Hopes and Fears for Science Teaching: The Possible Selves of Preservice Teachers in a Science Education Program

Given the high attrition rate of beginning science teachers, it is imperative to better prepare science preservice teachers, so that they can be successful during the early years of their teaching. The purpose of this study was to explore science preservice teachers’ views of themselves as a future teacher, in particular their hopes and fears for science teaching and the experiences that help to shape their possible selves. Employed were qualitative methods, which included open-ended surveys and face-to-face interviews. Eleven preservice teachers who enrolled in a secondary science teacher preparation program participated. Findings showed six categories of future selves with the most frequent category being for effective/ineffective science teaching. When their hoped-for and feared selves were not balanced, participants articulated more fears. Regarding the primary influence in shaping their hopes and fears, diverse past experiences related to teaching and learning appeared to be more salient factors than science teacher education program. Given the enriched understanding of the science preservice teachers’ perceptions, we provided suggestions for science teacher educators.     

Listening and Experiences of Interpersonal Transcendence

Interpersonal transcendence is a phenomenon marked by total immersion in an interaction, a deep sense of understanding, feelings of mutuality, new insight, and playfulness. Such experiences can be exhilarating, memorable, and rare. This study examines relationships between various listening dispositions and people’s propensity to experience interpersonal transcendence. Participants (N = 300) completed the Interpersonal Transcendence Scale (ITS) along with the Listening Styles Inventory (LSI), the Active Empathic Listening scale (AEL), and the Listening Styles Profile–Revised (LSP-R). Results indicated substantial relationships between ITS responses and the LSI and AEL. The LSP-R dimensions of Relational Listening and Analytical Listening were also related to ITS responses. Other results indicate that propensity to experience interpersonal transcendence is associated with minority group status and age.     

Predicting high school students' cognitive engagement and achievement: Contributions of classroom perceptions and motivation

Path analysis was used to test predictions of a model explaining the impact of students' perceptions of classroom structures (tasks, autonomy support and mastery and evaluation) on their self-efficacy, perceptions of the instrumentality of class work, and their achievement goals in a particular classroom setting. Additionally, the impact of self-efficacy, instrumentality, and goals on students' cognitive engagement and achievement was tested. There were 220 high school students who completed a series of questionnaires over a three-month period in their English classes. Data strongly supported the model demonstrating that student perceptions of classroom structures are important for their motivation. Also supported was the importance of perceiving the current class work as being instrumental for future success. Implications were discussed.     

CAN READABILITY FORMULAS BE USED TO SUCCESSFULLY GAUGE DIFFICULTY OF READING MATERIALS?

A grade level of reading material is commonly estimated using one or more readability formulas, which purport to measure text difficulty based on specified text characteristics. However, there is limited direction for teachers and publishers regarding which readability formulas (if any) are appropriate indicators of actual text difficulty. Because oral reading fluency (ORF) is considered one primary indicator of an elementary aged student's overall reading ability, the purpose of this study was to assess the link between leveled reading passages and students’ actual ORF rates. ORF rates of 360 elementary‐aged students were used to determine whether reading passages at varying grade levels are, as would be predicted by readability levels, more or less difficult for students to read. Results showed that a small number of readability formulas were fairly good indicators of text, but this was only true at particular grade levels. Additionally, most of the readability formulas were more accurate for higher ability readers. One implication of the findings suggests that teachers should be cautious when making instructional decisions based on purported “grade‐leveled” text, and educational researchers and practitioners should strive to assess difficulty of text materials beyond simply using a readability formula.     

音乐人远程实时合作

新的音乐软件可以克服网络延时的困难,使远程的实时演奏变得和在同一个录音棚中排练一样美妙     

A Time Lag Analysis of Temporal Relations Between Motivation,Academic Achievement,and Two Cognitive Abilities

Research Findings: The present study employed a time lag design to assess temporal relationships between motivation, academic achievement, and cognitive development. Eighty-one children from 2 preschool programs were measured twice, with an 11-week time lag, on 2 measures of motivation (marble drop task, bean bag toss task), 2 measures of cognitive development (seriation task, oddity principle task), and 2 measures of academic achievement from the Woodcock–Johnson III (Letter–Word Identification Scale, Applied Problems Scale). There were significant correlations between all of these variables. One clear-cut temporal relationship was found: Prior motivation predicted later academic achievement, but not vice versa. There was also some evidence of temporal relations between motivation and cognitive development, and between cognitive development and academic achievement, but the evidence for these relations was not as conclusive. Practice or Policy: It appears that at the preschool level, maintaining children's motivation is paramount. Curricula should be shaped with that primary goal as a high priority, as it appears that it will be followed by academic progress.     

Building a support system toward tenure: challenges and needs of tenure‐track faculty in colleges of education

This article describes the experiences, perceptions, and available support systems of untenured faculty from a south eastern United States public university system in their progress toward tenure. Survey results were used to develop a model support system for new faculty. Data were collected from an online survey sent to 191 tenure‐track faculty in colleges of education, yielding a 50% (n = 96) response rate. The following research questions guided this research: (a) What are the expectations for teaching, research and service in the colleges of education surveyed? (b) In what ways are untenured faculty supported and/or mentored? (c) What kind of support system(s) need(s) to be in place to assist new faculty in balancing teaching, research, and service expectations? In this mixed‐methods study, respondents were asked about their workload, expectations for tenure, and formal and informal support they received on the tenure track. Untenured faculty reported stressful and unbalanced lifestyles, and work expectations exceeded assigned workloads for several institutions. A new faculty comprehensive support system model is suggested.     

Public Libraries and the Internet 2012: Key Findings,Recent Trends,and Future Challenges

Since 1994, 14 reliable national studies have provided longitudinal data revealing and analyzing trends in the public access computing, Internet access, and technology assistance and training that public libraries make available to the communities they serve. This article provides an overview of selected data from the 2012 study; examines major issues that have emerged from the data in the most recent studies; identifies key trends and changes in Internet-enabled services and resources provided by public libraries to their communities over the course of the 18 years of conducting the national surveys; and discusses selected future issues and challenges regarding public library Internet-enabled services.     

Rhetoric (Dis)Appearing

The institutional history of rhetoric is isolated to appreciate its future value to critical communication and cultural studies. Four institutional encounters are highlighted: 1) its role in the creation of this journal under the auspices of the National Communication Association; 2) its shape shifting character as disciplinary knowledge, practice, and process for engaging democratic imaginaries; 3) its governmentalization under the sign of communication; 4) its ability to escape the ways institutions govern.