Piaget's theory and instruction: How compatible are they?

Three views of the compatibility of Piaget's theory and educational practice are considered: (a) it is a useful framework to guide instruction; (b) it is antithetical or unrelated to the goals of instruction; and (c) there are some instructional features of the theory that can be operationalized and studied empirically. The findings of such studies are briefly discussed, and in general, more research is deemed needed to establish the validity of Piaget's most educationally relevant constructs. Some general features of Piaget's theory that have attracted teachers are described, and the implications of Piaget's more recent theoretical emphasis on social factors such as conflict are considered.     

Family Structure and Psychosocial Correlates among Urban African-American Adolescent Males

Substance use and delinquency, psychological well-being, and social support were compared across 5 family constellations among 254 urban African-American adolescent males. Single-mother, stepparent, both parents, mother with extended family, and extended family only households were studied. The only differences found were that youth living in single-mother households reported more parental support than other youth. Relationships with father and male role models were also studied and related to several psychosocial outcomes. The results challenge the assumptions that single African-American mothers are alone in providing support to their sons and that fathers' absence results in no significant relationship.     

Linking Biochemistry Concepts to Food Safety Using Yogurt as a Model

This laboratory activity was designed to strengthen our Food and Nutritional Science students’ knowledge of biochemistry concepts and the relationship between these concepts and food science. The result was a laboratory experience in which biochemistry concepts are taught using yogurt as a model, in order to link those concepts to food safety, an important area of food science. The students employed a colorimetric method to measure the lactase activity of bacterial strains found in commercial yogurts and were encouraged to relate the activity to bacterial lactic acid production, fermentation, and food safety. Students were assessed with pre‐ and post‐test exams, laboratory reports, class performance rubrics, and the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI). The result demonstrated that the students successfully completed the learning objectives and were motivated during the activity. This exercise could be used as a template for a simplified and engaging way to introduce food science majors, as well as other students, to complex biochemistry and molecular biology concepts using food, particularly yogurt, as a model.     

Utility of follow-up skeletal surveys in suspected child physical abuse evaluations

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the utility of a follow-up skeletal survey in suspected child physical abuse evaluations. METHODS: In this prospective study, follow-up skeletal surveys were recommended for 74 children who, after an initial skeletal survey and evaluation by the Child Abuse Team, were suspected victims of physical abuse. The number and location of the fractures were recorded for the initial skeletal survey and for the follow-up skeletal survey in each case. RESULTS: Forty-eight of the 74 (65%) children returned for a follow-up skeletal survey. The follow-up skeletal survey yielded additional information in 22 of 48 patients (46%). In three patients (6%) the additional information changed the outcome of cases; child abuse was ruled out in one of these patients and abuse was confirmed in two cases. In three other patients, the follow-up skeletal survey refuted tentative skeletal findings, but did not change the outcome because of other physical findings. CONCLUSION: A follow-up skeletal survey identified additional fractures or clarified tentative findings in children who were suspected victims of physical child abuse. The follow-up skeletal survey should be completed on all patients who have an initial skeletal survey performed for suspected physical child abuse and for whom child abuse is still a concern.     

Phonological knowledge and naming ability in children with reading disability

Children who are poor readers have difficulty naming pictured objects. Their naming difficulty could be a result of inadequate representations of the phonology of words, inadequate processing of those representations, or both. In this study, third-grade good and poor readers were tested on object naming, and, in cases of naming failure, forced-choice recognition tasks were used to probe their knowledge of the phonology of the object names. The two reading groups showed no differences in their ability to select the initial phonemes or rhymes of object names they had not produced spontaneously. Moreover, initial phoneme prompts were helpful for both reading groups. The children differed, however, in their ability to produce words after being given rhyme information. The results indicated that, except in the ability to manipulate explicitly phonological information, the poor readers; performance was qualitatively similar to that of the good readers. It is suggested that training in phonological analysis may help poor readers overcome the deficiencies in establishing and processing phonological representations that lead to their quantitative deficit in object naming.     

Supporting children’s outdoor science learning with mobile computers: integrating learning on-the-move strategies with context-sensitive computing

ABSTRACT

Two cases of context-sensitive mobile computing curricula for children are shown to develop analytical understandings of how science-related sense-making talk can be supported through physical and digital environment interaction, which supports play and learning through movement. Our work investigates how proximity-based computing mediates children’s engagement in scientific sense-making conversations in a botanical garden. We draw upon sociocultural perspectives on sense-making talk as well as learning on-the-move to inform our study design. Data are from children in summer camp, including field notes, photographs, and video records (26 children in Case A, 24 in Case B) in an Arboretum. Our findings illustrate that children engaged in both playful and scientific sense-making talk in two distinct curricular tasks. We provide insights into science sense-making talk patterns and pedagogical practices of integrating learning on-the-move strategies into informal education with design principles related to augmenting gardens with digital content. Our results suggest that learning on-the-move strategies influence sense-making talk and that embodied interactions within the gardens support science sense-making and role-play. We posit that designs for learner-centered mobile computing can create digital-physical hybrid spaces where learners engage each other and natural objects as they walk through community spaces.     

Clinical features of survivors of sexual abuse with major depression.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined differences in rates of trauma-related disorders between patients with histories of childhood sexual abuse and those without such histories in a sample of depressed outpatients. Another aim of this study was to determine whether childhood sexual abuse is associated with recent suicidal attempts, affect dysregulation and duration of index depressive episode, independent of posttraumatic stress disorder and borderline personality disorder. METHOD: Subjects were 235 treatment-seeking outpatients with major depression. Structured interviews were administered to assess for Axis I and Axis II disorders, childhood sexual abuse, and various clinical features. RESULTS: Patients with sexual abuse compared to those without sexual abuse histories had higher rates of comorbidity, primarily borderline personality disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder and multiple Axis I diagnoses. Childhood sexual abuse status was linked to a longer duration of the index depressive episode, independent of borderline personality disorder and/or posttraumatic stress disorder. However, childhood sexual abuse status was not independently related to affect dysregulation and suicidal attempts. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that patients with histories of sexual abuse represent a subgroup of depressed patients who are at especially high risk for psychiatric morbidity and a prolonged episode of depression.     

Science curiosity in learning environments: developing an attitudinal scale for research in schools,homes, museums,and the community

Although curiosity is considered an integral aspect of science learning, researchers have debated how to define, measure, and support its development in individuals. Prior measures of curiosity include questionnaire type scales (primarily for adults) and behavioral measures. To address the need to measure scientific curiosity, the Science Curiosity in Learning Environments (SCILE) scale was created and validated as a 12-item scale to measure scientific curiosity in youth. The scale was developed through (a) adapting the language of the Curiosity and Exploration Inventory-II [Kashdan, T. B., Gallagher, M. W., Silvia, P. J., Winterstein, B. P., Breen, W. E., Terhar, D., & Steger, M. F. (2009). The curiosity and exploration inventory-II: Development, factor structure, and psychometrics. Journal of Research in Personality, 43(6), 987–998] for youth and (b) crafting new items based on scientific practices drawn from U.S. science standards documents. We administered a preliminary set of 30 items to 663 youth ages 8–18 in the U.S.A. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis resulted in a three-factor model: stretching, embracing, and science practices. The findings indicate that the SCILE scale is a valid measure of youth’s scientific curiosity for boys and girls as well as elementary, middle school, and high school learners.