Experiences of Mentors Training Underrepresented Undergraduates in the Research Laboratory

Successfully recruiting students from underrepresented groups to pursue biomedical science research careers continues to be a challenge. Early exposure to scientific research is often cited as a powerful means to attract research scholars with the research mentor being critical in facilitating the development of an individual''s science identity and career; however, most mentors in the biological sciences have had little formal training in working with research mentees. To better understand mentors’ experiences working with undergraduates in the laboratory, we conducted semistructured interviews with 15 research mentors at a public university in the Midwest. The interviewed mentors were part of a program designed to increase the number of American Indians pursuing biomedical/biobehavioral research careers and represented a broad array of perspectives, including equal representation of male and female mentors, mentors from underrepresented groups, mentors at different levels of their careers, and mentors from undergraduate and professional school departments. The mentors identified benefits and challenges in being an effective mentor. We also explored what the term underrepresented means to the mentors and discovered that most of the mentors had an incomplete understanding about how differences in culture could contribute to underrepresented students’ experience in the laboratory. Our interviews identify issues relevant to designing programs and courses focused on undergraduate student research.     

Curricular Integration as Innovation: Faculty Insights on Barriers to Institutionalizing Change

In the burgeoning literature on infusing undergraduate research and creative activities into the curriculum of research-intensive institutions, few studies have examined the perspectives of the faculty mentors who provide the individualized opportunities for students. Based on focus group data from 50 faculty mentors, we document faculty perceptions of the challenges to infusing undergraduate student scholarship across the curriculum. We conclude with practical suggestions for other institutions seeking to implement innovative change initiatives in general and to broaden opportunities for undergraduate research and creative activities in particular.     

以市场为导向的高职教育培养模式实例研究

随着高校毕业生人数的增加和产业结构调整,社会对劳动力素质的要求不断提升,就业已经成为制约高等教育发展的核心要素。通过对高等职业教育教学模式改革动因的论述,提出了构建新型课程与教学模式过程、改进学生职业生涯规划和进入职场的支持系统,提出了新课程模式实施的限制因素与高职教师培训方向,以期实现高等学校和企业之间从知识、技术到管理与文化的有效互动,促进高职院校的人才培养。     

Adult numeracy teacher training programmes in England: a suggested typology

Nationally approved adult numeracy teacher training programmes were started in September 2002 following the introduction of subject specifications by the Department for Education and Skills and the Further National Training Organisation in England. These programmes delivered by higher education institutions and further education colleges were found to consist of a wide variation of course structure and delivery style. This article offers a conceptual typological framework to classify the diversity of these programmes. It uses examples of adult numeracy courses drawn from a research project which investigates the diverse curriculum approaches to teaching the subject specifications, the issues around implementation, and the way that subject knowledge was translated into classroom skills. The typology uses Bernstein’s theories on curriculum knowledge, transmission and recontextualization of pedagogic processes as a framework to classify and enhance our understanding of the raison d’etre of this subject area of teacher training courses, that is, to teach trainees how to be teachers of adult numeracy. The article also offers an ‘ideal’ teacher training course where some of its elements are drawn from best practices identified in the project. Finally, this article might act as a platform for practitioners to critically assess how adult numeracy teacher training courses might be structured and classified.     

How do teacher mentors perceive their role,does it matter?

Mentoring student-teachers and novice teachers constitutes a critical factor in teacher-education programmes and yet, little emphasis has been placed on the mentors themselves, particularly in relation to their own professional development (PD) and the construction of their identities. Does it really matter? This study investigates two groups of mentors: one group who received professional training and one group who received no professional training. The research questions address how mentors perceive their role, what preparation they receive to serve as effective mentors, and what are their professional needs. The study illuminates essential aspects of the mentors’ role perception and the impact of mentoring education on the professional identity of mentors. The implications are that low involvement in PD workshops could be linked to the uncertainty in mentors’ own self-perception as mentors. How mentors perceive their roles does matter if they wish to gain recognition by significant others within their institutions. Likewise, schools need to provide a supportive culture which is fundamental to identity construction.     

