A critical appraisal of four approaches which support teachers’ problem‐solving within educational settings

This paper critically appraises four problem‐solving approaches, based on a range of theoretical perspectives and procedures, which are currently used in educational settings to support adults to find solutions to complex problems that arise within classrooms and the wider school community. The four approaches are: Circles of Adults; Teacher Coaching; Collaborative Problem‐solving Groups; the Staff Sharing Scheme. The principle aim of all of these interventions is to enable school staff to generate solutions to problems so that children and young people who are causing concern are perceived in ways which lead to more constructive actions and outcomes. A second aim is to build the capacity of those working in schools by developing their skills and self confidence as problem‐solvers and decision‐makers; the assumption being that they will be more able to solve similar problems in the future largely on their own, without the need for extensive external support. The paper then considers the relative strengths and limitations of each approach in relation to practice.     

Examining the Circles of Adults process for Children Looked After: the role of self-efficacy and empathy in staff behaviour change

ABSTRACT

The Circles of Adults (CoA) group problem solving process has been used by educational psychologists (EPs) when supporting vulnerable educational placements, but its effects upon staff or student outcomes have not been explored. CoAs were used in the current research with staff supporting Children Looked After (CLA) in secondary schools. A quasi-experimental explanatory, sequential, mixed-methods design investigated changes in participant causal attributions, perceived self-efficacy, and perceived implementation of subsequent actions. Participation in the CoA had no significant effects upon causal attributions or self-efficacy; however, staff perceived greater self-efficacy and success in implementing actions following the CoA. They valued the process, reporting enhanced group cohesion and task focus. Insights and empathy were deepened regarding the focus student, as were awareness of group processes and reflection. Threats in small-scale research are considered and a possible mechanism for the CoA’s effect as a supervisory approach is proposed.     

Evaluating Circle Time as a support to social skills development – reflections on a journey in school-based research

The authors of this article argue that deficit in socially skilled behaviour is often one of the distinguishing characteristics that sets people with intellectual disability apart from their non-disabled peers. The need for social skills training to take place within the context of real life daily situations has been emphasised in more recent literature as essential in enabling people with an intellectual disability to generalise new skills. The researchers involved in this study, Catherine Canney, a senior educational psychologist, and Alison Byrne, a senior speech and language therapist, both work in a school for children with mild intellectual disability in Ireland as part of a multidisciplinary team. Analysis of teachers' referrals to the team indicated a significant and ongoing need for supporting social skills development among the students.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the merits of Circle Time as a classroom intervention aimed at improving the social skills of students with a mild intellectual disability. The research is presented here as an evaluative case study reflecting this experience. Organisational and interactional issues arising are presented and discussed with the intention of supporting those involved in facilitating Circle Time with children who have special educational needs. The authors also identify avenues for future research.     

Circle Time: A Much-neglected Resource in Secondary Schools?

Throughout this article, unless otherwise stated, the use of the term ‘circle time’ refers to a whole‐class meeting where everyone sits in a circle. It is a forum that is bound by strict groundrules to ensure emotional ‘safety’ and respectful listening. Different approaches to circle‐time are used at all levels of education. In this article ‘Circle Time’ (with initial capitals) refers to the Quality Circle Time Model and the strategies used within the circle as devised by Jenny Mosley (1989, 1993, 1996) as opposed to the many other circle‐time methods to be found in educational practice.     

文化视角下师生关系新解构

教育过程中师生关系作为一个重要的因素影响着教育的成败,师生关系的紧张是教育过程中必不可少的部分,面对紧张的状况,大多数人从心理学、教育心理学等视角来试图协调这种现状,同时也作为热点引起理论界的极大关注。从文化的视角对造成师生关系紧张的原因进行阐释,同时提出相应地举措,并且其中也蕴涵了新型师生关系的新走向,这对解构文化视角下的师生关系有一定的借鉴意义。     

Improving self-monitoring and self-regulation: From cognitive psychology to the classroom

Although there is abundant experimental metamemory research on the relation between students’ monitoring, regulation of learning, and learning outcomes, relatively little of this work has influenced educational research and practice. Metamemory research, traditionally based on experimental paradigms from cognitive psychology, can potentially contribute to designing and improving educational interventions that foster self-monitoring and self-regulation in children, adolescents, and young adult learners. We describe the metamemory paradigm, and provide a short overview of the insights it has generated with regard to improving metacognitive skills in these groups of learners. Moreover, we summarize the contributions to this special issue on translating insights from cognitive psychology research on metamemory to educational research and practice, and describe possible themes and directions for future research that could further bridge the gap between fundamental and more applied research on metacognition, so as to design effective educational interventions.     

