The Use of Concept Maps as an Assessment Tool in Physics Classes: Can One Use Concept Maps for Quantitative Evaluations?

Research in Science Education - The aim of the present research was to explore the use of concept maps as an assessment tool. The research question posed was: can concept maps be used to...     

FACILITATORS OF AND BARRIERS TO MODEL SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES

This study examined facilitators of and barriers to comprehensive and integrated services. A national sample of 267 full‐time practicing school psychologists who were Regular Members or Early Career Members of the National Association of School Psychologists participated. We administered a survey to participants that measured the extent to which they engaged in comprehensive and integrated services and the top facilitators of and barriers to those services using web‐based survey procedures. Results indicated that the majority of facilitators identified (Personal Attributes, Stakeholder Involvement, Resources and Support, School‐Specific Variables, Contextual Variables) predicted greater levels of comprehensive and integrated service delivery. Identified barriers—which often reflected the opposite condition of the facilitators—predicted lower levels of service delivery in some instances; however, they predicted services less often than did facilitators. Implications for research focused on better understanding factors that impact service delivery and on processes for facilitating increased comprehensive and integrated service delivery are discussed. Additionally, implications for practice include the assessment of facilitators and barriers, the use of data to plan for the delivery of comprehensive and integrated services, and advocacy for systems change.     

Peer tutoring instructional practice and kindergartners’ achievement and socioemotional development

ABSTRACT

This study examines how the use of peer tutoring instructional practices links to students’ outcomes during kindergarten. Examining this pedagogical strategy allows us to contribute to the literature in three ways. First, we can study one potential mechanism by which peers might influence the outcomes of other peers in the classroom. Second, in that peer tutoring that is used as an instructional practice, the study can inform the link between instructional factors and student outcomes. Finally, our agenda look at the effects of peer tutoring instructional practices on academic and socioemotional outcomes, thereby broadening the meaning of educational attainment. The study relies on the most current national dataset of kindergarten students (the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten class of 2010–2011). The findings suggest that a higher frequency of peer tutoring utilisation during instruction predicts greater social skills. However, there is no predictive relationship with behaviour or achievement. Implications are discussed.     

Latin American traditions and perspectives

Educational and related non-pedagogical issues are generally described and discussed. Implicitly or explicitly, the theology of liberation,educación popular and traditional education tend to perpetuate male/female roles and very often incite violence. Peace education in Latin America should concentrate more on the pathology of the violent man. The so-called weaknesses associated with women and their powerlessness in Western civilization are precisely those which are absolutely essential to our survival. It is important for women to reject Western patterns of violence and participate actively in finding a viable alternative.

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Zusammenfassung Erziehungsfragen und darauf sich beziehende nichtpädagogische Probleme werden allgemein beschrieben und erörtert. Die Theologie der Befreiung, dieeducación popular und traditionelle Erziehung neigen verdeckt oder offen dazu, männlich/weibliche Rollen zu verfestigen und lösen sehr oft Gewalt aus. Friedenserziehung in Lateinamerika sollte sich mehr auf die Pathologie des gewalttätigen Mannes konzentrieren. Die sogenannten Schwächen, die mit Frauen und ihrer Machtlosigkeit in der westlichen Zivilisation assoziiert werden, sind genau die Eigenschaften, die für unser Überleben absolut notwendig sind. Für Frauen ist es wichtig, westliche Muster der Gewalt abzulehnen, und aktiv daran teilzunehmen, eine lebensfähige Alternative herauszufinden.

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Résumé Les questions d'éducation et celles, non-pédagogiques, qui s'y rattachent sont décrites et discutées de façon générale dans cet article. Implicitement ou explicitement, la théologie de libération, l'educación popular et l'éducation traditionnelle tendent à perpétuer les rôles homme/femme et très souvent suscite la violence. L'éducation pour la paix en Amérique Latine doít se concentrer davantage sur la pathologie de l'homme violent. Les prétendues faiblesses associées à la condition féminine et l'impuissance de la femme dans la civilisation occidentale sont précisément des qualités indispensables à notre survivance. Il importe que les femmes rejettent les formes occidentales de violence et qu'elles participent activement à la recherche d'une solution viable.

     

Professional Learning Communities: Bridging the Technology Integration Gap Through Effective Professional Development

ABSTRACT

While technology is prevalent in American classrooms, meaningful technology integration remains an issue, indicating a lack of effective professional development. Unlike the typical workshop model, professional learning communities (PLCs) utilize teacher-centered approaches to professional development. Kolb’s experiential learning theory, Bandura’s self-efficacy theory, and the expectancy-value model work together to provide the theoretical foundation supporting professional development through PLCs. This article proposes a plan for transformative technology integration using a PLC model for professional development.     

Teachers’ Social–Emotional Capacity: Factors Associated With Teachers’ Responsiveness and Professional Commitment

Research Findings: Early care and education has pronounced implications for young children’s social-emotional learning. Although program structural and classroom process quality indicators have been widely explored, teachers’ personal social–emotional capacity has only recently been recognized as an indicator of quality. This study reviewed and identified indicators of teachers’ social-emotional capacity and established a two factor structure of psychological load and coping abilities. We also explored correlational associations between teachers’ social-emotional capacity and their professional commitment and responsiveness to children’s negative emotions. The sample consisted of 1,129 teachers in center-based child-care programs and public preschools in the US. We found that teachers’ psychological load (depression, stress and emotional exhaustion) was associated with teachers’ negative reactions to children and teachers’ professional commitment after controlling for a wide range of teacher/classroom characteristics. Conversely, teachers’ coping abilities (reappraisal emotion regulation and problem-focused coping strategies) were related to their positive reactions to children’s negative emotions. Practice or Policy: The findings suggest further studies to identify training and professional development program components that might address early childhood teachers’ psychological difficulties and coping strategies. Child-care programs may also need efforts that support teachers’ social–emotional capacity as a way to improve teachers’ responsiveness and professional commitment.     

A longitudinal investigation of personality and social adjustment among Chinese American and European American adolescents

A 2-wave longitudinal study of personality in adolescence was conducted with data obtained at ages 12 and 17 years from approximately 60 European American and 60 second-generation Chinese American youth. At Time 1 they completed the Children's Personality Questionnaire and at Time 2 they completed the High School Personality Questionnaire and self-report measures of high school grades, depression, and self-esteem. Chinese American and European American adolescents became more similar to each other over time through developmental and acculturative processes. Adolescents of both ethnicities increased in Extraversion and Independence. Despite this general trend, the Chinese American youth continued to report lower levels of Extraversion than European American youth. Extraversion and Anxiety predicted school grades for European Americans and psychological adjustment for Chinese Americans.     

Prevalence of vulnerability and protective factors of sexual victimization

English language abstract not available at time of publication.