The lack of representation of educational psychology and school psychology in introductory psychology textbooks

The first goal of this study was to look at the representation of educational and school psychology in introductory psychology textbooks. Research into the representation of other sub‐fields of psychology has been conducted but no research has looked specifically at educational or school psychology. The second goal was to compare the representation of educational and school psychology in introductory psychology textbooks to see if one or the other is receiving more coverage. Third, the textbooks with the most coverage were listed in order to aid educational and school psychologists teaching introductory psychology courses in selecting textbooks that adequately cover material from their sub‐fields. A total of 57 introductory psychology textbooks were content analyzed: 65% of the introductory psychology textbooks had educational psychology material and 65% had school psychology material. However, in the textbooks containing this material the educational and school psychology material made up only .29% and .19% of the textbooks’ total content.     

Assessing jail coverage in introductory criminal justice textbooks

Despite their integral and multi-functional role within the criminal justice system, jails receive limited societal and research attention. The present study assesses the extent to which jail-related information is presented in fourteen leading introductory criminal justice texts. In general, it was found that there are 4.8 pages of prison-related information for every one page of jail coverage, and that roughly 72% of all jail-related information is found within the corrections sections of introductory criminal justice texts. Suggestions regarding future directions for authors of these texts are offered.     

The literature of educational psychology and the literature used by writers in educational psychology

Using Psychological Abstracts as the source of the original sample (“first-level”), various characteristics of the literature of educational psychology are compared with the characteristics of a “second-level” literature (defined as the literature that the first level cites). In particular, the scatter (dispersion) of periodical articles over periodical titles is looked at for both levels. The journals most cited within the literature of educational psychology are identified.     

Trends in school psychology as demonstrated by content analysis of school psychology textbooks

This investigation was undertaken to determine if there were general and specific trends within school psychology between the years 1960 and 1975 as reflected by both the content presented and the chaning amount of emphasis given to specific topics within school psychology texttooh. Content analysis was chosen as the method of analysis. Seventeen school psychology textbooks separated into three consecutive time periods of five years each, were used in the research. The data indicated that trends in publication emphasis were present. While the types of content presented remained relatively constant, the overall trend was toward decreasing publication of text type materials. Assessment had remained consistently the highest emphasized category of content, whereas clinical issues and personality have shown clear trends toward decreasing emphasis. Both special education and therapy issues maintained high and stable levels of emphasis. Neither consulting activities nor community activities demonstrated trends toward increasing emphasis. Ethics and legal issues were discussed in less than half the textbooks examined. Group assessment, curriculum development, sex education, teaching psychology, and group therapy received very little content emphasis. Behavior modification future trens, and remediation activities demonstrated clear trends toward increased emphasis, whereas areas of administration and organization, research issues, and working with special populations demonstrated clear trends toward decreasing emphasis.     

Counterfactual thinking and educational psychology

Counterfactual thinking refers to imaginative thoughts about what might have been (“if only” or “what if”) which are intrinsically linked to self-conscious emotions (regret and guilt) and social judgements (blame). Research in adults suggests that the focus of these thoughts is influenced by order (temporal and causal). Little research has involved children regarding the impact of such thinking on their well-being and learning. This study tests the hypothesis that children will demonstrate order effects. One hundred and twenty-one children answered questions about school-based scenarios and a series of interviews was carried out with pupils and teachers. Order effects were observed but there was some variety in the responses to the questions involving self-conscious emotions and social judgements. Thematic analysis of the interview data indicated that children thought of order but also created their own individual stories, whereas teachers had negative perceptions of how pupils thought about events. Implications for educational psychology practice are considered.     

教育改革中的教师心理与管理

要办好一所学校 ,重点在管理 ,关键在教师。教育要发展 ,必须进行改革。教育改革 ,首先应当是人事制度、分配制度、管理体制等方面的改革。人事制度的改革 ,首先打破了铁饭碗 ,实行能上能下、教师全员聘任 ,公平竞争 ,择优上岗 ;在分配制度上 ,取消了平均主义 ,实行多劳多得 ,奖优罚劣 ,评优晋级也不再是比资格老了。这样一来 ,教师们感到了压力大 ,危机感增加了 ,学历不达标 ,不求上进的教师想学习了 ,都在努力为自己“充电” ,丰富自己 ,提高自己 ,以适应教育发展的需要 ,人人都想干工作 ,争着多干工作 ,都在努力争取把工作做好 ,不希望自…     

Guardians of tradition: presentations of inclusion in three introductory special education textbooks

Textbooks contain information. They also contain attitudes, beliefs and values that are conveyed covertly through a variety of mechanisms such as the use of language, the choice of topic inclusion or exclusion, the focus on certain aspects of an issue, the simultaneous omission of other aspects, and other strategies. This paper analyses discussions of inclusion and ‘full’ inclusion in three best‐selling textbooks in the US college market. To analyse the texts, I employ Brantlinger’s method of ideological critique, which applied Thompson’s strategies of symbolic construction. Implications highlight the responsibility of teacher educators: (1) to analyse their course material for ideological underpinnings; (2) to teach future educators to develop a critical consciousness; (3) to model how to consider issues from a range of perspectives; and (4) to provide opportunities for future teachers to develop the habit of listening to the viewpoints of people with disabilities and their families.     