The rural gifted on line: Bulletin boards and electronic curriculum

A Quality Circle is a problem solving method with many advantages for gifted students. As advocated by Torrence, Quality Circles differ from Future Problem Groups in focus and structure. With the emphasis on analytic thought, a task structured group process, school and community issues, implementation of an action plan and evaluation of results. Circles develop not only the gifted students’ analytic thinking skills, but also their responsibility and leadership skills.     

A cross‐national review of evidence‐based psychosocial treatments for children and adolescents with autistic spectrum disorders in the United Kingdom,Ireland, and United States

The most thoroughly researched topic in relation to autistic spectrum disorders (ASDs) is the evaluation of interventions. Educational psychology in the United Kingdom and Ireland is the most closely allied profession to school psychology in the United States. In considering what is published by and for the profession, it is important to include all of those journals that are directly relevant to the profession including educational psychology journals. This review reports on the type, focus, and quality of school‐based ASD intervention research reported in school and educational psychology journals between 2005 and 2015. Twelve evaluation studies are reported, which evaluated 10 discrete interventions and two commercial packages. These interventions targeted academic, social, communication, and behavioral outcomes. Implications for the practice of school psychologists are discussed including the application of research to the idiographic nature of the work of school psychologists.     

破解"当代官场女同志"的心魔——评范小青长篇小说《女同志》

作为新写实小说的代表作家之一,范小青在其长篇小说新作《女同志》中,秉承新写实的风格,创作中又融入了新的写作内涵。凭着对官场女性心理的深刻理解和深入把握,作家形象地破解了体制内女性心理、性格衍变的心魔,同时也流露了作家自己的心性。     

Investigating and Conceptualising the Notion of Consultation to Facilitate Multi‐agency Work

This article explores the use of consultation within educational psychology practice and suggests there is confusion and lack of clarity within the profession surrounding the term, how we use it and how inclusive or exclusive it is as a practice. Three ways of conceptualising consultation are suggested and examples of research and theoretical analysis are described in order to understand these areas of practice. The latter part of the article considers the role of consultation within new practices associated with multi‐agency working and integrated services. It is suggested that as a profession we need to pay more specific attention to the knowledge and skills involved in successful consultation within multi‐agency practice, through drawing upon research and practice from beyond our own somewhat narrow field.     

Theory‐Based Interventions for School Children Cared For by their Grandparents

The growing social phenomenon of grandparents caring for their grandchildren has implications for educational psychology practice, since children who are wards of their grandparents frequently experience problematic school functioning. In this paper, the literature regarding children cared for by grandparents is reviewed. Issues concerning attachment, social support, and the children’s school‐related functioning are emphasised. In addition, theoretical and practical school‐based interventions to help these grandchildren are described.     

教育心理学:历史、分歧与超越

桑代克在尝试教育心理学科学化的同时,背离了詹姆斯、杜威等教育心理学的祖父辈人物与教育亲和的思想传统,从对学校教育问题有真实兴趣转向了蔑视学校教育实践,造成了心理学家对教育的一种傲慢态度。同时,也在教育心理学内部形成了两种对抗的观点:一是视教育心理学为普通心理学研究的一个应用领域,是实验心理学在教育领域的延伸;二是视教育心理学为教育情境中人类行为的科学研究,是一门独立的应用性学科。教育心理学领域中这两种观点的分歧,究其本质,是两种科学观的对立,反映了心理学中科学主义和人文主义两种文化的对立。新近在心理学、教育学中兴起的循证实践,在方法论层面为超越两种教育心理学的分歧提供了可供选择的途径。     

Sharing Books and Learning Language: What do Latina Mothers and Their Young Children Do?

