Primary school student-teachers’ knowledge and understandings of child sexual abuse and its mandatory reporting

Teachers in many schools have only recently gained a new role to fulfil as mandatory reporters of child sexual abuse. However, little is known, and little literature has been found, on the preparation they receive, as student-teachers, for this significant role. This study examines a final-semester cohort of 81 Bachelor of Education (Primary School) student-teachers in Queensland, Australia, by questionnaire, on their knowledge and understandings of child sexual abuse and its mandatory reporting. Using quantitative and qualitative data, the results show that while these student-teachers have a substantial awareness of the role's importance, without gender or age differences, they are suffering a crucial lack of confidence in their ability to identify child sexual abuse, and also in their ability to respond appropriately to suspicions of it. This evidence may be useful to inform the development of more appropriate and effective pre-service education programmes, and departmental policy to ensure that teachers entering the profession are better prepared to deal with it. Thus, this study accords with a variety of imperatives in national and international government-sponsored research, policy and practices which are focussing on this timely, ubiquitous and costly issue, in addressing enhanced pre-service teacher preparation to respond more effectively to child sexual abuse and its mandatory reporting.     

Evidence of alphabetic knowledge in writing: connections to letter and word identification skills in preschool and kindergarten

The writing skills of 286 children (157 female and 129 male) were studied by comparing name writing and letter writing scores from preschool to kindergarten with letter and word reading scores over the same time period. Two rubrics for scoring writing were compared to determine if scores based on multiple components (i.e., letter formation, orientation on the vertical axis, left–right orientation, and correct letter sequencing) would better reflect differences in children’s writing knowledge in preschool and kindergarten than rubrics composed of one component (i.e., letter formation only). While developmental changes in writing scores were found, little additional information was provided by multiple component scoring rubrics compared to the single component rubric. Letter writing scores were more strongly related to letter and word reading scores than name writing scores but neither writing score was predictive of growth. Implications of the findings for intentional/systematic writing instruction in preschool curricula are discussed.     

英国报业变革图强之路

英国的全国性报纸或许是世界上最好的报纸之一,它们独立于政治控制之外,把娱乐内容与新闻信息的生产放在同等重要位置,报纸满是色彩丰富的各类增刊、副刊、Sudoku游戏,附带有免费DVD、电影票和假日促销券等.为什么这些报纸的所有者要费尽心思留住读者呢?购买报纸的读者数量一代一代地在减少,在过去10年中,全国性报纸流失了数百万读者.日报及周末报纸的发行量10年前是3100万份,但到了2005年8月,这个数字下降为2200万份.     

Emotion socialization and expressive development in preterm and full-term infants

The expressive behaviors of full-term and preterm infants and their mothers were examined during face-to-face interaction when the infants were approximately 2 1/2, 5, and 7 1/2 months old. Videotapes of the sessions were coded on a second-to-second basis using Izard's discrete emotion coding system. Overall, infants showed a linear increase in positive effect, especially interest and joy, and a corresponding decrease in negative affect, especially pain and knit brow, with age; decrease in negative affect was accounted for largely by the preterm infants. In terms of maternal responses, there was an increase in contingent responding to infant interest expressions and a decrease in contingent responding to infant pain expressions over time, especially in the case of the preterm infant. The data set as a whole was examined further to establish the directionality of influence between mothers and infants in change patterns over time. There was evidence of learning effects in infants as a function of maternal modeling and contingency patterns. Anomalies in maternal responses to preterm infant affect expressions were observed. Mothers of these infants displayed significantly less matching or imitation of their infant's facial expressions, showed random rather than contingent responsiveness to sadness, and a significant ignoring response to infant anger. These differences were attributed to differences in gazing patterns and negative emotion expression in preterm infants. The results are discussed within a framework of emotion socialization that recognizes bidirectionality of influence in the emotional patterns of mothers and infants.     

