Service-Learning Among Nontraditional Age Community College Students

In recent decades, many institutions of higher education have responded to community and student learning needs through the development of service-learning programs (Sapp & Crabtree, 2002 Sapp , D. A. , & Crabtree , R. D. ( 2002 ). A laboratory in citizenship: Service-learning in the technical communication classroom . Technical Communication Quarterly , 11 ( 4 ), 411 – 431 .[Taylor & Francis Online] , [Google Scholar]). Community colleges have been noted as leaders in the establishment of service-learning programs. The purpose of this study was to better understand the service-learning experiences and subsequent outcome of nontraditional age students at a community college. The study utilized the three commonly noted best practices in service-learning as a guide in the exploration of literature and data: (a) connection between course material and the service experience through reflection; (b) the extent to which it is perceived that participation in service-learning had an impact on the community; and (c) the training or orientation activities incorporated into the service-learning experience. Using case study methodology, multiple data sources were collected and analyzed, including faculty member surveys, course syllabi, agency surveys, student surveys and semistructured interviews. Findings of the study revealed a number of implications for practice, as well as recommendations for future research. This study revealed the critical importance of postreflective assignments in helping students connect their service experience to course content and better understand community needs, yielded an understanding of how appreciative agency representatives and working with others at the agency enhanced the service-learning experience, explained how informal means by which to receive an orientation to the service agency are of value, and confirmed previous research that suggests intention to volunteer after graduation can be attributable, at least in part, to students’ participation in service-learning.     

Service-Learning and Philanthropy: Implications for Course Design

Developing good citizens is an historic role for higher education (Sullivan & Rosin, 2008) and the emergence of service-learning as a pedagogical strategy has heightened attention to the intentional educational objectives to be addressed in higher education. This article examines the role of service-learning in developing philanthropic values and behaviors in students that can influence their postgraduate years through careers, civic activities, and family life. Unlike other forms of community-based education (e.g., cooperative education, internship), service-learning extends beyond “serving to learn,” to “learning to serve” (see Chang, this issue) through being involved in community activities (e.g., advocacy, community organizing, volunteering). Two of the explicit dimensions of preparing civic-minded graduates are increasing knowledge of the nonprofit sector and volunteer opportunities and increasing commitment to be involved in the community, both of which can be achieved through service-learning (Steinberg, Hatcher, & Bringle, 2011 Steinberg, K., Hatcher, J. A., & Bringle, R. G. (2011). The civic-minded graduate: A north-star. Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning, 18, 19–33. [Google Scholar]).     

Conceptualizing Service-Learning in Christian Higher Education

Christian higher education is charged with the distinct mission of integrating faith and learning, and course-based service-learning has been identified as a supportive platform for this undertaking. Christian service-learning represents "a teaching and learning strategy that integrates academic instruction, community service, and guided reflection from a Christ-centered, faith-based perspective in order to enhance student learning, to foster civic responsibility, and to develop servant leaders” (Mullen, 2010 Mullen, S. (2010). Integrating a service and learning paradigm in a Christian education environment. Christian Education Journal, 7(1), 162–171.[Crossref] , [Google Scholar], p. 164). A large volume of literature pertaining to the theoretical and practical aspects of service-learning courses exists; however, the current literature and corresponding perceptions of best practice may not fully support the distinct nature of service-learning in Christian higher education. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to examine a predominant service-learning typology that dichotomizes traditional and critical service-learning (Mitchell, 2008 Mitchell, T. D. (2008). Traditional vs. critical service-learning: Engaging the literature to differentiate two models. Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning, 14(2), 50–65. [Google Scholar]) through the contextualization of faith-based higher education. Then, in an attempt to further elaborate upon Mullen’s (2010 Mullen, S. (2010). Integrating a service and learning paradigm in a Christian education environment. Christian Education Journal, 7(1), 162–171.[Crossref] , [Google Scholar]) definition, Morton’s (1995 Morton, K. (1995). The irony of service: Charity, project, and social change in service learning. Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning, 2(1), 19–32. [Google Scholar]) typology is recommended to frame Christian service-learning as it acknowledges the validity of multiple paradigms of service-learning (charity, project, and social change) and emphasizes the manner of their implementation (thick versus thin). Micro- and macro-level strategies, based on Morton’s (1995 Morton, K. (1995). The irony of service: Charity, project, and social change in service learning. Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning, 2(1), 19–32. [Google Scholar]) typology and subsequent recommendations, are provided to support faculty members and administrators attempting to implement and sustain service-learning at faith-based institutions. Specifically, Christian institutions should prioritize faith-based organizations as core partners, and faculty members should intentionally utilize reflection to integrate faith and learning.     

