The Society for Research in Child Development at 70: progress and promise

The major conceptual and empirical advances in the field of child development and in the Society for Research for Child Development (SRCD) as a professional organization over the last 70 years are examined. First, despite reasons for some skepticism, it is argued that both the field and organization have achieved significant progress. Second, several issues that need more attention in the future are noted. These include the need for a culturally diverse approach to child development, an interdisciplinary approach to the field, and increased attention to interdomain links. Finally, the value of a multisite, multi-investigator collaborative model as a complement to an individual-investigator paradigm for developmental science is emphasized.     

The Relation of Parental Affect and Control Behaviors to Children's Classroom Acceptance: A Concurrent and Predictive Analysis

The present study is a longitudinal examination of the relations between parental expressions of affect and parental control behaviors and children's classroom acceptance in kindergarten and first grade. One hundred-sixteen kindergarten-aged children and their parents were videotaped during physical play sessions and parents were rated on global affective and behavioral dimensions. Ratings of classroom social acceptance were provided by teachers and peers. Results indicated that parents' expressed positive and negative affect were related to children's classroom acceptance in kindergarten and in first grade. The most powerful and consistent predictor of children's social acceptance was fathers' expressed negative affect, particularly between father-son dyads. The current study emphasizes the importance of continued examination of linkages between the family and peer systems, especially with respect to the ways in which children's experiences in the family and school environments may mutually influence social development, and points to the need for further examination of the mechanisms by which multiple social contexts may influence children's behavior in the family and in school.     

Prevalence and predictors of out‐of‐field teaching in the first five years

Many new science teachers are assigned to teach subjects in which they have not been prepared, a practice referred to as out‐of‐field (OOF) teaching. Teaching OOF has been shown to negatively influence instruction and constrain teachers’ development. In this study, we explored the extent to which new secondary science teachers were assigned OOF across their first 5 years. Analysis of this longitudinal data set indicated that these assignments were common. While new science teachers were assigned to teach a variety of subjects over their first 5 years of teaching, they were not assigned more or fewer OOF courses over time. Furthermore, results indicated that teachers in certain situations are more likely than others to be assigned to teach OOF. Even with federal legislation in the United States seeking to eliminate OOF teaching, a large portion of new secondary science teachers are assigned to teach science disciplines for which they are inadequately prepared. Based on the findings of this study, it is worth exploring policy avenues that eliminate OOF teaching. Policymakers, administrators, and teacher educators should seek to provide supports, such as science‐specific induction programs designed for new teachers who are assigned OOF, and science teacher educators should prepare prospective teachers to teach multiple science disciplines. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 54:1197–1218, 2017     

Citizenship and enterprise: issues from an investigation of teachers' perceptions in England and Hungary

We explore the perceptions of teachers concerning citizenship and enterprise in Hungary and England. Contextual matters are described and research methods outlined prior to a discussion of emerging issues. We argue that citizenship in both countries is understood broadly in terms of what it means to be human. The English teachers emphasized community issues and being socially active more often than those in Hungary. Hungarian teachers were less positive about state and civil society and more patriotic about their country. In both countries those in provincial towns (rather than those in capital cities) suggested a belief in the need for a greater adherence to rules. There was greater enthusiasm for citizenship education in primary rather than secondary schools in both countries. All teachers seemed wary about a form of enterprise education that relates directly to the economy and this was especially true for the Hungarian sample. Teachers in both countries, while recognizing the current emphasis on competition between and within schools, tended to characterize citizenship education as a constructive social enterprise (rather than an economic enterprise), in which young people are encouraged to explore problems and develop their initiative and capacity for action. All teachers favoured a collaborative and broad‐based pedagogical approach in which young people are allowed to explore social and political issues through dilemmas.     

The effect of distance learning classroom design on student perceptions

This study investigated the effects of camera angle and monitor placement in a simulated distance-learning environment. Of particular interest were the effects on perceived instructor credibility and immediacy behaviors. A videotape of a lecture on an academically relevant topic was produced using a high-angle and an eye-level camera. Participants viewed one of the presentations in either a traditional classroom design (one monitor, front center of room) or in small groups with a monitor for each group. Participants were observed as they viewed the videotape of interest, following which they completed a questionnaire and posttest. Results suggest that an eye-level camera, and multiple monitors with groups of 4–5 students positively influence instructor credibility, immediacy, and interactions. The implications of these findings and recommendations for design of a distance-learning classroom are discussed.     

Adult Perception of Emotion Intensity in Human Infant Cries: Effects of Infant Age and Cry Acoustics

The relation between adult perception of emotion intensity in the cries of 1- and 6-month-old infants and the acoustic characteristics of the cries was examined. In the first study, adults who were inexperienced in child care rated 40 cries on 3 emotion intensity scales: anger, fear, and distress. The cries of 6-month-olds were rated as being significantly more intense. Different acoustic variables accounted for emotion intensity ratings for the 2 infant ages. Peak amplitude and noisiness of the cry predicted adult judgments of intensity ratings of 1-month-olds' cries; a measure of amplitude ratio (in 2 frequency bands) was the best predictor of intensity ratings of 6-month-olds' cries. In the second study, parents of infants rated the same cries on the same scales. They also rated the older infants' cries as being more intense. The 2 adult groups did not differ on their ratings, and a regression equation derived from one adult group predicted the other adult group's rating of the same infant age better than it predicted its own ratings for the other infant age. Infant age, and its associated acoustic features, seems to be a more important determinant of adults' perception of emotion intensity than are such adult characteristics as gender or infant-care experience.     

Planning the quality of education: Different information for different levels of decision-making

Formerly member of the staff of the Australian Council for Educational Research. Current interests in sampling theory and practice for education surveys and experiments. Several publications in these and related fields.     

Choices of destination for transnational higher education: “pull” factors in an Asia Pacific market

Traditional assumptions favouring native English language countries in transnational higher education (TNHE) overlook experiences of international students in new emerging Asian education hubs. Specifically, there has been limited research relating to international students’ choice for studying in Malaysia. Drawing from the “push-pull” model of factors influencing the movement of international student destination choice, this study identifies determinants of student destination decision for TNHE. While acknowledging perceived qualities and values of individual institutions as important criteria, findings from interviews with students that are currently enrolled at international branch campuses also indicated key influences driven by “pull” factors of country image – attractive features of Malaysia, i.e. comparatively low cost of living, low tuition fees, safe country for living, stable government, modern amenities, proximity in culture and religion and freedom from discrimination – as focal motives in their choice decision. These findings provide implications for policy-makers to deploy their educational resources as well as develop effective promotional and marketing strategies in promoting the local reputation and amenities in order to attract more international students.