Origins of individual differences in imitation: links with language, pretend play, and socially insightful behavior in two-year-old twins

Imitation, vocabulary, pretend play, and socially insightful behavior were investigated in 5,206 same- and opposite-sex 2-year-old twin pairs in the United Kingdom. Individual differences in imitative ability were due to modest heritability (30%), while environmental factors shared between twins (42%) and unique to each twin (28%) also made significant contributions to the variance. Imitation correlated significantly, although modestly, with vocabulary, pretend play, and socially insightful behavior, and the strongest relationship was with vocabulary. A model that represented the covariance between the variables as being due to correlated latent genetic and environmental factors fitted the data well, with shared environmental factors influencing most of the covariance. Parents who encourage imitation may also tend to foster the development of language, pretence, and socially insightful behavior.     

An Assessment of the HIV Prevention Needs of Young Minority Women

This study tested the reliability of nine scales assessing psychosocial mediators of HIV-risk and protective behaviors of young minority women in New York City. Sixty-nine age-eligible women were approached during clinical sessions, 90% (n = 62) agreed to participate, and 83% (n = 57) completed a web-based survey. With one exception, scale measures were reliable. The exception was the scale assessing frequency of sexual communication with partners. This scale did not demonstrate adequate interitem reliability for Black women. Findings provide program planners with a reliable set of measures that may be useful for preintervention needs assessments of young minority women at-risk of acquiring HIV.     

Forms of Life and the Life of Forms: Clay Figurines in Women’s Art

From the end of the XIX century until the second half of the XX century, there is a ‘hidden-stream’ world of women’s popular art in traditional clay work of the Barcelos region – Galegos parishes. At a time when mainstream aesthetic values in fine art are undergoing fundamental change, research into this tradition could contribute to the current status of knowledge of aesthetic value in general, particularly with regard to evaluating the aesthetic in hidden-stream art forms, and the reasons for the negative value attached to female art production. This paper documents and records visually clay figurines of these women artisans, determines how the ceramic tradition is passed on in the community, and reveals the artisans’ views of its meaning, significance, and aesthetic worth. From a feminist perspective, the research will inquire into the aesthetic and other concerns of the women artisans and ascertain their audiences and their reasons for valuing or not valuing the work. Male and female responses to the products of a traditionally female ceramic occupation will be compared. There is a need to document processes of informal and continuous training made available for those who might wish to participate in the future, and to determine the extent to which this heritage is dependent on gender divisions in Portuguese society undergoing a process of change.     

The jury is still out: Psychoemotional support in peer e-mentoring for transition to university

This study investigates how computer mediated communication (CMC) can sustain nourishing and emotionally enriching peer mentoring relations. A peer electronic mentoring program was implemented in an Irish university to facilitate freshmen's transition to college. A sample of 123 participants (42 mentors and 81 mentees) was evaluated with a combination of mixed methods including a pre-program adjustment scale, online participation records, content analysis of online interactions and end of program interviews. Results reveal that volunteer freshmen experienced greater psychoemotional needs than the general student population. Personal and emotional interactions often developed, especially if the mentoring pair met face-to-face first and the fresher did not have an alternative support network. However, mentors often expected to develop intimate and lasting support relationships while mentees did not always share this expectation. Perceptions of CMC were strongly determined by individual preferences. Implications for e-mentoring programs and Web 2.0 use are discussed.     

Is Online Learning the Silver Bullet for Men of Color? An Institutional-Level Analysis of the California Community College System

The spread of online courses and programs in community colleges across the nation has contributed to a redefinition of open-access education. Accordingly, the growth in online courses has drawn attention to the value of different instructional modalities, particularly with regard to their effectiveness in learning, retention, and success. As a result, this study sought to determine whether or not there were differences in students’ academic success and course retention for community college men by racial/ethnic affiliation. This study used institutional data on men enrolled in California’s community college system to provide greater insight into the effect of online learning on student success. Findings illustrated that Asian, Black, Latino, and White men were more likely to have higher success outcomes when engaged in face-to-face modalities. There were no clear patterns in which online modality was better than others with regards to success, except for Black men. For these men, asynchronous with multimedia was identified as the second most effective online modality pertaining to success. This research has demonstrated the manifold benefits of face-to-face instruction. As such, face-to-face courses seemed to be the best type of modality for community college men. For that reason, careful consideration must be taken when promoting online learning to Asian, Black, Latino, and White men in community colleges. Though, further research is needed to better understand variation in the presentation of online learning materials and the structure of interactions within online classrooms.     

