How Heritable are Parental Sensitivity and Limit-Setting? A Longitudinal Child-Based Twin Study on Observed Parenting

We examined the relative contribution of genetic, shared environmental and non-shared environmental factors to the covariance between parental sensitivity and limit-setting observed twice in a longitudinal study using a child-based twin design. Parental sensitivity and parental limit-setting were observed in 236 parents with each of their same-sex toddler twin children (M_age = 3.8 years; 58% monozygotic). Bivariate behavioral genetic models indicated substantial effects of similar shared environmental factors on parental sensitivity and limit-setting and on the overlap within sensitivity and limit-setting across 1 year. Moderate child-driven genetic effects were found for parental limit-setting in year 1 and across 1 year. Genetic child factors contributing to explaining the variance in limit-setting over time were the same, whereas shared environmental factors showed some overlap.     

Longitudinal Study of Middle Grades Chemistry Professional Development: Enhancement of Personal Science Teaching Self-Efficacy and Outcome Expectancy

The purpose of this research was to enhance self-efficacy beliefs, chemistry content, and pedagogical content knowledge of middle grades teachers by incorporating specific design elements into professional development. This study analyzed the influence of program design on achieving gains in personal science teaching self-efficacy, outcome expectancy, chemistry content, and pedagogical content knowledge in 4 discrete cohorts (N = 135). Significant changes were produced in self-efficacy at .01 in each cohort, personal science teaching self-efficacy was significantly enhanced in Cohorts 1, 2, and 4 at .01, and outcome expectancy was significantly enhanced in Cohorts 1 and 3 at .01 and in Cohort 4 at .05. Professional development that enhances personal science teaching self-efficacy and outcome expectancy should be recognized as essential to achieving scientific literacy for all students.     

The Relationship of Teachers' Instructional Decisions and Beliefs about Alternate Assessments to Student Achievement

In the decade since alternate assessments based on alternate achievement standards (AA-AAS) were first required, special education teachers have had to develop content knowledge and pedagogical skills to teach academics to students with significant cognitive disabilities. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact that teachers' instructional decisions and beliefs about AA-AAS have on the academic achievement of students with significant cognitive disabilities. A survey of nearly 400 teachers across three states provided evidence of teachers' beliefs, as well as their instructional planning processes for students. Students' learning characteristics were also identified. Survey responses were analyzed in conjunction with students' 2010–2011 scores on their statewide AA-AAS. The results indicated that students with presymbolic communication systems had a lower likelihood of achieving proficiency in English language arts/reading and math than students with abstract symbolic communication. Students with concrete symbolic communication systems had lesser odds of proficiency in ELA/reading but not in math. Teachers who agreed that AA-AAS had an impact on instruction tended to have students with higher achievement proficiency. However, more negative views of the validity of AA-AAS scores were associated with greater odds of proficiency.     

Studienplatzfinanzierung: Internationale Erfahrungen und Implikationen für eine Einführung in ?sterreich

Steigende Studierendenzahlen, knappe ?ffentliche Budgets und neue Anforderungen an die universit?re Ausbildung erfordern eine permanente Reflexion und gegebenenfalls entsprechende Anpassungen an Finanzierungsmodelle. Die internationale Praxis zeigt dabei eine Vielzahl von alternativ ausgestalteten Modellvarianten und -kombinationen, wobei die Studienplatzfinanzierung ein international weit verbreitetes Modell darstellt. Dieser Beitrag fasst die wesentlichsten Ergebnisse einer vom Bundesministerium für Wissenschaft und Forschung in diesem Zusammenhang beauftragten Studie zusammen. Gezeigt werden neben den Grundlagen einer Studienplatzfinanzierung die aktuellen internationalen Trends, ein systematischer L?ndervergleich sowie m?gliche Konsequenzen einer etwaigen Implementierung in ?sterreich.