Stigma of school counselling among Israeli adolescents as a function of ethnicity,counselling orientation and contact frequency

The stigma of counselling frequently affects those groups who need it most. This has certainly been the case in junior high schools in Israel. The research focused on the attitudes toward counselling of 2296 Israeli adolescents. Data analysis showed that students of Asian-African origin (Oriental) who occupy a lower socio-economic stratum, feel more stigmatized by counselling than their European-American origin (Ashkenasic) counterparts, even though they appreciate it more. Both groups experienced less stigma when the counselling service was hybridized with normative functions. Moreover, expanding the frequency of contact with the counsellor was found to increase rather than eliminate vulnerability to stigma among the Oriental students, thus suggesting that varying the nature, and therefore the perception, of the service is a more productive approach.     

Behavioral patterns of students under an individualized learning strategy

The study examines the behavioral patterns of high, average and low achievers in classrooms implementing an individualized instructional strategy. The study makes use of an observational instrument modelled on Medely's Personal Record of school Experiences (PROSE). Seventy-two boys and girls chosen from 12 first, second and third grade classrooms were included in the sample; 1/3 were ranked by the teacher as high achievers, 1/3 as average and 1/3 as low achievers. The findings revealed that students spent about 2/3 of their time on independent work; and the time spent interacting with teacher was about equal to the time spent interacting with classmate.The results also showed that interaction patterns between teacher and individual students are related to the student achievement level. In addition, distinctly different work patterns of independent activity were discerned in high and low achievers indicating higher involvement in on-task activities among high students compared with low achievers. Similiar patterns of interaction between students were found for high, average and low achievers demonstrating either on-task or off-task interaction of a verbal nature among students of the same sex. Implications for teachers, teachers trainers and instructional developers are discussed.     

The Relationship of Life Skills and Classroom Climate to Self-Reported Levels of Victimization

School programs to prevent aggression vary; some emphasize skills training while others focus on social climate. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between life skills, classroom climate and self-reported levels of victimization. The study, conducted in Israel, included 97 schools, 261 fifth and sixth classrooms, and close to 9,000 students. Results of hierarchical regression showed a significant relation between lower levels of self-reported victimization and some of the life skills and with two of the three classroom climate components: relationship, and personal growth; system maintenance was not related to classroom aggression. Moreover, classroom climate was far more related to the level of victimization than life skills. Several demographic variables (i.e., SES, gender) were also found to be related to levels of victimization. The study was supported by a grant from the Israeli Ministry of Education.     

Cognitive and Affective Empathy in Aggressive Boys: Implications for Counseling

The purpose of the study was to explorecognitive and affective empathy in aggressiveboys. A difference between aggressive boys andtheir non-aggressive peers was anticipated,particularly in affective empathy. Fifty-twoboys (25 aggressive and 27 non-aggressive) werecompared for levels of aggression and forcognitive and affective empathy as expressedduring a group interview involvingbibliotherapy. Results confirmed the mainhypothesis; that is, aggressive boys showed alower level of affective empathy, although thegroups did not differ in cognitive empathy. Theproportion of affective empathy amongnon-aggressive boys was double that amongaggressive children. Affective empathy seems toincrease with age, although this result wasinconsistent. The aggressive boys also showed ahigher level of endorsing aggression. Thediscussion focuses on implications forcounseling aggressive boys.     

Typing Performance and Technique of Higher Education Students with Specific Learning Disorders

Higher education students with specific learning disorders (SLD) often experience difficulties in basic learning skills, including typing on computers, which has become the most common writing mode for academic purposes. This may affect their academic performance. We compared the typing performance, product, and technique (screen gaze, finger use) of 35 SLD and 30 typically developing (TD) students using keylogging software. Compared to TD peers, students with SLD typed more slowly and less accurately, and gazed less at the screen, suggesting a less effective typing technique. They typed slower even after controlling for screen gaze, implying that additional factors may account for their lower typing speed such as language processing. Hence, students with SLD may benefit from typing instruction alongside test accommodations during computer-based exams.