USE OF CRITICAL INCIDENTS FOR PLANNING,IMPLEMENTING, AND EVALUATING A TRAINING PROGRAM FOR FOSTER GRANDPARENTS

The authors report the planning, implementation, and evaluation of a training program for foster grandparents employed at a residential diagnostic and treatment center for disturbed children and youth. The training needs were assessed by task and performance analysis procedures, including the use of critical incident technique. A scoring procedure derived values for various responses to a set of problem situations presented to each foster grandparent. The training objectives focused on the role of the foster grandparents in helping their charges to develop socially acceptable behavior. A cognitive problem‐solving strategy was taught by use primarily of role‐modeling and role‐playing methods. The effectiveness of training was evaluated by comparing pretraining scores on a problem situation test with posttraining scores. Foster grandparents who had been highly rated by supervisors on an independent criterion improved with training; the others did not.     

Understandingg in terms of information processing

Psychometric g, the general factor in individual differences in all types of tests and performances involving any mental ability, has much wider importance and implications than are encompassed by the field of psychometrics. It is argued that the nature of g must be understood in terms of information processes rather than in terms of the specific knowledge and skills that are seen in the content of conventional mental tests. The wide range of individual differences in g and disparities in the distribution of g in different subpopulations have important implications for understanding some of the major problems confronting public education.     

As Science Students Become Science Teachers: A Perspective on Learning Orientation

Journal of Science Teacher Education -     

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提出学术图书馆与其服务对象之间一对一关系的服务策略 ,并就该服务方式的可行性、实施过程中的主要步骤以及有关计算机网络通讯技术在一对一服务中的应用问题进行阐述与探讨。     

An assessment instrument for identifying counseling needs of elementary-aged students: The multimodal sentence completion form for children (MSCF-C)

This article discusses the use of a sentence completion instrument predicated on Lazarus' multimodal system. The instrument, entitled The Multimodal Sentence Completion Form for Chindren (MSCF-C), is designed to systematically assess client needs and assist in identifying intervention strategies. Administration procedures and profile development also are addressed. To assist the reader in understanding the strengths and limitations of the MSCF-C, a case study of a 12-year-old sixth-grade student is presented. Based on the verbatim responses of this student, a profile of client characteristics and plausible strategies was outlined.     

The impact of action learning: what difference are we making in the world?

Involvement in a number of action-learning programmes and associated development opportunities has led the Professional Development Centre Limited to question the relevance of a strict adherence to the ‘rules’ of action learning as described by Reg Revans. A deliberate focus of one such programme to a financial services organisation offered some insights into the challenges of introducing action learning into the field. Pressures on organisations of time and business expedients might make them believe that action learning is too slow a technique to offer real rewards. However, elements of the action-learning story do resonate in the workplace, key concepts that appear to ‘stick’ are listening, questioning and equality. The utilisation of these skills enhances leadership and organisational development and can still provide a useful set of actions to aim for. This is especially true in problem solving and the way in which respect and equality can re-create a different environment or development space.     

Variables affecting physics achievement

Much research has focused on student views about physics concepts, with an emphasis on the identification of alternative conceptions, and how curricula and professional development may ameliorate the situation. However, there has been little work on determining the extent of, and in separating, the student and teacher/classroom level variables that may impact student physics achievement. This study examined the effect of different student and teacher/classroom level variables on student understanding of physics concepts using hierarchical linear modeling (HLM), a regression based technique. The data were collected from 68 different teachers and 3,119 students who were using a reform curriculum, Active Physics. Teachers and students completed surveys asking about their beliefs, their classes and their personal characteristics. Students also completed a physics achievement test. The data show that students of teachers who used Active Physics for a greater portion of the year scored higher on the achievement test than did students of teachers who did not use the curriculum as much. Furthermore, the data show that the achievement gap was narrowed between boys and girls and between students with different attitudes toward physics. Additionally teachers who received inservice instruction on how to implement Active Physics narrowed the gap between students with different views of their classroom involvement. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 46: 961–976, 2009