Librarians,Faculty, and the Writing Center Partnering to Build an Interdisciplinary Course: A Case Study at the University of Houston,USA

This article covers how an interdisciplinary course was developed using the expertise and resources of a history professor, the history and psychology subject librarians, and the university's writing center. The course, supported by a grant, was aimed at helping students improve their research, information literacy, and writing skills across disciplines. The article discusses the involvement of the partners from the initial planning stages to its conclusion, focusing especially on how the librarians created a library session, course-specific guide, annotated bibliography assignment and grading rubric, and how these were used as opportunities to interact with the students throughout the course. Also covered are research and writing challenges, especially for English-language learner students, and how they were addressed by all the partners. It also discusses how the librarians used this experience to seek out opportunities to create similar collaborations with other instructors, and to strengthen ties with support services on campus.     

Student achievement and elementary teachers’ perceptions of school climate

Teachers’ perceptions of school climate in 59 elementary schools were assessed using a modified version of the School-Level Environment Questionnaire (SLEQ). Using structural equation modelling, a statistically significant, positive relationship was found between school mean teachers’ perceptions of school climate and school mean student achievement. A second model showed that school and community context variables mediated that relationship. In schools in high socioeconomic status (SES) communities, the influence of school climate on student achievement was stronger than it was for schools in lower SES communities. Recommendations for further examination of the relationships are also made.     

The changing work of teacher educators in Aotearoa New Zealand: a view through activity theory

The study of recruitment practices for teacher educators (TEs) in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ) universities reveals the academic category of TE constituted along three related trajectories: a professional expert (not required to research), a traditional academic (not required to hold a teaching qualification or teacher’s practicing certificate), and one who is dually qualified, to teach (as a registered NZ teacher) and to research. It is the dually qualified type of TE who can service the full scope of university-based initial teacher education (UBITE). Recent recruitment practices have, however, focused on employment of professional experts and traditional academics. Drawing from document analyses and interviews, we present a picture of changing work for TEs. Our study argues that policy environments and universities’ responses are changing the objects, rules, and divisions of labour in UBITE. We comment on the evolution of initial teacher education in NZ, its likely trajectory, and its potential for development.     

Accounting for Aberrant Test Response Patterns Using Multilevel Models

Hypotheses about aberrant test-response behavior and hence invalid person-measurement have hitherto included factors like ability, gender, language, test-anxiety, and motivation, but these have not previously been collectively investigated with real data, or with multilevel models. This study analyzes the effect of these factors on person aberrance using a real mathematics assessment data set under the framework of a two-level (person and classroom) hierarchical model. The results suggest that higher-scoring pupils, and, to a lesser extent, second-language learners are significantly more often aberrant. But more importantly, we find that the classroom makes a significant contribution to person aberrance and conclude that studies that investigate the sources of person aberrance with real data should model the classroom as well as individual levels.     

The attitudes of health care staff to information technology: a comprehensive review of the research literature

Objectives: What does the publicly available literature tell us about the attitudes of health care staff to the development of information technology in practice, including the factors which influence them and the factors which may be used to change these attitudes? Methods: Twelve databases were searched for literature published between 2000 and 2005 that identified research related to information technology (IT), health professionals and attitude. English language studies were included which described primary research relating to the attitudes of one or more health care staff groups towards IT. Letters, personal viewpoints, reflections and opinion pieces were not included. Results: Complex factors contribute to the formation of attitudes towards IT. Many of the issues identified were around the flexibility of the systems and whether they were ‘fit for purpose’, along with the confidence and experience of the IT users. The literature suggests that attitudes of practitioners are a significant factor in the acceptance and efficiency of use of IT in practice. The literature also suggested that education and training was a factor for encouraging the use of IT systems. Conclusions: A range of key issues, such as the need for flexibility and usability, appropriate education and training and the need for the software to be ‘fit for purpose’, showed that organizations need to plan carefully when proposing the introduction of IT‐based systems into work practices. The studies reviewed did suggest that attitudes of health care professionals can be a significant factor in the acceptance and efficiency of use of IT in practice. Further qualitative and quantitative research is needed into the approaches that have most effect on the attitudes of health care staff towards IT.     

The Politics of Policy in the McKinney–Vento Homeless Assistance Act: Setting the Agenda for Students Experiencing Homelessness

While most of the press around the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) has focused on how it signals an end to No Child Left Behind, the implications of ESSA for students experiencing homelessness have been largely overlooked. Garnering organizational insights from Kingdon’s (Agendas, alternatives, and public policies, Pearson, Glenviiew, 2011) policy streams and coupling the literature with our first-hand policy experience, we present a political analysis of the McKinney–Vento Homeless Assistance Act from inception through ESSA. Our purpose is to highlight how and why the act grew stronger—and more beneficial for students experiencing homelessness—despite wide-ranging obstacles. Not only did the original policy function to alter the politics around homelessness, but key actors, events, and contexts shaped history and enabled stakeholders who were engaged in the day-to-day work to play an important role in setting the policy trajectory. Implications for stakeholders aiming to improve educational opportunities for other marginalized students are discussed.     

Assessment and Perception of Information Literacy Skills Among Teacher Education Students

This study aims to assess the information literacy skills of a sample of undergraduate teacher education students and explore their perceptions about those skills. Participants completed iSkills, an online assessment from the Educational Testing Service aligned with the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Standards, and a subsample participated in focus-group discussions regarding their test experience and perceptions of information literacy. This article focuses on the qualitative findings from these discussions. Participants were unfamiliar with the term “information literacy” but see it as essential to their success and that of their future students, especially in the context of a diverse, urban school district.     

Mr. Mom in the News: The Relationship Between Stereotypes and Perceptions of Gendered News Stories

This study examined the relationship between women’s stereotypes and their perceptions of gendered news stories, specifically about stay-at-home parenthood. A between-subjects experiment with undergraduate women revealed that participants with stereotypes about women thought a news story about a stay-at-home mother was more typical than one about a stay-at-home father. Additionally, participants with stereotypes about women thought the news stories were low in realism, regardless of the story’s gendered content. Notably, participants who read the news story about a stay-at-home father found it more enjoyable than the story about a stay-at-home mother, regardless of their stereotypes.