Mixed methods in educational psychology inquiry

Mixed methods research has the potential to advance theory and enhance the usefulness of research findings. However, the success of a mixed methods research inquiry is tied to how well researchers integrate the quantitative and qualitative strands, and to how well researchers address the standards for quality in quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods. In this introduction article, we define mixed methods research and discuss what mixed methods research can offer to the field of educational psychology. Then we consider what constitutes integration and rigor in mixed methods research and describe three core mixed methods research designs. Following this overview, we briefly introduce each article to this special issue, along with the commentary by Vicki Plano Clark. We also discuss how the use of mixed methods can help address common educational problems including: (a) identifying and exploring socially-situated and contextualized learning processes; (b) providing insights into differences across individuals with respect to educational outcomes; and, (c) building instruments that reflect the experiences of individuals who will be assessed by these instruments. Finally, we close with thoughts on the future of mixed methods research.     

Factors influencing recruitment in educational psychology

This paper reports an investigation of the factors that educational psychologists in training (EPiTs) look for when applying for jobs in educational psychology services. Relevant literature on ‘job attraction’ is reviewed and a three-stage research process employed. This involved a focus group approach to questionnaire generation followed by questionnaire studies involving 87 EPiTs and 22 recently qualified educational psychologists. Results identify key aspects of service and staff development as crucial in recruitment. These are discussed within the broader context of psychological theory on job satisfaction in considering implications for both recruitment and retention.     

Motivational psychology and educational research 1

The study of motivational psychology has been hampered in the field of education because of the concentration upon learning. Furthermore, much of the research assumes a mechanistic concept of man that is not conducive to progress in this area. A number of research problems are recommended that overcome the motivation‐learning limitation and also assume a more cognitive view of man. The problem areas include the study of intermediate difficulty, intentions, intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation, stages in achievement behavior, the building of effort structures and learned helplessness, causal attributions for success and failure, long‐term motivational consequences, and achievement strivings among females.     

The educational inadequacy of conceptions of self in educational psychology

Disciplinary and professional psychology have exercised considerable influence over the ways in which Western individuals and societies understand what it is to be a person. During the last half of the 20^th century, educational psychologists advanced scientific and humanistic conceptions of the self that removed personhood from the historical, socio-cultural traditions and related moral and political practices within which the self develops. In consequence, the theoretical and practical models of self-enhancement and self-management offered by educational psychologists are inadequate with respect to the education of persons who, if they are to function as effective citizens, must participate in complex, contested socio-cultural, moral, and political contexts with others.     

Text interpretation and educational design in Norwegian textbooks of religious education

Drawing on sociocultural perspectives on educational design, this article presents a qualitative study investigating how religious texts emerge as educational objects and mediating artefacts in Norwegian textbooks of religious and moral education. The article describes how the distribution of text references in textbooks influences the formation of religious traditions as objects. It also describes how religious texts are given various roles and how textbook assignments use various means to facilitate the interpretation of religious texts in a response to the demands posed by Norwegian syllabuses of religious and moral education.     

The use of photographs to portray urban ecosystems in six introductory environmental science textbooks

This study examined how photographs in six introductory environmental science texts portrayed the urban environments in which most U.S. students lived. All photographs from all texts were coded to determine whether they depicted urban areas. The urban photographs were then coded to determine what they communicated about the urban environment. The analysis suggested that the texts in this study, though varied in their portrayal of urban ecosystems, did address many of the environmental issues that affected the city. However, urban examples were rarely used to illustrate general ecological concepts that applied to all ecosystems (i.e., biodiversity or evolution). The author contended that “sense of place” theories indicated that more photographs should be dedicated to portraying urban environments as functioning ecosystems. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 45: 1003–1020, 2008     

The use of cognitive psychology in the development and evaluation of textbooks

The major memory representations produced by reading a textbook chapter are described. These include (a) single propositions, (b) integrations and elaborations of two or more propositions, and (c) a chapter summary. Research that bears on each of these aspects of memory for textbook information is used to select 15 dimensions for evaluating a textbook's potential for facilitating representations in memory. These dimensions are then quantified for samples from three educational psychology textbooks. The dimensions appear to be useful for evaluating a text's strengths and weaknesses.