Developing creative thinking in a gifted sport enrichment program and the crucial role of attention processes

A six‐month longitudinal study (N = 33) proved the influence of a diversified sport enrichment program on the development of creative thinking in team ball sports among gifted children. A contrast between a gifted control group and a non‐gifted treatment group showed that the creative performance of the gifted children significantly improved (partial η² = .26). To explain this surprising short‐term effect, a second experiment chose the Inattentional Blindness paradigm to study the individual differences in the visual attention of gifted (n = 54) and non‐gifted children (n = 58). The results of the monitor‐task by Most et al. (2000 Most, S. B., Simons, D. J., Scholl, B. J. and Chabris, C. F. 2000. Sustained inattentional blindness: the role of location in the detection of unexpected dynamic events,. PSYCHE, 6(14): 14–24.  [Google Scholar]) revealed significant differences between both samples in the ‘Near’ condition (delta = .37) but not in the ‘Very far’ condition. The results of both experiments are discussed in connection with further research.     

Understanding Cultural Differences in the Antecedents of Pro-Environmental Behavior: A Comparative Analysis of Business Students in the United States and Chile

We surveyed business students in the U. S. (n = 256) and Chile (n = 310). The survey included measures drawn from studies of pro-environmental behavior using Schwartz's norm activation theory (Schwartz, 1977 Schwartz, S. H. 1977. “Normative influences on altruism”. In Advances in experimental social psychology, Edited by: Berkowitz, L. Vol. 10, 221–279. New York: Academic Press. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar]), the theory of reasoned action (Ajzen & Fishbein, 1980 Ajzen, I. and Fishbein, M. 1980. Understanding attitudes and predicting social behavior, Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.  [Google Scholar]), and a values-beliefs-norms model created by Stern, Dietz, Abel, Guagnano, and Kalof (1999) Stern, P. C., Dietz, T., Abel, T., Guagnano, G. A. and Kalof, L. 1999. A value-belief-norm theory of support for social movements: The case of environmentalism. Human Ecology Review, 6(2): 81–97.  [Google Scholar]. Our results show Chilean business students are more altruistic than business students in the United States and Chilean students felt stronger pressures from their peers to engage in pro-environmental behaviors. Chilean business students also expressed higher levels of awareness of environmental problems, a greater sense of obligation to protect the environment, a stronger willingness to limit property rights, and stronger intentions to engage in pro-environmental behavior.     

College Teaching and Synchronicity: Exploring the Other Side of Teachable Moments

This study examined 144 experienced community college teachers’ perceptions of teachable moments. Our proposition is that a teachable moment, rather than being an objective predetermined cause-and-effect pedagogy, is a highly subjective-reflective event or intuitive learning process that occurs at unanticipated moments. We believe that Jung's (1977 Jung , C. G. ( 1977 ). Jung on synchronicity and the paranormal: Key readings , (2nd ed.) . Princeton , NJ : Princeton University Press . [Google Scholar]) theory of synchronicity can shed new light on such teachable moments. Our survey found that about half of the teachers surveyed had beliefs consistent with Jung's theory of synchronicity. Teachers that felt comfortable dealing with the unexpected were most likely to experience teachable moments. Additional teacher attitudes and beliefs about teachable moments are explored.     

BOOK REVIEW

The number of positive youth development (PYD) programs focusing on providing opportunities for optimal development has grown tremendously in recent years (Catalano, Berglund, Ryan, Lonczak, &; Hawkins, 2004 Catalano, R. F., Berglund, M. L., Ryan, J. A., Lonczak, H. S. and Hawkins, J. D. 2004. Positive youth development in the United States: Research findings on evaluation of positive youth development programs. The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 591: 98–124. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). Larson and Walker (2010) Larson, R. W. and Walker, K. C. 2010. Dilemmas of practice: Challenges to program quality encountered by youth program leaders. American Journal of Community Psychology, 45: 338–349. [Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar] assert that it is important to understand challenges program leaders face when implementing programs and strategies they use to overcome such challenges. However, little research or discussion in the literature has focused on the everyday challenges of implementing youth programs. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to present four case studies of programs implemented in four different countries designed to enhance the psychosocial development of underserved youth using the Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility Model and/or life skills framework. Each case study is presented with a forthright discussion of the challenges faced and the strategies implemented to overcome these challenges. In addition, we offer potential strategies for furthering collaboration with nongovernmental organizations, enhancing program implementation, and transferring program ownership.     