Illuminating the (in)visibility of female scholars: a gendered analysis of publishing rates within educational technology journals from 2004 to 2015

This research study utilized bibliometric methods to analyze publication rates among female and male lead authors in six prominent, peer-reviewed journals in Educational Technology (ET) fields over the past 12 years. The aim of the inquiry was to determine if differences or trends exist in the number of articles published by each gender. Data analysis revealed notable differences in publication rates between genders, and key findings indicate that while women overall published less than half of the articles from all journals sampled, two journals with a focus on primary and secondary (P-12) educational contexts have consistently published more articles written by female lead authors than male authors. The findings of this study hold practical relevance in terms of addressing the (in)visibility of female scholars in ET fields and may be used to promote discussions and actions related to the intersections between gender, equity, and the culture of scholarly publishing.     

Emergence of choice strategies in the rat: Shift-stay differentiation precedes win-lose differentiation

The choice strategies of rat pups between 12 and 21 days of age were studied in a two-choice discrimination procedure that used access to a nonlactating anesthetized dam as a reward. After receiving a reward (win) or not receiving a reward (lose), a pup repeated a previous choice (stay) or made an alternative response (shift). At 12 and 15 days of age, pups demonstrated neither a stay nor a shift response strategy; at 18 and 21 days of age, pups had a robust tendency to shift. Winning or losing did not alter behavior until 21 days of age, at which point winning produced a greater tendency to return to the initially visited location for rats in the stay condition.     

When being able is not enough. The combined value of positive affect and self-efficacy for job satisfaction in teaching

This study examines how good strategies and praxis interplay with positive affect and self-efficacy to determine a teacher's job satisfaction, in the hypothesis that teaching effectively does not in itself guarantee satisfaction: positive affect and self-efficacy beliefs are needed. Self-assessment scales, designed to assess the use of efficient teaching strategies and praxes, self-efficacy in teaching, positive affect and job satisfaction, were completed by 399 teachers. Structural equation modelling (SEM) analysis revealed the mediating role of both positive affect and self-efficacy beliefs in the relationship between teaching strategies/praxes and job satisfaction.     

Are males always better than females in mental rotation? Exploring a gender belief explanation

Males outperform females in the Mental Rotation Test (MRT) for biological, strategic and cultural reasons. The present research tested a motivational explanation with the hypothesis that females could do better when induced to have positive beliefs and expectations. All-female and all-male samples were divided into six groups, each having listened to different instructions: 1. men are better than women at this task; 2. women are better than men; 3. control instructions with no gender reference. Each group was further allocated to either the easy or the difficult task expectations condition. Experimental manipulation affected performance differently in relation to gender. Women's performance was affected by positive instructions about gender. Men were affected by instructions about the task difficulty. Women improved performance and reached men's scores in the MRT when they were led to believe they were better than men.     

Exploratory analysis of decentralized governance and its implications for the equity of early childhood education services in four countries of Europe and Central Asia

We conducted a qualitative study in four countries of the Europe and Central Asia (ECA) region and explored the Early Childhood Education (ECE) policy landscape with an emphasis on the challenges and opportunities decentralization has presented for the provision of services. We content-analyzed ECE policies and documents to map national approaches to ECE. Key informant interviews were conducted to assess the implementation of decentralized ECE governance. An analytical framework that combined core constructs of ECE systems and key domains of decentralization (autonomy, institutional capacity and accountability) was developed and applied. Our analysis points to four overarching processes that contribute to the perpetuation and possible increase of inequitable ECE including (1) sparse mechanisms for participatory and autonomous policy formulation, with few systematic efforts to strengthen local institutional capacities; (2) fragmented policy approaches to promote the assessment and strengthening of quality at scale; (3) funding frameworks and financing schemes that tend to benefit enrolment in contexts of higher levels of economic development; and (4) few mechanisms for coordination to ensure operational coherence across the ECE sector.