UNIVERSITY TEACHERS’ CONCEPTIONS OF GOOD TEACHING IN THE UNITS OF HIGH-QUALITY EDUCATION

This article explores teachers in the units of high quality education in Finland. It focuses on three questions. First, What are conceptions of good teaching of teachers teaching in the quality units? Second, What do they consider important in their teaching? And third, What is the relation between teachers’ conceptions and the criteria used in the quality unit selection? Findings reveal that teachers’ conceptions of good teaching are in line with the theories of good teaching and with the main selection criteria of the quality units in Finland. Still, the role of appropriate assessment is not emphasised by the teachers.     

DIRECT BEHAVIORAL CONSULTATION: EFFECTS ON TEACHERS’ PRAISE AND STUDENT DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR

Direct behavioral consultation is an extension of traditional behavioral consultation and focuses on assessment and training in the classroom during ongoing classroom activities. This study evaluated direct behavioral consultation services in two elementary alternative classrooms referred following a program evaluation in which data suggested behavior‐specific praise was not being delivered at a desired level. A multiple baseline design across classrooms was used to evaluate indirect and direct training procedures for increasing teachers’ implementation of behavior‐specific praise. Results indicated that indirect training did not result in substantial improvements in teachers’ use of behavior‐specific praise. Direct training procedures resulted in immediate increases in behavior‐specific praise for both teachers, but only one teacher maintained those increases immediately following training. For the other teacher, when performance feedback was added to direct training, increases in behavior‐specific praise were maintained. Data are also presented regarding student disruptive behavior. Results are discussed in terms of direct behavioral consultation theory and practice for educational settings.     

NEIGHBORHOOD SOCIOECONOMIC WELL‐BEING,HOME LITERACY,AND EARLY LITERACY SKILLS OF AT‐RISK PRESCHOOLERS

In response to growing research and policy interest in the developmental contexts of early literacy, this study examined relations between neighborhood socioeconomic well‐being, home literacy (parent–child shared reading and number of books at home), and directly assessed early literacy outcomes among 551 Head Start students in the fall of preschool. In Structural Equation Models, neighborhood socioeconomic well‐being predicted home literacy, which in turn predicted early literacy (a latent variable derived from receptive vocabulary, letter‐word identification, and concepts about print). Implications for future research concerning parent involvement at home in the context of neighborhoods and the early literacy of at‐risk preschoolers is discussed.     

TEACHERS’ EXPECTATIONS AND SELF‐EFFICACY FOR WORKING WITH BULLIES AND VICTIMS

Bullying is a significant concern in schools, and both bullies and victims are at risk for negative outcomes. In this study, 239 sixth‐grade teachers completed questionnaires about their perceptions of four components of school climate: high‐risk student behaviors, school‐wide barriers to learning, principal support, and cooperation among teachers. Teachers’ expectations and self‐efficacy for working effectively with both bullies and victims were assessed using case study vignettes. The results indicated that teachers’ perceptions of principal support were significantly related to teachers’ expectations and self‐efficacy for working with bullies. A graduate degree was also related to greater self‐efficacy for working with bullies. Administrators and school psychologists should consider the role of perceived principal support as an important factor in influencing teachers’ expectations and beliefs in working with bullies.     

COLLABORATIVE EVALUATION RESEARCH: A CASE STUDY OF TEACHERS’ AND ACADEMIC RESEARCHERS’ TEAMWORK IN A SECONDARY SCHOOL

The article examines the processes and challenges involved in conducting participatory research and evaluation in schools, by looking at a case study of a collaborative evaluation research that was conducted in a secondary school in Israel by two researchers and three teachers. It describes the experiences of the research team while conducting the study, the processes that developed during this collaboration, and the kinds of knowledge that emerged over the two years of teamwork. It also describes the features of the relationships between the various individuals who participated in the study. Implications for evaluation in schools are presented.     

ACTUAL AND OPTIMAL AMOUNTS OF GENERAL EDUCATION IN OCCUPATIONAL PROGRAMS

This article explores three different ways of approaching the question posed in its title: 1) age‐earnings profiles; 2) the present value of lifetime earnings; and 3) the rate of return on investment in schooling. While the lifetime income of a 2‐year graduate probably falls somewhere between that of a high school graduate and one with a 4‐year degree, under certain conditions, the payoff from a 2‐year degree may be higher than of a 4‐year degree     

EVALUATION OF A TRUANCY DIVERSION PROGRAM AT NINE AT‐RISK MIDDLE SCHOOLS

Many schools are faced with the prospect of soaring absenteeism rates, despite the use of traditional truancy courts and other legal interventions. A recent trend in the literature has been to explore alternative, hybrid, and multidisciplinary approaches to address the underlying obstacles to school attendance. These programs are often integrated into schools to reduce stigma and transportation burdens on families. The present study involved an evaluation of a truancy diversion program in nine at‐risk middle schools in an ethnically diverse sample. Graduates from the program demonstrated significant declines in internalizing and externalizing behavior problems. In addition, participants and their parents expressed high levels of perceived improvement in academic performance. Academic tutoring was found to differentiate program graduates from nongraduates. Results are preliminary but discussed within the context of the role of school attachment in truancy diversion programs.     