The Status of Career and Technical Education Undergraduate and Graduate Programs in the United States

The purpose of this study was to examine undergraduate and graduate student enrollments, course delivery modes, and curricular trends and issues of CTE programs. Based on findings from 139 program/department coordinators, results emphasized that although CTE programs within institutions of higher education have declined in number (Fletcher, Gordon, Asunda, &; Zirkle, 2015 Fletcher, E., &; Djajalaksana, Y. (2015). Instructional strategy preferences in the career and technical education classroom. Journal of Research in Business Education, 57(1), 32–56. [Google Scholar]), student enrollments within those programs have remained steady compared to prior studies (Bruening et al., 2001 Bruening, T., Scanlon, D., Hodes, C., Dhital, P., Shao, X., &; Liu, S. (2001). The status of career and technical education teacher preparation programs. (Report No. V051A990004). Minneapolis, MN: The National Research Center for Career and Technical Education. [Google Scholar]; Lynch, 1990 Lynch, R. (1990). A national database on vocational teacher education (Report No. V051A80004-89). Berkeley, CA: National Center for Research in Vocational Education. [Google Scholar]). Even so, CTE program/department administrators have articulated that declining student enrollment is a major challenge within their programs. Additionally, the development of online courses and the impact of state/national educational reform initiatives were identified as major curricular trends for CTE programs. Recommendations include the need for CTE faculty to embrace online instruction, and for programs to use broader nomenclature of CTE/Workforce Education, instead of names of more traditional subdisciplines within the field to remain more accessible and sustainable in the future. The condition of undergraduate and graduate CTE programs will likely impact the viability and sustainability of CTE teacher preparation programs, recruitment of a talented and diverse CTE teaching force, continuity of the U.S. teaching workforce, and ability of K–12 teachers to maintain high-quality CTE programs.     

Student Disengagement in English-Speaking Montréal

This article discusses how student disengagement is conceptualized by English-speaking youth attending English urban public schools in Montreal, Quebec. School dropout is theorized as being a culminating event in a process of school disengagement (Rumberger, 2011 Rumberger, R. W. (2011). Dropping out: Why students drop out of high school and what can be done about it. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.[Crossref] , [Google Scholar]). Using 2 qualitative methods (maps and interviews) in a grounded theory approach (Charmaz, 2014 Charmaz, K. (2014). Constructing grounded theory: A practical guide through qualitative analysis (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. [Google Scholar]), a theory of disengagement is presented and supported by existing literature in student engagement and school dropout. Student disengagement is framed from a socio-ecological perspective (Lawson &; Lawson, 2013 Lawson, M. A., &; Lawson, H. A. (2013). New conceptual frameworks for student engagement research, policy, and practice. Review of Educational Research, 83(3), 432–479.[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) in a move away from its predominant conceptualization as an individual trait. In doing so, we highlight some issues of urban education in Montreal, addressing such themes as inequity, low-income status, experiences of failure and the pass/fail paradigm, the elementary/secondary school transition, normativity, and, finally, the public/private distinction in schooling.     

I Grew Up Straight ‘hood: Unpacking the Intelligences of Working-Class Latino Male College Students in North Carolina

Primarily drawing from the Mestiz@ Theory of Intelligences (Carrillo, 2013 Carrillo, J. F. (2013). I always knew I was gifted: Latino males and the Mestiz@ theory of intelligences (MTI). Berkeley Review of Education, 4(1), 69–95. [Google Scholar]), this article examines how working class Latino male college students in North Carolina navigate multiple cultural worlds and excel academically. This work addresses current gaps in the literature that largely fail to unpack the experiences of academically successful Latin@ college students in the southeastern U.S. and also informs current work on males of color in schools, a topic that, in this region, is largely devoid of any research focus. Moreover, this study provides implications for teacher preparation and for extending current research that focuses on low-income youth of color.     

