Young People's Views about the Youth Training Scheme in Scotland

This article investigates the views of a sample of young people in Scotland about their experiences of the Youth Training Scheme. It uses qualitative data drawn from a national postal survey of young people throughout Scotland which was conducted in 1985. It is argued that such data can be used in the generation of a simple form of ‘grounded theory’, and for gaining new insights into the way young people understand their world. In particular, the article looks at the ways in which these respondents use and interpret the terms ‘slave labour’ and ‘cheap labour’ as applied to the Youth Training Scheme, and discusses some of the aspects of the Youth Training Scheme which are felt by trainees to be unsatisfactory.     

Educational Provision for Mildly Intellectually Disabled Children in Queensland: Development and Decline

From the mid‐twenties to the early seventies children now designated as mildly intellectually disabled were the recipients of the greater part of the special education budget and the energies of special education staff in Queensland. These students were by far the largest category of children with special needs catered for by the Department of Education's special education section. The thrust towards separate provision for this group came from within the Department itself supported by visiting experts, with no apparent need for parent advocacy. The integration debate and expansion of services to more severely intellectually disabled children appear to have directed the mildly disabled group back into the educational mainstream, raising the question of whether the expertise and support developed over the years within special education have accompanied them.     

The development and validation of the Interpersonal Support in Physical Activity Consultations Observational Tool

This study describes the development and psychometric characteristics of an observational instrument that examines four aspects of interpersonal support (or lack of) provided during physical activity (PA) promotion consultations (i.e., Autonomy Support, Involvement, Structure and Interpersonal Control), as identified by Self-determination Theory (SDT). The reliability and validity of the Interpersonal Support in Physical Activity Consultations Observational Tool (ISPACOT) were examined within an exploratory randomised control trial. Recorded consultations (N = 42) conducted by qualified PA advisors (N = 14) at 13 leisure centres across the West Midlands (UK) were rated. Intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) indicated moderate to high inter-rater reliability for overall interpersonal support (0.80), and the Autonomy Support (0.74), Involvement (0.73) and Structure (0.91) dimensions, but low reliability for Interpersonal Control (0.35). The advisors, who conducted PA promotion consultations that were rated as low in their interpersonally supportive features, were perceived by their clients as being less supportive (F(1,10) = 5.0, p <.05). Ratings on the ISPACOT differentiated advisors who were trained in SDT principles and those who were not. Overall, the findings provided preliminary evidence for the reliability and convergent validity of the ISPACOT.     

Professional Development: An LEA Adviser's Perspective

This paper represents a summary and discussion of the findings of a single site case study which investigated the causes, reactions, and coping strategies relating to teacher stress in a comprehensive high school. Data analysis suggested that the problem of stress was multi‐dimensional in nature; levels of stress depended upon the interaction of any number of stressors which may be modified by experience, status, and the individual coping process. Coping strategies were found to be complex patterns of actions which were palliative or direct‐action, used in sequence or simultaneously to combat stress. The findings suggest pointers for the multi‐level management of stress which may need to extend beyond self‐management strategies.