Effects of strategy-oriented training on children’s inference drawing from pictures

It is important that children learn to draw inferences from pictures. But can that ability be taught? This study sought to develop the picture-interpretation strategies of fourth-grade children by providing training in the use of such verbal guidelines as “Help yourself to all the given information.” The program apparently helped the children produce more inferences, but did not enhance their skills in evaluating inferences at least not over the 16 30–40 minute sessions devoted to the training.     

Evolution of Teachers’ Technology Integration Knowledge,Beliefs, and Practices: How Can We Support Beginning Teachers Use of Technology?

Abstract

In this study, we examined a group of four teachers who completed extra educational technology coursework and field experiences during their teacher education programs to determine how their technology integration knowledge, self-efficacy beliefs, intentions, and practices evolved over time. We conducted interviews and evaluated data sources at three intervals: (1) after teacher education coursework was completed, (2) after student teaching was completed, and (3) after two initial years of teaching. Results showed that school resources and environment had a strong impact on beginning teachers' practices, regardless of strong internal enabling factors.     

Personal Storytelling as a Medium of Socialization in Chinese and American Families

The goal of this study was to determine how personal storytelling functions as a socializing practice within the family context in middle-class Taiwanese and middle-class European American families. The data consist of more than 200 naturally occurring stories in which the past experiences of the focal child, aged 2,6, were narrated. These stories were analyzed at 3 levels: content, function, and structure. Findings converged across these analytic levels, indicating that personal storytelling served overlapping yet distinct socializing functions in the 2 cultural cases. In keeping with the high value placed on didactic narrative within the Confucian tradition, Chinese families were more likely to use personal storytelling to convey moral and social standards. European American families did not treat stories of young children's past experiences as a didactic resource but instead employed stories as a medium of entertainment and affirmation. These findings suggest not only that personal storytelling operates as a routine socializing practice in widely different cultures but also that it is already functionally differentiated by 2,6.     

The needs of postbirth parents: an international, multisite study

Health care reform has moved postbirth care into the community without assessment of how this may change parents' needs. Mother-father pairs (n = 117) in six sites in four countries were interviewed at 5 to 10 days postbirth and again between 6 and 8 weeks postbirth to determine their needs. Content analysis revealed both parents in all sites had a strong focus on self-needs throughout the postbirth period. Postpartum programs oriented solely to family-centered care may not meet the specific needs of contemporary parents.     

Problem-solving in a case-based course: Strategies for facilitating coached expertise

This paper proposes the use of specific coaching strategies to facilitate student use of expert-like problem-solving strategies while analyzing and solving instructional design case studies. Findings from an exploratory study, designed to examine changes in students' problem-solving skills as they analyzed case studies, suggested that students could show expert characteristics at times, under some circumstances, but did not perform like experts on a regular basis. At two midwestern universities, 37 students analyzed 6 to 10 case studies both in class and in on-line discussions. Comparisons were made both within and across students, as well as across time, to examine patterns and changes in student problem-solving approaches. Findings suggested that primary influences on the incidence of expert performance were more external than internal and might be more aptly characterized as “coached expertise”. Specific suggestions are included for coaching the development of student problem-solving skills within a case-based course.     

Instructional systems development in the schools

The authors of this commentary take exception to several points made in an article that appeared in the most recent issue of this journal (ETR&D, Vol. 38, No. 2). Following this explanation of their concerns is a reply by the authors of the original article.     

The Use of Film in Marriage and Family Counselor Education

The authors introduce an innovative technique that can be included in marriage and family counselor education curricula. Feature films are discussed as an educational technique for the instruction and development of perceptual, conceptual, and executive counseling skills. They also outline the advantages for using film in counselor education, present various strategies for using them in the classroom, and offer examples of how they have integrated movies into introductory marriage and family courses.