Promoting Psychological Well-Being in an Urban School Using the Participatory Culture-Specific Intervention Model

School psychology has recently reconceptualized its service provision model to include multitiered systems of academic and psychosocial promotion, prevention, and intervention. The availability of evidence-based programs and advances in school consultation theory accompany the paradigm shift of the field. Despite these advances, implementing multitiered systems of support into school settings is teeming with challenges and often results in program abandonment. One often cited reason for such failures is the inattention to local priorities and culture. This article discusses the use of the participatory culture-specific intervention model (Nastasi, Moore, & Varjas, 2004 Nastasi, B. K., Moore, R. B., & Varjas, K. M. (2004). School-based mental health services: Creating comprehensive and culturally specific programs. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.[Crossref] , [Google Scholar]) to build comprehensive systems of support in an elementary school in New Orleans. Co-authored by both researcher-consultants and school administrators, the article highlights the research, consultation, intervention, and collaborative decision-making activities over a 4-year period in a continuing university–school partnership. The discussion focuses on the process, challenges, and successes in consulting to build multitiered systems of support.     

Trying to Make a Lever Work at Ages 1 to 4: The Development of "Functions" (Logico-mathematical Thinking)

To find out if children could make functions before age 4, 73 children aged 1 to 4 were encouraged to imitate the use of a lever to make a beanbag fly up. Functions are mental relationships that preoperational children can make between 2 things at a time in a unidirectional way (Piaget, Grize, Szeminska, &; Bang, 1968 Piaget, J., Grize, J.-B., Szeminska, A. and Bang, V. B. 1977. Epistemology and psychology of functions, Boston: Dreidel. (Original work published 1968)[Crossref] , [Google Scholar]/1977). The child's construction of the following 3 functions was hypothesized and confirmed: (a) As a function of being pushed down, the up end of the board (the lever) goes down; (b) as a function of this descent, the down end of the board goes up; and (c) as a function of this ascent of the board, the beanbag flies up. Three developmental levels were found, and educational implications are discussed.     

Gifted High-School Students' Perspectives on the Development of Perfectionism

Through the use of in-depth interviews, this study investigated how gifted high-school students scoring high on at least one measure of perfectionism (self-oriented, socially prescribed, or other-oriented) perceived their perfectionism as developing. Findings suggested support for three family history models outlined by Flett, Hewitt, Oliver, and Macdonald (2002 Flett, G., Hewitt, P., Oliver, J. and Macdonald, S. 2002. “Perfectionism in children and their parents: A developmental analysis”. In Perfectionism: Theory, research, and treatment, Edited by: Flett, G. and Flett, P. 89–132. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar]). Lack of challenge in their early academic experiences was also indicated as an influence. Findings are discussed within the context of the current literature on perfectionism in gifted students, and avenues for future research are suggested.     

Taking a Different Route: Contribution of Articulation and Metacognition to Intervention With At-Risk Third-Grade Readers

This study compared the impact of 2 types of small-group interventions targeting below-level 3rd-grade students. The study compared WordWork decoding and spelling instruction (Calfee, Miller, Norman, Wilson, &; Trainin, 2006 Calfee, R. C., Miller, R. G., Norman, K., Wilson, K., &; Trainin, G. (2006). Learning to do educational research. In M. A. Constas &; R. J. Sterenberg (Eds.), Translating theory and research into educational practice: Developments in content domains, large scale reform, and intellectual capacity (pp. 77–103). New York, NY: Routledge. [Google Scholar]; Calfee &; Patrick, 1995 Calfee, R. C., &; Patrick, C. L. (1995). Teach our children well: Bringing K–12 education into the 21st Century. Stanford, CA: Stanford Alumni Assoc. [Google Scholar]), which includes attention to articulation and metacognition, with a more traditional phonological awareness program (Torgesen &; Bryant, 1993 Torgesen, J. K., &; Bryant, B. R. (1993). Phonological awareness training for reading. Austin, TX: Pro-Ed. [Google Scholar]). University education students delivered the interventions with equal instructional time and fidelity, to both groups. Students in both intervention groups engaged in repeated readings of connected text to promote transfer. The impact of training was assessed through decoding, spelling, and oral reading fluency measures. Results indicated that WordWork produced more positive results in decoding, spelling, and fluency, and had significantly fewer treatment resisters.     

