The design and development of a multimedia case‐based environment on parental engagement

The purpose of this paper is to present the rationale and principles that guided the design and development of PARENTS, a multimedia case‐based environment. Following a development research approach, the tenets of constructivist learning, and the advantages of case‐based instruction, we developed a multimedia program in which we utilized and incorporated the findings of the longitudinal study Ecologies of Parental Engagement (EPE). EPE focused on parents in high‐poverty urban communities and the roles they play in elementary schools that are active in implementing reform‐based science education. The main purpose of the multimedia program PARENTS was to help preservice science teachers to explore and reflect on themes of parental engagement in high‐poverty urban school settings. In this paper, we present the design and conceptual framework behind the first prototype of PARENTS.

Conception et développement d'un environnement multimedia sur l'implication des parents fondé sur des études de cas

Le but de cet article est de présenter le raisonnement et les principes qui ont orienté la conception et le développement de PARENTS, qui est un environnement multimedia fondé sur des études de cas. En suivant une approche “recherche et développement”, les principes de l'apprentissage constructiviste et les points forts de l'enseignement basé sur les études de cas, nous avons mis au point un programme multimedia dans lequel nous avons utilisé et intégré les résultats d'une enquête longitudinale – Ecologies de l'Engagement Parental (EPE). EPE a porté sur les parents se trouvant dans des communautés urbaines très pauvres et sur le rôle qu'ils jouent dans des écoles élémentaires engagées dans la mise en ?uvre des réformes de l'enseignement des sciences. Le but principal du programme multimedia PARENTS était d'aider les enseignants de sciences en formation initiale à explorer et à réfléchir sur la thématique de l'engagement parental dans les écoles se trouvant dans des zones urbaines de grande pauvreté.

Entwurf und Entwicklung eines multimedia Fall‐ basierten Umfelds auf das elterliche Engagement

Dieser Beitrag soll die Gründe und Prinzipien aufzeigen, die zu Entwurf und Entwicklung von PARENTS, einer Multimedia‐Fall‐basierten Umgebung, geführt haben. Nach der Entwicklung eines Forschungs‐Ansatzes auf den Grundsätzen des konstruktivistischen Lernens, und dem Berücksichtigen der Vorteile fall‐basierter Anweisungen entwickelten wir ein Multimediaprogramm, in dem wir die Ergebnisse einer Langzeitstudie – Ecologies of Parental Engagement (EPE) – nutzten und einfügten. EPE ist auf Eltern in städtischen Gemeinden mit großer Armut ausgerichtet und auf ihre Rolle, die sie in Grundschulen mit reformbasiertem naturwissenschaftlichem Unterricht spielen können. Der Hauptzweck des Multimediaprogramms PARENTS war, in Ausbildung befindlichen Lehrern für Naturwissenschaften zu helfen, auf dem Gebiet des elterlichen Engagements in sehr armen städtischen Schulbereichen zu forschen und zu reflektieren.

Diseño y Desarrollo de un entorno multimedia basado en estudios de casos sobre el compromiso de los padres

El propósito del presente artículo es de presentar los fundamentos y principios que han orientado el diseño y desarrollo de PADRES, un entorno multimedia basado en estudios de casos. Siguiendo una metodología de investigación y desarrollo y también los principios del aprendizaje constructivista así como las ventajas de la instrucción basada en estudios de casos, hemos desarrollado un programa multimedia en el cual hemos utilizado y integrado los resultados de una encuesta longitudinal – Ecologías del Compromiso de los Padres (EPE). EPE trata de esos padres que viven en comunidades urbanas muy pobres y del papel que desempeñan en las escuelas primarias que se han comprometido a poner en práctica las reformas de la enseñanza de las ciencias. El objetivo principal del programa multimedia PADRES (PARENTS) era de ayudar a los futuros profesores de ciencias para explorar y reflexionar sobre la temática del compromiso paterno en las escuelas ubicadas en zonas urbanas extremamente pobres.     

Sex differences in history ability

Education as the Psychologist Sees It. By W. B. Pillsbury (University of Michigan). New York: The Macmillan Co., 1925. Pp. ix + 342.

New Practical English for High Schools. By W. D. Lewis and J. F. Hosic. American Book Co., 1925. Pp. 448.

