Support for self-regulation in learning complex topics from multimedia explanations: do learners need extensive or minimal support?

Acquiring complex conceptual knowledge requires learners to self-regulate their learning by planning, monitoring, and adjusting the process but they find it difficult to do so. In one experiment, we examined whether learners need broad systems of support for self-regulation or whether they are also able to learn with more economical support configurations. Eighty-six undergraduate students with little prior domain knowledge learned plate tectonics from a multimedia presentation involving animation with concurrent narration and support in one of four forms: minimal support, two variants of intermediate support, or extensive support. After the presentation, participants solved retention and transfer tests. The results revealed that participants receiving the broadest system of support outperformed those in the other conditions, which did not differ from one another. This means that it is so difficult for learners to self-regulate learning that they need considerable support if they are to learn complex conceptual knowledge.     

Andalusian teacher centres: in the political crossfire

This article analyses the background of teacher centres (CEPs) in Spain and presents the synthesis of conclusions drawn from the evaluation of such centres and continuous education in Andalusia (Spain), carried out according to the model of democratic evaluation defended by Barry McDonald. Three issues are dealt with: (a) the change of government policies concerning the running of teacher centres, from autonomy to control; (b) the changes in the way teachers' continuous education and advice strategies are understood; and (c) how teacher commitment to innovation and education reform evolved with time. All this takes place within the framework of political confrontations between the two main parties in Spain: the Socialists (PSOE) - who institutionalized the CEPs and created education reform, and who continue to govern in Andalusia - and the Conservatives (PP) - who are currently in power in central government and who neither supported educational reform nor the teacher centres. In this context, the analysis of the use of the CEPs as a political weapon in their confrontation is one of the main objectives of the evaluation.     

Who says aging is lonely? A phenomenology of Filipino older adults’ experiences of happiness when joining international group tours

Across the literature, travelling has been viewed as a recurring activity for older adults and is driven by a multitude of purposes and reasons. Previous studies have probed touristic activities of older adults however, little is known about their emotional experiences specifically their sense of happiness when joining international group tours, hence this phenomenological study. A qualitative approach was utilized to gather data from a group of 15 purposively selected participants aged 60 years and above. A two-part instrument consisting of a robotfoto and a semi-structured interview was used in this study. Through vertical and horizontal analyses of the field text, this study afforded the development of The Spiraling Model of Aging Filipino Tourists’ Happiness. This model describes aging tourists’ happiness while travelling as a product of Shared Moments, Shared Culture, Shared Memories, and Shared Transcendence. Summarily, findings of this study may provide significant insights to service providers such as hotels, airlines and travel agencies across the globe in developing innovative marketing strategies that cater to this promising age group. Empirically, this study may stimulate further exploration in the field of Cognitive Psychology aimed at adding large-scale data regarding the study of emotions specifically older adults’ happiness when joining international group tours.     

Developing a Model of Medication Adherence among Filipino Elderly

While adherence to medication remains a problematic area in the care of chronically ill elderly, an extended model that incorporates the interaction of studied variables remains a blank spot. Anchored on Ajzen's Theory of Planned Behavior, this article details our efforts to develop and test a model of medication adherence among Filipino elderly relative to their medication belief, follow-up visits, consultation satisfaction, memory task, trust with physician, perceived stress, memory strategies, social support, memory load, depression, length of time taking the medication, number of conditions, and self-efficacy with medication adherence. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to study causalities among all parameters. With the participation of 325 older adults located in District IV, Sampaloc, Manila, data needed were gathered through a multiaspect questionnaire consisting of a robotfoto, a memory strategy usage measure, an eight-scale Morisky Medication Adherence Scale, a 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale, a General Self-efficacy Scale, a Consultation Satisfaction Questionnaire, and a Perceived Stress Scale. Data were analyzed using AMOS version 19. Results revealed that depression, trust with physician, and number of conditions affect adherence positively, while event-based memory, consultation satisfaction, memory load, and external memory strategy affect it otherwise. Some suggested variables were found to have no impact at all. As this study reveals, careful consideration should be given to multiple factors, and their interrelationship should be examined well. Because many factors can influence medication adherence behavior of the elderly, and because the reasons for their noncompliance are also varied, multifaceted solutions must be developed.     

The politics of school choice in two countries with large private‐dependent sectors (Spain and Chile): family strategies,collective action and lobbying

In many countries choice of school is an increasing concern for families and governments. In Spain and Chile, it is also associated with a long‐standing political cleavage on the regulation of large sectors of private‐dependent schools. This article analyses both the micro‐ and the macro‐politics of choice in these two countries, where low‐status 15‐year‐old students record a significant segregation. At the micro level, some evidence is provided that not only middle‐class skilful choosers but also the political representatives of private‐dependent schools manage to pursue their interests drawing on economic, social and cultural capital. At the macro level, evidence also shows that the lobbies defending private‐dependent schools can use and maintain these power resources. However, in some episodes collective action is an effective power resource for those who campaign in favour of a stricter regulation of these schools, but its influence is much difficult to maintain for longer periods.     

