Effects of Diagnostic Label and Disease Information on Emotions,Beliefs, and Willingness to Help Older Parents with Osteoarthritis

We studied the impact of the diagnostic label of osteoarthritis and educational information on family members' attributions, perceptions, and willingness to help older parents with pain. Undergraduate students (N = 636) were randomly assigned to one of three conditions where they read vignettes about an older mother with chronic pain, which varied on illness label and educational information. Results indicated that both the osteoarthritis label and osteoarthritis information led to more positive perceptions compared with no label/healthy aging information. Results highlight the importance of diagnosis and education in promoting favorable attributions and increasing willingness to help older adults with osteoarthritis.     

Conceptualizing parents' sign language use in bilingual early intervention

This research study investigates how parents and interveners conceptualize parents' early sign language use. Three groups of respondents involved in the same bilingual early intervention program were being interviewed: hearing parents (n = 12), hearing teachers (n = 6), and Deaf consultants (n = 6). The search and retrieve program 'The Ethnograph' was used for data analysis. The results demonstrate that neither a framework of linguistic proficiency nor one of communicative competence captures the complexity of the issues involved for parents and interveners in conceptualizing parents' early sign language use. The interpretative frameworks of each group emphasize different aspects of the task facing parents: balancing the quest for Sign Language proficiency with emotional and practical considerations in the family, acknowledging the overriding importance of communication regardless of what one may label the language used, and confirming the visual quality and child appropriateness of the signing. Results are related to the stocks of knowledge on which respondents draw and the implications for Deaf and hearing interveners assessing parents' progress.     

Strengthening Homeless Parents with Young Children Through Meaningful Parent Education and Support

Homeless parents of young children confront several barriers to developing effective parenting skills and dispositions. Perhaps the major barrier is that of the negative stereotype that many people use to label them. They also often have not had positive parent role models and in many cases have had to deal with the issues of violence. Parent education and support strategies can play a key role in helping homeless parents develop positive and nurturing parenting skills.     

Engaging hard to reach families: learning from five ‘outstanding’ schools

ABSTRACT

Parental engagement is shown to have a significant effect on educational outcomes, especially at primary school level. It can take a variety of forms including helping children with homework and attending parents’ evenings. Evidence suggests that parents with lower socio-economic status (SES) are less likely to engage in their children's education and there is a tendency to label such parents as ‘hard to reach’. However, in reality these parents may find the school itself ‘hard to reach’. This paper explores the relationship between schools and families, offering a critical review of relevant literature and then presenting data from a study of five outstanding schools in Stoke-on-Trent, Britain that have successfully engaged parents in their children's learning. In so doing it challenges some of the assumptions that are made regarding lower SES parents in terms of parental engagement.     

To Involve Parents in the Assessment of the Child in Parent–Teacher Conferences: A Case Study

This article explores the face-to-face interactions between parents and teachers in parent–teacher conferences in the Swedish preschool. The article highlights how the preschool teacher introduces the conference by using a specific artifact, so-called “strength cards” with words relating to characteristic behaviour and qualities. The theoretical framework is adopted from research of institutional talk and discourse analysis. The empirical material consists of two cases included in a larger study of parent–teacher conferences. The analysis reveals that the talk not only focuses on the assessment of the individual child but also is directed at the cards, the procedure, and the importance of parents being active and involved in learning the procedure. In addition, the cards are used by the teacher as a tool that governs parents towards becoming ‘good enough preschool parents’ who are cooperative and able to categorise and label their own children, that is, follow the institutional discourse. The analysis also shows that parents take control in order to overcome institutional barriers to parents’ involvement.     

Acquisition of the cardinal word principle: The role of input

We investigated whether specific input helps 3-1/2-year-olds discover that the last word in a count represents its cardinal value (i.e., the cardinal word principle). In Study 1, we contrasted four training approaches. The only approach to yield significant improvement was to label a set's cardinality and then immediately count it. This training is consistent with previously hypothesized mechanisms based on juxtaposing a set's cardinal label with its count in close temporal contiguity (e.g., 0105 and 0175), as well as general theories of comparison and categorization (e.g., Gentner, 2005). In Study 2, we asked parents to read picture books to their preschool children and found that they rarely provide cardinal labels immediately followed by counting, even when asked to read a book about number.     

