AN INVESTIGATION OF GENDER AND OTHER VARIABLES ON TIME TO COMPLETION OF DOCTORAL DEGREES

A sample of factors presumed relevant to thetime required to complete doctoral degrees (TTC) wasexplored in a survey of 154 recent graduates of NaturalScience, Social Science, and Humanities doctoral programs at York University. In addition to thevariables of gender and discipline, characteristics ofthe supervisory relationship, as well as the graduate'sfinancial situation and enrollment status, were investigated. On average, respondents took5.94 years to complete their degrees with students inthe Natural Sciences the fastest completers. Althoughthere were no significant gender differences in TTC, male graduates were more satisfied withtheir doctoral education overall and the quality ofsupervision they received (from both their supervisorsand their supervisory committees) than were females. Males were also more likely to collaborate withtheir supervisors in the preparation of research papers.With respect to financial support, respondents who wereslower completers reported receiving more years of teaching assistantships. Additionally,respondents from the Natural Sciences reported receivingmore years of teaching assistantships and researchassistantships than respondents from the other disciplines. A multiple regression analysisrevealed that the following combination of variablesaccounted for 30% of the variance in TTC: beginning thedissertation research early in the program, remaining with the original topic and supervisor, meetingfrequently with supervisor, and collaborating withsupervisor on conference papers.     

Michael Faraday on the Learning of Science and Attitudes of Mind

The paper makes use of Michael Faraday's ideas about learning, in particular his thoughts about attitudes to the unknowns of science and the development of an attitude which improves scientific decision-making. An invented scenario involving nursery school children demonstrates some attitudes displayed there. Discussion of the scenario and variation in possible outcomes suggests that Faraday's views are relevant to scientific learning in general. The main thesis of the paper is that it is central to learning in science to acknowledge that there is an inner struggle involved in facing unknowns, and that empathy with the fears and expectations of learners is an essential quality if genuinely scientific thought is to develop. It is suggested, following Faraday, that understanding our own feelings while we teach is a pre-requisite to enabling such empathy and that only then will we be in a position to evaluate accurately whether or not our pupils are thinking scientifically.     

A Cross-Cultural Study of the Self-Confidence of Counselors-in-Training

In this era of globalization, cross-cultural comparison studies could help counselor training programs enhance educational opportunities that are informative, supportive, and culturally responsive to students. Counselors-in-training in both the United States and South Korea were sampled in this study assessing self-esteem (individual and collective) and counselor activity self-efficacy (CA self-efficacy). Results indicated that American students endorsed higher levels of collective self-esteem and CA self-efficacy compared to Korean students. Age was positively correlated with CA self-efficacy in both the American and Korean samples. Additionally, the variable of supervision hours and internship experience was positively correlated with CA self-efficacy for American students, but showed no relationship with CA self-efficacy for Korea students. Implications for understanding the cultural differences of counseling-trainees’ self-confidence and the need for conducting cross-cultural comparison studies to provide insights about the training and development of trainees in cross-cultural settings are discussed.     

Kinematic analysis of shot-putting performed by wheelchair athletes of different medical classes

The aim of this study was to identify those kinematic characteristics that are most closely related to an athlete's medical classification and measured distance of a put. Two S-VHS camcorders (60 fields per second) were used to record the performance of 17 males of different classes. Each participant performed six trials and the best trial for each was selected for analysis. Three-dimensional kinematics of the shot and upper body segments at the instant of release and during the forward thrust (delivery) were determined. The average speeds and angles of the shot at release for different classes (5.3-7.8 m x s(-1) and 21.2 to 34.4 degrees, respectively) were smaller than those exhibited by elite male able-bodied throwers. The height of the shot at release, the angular speed of the upper arm at release, the range of motion of the shoulder girdle during the delivery, and the average angular speeds of the trunk, shoulder girdle and upper arm during the delivery, were all significantly correlated with both the classification and measured distance (P < 0.05). The results indicate the importance of achieving a high average angular speed for each upper body segment during the delivery.     

Planning a new library in an age of transition: the Washington University School of Medicine Library and Biomedical Communications Center

In an era of great technological and socioeconomic changes, the Washington University School of Medicine conceptualized and built its first Library and Biomedical Communications Center in seventy-eight years. The planning process, evolution of the electronic library, and translation of functions into operating spaces are discussed. Since 1983, when the project was approved, a whole range of information technologies and services have emerged. The authors consider the kind of library that would operate in a setting where people can do their own searches, order data and materials through an electronic network, analyze and manage information, and use software to create their own publications.     

Individualized quasi instructional systems for the 70's

It is argued that fundamental changes in instructional planning, design, and implementation are required to make schools more responsive to the needs of individual learners. It is suggested that the desired changes are possible through the use of processes growing out of a four-stage teaching model operating on the total instructional climate of schools. The resulting instructional systems would make use of multidisciplinary teams of instructional agents drawing on and contributing to a growing scientific and technological base for instructional practice, and would lead to the development of a new field called instructional technology. Suggestions are outlines for changes in the roles of teachers, psychologists, and guidance personnel, as well as for the kind of technological support required for such instructional systems.

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Résumé Les auteurs soutiennent que des changements fondamentaux concernant instructionnellement la planification, les modèles, et la mise en oeuvre sont essentiels pour que les écoles répondent mieux aux besoins de chaque individu. En employant un modèle de l'enseignement qui a quatre phases et qui embrasse le milieu total de l'école, on pourra effectuer les changements desirés. Les systèmes d'instruction qui en résulteraient emploieraient des équipes multidisciplinaires d'agents instructionnels qui contribueraient à une base scientifique et technologique croissante pour la pratique instructionnelle. Une nouvelle matière-la technologie instructionnelle-en résultera. Les auteurs suggèrent des changements dans le rôle des professeurs, des psychologues, et des conseillers pédagogiques, aussi bien que dans le genre de soutien technologique sur lequel ces systèmes instructionnels dépendent.

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The term comorbidity is of questionable value in reference to developmental disorders: data and theory

Over the last decade, there has been an enormous increase in the number of studies evaluating the overlap of developmental syndromes or disorders in both children and adults. This overlap of symptoms is often referred to as comorbidity, a term we criticize in this article because of its unsubstantiated presumption of independent etiologies. The premise of this article is that discrete categories do not exist in real life, and that it is misleading to refer to overlapping categories or symptoms as "comorbidities." We illustrate our point by presenting data from 179 school-age children evaluated with rigorous research criteria for seven disorders: reading disability (RD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), developmental coordination disorder (DCD), oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), conduct disorder (CD), depression, and anxiety. Fully 50% of this sample met the criteria for at least two diagnoses. The children with ADHD were at higher risk of having at least a second disorder compared to the children with RD. Overall, the high rates of overlap of these behavioral, emotional, and educational deficits in this broadly ascertained sample support the idea that the concept of comorbidity is inadequate. We discuss the concept of atypical brain development as an explanatory idea to interpret the high rate of overlap of developmental disorders.