Preparing Teachers to Use GIS: The Impact of a Hybrid Professional Development Program on Teachers’ Use of GIS

This article reports the findings of a 3-year study of a hybrid professional development program designed to prepare science and mathematics teachers to implement GIS in their classrooms. The study was conducted as part of the CoastLines Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers project funded by the National Science Foundation. Three cohorts of teachers participated in the program, with each participant receiving 40 h of synchronous online instruction and 80 h of in-person instruction and support over an 8-month period. Data from surveys of participants both before and after the program were analyzed using correlation, ordinary least squares, and ordered logit regression analyses. The analyses revealed increases in the self-reported frequency of GIS use and enhanced feelings of preparation, competence, community, and comfort with respect to using GIS for instruction. A composite index of all impact variables was positively influenced as well. The statistical analyses found a strong relationship between self-reported feelings of preparation and use of GIS. Some support was found for the idea that feelings of competence, community, and comfort were related to the teachers’ sense of preparation. The findings suggest that a robust hybrid model of teacher professional development can prepare teachers to use GIS in their classrooms. More research is needed to understand how hybrid models influence the sociopsychological and other dimensions that support teachers’ feelings of preparation to implement GIS.

     

Recruiting,Retaining, and Benefiting From a Diverse Community College Faculty: A Case Study of One College’s Successes

The variety of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives that an ethnically diverse faculty provides a community college give it the capacity to support the complex work that community colleges undertake. The challenges in having a diverse faculty require recruiting diverse applicants and in retaining those applicants once hired. Achieving these twin aims has proven elusive for many community colleges. This case study explores one college that underwent significant institutional transformations and concurrently diversified its faculty in ways that helped it evolve the collective skills that the institution needed. Over a 15-year period, the college became the most diverse in its state while growing from 4.3% full-time faculty of color to 23.3% full-time faculty of color. The study explores that 15-year period through analysis of archived records and interviews with key informants. This study identifies how a diverse faculty strengthened the college; it also suggests three key principles for how other colleges can achieve such diversity.     

The Freedom to Birth—The Use of Cytotec to Induce Labor: A Non-Evidence-Based Intervention

The off-label use of Cytotec (misoprostol) to induce labor has increased over the past few decades. The increase in medical interventions in childbirth, many of which are not based on scientific evidence, and the rise in maternal and infant morbidity and in maternal and infant mortality cannot continue to go unrecognized. This column serves as a teaching tool for childbirth educators and provides an example of two unnecessary, potentially avoidable deaths that occurred during a birth with questionable medical interventions.     

“Do I Really Belong Here?”: The Stigma of Being a Community College Transfer Student at a Four-Year University

ABSTRACT

Students who begin their educational journeys in community college face many obstacles trying to complete their bachelor’s degrees. Much research has been dedicated to identifying academic factors that predict successful transfer and degree attainment, but relatively little research investigates how the community college experience affects these students once enrolled at the four-year university. Here, we present the results of a qualitative study that explored the challenges faced by 14 community college students during and after transfer. Specifically, we focus on student reports of a sense of stigma from having attended community college and how students overcame these feelings. Recommendations are provided for how community colleges and four-year universities can better equip their students with the knowledge and resources to combat this perception of stigma.     

Virtual Learn=ng Community as New Approach of Teacher Professional Development——Reflective Research into an eLearning Program of Intercultural Collaboration between China and UK

Among the current reform measures undertaken in Chinese K-12 education, to adopt New Curricula and to improve ICT application in teaching are both decisive, however, the lack of qualified trainers is handicapping the professional development of over 10 millions in-service teachers. One of eChina ～ UK projects in collaboration between universities from both sides is designed to develop virtual learning community （VLC） among in-service teachers and explore from pedagogic perspective how to conduct VLC. In accordance with reflective learning and collaborative learning, three online learning modules have been jointly created by Chinese and UK educational specialists, and one unit from each module has been piloted by a group of senior teachers. Through analyzing the processes of course design and pilot, supported by quantitative and qualitative research into the experiences of pilot participants, the paper identifies some core factors influencing the quality of VLC and suggests that more attention should be given to the interactive learning process within VLC rather than to create well-structured learning materials before hand. It has also analyzed VLC as a promising approach to support professional development of in-service teachers from the perspective of continuous improvement process. There is much to be researched into the approach of VLC.     

