Gender norms and STEM: the importance of friends for stopping leakage from the STEM pipeline

More women are now entering male-dominated fields, yet, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) remain dominated by men. We examined the association between boys’ and girls’ STEM choices after secondary education and friends’ gender norms, and whether pressure to conform to traditional gender norms differs depending on the gender composition of the friend group. Drawing on 3 waves of longitudinal data (N?=?744) from the Netherlands, our sample consists of adolescents in STEM trajectories in secondary education. Their retention in STEM after secondary education gives us a better understanding of gender-specific “leakage” from the STEM pipeline. We found that girls’ likelihood of choosing STEM decreased drastically when friends had more traditional gender norms. Friends with traditional gender norms had less effect on boys. Nonetheless, boys with only same-sex friends were more likely to enter STEM. Our findings indicate that an environment with gender-normative ideas pushes girls out of the STEM pipeline.     

A systematic review of injuries in recreational field hockey: From injury problem to prevention

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to gather information from scientific literature related to all steps of Van Mechelen’s “sequence of prevention” for injuries applied to youth and adult recreational field hockey players. A systematic review was conducted in Medline via Pubmed and in SPORTDiscus via EBSCOhost. Twenty-six original studies were included. Regarding injury incidence (step 1) results showed several overall injury incidence rates (youth: 1.47 per 1,000 Athlete Exposure (AE) time-loss (TL) injury up to 11.32 per 1,000 AE TL ánd non-time loss (NTL) injury, adults: 2.2 NTL injury per 1,000 AE, 15.2 injury per 1,000 hours of sports participation). Considering games and practices, most injuries were sustained in games (youth: 4.9, adults: 7.87 per 1,000 AE). Considering body parts, highest injury incidence rates were found in body parts in the lower extremities (youth: knee injuries in games (0.33 per 1,000 AE), adults: hamstring injuries in pre-season (0.75 per 1,000 AE)) and injuries in the head/face/eye (youth: 0.66 and adults: 0.94 head/face/eye, 0.71 head/face and 0.63 concussion per 1,000 AE). Regarding aetiology (step 2), no studies were found. Regarding the efficacy of available interventions (step 3 and 4), one study was found among youth players, describing a warm-up programme.     

‘Who takes a second chance?’ Profile of participants in alternative systems for obtaining a secondary diploma

In Belgium, the Exam Board (EB) and the Secondary School for Adults (SSA) are two different ways to attain a secondary diploma after leaving secondary school without a diploma. The SSA is part of the regular educational system and organises courses with an adult approach. The EB is a flexible system in which students prepare themselves to do exams. Using survey data, we examined the effectiveness of both systems in diminishing the large inequalities in the Belgian educational system. Our analyses make clear that the EB and SSA attract different groups of unqualified school-leavers; as such they complement each other. Compared with those who never take a second chance, and thus stay unqualified, participants of the SSA and the EB seem to have a higher socio-economic background and less problematic school careers. As such, neither the SSA, nor the EB seems to be very effective in mitigating social inequality.     

Relations between student teachers’ learning patterns and their concrete learning activities

This study aims to unravel the relationships between student teachers’ learning patterns and how they actually learn in practice as measured during multiple concrete learning experiences. In previous research aptitude and event measures often pointed in different directions. 90 student teachers’ learning patterns were measured with an aptitude instrument, designed for the specific context of learning to teach. Multiple concrete learning activities were measured with a structured digital log. Results showed meaningful relations between students’ learning patterns and their learning activities, taking multiple learning experiences into account. Survival oriented student teachers show more inactiveness in their learning, reproduction oriented student teachers learn by doing to improve their teaching behavior, dependent meaning oriented student teachers are more influenced by previous negative experiences and independent meaning oriented student teachers show the most deep and most active way of learning. But interestingly, the results also show that some relations as described in literature did not show up. The choice for a particular processing strategy and also the intentionality of the learning experiences was not related to student teachers’ learning patterns. This study demonstrates the added value of combining both types of instruments in research and practice.     

The Socratic Dialogue and teacher education

This article argues that the Socratic Dialogue in the Nelson and Heckmann tradition will prove a considerable contribution in training teachers. A review of the literature and empirical research supports the claim that the Socratic Dialogue promotes student teachers' interpersonal sensitivity while stimulating conceptual understanding. The article provides a new definition of the Socratic Dialogue and introduces the idea of common concept formation. A concrete Socratic Dialogue in the context of teacher education is discussed by way of illustration. Finally we suggest a manner of integrating Socratic Dialogue in teacher education and propose a line of further research.     

