Revisiting the Narrative about Least Restrictive Environment in Physical Education

ABSTRACT

Since 1975, the implementation of the Least Restrictive Environment, a federal mandate of Public Law 94–142, has been historically challenging for physical educators and adapted physical educators. Confusion and misinterpretation of the law’s intent, as well as competing ideologies, have perpetuated failed Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) practice in the United States. The purpose of this essay is to revisit the conversation about LRE in PE and to provide direction for higher education’s role in addressing the issues. In doing so, a detailed historical context of the LRE is provided, followed by a discussion of the issues associated with the law that have emerged in the literature. Finally, future research directions to address these contemporary issues are presented to the readers.     

An interprofessional education initiative between psychology and dentistry: an exploration of students’ perceptions of confidence

ABSTRACT

Part of preparing future health professionals for multidisciplinary work environments involves interprofessional education (IPE). We explore students’ perceptions of confidence during IPE and how this impacts their ability to contribute to interprofessional learning. The written reflections of 115 undergraduate Psychology (n?=?58) and Dentistry (n?=?57) students aged 19–47 years (median?=?22 years) who participated in two sessions of IPE utilising motivational interviewing to encourage health behaviour change were analysed. Six themes were identified: Concerns about Confidence Resulted in Additional Prior Preparation, Lack of Confidence as an Impediment to Contribution, An Increase in Confidence as a Result of Doing, Recognising the Value of Confidence, Confidence as an Area for Further Development, and Confidence from the Outset. The importance of confidence in impacting students’ ability to actively contribute in IPE should not be underestimated. Educators should seek to maximise student confidence and to create a safe learning environment where further confidence can be built. Further research is needed to determine factors that may boost confidence including the optimal time to incorporate IPE in degree programmes, the best format in which to deliver IPE, and how much IPE to deliver.     

Expanding the Nomological Network of Work Avoidance: Antecedents and Consequences Across Contexts

Abstract

Work avoidance, or the goal to reduce effort in an achievement context, is related to disengagement and may offer insight into disengaged students and employees. To shed light on this issue, we investigated the antecedents of work avoidance in academic and work contexts to distinguish it from mastery, performance-approach, and performance-avoidance goals. Two samples of employed college students (N?=?207, N?=?233) completed questionnaires about their jobs and in one sample about their introductory psychology class. Across both contexts, proposed antecedents of alienation, low need for achievement, and perceiving one’s competence needs as not being met predicted work avoidance. Work avoidance also accounted for additional variance when combined with achievement goals to predict citizenship behaviors, perceiving work/classwork as meaningless and wanting to leave/quit.     

A critical discourse analysis of teachers’ views on LGBT literature

This article presents a thread of discussion posted to a web-based forum in the context of a children's literature course in one teacher education program in the USA. Participants in the virtual discussion include three preservice elementary teachers and the course instructor (author) on the subject of bringing lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) literature into the elementary classroom. Classroom teachers who lead discussions about race, gender, class, sexuality and inequality are encouraged to create and maintain a safe environment for dialogue. In this article, the author explores how the need to maintain a culture of safety around discussions of sexuality shaped the participants’ views on teaching LGBT literature written for children. Applying the tools of critical discourse analysis, the author demonstrates how events in the discussion unfolded that left normative constructions of sexuality unexamined.     

The Institutionalization of Service-Learning at the Independent Colleges and Universities of the Gulf Coast Region

Service-learning is a high-impact educational practice that benefits the community, the university, and students (Jacoby, 2015). It also represents an educational practice that specifically supports the integration of Christian thought and action within Christian institutions (Schaffer, 2004). The purpose of the study was to determine the level of service-learning institutionalization within the faith-based, faith-affiliated, and secular institutions of the Gulf Coast Region of the United States. Utilizing an electronic version of Furco's (2009 Furco, A. (2009). Self-assessment rubric for the institutionalization of service-learning in higher education (rev. ed). Minneapolis, MN: International Center for Research on Community Engagement. [Google Scholar]) Self-Assessment Rubric for the Institutionalization of Service-Learning in Higher Education, chief academic officers at independent colleges and universities of the Gulf Coast region provided their respective institution's current stage of development on the institutionalization continuum. The majority of administrators reported scores indicative of development at the midpoint of the continuum, the Quality Building Stage. The presence of a university philosophy and mission was the most developed dimension, and community partner involvement was the least developed. This study provides data-driven, researched-based recommendations regarding the institutionalization of service-learning for Christian colleges and universities.     

Children in care in education: Who is entered for exams and who reaches critical thresholds of success at age 16?

Being entered for exams and reaching key educational thresholds, for example 5 A* to C grades (including English and Mathematics) at GCSE, are important markers of participation and success in secondary education. However, little is known about the prevalence and make-up of children in care reaching these thresholds. Using secondary data analysis, we compared the proportions of children in care, children ‘in need’ and children in the general population who achieved four key thresholds, including exam entry and 5 A* to C grades, including English and Mathematics. We then focused on children in care and examined factors that predicted exam entry and achieving 5 A* to C grades, including English and Mathematics. Children receiving social care interventions were less likely than children in the general population to be entered for exams or to reach important educational thresholds. For children in care, several socio-demographic, care and educational factors predicted their likelihood of success. No children with an autistic spectrum disorder or who had ever been permanently excluded were recorded to have achieved 5 A* to C grades, including English and Mathematics. Children with poor attainment at Key Stage 2 were also at significant risk of not achieving this threshold. Practitioners and policymakers should consider the modifiable risk factors for poor educational performance and be aware of groups of children in care who are at significant risk of not achieving a minimum standard which could open doors for their future.     

Refracting schoolgirls: pedagogical intra-actions producing shame

This article contributes to the discussion of gender inequality in schools with the central theme tracing ways that pedagogical affect im/mobilises agency. I argue that what I call ‘the schoolgirl affect’, as distinctly gendered pedagogical practices in schools, constitute a schoolgirl body that refracts capacity for action in particular ways. Karen Barad's theorising of performativity allows me to move away from a definition of what schoolgirl success is and rather discuss ways successful schoolgirls are co-constructed. Using filmed testimonial accounts of former Australian schoolgirls, I attempt to understand how practices of shaming inhibit interest and in fact stultify these students in a myriad of ways. I consider if shame when recognised as materially discursive results in a complex affirmative repositioning that is productive of agency. I interrogate ways that the shame/interest pendulum may affectively constitute schoolgirls, influence ethical educational practices and impact the life trajectories of these particular schoolgirls.