‐service teachers, enrolled in an alternate route teacher education class, expressed and challenged each other’s contradictory discourses about teaching for social justice. Particularly significant are the many ways that this group of students enacted subject positions around race and sexuality as various combinations of African American, White, gay, straight, lesbian, Christian, and as members of this class. Epiphanic moments about race and sexual orientation are examined to illuminate the ways that subject positions were contested, reified, or renegotiated in order to preserve a sense of community within the class. This research demonstrates the ways that social justice teacher education differentially positions people who have been historically marginalized and how it can at times reify a hierarchy of marginality.     

Information about human sexuality: sources,satisfaction, and perceived knowledge among college students

This study explored how 333 undergraduate and graduate students attending a large university in the southeastern USA learned about sex, their satisfaction with how they learned about sex, and their self-perceived knowledge before and after taking a human sexuality course. An anonymous, voluntary survey was administered to students in the first and last sessions of human sexuality classes each semester from fall 2004 until spring 2006. Standardized measures included how students learned about sex, satisfaction with ways they learned about sex, barriers to parent–child discussions, and self-perceived knowledge about sex. Although 67% of students indicated parents should be instrumental in sex education, only 15% indicated parents as a primary source. Thirty-seven percent reported some level of dissatisfaction with how they learned about sex. Self-perceived knowledge increased significantly following the course. College courses addressing sexuality as integral to human development should complement college programming that focuses on risk reduction for sexually transmitted diseases/infections, sexual assault, and unintended pregnancy.     

建议给初中以上学生开设《心理学》课

建议在中学开设以个体心理现象及其发生发展变化规律为内容的《心理学》.它的开设可引导学生正确认识自我,发挥学生主体地位作用;可指导学生自觉开发自身资源,有利自我成长及社会的存在和发展;有利于培养学生价值心理要素,自觉调整和优化自我心理状态;有利于适应当前社会,克服脆弱心理而实现自我心理保护.     

Using a comprehensive sexuality education framework to analyse the contents of a Brazilian adolescent health handbook

This study set out to analyse the sexuality contents of the Caderneta de Saúde do Adolescente, an adolescent health handbook developed for use in Brazil. Using content analysis, the adequacy of the document was assessed using an approach informed by the International Planned Parenthood Federations comprehensive sexuality education theoretical framework. Findings suggest that six out of the seven categories present within this framework were partially covered, with the handbook providing information on the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy and contraception. Certain key concepts were, however, discussed differently in the male and female versions of the handbook, the handbook does not address gender issues, and has very limited coverage of sexual diversity. The adolescent health handbook was a tool created to help young Brazilians to better understand what it is like to be young person, explaining some of the physical and psychological changes that occurs at this time. However, with respect to sexuality, some changes are appropriate to increase the comprehensiveness of the sexuality education that the resource provides.     

Success of students in a college physics course with and without experiencing a high school course

High school students with high ability were enrolled in a standard college physics course for each of two summers with the same professor, same course outline, same textbook, same laboratories, and the same examinations. Half of each group had completed a high school physics course; half had not. Dormitory counselors were available for assistance and support. In addition, tutors were available in the laboratories to provide any help necessary with interpretation of lectures and performances in the laboratory, and with mathematical computation. Pre- and posttest measures concerning course content and attitude were given. After the eight-week summer instruction, the students who had not completed high school physics performed as well on the final course examination; there were no differences with respect to course grade or attitude toward physics. The group that had not completed high school physics used the tutors provided far more frequently than did students who had completed the high school course. When high-ability students are enrolled in college physics with tutors made available for needed assistance, there appears to be no advantage for students to complete the standard high school physics course.     

用科学发展观指导高校就业指导课的理性思考

近年来,随着大学生就业压力的不断增大,已经成为影响社会和谐与稳定的一件大事,关系着千万大学毕业生的前途。就业指导课作为高校引导学生顺利就业的重要课程,在教学过程中却存在着很多的缺陷和不足,因此有必要对各种问题进行理性思考,加强科学发展观的指导,创新高校就业指导课的授课模式,提高就业指导的有效性。     

Engineering Difference: Discourses on gender,sexuality and work in a college of technology

ABSTRACT This article explores the reasons behind the continuing underrepresentation of women in science and engineering. Reviewing existing debates, the article argues that there exists an impasse in debates on women in engineering which can be related to the dualistic frameworks within which existing research has tended to work. Explanations for the poor representation of women in these areas tend to emphasise either individual or structural factors, neither of which allow women's agency to be fully understood. Drawing on empirical research which examined the subject choices and occupational decision-making processes of two groups of students in a college of technology (one undertaking a course in traditional 'women's work' and the other a course in a non-traditional area), the analysis here employs a post-structuralist approach, employing aspects of discourse theory, to offer a new understanding of women in engineering and of the relationship between gender, sexuality and work, more generally.     

