Developing a database of behavioural medicine interventions

OBJECTIVE: To describe the development of the Cochrane Behavioral Medicine Field database of interventions and its contribution to the knowledge base of this field. METHODS: A list of behavioural medicine interventions was solicited from content experts. The resulting list of index terms was used to generate a comprehensive search strategy to retrieve relevant records, and a thesaurus of terms with which to index them. The records are included in a register. A subset of records have been coded for study design, health condition, intervention, study participants, setting and provider and made available in a public online database. RESULTS: The Cochrane Behavioral Medicine Field database consists of over 3500 records of systematic reviews, meta-analyses and randomized controlled trials for public educational use. CONCLUSIONS: The register provides a comprehensive listing of studies relating to behavioural medicine interventions. The public online database enables easy access to the evidence base and provides enhanced details of the studies included on it. These databases are a valuable resource for the behavioural medicine community. Other fields are encouraged to duplicate these methods in the design of content-specific databases.     

Becoming a student teacher: core features of the experience

This paper reports early findings of a longitudinal research project on the experiences of beginning teachers in England. In the first phase of the study (2003–2004), data were generated via: (1) in‐depth, face to face interviews with 85 student teachers throughout England; and (2) self‐completion questionnaires, returned by 4,790 student teachers across a range of initial teacher preparation (ITP) routes. Through these methods the study set out to explore student teachers' accounts of their motivations for entering ITP, their preconceptions and expectations of teaching and ITP, and their early experiences as student teachers. A number of general themes were found to cut across all of these areas, and are presented here as core features of the experience of becoming a student teacher. These relate to the concept of teacher identity, the role of relationships, the notion of relevance, and the central presence of emotion.

Cette étude décrit les conclusions préliminaires d'une recherche continue sur les expériences de ceux qui sont en train de devenir professeurs d'école en Angleterre. En première phase de l'étude (2003–2004), les données ont été recueillies par: 1) des entretiens approfondis en tête‐à‐tête avec 85 professeurs stagiaires dans toute l'Angleterre; et 2) des questionnaires, remplis eux‐mêmes par 4,790 professeurs stagiaires sur un échantillon de préparations initiales de professeur (PIP). Avec ces méthodes l'étude avait pour but d'explorer les explications des professeurs stagiaires concernant leur motivation pour entrer dans la PIP, leurs idées reçues et leurs attentes de l'enseignement et de la PIP, ainsi que leurs expériences initiales de professeur stagiaire. On a trouvé un nombre de thèmes généraux à travers tous ces domaines, et ceux‐ci sont présentés ici comme caractéristiques fondamentales de l'expérience vécue de professeur stagiaire débutant. Ils sont relatifs aux concepts suivants : l'identité du professeur, le rôle des relations, la notion de pertinence et la présence capitale de l'émotion.

Este documento es un informe sobre los primeros resultados de un proyecto de investigación longitudinal sobre las experiencias de profesores principiantes en la Inglaterra. En la primera fase del estudio (2003–2004), los datos fueron obtenidos a partir de dos fuentes: minuciosas entrevistas cara a cara con 85 profesores en prácticas por toda Inglaterra y cuestionarios personales que fueron devueltos por 4,790 profesores en prácticas procedentes de distintas ramas de la ITP (preparación para profesores principiantes). A través de estos métodos, el estudio fue lanzado con el propósito de sondear las razones que motivaron a los profesores en prácticas a entrar en la ITP, sus preconcepciones y expectativas en cuanto a la ITP y a dar clase y sus primeras experiencias como profesores en prácticas. Estas áreas presentaron una serie de temas generales comunes que son presentados aquí como características centrales de la experiencia de convertirse en profesor en prácticas. Estas están relacionadas con el concepto de identidad del profesor, la importancia de las relaciones, la noción de relevancia, y el papel central de las emociones.

