Contemporaneous and Longitudinal Associations of Sibling Conflict with Family Relationship Assessments and Family Discussions about Sibling Problems

The first purpose of this study was to examine contemporaneous and longitudinal associations of maternal and paternal measures of family functioning with observational and self-report assessments of sibling conflict. The second purpose was to determine whether the ways in which families attempt to solve siblings' problems are associated with contemporaneous and longitudinal assessment of sibling conflict. The results indicate that paternal equality of treatment and family harmony during family discussions about sibling problems, as well as parents' perceptions of family cohesiveness, are associated with lower sibling conflict levels.     

The Research and Development in Organisations Approach and the Evaluation of a Mainstream Behaviour Support Initiative

This paper describes the evaluation of a local authority behaviour support initiative that involved the re-location of four behaviour support teachers from pupil referral units into three mainstream secondary schools to work with pupils at risk of exclusion. The evaluation was largely illuminative (Parlett, 1981) and focused on the effect of changing off-site behaviour support to in-school support. The research approach taken incorporated a Co-operative Inquiry strand (Heron, 1996) where researchers and behaviour support teachers worked together to design major aspects of the research process. This enabled research outcomes to inform educational practice, and gave a reflective, formative aspect to the study. The overall approach to the design of the study was informed by the Research and Development in Organisations (RADIO) model developed by Knight and Timmins (1995). The application of this approach in the context of the study is described along with a brief account of the findings. Finally, brief comment is made on the way in which the RADIO approach might contribute to educational psychologists' work at the local education authority and whole school levels.     

Exploring the Usefulness of the Monsen Problem‐solving Framework for Applied Practitioners

This paper explores the reflections of practising educational psychologists on the usefulness of a framework used in training for the role of educational psychologist. The Monsen problem‐solving framework is taught on the M.Sc. Educational Psychology Programme at Strathclyde University. The framework aims to support learning in the processes of conceptualising complex and ill‐defined problems and in subsequently developing effective interventions. It offers systematic steps to help structure, organise and analyse the complexities of problems in a coherent way, facilitating understanding and transparency of processes for both psychologists and clients. How effective is the training device in ensuring that problems are understood and addressed in practice? Does the framework influence or shape the work of the fully‐fledged practitioner? The present study indicates that the Monsen framework is perceived to be highly effective in some executive areas and that these aspects transfer well to applied practice. However there is less transferability in those aspects relating more directly to psychological theory and thinking, in particular the formulation of hypotheses and the sharing of the problem dynamics with stakeholders. Respondents describe the limitations of the model in the contexts of collaborative working, time management and competing theories and frameworks. These issues are discussed in relation to professional practice and accountability. It is proposed that the advantages of using the Monsen model may be even clearer if the role of psychological theory is more fully articulated within the framework.     

Family background,subject specialization and occupational recruitment of Scottish university students: Some patterns and trends

University entrants from different social backgrounds tend to specialize in different subjects at university. Self-recruitment operates to a large extent in the ancient professions of medicine, dentistry and law, and few working class students enter these faculties. Self-recruitment of male students to engineering, business, farming and to a lesser extent teaching, is also evident. Working class university entrants frequently specialize in education or engineering. Comparisons with data from earlier years show little change since the 1930s in occupational recruitment patterns at Scottish universities.     

Do Preschool Children Recognize Auditory-Visual Numerical Correspondences?

The present study investigated the ability of 3- and 4-year-old children to perform tasks which require matching sets of sounds to numerically equivalent visual displays. We found that 3-year-olds performed at chance on the auditory-visual matching task, while 4-year-olds performed significantly above chance. There is evidence that mastery of the linguistic counting system is related to success on this task. These findings are unexpected given previous research reporting that 6–8-month-olds can detect the numerical equivalence between a set of sounds and items in a visual display.     

Dialogic spaces: a critical policy development perspective of educational leadership qualifications

The critical exploration of policy development processes employed to construct leadership qualifications is the focus of this inquiry. This exploration is made through specific application of the necessary conditions of Habermasian ‘practical discourse’ to current dialogic procedures used to develop policies for principal, supervisory officer and teacher leadership qualifications. This exploratory inquiry illuminates current means of policy development and the enhancements required for the embodiment of the idealizing conditions of practical discourse. Situating practical discourse within policy development practices for educational leadership also broaches the broader question of establishing a suitable moral epistemology for educational institutions in pluralist societies. As such, the current inquiry represents an important step in the progress of educational governance with relevant implications for all regulatory institutions charged with the task of creating policy guidelines that shape educational leadership practices across highly diverse and culturally rich societies.     

Evaluating Children’s Participation in SEN Procedures: Lessons for educational psychologists

This paper reports the findings from a study of the participation of children with special educational needs (SEN) in decision‐making about their needs in a sample of mainstream schools which were self‐selected for having promising practices. The findings show promising practices in eliciting views, the importance of a school participation ethos and inconsistencies between policy and practices. The study also illustrates the complexity and challenge of consulting and sharing decision making with children and young people. The outcomes are discussed in terms of educational psychologists becoming involved in research and in supporting whole school developments of participation practices.     

Design Research as a Mechanism for Consultants to Facilitate and Evaluate Educational Innovations

Schools across the nation are implementing innovative practices; however, questions remain regarding how to facilitate quality implementation. Research designs that emphasize high degrees of control over independent variables result in findings with internal validity, but that may not generalize to complex, dynamic educational systems. The purpose of this article is to propose a design research framework as a mechanism for consultants to facilitate and evaluate innovation implementation. Information on design research principles and processes is provided, and issues to consider when applying the framework are discussed. An illustration of how a design research framework was applied in a large-scale initiative to implement and evaluate Response to Intervention (RtI) implementation is also provided. Finally, issues and questions to consider relative to consultants' use of design research principles are explored.     

Toward a Philosophy of STEAM in the Anthropocene

Abstract

This paper proposes a philosophy of STEAM education in the current moment, the Anthropocene. Whereas many proponents of STEAM focus on outcomes related to cultivating a more creative and competitive generation of STEM workers, it is, more importantly, an approach to education that can foster spaces for transdisciplinary conversations surrounding critical issues of the Anthropocene – those of ethics, sustainability, and relationality. Thus, the question arises, How might we understand/practice STEAM education differently? This philosophy of STEAM in the Anthropocene is inspired by the guiding notions of Braidotti’s affirmative ethics as well as Stengers and Ulmer’s conceptions of slow(ing). These perspectives challenge the ideologies and practices that have created and sustained divisions between the arts and sciences, while also promoting different ways of engaging in/with the world. Entangled in this conceptual framework are three concepts that might guide STEAM education moving forward: transdisciplinarity, relationality, and responsibility. With these notions as inspiration, this paper asserts a philosophical vision that takes seriously the realities of our Anthropocenic present and considers how educators might move with, rather than push against, the challenges that continue to present themselves.