Does the gender of parent or child matter in child maltreatment in China?

Child maltreatment is a public health problem worldwide, and China is no exception. However, the pattern of child maltreatment remains unknown, including whether the gender of children and their parents has an impact on the occurrence of maltreatment. This study aims at examining the rates and frequency of child maltreatment, including physical abuse, psychological abuse and neglect perpetrated by mothers and fathers. We also test whether the interaction between parents’ gender and their child's gender affects the occurrence of child maltreatment in China. 997 children from the China Jintan Child Cohort Study participated in the present study and reported their maltreatment experience perpetrated by their mothers and fathers using the questionnaire, Parent–Child Conflict Tactics Scale (CTSPC_CA). Generalized linear model analyses show that boys were more likely than girls to report physical abuse, and, in particular, boys were more likely than girls to be physically abused by their fathers. On the other hand, mothers were more likely than fathers to exhibit psychological aggression and use corporal punishment for both boys and girls. There was no difference based on the child's or parent's gender in the occurrence of neglect. The findings present empirical evidence that enhances the understanding of the pattern of child maltreatment in China, provide implications for social workers and health professionals to identify children at risk of child maltreatment, and shed light on future research studies.     

A changing child welfare workforce: What worker characteristics are valued in child welfare?

A child welfare system is responsible for making difficult decisions. Child welfare workers are charged with assessing and determining when a child is in need of protection, including when it is necessary to intervene on behalf of children when their caregivers’ abilities and/or situation is deemed to put them at risk of abuse or neglect. Although the child welfare workforce in Ontario attended to an estimated 125,281 child maltreatment investigations in 2013, little is known about the skills, education, and experiences of these investigating workers. Notwithstanding assumptions about the qualifications and characteristics necessary for effective child welfare practice, few studies explicitly link the specific characteristics of workers to children, youth, and families achieving positive case outcomes. These assumptions have been shaped by a multitude of factors including knowledge of human resources, professional standards, and educational requriements. This study examined data from five cycles over twenty years of Ontario Incidence Studies (-1993, -1998, -2003, -2008, -2013) to provide a profile of child welfare workers. This is the first study to examine the changing profile of child welfare workers in any province in Canada and provides a foundation for developing effective recruitment and professional development strategies, and promoting a positive work environment. Policy and practice implications for the changing needs of these families are discussed.     

Child prostitution as filial duty? The morality of child-rearing in a slum community in Thailand

It has been claimed that there are universal goals of child-rearing, such as survival of the child or the promotion of their capacity to contribute to economic and social reproduction. Yet in certain circumstances parents appear to pursue child-rearing practices that actively harm children, threaten their survival and inhibit their ability to grow up to be effective adult members of their communities. This article will discuss these issues in the case of one group of child prostitutes in Thailand and their families at a particular point in time. Although the work they did was physically dangerous and difficult, both parents and children claimed that their families were loving and functional and that selling sex was a way to keep the family together. Morality was seen in terms of reciprocity rather than sexual transgression and this article will explore the morality of child-rearing in this context and the relationships between family members.     

When the child gets in the news? A case study on the national written media in Turkey

The main purpose of this study is to analyze news stories regarding children in the national print media in the last five years using top eight newspapers in terms of circulation and evaluate these news stories based on the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which was issued by the UN and signed by Turkey. The research was undertaken as a case study. The study data were collected from top eight newspapers in terms of circulation between 2010 and 2014 in order to reveal when and how newspapers at national level represent children and the scientific content of impressions in the national media. Results show that children appear in the national media in mostly negative cases. In conclusion, it was observed in this study, children’s rights to life, development, protection, and participation were violated at both national and international levels. In this sense, news reflects the truth about “children’s rights violations”. However, the way that children appear in news and reflection in media constitute a secondary children’s rights violation.     

Does social labelling encourage child schooling and discourage child labour in Nepal?

