Managerial rhetoric as the metaphor for the World Wide Web

–This article explains how metaphors influence how we experience events, and how the Web, viewed through a different metaphor or lens, currently appears a little less valuable as a tool of education or democracy. Although the Web constitutes a new communication milieu, possessing the potential to revolutionize communication in the next millennium, its rhetoric is currently one of consumerism and capitalism–economic not political ideologies pertain. This article conducts a metaphorical analysis of the World Wide Web positing that the Web might be understood best through a managerial metaphor rather than the current spatial/relational metaphor. Using Sproule's 1988 categories of managerial rhetoric, this article critiques contemporary Web practices in an effort to better understand the Web and its communicative potential.     

Teachers' democratic and efficacy beliefs and styles of coping with behavioural problems of pupils with special needs

This study examines how teachers actually cope with behavioural problems of included students. In order to understand the impact of individual differences on teachers' coping strategies, the authors looked at the relationship between these strategies and teachers' democratic beliefs and self‐efficacy. Participants were 33 teachers in Israel, who teach inclusive classes (1st–3rd grade). Data were collected through classroom observations, teacher interviews and questionnaires. In the interviews, teachers reported that they preferred helpful strategies as a solution to behavioural problems; however, classroom observation revealed that teachers actually used more restrictive responses. These results indicated that there is a gap between teachers' hypothetical knowledge and their applications of this knowledge in authentic classroom situations. In addition, positive correlations were found between teachers' democratic beliefs, teacher efficacy and the use of helpful strategies in regard to different behavioural problems. Practical implications for teacher education are discussed.     

Problems of beginning teachers: Comparing graduates of bachelor's and master's level teacher preparation programs

This study compares classroom problems of novice teachers who had completed either a traditional 4‐year baccalaureate or 1‐year graduate level preparation program. Problems encountered were remarkably similar. For both groups, the three most frequent problems are shared and identically ranked: (a) having adequate time for planning and preparation; (b) having every student work up to his or her ability; and (c) providing for individual learning differences. Of the 20 most frequently experienced problems for each group, 15 are common to both. Furthermore, problems these teachers encountered are highly comparable to those encountered by novice teachers of two decades ago. When viewed from a teacher development perspective, these results may indicate that beginning teachers have a similar set of problems to work through regardless of their preparation program. The results also indicate that graduates of a 1‐year master's level program are no more likely to encounter problems in their first years of teaching than are graduates of a traditional 4‐year baccalaureate program.     

Reductive thinking in computer science

This paper discusses the role of reduction in computer science and describes a study on undergraduate students' perception of the concept of reduction. Specifically, based on an analysis of students' answers to questions addressing different computer science topics, we present several findings regarding the ways in which undergraduate students conceive of and apply reduction. These findings can be interpreted within the framework of the tension that exists between the following two factors: The need to think in terms of high levels of abstraction, on one hand, and the fact that reduction introduces a new approach to be used in problem-solving situations, on the other. In addition the paper suggests several teaching applications.     

The Interactive Effects of Personal Achievement Goals and Performance Feedback in an Undergraduate Science Class

The authors explored whether manipulating feedback influenced cognition, motivation, and achievement in an undergraduate chemistry course. They measured students’ (N = 250) achievement goals, test anxiety, self-efficacy, and metacognitive strategy use at the beginning and end of the semester. After completing the first set of questionnaires, students were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 conditions: (a) control, (b) mastery feedback, (c) performance-approach feedback, and (d) combined mastery/performance-approach feedback. In each condition, students received a raw performance score for each weekly quiz they completed online and, for the treatment conditions, additional feedback reflective of that specific feedback condition. Results provide evidence for the multiple goals perspective (specialized pattern) wherein performance-oriented feedback was beneficial for some outcomes, whereas mastery feedback was beneficial for other outcomes.     

CONSTRUCT VALIDATION OF A MEASURE TO ASSESS SUSTAINABILITY OF SCHOOL‐WIDE BEHAVIOR INTERVENTIONS

This study assessed aspects of construct validity of the School‐wide Universal Behavior Sustainability Index–School Teams (SUBSIST), a measure evaluating critical features of the school context related to sustainability of school‐wide interventions. Participants at 217 schools implementing School‐wide Positive Behavior Support (SWPBS) were administered the measure. A two‐step cluster analysis was performed to classify schools based on responses to the 39 SUBSIST items. A two‐cluster solution was obtained, with schools in one cluster (n = 139) obtaining significantly higher scores on SUBSIST items than schools in the other cluster (n = 78). The most critical item that contributed to cluster formation was the use of data for decision making. Results also showed that higher sustainability scores were associated with increased frequency of school team meetings, presentation of data to school staff, access to an external coach/consultant, and greater number of years implementing SWPBS. These results are discussed with regard to implications for sustaining school‐wide interventions.     

High School Students’ Understanding of the Human Body System

In this study, 120 tenth-grade students from 8 schools were examined to determine the extent of their ability to perceive the human body as a system after completing the first stage in their biology curriculum - “The human body, emphasizing homeostasis”. The students’ systems thinking was analyzed according to the STH thinking model, which roughly divides it into three main levels that are arranged “pyramid” style, in an ascending order of difficulty: 1. Analysis of system components—the ability to identify the components and processes existing in the human body system; 2. Synthesis of system components—ability to identify dynamic relations within the system; 3. Implementation—ability to generalize and identify patterns in the system, and to identify its hidden dimensions. The students in this study proved largely incapable of achieving systems thinking beyond the primary STH level of identifying components. An overwhelming majority if their responses corresponded to this level of the STH model, further indicating a pronounced favoring of structure over process, and of larger, macro elements over microscopic ones.     

The role of perceived parental over-involvement in student test anxiety

The effects of perceived parental over-involvement on students’ level of test anxiety were examined in two studies. In study 1, parental over-involvement scale was developed. The sample comprised 105 male and female undergraduate college students between the ages of 21 and 26. The scale contained two aspects of parental over-involvement: parental attitudes toward academic studies and parental involvement in academic studies. Students’ self-reported attitudes toward academic studies were also included. In study 2, the effects of the three aspects on students’ level of test anxiety were examined. The sample comprised 90 male and female undergraduate college students, between the ages of 21 and 26. Research hypotheses were that the two aspects of parental over-involvement and students’ attitudes will positively correlate with students' test anxiety and that results will persist with high anxious students. Finally, an exploratory question was examined as to whether the two aspects of parental over-involvement will differ in their impact on test anxiety. As expected all three factors positively correlated with test anxiety; however, regression analysis indicated that only parental involvement was predicting text anxiety. Results for participants with high test anxiety partially supported research hypothesis as parental involvement correlated with test anxiety (TA) total score and with worry but not with emotionality. Findings are discussed as response to the exploratory question. Finally, although not hypothesized, academic education of parents was positively related to students' test anxiety. Results suggest that parental attitudes and behaviors are significant factors in college students’ TA.     

Conversation as a model to build the relationship among libraries,digital humanities,and campus leadership

ABSTRACT

By committing to two conversation-based concepts, David Lankes's Mission for New Librarians and the “Scholarship as Conversation” Information Literacy Frame, Bethel University's Library has established a leadership role in advocating and implementing digital humanities at a midsized liberal arts institution. Aligning the services and strategy of the Bethel University Digital Library (BUDL), Bethel's institutional repository, with the lessons learned and relationships built through these conversations with administration, faculty, and staff has resulted in successful outcomes for the communication and implementation of innovative digital library and digital humanities initiatives.