Comparison of Direct Instruction and Discrete Trial Teaching on the Curriculum-based Assessment of Language Performance of Students with Autism

There is limited research demonstrating direct instruction (DI) as an effective language intervention for students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and developmental disabilities (DD). Existing research has shown that instruction using partial implementation of DI programs resulted in student learning (Ganz, 2007 Ganz, M. L. (2007). The lifetime distribution of the incremental societal costs of autism. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 161, 343&349.[Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) and instruction using whole lessons resulted in positive instructional effects for students with ASD and DD (Ganz, 2007 Ganz, M. L. (2007). The lifetime distribution of the incremental societal costs of autism. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 161, 343&349.[Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). However, it is not known whether DI is more effective than other language interventions. The purpose of this study was to compare DI to an established intervention, discrete trial teaching. Thirteen students with ASD or participated in the study and data were collected using curriculum-based assessment. An independent samples t-test indicated that there was a statistically significant difference in student performance for the group who received DI. Results and their implications will be discussed.     

The Institutionalization of Service-Learning at the Independent Colleges and Universities of the Gulf Coast Region

Service-learning is a high-impact educational practice that benefits the community, the university, and students (Jacoby, 2015). It also represents an educational practice that specifically supports the integration of Christian thought and action within Christian institutions (Schaffer, 2004). The purpose of the study was to determine the level of service-learning institutionalization within the faith-based, faith-affiliated, and secular institutions of the Gulf Coast Region of the United States. Utilizing an electronic version of Furco's (2009 Furco, A. (2009). Self-assessment rubric for the institutionalization of service-learning in higher education (rev. ed). Minneapolis, MN: International Center for Research on Community Engagement. [Google Scholar]) Self-Assessment Rubric for the Institutionalization of Service-Learning in Higher Education, chief academic officers at independent colleges and universities of the Gulf Coast region provided their respective institution's current stage of development on the institutionalization continuum. The majority of administrators reported scores indicative of development at the midpoint of the continuum, the Quality Building Stage. The presence of a university philosophy and mission was the most developed dimension, and community partner involvement was the least developed. This study provides data-driven, researched-based recommendations regarding the institutionalization of service-learning for Christian colleges and universities.     

Enhancing Global Service-Learning with Partnerships as an Engagement Strategy for Christian Higher Education

Global engagement programming across higher education continues to expand as institutional leaders and practitioners strive to meet global citizenship and civic engagement outcomes. This article presents case study research on a global service-learning partnership, the “Christian University” (CU) Wheelchair Project, which has involved students in a three-semester course sequence that includes research under faculty guidance at a Kenyan school serving 300 children with disabilities. The coauthors participated with the CU students to address the following research questions: (a) What are the characteristics of a Christian Global Service-Learning project that involved partnerships? and (b) What are the observed expectations and impacts of this partnership in the local setting? The case study offers an example of a global service-learning partnership that is grounded in institutional and community input throughout the project's conception and implementation, as well as during assessment of the program. Analysis of the data revealed three components of this program as an effective model of a global service-learning partnership: (a) shared representation throughout the program, (b) valuing both student and community outcomes, and (c) additional perceived community benefits. Corbett and Fikkert's (2012 Corbett, S., &; Fikkert, B. (2012). When helping hurts: How to alleviate poverty without hurting the poor … and yourself. Chicago, IL: Moody. [Google Scholar]) relief-rehabilitation-development and Fraser's (2009 Fraser, N. (2009). Scales of justice: Reimagining political space in a globalizing world. New York, NY: Columbia University Press. [Google Scholar]) parity of participation frameworks were used to illustrate why it is necessary to intentionally develop partnerships where the local community can genuinely participate. Drawing from the related literature, the authors argue that global service-learning with partnership programs have the potential to move Christian higher education beyond simply service to transformative and sustained community collaboration in which social justice can be effectively enacted.     

