Supporting Induction: Relationships count

This article examines the structural changes to the induction of teachers in Scotland using the perceptions of a group of final year student teachers. This group would be the first probationer teachers to experience revised arrangements for new teacher induction in 37 years. Their preferences and concerns are highlighted, as the new procedures roll out in schools nationwide, in an attempt to stress the importance of relationships to the success of the induction scheme. The argument put forward in this article is based on the notion that personal intelligence is central to effective relationships and therefore crucially important in the context of this mentoring relationship. The views of our sample provide evidence to suggest that the quality of interactions between the mentor and the probationer teacher are paramount in providing a good induction experience. These views are substantiated by experiences in England and in induction literature elsewhere. A synthesis of this evidence is used to make recommendations for those involved in supporting induction in schools, local authorities or teacher education institutions.     

Diversity, child care quality, and developmental outcomes

It is widely accepted that high quality child care enhances children’s cognitive and social development, but some question whether what constitutes quality care depends on the child’s ethnic and cultural background. To address this question, secondary analysis of data from the two largest studies of child care experiences in the United States, Cost, Quality, and Outcomes Study and the NICHD Study of Early Child Care, tested whether standard measures of child care quality were less reliable or valid for African-American and English-speaking Latino children than for white children. Widely used measures of child care quality showed comparably high levels of reliability and similar levels of validity for white, African-American, and Latino children. Analyses tested whether cognitive and social skills were related to child care quality, the match between child’s and caregiver’s ethnicity, and the match between the mother’s and caregiver’s beliefs about child-rearing. Results indicated children from all three ethnic groups showed higher levels of cognitive and social skills on standardized assessments shown to predict school success when caregivers were sensitive and stimulating. Children’s skills were not consistently related to whether the child’s and caregiver’s ethnicity matched or whether the mother’s and caregiver’s beliefs about child-rearing were similar. These two large studies suggest that children from all three ethnic groups benefit from sensitive and stimulating care on child outcomes related to school success. The results are interpreted as indicating that the global dimension of quality may be reflected in very different types of practices that reflect cultural differences.     

Institutional completeness and communication acculturation: A comparison of Korean immigrants in Chicago and Hartford

This paper addresses the question of whether the institutional completeness of an ethnic community affects the communication acculturation patterns of the members of that ethnic community. The study examines the effects of institutional completeness upon the ethnic interpersonal and mass communication patterns. The research question was tested by applying some of the methods used in a study of a very institutionally complete ethnic group, the Chicago Korean community, studied by Young Kim, to a less institutionally complete ethnic group, the Greater Hartford Korean community. The results indicate that there are differences in some of the communication patterns which can be seen as evidence that the institutional completeness of an ethnic community influences certain aspects of the communication acculturation patterns of the immigrants within that community.     

Frontal asymmetry assessed in infancy using functional near-infrared spectroscopy is associated with emotional and behavioral problems in early childhood

Frontal asymmetry (FA), the difference in brain activity between the left versus right frontal areas, is thought to reflect approach versus avoidance motivation. This study (2012–2021) used functional near-infrared spectroscopy to investigate if infant (M_age = 7.63 months; N = 90; n = 48 male; n = 75 White) FA in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex relates to psychopathology in later childhood (M_age = 62.05 months). Greater right FA to happy faces was associated with increased internalizing (η² = .09) and externalizing (η² = .06) problems at age 5 years. Greater right FA to both happy and fearful faces was associated with an increased likelihood of a lifetime anxiety diagnosis (R² > .13). FA may be an informative and early-emerging marker for psychopathology.     

A new sustainable change theoretical framework for the professional disciplines

This paper contends that one key reason for the lack of adoption of comprehensive change models based in higher education (HE) teaching and learning is that they lack a strong theoretical underpinning, thus potentially impeding their effectiveness in dealing with the complexities of human and organisational behaviour. Change theories that articulate the specific roles and influences of context, time and key actors in the change process are interrogated to highlight barriers to sustainable change in HE. A new theoretical framework for sustainable change is proposed that integrates these change theories in the context of HE professional disciplines. The findings provide several recommendations for university management in implementing change models including the provision of reciprocal feedback loops, enhanced learning for staff and students through scaffolding, developing workplace and professional networks, and implementing study and work unit flexibility.     

Creating and sustaining collaborative connections: tensions and enabling factors in joint international programme development

Higher Education - The joint development and delivery of co-branded programmes across universities and countries promises enhanced visibility for partnering institutions, stimulating synergistic...     

Critical Depictions of Agency in Pura Belpré Awarded Texts

Given the need for multiple representations of historically underrepresented voices in children’s literature, this research study explored critical depictions of agency of Latinx youth within the Pura Belpré awarded texts from 1996 to 2021. The findings report a critical multicultural analysis of depictions of age, sex, socio-economic status, ethnicities, and geographic regions of these awarded texts. Using a secondary analysis of opportunities for agency, we examine how focal subjects (Vaughn et al., 2021; Crisp, 2015) exert their agency in their respective contexts. Our aim in doing so is to highlight the notion of agency in these texts of Latinx children and youth, specifically understanding who exerts agency, how, and for what purposes. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.

     

Nutritional practices associated with low energy availability in Division I female soccer players

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine macronutrient intake, energy density and energy intake distribution that may be associated with low energy availability (EA) in Division I female soccer players. The energy intake, exercise energy expenditure and EA of 19 participants (18–21 years) was assessed during the pre-, mid- and postseasons. Repeated measures analysis of variance was performed to examine the changes across the season. Chi-square analysis was performed to examine the distribution of participants meeting the American College of Sports Medicine recommendations for carbohydrate and protein consumption. Independent t-tests were used to compare differences between groups. The proportion of athletes who did not meet the American College of Sports Medicine recommendations for carbohydrate intake (6–10 g . kg^–1 BW) was significantly greater in the low (<30 kcal . kg^–1 LBM) than higher (≥30 kcal . kg^–1 LBM) EA group (χ² (1) = 7.5; P = 0.006). Participants with low compared to higher EA consumed a lower energy dense dinner (0.8 ± 0.1 vs. 1.4 ± 0.1 kcal . g^–1; P = 0.004) after a soccer match during midseason. No differences in the percentage (%) of kilocalories from food (84.5 ± 2.0% vs. 84.7 ± 2.6%), sports drinks (7.3 ± 1.4% vs. 6.0 ± 3.2%), other drinks (7.6 ± 1.5 % vs. 6.0 ± 1.5%) or bars/gels/beans (1.7 ± 0.6 vs. 3.0 ± 1.5) were observed in participants with low compared to higher EA (P > 0.05) during the pre- and midseasons. Identifying inadequate carbohydrate intake and the practice of consuming lower energy dense meals may be important in preventing low EA conditions and consequently the Female Athlete Triad.     

Maximizing PEDAGOGY for Secondary Co‐Teachers

Student understanding of content can be dependent on the pedagogies that co‐teachers plan and implement, regardless of which co‐teaching model they use. However, when co‐teachers vary instruction using different co‐teaching models, secondary students with and without disabilities have more opportunities to take advantage of having two teachers and more opportunities to be taught using evidence‐based practices. In this article, ‘PEDAGOGY’ is used as an acronym to describe ways in which co‐teachers can design and deliver instruction using various co‐teaching models in multiple content areas at the secondary level.