Gifted High-School Students' Perspectives on the Development of Perfectionism

Through the use of in-depth interviews, this study investigated how gifted high-school students scoring high on at least one measure of perfectionism (self-oriented, socially prescribed, or other-oriented) perceived their perfectionism as developing. Findings suggested support for three family history models outlined by Flett, Hewitt, Oliver, and Macdonald (2002 Flett, G., Hewitt, P., Oliver, J. and Macdonald, S. 2002. “Perfectionism in children and their parents: A developmental analysis”. In Perfectionism: Theory, research, and treatment, Edited by: Flett, G. and Flett, P. 89–132. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar]). Lack of challenge in their early academic experiences was also indicated as an influence. Findings are discussed within the context of the current literature on perfectionism in gifted students, and avenues for future research are suggested.     

An interactive method for teaching anatomy of the human eye for medical students in ophthalmology clinical rotations

Much research has shown the benefits of additional anatomical learning and dissection beyond the first year of medical school human gross anatomy, all the way through postgraduate medical training. We have developed an interactive method for teaching eye and orbit anatomy to medical students in their ophthalmology rotation at Duke University School of Medicine. We provide review lectures on the detailed anatomy of the adult human eye and orbit as well as the developmental anatomy of the eye. These lectures are followed by a demonstration of the anatomy of the orbit using conventional frontal and superior exposures on a prosected human cadaver. The anatomy is projected onto a large LCD screen using a mounted overhead camera. Following a brief lecture on clinically relevant anatomy, each student then dissects a fresh porcine (pig) eye under low magnification using a dissecting microscope. These dissections serve to identify structures extrinsic to the eyeball, including extraocular muscle attachments, small vessels, optic nerve stalk, and fascial sheath of the eyeball (Tenon's fascia). Dissection then shifts to the internal anatomy of the eyeball. The size and anatomy of the porcine eye is comparable with that of the human and the dissection provides students with a valuable hands‐on learning opportunity that is otherwise not available in embalmed human cadavers. Students and clinical faculty feedback reveal high levels of satisfaction with the presentation of anatomy and its scheduling early during the ophthalmology clerkship. Anat Sci Educ 2:173–178, 2009. © 2009 American Association of Anatomists.     

Near‐peer teaching in anatomy: An approach for deeper learning

Peer teaching has been recognized as a valuable and effective approach for learning and has been incorporated into medical, dental, and healthcare courses using a variety of approaches. The success of peer teaching is thought to be related to the ability of peer tutors and tutees to communicate more effectively, thereby improving the learning environment. Near‐peer teaching involves more experienced students acting as tutors who are ideally placed to pass on their knowledge and experience. The advantage of using near‐peer teachers is the opportunity for the teacher to reinforce and expand their own learning and develop essential teaching skills. This study describes the design and implementation of a program for fourth year medical students to teach anatomy to first‐ and second‐year medical students and evaluates the perceptions of the near‐peer teachers on the usefulness of the program, particularly in relation to their own learning. Feedback from participants suggests that the program fulfills its aims of providing an effective environment for developing deeper learning in anatomy through teaching. Participants recognize that the program also equips them with more advanced teaching skills that will be required as they move nearer toward taking on supervisory and teaching duties. The program has also provided the school with an additional valuable and appropriate resource for teaching anatomy to first‐ and second‐year students, who themselves view the inclusion of near‐peer teachers as a positive element in their learning. Anat Sci Educ 2:227–233, 2009. © 2009 American Association of Anatomists.     

An international validation of the engaged teacher scale

The purpose of this study was to test and validate the Engaged Teacher Scale (ETS) in a Turkish context (ETS-TR). In order to test the construct validity of the ETS, data were collected from 388 teachers in two northeast cities of Turkey. First-order confirmatory factor analysis results supported the 16-item and four-factor model of ETS while second-order confirmatory factor analysis suggested that a single factor was also appropriate for representing teacher engagement. Additionally, four multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to provide further validation evidence. Results showed that subscales of the ETS-TR were found to be positively correlated with teacher self-efficacy. Given our evidence of validity and reliability, we recommend researchers interested in measuring the engagement of Turkish teachers to consider using the ETS-TR. The adaptation of ETS into Turkish also provides a measure for use when conducting research examining cultural comparisons between english-speaking and Turkish teachers.     

Modeling Conceptualization and Investigating Teaching Effectiveness

Science & Education - Our research addresses the issue of teaching and learning concepts in science education as an empirical question. We study the process of conceptualization by closely...     

The roles of reification and reflective abstraction in the development of abstract thought: Transitions from arithmetic to algebra

This study utilized a psychological constructivist perspective to examine the transitions that students make from arithmetic to algebra in the context of problems, that from the expert's perspective, involve the concept of linear inequality. Unstructured interviews were used to gather data that were used to develop an explanation concerning student understanding. Thirteen college students were interviewed individually and asked to solve nine related tasks. The interviews were videotaped and the protocols were analyzed to document student conceptions. Five case studies were used to develop and substantiate an explanation regarding students' transitions from arithmetic to algebra. Cifarelli's (1988) levels of reflective abstraction and Sfard and Linchevski's (1994) theory of reification provided a framework for this explanation. This paper discusses an integration of Cifarelli and Sfard's constructs. Students who completed a transition to algebra operated at higher levels of reflective abstraction than students who were unable to complete such a transition. Operating at higher levels of reflective abstraction enabled these students to consider concepts as both processes and abstract objects. Developing this ability was found to be critical in achieving a transition to using algebraic methods.     

Challenging an Idea Whose Time Has Gone

In this response to Sternberg’s article, “ACCEL: A New Model for Identifying the Gifted,” we agree that IQ testing may have outlasted its usefulness as an identification tool for gifted students. The field’s commitment to an imperfect formula has neglected the evolution of offerings in schools and theoretical underpinnings that are moving us away from an outdated conception of giftedness. IQ testing should be reserved for finding specific forms of high ability and as a diagnostic tool, not as a gatekeeper that continues to perpetuate the underrepresentation of some groups.     

Crafting policies about controversial values: How wording disputes manage a group dilemma

Over a six-month time period a school board and its community discussed their district's strategic plan goals about diversity. This article analyzes that discussion within the practical theory frame articulated by Craig. Meeting talk and documents were analyzed to determine how the group's policy deliberation became an argument over what words to have (or avoid) in the strategic plan document. Proposals about document language were framed as technical editing, as inadvertent changing of a policy, and as wordsmithing. In addition to each frame being used, each was also challenged as to its being used to advance some group members' interests at the expense of others. Moving back and forth between using and resisting wording proposal frames, we suggest, is a reasonable way for groups to manage a dilemma they face in crafting policies about controversial, abstract issues. The paper concludes by identifying implications for dilemma theorizing and future study of groups.     

The effects of developing English language and literacy on Spanish reading comprehension

In this longitudinal study, the cross-language transfer from second language (L2) to first language (L1) was examined among Spanish-speaking English-language learners in an English intervention (Grades 1–3) in the southwest United States. Path analysis revealed statistically significant transfers (ps < .05) for the treatment group from English reading comprehension to Spanish reading comprehension. English vocabulary and English grammar also had an indirect influence on Spanish reading comprehension through English reading comprehension. For the comparison group, no English to Spanish paths were statistically significant. We concluded that intervention activities in L2 influenced L1 reading even when L1 instructional time was reduced.