This paper explores the determinants of child labour vis-à-vis child schooling. It further examines the influence of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) which are engaged in social labelling, on the incidence of child labour and schooling trade-off. The empirical results show that the probability of child schooling increases as well as child labour decreases if a carpet firm has adopted a labelling scheme. It can also be shown that labelling NGOs have a significant positive influence on sending the ex-child labourers to school.     

Does educational expansion encourage female workforce participation? A study of the 1968 reform in Taiwan

Between 1968 and 1973 the Taiwanese government undertook the most extensive expansion on record of the public junior high school system in Taiwan. This study analyzes the effects of the 1968 education reform and subsequent high school expansion on gender disparities in employment generally, as well in different sectors and classes of employment. Our results show that the education expansion exerted a major influence on the reallocation of female workers across various sectors and types of employment, thereby contributing to the efficient reallocation of females in the Taiwan economy.     

What hysteria? A systematic study of newspaper coverage of accused child molesters

OBJECTIVE: There were three aims: First, to determine the extent to which those charged with child molestation receive newspaper coverage; second, to analyze the nature of that coverage; and third, to compare the universe of coverage to the nature of child molestation charges in the criminal justice system as a whole. METHOD: Two databases were created. The first one identified all defendants charged with child molestation in Rhode Island in 1993. The database was updated after 5 years to include relevant information about case disposition. The second database was created by electronic searching the Providence Journal for every story that mentioned each defendant. RESULTS: Most defendants (56.1%) were not mentioned in the newspaper. Factors associated with a greater chance of coverage include: cases involving first-degree charges, cases with multiple counts, cases involving additional violence or multiple victims, and cases resulting in long prison sentences. The data indicate that the press exaggerates "stranger danger," while intra-familial cases are underreported. Newspaper accounts also minimize the extent to which guilty defendants avoid prison. CONCLUSIONS: Generalizing about the nature of child molestation cases in criminal court on the basis of newspaper coverage is inappropriate. The coverage is less extensive than often claimed, and it is skewed in ways that are typical of the mass media.     

Are you still who you were? A tale of construction lecturers,changing technologies and conflicting perspectives

This paper illuminates a period of change in the lives of a group of 20 vocational lecturers as they find themselves challenged by both their own and others’ categorisation of what and who they are. Such conflicting perspectives are made even starker by their management's introduction of technological innovation into the lecturers’ traditional teaching methods. Even as they seek to identify their place within their social, occupational and professional contexts, they continue to be ‘simultaneously positioned by other people and forces external to them’ (as described by M. Forsey in 2007). This study also highlights the negative impact of imposing change upon practitioners without acknowledging the significance of a whole-life perspective for understanding professional lives and work practices.     

Does Practical Work Really Work? A study of the effectiveness of practical work as a teaching and learning method in school science

Many within the science education community and beyond see practical work carried out by students as an essential feature of science education. Questions have, however, been raised by some science educators about its effectiveness as a teaching and learning strategy. This study explored the effectiveness of practical work by analysing a sample of 25 ‘typical’ science lessons involving practical work in English secondary schools. Data took the form of observational field notes and tape‐recorded interviews with teachers and students. The analysis used a model of effectiveness based on the work of Millar et al. and Tiberghien. The teachers’ focus in these lessons was predominantly on developing students’ substantive scientific knowledge, rather than on developing understanding of scientific enquiry procedures. Practical work was generally effective in getting students to do what is intended with physical objects, but much less effective in getting them to use the intended scientific ideas to guide their actions and reflect upon the data they collect. There was little evidence that the cognitive challenge of linking observables to ideas is recognized by those who design practical activities for science lessons. Tasks rarely incorporated explicit strategies to help students to make such links, or were presented in class in ways that reflected the size of the learning demand. The analytical framework used in this study offers a means of assessing the learning demand of practical tasks, and identifying those that require specific support for students’ thinking and learning in order to be effective.     