Pharmacy Mentors' Views of Practical Training

Practical knowledge and skills are necessary components of expertise. Practical training in higher education has been shown to foster students' learning and understanding of theoretical backgrounds. The attitude and skill of mentors play a central role in enhancing the quality of students' practical learning. The aims of this study were to explore mentors' experiences of the practice period and mentoring process, and to develop practical performances to improve the practice period that s included in theoretical pharmaceutical studies in Finland. A total of 48 pharmacy mentors were interviewed during the practice period of the pharmacy curriculum. The interviews were analysed using qualitative content analysis. The results showed that the mentors considered the practice period an essential part of pharmacy studies, which fostered student learning and benefited the community pharmacy. Mentoring activities, mentoring processes and assessment of students varied in the pharmacies. The results showed that it is necessary to pay more attention to the aims and the content of the practice period. More cooperation is needed between the University and pharmacies. There is also a clear need to pay attention to reflective action in order to foster the quality of practical learning.     

Financial education for female foreign domestic workers in Singapore

We evaluate a randomized field experiment to study the effect of financial workshops for domestic workers in Singapore. Groups of women met monthly with a trained mentor. Take-up rates were low and our results are inconclusive as to whether invitations to these workshops improved financial knowledge and behavior. Unexpectedly, treatment assignment had a significant, negative effect on self-reported savings. Further exploration suggests that assignment to treatment could affect participants’ awareness of accumulated savings. We find a reduction in the number of savings accounts reported and an increase in the probability respondents report having disagreements with family members over finances.     

关于综合文科教师培养的课程设置研究报告

我国当前综合课程的教师培养已经明显落后于中学的课程改革,对于教师培养的课程设置研究已经刻不容缓。我们通过资料检索、课标分析、对中学教师的调查和访谈,认为综合文科教师培养的课程设置,必须有主次地安排与综合文科相关的学科课程、加强教育科学理论课程和增加教学实习。在删除以往过于陈旧的和深奥的学科知识的基础上,根据知识内在的逻辑体系,严密整合必需学习的内容,构建培养综合文科合格师资的课程体系。     

A Comprehensive Faculty,Staff, and Student Training Program Enhances Student Perceptions of a Course-Based Research Experience at a Two-Year Institution

Early research experiences must be made available to all undergraduate students, including those at 2-yr institutions who account for nearly half of America''s college students. We report on barriers unique to 2-yr institutions that preclude the success of an early course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE). Using a randomized study design, we evaluated a CURE in equivalent introductory biology courses at a 4-yr institution and a 2-yr institution within the same geographic region. We found that these student populations developed dramatically different impressions of the experience. Students at the 4-yr institution enjoyed the CURE significantly more than the traditional labs. However, students at the 2-yr institution enjoyed the traditional labs significantly more, even though the CURE successfully produced targeted learning gains. On the basis of course evaluations, we enhanced instructor, student, and support staff training and reevaluated this CURE at a different campus of the same 2-yr institution. This time, the students reported that they enjoyed the research experience significantly more than the traditional labs. We conclude that early research experiences can succeed at 2-yr institutions, provided that a comprehensive implementation strategy targeting instructor, student, and support staff training is in place.     

A cross-sectional study of student teachers’ behaviour management strategies throughout their training years

Despite the importance of behaviour management, many student teachers report being inadequately trained in this area. The aim of this study was to identify the strategies, confidence and reported levels of success in regard to various behaviour management strategies, across 509 first, second, third and fourth year student teachers training to be primary teachers. The most significant differences were found between first and second year student teachers in regard to their use of, and confidence in, initial and later corrective strategies, and between second and third year student teachers in terms of their use of, and confidence in, differentiating curriculum and preventive strategies. The findings have implications for teacher training programs and future research.     

