Impact of the VCR on control of television viewing

Familial control of television viewing in light of the introduction of the videocassette recorder (VCR) was examined by: asking sets of parents and children about their use of VCRs and television, determining differences in these perceptions, and relating family demographics to use and control. In‐home interviews with 110 families found agreement on who chooses the programs to be watched. Some differences were noted, however, between parents’ and children's perceptions of how the viewing situation is controlled.     

Sustainability of Organizational Change in the Newsroom: A Case Study of Australian Newspapers

This article examines the sustainability of newsroom change through the lens of an ambitious change project called “Readers First” at a group of Australian regional newspapers. Survey data were gathered over 3 consecutive years from rank-and-file newsworkers who participated in the program. It was found that, contrary to the problems usually associated with support for change programs, Readers First received sustained attitudinal support from newsworkers. Agreeing with the goals for change, feeling involved in change, and believing that managers managed change well were the best predictors of their support for change. Training in change had no discernible effect on support. Professionalism had its limits as a predictor of support.     

Dissociative attachment

The reaction of an electron with a molecule AB which leads to dissociation of the molecule into a neutral component and a negative ion, is known as dissociative attachment. Such reactions are important sources of negative ions and may be used for the design of very sensitive detectors for certain compounds. They are of basic importance in determining the high dielectric strength of certain gases and vapours as well as in the design of gaseous lasers. The detailed study of the reactions leads to insight into reaction mechanisms and provides new information about molecular parameters. This article reviews the application of modern experimental and theoretical techniques to the subject.     

A Profession Without Limits: The Changing Role of Reference Librarians

ABSTRACT

Reference librarians, specifically those working in academic health sciences environments, have expanded their roles and taken on new and unique responsibilities. While librarians at The George Washington University’s Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library continue to provide traditional reference services, they have gone beyond their comfort zone in many cases to become involved in activities that are outside of the librarian’s established role. This article describes the current roles of Himmelfarb’s reference librarians, as well as the way these librarians prepared for these roles and addressed the associated challenges.     

信息通信技术与教育:如何实现完美结合

本文讨论了在21世纪信息通信技术如何在教育领域发挥作用这个具有现实指导意义的课题。作者在总结几十位世界各地学者研究成果的基础上,提出尽管信息通信技术有潜力促进教育的发展,但是如何在实践中充分发挥这些潜力,使潜力变成现实,则涉及诸多因素;我们必须确立切实可行的目标、处理好相关的因素并采取行之有效、切合实际的步骤,才能使信息通信技术真正促进教育发展、提高学习效率。作者认为,只有当信息通信技术的各种令人赞叹不已的功能切实服务于教与学,我们才可以说它们在教育领域发挥了应有的作用。     

Evaluation of the Learning to Teach for Social Justice–Beliefs Scale in an Australian context

A concern for social justice pervades the espoused curriculum of many pre-service teaching programmes, but the extent to which that curriculum influences the beliefs students hold is an open question. With the goal of developing an instrument suitable for evaluating such beliefs at the degree programme level, the present study analysed responses to the Learning to Teach for Social Justice–Beliefs (LTSJ–B) Scale (Enterline, S., Cochran-Smith, M., Ludlow, J.H., & Mitescu, E. (2008). Learning to teach for social justice: Measuring change in the beliefs of teacher candidates. The New Educator, 4, 267–290. doi:10.1080/15476880802430361) from 304 Australian pre-service teachers. Exploratory factor analysis and Rasch analysis both indicated a two-factor structure, driven by a methodological artefact of item valence. We conclude from these findings that a short, five-item version of the LTSJ–B Scale would suitably balance psychometric and pragmatic considerations, in the broader context of working within an institutionally aligned system of teaching evaluation with multiple levels.     

Perceptions of university teachers about teaching and the quality of pedagogy in higher education: a study in Portugal / Percepciones de los profesores universitarios sobre la enseñanza y la calidad de la pedagogía de la educación superior: un estudio realizado en Portugal

This paper draws upon a broader piece of research aiming at investigating the perceptions of university teachers about the quality of pedagogy in higher education and their professional development. Data were collected through questionnaires. In total, 171 faculty members participated in the study. Findings indicate that the participants recognized the importance of quality of pedagogy, and particularly the principles of transparency and intentionality. The most important motives for university teachers to engage in professional development opportunities are emancipatory and pedagogical ones. The participants also stress that in general they feel good as far as their teaching activity is concerned. However, those who revealed greater satisfaction with teaching valued more the quality of pedagogy in general. Also, those who feel good in relation to teaching value more the principles of interaction, democratization and negotiation with the students. Implications of the findings are discussed.     

Passion and motivation for studying: predicting academic engagement and burnout in university students

Research on the dualistic model of passion has investigated harmonious and obsessive passion in many domains. However, few studies have investigated passion for studying and the role passion for studying plays in student engagement and well‐being. The present study investigated the relationships between harmonious and obsessive passion for studying and academic engagement (vigour, dedication and absorption) and burnout (exhaustion, cynicism and inefficacy) in 105 university students, controlling for the effects of autonomous and controlled motivation. Both harmonious and obsessive passion explained variance in academic engagement and burnout beyond autonomous and controlled motivation: harmonious passion predicted higher dedication and lower cynicism, obsessive passion predicted higher absorption, and both harmonious and obsessive passion predicted higher vigour and lower inefficacy. The findings suggest that passion for studying explains individual differences in students’ academic engagement and burnout beyond autonomous and controlled motivation and thus deserves more attention from educational psychology.     

Young Children's Trust in Their Mother's Claims: Longitudinal Links With Attachment Security in Infancy

In a longitudinal study of attachment, children ( N = 147) aged 50 and 61 months heard their mother and a stranger make conflicting claims. In 2 tasks, the available perceptual cues were equally consistent with either person's claim but children generally accepted the mother's claims over those of the stranger. In a 3rd task, the perceptual cues favored the stranger's claims, and children generally accepted her claims over those of the mother. However, children's pattern of responding varied by attachment status. The strategy of relying on the mother or the stranger, depending on the available perceptual cues, was especially evident among secure children. Insecure-avoidant children displayed less reliance on their mother's claims, irrespective of the available cues, whereas insecure-resistant children displayed more.     

A three-factor model of educational practice considerations for teaching neurodiverse learners from a strengths-based perspective

The purpose of this practice paper is to promote the teaching of learners with neurodevelopmental conditions from a neurodiverse perspective. The challenge teachers face in having to draw on up-to-date research evidence and theoretical perspectives, and align these with practical considerations to generate contextualised teaching strategies, are addressed with the introduction of a three-factor model. The utility of considering pupil assessment data gathered from a strengths-based perspective is positioned as a central component to bridging the gap between the incipient neurodiversity literature and the realities of applied teaching practice. Two case examples have presented that draw on the proposed three-factor model to demonstrate how teachers can assess and teach learners from a neurodevelopmental perspective. These case studies focus on supporting learners with Autism and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in a secondary setting.