Retirement as a Learning Process

This article draws upon a major qualitative empirical research investigation in Great Britain to explore the relationships between retirement and learning. Though retirement is frequently viewed as an event leading to a life stage, our data show that it can perhaps be best understood as a lengthy process. This process begins well before actual retirement in most cases, and it continues well after any symbolic retirement event. Through this process of change, it is common for persons to be retired by one definition but not by another. The article shows that if we adopt recent understandings of learning as a process of becoming—incorporating informal as well as formal learning—then retirement is a process and learning is an inevitable, integral part of that process. We conclude by suggesting some implications that follow from understanding retirement in this way.     

Retirement as a career transition in ballet dancers

This paper discusses ballet dancers’ retirement, looking at the reasons for ending a performing career and their rehirement to an alternative role(s). The findings, explore different dimensions of the reasons for retirement. It attempts to investigate and nurture alternative thoughts on chronological age, in the context of ballet dancers’ retirement. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 international ballet dancers. A qualitative approach was adopted through Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), and tenets of Grounded Theory. Practical implications for career guidance practitioners are addressed in the final section.     

Adolescent Peer Relationship Qualities as Predictors of Long-Term Romantic Life Satisfaction

Adolescent-era predictors of adult romantic life satisfaction were examined in a multimethod, prospective, longitudinal study of 165 adolescents followed from ages 13 to 30. Progress in key developmental tasks, including establishing positive expectations and capacity for assertiveness with peers at age 13, social competence at ages 15 and 16, and ability to form and maintain strong close friendships at ages 16–18, predicted romantic life satisfaction at ages 27–30. In contrast, several qualities linked to romantic experience during adolescence (i.e., sexual and dating experience, physical attractiveness) were unrelated to future satisfaction. Results suggest a central role of competence in nonromantic friendships as preparation for successful management of the future demands of adult romantic life.     

《归园田居》(其三)解读

陶渊明的<归园田居>(其三)质朴平易,但内涵丰富.从不同的角度可以有不同的理解.从即事说看,是其农村劳动生活和体验的真实写照.比兴说则从传统的解诗方法出发,理解成诗人并非真的写劳动,而是借此表达对黑暗现实的不满.寄托说则认为陶渊明对劳动的描写是虚实结合,在田园劳动中寄托其独立自由的人格.而从其全部作品看寄托说更为恰当.     

Collaboration as a Predictor for Success in School Reform

Although school reform has captured the attention of this country, considerable controversy exists regarding the feasibility of reform, appropriate strategies for implementing reforms, and the adequacy of preparation of school professionals who will work in reformed schools. We propose that collaboration is the theme which unites the various dimensions of school reform and that the potential of school reform success can be analyzed by examining the extent to which the conditions needed for collaboration can be created in schools. We apply this notion to three key reform issues: (a) professionalism; (b) empowerment; and (c) restructured schools, specifically as recommended in special education. We conclude that educators should more carefully deliberate the conditions required for collaboration, should more directly address the preparation of school personnel for collaborative activities, and should call for realistically matching expectations for reform with implementation opportunities and constraints.     

Social Support and Optimism as Predictors of Life Satisfaction of College Students

The purpose of this study was to investigate the predictive value of optimism, perceived support from family and perceived support from faculty in determining life satisfaction of college students in Turkey. One hundred and thirty three students completed the Satisfaction with Life Scale (Diener et al., Journal of Personality Assessment 49(1):71–75, 1985), Perceived Social Support Scale-Revised (Yıldırım, Eğitim Araştırmaları–Eurasian, Journal of Educational Research 17:221–236, 2004), and Life Orientation Test (Scheier and Carver, Health Psychology 4(3):219–247, 1985) and provided demographic information about themselves. Independent samples t-test, correlation, and multiple regression analyses were performed for data analysis. Significant relationships were found among the variables, with regression analysis indicating that perceived support from family, perceived faculty support, and optimism were statistically significant predictors of life satisfaction. The implications of these results are discussed and suggestions made for counseling practice and future research.     

Perceptions of Retirement Affect Career Commitment: The Mediating Role of Retirement System Satisfaction for Two Teacher Age Groups

This study investigated a sample of California elementary, intermediate, and high school employed teachers (N = 247) to assess the effects of retirement perceptions on career commitment among teachers who are in different age groupings. Using path analysis, the influence of five retirement perceptions variables was examined: concerns about retirement benefits, understanding of the retirement system, perceived need for system change, control over the retirement plan, and satisfaction with current salary. The results indicated that the pattern of results differed for younger and older teachers. For the younger (age 21–45) group, concerns about retirement benefits (such as losing or reducing benefits through geographic mobility) and control over the retirement plan had significant, large, and direct effects on career commitment. For the older (age 46+) group, retirement variables had a significant effect on career commitment via the mediator of satisfaction with the retirement system. Given these findings, for younger teachers, strategies might focus on providing greater control over the retirement plan, such as in offering choice in how their retirement monies are invested. Older teachers need to feel safe about retirement in the sense of being satisfied with the system and its benefits to commit to their jobs.     

