Quality over quantity?: Mentoring relationships and purpose development among college students

A growing number of studies have demonstrated that purpose in life is associated with positive outcomes among adolescents and young adults. The college years represent an important period of both personal and professional growth, including purpose in life. Supportive relationships may play a critical role in the identification and pursuit of purpose. Relationships with mentors, for example, have been linked with purpose among adolescents. The present study examined whether mentoring relationships were linked with purpose among college students (N = 194) from three institutions across the United States. Both aspects of quality (relational health) and quantity (i.e., number of mentors) were examined as predictors of purpose. Students who had at least one mentor reported higher levels of purpose compared to students with no mentors. Among students with at least one mentor, quality of mentoring was significantly associated with a greater commitment to purpose, while the number of mentors was not associated with commitment to purpose. Results are discussed in the context of practical applications regarding student success and purpose formation in higher education settings.     

The Correspondence of Charles Darwin as a Tool for Reflecting on Nature of Science

Science & Education - This study took place in an introductory science inquiry course for preservice elementary school teachers as a supplement to lessons on critical thinking. The...     

Rural Neighborhood Context,Child Care Quality,and Relationship to Early Language Development

Research Findings: Prior research with older urban children indicates that a disadvantaged neighborhood context is associated with poorer early development, including poorer verbal ability, reading recognition, and achievement scores among children. Neighborhood disadvantage in rural communities and at younger age levels may also be related to development; however, this relationship has received little examination. In this study we utilized data from the Family Life Project, a representative sample of babies born to mothers in poor rural counties in North Carolina and Pennsylvania, to address questions related to the relationship between neighborhood context (disadvantage and safety) and children's early language development. We examined the mediation of this relationship by child care quality. We also examined geographic isolation and collective socialization as moderators of the relationship between neighborhood context and child care quality. Results indicated that although neighborhood disadvantage did not predict children's development or child care quality, neighborhood safety predicted children's receptive language, with child care quality a partial mediator of this relationship. Collective socialization but not geographic isolation moderated the relationship between neighborhood safety and child care quality. Practice or Policy: Implications for policy, practice, and future research are discussed, including improving community safety through community policing, neighborhood watch, and social networks and increasing access to quality child care.     

Parents' views on sexual debut among pre‐teen children in Washington,DC

Objective: Present US parents' perceptions about factors leading to early intercourse and strategies for overcoming them.

Methods: Conducted analysis of eight focus groups with 78 male and female African‐American and Hispanic caregivers of fifth‐graders and sixth‐graders (ages 10–12).

Results: Participants gave the following primary reasons for early sexual activity: lack of structured activities, adult supervision, and communication; and influence of peers, society, and media. They suggested strategies targeting these reasons, and the need for parents, schools, and the community to work together.

Conclusion: Incorporating parents' perspectives would help tailor interventions to the needs of the target population and increase parental support.     

‘I make sure I am safe and I make sure I have myself in every way possible’: African-American youth perspectives on sexuality education

High rates of pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections play a major role in the physical, mental, and emotional health of young people. Despite efforts to provide sexuality education through diverse channels, we know little about the ways in which young people perceive school- and community-based efforts to educate them about sexual health. Forty-eight African-American young people participated in six focus groups to discuss their sexuality education experiences. Three major themes emerged that highlight experiences and perspectives on optimal strategies for promoting sexual health. These themes were: (1) experiences with school-based sexuality education (SBSE), (2) seeking information outside of schools, and (3) general principles of youth-centred sexuality education. Young people in the focus groups expressed their varying satisfaction with SBSE due to the restricted content covered and lack of comfort with the instruction methods. Participants described how they reached outside of SBSE for sexuality education, turning to those in the community, including local organisations, health care providers, and peers, also expressing variability in satisfaction with these sources. Finally, participants identified three important principles for youth-centred sexuality education: trust and confidentiality, credibility, and self-determination. These findings give voice to the often-unheard perspectives of African-American young people. Based on their responses, it is possible to gain a better understanding of the optimal combination of school-, family-, peer-, and community-based efforts to support young people as they move towards adulthood.     

To Play the Fool: Can Environmental Conservation and Democracy Survive Social Capital?

Two community-based conservation processes in the United States provide comparative case studies to examine how social capital relates to democracy. Following a summary of social capital research, we describe the cases: one designed to preserve an endangered species and the other to restore water quality. We discuss how social capital dampened democratic practice in one case, while invigorating it in the other. We conclude that, by relying indiscriminately on social capital in the absence of complementary state structures, conservationists risk losing the very nature they seek to defend, and all citizens risk losing the energy and space essential to democracy.     

How to Drink From a Fire Hose Without Drowning: Collection Assessment in a Numbers-Driven Environment

As collection budgets have dwindled, library acquisitions has become a data-driven field that relies on hard numbers. Libraries are struggling with the demands of adapting to a numbers-driven environment, both from a personnel and a data management perspective. This article includes a literature review, survey results, and practical advice that can be applied to most library environments. A model of transferable outcomes is introduced that encourages libraries to create a data pool of statistical information that can be applied to collections decisions in a variety of ways to quantify the impact of library resources to the broader community.     

Measurement Uncertainty in Racial and Ethnic Identification Among Adolescents of Mixed Ancestry: A Latent Variable Approach

In this article, we operationalize identification of mixed racial and ethnic ancestry among adolescents as a latent variable to (a) account for measurement uncertainty, and (b) compare alternative wording formats for racial and ethnic self-categorization in surveys. Two latent variable models were fit to multiple mixed-ancestry indicator data from 1,738 adolescents in New England. The first, a mixture factor model, accounts for the zero-inflated mixture distribution underlying mixed-ancestry identification. Alternatively, a latent class model allows classification distinction between relatively ambiguous versus unambiguous mixed-ancestry responses. Comparison of individual indicators reveals that the Census 2000 survey version estimates higher prevalence of mixed ancestry but is less sensitive to relative certainty of identification than are alternate survey versions (i.e., offering a “mixed” check box option, allowing a written response). Ease of coding and missing data are also considered in discussing the relative merit of individual mixed-ancestry indicators among adolescents.     

Endurance training adherence in elite junior netball athletes: A test of the theory of planned behaviour and a revised theory of planned behaviour

This study examined the utility of Ajzen's () theory of planned behaviour and Maddux's () revised theory of planned behaviour to predict endurance training intentions and adherence of elite junior netball athletes. One hundred and fifteen athletes from the England Netball World Class Start Programme were assessed on constructs central to the predictions of the two theories. Adherence to a recommended endurance training programme was recorded in self-report diaries across a 9-week period. Validity for the diaries was supported by significant correlations (P <?0.001) with recalls across 7 days and 9 weeks. Adherence was moderate and variable between athletes (mean = 66.05, s = 25.75%). Two separate path analyses were conducted to examine the predictions of the theories. Goodness-of-fit indices suggested acceptable fit of the data to the models. Analyses showed that attitude towards the new behaviour, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control predicted training intentions. The relationship between intention and adherence was weak. The present results suggest that the constructs of the theory of planned behaviour offer some insight into the explanation of intentions to follow an endurance training programme. Constructs unique to the revised theory of planned behaviour did not significantly predict training intentions or behaviour. Implications for practitioners working with team sport performers are provided.