Self-efficacy and behavioral intention: A mediational analysis of the effects of commitment on career counseling

This article examines two questions of research. Can we make educational and vocational information sessions effective by applying commitment theory (Kiesler, 1971) to this particular aspect of career counseling? Does commitment as part of an initial low-cost behavior (taking part in an information session) have a direct effect or is the effect a mediate one? Data gathered during an experiment involving six sixth-year secondary school classes would appear to suggest that there is a mediate process. To be more precise, the accepted impact of commitment upon the effectiveness of information sessions (postsession information and orientation is more actively sought) would seem to be linked to its mediation by perceived self-efficacy (Bandura, 1997/2003) in orientation. On the other hand, it is not mediated by the behavioral intention (Fishbein, 1980) to take such steps, this being an intention upon which commitment has no effect. The discussion links these results to some of Kiesler's initial questions (commitment as a process of internal self-attribution), and also places them within the framework (proper to counseling) of factors common to all intervention theories and techniques designed to explain the effectiveness of said interventions.     

Creativity and Culture: A two way interaction

Different manifestations of the impact of culture on creativity are discussed and illustrated by empirical studies. They include: (i) conceptualisation of creativity on both the explicit and implicit levels; (ii) attitudes towards creativity and values attached to creativity; (iii) channelling creative endeavour through different domains of human activities; and (iv) socialisation processes and educational goals and practices. It is argued that creative expression is a universal human phenomenon that is firmly grounded in culture and has its own profound impact on culture itself. The effects of culture on creativity are presented within an interactive model that, besides culture, also incorporates historical, societal and individual factors. Methodological dilemmas involved in cross-cultural studies of creativity are also discussed.     

Variables related to career commitment,mastery motivation,and level of career aspiration among college students

The authors wish to express appreciation for the statistical help provided by James Wardrop and Ya-Mei Chen; and for the support provided by the Bureau of Educational Research and the Campus Research Board, University of Illinois. Also several persons helped with the development of the measures and data collection including Carole Ames, Mary Z. Anderson, Cindy Glidden, Fu-lin Y. Lee, Kirsten Peterson, and Barbara Powell. Requests for reprints may be addressed to the first author at the Educational Psychology Department, University of Illinois, 1310 South Sixth St., Champaign, IL 61820.     

Towards an understanding of flow and other positive experience phenomena within outdoor and adventurous activities

Abstract

In considering what draws people to become involved in adventurous activities, studies on flow suggest that people are motivated to participate because of the intrinsic feelings of enjoyment, well-being and personal competence that they experience. This paper explores the positive experience phenomena termed peak experience, peak performance and flow. Similar and distinctive characteristics are identified, and factors influencing the ability to experience such peak moments are considered. A state of flow, which appears to hold the most relevance for adventurous activities, is explored in greater detail and considered in the light of The Adventure Experience Paradigm. Csikszentmihalyi's flow models are outlined and examined with particular reference to perceived levels of challenge and skill. It is suggested that an insight into the nature and characteristics of such optimal experiences can contribute to our understanding of why adventurous activities are intrinsically motivating. Such an understanding can assist practitioners in enhancing the learning experiences and opportunities for development of each individual participant.     

Towards an understanding of flow and other positive experience phenomena within outdoor and adventurous activities

In considering what draws people to become involved in adventurous activities, studies on flow suggest that people are motivated to participate because of the intrinsic feelings of enjoyment, well-being and personal competence that they experience. This paper explores the positive experience phenomena termed peak experience, peak performance and flow. Similar and distinctive characteristics are identified, and factors influencing the ability to experience such peak moments are considered. A state of flow, which appears to hold the most relevance for adventurous activities, is explored in greater detail and considered in the light of The Adventure Experience Paradigm. Csikszentmihalyi's flow models are outlined and examined with particular reference to perceived levels of challenge and skill. It is suggested that an insight into the nature and characteristics of such optimal experiences can contribute to our understanding of why adventurous activities are intrinsically motivating. Such an understanding can assist practitioners in enhancing the learning experiences and opportunities for development of each individual participant.     

