Long Term Vision Creates Perspective

Column Editor's Note. Leaders need to develop long term perspectives if they are to be successful in leading their organizations into the future. A vision is a good start but the leader needs to be able to anticipate developments, opportunities, changes, and finances if they are to guide their organization through a changing landscape. Successful leaders are able to develop insights into the future and position their organization to positively interact with their environment. While some of these skills are intuitive, leaders are able to develop a long term perspective through several strategies. Interested authors are invited to submit articles for this column to the editor at farrell@uwyo.edu.     

Coping with Complexity: How do educational psychologists assess students with emotional and behavioural difficulties?

This paper explores the issue of how educational psychologists (EPs) deal with emotional and behavioural difficulties (EBD) referrals. Self-reported EP practice is highlighted and discussed using data gathered from a survey of EPs ( n =107) drawn from 16 local education authorities. Data relating to the age and gender of students referred, the types and frequency of tests used, and specialist interventions recommended/used are presented. A number of findings are emphasised; for example, the gender imbalance of referrals, the extensive range of behaviours deemed by referrers to provide evidence of EBD, and the considerable variations in the assessment and intervention practices of individual EPs.     

The role of LEAs in developing inclusive policies and practices

Mel Ainscow and Peter Farrell (from the Faculty of Education, The University of Manchester), Dave Tweddle (Senior Assistant Education Officer, Oldham MBC) and George Malki (research assistant) report on the findings of their DfEE-funded study into LEAs' (local education authorities') policies andpractices on inclusion.     

Latent classes of aggression and peer victimization: Measurement invariance and differential item functioning across sex,race-ethnicity,cohort, and study site

Peer victimization is common and linked to maladjustment. Prior research has typically identified four peer victimization subgroups: aggressors, victims, aggressive-victims, and uninvolved. However, findings related to sex and racial-ethnic differences in subgroup membership have been mixed. Using data collected in September of 2002 and 2003, this study conducted confirmatory latent class analysis of a racially-ethnically diverse sample of 5415 sixth graders (49% boys; 50.6% Black; 20.9% Hispanic) representing two cohorts from 37 schools in four U.S. communities to replicate the four subgroups and evaluate measurement invariance of latent class indicators across cohort, sex, race-ethnicity, and study site. Results replicated the four-class solution and illustrated that sociodemographic differences in subgroup membership were less evident after accounting for differential item functioning.     

First Date Sexual Expectations: The Effects of Who Asked,Who Paid,Date Location,and Gender

This investigation examined the effects of who asked, who paid, date location, and gender on first date sexual expectations and related attitudes. Participants from a large southwestern university in the United States reported that men hold higher first date sexual expectations than women, particularly when men asked and paid for the date and the date occurred at an apartment versus the movies or restaurant. When women asked and paid for the date and the date occurred at her apartment, men hold higher rape myth acceptance beliefs than when the man asked and paid for the date or when either sex asked for the date and the partners “went dutch” on expenses. Additional sexual- and gender-related findings, discussion, and implications follow.     

Training Responses of Speed Skaters during a Competitive Season

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to test the effects of a 10-month exercise program on bone mineral content (BMC) and bone mineral content/bone width (BMC/BW) of postmenopausal women. Thirty-one women (ages 57-83) completed either a general aerobics exercise program (n = 10), a general aerobics plus upper body weight training exercise program (n = 10), or served as nonexercising control subjects (n = 11). Average compliance rates for the exercise subjects ranged from 72 to 80%. All subjects were pre- and posttested for BMC and BMC/BW in the radius of the nondominant forearm. ANOVA results indicated that there were significant differences between the exercise and control subjects in the amount of change in BMC and in BMC/BW (p < .05) during the course of the study. The exercise subjects experienced mean increases of 1.38% and 1.33% in BMC and BMC/BW, respectively, whereas the control group had decreases of 2.50% and 258%. No significant differences were found for subjects in the two types of exercise programs, suggesting that the effects of exercise relative to maintenance of bone density may be general as well as localized.