Experiments and Exercises in Educational Psychology. By Harvey A. Peterson (Illinois State Normal University). Bloomington, Ill.: Public School Publishing Co., 1925. Pp. 256.

Century Readings in Ancient Classical and Medieval and Modern European Literature. Edited by John W. Cunliffe and Grant Showerman. New York: Century Co., 1925. Part I: Pp. xx + 614. Part II: vi + 543. Price, two vols, in one, $5 ; each, separately bound, $3.50.

Psychology: A Study of Mental Activity. By Harvey A. Cars (University of Chicago). New York: Longmans, Green &; Co., 1925. Pp. v + 432.

Prose and Poetry of the Revolution. Edited by Frederick C. Prescott and John H. Nelson. New York: T. Y. Crowell Co., 1925. Pp. xxiv + 266. Price, $1.50 net.

Training in Literary Appreciation. By F. H. Pritchard. New York: T. Y. Crowell Co., 1924. Pp. x + 237.

The Hale Literary Readers (Books One, Two, and Three). By Edward Everett Hale (Union College). Yonkers: Word Book Co., 1925. Pp., Book One, ix + 244; Book Two, xi + 243; Book Three, xii + 244. Price, 60 cents each.

Civic Sociology. By Edward Alsworth Eoss (University of Wisconsin). Yonkers: World Book Co., 1925. Pp. viii + 365. Price, $1.80.

Child‐Library Readers. Book Two—By W. H. Elson and Lura E. Runkel. Pp. 240. Price, $0.68. Book Eight—By W. H. Elson and Mary H. Burris. Pp. 560. Chicago: Scott, Foresman &; Co., 1925.

How to Know Textiles. By Cassie Paine Small (University of Washington). Boston: Ginn &; Co., 1925. Pp. xxiii + 374. Price, $1.56.

Memory Selections. By Edward W. Stitt (Associate Superintendent of Schools, New York City). New York: Hinds, Hayden &; Eldredge, 1925. Pp. xvi + 295. Price, $1.60.

The Jones Spelling Book. By W. Franklin Jones. Chicago: Hall &; McCreary Co., 1925. Pp. xxiv + 227.

Business Letter Writing. By Roy Davis (Boston University) and Clarence H. Lingham. Boston: Ginn &; Co., 1925. Pp. v + 317. Price, $1.40.

Teaching English in High Schools. By Russell A. Sharp. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1924. (Riverside Educational Monographs.) Pp. 175. Price, $1.20. Sensible; wholesome in attitude; conservative, yet modern; full of good suggestions. The author has read and thought much about teaching English. Perhaps too inclusive for its size.

Summary of Investigations Relating to Reading. By William Scott Gray. Chicago: The University of Chicago, 1925. (Supplementary Educational Monographs.) Pp. viii + 276. Price, $2. Paper‐bound.

Summary of Educational Investigations Relating to Arithmetic. By Guy Thomas Buswell and Charles Hubbard Judd. Chicago: The University of Chicago, 1925. (Supplementary Educational Monographs.) Pp. viii + 212. Price, $1.50. Paper‐bound.

Educational Cross‐Word Puzzle Book. By Robert K. Speer (Teachers College) and J. Ralph McGaughy (Teachers College). Yonkers: World Book Co., 1925. Pp. 53. Price, $0.52. Paper‐bound.

College English Grammar. By George 0. Curme (Northwestern University). Richmond, Va.: Johnson Publishing Co., 1925. Pp. xxii + 414.

Paper Cutting. By Annye Allison (Public Schools, Richmond, Va.). Milwaukee: Bruce Publishing Co., 1924. Pp. 159. Price, $2.25.

Applied English Grammar. By D. S. Burleson (East Tennessee State Normal School). Boston: Allyn &; Bacon, 1925. Pp. xii + 381.

Stories About Bears. By Lilian Gask. New York: T. Y. Crowell Co., 1925. Pp. 167. Price, $1.50 net.

Learning to Typewrite, with a Discussion of the Psychology and Pedagogy of Skill. By William F. Book (Indiana University). New York: The Gregg Publishing Co., 1925. Pp. xix + 463. Price, $2.80.

The Boys' Book of Pirates. By Henry Gilbert. New York: T. Y. Crowell Co. Pp. 319. Price, $2.75 net.

