Black doctoral student research participants: A mixed-method systematic literature review

In this study, we use a mixed-method systematic literature review of articles that include African American counselor education doctoral student participants in the research. From this corpus of inquiry, we provide an opportunity for counselor education researchers to lead the way with inclusive scholarship and the use of strengths-based frameworks. We examine how to conceptualize research particularly for African American doctoral student participants and offer suggestions on how to write the discussion and implication sections in a way to promote innovation and excellence.     

Testing measurement invariance of mathematics self-concept and self-efficacy in PISA using MGCFA and the alignment method

The aim of the study is to investigate the measurement invariance of mathematics self-concept and self-efficacy across 40 countries that participated in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2003 and 2012 cycles. The sample of the study consists of 271,760 students in PISA 2003 and 333,804 students in PISA 2012. Firstly, the traditional measurement invariance testing was applied in the multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis (MGCFA). Then, the alignment analyses were performed, allowing non-invariance to a minimum to estimate all of the parameters. Results from MGCFA indicate that mathematics self-concept and self-efficacy hold metric invariance across the 80 groups (cycle by country). The alignment method results suggest that a large proportion of non-invariance exists in both mathematics self-concept and self-efficacy factors, and the factor means cannot be compared across all participating countries. Results of the Monte Carlo simulation show that the alignment results are trustworthy. Implications and limitations are discussed, and some recommendations for future research are proposed.

     

Children's thinking about counterfactuals and future hypotheticals as possibilities

Two experiments explored whether children's correct answers to counterfactual and future hypothetical questions were based on an understanding of possibilities. Children played a game in which a toy mouse could run down either 1 of 2 slides. Children found it difficult to mark physically both possible outcomes, compared to reporting a single hypothetical future event, "What if next time he goes the other way ..." (Experiment 1: 3-4-year-olds and 4-5-year-olds), or a single counterfactual event, "What if he had gone the other way ...?" (Experiment 2: 3-4-year-olds and 5-6-year-olds). An open counterfactual question, "Could he have gone anywhere else?," which required thinking about the counterfactual as an alternative possibility, was also relatively difficult.     

Distance Learning: Relationships among Class Size,Instructor Location,Student Perceptions,and Performance

This study investigated differences in student perceptions and performance among three distance learning sites taking the same off-campus M.B.A. course with the same instructor, The sites varied in class size and instructor location. Two classes (one large and one small) were linked using a two-way video system with rotating origination. The third class was small and was taught in person each week. Data were collected over an entire semester. Class size influenced performance more than location of instructor. Performance in the two smaller classes was better than performance in the large class. Student characteristics and site variables accounted for over 50% of variance in performance. One interaction effect was found. Students with initial low perceived value did best when the instructor was physically present each week. For students with high initial perceived value, location of instructor did not matter.