Intention to Transfer: How Do Autonomous Professionals Become Motivated to Use New Ideas?

Although performance technologists recognize the importance of transfer, there are few studies of this complex process from the perspective of the individual, autonomous professional. For these trainees, intention to apply an idea is a vital part of transfer. Thus we asked: How do autonomous professionals learning from a training program form their intentions to apply? Over eight years we collected and analyzed 180 stories of application from 73 physicians attending a faculty development fellowship. In the majority of stories, Fellows said they formed their intentions to transfer during training sessions. Of those Fellows, most said they formed intentions toward a general target while listening to explanations. To form their intentions, Fellows weighed their experiences in training against job requirements, task experiences, self‐evaluations, and goals and values. As Fellows decided to use an idea, they considered its credibility, practicality and need. Based on our analyses of the stories, we present a model for the intention to transfer and discuss its implications for practice and research.     

Relationships between children's birthdates and classification as handicapped: Do they exist?

For years researchers have debated the effect of school entrance age on student achievement and adjustment, and some researchers have attributed many school learning problems to students entering school too early. This study investigated the relationship between students' month of birth and learning disabilities, emotional disturbance, and speech and language delays in 1,951 identified students with these disabilities. Analysis did not find that the late-birthdate children were identified as having disabilities more often, as was suggested in earlier studies. The implications of this finding for school entry practices are presented.     

Pre-first placements: How common and how informed?

Three hundred fifty-nine school districts in New York State were surveyed to determine whether they offered pre-first/transition classes for children identified as unready for first grade and, if they did, what information was used to make this placement decision. Fifty-seven percent of the 260 respondents (a 72% return) indicated that they had pre-first classes in their districts. Although great variability existed in the information reported to be used to make placement decisions for the pre-first programs, all districts reported using teacher recommendations. While no district used only standardized tests to determine the placement, those tests that were used were generally not designed for placement decisions and were more typically designed for screening. Cautions about the use of pre–first classes and the ways placement decisions are made for them are discussed.     

An epidemiologic approach to screening gifted students utilizing WISC-R subtests

Full WISC-R evaluations of students who are referred to a gifted program, but who do not meet placement criteria, have become a drain on the resources of many school districts. A screening formula for gifted students, utilizing three WISC-R subtests (VO-BD-SI), was evaluated using traditional epidemiologic techniques. The screen was applied to the records of 200 students who had been referred for a gifted program and received complete WISC-R batteries. Screen results were compared to actual placement of the 200 subjects based on a WISC-R Full Scale, Verbal, or Performance IQ of 130 or more. Measures of sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value of the screen were determined. The screen correctly detected the majority of gifted students and could have major implications in terms of cost effectiveness and professional time management.     

Use of an abbreviated version of the WISC-R with learning disabled children

The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) was administered to 56 learning disabled children, using standard assessment procedures and format as outlined by Wechsler. Abbreviated IQ scores were then derived by applying the Kennedy-Elder formula, and equation that uses five WISC-R subtests with varied weightings. Comparisons between the standard IQ scores and the abbreviated IQ scores were evaluated. A Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient of .83 and a non-significant t-test between the mean IQs suggested the two scores were interchangeable. However, frequent IQ classification changes (23%) rendered the K-E format unacceptable for this population.     

The reliability of The Spatial Memory subtest on the K-ABC

The Spatial Memory subtest appears on the Simultaneous Processing scale of the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children, and is intended for children from 5-0 through 12-5 years of age. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the interscorer reliability of this subtest, due to reported scoring difficulties. Nineteen gifted children between the ages of 8-10 and 12-2 were administered the Spatial Memory subtest, and two independent examiners scored each subject's item responses. Results showed that the Spatial Memory subtest may be prone to scoring errors because there is no permanent record of responses. It is suggested that a permanent record of responses could improve interscorer reliability significantly and simplify the task of scoring this subtest for practcing psychologists.     

