Professional Practices: Commitment and Capability in a Changing Environment

Book reviewed in this article:
Tony Becher, Professional Practices: Commitment and Capability in a Changing Environment     

Effect of ocimum flavonoids as a radioprotector on the erythrocyte antioxidants in oral cancer

Flavonoids extracted from the leaves of Indian holy basil, Ocimum sanctum showed promising results as radioprotector in rodents. Hence it was thought pertinent to analyze the antioxidants of erythrocytes in oral cancer patients who were concurrently treated with radiation and ocimum flavonoids. Oral cancer patients consisted of 2 groups. Group A (n=17) received radiation alone while Group B(n=17) received radiation and ocimum flavonoids(OF). Samples of heparinised blood were collected prior to treatment, 15 and 30 days respectively after treatment. Blood from normal healthy volunteers were taken as controls (n=25). Erythrocytes were analyzed for the antioxidants viz. glutathione, glucose 6 phosphate dehydrogenase, glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase by the standard methods. Results of analysis indicated that erythrocytes from cancer patients (Group A and B) had significantly high glutathione levels before as well as after treatment compared to controls. It was observed that Group B which received OF showed a significant reduction in glutathione levels in comparison with Group A. All the other parameters showed no statistical significant changes. Results of the study suggest that erythrocytes from cancer patients responded to oxidative stress by elevating glutathione levels, while a decrease in glutathione levels observed in Group B, could be due to the free radical scavenging effect of OF, sparing the glutathione. However OF did not seem to exert its effect on other antioxidants of erythrocytes.     

BSW and MSW Students’ Opinions About and Responses to the Death of Freddie Gray and the Ensuing Riots: Implications for the Social Justice Emphasis in Social Work Education

In April 2015, a Black man, Freddie Gray, died in police custody in Baltimore, Maryland. A day of rioting followed. These events provided the researcher with the opportunity to ascertain social work students’ opinions about and actions in response to these occurrences and their implications for the social justice mission of the social work profession. Students expressed a commitment to social justice and reported that it was emphasized in their education. A significant minority indicated that the Gray case was not addressed in any of their social work classes or in their field practicum. Although respondents reported that the Gray case further enhanced their commitment to the principle of social justice, few engaged in any sort of activity in response to Gray’s death and the unrest either at the time of the events or 6 months later. Implications for social work education are discussed.     

Overestimation Bias in Self-reported SAT Scores

The authors analyzed self-reported SAT scores and actual SAT scores for five different samples of college students (N = 650). Students overestimated their actual SAT scores by an average of 25 points (SD = 81, d = 0.31), with 10% under-reporting, 51% reporting accurately, and 39% over-reporting, indicating a systematic bias towards over-reporting. The amount of over-reporting was greater for lower-scoring than higher-scoring students, was greater for upper division than lower division students, and was equivalent for men and women. There was a strong correlation between self-reported and actual SAT scores (r = 0.82), indicating high validity of students’ memories of their scores. Results replicate previous findings (Kuncel, Credé, & Thomas, 2005) and are consistent with a motivated distortion hypothesis. Caution is suggested in using self-reported SAT scores in psychological research.

Assessment at the Intersection of Science and Literacy

The authors of this article, all of whom have been a part of this effort to assess argumentation in literacy-rich science curriculum, have struggled with our attempts to build 3 argument-related assessments—understanding, critiquing, and constructing arguments about scientific phenomena in both oral and written modes. Loosely affiliated with the Seeds of Science/Roots of Reading Project at Lawrence Hall of Science, this effort focused on creating a suite of assessments as models for how middle school science teachers might create their own school-based, curriculum-embedded assessments of science. After reviewing the broad scope and insights derived from a 10-year history of assessments that operate at the intersection of science and literacy, we zoom in on 3 vexing but informative challenges they encountered—and addressed (if not resolved)—as they tried to assess the comprehension, critique, and construction of oral and written arguments.     

Secondary School Prospectuses and Educational Markets

This study examines the 1996 prospectuses of 59 of the 100 secondary schools whose 1991 prospectuses were reviewed in a previous paper (Knight, 1992). The intention is to consider the ways in which schools present themselves in the educational market‐place. It is shown that they take the business of marketing through prospectuses seriously, evidence being the more professional appearance that these brochures now have. While other changes are also noticed, the argument is that prospectuses tend to depict schools of all types in similar ways. An explanation for this is offered, drawing upon marketing and on game theories. On this analysis, beliefs that changes in educational policy will lead to increasing differentiation of provision is, at least in terms of image‐making, exaggerated. More striking than the evidence of diversity is the evidence that schools are busily managing their images in much the same ways.