Dynamics of undergraduate student generic problem-solving skills captured by a campus-wide study

The ability to effectively problem solve is a highly valued competency expected of university graduates, independent of their area of study. Evaluation of problem-solving skill (PSS) development is hindered by a shortage of available tools for monitoring student progress and by lack of defined instructional strategies for development of these skills. Our research is aimed at addressing these problems. We have developed an evaluation tool, which we applied to study the dynamics of undergraduate student PSS. We tested first- and upper-year students from 26 different courses (total enrollment of 2229 students). Overall improvement of PSS was detected for the first-year students over their first term of study. There were no significant differences between the PSS of first- and upper-year students, and no improvement was detected over a single term by measuring PSS in upper-year students. Only three courses were effective at facilitating PSS. Our data indicate that most of the standard lecture approaches do not develop undergraduate student PSS and that universities and individual instructors must take active steps to advance this critical skill set in university students.     

TEACHING READING COMPREHENSION TO LEARNERS WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER: PREDICTORS OF TEACHER SELF‐EFFICACY AND OUTCOME EXPECTANCY

Learners with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often exhibit difficulty in the area of reading comprehension. Research connecting the learning needs of individuals with ASD, existing effective practices, teacher training, and teacher perceptions of their own ability to teach reading comprehension is scarce. Quantitative survey methodology and hierarchical regression analysis were utilized to investigate teacher preparedness to use effective practices, along with the job‐related factors of experience, administrator support, learner verbal ability, and instructional setting, as predictors of (1) teacher perceived self‐efficacy and (2) teacher perceived outcome expectancy teaching reading comprehension to learners with ASD. Study findings, based on 112 teacher participants, indicate that teachers with a higher confidence in using effective practices have both a higher perception of their own ability to teach comprehension (self‐efficacy), and a higher expectation of their own ability to increase instructional outcomes in learners with ASD (outcome expectancy). Implications for practice include professional development recommendations and provision of ongoing support from principals and administrators.     

“You Can Do it Anywhere”: Student and Teacher Perceptions of an Online Sexuality Education Intervention

Formal sexuality education in schools is declining in the United States and this is disproportionately affecting adolescents in rural settings. The purpose of this qualitative study was to assess student and teacher perception of sexuality education delivered online as a potential solution to address this gap in access. Nine gender-specific group interviews were conducted with ninth grade students (n = 29) in rural North Carolina to discuss students’ experience with an online sexuality education intervention called MyHealthEd. Interviews were also conducted with three health teachers at pilot schools. Students and teachers identified more benefits to online sexuality education including more student engagement and greater privacy and comfort, than drawbacks, such as too much student autonomy and less interaction with others. Online sexuality education is a promising and preferred method of delivery for sexuality education for students and health teachers, particularly in settings where trained health teachers are not available or less willing to deliver state-mandated content. The MyHealthEd intervention has the potential to increase availability of high quality health education to students across North Carolina, as well as students in other rural or underserved areas.     

Three‐year results of the Friendly Schools whole‐of‐school intervention on children's bullying behaviour

A group randomized controlled trial tested the efficacy of the Friendly Schools program to reduce student bullying behaviour. This socio‐ecological intervention targeted the whole school, classroom, family, and individual students to reduce bullying behaviour. Self‐report data were collected in 29 schools over three years from a cohort of 1968 eight to nine‐year‐olds. Surveys measured frequency of being bullied, bullying others, telling if bullied and observing bullying. Results indicate that intervention students were significantly less likely to observe bullying at 12, 24 and 36 months and be bullied after 12 and 36 months, and significantly more likely to tell if bullied after 12 months than comparison students. No differences were found for self‐reported perpetration of bullying. The findings suggest whole‐of‐school programs that engage students in their different social contexts appear to reduce their experiences of being bullied and increase their likelihood of telling someone if they are bullied.     

Developing a template for National Child Protection Index Reports

Objectives

What impact does the strengthening of child rights have on the experience and circumstances of children? CRC General Comment 13 emphasizes that defining measurable targets for improvements in child protection is a key element of efforts to strengthen child rights and well-being across the world. This paper describes an attempt to identify key domains relevant to such mapping of child protection indicators, and the feasibility of collecting data—from existing data sources or otherwise—to complete a “National Child Protection Index Report” summarizing achievements and concerns at a national level.

Methods

A process of inter-agency consultation was facilitated by the CPC Learning Network to establish a template for the Index Report. The template was modeled on that used for the “Countdown to 2015” maternal, neonatal and child health initiative, aiming to capture indices not only of key protection risks but also implementation and coverage of key protection measures. The work drew on indicator development and policy initiatives by a number of international child protection agencies. The template developed was used as a basis to pilot national data collection in Indonesia and, at a sub-national level, in northern Uganda.

Findings

The template provides a concise summary of protection issues of relevance to a broad range of constituencies, global and national. However, in the pilot settings, existing routine data collection was inadequate to effectively populate a large proportion of indicators. Mechanisms of collating findings from discrete assessments—another potential source of data for completion of the index report—were also generally underdeveloped.

Practice implications

In settings where state infrastructure allows the collection and analysis of routine data in such domains as health and economic activity, such efforts should be extended to the child protection sector. Discrete assessments by governmental or non-governmental agencies also provide significant potential for more effective sharing and collation of information. National Child Protection sub-clusters or equivalent structures can play an important role in facilitating both of these processes.     

Do RFIDs (radio frequency identifier devices) provide new ethical dilemmas for librarians and information professionals?

This paper provides an analysis of the current and potential ethical implications of RFID technology for the library and information professions. These issues are analysed as a series of ethical dilemmas, or hard-to-resolve competing ethical obligations, which the librarian has in relationship to information objects, library users and the wider social and political environment or state. A process model of the library is used as a framework for the discussion to illustrate the relationship between the different participants in the library system and it is argued that ethical analysis should involve the identification of future developments as well as current issues. The analysis shows that RFIDs do currently pose some dilemmas for librarians in terms of the conflicts between efficient service, privacy of users and an obligation to protect the safety of society as a whole, and that these are likely to become more problematic as the technology develops. This paper is part 2 of a series of papers on RFIDs and the library and information professions.     

Critical moments: pre-service mathematics teachers’ narrative arcs and mathematical orientations over 20 years

This study explores narratives about critical moments in mathematics learning written by K-8 pre-service teachers’ (PSTs) in the United States over a 20-year period. These critical moments, such as a single memorable task, course, test, or comment from a teacher, had a powerful and sustained impact on PSTs’ mathematics identities, which they carried with them as they entered the teaching profession. We classified narratives using McCulloch et al. (Sch Sci Math 113(8):380–389, 2013) and Drake’s (J Math Teach Educ 9(6):579–608, 2006) categories and found a potentially new category, Taking the Reins. We also classified PSTs’ mathematics orientations as either relational (oriented toward creative problem solving and conceptual understanding) or instrumental (enacting rote procedures without meaning) (Skemp in Math Teach 77(1):20–26, 1976). Many PSTs identified a causal relationship between their mathematics orientations and narrative arcs: relational learning opportunities encouraged positive narratives, while instrumental learning opportunities either resulted in negative narrative arcs or positive but fragile mathematics identities that crumbled under minor stress. We found little variation over time in the nature and prevalence of the narrative arcs and mathematics orientations, suggesting that any changes in mathematics teaching practices over time were not reflected in students’ learning experiences.