Lifelong learners: in their own words

This paper draws on research that utilized principles of grounded theory to inquire into the most significant learning relationships throughout the lives of individuals. The partners in this informal learning alliance are defined as ‘learner’ and ‘mentor’. The structure of these alliances is described and the learners' perspective of the alliance is presented. Some meaningful relationships are ascribed to formal settings of schools and colleges, but most take place in social, familial, and community settings, with learning outcomes reported as important for personal development and citizenship. Traditional mentor partnerships are primarily learning relationships and as such are valuable sources of data for those interested in the process of lifelong learning, and what learners value in learning alliances. Traditional mentoring should be considered as valuable as more formal teaching, as it promotes sustainable learning by means of reflection and reflexivity, and appears to be self-perpetuating.     

In their own words: a qualitative study of the reasons Australian university students plagiarize

The ways in which universities and individual academics attempt to deter and respond to student plagiarism may be based on untested assumptions about particular or primary reasons for this behaviour. Using a series of group interviews, this qualitative study gathered the views of 56 Australian university students on the possible reasons for plagiarism within their institution. The results indicate a wide and disparate range of possible contributing reasons for plagiarism, including: institutional admission criteria; student understanding of plagiarism; poor academic skills; a range of teaching and learning factors; personality factors; and external pressures. These findings are compared with other findings about reasons for student plagiarism in Australasia. The implications of these findings are considered for universities and individual academics seeking to better engage with their students to minimize or marginalize plagiarism.     

Introduction: Through our eyes and in our own words

The realities of Indian belief and existence have become so misunderstood and distorted at this point that when a real Indian stands up and speaks the truth at any given moment, he or she is not only unlikely to be believed, but will probably be contradicted and "corrected" by the citation of some non-Indian and totally inaccurate "expert." More, young Indians in universities are now being trained to see themselves and their cultures in terms prescribed by such experts rather than in the traditional terms of the tribal elders ?. In this way, the experts are perfecting a system of self-validation in which all semblance of honesty and accuracy is lost. This is not only a travesty of scholarship, but it is absolutely devastating to Indian societies. (Deloria, as cited in Rose, 1992, p. 404)     

Long-term effects of leisure education on leisure needs and stress in older adults

We examined whether a 12-week leisure education program could promote leisure autonomy and leisure competence and reduce stress in older adults. Forty subjects were randomly assigned to either an experimental group or a control group. Before the experiment, pretest data were collected using leisure autonomy, leisure competence, and stress scales. After the experiment, posttest data were collected using the same scales; follow-up test data were collected a year later. These data were evaluated through an analysis of covariance. The results indicated that the average posttest and follow-up test scores of leisure autonomy and leisure competence in the experimental group were significantly higher than the corresponding scores in the control group and that the average posttest and follow-up test scores of stress in the experimental group were significantly lower than the corresponding scores in the control group. In the experimental group, the average posttest and follow-up test scores of leisure autonomy and leisure competence were significantly higher than the average pretest scores of leisure autonomy and leisure competence, whereas the average posttest and follow-up test scores of stress were significantly lower than the average pretest scores of stress. Therefore, health care practitioners should adopt the provision of leisure education as a priority to promote leisure autonomy and leisure competence and reduce stress in older adults.     

Newly Qualified Teachers in Post-primary Schools in Northern Ireland: the support provided for their needs and their own vision for induction

This paper reports research on the needs of newly qualified teachers in post-primary schools in Northern Ireland. The views and experiences of newly qualified teachers who were awarded qualified teacher status in 1997 were sought on the effectiveness of their Initial Teacher Education programme, and on teaching and support in their induction year. The results showed that they were generally satisfied with initial training and enjoyed the rewards of seeing pupils learn, but they had concerns about discipline and the pressure of time. The Head of Department emerged as a crucial figure and the role of teacher tutor was important. The Career Entry Profile was not extensively used by either the newly qualified teachers or members of senior management to set targets. An ideal induction programme should include greater internal and external support tailored closely to newly qualified teachers.     