Categories as Rhetorical Barriers and the Federal Response to Hurricane Katrina

I explore the role of categories as rhetorical barriers in organizations responding to crisis (Veil, 2011 Veil, S. R. (2011). Mindful learning in crisis management. Journal of Business Communication, 48(2), 116–147. doi:10.1177/0021943610382294[Crossref] , [Google Scholar]). I analyze some problematic categories of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the categories’ impact on the organizations’ response to Hurricane Katrina. My analysis shows that unintended and perverse consequences (Giddens, 1984 Giddens, A. (1984). The constitution of society: Outline of the theory of structuration. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press. [Google Scholar], 1987 Giddens, A. (1987). Social theory and modern sociology. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. [Google Scholar]) reversed the power of a key legitimated category (Orlikowski, 1995 Orlikowski, W. J. (1995). Categories: Concept, content, and context. Computer Supported Cooperative Work, 3, 73–78.[Crossref] , [Google Scholar]; Giddens, 1984 Giddens, A. (1984). The constitution of society: Outline of the theory of structuration. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press. [Google Scholar]) and exposed a set of reified categories (Giddens, 1984 Giddens, A. (1984). The constitution of society: Outline of the theory of structuration. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press. [Google Scholar]).     

Universal Instructional Design and Critical (Communication) Pedagogy: Strategies for Voice,Inclusion, and Social Justice/Change

Abstract

The multiracial people's movement in the United States has expanded significantly in the last 10 years (Douglass, 2003 Douglass, R. E. 2003. “The evolution of the multiracial movement”. In Multiracial child resource book: Living complex identities, Edited by: Root, M. P. P. and Kelley, M. pp. 13–17. Seattle, WA: Mavin Foundation.  [Google Scholar]). Historically, community-based education programs have supported social movements in the United States (Collins &; Yeskel, 2000 Collins, C. and Yeskel, F. 2000. Economic apartheid in America: A primer on economic inequality &; insecurity, New York: The New Press.  [Google Scholar]; Sarachild, 1974 Sarachild, K. 1974/1978. “Consciousness-raising: A radical weapon”. In Redstockings of the Women's Liberation Movement, Feminist revolution, pp. 144–150. New York: Random House.  [Google Scholar]/1978), yet little has been written about how educational programs might serve the social and political movements of mixed-race people. This case study describes two community-based multiracial education programs by and for mixed-race people and suggests ways that each supports multiracial community organizing. The conclusion offers recommendations for shaping future multiracial education programs for multiracial people.     

“I Do This for All of the Reasons America Doesn't Want Me To”: The Organic Pedagogies of Black Male Instructors

ABSTRACT

This article examines the teaching philosophies of Black male teachers of Black male students in manhood development classes in a district-wide program in Oakland, California. Drawing on observations and instructor interview data, we explore the teachers’ histories, teaching philosophies, and the trajectory of their racial-educational understandings. We utilize Gramsci's (1971 Gramsci, A. (1971). Selections from the Prison Notebooks of Antonio Gramsci: Hoare, Q. & Smith, G. N. (Eds.). (Hoare, Q. & Smith, G. N., trans.) New York, NY: International.  [Google Scholar]) theory of the organic intellectual, Mills’ (1997 Mills, C. W. (1997). The racial contract. Cornell, NY: Cornell University Press. [Google Scholar]) and Leonardo's (2013 Leonardo, Z. (2013). The story of schooling: Critical race theory and the educational racial contract. Discourse: Studies in the cultural politics of education, 34, 599–610. doi: 10.1080/01596306.2013.822624[Taylor & Francis Online] , [Google Scholar]) theories of the subperson and substudent, and Dumas’ (2014 Dumas, M. J. (2014). “Losing an arm”: Schooling as a site of Black suffering. Race, Ethnicity, and Education, 17(1), 1–29. doi: 10.1080/13613324.2013.850412 [Taylor & Francis Online] , [Google Scholar]) notion of Black suffering to theorize the ways that race comes into play in the teaching of African American male students. We find that racialization and re-humanization are key to instructors’ teaching, and we identify two key aspects of their teaching philosophies: (1) Humanization/Love and (2) Reciprocity.     

