Review Essay

This article examines how pastoral leaders learn in the context of ministry in terms of how they see the relationship between theory and practice. The work of Wilfred Carr is introduced as a theoretical framework and clue structures are used to distinguish the different approaches to the theory and practice relationship. A case study using two examples is used to demonstrate how the clue structures are used. The article concludes with implications for the theological curriculum.     

Communication and the Emotional,Cognitive, and Relational Consequences of First Sexual Encounters between Partners

The initial sexual encounter between partners can be a salient relationship event that constitutes an important turning point in relationship development. The goal of this study was to examine the associations between communication and outcomes of initial coitus between partners. We hypothesized that communication would correspond with the emotional, cognitive, and relational outcomes of initial coitus, over and above the effects of individual and relational factors. Results supported the hypothesized associations between communication and sexual outcomes. The discussion highlights the implications of initial coitus as a turning point in relationship development and proposes future directions for research on sexual intimacy.     

探寻嫩芽初露的信息

耄耋老人琼·科姆贝斯在谈及英格兰春天的橡树时说道：“我深爱着这些初生的小绿叶。”她从11岁开始记录冬天结束的迹象。因为羞于将童年时代拙劣的笔迹示人,她将最初10年的笔记丢尽了废纸桶。这样的数据对于生物气候学来说意义重大,这门学科研究的是影响大自然变化周期的时间机制。当气候变化模糊了季节的界限．这门学科越来越受到人们重视。     

Child, family, and community characteristics associated with school readiness in Jordan

The present study investigated demographic differences in school readiness within Jordan, a particularly interesting context because of wide-spread national reform currently sweeping the education system in Jordan. Teacher reports and researcher direct assessments of the school readiness of a national sample of 4,681 Jordanian first grade children were used to describe the levels of school readiness of children with respect to seven demographic characteristics. Higher levels of school readiness were associated with male gender, higher family income, higher paternal education, higher maternal education, smaller family size, fewer siblings, and urban residence. Taken together, the findings highlight the importance of Jordanian education reform, one aim of which is to improve the school readiness of all children by implementing public kindergartens, especially in poor, rural areas.     

Stand by me: The effects of peer and teacher support in mitigating the impact of bullying on quality of life

Bullying is one of the most common forms of school violence. Engagement in bullying has been shown to have adverse effects on perpetrators and victims of bullying. In this study, the impact of bullying on well‐being (quality of life/life satisfaction) was explored in a sample of elementary and middle school children (N = 4,331). Results suggest that students who bully and/or are bullied experience reduced life satisfaction and support from peers and teachers compared to “bystanders” (children who are neither victims nor perpetrators of bullying). Mediational analyses demonstrate that peer and teacher support might mitigate the impact of bullying on the quality of life of victims. This study underscores the value of efforts to promote social support from peers and teachers in both universal bullying prevention programs and school climate initiatives. Furthermore, results support further investigation into the possible contributions of bystanders in supporting school‐wide bullying prevention/school climate strategies. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Kindergarten school readiness and fourth‐grade literacy and numeracy outcomes of children with special needs: a population‐based study

In British Columbia, Canada, two population‐based databases have been linked at the level of the individual child: the Early Development Instrument, a Kindergarten school readiness measure; and the Foundation Skills Assessment, a Grade Four academic assessment. Utilising these linked data, we explored the early school readiness, literacy, and numeracy outcomes of a province‐wide study population of children with special needs (N = 3677) followed longitudinally from Kindergarten to Grade Four. In particular, we explored the categories of special needs among our study population. In addition, we investigated the Kindergarten school readiness and Grade Four literacy and numeracy outcomes of children with special needs. We also explored the Grade Four literacy and numeracy outcomes of children with special needs who were ‘not school ready’ at Kindergarten. Finally, we identified the categories of special needs of children who participated in the Kindergarten data collection, but were missing literacy and numeracy scores at Grade Four. Future directions are discussed.