Partnership in Teacher Training: mentors’ constructs of their role

Secondary school teachers, trained as empowered mentors, were asked about their new role 2 years after the introduction of school-based initial teacher training (ITT). Kelly's repertory grid encouraged the development of personal constructs. The mentors demonstrated deep structure constructs which would not have been easily recognised by university tutors making relatively brief school visits. It is concluded that the mentors have reached a stage where continued experience in the role will not, per se, lead to improved skills. A number of tensions within the role were highlighted, most of which are inherent in the school-based model, but some of which attach specifically to empowerment. Support for mentors not recognising such ambiguities is important. Mentor empowerment does appear to be a viable model of mentoring in school-based ITT, but continued training and changes in the type of support available is necessary. The place of appropriate theory at all stages of professional development was recognised.     

应对广州城市养老难题 改革高职院校护理专业课程

广州城市养老急需高素质的专业护理人员,高职院校要应对这一需求,改革护理专业课程：增加实用的养老护理专业知识和操作技能训练,增加中医护理知识和技能,加强敬老爱老职业精神和素质的培养。要加快课程改革,就必须充分认识培养养老护理人才的重要性和紧迫性,加强社区和养老院、福利院等养老机构实习基地的建设,把职业技能证书考核内容纳入专业知识学习范畴,同时学习日本、香港等地的先进养老经验,不断完善课程改革。     

The Pacific region

Population education in the Pacific region is summarized in terms of awareness and commitment, curriculum and instructional materials development, integration into the school curricula, training programs, and evaluation research. Several population education issues of current concern relate to the increase in chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension that are associated with life styles and diet, and the rising incidence of AIDS and teenage pregnancy. In the Pacific region, many countries have advanced population programs and policies, while some still do not even have a population policy. The issue of balancing population and resources is a topic that has not been sufficiently addressed in resource-poor countries. There is wide variance in awareness and commitment to population education in the Pacific region. Commitment and continuous support are crucial to population education projects. Lack of support is sometimes due to changing government personnel and lack of awareness of policy makers. Population education is not the same as family planning or sex education, and traditionally is spread through seminars and workshops by part time project personnel unconnected to the entire educational apparatus. Presently, only 8 population projects are functioning in the region, with 2-3 in the planning stages. Materials development in the Pacific region has been devoted to the secondary school level, yet awareness is increasing that sexuality, family health, and the environment should be introduced at the primary level. A popular strategy is to integrate population issues into the existing curriculum, such as in Fiji, the Marshall Islands, and Kiribati, which also have teacher training curriculum. In most countries sex education is still a controversial topic, and materials are developed by teacher committees working after school rather in a curriculum development unit. AIDS has pushed this topic into the public sector. A chart is provided for each country and curriculum with population education and the level of schooling for formal and informal education. Training programs tend to be orientation workshops, materials development workshops, or teacher training workshops. Evaluation research in population education has been weak, due to an emphasis on program implementation, curriculum development, and limited resources and expertise.     

基于创新型人才培养的通信系统仿真课程教学研究

按照国家“教育创新、培养创新人才”的要求，通信系统仿真课程设计根据自身特点，从实验内容、仿真平台、考核环节、题型设计等方面，提出了创新人才培养结构。考核形式多样化、加强多样化辅导、构建创新能力训练平台。在通信系统仿真课程设计中培养学生的创新能力，一方面使学生深入融合已修课程的知识，提高运用知识、分析问题的能力；另一方面为学生将来深入研究和实现创新打下坚实的实践基础。     

加强小学综合实践活动课程的校本研修工作

加强小学综合实践活动课程的校本研修工作,要从认识校本研修产生的历史背景、重视校本研修方式的现时地位、建立有效的校本研修制度、开展切合实际的校本研修活动、行之有效地开发课程资源等方面展开。     

Competence-based teacher education: Illusion or reality? An assessment of the implementation status in Flanders from teachers’ and students’ points of view

