Self-efficacy and behavioral intention: A mediational analysis of the effects of commitment on career counseling

This article examines two questions of research. Can we make educational and vocational information sessions effective by applying commitment theory (Kiesler, 1971) to this particular aspect of career counseling? Does commitment as part of an initial low-cost behavior (taking part in an information session) have a direct effect or is the effect a mediate one? Data gathered during an experiment involving six sixth-year secondary school classes would appear to suggest that there is a mediate process. To be more precise, the accepted impact of commitment upon the effectiveness of information sessions (postsession information and orientation is more actively sought) would seem to be linked to its mediation by perceived self-efficacy (Bandura, 1997/2003) in orientation. On the other hand, it is not mediated by the behavioral intention (Fishbein, 1980) to take such steps, this being an intention upon which commitment has no effect. The discussion links these results to some of Kiesler's initial questions (commitment as a process of internal self-attribution), and also places them within the framework (proper to counseling) of factors common to all intervention theories and techniques designed to explain the effectiveness of said interventions.     

Relating Pre-Service Teachers' Approaches to Learning and Preferences for Constructivist Learning Environments

Within two Flemish institutes of pre-service and inservice teacher education, the relationship between the learning styles and preferences for learning environments of pre-service teachers were examined. Results indicate that some components of pre-service teachers' learning approaches (learning conceptions, learning strategies and learning orientations) are predictors for preferences for constructivist learning environments. Differences in learning approaches and preferences for learning environments are also related to the type of teacher education that pre-service teachers followed.     

What does it take to achieve equality of opportunity in education?: An empirical investigation based on Brazilian data

Roemer's [Roemer, J. (1998). Equality of opportunity. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.] seminal work on equality of opportunity has contributed to the emergence of a theory of justice that is modern, conceptually clear and easy to mobilize in policy design. Inspired by Roemer's theory, this paper is fundamentally a policy-modeling exercise coupled to a micro data analysis. In a pure allocation setting, we first analyze the reallocations of educational expenditure required to equalize opportunities (taken to be test scores close to the end of compulsory education). Using Brazilian data, we find that implementing an equal-opportunity policy across pupils of different socio-economic background, by using per-pupil spending as the instrument requires multiplying by 6.8 on average the current level of spending on the lowest achieving pupils. This result is driven by the extremely low elasticity of scores to per-pupil spending. We then show that the simultaneous redistribution of monetary and non-monetary inputs, like peer group quality and school effectiveness, considerably reduces—by around 23%—the magnitude of financial redistribution needed.     

Deaf college students' attitudes toward racial/ethnic diversity, campus climate, and role models

Deaf college students' attitudes toward a variety of issues related to racial/ethnic diversity were surveyed by contacting all racial/ethnic minority deaf students and a random sample of Caucasian deaf students attending the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID), Rochester Institute of Technology; 38% completed the survey. Although racial/ethnic groups similarly perceived NTID's commitment and efforts related to diversity, they differed significantly on some items related to campus climate and role models. Furthermore, the racial/ethnic minority groups differed from each other in their perceptions of campus comfort level, racial conflict, friendship patterns, and availability of role models. Educational satisfaction was positively correlated with campus comfort level; both correlated negatively with perception of discrimination and racial conflict. Qualitative data analyses supported quantitative data analyses and provided rich detail that facilitated interpretation of deaf students' experiences related to racial/ethnic diversity.     

Adoption of flipped learning in social humanities education: the FIBER experience in secondary schools

ABSTRACT

FIBER (Flipped Issue-Based Enquiry Ride) is a teacher-facilitated interactive pedagogic framework that the authors propose to integrate flipped learning into social humanities education. This paper reports a quasi-experimental study (with mixed methods) which examined the pedagogic effectiveness of FIBER in the authentic setting of formal curriculum learning and teaching. The study involved totally 611 Secondary-4 students from academically top, middle and bottom schools in Hong Kong. In comparison with the conventional issue-based enquiry learning approach, FIBER had different intensity of positive effects on the high, moderate, and low academic-achieving student participants. This paper provides researchers and educational practitioners with empirical evidence for supporting wider adoption of FIBER in social humanities education, as well as harnessing flipped learning in formal schooling. Apart from discussing the benefits, the authors also underline the challenges of FIBER and suggest future work.     

A systematic review of injuries in recreational field hockey: From injury problem to prevention

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to gather information from scientific literature related to all steps of Van Mechelen’s “sequence of prevention” for injuries applied to youth and adult recreational field hockey players. A systematic review was conducted in Medline via Pubmed and in SPORTDiscus via EBSCOhost. Twenty-six original studies were included. Regarding injury incidence (step 1) results showed several overall injury incidence rates (youth: 1.47 per 1,000 Athlete Exposure (AE) time-loss (TL) injury up to 11.32 per 1,000 AE TL ánd non-time loss (NTL) injury, adults: 2.2 NTL injury per 1,000 AE, 15.2 injury per 1,000 hours of sports participation). Considering games and practices, most injuries were sustained in games (youth: 4.9, adults: 7.87 per 1,000 AE). Considering body parts, highest injury incidence rates were found in body parts in the lower extremities (youth: knee injuries in games (0.33 per 1,000 AE), adults: hamstring injuries in pre-season (0.75 per 1,000 AE)) and injuries in the head/face/eye (youth: 0.66 and adults: 0.94 head/face/eye, 0.71 head/face and 0.63 concussion per 1,000 AE). Regarding aetiology (step 2), no studies were found. Regarding the efficacy of available interventions (step 3 and 4), one study was found among youth players, describing a warm-up programme.     

Being strategic,being watchful,being determined: Black middle-class parents and schooling

This paper reports on qualitative data that focus on the educational strategies of middle-class parents of Black Caribbean heritage. Drawing on Bourdieu’s key concepts of habitus, capital and field, our focus is an investigation of the differences that are apparent between respondent parents in their levels of involvement with regard to schools. We conclude that, within a broadly similar paradigm of active involvement with and monitoring of schools, nuanced differences in parental strategising reflect whether academic achievement is given absolute priority within the home. This, in turn, reflects differential family habitus, and differential possession and activation of capitals.