IMPACT OF QUESTION ORDER ON THE THIRD-PERSON EFFECT

A nationwide telephone survey in the United States was conductedto investigate the impact of question order on the perceptualand behavioral hypotheses of the third-person effect. The perceptualhypothesis posits that individuals perceive other people tobe more vulnerable than themselves to persuasive media messages,whereas the behavioral hypothesis predicts that perceiving othersas more vulnerable increases support for message restrictions.Key questions included estimated effects of media issues onself, perceived effects on others, and support for restrictionson media content. Four question-order condition (restrictions—others-self,restrictions-self-others, others-self-restrictions, and self—others—restrictions)were tested with three media issues (television violence, televisedtrials, and negative political advertising). In line with pastresearch, the order of the self, others, and restrictions questionsdid not affect the perceptual hypothesis. However, the sequencingof the self, others, and restrictions questions affected supportfor the behavioral hypothesis in some conditions. The resultssuggest that, consistent with a saliency effect, placement ofself and others questions prior to the restrictions questionmight heighten respondents' willingness to endorse restrictionson the media and increase support for the behavioral hypothesis.     

A Systematic Review of Interventions for Algebraic Concepts and Skills of Secondary Students with Learning Disabilities

Improving the algebraic concepts and skills of secondary school students with learning disabilities is critical for their success in college and in the job market. This research reviewed 12 studies to examine interventions for students with learning disabilities in relation to algebraic notions and competencies. The results indicate that in regard to the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) Content Standards, the majority of the studies address linear equations and expressions, linear inequalities, and quadratic expressions; they show that following interventions, students’ performance improved with respect to algebraic concepts and skills. The Tau-U and Hedges’ g of the intervention effects computed were typically large or very large. The most commonly used instructional components in the interventions were multiple representations, a sequence and/or range of examples, and explicit instruction. Limitations and suggestions for future research are discussed.     

Planning in the Middle: Co-Planning Between General and Special Education

Professional development programs tailored to address co-teaching performance in Arkansas provided data for 3 cohorts of middle school co-taught teams. This study provides an analysis of middle school plans and provides recommendations as to how to more effectively meet the needs of co-taught teams. Using a content analysis approach, monthly lessons plans submitted by teams over a 3-year period were analyzed. The purpose of this analysis is to provide the field with considerations about what is and is not occurring in the written process related to co-teaching, specifically co-planning in middle schools. In total, 155 lesson plans were analyzed, which were further broken down into 755 days of plans. Findings indicate these teachers utilized a diversity of co-taught models, but 1 model (1 lead, 1 support) dominated their planning. Areas of concern focused on a lack of focus on behavior and utilization of technology for students with disabilities.     

Science Anxiety, Science Attitudes, and Constructivism: A Binational Study

Students’ attitudes and anxieties about science were measured by responses to two self-report questionnaires. The cohorts were Danish and American students at the upper secondary- and university-levels. Relationships between and among science attitudes, science anxiety, gender, and nationality were examined. Particular attention was paid to constructivist attitudes about science. These fell into at least three broad conceptual categories: Negativity of Science Toward the Individual, Subjective Construction of Knowledge, and Inherent Bias Against Women. Multigroup confirmatory factor analyses revealed that these dimensions of constructivist attitudes were equally applicable and had the same meaning in both cultures. Gender differences in mean levels of constructivist attitudes were found; these varied across the two cultures. Constructivist beliefs were associated with science anxiety, but in different ways for females and males, and for Danes and Americans. In agreement with earlier studies, females in both the US and Danish cohorts were significantly more science anxious than males, and the gender differences for the Americans were larger than those for the Danes. Findings are discussed in terms of their implications for reducing science anxiety by changing constructivist beliefs.     

Teaching children how to include the inversion principle in their reasoning about quantitative relations

The basis of this intervention study is a distinction between numerical calculus and relational calculus. The former refers to numerical calculations and the latter to the analysis of the quantitative relations in mathematical problems. The inverse relation between addition and subtraction is relevant to both kinds of calculus, but so far research on improving children’s understanding and use of the principle of inversion through interventions has only been applied to the solving of a + b − b = ? sums. The main aim of the intervention described in this article was to study the effects of teaching children about the explicit use of inversion as part of the relational calculus needed to solve inverse addition and subtraction problems using a calculator. The study showed that children taught about relational calculus differed significantly from those who were taught numerical procedures, and also that effects of the intervention were stronger when children were taught about relational calculus with mixtures of indirect and direct word problems than when these two types of problem were given to them in separate blocks.     

Becoming a better teacher: Learning from our mistakes

John F. Nessly typified the pioneer Methodist preachers of the last half of the nineteenth century, whose ministry helped to civilize the Midwestern frontier. This study concerns his influence upon the religious life of the frontier community and examines his homiletic principles as reflected in his unpublished sermons and papers.     

The Veering Tendency of the Arm,When Drawing a Straight Line without Vision

Abstract

Fifty-seven male and female university students were seated individually at a table, blindfolded, and asked to draw a straight line directly away from the center of their bodies. Results indicated that performances with the right hand were, in general, more accurate than those with the left hand. The data also indicated that lines drawn with the right hand veered slightly to the left, while those drawn with the left hand tended to veer to the right. Hand dominance had no effect upon the accuracy of the line-drawing performance.     

Nature-Based Counseling: Integrating the Healing Benefits of Nature Into Practice

Research establishes a strong link between contact with nature and enhanced human wellness. Given the potential benefits of nature experiences on enhancing mental health, the authors advocate for a greater inclusion of nature-based approaches into professional practice. A case example and implications for practice are presented.