Congratulations to Our Community of Scholars and Practitioners

This article deals with the history and growth of the Journal, advances in our global reach and impacts, thanks to the hundreds of people who have helped and continue to help us maintain our preeminence in the area of Science Education and Technology, outcomes, and challenges for the future.     

The promise and the promises: Partnerships from a university perspective

Abstract

This study describes issues related to the genesis of two university and middle‐school partnerships as experienced and related by the university faculty members who have participated in the process.

Benefits and tensions have surfaced from these partnerships. Some of the benefits included a broader community of professional colleagues, opportunities to collaborate on research, and firsthand experiences with school reform. The tensions involved conflicts with the university's reward system, the length of time it takes to build trust, the difficulties in establishing collaborative research agendas and balancing two worlds, and feelings of detachment from university colleagues and activities.

Although promises have been made that the university's reward system will change to give priority to work in schools, this is a major concern for non‐tenured faculty. In spite of this, there is great potential in these partnerships to affect change in teacher education.     

School patterns: A sextet

Qualitative methodology has become widespread and accepted in educational research in Europe. The article reviews European efforts toward the methodological grounding of qualitative research approaches (with a focus on the Dutch and German speaking communities). The authors describe the research agenda favoring the use of qualitative methods: reconstruct‐ivist studies, focused on the reconstruction of subjective meaning and development; and interventionist studies, aimed at changing and improving educational situations.     

IMPACT OF A RESTORATIVE CARE PROGRAM IN THE NURSING HOME

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of a progressive mobility restorative program on nursing home residents' ability to perform selected activities of daily living (ADLs) and the amount of staff assistance needed to help residents complete these ADLs. A one group repeated measures design study was conducted in a 255-bed university affiliated geriatrics center. A certified nursing assistant (CNA) specially trained in restorative mobility techniques worked with residents individually for at least 15 minutes per day, five days per week to achieve their individualized mobility goals. Items on ADL Self-Performance and ADL Support Provided from the Minimum Data Set (MDS) were collected at baseline, three months, and six months. Thirty-eight of 42 residents (90%) were included in the analyses and 31 residents (82%) completed at least 25 days of restorative activities. Some residents improved their ADL self-performance at three and six months (15% and 33%, respectively) and decreased in the amount of ADL support provided at three and six months (26% and 31%, respectively). Total ADL self-performance and support provided did not change significantly over the six-month period. Most residents maintained their baseline ADL self-performance and level of ADL support provided over the six-month study. A progressive mobility restorative program implemented by a certified nursing assistant specially trained in restorative techniques resulted in most residents maintaining their baseline ADL self-performance abilities and the level of assistance provided by staff. Studies are needed to determine if these types of programs can actually improve functional abilities and decrease the level of staff assistance needed to complete ADLs or if they are effective in maintaining or delaying functional loss and staff burden.     

Interlocutor Informative Speech

Objective: To provide students with a collaborative experience at informing others, featuring the skills involved in facilitation and making credibility claims for others

Courses: College or high school level Introduction to Oral Communication, Public Speaking, or Advanced Public Speaking     

逐渐消失的光

如果这些日子黑夜变得更加暗淡——世界变得不那么精彩——或许是这样吧。亚洲、欧洲、北美洲的研究者们就发现萤火虫的数量正在急剧减少。     

Against the odds: Small firms in Australia successfully introducing new technology on construction projects

The methods by which small firms overcome the disadvantages of their size to implement innovation on construction projects are examined here through five Australian case studies. It is found that such methods include working with advanced clients, prioritising relationship-building strategies and using patents to protect intellectual property. Key obstacles to innovation implementation by small firms on construction projects are found to be bias in the allocation of government business assistance and regulatory inefficiencies under federal systems of government. The study’s findings derive from a theoretical framework which emphasises firm capabilities and environment, and innovation typologies. Further research is recommended into the impact of government assistance and regulation on small innovative construction firms.