Developing an ambivalence perspective on medical labelling in education: case dyslexia

There are several social actors involved in the process of constructing the social meaning of dyslexia—namely, parents, teachers, educational authorities and organisations representing dyslectics. Some of these actors emphasise the constructive social powers related to the dyslexia label, while others perceive dyslexia as diagnostic reasoning counter productive to the learning processes. In the discussion of this paradox, this article uses sociological medicalisation theory as a provider of perspectives on medical labelling as contested, and on how the labelling process is socially structured. Empirically, the article is based on four studies in Scandinavia of the construction of dyslexia in different social settings, such as individual life stories, parent stories, educational politics and the legal system. The medicalisation perspective is found most useful for the understanding of undesirable effects. To understand reported experience of medical labelling as empowering, other sociological perspectives are more useful.     

‘They have just given up on me’ How pupils labelled with social,emotional and behavioural difficulties (SEBD) experience the process of exclusion from school

For decades, the school exclusion rates have been a cause for concern within the English education system. We have witnessed a steady increase in the numbers of pupils being excluded since 2012. Evidence suggests that some children are more likely to be excluded from school, a significant number will have had the social, emotional and behavioural difficulties label attached to them. This article will draw on the work of Parsons and Howlett (Permanent exclusions from school: A case where society is failing its children. Support for Learning, 11, 3, 109–112, 1996) to see how much, if any, progress has been made since the publication of their work which raised concerns regarding the exclusion processes employed in England. Drawing on the perspectives of pupils, parents and teachers, 13 in-depth case studies were developed, with emphasis placed on employing innovative and creative methods to hear the voices of young people. The findings revealed that young people, their parents and teachers feel the current education system continues to fail this group of young people.     

The Science and Politics of Gifted Students With Learning Disabilities: A Social Inequality Perspective

Researchers and advocates who argue for increased recognition of gifted students with learning disabilities (G/LD students) often frame their arguments in terms of the need to increase the diversity and inclusiveness of gifted education. However, the criteria used to identify G/LD students are sufficiently vague and fluid that the G/LD category can serve as a vehicle for the very elitism and social class reproduction that the category's advocates abhor. Empirical research suggests that G/LD students often fail to satisfy traditional criteria for either aspect of their label, while the incentives of the classification are nonetheless evident to knowledgeable parents and school personnel. Implications of these findings for practice are discussed.     

Large-scale implementation of formative assessment practices in an examination-oriented culture

Singapore’s education system has often been characterised as exam-oriented. This paper describes efforts (‘windmills’) made by the Government to constructively respond to the ‘winds of change’ in the education system. A committee called the Primary Education Review and Implementation (PERI) Committee was appointed to study and recommend the priorities, programmes and resources needed to revise primary education in Singapore. The Committee recommended that a balanced school-based assessment system that provides constructive feedback, enabling more meaningful learning in support of both academic and non-academic aspects of a pupil’s development, be carried out under the label of ‘Holistic Assessment’. This paper is an attempt at surfacing the challenges (‘walls’) in implementing ‘Holistic Assessment’ on a large scale, highlighting in particular, the tensions perceived by stakeholders concerning the interaction between formative assessment and accountability systems. It documents how stakeholders, namely teachers and parents, perceive and typify the concept of ‘Holistic Assessment’. The findings provide insights into the consequent realities of a nationwide shift in assessment purpose and discourse on teachers and parents.     

