Evaluating a Tutorial Program Containing Volunteer Subjects

Student teachers enrolled at Kansas State University and Northeastern State College (Oklahoma) in the spring of 1967 were compared on (1) maintenance of philosophic orientation, (2) adherence to teaching attitudes, (3) reaction to student-teaching, and (4) performance on related criteria. The GNC Scale of Logical Consistency in Educational Ideas determined their philosophic orientation. The Minnesota Teacher Attitude Inventory determined their attitudes toward potential teaching situations. Comparisons were made before and after student teaching by institution, teaching level, and sex. GNC, MTAI, and ACT levels, methods and student-teaching grades, and grade point averages were tested for intercorrelation.

K. S. U. students were more logically consistent and empirically oriented in their ideas about education before and after teaching participation. Teaching attitudes were best maintained by the elementary students in both institutions. N. S. C. students showed greater intercorrelation among all the criteria. Low logical consistency by N. S. C. students may signify disagreement between theoretical and practical educational views. Maintenance of teaching attitudes by K. S. U. elementary students suggests variable effects of professional courses. Agreement among academic and educational criteria by N. S. C. students suggests a greater unaminity of educational ends and means.     

Changing the culture of a primary school: The case of introducing ICT across the curriculum

Abstract

Teachers and teacher learning are critical and key to establishing, understanding and realizing the possibilities of a learning society One first step in the process requires teachers to place their own learning at the centre of their activities. They must learn how to change, change the way they learn, and learn how to change their conditions of learning. This paper examines some policies and practices in regard to the provision of teacher professional development. Providing opportunities for teacher learning in Ireland has in general been preoccupied with facilitating curriculum reform, supporting organizational change and with easing management concerns. Shifting the emphasis from programme delivery to professional development through personal development is one challenge that has been taken up by the Second Level Support Service. It favours a process that is organic, career long and participant driven. Shifting the emphasis to a more personal and holistic form of development will not be an easy task but is a necessary one if the vision of a learning society and lifelong learning is to become realised.     

Learning about research: exploring the learning and teaching/research relationship amongst educational practitioners studying in higher education

The paper examines aspects of the relationship between teaching and research in higher education in social science research methods, with particular reference to the subject area of Education. There are three main themes: reflections on how social science research methods should be (or are) taught; a review of current debates about the relationship between teaching and research, both in higher education and for school teachers; and finally, reporting how a group of educational practitioners (mainly school teachers) studying at Masters level experience learned about research methods. The paper is illustrated by qualitative data from a case study of student experiences of research methods teaching on a Masters degree in Education in a research-intensive UK university. It is suggested that studying the journey embarked upon by taught postgraduate students inexperienced in research is helpful in understanding how learning about research methods takes place, which in turn can assist future research methods teaching.     

THE NURTURING SCHOOL: THE IMPACT OF NURTURE GROUP PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE ON THE WHOLE SCHOOL

The high expectations of teachers in Nurture Groups can bring about amazing change in their schools as well as in the children. When the theory which underpins Nurture Groups is applied to the whole school with a clear curriculum focus, a positive cycle of growth and development is set in motion, teaching and learning become more effective for all children and the morale of all concerned improves. The Nurturing School offers a real alternative to committed teachers who are concerned about the emotional development of the children and adults in our schools in the current educational climate.     

Media Regulation

AMERICAN BROADCASTING AND THE FIRST AMENDMENT by Lucas A. Powe Jr. (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1987—$25)

BEYOND BROADCASTING: PATTERNS IN POLICY AND LAW by Don R. Le Due (New York: Longman, 1987—price not given)

CABLE TELEVISION AND THE FIRST AMENDMENT by Patrick Parsons (Lexington, MA: Lexington Books, 1987—$24.00)

THE QUESTION OF PORNOGRAPHY: RESEARCH FINDINGS AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS by Edward Donnerstein, et al. (New York: Free Press, 1987 $24.95)

PRIVACY IN A PUBLIC SOCIETY: HUMAN RIGHTS IN CONFLICT by Richard F. Hixson (New York: Oxford University Press, 1987—$19.95)     

Embarrassment: The effects of embarrassor and target perceptions

This study investigated the role perception plays in embarrassing situations between same‐sex friends. We argued that when two same‐sex friends share a common experience where one was embarrassed due to something the friend did or said, the embarrassors and targets would differ in (a) their perceptions relating to the degree of embarrassment falt, (b) their attribution of intentionality, and (c) the degree to which the embarrassment affected their relationship. One hundred and sixty‐three same‐sex friend dyads were asked to report their perceptions about a commonly shared embarrassing incident. Results showed that only 52.5% (n = 84) of the embarrassors recognized that the target experienced embarrassment. Further analyses were then conducted on these 84 dyads. We found that embarrassors and targets tend to agree on the intent of the embarrassor. However, no associations were found between perspective and degree of embarrassment felt nor degree of relationship consequences. Implications of the findings and limitations are discussed.     

When do people accept cultural diversity?: Affect as determinant

Two experiments examined the influence of affect on the acceptance of cultural diversity. In Experiment 1, the salience of affective reactions towards Turkish immigrants was manipulated by asking German participants to think about their negative feelings towards Turks in general or towards a subgroup of Turks. It was found that the salience of negative affective reactions led to a decreased acceptance when affective reactions were generalized to the whole group, but not when they were attributed to a subgroup. Experiment 2 investigated the moderating role of perceived homogeneity with regards to the impact of affective reactions attributed to a subgroup of Muslim immigrants in Germany. As predicted, the salience of a negative aspect of a subgroup strengthened self-reported and implicitly measured negative attitudes when the perceived homogeneity of the immigrant group was high, but not when it was low.     

Academic Motivation and Psychological Needs as Predictors of Suicidal Risk

This study examined academic motivation and basic psychological needs as predictors of suicidal risk (namely, depressive symptoms and suicidal behaviors) in a sample of 348 college students. Results from regression analyses indicated that academic motivation was a significant predictor of suicidal risk. The inclusion of basic psychological needs significantly augmented the prediction model. The authors discuss implications for considering academic motivation and basic psychological needs in college counseling on the basis of the results.