An interdisciplinary training model for early childhood handicapped teachers

Abstract

Clinical supervision is a formative evaluation method of working with teachers for the purpose of improving instruction. This teacher‐centered, collegial, and collaborative model requires the establishment of rapport and trust and a proper climate. Personal observation and a review of current related literature emphasize that clinical supervision enables teachers and supervisors to grow while promoting excellence in teaching and learning. In this period of school reform, clinical supervision is a successful means of approaching teacher learning, professional growth, and instructional improvement.     

The Social Justice Consultation Corps: An interdisciplinary training initiative

The importance of preparing counselors to be social justice-oriented practitioners is established, though there is a need for models of social justice training. In this study, we describe a pilot program of the Social Justice Consultation Corps. We identify the theoretical foundations, describe activities, and present implications for future directions.     

Dropouts from higher education: An interdisciplinary review and synthesis

The dropout process from higher education is examined from a variety of operational definitions and intellectual perspectives. A methodological analysis, critique, and synthesis of the empirical literature suggest that a more rigorous interdisciplinary approach must be attempted. A model based on Durkheim's theory of suicide provides a fruitful vehicle for summarizing a large proportion of current research, and focusing future attention on the interaction between student attributes (i.e., dispositions, interests, attitudes, and skills) and the influences, expectations, and demands imposed by various sources in the university environment. Both the academic and social systems of the university are regarded as important frameworks from which the dropout process must be examined. An empirical analysis operationalizing the variables in the model will be presented in the sequel to this paper.

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Résumé Le processus d'abandon au niveau des études supérieures est examiné à la lumière d'une variété de définitions opérationnelles et de perspectives intellectuelles. Une analyse méthodologique, une critique, et une synthèse de la littérature expérimentale sur le sujet suggèrent qu'une approche interdisciplinaire plus rigoureuse devrait être appliquée. Un modèle basé sur la théorie du suicide de Durkheim est proposé, servant avantageusement à résumer une grande partie des recherches récentes et permettant, dans l'avenir, d'attirer l'attention sur l'interaction entre les attributs de l'étudiant (i. e., dispositions, intérêts, attitudes, et habiletés) et les influences, les attentes, et les demandes imposées par diverses sources dans le milieu universitaire. Les systèmes académique et social de l'université constituent d'importantes structures dans lesquelles le processus d'abandon doit être étudié. Suit une analyse empirique visant à rendre opérationelles les variables du modèle suggéré.

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The compilation and synthesis of materials for this paper would have been impossible without the able assistance of Mrs. Joan Duchastel and Miss Patricia Erickson. Valuable suggestions were also provided by Miss Rondo Wood and Miss Martha Schmidt.     

Education for sustainable development in initial teacher training: issues for interdisciplinary collaboration

This article considers interdisciplinary approaches to education for sustainable development (ESD) in initial teacher training (ITT) partnerships in the light of recent national policy initiatives. In identifying challenges for interdisciplinary innovation, it brings to bear research evidence from three sources: questionnaires sent to ITT partnership schools; questionnaire surveys of geography and science graduate student teachers; and questionnaire surveys of their school mentors. Key findings are that: schools are not yet well developed as sites for student teacher learning in the domain; student teachers generally have greater understanding of sustainable development than their mentors; geography mentors perceive themselves to be better prepared for mentoring in this area than their science counterparts (who feel ill‐prepared); for both students and mentors, there are significant gaps in understanding of ESD compared with representations found in the literature. Some implications and possible ways forward for interdisciplinary ESD in teacher education partnerships are discussed.     

An ethics of community and care for practitioner researchers

The ethical considerations that university students have to be concerned about when undertaking research projects are a matter for a range of publications and committees. This article considers the terms of reference of ethical considerations in students’ research projects, given the number of researchers who are now doing research within their own organizations. We argue that as practitioner researchers, they are insiders who have insider knowledge not only of systems but also of people. We raise the issue of whether the ethical considerations practitioner researchers have to reflect upon ensure that, as researchers, they sufficiently take account of their position within the researched community and how an ethics of care could be invoked to safeguard these personal and moral relations to others within a research project. We use the work of research students in the UK and Cyprus being undertaken for a professional doctorate as a case to illustrate these points.     

Safe touch: Reassurances for child care workers

Early childhood educators are aware of the important role touching plays in child development, nurturance, and guidance. But with attention increasingly focused on child sexual abuse in day care, we need to reexamine our behaviors and the role of touching in child care.Jan Allen is Assistant Professor of Child and Family Studies at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. This article has been adapted from a series of workshops presented to the Minneapolis Child Care Workers Alliance in 1983. The author expresses appreciation to Margaret Boyer, Minneapolis Child Care Resource Center-Southside, for suggesting the need for such workshops.     

