Context specificity of sensory preconditioning: Implications for processes of within-event learning

A variant of the taste aversion procedure for sensory preconditioning, as used by Rescorla and Cunningham (1978), was employed in a study of the context dependency of within-event learning. In two experiments, rats received Phase 1 exposure to a simultaneous flavor compound, AX; flavor X was paired with illness during Phase 2, and any tendency for the resulting aversion to be elicited by A was measured. It was found that subjects were less likely to shun flavor A as a consequence of this training if the Phase 1 and test episodes were conducted in distinctively different contexts. This effect was evident both when the change of context occurred just before the test with flavor A (Experiment 1) and when it occurred before Phase 2 (Experiment 2). These results were taken to imply that, as is often found with serial associations, the retrieval of within-event associations is subject to contextual control. The implications of these findings for the interpretation of perceptual learning effects are discussed.     

How do we do this: learning how to teach socioscientific issues

Cultural Studies of Science Education - Socioscientific Issues (SSI) provide a strong framework for engaging students and teachers in meaningful and relevant scientific discourse in the development...     

A Look at the Anatomy Educator Job Market: Anatomists Remain in Short Supply

In 2002, a widely publicized report projected an anatomy educator shortage based on department chairpersons' perceptions. Now, 17 years later, the question lingers: “Does an anatomy educator shortage persist and, if so, how severe is the shortage?” Trends in the number, type, and fill rate of anatomy educator job openings were explored by analyzing job posting in the United States over the past two years. A survey was distributed to leaders of anatomy-related departments in the United States, Canada, and European Union. Most departmental leaders who responded (65% or more) from the United States/Canada (n = 81) and the European Union (n = 52) anticipate they will have “moderate” to “great” difficulty hiring anatomy educators in gross anatomy, histology, and embryology over the next five years. Within the United States, the number of anatomy educator job postings at medical schools more than doubled from at least 21 postings in 2017 to 52 postings in 2018. Twenty-one percent of postings between 2017 and 2018 were never filled. While the number of anatomy educator openings within the United States/Canada is perceived to remain in a steady state for the next five years, the European Union estimates a five-fold increase in the number of openings. Departmental leaders prioritize anatomy educator applicants who have teaching experience (mean ± SD = 4.64 ± 0.84 on five-point Likert scale), versatility in teaching multiple anatomy disciplines (3.93 ± 1.07), and flexibility in implementing various teaching pedagogies (3.69 ± 1.17). Collectively, these data suggest the shortage of anatomy educators continues in the United States/Canada and the European Union.     

The PCC ISNI Pilot: Exploring Identity Management on a Global,Collaborative Scale

Abstract

The Program for Cooperative Cataloging (PCC) conducted a multi-institution Pilot project to contribute metadata to the International Standard Name Identifier (ISNI) database. In addition to describing the goals, structure, and activities undertaken in the Pilot, this article examines some of the experiences of PCC metadata practitioners as they sought to incorporate ISNIs into their metadata workflows and pursue a wide range of ISNI use cases. Lastly, the article outlines next steps that flowed from the Pilot as the PCC has parlayed its newly developing identity management expertise into additional PCC program explorations.     

Metacognition About Practice Testing: a Review of Learners’ Beliefs,Monitoring, and Control of Test-Enhanced Learning

Educational Psychology Review - Over a century of research has established practice testing as a highly robust learning strategy that promotes long-term retention. However, learners do not always...     

Attitudes and self-efficacy of physical education teachers toward inclusion of children with disabilities: a narrative review of international literature

Background: Teachers in various countries worldwide have been confronted with the placement of students with disabilities in general classes, and the need to provide them with support and adapted physical education (APE). However, physical education (PE) teachers often do not feel prepared or self-confident enough for this inclusion. While a considerable amount of research has been identified, researchers have emphasized a need for additional studies that can shed more light on the influencing factors relevant to shaping teachers’ attitudes towards inclusion, as well as on their inclusion practices.

Purpose: The current article aims to provide a narrative summary of international research perspectives and findings regarding PE teachers’ attitudes and self-efficacy (SE) toward inclusion, as well as to develop a model for conducting further research.

Design: A narrative literature review was performed, based on a search of the databases SPORT Discus and MEDLINE (combined via EBSCO host and screened for peer-reviewed academic journals only), and Google Scholar. The search used the following terms: physical education teachers, inclusion, disability, and attitudes or SE. The narrative review begins with setting the scope of this topic via definitions and theoretical frameworks used to enable the understanding of attitudes and SE within inclusive PE. The Social Learning Theory (SLT) and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) were outlined in order follow up with an explanation of the link between attitudes and SE. In the next section, the literature on attitudes and SE of PE teachers is presented. This section is comprised of subsections describing the development of instruments and their utilization in the field of study, as well as contextual variables influencing PE teachers’ attitudes and SE toward inclusion.

Findings: Seventy-five articles were included in total, of which 54 discussed research on teachers’ attitudes towards inclusive PE, 12 were related to research on teachers’ SE (three of which also included research on teachers’ attitudes towards inclusion), and 12 were considered reviews or viewpoints. The article ends with a model, including the following parts: background variables (regarding teachers’ personal attributes, school attributes, and disability attributes); moderating variables (attitude and SE); and, teachers’ behavior toward inclusion, all of which are interrelated and include a feedback loop. This model can be used for designing future research, as well as evidence-based interventions aimed at facilitating teacher training toward inclusion.

Summary for practitioners: From a practical point of view, educational inclusion practitioners should be aware of several factors influencing attitudes and/or SE while engaging in inclusion of children with disabilities in PE: (a) The teachers’ volume and type of experience with persons with disabilities at school, in the family or in the community; (b) The professional and academic training toward inclusion; (c) Individual factors, including gender; (d) School environmental factors, such as a process rather than performance orientation; and, finally, (e) The type and degree of disability.