Effects of positive college classroom motivational environments on procrastination and achievement

Learning Environments Research - Understanding factors within college learning environments that can ameliorate maladaptive academic behaviours such as procrastination could contribute to enhancing...     

Online Versus Face-to-Face Training of Critical Time Intervention: A Matching Cluster Randomized Trial

This study examined the effectiveness of online education to providers who serve people experiencing homelessness, comparing online and face-to-face training of Critical Time Intervention (CTI), an evidence-based case management model. The authors recruited 184 staff from nineteen homeless service agencies to participate in one of two training conditions: (a) Online Training + Community of Practice or (b) Face-to-Face Training + Telephone Consultation. Each group received twenty-four hours of instruction and support. Through baseline, follow-up, and nine-month posttraining surveys, the authors examined satisfaction, knowledge gains, knowledge retention, and readiness to implement CTI. Although satisfaction rates were higher among participants in the face-to-face group, the two training conditions produced comparable pre/postknowledge gains. Furthermore, both groups showed increased knowledge retention scores at nine-month follow-up, with the online group scoring higher than the face-to-face group.     

The Use of Pastoral Support Programmes Within Schools

This small‐scale study explored some aspects of the use of Pastoral Support Programmes, which were introduced by the DfEE in 1999 to promote social inclusion by reducing school exclusions. Issues explored were the level of involvement of educational psychologists (EPs), pupils, parents and other agencies, the conceptualisations of Pastoral Support Programmes held by senior school staff, and the factors that EPs associated with successful outcomes. The results revealed a wide degree of variation across all aspects investigated and the study recommends further research on determining and disseminating best practice in this area, and especially the role that EPs should play in the process.     

Interest, Reading, and Learning: Theoretical and Practical Considerations

After a brief historical overview of how interest and its role in learning had been conceptualized, the focus of the paper shifts to the specific relationship between interest and reading. The issues considered are the effect of interest on readers' comprehension and learning, the variables that determine readers' interests, and the specific processes such as attention that may mediate the effect of interest on learning. It is suggested that to allow researchers a better understanding of the mediating variables, dynamic measures of interest are needed in addition to the more traditional self-reports and questionnaires. In the final section of the paper the author discusses the importance of utilizing students' interest in classrooms.     

Sex preference and body orientation preference in huddling behavior of rat pups

The social huddling of six litters of rat pups (Rattus norvegicus) was observed on Days 6–9 postpartum without the dam present. Each litter was reduced to three male and three female pups. Thirty-six pups were used as subjects (18 male, 18 female). Tests for the effects of sex of subject, age of subject, sex of littermate huddled against, and body orientation during huddling were carried out. Results indicated that subjects huddled against opposite-sex Uttermates more frequently than against same-sex littermates. Huddling was a curvilinear function of age, with average frequency of huddling reaching a peak on the second day of observation (Day 7 postpartum) and decreasing thereafter. Results also showed that subjects, regardless of sex, huddled using an orientation that allowed their heads to touch more frequently than an orientation in which the head was touching the body of a sibling. These data on early sex preference and body orientation pReferences during huddling suggest that rat pups are competent in aspects of behavior having attachment potential. The findings also help define the age of social competence in this species.     

Outplacement for underserved women workers

Conclusions The outplacement program ended with a short written evaluation of the value of the program to participants. Their comments indicated a high level of satisfaction; and all responded yes to the question, Overall, do you think the outplacement program has been beneficial to you? It appears that one of the main factors contributing to the program's success was having program goals that recognized the needs of hourly women workers. Before the outplacement program, they had no hope of obtaining better jobs than that of telephone operator. It was an exceptional women whose eyes were focused on moving up. The vast majority were resigned to take what they could get, clearly reducing their expectations and encouraging downward rather than upward movement. The true test will be to see what these participants do with their work lives in the future, but responses following the program indicate initially that they are now aiming much higher than the most basic level of employment.Suzanne C. Freeman is a Doctoral student and Marilyn Haring-Hidore is Associate Professor of Counselor Education at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Address requests for reprints to Ms. Freeman.     

The Struggle to Pass Algebra: Online vs. Face-to-Face Credit Recovery for At-Risk Urban Students

Students who fail algebra are significantly less likely to graduate on time, and algebra failure rates are consistently high in urban districts. Identifying effective credit recovery strategies is critical for getting students back on track. Online courses are now widely used for credit recovery, yet there is no rigorous evidence about the relative efficacy of online versus face-to-face credit recovery courses. To address this gap, this study randomly assigned 1,224 ninth graders who failed algebra in 17 Chicago public high schools to take an online or face-to-face algebra credit recovery course. Compared to students in face-to-face credit recovery, students in online credit recovery reported that the course was more difficult, were less likely to recover credit, and scored lower on an algebra posttest. There were no statistically significant differences by condition on any outcomes measured during the second year of high school (standardized mathematics test and algebra subtest scores, likelihood of passing subsequent math classes, cumulative math credits, or on-track rates). The benefits and challenges of online learning for credit recovery are discussed in light of the findings to date.     

Examining models of twenty-first century education through the lens of Confucian cosmopolitanism

ABSTRACT

Today, the intensification of global interconnectivity is a key characteristic of the twenty-first century. This has spurred governments and policymakers to envision how best to equip future-ready citizens who can navigate increasingly globalized workplaces resulting in the worldwide popularity of models that articulate twenty-first century competencies. Twenty-first century education models perpetuated by transnational and multinational organizations posit an idealized vision of the future-ready citizen equipped with requisite skills to compete in the global economy. Informed by economic rationality, such models promote a consequentialist approach to education where the primary aim of schools is to develop citizens as human capital who can thrive in globalized workplaces and ultimately contribute to the progress of their nation. In this paper, I focus on the twenty-first century education model currently infused across schools in Singapore. Using this as an example, I examine models of twenty-first century education from the lens of Confucian cosmopolitanism. I explore how the application of Confucian cosmopolitanism can facilitate an ethical re-orientation of twenty-first century education that shifts the focus from instrumental competencies to humanistic virtues needed for a more hospitable future.