Exploratory analysis of decentralized governance and its implications for the equity of early childhood education services in four countries of Europe and Central Asia

We conducted a qualitative study in four countries of the Europe and Central Asia (ECA) region and explored the Early Childhood Education (ECE) policy landscape with an emphasis on the challenges and opportunities decentralization has presented for the provision of services. We content-analyzed ECE policies and documents to map national approaches to ECE. Key informant interviews were conducted to assess the implementation of decentralized ECE governance. An analytical framework that combined core constructs of ECE systems and key domains of decentralization (autonomy, institutional capacity and accountability) was developed and applied. Our analysis points to four overarching processes that contribute to the perpetuation and possible increase of inequitable ECE including (1) sparse mechanisms for participatory and autonomous policy formulation, with few systematic efforts to strengthen local institutional capacities; (2) fragmented policy approaches to promote the assessment and strengthening of quality at scale; (3) funding frameworks and financing schemes that tend to benefit enrolment in contexts of higher levels of economic development; and (4) few mechanisms for coordination to ensure operational coherence across the ECE sector.     

Balancing Disruptive Students' Rights with Campus Safety

Disruptive students potentially pose significant problems for campus administrators as they strive to maintain a safe campus environment conducive to learning while not violating the legal rights of the students. Maintaining a safe campus is important because increasing numbers of students with mental and cognitive disorders are enrolling in college and university classes. This article examines selected court cases involving disruptive students who alleged violations of their First Amendment right of free speech, due process rights under the Fourteenth Amendment, and violations of the rights afforded them under the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act. The rulings in these cases were used to develop campus guidelines and procedures to address the actions of disruptive students.     

Toward a palatable research paper experience

The recently expanding educational movement, writing across the curriculum, has encouraged instructors in all disciplines to require more undergraduate writing assignments, including research papers. A five-stage process for managing the research paper assignment is described. Students are instructed in gathering sources, organizing findings, and using a standard format. Progress is closely monitored at each stage with specific feedback. Student reaction to this technique was measured in upper-division courses using a 14-item questionnaire with Likert-type scaling and free-response narrative. Responses were overwhelmingly favorable, indicating that students would have less hesitancy and anxiety in completing future writing assignments.Kathryn K. Rileigh is Professor of Psychology at Pembroke State University. She holds a Ph.D. in psychology from Vanderbilt University. Her research interests include psycholinguistics and psychological interpretations of literature.An earlier version of this paper was presented at meetings of the Eastern Conference on the Teaching of Psychology, Harrisonburg, VA, October 1990.Copies of the annotated bibliography of handbooks on writing research papers may be obtained by writing Kathryn K. Rileigh, Professor of Psychology, Department of Psychology, Pembroke State University, Pembroke, NC 28372.     

The Effect of English Language Proficiency Level and Educational Background on Academic Achievement

The English Proficiency Level (EPL) of 205 first year business students from 16 Asian countries was assessed on arrival in Australia using the Australian Second Language Proficiency Ratings (ASLPR). Academic grades were recorded for their first, second and third semesters. Statistical analysis of the students' records shows that educational background is the major determinant of success in business courses, with no statistically significant effect coming from EPL. In practice, English proficiency is used as a major selection criterion in its application to the entry of full fee paying international students; on the basis of the evidence presented here, there is no need for a stringent EPL criterion to be applied, which is an important finding for those involved in the selection of international students who wish to study in Australian institutions. An important policy impinging on academic achievement is that students who fail their first semester are allowed to continue their studies; the policy leads to an estimated 39% of students allowed such grace going on to obtain a pass for the course; EPL bears no relationship to academic achievement for students in this category, the major determinant being their educational background. Thus, it is important that stringent conditions are applied to potential international students' educational background, but that they are not disadvantaged by their English language ability.     

Effects of a Game‐Based e‐Learning Module on Undergraduate Food Science Students’ Planned Behaviors Concerning Good Manufacturing Practices

Understanding the role of food science education in developing undergraduate students’ intentions to implement Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) may be a key strategy in developing the workforce's implementation of GMPs and other food safety programs. Previous research has demonstrated the effects of educational interventions on planned food safety behaviors in various settings; however, none have studied GMPs interventions and college students. This study applied the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to evaluate the effects of a game‐based e‐learning module on undergraduate students’ planned behaviors concerning GMPs. Forty‐four participants were recruited from 42 food science clubs across the United States to complete a game‐based e‐learning module and pre‐ and posttest survey instruments. We compared changes in pre‐ and posttest scores using paired Wilcoxon signed rank tests and explored the role of GMP‐related knowledge and TPB constructs (attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral controls) in predicting students’ intentions to implement GMPs using multiple linear regression. We modeled pretest scores, posttest scores, and changes in scores while controlling for student demographic factors (for example, year in college, gender, and so on). Only participants’ knowledge and perceived behavioral controls significantly increased (P < 0.05) after completing the game‐based e‐learning module. Posttest regression models explained twice as much variance than pretest models (up to 54% total). Changes in intentions to implement GMPs were predicted by changes in subjective norms, perceived behavioral controls, and knowledge, as well as previous enrollment in food safety courses and interest in working in the food industry. The only predictive variables for both pre‐ and posttest scores were subjective norms, previous enrollment in food safety courses and interest in working in the food industry (P < 0.05). A discussion of how these results provide insights for food safety educators to optimize their teaching impacts was presented.     

Equity in access? The number of the books available in grade 1, 3 and 5 classroom libraries

Learning Environments Research - In this study, we examined students’ access to text, defined as the number of texts freely available to children in their classrooms. From 60 elementary...     

Understanding motivational structures that differentially predict engagement and achievement in middle school science

Middle school has been documented as the period in which a drop in students’ science interest and achievement occurs. This trend indicates a lack of motivation for learning science; however, little is known about how different aspects of motivation interact with student engagement and science learning outcomes. This study examines the relationships among motivational factors, engagement, and achievement in middle school science (grades 6–8). Data were obtained from middle school students in the United States (N?=?2094). The theoretical relationships among motivational constructs, including self-efficacy, and three types of goal orientations (mastery, performance approach, and performance avoid) were tested. The results showed that motivation is best modeled as distinct intrinsic and extrinsic factors; lending evidence that external, performance based goal orientations factor separately from self-efficacy and an internal, mastery based goal orientation. Second, a model was tested to examine how engagement mediated the relationships between intrinsic and extrinsic motivational factors and science achievement. Engagement mediated the relationship between intrinsic motivation and science achievement, whereas extrinsic motivation had no relationship with engagement and science achievement. Implications for how classroom practice and educational policy emphasize different student motivations, and in turn, can support or hinder students’ science learning are discussed.     

Evaluating climate change behaviors and concern in the family context

Abstract

Although research suggests that family dynamics likely play a role in shaping children’s behaviors, few studies focus on environmental behaviors, and none to our knowledge investigate how parents shape climate change mitigation behaviors among their children. We begin to fill this gap through a quantitative case study using matched household-level survey data from 182 coastal North Carolina families (n?=?241 parents aged 29–77; n?=?182 students aged 11–14) associated with 15 middle school science teachers. Family climate change discussions, parent behaviors, and children’s climate change concern levels predicted the degree to which children will participate in individual-level climate mitigation behaviors. These results provide evidence that promoting climate-related conversations within households may promote climate action even when parents are apathetic about climate change. Similarly, parental behaviors, but not their concern levels, were important predictors of adolescent behaviors. This study highlights novel ways that family dynamics may promote climate change mitigating behaviors and a new pathway to promoting climate mitigation at familial, and ultimately, societal levels.