Stanley Cavell in Conversation with Paul Standish

Having acknowledged the recurrent theme of education in Stanley Cavell's work, the discussion addresses the topic of scepticism, especially as this emerges in the interpretation of Wittgenstein. Questions concerning rule‐following, language and society are then turned towards political philosophy, specifically with regard to John Rawls. The discussion examines the idea of the social contract, the nature of moral reasoning and the possibility of our lives' being above reproach, as well as Rawls's criticisms of Nietzschean perfectionism. This lays the way for the broaching of questions of race and America. The theme of the ordinary, which emerges variously in Cavell's reflections on Emerson, Wittgenstein and Austin, is taken up and extended into a consideration of Thoreau's ‘experiment in living’. The conversation closes with brief remarks about happiness.     

Making a Beginning in Adult Education

Teachers’ classroom management practices are rooted in assumptions based on their experiences and perceptions. At times, these assumptions are only partially informed, and serve to limit action and perceived responsibility. In this article, five common “half-truths” that guide classroom management are discussed. For each, the basic premise is identified, along with the important relevant details, which are often overlooked. It is suggested that a more complete picture of each of these assumptions may reveal many management situations to be much more dynamic, with more options for action available.     

Whitehead and the Implications of the Process Metaphor for Mathematics

In Principia Mathematica Whitehead and Russell erected one of the cornerstones of modernist philosophy of mathematics. However, as an epistemological project seeking to secure the foundations of mathematics, this attempt failed, as Whitehead acknowledged. His later work in process philosophy represented a new direction. Although not explicitly a philosophy of mathematics, it provides a suggested metaphor for philosophy of mathematics. This paper explores the possible implications of organismic and process philosophy, both for the philosophy of mathematics, and for mathematics education and teaching.     

Initiating Intrinsic Motivation in Online Education: Review of the Current State of the Art

The need to initiate intrinsic motivation in students, especially in Japanese students, in online education is introduced. An overview of the online educative process is then presented with constructivist learning theory and the various opportunities for learning interactions. These include the student-to-materials interaction, the student-to/from-tutor interactions, and the student-to-group interactions. Then within this framework, the current State-of-the-Art is presented for how to initiate the various intrinsic motivations to learn, focusing on the sub-types of personal intrinsic motivation; challenge, fantasy, and curiosity. The comprehensive literature review presented provides the rationales behind specific courseware and tutor activities to initiate these intrinsic motivations.     

Study Abroad in Social Work Education: “Citizen of Two Worlds” Faculty

Schools of social work are increasingly offering study abroad courses as a strategy for enhancing future practitioners’ knowledge and skills in serving individuals and families of diverse sociocultural backgrounds. Literature relative to such educational initiatives has focused on the characteristics, motivations, and outcomes for students and faculty; challenges and strategies to address them; different formats of course delivery; and, to a limited degree, faculty who develop and implement the courses. Using a study abroad course about understanding trauma in cultural context, the current article discusses and illustrates pedagogic and logistic benefits of the citizen of two worlds model in faculty leadership of study abroad courses.     

PSYCHOSOCIAL FACTORS RELATED TO RETENTION AND EARLY DEPARTURE OF TWO-YEAR COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS

The present study is based on the theoretical model of college retention developed by Tinto (1975, 1987, 1993) and subsequent validation efforts of others (Bers and Smith, 1991; Munro, 1981; Pascarella and Chapman, 1983a, b; Pascarella and Terenzini, 1983, 1991). The first goal of the study was to assess the validity of the model on a two-year community college sample. The second goal was to extend and further refine the model by examining the mediational influences of a comprehensive set of psychosocial measures (i.e., life events occurring during the first semester of college, social support, self-esteem, social competence, personal conscientiousness, psychological well-being, and satisfaction with the academic, administrative, and social systems of college) on the constructs within Tinto's (1987, 1993) model. Results confirm the generalizability of the model to two-year community college populations. In addition, the structural equations model revealed that the psychosocial measures have both direct and indirect effects on college persistence.     

An exploration of school mobility: Risks and protective factors in late elementary

This study explored negative emotional, behavioral, and academic performance outcomes for highly mobile students and potential protective factors. Participants were fourth and fifth-grade students (N = 647, 51% male) from three schools with low socioeconomic status, highly mobile student populations within a large, suburban school district in the midwestern United States. Data were collected through student self-report surveys, teacher-report surveys, and school records. Multilevel moderation analysis tested whether school connectedness (SC) or social and emotional competence (SEC) acted as protective factors for highly mobile students, moderating the effect of school mobility on emotional problems and academic performance. Student mobility was associated with more emotional problems and lower academic performance. In contrast to past research, there was not an association between mobility and behavior problems. Although they did not act as protective factors, SC and SEC were independently associated with fewer emotional problems and stronger reading performance for all students, controlling for mobility. Results build on existing evidence that student mobility has negative effects on emotional and academic outcomes and lend support for interventions focused on enhancing SC and SEC of all students, including those at increased risk due to high mobility.