Developing pre‐literacy skills via shared book reading

Abstract

This paper reports on a low cost intervention program implemented into the homes of 34 preschool children at risk of reading failure. The intervention was targeted at families where there was a history of reading disability. Families were instructed in dialogic reading via videotaped examples of good practice. The intervention took place over eight weeks. Pre‐ and post‐ measures of language and literacy were taken for experimental and control groups. The intervention was successful in raising levels of concepts about print for the experimental group; receptive vocabulary and alphabet knowledge improved for the control group. There were no significant changes in measures of expressive vocabulary, rhyme and initial sounds. For students in both groups, gender was associated with rhyme, and concepts of print; parent educational level was associated with alphabet knowledge, and expressive vocabulary.     

The impact of professional learning on in-service teachers’ pedagogical delivery of literacy-infused science with middle school English learners: a randomised controlled trial study in the U.S

ABSTRACT

Research in the United States show that professional learning (PL) can improve classroom instruction. However, teachers, especially educators in the content areas, receive insufficient training specific to meeting the language and academic needs of English learners (ELs). The purpose of the current randomized controlled trial (RCT) study was to introduce a high-quality PL program for supporting middle school teachers in teaching science to ELs through classroom observations, so as to evaluate whether in-service science teachers’ instructional delivery can be shaped by intensive, structured, and ongoing PL. Results indicated that after receiving PL, treatment teachers allocated a significantly higher portion of their instructional time in teaching content language, developing students’ expressive language skills, small group and pair activities, implementing strategies evidenced to effective with ELs, and providing more opportunities for students to participate in hands-on activities that were content-related and grade-appropriate. Practical implications for PL were discussed for an international audience.     

Effects of Using an Instructional Game on Motivation and Performance

Abstract

Although many educators theorize that instructional games are effective for providing students with motivating practice, research on instructional gaming is inconclusive. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect on motivation and performance of using an instructional game. The effect of using a supplemental reading on motivation and performance was also examined. We randomly assigned 75 undergraduates to one of two treatments after they had attended a lecture on the information-processing model of learning. The subjects in one treatment group used an instructional board game to practice the material presented in the lecture, while those in the other group practiced using a traditional worksheet. Results indicated that using the instructional game significantly affected the four motivational components of attention, relevance, confidence, and satisfaction. The instructional game did not influence performance. The results also suggested that the subjects who reported completion of a supplemental reading had significantly better performance and confidence than did the subjects who reported that they had not completed the reading. Implications for the design of practice are discussed.     

An Experimental Evaluation of Guided Reading and Explicit Interventions for Primary-Grade Students At-Risk for Reading Difficulties

Abstract

Considerable research evidence supports the provision of explicit instruction for students at risk for reading difficulties; however, one of the most widely implemented approaches to early reading instruction is Guided Reading (GR; Fountas & Pinnel, 1996), which deemphasizes explicit instruction and practice of reading skills in favor of extended time reading text. This study evaluated the two approaches in the context of supplemental intervention for at-risk readers at the end of Grade 1. Students (n = 218) were randomly assigned to receive GR intervention, explicit intervention (EX), or typical school instruction (TSI). Both intervention groups performed significantly better than TSI on untimed word identification. Significant effects favored EX over TSI on phonemic decoding and one measure of comprehension. Outcomes for the intervention groups did not differ significantly from each other; however, an analysis of the added value of providing each intervention relative to expected growth with typical instruction indicated that EX is more likely to substantially accelerate student progress in phonemic decoding, text reading fluency, and reading comprehension than GR. Implications for selection of Tier 2 interventions within a response-to-intervention format are discussed.     

Are schools ready for Joshua? Dimensions of African-American culture among students identified as having behavioral/emotional disorders

African-American learners often achieve limited academic success in classrooms designed for learners demonstrating challenging behaviors. Self-contained settings are often void of culturally responsive pedagogy. This qualitative study examined the demonstrated behavior of African-American youth in a small urban elementary school setting. Field notes, observations, and interviews were analyzed to examine the demonstration and affirmation of expressive individualism, one of the nine dimensions of African-American culture. Coping strategies were also examined. African-American learners often displayed culturally socialized behaviors that were not affirmed by classroom teachers in academically engaging manners. Their culturally sanctioned modes of expressive individualism were asserted through dissembling, game playing, and defiant coping strategies. As a result of these demonstrated behaviors, students were seldom academically engaged beyond working quietly with a focus on behavioral compliance.     

