Sense of place in environmental education

Although environmental education research has embraced the idea of sense of place, it has rarely taken into account environmental psychology-based sense of place literature whose theory and empirical studies can enhance related studies in the education context. This article contributes to research on sense of place in environmental education from an environmental psychology perspective. We review the components of sense of place, including place attachment and place meanings. Then we explore the logic and evidence suggesting a relationship between place attachment, place meanings, pro-environmental behavior, and factors influencing sense of place. Finally, based on this literature we propose that in general environmental education can influence sense of place through a combination of direct place experiences and instruction.     

Classroom teachers and physical activity integration

This project examined 23 teachers’ involvement in a curricular project to integrate physical activity into the school day. The teachers represented all grade levels and worked in schools that served Native American students in the United States. Interviews occurred twice during the year-long project. Data were analyzed via constant comparison. Teachers’ willingness to engage was influenced positively by caring about students and their own personal wellness history. Their engagement was impeded by institutional factors of scheduling and assessment pressures. The results provide insights into how teachers might be persuaded to and prepared for the implementation of similar programs in new locations.     

Does recreational computer use affect high school achievement?

Historically, the relationship between student academic achievement and use of computers for fun and video gaming has been described from a multitude of perspectives, from positive, to negative, to neutral. However, recent research has indicated that computer use and video gaming may be positively associated with achievement, yet these studies have focused on small intact and qualitative samples. The purpose of the present study is to examine the association between academic achievement in high school and student use of computers for fun and video gaming using the large nationally representative ELS:2002 sample of students in grade 10 in 2002 and an independent effects two-level hierarchical linear model. Our results indicate that both student use of computers for fun and moderate levels of video gaming were positive and significant on cross-sectional reading and mathematics achievement assessments in high school, controlling for multiple covariates of achievement, but were not related to growth in mathematics from grade 10 to grade 12.     

High-school students' need for cognition,self-control capacity,and school achievement: Testing a mediation hypothesis

In the present article, we examine the hypothesis that high-school students' motivation to engage in cognitive endeavors (i.e., their need for cognition; NFC) is positively related to their dispositional self-control capacity. Furthermore, we test the prediction that the relation between NFC and school achievement is mediated by self-control capacity. A questionnaire study with grade ten high-school students (N = 604) revealed the expected relations between NFC, self-control capacity, and school achievement. Sobel tests showed that self-control capacity mediated the relation between NFC and school grades as well as grade retention.     

The Financing of Extension Services: A Survey Among Rural Youth in Greece

Abstract

Since its establishment in the early 1950s, the Greek Extension Service has undergone considerable changes. Especially after 1981, a bureaucratic–administrative role related to the implementation of the CAP has been undertaken. In parallel, in the international scene, governments have started experimenting with various cost-recovery mechanisms for extension. In front of such challenges, at both national and international levels, the current work intends to explore the willingness of young rural inhabitants to pay for advisory services. Drawing data from a large-scale survey and utilising probit analysis, the decomposition of the marginal effects of a series demographic, socioeconomic and spatial characteristics and information needs upon willingness to pay for extension is presented. The results show that under preconditions cost-recovery mechanisms may be employed in Greece; furthermore, it is argued that the Extension Service has to be restructured–reoriented.     

Book reviews

The Effective Editor's Handbook, By Barbara Horn, Leatherhead: Pira International 1997, 176 pp £20.00, ISBN: 1 85802 186 3     

Ego depletion negatively affects knowledge retrieval in secondary school students

In the present study, we tested the assumption that performance in a knowledge retrieval test would be lower in secondary school students with temporarily depleted self-control strength (n = 53) compared to secondary school students with temporarily available self-control strength (n = 56). After manipulating self-control strength, students were instructed to memorise the names and the functions of the human eye and to recall as many names and functions as possible following a one-min distraction task. The results supported our assumptions, as students with depleted self-control strength performed significantly worse in the knowledge retrieval task compared to students whose self-control strength had not been temporarily depleted. The results suggest that depleted self-control strength may negatively affect academic performance and hinder a successful academic career. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.