Social-emotional effects of early childhood education programs in Tulsa

This article assesses the effects of Tulsa, Oklahoma's early childhood education programs on social-emotional outcomes, examining teacher ratings of children's behavior from the Adjustment Scales for Preschool Intervention and a measure of attentiveness using fixed effects regressions with propensity score matching. The sample includes 2,832 kindergarten students in 2006, of whom 1,318 participated in the Tulsa Public Schools (TPS) pre-K program and 363 participated in the CAP of Tulsa County Head Start program the previous year. Program participation was associated with lower timidity and higher attentiveness for TPS pre-K alumni and a marginally significant reduction in timidity for Head Start alumni. Results were similar for the free lunch-eligible subsample. We conclude that high-quality, school-based preschool programs can enhance social-emotional development.     

Using Narrative Therapy to Assist College‐Age Latino Immigrants

Latinos represent a large percentage of the immigrant population currently entering the United States. These immigrants may face mental health issues related to their immigration and acculturation experiences, leading to a need for counseling. The authors introduce narrative therapy as an appropriate treatment modality for college‐age Latino students.     

Assessing working memory capacity in a non-native language

The present studies directly test the usefulness of two English-language working memory capacity (WMC) assessments with two samples of students whose native language was not English. Participants completed two widely used complex span tasks, Reading Span (RSpan) and Operation Span (OSpan), in English. To determine whether the well-established relationship between WMC and Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices (RAPM) would be observed when span tasks were not given in the native language of the participant, span scores were regressed against performance on the RAPM. Results indicated that while OSpan was a reliable and valid predictor of RAPM in non-native-English speakers, RSpan administered in English was not.     

Correlates of Psychological Abuse Perpetration in College Dating Relationships

This study examined the contributions of gender, adult romantic attachment orientations (i.e., avoidance, anxiety), defense mechanisms (i.e., narcissism, other‐splitting), and stressors to college student psychological abuse perpetration (dominance). Men with higher levels of attachment avoidance, narcissistic entitlement, and stressful problems reported more dominance of female partners. Women with higher levels of other‐splitting reported more dominance of male partners. Attachment avoidance contributed to women's dominance of male partners only in the context of elevated narcissistic entitlement or few stressors.     

Ethnic identity and the daily psychological well-being of adolescents from Mexican and Chinese backgrounds

Protective effects of ethnic identity on daily psychological well-being were examined in a sample of 415 ninth graders from Mexican and Chinese backgrounds. Utilizing daily diary assessments and multilevel modeling, adolescents with a greater regard for their ethnic group exhibited greater levels of daily happiness and less daily anxiety averaged over the 2-week study period. Ethnic regard moderated the daily association between normative stressful demands and happiness, and between stressful demands and happiness experienced 1 day after stressors occurred. Moderating effects were significant even after controlling for self-esteem. Although no buffering effects of ethnic centrality were found, the results point to the positive influence of ethnic regard in the daily lives of adolescents from ethnic minority backgrounds.     

Connect—A New Column

Connect is a column that will explore opportunities for libraries to foster, build, and strategically expand connections in the many forms they take. It is true that unifying metaphors, such as connect, have their limitations and can be prone to simplification or generalization, but they can also serve a useful purpose. The idea of connecting has a tangible sense beyond the figurative. It is for this reason I feel that connect works well as a rubric for organizing our thoughts regarding the present state of library services within the changing horizon of academia. It is also why I think that the concept makes a fruitful header for a column dedicated to such exploration. This first article sets the broader stage for the idea of connections, presenting a wider breadth and sampling of views, concepts, and possible issues. Future articles will explore in greater depth topics of relevance to academic libraries that highlight successful connections.     

The Teacher Research Update Experience: Perceptions of Practicing Science, Mathematics, and Technology Teachers

The purpose of this study was to examine how the practicing science and mathematics teachers participating in the University of Florida's Teacher Research Update Experience (TRUE) perceived their experiences in Summer 2000. We conducted in-depth interviews and collected data from survey questionnaires and addressed research in the following areas: How do participants perceive their experiences during the 7-week program designed to enhance science, mathematics, and technology knowledge and skills? How have these experiences contributed to their professional and personal growth and development, and how will they influence teaching and student learning? Findings from interviews provided insights into the thoughts, motivations, and, in some cases, insecurities of these adult learners. Follow-up studies are indicated on long-term impact of immersion professional development programs.     

Shifting sands: a resilient Asian teacher's identity work in Australia

Many TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) programmes focus on providing professional knowledge to Asian teachers who are pursuing their degrees in English-speaking countries. However, not much attention is given to their expectations, personal lived experiences and identity construction while studying in these countries. These aspects are important in their development as users and teachers of English. This article explores these aspects through interviews and email correspondence with Thinh, a highly accomplished TESOL professional who pursued a Master of TESOL degree as an international student in Australia. Findings suggest that when she was in Australia, she displayed strong agency as she changed some aspects of her identity in order to adapt to studying and living in the country. Nevertheless, there is also continuity in her identity construction, as she maintained other aspects of the identity that she brought from her home country. Her identity construction is best seen in the context of her investment in her career in her home country. As a resilient individual, Thinh demonstrates how she manages her process of identity construction through her reflections and strategic thinking. The findings of this study suggest the need for TESOL programmes to actively connect international students' lived experiences outside class to their pursuit of professional knowledge.     

The role of story and place in Indigenous science education: Bigfoot in a youth-designed ecological restoration plan

Cultural Studies of Science Education - This study explores some of the ways in which the dominant science education system in the United States suppresses Indigenous knowledge systems and...