Cortisol reactivity is positively related to executive function in preschool children attending head start

This study examined relations among cortisol reactivity and measures of cognitive function and social behavior in 4- to 5-year-old children (N = 169) attending Head Start. Saliva samples for the assay of cortisol were collected at the beginning, middle, and end of an approximately 45-min testing session. Moderate increase in cortisol followed by down-regulation of this increase was positively associated with measures of executive function, self-regulation, and letter knowledge but not with measures of receptive vocabulary, emotion knowledge, or false belief understanding. Regression analysis indicates that executive function accounted for the association between cortisol reactivity and self-regulation and letter knowledge.     

Contributions of protective and risk factors to literacy and socioemotional competency in former head start children attending kindergarten

We empirically evaluated the associations of hypothesized protective and risk factors with assessments of social, literacy, and cognitive competence in a sample of Head Start graduates attending kindergarten in rural Georgia. The sample included 117 former Head Start children and their primary caregivers, who were assessed during the fall of the children's kindergarten year. The participating families—59% African American, 39% white, and 1 % Latin American—lived in four rural counties in northeast Georgia. Data were obtained from caregivers, teachers, and children, using a multimethod, multi-informant research design. Caregivers provided information about developmental goals, family processes, and their own psychological functioning; and the children and their kindergarten teachers provided socioemotional, literacy, and cognitive-competence information. The results support the hypothesized relations between the child-competence measures and protective factors, especially caregiver self-esteem, endorsement of independence-promoting developmental goals, co-caregiver support and communication, and engaged, responsive, and cognitively challenging caregiver-child interactions. The results also support the hypothesis that caregiver distress and conflicted family relationships are associated with negative developmental outcomes for former Head Start children attending kindergarten.     

Pretend play by African American children in head start

Play behaviors of African American 4-year-olds from impoverished families were observed naturalistically. Children's free play was videotaped in Head Start classrooms over several weeks in the playhouse, block corner, and outside play yard. Play was categorized into cognitive play types—functional, constructive, and pretend play. Children most frequently engaged in functional play. Contrary to Smilansky's findings, impoverished children also engaged in pretend play. This play type was high in quality (object use, number of participants, and subtypes of pretense exhibited) but low in quantity (number and duration of play episodes) compared to other types of play. These findings are discussed in the context of theories of pretend play.     

关于补习教育的再思考

日益膨胀的补习班可能阻碍课改的深入实施,但补习教育的红火更多是人们对课程改革不理解的结果,因此很难通过排除它促进课程改革。作为一种普遍的社会现象,补习教育有其逻辑上的合理性,家长、补习教师双方围绕不乏优点的补习教育构成了一个稳定的供需系统,客观分析这个系统才可能更有效地解决补习教育的负面问题。     

Attending behavior of children near a child who is reinforced for attending

The present study investigated effects of a token program for one child on the behavior of other children in the class. Three nursery school children, sitting at adjacent desks, were observed under five conditions. In Baseline I and Reinforcement I the rewarded child sat between the two unrewarded children. In Baseline II, Reinforcement II and Baseline III the rewarded child sat on the end, and the two unrewarded children alternated at the middle desk. The rewarded child received tokens for attending behavior in the Reinforcement conditions. The teacher's behavior was carefully controlled. Results were: (a) The rewarded child's attending increased in the Reinforcement conditions; (b) The unrewarded children's attending increased in Reinforcement I but remained at baseline in Reinforcement II; (c) Both unrewarded children attended better when seated at the center desk in Reinforcement II; (d) No disturbing effects were found in the behavior of unrewarded children.     

Test stimuli: Representational level with middle class and head start children

Low income and middle income 4- and 5-year old children were shown stimuli in three forms: objects, colored pictures, and black and white line drawings taken from commonly used assessment instruments, and were asked to label the stimuli. Results indicated that both groups of children labeled the objects more successfully than the pictures, although this discrepancy was greater for the low income children. In addition, order of presentation influenced labeling performance. These results suggest that attention be paid to the representational level of materials used with young children in testing and educational settings.     

Approaching child abuse treatment from the perspective of empathy

Research identifies empathy as a moderating variable in the display of aggression. Research further suggests that empathy is a significant variable in the effective parenting of children. Studies in child abuse show that abusive parents score significantly lower on empathy measures as compared to their nonabusive counterparts. The purpose of this theoretical article is (1) to suggest based on the literature that empathy training should be a core component in treatment strategies with abusive parents. A variety of approaches to empathy training will be suggested; (2) to encourage the implementation of empathy training in interventions with abusive parents and the measurement through research of the effectiveness of this approach to treatment on a short and long-term basis.     