动物也有思维吗?

动物也有思维吗?答案是步定的.它们比我们人类所能想象到的更加聪明,有记忆,会模仿,会开心,会生气,有多种技能,让我们大开眼界.……     

Outlook in life of older adults and their health and community condition

ABSTRACT

Positive outlook in life is believed to help safeguard aging people against the negative experiences and considered to reduce the risk of health diseases. We analyzed the health condition, cognition, mobility, and community condition of 4,692 older adults from the National Health and Aging Trends Study based on their outlook in life: positive, negative, and neutral group. The presence of heart disease, high blood pressure, arthritis, and lung disease contributes to older adults’ negative outlook in life. Most older adults who belong to the positive outlook group rated their memory as very good. In contrast, most older adults in a negative outlook group perceived their memory as fair and poor, and mostly need the help of others to leave the house and have trust issues. The findings may provide new opportunities by intervening with policies and practices that generally may intensify a positive outlook in life.     

Promoting the greater involvement of pupils with special needs in the management of their own assessment and learning processes

Richard Rose, General Inspector (Special Educational Needs), Northants Inspection and Advisory Service, Sylvia McNamara, Lecturer in Education, the University of Leicester and John O'Neil, Lecturer in Education Management, Massey University, Palmerstone, New Zealand discuss the initial findings of the QUEST Project.     

Active older adults in adventure education: how their experiences can influence outdoor adventure education program opportunities

ABSTRACT

By 2029, 20% of the U.S. population will be ≥65-years-old. American demographics are changing, understanding of the ≥65-year-old demographic has not. We investigated expectation variables of participants born between 1946 and 1964 in the United States, and identified how expectation trends have changed over time also describing gender differences. We used secondary data from a motivation study published in 2015 to identify the expectations of active older adults. Four years of data were used (n = 71) in a self-selection of four adventure activities (rock climbing, flat-water canoeing, white water kayaking and sea kayaking). Older adults expected experiences in the natural environment, with social factors, and where they were either starting a new activity, or honing acquired skills. They were not focused on danger or the use of personal gear. We recommend programming that caters to an aging population, as well as considerations for gender.     

Literacy proficiency of older adults

As a supplement to the International Adult Literacy Survey, the Netherlands devoted special attention to the literacy proficiency of older adults. A close look at the literacy skills of older adults and their use in daily life is relevant because demographic developments, individualisation, the position of older employees in the labour market and technological innovations require an increasing level of literacy skills. Accordingly, this chapter compares the literacy skills of older adults with other age groups, and presents an analysis of the determinants of literacy proficiency of older adults. In addition, results from follow-up interviews conducted with 40 older adults who had low proficiency scores in the Netherlands are presented. This includes (a) the kind of problems they experience in daily life, (b) the kind of coping strategies they develop, and (c) their attitude towards educational interventions. The results show that the literacy proficiency of older adults gives reasons for concern. They score significantly lower than other age groups. However, many older adults develop practical coping strategies, such as using social networks, assertiveness in asking for help, etc. Yet, some of the coping strategies are vulnerable because of societal changes such as rationalisation in industry and public services.     

Incest survivors: the relation of their perceptions of their parents and their own parenting attitudes

The present study examined the child-rearing attitudes of incest and nonincest child sexual abuse survivors and their perceptions of their own parents' behavior. From a sample of women with a history of child sexual abuse, 40 women with children completed questionnaires designed to assess their own and their parents' child-rearing behavior in terms of the dimensions of parental acceptance and control. The data indicated that women from incestuous backgrounds had more negative perceptions of their fathers and mothers in terms of acceptance and control than women abused by men who were not related to them. Moreover, incest victims who perceived their mothers negatively endorsed autonomy promotion in their own attitudes toward child rearing. The findings are discussed in terms of (1) the lack of positive parenting models when relations with both parents are experienced as negative, (2) incest survivors' conflicts about their own early maturity, and (3) the relation of these findings to the tendency for intergenerational repetition of father-daughter incest.     

