COMMUNITY COLLEGE ADMINISTRATORS AND FACULTY OPINIONS OF TECH PREP

According to D. Hull and D. Parnell (1991), technical preparation, commonly referred to as Tech Prep, is essentially an innovative approach to vocational education. It is designed to integrate academic subjects (i.e., mathematics and science) with vocational-technical education subjects (i.e., engineering technology, applied science) and mechanical, industrial, or vocational subjects (i.e., agriculture, health, and business). This study focused on community college presidents' knowledge of attitudes toward Tech Prep in the North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS). Four research questions were addressed in the research that are essential to the success of Tech Prep initiatives in the NCCCS. These questions were (1) to what extent are the 58 community colleges in North Carolina actively engaged in Tech Prep programs?; (2) how many of the colleges have been actively involved in Tech Prep programs for four or more years?; (3) to what extent do senior administrators, faculty, and administrative support staff differ in their opinions of Tech Prep programs in their respective colleges?; and (4) what are the differences in opinions of Tech Prep among community college presidents, faculty, and administrative support staff on issues such as recruiting better-prepared students, retention, and graduation rates?     

Focusing on the Participation and Engagement Gap: A Case Study on Closing the Achievement Gap

In this case study, we focus on 2 variables often neglected in conversations about closing the achievement gap. Most recommendations for closing the achievement gap center on extending learning time, including afterschool programs, extended year programs, and supplemental instruction. Our school focused on attendance and student engagement in our effort to close the achievement gap. By developing a schoolwide plan that ensured that attendance was noticed, corrected, and celebrated, students at our urban school began attending on par with their suburban counterparts. In addition, we focused on student engagement once they were at school. Through a number of schoolwide instructional routines, including teacher modeling and productive group work, students became involved in learning and their achievement improved. Together, these initiatives further closed the achievement gap.     

BEGINNING PREKINDERGARTEN AND KINDERGARTEN TEACHERS’ BELIEFS AND PRACTICES: SUPPORTS AND BARRIERS TO DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE PRACTICES

This study explores the beliefs and practices of nine beginning prekindergarten and kindergarten public school teachers and identified the sources of supports and barriers to their teaching. The teachers were graduates from one university's early childhood education program. Data were gathered using surveys, observations, and interviews. Overall, teachers professed to believe in and to use developmentally appropriate practices; they were also observed using more developmentally appropriate practices than developmentally inappropriate practices. Teachers reported a variety of sources of support and barriers to their teaching. Sources that were both supports and barriers were administration, co‐workers, curriculum requirements, parents, resources, and other. Sources reported only as supports were previous experiences, self, and continued education. Sources of barriers were class composition and school duties. In addition, teachers provided information about their teacher education program and on their expectations about teaching. The teachers suggested that teacher education programs needed to provide more field experiences and courses on classroom management. Some of the expectations the teachers had about teaching were unrealistic.     

Variations in observation frequency in a self-controlled learning environment do not modulate learning of a pirouette en dehors

ABSTRACT

Little is known about the optimal frequency to observe a skilled model, yet this is potentially an important learning variable, and thus was examined in the context of self-controlled learning conditions. Participants chose the schedule in which they interspersed both physical and observational trials of a dance skill. The participants’ choice, however, was governed by an imposed observation frequency (OF) of either 25%, 50%, or 75%. Participants were in one of these OF groups, in addition to another group in which no constraint was put on OF. This last group was predicted to choose an OF of 10%, however, it was determined that they chose a 50% schedule. Consequently, a 10% OF group was added to the experimental protocol. All participants completed a pre-test, followed by an acquisition phase, and then a 24-hr post-test. Physical performance (F(1, 55) = 143.77, p< .001) and cognitive representation (F(1, 55) = 77.68, p< .001) scores both revealed a significant main effect of Test; scores at post-test were higher than those at pre-test. Thus, learning was demonstrated for both measures. No main effect of Group emerged. Consequently, OF varying from 10% to 75%, under self-controlled conditions, were equally beneficial for learning the dance skill.     