Case study research: training interdisciplinary engineers with context-dependent knowledge

It is now widely acknowledged that water management discipline is transforming, from being a public health and flood prevention challenge of the nineteenth century to a multi-dimensional challenge of water security for the twenty-first century. In order to train water engineers to be capable of working with this holistic multi-dimensional approach, a new paradigm in engineering education is required. Adjustments already made to undergraduate coursework are not enough; this new paradigm requires modifications to the PhD in engineering, with greater emphasis on interdisciplinary case study research. Such a change can deliver PhD graduates with both sufficient social and technical knowledge, who can then go on to become the hybrid lecturers crucially needed for training future water engineers.     

Fostering teacher community development: A review of design principles and a case study of an innovative interdisciplinary team

To deal with recent reforms and the accompanying complexity of work in secondary education, ongoing collaboration between teachers has become more important. A community is seen as a promising learning environment to support and embed collaboration into the culture of the school. However, community theory for the design of teacher communities seems underdeveloped. Therefore, this study aims to formulate a set of design principles to foster the development of teacher communities in secondary education. The set of design principles is based on a review of literature, as well as on a best-practice case. The case study was used to validate design principles from the literature in the target context. The resulting design principles were based on context-intervention-mechanism-outcome logic that takes into account the context-dependency of interventions as well as the mechanisms that help with understanding of how interventions produce certain outcomes. Implications for practice relate to ownership and co-design of the arrangement. The set of design principles provides a practical basis for teachers and administrators aiming to facilitate community building in their school. Future research is recommended on testing the effectiveness of the arrangement in the target context by means of a multiple case study.     

Investigating epistemological beliefs in vocational education for child care workers: New ways of thinking about learning and training

Epistemological beliefs (beliefs about knowing and knowledge) have provided interesting insights into effective teaching and learning in higher education over the last 30 years. However, to date, little research has taken place in regard to teaching and learning in the technical and further education (TAFE) context in Australia. Seventeen 1^st and 2^nd year child care students studying for a Diploma in Children's Services were interviewed about the nature of their epistemological beliefs. The findings revealed new ways of thinking about evaluativistic beliefs, described as “practical evaluativism”. These beliefs may have implications for the way in which students evaluate theory and practice for implementation in their own child care practice.     

Steps to abstract reasoning: An interdisciplinary program for cognitive development

A learning cycle approach to undergraduate instruction was implemented in a variety of subjects in the liberal arts and sciences. The students in the experimental program were typical representatives of an institution with liberal admissions policies. Significant gains were made in critical thinking and cognitive skill development by the experimental group. Additionally, retention of the experimental group was improved. Gains of this sort have the potential to rekindle hope in college faculties that some of the traditional goals of higher education that center on critical thinking and cognitive skill development need not be abandoned in institutions with liberal admissions policies.     

The hospitalized abused child: An interdisciplinary approach

The interdisciplinary approach to family diagnosis and treatment of child abuse often begins in the hospital. The tone established at this time has crucial implications for the treatment program following discharge from the hospital. There is, however, a paucity of information in the literature regarding the best utilization of this critical phase of treatment. Often this period is viewed as a time for assessment, diagnosis and treatment of the physical injuries while neglecting to recognize and utilize the potential for planned therapeutic intervention during the hospital stay. This paper identifies methods and interventions in implementing a treatment plan particular to this phase of the over-all treatment of the child and family.     

Self-employed workers: Returns to education and training

An empirical investigation of human capital returns to owners of unincorporated nonfarm businesses is described, and the results are compared with those for a similar cohort of employees. Data are from the older male cohort of the National Longitudinal Survey. A single-equation semi-log regression model is employed throughout. Results show that human capital returns to self-employed workers are basically consistent with results for employees, but some differences emerge. As hypothesized, returns to general training are somewhat larger and returns to specific training somewhat smaller for self-employed workers. The time path of returns associated with job tenure also differs.     