Changing Concepts in Activity: Descriptive and Design Studies of Consequential Learning in Conceptual Practices

Concepts and conceptual change have been studied extensively as phenomena of individual thinking and action, but changing circumstances of social or cultural groups using concepts are treated as external conditions. We describe research on consequential learning in conceptual practices, where concepts include representational infrastructure that coordinates meaning and activity across time, setting, and social participation. Consequential learning changes one's relation to conceptual practice, creating access to and valued possibilities for participation in practices at a broader scale. We illustrate our approach to conceptual change with case studies and design research in workplaces, schools, and urban communities. We compare our approach to previous efforts to bridge theoretical perspectives published in this journal, focusing in particular on Greeno and van de Sande (2007 Greeno, J. G., & van de Sande, C. (2007). Perspectival understanding of conceptions and conceptual growth in interaction. Educational Psychologist, 42, 9–23.[Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). Our efforts provide new constructs and studies that may yet create a span between cognitive and sociocultural theories of learning and conceptual change.     

Transforming professional learning and practice in assessment for learning

Assessing student learning is a complex process requiring teachers to have deep knowledge of the curriculum, assessment, and pedagogy. Changing political climates mean that teachers are expected to respond to new approaches or systems and adjust their classroom practice accordingly. Teachers often engage in professional learning (PL) to assist their knowledge and classroom practice, but what impact does PL have on their assessment practice as well as student learning and achievement?

This paper examines optimal PL principles, the New Zealand assessment policy context, and application of assessment for learning principles in a nation-wide PL programme. Empirical data presented in relation to the five levels of Guskey's (2002) Guskey, T. R. (2002). Does it make a difference? Evaluating professional development. Educational Leadership, 59(6), 45–51.[Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar] model evaluating PL indicate successful outcomes at the classroom level. However, application of Carless’ (2005) Carless, D. (2005). Prospects for the implementation of assessment for learning. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policies & Practices, 12(1), 39–45.[Taylor & Francis Online] , [Google Scholar] theoretical framework on embedding PL changes in schools reveals an area of neglect: attending to system (macro) level needs. Collaborative partnerships between schools and the wider community are posited as essential determinants of assessment literacies and transformational PL in times of political change.     

Literacy Teachers Engage in Service-Learning via Community Organization Involvement

Service-learning provides community service as well as authentic, curriculum-driven learning experiences (Furco &; Root, 2010 Furco, A. and Root, S. 2010. Research demonstrates the value of service-learning. Kappan, 91(5): 16–23. [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) and has been an effective component of teacher education courses (García, Arias, Murri, &; Surna, 2010 García, E., Arias, M. B., Murri, N. J. H. and Serna, C. 2010. Developing responsive teachers: A challenge for a demographic reality. Journal of Teacher Education, 61: 132–142. doi:10.1177/002248710934787[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]; Mitton-Kukner, Nelson, &; Descrochers, 2010 Mitton-Kukner, J., Nelson, C. and Desrochers, C. 2010. Narrative inquiry in service-learning contexts: Possibilities for learning about diversity in teacher education. Teaching and Teacher Education, 26: 1162–1169. doi:10.1016/j.tate.2010.01.001[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]; Spencer, Cox-Petersen, &; Crawford, 2005 Spencer, B. H., Cox-Petersen, A. M. and Crawford, T. 2005. Assessing the impact of service-learning on preservice teachers in an after-school program. Teacher Education Quarterly, 32(4): 119–135.  [Google Scholar]). With these authentic experiences, teachers construct conceptions of literacy learning as broader than classroom teaching and learning. This study investigates how 54 preservice elementary teachers (hereafter called teachers) learned about literacy development and cultural responsivity by engaging in a service-learning experience.     

Knowledge Exchange,Social Interactions,and Empowerment in an Intergenerational Technology Program at School

This is a sequel to previous theoretical papers (Gamliel, Reichental, & Eyal, 2007a Gamliel , T. , Reichental , Y. , & Eyal , N. (2007a). Intergenerational educational encounters: Part 1: A model of knowledge. Educational Gerontology , 33, 1–22.[Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar], 2007b Gamliel , T. , Reichental , Y. , & Eyal N. ( 2007b ). Intergenerational educational encounters: Part 2: Counseling implications of the model . Educational Gerontology , 33 , 145 – 164 .[Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) that proposed a Model of Knowledge in Volume 33 of this journal. The study examines the effects of digital education on intergenerational empowerment and social interaction among participants in the Israeli Multigenerational Connection Program (MCP). The program pairs seniors and children in computer-room activities at primary schools and encourages both groups to benefit by learning from each other. Findings from feedback questionnaires, field observations, and semistructured interviews show that the MCP was successful in building an intergenerational bridge. The flexible structuring of the roles of teacher and pupil contributed to participants' satisfaction with the program, and the intergenerational knowledge exchanges empowered both groups and allowed them to reach out to each other. Implications for educators, both in the community and in mainstream schools, are discussed.     

