A view from the coal face: UK research student perceptions of successful and unsuccessful collaborative projects

Studies of the effectiveness of collaborative research partnerships between industrial and academic institutions rarely focus on understanding success as perceived by those involved in the research activities. We explore the extent to which three classes of potential success factor are correlated with perceived collaborative research success; supervisor characteristics, project management characteristics, and communication characteristics. Findings are based on a questionnaire-based survey of 348 doctoral students supported by the UK Research Councils’ Engineering Doctorate (EngD) and Co-operative Awards in Science & Engineering (CASE) schemes. Conclusions describe how the experience of collaboration as a process influences and how successful students consider the collaboration to be for themselves and the collaborating institutions.     

Student Attendance Patterns and Performance in an Urban Postsecondary Environment

Interest in student transfer/attendance patterns remains high. There is considerable evidence that the traditional perception of transfer from a single community college directly to university is becoming less the norm than in the past. In a continuation of a research consortium project begun in 1992, an urban university and three community colleges investigated the complex nature of student attendance/transfer patterns and their effects on student achievement in terms of credits transferred, GPA performance after transfer, degree completion, and time to degree. While previous research has documented the varied patterns of student attendance/transfer, the goal of this phase of the study was to identify what effects, if any, these varied patterns have on student performance.     

Student teachers' learning about child sexual abuse strategies for primary school: an exploratory study of surface and deep learning

This paper explores student teachers' understandings of child sexual abuse and strategies to deal with it that are appropriate for the primary school classroom. Evidence of surface and deep learning were obtained from a content analysis of student teachers' responses to an essay‐type exam question, using Bloom's taxonomy of educational objectives. The results show that participants were most likely to be rated as having achieved at intermediate levels, and less likely to be at either the lowest or highest levels. The data suggest that greater provision should be made for addressing child sexual abuse during the training of such professionals to enhance their deeper thinking about child sexual abuse and strategies to deal with it. Since pre‐service teacher education plays a significant role in enhancing the quality of future teachers, it is important that they are helped to achieve the highest levels associated with understanding universals, principles, generalizations and abstractions. The implications of these results for teaching in primary schools strongly suggest the importance of comprehensive, enhanced, longer, and on‐going programmes on child sexual abuse across pre‐service education.     

What do preservice teachers want to learn about puberty and sexuality education? An Australian perspective

The processes of puberty are now commonly observed in primary school-aged students. Schools, therefore, need to address puberty and sexuality education for students’ health, well-being, safety and pastoral care. Similarly, preservice teacher education needs to address future primary school teachers’ unfamiliarity and lack of confidence with these issues and topics, and develop appropriate and normative learning and teaching practices to benefit students of all ages. This paper explores the types of sexuality education content and pedagogies student-teachers prefer to learn about, and be assessed on, in a dedicated sexuality education course in their preservice Bachelor of Education (Primary) degree. A mixed-method design collected quantitative preference ratings and qualitative responses revealing that student-teachers prefer content about the social, developmental and psychological aspects of primary school children’s puberty and sexuality. Student-teachers also prefer school counsellors and school nurses as guest speakers, learning pedagogies in tutorial or small groups and assessments through case studies by oneself or small groups. This Australian evidence may be useful to designers of preservice health and sexuality education courses, who aim to assist primary school student-teachers become more competent, confident and professionally trained in puberty and sexuality education.     

Inconsistencies in DIF Detection for Sub-Groups in Heterogeneous Language Groups

Diversity and heterogeneity among language groups have been well documented. Yet most fairness research that focuses on measurement comparability considers linguistic minority students such as English language learners (ELLs) or Francophone students living in minority contexts in Canada as a single group. Our focus in this research is to examine the degree to which measurement comparability, as indicated by differential item functioning (DIF), is consistent for sub-groups among linguistic minority Francophone students in Canada. The findings suggest that the linguistic minority Francophone students who speak French at home and those who do not speak French at home should not be grouped together for investigating measurement comparability or for examining performance gaps. We identified a great degree of differences in DIF identification with a consistency of 7–10% in DIF identification in the separate analyses for the two groups. The findings highlight methodological problems with investigating fairness for diverse linguistic groups that are treated as a single group.     

The development of emotion expression during the first two years of life

This study examines the course of emotion expression development over the first 2 years of life in a sample of full-term and preterm children. 58 mother/infant pairs were videotaped at infant ages of 2 1/2, 5, 7 1/2, and 22 months, recording face-to-face interaction involving play and separation/reunion sessions. The tapes were coded on a second-to-second basis using Izard's facial affect coding system. Data analysis focused on (1) differences in expressive behavior at 22 months as a function of risk status, gender, attachment status, and patterns of earlier maternal contingency behavior; (2) stability of specific emotional expressive patterns across assessment periods; and (3) the relation of expressive behavior and security of attachment at 2 years to qualities of earlier affective interchange. Mother's contingency behavior (both general level and specific contingency patterns) appeared to have a material effect on the course of emotional development, as did birth status and gender. Prematurity was associated with differential socioemotional development well into the second year, much in contrast to the "catch-up effect" observed in linguistic and cognitive functioning. Discrete emotions analysis of attachment groups yielded differentiation along a broad negative/positive dimension, but it also showed that insecurely attached children can be characterized as showing inhibited anger expression. The results of this study are discussed within the framework of organizational models of infant affective development; attachment theory and discrete emotions approaches were found to yield different yet equally informative data on the course of socioemotional development.     

Examination of the gender–student engagement relationship at one university

Research examining the relationship between gender and student engagement at the post secondary level has provided mixed results. The current study explores two possible reasons for lack of clarity regarding this relationship: improper parameter estimation resulting from a lack of multi‐level analyses and inconsistent conceptions/measures of ‘student engagement’. Data from the 2006 administration of the National Survey for Student Engagement (NSSE) at a southeastern university were analysed. Results indicated that the relationship between gender and engagement is related to engagement type as well as an institution level factor (gender composition). Implications and directions for future research are discussed.     

Fostering Collaboration with Families of Children with Disabilities: Online Professional Development for K–12 Teachers

Technology has reshaped conceptions of professional development by increasing access to information, enabling sustained follow-up efforts, and fostering teacher reflection and collaboration. Drawing on theoretical models of parent involvement and an ethic of caring, this study examined the perceptions and attitudes of educators toward collaborating with parents of children with disabilities. This inquiry utilized a digital documentary and online curriculum for inservice K-12 special education and general education teachers' professional development in a rural school district. Results indicate that teachers who participated in the online professional development showed increased recognition of the importance of collaborating with families. Limitations and implications for future research and practice are addressed in the article.