Community‐ and hospital‐based early intervention team members' attitudes and perceptions of teamwork

Sixty early intervention team members (30 community‐based and 30 hospital‐based) were surveyed regarding their attitudes and perceptions of teamwork. Respondents were recruited using a purposive non‐probability sampling technique and completed a packet of questionnaires consisting of a detailed demographic survey, Attitudes About Teamwork Survey, Team Performance Screening Scale, and Team Process Perception Survey. Although both community‐ and hospital‐based team members had a relatively high regard for the team process and a relatively positive view of the performance of the teams on which they served, community‐based team members had an overall higher regard for teamwork than hospital‐based team members. Community‐based team members also were more likely than hospital‐based team members to provide higher ratings on a number of key variables including support for child/family involvement as team members, the development of goals within the team meetings, and ability to work within a team environment. In comparison, hospital‐based team members rated both the internal support of the team and the extent to which they value their own efforts that contribute to the team higher than community‐based team members. Respondent themes associated with benefits (discipline collaboration), limitations (time), supports (collaboration), and recommendations (time management, communication) regarding the team process are provided.     

Design-Based Intervention Research as the Science of the Doubly Artificial

This article uses a variety of principles of cultural-historical activity theory to extend Herbert Simon’s (1996) insight into the inherent linkage between the creation of artifacts and design. We argue that design research must grapple with the doubly artificial, as the classrooms in which many educational designs are implemented are themselves already artificial and contingent—the products of design—and the learning that is the focus of investigation is already an adaptation to the classroom environment and so artificial. Focusing our discussion on the mesogenetic character of the temporal characteristics of typical educational design-based intervention research, we present an example of an 18-year-long life span of an intervention that was initially expected to last 3 or 4 years. Crises late in the life of the system, 1 of which rescued the system, 1 of which terminated it, documented through field notes written by undergraduate participants, provide evidence for the dynamics of the system’s internal functioning in relation to events occurring in the larger ecology of which it was a part.     

Validation of an assessment centre process for the selection of school leaders in Chile

This study seeks to develop and validate an Assessment Centre (AC) tool for the evaluation and selection of school leaders, focusing on the identification of competencies that influence teaching and learning outcomes. International research supports the creation of Assessment Centres to select candidates for these roles, due to their superior predictive capacity over traditional methods. In this research, a model composed of four face-to-face instruments (an interview to assess competencies, a human resources exercise, a class observation exercise, and a strategic analysis exercise) was designed and validated which simulated the key tasks of a school principal. To establish the desired performance outcomes, three competencies and 15 indicators were selected, based on international and local standards. The analysis of performance results was obtained from a sample of 164 participants made up of teachers, school leaders and principals. The results suggest positive evidence for construct validity, concurrent criteria validity, and reliability between evaluators. Moreover, the data obtained from a sub-sample of principals, with three or more years of experience in their role, allowed for the association of their AC scores with the results of their school organisations, as measured by the National System for the Measurement of Educational Quality in the years 2013 and 2016.     

Investigating the structural relationship for the determinants of cloud computing adoption in education

This research is one of the first few to investigate the adoption and usage of cloud computing in higher education in the context of developing countries, in this case Thailand. It proposes extending the technology acceptance model to integrate subjective norm, perceived convenience, trust, computer self-efficacy, and software functionality in order to better understand the degree of influence that each has on the adoption of cloud in an educational setting. The instrument development was modified from past studies on technology adoption. Data was collected from two leading universities in Thailand, Mahidol University International College, and Thammasat University. Structural equation modeling was applied to the research, the results of which illustrated that perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, intention to use, perceived convenience, trust, and software functionality have a statistically positive relationship towards the adoption of cloud computing. However, it is interesting to note that, contrary to most studies, computer self-efficacy and subjective norm did not posit a positive relationship. The research also presents the conclusions, which include a discussion of the findings, the academic and practical implications, and limitations.     

Learning about technology: Family vs. peer pairings

Recently a number of institutions have begun sponsoring nondeficit science and/or technology learning experiences for parents and their middle school-aged children which are intended to be enriching rather than remedial or compensatory in purpose. Very little research documenting the effects of parental involvement in the education of older children has been reported, however. The intent of this article was to present two studies designed to determine whether middle school-aged children's attitudes and content achievement are different when they take a technology course with their parents (parent-child treatment) or with their peers (child-child treatment). The first study focused on learning about communications technology (primarily telegraphs, telephones and radios); the second study focused on microcomputers. Results indicate that parents have little affect in helping their children learn the subject matter of technology courses. Likewise, parents do not affect children's attitudes toward computers. Both results were attenuated by the fact that the students in the studies were high achievers who were interested in and motivated to learn the subject matter, regardless of treatment. Significant differences were noted for computer literacy favoring the parent-child group, however. Parents also seemed to effect children's attitudes toward the subject matter of the courses. Further research needs to be done with less appealing course content or with less motivated students to fully determine the effect of parent-child and child groupings in science and technology courses.     

Designing a growth-producing environment

The purpose of this article is to describe how one university counseling center went about the process of changing its management style and subsequent service delivery. In a relatively short period of time the center went from the traditional director-staff relationship to a collective governance process. This shared governance process is based on the assumptions that the product of collective planning, shared responsibilities, and group decision making enhance morale, creativity, and productivity. As a result of the arduous tasks involved in the shift of administrative styles, the center has established group accountability, collective decision making, open communication, and total group program development. For this center's staff the transition to nonauthoritarian governance has been both stimulating and exciting. However, the process of change involves high risks, continual cooperation, and a climate of support. Without these ingredients the potential for creative management will be sharply reduced.