Child Observation as Teachers' Work in Contemporary Australian Early Childhood Programmes L'Observation des Enfant en Tant que Tache de l'Enseignant dans les Programmes Contemporains d'Enseignement Prescolaire en Australie Observacion Infantil como Trabajo Docente en Programas Comtrmporaneos Preescolares Australianos

This article reports data from a study of how teachers use child observations in one State in Australia. It argues that the current economic and political climate has meant changes for most early childhood settings catering for children prior to school entry. How teachers in these various settings deal with changes in relation to child observation depends on the contexts in which they work. The paper suggests that the purpose of observing children is changing and that traditionally accepted ways of writing child observations may be under threat. Cet article rend compte des resultats d'une etude concernant la maniere dont les enseignants utilisent l'observation des enfants dans un Etat d'Australie. Elle avance que le climat economique et politique actuel a cause des changements dans la plupart des centres d'enseignement prescolaire. Comment les enseignants de ces divers centres repondent a ces changements en ce qui concerne l'observation des enfants depend du contexte dans lequel us travaillent. L'article suggere que le but de l'observation des enfants est en train de changer, et qu'il se peut que les facons dont on notait traditionnellement ces observations soient menacees. Este articulo reporta los resultados de un estudio sobre la utilizacion de observaciones infantiles por parte de educadores en uno de los estados australianos. Discute que el actual ambiente economico y politico ha transformado a la mayoria de los ambientes preescolares. Sostiene que la manera en la cual los educadores en estos multiples ambientes enfrentan los cambios asociados con la observacion infantil depende del contexto en el cual ellos trabajen. El articulo sugiere que el objectivo de la observacion infantil esta cambiando y las formas tradicionalmente aceptadas de documentar estas observaciones pudiesen verse amenazadas.     

Referral of the child with learning problems: Bridging a communication gap

Successful communication between the teacher and school psychologist is considered a vital factor in providing appropriate diagnostic and remediation services to a child with a learning problem. Although considerable attention has been given to the psychological report, whereby the psychologist communicates with the teacher, only minimal attention has been given to the referral process whereby the teacher provides the psychologist with important behavioral data. Experience in one large metropolitan school system has demonstrated that teacher-psychologist communication is facilitated through: (a) providing the teacher with a clear understanding of her role in the diagnostic and remediation process, (b) employment of a theoretical approach to learning disabilities which is shared by both teacher and psychologist, and (c) use of a specific referral form—theoretically based—in order to communicate data about the child with a learning problem.     

Helping counts: predicting children's intentions to disclose being bullied to teachers from prior social support experiences

Despite possible negative effects, many children do not tell their teachers when they have been bullied. This study examined junior school pupils' (N = 294) reports of instrumental, emotional and validation social support received after disclosing being bullied to teachers, and associations with intentions to disclose in the future. Overall, participants reported receiving modest to high levels of social support. The three social support variables accounted for a significant proportion (16.3%) of the variance in intentions to disclose. Each of them also emerged as significant non unique predictors (i.e. not controlling for their shared variance), and validation social support did so even after controlling for the influence of the other two types. These effects were stronger for boys than for girls, and some varied by age. Findings are discussed in terms of outcome‐ expectancy theory and practical implications.     

Camp for all connection: a community health information outreach project.

PURPOSE: The purpose of the Camp For All Connection project is to facilitate access to electronic health information resources at the Camp For All facility. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS/RESOURCES: Camp For All is a barrier-free camp working in partnership with organizations to enrich the lives of children and adults with chronic illnesses and disabilities and their families by providing camping and retreat experiences. The camp facility is located on 206 acres in Burton, Texas. The project partners are Texas Woman's University, Houston Academy of Medicine-Texas Medical Center Library, and Camp For All. BRIEF DESCRIPTION: The Camp For All Connection project placed Internet-connected workstations at the camp's health center in the main lodge and provided training in the use of electronic health information resources. A train-the-trainer approach was used to provide training to Camp For All staff. RESULTS/OUTCOME: Project workstations are being used by health care providers and camp staff for communication purposes and to make better informed health care decisions for Camp For All campers. EVALUATION METHOD: A post-training evaluation was administered at the end of the train-the-trainer session. In addition, a series of site visits and interviews was conducted with camp staff members involved in the project. The site visits and interviews allowed for ongoing dialog between project staff and project participants.     

Career preferences,self-concept,and vocational maturity

This study explored the differences in self-concept and vocational maturity variables between freshmen students who made congruent, incongruent, and undecided college major choices. The self-concept variables were operationally defined by the Tennessee Self Concept Scale. The vocational maturity variables were defined by the Career Questionnaire, Form IV, and the Vocational Development Inventory. Congruent, incongruent, and undecided college major choice groups were defined operationally using the Vocational Preference Inventory. The analysis of variance revealed the main effect of groups (congruent, incongruent, and undecided) to be significant for four vocational maturity variables. The test for the main effect of sex was found to be significant for one vocational maturity variable. The test for interaction was found to be significant for one self-concept variable. The findings tentatively suggest that subjects in the congruent male and female groups tend to be more vocationally stable and mature than subjects in the undecided male and female groups. Limitations in the reults of the present study were pointed out.     

‘I never heard the word methodology’: personal accounts of teacher training in Ireland 1943–1980

This article examines the experiences of 27 retired secondary school teachers (respondents) who completed initial teacher education (ITE) courses between 1943 and 1980. The eldest respondent completed ITE in 1943 and the youngest in 1980. The timespan 1943–1980 is not purposeful but dependent on the cohort that volunteered to take part in the study. Twenty-one of the cohort completed ITE prior to 1970 and four between 1970 and 1979, while only two did so in the 1980s. Consequently, much of the data and discussion relates to the period between the mid-1940s and late 1970s – one not characterised by pedagogic innovation in ITE, or education generally, in Ireland as successive governments struggled with economic challenges, the most prescient of which are discussed later in this study. All universities offering post-primary ITE in Ireland during this period were attended by at least one of the cohort and collectively they taught in 17 of Ireland’s 26 counties, while one respondent taught for a time in Northern Ireland. The majority of the cohort (63%) taught in rural towns, 28% in urban towns or cities while 9% taught in rural locations. The diversity of school-type is noted, as is the year in which the respondent began teaching. The respondents’ experiences of ITE demonstrate negligible differences depending on geographical location. Twenty were female and seven male. The age range was 96 (Sr. Boniface) to 65 (Mike). All of the respondents were accorded anonymity. Based on oral testimony the study suggests that ITE offerings in this period were conservative and consensualist in nature, that the social changes that characterised Irish society in the 1960s failed to impact upon teacher education programmes but that, according to respondents, the last decade has seen significant changes in ITE and in the dispositions of those entering secondary school teaching.