Contributions of Academic Language,Perspective Taking,and Complex Reasoning to Deep Reading Comprehension

ABSTRACT

Deep reading comprehension refers to the process required to succeed at tasks defined by the Common Core State Literacy Standards, as well as to achieve proficiency on the more challenging reading tasks in the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) framework. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that three skill domains not frequently attended to in instruction or in theories of reading comprehension—academic language, perspective taking, and complex reasoning—predict outcomes on an assessment of deep reading comprehension. The Global Integrated Scenario-based Assessment (GISA; O'Reilly, Weeks, Sabatini, Halderman, & Steinberg, 2014 O'Reilly T., Weeks, J., Sabatini, J., Halderman, L., & Steinberg, J. (2014). Designing reading comprehension assessments for reading interventions: How a theoretically motivated assessment can serve as an outcome measure. Educational Psychology Review, 26, 403–424. doi:10.1007/s10648-014-9269-z[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) is designed to reflect students' abilities to evaluate texts, integrate information from an array of texts, and use textual evidence to formulate a position, all features of deep reading comprehension. We tested the role of academic language, perspective taking, and complex reasoning in explaining variance in end-of-year GISA scores, controlling for beginning-of-year scores and student demographics. All three predictors explained small, but significant, amounts of additional variance. We suggest that these three skill domains deserve greater attention in theories of reading comprehension and in instruction.     

Role of Family Background,Student Behaviors,and School-Related Beliefs in Predicting High School Dropout

ABSTRACT

The authors' purpose was to test a parsimonious model derived from social cognitive career theory (R. W. Lent, S. D. Brown, & G. Hackett, 1994 Lent, R. W., Brown, S. D., & Hackett, G. (1994). Toward a unifying social cognitive theory of career and academic interest, choice, and performance. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 45, 79–122. doi:10.1006/jvbe.1994.1027[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) and expectancy value theory (J. S. Eccles & A. Wigfield, 2002 Eccles, J. S., & Wigfield, A. (2002). Motivational beliefs, values, and goals. Annual Review of Psychology, 53, 109–132. doi:10.1146/annurev.psych.53.100901.135153[Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) that integrates groups of variables (demographic background, student behaviors, and school-related beliefs) with the goal of predicting high school dropout in a nationally representative sample of 15,753 high school students. Structural equation modeling was used to test the effect of the various predictors on students' dropout status 2 years later. The model fit the data very well, and the results indicated that socioeconomic status, academic performance, parental involvement, and absenteeism were most predictive of high school dropout. In contrast, social cognitive constructs (self-efficacy and subjective task value) added little explanatory power. Implications for high school dropout prevention programs are discussed.     

Reliability and Validity of a Hebrew Version of the Kogan's Attitudes Toward Old People Scale

The objective of this study was to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Hebrew version of Kogan's (1961 Kogan , N. ( 1961 ). Attitudes Toward Old People: The development of a scale and an examination of correlates . Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology , 62 ( 1 ), 44 – 54 . doi: 10.1037/h0048053 [Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) Attitudes Toward Old People scale. A self-administered questionnaire in Hebrew was given to a convenience sample of 300 people under the age of 65 who resided in three neighborhoods in Tel Aviv. The Hebrew version of the Attitudes toward Old People scale demonstrated good psychometric properties. Internal consistency of Cronbach's alpha was high (α = .89). Factor analysis showed five loading factors. The Israeli version of the scale was found to be a valid and reliable instrument for measuring the general population's attitudes toward older people. It can be a useful instrument for studies in Israel as well as for cross-national and comparative studies to assess the degree of ageism towards older people.     

The ‘self‐interested’ woman academic: a consideration of Beck's model of the ‘individualised individual’

The work of Ulrich Beck, particularly his concept of the ‘individualised individual’, is increasingly cited by educational social scientists. As yet, there have been few empirical investigations that consider how applicable and relevant is the notion of the ‘individualised individual’ in understanding how people make sense of their lives (for an exception, see Reay, 2003 Reay, D. (2003). A risky business? Mature working‐class women students and access to higher education. Gender and Education, 15(3): 301–317. [Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] [Google Scholar]). This paper considers Beck's assertion that social class is of increasingly less importance as society shifts from a first to a second modernity. Interviews were carried out into the career experiences of a group of academic women working in higher education institutions. The conclusions reached suggest that if Beck's theory is to be useful in understanding contemporary actors in contemporary societies then the critical concepts he introduces need to be articulated by researchers in more complex ways.     