The impact of FTP on commitment to career choices: situating within a social cognitive perspective

Future time perspective (FTP) is an important theoretical construct that may assist educators in their understanding of individuals' learning, motivation and decision-making. There is empirical evidence attesting to the predictive effects of anticipation of future goals on both cognitive and non-cognitive outcomes. The present study, based on previous conceptualizations, proposes the statistical testing of the impact of FTP on commitment to career choices and academic achievement in the subject educational psychology, via personal self-efficacy beliefs and effort expenditure. Two hundred and fifty-six first-year university students (151 women and 105 men) were administered a number of Likert-scale inventories and path analytical procedures were used to validate the hypothesized structural relations. The results yielded from a comparison of different a priori models indicate the impact of FTP on commitment to career choices and academic achievement indirectly, via personal self-efficacy. Personal self-efficacy is also found to exert positive effects on vocational exploration and academic achievement, highlighting the potency of social cognitive theory. In general, the findings obtained provide empirical grounding for applied educational practices and continuing research development.     

Getting the story, understanding the lives: From career stories to teachers' professional development

To understand teachers' professional development, the career stories of 10 experienced Flemish (Belgian) Primary School teachers were collected. The analysis of these narrative data culminated in the reconstruction of a professional self and a subjective educational theory, both conceived of as indicators for the professional development. These general concepts were differentiated to develop a conceptual framework for understanding teachers' professional development from their career stories. The comparative analysis of the stories revealed two important recurring themes, the strive for job stability and the feelings of vulnerability for the teacher. In this paper the “biographical perspective” is depicted as a general theoretical approach, and as a concrete research procedure for data collection and analysis. The author concludes that a narrative-biographical approach constitutes a viable perspective for understanding professional development from the subjective viewpoint of the teachers.     

Reading versus Listening in Children: the effects of extraversion and coding complexity

The degree of extraversion of 11‐year‐old children was determined and after excluding children whose reading attainment was below average, the subjects were randomly assigned, within sexes, to the two presentation conditions of listening and reading. They then received a prose passage followed by an immediate questioned test of recall. The details in the prose passage necessary to answer the questions were categorised as simple or complex to represent in verbal and imagery codes. The main finding was of significant interactions between extraversion‐introversion (verbal‐imagery learning style), coding complexity and mode of presentation in their effect on recall. The results were discussed in terms of the probable relationship between extraversion‐introversion and verbal‐imagery learning style. Extraverts were assumed to be verbalisers and introverts imagers. Recall was superior following listening when the details were simple to represent in the learner's preferred code, but best after reading when complex. For the non‐preferred mode the results were reversed.     

Organisational culture in higher education: mapping the way to understanding cultural research

This article examines the complexity and multiplicity of perspectives in studying organisational culture in higher education settings. This multiplicity of conceptualisations of cultures has purportedly been derived from the different points of view of many disciplines, which have made the study of culture and cultural research enigmatic for neophyte researchers in particular. In view of this, this article aims to put those varied points of view together to build a hybrid composed of cultural definitions, manifestations and university culture, using semiotics and functionalist perspectives, and elements of various methodologies used in conducting cultural research. The latter is grounded on the premise that the epistemology, theoretical perspectives and methodology used influence the strength of research designs that ultimately contribute to the production of legitimate knowledge. It is expected that this proposed hybrid mode of understanding and researching culture can become a model for studying culture and organisational culture in higher education sectors for professionals in general and for those undertaking PhD studies (neophyte researchers) in particular.     

Intercorporeality and ethical commitment: an activity perspective on classroom interaction

In this article, we present a sociocultural alternative to contemporary constructivist conceptions of classroom interaction. Drawing on the work of Vygotsky and Leont??ev, we introduce an approach that offers a new perspective through which to understand the specifically human forms of knowing that emerge when people engage in joint activity. To this end, we present two concepts: space of joint action and togethering. The space of joint action allows us to capture the collective and sensuous or intercorporeal dimensions of thought and feeling in interaction. We resort to the concept of togethering to capture the ethical commitment participants make to engage in and produce activity. These concepts are illustrated through a discussion of concrete episodes from an elementary mathematics classroom.     

