Volunteers as teachers of child management to parents of behaviour‐disordered preschoolers

Ten women volunteers were trained as teachers of child management skills to parents of behaviour‐disordered preschoolers. Families were selected from referrals to a child psychiatric clinic, and included 42 children. Initial assessment of families was undertaken by a psychologist, and specific goals for treatment were set with parents. Volunteers trained in a social learning approach to child management visited the families in their homes to implement and supervise programs aimed at parent and child behaviour change. After 6‐8 weeks families were reassessed at the clinic. Evaluation of the project's outcomes using a consumer satisfaction survey, parent ratings on a problem behaviour checklist, and staff ratings of goal attainment, showed major changes in child behaviour which were maintained at three‐month follow‐up.     

Choices of destination for transnational higher education: “pull” factors in an Asia Pacific market

Traditional assumptions favouring native English language countries in transnational higher education (TNHE) overlook experiences of international students in new emerging Asian education hubs. Specifically, there has been limited research relating to international students’ choice for studying in Malaysia. Drawing from the “push-pull” model of factors influencing the movement of international student destination choice, this study identifies determinants of student destination decision for TNHE. While acknowledging perceived qualities and values of individual institutions as important criteria, findings from interviews with students that are currently enrolled at international branch campuses also indicated key influences driven by “pull” factors of country image – attractive features of Malaysia, i.e. comparatively low cost of living, low tuition fees, safe country for living, stable government, modern amenities, proximity in culture and religion and freedom from discrimination – as focal motives in their choice decision. These findings provide implications for policy-makers to deploy their educational resources as well as develop effective promotional and marketing strategies in promoting the local reputation and amenities in order to attract more international students.     

Substance use: A life skills perspective

The paper proposes a life skills perspective for understanding substance use, in which generative and context based competences and control strategies are central. Within that framework, reasons for substance use, general goal related competence, and specific strategies used to control substance use were examined for 360 young people (144 males, 216 females) aged 18–20 years. Relationships were established between frequency of use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs and participants’ self reported knowledge of methods and effects of use, as well as of how much use was made of knowledge of effects in social situations. Participants also answered short tests on actual knowledge of effects and results on these were related to the extent of use reported. Finally perceptions of the best ways to learn about the effects of using these substances were related to patterns of reported use. The results supported the application of the life skills perspective to the domain of substance use in six areas; goal orientation; perceived competence; control over one’s actions; contextual competence; personality traits; and utilisation of knowledge. Educational strategies to develop this perspective were suggested.     

VICAID: Development and evaluation of a palmtop-based job aid for workers with severe developmental disabilities

The development of technologies to assist people with severe and profound developmental disabilities to engage in constructive activity without constant support from carers may assist such persons to participate fully in vocational and other occupational activities. We describe the development, evaluation and use of VICAID, a system based on a radically simplified palmtop computer. The VICAID system enables a person with a developmental disability to access pictorial instructions designed to help him or her in the accurate completion of tasks. It also provides reminders to access the instructions, and/or alerts a job coach or supervisor should the worker's interaction with the system suggest that they are having difficulty with a task. Evaluative studies show that (1) the system is more effective than alternative supports (pictorial instructions presented in booklets) in maintaining accurate task performance, (2) that the system is preferred to such booklets by most users with severe disabilities, and (3) that it can be used in real work settings. Future development of the system will require attention to be paid to issues of training job-coaches and support workers in its setting-up and maintenance.