What teachers think about what they can do with data: Development and validation of the data driven decision-making efficacy and anxiety inventory

Classroom level data driven decision-making (DDDM) involves the use of data to identify patterns of performance that reveal students’ academic strengths and weaknesses relative to established learning goals, and the planning of instructional practices to support academic success for all students. Although DDDM is not a new paradigm in education, little is known about what variables facilitate teacher adoption of DDDM practices. The aim of this work was to introduce two such variables, DDDM efficacy and DDDM anxiety, and a measure of these constructs, the DDDM efficacy and anxiety (3D-MEA) inventory. The 1728 participants in this study were K-12 teachers who had experienced varying levels of DDDM professional development in a Pacific Northwestern state. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) (n = 864) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) (n = 864) were utilized to evaluate the psychometric properties of the 3D-MEA Inventory. Results supported a five-factor model. A discussion of the results and their implications ensue.     

Business graduate employability – where are we going wrong?

Persistent gaps in certain non-technical skills in business graduates continue to impact on organisational performance and global competitiveness. Despite business schools' best efforts in developing non-technical skills, widely acknowledged as fundamental to graduate employability, there has been considerably less attention to measuring skill outcomes and even less on their subsequent transfer to the workplace. It appears stakeholders are assuming transfer occurs automatically in graduates, neglecting the influence of learning program, learner and workplace characteristics on this complex process and its potential impact on graduate employability. This paper unpacks the concept of transfer and proposes a model of graduate employability that incorporates the process. Measures for empirical analysis are discussed. Testing the model would indicate the extent to which transfer occurs and highlight collaborative strategies for employers, universities and graduates in nurturing learning and workplace environments in which transfer may flourish, taking us one step closer to the elusive ‘work-ready’ graduate.     

Communication and the Emotional,Cognitive, and Relational Consequences of First Sexual Encounters between Partners

The initial sexual encounter between partners can be a salient relationship event that constitutes an important turning point in relationship development. The goal of this study was to examine the associations between communication and outcomes of initial coitus between partners. We hypothesized that communication would correspond with the emotional, cognitive, and relational outcomes of initial coitus, over and above the effects of individual and relational factors. Results supported the hypothesized associations between communication and sexual outcomes. The discussion highlights the implications of initial coitus as a turning point in relationship development and proposes future directions for research on sexual intimacy.     

One of the gang? Peer relations among students with special educational needs in Irish mainstream primary schools

Internationally and in Ireland, the adoption of inclusive education frameworks have been broadly welcomed, particularly by parents of children with special educational needs (SEN). Mainstreaming these children is generally viewed as positive primarily because of the social factors associated with attending mainstream schools for children with SEN. Despite this commonly held view, there is increasing evidence to show that children with SEN have difficulties participating in mainstream environments. Using data from the Growing Up in Ireland study of 8,578 nine year olds, this paper examines whether peer relations differ among typically developing students and students with different types of SEN. We focus on the quantity and quality of peer relations using data on the child’s number of friends and, using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, the quality of relations with their peers. These measures are examined by controlling for a range of individual, home and school-level factors simultaneously in a regression model. Our findings show that, all else being equal, students with SEN, particularly those with emotional and behavioural difficulties (EBD), are more likely to have fewer friends and experience negative peer relationships compared to their peers without any additional needs. Based on these findings, we argue that specific interventions may be needed to promote positive peer experiences for children with SEN in mainstream education.     

Disciplining writing: the case for multi‐disciplinary writing groups to support writing for publication by higher degree by research candidates in the humanities,arts and social sciences

This article addresses multi‐disciplinary writing groups in supporting writing for publication for higher degree by research candidates in the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences. Drawing on focus group discussions with postgraduate research students from the Faculty of Arts at Monash University in Australia who participated in the writing groups, it investigates the participants’ perceptions of the multi‐disciplinary nature of the groups and some of the benefits of sharing writing with fellow postgraduate research students from different fields of study. Discussing both the strengths and weaknesses of the multi‐disciplinarity of the groups as identified by participants, the authors suggest that such groups can provide a forum for postgraduates to develop their ‘professional’ academic identity and develop their writing beyond the context of their theses and can have some unexpected benefits to participants’ sense of themselves as disciplinary proponents. The multi‐disciplinary context is thus considered as providing a level playing field in which postgraduates may approach the writing process as a shared methodology, encompassing a suite of specialised but generic skills that cross‐disciplinary boundaries.     

Science Teacher Education in Brazil: 1950–2000

This paper analyzes the most significant events occurring in Brazil’s educational, social and political areas over the last half century, viewed against a background of relevant worldwide events. The hypothesis presented here is that the relations between the country’s educational policies, the demands of the various segments of academia, and the public school system have always been strained. This strain has contributed positively to the evolution of academic knowledge and production, to the design of more modern curricular projects by institutional authorities, and to the initial recognition of the specific construction of school knowledge by the school system itself. However, the interaction of these major institutions lacks a crucial element—one that would lead to an effective change in the education of science teachers and produce a positive impact on Brazil’s schools—namely, the wholehearted participation of science teachers themselves. With this analysis, we intend to contribute by offering some perspectives and proposals for science teacher education in Brazil.     

Eclecticism: Psychological theories as interwoven stories

Taking a postmodern perspective, the author makes the claim that all psychological theories could be viewed as stories. Labeling psychological theories as theory-stories, she argues that they reflect the life experience of their authors as well as their socio-political context. Further, by conceiving of psychology itself as a discipline of stories, she proposes that theory-stories are likely to contain many similar themes despite strong differences. These similarities exist because all theory-stories are born of human experience. The author further suggests that past theory-stories have the potential to inform, deconstruct, and add depth to current postmodern practice. This provides the justification for the importance of eclecticism. By way of example, she explores two theories, logotherapy and radical behaviorism, for their fit within a postmodern framework. Finally, by viewing theory as story, the author proposes that eclecticism provides necessary tools to explore story alternatives when liberating clients' from oppressive story lines.     

American Indian Females and Stereotypes: Warriors,Leaders, Healers,Feminists; Not Drudges,Princesses, Prostitutes

This article is written by a Native female author. It delves into the historical stereotypes of Native females as drudges, princesses, and prostitutes perpetrated by media, movies, and literature. The author reviews research on the traditional and modern roles of Native females, including roles as warriors, leaders, and healers. Current literature and research on Critical Indigenous Feminist Theory is reviewed.