Getting Everyone to the Fair: Supporting Teachers in Broadening Participation in Science and Engineering Fairs

Journal of Science Education and Technology - Science and Engineering (S&E) fairs are a valuable educational activity and are believed to increase students’ engagement and learning in...     

Correction to: The effects of virtual human gesture frequency and reduced video speed on satisfaction and learning outcomes

Educational technology research and development - The original publication inadvertently referenced agent persona instead of satisfaction in the title and abstract (lines 11 and 17). The abstract...     

Encouraging student engagement in a blended learning environment: the use of contemporary learning spaces

Research shows that some non‐traditional students find the university environment alienating, impersonal and unsupportive. The ‘Quickstart’ project combines traditional lectures and seminars with a sequence of carefully designed online tasks, aimed at lessening the impact of the start of year uncertainties for new students. One thousand students across two geographic locations participated in the programme. The project was evaluated by considering three sources of data: data generated by server statistics of 40,358 successful requests for pages in the first four weeks of teaching; student anonymous responses to an online end of course questionnaire as well as extracts from their reflective journals; and the student experience as viewed through the eyes of a researcher in the classroom. Findings offer insights into how the students blend classroom time with their own time; and student perceptions of their own learning experiences. A collaborative learning experience involving travel to a contemporary learning space (the Tate Modern Art Gallery) mitigated the possible isolating effect of the use of technology; instead the technology enhanced the discussion and participation in activities. The students visited the Tate Modern and then facilitated their discussions by sending each other SMS text messages; they bonded very quickly in the seminar groups, where weekly online tasks that had been prepared individually ‘outside’ the classroom were the focus of group discussion and debate ‘inside the classroom’; their end of semester reflective writing showed very clearly how valuable the early ‘friendship’ groups had been for them settling into university life.     

MODIFYING YOUR VIDEO EDITING SYSTEM

A simple modification of a Sony U‐matic edit controller, to provide an Automatic Cut‐out Facility, is described and its method of operation outlined.     

Supervisees' Perceptions of Their Clinical Supervision: A Study of the Dual Role of Clinical and Administrative Supervisor

A study of 158 postdegree counselor supervisees showed that 49% had a clinical supervisor who was also their administrative supervisor. Supervisees reported overall satisfaction with clinical supervision, with no statistically significant differences between those whose supervisor served in both clinical and administrative roles and those receiving supervision from only a clinical supervisor. Furthermore, the majority of supervisees receiving clinical and administrative supervision from the same person did not view this dual supervisory role as problematic (82% of n = 70), and 72.5% reported specific benefits. Implications for research and practice are provided, with attention given to ethical considerations.     

Parental Behaviours Predicting Early Childhood Executive Functions: a Meta-Analysis

Recent research indicates that parental behaviours may influence the development of executive functions (EFs) during early childhood, which are proposed to serve as domain-general building blocks for later classroom behaviour and academic achievement. However, questions remain about the strength of the association between parenting and child EFs, more specifically which parental behaviours are most strongly associated with child EFs, and whether there is a critical period in early childhood during which parental behaviour is more influential. A meta-analysis was therefore conducted to determine the strength of the relation between various parental behaviours and EFs in children aged 0 to 8 years. We identified 42 studies published between 2000 and 2016, with an average of 12.77 months elapsing in the measurement of parent and child variables. Parental behaviours were categorised as positive (e.g. warmth, responsiveness, sensitivity), negative (e.g. control, intrusiveness, detachment) and cognitive (e.g. autonomy support, scaffolding, cognitive stimulation). Results revealed significant associations (ps < .001) between composite EF and positive (r = .25), negative (r = ?.22) and cognitive (r = .20) parental behaviours. Associations between cognitive parental behaviours and EFs were significantly moderated by child age, with younger children showing a stronger effect size, whereas positive and negative parental behaviours showed a stable association with EFs across ages. We conclude that modest, naturally occurring associations exist between parental behaviours and future EFs and that early childhood may be a critical period during which cognitive parental behaviour is especially influential.     

Perceived Benefit of CACREP (2001) Core Curriculum Standards

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the perceived benefit of the core curriculum standards of the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP; 2001). A total of 641 individuals, whose names were obtained from a 6% proportional randomized sample of members from the American Mental Health Counselors Association, American School Counselor Association, and Association for Counselor Education and Supervision, responded to this study. Results suggest various perceptions both within and between groups regarding the 8 CACREP core curriculum standards.     

Perceived Expectations Related to Promotion and Tenure: A National Survey of CACREP Program Liaisons

The purpose of the present study was to determine the perceptions of expectations and practices that contribute to decisions regarding promotion and tenure for counselor educators. Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs liaisons for 74 counselor education programs responded to an Internet‐based survey about perceptions of promotion and tenure practices in their programs and institutions. The responses indicate that relatively equal emphasis is placed on teaching, scholarship, and service. Implications for defining promotion and tenure criteria are discussed, and recommendations for further research are provided.