‘To my relations’: writing and refusal toward an Indigenous Epistolary Methodology

Abstract

In this article, the author presents an Indigenous Epistolary Methodology (IEM) to reflect on what it means for Indigenous women to engage the notion of refusal in traditional writing methods and qualitative research. The author proposes that an IEM, nestled within her familial genealogies, Indigenous Knowledges and Chicana Feminist Epistemology can provide a more expressive account of her relations as a mothering Indigenous and Chicana Woman of Color in academia.     

Relationship-based Intervention with Young Children with Autism in Saudi Arabia: Impediments and Consequences of Parenting Stress and Depression

ABSTRACT

This investigation examined the consequences and effects of the severity of mothers psychosocial functioning as assessed by measures parenting stress and depression in a randomised control trial of a Relationship-based Intervention (RBI) called Responsive Teaching (RT). The sample included 28 parents and preschool aged children with Autism from Saudi Arabia. RT subjects received weekly parent–child intervention sessions for 4 months. Dependent variables were mothers’ style of interaction as assessed by the PICCOLO at post intervention as well as pre- and post-measures of parenting stress and depression. There were three findings from this study. First, mothers who participated in this study had extremely high levels of psychosocial dysfunction. Nearly all reported clinical levels of parenting stress and more than 40% reported clinical levels of depressive symptoms. Second, high levels of psychosocial dysfunction did not prevent mothers from participating in RT as indicated by their ability to integrate RT strategies into their interactions with their children. Third, RT was associated with substantial improvements in mother’s parenting stress and depression. Implication for early intervention practice are discussed.     

Early intervention in behaviour

Abstract

FAST-Track is a support programme for pupils with social and emotional behaviour difficulties. It is designed to integrate the school curriculum, social skills training, reading development, parenting skills and home-school liaison. A 3 year longitudinal study is reported in which schools implementing the full FAST-Track programme were compared with those implementing only the curriculum component. Changes in behaviour were monitored using an amended version of the Rutter Behaviour Rating Scale. Results did not show any clear difference between the two groups of schools but did show substantial differences between individual schools, highlighting the difficulty of demonstrating the effectiveness of intervention programmes given the multiplicity of other factors which determine behaviour change. The implications of these findings for the methodology and practice of intervention programmes in this area are explored.     

‘It didn’t really change my opinion’: exploring what works,what doesn’t and why in a school science,technology, engineering and mathematics careers intervention

Background: It is widely agreed that more needs to be done to improve participation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Despite considerable investment in interventions, it has been difficult to discern their effectiveness and/or impact on participation.

Purpose: This paper discusses findings from a six-week pilot STEM careers intervention that was designed and overseen by a teacher from one London girls’ school. We reflect on the challenges for those attempting such interventions and the problems associated with evaluating them.

Sample: Data were collected from Year 9 students (girls aged 13–14 years) at the school.

Design and methods: Pre- and post-intervention surveys of 68 students, classroom observations of intervention activities, three post-intervention discussion groups (five or six girls per group) and a post-intervention interview with the lead teacher were conducted.

Results: Although the intervention did not significantly change students’ aspirations or views of science, it did appear to have a positive effect on broadening students’ understanding of the range of jobs that science can lead to or be useful for.

Conclusions: Student aspirations may be extremely resistant to change and intervention, but students’ understanding of ‘where science can lead’ may be more amenable to intervention. Implications are discussed, including the need to promote the message that science is useful for careers in and beyond science, at degree and technical levels.     

