Review Essay: Five Books About Religion,Young Adults,And Secondary Education

The authors believe that schools are an under-utilized resource for one of the most important dimensions of religious education: meaningful mentoring relationships between teenagers and adults. This article reviews five recent books that are helpful for surveying the rocky, yet fertile, land that is the ground upon which religious education and schools meet. This intersection can be a valuable ecological resource for the respective missions of religious education, youth ministry, and democratic society. The Schools Task Force believes that the educational and institutional nature of schools can be a leading voice in the contemporary challenge to create environments conducive to spiritual growth in souls.     

The Strength of the Relation Between Performance-Approach and Performance-Avoidance Goal Orientations: Theoretical,Methodological, and Instructional Implications

In current research on achievement goal theory, most researchers differentiate between performance-approach and performance-avoidance goal orientations. Evidence from prior research and from several previously published data sets is used to highlight that the correlation is often rather large, with a number of studies reporting correlations above .50. The large magnitude of this correlation raises questions and warrants further investigation. The size of the correlation also varies substantially across studies; thus, several potential moderators were considered. Minimal evidence for moderation was found, with little variability in relations as a function of fear of failure, culture, and specificity of the goal assessment. There was some evidence of variability in the correlation based on age, perceived competence, and assessment instrument. The article concludes by highlighting theoretical, methodological, and instructional questions that arise as a result of the large correlation and making recommendations and guidance for research, instructional practice, and theory advancement.     

Dissenting academies and the education of the laity, 1750-1850

In 1898, students at the University of Toronto founded Torontonensis, the university’s first yearbook. Fashioned as a remembrance of university, from its inception the yearbook was fraught with conflict and contestation particularly around how male students were represented and how their college experiences were made, and not made, meaningful. The vociferous debates that ensued in campus newspapers, particularly among the graduating classes, fractured the ostensibly smooth recounting of this ‘souvenir remembrance’, bringing into question who is allowed to ‘speak’ on behalf of whom and what it is acceptable to ‘say’. The authors enquire into the way university yearbooks served to construct normative definitions of what constituted ‘students’, ‘student cultures’ and forms of gendering within the educational landscapes in which they were enmeshed. Through an examination of Torontonensis, they highlight the multiple and often contradictory meanings and constructions of the student yearbook from the perspectives of their producers, subjects and audiences.     

Exploring the motivational trajectories of gifted university students

Through qualitative interviews, the authors examined the experiences of six gifted high‐achieving university students to understand the factors that allowed the students to continue on their paths to success. The participants in this study revealed a number of issues that were central to their motivation upon arriving at the university. These issues included independence from family, fitting into a social network, the desire to overcome challenges in their lives, internal will, and a need to earn recognition. Our findings should help direct the development of special programs by university educators who are dedicated to meeting the needs of gifted college students.     

Older-Learner Programs in Ohio: Policy and Practice Implications

This conceptual paper contributes to the scholarship on life-long learning programs at public universities. It investigates the unique relationship between these institutions and their state, utilizing Ohio as an illustrative example. A review of several university mission statements illuminates the responsibility of these institutions to their older-learner programs. Particular emphasis is placed on Over-60 programs, a university course audit program found in many states. Older learners face many barriers and challenges on college campuses because institutions struggle with limited resources and support for older-learner programs. This paper further encourages dialogue about the benefits of older learner programs.     

A National Survey of Assessment Instruments Taught by Counselor Educators

This study reports results of a questionnaire of 210 counselor educators regarding assessment instruments covered in their assessment courses. Instruments are ranked on how extensively they are covered, and comparisons of coverage are made by assessment category (e.g., educational, clinical) and by instructor and program characteristic (e.g., Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs [CACREP] vs. non‐CACREP). Suggestions regarding which assessment techniques to cover in a basic counselor education testing and assessment course are made.     

Teacher Self-Disclosure: Amount,Relevance, and Negativity

This study focused on teacher self-disclosure in the classroom and the introduction of a measure that encompasses three dimensions of teacher self-disclosure: amount, relevance, and valence. Although other measures of self-disclosure exist, including a unidimensional scale for quantity of teacher self-disclosure, past research indicated that teacher self-disclosure entails more than just the amount. Specifically, we determined that relevance and valence are important dimensions of teacher self-disclosure. Additionally, the three dimensions of teacher self-disclosure related to course affect, affect for the instructor, student motivation, teacher clarity, and student interest. The Teacher Self-Disclosure Scale revealed a suitable level of reliability (α = .80 amount; α = .88 relevance; α = .84 negativity) and evidence of criterion validity.     

A New Defendant at the Table: An Overview of Missouri School Finance and Recent Litigation

Like many other states, Missouri has gone through several rounds of school finance litigation. However, the trial just concluded was unusual in two respects. First, three taxpayers were allowed to intervene for the defense and, in the process, raise important questions concerning the efficiency of school spending and broader questions of school reform. Second, the outcome at the circuit court level, which focused nearly entirely on points of law, was a complete victory for the defense. This article provides an overview of disputes of Missouri school finance and evidence pertaining to some of the points in dispute at the trial. These lessons generalize to other states facing school finance litigation. The authors conclude that changes in school funding formulas, and the seemingly interminable litigation about those formulas, are not an effective vehicle for addressing achievement gaps or the overall level of school performance.