Stress and the American black woman: Analysis of research

This study obtained information on causes of stress and its relationship to the performance of the American working woman in the classroom and on the job. In order to implement the study, a questionnaire which included categories of personal information, job-related information, educational information and symptoms of stress information was used. Interviews were conducted with available subjects in order to secure additional information.The study was concerned with 281 American females enrolled and/or employed in institutions of higher education in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, Wisconsin and New Jersey. A total of fourteen educational institutions from these seven states was represented in the study.Data secured from questionnaire and interview results were used to compare subjects on the basis of demographics, attitudinal, adjustment, educational and other factors which contributed significantly to performance and style of the American black working woman; to present information on how to alleviate some of the stress factors that cause poor performance; and to help the American working woman to recognize stress in order to learn how to manage it without having to deal with possible consequences of poor health and additional financial obligations.Of the fifty-two variables compared, significant differences were found in eleven variables in fifty-nine instances when cross-tabulated. A probability of 05 was considered a significant difference and was the criterion for support or non-support of the specific hypothesis.     

A meta-analysis on the relationship between school characteristics and student outcomes in science and maths – evidence from large-scale studies

ABSTRACT

In the present meta-analysis, we examine how secondary school characteristics – such as schools’ academic press, school climate, material resources, personnel resources, classroom climate, instructional practices, out-of-school activities, and socioeconomic status (SES) composition – provide opportunities for students to engage in science and maths, and how these matter with regard to students’ cognitive and motivational-affective outcomes. The meta-analysis includes 71 (international) articles from large-scale studies with a total of 3,960,281 students, 260,390 schools, and 285 effect sizes that were transformed to correlation coefficients. Multilevel meta-analyses were performed. Results identified a number of school variables that can be regarded as relevant for making a difference in student outcomes and at the same time be influenced by education. These refer to school variables such schools’ academic press, classroom climate, instructional practices, and out-of-school activities. Moreover, SES composition was significantly related to student outcomes. Material and personnel resources as well as school climate yielded a close to zero effect. No differences were found between cognitive and motivational-affective outcome variables or between science and maths. The results point to the most promising school characteristics for promoting students’ outcomes and emphasise schools’ potential for students’ engagement in science and maths.     

Latent profile analysis of students’ reading development and the relation of cognitive variables to reading profiles

Previous studies have showed that early problems with word decoding can lead to poor performance in text reading and comprehension and suggest that poor readers often struggle with reading deficits throughout their school years. Therefore, early detection of those children who are at risk for slow reading development and/or who belong to the lowest reading profiles is essential in order to organize proper support. The present study explores the heterogeneity and prevalence of latent reading profiles among 769 Finnish- and German-reading students during their first and second school years in three countries (Finland, Germany, and Italy) using latent profile analysis. The results identified three latent profiles among Finnish readers, one of which (sentence-level reading) was identified as developing slowly. Among German-reading students, four latent profiles were discovered, two of which were identified as developing slowly. The results of ordinal logistic regression modeling show that rapid automatic naming (RAN) was significantly related to poorer reading profiles among Finnish- and German-reading students, and that the poorer results in letter-sound connection testing among the German-reading group was also significantly related to poorer reading profiles. Although the educational systems have some differences between Germany and German-speaking areas of Italy, no significant country effect was detected. In addition, a child’s age and spoken language did not significantly affect the student’s reading profile.     

A Framework for Research on Large-scale Reform

Variation in the success of large-scale reform is afunction of many factors interacting at many ``levels'.Built on a selective review of the evidence aboutlarge-scale reform, this paper provides a framework forexplaining such variation, as well as assessing progressin that direction. Relevant factors influencing reformsuccess, according to the framework, include broad international social, economic and political trends bearing on education, characteristics of national educationalpolicies and strategies for their implementation, and localconditions conceptualized in terms of a model of workplaceproductivity; this model is defined by local practitioners' motivation, capacity, and the organizationalconditions in which they work. This framework has been usedto guide the external evaluation of the National Literacy andNumeracy Strategies.     

Online collaborative documents for research and coursework

Conclusion Garrison’s (2000) review of distance education theories describes the current need for ”sustained real two-way communication ... that refiect(s) a collaborative approach to distance education” (p. 13). One way to apply such theories to research and coursework is to use collaborative documents to promote transactions culminating in deliberation among the key players. Such deliberation can create ”a particular kind of democratic public culture among the deliberators: listening as well as talking, sharing resources, forging decisions together rather than only advocating positions taken earlier, and coming to disagreement” (Parker, Ninomiya, & Cogan, 1999, p. 129). Her research interests are collaborative learning in distance education, impact of culture on online learners, and design of online instruction for constructivist learning environments. Her primary research interests are in design considerations for collaborative online environments and in the powers of shared multimedia for enhancing personal growth, multicultural understanding, and global awareness. She investigates visual messages: how they can be shared and interpreted by learners, their impact, and how their impact can be researched. Her research interests are in computer and network-based foreign language and cultural learning.     

Transformational Leadership: How Principals Can Help Reform School Cultures

ABSTRACT

Collaborative school cultures have been associated with the achievement of a number of school reform objectives for both teachers and students. Little is known, however, about how such cultures develop and whether or how school administrators can facilitate that process. This study examined the practices of administrators in each of 12 schools which had developed highly collaborative professional relationships over a three year period in the context of school improvement initiatives. Results suggest the feasibility of developing more collaborative school cultures in a relatively brief period of time and clarify the role played by the larger context of school improvement for fostering collaboration. Specific strategies used by the administrators are described. These strategies are associated with a concept of leadership termed “transformational”.