The Integration of Environmental Education into Two Elementary Preservice Science Methods Courses: A Content-Based and a Method-Based Approach

To examine the notion of environmental education (EE) as context for integrating the elementary curricula, we engaged in a multi-case study analysis (Yin 2009) of two preservice elementary science methods courses that utilized an experiential reflective approach—case one (University A) through a science content focus (i.e., sustainability) and case two (University B) through a method focus (i.e., problem-based learning). We examined preservice teachers’ understandings of EE, their ideas to incorporate EE into their future teaching, and their conceptions of EE as a context for integration. Results indicate that both foci (content and method) were successful in building EE content, helping preservice teachers to envision EE in their future classrooms, and promoting EE as a context for integrating their instruction. Based on these results, we offer recommendations for the incorporation of EE as a context for integration into the elementary science methods course.     

Adaptation and evaluation of a learning analytics dashboard to improve academic support at three Latin American universities

Despite the success of academic advising dashboards in several higher educational institutions (HEI), these dashboards are still under-explored in Latin American HEI's. To close this gap, three different Latin American universities adapted an existing advising dashboard, originally deployed at the KU Leuven to their own context. In all three cases, the context was the main ruling factor to these adaptations. In this paper, we describe these adaptions using a framework that focuses on four different elements of the context: Objectives, Stakeholders, Key moment and Interactions. Evaluation of the adapted dashboards in the three different Latin American universities is conducted through pilots. This evaluation shows the value of the dashboard approach in different contexts in terms of satisfaction, usefulness and impact in academic decision-making and advising tasks. The main contribution of this paper is the systematic reporting of the adaptations to an academic advising dashboard and showing the value of an academic advising dashboard on academic decision-making and advising tasks.     

Gendered positionality among Irish male primary teachers: the staff room as a site of performative masculinity

The concept of masculinities has traditionally been defined in terms of crises associated with boys’ underachievement, the violence of homophobia, the under-representation of males in caring occupations, the rituals and discourses of laddism, and perceptions of disaffected and unrealised talent. Whereas the topic of masculinities has long been associated with warrants for distinctive and diverse male identities, it has a comparatively more recent history in the research on male Irish primary teachers as a particular social category. Two key findings are discussed in relation to performative masculinities – a form of strategic manoeuvring designed to exploit gender discourses, practices for control, power and privilege. First, the findings show the staffroom as a bellwether or highly developed locus for teacher socialisation through gendered discourses, events and actions. Second, the findings show nonsynchronous performative masculinities not only between male and female teachers but also with male colleagues. Therefore, it is argued that this frequently forgotten and neglected seam in the grand narrative of schools and schooling in Ireland needs to be more fully understood as a variable of quality, social justice and democratic practices across the full scope and sequence of the teacher continuum and as a prerequisite component in all teacher leadership programmes.     

The Perceived Threat and Resolvability of Serial Arguments as Correlates of Relational Uncertainty in Romantic Relationships

This study explored the degree to which the perceived threat and resolvability of a serial argument are associated with relational uncertainty in a romantic relationship (i.e., self, partner, and relationship uncertainty). Participants included 147 individuals who were currently in a romantic relationship. Results revealed positive associations between argument frequency and relationship uncertainty, the perceived threat of the argument to the relationship and all three forms of relational uncertainty, and inverse associations between the perceived resolvability of the issue and all three forms of relational uncertainty. Interaction effects emerged for perceived threat by perceived resolvability for self and partner uncertainty, such that the resolvability of the issue diminished the strength of the positive association between the perceived threat of the argument and self and partner uncertainty.     

Technology column: public libraries as civic technology hubs

Civic technology is used to improve how citizens, businesses, and other groups engage and conduct business with governments. Libraries across the United States are uniquely positioned to be key players in the civic technology movement. Libraries offer community spaces where everyone is welcome and where people can come together, learn about new technologies, access information, and solve shared problems. By bringing our unique attributes and resources to bear, libraries can play a part in developing applications and services that power our communities.     

世界文化遗产地——黄山、西递、宏村国际旅游实证分析

我国拥有35个世界遗产,但面向世界的文化遗产旅游发展明显失衡,主要原因之一是世界遗产地对外国旅游者缺乏研究,旅游开发与市场营销就难免效率不高。对外国旅游者基本特征、信息传播渠道,以及他们的旅游动机、在目的地参与的活动体验、对文化遗产景点与活动的评价等方面的调查。意在加深对外国旅游者心理需求与行为特征的认识．提高入境市场开拓的针对性与有效性。     

Archetypal narratives in career counselling: a chaos theory application

This paper seeks to extend previous work on narrative career counselling by considering the role of plot within clients’ narratives. Seven archetypal narratives derived from the work of Booker (2004) are introduced that represent systems of meaning to provide insight into how individuals interpret their experience. These plots can be understood within the Chaos Theory of Careers (CTC) in terms of the attractors contained within the client narratives. Identifying the plots provides new insights into the nature of career development difficulties and how client stories may be reformulated.     

Touch your toes! Developing a direct measure of behavioral regulation in early childhood

Behavioral aspects of self-regulation, including controlling and directing actions, paying attention, and remembering instructions, are critical for successful functioning in preschool and elementary school. In recent years, several direct assessments of these skills have appeared, but few studies provide complete psychometric data and many are not easy to administer. We developed a direct measure of children's behavioral regulation, the Head-to-Toes Task, and report performance of participants aged 36–78 months, including a group of Spanish-speaking children, from two different sites (N = 353; N = 92). We examined construct validity, examiner reliability, sources of variation, and associations between task scores and background characteristics. Results showed that the task was valid, reliable, and demonstrated variability in children's scores. A cross-classified hierarchical growth curve analysis indicated that girls, participants assessed in English, and higher-socioeconomic status (SES) children achieved slightly higher average scores than did boys, Spanish-speaking and lower-SES children, but effect sizes were small. Older participants achieved higher scores than did younger children, and there were no effects for site. Results suggest that the Head-to-Toes Task is an informative and easy-to-administer direct assessment of children's behavioral regulation. We discuss implications for its use in early childhood settings.