The Roots of Personal Worth and the Wings of Self-responsibility: A research-based enquiry into a business—education mentoring programme

This article examines a business-education mentoring programme supported by Roots & Wings, an initiative run by Business in the Community (BitC), in order to identify key factors in its functioning. The programme supports employers in establishing voluntary mentoring schemes in which their employees mentor local school children; we use, as an exemplar, a national project run by BT's Personal Communication Division. The article develops an analysis relevant to the operation of such a business—education mentoring programme by adapting a theoretical framework (Forrest, 1992) for the analysis of strategic alliances between companies in the business community. Using the same stages (pre-alliance matching and negotiation/alliance agreement/alliance implementation) and adapting, or devising, relevant categories the article develops a multilevel (strategic/organisational/individual) analysis of the programme.     

The Development of Children’s Concept of a Substance: A Longitudinal Study of Interaction Between Curriculum and Learning

This paper is a reflection on a three-year longitudinal study that explored the development of children’s concept of a substance, for which detailed results concerning children’s understandings have been reported elsewhere. The attention in this paper is on the methodological features related to the longitudinal nature of the study and the insights into pupils’ learning that were afforded by its design. There is, of course, an extensive literature on children’s understandings of scientific ideas, and the nature of conceptual change involved in learning is a contested area. I argue in the paper that longitudinal studies are uniquely placed to inform the debate, and by focusing on this particular study the aim is to demonstrate the kind of contribution that can be made.     

A Review of: “Encouraging Civility as a Community College Leader By Paul A. Elsner George R. Boggs (Eds.)”

The purpose of this study was to add to the research base on the community college presidency by focusing on contemporary topics and challenges. The study involved a group of community college presidents from across the United States who were appointed to their positions during a 21 - month period from 1995 to 1997. The instrument used in this study was designed to obtain the following: previous positions held, presidents' motivation to seek a presidency, the time it took to obtain a presidency, presidential search processes, and initial observations upon taking office. The presidents were also quizzed on the Carver Governance Model, as well as the current movement to transform community colleges from teacher - centered to learner - centered institutions.     

A Survey on the Current Situation of English Language Teaching in Xinjiang Vocational Colleges——take Turpan Vocational and Technical College as a Case Study

To better carry out English Language teaching,freshmen of Turfan Vocational and Technical Colleges of 2019 Vocational College of Nursing are taken as the research objective.By understanding the current situation of students'learning,we can provide a practical basis for targeted English Language teaching and provide directions for future teaching of the language.     

The Research Community Philosophy and History of the Discipline of Education: A Retrospect of Collaborative Research over Two Decades. Continued—Part Two

The Research Community ‘Philosophy and History of the Discipline of Education’ was established in 1999. First an overview is given of the two main areas into which the more than 180 chapters published in 12 books can be grouped. In general the papers are addressing ‘internal’ educational research topics and more ‘external’ relations. The suite of papers in this issue continues the selection of material presented during the 2017 and 2018 meetings and follow on from the suite published in an issue of this journal earlier this year (54:3). Next, the suite of papers appearing in this issue is introduced. In this, and the preceding suite, aspects of the production and acceleration, as well as of the (re)presentation, dissemination and reception of educational research are brought into focus.     

The Usage of Modal Verbs and Cultural Values—A Brief Critical Review on Eli Hinkel’s"The Use of Modal Verbs as a Reflection of Cultural Values"

The article gives a brief review on Hinkel’s study "The Use of Modal Verbs as a Reflection of Cultural Values",aiming at improving language teacher’s awareness that culture can influence language learners’ use of modals.At the same time,by pointing out the weakness of Hinkel’s study,the author suggests that the mere acquisition of linguistic competence is insufficient and teachers should integrate current research findings into their transmission of knowledge to learners.     

The Application of Interactive Teaching Method in Higher-vocational College English Teaching——Textbook Fun with English Book 2,Section 2,Unit 1 Text A as an Example

This paper explores the effect of interactive teaching on students' cooperative ability,competitive ability,positive emotion and creativity as well as their integrated language capability,thereby promoting the effective implementation of interactive teaching method in higher-vocational college English class.     

