School Community in Different Magnet Program Structures

This study utilizes self-reported survey data from teachers to compare indicators of school community in whole school-dedicated magnets in which all students are enrolled in the magnet program and program within school (PWS) magnets in which only a portion of the students participate in the magnet program. The indicators of community assessed in this study are categorized as internal (i.e., within the school) and external (i.e., involving home-school relations). Whole school magnets were found to be characterized by higher levels of internal and external community. Specifically, whole school magnet teachers report greater goal congruence, teacher commitment, and parent involvement. These findings are purported to result from all teachers and students choosing whole school magnets, differences in SES of the students enrolled in these school types, and dilution of indicators of community in PWS magnets from mixing magnet students and teachers with those in the traditional school program. The results varied byschool size.     

University teachers’ learning paths during technological innovation in education

Curriculum development initiatives, especially those involving educational technologies, provide a rich learning space for university teachers. In-depth interviews with teaching staff (n = 11) were qualitatively analysed to gain insight into the variety of individual learning paths and to identify potential relationships between learning paths, motivation, and conceptions of teaching and learning through educational technology. Three distinct learning paths relating to teachers’ learning preferences and activities were identified: learning by performing daily teaching activities; deliberately experimenting with new teaching approaches; and reflecting on teaching experiences. The relationships between learning paths and relevant factors are described and implications for professional development practices are discussed.     

Maternal Separation Anxiety: Its Developmental Course and Relation to Maternal Mental Health

Maternal separation anxiety is a construct that describes a mother's experience of worry, sadness, or guilt during short-term separations from her child. This investigation examined potential differences in psychological correlates between mothers with high and low levels of anxiety when their children were 8 months, 3 1/2 years, and 6 years of age. High levels of maternal separation anxiety had different psychological correlates contingent upon the age of the child. Depressive symptomatology and separation anxiety were unrelated at times 1 and 2, but when the children were 6 years old, mothers who had the highest levels of anxiety tended to have more depressive symptomatology, fewer coping skills, a more negative representation of self, and embraced more traditional sex-role values. Study findings are discussed with respect to their relevance to the mother's role as developmental partner to the child and linked to major theoretical perspectives that address the mother-child relationship.     

Beyond the Book: Using Web 2.0 Tools to Develop 21st Century Literacies

New information and communications technologies (ICT) are redefining teacher education. A university faculty member and an instructional technology consultant incorporated information and communications technologies within a graduate university methods course. The following research questions explored student perceptions of using Web 2.0 tools as a language arts teaching tool: (a) Do pre-service teachers feel adequately prepared to implement 21st century skills using Web 2.0 tools? and (b) What are the barriers that exist for teachers in using Web 2.0 tools in promoting literacy? Findings suggest educators must continue research of Web 2.0 tools to design new learning opportunities for the future.     

Reported contact with child protection services among those reporting child physical and sexual abuse: results from a community survey

OBJECTIVE: This study uses results from a large community survey to examine the relationship between a history of child maltreatment and self-reports of contact with Child Protection Services (CPS). METHODS: The Ontario Health Supplement was a province-wide, probability-based survey of household dwellings in the province of Ontario, Canada. A random sample of residents aged 15 and older participated in the Ontario Health Supplement (N=9953). A face-to-face interview included a question about contact with Child Protection Services (CPS), and the Child Maltreatment History Self-Report, a self-administered questionnaire, was used to assess history of child physical and sexual abuse. RESULTS: Only a very small percentage of respondents with a history of child abuse reported contact with CPS; 5.1% of those with a history of physical abuse, and 8.7% of those with a history of sexual abuse. Contact with CPS was associated with younger age of respondent for both types of abuse and female gender for physical abuse. In the case of sexual abuse, younger respondents whose parental employment classification was in the lower socioeconomic group were more likely to have contact with CPS. CONCLUSIONS: Interventions that target only those who come in contact with CPS will not reach most persons exposed to child abuse.     

Employability pathways for young adults: lived experiences of learners and practitioners in Youth Guarantee programmes

ABSTRACT

Until today, thousands of young adults still dropout of school with no or low qualifications and experience difficulties in entering the labour market. The European Commission offers funding and opportunities for young adults to enter employability enhancing training, often organised under its flagship initiative ‘The Youth Guarantee’. The aim of these programmes is to make young adults a work, training or educational offer within four months of their start into this initiative.

In this paper, we critically explore the concept of employability and focus on the roles of both the young adults undergoing training interventions, but also of practitioners whose work is ideally embedded within the local context of the labour market and the economy. We were interested in the participation experiences by both groups to analyse the strengths and weaknesses of these programmes. Evidence from interviews demonstrated that learners and practitioners were generally satisfied with the interventions, although individualised support was preferred over group-based activities. Working with stakeholders was strongly recommended for this target group who tends to experience cumulative disadvantages. Long-term follow-up of participants’ destinations will provide better evidence on the effectiveness of these programmes.     

The relative difficulty of signed arithmetic story problems for primary level deaf and hard-of-hearing students

This study determines the relative difficulty and associated strategy use of arithmetic (addition and subtraction) story problems when presented in American Sign Language to primary level (K-3) deaf and hard-of-hearing students. Results showed that deaf and hard-of-hearing students may consider and respond to arithmetic story problems differently than their hearing peers, with the critical dimension in problem difficulty being based on the operation typically used to solve the problem, not the story within the problem. The types of strategies used by the students supported the order of problem difficulty. The visual-spatial nature of the problem presentation appeared not to assist the deaf and hard-of-hearing students in solving the problems. Factors that may have contributed to this pattern of problem difficulty are discussed so that educators can better align mathematics instruction to the thinking of the deaf child.     

美国教育博士学位的背景与发展

本文简要记载美国基础教育在改革大环境中对领导管理人员专业培训的需要,以皮博迪学院教育博士学位的定位框架和规格标准为例,在治学宗旨、办学对象、教学方式等方面综述当前美国学术界对教育博士的定位和改良的探讨,为中国高校探索教育领导管理专业学位的设置和发展提供参考.     

The KAIZEN Leader: Continuously Improving Administration

Organizations need high levels of human performance from all personnel, including leaders. Unfortunately, standard organizational practices in selecting and promoting leaders reinforce behaviors that interfere with high performance from them and those they supervise. The leap from current performance levels to high performance must occur in incremental steps based on a theory of management that requires nothing less than cultural and personal change. This article defines the term “KAIZEN” and describes the changes leaders must make in their attitudes and behavior if they are to create continuously improving organizations.