Androgyny and the Mentoring Role: an empirical study to examine for prominent mentor expectations

abstract

As part of an ongoing research design, we wished to examine how mentors behave whilst in the mentoring role. The starting point for this was a study to examine how mentors felt they were expected to behave in context; that is, an organised educational mentoring situation, as we recognised the importance of situation‐specificity. Prior to empirical study, we theorised that the mentor may be androgynous; or more precisely are able to display high levels of expressive and instrumental behaviour. Seven suppositions were examined. Our findings were that whilst in the role, mentors do indeed feel expected to blend and display high levels of both instrumentality and expressiveness. Further, the levels of expressive behaviour they perceived they were expected to display were significantly higher. The higher levels of expected expressive behaviour is not congruent with the androgyny literature: our samples proved an exception to the ‘masculine supremacy effect’. Also, that mentoring may require high levels of stereotypically feminine behaviour is something that the mass of mentoring literature has not discussed and may warrant further attention. We concluded that the diverse, complex and complicated nature of mentoring is met with expectations to display flexibility and versatility across situations — to take a proactive approach to coping with mentoring situational demands — such is not mitigated by gender. Their reported high expected levels of both expressive and instrumental behaviour are congruent with our theory of the androgynous mentor.     

Supporting families in the early education of children with special needs: the perspectives of Portage home visitors

ABSTRACT

This qualitative study focuses on Portage home visiting. In‐depth interviews were conducted with 12 Portage home visitors which were transcribed and analysed according to the procedures of Grounded Theory. The following three main themes were identified: the ethos of the Portage model of early intervention; the process of Portage home visiting; and the Portage home visitor as a family supporter. A proposed model of the factors that influence the Portage practice of family support is derived from the data. The discussion addresses the relationship of these findings to the management of Portage home visiting and highlights the use of qualitative methodology in researching the early education of children with special needs.     

Finding the law: A criminal justice guide to basic legal research techniques

Either by choice or by necessity, criminal justice students, educators, researchers, administrators, and practitioners frequently seek information or engage in conduct that somehow concerns the law. There are numerous reasons why persons interested in criminal justice theory and practice may want or need legal knowledge, but a lack of familiarity with the basic techniques for conducting legal research may inhibit access to this knowledge. This article describes the reference materials available for legal research, explains how they are used, and suggests why it is important that more people who are involved with criminal justice become skilled in the basic techniques of legal research.     

Child and family traumatic stress intervention (CFTSI) reduces parental posttraumatic stress symptoms: A multi-site meta-analysis (MSMA)

BackgroundFollowing traumatization, caregiver support is a crucial factor contributing to children's successful management of posttraumatic reactions and their recovery. Caregivers who have been traumatically impacted themselves, however, may be compromised in this posttraumatic caregiving role. Although there are a number of evidence-based child trauma treatments that are effective in reducing children's trauma symptoms, the impact of child treatment on participating caregiver's posttraumatic symptoms (PTS) has received less attention.ObjectiveExplore PTS reduction caregivers experience through participation in their child's evidence-based trauma-focused mental health treatment.Participants and setting640 Child-Caregiver dyads referred for the Child and Family Traumatic Stress Intervention (CFTSI) following formal disclosure of abuse in a Child Advocacy Center (CAC).MethodsData were collected from 10 community treatment sites trained in CFTSI. A multi-site meta-analytic approach was used to evaluate pooled and site-specific therapeutic effect sizes for caregivers and children.ResultsCFTSI was associated with significant changes (Hedge's g = 1.17, Child-rated; g = 0.66, caregiver-rated) in children's PTS and with clinically meaningful improvements in PTS for 62% of participating caregivers who had started CFTSI with clinical levels of PTS as measured by the Post Traumatic Checklist–Civilian Version (PCL-C). The overall mean PCL-C change (9.31, SD = 12.9) in paired, pre-post PCL-C scores is close to a clinically meaningful change of 10 or higher. There was a robust moderate pooled effect size (g = 0.70, N = 640, p < 0.0001).ConclusionThe value of a reduction in caregiver PTS as a secondary outcome of children's trauma-focused treatment is discussed.     