PRESERVICE TEACHERS’ CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT TRAINING: A SURVEY OF SELF‐REPORTED TRAINING EXPERIENCES,CONTENT COVERAGE,AND PREPAREDNESS

Many teachers report that their preservice training in classroom management was inadequate or ineffective, but little is known about the types of training they receive. In this exploratory study, 157 preservice teachers from throughout the United States were surveyed about the training sources through which they obtained knowledge and skills in classroom management as well as the content and their attitudes toward the training. A majority of students took stand‐alone courses in classroom management, which were reported to provide the most comprehensive content, but the most frequently reported sources were mentoring and fieldwork. Participants reported that a combination of didactic coursework and hands‐on training were associated with the highest sense of preparedness to use classroom management strategies. Implications for future research and school psychological services are discussed.     

PERSONAL AND SCHOOL CULTURAL FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PERCEPTIONS OF TEACHERS’ EFFICACY IN HANDLING STUDENT MISBEHAVIOR

One approach for understanding teachers’ behavioral responses to classroom student misbehavior is through the perceptions of efficacy in handling this stressor. The present study investigated the relationship and predictive ability of personal and school cultural factors as they relate to perceptions of teachers’ efficacy in handling student misbehavior (TEHSM). Participants were 344 primary (n = 189) and secondary (n = 155), full‐time, public school teachers from a southeastern state in the USA. Teachers completed online self‐report measures of TEHSM and all personal and school cultural factors. Student socioeconomic status (SES) information was provided by the school districts. Structure equation modeling (SEM) results indicated the final empirical model to account for 66% of the variance in TESHM, with professional development and student SES having the strongest association with TEHSM. This study provides a vital step towards understanding factors that drive teachers’ perceptions of their efficacy in handling misbehaving students.     

KINDERGARTEN SOCIAL WITHDRAWAL AND READING ACHIEVEMENT: A CROSS‐LAGGED PATH MODEL FOR AT‐RISK LEARNERS

The association between social withdrawal, school adjustment, and academic functioning in preschool and school entry is well‐established. Children who experience social withdrawal in primary grades are at risk for decreased academic performance. The bidirectional relationships among early literacy and social withdrawal in primary grades have not been examined to date. The present study used a cross‐lagged model to examine the relationship between social withdrawal and early literacy skills from kindergarten to second grade (N = 137). Results indicated that kindergarten social withdrawal predicted second grade reading achievement after controlling for prior literacy skill acquisition. Bidirectional influence hypotheses were not confirmed in the present study.     

二十一世纪大学生的培育理念与人文素养教育:通识与专业教育的融合

本文首先分析二十一世纪所出现的信息化与全球化的生活方式以及知识经济时代等三大局势,指出新世纪大学生的培育理念有三：促进“传统”与“现代”的对话、加强“科技”与“人文”的互动、强化全球视野与本土文化的融合。从上述三大教育理念出发,作者提出以下三项教育策略：第一,提倡经典教育,以引导大学生的生命重新与传统文化接触,奠定未来开创新局的文化资源,这是“返本以开新”的教育策略；第二,因应“科技”与“人文”断裂的状态,在大学教育过程中,加强开授贯通“科学、技术与社会”(STS)等领域的课程,以引导学生对现代科技发展中的人文社会问题进行深入分析,使通识教育精神融渗于专业教育之中,从而培育二十一世纪具有批判思考与原创能力的新知识分子；第三,经由优质的东亚人文传统相关课程之引导,而跃入悠久的东亚文化价值传统之中,建立新时代东亚知识青年的价值体系,从而在西方“文化霸权”的支配之下,挺立东亚知识分子的价值观点与立场。     

FACTORS AFFECTING FEMALE TEACHERS’ ATTITUDES TOWARD HELP‐SEEKING OR HELP‐AVOIDANCE IN COPING WITH BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS

Questionnaires were given to 392 elementary school teachers to examine help‐seeking or help‐avoidance in dealing with classroom behavioral problems. Scale validity was examined through a series of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Using a series of multivariate regression analyses and structural equation modeling, we identified predictors of motivational goals, predictors of attitudes toward help‐seeking or help‐avoidance, and a model of teachers’ attitudes toward help‐seeking or help‐avoidance. Results revealed four types of attitudes. Two reflected a positive approach to seeking help, but for different reasons: the first is intended to end the confrontation rapidly, and the second strives to develop new coping abilities. Also, two avoidant behaviors intended to avoid seeking help were revealed: one from fear of failure, and the other from a desire to deal with the problems independently. These four positions support a model of teacher help‐seeking, where seeking or avoiding help arises from a combination of implicit theories, efficacy beliefs, and motivational goals. Suggestions for further research into motivational factors of teachers when seeking help in coping with behavioral problems are suggested, as well as a call for a renewed consideration of the effectiveness of teacher support mechanisms.     

全球教育治理-鸟瞰国际组织在世界教育发展中的作用

全球教育治理已见端倪。国际组织对世界教育产生了重大影响,主要体现在重视人力资本、倡导教育平等、发动全民教育、开展国际评估、统一大学学制、构建学习化社会等几个方面。各个国家应当关注国际组织在教育发展上的政策优先点.作为制定本国教育政策的参照,并努力建设独具特色的教育系统和政策体系,由此奠定国际教育治理的"和而不同"。