Profiles of change in motivation for teaching in higher education at an American research university

The current study employed an emergent theoretical model of teaching role identity and motivation to investigate the change in conception of and motivation for teaching in higher education of research graduate students who teach in the United States. Fifteen participants took a graduate-level seminar as part of a two-course teaching professional development (PD) program. Qualitative content analysis of the participants’ pre-seminar and post-seminar reflective essays focused on change in the theoretical model’s components – participants’ goals, self-perceptions, epistemological beliefs, and action possibilities – and their alignment. The findings suggested four kinds of change in each component, ranging from dramatic change to reversed change, as well as three general profiles of change labeled ‘Transformation,’ ‘Elaboration’, and ‘Stagnation’. The model proved useful in conceptualizing the change in participants’ teaching-related conceptions and motivation and could provide a guide for future research on teaching motivation and for designing and evaluating teaching PD in higher education.     

Understanding the Link Between Noncognitive Attributes and College Retention

The attention to students’ noncognitive attributes has recently flourished within academic research and public discourse. This paper adds to the literature by examining the interrelationships among several key noncognitive attributes as well as exploring direct and indirect relationships between noncognitive attributes and second-year retention. Within a multi-institutional sample of 10,622 students, academic self-efficacy, academic grit, self-discipline, and time management all load onto a single noncognitive factor with strong inter-item correlations and internal reliability. Moreover, structural equation modeling analyses indicate a sizable and positive indirect effect of noncognitive attributes on college retention, which is mediated by social adjustment, institutional commitment, and college grade point average.

     

Facilitators and Barriers to the Implementation of EMOTION: An Indicated Intervention for Young Schoolchildren

ABSTRACT

Research on implementation of school-based transdiagnostic interventions, conducted by personnel from the municipal services is limited. We investigated facilitators and barriers regarding implementation of EMOTION, an intervention targeting symptoms of anxiety and depression in children 8–12 years. Trained health- and childcare professionals completed one questionnaire before (N?=?63) and a separate questionnaire after running an EMOTION group (N?=?66). Twelve of the group leaders were interviewed to provide additional information regarding implementation. Results indicated that factors such as a perceived need for the intervention and positive attitudes from the group leaders facilitated implementation. Hindering factors were related to time constraints, workload, unsupportive leaders, and lack of cooperation from the schools. Allocating resources to implementation specifically could promote future use of the program.     

Editorial

Ohne Zusammenfassung

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Editorial

     

Images of science teaching: An exploration of the beliefs of preservice secondary science teachers

Science graduates who enrol in a preservice Graduate Diploma of Education bring with them many years of experience as learners of science. These will have enabled them to develop implicit theories about what a science teacher is and does. Such implicit theories almost certainly affect the process of becoming a teacher, and may prove persistent despite the input from University and school during the Dip. Ed. year and beyond. This paper presents the research method and results obtained from a group of graduates on entry to their Diploma course. Concept maps and Repertory Grid interviews were obtained from eleven graduates, with varying life experiences. The paper presents analyses of these and explores emerging themes. Specializations: reflective teaching, general science and biology, curriculum and assessment.     

Reading in the Gaps and Lacks: (De)Constructing Masculinity in Louis Sachar’s Holes

Louis Sachar’s novel Holes (US, 1998; UK, 2000) has received much praise from both critics and child readers, who love the complex tall tale he has woven about two boys whose lives are connected by fate and an almost magical legacy of ancestral curses and obligations. Because the novel is not (on many levels) realistic, and relies heavily on folk tale motifs, fantastically exaggerated characters and situations, and surreal imagery, the boys, and the fictional world surrounding them, are constructed in less “politically correct” ways than fans of the book might initially recognize, or even want to admit. While Holes may, on the surface, appear to champion a kinder and gentler version of masculinity, on the level of the subconscious, it portrays a more visceral, more Oedipal version of boyhood attempting to distance itself from its mother (or (m)Other) and all things feminine. In the process of its narrative, Holes, as a text, often treats feminine traits, symbols, and characters as frightening, disgusting, or excessive aspects – like the gaping holes in the landscape or the cruel Warden – that need to be filled in, covered over, silenced, or expelled. Annette Wannamaker is an Assistant Professor of Children’s Literature in the Department of English Language and Literature at Eastern Michigan University. She has published articles about children’s literature, drama, and gender, and is working on a book length study of portrayals of masculinity in children’s texts. Sachar, Holes.     

Teachers’ perceptions of disruptive behaviour in schools: a psychological perspective

This article reports on an investigation into school teachers’ perceptions of disruptive behaviour from a psychological perspective. The inter-disciplinary nature of this research bridges the understanding between educational and psychological perspectives on disruptive behaviour. This article discusses evidence that for the most troubled pupils, effective behaviour management at school necessitates a more nurturing and collaborative approach alongside current disciplinary policy. Two studies are reported which examine teachers’ perceptions of disruptive behaviour at school. Discussion focuses on findings of a postal questionnaire sent to 426 primary and secondary schools across England, regarding teachers’ perceptions on the extent to which pupils can control their disruptive behaviour. A further 122 primary schools were sent the questionnaire via SurveyMonkey. The findings illustrate that there is variation in how teachers in primary and secondary schools regard their pupils’ behaviour. Implications of the findings are discussed with reference to attachment theory.     

‘Discipline Your Ladies … So They Become Independent’: A Discourse on the Beginnings of Women’s Skiing in the Black Forest,Germany

Abstract

The Black Forest is considered to be the cradle of skiing in Germany. In 2016, the 125th anniversary of the beginning of skiing in the Black Forest is being celebrated. Over the decades, skiing developed into a very popular sport for men and women in Germany and spread to the Alps. Presently, the German Ski Federation (Deutscher Skiverband, DSV) has over 500,000 members, about 40% being women. This paper will concentrate on the first decades of women’s skiing in the Black Forest until the First World War. To present a wider picture, in some sections, it will be necessary to relate to other parts of Germany. A special focus will be put on competitive skiing, skiing as a social event and the discourse about women’s ski clothes.     

The application of a multi-dimensional assessment approach to talent identification in Australian football

ABSTRACT

This study investigated whether a multi-dimensional assessment could assist with talent identification in junior Australian football (AF). Participants were recruited from an elite under 18 (U18) AF competition and classified into two groups; talent identified (State U18 Academy representatives; n = 42; 17.6 ± 0.4 y) and non-talent identified (non-State U18 Academy representatives; n = 42; 17.4 ± 0.5 y). Both groups completed a multi-dimensional assessment, which consisted of physical (standing height, dynamic vertical jump height and 20 m multistage fitness test), technical (kicking and handballing tests) and perceptual-cognitive (video decision-making task) performance outcome tests. A multivariate analysis of variance tested the main effect of status on the test criterions, whilst a receiver operating characteristic curve assessed the discrimination provided from the full assessment. The talent identified players outperformed their non-talent identified peers in each test (P < 0.05). The receiver operating characteristic curve reflected near perfect discrimination (AUC = 95.4%), correctly classifying 95% and 86% of the talent identified and non-talent identified participants, respectively. When compared to single assessment approaches, this multi-dimensional assessment reflects a more comprehensive means of talent identification in AF. This study further highlights the importance of assessing multi-dimensional performance qualities when identifying talented team sports.