Critically reflective dialogues in learning communities of professionals

Communities in which professionals share and create knowledge potentially support their continued learning. To realise this potential more fully, members are required to reflect critically. For learning at work such behaviour has been described as critically reflective work behaviour, consisting of six aspects: challenging groupthink, critical opinion sharing, an openness about mistakes, asking for and giving feedback, experimentation and research utilisation. We studied whether and how these aspects can be distinguished in dialogues of seven different communities of veterinary professionals (critically reflective dialogues). Our exploration of the nature of critically reflective dialogues resulted in an analytical framework. Within each aspect four different modes of communication were identified: interactive, on an individual basis, non-reflective and restricted. We assume that professionals use learning opportunities most in the interactive mode of communication. The framework was employed to study the extent to which dialogues showed these modes of critically reflective dialogues. The results demonstrate that in these communities the modes of communication within aspects were largely non-interactive (i.e., individual, non-reflective). The developed framework discriminates between communities in terms of their critically reflective dialogues. Interventions to improve the effectiveness of learning communities should focus on enhancement of members addressing each other's reasons and reflections.     

Students’ Learning Activities Within and Between the Contexts of Education and Work

Many professional educational programs combine learning at an educational institute with learning in the workplace. The differences between these contexts, and the resulting challenges for learning, have been well-documented. However, there are few studies that explore the same students’ learning in both contexts, and even fewer that compare that learning to the learning that results from an integration of learning in both contexts. In this study we investigate, in detail, the similarities and differences of students’ learning activities both within and between the formal educational and workplace contexts of a professional educational program in the Netherlands. To that end, we analysed 1866 learning experiences of 148 students in a dual teacher education program. Analyses revealed that although the different contexts appear to be more conducive to certain kinds of learning activities, thereby confirming prior research, all learning activities did occur in all contexts. Our findings also confirm the value of learning that combines the educational and the workplace contexts, as this learning results in integrations of theory and practice and reflections on professional identity. Implications for dual education programs include focussing on increasing the diversity of learning activities within a single context and supporting students in learning how to learn, next to what to learn, irrespective of the context in which this learning takes place.     

Examining the effects of hegemonic depictions of female bodies on television: a call for theory and programmatic research * This article was accepted by the previous CSMC editor,Dr. James W. Chesebro

Although the media effects literature was precocious in its development, appearing almost as soon as the object of its study, researchers have focused on a relatively narrow array of effects. Examples include the effects of violent, pornographic, and sexual content in the media and minority stereotyping. This review demonstrates the need for researchers to construct stronger theories and conduct more programmatic research on another important, yet often ignored, media effect–the effect of ideal televised images on females' perceptions of, and satisfaction with, their own bodies. To accomplish its purposes, the paper begins with a review of the body image literature, including a discussion of current televised representations of female bodies and their effects on body satisfaction. Next, the paper argues that researchers should refer to two prominent media effects theories (cultivation theory and social cognitive theory) to better understand the process by which television influences body image. This latter review leads to ethical considerations and conclusions regarding probable effects of television on women's body satisfaction.     

Coherent motion sensitivity and reading development in the transition from prereading to reading stage

Evidence suggests that sensitivity to coherent motion (CM) is related to reading, but its role in the etiology of developmental dyslexia remains unclear. In this longitudinal study, CM sensitivity was measured in 31 children at family risk for dyslexia and 31 low-risk controls. Children, diagnosed with dyslexia in third grade (mean age=8 years 3 months), demonstrated reduced CM sensitivity in kindergarten (mean age=5 years 8 months), before they had learned to read. Preschool CM thresholds in controls also uniquely predicted future literacy achievement. When reassessed in first grade, CM sensitivity in the dyslexic children was age appropriate, and CM thresholds in the controls no longer predicted literacy acquisition. These findings contribute to the debate about the developmental relations between visual processing and reading acquisition.     

Relationships between executive functioning and homework difficulties in students with and without autism spectrum disorder: An analysis of student- and parent-reports

Despite the fact that homework forms an important cornerstone of student development, many students fail to capitalize on the long-term benefits of doing homework. Several executive skills, including cognitive flexibility, monitoring and planning are suggested as prerequisites for the completion of homework. It follows that homework difficulties may relate to such executive functions. A group of particular interest in this respect is students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), as they are known to suffer from executive dysfunction. The present study examines the extent to which differences in homework difficulties of seventh and eighth grade students with (N = 100) and without ASD (N = 86) may relate to their level of executive functioning. Homework difficulties were examined with student and parent versions of the Homework Difficulties Questionnaire (HDQ) and executive functioning was examined with the Behaviour Rating Inventory of Executive Functioning (BRIEF). In contrast to students with ASD themselves, parents of students with ASD perceived their children to suffer from more homework problems than students without ASD. For both groups, the level of executive functioning was related to the degree of homework difficulty experienced.