The Relationship Between Students’ Perceptions of “Good Practices for Undergraduate Education” and the Paradigmatic Development of Disciplines in Course-Taking Behavior

Our study uses data from the Wabash National Study of Liberal Arts Education to interrogate the affinity disciplines hypothesis through students’ perceptions of faculty use of six of Chickering and Gamson’s (AAHE Bull 39(7):3–7, 1987) principles of good practice for undergraduate education. We created a proportional scale based on Biglan’s (J Appl Psychol 57(3):195–203, 1973) classification of paradigmatic development (with higher scores on the scale corresponding to students taking a higher proportion of courses in ‘hard’ fields compared to ‘soft’ fields), our study tests differences by the paradigmatic development of the disciplines or fields in which students take their courses within the first year of college. Our findings suggest that as paradigmatic development increases (toward a higher proportion of courses taken in hard disciplines), student perceptions of both faculty use of prompt feedback and faculty use of high expectations/academic challenge decrease, while student perceptions of cooperative learning increase. Further, no statistically significant differences were found between the paradigmatic development of fields in which students’ take their courses and students’ perceptions of faculty use of student-faculty contact, active and collaborative learning, or teaching clarity and organization. This study replicates the findings from Braxton et al. (Res High Educ 39(3):299–318, 1998) using student-level rather than faculty-level reports of faculty use of good teaching practices.     

Analyzing Fairness Among Linguistic Minority Populations Using a Latent Class Differential Item Functioning Approach

ABSTRACT

Differential item functioning (DIF) analyses have been used as the primary method in large-scale assessments to examine fairness for subgroups. Currently, DIF analyses are conducted utilizing manifest methods using observed characteristics (gender and race/ethnicity) for grouping examinees. Homogeneity of item responses is assumed denoting that all examinees respond to test items using a similar approach. This assumption may not hold with all groups. In this study, we demonstrate the first application of the latent class (LC) approach to investigate DIF and its sources with heterogeneous (linguistic minority groups). We found at least three LCs within each linguistic group, suggesting the need to empirically evaluate this assumption in DIF analysis. We obtained larger proportions of DIF items with larger effect sizes when LCs within language groups versus the overall (majority/minority) language groups were examined. The illustrated approach could be used to improve the ways in which DIF analyses are typically conducted to enhance DIF detection accuracy and score-based inferences when analyzing DIF with heterogeneous populations.     

Visualising learning design to foster and support good practice and creativity

Applying Bandura's social learning theory, this paper proposes a theoretical framework for analysing the effect of MUD playing on users' self efficacy. Three types of self efficacy – computer self efficacy (CSE), social self efficacy (SSE) and generalized self efficacy (GSE) – are introduced. A possible hypothesis – successful performance, vicarious experience, hearing positive verbal persuasion and massive exposure during MUD playing will raise the CSE, SSE, and GSE of users – is suggested. Finally, a theoretical model explaining the relationship between self efficacy and MUD activities is proposed.

Applicant la théorie de l'apprentissage de Bandura cet article propose un cadre théorique pour analyser les effets de MUD jouant sur l'efficacité personnelle de l'utilisateur. 3 types de celles-ci - computer self-efficiency (CSE) social self efficacy (SSE) et generalisé self-efficiency (GSE) - sont introduits et une hypothèse possible. Les résultats réussis, expérience substituée, écoute de la persuasion verbalement et l'exposition massive au jeu de MUD augmentera le CSE, SSE et GSE des utilisateurs est suggéreé. Finalement un modèle théoritique expliquant le rapport entre l'efficacité personnelle et les activités de MUD est proposé. NDLR. Beaucoup de termes sont introduisable en francais et ont dû être maintenus en anglais.

(MUD: multi-user domain, multi-user dungeon, oder multi-user dimension; eine (virtuelle) Umgebung, in der mehrere Menschen (Spieler) gleichzeitig eingeloggt sein können, um miteinander zu agieren (Rollenspiele).?/?Efficacy: wörtl.: Wirksamkeit - Der Übersetzer). Unter Anwendung von Banduras Sozialer Lerntheorie wird in diesem Beitrag ein theoretischer Rahmen vorgestellt, mit dessen Hilfe man die Wirkung des MUD-Spielens auf das Selbstvertrauen der Teilnehmer analysieren kann. Es werden drei Arten dieses Selbstvertrauens eingeführt - Computer self efficacy (CSE), Social self efficacy (SSE) und Generalized self Efficacy (GSE). Die Hypothese ist, dass durch die erfolgreiche Durchführung Ersatzerfahrungen, das Hören positiver verbaler Bestätigung und das massives Ausgeliefertsein während des MUD-Spielens das Selbstbewußtsein (CSE, SSE und GSE) des Spielers erhöht wird. Zum Schluss wird ein theoretisches Modell zur Beziehung zwischen Selbstvertrauen und MUD-Aktivitäten vorgestellt.