Measuring Students' Self‐Efficacy for Communication

Design students are asked to regularly communicate their ideas to a diverse audience. Students' abilities may be affected by their perceived self‐efficacy, the perception of abilities to perform a task. Because self‐efficacy is conceived of as context‐specific, it is vital to consider self‐efficacy as it specifically relates to design studios and the communication within that context, rather than to look at generalised self‐efficacy for communication. To that end, this article explains the development and validation of measures of students' perceived self‐efficacy for communicating in both formal (critique) and informal (studio working time) design circumstances. Using data from students at two institutions, the measures were found to be reliable; these results were further supported through their relationship to previously validated measures. The development of these measures and the results from pilot data provide insight into students' perceptions of their communication abilities that may be beneficial to educators seeking to help design students communicate competently.     

A Review of “Waiting for a Glacier to Move: Practicing Social Witness”

Religious Education in Ireland over the past two decades has achieved a new status in the publicly funded schools at the secondary (high school) level. This has happened largely because it has become examinable and is now a subject like any other. In this process however, it has tended to become too much like other subjects sharing their science-framed perspectives. To ensure religion’s intrinsic meaning and transformative value it will be argued through analysis of literature supplemented by interviews, surveys, and mail that a better methodological base is needed to enable students become more satisfactorily religiously literate. This Irish experience offers a further instance of how Religious Education can become more central to publicly funded schooling.     

Exploring the Use of Lesson Study to Develop Elementary Preservice Teachers’ Pedagogical Content Knowledge for Teaching Nature of Science

This study explored a modified version of Japanese Lesson Study to determine whether and how it influenced preservice elementary teachers in their abilities to deliver science lessons that included nature of science (NOS) to their own students. We used a case study approach that focused on one subset of a cohort of preservice elementary teachers within their field placement settings. Data sources included lesson plans, lesson feedback forms, videotapes of delivered lessons, and videotapes of lesson study feedback sessions. Early in the semester peers provided feedback on content, and later in the semester peers provided feedback on classroom management as well as content during the lesson study feedback sessions. We found that preservice elementary teachers were able to provide feedback to their peers regarding how to include NOS in their science lessons, yet did not naturally included NOS connections within their own lessons.     

Research on Learners and Teachers of Mathematics and Science: Forerunners to a Focus on Teacher Educator Professional Growth

This introductory paper first reflects the genesis of research in mathematics and science teacher education. The analyses show a movement from foci of research in mathematics and science education from students to teachers, and then to teacher educators. Next, an overview of research in mathematics and science teacher education and its development is provided, including teacher educators’ growth. This is followed by a comparative look at the seven papers in this special issue through three lenses, focusing on who the teacher educators in these papers are, the practices which are the focus for development, and the contexts in which the professional growth is situated. The seven papers not only exemplify how teacher educators might critically and systematically reflect on their own growth, educate new teacher educators, and do corresponding research, but also demonstrate the considerable progress the research community has made with respect to the professional growth of mathematics and science teacher educators in the last decade. Finally, challenges and questions are raised, in particular in relation to raising the quality and quantity of proficient teacher educators in order to strengthen teacher education research, and to have enough human resources to offer more and better professional development opportunities and to support schools.

     

FACTORS AFFECTING THE ATTITUDES OF COMMUNITY COLLEGE ADMINISTRATORS TOWARD MANAGEMENT BY OBJECTIVES

This study was designed to assess and determine how operation under a management by objectives system (MBO) has affected administrative units and individual administrators in public two‐year community colleges. Results from the study showed that respondent attitudes toward the management by objectives system were favorable. The variables identified which serve as significant predictors of administrator attitudes toward the MBO program were: (a) effective as a means for planning and organizing work for which an administrator is accountable, (b) effective as a means for evaluating work performance, (c) effective in improving satisfaction with being more a part of decisions, (d) effective in improving the attitudes of the superior toward the MBO program as perceived by subordinates. Negative reactions toward the MBO system were perceived to be generated by increased paperwork and difficulty in setting educational objectives.     

The Reality of Sustaining Community-Based Sport and Physical Activity Programs to Enhance the Development of Underserved Youth: Challenges and Potential Strategies

Many community-based sport and physical activity programs take a positive youth development approach when operating in underserved communities around the world (Forneris, Whitley, & Barker, 2013). However, one of the biggest challenges for these programs is sustainability (Lindsey, 2008). The purpose of this article is to present the 3 authors’ experiences related to program sustainability when working with community-based sport and physical activity programs using a positive youth development approach in underserved communities. The authors describe the challenges faced with program sustainability, including ineffective development approaches, building strong relationships with community partners, knowledge translation, and securing funding. Also described are the strategies used to overcome these challenges, such as planning, capacity building, recruitment, and evaluation. This article is intended to stimulate more open and honest discussions about the realities of positive youth development program sustainability around the world.     

A First-Year Teacher's Top 10 Mistakes

A teacher shares a detailed look into a first year of teaching and the lessons she learned.     

Training for Generalization and Maintenance in RtI Implementation: Front‐Loading for Sustainability

Response to Intervention (RtI) is being implemented as a new initiative in PK‐12 schools with increasing frequency. However, the model must be sustained at the school level, which is potentially difficult due to a number of challenges brought about by systems change. This article applied the Stokes and Baer (1977) framework for programming for generalization and maintenance of behavior change to suggest specific activities in which schools could engage to better ensure RtI sustainability. We specifically discussed ways to (1) introduce to natural maintaining contingencies, (2) train with sufficient exemplars, (3) train loosely, (4) program common stimuli, (5) mediate generalization, and (6) train to generalize. Directions for future research are included.     

Effect of downhill running grade on lower extremity loading in female distance runners

ABSTRACT

Hill running is often used as a foundational training mechanism to build strength and speed. Distance runners in particular are at an increased likelihood of encountering steep hills during training runs. There is limited research regarding downhill running, and there is no research available on the biomechanics of females specifically during downhill running. The purpose of this study was to quantify the differences in loading when running downhill at different grades compared to a level surface in female distance runners to determine the potential risk for injury. Fifteen female distance runners (age: 23.5 ± 4.9 y), who ran 56.3 ± 20.9 km a week participated in this study. Participants ran on a force-instrumented treadmill at 4.0 m/s for 2 min at 0%, ?5%, ?10%, ?15%, and ?20% grades, with 5 min of rest between conditions. Study findings showed increased impact forces (p < 0.001), and increased loading rates (p < 0.001) with increasing downhill grades compared to level. These results indicate a significantly greater risk of overuse injury to the lower extremity with steeper downhill grades. Individuals need to be aware of these risks to plan and implement training programmes that will increase performance while minimising injury risk.     

Preparing the Next Generation of Science Teacher Educators: A Model for Developing PCK for Teaching Science Teachers

Science education doctoral programs often fail to address a critical piece—the explicit attention to the preparation of future science teacher educators. In this article, we argue that, in addition to developing skills and a knowledge base for research, doctoral students must be given the opportunity to observe, practice, and reflect on the pedagogical knowledge necessary to instruct science teachers. In particular, we contend that the construct of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) can be adapted to the context of knowledge for teaching science teachers. We use the PCK construct to propose a model for the development of knowledge for teaching science teachers, grounded in our experiences as doctoral students and faculty mentors. We end by recommending a vision for doctoral preparation and a new standard to be included in the ASTE Professional Knowledge Standards for Science Teacher Educators.