Are older adults satisfied with their sexuality? Outcomes from a cross-cultural study

ABSTRACT

The present study intends to analyze older adult perspectives on what determines sexual satisfaction in old age. Four hundred and twenty-one non-institutionalized older parti- 10 cipants from three different nationalities aged 65 to 97 years were interviewed. All narratives were submitted to content analysis. This study’s outcome originated five themes: positive communication (k =.94, p <.01); supportive partner (k =.82, p <.01); feeling attractive (k = 81, p <.01); good sexual activity (k =.97, p <.01); and eroticism (k =.98, p <.01). 15 This study highlighted different determinants of sexual satisfaction in old age and emphasized the importance of positive communication and a supportive partner for older adults.     

Fairy tales in the clinic: Children seek their own meanings

Victoria Purcell-Gates is an Assistant Professor of Literacy at the University of Cincinnati, and Director of the Manney Literacy Center at the university, which serves inner-city children having problems with reading and writing. She is an active researcher of emergent literacy, with an emphasis of oral and written language differences.     

Pursuing their own learning agenda: How mastery-oriented students jeopardize their class performance

This study explored why mastery-based achievement goals often are unrelated to class grades despite promoting deep learning strategies and high course interest. We hypothesized that mastery-oriented students jeopardize their exam performance by allowing their individual interests to dictate their study efforts such that they neglect boring topics in favor of preferred ones. General Psychology students (N = 260) reported their achievement goals, interest in the course material, and usage of various study strategies. Supporting the hypothesis, path analysis showed that mastery-oriented students allocated their study efforts disproportionately to the personally interesting material, and this in turn predicted low grades in the class. Performance-oriented students did not show this pattern. Theoretical implications and new research directions are discussed.     

Explaining home education: Parents' accounts of their decisions to teach their own children

This paper analyzes the reasons that parents choose to teach their children at home. From data collected over 18 months of qualitative research in a state in the southeast, three broad explanations for choosing home schooling emerged. First, the parents believe that home education will strengthen their families. Second, many home-schooling parents (particularly those who are fundamentalist Christians) believe that schools teach values and beliefs that directly contradict those they want their children to learn. Third, many of the parents believe that only they, as parents, understand their children's unique educational needs well enough to effectively teach them. The failure of educational policy makers to consider the extraeducational issues raised by home-schooling parents is then discussed.     

Supporting the education of pupils with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities: the views of teaching assistants regarding their own learning and development needs

Learning support assistants or teaching assistants play a vital role in the education of pupils with complex learning disabilities, routinely supporting students on a 1:1 basis without the direct supervision of teachers. Despite the responsibility afforded these classroom support staff, there appear to be few training programmes designed for this specialised role. This qualitative study, by Trudi Martin of the Manchester Institute of Education, was undertaken at a special school in England. The study explored the views of 17 teaching assistants and five teachers regarding the extent to which teaching assistant training equipped them to support pupils with complex learning needs. The findings illustrated that much of the training, including that on the Qualifications and Credit Framework, provided inadequate information and guidance. Without sufficient knowledge to underpin their practice, teaching assistants are impeded in the educational support they can give to pupils, who face significant learning challenges, with a resultant impact on their students' ability to learn and develop new skills.     

Meeting health,mental health,and housing needs of older adults: A case review of the congregational social work education initiative

This article presents results from an innovative social work field education program, which prepares BSW and MSW students to work in interdisciplinary teams with congregational nurses as they serve persons age 55+ or older. The Congregational Social Work Education Initiative is a field education project based on an applied interdisciplinary model, whereby social work students at the graduate and undergraduate level partner with congregational nurses to serve at-risk members of congregations and religious affiliated organizations (RAOs). Students and nurses provide free health, mental health, and wellness services to address individual, family, group, and community health, mental health, and housing issues. Funded by community health foundations, it trains BSW and MSW students for professional practice in congregational and community religious affiliated settings through interdisciplinary and collaborative methods. Information on the development of the model and case illustrations are provided so other social work educational programs and congregational nurse programs might duplicate its success.