A Systematic Review of Research on Personalized Learning: Personalized by Whom,to What,How, and for What Purpose(s)?

Educational Psychology Review - Teachers, schools, districts, states, and technology developers endeavor to personalize learning experiences for students, but definitions of personalized learning...     

The Role of Teacher Epistemic Cognition, Epistemic Beliefs, and Calibration in Instruction

This review examines the literature on teacher epistemic cognition, epistemic beliefs, and calibration to consider the relation between these constructs and instruction that emerged from empirical studies. In considering how this body of literature can enhance understanding of how students become masters of their learning processes, we will briefly review how different theoretical frameworks have conceptualized the relation between epistemic cognition, epistemic beliefs, calibration and metacognition, self-regulation, and self-regulated learning. Implications for research include a more nuanced conceptualization of epistemic beliefs and a theoretical integration of these constructs. Implications for practice regard the reciprocal relations between teachers’ knowledge, experience, epistemic cognition, epistemic beliefs, and calibration and their effects on pedagogical practices. The role of teachers’ education and professional development is discussed. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Seeking Help in a Foreign Land: International Students' Use Patterns for a U.S. University Counseling Center

This archival study examined the use of a university counseling center's services by international students during a 5‐year period. Variables analyzed included clients' presenting concerns, students' demographic characteristics, number of counseling sessions attended, and reasons for termination. Implications for counselor training, outreach activities, and counseling services on college campuses are discussed.     

Special Education Advocacy in the Juvenile Justice System: Perspectives from Probation Officers

Although students with disabilities are over-represented in the juvenile justice system and frequently receive poor educational services, few studies have examined strategies to increase compliance with student needs and individualized education programs. In this study, we conducted interviews with eight probation officers in the Advocacy Unit of a juvenile justice system in a large Midwestern city. We examined the advocacy strategies used by the probation officers as well as the barriers they faced in ensuring court-involved youth received appropriate educational supports. Advocacy strategies included: documentation, collaboration with other stakeholders, and assertive but not aggressive communication. Probation officers also mentioned more creative advocacy strategies. Barriers to effective advocacy included: poor working relationships with schools, older age of youth, and obstacles to parent involvement. We discuss implications for research and practice.     

Patterns of Risk and Protective Factors Among Alaska Children: Association With Maternal and Child Well-Being

This study used population-representative data to examine associations of risk and protective factor patterns among Alaska Native/American Indian (AN/AI; N = 592) and non-Native (N = 1,018) children with maternal and child outcomes at age 3 years. Among AN/AI children, a high risk/moderate protection class was associated with child developmental risk and mothers being less likely to feel comfortable asking for help or knowing where to go for parenting information compared to a low socioeconomic status/high protection class. Among non-Native children, a moderate risk/high protection class was associated with child developmental risk and mothers being less likely to feel comfortable asking for help compared to a low risk/high protection class. Results provide insight on the intersection of risk and protective factors among Alaska families.     

Here for You: Attachment and the Growth of Empathic Support for Friends in Adolescence

Attachment was examined as a predictor of teens’ empathic support for friends in a multimethod longitudinal study of 184 U.S. adolescents (58% Caucasian, 29% African American, 13% other) followed from ages 14 to 18. Adolescents’ secure state of mind regarding attachment at 14 predicted teens’ greater capacity to provide empathic support during observed interactions with friends across ages 16–18 (B_average = .39). Teens’ empathic support was generally stable during this period, and less secure teens were slower to develop these skills. Further, teens’ attachment security predicted the degree to which friends called for their support (B_average = .29), which was associated with teens’ responsiveness to such calls. The findings suggest that secure attachment predicts teens’ ability to provide empathic support in close friendships.     

Montmorency tart cherry (Prunus cerasus L.) supplementation accelerates recovery from exercise-induced muscle damage in females

Abstract

Tart Montmorency cherry concentrate (MC) has been reported to attenuate the symptoms of exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) and to accelerate exercise recovery, which has been attributed to its high anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Although these data are promising, there are no data regarding exclusively female populations. Therefore, the aim of this investigation was to examine the efficacy of MC on recovery following EIMD in females. In a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, twenty physically active females (mean?±?SD age 19?±?1?y; stature 167?±?6?cm; body mass 61.4?±?5.7?kg) consumed MC or a placebo (PL) for eight days (30?mL twice per day). Following four days of supplementation, participants completed a repeated-sprint protocol and measures of muscle soreness (DOMS), pain pressure threshold (PPT), limb girth, flexibility, muscle function, and systemic indices of muscle damage and inflammation were collected pre, immediately post (0?h) and 24, 48 and 72?h post-exercise. Time effects were observed for all dependent variables (p?<?0.05) except limb girth and high sensitivity C-reactive protein. Recovery of countermovement jump height was improved in the MC group compared to PL (p?=?0.016). There was also a trend for lower DOMS (p?=?0.070) and for higher PPT at the rectus femoris (p?=?0.071) in the MC group. The data demonstrate that MC supplementation may be a practical nutritional intervention to help attenuate the symptoms of muscle damage and improve recovery on subsequent days in females.     

The Nature,Correlates, and Conditions of Parental Advocacy in Special Education

Although parents often advocate for the best educational services for their children with disabilities, few studies examine parents’ advocacy activities; identify parent-school relationship, parent, and student correlates of advocacy; or describe the conditions of advocacy. Responding to a national, web-based survey, 1087 parents of students with disabilities completed a 163-item questionnaire. A seven-item Special Education Rights and Advocacy Scale converged on a single factor. Higher levels of advocacy were found among parents who enacted their procedural safeguards, reported less satisfactory partnerships with schools, and were less satisfied with educational services. Parents engaging in the highest levels of advocacy described negative experiences, with schools refusing services, acting disingenuously, lacking trained personnel, and communicating poorly. Conversely (and with some exceptions), parents engaging in lesser amounts of advocacy reported positive experiences, were satisfied, and felt that their IEP teams were collaborative. High levels of parental advocacy may be a reaction to poor relationships with and behaviors by the school. Implications for researchers and practitioners are discussed.