An Examination of Personal/Situational Variables,Stress Appraisal,and Burnout in Collegiate Teacher-Coaches

Abstract

Following Smith's (1986) cognitive-affective model of stress and burnout in athletics, this investigation examined (a) the relationship of personal/situational variables (social support, gender, and years of experience) to stress appraisal and (b) the relationship of stress appraisal (perceived stress, coaching issues, and role conflict) to burnout. Male (n = 99) and female (n = 115) teacher-head basketball coaches from NCAA Division III and NAIA colleges completed established measures of burnout, perceived stress, teacher—coach role conflict, and social support and a measure of coaching issues developed for this study. Multivariate analyses supported the hypothesized relationships. Specifically, greater satisfaction with social support, less experience, and gender (females higher) were related to stress appraisal, and all stress appraisal variables were positively related to burnout. Contrary to previous studies, these teacher—coaches reported moderate to high levels of burnout.     

Comparison of Seriation and Multidimensional Scaling: Two Techniques for Validating Constructs in Physical Education

Abstract

Several scaling techniques were identified as procedures that might be useful in the statistical validation of constructs in physical education. The purpose of this study was to examine solutions obtained by the techniques of seriation and multidimensional scaling, one- and two-dimensional, as varying degrees of error were introduced into specific data sets. Using a Monte Carlo model, four different sized matrices were selected to represent situations that could be applicable to research problems in physical education, such as ordering developmental sequences, course objectives, and levels of behavior in curriculum hierarchies. Kendall's tau (τ) values were computed between the ordering resulting from the matrix with no error and all other solutions for a particular matrix size in order to compare the solutions utilizing various scaling techniques, matrix sizes, and degrees of error. An analysis of variance of the 4 × 3 × 3 design of the study yielded three significant main effects of matrix size, random error, and scaling technique. Tau values served as the dependent measures with ten replications per cell. The following results were obtained: (a) the larger matrix sizes produced the most accurate results; (b) as error increased, the accuracy of all solutions decreased; (c) the technique of seriation produced slightly more accurate solutions than one- and two-dimensional multidimensional scaling.     

Effects of a Three-Year Exercise Program on Motor Function and Cognitive Processing Speed in Older Women

Abstract

This study evaluated the effects of a three-year exercise program on motor performance and cognitive processing speed of previously sedentary older women, ages 57–85. Variables tested were simple and choice reaction time (CRT), balance, sit and reach flexibility, shoulder flexibility, and grip strength. Subjects participated three times a week in exercise performance classes designed to meet American College of Sports Medicine guidelines. Results indicate that performance was significantly improved on all measures during the course of the study (p < .01) except for the sit and reach test (SRT), where significance was approached (p < .027), but not reached. A comparison of the exercise subjects with a comparable group of nonexercising control subjects revealed significant interactions between treatment and time on all variables except CRT and grip strength. Pretest to posttest scores of the exercise subjects tended to improve over the three-year period, whereas the scores of the control subjects declined. Improved reaction time indicated exercise is effective in reversing or at least slowing certain age-related declines in motor performance and in speed of cognitive processing.     

Perceptions of homophobia and heterosexism in physical education

Educators have a responsibility to provide safe space, but gay and lesbian youth face particularly hostile environments. This initial study surveyed physical education teachers (n = 82) and young adults (n = 77) about their perceptions of homophobic and heterosexist behaviors within physical education and teachers' use of inclusive behaviors. Most teachers and both gay and straight students witnessed heterosexist and homophobic behavior, and most lesbian and gay students had personally experienced homophobic behavior. These data indicate that homophobic and heterosexist behaviors are common in secondary schools, that teachers intend to provide a safe space, and that techers fail to confront heterosexist or homophobic behaviors and take proactive steps to create an inclusive environment.     

An investigation into the role of the controller in institutions of higher education

The purpose of this study was to investigate the controller's perception of his role in institutions of higher education and whether that perception differs from that of top academic administrators. A modified Delphi technique was used to gather and refine data. Despite some minor disagreements, it was shown that there is general agreement as to the proper role of the controller in institutions of higher education.