Attribution of Career Facilitators by Eminent Women from Canada and Finland

Highly successful contemporary women from two countries, Canada and Finland, were surveyed in an attempt to identify the elements in their lives that facilitated or prevented their achievement level. This work is exploratory research into the similarities among factors that promote female achievement. The overall purpose was to expand our understanding of female talent development applicable to contemporary girls and women despite their national origin. In total, 1553 Canadians and 424 Finns, listed in a Who's Who biographical publication of each country were invited to participate. There were 827 respondents from Canada and 280 from Finland who chose to participate in the study. Data were collected by means of a written questionnaire dealing with career development. The two sample sets were then compared by their responses to the demographic questions. The two groups were very similar as to birth order, education, marital status and motherhood. Main results show that in recalling their past, the eminent women reported that their own qualities and personal convictions were the primary reasons for attainment of prominence or fame. Both Finns and Canadians also gave considerable credit to the close members of their families. Spouses and parents were reported as supplying much encouragement and support. Professors/instructors/coaches, school teachers, colleagues and friends were also seen as encouragers. Both groups of women identified the same five factors as being most detrimental to their careers: stereotypical attitudes of others, being female, children, availability of childcare, and parents' socioeconomic status. Findings are discussed in the light of the available research literature, and implications for educating gifted females are proposed.     

Cross-language transfer of reading skills: an empirical investigation of bidirectionality and the influence of instructional environments

Reading and Writing - The linguistic interdependence hypothesis (Cummins, 1979, 2000) states that children’s second-language (L2) proficiency is, to some extent, a function of their...     

The professionalization of Hong Kong teachers: Dilemma between technical rationality and individual autonomy

This article studies the dilemma between professionalization and professionalism in the development of teaching into a bureaucratic organization in Hong Kong. Professionalization and bureucractization are simultaneous processes. Teaching as an occupation has grown from a state of idiosyncrasy to a profession with defined boundaries. However, achieving system efficiency and technical rationality, both features of bureaucracy, could undermine or suppress teachers’ individual autonomy. Thus, bureaucratization supports professionalization by raising the status of teaching, but undermines professionalism by constraining teachers’ autonomy. The article examines the changing pattern of stratification and how it shaped the relationship between the professionalization, bureaucratization and professionalism of teaching in Hong Kong. It argues that teaching cannot be a true profession without realizing professionalism, and that teacher education has a central role in the drive towards it. Key Words: Hong Kong teachers, teacher education, professionalization, professionalism, stratification     

The Resilient Mind: The Psychology of Academic Resilience

Using six years of data chronicling the experiences of 50 academically resilient college students, this article focuses on the seldom-researched area of the psychology of academic resilience. Ubiquitous stressors such as subpar public schooling and the lack of social and cultural capital; psychosocial issues that arise during the resilience journey; and the compensatory psychological responses necessary to cope with the stress and, ultimately, thrive within the academic environment are explored in this article.     

COMPARATIVE STUDY OF REVERSE TRANSFER,LATERAL TRANSFER,AND FIRST‐TIME COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS

Among the “new” students attending community colleges are a large number of reserve and lateral transfers, students with previous college experience. This study was conducted to provide information on their characteristics and their reasons for attending and leaving colleges as compared to the first‐time college study. A sample of 10,196 students in the Los Rios Community College District (California) was studied and five student groups were identified: First Time Students (FTS), 54.7 percent; Noncompleter Lateral Transfers (NCLT), 19.2 percent; Completer Lateral Transfers (CLT), 7.5 percent; Noncompleter Reverse Transfers (NCRT), 12 percent; Completer Reverse Transfers (CRT), 7.6 percent. The CRT and FTS groups differed most significantly. The CRT were older, more often married with children, worked more hours, and were taking fewer units. In general, the characteristics of the other three groups were similar and at a mid‐point between the CRT and FTS. Factor analysis of the reasons for attending showed that factors related to job training, location, low cost, lack of admissions requirements, and the colleges' reputation were important for study groups. Preparation for transfer was not among the most important factors for any group. Students who left four‐year colleges listed reasons related to academic indecision, cost, and items critical of the previous institutions significantly more often than students who had left two‐year colleges. They reported reasons related to mobility and short‐range goals significantly more often. Results appeared to support previous studies with regard to students' characteristics. Further research on students' reasons for attending and leaving, as well as a reexamination of colleges' program formats, services and delivery systems were recommended.