The premise and promise of inquiry based mathematics in pre‐service teacher education: a poststructuralist analysis

Many teacher educators have recently implemented inquiry based instructional practices into their programs (Crawford & Deer, 1993 Crawford, K and Deer, C. (1993). Do we practise what we preach? Putting policy into practice in teacher education. South Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 21: 111–121. [Taylor & Francis Online] [Google Scholar]; Foss & Kleinsasser, 1996 Foss, D and Kleinsasser, R. (1996). Pre‐service elementary teachers’ views of pedagogical and ­mathematical content knowledge. Teaching and Teacher Education, 12(4): 429–442. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] [Google Scholar]; Klein, 1996 Klein M (1996) The possibilities and limitations of constructivist practice in pre‐service teacher education in mathematics Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Central Queensland University, Rockhampton, Australia  [Google Scholar], 1997 Klein, M. (1997). Looking again at the ‘supportive’ environment of constructivist pedagogy. ­Journal of Education for Teaching, 23(3): 277–292. [Taylor & Francis Online] [Google Scholar], 1998 Klein M (1998) New knowledge, new teachers, new times in: C. Kanes, M. Goos & E. Warren (Eds) Teaching mathematics in new times (Brisbane, Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia) 295 302  [Google Scholar], 2001 Klein M (2001) Correcting mathematical and attitudinal deficiencies in pre‐service teacher education in: J. Bobis, B. Perry & M. Mitchelmore (Eds) Numeracy and beyond (Sydney, Australia, MERGA) 338 345  [Google Scholar]; Schuck, 1996 Schuck, S. (1996). Reflections on the dilemmas and tensions in mathematics education courses for student teachers. Asia‐Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 24(1): 75–82. [Taylor & Francis Online] [Google Scholar]; Tillema & Knol, 1997 Tillema, M and Knol, W. (1997). Collaborative planning by teacher educators to promote belief changes in their students. Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice, 3(1): 29–46. [Taylor & Francis Online] [Google Scholar]). In mathematics education the promise has been that pre‐service teachers’ socialization into new interactive ways of learning will not only lead to the (re)construction of powerful mathematical ideas and relationships, but that it will facilitate the implementation of these inquiry based practices in the classroom. This promise, however, is not often realized (Foss & Kleinsasser, 1996 Foss, D and Kleinsasser, R. (1996). Pre‐service elementary teachers’ views of pedagogical and ­mathematical content knowledge. Teaching and Teacher Education, 12(4): 429–442. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] [Google Scholar]; Tillema & Knol, 1997 Tillema, M and Knol, W. (1997). Collaborative planning by teacher educators to promote belief changes in their students. Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice, 3(1): 29–46. [Taylor & Francis Online] [Google Scholar]). One reading of why this may be so, relying on and made visible through a poststructuralist analytic lens, is (a) that perhaps the pre‐service teachers’ ability to act in inquiry‐based, generative ways in the classroom does not necessarily follow from, but is produced or constituted in, teaching/learning interactions in school and teacher education, and (b) it may be that pedagogic practices in teacher education unintentionally and invisibly reproduce old epistemologies and ontologies that support knowledge transmission and teacher authority over student authored engagement and construction of ideas. In this paper the premise of a rational, autonomous agent of change on which so much of current practice is based is challenged, and the possible implications for teacher education discussed.     

In Defense of Clarity in the Study of Personal Epistemology

Andrew Elby (this issue) argues that researchers in the field of personal epistemology should beware insistence on a narrow definition of epistemology to guide this work. His argument is a response to suggestions (Hofer & Pintrich, 1997 Hofer, B. K. and Pintrich, P. R. 1997. The development of epistemological theories: Beliefs about knowledge and knowing and their relation to learning.. Review of Educational Research, 67(1): 88–140. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]; Sandoval, 2005 Sandoval, W. A. 2005. Understanding students' practical epistemologies and their influence on learning through inquiry.. Science Education, 89: 634–656. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) that the study of personal epistemology should focus on people's views about knowledge and knowing and not conflate those with views about learning. His main concern is that learners' views about knowledge and their views about learning may, in fact, be conflated and that an insistence on definitional clarity could lead to a mischaracterization of cognitive structures. In this response I argue that clarity in the definition of theoretical constructs does not imply exclusion of views about learning from the study of personal epistemology. Furthermore, given the history of this area of research, failing to more clearly define our constructs makes real theoretical progress difficult.     

