Effect of Mother's Employment Status on Adolescents' Self Perceptions and Academic Performance

Existing research has not as yet demonstrated that mother's employment per se has consistent effects on adolescent perceptions and academic performance. Recent investigations have focused on the effect of mother's employment and occupational status on adolescents self assessments and school outcomes in intact families. In addition, the effect of father's occupational status on adolescent perceptions and achievements was assessed. A sample of 1675 year students (896 males and 779 females) served as subjects for this investigation.

The major results were that mother's employment outside the home was associated with low preference for science subjects among males while for females, mother's employment status was associated with high preference for mathematics subjects and a favourable attitude to doing well in school. In addition, the occupational status of mothers who did work was related to the amount of control male adolescents felt they had over events affecting their lives: boys with mothers employed in low‐status occupations tended to have more external control orientations than those with mothers employed in high‐status occupations. Also, males with mothers in low‐status occupations had lower preferences for mathematics subjects than males whose mothers were employed in high‐status occupations. However, no variables were entered into the predictive model of mother's occupational status for the female sample. Father's occupational status was also found to be associated with a number of adolescent's perceptions. Implications of these results for research into the effects of mother's employment status and mother's and father's occupational status for adolescent perceptions and performance were discussed.     

The impact of maternal characteristics and contextual variables on infant-mother attachment

This prospective study examined the effects of maternal characteristics, social support, and risk factors on infant-mother attachment in a heterogeneous sample. Two hundred and six women between the ages of 18 and 40 were interviewed during their last trimester of pregnancy and 1 year postpartum. Structural equation modeling revealed that maternal attachment experiences were significantly related to prenatal representations of the infant and of the self as a mother, which were significantly related to infant-mother attachment assessed by the Strange Situation. Maternal risk factors were significantly related to prenatal representations, and social support from other women predicted infant-mother attachment. The overall model indicated a good fit. Thus, both individual and contextual factors were important in explaining infant attachment security.     

Course-level modeling of preservice teacher learning of technology integration

We introduce an analytic approach to examine preservice teachers' technology integration learning as a process mapped against their technology-related course experience in a technology integration course. The approach assumes that (1) the preservice teachers have common course learning experience; (2) their data are collected pre- and post-course and paired; (3) the sample size is large enough to generate a structural covariance model; (4) the measurement is contextualized to the course characteristics around the types of technology tasks/tools used in the course and whether or not they were explicitly taught. The approach was applied to 368 preservice teachers' paired data to illustrate how the approach addresses the methodological issue of construct validity in TPACK measures, highlights the importance of technology integration course experience, and provides useful insights into a particular technology integration learning to its stakeholders.     

REVISING A COLLEGE'S TOTAL CURRICULUM‐THE PROCESS AND THE PRODUCT

ABSTRACT

Use of: curriculum definition, outside consultant review, extensive research tied to outcomes assessment, curriculum planning models, time commitment estimation, and human relations/group dynamics in revising a college's entire curriculum is reported. Although all of the above are important, consensus models to include delphi are the critical catalyst.     

Projekt Chablis – Abrechnungs- und Zahlungskonzepte für Dienstleistungen digitaler Bibliotheken

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

'I Normally Just Ramble On' -Strategies to Improve Writing at Key Stage 3

This article reports the findings of a classroom-based study into the effectiveness of various strategies designed to assist children at Key Stage 3 (11–14 years) to become better writers. It takes account of the attitudes of the pupils themselves and considers the role of the teacher in facilitating improvement in imaginative writing.     

The construct of image and the conduct of change in education

In this article, the author discusses the concept of the individual as essentially autonomous. Subsequently, each individual, in theory, is capable of directing the course of his/her own life. Yet, as persons, we are continually required to confront and even overcome new challenges in life. The potential of every human being to respond to such life experiences in a positive or constructive manner is considered in this article. In short, an individual's power to assume control over unanticipated events, as opposed passively to allowing those events to command the dictates of human existence, is examined. The role and importance of education in equipping individuals to confront and adapt to new life situations is debated. Submissions made by theorists such as Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Viktor Frankl and Paulo Freire are also included.     

Collaborative reflection through story: towards a deeper understanding of ourselves as women researchers

This paper outlines the collaborative inquiry process of three female academics who decided to subject themselves to the same qualitative research procedures that they employed with others. In this inquiry, they were in search of “researcher thinking,” attempting to discover the implicit theories they brought to the research site. The methodology involved telling stories about research experiences and collaboratively reflecting on these stories through discussions, field notes, and written narratives. Unexpectedly, a common story emerged that was fundamental to their identities as researchers and as women. All three experienced a tranformation which facilitated the emergence of both researcher and personal voices. Others who follow this process may also gain personal understandings which will enhance research practices and facilitate understanding the possibility that research might empower those who are participating in it.