Parental Priorities in the Selection of International Schools

The issue of choice of schooling for their offspring is one which exercises many parents based in different parts of the world. For parents whose employment takes them away from their home country and whose children accompany them on such postings, the issue—while different from the experience of parents based solely within national systems—is no less important or complex. This paper investigates the issue of parental choice and priorities within the context of three international schools in Switzerland, where a study was undertaken to establish the basis on which parents had elected to send their children to one or other of the schools in question. Based on a survey model of questionnaires and follow-up interviews with parents, the research concludes that a major factor influencing parents is the perceived importance of an English-medium education. Interesting similarities in perceptions to emerge from the study are found amongst parents from the different schools and amongst parents of primary and secondary age children, while differences in perceived levels of importance clearly emerge between fathers and mothers, and between parents from different geographical backgrounds. The paper suggests some preliminary explanations for such differences, and highlights areas which could form the basis for further pieces of research in this growing and increasingly important context.     

Expectancy and halo effects as a result of artificially induced teacher bias

This investigation examined the effects of deviancy labels on teachers' expectations of child behavior and their ability to evaluate child behavior objectively. One hundred elementary school teachers were randomly assigned to one of four label groups. Each group dealt with one label (emotionally disturbed, learning disabled, mentally retarded, normal), and each group participated in two separate treatment phases. During Phase I teachers identified behaviors they expected to be displayed by hypothetical children characteristic of the label condition. They were asked to complete a referral form for either a hypothetical normal, mentally retarded, learning disabled, or emotionally disturbed child. During Phase II, each group saw the same videotape of a normal fourth grade boy and completed a second referral form based on the behaviors displayed during this presentation. Experimental procedures were identical for the four groups, except each group was told the child was a member of a different category.Results indicated that teachers hold negative expectancies toward children categorized with a deviancy label and maintain expectancies even when confronted with normal behavior, behavior inconsistent with the stated label. Maintenance of this bias is sufficient to cause teachers to misinterpret actual child behavior, resulting in a halo effect. Results further indicated that the label of educable mentally retarded generated a greater degree of negative bias than did the labels learning disabled or emotionally disturbed, although all three deviancy labels produced negative expectancies and halo effects significantly different from those found under control conditions.     

科技论文基金项目标注不端行为及其对策研究

随着国家对科学研究基金投入的大幅增加,科技论文基金项目标注不端行为日渐增多,严重破坏了学术生态环境。对基金项目标注不端行为的不同表现形式进行归纳,按论文作者的主观意愿将其划分为主动型和被动型两类,并提出了期刊出版单位相应的应对策略。     

Context of academic achievement: lessons from Hong Kong

Vygotsky speculated that parents play an important role in the intellectual development of their children, and that this role includes the transfer of expectations related to their children's academic achievement. Consequently, different parents can produce different contexts of academic achievement for their children. The participants were 215 Primary 5 and 6 students from four primary schools in Hong Kong, and their parents. Students were administered a test of working memory and their academic achievement was indicated by their school‐assessed mathematics and language achievement scores. Parents reported their expectations of their children's academic achievement, the extent of their home and school involvement, and their educational and income levels. Correlational and sequential regression analyses showed that different schools yielded different contexts of academic achievement. The results support the hypothesis that parents, and especially parental expectations, play an important role in children's academic achievement, and that within Hong Kong different schools can be characterised by different contexts of achievement.     

孤独症儿童父母社会支持与焦虑的关系研究

本文采用社会支持评定量表(SSRS)和焦虑自评量表(SAS)对54名孤独症儿童的父亲或母亲进行测量,探讨孤独症儿童父母社会支持与焦虑的关系。结果表明:孤独症儿童父母的社会支持与常模无显著差异,不同性别、文化程度在社会支持各维度上的得分也无显著差异;孤独症儿童父母的焦虑水平显著高于国内常模,不同性别、不同年龄阶段父母焦虑水平无显著差异;孤独症儿童父母社会支持与焦虑水平呈显著的负相关。     

The impact of culture upon child rearing practices and definitions of maltreatment