Treasure Island. By Robert Louis Stevenson. Illustrated by Stephen Reid. New York: T. Y. Crowell Co., 1925. Pp. 318. Price, $1.50 net.

Famous American Statesmen. By Sarah K. Bolton. New York: T. Y. Crowell Co., 1925. Pp. 381. Price, $2 net.

The Psychology of Skill. By William F. Book (Indiana University). New York: The Gregg Publishing Co., 1925. Pp. ix + 257. Price, $2.

The Book of Plants. By Bertha Morris Parker (University of Chicago) and Henry Chandler Cowles (University of Chicago). Cambridge: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1925. Pp. vi + 252. Price, $0.88.

The Poems of Robert Louis Stevenson. Introduction by William P. Trent. New York: T. Y. Crowell Co., 1925. Pp. xxiv + 358. Price, $1.75 net.

The Poetical Works of Alexander Pope. Edited by A. W. Ward. New York: T. Y. Crowell Co., 1925. Pp. lii + 569. Price, $1.75 net.

Elementary Psychology. By Arthur I. Gates (Teachers College). New York: The Macmillan Co., 1925. Pp. xv + 594.

Physiological Chemistry. By C. J. V. Pettibone (University of Minnesota). St. Louis: C. V. Mosby Co., 1923. Pp. 376.

What Evolution Is. By George Howard Parker (Harvard University). Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1925. Pp. vii + 173. Price, $1.50.

Common Science. By Carleton W. Washburne. Yonkers: World Book Co., 1925. Pp. xv + 390.

How to Teach General Science. By J. O. Frank. Oshkosh, Wis.: The Author, 1925. Pp. xvi + 194. Price, $2.

Workaday Arithmetic. By Margaret M. Campbell. New York: The Century Co., 1924. Pp. xxv + 179.

Teaching Agriculture. By James B. Berry (Vocational Supervisor, Pennsylvania). Yonkers: World Book Co., 1924. Pp. xiv + 230. Price, $2.

Modern Algebras‐Ninth School Year. By Raleigh Schobung (University of Michigan) and John R. Clark (Teachers College). Yonkers: World Book Co., 1924. Pp. xiii + 382.

The Teaching of Science and the Science Teacher. By Hebert Brownell (University of Nebraska) and Frank B. Wade (Shortridge High School, Indianapolis). New York: The Century Co. Pp. xi + 322. Price, $2.

A Treasury of Verse for Little Children. Selected by M. G. Edgar. Color frontispiece and sixteen drawings by Willy Pogany. New York: T. Y. Crowell Co. Pp. 152. Price, $1.50 net.

Folk Tales from Many Lands. Retold by Lilian Gask. Illustrated by Willy Pogany. New York: T. Y. Crowell Co., Pp. 301. Price, $2.50 net.

Plant and Animal Improvement. By Elmer Roberts (University of Illinois) and Eugene Davenport (University of Illinois). Boston: Ginn &; Co., 1925. Pp. xii + 174. Price, $1.32.

The Teaching of Elementary Algebra. By Paul Ligda (McClymonds High School, Oakland). Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1925. Pp. xvii + 256. Price, $1.90.     

Exploring the educational aspirations–expectations gap in eighth grade students: implications for educational interventions and school reform

Over the past three decades, more and more students are expressing a desire to attend college, yet for many members of disenfranchised groups, this goal is often not attained. While many factors contribute to these disparities, research has shown that students begin adjusting their expectations (what they think they can achieve) for the future in relation to their idealised aspirations (what they would like to achieve). The current study explores this gap among 207 eighth grade students from two urban middle schools. Using the School Attitude Assessment Survey-Revised, three factors were found to predict expectations which matched student aspirations. These factors were academic motivation and self-regulating behaviours, academic self-perception and attitudes towards teachers. Implications for educational interventions and school reform are discussed.     

