An investigation of experienced secondary science teachers' beliefs about inquiry: An examination of competing belief sets

The purpose of this study was to investigate the beliefs of six experienced high school science teachers about (1) what is successful science learning; (2) what are the purposes of laboratory in science teaching; and (3) how inquiry is implemented in the classroom. An interpretive multiple case study with an ethnographic orientation was used. The teachers' beliefs about successful science learning were substantively linked to their beliefs about laboratory and inquiry implementation. For example, two teachers who believed that successful science learning was deep conceptual understanding, used verification labs primarily to illustrate these concepts and used inquiry as a type of isolated problem‐solving experience. Another teacher who believed that successful science learning was enculturation into scientific practices used inquiry‐based labs extensively to teach the practices of science. Tension in competing beliefs sets and implications for reform are discussed. ? 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 41: 936‐960, 2004.     

Our Buddies,Ourselves: The Role of Sexual Homophily in Adolescent Friendship Networks

The present study tests the assumption that peers wield sufficient influence to induce sexual homophily (i.e., similarities in sexual experiences). Because girls face greater stigma for their sexual experiences than do boys, sexual homophily may be greater in girls' friendship networks than in boys'. Stochastic actor-based models were used to analyze network data (n = 2,566; ages 14–18) from two high schools in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. Sexual homophily was present in friendship networks. Girls and boys were equally susceptible to their friends' influence, but the former exhibited a stronger preference for befriending same sexual debut status peers than the latter. The findings suggest that adolescents—particularly girls—“curate” their networks to minimize peer ostracism.     

Teachers attending to students’ mathematical reasoning: lessons from an after-school research program

There is a documented need for more opportunities for teachers to learn about students’ mathematical reasoning. This article reports on the experiences of a group of elementary and middle school mathematics teachers who participated as interns in an after-school, classroom-based research project on the development of mathematical ideas involving middle-grade students from an urban, low-income, minority community in the United States. For 1 year, the teachers observed the students working on well-defined mathematical investigations that provided a context for the students’ formation of particular mathematical ideas and different forms of reasoning in several mathematical content strands. The article describes insights into students’ mathematical reasoning that the teachers were able to gain from their observations of the students’ mathematical activity. The purpose is to show that teachers’ observations of students’ mathematical activity in research sessions on students’ development of mathematical ideas can provide opportunities for teachers to learn about students’ mathematical reasoning.     

Going mobile: free and easy

After almost two decades, mobile technologies are now such a part of the fabric of the hospital environment that hospital libraries must take this opportunity to continue to positively impact health outcomes by providing health professionals with valuable information and services via personal digital assistants (PDAs) and smartphones. This article provides background information on mobile technology use and handheld devices. It describes how hospital librarians, regardless of staff, budget, or access to technology, can position the hospital library to connect health professionals to clinically relevant mobile resources and library services. Suggestions for the promotion of mobile resources are included, as well as tips for keeping current. A significant amount of free content is identified.     

Strategies for success in education: Time management is more important for part-time than full-time community college students

This paper examines relationships between the Big Five personality factors, time management, and grade-point-average in 556 community colleges students. A path model controlling for vocabulary, gender, and demographic covariates demonstrated that time management mediates the relationship between conscientiousness and students' academic achievement at community college. Separate modeling for part-time (n = 147) and full-time students (n = 409) showed that this mediation was moderated by enrollment status. Thus, time management was a significant mediator for part-time students but not for full-time students. The greater importance of time management for part- versus full-time students suggests that noncognitive constructs such as time management may be more critical for non-traditional students. These findings gather fresh currency as ever increasing numbers of students are enrolling part-time in post-secondary education across the globe.     

Psychological capital development effectiveness of face-to-face,online, and Micro-learning interventions

Education and Information Technologies - There is growing empirical support for the benefits of developing psychological capital (PsyCap), and the effectiveness of PsyCap interventions (PCIs) in...     

Multimodality,learning and decision-making: children's metacognitive reflections on their engagement with video games as interactive texts

This study examines how 31 middle-school children conducted multimodal analyses of video games. Over four consecutive days, students played video games for 30 minutes and then wrote written reflections about the multimodal symbols within the game and how these symbols influenced their interpretation and decision-making processes during gameplay. Students produced 124 reflections in total, which were analysed via template analysis to determine how children metacognitively reflected on different types of multimodal symbols and used those symbols to comprehend the games and make decisions. Results illustrate how students engaged in metacognitive semantic and syntactic processes with a variety of multimodal symbols, such as written language, dynamic visuals and abstract symbols, during gameplay that aided their understanding of the games and influenced their decisions. This study contributes to the limited empirical research on video game literacies and illustrates children's meaning-making processes while engaged with video games as multimodal interactive texts.     

Adolescents’ motivation for reading: group differences and relation to standardized achievement

The purpose of this study was to extend the research on adolescents’ motivation for reading by examining important group differences and the relation of motivation to standardized achievement. Adolescents (N = 406) ranging from grade 7 to grade 12 completed a self-report survey that assessed 13 different aspects of their reading motivation including multiple forms of expectancy beliefs, value, achievement goals, and social goals. Group comparisons indicated important differences between readers who had struggled and those who were more adequate readers, but relatively few differences based on gender or grade in school. Regression analysis showed that the motivational beliefs as a group, and perceived control individually, were able to predict students’ performance on a standardized measure of reading comprehension.     

Building and sustaining communities that prevent mental disorders: Lessons from the field of special education

Quietly, at least beyond the awareness of many psychologists, a relatively new technology based on school‐wide behavior management strategies has emerged in special education to answer the call to build healthy communities. The success of these strategies in changing the practices of school systems and creating positive school climates may offer insights for school psychologists interested in preventing mental disorders and promoting health on a broader scale. Spreading the influence of school‐wide behavior supports to ensure that all schools provide the nurturing environment needed to promote academic and life success for all children is an important and immediate goal. Beyond the school, the challenge will be to implement and evaluate the impact of positive behavior supports in other connected communities. The present article reviews the history and present state of school‐wide behavior supports and prevention research, limitations of current practice, and opportunities for integrating school‐wide programs with psychological science and practice. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 43: 313–329, 2006.     

Journaling During a School-Based Secondary Methods Course: Exploring a Route to Teaching Reflection

Journal of Science Teacher Education -