The clinical use of motivational messages: an inquiry into the validity of the ARCS model of motivational design

Instruction, even when prepared according to sound instructional design principles, often does not stimulate students' motivation to learn. A motivational intervention, developed according to the processes outlined inthe ARCS model of motivational design, was implemented and tested following the conventions of an embedded single-case study. It was tested with a group of 15 adults participating in a staff development course conducted within the Mozambique Ministry of Education. Results, based on concurrent and discriminant analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data, indicated that the primary treatment, motivational messages, had positive effects on student attitude and performance. It may be concluded that the specific intervention and the ARCS model which provided the basis for designing it provide a sound basis for positively influencing student motivation to learn.     

Screening for hearing loss in early childhood programs

This study assessed the feasibility of doing hearing screening in Migrant, American Indian and Early Head Start programs using otoacoustic emissions (OAE) technology. Staff members were trained to screen 0–3-year-old children for hearing loss using hand-held OAE equipment and a multi-step screening and referral protocol. Of the 3486 children screened as a part of the study, 77% passed an OAE screening at the first step, 18% more passed an OAE screening at the second step, and 5% were ultimately referred for medical or audiological follow-up. Eighty children were identified as having a hearing loss or disorder of the outer, middle or inner ear requiring treatment. Of these 80, six had permanent bilateral or unilateral hearing loss. Although the protocol suggested that the multi-step screening procedure should be completed within a 4-week time period or less, analysis of the data showed that for children requiring more than an initial OAE screening, the length of time over which the screening was completed ranged from 7 to 12 weeks. The median time required to complete a single OAE screening session was 4 minutes per child. The results demonstrate that OAE screening of young children using this protocol is practical and effective. The implications for conducting periodic hearing screening throughout early childhood are discussed.     

“Montrose” child life protection unit: A treatment and assessment model in child abuse intervention

In New South Wales, Australia, the Department of Youth and Community Services is empowered by statute to deal with cases of child abuse and neglect. Its child protection services include the Montrose Child Life Protection Unit which is designed to support and complement the work of both the Intake Service, Field Service and most importantly the work of child protective facilities in the community. The service has intake crisis counselling and call out resources; maintains a central register; provides a facility for crisis residential care for children and families, diagnostic assessment, and a day programme. The emphasis in service delivery in New South Wales in the area of child protection is on multidisciplinary intervention. The Department of Youth and Community Services is involved in promoting interagency cooperation and co-ordination. Over and above a philosophy that underlies service delivery is the Montrose Unit's involvement in sensitising the community to the difficult and often demanding role of parenting. Montrose represents an attempt to create an environment where parenting myths can be examined from a reality base and strategies implemented for reeducation.     

EXPERTISE AND GIFTEDNESS

The thesis of this paper is that to be gifted means being able to go through the developmental curve from novice to expert more rapidly. Central in growing expertise are the building up of pattern recognition capabilities, schema formation, proceduralization of the knowledge base, and the development of a multistrategy control structure. However gifted the person, in most domains this development takes thousands of hours of hard work. For this reason the contribution to success of sheer intellectual ability is hypothesized to be overshadowed by the personal and situational characteristics that have been found to differentiate between actually (not potentially) creative and less creative persons, e.g., an early, passionate, personal interest in a domain.     

Spannungsfeld Polyvalenz in der Lehrerbildung

The Bologna Process of higher education reform has led to a vast array of different programs of study in German teacher training. In this article, we firstly analyze the implementation of Bachelor programs in teacher training, comparing profession-oriented programs (i.e. those aiming to train students for the teaching profession from the beginning of studies) to polyvalent programs (i.e. those aiming at broad qualifications and including a late decision to become a teacher). Secondly, we investigate whether students enrolled in these study programs differ systematically in their subjective certainty about their career choice. To answer these questions, we analyze portfolios of documents related to teacher training programs from nine German universities that prepare students for teaching in the academic track. Additionally, we analyze data from N?=?2585 Bachelor and N?=?928 Master degree students. We found that most programs, even when they espouse polyvalence, require an early decision to become a teacher. Moreover, our data confirm findings from earlier studies indicating that student teachers are highly certain about their career choice from the very beginning, with students in polyvalent programs being slightly less certain than those in profession-oriented programs (d?=?0.32).     

Principal Recruitment: An Empirical Evaluation of a School District’s Internal Pool of Principal Certified Personnel

Applicant pools for principal vacancies are shrinking nationwide. This shortage of job applicants requires school districts to evaluate their internal pools of principal certified personnel. In this study, 194 certified individuals from a large school district responded to a survey measuring attraction to the job of principal, current job satisfaction versus expected satisfaction in the job of principal, barriers to pursuing the job, and recommended changes in the job. Few participants intended to apply for principal vacancies due to age (median=51), lack of self-reported capability to do the job, and satisfaction with the current job. Participants perceived their job satisfaction would decrease on assuming the job of principal relative to factors such as time with family and job security, and increase relative to factors such as salary and opportunity to experience varied activities. Implications for principal recruitment and recommendations for restructuring the job are discussed.     

University Practicum Supervisors: marching to a different drummer?

The roles and responsibilities of university supervisors in the practicum have changed during the last ten years. Once, the routine tasks of observation and feedback of student teaching performance were the main responsibilities associated with visits to the school. Lecturers in this role also determined, with the school personnel, the assessment rating of the student teacher. Presently, there is considerable variation in the part played by university supervisors of the practicum. Against this background, this paper examines the actual and ideal characteristics of university supervisors from their own viewpoint and from the perspective of teacher supervisors, principals and student teachers. The reasons for the actual‐ideal discrepancies are discussed, and suggestions are made in relation to addressing the matter.     

Paired Reading: a study of process and outcome

A peer tutored Paired Reading (PR) project was organised involving 10 and 11 year old pupils at two primary schools. Outcome was assessed by reading age. Tutor and tutee behaviour during PR was analysed by sessional tape recordings. The study indicates that many of the tutors involved in this project failed to follow PR procedures closely, that all tutors employed reinforcement at very low rates, that many important errors were left uncorrected, and that tutors were consistent in their adherence to (or neglect of) the procedures in which they had been trained.

There appeared to be no influence of tutees’ initial reading age on either tutee or tutor behaviour during PR sessions. No aspect of either tutee or tutor behaviour during PR was associated with size of reading gain.

Mechanisms underlying the apparent effectiveness of PR (and a number of other tutoring techniques for oral reading) are discussed in the context of the apparent absence of any relationship between tutor adherence to PR and tutee reading gains.