Conducting the “Business of Teaching”: Expectations of Non-instructional Tasks of Beginning STEM Teachers

Abstract

Much debate centers on the most necessary elements of teacher preparation programs, with many focusing on practice of core instructional tasks (Forzani 2014 Forzani, F. M. 2014. Understanding “Core Practices” and “Practice-Based” teacher education learning from the past. Journal of Teacher Education 65 (4):357–68. doi: 10.1177/0022487114533800.[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]; Kennedy 2016 Kennedy, M. 2016. Parsing the practice of teaching. Journal of Teacher Education 67 (1):6–17. doi: 10.1177/0022487115614617.[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]), which may be diluted in alternative preparation programs (Forzani 2014 Forzani, F. M. 2014. Understanding “Core Practices” and “Practice-Based” teacher education learning from the past. Journal of Teacher Education 65 (4):357–68. doi: 10.1177/0022487114533800.[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). Teachers prepared in alternative programs tend to have greater difficulties with classroom management, instructional planning, and differentiated instruction (Darling-Hammond 2009 Darling-Hammond, L. 2009. Educational opportunity and alternative certification: New evidence and new questions. Policy Brief (1). Stanford, CA: Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education. [Google Scholar]; Wilson 2011 Wilson, S. 2011. Effective STEM teacher preparation, induction, and professional development. In National Research Council’s Workshop on Successful STEM Education in K–12 Schools. Washington, DC. http://sites.nationalacademies.org/dbasse/bose/dbasse_080128#.UgEMEFPkDDn. [Google Scholar]); however, few studies have examined alternatively prepared STEM teachers’ beliefs and expectations about teaching and learning (Tigchelaar et al. 2010 Tigchelaar, A., N. Brouwer, and J. Vermunt. 2010. Tailor-made: Towards a pedagogy for educating second-career teachers. Educational Research Review 5 (2):164–83.[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]; Good et al. 2006 Good, T., M. McCaslin, H. Tsang, J. Zhang, C. Wiley, A. Rabidue Bozack, and W. Hester. 2006. How well do 1st-year teachers teach: Does type of preparation make a difference? Journal of Teacher Education 57 (4):410–30.[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]), and fewer still have examined their beliefs about non-instructional responsibilities associated with the profession (LeTendre et al. 2001 LeTendre, G.K., D.P. Baker, M. Akiba, B. Goesling, and A. Wiseman. 2001. Teachers' work: Institutional isomorphism and cultural variation in the U.S., Germany, and Japan. Educational Researcher 30 (6):3–15. doi: 10.3102/0013189X030006003.[Crossref] , [Google Scholar]; Ovando 2001 Ovando, M. N. 2001. Teachers' perceptions of a learner-centered teacher evaluation system. Journal of Personnel Evaluation in Education 15 (3):213–231. [Google Scholar]; Scriven 1994 Scriven, M. 1994. Duties of the teacher. Journal of Personnel Evaluation in Education 8 (2):151–84. doi: 10.1007/BF00972261.[Crossref] , [Google Scholar]). This inquiry examines the expectations of a cohort of STEM practitioners transitioning into STEM teaching positions from an abbreviated alternative certification program; during their first year of teaching and concurrent final internship, the paid interns exhibited heightened emotional responses (i.e. crying, not eating, not sleeping) documented by university supervisors. Researchers utilized Self-Discrepancy Theory (Higgins 1987 Higgins, E. T. 1987. Self-discrepancy: A theory relating self and affect. Psychological Review 94 (3):319–40.[Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) to provide an understanding of how expectations can produce negative affect, such as anxiety or depression. Findings suggest this cohort of paid interns had expectations about both personal and non-instructional time, planning, school resources, and legal responsibilities incongruent with the realities of the job. Researchers call for further research on STEM practitioners’ beliefs and expectations of non-instructional tasks as they transition from accelerated M.A.T. programs into teaching.     

