Correlates of Bystander Readiness to Help Among a Diverse College Student Population: An Intersectional Perspective

This study seeks to understand which socio-demographic variables explain bystander readiness to help (BRH) among a diverse (via race/ethnicity) sample of college students. This study uses an intersectional approach by investigating how gender intersects with variables, specific to a college student population (e.g., class level, college of major, sexual harassment on campus), to influence readiness to help. The results are from a survey about campus climate experiences, which includes a stratified random sample of college students from a large Southwestern university in the United States, with 964 respondents. We conducted bivariate crosstabulations, comparisons of means, and multiple regressions. The multiple regression analyses illustrate that for women, the single most robust relationship with BRH is experiences with sexual harassment. For men, the strongest correlate is being a student within the college of liberal and fine arts. The practical and research implications of these findings are discussed.

     

Threading mathematics through symbols,sketches, software,silicon, and wood: Teachers produce and maintain cohesion to support STEM integration

ABSTRACT

This classroom-based investigation sought to document how, in real time, STEM teachers and students attempt to locate the invariant mathematical relations that are threaded through the range of activities and representations in these classes, and how highlighting this common thread influences student participation and learning. The authors conducted multimodal discourse analyses of teacher–student interactions during multiday observations in 3 urban high school STEM classes. The focal lessons were in electrical engineering and mechanical engineering (within Project Lead the Way), and precollege geometry. Across 3 cases, teachers and students actively built and maintained cohesion of invariant mathematical relations across activities and representations. Pre- and postlesson interviews revealed that teachers intentionally managed cohesion to provide the continuity across the curricular activities that teachers believed would promote student understanding. The findings contribute to ways of fostering STEM integration and ways of grounding abstractions to promote meaning making and transfer.     

Gender differences in science attitude‐achievement relationships over time among white middle‐school students

Four causal models describing the longitudinal relationships between attitudes and achievement have been proposed in the literature. These models feature: (a) cross‐effects over time between attitudes and achievement, (b) influence of achievement predominant over time, (c) influence of attitudes predominant over time, or (d) no cross‐effects over time between attitudes and achievement. In an examin‐ation of the causal relationships over time between attitudes toward science and science achievement for White rural seventh‐ and eighth‐grade students, the cross‐effects model was the best fitting model form for students overall. However, when examined by gender, the no cross‐effects model exhibited the most accurate fit for White rural middle‐school girls, whereas a new model called the no attitudes‐path model exhibited the best fit for these boys. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals Inc. J Res Sci Teach 39: 324–340, 2002     

Establishing and sustaining teacher educator professional development in a self-study community of practice: Pre-tenure teacher educators developing professionally

This paper outlines the professional development of pre-tenure teacher educators through the establishment of a self-study group. Through reflecting on three significant events, a discussion is offered as to how members contributed to the self-study of teacher education practices and experienced enhancement as a community of scholars. Evidence is presented as to how pre-tenure faculty can work together to build a culture that links teaching practice to scholarship within an organizational framework for group interactions. This work contributes to research on the induction of new professors by providing a model of professional development that is self-directed, collaborative, and empowering.     

Rhetoric Over Reason: The Rhetorical Assault on Education in the Absence of Argument and Evidence in Educational Discourse

Based on an overview of writings published or supported by the Fordham Institute and those associated with it over many years, this article brings together and examines a range of rhetorical tools employed to persuade policymakers and the public of their position. The article argues that in the absence of a reasoned or evidenced position, the rhetorical tools call upon emotions to guide decision making. The result is a form of demagogery. Because they are influential in the public debate on education, it is important that these writings and recommendations be recognized for what they are.     

Use of an independent group contingency management system in a regular classroom setting

This paper examines the usefulness of an independent group contingency system for decreasing inappropriate behaviors. Twenty-five fourth-grade students enrolled in a regular class setting participated in this intervention, which involved a public posting system using positive reinforcement for desired behaviors. The program involved identification of target behaviors, collection of baseline data, program implementation, and follow-up. Targeted behaviors showed marked decreases across the 8-week treatment period and remained at this level through the end of the school year. Positive and negative factors influencing the effectiveness of the independent group contingency approach are reviewed. A second aspect of this paper is to discuss teacher-related variables that can influence the success of a management program developed by a psychological consultant.