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to assess the relationship between a childhood history of abuse that a parent may have experienced and the cultural beliefs/factors that an individual may subscribe to with current parenting behaviors and attitudes. It was hypothesized that cultural factors would be more predictive of parenting behaviors and attitudes than ethnicity as a demographic label. METHOD: Using a survey design, 150 parents of Hispanic, African American and European American descent participated. Participants completed the Conflict Tactics Scale, a Familism Scale, a Machismo Scale, a Valuing Children Scale, the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, and assigned seriousness ratings to vignettes depicting child maltreatment. RESULTS: A history of childhood abuse was found to be predictive of the use of both physical and verbal punishment by mothers, but not for fathers. Cultural factors/beliefs were predictive of fathers' parenting behaviors, but not mothers'. Ethnicity, as a demographic variable, continued to be a significant predictor of parenting behaviors and attitudes for all parents, controlling for cultural factors. DISCUSSION: The present study adds to our understanding of diverse parenting styles, of definitions of child abuse and neglect, and of ethnicity. The findings indicate that ethnicity is a complex factor, one demanding further examination with regard to its components.     

The effect of text genre on parent use of joint book reading strategies to promote phonological awareness

This study compared the rates of different types of joint book reading behaviors of parents of preschool children with and without language impairments using two different text genres. Participants included 72 preschool children between the ages of 51 and 70 months. Fifty-five children were typically developing and 17 were diagnosed with language impairments. Parent–child dyads were videotaped during periods of joint book reading using two different types of text (one alphabet-rhyming and one narrative). Results indicated parents rarely used reading behaviors known to enhance their preschoolers’ phonological awareness. However, when used, there was a significant difference between the two types of texts. The alphabet book elicited a higher rate of phonological awareness and print concept behaviors, while the narrative book resulted in parents using more content behaviors. In addition, the parents of typically developing children used more phonological awareness behaviors than the parents of children with language impairments.     

不均等教育结果的成因：理性资本与不同社会阶级家长的教育行动

台湾从20世纪90年代起执行了一系列教育改革方案,其中课程是重点之一,其目的在于结合其他教改方案,改善学习成效以及教育结果的不均等。尽管如此,社会大众却强烈质疑教改成效。本文将不评论这些质疑的合理性,而是试图说明教改结果的高度动态性,以及此种特性与社会阶级的关联性。尽管教育政策足以产生结构性规范,但＂施为＂的主动作为足以使家长脱离结构的束缚,因为他们能积极介入教育政策的制定,影响教育政策的实施过程,至少能调整自身以契合政策的特性与要求,因而使子女处于有利的学习位置。但受阶级文化差异的影响,中产阶级家长往往展现高度＂施为＂,劳工阶级家长则偏向接受结构的规范,此种差异使教育结果难以脱离社会阶级的影响。

Abstract：

Taiwanese central government has initiated a series of educational reforms since 1990s targeting at improving leaning efficiency and educational inequality.Nevertheless,such educational reforms do not significantly meet the needs of parents but bring education into a controversial arena.This article will not evaluate such criticism but attempt to profile the social class factors whose influence is adequate to regulate educational results.Although educational policies may produce a structural form to constrain parents＇ educational behaviors,agency,a counter element,may bestow a great amount of latitude upon parents allowing them to conduct constructive actions and,then,to free themselves from such structural constraints.Nevertheless,different social class parents may employ different types of educational actions towards educational reforms.Generally speaking,middle class parents may generally be characterized as a proactive creature.In contrast,working class parents tend to be subject to the structural constraints.Such a differentiation with a powerful influence tends to make educational inequality remain firmly.     

浅析学龄前残疾儿童训练中的家长培训

通过对学龄前残疾儿童家长培训主要形式的基本分析,提出个别指导形式、集体性培训、推荐与提供文字音像资料是学龄前残疾儿童家长培训的有效途径。关注教师与家长双向互动、突出家长主体地位、分层分类培训是提高学龄前残疾儿童家长培训效果的基本要求。     

高校学生工作中应当加强与家长的交流

在普通高校学生工作中加强与家长的交流可以使很多难以处理的学生问题得以解决。然而毕竟大学生不同于中学生,在实际操作中辅导员遇到很多不同于中学班主任所面临的问题和困难,和家长的交流难度也比中学班主任面临的难度大。本文通过分析得出高校学生工作中与家长联系交流的困难所在,以及如何克服这些困难,以达到更加通畅地与大学生家长交流联系,从而使高校学生工作取得事半功倍的效果。