The Relations between Frontal Brain Electrical Activity and Cognitive Development during Infancy

The relations between changes in the scalp-recorded electroencephalogram (EEG) and the development of the ability to perform successfully 2 cognitive tasks attributed to frontal lobe functioning were examined in 13 infants from 7 to 12 months of age. Infants successful in performing the A-not-B task with increasingly longer delays across the second half of the first year of life showed changes in power in scalp-recorded brain electrical activity in the frontal region and an increase in anterior/posterior EEG coherence. Infants with rapid mastery of object retrieval did not differ in frontal EEG development from infants who exhibited the normal developmental progression in object retrieval performance. In a task examining inhibition of reaching to a novel toy, there were no differences in frontal EEG as a function of performance. Results from a cross-sectional sample revealed similar findings. These data confirm work with nonhuman primates on the importance of maturation of frontal cortex in the successful performance on certain tasks (A-not-B), but do not confirm nonhuman primate data on the importance of frontal cortex for other tasks (object retrieval). The data also suggest that the electroencephalogram may be useful as a noninvasive measure of central nervous system development during the first year of life.     

Addressing barriers to implementing inclusive education in the Pacific

ABSTRACT

Countries of the Pacific region are currently undergoing significant reforms. While disability inclusive education has been identified as a regional priority by all member nations, implementing inclusive education in the countries of the region can be quite challenging as many barriers continue to hamper the progress of the countries. Unless the barriers are identified and systematically addressed, it is unlikely that the countries will be able to implement a robust and holistic inclusive education strategy. In this paper, we present possible ways in which the countries of the Pacific could make significant progress in implementing a sustainable inclusive education strategy. We used a collaborative approach of co-examining potential barriers that are likely to impede the growth of countries in implementing a comprehensive inclusive education plan of action. We then identified possible strategies that are likely to result in an improved and perhaps more culturally responsive implementation of inclusive education in the Pacific. The most significant barriers identified by the members included: inadequate teacher preparation, stigma and negative attitudes towards people with disabilities, and limited engagement with the local leaders and key stakeholders. Possible strategies for addressing the barriers are outlined and discussed with possible implications for local, regional, and international researchers and policy makers.     

Knowledge of suffixed words: A comparison of reading disabled and nondisabled readers

The present study was undertaken to measure and compare reading disabled and nondisabled readers’ semantic and syntactic knowledge about derivational suffixes as a function of modality (reading versus listening) and as a function of the “neutrality” of the derivative (neutral versus nonneutral). In the present study, neutrality refers to how straightforward and productive is the relationship between the root and derived form, with “completeness” qualifying as a neutral derivative and “completion” a nonneutral derivative. Two experimental tests were designed for the study. The Semantics test measured ability to extract lexical-semantic information from suffixed words, and the Syntax test measured knowledge regarding the part-of-speech contribution of derivational suffixes. In each test the target words were divided equally between neutral and nonneutral derivatives and between items that were either read or listened to. Participants included 20 sixth-grade reading disabled students (6RD), 20 fourth-grade normal readers (4N), and 20 sixth-grade normal readers (6N). In both the Semantics test and the Syntax test all groups scored better on neutral than on nonneutral derivatives while listening and reading, and the RD students were no more affected by neutrality than the nondisabled readers. In the Semantics test all groups scored better in listening than in reading, but the RD group showed the greatest oral-reading difference. The RD group also scored better in listening than reading in the Syntax test (real words), whereas the two nondisabled groups scored better in reading than in listening. Thus, the RD students were better able to demonstrate their knowledge of suffixed words in oral language measures than in reading measures.     

The Case for Women Mentoring Women

ABSTRACT

The authors argue that there will be a critical mass of women in leadership positions in kinesiology and across higher education for substantial gender-based mentoring to take place in the 21st century. First, the current state of women in higher education leadership, trends in mentoring, and the reasons it is important for women who have aspirations to advance in their careers are examined. The authors argue that it is important to have access to gender-based guidance and support that are critical to successful leadership into the future. The authors advocate for a focused, purposeful type of mentoring supported by relational-cultural theory and narrative practice. Men will continue to be important mentors for women, but the authors argue that, at the same time, women also need to have access to the perspectives of other women who have forged the way into higher education administration.     

Understanding Barriers and Solutions Affecting Preschool Attendance in Low-Income Families

ABSTRACT

Preschool attendance problems negatively impact children's school readiness skills and future school attendance. Parents are critical to preschoolers’ attendance. This study explored parental barriers and solutions to preschool attendance in low-income families. School-district administrative data from a racially/ethnically diverse sample of parents with children attending the district's half-day preschool program were obtained (N = 111). Subsamples of parents participated in a phone interview and follow-up, in-person interview. Parents valued early learning and preschool. Children missed school due to illness, problems with child care, transportation, and family life. Differences in attendance rates appeared by school, family demographics, and race/ethnicity. African-Americans and Hispanics experienced more barriers than Whites and Asians, and were more likely to miss school because of illness and medical appointments. Hispanics were more likely to miss for vacation. Parents noted a lack of social connection with other parents in the school/neighborhood, making seeking help to resolve attendance barriers difficult.     

How do parents learn about adolescents' experiences? Implications for parental knowledge and adolescent risky behavior

Cluster analysis was used to identify groups defined by the patterning of fathers' and mothers' sources of knowledge about adolescents' experiences in a sample of 179 families with adolescents (M = 16.5 years). Three clusters emerged for fathers (relational, relies on spouse, relies on others) and mothers (relational, questioners, relies on others). Cluster membership was associated with socioeconomic status, work hours, personal characteristics, and parent-child relationship quality. Longitudinal path analyses revealed that knowledge sources predicted levels of knowledge, which in turn predicted risky behavior 1 year later, indirect paths that were more consistent for fathers than for mothers. Although direct associations between sources of knowledge and subsequent risky behavior were scant, when fathers relied on spouses, youth engaged in less risky behavior.     

IDEA: Identifying design principles in educational applets

The Internet is increasingly being used as a medium for educational software in the form of miniature applications (e.g., applets) to explore concepts in a domain. One such effort in mathematics education, the Educational Software Components of Tomorrow (ESCOT) project, created 42 miniature applications each consisting of a context, a set of questions, and one or more interactive applets to help students explore a mathematical concept. They were designed by experts in interface design, educational technology, and classroom teaching. However, some applications were more successful for fostering student problem-solving than others. This article describes the method used to mine a subset (25) of these applets for design principles that describe successful learner-centered design by drawing on such data as videos of students using the software and summaries of written student work. Twenty-one design principles were identified, falling into the categories of motivation, presentation, and support for problem solving. The main purpose of this article is to operationalize a method for post hoc extraction of design principles from an existing library of educational software, although readers may also find the design principles themselves to be useful. This project was funded by a seed grant from the Center for Innovative Learning Technologies funded by the National Science Foundation (REC # 9720384), and was partially supported by Educational Testing Service. Any opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and not necesarily of Educational Testing Service.     

Pre-service Teachers’ Perceptions of Urban Schools

This study investigates pre-service teachers’ perceptions of urban schools. We asked 41 pre-service teachers, mostly white and female, to report their perceptions of four aspects of urban schools (appearance and atmosphere, resources, students, and teachers) and identify the sources of their perceptions. We analyze the data qualitatively to understand how they perceive urban schools and quantitatively to determine group trends in their perceptions. Findings reveal that their perceptions of urban schools are complex, with negative and positive impressions of selected aspects of urban schools. Implications of these findings for teacher education, in particular, urban field placements and curriculum, are explored.