Recognizing and nurturing intrinsic motivation: A cautionary tale

Intrinsic motivation has multiple definitions. Introductory teacher education courses must alert prospective teachers to the exceptional qualities of non‐conforming students who lack the benefit of being teacher pleasers. Teacher trainers must ensure that pre‐teachers are aware of the multiple definitions of intrinsic motivation prior to a request that they observe, listen, and analyze intrinsically motivated students. Without a complete understanding of the characteristics of gifted students and the types of behaviors they sometimes exhibit within the classroom, many gifted students will be unrecognized and underserved. With services to gifted students tied to their identification, it becomes important for classroom teachers to be able to recognize that the potential for gifted behavior often extends far beyond the ability to contribute efficiently and effectively. Pre‐service teachers must also recognize that intrinsically motivated students sometimes view their initial attempts as work in progress and remain skeptical and critical of their accomplishments.     

A model for nurturing and assessing multidigit number sense among first grade children

Based on a synthesis of the literature and on the results of a two-year teaching program working with young primary children, a framework was developed, refined and validated for nurturing and assessing multidigit number sense. The major constructs incorporated in this framework were counting, partitioning, grouping, and number relationships. For each of these constructs, four different levels of thinking were established which, in essence, reflected a learning apprenticeship for multidigit number sense. At each level, and across all four constructs, learning indicators were developed and matched to distinctive problem tasks that went beyond the four basic operations.The framework was validated through data obtained from six case studies of grade 1 children. The thinking of these children was assessed and analyzed on the problem tasks for the four constructs and four levels. While the students were at different levels, all but one showed striking consistencies across the four constructs. Moreover, no student was able to solve a problem at a higher level when they had not solved a lower-level problem in the same category. The present framework for multidigit number sense covers only the lower primary grades, but research and instruction would benefit from an extended framework across the elementary grades.     

A computer-managed training in problem-solving

This article presents the design of a large scale computer-managed training in problem-solving on applied mathematics and basic physics run at the University of Leuven for 340 first year medical students. The training is based on a general expert strategy. Students work discontinuously on-line, i.e., they are corrected, helped and evaluated at a terminal but the calculation is done at separate tables. Some tentative results are given.     

A person-oriented approach to understanding dimensions of parenting in low-income mothers

The purpose of this study was to examine parenting types in a low-income sample from a person-oriented approach. Data were used from a public use data set from the Early Head Start Research and Evaluation Project (EHSREP) along with new extant ratings of parenting behavior from the EHSREP archive of videotaped parent–child observations. Parenting behavior indicators were examined using latent class analysis as a grouping strategy across three time points to characterize this sample of 2631 Early Head Start mothers. Three latent classes of mothers were identified at 14, 24, and 36 months: developmentally supportive (the largest group in this sample), unsupportive, and negative. Predictors of parenting types were also examined and parenting types were linked to child outcomes. The results of these analyses show common characteristics of these distinct types of parents likely to be in Early Head Start programs and may help programs identify which families would most benefit from services to help them increase behaviors to promote their young children's early development.     

人文精神与人才培养

人文精神在社会经济、政治、科技与文化的发展和人才培养中起着导向、凝聚、激励和制动作用。现实社会与教育中的许多问题都与缺乏人文精神有关。20世纪70年代以来，许多国家在教育改革中备加注意人文精神的培养。我国深厚的人文精神教育思想，对培养高品位的社会主义现代化建设人才有重要的启迪作用。     

德治·育人·人格

“以德治国”思想对教育具有极其重大的意义 ,教育的根本在于育人 ,育人首先就是教会学生如何做人 ,而人格又是做人的核心 ,人格最重要的就是对国家、对民族、对人民的高度责任感。古今中外 ,大凡事业有成者 ,其人格一般为高尚者。高等教育肩负着高层次人才培养的重任 ,尤应重视如何做人特别是人格的培养。     

Japan's communal approach to teacher induction: Shokuin shitsu as an indispensable nurturing ground for Japanese beginning teachers

Sustaining beginning teachers has been one of the greatest challenges in some countries such as the U.S. In contrast, Japan sustains their teachers with the low attrition rate of 1.35%. This qualitative study aims to examine how Japan supports beginning teachers by examining shokuin shitsu or the teachers' room. Results from the qualitative study revealed the critical role that the teachers' room played for novice teachers as a place to exchange necessary information among colleagues, to develop collegial relationships with one another, and to provide a safe environment to make sense of beginning teachers' questions.     

Data feedback and group problem-solving: An approach to organizational development in schools

Two approaches to psychological consultation were combined for school staff development and improved organizational functioning: data feedback with group discussion. Data were collected on numbers, types, and outcome of referrals to the staffing team of two schools. Specific problems uncovered were discussed by the special services staff. As a result, the staffing team radically revised its procedures to utilize time of teachers and special services personnel more efficiently, to improve staffing team morale, and to provide better services to students. viewing the problems as organizational or systematic, rather than personal or interpersonal in nature, contributed to the success of the project.     

