A Memoir of Co‐Mentoring: The “We” that is “Me”

The author’s academic journey in learning to mentor and be co‐mentored involved three rites of passage. In this reflective essay (invited paper), the author acknowledges his most influential co‐mentors—former dissertation supervisees and long since colleagues—who helped form the “we” that is him. The first phase coincided with a constraining time in research and supervision. The author co‐published only a few journal articles and mainly with one mentee. During his second stage in Toronto, Canada, he experienced an exponential increase in co‐publication. This was a natural extension of mutually beneficial working relationships and successful doctoral defenses. Like a trusted friend, a mentor can guide his or her charges as they set out to discover and realize the potential within. The responsive form of learning in partnership enacted a version of collective action among equals. The author became a collaborative arts‐based‐educational researcher‐mentor: a hyphenated collection of selves. Since having returned to Australia, he co‐mentors early career academics seeking to publish and use writing as and for their professional development.     

A sociocultural investigation of the efficacy of outdoor education to improve learner engagement

A sociocultural investigation with Year 8 secondary-school students experiencing marginalization and displaying signs of social and emotional difficulties in engaging fully with school life who participated in a mediated outdoor education programme was undertaken for this study. The findings indicate that there was a very statistically significant change in self-concept (p < 0.05) during the course of the programme. In addition, all participants reported positive results in relation to building trust, group cohesion, and emotional regulation with positive results on facing the challenges they experience daily within school. Moreover, 75% reported that they experienced positive gains in their family since beginning participation in the programme, and 100% stated that they had developed a deeper level of trust for the other group members.     

Situated Self-Regulation: Modeling the Interrelationships Among Instruction,Assessment, Learning Strategies and Academic Performance

To succeed academically, college students must actively construct course information, synthesize this information with information from texts and other resources, understand this information so that they can succeed on various forms of assessments and ultimately retain this information for the long term. While the complexity of these demands has been modeled somewhat metaphorically, there has been little ecologically valid research into learning in authentic classroom contexts. The present study examines the interrelationships among student perceptions of the learning context, test complexity, study strategies, and academic performance. Results of a path analysis demonstrated that perceptions of the teaching format and test complexity were positively related to the study strategies reported, and these study strategies were further related to the reported course performance.     

Effects of a Classroom Management Intervention on Student Achievement in Inner‐City Elementary Schools

ABSTRACT

As part of a study of the life‐cycle of inner‐city schools, the achievement of elementary school students (on MAT6 and TEAMS tests) who had teachers trained in a classroom management program in one school were compared with students in a comparison school during a four‐year period. Students at Madison Elementary School showed statistically greater achievement gains on both nationally normed achievement tests (MAT6) and on state criterion‐referenced achievement battery than students at the comparison school in each of three years. The overall effect size due to program treatment on the MAT6 test scores was large, ranging from .43 (1986–87) and .83 (1987–88) during intervention to .73 (1988–89) after intervention. Similar results were found in the TEAMS test associated with the program intervention with overall effect size of 1.02 (1987–88) and .78 (1988–89) in mathematics, .68 and .77 in reading, and .59 and .77 in writing for the respective years. On measures of learning environment, in a post hoc analysis (1990–91), students at Madison perceived their environment to be significantly more positive than comparison students. Teacher and principal interviews during and after the intervention periods provided contextual guidance for the findings.     

Factors Influencing Access to Integrated Soil Fertility Management Information and Knowledge and its Uptake among Smallholder Farmers in Zimbabwe

Abstract

Purpose: The study evaluated how farmer acquisition, sharing and use patterns of information and knowledge interact with different socioeconomic factors to influence integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) technology uptake.

Design/methodology/approach: The study was conducted as part of an evaluation of field-based farmer learning approaches introduced by SOFECSA in Zimbabwe. Building on emerging farmer interactive platforms, data were collected using farmer participatory research approaches.

Findings: Over 90% of the farmers identified the national extension agents as the farmers' most preferred and reliable sources of information on ISFM, with farmer-to-farmer interactions ranking second. Non-governmental organisations and the print media emerged as the least trusted sources of agricultural technical information. Field-based learning centres, which enabled interactive evaluation of different ISFM options, constituted ~50%, indicating that they were major platforms for information and knowledge sharing. Uptake of ISFM was influenced by farmer resource group and farmers' visits to learning centres. Farmer experience and access to extension services were, in turn, the major factors influencing farmers' use of ISFM information. Approaches that support farmer-to-farmer interactions are required and learning centres are a suitable platform for such interactions to occur.

Practical implications: The article brings to attention the role of learning centres in fostering adoption of ISFM technologies. Insights on the need to support and strengthen agricultural extension in rural smallholder communities are provided.

Originality/value: This is a unique study exploring the role of farmer-oriented information and knowledge management in promoting complex technologies such as ISFM. A new dimension on the demands of new approaches for information dissemination to enhance knowledge sharing is presented.     

In-service and pre-service teachers' perceptions of a web-based,case-based learning environment

Abstract

Understanding teachers' perceptions of a web-based, case-based learning environment provides insight into the effective development and deployment of such conditions for preparing educators. CaseNET–a web-based, case-method teaching environment for professional educators–serves as both a source of information as well as a space for inservice and preservice teachers to interact with one another and to contemplate current educational issues as they relate to real-world teaching. A qualitative analysis of over 400 participants was conducted and results provided. Participants perceived CaseNETas an opportunity to engage in professional development via exploration, reflection, collaboration, and hands-on interactions with authentic teaching tasks. Results suggest that the combination of cases and technology provides a valued opportunity to engage developing teachers in professional behaviors.     

Development of an Early Hebrew Oral Reading Fluency Measure

Currently, there are no Hebrew (L2) reading assessments that have been tested to obtain evidence for reliability and validity on which to base decisions about Hebrew instruction. The authors developed a Hebrew benchmark assessment tool for first grade students modeled after Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills, a standardized test of accuracy and fluency used to identify at-risk students and to monitor student progress. Results of pilot data collection (N=53) provide evidence for strong alternate form reliability for this measure, as well as evidence for content, face and criterion-related validity. Future directions for research and development are discussed.     

Carpetas de estudiante: Oportunidades para una revolución en la evaluación

A partir de una investigación sobre una muestra muy rica de centros y usuarios del sistema de carpeta, los autores analizan con entusiasmo pero despiadadamente los puntos fuertes y débiles de este método/movimiento.

Calfee y Perfumo levantan la voz para lograr una urgente y necesaria fundamentación de una línea de cambio que, con todo, ofrece una oportunidad histórica para renovar profundamente la educación.     

The Media and Criminologists: Interactions and Satisfaction

Traditionally, academic criminologists have addressed two audiences—other academics and students—while largely ignoring other segments of society. Frequently neglected is attention to educating the public. This paper uses a random sample of American Society of Criminology (ASC) members to measure the level of interaction with and attitudes toward criminologists working with the media. Findings suggest that most criminologists have participated in an isolated incidence of working with the media, tend to be generally satisfied with this experience, and perceive working with the media as a worthwhile endeavor for criminologists.