The Counselor's Role in Helping Teachers With Career Education Within an HRD System

The use by counselors of a Human Resources Development (HRD) model for preparing teachers to help in career education is discussed. In-service workshops for a counselor and a small group of teachers are proposed, and a step by step procedure for implementing the model is presented.     

VALIDITY OF APPROXIMATION TECHNIQUES FOR DETECTING ITEM BIAS

The purpose of this research was to recommend an item bias procedure when the number of minority examinees is too small to use preferred three-parameter IRT methods. The chi-square, Angoff delta-plot, andpseudo-IRT indices were compared with both real and simulated data. For the real test data a criterion of known bias had been established by cross-validated IRT-3 results. The findings from the Math Test and the simulated test were consistent. The pseudo-IRT approach was best (measured by both correlations and percent agreement) in delecting criterion bias. The chi-square was close in accuracy to the pseudo-IRT index. The Angoff delta-plot method was found to be inadequate on both heuristic and empirical grounds. In extreme cases it even identified items as biased against whites that were simulated to be biased against blacks. However, a modified Angoff index, where p-value differences were regressed on item point biserials (and the residualized values used as the index), was nearly as good as the chi-square in identifying known bias. A final caution was offered regarding the use of item bias techniques. The statistical flags should never be used mechanically to discard items; rather they should be used to inspect items for possible differences in meaning.     

Meeting the Global Challenge? Comparing Recent Initiatives in School Science and Technology

A comparison is made between two schemes in England and New Zealand--the technology colleges programme and the Science and Technology Teacher Fellowship scheme--designed to promote science and technology education in the two countries. Both schemes are placed within the context of recent developments in science and technology education in England and New Zealand and are evaluated as responses to the challenges posed for science and technology education by the forces of globalisation and the growing importance of the 'knowledge economy'.     

Professional Identification of Counselor Preparation Programs

A survey of 521 counselor preparation programs nationwide revealed that most programs with master's or both master's and doctoral degrees have a counseling professional orientation as opposed to psychological or other orientation.     

Towards Understanding of Social Capital and Citizenship Education

Social capital is often seen as an indicator of the effectiveness of a society. Societies that are healthy and functioning are also well stocked with social capital. However, social capital is not necessarily 'good'. In the disturbingly troubled times facing western democracies since 2001 the concept of social capital appears all the more relevant. Societies which are significantly divided, it may be argued, demonstrate less trust, civic engagement, positive networking and mutual cooperation among members. In turn this can negatively affect the quality of life of members. This argument is examined from the perspective of school programmes of citizenship education in democratic and newly democratic states. What constitutes divided societies is discussed in other articles within this issue, but the emphasis is upon severe divisions, invariably involving violence. Some of the comments in this paper are speculative and potentially contentious. Nevertheless it is important to raise these issues at this time, particularly for the benefit of emergent and newly formed democracies who may see education and social capital formation as the panacea for their future. We suggest there are many 'lessons' for divided societies wishing to enhance their social capital, including an increase in student years of schooling, designing citizenship education based on inclusive democratic citizenship, and engaging students in active participation to build trust, cooperation and networking skills.     

Profanity as a Critical Variable in Counseling

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of the use of profanity in counseling. Participants were randomly assigned to view one of three videotapes, two of which included profanity. The participants tended to give higher therapeutic ratings to sessions including both client-initiated and counselor-initiated profanity than to the session free of profanity. Results are presented in tabular form.     

Basic Counselor Skills Training and Counselor Cognitive Complexity

This study examined the relationship between basic counselor skills training and cognitive complexity levels in counseling trainees. Data from graduate counseling trainees enrolled in basic skills training courses and a control group were collected (N = 72). Cognitive complexity levels were measured using the traditional 2‐person form of the Role Category Questionnaire (B. R. Burleson & M. S. Waltman) in a pre‐ and posttest design. Participants exposed to the basic skills training course showed a significantly higher cognitive complexity level than the control group when posttest means were compared.