CONVERGENT AND DISCRIMINANT VALIDITY OF THREE MEASURES OF ABILITY,ASPIRATION-LEVEL,ACHIEVEMENT, ADJUSTMENT AND DOMINANCE1

The convergent and discriminant validity of three measures of the concepts of aspiration level, ability, achievement, adjustment, and dominance were examined in the context of a multitrait-multimethod matrix. Self-reports and peer-reports on 75 Ss were employed as two measures of each trait. In addition, aspiration level was measured by the Edwards Personal Preference Schedule (EPPS) Nach scale, dominance by the EPPS (dom scale), achievement by cumulative college grade point ratio (GPR), ability by the Ohio State Psychological Examination (OSPE), and adjustment by the Bell Adjustment Inventory. Of the paper and pencil instruments, only the OSPE and EPPS (dominance scale) exhibited satisfactory convergent validity. No measure met all the requirements of discriminant validity. The desirability of establishing adequate validational evidence prior to using “trait” measures in studies relating theoretical variables was emphasized.     

What makes a cMOOC community endure? Multiple participant perspectives from diverse cMOOCs

Imagine the challenge of being immersed in a dynamic learning network where you play brinkmanship with being overwhelmed by a plethora of information, comments, and conversations on a topic of intense interest to you. Through adept facilitation, the comments and encouragement of fellow participants, and your own perseverance, you develop a network of personal connections which serve as metaphorical flying buttresses creating enough stability that you are able to learn in a new, yet profoundly meaningful way – the connectivist massive open online course (cMOOC) way. Through the lens of autoethnography, five seasoned educators collaboratively reflect on their motivation for participating in their initial cMOOC. They analyze their lived experience, what they found most engaging, and most importantly, they grapple with why cMOOC communities often endure past official end-dates. This article attempts to provide insight into the thrill and depth of learning and connection possible through participation in cMOOCs.     

Parental substance abuse and the nature of child maltreatment.

The authors reviewed 190 randomly selected records from the case load of a large juvenile court. These records involved cases in which the state took legal custody of the children following a finding of significant child maltreatment, based on a "clear and convincing" standard of evidence. Sixty-seven percent (127/190) of these cases involved parents who were classified as substance abusers. The results of this study revealed specific associations between (a) alcohol abuse and physical maltreatment and (b) cocaine abuse and sexual maltreatment. Logistic analyses, testing for the effects of polysubstance abuse, revealed that additional forms of substance abuse failed to add significantly to the effects of alcohol in predicting physical maltreatment or cocaine in predicting sexual maltreatment.     

Science related attitudes amongst Victorian catholic primary school teachers

Conclusion This study is preliminary in nature, and the instrument will require some modification to reduce its length and to further increase the reliability of the attitude scale. None-the-less, in addition to replicating some important aspects of previous studies, and introducing a measurement of primary school teachers' science related attitudes, it does provide valuable data prior to the introduction of the new course guides. When used in conjunction with the findings of a similar survey which is to be conducted in 1983, these data will help to assess the impact of the introductory phase of the course in Victorian Schools.     

Fostering Teacher Educators’ Professional Development on Practice-Based Research Through Communities of Inquiry

Practice-based research and supervising students’ research has become an important task for higher vocational institutes, including the teacher education departments. However, conducting practice-based research is not always common practice for a great number of teacher educators. Therefore, professional development activities are undertaken to support teacher educators in their new role as a researcher. This paper reports on one of those activities: a community of inquiry in which teacher educators conducted a collaborative research on a shared topic derived from their practices, in order to examine teacher educators’ professional development and to identify key characteristics for setting up such a community. All participants reported developments in practice-based research skills and knowledge, and developments regarding supervising students’ research. In addition, they reported on developments in their beliefs regarding research and on the topic under research. They also reported the impact of the community on other parts of their profession. Commitment, time, teacher educators as experienced researchers and completing the research stages are identified as key characteristics.     

Dawn of science

Descartes discovered the link between algebra and geometry, which forms the cornerstone of applied geometry today.     

DOMAIN DIFFERENCES IN THE EPISTEMOLOGICAL BELIEFS OF COLLEGE STUDENTS

This study examined the differences in the epistemological beliefs of college students across major fields of study. Beliefs in fixed ability, simple knowledge, quick learning, and certain knowledge were assessed for 290 students attending a large urban public university. Major fields of study were classified in domains of study according to the hard-soft and pure-applied dimensions of Biglan's well-known classification of academic fields. Additional analyses examined the effects of gender, age, year in college, and GPA. Results indicated that students majoring in pure fields were less likely than those in applied fields to hold naive beliefs in simple knowledge, quick learning, and certain knowledge, and students majoring in soft or pure fields were less likely than others to hold naive beliefs in certain knowledge. Gender, age, and GPA were also related to students' beliefs. The results of this study suggest that students' beliefs about the nature of knowledge and learning are related to the disciplinary contexts in which students select and experience their specialized coursework in college.     

Teacher perceptions of the regular education initiative

A survey of 381 special and regular educators assessed perceptions and opinions surrounding the regular education initiative. Confirmatory factor analysis supported an a priori hypothesized structure of teachers' responses. Items factored into 14 categories. These factors describe issues related to preferred placement of students with mild disabilities, teachers' responsibility and ownership, teacher preparedness for meeting the needs of these students, achievement outcomes for all children, and the changes that would result from adopting the proposed consultant model rather than a pullout program. Results favored current special education practices (pullout programs) in elementary schools.