The passionate scholar: A mid-life,woman doctoral student's quest for voice

The feminist, esthetic, cooperative inquiry described in this article is the first longitudinal study to trace the development of scholarly identity in a group of mid-life women participants during their doctoral years. This 18-month project involved an experiential workshop and four reunions shaped around the metaphor of the hero's journey grounded in feminist pedagogy and expressive methods. Entering doctoral programs with voices made tenuous by life events characteristic of mid-life, participants' scholarly development was intimately linked with their recovery of personal voice and the development of an authentic sense of self. Expressive methods as well as group support were integral to participants developing a scholarly identity that manifested itself in passionate dissertation scholarship. This suggests that participants' scholarly identity development transcended the intellectual and involved psychological, emotional, and spiritual dimensions. Based on these findings, doctoral educators are encouraged to create experiences that offer mid-life women opportunities to reflect on their doctoral journeys within a community of scholarly caring through the creative mediums of metaphor; esthetic, expressive representation; and dialogue.     

Social Work Practice and the Propietary Movement

ABSTRACT

Changes in funding patterns and privatization of health and human services within government are prompting new forms of management and organizational structures creating challenges for service delivery and the education of social work managers. The profession's ability to provide leadership and respond to such rapidly changing environmental trends is grounded in the capability of field education to bridge the university and practice communities and provide flexible, innovative combinations of service programming and research partnerships. This article provides a framework for the development and operation of a unique type of field demonstration project. The article focuses on the methodology used to develop and operate the field projects in order to encourage replication among other schools of social work.     

Reframing peer mentoring as a route for developing an educational community of practice

ABSTRACT

The benefits of peer mentoring in school settings are well-documented, however, the focus has been on the perceptions of teachers, as opposed to teaching assistants, who report distinct beliefs about their professional development. A mixed methodology was used in which 304 primary school teaching assistants completed questionnaires regarding their views of their professional development while undertaking training on a mathematics intervention for underachieving pupils. Open-ended questions elicited the perceived benefits of the peer mentoring aspect of the training. We utilized Lave and Wenger’s (1991) community of practice framework to inform the qualitative analysis and the principles of grounded theory to arrive at three themes representing the perceived benefits: an opportunity to discuss and share experiences; increased confidence; and a safe space to test teaching plans and resources. Findings were used to reframe the benefits of peer mentoring for teaching assistants undertaking intervention training, which can inform further research and future training programs.     

An Empirical Study to Examine for Androgynous Mentoring Behaviour in the Field of Education

Abstract

This empirical study focuses upon mentoring behaviour in the context of schools and colleges and is a continuation of an earlier empirical study which posited the theory that mentors will display androgyny—high levels of instrumental and expressive behaviour—whilst in their mentoring role. Sixteen mentors were invited to partake in a study that was designed to deploy both qualitative and quantitative methods in a complementary manner. Mentors reported the complementary nature of the mentoring role and other roles they performed and noted the positive, reciprocal nature of mentoring: such resulted in the mentors not seeing their role as a particularly demanding one. Evidence of mentors displaying expressive—or stereotypically feminine—behaviour within their role was apparent. The levels of instrumentality that the mentors felt others expected them to display were waived in favour of expressiveness when actual mentoring behaviour was reported: this was not mitigated by the gender of the mentor. Further, evidence emerged that the mentors would not alter their behaviour whether in a same or cross‐gender mentoring situation. The study concludes that mentors in education do not display androgynous behaviour whilst mentoring; rather they display high levels of expressive behaviour. Such would place mentoring as a stereotypically feminine role. The study further questions those who perceive cross‐gender mentoring as problematic, with mentor‐mentee age difference of possibly more concern. In order to allow full consideration of claims made, details of the previous study are given.     

Constructive and instructive representation

Abstract

Beginning teachers of mathematics are likely to have noted the development of powerful multiple representation software which offers children access to the many modalities through which mathematics is expressed. We argue that embedded, even hidden, within such software are many mathematics conventions, which the naive learner has to unravel in order to construct meaning for those representations. We contrast such representations, which we label as instructive, with those children construct through the use of expressive software; this contrast is seen as analogous to aspects of literacy. We identify various characteristics of these two distinctive forms of representation.