Institutional Research: Knowledge,Skills, and Perceptions of Effectiveness

Terenzini (1993) approached the issue of institutional research effectiveness by articulating three tiers of organizational intelligence necessary for effective institutional researchers. Responses (n = 601) from a nationwide survey of AIR members provided for an empirical investigation based on this concept. The study examined the existence and acquisition of examples of institutional research knowledge and skills and how they relate to perceptions of effectiveness. Participants indicated that they were effective in their functions and reported that they possessed examples of the technical, issues, and (to a lesser extent) contextual knowledge and skills articulated by Terenzini. Multiple regression revealed the relationships between background characteristics, knowledge and skills in institutional research, and perceptions of effectiveness to be minimal, however. The authors conclude that an institutional researcher's effectiveness can perhaps only be adequately evaluated relative to institutional culture and expectations and leaders' personalities and orientation toward decision making.     

The Cross-Ethnic Equivalence of Parenting and Family Interaction Measures among Hispanic and Anglo-American Families

Recently there has been concern over the need for developmental research within ethnic minority populations and interest in family processes within, and variability across, ethnic groups. Unfortunately, most of the research using standard scales of family processes has sampled middle-class Anglo-Americans, and the potential absence of cross-ethnic measurement equivalence threatens the validity of the research using these scales with ethnic minority populations. This study reports confirmatory factor analyses and construct validity coefficients for several parenting and family interaction scales among Anglo-American and Hispanic 8-14-year-old children and mothers. The findings indicate that the Children's Report of Parental Behavior Inventory (except the hostile control subscale), the Parent-Adolescent Communication Scale (open communication subscale only), and the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales II appear to have sufficient cross-ethnic equivalence for English-speaking Hispanic samples. Further, the Family Routines Inventory and the problem communication subscale could benefit from additional scale development.     

Mentoring triad: an alternative mentoring model for preservice teacher education?

Within many preservice teacher education programs in Australia, mentoring is used as the overarching methodology for the professional placement. The professional placement is considered to be a key component of learning to teach, and typically a dyad mentoring model is utilized. However, it is reported that many preservice teachers experience a less than successful placement when a dyad model is used. This research explored an alternative mentoring model that placed two preservice teachers with a classroom teacher and investigated the mentoring that transpired. The research examined the interactions that occurred between the triad members, in particular those that took place between the two preservice teachers as peers. A theoretical framework that focused on a holistic mentoring model was utilized to frame the research and analyze the data. It was found that the use of a mentoring triad extended the scope of mentor support that can be provided to preservice teachers.     

Using a Mobile Dichotomous Key iPad application as a scaffolding tool in a museum setting

This study tested an iPad application using a dichotomous key as a scaffolding tool to help students make more detailed observations as they identified various species of birds on display in a museum of natural science. The Mobile Dichotomous Key (MDK) iPad application was used by groups of fifth- and seventh-grade students. Analysis of the findings suggests that the MDK was equally as effective and in some ways more effective than the educator-led intervention at improving students' scientific observation skills. In general, the scaffolding key in both mobile and educator-led form was found to be more effective for fifth-grade students than for seventh-grade students. In addition, it was found to be effective at improving the level of detail students provided and the number of scientific terms they used, but not at improving the number of valid inferences students made.     

高等教育国际化的前景展望:动因与现实

作为当今世界不可逆转的趋势,全球化推动了高等教育国际化的进程,促成了高等教育成为国际自由贸易的一个重要组成部分,并使得营利性高等教育部门的影响力不断扩大。由于高等教育的优势资源主要集中在发达国家,少数发达国家主导了高等教育的国际化,并从中获得了大部分的经济利益,而中等收入国家和发展中国家则扮演了高等教育的购买国。最新的研究表明,虽然新的机会和潜在的利益与风险并存,但国际化仍然是未来世界高等教育发展的主要趋势。     

Gudaga goes to school study: methods used in understanding school transitions and early education experiences of an urban Aboriginal cohort

The Gudaga Goes to School Study described the transition to school and early education experiences of 117 urban Aboriginal children and their families. This paper outlines the methods and design of the study. A life course approach, employing multidimensional and multi-theoretical frameworks was used to capture the complexity of issues surrounding the transition and early school experiences with multi-methods used to collect data from children, parents and teachers. Quantitative data included questionnaires, checklists and educational assessments to track children’s academic progress, school attendance, and social/emotional/behavioural development. Qualitative data consisted of semi-structured interviews and focus groups to gain the perspective of stakeholders. Children also participated using photography and drawing mediums. The community controlled study was conceived, designed and conducted in close consultation with the local Aboriginal community.     

Democratic Education and Critical Pedagogy

Critical pedagogy wraps itself in the mantle of democracy, but in six generally accepted attributes of democracy (equality, important knowledge, nature of authority, inclusiveness, participatory decisionmaking, and rights and a seventh, not normally considered but one that has been the essence of the democratic dream—an optimum environment for everyone), critical pedagogy offers no direction. In fact, critical pedagogy, despite its unrelenting assault on the oppressiveness of schooling, may be guilty of diversion, division, illusion, and confusion, which are the major thrusts of oppression in a democratic society. Unlike critical pedagogy, a general theory of education informed by the seven aforementioned attributes of democracy provides multiple avenues for initiation of significant and realistic educational reform in existing public school sites.