The influence of intercultural communication apprehension and socio‐communicative orientation on uncertainty reduction during initial cross‐cultural interaction

This study is an investigation of the influence of intercultural communication apprehension, socio‐communicative orientation, and uncertainty during initial cross‐cultural communication. Prior to interacting with unknown partners from another culture, participants completed measures of intercultural communication apprehension and socio‐communicative orientation. After interacting with their partners, participants completed measures of uncertainty. As predicted, intercultural communication apprehension was positively associated with uncertainty. Also as predicted intercultural communication apprehension was negatively correlated with socio‐communicative orientation. A third hypothesis, which was partially supported, posited that socio‐communicative orientation would be negatively correlated with uncertainty.     

A psychological pattern of anxiety in public speaking

In previous research, a physiological pattern of speech anxiety has been established for the periods before, during, and after delivering a public speech. However, no corresponding psychological pattern has been reported. Although strong correlations between psychological and physiological measures have not been found, it seemed reasonable to expect public speakers to exhibit a psychological pattern of speech anxiety similar to the physiological pattern. The results of this study support that hypothesis. The observed pattern is a monotonic function decreasing from the beginning of the speech through the post speech period.     

Teaching lifespan development: an experiential approach

The main purpose of this article is to describe a student exercise about ageing which is part of a university course about the lifespan for social workers. The year‐long course covers development from infancy to old age. In order to describe the context for the ageing exercise, the article also summarises exercises done by students prior to that about ageing. The ageing exercise could be generalised to shorter courses, to ones dealing solely with the elderly, and is suitable for both applied and theory‐based curricula, and to both undergraduate and continuing education. This exercise is compatible with an experiential and reflective approach to learning. Dealing with elderly people is often personally challenging for students as the elderly are at a different part of the life cycle from that of students’ usual friends and acquaintances. The exercise helps students to cope with the unfamiliarity of dealing with individuals unlike themselves, and often proves to be an enriching experience for them. At the same time it enhances their understanding and subsequent ability to relate to the elderly.     

Inbound,outbound or peripheral: the impact of discourses of ‘organisational’ professionalism on becoming a teacher in English further education

This article explores constructions of teacher identities at a time of significant changes to public service professionalism. The article draws on different discourses of professionalism, contrasting ‘organisational’ and ‘occupational’ professionalism, with discourses of ‘personal’ and ‘critical’ professionalism, to explore changing meanings and enactments of teacher professionalism in the 2000s. Narratives of three novice teachers, followed over eight years, are used to consider the impact of dominant discourses of ‘organisational’ professionalism in English further education, resulting in inbound, outbound and peripheral trajectories. In response, the article considers how practitioners might engage critically with current changes, arguing that it is necessary to work with what matters to teachers, such as their relations with students, teaching and learning and subject specialism. Such work might create, at least temporarily and locally, spaces in which more favourable conditions towards socially just and enabling educational practices can be worked towards.     

Strategies for Elevating the Public and Professional Regard of the Ed.D.

A nationwide strategy for improving Ed.D. programs is needed to overcome two important dilemmas that are typical in schools of education: low academic status for Ed.D. programs and an overreliance on tuition as a source of revenue. Other major hindrances are the lack of agreement about research-based standards, a weak alignment with other elements of educational reform, and fuzzy accreditation standards. The authors then discuss two broad strategies for reversing the downward spiral in educational leadership programs: a compact among elite schools of education to improve their Ed.D. programs and a National Academy of Educational Leadership. For both strategies, the authors explore lessons from a range of analogies drawn frome experience both in the United States and internationally.     

La eficacia de un modelo de instrucción directa en la enseñanza de la comprensión de ideas principales

RESUMEN

La comprensión de las ideas principales es una destreza lectora importante, y suele ser lo que discrimina los buenos lectores de los deficientes. El propósito de este estudio es desarrollar un método de instrucción directa para enseñar a los niños la comprensión de las ideas principales, y evaluar su eficacia frente al método tradicional (instrucción por medio de libros de lectura básicos). El grupo entrenado (grupo estrategia) con instrucción directa rindió mejor en la aptitud para recoger las ideas principales que el grupo básico (que siguió el método tradicional) y adquirieron estas destrezas con mayor profundidad y comprensión. Pero no hubo diferencias en la aptitud para las ideas principales en el recuerdo.     

Book reviews

Lifelong learning is recognized as an important tool to reduce social exclusion, but out of the many investigations into the provision of lifelong learning in Europe none has yet sought to examine the specific situation of mental health care service users. This study examines the provision of lifelong learning for this disadvantaged group; it identifies current policies and explores the access to, and nature of, lifelong learning practices for mental health care service users in eight European countries. Data have been collected through a literature and policy review and through questionnaires completed by mental health practitioners in the eight countries. The study found broad compliance amongst the eight countries with the Lisbon policy goals on lifelong learning, but evidence of specific lifelong learning provision for mental health care service users is patchy and sporadic. The study identified the main benefits of, and the barriers to, the participation in lifelong learning for mental health care service users from the viewpoint of mental health professionals and practitioners. The implications for practice were described, and suggestions for actions were made for improving the lifelong learning provision for the target group.     

Torrance,Mark et al ed (2012) Learning to write effectively Brill (Leiden,Netherlands) isbn 978‐1‐78052‐928‐8 431 pp €113.95 http://www.brill.com/learning‐write‐effectively‐current‐trends‐european‐research

The European Co‐operation in Science and Technology Research Network supported European research on learning to write effectively from 2008 to 2011. This book outlines the results—with eight editors presenting over ninety contributions from people in a dozen or more European countries. There are four sections: writing development; learning and teaching writing; document design; and tools for studying writing. Thus the coverage is broad, but thin. It's probably best to order this text for the library unless you are personally involved in research on writing. James Hartley