Exploring the Influence of Efficacy Beliefs and Homework Help in Predicting Reading Achievement Among Underserved Children in an Afterschool Program

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a local afterschool program in helping underserved elementary school students improve their reading achievement. The study followed a cohort of students with 28 participants who were low-income, ethnic minority children in the 1st–6th grades between the ages of 6 and 12. Data on students’ developmental assets and school progress were collected at two different time points. Overall, students showed increased perceptions of efficacy about having the ability and skills to do well on a task and getting good grades in school, as well as improvements in reading achievement over time. While changes in homework completion predicted changes in reading achievement, changes in efficacy beliefs and program exposure did not. Results suggest that teacher perceptions of homework completion may be an important pathway through which afterschool programs can help narrow the reading achievement gap experienced by ethnic minority students from disadvantaged backgrounds.     

A qualitative investigation of a mindfulness-based yoga program for educators: How program attendance relates to outcomes

Contemplative professional development interventions seek to help educators manage stress and improve emotion regulation, yet the mechanisms of action revealing how they result in positive psychological and physical outcomes remain unclear. Using focus groups based on levels of attendance, this qualitative study examined how educators with different levels of attendance perceived their experiences in Community Approach to Learning Mindfully (CALM), a mindfulness-based yoga program. Using theory-driven and data-driven codes, two researchers adopted a thematic analytical approach to independently code interviews. Results suggest that individuals across all groups indicated participation in CALM stimulated awareness of some kind—somatic, emotional, or awareness of thought patterns. However, participants who attended more frequently were more likely to practice mindfulness informally during routine activities. This increased skill integration was associated with improved outcomes. Program acceptability was high across attendance groups although those with low attendance felt stressed making time to attend the program. Collegiality emerged as an important benefit and catalyst for reinforcing practices. Implications for professional development are discussed, including the role of collegiality and the importance of program readiness.     

Teacher pedagogical content knowledge,practice, and student achievement†

ABSTRACT

In this exploratory study, we attempted to measure potential changes in teacher knowledge and practice as a result of an intervention, as well as trace such changes through a theoretical path of influence that could inform a model of teacher professional knowledge. We created an instrument to measure pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), studied the impact of a two-year professional development intervention, explored the relationships among teacher variables to attempt to validate a model of teacher professional knowledge, and examined the relationship of teacher professional knowledge and classroom practice on student achievement. Teacher professional knowledge and skill was measured in terms of academic content knowledge (ACK), general pedagogical knowledge (GenPK), PCK and teacher practice. Our PCK instrument identified two factors within PCK: PCK-content knowledge and PCK-pedagogical knowledge. Teacher gains existed for all variables. Only GenPK had a significant relationship to teacher practice. ACK was the only variable that explained a substantial portion of student achievement. Our findings provide empirical evidence that we interpret through the lens of the model of teacher professional knowledge and skill, including PCK [Gess-Newsome, J. (2015). A model of teacher professional knowledge and skill including PCK: Results of the thinking from the PCK summit. In A. Berry, P. Friedrichsen, & J. Loughran (Eds.), Re-examining pedagogical content knowledge in science education (pp. 28–42). London: Routledge Press], highlighting the complexity of measuring teacher professional knowledge and skill.     

Composing new understandings of sustainability in the Anthropocene

The relationship between sustainability and the Anthropocene takes on new meaning in a time of unprecedented human impact on Earth systems. This relationship is at times contested and not well researched but critical in considering how we will respond to environmental challenges of today and the future. Elaborating on the need for new perspectives and nuanced understandings of sustainability, the contributors to this volume draw on posthumanist and “new” feminist materialist methodologies and theoretical lenses to engage readers in ways, which often contrast with prevailing thinking and research. From the cosmopolitics of place in urban Berlin to the watery space of urban wetlands they share research and rich narratives, which illustrate how sustainability is theorized and enacted across a range of diverse educational contexts. Moving beyond the rhetoric of sustainability, the authors invite us to explore innovative ways to engage with new concepts and emerging tensions that are now influencing the fields of education and sustainability.