Does the impact of child sexual abuse differ from maltreated but non-sexually abused children? A prospective examination of the impact of child sexual abuse on internalizing and externalizing behavior problems

Child sexual abuse (CSA) continues to be a significant problem with significant short and long term consequences. However, extant literature is limited by the reliance on retrospective recall of adult samples, single-time assessments, and lack of longitudinal data during the childhood and adolescent years. The purpose of this study was to compare internalizing and externalizing behavior problems of those with a history of sexual abuse to those with a history of maltreatment, but not sexual abuse. We examined whether gender moderated problems over time. Data were drawn from the Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect (LONGSCAN) at ages 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16 (N = 977). The Child Behavior Checklist was used to assess internalizing and externalizing problems. Maltreatment history and types were obtained from official Child Protective Services (CPS) records. Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) were used to assess behavior problems over time by maltreatment group. Findings indicated significantly more problems in the CSA group than the maltreated group without CSA over time. Internalizing problems were higher for sexually abused boys compared to girls. For sexually abused girls internalizing problems, but not externalizing problems increased with age relative to boys. This pattern was similar among maltreated but not sexually abused youth. Further efforts are needed to examine the psychological effects of maltreatment, particularly CSA longitudinally as well as better understand possible gender differences in order to best guide treatment efforts.     

Does the Company Programme have the same impact on young women and men? A study of entrepreneurship education in Norwegian upper secondary schools

This paper asks whether a European entrepreneurship programme called the ‘Company Programme’ (CP) has an impact on young women and men with regard to career preferences, and perceptions of business skills and the likelihood of having a company. CP is taught to 270,000 students in 39 European countries, and approximately 15% of Norwegian students participate in CP during upper secondary school. The data used are from a student survey in Norway with 1160 respondents, who were 17–18 years old. The response rate was 81%. Controlling for competing explanations, CP positively influences young women and men and their perceptions of the knowledge and skills related to starting a business, increases the share of young women that prefer self-employment and increases the share of young women and men that find it probable that they will own a company. It seems that the perceived effect of CP on skills and knowledge and preference for self-employment is somewhat stronger among young women, while the perceived effect on the likelihood of owning a company is somewhat stronger among young men.     

Does preschool improve child development and affect the quality of parent-child interaction? Evidence from Algeria

This paper investigates the impact of attending early childcare on the quality of parent–child interactions and children’s cognitive outcomes. Our strategy is to identify geographical differences on the basis of exposure to the program, using the period when the program was implemented across Algerian municipalities as a control for individual early childcare attendance. We estimate our results using 2SLS regression analysis and employ a difference-in-difference strategy. We use two Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys conducted in 2006 and 2012. Our results indicate a positive correlation of preschool on the cognitive development of children. In turn, the effect is only significant given the quality of interaction between mother and children. Therefore, this finding suggests that there is a substitution effect taking place, as mothers can utilize newly acquired time relieved from childcare to accomplish other pursuits. These findings call for future research on parents’, especially mother’s, time use when their children attend early childcare.     

Does the study of autism justify minimalist innate modularity?

Innate modularity is a central question for cognitive neuroscience. One proposal is that a “theory of mind” is a species-specific (human) example of an innate module. The genetic, neurodevelopmental, psychiatric condition of autism is considered in terms of the innate modularity claim. At the opposite extreme, explanations of autism in terms of deficits in a general learning mechanism are considered. It is concluded that both of these theories may be untenable, and instead there may be some justification for an intermediate model of social perception: minimalist innate modularity.     

Is changing teaching practice the mission impossible? A case study of continuing professional development for primary school teachers in Senegal

This paper reports on research into a continuing professional development (CPD) project, Projet de Renforcement de l’Enseignement des Mathématiques, des Sciences et de la Technologie (PREMST) [Strengthening Mathematics, Science, and Technologies in Education Project]. The literature review reveals few examples of CPD changing the teaching practices of teachers, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. By using the cases of five teachers, this research seeks to understand the complexities of pedagogical change. The research found that PREMST has helped teachers envision how teaching should be conducted, but it has not necessarily brought a positive change in the learning of pupils because it has not changed how teachers think about teaching. Given the difficulties involved in pedagogical change, emphasising specific skills may have been the necessary and practical first step, but changing these teaching practices is not enough. The research found that teachers still paid little attention to the learning of individual pupils. The research concludes that the recently initiated practice of lesson study shows considerable potential to build on what has already been achieved.     

