Developing a research partnership: teachers as researchers and teacher educators

This paper discusses a combined university–school research project involving three associate teachers from the pre-service teacher education degree at the University of Otago, New Zealand in the examination of their literacy teaching practice. The provision of resources for this collaborative study allowed the teachers to design the project in response to the learning needs of the children in their classrooms. The paper specifically analyses the research experience for the teachers as they theorized their classroom literacy practice and utilized the research findings to inform the content and processes of teaching at both the primary and tertiary classroom levels.     

The development of place value concepts: Approximation before principles

Place value concepts were measured longitudinally from kindergarten (2017) to first grade (2018) in a diverse sample (n = 279; M_age = 5.76 years, SD = 0.55; 135 females; 41% Black, 38% White, 8% Asian, 12% Latino). Children completed three syntactic tasks that required an explicit understanding of base-10 symbols and three approximate tasks that could be completed without this explicit understanding. Approximate performance was significantly better in both age groups. A factor analysis confirmed that syntactic and approximate tasks tapped separate latent variables in kindergarten, but not in first grade. Path analyses indicated that only kindergarten approximate performance predicted overall first-grade place value understanding. These findings suggest that explicit understanding of base-10 principles develops from implicit, partial knowledge of multidigit numbers.     

Sense about sex: media,sex advice,education and learning

The media are widely acknowledged as important in sex and relationship education, but they are usually associated with ‘bad’ effects on young people in contrast to the ‘good’ knowledge represented by more informational and educational formats. In this paper we look at sex advice giving in newspapers, magazines and television in the UK, in sex advice books and in online spaces for sexual learning. We examine some of the limitations of the information provided, consider the challenges for sex advice in the contemporary context, and outline some of the opportunities for academics, researchers, therapists, sex educators and activists to contribute productively to sex advice giving and sexual learning more generally.     

Cognitive Diagnostic Multistage Testing by Partitioning Hierarchically Structured Attributes

In cognitive diagnostic models (CDMs), a set of fine-grained attributes is required to characterize complex problem solving and provide detailed diagnostic information about an examinee. However, it is challenging to ensure reliable estimation and control computational complexity when The test aims to identify the examinee's attribute profile in a large-scale map of attributes. To address this problem, this study proposes a cognitive diagnostic multistage testing by partitioning hierarchically structured attributes (CD-MST-PH) as a multistage testing for CDM. In CD-MST-PH, multiple testlets can be constructed based on separate attribute groups before testing occurs, which retains the advantages of multistage testing over fully adaptive testing or the on-the-fly approach. Moreover, testlets are offered sequentially and adaptively, thus improving test accuracy and efficiency. An item information measure is proposed to compute the discrimination power of an item for each attribute, and a module assembly method is presented to construct modules anchored at each separate attribute group. Several module selection indices for CD-MST-PH are also proposed by modifying the item selection indices used in cognitive diagnostic computerized adaptive testing. The results of simulation study show that CD-MST-PH can improve test accuracy and efficiency relative to the conventional test without adaptive stages.     

Effects of a rule change that eliminates body-checking on the relative age effect in Ontario minor ice hockey

Relative age effects in sport reflect an over-representation of athletes born early in a selection year that lead to selection and performance advantages. These effects might be enhanced by rules that increase physicality. An opportunity to investigate these influences arose when Hockey Canada altered its body-checking rules. Two studies are described that investigate the possible influence of this rule change. Study 1 used cross-sectional data to contrast relative age effects for 9-year-olds in games with and without body-checking (birth quartile 1 ranged from 27 to 39%; birth quartile 4 from 10 to 20%). Study 2 used quasi-longitudinal data to examine age effects when players transitioned from a season in which body-checking was permitted to one that prohibited such checking (birth quartile 1 ranged from 27 to 39%; birth quartile 4 from 11 to 20%). Chi-square statistics demonstrated relative age effects in both studies irrespective of body-checking. Post-hoc analyses indicated reductions in these effects that were limited to some second and third quartiles when body-checking was prohibited. Body-checking is not a critical mechanism of relative age effects. The physicality of ice hockey, regardless of body-checking, and increased experience in ice hockey are influential.     

Cultural homelessness, multiminority status, ethnic identity development, and self esteem

This study presents a measure of “cultural homelessness” (Vivero & Jenkins, 1999), a construct developed to explain the experiences of some individuals having early-life immersion in more than one culture. Culturally homeless individuals report pervasive experiences of “being different”: mixed racial, ethnic, and/or cultural heritages within their families of origin and/or between their families and the surrounding sociocultural context, resulting in structural marginality; repeated subjection to contradictory cultural demands; and the acquisition of conflicting frames of reference for their behavior. Ambiguous physical presentation and the complexity of codeswitching across multiple cultural frames of reference at a young age may lead to confused or inappropriate social behavior, resulting in rejection and discrimination by both minority and majority groups, chronic feelings of “not belonging,” self-blame and shame, social and emotional isolation, cultural identity confusion, and the desire to find a “cultural home.” Empirical findings operationalizing this construct show associations of cultural homelessness criteria with gender; risk factors related to multiracial, multiethnic, and multicultural status; ethnic identity; and self esteem.     

Using telecommunications to meet the staff development and networking needs of educators of the gifted in small or rural school districts

These are the facts of the problem facing Wisconsin's educational system:

1. Four hundred and thirty districts (two‐thirds rural) across an area 160 miles wide and 330 miles long.

2. Fifty thousand educators, very few of whom have had course work in meeting the needs of the gifted.

3. A state Jaw requiring that the gifted (intellectually, academically, creatively, artistically, and in leadership) be identified and served appropriately.

Problem finding resulted in the need to provide a mix of credit and noncredit learning opportunities at times and in places convenient to teachers. The solution is a blending of new technologies (computers and television) with older technologies (telephone and federal mail) in developing a statewide learning community.     

Going Forth: Equal Employment Opportunity in a Deregulatory Climate

While previous studies indicate that participation in sport has the potential to facilitate positive developmental outcomes, there is a lack of consensus regarding the possible transfer of these outcomes to other environments (i.e., school or work). An important issue within the positive development literature concerns how sport programs should approach the issue of transfer. This article outlines two distinct approaches to the transfer debate: the explicit approach and the implicit approach. Specifically, this article discusses the relative strengths and limitations of these two approaches with regards to their effectiveness, sustainability, and balance of adult- and youth-driven learning. Recommendations for future research directions are also presented.     

Smartphone Use at a University Health Science Center

This article describes the results of a survey of library patrons conducted by librarians and information technology specialists at the Health Science Center Libraries at the University of Florida. The purpose of the survey was to learn if and how library patrons were using smartphones to perform their work-related tasks and how patrons felt the library could support smartphone use at the Health Science Center.