Preparing doctoral candidates for the viva: issues for students and supervisors

The PhD viva has been described as mysterious (Burnham 1994 Burnham, P. 1994. Surviving the doctoral viva: Unravelling the mystery of the Ph.D. oral. Journal of Graduate Education, 1: 30–34.  [Google Scholar]; Morley et al. 2002 Morley, L., Leonard, D. and David, M. 2002. Variations in vivas: Quality and equality in British PhD assessments. Studies in Higher Education, 27(3): 263–273. [Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]), unpredictable (Rugg & Petre 2004 Rugg, G. and Petre, M. 2004. The unwritten rules of PhD research, Maidenhead: Open University Press.  [Google Scholar]) and potentially frightening for students (Delamont et al. 2004 Delamont, S., Atkinson, P. and Parry, O. 2004. Supervising the doctorate: A guide to success, Maidenhead: Open University Press.  [Google Scholar]), with its form and duration a function of the predilections of individual examiners as well as a function of differences across disciplines. Despite its myriad manifestations, the PhD viva voce (live voice), as oral examination of the doctoral thesis, constitutes the final ‘test’ of the PhD endeavour. In the UK, this is a private event, though in some countries such as Belgium and the Netherlands, for example, the viva is conducted in a public arena (Delamont et al. 2004 Delamont, S., Atkinson, P. and Parry, O. 2004. Supervising the doctorate: A guide to success, Maidenhead: Open University Press.  [Google Scholar]). Although there is no standard or prescribed format, students across all disciplines can expect to defend their thesis through a process involving questioning, clarification and discussion of key elements. This critical commentary discusses a number of issues that inform the preparation of students, focusing on the role of the internal and external examiner, the viva voce process, guidance for students and some practical suggestions for supervisors and students, particularly the value of full role-play in building students’ confidence. The extent to which the doctoral viva, in its current ‘secret’ form, can be seen as a fully accountable and independently rigorous process is taken up in the conclusion that highlights the phenomenon of ‘cosy’ reciprocal examining arrangements, the spectre of litigation when things go wrong and the need to consider a fundamental review of both the purpose and conduct of the viva.     

Benefits of Systematic Phonics Instruction

Systematic-phonics instruction appears to be more effective than nonsystematic phonics instruction for teaching reading (Ehri, Nunes, Stahl, & Willows, 2001 Ehri, L. C., Nunes, S. R., Stahl, S. A. and Willows, D. M. 2001. Systematic phonics instruction helps students learn to read: Evidence from the National Reading Panels meta-analysis.. Review of Educational Research, 71: 393–447. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). In the present study, a systematic phonics approach was directly compared with a nonsystematic phonics approach for kindergarten children. Both approaches were delivered using computer programs teaching the same Dutch grapheme–phoneme correspondences. Both phonics-trained groups progressed to the same extent on productive letter-sound knowledge compared to the control group. However, on measures of phonemic awareness, spelling, and reading, the systematic phonics group made more progress than the nonsystematic phonics group and the control group.     

The White Kid Can Do Whatever He Wants: The Racial Socialization of a Gifted Education Program

Drawing from a 14-month ethnographic study at an elementary school in the US South, I examine the role that the gifted and talented (GT) program played in racial socialization at the school. I use the principle of Whiteness as property (Harris, 1995 Harris, C. I. (1995). Whiteness as property. In K. Crenshaw, N. Gotanda, G. Peller, &; K. Thomas (Eds.), Critical race theory: The key writings that formed the movement (pp. 276–291). New York, NY: New Press. [Google Scholar]) to analyze space as curriculum, the physical and social spaces of a school that structure how particular student bodies are positioned in relation to power and privilege. I argue that the segregated GT structure perpetuates racial inequities that young children are taught to accept and emulate. I conclude with implications for practice and future studies about the role of GT in racial socialization.