The effects of an intercultural communication workshop on participants’ intercultural communication competence: An exploratory study

It was the purpose of the present study to measure the effects of an intercultural communication workshop (ICW) on American participants’ intercultural communication competence. This study utilized the behavior observation methodology developed by Ruben (1976) with the contrast‐American simulation technique developed by Stewart (1966) to investigate intercultural communication competence development. Using a nonequivalent control group design, a structured communication event employing the contrast‐American technique was developed in which each subject discussed the topic of leadership communication with a contrast‐American at two intervals (pretest and posttest) and these interactions were videotaped. Two judges then viewed the videotaped interactions and rated the subjects’ intercultural communication competence using behavioral observation measures. The results suggest that (I) behavioral observation methodology can be reliably employed to assess intercultural communication competence and (2) the ICW did not significantly improve the American participants’ intercultural communication competence. These findings are discussed in terms of intercultural education/training and suggestions for future research on the ICW are presented.     

Idiosyncratic cases and hopes for general validity: what education research might learn from ecology / Casos idiosincrásicos y expectativas de validez general: lo que la investigación en educación puede aprender de la ecología

Abstract

We reflect on our ongoing struggles with rigour and validity in a project based on case study analyses: How can particular instances of learning, with all their idiosyncratic details and dynamics, contribute findings of lasting value to education? For this essay, we look to the field of ecology, which has faced similar challenges, for insights into the goals and methods of research.     

Depression,Control, and Climate: An Examination of Factors Impacting Teaching Quality in Preschool Classrooms

Research Findings: This study investigated the relationship of preschool teachers’ self-reported depressive symptomatology, perception of classroom control, and perception of school climate to classroom quality as measured by the Classroom Assessment Scoring System Pre-K. The sample consisted of 59 urban preschool classrooms serving low-income and linguistically diverse students in the northeastern and southeastern United States. Results of hierarchical linear modeling revealed that teachers’ individual reports of depressive symptomatology were significantly and negatively predictive of the observed quality of their instructional support and classroom organization. Practice or Policy: The findings of this study have implications for increasing access to mental health supports for teachers in an effort to minimize depressive symptoms and potentially improve classroom quality.     

Crisis negotiations: A Preliminary investigation of facework in naturalistic conflict discourse

This article views crisis negotiations from an interaction goal perspective, with facework constituting a significant and heretofore unexplored dimension of interaction. We present a three‐dimensional model of facework used in coding perpetrator and negotiator discourse for face behaviors within three authentic negotiation interactions. Results indicate that Restore Other's Face and Restore Self's Face were the two predominant facework behaviors. While negotiators were the primary users of Restore Other's Face acts, perpetrators used mostly Restore Self's Face behaviors. No Attack Other's Face acts were observed. However, of five Attack Self's Face behaviors enacted, four occurred in a negotiation which ended in the suicide of the perpetrator. Lag sequential analysis revealed a general cycle of perpetrator use of Restore Self's Face and negotiator use of Restore Other's Face. Implications of these findings for future research and for training crisis negotiators are discussed.     

Educational assessment in Danish schools

This profile describes the methods used for assessing pupils in Danish schools. The Danish school system is rooted in traditions going back almost 200 years. The per pupil expenditure is the highest of any country at the level of primary education and at the lower secondary level is only exceeded by three countries. Public satisfaction with the system has generally been high, but international comparisons have shown disappointing results. This may be a result of complacency and possibly also of a weak evaluation culture in a country without a national curriculum, without marking before grade eight, and without national tests of proficiency before the end of grade nine. However, there are changes underway in terms of strengthening the evaluation culture.     

Proof and application

This paper outlines an epistemological conception which attempts to relate the formal aspects of mathematical proof to its pragmatic dimensions. In addition to the key concept of application, the paper makes use of several concepts from the domain of analytical philosophy, to present a view of proof that might best be categorized as a dialectical one. A number of implications for teaching are discussed.     

The Effects of Physical Abuse on Children's Social Relationships

Social behavior and peer status of 87 physically abused 8–12-year-old urban children were compared with those of 87 case-matched nonmaltreated classmates. Peer nominations and peer ratings were collected in classrooms, social networks were assessed by child interview, family variables were assessed by interviewing mothers, and behavior problems were rated by parents and teachers. Significant findings were that abused children had lower peer status and less positive reciprocity with peers chosen as friends; they were rated by peers as more aggressive and less cooperative and by parents and teachers as more disturbed; and their social networks showed more insularity, atypicality, and negativity. Social behavior as perceived by peers accounted for a significant portion of the variance in social status; global disturbance measures did not add to this association. Results are discussed in terms of a context of family violence in the development of social maladjustment.     

An innovative program for multihandicapped deaf students using the FSSI.

Teachers in public schools now have more students with more severe disabilities than they did in the past. Unfortunately, efforts to provide them with a quality education have been hampered by a lack of focused instructional planning. This article describes an innovative program developed for deaf multihandicapped students that has created an integrated focus for instruction. The organizing framework for the program incorporates the Functional Skills Screening Inventory, a domain referenced assessment of living and working skills. This structured approach enables teachers to identify current functional levels, develop meaningful short- and long-term objectives, and monitor student progress throughout their educational programs. It also facilitates long-range planning and evaluation of the instructional program on an ongoing basis.