Editorial Note

One pressing issue in libraries today is the censorship of information. This theoretical essay uses Kurt Lewin's gatekeeping theory to examine the decision-makers as well as the different pressures and constraints that are at issue in decisions regarding challenges and censorship attempts that occur in regards to library collections. Knowing who the decision-makers, or gatekeepers, are in the decision-making process, whether it is library boards, library directors, or public officials, is crucial to the understanding of censorship in public libraries. Without a clear understanding of the function of gates and gatekeepers in the decision-making process, libraries may allow unintended censorship of ideas and information to persist.     

Mind,Brain, and Education in the Digital Era

Computers are everywhere, and they are transforming the human world. The technology of computers and the Internet is radically changing the ways that people learn and communicate. In the midst of this technology‐driven revolution people need to examine the changes to analyze how they are altering interaction and human culture. The changes have already permeated societies around the world, altering learning, teaching, communication, politics, and most aspects of human interaction. The possibilities for improving educational effectiveness seem powerful, as a result of an information revolution with online access to infinite information and numerous teaching and learning activities of adults and children at school, at home, and in public places. An urgent need is for systematic longitudinal studies of what happens with learning and teaching as people use computers and play with the Internet. Perhaps the new technologies make possible a new kind of constructive dialogue, with intertwining of teaching and learning in a dynamic double helix of questions and answers, of modeling and experimentation. This special section will deal with (1) uses of new technologies to help people teach and learn more effectively, (2) uses of individual laptops to help children learn, (3) creation of new tools for learning and assessment, and (4) techniques that image brain structure and activity.     

From individual differences to dynamic pathways of development

A fruitful way to build upon French-language research on development of analogical and propositional processes in logical reasoning tasks is to use dynamic systems tools to describe and analyze relevant developmental pathways. Issues to address include (1) the characteristics of developmental transitions, such as hysteresis; (2) the nature of growth processes, such as hierarchical development or predator-prey interactions; and (3) the construction of effective scales for measuring change in logical reasoning.     

Long-term comparison (1921–2001) of numerical knowledge in three to five-and-a-half year-old children

This study contributes to the debate about the Flynn effect by proposing a long-term comparison (1921–2001) of the numerical knowledge of two cohorts of three- to five-and-a-half year-old children. In 1921, Beckmann (1923) assessed the numerical development of children using four tasks (Production, Distinction, Recognition, and Naming). In 2001, we used these same tasks to test 400 children equally divided into five age groups spaced six months apart. The main results are as follows: (1) the order of difficulty of the four tasks was the same in 2001 and 1921; (2) the 2001 cohort significantly outperformed the 1921 cohort with an advance in numerical development ranging from six months to one year, depending on the task; (3) the superiority of the 2001 children showed up by the age of 3; (4) the magnitude of the rise in scores varied across tasks (the greatest gain was found for the Naming task); and (5) the children in the two cohorts used the same number-evaluation strategies, but the 2001 children used more mature strategies on the Naming task than did same-age 1921 children, particularly subitizing for apprehending small numbers. The rise in scores seems to correspond to a genuine gain in numerical ability, apparently promoted by parental child-raising practices (cross-generational transmission).     

Accuracy in direct behavior rating is minimally impacted by completion latency

Direct behavior ratings (DBRs) have been proposed as an efficient method to assess student behavior in the classroom due to their relative ease of administration compared to alternative methods like systematic direct observation. DBRs are considered low‐inference assessments of behavior because they are designed to be completed immediately following a specified observation period of student behavior; however, in practice it is common for teachers and other respondents to delay completion of a DBR until they are reminded to do so. It is unclear what effect, if any, this latency between observation and DBR completion has on rater accuracy. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine the effect of completion latency on accuracy in an analogue setting. Two‐hundred forty‐one undergraduate students (83.8% female) with a mean age of 21 participated across eight groups and were asked to complete an electronic DBR immediately after watching a video of student behavior or after a predetermined delay of 5 minutes, 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, 4 hours, or 6 hours. A one‐way analysis of variance revealed that there was no statistically significant relationship between completion latency and DBR accuracy, F(7, 233) = .959, p = .46, η² = .028.     

Teleconsultation as the New Frontier of Educational and Psychological Consultation: Introduction to the Special Issue

ABSTRACT

In this lead-in article, we define teleconsultation as the delivery of consultative services through videoconferencing and other technologies. We then describe the emergence and potential positive impact of teleconsultation in schools. Finally, we introduce the articles that make up this special issue of the Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation.     

Teachers' self‐efficacy in bullying interventions and their probability of intervention

Teacher intervention is an important factor in stopping bullying. Several studies indicate that teachers who believe they are capable of stopping bullying intervene more often in bullying. But this finding has only been based on hypothetical situations. It remains unclear if these results can be replicated in bullying interventions that the teachers actually performed. In addition, some studies claim that self‐efficacy is only connected to teacher intervention in direct forms of bullying, rather than indirect forms. In the current study, teachers' self‐efficacy in bullying interventions and the probability that they will intervene is investigated using self‐reported real‐life bullying situations in a sample of German teachers. Results show that teachers who feel more confident in dealing with bullying report intervening more often in bullying episodes they observed. Teacher training should include discussions of real‐life experiences to promote teachers' self‐efficacy beliefs and increase the probability of teacher intervention.