“The kids are terrific: It’s the job that’s tough”: The ELL teacher role in an urban context

The present study depicts an ecological portrait of the work lives of 16 ELL high school teachers in an urban context in the United States. Results suggest that their work lives take place within a complex school ecology which affects the kinds of activities they engage in and the opportunities they have to support their students. In this context they demonstrate an unusual dedication to aiding students and their families in activities related to the transition to a new country. The paper concludes with recommendations for future research explicating further the school ecology of this group of teachers.     

Classroom design and impression formation: A new area for research

Recently, educators and psychologists have begun to discuss the messages conveyed by different classroom designs. Although the arguments presented are persuasive, the basic contention—that classroom design influences impression formation—has not been empirically tested. The purpose of this article is to bring to the attention of educational psychologists the possibilities for research in this area. The paper summarizes the findings of some initial investigations and suggests directions for future study.     

Social purposes in search of higher education,or higher education in search of social purposes?

The paper begins by discussing the difficulties of formulating coherent social purposes, with particular attention to the relationship between social purposes and the “inner citadel” of higher education's intrinsic values. A detailed examination is then made of social purposes which have come to the fore in the transition from elite to mass higher education: equality and expansion, in which the importance of higher education as a political phenomenon is emphasised; “hard” vocationalism, the matching of educational content to the skills needed for effective job performance; continuing education (an issue linked to these two social purposes); “soft” vocationalism, which is concerned with abilities highly valued in job performance which are also highly valued in the well-educated person; moral development; and “higher education as society's powerhouse”. The paper concludes by suggesting that however much higher education is implicated in society, it may have to continue to exist in active tension with society if academic ideals are to be self-perpetuating.     

At the heart of child care: Predictors of teacher sensitivity in center-based child care

This study examined the extent to which characteristics of early childhood teachers and settings predicted observed teacher sensitivity. Participants included 41 head teachers at child care centers located in Northern California. Accreditation status, center size, and program quality were uniquely associated with teacher sensitivity. Accreditation was also associated with a number of other teacher (training, ethnic minority status, and depression) and setting characteristics (program quality, subsidies, and child ethnic minority enrollment). Other unique predictors included more teacher training, smaller center size, and perceived organizational health. Having a greater number of depressive symptoms or working in a larger center were identified as risks to teacher sensitivity, and were moderated by higher levels of teacher training and observed program quality The current study provides preliminary support for the importance of examining the ways that teacher and setting characteristics are related to teacher interactions with young children.