This study examined low-income, Spanish-speaking, immigrant Latina mothers' book sharing behaviors in relation to their children's vocabulary. Participants were 47 3-year-old children and their mothers. We addressed two research questions: (a) What interactive behaviors are evident when low-income immigrant Latina mothers and their 3-year-old children look at books together? (b) For these children and their mothers, which book-sharing behaviors are related to children's expressive language? Overall, our results indicated that mothers were involved in several kinds of interactions with the books. They enhanced their children's attention to the printed text, promoted interaction or conversation with their children about what was in the books, and somewhat less often, used more complex literacy strategies. Mothers who did these things most had children with the largest vocabularies even when mothers' vocabulary was taken into account. Implications for designing interventions for similar families are discussed.     

当代文化心理学的缘起及其教育意义——美国心理学会前主席布鲁纳《教育的文化》评述

本文在概述布鲁纳学术思想巨变的基础上,评介其对文化心理学缘起与未来走向、叙事研究方法、文化与心智关系、民俗心理学及其教育意义等基本问题的论述。最后评介了台湾学术界兴起与此有些相关的＂本土心理学运动＂,略论其进一步开展反身批判的意义。

Abstract：

This paper expounds the ideological change of Bruner from his first cognition revolution to the second cognition revolution and introduces an important peak in the development of American cultural psychology.It also discusses Bruner’s statements about cultural psychology on issues of its origin,future trend,narrative research method,the relation between culture and mind,folk psychology and its significance in educational studies.Finally,the writer makes comments on the indigenous psychological movement started in Taiwan academic circle and the significance of its reflexivity criticism.     

Investigating the Circle of Friends Approach: Adaptations and Implications for Practice

Circle of Friends is a recent intervention used to tackle social isolation in childhood. Its aim is to promote social inclusion by establishing a friendship group for an isolated child. Although there is some literature relating to the development and implementation of this approach, there is relatively little evidence regarding its effectiveness. Two evaluation studies of the Circle of Friends approach are discussed in this paper. Both studies involve adaptations of the traditional model. Consideration of these models and an evaluation of their relative effectiveness in promoting social inclusion is made. Implications for educational psychology practice are explored.     

The Impact of Phonological-Awareness and Rapid-Reading Training on the Reading Skills of Adolescent and Adult Neoliterates

This study compares the reading performance of adolescent and adult neoliterates in Burkina Faso who participated in one of three experimental educational programs with the reading performance of neoliterates who took part in a standard (control) educational program. The experimental programs involved training in phonological awareness, training in the rapid identification of reading material and an approach that involved both phonological-awareness and rapid-reading training. Results show that students enrolled in the experimental programs made greater gains in reading skills than did students enrolled in the standard educational programs.     

The Impact of Phonological-Awareness and Rapid-Reading Training on the Reading Skills of Adolescent and Adult Neoliterates

This study compares the reading performance of adolescent and adult neoliterates in Burkina Faso who participated in one of three experimental educational programs with the reading performance of neoliterates who took part in a standard (control) educational program. The experimental programs involved training in phonological awareness, training in the rapid identification of reading material and an approach that involved both phonological-awareness and rapid-reading training. Results show that students enrolled in the experimental programs made greater gains in reading skills than did students enrolled in the standard educational programs.     

Students’ Quality Control Circle: a case study on students’ participation in the quality control circle at the Faculty of Business and Management

A pilot study on students’ participation in Students’ Quality Control Circle (SQCC) was carried out by the researcher at the Faculty of Business and Management, Institut Teknologi MARA (ITM), Shah Alam, Malaysia. The purpose of this study was to identify the importance of the Quality Control Circle (QCC) to students and hence use it as a basis of consideration for the inclusion of the SQCC as a subject in the future. Participants for the pilot study comprised students from the Bachelor in Business Administration (BBA) majoring in International Business, Part Two since they have had prior exposure to studies on Total Quality Management. The students who participated did so on a voluntary basis. The process of SQCC took nearly a year since it was undertaken outside the students’ normal class hours. The students sent their report on the SQCC project which was subsequently published to the First International Conference on Students Quality Control at Lucknow, India in the same year. Feedback from the students who took part in the SQCC indicated that it was a suitable learning process and that it could be adopted as a subject. It is hoped that this will be taken up so that the students will be better prepared to face the challenges of working life after their graduation. This paper traces the researcher's experience as the facilitator for the SQCC and to present the feedback on the pilot study on the SQCC. It is recommended that a survey be made on the acceptance by potential employers on students equipped with QCC skills.