Reviewing and developing a psychological service’s response to managing behavioural difficulties through action research

Educational or school psychologists (EPs/SPs) can offer support with behaviour concerns at the levels of individual, group or organisation. Their practices, whilst being psychologically based, must be responsive to local contexts and needs. To explore behaviour practice in a real-world context, and to consider how development in this domain might occur during the adoption of a “part-traded” service delivery model, an empirical investigation was conducted within one English local authority (LA) educational psychology service (EPS). Using an action research model, data were gathered through a focus group with six EPs and an interview with the Principal EP (PEP). Current behaviour practices, psychological approaches and future development priorities were identified, as well as perceived facilitators and barriers to change and the EPs’ reflections on professional development through research participation. Implications for EP practice and future research are considered.     

A comparison of perceptions of self among university students in Ireland and the U.S.: Implications for counselling

The study compared 50 Irish and 50 American graduateand undergraduate psychology and counselling studentson the ways they rated My Real Self and My Ideal Selfon a Semantic Differential using Osgood et al.'s (1957)Semantic Differential Technique. A 2×2×2 MANOVA wasused for the data analysis where the status variableswere country, class, and gender, and the dependentvariables were the evaluative and potency scales ofthe Semantic Differential for both My Real Self and MyIdeal Self. It was found that males, as a whole,rated the potency of both My Real Self and My IdealSelf higher than females. Implications forcounselling are discussed.     

PREDICTING TEST--RETEST RELIABILITY FROM BEHAVIOR CODING

In attempting to move questionnaire design from art to science,researchers use different evaluation techniques to help determinehow well questions are working. Techniques such as behaviorcoding, respondent debriefing, interviewer debriefing, cognitiveinterviewing, and nonresponse analysis all provide informationto help the questionnaire designer assess whether respondentsunderstand questions as intended and whether they are able toprovide adequate answers to them. However, these techniquesdo not actually measure question reliability. It is assumedthat questions that pass the screen of the questionnaire evaluationtechniques described above are also more likely to produce datathat are reliable and valid. In this paper, we use behaviorcoding data to predict test–retest reliability. Respondentbehavior codes significantly predict such reliability whereasinterviewer codes—at least in this survey—do not.We also report the results of sensitivity testing to determinewhat percentage of adequate respondent answers best predictstest—retest reliability.     

CHARTING THE OUTCOMES OF AN INTERDISCIPLINARY SUMMER INSTITUTE ON GERONTOLOGY

The multiple and complex needs of the elderly require interdisciplinary collaboration among many different professionals to provide comprehensive care. As a result, educators must develop interdisciplinary programs and learning experiences that address educational needs and facilitate a better understanding of the various roles and expertise of providers from many fields. Using the framework of a program evaluation model, the Charting the Outcomes of Educational and Clinical Approaches model, this article addresses the outcomes and effects of an interdisciplinary approach to continuing gerontological education used by one summer institute on gerontology. Over its 12‐year history, this institute has attracted more than 2,600 participants from many professions and occupations. The interdisciplinary approach of the Summer Institute has been evident in its planning committees, the delivery of diversified programs by a variety of providers, the facilitation of informal networking among registrants, and the organization of group discussions that bring together professionals and learners from different disciplines to communicate and collaborate on mutual concerns regarding aging issues. One theme on case management, which addressed policy and practical issues related to service delivery for the elderly, was presented by representatives from academia, government, the nonprofit service sector, and consumers to an audience of providers from various fields including business, gerontology, health promotion, nursing, occupational therapy, psychology, recreation, social work, and sociology. Thesue cess of the interdisciplinary approach to gerontological education used by the institute has helped to establish McMaster University as a Canadian leader in this field of continuing education.     

“I Bought My Degree,Now I Want My Job!” Is Academic Entitlement Related to Prospective Workplace Entitlement?

Academic entitlement, a term that defines students’ expectations of academic success independent of performance, has been linked with a number of maladaptive behaviors. This study examined the potential relationship between academic entitlement and prospective workplace entitlement in a sample of Canadian students (N=1024) using an online survey. Multivariate analyses produced a significant (p<0.05) positive relationship between academic entitlement and prospective workplace entitlement. Graduate students had higher levels of prospective workplace entitlement than did undergraduates, and those pursuing degrees in Education and Law had significantly lower levels of prospective workplace entitlement than students in other areas of study. Results support a need to develop strategies to minimize entitlement beliefs prior to an individual’s entry into the workforce.     

Imaginary subjects: school science,indigenous students,and knowledge–power relations

The perspectives of indigenous science learners in developed nations offer an important but frequently overlooked dimension to debates about the nature of science, the science curriculum, and calls from educators to make school science more culturally responsive or ‘relevant’ to students from indigenous or minority groups. In this paper the findings of a study conducted with indigenous Maori children between the ages of 10 and 12 years are discussed. The purpose of the study was to examine the ways that indigenous children in an urban school environment in New Zealand position themselves in relation to school science. Drawing on the work of Basil Bernstein, we argue that although the interplay between emergent cultural identity narratives and the formation of ‘science selves’ is not as yet fully understood, it carries the potential to open a rich seam of learning for indigenous children.