Does teaching style explain differences in learner achievement in low and high performing schools in Kenya?

Quality of instructional delivery is an important determinant of the extent to which the teaching process has an impact on learning achievement. The literature identifies many contributors of learning achievement including teacher, curricula, teaching, student, home and school environments. On an ‘education production function’ approach, achievement may be modelled as an outcome determined by school and classroom based inputs. The processes of achievement determination are typically assumed, in the absence of detailed information about actual classroom practices. In Kenya, primary schools continue to report differentials in performance on standardized tests even when policy implementers distribute teachers normally to these schools. Such differences in academic performance have been reported even among schools within the same neighbourhood. Schools from the same neighbourhood draw students with similar backgrounds and expose them to teachers who have gone through the same training. This paper hypothesizes that teaching style plays a key role in explaining the differences in academic performance among students between primary schools. Using data from 72 math lessons that were filmed in 72 primary schools in Kenya, the authors demonstrate the extent to which teaching practice explains differences in performance among students and schools. While controlling for individual and school based factors, the paper uses mixed methods to analyse the linkages between teaching practices and learning achievement. The main research finding and policy implication is that students learning achievement can be improved through quality teaching, even when other conditions such as class size are not conducive.     

A cross‐cultural study of teacher perspectives on teacher roles and adoption of online collaborative learning in higher education

This study aims to understand teachers’ perspectives on their roles in higher education, their views about the adoption of a social‐constructivist approach to teaching and learning and the integration of online collaborative learning in blended learning environments in higher education from a cross cultural perspective. We interviewed 60 Chinese teachers from Beijing Normal University and Capital Normal University in Beijing, China and 30 Flemish teachers from Ghent University in Flanders, Belgium. The results revealed differences as well as specific similarities in perspectives between the Chinese and Flemish university teachers. The cultural and educational context is taken into consideration when discussing the results.     

Who's the winner? Children's math learning in competitive and collaborative scenarios

Games are frequently used to promote math learning, yet the competitive and collaborative contexts introduced by games may exacerbate gender differences. In this study, 1st and 2nd grade children in the U.S. (ages 5–8; N = 274; 70% White, 15% Asian, 2% Black, 1% Native American, 14% mixed or other race; 17% Hispanic) played either a competitive, collaborative, or solo game to learn about a challenging novel math concept: proportion. Overall, both social contexts boosted perseverance and task attitudes. However, analyses revealed the competitive condition yielded gender differences in attention to proportion in the presence of competing cues, with older boys underperforming in the competition condition. Potential explanations for these findings, as well as implications for classroom math learning, are discussed.     

Farewell to the tick box inspector? Ofsted and the changing regime of school inspection in England

Since its inception in 1992 Ofsted (The Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills) has inspected schools under Section 9 of the Education (Schools) Act 1992; Section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996; and Section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Pressure on England to improve its system of education has not only emerged from the national need for all schools to serve their pupils well, but has also been prompted by an increasing emphasis on international league tables such as that produced by the OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development). In tables such as the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), England is viewed as underperforming against comparable countries. As a result, Ofsted has introduced what the agency terms to be one of the most stringent and demanding inspection frameworks since its inception. This framework reduces the previous 29 inspection judgements to just four, purportedly placing a far greater emphasis on the professional judgement of the inspector and representing a major departure from the ‘tick box’ approach which characterised previous frameworks. This paper examines the paradoxical fate of inspector professional judgement and concludes that whilst this may appear to signal a rapprochement between inspectors and teaching profession, there are considerable tensions when professional judgement is considered alongside quality control within a highly complex system. The study concludes that in order that inspection attains credibility as a method by which to govern education, this shift requires a more considered approach to ways in which this professional judgement can be effective within the challenging environment of the English education system.