A social cognitive perspective on well-being in educational and work settings: Cross-cultural considerations

The article gives an overview of a social cognitive perspective on psychosocial well-being and adjustment (Lent, 2004), along with a model of educational and work-related satisfaction (Lent &; Brown, 2006) that has been derived from it. The theoretical perspective integrates cognitive, behavioural, social, and personality variables hypothesized to jointly promote positive adjustment, both generally and within particular life domains, such as work and school. We also review initial findings testing these social cognitive models and consider their implications for cross-cultural practice and research.     

Methodological issues in the evaluation of educational programmes in developing countries from the perspective of evaluatees and their settings

Evaluation is an integral component of most educational programmes in developing countries both for theoretical and pragmatic reasons. The evaluator's choice of the methodology and model are contingent on the level of centrality assigned to the evaluatees' perspectives, the evaluator's own perspective, training, the nature and content of the programme and the complex interrelationships among different agencies and actors. The methodological challenges are discussed from the evaluatee's perspective on the basis of six evaluations of the National Adult Education Programme in India.     

Methodological quandaries in studying process and outcomes in peer assessment

Peer assessment is very various in its implementation. Six studies of peer assessment are reviewed, four of them in higher education. A literature review is followed by five empirical studies. Strengths and weaknesses of each study are considered and issues are raised. Variables in peer assessment needing further exploration are extricated – in sample definition, specification of type of peer assessment, organisational nature of the intervention, and the measures which are used to evaluate change. It is suggested that further experimental and quasi-experimental studies are necessary to contrast one or two of these variables at a time.     

Methodological individualism,educational administration,and leadership

There are two major categories of explanation for organisational performance: structural and individual. With the shift away from systems-theoretic accounts that occurred in the 1980s, structural explanations have been replaced increasingly by the individualism of leadership and leader-centric explanations, especially when it comes to schools. In this paper, we argue that leader-centric accounts involve a commitment to methodological individualism and that there are four serious problems with this view. First, it is logically difficult to describe individual actions without recourse to structures. Second, methodological individualism fosters a centralised mindset inviting the attribution of leadership where none may exist. Third, evidence for distributed cognition compromises leader-centrism. And fourth, administrative tasks themselves are often highly structured. In response to these problems, we urge a more balanced approach to organisational functioning, one that involves both structures and individuals.     

Hypermedia ethnography in educational settings: possibilities and challenges

This paper considers some of the methodological implications of undertaking and representing multimedia and digital, ethnographic work. It explores some of the challenges and opportunities of working with and across a range of media, and explores some of the consequences of bringing hypermedia applications to ethnographic work. The paper draws on a project that sought to explore the learning opportunities and experiences of an interactive science discovery centre, and that utilised a multimedia, ethnographic approach. The paper locates this methodological approach alongside recent and ongoing developments within qualitative research, and aims to situate educational research within the context of these developments. The paper particularly addresses issues of integrating different forms of qualitative data, ethnographic ‘design’, the ethics of research practice, communication and capacity building.     

The application of persuasive technology to educational settings

Persuasive technology is a sub-discipline of Human?CComputer Interaction that has emerged within the last 10?years, and which has generated increasing interest in the application of persuasion to systems design. Most applications have to date been developed in commercial contexts, as well in the domain of health promotion. We present a mainly theoretical consideration of how persuasive technology could be used in educational contexts, particularly in school settings. We consider how persuasive technology design may need to be modified to meet the needs of complex educational settings. We propose four design principles for the use of persuasive technology in instructional design, including credibility and Kairos. We derive these from theoretical considerations, as well as from our experience with the HANDS project, which has developed a mobile persuasive application for positive behaviour change in young people with Autistic Spectrum Disorders. We conclude that persuasive technology has the potential to be used effectively to bring about positive behavior and attitude change in school settings.     

Towards a better theoretical framework for studying learning from educational television

Drawing in particular on Open University experience, this article attempts to set out a theoretical framework for understanding how people learn through television. The first part of the framework sets out the organisational factors which appear to influence learning from television. The other parts look at the different processes of coding information and meaning which are found in different media, and argue the need to study how learners discriminate between, absorb, and transform these coded meanings.     