Destroy All Humans: The Dematerialisation of the Designer in an Age of Automation and its Impact on Graphic Design—A Literature Review

Digital automation is on the rise in a diverse range of industries. The technologies employed here often make use of artificial intelligence (AI) and its common form, machine learning (ML) to augment or replace the work completed by human agents. The recent emergence of a variety of design automation platforms inspired the authors to undertake a review of the research literature on the impact of Automation, AI and ML on visual communication, and its subset practice of graphic design, with a view to understanding the implications for the education of practitioners entering that specific field. This review discovered that there was relatively little research published on the topic but what did exist noted that graphic design as we have known it has an uncertain future. Furthermore, the scant literature argued for a shift in educational and professional focus away from the aesthetic and technical skills required to design visual modes of communication and towards a deeper engagement with the softer, more human skills associated with negotiation, facilitation and judgement. The paucity of literature on this topic suggests to the authors that visual communication design education and the industry are poorly prepared for the impact of automation, AI and ML on them.     

An Empowerment Approach for Elders Living With Diabetes: A Pilot Study of a Community-Based Self-Help Group—The Diabetes Club

ABSTRACT

Diabetes mellitus is a disabling, deadly disease, affecting one in five of adults over 65. Unfortunately, for the few elders that receive diabetes self-care training it is often taught using traditional didactic methods that are insensitive to their unique needs and immersed in the traditional medical paradigm. Integrating diabetes self-care into daily living demands more than knowledge acquisition and skill mastery; it requires acceptance of the disease, motivation for change, instrumental and emotional support, general problem-solving skills, and control over one's life – empowerment. This project sought to develop and pilot-test a peer-led, community-based, self-help intervention for elders with diabetes—the Diabetes Club. The intervention targeted diabetes self-efficacy, seeking to empower elders then increase diabetes self-care behavior targets, resulting in improved glycemic control. Club members and social workers collectively developed, implemented, tested intervention protocols, detailed in this paper with additional materials available on a dedicated website. Albeit over a short time period, findings showed significant improvements in diabetes self-efficacy, self-care behaviors, and reduction of glycosolated hemoglobin (A1C). The results are promising, demonstrating the benefits of social-work involvement in diabetes and the potential of elders helping themselves and each other.     

The emerging professional: an investigation into teacher education students’ developing conceptions of the relationship between theory and classroom practice before,during and after a postgraduate teaching programme

This article brings together two studies which contribute to the examination of the nature of professionalism in education by focusing on the perspectives of two under-researched groups namely ‘teaching assistants’ and teacher educators working ‘either side’ of the school teacher. The projects were conducted in, and framed by, the UK policy context of public sector modernization and cuts, and raise issues of relevance to international debates on notions of professionalism in education in a context of neo-liberal policy and austerity. The studies drew upon different approaches including autoethnography, life history and discourse analysis. The authors examine the formation and representation of professional identity in education through the discourses of ‘professionalism’ of teaching assistants and teacher educators. Professionalism is articulated through three themes in the accounts; ‘non-standard’ professional transformations, role ambiguity, and the role of classroom experience and higher education in the development of professional identities. Through these themes the perspectives of teaching assistants and teacher educators locate the notion of ‘teacher professionalism’ within a broader concept of professionalism in education providing alternatives to the discourse of imposed policy, and the authors reflect upon the ways in which these voices contribute to the wider international debate on professionalism in education.     

Reaching Back Strategy: Using Mirroring,Trust, and Cultural Alignment in a Service-learning Course to Impact Hispanic Parents’ Perception of College—A Case Study

Thirty-four undergraduate public relations majors participating in a problem-based service-learning project at a Hispanic-Serving Institution executed an event that attracted more than 100 low-income Hispanic families to campus. The purpose was to help parents prepare their children for college. From primary and secondary research, the students identified 3 dimensions for reaching the targeted audience—mirroring, trust, and cultural alignment—which were dubbed the Reaching Back strategy. Our purpose is to describe how the Reaching Back strategy works, the benefits of problem-based service-learning projects for both students and community participants, and how this strategy can be replicated.