PERSPECTIVE TAKING IN HIGH AND ABOVE AVERAGE IQ PRESCHOOL CHILDREN

This study compared 13 high (mean = 132.5) and 13 above average IQ (mean = 111.8) children aged 44 to 63 months on a spatial perspective taking task. The high group made significantly fewer egocentric errors and more correct responses. This may be a useful indication of high ability from an early age. All subjects made a relatively large number of adjacent errors, selecting a perspective between one's own and another viewer's, but the total score was uncorrelated with egocentric errors. Adjacent errors may provide more clues than egocentric errors to understanding the specific skills that need to be learned to overcome egocentrism, notably distinguishing the common features shared by the viewers in addition to recognizing the view of each. Possible relations to metacognition and flexibility are discussed. The results warrant continued exploration of perspective taking and its relationship to the development of thinking.

     

CONCEPT MAPPING OF HIGH AND AVERAGE ACHIEVING STUDENTS AND EXPERTS

Concept mapping has been used effectively to represent understanding of afield of knowledge. The maps are highly individualistic and idiosyncratic. Three high‐performing junior college students, three average performing junior college students and two university physics teachers constructed maps using 22 electricity concepts. In this study several previously used and newly developed measures were applied to the maps in an attempt to gain further insight into differences in the quality of understanding of the three groups. It was found that the concept maps constructed by high performing students differed from those of average performing students and closely resembled the concept maps of physics experts, especially when the quality of the links between concepts was taken into account.     

Assessment of the Learning Environment of Inquiry-Type Laboratories in High School Chemistry

An inquiry-type laboratory has been implemented into the chemistry curriculum in high schools in Israel. In this study, we investigated the idea that generally the science laboratory provides a unique learning environment that differs from the learning environment that exists in classrooms in which other instructional techniques are used. Moreover, the inquiry laboratory provides students with a learning situation in which they are involved in activities that might influence some of the variables that are influencing the learning environment of such laboratories. In this study, the Science Laboratory Environment Inventory (SLEI) was used to assess the students' perceptions of their chemistry laboratory learning environment. Statistical comparison of two groups (control and inquiry) revealed significant differences between the groups regarding their actual perceptions. Moreover, it was found that the differences between the actual and preferred laboratory learning environment were significantly smaller for the inquiry group than for the control group. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Development,validation, and factorial comparison of the McGill Self-Efficacy of Learners For Inquiry Engagement (McSELFIE) survey in natural science disciplines

Sociocognitive theory [Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall; Bandura, A. (1989). Human agency in social cognitive theory. American Psychologist, 44, 1175–1184. doi:10.1037/0003-066x.44.9.1175; Bandura, A. (1991). Social cognitive theory of self-regulation. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50, 248–287. doi:10.1016/0749-5978(91)90022-L] accords high importance to the mechanisms of human agency and how they are exercised through self-efficacy. In this paper, we developed and validated the McGill Self-Efficacy For Inquiry Engagement (McSELFIE) instrument with undergraduate students in natural science disciplines. We defined inquiry engagement as carrying out the practices of science (POS) that are supported by students’ personality characteristics (SPCs) and that result in achieving inquiry-learning outcomes (ILOs). Based on these theoretical perspectives, the McSELFIE is a 60-item, learner-focused survey that addresses three components that are theoretically important for engaging in scientific inquiry: (a) SPCs, (b) ILOs, and (c) POS. Evidence for construct and content validity were obtained by using experts’ judgments and confirmatory factor analysis with a sample of 110 undergraduate students enrolled in science disciplines. Internal consistency of the factors and instrument was also examined. The McSELFIE instrument is a reliable and valid instrument for measuring science undergraduate students’ self-efficacy for inquiry engagement. Matched pairs analyses were conducted among the instruments’ factors. Students reported the highest self-efficacy for openness, applying knowledge, and carrying out investigations. Students reported the lowest self-efficacy for extraversion, understanding metacognitive knowledge, and planning investigations. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.     

Student Research Projects and the Institutional Review Board

Graduate social work students often are required to complete an evaluation or research project. Research instructors work with their students to assure that these projects are rigorous as well as ethical. This study focuses upon the relationship of student projects and the Institutional Review Board (IRB). The IRB aims to strengthen research ethics and to assure that study participants are not exploited. Sixteen MSW research instructors' shared their experiences guiding students through the IRB. Study participants identified benefits and challenges of having students experience the IRB, as well as recommendations on how to facilitate the review process. Additionally participants reflected upon how they determine IRB review requirements.     

Combining Best-Practice and Experimental Approaches: Redundancy,Images, and Misperceptions in Multimedia Learning

This experiment combined controlled experimental design with a best-practice approach (i.e., real course content, subjective evaluations) to clarify the role of verbal redundancy, confirm the multimodal impact of images and narration, and highlight discrepancies between actual and perceived understanding. The authors presented 1 of 3 computer-based lecture conditions: audio, redundant (audio with redundant text), or complementary (audio with nonredundant text and images). Audio and redundant conditions produced similar actual understanding, whereas the complementary condition produced greatest actual understanding. Redundant condition learners perceived their understanding as greater than their actual understanding. Findings encourage multimedia research to balance controlled experiments with a best-practice approach to better understand effective multimedia design.