Dieses Referat berichtet über die ersten Ergebnisse eines langfristigen Forschungsprojektes, basierend auf Erfahrungen von Lehrern in England, die in den Beruf einsteigen. In der ersten Phase der Studie (2003–2004) wurden Daten gesammelt mittels: 1) ausführlicher, persönlicher Gespräche mit 85 auszubildenden Lehrern aus ganz England; und 2) selbstauszufüllender Fragebögen, die von 4,790 auszubildenden Lehrern aus verschiedenen Ausbildungsrichtungen zurückgesendet wurden. Die Studie hatte das Ziel, die Berichte der auszubildenden Lehrer zu untersuchen hinsichtlich ihrer Motivation, eine Ausbildung anzufangen, ihrer Erwartungen vom Unterrichten und von der Ausbildung, sowie ihrer ersten Erfahrungen als auszubildende Lehrer. Eine Anzahl von allgemeinen Themen wurden in allen diesen Bereichen festgestellt und sind hier als Kernmerkmale des Ausbildungsverfahrens dargestellt. Diese beziehen sich auf das Konzept der Lehreridentität, auf die Rolle von Beziehungen, auf die Idee der Relevanz, sowie auf die zentrale Präsenz von Emotionen.     

Closing the Gap: Fostering Successful Research‐Practice Partnerships in Counselor Education

Research‐practice partnerships offer counselor educators an opportunity to generate scholarship that can promote client welfare and create systemic change in practice and policy. The purpose of this article is to articulate strategies for building and sustaining research‐practice partnerships, as well as suggest methods for evaluating these partnerships.     

Consistently inconsistent: An examination of the variability in the identification of emotional disturbance

The federal definition of emotional disturbance (ED) has been heavily criticized as vaguely defined and poorly operationalized yet there has not been a formal analysis of the reliability of the ED criteria. This study examined the reliability of the federal criteria for a special education designation of ED. A total of 179 school psychologists reviewed a mock special education report, made an eligibility determination, and provided information about their eligibility decision. In all, 56 participants found the student met ED eligibility criteria using 16 different combinations of the five criteria. Krippendorff’s α, a statistic preferred for content analysis, was calculated as a measure of criterion reliability. Results indicated extremely poor reliability (α = 0.2011). These findings demonstrate the importance of redefining the existing criteria.     

Activity of Prefrontal Cortex in Teachers and Students during Teaching of an Insight Problem

Metacognitive functions are important for both teachers and students to facilitate teaching and learning. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) plays a proven role in metacognition. As a pilot study, we evaluated the PFC activity of teachers and students using near‐infrared spectroscopy devices to explore the neural mechanism of PFC underlying metacognitive function during teaching and problem‐solving processes. In 14 student‐teacher pairs, participants in the teacher role gave hints via a tablet screen to facilitate solving of a tangram puzzle task by participants in the student role. The PFC activity of teachers increased after giving hints but not while planning hints. The PFC activity of students increased upon task solving after receiving hints. The PFC of teachers might play a metacognitive role in monitoring their own teaching results. The PFC activity of students might be related to the creativity process after gaining insights, as well as metacognitive process for monitoring their own behavior.     

Next Steps for Mind,Brain, and Education: Strengthening Early‐Career Development

An increasing number of scholars are being trained in the field of mind, brain, and education (MBE), yet discussions of trainees' needs and how to meet them are rare. We, the inaugural International Mind, Brain, and Education Society (IMBES) Trainee Board, identify three broad needs of MBE trainees: guidance and support, greater access to and connections among the MBE community, and professional development. We report a first step to address these needs: a daylong trainee conference, which included sessions to foster connections among trainees, provide mentorship from MBE leaders, and provide knowledge and skill building for careers. Attendees' survey results suggest the conference successfully supported trainees' development. As substantial trainee needs remain, we offer specific ways that principal investigators, institutions, funding agencies, future IMBES trainee boards, and the MBE community can further address trainees' needs to support early‐career development and strengthen the MBE field generally.