Training program in child abuse for community health workers

A wide range of health workers in the community provide care for families that abuse or have a potential for abusing their children. Frequently these workers are unable to work effectively because of difficulty dealing with feelings aroused by contact with such families.An experimental child abuse training program for community health workers was designed by a pediatrician, a social worker, a public health nurse and two child psychiatrists. This program included a six-month study group which met weekly to focus on feelings and conflcts aroused during the course of work with abusing or potentially abusing families.Through analysis of the group experience, the leaders identified eleven sets of feelings or conflicts which seemed to interfere consistently with effective delivery of care: 1)anxieties about a) being physically harmed by angry parents and b) about the effects of a decision; 2) denial and inhibition of anger; 3) need for emotional gratification from clients; 4) lack of professional support; 5) feelings of incompetence; 6) denial and projection of responsbility; 7) feeling total responsibility for assigned families; 8) difficulty separating personal from professional responsibility; 9) feelings of being a victim; 10) ambivalent feelings a) toward clients and b) about one's professional role; 11) need to be in control.This type of group experience seems to be an effective method for exploration and resolution of feelings and conflicts.     

社区加强老年体育社团建设的可行性分析

社区是老年人除家庭以外的最主要生活环境,是老年人走出家庭、融入社会、参与社会的重要场所,社区积极的养老环境是居家养老的重要支撑载体。以社区为载体,开展老年体育社团活动具有十分重要的意义。为推进社区开展老年体育社团活动,应科学规划社区老年人的室外体育设施;加强老年人对社区体育的认知;逐步完善社区体育健身路径,推进老年体育社团活动的专业化进程;将老年体育社团纳入民间组织范畴;引入社会捐赠机制,并转变老人及其家人的体育观念。     

Teacher training for social responsibility: a new mentoring role in the training of community teachers

ABSTRACT

Our study is focused on the field-experience of a unique ideological group. The prospective teachers are community activists who are dedicated to meeting the social needs of communities through education, mainly in the periphery and in weakened populations. Their vision is to become community teachers. We focused on a new mentoring role, which was created in order to meet the special needs of this group. The new mentors are members of the same movement as the prospective community teachers, share their ideology and dilemmas, and gain their trust. The findings show that this role is necessary and meaningful. We discuss different aspects of the role of the new mentors, including aspects of informal mentoring, and how it can be applied in other teacher-training models. Our findings may help in providing ideas for choosing mentors with special characteristics for special students.     

Emotion theory in education research practice: an interdisciplinary critical literature review

Educational technology research and development - In this critical literature review, we seek to understand why multidimensional, psychological measures of human emotion that have been popular in...     

Automaticity training for dyslexics: An experimental study

Less-skilled readers may experience a processing bottleneck in reading comprehension produced by a failure to automate word recognition. The automaticity hypothesis predicts that training which increases rapid and automatic word recognition will improve comprehension. To date few studies have tested this hypothesis. Our goal was to test the automaticity hypothesis by training dyslexic readers (n=35) to access the meaning of words more rapidly. Training consisted of speeded word games implemented on a microcomputer that provided feedback concerning subjects’ speed and accuracy using sound and graphics. Three experimental tasks were administered both before and after training in which trials with trained and untrained stimuli were randomly intermixed. The measures were latency and accuracy of word vocalization, sentence comprehension, and a dual-task procedure designed to measure automaticity. Although pre/post improvement was larger for trained than untrained stimuli, reaction time on the word vocalization and sentence comprehension tasks improved significantly for both trained and untrained stimuli. In contrast, automaticity and sentence comprehension accuracy improved significantly for trained but not untrained stimuli. The training effect in comprehension remained when controlling for increases in word knowledge. The results support the automaticity hypothesis and further suggest that severely disabled readers may benefit from training in automatic word recognition. A portion of this research was supported by a Faculty Development Grant awarded to the first author from Southeastern Louisiana University. Directed by the second author, the Los Angeles study was based on a doctoral dissertation submitted by the first author to the University of Southern California in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Ph.D. degree. Portions of this work were presented at the meetings of the Society for Research in Child Development, Baltimore, April 1989, and The Orton Dyslexia Society, Portland, November 1991.     

Preservice training in response to intervention: Learning by doing an interdisciplinary field experience

Marking major changes in professional role performance, response to intervention (RTI) is now in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 2004) as a possible method to improve the identification of specific learning disabilities. Moreover, RTI and related concepts and initiatives have fundamentally influenced more general methods of prevention, instruction and intervention services, and decision making in schools. Although RTI will continue to evolve, core characteristics of RTI that form the basis of state initiatives are well founded in intervention and instructional research and practice. These core characteristics (i.e., data‐based decision making, evidence‐based intervention, teaming, and problem solving) represent skills immediately needed by professionals‐in‐training. This article reports collaboration between school psychology and special education faculty in designing and implementing an integrative field experience in RTI. Training, student, and program outcomes are used summatively for accountability. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.