What do they know?: An assessment of undergraduate library skills

This article, which examines variables affecting scores on a test of library skills, finds that the frequency with which students receive assignments requiring library research is the best predictor of a score. The unevenness is students' research skills has implications for bibliographic instruction.     

Modification of attitudes of regular class children towards the handicapped for the purpose of achieving integration

Two experimental procedures for positively modifying the attitudes of regular classroom children towards the handicapped were conducted. In both studies, curriculum and/or experiences with the handicapped were introduced to randomly selected groups of regular class elementary children. The curriculum consisted of literature, filmstrips, and lectures about handicapped children, while the experiences consisted of controlled integrational activities. The results indicated that the procedures were partially successful in modifying the attitudes of regular class children towards the handicapped. It was concluded that techniques must be developed systematically for achieving more positive attitudes in regular class children if “mainstreaming” is to become an effective educational concept.     

Policies for Reporting Test Results to Parents

What are the state and district policies on reporting test results to parents? How well do local districts follow state policies?     

Different for women? The challenges of doctoral studies

This exploratory study investigates gender-specific differences in the challenges of the doctoral experience through the observations of a counsellor working with doctoral students. The article first contextualises the study within the literature investigating doctoral attrition and gender equity, showing that identity transformation over the doctorate is problematic in particular aspects for women. We confirm that cultural expectations regarding women passivity, family nurturance and (at least symbolic) subordination to male authority can cause tensions between women's social relationships and academic performance which values assertiveness, clear communication and confident management of power relationships. We identify various conflicts between the female roles of the social sphere and the academic arena that problematise the identity transition of the doctorate from student to independent researcher.     

The role of outdoor recreation in family enrichment

Abstract

The family is the fundamental unit in society and perhaps the oldest and most important of all human institutions. Several studies have indicated a positive correlation between strong, successful families and family participation in outdoor recreational activities. This paper addresses the role of structured outdoor recreation programming in family enrichment. Findings from two studies based in the United States are presented: one on the effect of a one-day family outdoor adventure program on parental and child perceptions of family functioning and the other from a qualitative inquiry into the meaning of family residential camping experiences. The first study collected both quantitative and qualitative data from 24 families who participated in an 8-hour outdoor adventure program. The second study utilized structured interviews with 11 families participating in a residential camp experience. Findings from both studies demonstrate that structured outdoor family recreation programming has a strong positive relationship with family strength. Furthermore, findings indicate that the type of outdoor adventure activities being used in the treatment of dysfunctional and maladaptive families is also effective in providing family enrichment experiences.     

Expatriate parents and supplementary education in Japan: survival strategy or acculturation strategy

The increase in the use of supplementary education, or juku, in Japan by Japanese families in order to augment their children’s chances of success in entering prestigious pre-tertiary and tertiary institutions is documented (Blumenthal in Asian Surv 32(5):448–460, 1992; Bray and Lykins in Shadow education; private supplementary tutoring and its implications for policy makers in Asia, Asian Development Bank, Philippines, 2012; Dierkes in The Focus: Supplementary education in Asia, International Institute of Asian Studies, Leiden, The Netherlands, 2011; Roesgaard in Japanese education and the cram school business; Functions, challenges and perspectives of the juku, Nordic Institution of Asian Studies, Copenhagen, 2006; Rohlen in J Jpn Stud 6(2):207–242, 1980; Tsukada in Comp Educ, 24(3):285–303, 1988), but there is little known about the use of supplementary education by an ever-growing number of families in Japan in which one or both parents are an expatriate. This exploratory countrywide study of such families hopes to address this lack of research. Initial results show that while a number of factors related to their own culture and values about childhood, education, and family life influence some families’ decision not to send their children to juku, most families tend to use these services for many of the same reasons as their Japanese counterparts, although to a different degree. In addition, they seem to use these services because they are counseled to do so by insiders, or because supplementary education provides other services which help them to navigate the Japanese educational system. Expatriate families’ use of supplementary education could be one of many acculturation strategies they use as they adapt to Japan’s educational culture.