Since 1998, the Flanders’ educational government in Belgium has been urging teacher education institutions by decree to implement competences in teacher training programs. Since then, years have gone by, and institutions have acted in order to achieve the competence-based goals. However, have they succeeded in implementing them? This is the research question that is central to the current study. An online survey inquiry was set up in eight elementary teacher education institutions using two questionnaires; one for final year elementary institution pre-service teachers, who were about to graduate at the time of completing the questionnaire (N = 218), the other for teacher trainers throughout the elementary teacher training program (N = 51). Ten years after the decree was issued, results show that competence-based education has become a reality in terms of its implementation. However, the process has not yet come to an end. Whereas some competences are clearly present in the institutions’ policies and practices (e.g. teacher as guide to learning and development, teacher as subject expert), others are poorly represented (e.g. teacher as partner of parents, external parties and as a member of the educational community). Moreover, teacher trainers tend to take four different approaches to the implementation of competences (1) during internship, (2) through the institution’s policy and program planning, (3) by means of their integration in both theoretical and practical components of the curriculum and finally, (4) a lack of implementation because the competences are considered insufficiently applicable by the teacher trainers. In particular, more experienced and subject expert teacher trainers tend to adopt the final approach more often than do younger colleagues and pedagogues. Student teachers’ results, on the other hand, suggest important differences between institutions concerning their understanding of competences and the integration of these competences in the curriculum; suggesting different paces of adaptation between teacher education institutions. Moreover, even within schools, the trajectory towards implementation is not always clear for all members of the teaching team, nor for the students of most teacher education institutions. Consequently, there is still important work to be done in order for successful competence-based change to occur.     

高校创新人才培养中的制约因素分析及对策思考

目前，存在着一些制约因素在影响着高校创新人才的培养。在观念层面主要体现为：不能正确认识创新教育与素质教育的关系，不能正确处理创新素质与传授基础知识之间的关系，不能清楚认识不同高校在创新人才培养上的多样性与特殊性；在办学实践层面主要存在着师资、课程设置、办学的物资保障、科研和实习基地等问题；在环境层面，无论是制度环境还是文化环境也都存在着缺乏鼓励创新的机制和因素。最后相应地提出了有利于消除这些制约因素、促进高校创新人才的培养的对策思考。     

Using the Workshop in Consultation Training

Although graduate students should be trained in consulting as well as counseling skills, not all counselor education programs systematically teach such consultation skills. Counselor trainees need to practice and implement those skills in laboratory as well as field settings. Workshops have been used successfully to teach oral delivery consultation skills in a counselor training program. In this article, the workshop is offered as a training tool in consultation skills. The use and purposes of workshops are presented, and procedures are demonstrated regarding the use of workshops within counselor education courses. Benefits to counselor trainees are discussed.     

Mentoring in Action on a Primary PGCE Course

Abstract

School‐based mentors are taking increased responsibility for the initial training of student teachers as a result of government policy to lengthen the proportion of time students spend in school during their training. The role of the mentor is critical in the development of a partnership model of initial teacher education (ITE), involving close collaboration between higher education institutions (HEIs) and schools. This article draws on our research into the practice of mentoring on the one‐year Primary Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) at the Chichester Institute. Through observations of mentoring sessions at school we analyse the process of mentoring in action. Drawing on mentor observations and interviews with mentors, students and college (link) tutors we examine the diverse nature of mentoring and identify some of the common qualities of good mentoring practice.     

Engaging Actively with Issues in the Responsible Conduct of Science: Lessons from International Efforts Are Relevant for Undergraduate Education in the United States

Numerous studies are demonstrating that engaging undergraduate students in original research can improve their achievement in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields and increase the likelihood that some of them will decide to pursue careers in these disciplines. Associated with this increased prominence of research in the undergraduate curriculum are greater expectations from funders, colleges, and universities that faculty mentors will help those students, along with their graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, develop an understanding and sense of personal and collective obligation for responsible conduct of science (RCS). This Feature describes an ongoing National Research Council (NRC) project and a recent report about educating faculty members in culturally diverse settings (Middle East/North Africa and Asia) to employ active-learning strategies to engage their students and colleagues deeply in issues related to RCS. The NRC report describes the first phase of this project, which took place in Aqaba and Amman, Jordan, in September 2012 and April 2013, respectively. Here we highlight the findings from that report and our subsequent experience with a similar interactive institute in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Our work provides insights and perspectives for faculty members in the United States as they engage undergraduate and graduate students, as well as postdoctoral fellows, to help them better understand the intricacies of and connections among various components of RCS. Further, our experiences can provide insights for those who may wish to establish “train-the-trainer” programs at their home institutions.