Primary grade students engage in creative word play through traditional and hands-on methods

Word play is an important skill allowing product names, show titles, jokes, poetry and other writings or orations to be interesting, entertaining and well-remembered. This pretest–posttest counterbalanced study compared two instructional approaches for teaching second and third grade students (n = 71) word play skills. Students at a public elementary school in Iowa, United States studied vowel patterns and rhyming as part of the regular school curriculum for literacy through two conditions: a traditional format of reading, pocket charts, worksheets and oral discussion; versus a more concrete approach of arranging objects and corresponding word cards in a chart-like formation. There was no significant difference in student performance between the conditions but an attitude survey indicated that a large majority of students preferred the object boxes for understanding of word play concepts and task enjoyment.     

The role of a professional learning community in teacher change: a perspective from beliefs and practices

This longitudinal study aimed to examine the role of a professional learning community (PLC) in changing teachers’ beliefs and practices. Teachers of a Chinese department in a Hong Kong secondary school were interviewed and observed. The findings indicate that the features of a PLC-facilitating teacher change are development of a coherent structure, a collaborative culture, and effective learning activities. These help teachers to overcome initial difficulties and induce their motivation for transformation. Teacher change in five dimensions (curriculum, teaching, learning, roles of teachers, and learning to teach) and three patterns (change in practice but not in belief, change in belief but not in practice, change in practice and belief) were detected. It is argued that cultivating an effective PLC is significant to teacher development.     

Recess, physical education, and elementary school student outcomes

Today's children experience a decreased amount of time at recess and fewer physical education (PE) classes throughout the school day. Breaks for physical activity limit class time for academics, potentially reducing learning. However, breaks may improve alertness and achievement. Using the Early Childhood Longitudinal Survey Kindergarten Class of 1998-1999, we evaluate how recess and PE in elementary school influence children's learning. We find no statistically significant or economically significant impacts of weekly recess or PE time on student learning for kindergarteners through fifth graders. For example, in kindergarten, adding an hour a week of recess reduces the average test score gain in reading by a statistically insignificant 0.01 standard deviations. An additional 49 min per week of PE in kindergarten improves reading test score gains by a statistically insignificant 0.05 standard deviations. We find no statistical difference in the male and female students’ response to recess and PE. Evidence suggests that recess and PE do not harm student outcomes.     

Parental child abuse potential and subsequent coping competence in disadvantaged preschool children: moderating effects of sex and ethnicity

This study evaluated the effects of abuse potential in parents on subsequent coping competence domains in their children, using a model empirically supported in a high-risk community sample by Moreland and Dumas (2007). Data from an ethnically diverse sample of 579 parents enrolled in the PACE (Parenting Our Children to Excellence) program was used to evaluate whether parental child abuse potential assessed at pre-intervention negatively contributed to child affective, achievement, and social coping competence in preschoolers one year later, and whether these associations were moderated by sex or ethnicity. Cross-sectional results indicated that parental child abuse potential was negatively related to child affective and achievement coping competence, after accounting for variance associated with child behavior problems. However, child abuse potential was not predictive of subsequent coping competence in any domain after controlling for previous levels of child coping competence. No moderating effects were found for sex and ethnicity, but results showed main effects of sex and ethnicity in cross-sectional analyses. Clinical implications and future directions are discussed.     

Flavor avoidance learning based on missing calories but not on palatability reduction

Avoidance of a target flavor can be produced by providing rats with a highly nutritious solution of 20?% maltodextrin (20?%Malto) in some sessions and a 3?% maltodextrin (3?%Malto) solution containing the target flavor in intermixed sessions. Since 20?%Malto is both more nutritious and more palatable than 3?%Malto, flavor avoidance could arise because the flavor signals either a reduction in calories or reduced palatability, or both. Pilot testing established that rats strongly preferred 3?%Malto plus 0.1?% saccharin to both unflavored 3?%Malto and unflavored 20?%Malto. The two main experiments tested whether the palatability difference, which the pilot data had suggested was larger than the difference between 20?%Malto and 3?%Malto, could produce flavor avoidance. In both experiments, one group of rats were given 3?%Malto plus 0.1?% saccharin on some days, intermixed with other days on which this group was given 3?%Malto plus the target flavor, almond. Neither when trained and tested under conditions of food deprivation (Experiment 1) nor when trained and tested sated (Experiment 2) did palatability reduction produce almond avoidance. In contrast, calorie reduction produced almond avoidance under both conditions. These results suggest that flavor avoidance can be produced by intermixed training involving solutions that differ in nutritious value and palatability, but not when they differ only in palatability.