Successful nurturing in residential treatment for abused children

Both parents and children need a high potency nurturing program to develop trust. They must experience a dependent, close relationship to form basic trust. There is no other way to heal the scars of past abuse and insure healthy relationships with others. With proper nurturing, self-esteem is raised and feelings of power, self-control and long-needed security follow. Nurturing can be done successfully in residential treatment for children and out-patient treatment of parents. Selection of academically qualified, emotionally mature and caring staff members is the major factor affecting success. Myriad therapies fail for abused children and families when the vital basic need for nurturance is not filled. Without forming basic trust, the completion of this early developmental task, behavior gains will be short-lived and subsequent emotional problems result. Emotional involvement and commitment from therapists is necessary for the kind of nurturing process that promotes growth and healing. This involvement brings rich rewards to both client and therapist. The younger the children and parents are at the time of treatment, the greater is the potential for success. The program described in this paper illustrates how children can be reunited successfully with their families after a period of residential treatment for the children if the families are similiariy treated.     

Perspectives on a zero-tolerance approach to discipline: towards maintaining a nurturing and secure school environment

Abstract

This article reports on inquiry into school managers’ and teachers’ views on a zero-tolerance approach to managing learner discipline in schools. The study was conducted by way of multiple focus group interviews with selected participants from six inner city schools. Additional (secondary) data were obtained from schools’ code of conduct journals. The data were analysed in grounded theory mode and the main themes of the findings show that the participants are deeply concerned about the way in which disciplinary problems are affecting everyday school life. The participants struggle with applying the democratic principles of the law and reflect on times past when order was supposedly maintained by way of corporal punishment. The study included a section in which participants were asked to converse about the “zero-tolerance” approach to maintaining school discipline. It appears that this is seen as a viable option. Having introduced the notion, the principal researcher, with the other authors, caution such an introduction without coupling it with a school renewal drive that includes counselling and the development of an ethic of care.     

浅谈远程学习者元认知能力的培养策略

本文通过展示目前远程学习者在自我监控和自我指导方面存在的问题,提出了改善远程学习者学习的新思路——培养远程学习者的元认知能力,并提出了一系列可行的培养策略,如唤醒远程学习者学习自主意识、向远程学习者传授元认知知识、帮助远程学习者丰富元认知体验和进行及时客观的评价等。     

An ecological approach to the on-line assessment of problem-solving paths: Principles and applications

In this paper, we propose a theoretical framework for designing on-line situated assessment tools for multimedia instructional systems. Based on an ecological psychology approach to situated learning, a graph theoretic methodology is applied to monitor students' performance (solution paths) throughout the learning activity. Deviation of the student's path from the target (expert) path generates indicators which can function as alerts to the student and to the instructor. The information collected in the dribble files and presented visually enables the instructor to identify problems quickly and intervene appropriately. The feasibility of the methodology is explored in case studies describing three instructional systems that teach (1) critical thinking and problem-solving skills, (2) principles of hemodynamic monitoring and treatment, and (3) orthodontic treatment, respectively.     

A new approach to high-order cognitive skills in linguistics: problem-solving inference in similarity to computer science

A central issue in the design of curricula for all school levels is the development of the learners’ high-order thinking skills and metacognitive skills. Among such required skills is the ability to solve problems. The literature dealing with the development of problem-solving skills is vast and primarily addresses the scientific disciplines, even though the importance of integrating such skills into all disciplines is widely mentioned. The current study aims to compare problem-solving questions used in two seemingly different disciplines: linguistics and computer science. Our premise was that the basis for imparting problem-solving skills is asking problem-solving questions. We analysed problem-solving questions posed in various teaching and learning school scenarios for keywords, and identified nine categories of problem-solving question keywords common to both disciplines. We present those categories and extend our study of two categories to demonstrating the ability to follow the problem-solving process in linguistics is similar to the exact sciences.     

Emotional and motivational relationship of elementary students to mathematical problem-solving: a person-centered approach

European Journal of Psychology of Education - Recent literature has shown that achievement emotions, their regulation, and perceived competence play a compelling role in mathematics learning and...     

Predicting abuse-prone parental attitudes and discipline practices in a nationally representative sample

OBJECTIVE: According to sociological and ecological models of abuse, typically nonabusive parents could behave abusively towards their children under certain circumstances. The purpose of this study was to examine factors that place parents at risk of abusing their children by predicting parents' use of discipline practices and attitudes that may bias parents towards abusive behaviors, which we refer to as abuse-proneness. METHOD: A telephone interview was administered by the Gallup Organization to a nationally representative sample of 1,000 parents. Using a set of theoretically relevant risk factors, multiple regression was used to predict variations in parental attitudes (i.e., attitudes towards physical discipline and attitudes that devalue children) and parental discipline practices (i.e., physical discipline, nonphysical discipline, and verbal abuse). RESULTS: The findings confirmed the importance of examining elements of parental attitudes, history, personality characteristics, as well as religion and ideology in predicting abuse proneness. Child age also was an important predictor in all analyses except predicting parental attitudes that devalue children. The findings suggest also, however, that it may be unduly simplified to regard parents as somewhere on a continuum of nonpunitive to punitive disciplinarians. Social isolation was not a significant predictor in any of the analyses. CONCLUSIONS: Although many important theoretical predictors of abuse proneness were confirmed, many questions arise regarding the diversity of discipline practices that parents use, and the relevance of child's age and social isolation in predicting abuse proneness. Implications for practitioners and future research are discussed.