Teaching Psychological and Social Gerontology to Millennial Undergraduates

Matters of development and generation may create barriers in teaching millennial undergraduates psychological and social gerontology. We introduce strategy to mitigate these barriers by teaching psychological and social gerontology as undergraduate honors courses, augmented with the use of social networking tools. We detail honors programming, critical analysis of extant literature, ethnographic fieldwork to observe the “other” and build rapport, visual image analysis, and use of social networking tools to enhance intellectual and personal engagement. Reflection on our own modifications in course construction and pedagogy in analysis of four years of student evaluation feedback guides suggestions for replication.     

Sexual Content in Music and Its Relation to Sexual Attitudes and Behaviors among Consumers: A Meta-Analytic Review

While previous research has documented a relation between sexual content in music and the sexual attitudes and behaviors of consumers, to date, there are no meta-analytic reviews of the literature, making our meta-analysis the first in this area. Results from 26 studies indicated that sexual content in music had a significant effect on sexual attitudes and behaviors, with both music format and genre being significant contributors. Additionally, participant ethnicity, sex, age, location, and study design were found to be significant moderators. Theoretical implications are discussed, along with suggestions for future research.     

Effects of response options on the mathematics performance of secondary students with emotional or behavioral disorders

ABSTRACT

This study examined the effects of three response options (traditional responding, response cards, and response systems) on the mathematics performance, participation, and time on-task of secondary students with emotional or behavioral disorders (EBD). A three-way crossover design was utilized to evaluate the efficacy of response options in secondary mathematics classrooms. Thirty-three students with EBD attending an urban high school and their teachers served as participants. Results indicated that the use of response cards (white boards) or response systems (ActivResponders) significantly increased students’ mathematics performance, participation, and time on-task when compared to traditional responding. Further, the use of response cards resulted in significant increases in performance and response accuracy over the increases found when using response systems. Social validity data indicated that students and teachers felt they benefited from the use of response cards and systems. Limitations, discussions, and implications for practice and future research are presented.     

Parent–Child Book-Reading Styles,Emotional Quality,and Changes in Early Head Start Children’s Cognitive Scores

Research Findings: The objective of this study was to understand how instructional book-reading style and emotional quality of reading interact and relate to cognitive skills in a sample of at-risk infants and toddlers. Participants were 81 parents and their children participating in Early Head Start programs in the rural Midwest. Correlation and multiple regression analyses were used to test the hypothesis that parental book-reading instructional style and emotional quality interact and relate to changes in children’s cognitive scores for culturally and linguistically diverse families. Results included that there were variations in how book-reading qualities interacted and related to changes in child cognitive scores for families whose primary home languages were either English or Spanish. Practice or Policy: The results of this study are discussed in conjunction with findings from a previous study published in this journal that examined concurrent relationships in the same sample of Early Head Start families. Combined, findings of these studies underscore a need to further explore potentially complex patterns of relationships among parental literacy behaviors and child knowledge, concurrently and across time, for culturally and linguistically diverse families. Better understanding these patterns could inform the development and implementation of culturally sensitive intervention approaches designed to support high-quality parent–child book reading.     

A case for culturally relevant science education in the summer for African American youth

Abstract

This article focuses on the impact of culturally relevant teaching and learning during a summer enrichment program for high school students. Culturally relevant science instruction and curriculum helped students to foster a more positive interest in science and STEM careers as it provided students the opportunity to do science in meaningful and relevant ways. Students were able to see themselves represented in the curriculum and recognized their own strengths; as a result, they were more validated and affirmed in and transformed by, their learning. We use this case to warrant increased support for summer learning programs focused on providing African American youth with access to high quality, culturally relevant/responsive science education.     

Examining Combinations of Social Physique Anxiety and Motivation Regulations Using Latent Profile Analysis

Previous research has used cluster analysis to examine how social physique anxiety (SPA) combines with motivation in physical education. This study utilized a more advanced analytic approach, latent profile analysis (LPA), to identify profiles of SPA and motivation regulations. Students in grades 9–12 (N = 298) completed questionnaires at two time points assessing SPA and motivation regulations, psychological needs, enjoyment, effort, and characteristics of physical education peers. LPA identified four profiles representing Autonomous (13.4%), Average (39.3%), Low Autonomous (25.2%), and Autonomous and Introjected (22.1%). Profiles were replicated at a second time point, and evidence of profile measurement invariance across gender was found. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) showed profile differences. The model-based analytic approach to identify profiles of SPA and motivation regulations differed from cluster analysis profiles. The profiles were not driven by SPA, rather autonomous motivation is the dominant factor associated with physical education motivational experiences.     

Exploring the impact of domestic abuse on the mother role: how can educational psychologists contribute to this area?

Domestic abuse has been shown to negatively affect a child’s social, emotional and behavioural development and a mother’s emotional well-being, parenting capacity and ability to respond to their child. Educational psychologists have a role to play in ameliorating these effects but their potential contribution has not always been fully realised. The study that is reported here employed Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) methodology to explore the impact of domestic abuse on women’s perceptions of their role and identity as a mother. The findings provide a basis for proposing how educational psychologists and other professionals can best support these families to identify a clearer and more consistent resilience trajectory.