中国教育社会学的发端——一种知识社会学的视角

中国教育社会学学科产生于上个世纪20年代,但是未得到应有的重视。学科发展有自身学术逻辑,学科的反省是必要的。从知识社会学视角来回顾这段学科发展历史,就会发现除却社会、学术的独特背景之外,参与主体的特质以及其产生的历史作用也得以突显。从教育社会学产生的运命、译介与中国化并行的研究特点、研究者群体所具有的多元知识视野与丰富教育实践的特质、教育社会学发端的开拓与奠基之功分析新生伊始的中国教育社会学,以期对当今教育学学科的发展提供反思的参照。     

Structural model of head start classroom quality

The purpose of this research study was to develop, test, and validate a model that identifies the characteristics and beliefs of teachers and aides, and the classroom structural dimensions associated with Head Start classroom quality. The quality of classroom teaching practices was collected using the Assessment Profile for Early Childhood Programs: Research Version. Classroom structural characteristics were collected by observers. Teachers and teacher aides completed three self-report instruments: Teacher Beliefs Scale, Instructional Activities Scale, and Family Involvement Survey. Data analyses were conducted using structural equation modeling with the Lisrel VII computer program. The model was tested with Year 1 classroom level data and validated with Year 2 data. Education Level was shown to directly affect Inappropriate Beliefs, which impacted Inappropriate Instructional Activities, which influenced Classroom Quality. Neither Education Level nor Teacher Beliefs had direct effects on Classroom Quality, but they had indirect effects through Instructional Activities. Classroom Structure was associated directly with Quality. Education Level and Classroom Quality were associated directly with Attitudes Toward Families.     

An examination of the contributions of interactive peer play to salient classroom competencies for urban head start children

Relations between children's peer play competence and other relevant competencies were investigated using two samples of urban Head Start children. Dimensions of peer play were examined concurrently with emotion regulation, autonomy, and language. Children exhibiting high levels of peer play interaction were found to demonstrate more competent emotional‐regulation, initiation, self‐determination, and receptive vocabulary skills. Assessments of positive engagement in play early in the year were associated with lower levels of aggressive, shy, and withdrawn adjustment problems at the end of the year. Children who successfully interacted with peers early in the year evidenced greater cognitive, social, and movement/coordination outcomes. Disruptive and disconnected peer play behaviors were associated with negative emotional and behavioral outcomes. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 41: 323–336, 2004.     

The effectiveness of head start: Another look

This article focuses on the self-regulated learning processes of goal setting and perceived self-efficacy. Students enter learning activities with goals and self-efficacy for goal attainment. As learners work on tasks, they observe their own performances and evaluate their own goal progress. Self-efficacy and goal setting are affected by self-observation, self-judgment, and self-reaction. When students perceive satisfactory goal progress, they feel capable of improving their skills; goal attainment, coupled with high self-efficacy, leads students to set new challenging goals. Research is reviewed on goal properties (specificity, proximity, difficulty), self-set goals, progress feedback, contracts and conferences, and conceptions of ability. Ways of teaching students to set realistic goals and evaluate progress include establishing upper and lower goal limits and employing games, contracts, and conferences. Future research might clarify the relation of goal setting and self-efficacy to transfer, goal orientations, and affective reactions.     

Head start teaching center: Evaluation of a new approach to head start staff development

Head Start Teaching Centers are a national demonstration project designed to provide participatory training in all Head Start component areas within the context of an exemplary Head Start program. Each Teaching Center employs an independent evaluation to study this alternative approach to Head Start staff development. This paper presents the results of the outcome evaluation for the first year of the New England Head Start Teaching Center. The New England Head Start Teaching Center was designed to provide intensive training during a 3 or 5 day period of residence at the Teaching Center. This paper briefly describes the national Head Start Teaching Center model, the implementation of this model in the New England region, the outcome evaluation plan, and the results from the first year of training. The analyses of year one data indicated that training provided by the New England Head Start Teaching Center produced significant gains. As compared to similar Head Start employees who did not participate in training, both trainees and their supervisors reported significant gains in trainees' knowledge, skills, and expertise after participating in the New England Head Start Teaching Center training.     

The head start teaching center: An evaluation of an experiential,collaborative training model for head start teachers and parent volunteers

Forty-eight Head Start teachers and 48 parent volunteers from 24 classrooms were randomly assigned to either the Collaborative Training (CT) or Workshop Training (WT) approach. CT teachers and parents were involved conjointly in experiential training which included receiving guided practice and feedback from exemplary peers. WT consisted of a series of workshops conducted by outside trainers for separate groups of parents and teachers. Training methods were compared with respect to (a) teacher and parent reports of their level of involvement in training and satisfaction with the training experience, (b) teacher and parent reports of parent classroom activity, and (c) observation of adult-child classroom interactions. CT teachers and parents reported significantly greater levels of active involvement in and satisfaction with the training, as well as significantly greater levels of parent classroom activity than WT participants. With respect to adult-child classroom interactions, CT teachers demonstrated significantly more positive initiations and praise than WT teachers. Parent reports of their perceived role in the classroom as well as parent levels of initiation with children did not differ between training groups. Implications of these findings for further research were discussed.     

社会共生视域下职业教育社会伙伴关系发展研究

职业教育社会伙伴关系是职业教育及培训机构、政府、行业(企业)、社会中介组织在"共赢"的基础上,为提升职业教育质量及促进社会、经济和个人发展而自愿建立的合作关系。通过对职业教育社会伙伴关系的特征、建立过程、角色分析,对如何发展职业教育及培训机构、政府、行业(企业)、社会中介组织关系提出建议。