近年来国内青少年生活满意度研究概况

目的：了解当前国内外对青少年生活满意度的研究现状,特别是国内的最新进展。方法：通过文献综述获得大量的相关资料,然后进行归纳分析。结果：内外诸多因素影响了青少年生活满意度,并发现生活满意度与心理健康和问题行为相关显著。结论：需要进一步完善本土化的测量理论与工具,综合运用多种方法研究,以尝试建立相关模型。     

恐惧的伦理价值及其意义

恐惧在现代生命科技的强势和暴力环境中,可以促进理性认知的形成,从伦理上化解技术和生命的尖锐矛盾。恐惧导致对技术与道德的冲突产生焦虑,形成对工具理性和人性的反思,推动对生命伦理重大命题的解读。以恐惧为基点,可以明确生命伦理体系的新颖方法、核心规范、基本原则和实现途径。     

Self-Efficacy Expectations as a Predictor of Computer Use:

No abstract available for this article.     

The Different School Life in Canada

In Canada we call Grades Ten,Elevenand Twelve high school and it is very similarto Chinese middle school in many ways.Stu-dents go to school,but many wish they didn’thave to.     

Transactional Presence as a Critical Predictor of Success in Distance Learning

This paper argues that, apart from interactive activities, the perceptions of psychological presence that distance education students hold of their teachers, peer students, and the institution can be significant predictors of their learning. The "perception of presence" in this paper is defined as the degree to which a distance education student senses the availability of, and connectedness with, each party. This form of presence is designated here as "Transactional Presence" (TP). In this study, distance education student learning was assessed in the light of students' perceived learning achievement, satisfaction, and intent-to-persist. An analysis of student survey data indicates that a distance student's sense of institutional TP predicts all the selected measures to do with success in distance learning. While a sense of peer student TP is significantly related to satisfaction and intent-to-persist, the effect of teacher TP is found to relate only to student-perceived learning achievement. Implications of the TP construct are discussed with respect to the theory, research, and practice of distance education, along with recommendations for future research.     

空巢阶段退休期家庭体育研究

摘要：退休老龄人口的体育健身是我国全民健身的一个重要组成部分,他们退休回归家庭,因此,家庭体育足其参与全民健身的重要方式．退休期家庭体育的特点：体育健身已经成家庭的重要需求,家庭体育成为联系社会的重要纽带．退休期家庭体育的价值表现在：促进健康老龄化,推动积极老龄化,构建和谐老龄化,实现老年人的自由发展．由此提出的对策建议是：从家庭体育人手建立起自由发展观,对共同的参与体育活动进行经常评价,把家庭体育与社区体育结合起来,以促进构建我国已经老龄化的和谐社会．     

Early Training Facilitative Level as a Predictor of Practicum Performance

Thirty-two counseling trainees were rated on level of facilitative functioning before and after prepracticum. Evidence is presented that pretraining and early training levels of facilitative functioning are directly related to later performance in practicum.     

大学生大学生活满意感的调查与思考

采用生活满意感量表对大学生的心理健康状况进行调查研究,结果表明,大学生的生活满意感存在显著性的性别、专业和年级差异.通过调查,了解大学生大学生活满意感的主要特点,为大学生心理健康教育工作提供科学的参考,以促进大学生的思想政治教育工作.     

大学生课余生活满意度的实证研究——以四川省某普通高校为例

以四川省某普通高校950个样本为例,对大学生课余生活满意度进行了分析研究。结果表明：当前大学生的课余生活满意度处于基本满意状态;课余生活质量处于较低水平;性别、年级、专业和学习成绩等个人基本属性,以及父母的婚姻状况、文化程度等家庭基本属性都影响着大学生的课余生活满意度。     

The use of Peer Nominations as a Predictor of Academic Success in College

The peer nomination technique was investigated as a predictor of academic success among members of a college freshman class. The technique provided scores which were reliable and which were valid against a grade point ratio criterion. The peer nomination scores were shown to tap variance independent of SAT scores and, therefore, their applicability was suggested in academic counseling as a predictor which can be used to identify students who may face academic difficulties.     

The Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire as a Predictor of Counselor Effectiveness

This study examined the usefulness of the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire in differentiating characteristics of counselors who were rated effective and ineffective. Eight of the factors achieved significance in distinguishing between these groups. Only two factors were found to differentiate male and female counselors (p < .10).