What Ever Happened to the “Cool” Kids? Long‐Term Sequelae of Early Adolescent Pseudomature Behavior

Pseudomature behavior—ranging from minor delinquency to precocious romantic involvement—is widely viewed as a nearly normative feature of adolescence. When such behavior occurs early in adolescence, however, it was hypothesized to reflect a misguided overemphasis upon impressing peers and was considered likely to predict long‐term adjustment problems. In a multimethod, multireporter study following a community sample of 184 adolescents from ages 13 to 23, early adolescent pseudomature behavior was linked cross‐sectionally to a heightened desire for peer popularity and to short‐term success with peers. Longitudinal results, however, supported the study's central hypothesis: Early adolescent pseudomature behavior predicted long‐term difficulties in close relationships, as well as significant problems with alcohol and substance use, and elevated levels of criminal behavior.     

Effects of prior response-contingent reinforcement on superstitious behavior

Three pigeons were exposed to fixed-time (FT) 15 sec, fixed-interval (FI) 15 sec for performing an arbitrary response, a reversal back to FT 15 sec, and then extinction (no reinforcement). During each phase, a computer-controlled tracking system continuously recorded the position of the bird’s head as it moved freely in the experimental chamber. During the first exposure to FT 15 sec, all 3 birds developed a pattern of feeder-wall-directed behavior with occasional circular excursions from the feeder immediately following reinforcement. During FI 15 sec, all birds performed the arbitrary operant, which consisted of contacting a virtual target sphere near the rear of the chamber, and did not engage in feeder-wall-directed behavior. During the reversal back to FT 15 sec, the birds developed a behavior sequence consisting of moving in the direction of the target sphere after reinforcement, followed by feeder-wall-directed behavior prior to the next reinforcement. During extinction, either moves toward the target sphere or wall-directed behavior occurred separately, interspersed with reappearance of the two as a sequence, followed by cessation of both members of the behavior sequence. These findings indicate that prior reinforcement of an arbitrary response can affect the location and form of superstitious behavior that develops near the beginning of the interreinforcement interval, but that other factors (e.g., immediacy of reinforcement) affect the location and form of the behavior near the end of the interval. The findings can be interpreted in the context of superstitious chaining.     

Concept maps as a heuristic for science curriculum development: Toward improvement in process and product

This article outlines the use of concept maps as a tool for science curriculum development and discusses the changes that occur in the teacher's view of the curriculum with successive revisions of the maps. Although we have used concept mapping in curriculum development with teachers from grades 4–8, we describe in detail the maps created by sixth-grade teachers. We analyzed the maps using three criteria: hierarchical structure, progressive differentiation, and integrative reconciliation. Changes made to the maps during the revision process, including additions and deletions, show increased clarification of both the concepts to be learned and the connections between them. Consecutive map revisions show the development of a cohesive conceptual grade-six science curriculum. The use of concept maps can help science teachers develop science curriculum that is hierarchically arranged, integrated, and conceptually driven.     

Metaphors as global markers for teachers' beliefs about the nature of science

In this paper, we report an analysis of metaphors used by three science teachers in their classroom discourse and consider the implications of this research for the image of science that students are likely to construct. Teacher beliefs about the nature of science are implicit and entrenched and may be contrary to both contemporary philosophies of science and constructivist theory. We argue that the presence of metaphors such ateaching as a journey, knowledge as object andteacher as pathfinder in teachers' classroom discourse signify the implicit existence of a powerful objectivist epistemology that governs teachers' pedagogies. If students are to construct contemporary views of the nature of science and if constuctivist pedagogy is to develop in the science classroom then science teachers need to reflect on their use of these role-determining objectivist metaphors.     

A practical guide for the fabrication of microfluidic devices using glass and silicon

This paper describes the main protocols that are used for fabricating microfluidic devices from glass and silicon. Methods for micropatterning glass and silicon are surveyed, and their limitations are discussed. Bonding methods that can be used for joining these materials are summarized and key process parameters are indicated. The paper also outlines techniques for forming electrical connections between microfluidic devices and external circuits. A framework is proposed for the synthesis of a complete glass/silicon device fabrication flow.     

Supporting families: a nurturing teacher education strategy in Nauru

There has been little recent documentation concerning Pacific family support for family members locally involved in university study in their Pacific home country and how such responses affect both parties. Some studies dealing with family support for student family members, including Pacific families residing in the USA, have been published. A New Zealand Ministry of Education report on Pasifika students’ educational success rates raised the need for effective family support contexts. Another study researched the family support negotiation patterns of mature-age part-time students in Australia, Hong Kong and Papua New Guinea. Only one University of the South Pacific research focused on Pacific family and community expectations of family members studying and residing with their families in their Pacific home countries. This Nauru-based study describes mixed support responses from Nauruan families towards their teacher education student family members and Nauru Department of Education student engagement and well-being development strategies.     

A deterministic approach to research in instructional science 1

A deterministic alternative to probabalistic theory and research is proposed and justified on both rational and empirical grounds. Direct tests of deterministic behavior theories are demanding but they are not only possible but are shown to be quite feasible. The main requisite is that of realizing suitable idealized test conditions. Some deterministic theories have been tested under idealized behavior conditions with a level of empirical support which goes far beyond what is normally found in behavioral research. Moreover, deterministic support in the laboratory is shown to necessarily imply probabalistic applicability in the real world—without field testing.     

Action learning in virtual higher education: applying leadership theory

This paper reports the historical foundation of Northeastern University’s course, LDR 6100: Developing Your Leadership Capability, a partial literature review of action learning (AL) and virtual action learning (VAL), a course methodology of LDR 6100 requiring students to apply leadership perspectives using VAL as instructed by the author, questionnaire and survey results of students who evaluated the effectiveness of their application of leadership theories using VAL and insights believed to have been gained by the author administering VAL. Findings indicate most students thought applying leadership perspectives using AL was better than considering leadership perspectives not using AL. In addition as implemented in LDR 6100, more students evaluated VAL positively than did those who assessed VAL negatively.     

The family and the development of literacy skills and values

This paper presents the initial findings of three years of field work with six families in which the children were considered by their parents to be successfully learning to read and write. The study represents an attempt to develop systematic ways of looking at reading and writing as activities which have consequences in and are affected by family life. In the present report, it is suggested that multigenerational family literacy patterns mediated by personal experiences of everyday life are of fundamental importance to the child's development of an individual educative style and, therefore, to learning to read and write. Consideration is given to the interplay of individual biographies and educative styles within each family. Variations are then explored in the degree to which each family specifically fostered literacy skills and values. Within this context emphasis is placed on the importance of the children's family experiences of print which are situationally diffuse, occurring at the very margins of awareness.