The Filipino Nursing Students' Dilemmas in Geriatric Care

The continually rising percentage of the elderly population and the demand for geriatric nursing care are dramatically related. While it is true that most undergraduate programs prepare nurses for the care of geriatric patients, most receive limited academic preparation in the nursing curriculum (Williams & Mezey, 2000 Williams , C. , & Mezey , M. ( 2000 ). Older adults: Recommended baccalaureate competencies and curricular guidelines for geriatric nursing care . American Association of Colleges of Nursing and the John A. Hartford Foundation Institute for Geriatric Nursing . Retrieved August 10, 2008, from http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Education/pdf/Gercomp.pdf  [Google Scholar]). This is particularly true in the Philippines where there is no stand-alone geriatric nursing course.

This phenomenological study purports to capture the lived experiences of Filipino nursing students' dilemmas in geriatric care. Five Filipino senior nursing students and three clinical faculty from a comprehensive university in the Philippines were purposely chosen for the study. A two-part instrumentation was used. The first is the robotfoto, a Dutch term which means a cartographic sketch of the subject (Kelchtermans & Ballet, 2002 Kelchtermans , G. , & Ballet , K. ( 2002 ). The micropolitics of teacher induction: A narrative bibliographical study on teacher socialization . Teaching and Teacher Education , 18 ( 1 ), 105 – 120 .[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). The second was a semi-structured face-to-face interview that was recorded with the consent of the participants. The full texts were phenomenologically reduced using a repertory grid to observe both cool and warm analyses, which facilitates the identification of unique conceptual clusters. Findings of this study have described the elements that define student dilemmas in geriatric care. The emerged Students' Dilemmas in Geriatrics Causality Quadrant (SDGCQ), which consists of (a) Foundational Deficit, (b) Psychological Deficit, (c) Relational-Attitudinal Deficit, and (d) Occupational Deficit, are valuable discussion points for needed reforms in the present-day nursing curriculum.     

Evaluation of retirement planning programs: A qualitative analysis of methodologies and efficacy

ABSTRACT

The objective of this integrative literature review was to evaluate the quality of retirement planning programs described in the extant literature. This was accomplished through a qualitative analysis of methodological and efficacy criteria as described by Flay et al. (2005), Kazdin (2010, 2011 and Murta (2005). Several databases were consulted in searching for retirement program articles including: Academic Search Premier, Medline, PsycInfo, and Web of Science, among others. Retirement planning intervention articles published in English, Portuguese, and Spanish were considered, with a focus on their evaluation methods and results. Eleven studies were identified that described the procedures for both program implementation and intervention evaluation. Results revealed methodological shortcomings in the papers reviewed, with concerns being related to a lack of experimental or quasiexperimental approaches, a failure to use previously validated measurement instruments and longitudinal assessments, and insufficiently robust data analysis procedures. That said, however, there was evidence from multiple investigations that the intervention programs examined led to increases in knowledge, positive changes in attitudes linked to retirement, and an increase in retirement-linked planning and preparation behaviors. Identification of strengths and weaknesses in the methods used and efficacy of these interventions could facilitate the construction of a research agenda aimed at promoting more favorable research designs. Use of more rigorous designs would stand to improve the internal validity of these retirement programs and, consequently, progress in this field.     

A Structural Equation Modeling of the Factors Affecting an Age-friendly Workplace

There has been a growing trend recently to examine the various factors affecting an age-friendly workplace. Through structural equation modelling (SEM), this study purports to test a model that shows the interaction between and among declining memories, wisdom, age discrimination, and an age-friendly workplace in Filipino elderly in a government setting. Two hundred elderly from a large government bank in the Philippines participated in this study. Data were obtained through a self-completion questionnaire and a one-on-one interview. Surprisingly, results revealed that declining memory has no significant effect on wisdom. However, wisdom has a positive impact on age discrimination as does age-discrimination on an age-friendly workplace. The authors discuss the implications of these results and highlight directions for future research.     

What underlies successful word problem solving? A path analysis in sixth grade students

Two component skills are thought to be necessary for successful word problem solving: (1) the production of visual-schematic representations and (2) the derivation of the correct relations between the solution-relevant elements from the text base. The first component skill is grounded in the visual–spatial domain, and presumed to be influenced by spatial ability, whereas the latter is seated in the linguistic–semantic domain, and presumed to be influenced by reading comprehension. These component skills as well as their underlying basic abilities are examined in 128 sixth grade students through path analysis. The results of the path analysis showed that both component skills and their underlying basic abilities explained 49% of students’ word problem solving performance. Furthermore, spatial ability and reading comprehension both had a direct and an indirect relation (via the component skills) with word problem solving performance. These results contribute to the development of instruction methods that help students using these components while solving word problems.