Nostalgia in the narratives of vocational teachers as a way of understanding responses to change

ABSTRACT

This paper focuses on nostalgia in the narratives of vocational teachers. The aim is to understand the role of nostalgia as a mechanism for adapting to or resisting educational change. The paper is based on the secondary analysis of semi-structured interviews with 30 Estonian vocational teachers. In the teachers’ narratives, the nostalgia for the former vocational education system, which provided more autonomy and empowerment for teachers in their work, was overlaid with the nostalgia for a society with more stable family and work-life patterns and trusting attitudes towards vocational teachers. Although there were examples where the nostalgic narratives were strategically used to legitimize resistance to change, in most cases, nostalgia tends to serve as the mechanism for making sense of the educational changes teachers have been faced with. Nostalgia also contributes to making sense of oneself as a teacher in a new situation and collective identity building. It is argued in the paper that we should acknowledge the positive functions of nostalgia and create support mechanisms to facilitate sense-making and critical reflection upon the changes for teachers. Nostalgia should be recognized as a productive force indicating the contradictions in present reforms and practices and opening up new directions.     

Towards an understanding of the values issue in curriculum decision-making

Much of the literature on curriculum decision-making focuses on individual teachers and their instructional decision-making role within the classroom. The propensity for studying curriculum decision-making from this perspective has left a deficit in the area of curriculum decision-making by groups. It is the aim of this paper to propose one possible framework to promote understanding in this neglected area. After establishing deliberation as a basis from which to study curriculum decision-making, it will be argued that the values issue in group deliberation may be clarified by applying some notions borrowed from the field of teacher socialization. Various factors which influence curriculum decision-making will then be incorporated into the framework.     

Game-based career learning support for youth: effects of playing the Youth@Work game on career adaptability

Choosing a career is one of the most important decisions that youth has to take but many young people find this a hard issue to engage with. Current career counselling practice does not appear very compelling or motivating to young people. Professional games could provide a more engaging and motivating way of acquiring professional awareness and competence for career decision making and learning. We present the design and effects of playing a game that aims to increase career awareness and adaptabilities in youth (13–19 years). In a Randomized Controlled Trial, 93 high school students from Iceland and Romania were asked to carry out career-oriented activities, with half playing an interactive game and the other half performing a paper-and-pencil version of the same activities. The students were compared on career adaptability, career learning and career awareness scores before and after these interventions. Main results show that engaging players in these career-oriented activities has short term effects on outcome scores for career adaptabilities and for perceptions of career learning competences. Students who played the game report significantly faster growth on career adaptabilities that deal with “concern”, “control” and “confidence”. It can therefore be concluded that introducing game-based learning in career decision support for youth is a promising endeavour.     

六十年外科生涯的体会和感想

1939年,我在德国慕尼黑大学医院开始了我的外科生涯.60余年来,经历的许多医疗事例,终生难忘;从中得到的一些感悟,长期激励我努力做一名医德高尚、医术精湛的医生.     

The way of openness: Moral Sphere Theory,education, ethics,and classroom management

Noting the challenges of radical pluralism and uncertainty to ethics and education, the author describes, then explores Moral Sphere Theory (MST) developed by the philosopher Robert Kane and in relationship to insights drawn from American pragmatism. The argument is that MST offers fresh ways for thinking about education and the profound obligation of educators to support and sustain worthy forms of life.     

Facilitating engagement in new career goals: the moderating effects of personal resources and career actions

Goal engagement in young adults is variable. We recruited university students to test whether general personal characteristics (educational ability, core self-evaluations, and well-being; study 1, N = 195) and career adaptive variables (career confidence, exploration, and planning; study 2, N = 152) facilitated career goal engagement. Goal engagement was associated positively with goal disengagement in study 1. Moderating effects showed that the positive relationship between engagement and disengagement was stronger when core self-evaluations and well-being (satisfaction) were high, and when career confidence, exploration, and planning were high. Results are discussed in the context of transitions and promoting adaptable career goals.     

The effectiveness and retention of teachers with prior career experience

As schools and districts seek to recruit teachers, individuals in non-teaching professions are an appealing possible pool. These potential teachers come with work experience and may have expertise that would serve them well in the classroom. While there has been substantial rhetoric assailing the virtues of teachers with prior professional experience, no research that we know of has assessed the effectiveness of these teachers in terms of student learning. This study uses data from New York City to assess the relative effectiveness and retention of career-switchers. It provides some evidence that these teachers are no more effective than other new teachers, and, in fact, they appear to be less effective at raising math scores of elementary and middle school students. There is little difference in overall transfer or leave rates between teachers with prior experience and other teachers, although career-switchers from college recommended programs do appear more likely to transfer schools.