CD‐ROM Technology for Education and Support of Site Supervisors

The authors discuss the creation and evaluation of a CD‐ROM to train and support prepracticum, practicum, and internship site supervisors in a master's‐level counselor education program. The authors, from a small, rural, southwestern college, created and distributed a CD‐ROM containing video and document resources for this purpose. Small focus groups were then conducted to gather data to measure the CD‐ROM's effectiveness. Data showed strong support for the use of CD‐ROM technology in providing training of site supervisors. Recommendations are offered to improve future versions of the CD‐ROM.     

The impact of communication on the learning process: A study of secondary schools in Calabar municipality,cross river state of Nigeria

The premise being that there is a significant correlation between communication in the classroom and the academic performance of students, this article approaches the learning process as itself a function of communication, whereby communication is understood as a two-way interactive process. This is not to say that learning is communicatiion, nor is it to say that academic performance exists in a simple causal relationship to successful classroom communication: Successful communication between the teacher and students is a necessary condition of academic achievement. Effective teaching presupposes effective communication. The teacher makes effective communication possible by identifying the needs of the students, addressing these needs at the appropriate level, and creating a relaxed atmosphere in which a free, democratic flow of discussion is possible. Active classroom participation is not in itself sufficient, however; the cognitive processes must be brought into play. If the needs of the students have been accurately identified, and if appropriate verbal and non-verbal communication is employed, the chances of success are correspondingly high.Effective teacher ccmmunication can be learned, and it is the responsibility of teacher training institutions and supervisory bodies, as well as of the teachers themselves, to ensure an adequate awareness of modern communication theories.

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Zusammenfassung Ausgehend von der Prämisse, daß eine wichtige Korrelation zwischen Kommunikation im Klassenzimmer und der formalen schulischen Leistung von Schülern besteht, wird der Lernprozeß in diesem Artikel als eine Funktion der Kommunikation verstanden, wobei Kommunikation als ein wechselseitiger, interaktiver Prozeß angesehen wird. Das heißt nicht, daß Lernen Kommunikation sei oder daß formale schulische Leistung in einem einfachen, kausalen Verhältnis zur erfolgreichen Klassenzimmerkommunikation steht. Erfolgreiche Kommunikation zwischen Lehrer und Schülern ist eine unerläßliche Voraussetzung für die schulische Leistung. Wirksamer Unterricht setzt eine wirksame Kommunikation voraus. Der Lehrer macht die wirksame Kommunikation möglich, indem er die Bedürfnisse der Schüler feststellt, sie auf der angemessenen Ebene zur Sprache bringt und eine entspannte Atmosphäre schafft, in der ein freier, demokratischer Kommunikationsablauf möglich ist. Aktive Klassenraumbeteiligung allein ist jedoch nicht ausreichend: der kognitive Prozeß muß mit einbezogen werden. Wenn die Bedürfnisse der Schüler genau festgestellt worden sind und wenn die adequate verbale und nonverbale Kommunikation stattfindet, sind die Erfolgsaussichten dementsprechend hoch.Wirksames Lehrerverhalten kann gelernt werden und es gehört zu den Aufgaben der Lehrerbildungseinrichtungen, der Aufsichtsbehörden und der Lehrer selbst, ein angemessenes Verständnis von modernen Kommunikationstheorien zu vermitteln.

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Résumé En partant de l'hypothèse qu'il existe une corrélation significative entre la communication à l'intérieur de la classe et les performances académiques de l'apprenant, cet article considère le processus d'apprentissage lui-même comme une fonction de communication, entendue comme un processus interactif à deux sens. Il ne s'agit pas de dire que l'apprentissage est communication, ni que la performance académique existe dans une simple relation causale avec une bonne communication à l'intérieur de la classe: Réussir à établir une bonne communication entre l'enseignant et l'apprenant est une condition nécessaire à une bonne performance académique. Tout enseignement efficace suppose une communication efficace. L'enseignant-facilitateur rend une communication efficace, en identifiant les besoins des apprenants, en y apportant des solutions au niveau approprié et en créant une atmosphère détendue failitant le déroulement libre et démocratique des discussions. Une participation active à l'apprentissage n'est pas une condition suffisante en soi, car les processus cognitifs doivent entrer en ligne. Une fois les besoins des apprents correctement dépistés et servis, et une bonne communication verbale aussi bien que non-verbale établie, les chances de succès sont accrues en conséquence.Savoir communiquer de manière effective peut être appris par l'enseignant, et il appartient aux institutions de formation des enseignants, au corps des superviseurs ainsi qu'aux enseignants eux-mêmes de se tenir informés et de tirer avantage des théories modernes de communication.

