Reflections as near‐peer facilitators of an inquiry project for undergraduate anatomy: Successes and challenges from a term of trial‐and‐error

Near‐peer facilitators (senior students serving as facilitators to their more junior peers) bring a unique student‐based perspective to teaching. With fewer years of teaching experience however, students who become involved in a facilitator role typically develop related skills quickly through a process of trial‐and‐error within the classroom. The aim of this paper is to report on the authors' own experiences and reflections as student near‐peer facilitators for an inquiry‐based project in an undergraduate anatomy course. Three areas of the facilitator experience are explored: (1) offering adequate guidance as facilitators of inquiry, (2) motivating students to engage in the inquiry process, and (3) fostering creativity in learning. A practical framework for providing guidance to students is discussed which offers facilitators a scaffold for asking questions and assisting students through the inquiry process. Considerations for stimulating intrinsic motivations toward inquiry learning are made, paying attention to ways in which facilitators might influence feelings of motivation towards learning. Also, the role of creativity in inquiry learning is explored by highlighting the actions facilitators can take to foster a creative learning environment. Finally, recommendations are made for the development of formalized training programs that aid near‐peer facilitators in the acquisition of facilitation skills before entering into a process of trial‐and‐error within the classroom. Anat Sci Educ. 7: 64–70. © 2013 American Association of Anatomists.     

A cross-cultural comparison of cognitive and affective mediators in the relationship between media use and body image disturbance: focusing on US and Korean women

This study examined whether the relationship between cumulative thin-ideal media and body image disturbance is mediated by (1) cognitive variables, including beliefs about normative thinness and thinness prevalence and (2) affective variables, including dejection and agitation. Also, this study tested whether mediating effects would be different across cultures. Results revealed that perception about normative thinness mediated the relationship between thin–ideal media use and body image disturbance among both US and Korean participants and the effect was stronger for Korean participants. Thinness prevalence estimation did not mediate thin-ideal media use and body image disturbance in either Korean or US participants. Dejection was a statistically significant mediator for the relationship between thin-ideal media use and body image disturbance for both Korean and US participants, but no cultural differences were found. Agitation was also a statistically significant mediator for thin-ideal media use and body image disturbance, but only for Korean participants. Cultural differences in mediating effects were explained based on individualism and collectivism.     

Optimizing Early Mathematics Experiences for Children from Low-Income Families: A Study on Opportunity to Learn Mathematics

Both the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and the National Association for the Education of Young Children recognize that well-designed opportunity to learn mathematics can help improve mathematics achievement of students from low-income families and from minority backgrounds. Using data from a nationally representative sample, the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten cohort, this study empirically examined a subset of children from low-income families to determine whether African American and Caucasian students have differential opportunity to learn mathematics and the extent to which opportunities to learn predict gains in mathematics achievement at kindergarten. Results indicated African American kindergartners have differential opportunity to learn mathematics than their Caucasian peers from low-income families. African American students were found to have received, on average, more reported instructional time spent on mathematics, higher use of math manipulatives, worksheets, textbooks and chalkboard work than their Caucasian peers. Moreover, greater opportunity to learn mathematics predicted higher mathematics achievement for both African American and Caucasian students from low-income families, specifically, opportunity to learn skills such as telling time, using measurement tools accurately, estimating quantities, and knowing the value of coins and cash.