Who Knows What? Maintaining Multiple Perspectives During Reading

Recent findings (Keysar, 1994 Keysar, B. 1994. The illusory transparency of intention: Linguistic perspective taking in text.. Cognitive Psychology, 26: 165–208. [Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]; Weingartner & Klin, 2005 Weingartner, K. M. and Klin, C. M. 2005. Perspective taking during reading: An on-line investigation of the illusory transparency of intention.. Memory & Cognition, 33: 48–58. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar]) have shown that readers are not always accurate at taking a story character's perspective. When readers evaluated a character's understanding of a written message, they mistakenly took into account information that was inaccessible to that character. The results from the three experiments reported here demonstrate that this “illusory transparency of intention” is not dependent on the message readers' communicative role: Even when the message was composed for one character but read by another, readers assumed that the message was understood as it was intended. The results are discussed in the context of two theoretical accounts for these perspective-taking errors: the “knowledge projection hypothesis,” which appeals to readers’ expectations about cooperative behavior during communication, and “construal,” which attributes the illusory transparency of intention to a general cognitive bias that occurs during the perception of ambiguous stimuli.     

Bullying May Be Fueled by the Desperate Need to Belong

Human beings have a fundamental need to belong, for ongoing positive interactions with others who provide companionship and caring (Baumeister & Leary, 1995 Baumeister, R. F., & Leary, M. R. (1995). The need to belong: Desire for interpersonal attachments as a fundamental human motivation. Psychological Bulletin, 117, 497–529. doi: 10.1037/0033-2909.117.3.497.[Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). Children may hit, exclude, or harass others electronically because when their own needs for belongingness are threatened, or when they want to enhance their own status, they lash out and hurt others in the way they think will be most painful, by engaging in behaviors that undermine the target's sense of belongingness. For reasons discussed herein, children and adolescents might be especially vulnerable to desperate needs for belongingness. Viewing bullying as motivated by the need to belong has profound implications for prevention and intervention programs to reduce bullying.     

The Devil is in the Detail Regarding the Efficacy of Reading Recovery: A rejoinder to Schwartz,Hobsbaum, Briggs,and Scull

This rejoinder provides comment on issues raised by Schwartz, Hobsbaum, Briggs and Scull (2009 Schwartz, R. M., Hobsbaum, A., Briggs, C. and Scull, J. 2009. Reading Recovery and evidence‐based practice: A response to Reynolds and Wheldall (2007). International Journal of Disability, Development and Education, 56(1): 5–15. [Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] [Google Scholar]) in their article about evidence‐based practice and Reading Recovery (RR), written in response to Reynolds and Wheldall (2007 Reynolds, M. and Wheldall, K. 2007. Reading Recovery twenty years down the track: Looking forward, looking back. International Journal of Disability, Development and Education, 54: 199–223. [Taylor & Francis Online] [Google Scholar]). Particular attention is paid to the processes and findings of the What Works Clearinghouse evaluation of RR. The suggestion that this evaluation is flawed casts doubt about some of its findings. The authors maintain their earlier stance that RR is effective for many students but do not accept that there is evidence that initial gains are sustained through the primary grades, that RR is an efficient tier two intervention in a response to intervention approach and that significant cost benefits have been demonstrated in education systems. It is concluded that research into alternative interventions that could be implemented at lower cost is warranted.     

Toward Understanding the Potential of Games for Learning: Learning Theory,Game Design Characteristics,and Situating Video Games in Classrooms

Researchers have argued that an effort should be made to raise teachers’ and parents’ awareness of the potentially positive educational benefits of playing video games (e.g., see Baek, 2008 Baek, Y.K. (2008). What hinders teachers in using computer and video games in the classroom? Exploring factors inhibiting the uptake of computer and video games. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 11, 665–671.[Crossref], [PubMed] , [Google Scholar]). One part of this effort should be to increase understanding of how video games can be situated within teachers’ existing goals and knowledge of learning and instruction. However, relatively little research on game-based learning addresses teachers (Ketelhut & Schifter, 2011), and for many a gap remains between the apparent enthusiasm of researchers and policy makers relative to the potential of educational games and the attendant practicalities of selecting and implementing video games in classroom settings. This article begins to bridge this gap by providing research-based areas of awareness and a discussion of factors that can facilitate understanding related to choosing and using video games. To this end, we show how educational games can be conceptualized from different theoretical perspectives on learning and discuss a number of essential design issues that educators should take into account when considering a video game for educational use.