     

Parents’ Perspectives on Surf Therapy for Children with Disabilities

This qualitative study was designed to understand parents’ perceptions of their children’s participation in an inclusive surf therapy programme in the United States. Ten parents and one caregiver were interviewed about theirs and their children’s experience in the surf programme. Parent discussions centred on the child, parent/caregiver, instructor and challenges of parenting. Results indicate that parents perceive surf therapy to positively impact their child physically, socially and behaviourally. Findings also suggest cost, an inclusive, family-centred approach and opportunities for socialisation with other families were important to parents’ satisfaction.     

A path analytic model linking foundational skills to Grade 3 state reading achievement

Considerable evidence supports that close to two thirds of all fourth-grade students read at less than adequate levels on reading achievement tests and that the problem has persisted for decades. This study of 1,064 third-grade students at risk for reading failure uses path analytic techniques to measure a hypothesized model linking developmental spelling, sight- and pseudo-word reading, and reading fluency to achievement on an end-of-year state reading test. While all hypothesized paths were found to be significant, paths not hypothesized were also significant. These paths included direct effects for spelling development on fluency and reading achievement, as well as the direct effect of sight-word reading on state reading achievement. In total, the model predicted 41.9% of the variance in state reading achievement and found that students proficient at foundational reading skills were 7 times more likely to be proficient on the state reading achievement assessment.     

Traditional Governance Structures – Current Policy Pressures: The Academic Senate and Canadian Universities

The objective of this paper isto identify current policy pressures inCanadian higher education and explore theirimplications for academic decision-makingbodies based on data we obtained in ournational study on university senates. Wedescribe two inter-related sets of publicpolicy pressures that have emerged in recentyears in Canada including on-going financialrestraint and a renewed interest in universityresearch. We conclude by reviewing a number ofimportant implications for Canadian universitygovernance in the context of contemporarypolicy pressures.     

Observing and Teaching Reform-Minded Lessons: What Do Teachers See?

We describe the way in which 12 primary-grade teachers responded to reform-minded teaching of multidigit addition and subtraction. Three teachers were hired to deliver 6–12 weeks of specially designed instruction; the other 9 teachers observed this instruction in their classrooms. Results of follow-up interviews showed that teachers who believed mathematics was more than a collection of skills and that students must construct their own understandings were inclined to interpret and appreciate the special instruction as the developers had intended. Teachers who believed mathematics was primarily a set of skills they must teach focused on a few individual features of the instruction, usually the use of physical materials, and, if they transferred any of the special instruction into their own teaching, often distorted the developers' intent. The more intensive involvement of the hired teachers led to more positive assessments of the instruction, but even here antithetical beliefs constrained later practice. Observations are provided on the nature of effective teacher development programs. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The effects of instruction on college nonmajors' conceptions of respiration and photosynthesis

Students in a college nonscience majors' biology course took tests designed to reveal their conceptions of respiration and photosynthesis before and after course instruction. Even though most students had taken at least a full year of biology, serious misconceptions persisted. Most students gave definitions of respiration, photosynthesis, and food which were markedly different from those generally accepted by biologists. These incorrect definitions were associated with more fundamental misunderstandings about how plants and animals function. Most students could not explain how animal cells use either food or oxygen. They understood plants as vaguely analogous to animals, taking in food through their roots instead of mouths. Previous biology instruction seemed neither to improve student performance on the pretest nor to prepare them to master these conceptions during the course. Course instruction did improve student's understanding, but misconceptions persisted for many students. These results raise fundamental questions about the effectiveness of curriculum and instruction in current high school and college biology courses.     

Destination unknown: An exploratory study of full-time faculty off the tenure track

The source of data in this study is the 1989 National Survey of Faculty by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.     

A Study of Three Movements in Classical Ballet

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency and magnitude of specific variables perceived to have affected U.S. Olympic athlete performance. Participants included 296 Atlanta Olympians and 83 Nagano Olympians. Olympians rated how they perceived specific variables influenced their Olympic performance. Results revealed that numerous variables, including performance influences, such as preparation for distractions and loss of composure; team variables, such as strong cohesion and positive coach-athlete relationships; coaching variables, including coach's ability to deal with crises and coaching expectations; family-friend variables, including general social support and getting event tickets for family and friends; and environmental concerns, such as venue transportation difficulties and Olympic village distractions; were perceived to influence performance. Findings verified the results of qualitative interviews conducted with Olympic athletes and coaches.