A theoretical framework for studying educational media: A pilot study

Are different media equally effective for a given learning task when each presents the same event of instruction? Are given instructional materials equally effective for different types of learning outcomes? This pilot study used three types of stimulus materials—text, film, and live demonstration—to teach cardiopulmonary resuscitation to graduate students. Learning outcomes measured were verbal learning and a motor skill task.     

Young people who cut themselves – a growing challenge for educational settings

There has been an increasing pattern of young people seeking to cope with the stresses of modern life by acts of self-harm. The frequency of this has been estimated by one review as between one in 12 and one in 15 across the UK. In this article, Margaret Dimmock, family therapist, Sue Grieves, community psychiatric nurse, both of whom work for the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service in Hartlepool, and Maurice Place, Professor of Child and Family Psychiatry at Northumbria University, report the results of a survey carried out in a large comprehensive secondary school in the North of England, where the rate of self-destructive behaviour was found to be at least 9.8%. The reasons for this behaviour are explored when the authors look at the differences in coping behaviour that these young people show compared with their peers. The results from this project indicate that, within this sample of young people, there is a tendency to worry far more; to feel rather remote from peers; and to feel less able to cope with setbacks. Drawing on these findings, Margaret Dimmock, Sue Grieves and Maurice Place discuss some approaches that might help young people to avoid self-harming behaviour in future.     

Methodological considerations in research on the prevalence of child sexual abuse

Recent studies with nonclinical populations have yielded widely varying estimates of the prevalence of child sexual abuse. This paper focuses on four representative studies, describing how differences in methodology and sample characteristics may contribute to the variation in prevalence rates. Two aspects of data collection appear to be the most significant factors accounting for discrepant findings. First, the use of face-to-face interviews is associated with much higher prevalence rates than the use of self-administered questionnaires. Second, higher prevalence rates are reported in studies that use multiple questions to ask about specific types of abusive sexual behavior. Variation in the age range of subjects is an additional factor that may also have an effect on prevalence rates. The evidence reviewed points to several aspects of methodology and sample characteristics that do not seem to influence prevalence findings. These are the use of random sampling techniques, the area of the country in which the study is conducted, the educational level of subjects, and the ethnic composition of the sample.     

Identity formation in educational settings: A critical focus for education in the 21st century

There is growing recognition that identity formation must become an important focus in education. Particularly in the 21st century, when modes of knowledge construction and accessibility to different types of knowledge are rapidly increasing and diversifying, academic learning cannot be divorced from students’ development of values, goals, social roles, and worldviews. The articles in this special issue present a diverse collection of research on students’ identity formation in educational settings. Yet, despite the diversity in perspectives, educational contexts, samples, and research and analytic methods, all of the articles highlight the role of the educational context in identity formation processes. We begin this introduction with a brief review of the increasing attention to identity formation in education. We follow with synopses of each of the articles in this special issue.     

西方人文主义教育管理理论的方法论启示及批判

西方人文主义教育管理理论的方法论启示与局限并存:现象直观论肯定和强调组织中个体主观价值和非理性因素的作用,但它和教育管理理论化学派一样局限于从管理学视角来探讨教育管理问题;人文科学方法论主张批判和克服自然科学范式主导下的教育管理理论的泛滥,但其借鉴具有明显的不彻底性;格林菲尔德提及的操作层面的教育管理研究手段和方法有数种,但未作出进一步的交待或示范。应加强教育管理研究方法论体系的构建并重视其推广应用,当务之急应倡导实证方法的运用。     

From ideal to real: Understanding the development of new educational settings

Summary and Conclusion In this paper we presented a framework for viewing the development of new educational settings. We also postulated the necessity of two conditions for the creation of a coherent self-renewing educational program: the development of a community, especially in a linguistic sense, and on-going practical dialog that defines and redefines the setting over time in light of collective action and experience. In doing so, we took the position that educational program and program development mean something more than what is implied in most theories of organizational and program development. We argued that a collection of educational activities constitutes a program only when the activities are grounded in a commonly perceived core of beliefs and values about what is and what ought to be.Clearly, we have only begun to sketch out the nature and operation of the processes by which a new educational setting evolves and develops into an organization. We need to know why development and growth through the application of the dialectic are typically not present in new programs. Our future research efforts are oriented in this direction and we hope that by setting forth our tentative ideas at this point we may encourage others to react to them and perhaps to pursue a similar line of inquiry.OISE