Family Interaction Patterns,Career Planning Attitudes,and Vocational Identity of High School Adolescents

The purpose of the current study was to examine how perceptions of family interaction patterns as defined along three dimensions of family environment (quality of family relationships, family goal-orientations, and degree of organization and control within the family system) predict vocational identity and career planning attitudes among male and female adolescents living at home. One hundred twenty three high school students completed measures of family environment, vocational identity, and career planning attitudes. Analyses revealed that the quality of family relationships (i.e., degree to which family members are encouraged to express feelings and problems) played a small, yet significant role in predicting career planning attitudes of adolescents.     

Author Correction: Digital Citizenship: you Can’t Go Home Again

The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake. Figure 3 on the published version of the article was wrong. The correct Fig. 3 is now presented below.     

The case for scenario-based assessment of written argumentation

Reading and Writing - This paper presents a theoretical and empirical case for the value of scenario-based assessment (SBA) in the measurement of students’ written argumentation skills....     

Obstacles Confronting Technology Initiatives as Seen Through the Experience of Science Teachers: A Comparative Study of Science Teachers' Beliefs,Planning, and Practice

There currently exists unparalleled discrepant growth between technological advancements and educators' understanding of appropriate classroom technology implemenation. The Tech Tools teacher enhancement program was designed to provide teachers with hardware and expertise with state-of-the-art science and math microcomputer technologies. This study was conducted as an examination of the implementation of current technologies in teacher education and school settings for the purpose of informing other science, mathematics, and technology reform efforts. For over two years researchers gathered data from surveys, interviews, and on site visits and observations explicating the 1) teacher knowledge and beliefs, 2) computer use for instruction, 3) hardward access, and 4) school support for technology use. Results revealed teachers given identical equipment and training implemented similar technologies in vastly different ways. Discrepancies in implementation of technology were best explained through the lenses of teachers' existing practice and beliefs about their school context. Recommendations are given regarding technology implementation, teacher education, and evaluation of technology initiatives.     

The use of a computer simulation to promote scientific conceptions of moon phases

This study described the conceptual understandings of 50 early childhood (Pre‐K‐3) preservice teachers about standards‐based lunar concepts before and after inquiry‐based instruction utilizing educational technology. The instructional intervention integrated the planetarium software Starry Night Backyard™ with instruction on moon phases from Physics by Inquiry by McDermott (1996). Data sources included drawings, interviews, and a lunar shapes card sort. Videotapes of participants' interviews were used along with the drawings and card sorting responses during data analysis. The various data were analyzed via a constant comparative method in order to produce profiles of each participant's pre‐ and postinstruction conceptual understandings of moon phases. Results indicated that before instruction none of the participants understood the cause of moon phases, and none were able to draw both scientific moon shapes and sequences. After the instruction with technology integration, most participants (82%) held a scientific understanding of the cause of moon phases and were able to draw scientific shapes and sequences (80%). The results of this study demonstrate that a well‐designed computer simulation used within a conceptual change model of instruction can be very effective in promoting scientific understandings. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 45: 346–372, 2008     

Generalizability, Validity, and Examinee Perceptions of a Computer-Delivered Formulating-Hypotheses Test

The Formulating-Hypotheses (F-H) item presents a situation and asks examinees to generate as many explanations for it as possible. This study examined the generalizability, validity, and examinee perceptions of a computer-delivered version of the task. Eight F-H questions were administered to 192 graduate students. Half of the items restricted examinees to 7 words per explanation, and half allowed up to 15 words. Generalizability results showed high interrater agreement, with tests of between 2 and 4 items scored by one judge achieving coefficients in the .80s. Construct validity analyses found that F-H was only marginally related to the GRE General Test, and more strongly related than the General Test to a measure of ideational fluency. Different response limits tapped somewhat different abilities, with the 15-word constraint appearing more useful for graduate assessment. These items added significantly to conventional measures in explaining school performance and creative expression.