Ecological validity of adjunct questions in a college biology course

To validate their use in a natural environment with realistic learning materials and conditions, the efficacy of adjunct questions was tested in a college biology course with a double-crossover design. Mixed results were obtained. On the one hand, students using adjunct questions during the second half of the course scored significantly higher than control students on a variety of measures obtained on the final examination. Significant indirect as well as direct effects were obtained, and significant effects were demonstrated on comprehension as well as verbatim-recall examination questions. On the other hand, during the first half of the course evidence was also obtained that some students did not follow instructions on the proper use of adjunct questions, and that for those students adjunct questions actually impaired learning. Such vagaries may be common in natural experimental settings as opposed to highly controlled laboratory settings. It is concluded that, rather than requiring all students to use adjunct questions, it would be better to make them optional. Presumably, adjunct questions would be used, under an optional condition, only by students who were motivated to use them properly after receiving strong warnings concerning their possible misuse.     

Affective profiles and academic success in a college science course

The current study identified affective profiles and examined their relations to behavioral engagement and disengagement as well as achievement among undergraduate students enrolled in a college anatomy course (N = 278). Cluster analysis was used to identify four affective profiles: Positive, Deactivated, Negative, and Moderate-Low. Students in the Positive and Deactivated profiles were more engaged, less disengaged, and earned higher grades on subsequent exams than those in Moderate-Low and Negative profiles, which did not differ from one another. Subsequent analyses indicated that the relation of affective profiles to achievement was mediated through engagement. Results provide support for the importance of examining students’ mixed affective experiences in terms of both valence and activation dimensions, adding important contributions to largely variable-oriented literature on academic affect and its relation to engagement and achievement.     

Using demonstrations as a contextual road map: Enhancing course continuity and promoting active engagement in introductory college physics

We present a series of standard demonstrations as examples of activities that can be used to introduce multiple concepts and tie different sections of the introductory physics course together. These demonstrations can serve as the context through which concepts for a section of the course can be discussed. The demonstrations are simple enough that student volunteers from the class can do them. Students are asked to predict the outcome of parts of the demonstration and participate in discussion of the demonstration as it is being presented. This interactive approach helps to promote active engagement. The first semester introductory physics course is divided into 6 sections and a demonstration is presented which is used to introduce most of the new concepts of that section. Understanding of the demonstration is used as a goal in studying the chapters during that section of the course. At the end of the section the demonstration is repeated to review the concepts learned and then to introduce some of the concepts of the new section. A new demonstration is then used to further introduce the concepts of the new section. This activity is repeated for each new section of the course. This work is part of an NSF sponsored program where we sought to change the classroom environment for women and minorities and to attempt to more actively engage all students. Through these as well as other classroom changes we attempt to raise students' confidence levels and improve attitudes about science through increased engagement. Our overall approach is to change the structure of the course by introducing a few activities at a time and not disrupt the lecture format significantly. Our project was evaluated by in-class observation of student interaction and the results were compared to observations in conventionally taught introductory physics courses. Our demonstration approach contributes to changes in classroom dynamics by stimulating student engagement and encouraging inclusivity.     

ERP沙盘实战训练教学研究

本文简单介绍了ERP沙盘实战训练的基本思想和大致教学过程及方法,阐述了该课程的教学目的;在长期的教学实践得失的基础上,对开设该课程的方式、采用该课程的时间以及学员角色分配方法、规则解释程度和过程控制程度等教学问题进行了探讨。     

再谈大学英语口语教学

口语是当前大学生英语学习的薄弱环节。本论文详细阐述了大学英语口语表达能力的目标和要求,口语与阅读的关系,课堂口语教学课堂设计和课外练习的要求,并提出几点应该注意的问题,以提高教学者的教学水平和学习者的学习能力。     

Long-range course planning by college students

A group of 633 college students at a large midwestern public university was asked fifteen questions pertaining to personal long-term course planning. The results indicated that only 48% of the students sketched out a tentative listing of at least two courses per term for one or more subsequent semesters when first planning courses for the current semester. Long-range planning was positively correlated with the number of years students had already spent in college and with students' perception of the following factors: course planning utility, degree of certainty about pursuing one's current first choice of career, and degree of commitment in using college coursework as a means of achieving a career goal (all p < 0.001). Long-range planning was negatively correlated with the anticipation of a possible change in academic interests. Such planning was not significantly correlated with students' entrance examination aptitude scores or grade point averages. Thus, students' long-range planning of courses was associated more strongly with career commitment than with recent academic performance or aptitude.