Evaluating a Tertiary Access Program for Mature Age Women

A thirteen week bridging course curriculum was designed and implemented to assist mature adult women from a low socio‐economic region to gain access to tertiary level education. The course was located at a postsecondary college within the participants' neighbourhood, and presented by a woman staff member of the tertiary institution to which the women were guaranteed entry contingent upon successful completion of the course.

The curriculum focussed explicitly on both academic and non‐academic requirements for successful tertiary study. In the academic strand, significant changes from Concrete to Abstract modes of Learning Style were observed, while in the nonacademic sphere, there was a significant change of preference from Feeling to Thinking styles of decision‐making. Twenty one per cent of participants withdrew and indicated that the course had provided sufficient insight that they were not willing to make a continuing commitment to study at such a demanding level. For all participants, the bridging course succeeded in informing the women's decisions and equipping the majority with skills essential for tertiary level study.     

Adult Agendas in Publishing South African Folktales for Children

Translations of indigenous folktales form a large proportion of South African children's books. The reasons why they were published can be compared with the situation in Canada and Australia, where far fewer folktales were published until the 1970s. At first those who published them were influenced by Social Darwinism, and later they played a role in promoting the ideology of apartheid, but they were mainly the product of white paternalism. In South Africa and Australia they rivalled and outlasted the importation of whimsical European fairy tale elements. Today they are valued for sharing with all South African children indigenous culture, which has vanished or is disappearing in urban society.     

Linking Quality and Quantity of Parental Linguistic Input to Child Language Skills: A Meta-Analysis

This meta-analysis examined associations between the quantity and quality of parental linguistic input and children’s language. Pooled effect size for quality (i.e., vocabulary diversity and syntactic complexity; k = 35; N = 1,958; r = .33) was more robust than for quantity (i.e., number of words/tokens/utterances; k = 33; N = 1,411; r = .20) of linguistic input. For quality and quantity of parental linguistic input, effect sizes were stronger when input was observed in naturalistic contexts compared to free play tasks. For quality of parental linguistic input, effect sizes also increased as child age and observation length increased. Effect sizes were not moderated by socioeconomic status or child gender. Findings highlight parental linguistic input as a key environmental factor in children’s language skills.     

Evaluation of methodological search filters--a review

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of the study were: to provide an overview of approaches to methodological search filter development; to identify and critically review the stages of methodological search filter development; to devise a search filter appraisal checklist based on the review. METHODS: An iterative approach to searching was employed utilizing health and library databases, the world wide web and citation searching. Further systematic methods included hand searching of key journals in the field of search filter development, contacting known experts in the field and scanning reference lists of relevant papers to identify additional studies. Altogether, 51 potentially relevant papers were found, of which 20 met the inclusion criteria. RESULTS: Four stages of search filter development were identified from the literature (search term selection, identification of a gold standard, evaluation and validation). Variations in the methods used to approach these four stages were identified, most importantly in the extent to which search filters are tested and validated. CONCLUSION: Awareness of the process and limitations involved in search filter development is essential to make an informed decision on the applicability and validity of search filters. The findings of this review indicate a considerable agenda for future research, in particular, to improve the quality of reporting of search filters and to inform users on their use and application. Based on the review, guidance in the appraisal process of search filters is given in the form of a checklist.     

Do High-Quality Kindergarten and First-Grade Classrooms Mitigate Preschool Fadeout?

Prior research shows that short-term effects from preschool may disappear, but little research has considered which environmental conditions might sustain academic advantages from preschool into elementary school. Using secondary data from two preschool experiments, we investigate whether features of elementary schools, particularly advanced content and high-quality instruction in kindergarten and first grade, as well as professional supports to coordinate curricular instruction, reduce fadeout. Across both studies, our measures of instruction did not moderate fadeout. However, results indicated that targeted teacher professional supports substantially mitigated fadeout between kindergarten and first grade but that this was not mediated through classroom quality. Future research should investigate the specific mechanisms through which aligned preschool-elementary school curricular approaches can sustain the benefits of preschool programs for low-income children.     

Effect of preschool integration for children with disabilities.

This study examined the effects of integration and segregation in a special education preschool program for children with mild to moderate disabilities to determine whether initial level of development differentially influenced gains achieved. No main-effect differences between the two groups appeared on several pretest and posttest measures. Aptitude-by-Treatment analyses revealed than higher performing students gained more from integrated classes, whereas lower performing students gained more from segregated classes. The data suggest careful monitoring of lower functioning students to ensure appropriate academic and social stimulation.     

Sexism on the Set: Gendered Expectations of TV Broadcasters in a Social Media World

This research examines gender performance expectations of television journalists in the era of social media. A qualitative survey found little to no progress in reducing discourse critical of broadcasters’ appearance in the 20 years since Engstrom and Ferri’s (2000) study, with social media adding another avenue to “correct” rather than challenge gender norms. Nearly all journalist respondents believe viewer criticism has increased with the rise of social media and believe their organizations should provide training and policies addressing this concern. However, 90% of respondents said their organizations provide neither, suggesting news outlets should enhance social media policies.