Where Words Fail: Rational Education Unravels in Maria Edgeworth''s The Good French Governess

This essay argues that precepts for cultivating the rational child, set forth by Maria and Richard Edgeworth in their handbook Practical Education, collide with fictional presentations of those precepts in Maria's novella The Good French Governess. The resulting gap between the novella's pedagogically driven narrative and a subtext that undermines the pedagogical agenda cannot be bridged by words. This ironically draws the reader to question the primacy accorded to words—to reasoned arguments and precise verbal articulation—that play such a significant role in the program for rational education. Further, the collisions between the demands of ideology and the needs of fiction invite us as readers to raise questions about genre, about our expectations of nonfictions and fictions pertaining to education.     

Mother–Child Interaction: Links Between Mother and Child Frontal Electroencephalograph Asymmetry and Negative Behavior

It is well accepted that parent–child interactions are bidirectional by nature, yet not much is known about the psychophysiological activity underlying these interactions. This study examined, during a parent–child interaction, how a child's negativity statistically predicted maternal frontal electroencephalograph (EEG) asymmetry and how a mother's negativity statistically predicted child frontal EEG asymmetry. Thirty‐four mother–child dyads participated in the study. Maternal and child behaviors and physiology were measured during a puzzle task. Results indicated that mothers whose children exhibited more challenging behaviors during the dyadic interaction displayed more right (relative to left) asymmetry, as did children whose mothers were high in negativity during the interaction. These findings suggest that mothers and children react to each other's signals not only behaviorally but also physiologically.     

Toward a Conceptual Model of Mentoring Research: Integration with Self-Regulated Learning

In this article, we present a model for academic mentoring research that incorporates theory and research on self-regulated learning. Academic mentoring research has increased in recent years, and researchers have linked mentoring with positive outcomes for protégés and mentors. This research, however, has not investigated the process whereby mentoring exerts its effects. An integration of mentoring with self-regulated learning seems valuable because self-regulated learning researchers have employed methodologies to assess its dynamic nature. We review assumptions of mentoring and self-regulated learning theories, representative mentoring research studies, and methods of assessing self-regulated learning. Following presentation of the mentoring research model, suggestions are given for types of research studies to identify the operation of key processes before, during, and after mentoring interactions. We conclude with implications of this integrated perspective for theory development and educational practice.     

Are gender differences in perceived and demonstrated technology literacy significant? It depends on the model

This paper examines gender differences related to Information and Communication Technology (ICT) literacy using two valid and internally consistent measures with eighth grade students (N = 1,513) from Florida public schools. The results of t test statistical analyses, which examined only gender differences in demonstrated and perceived ICT skills, indicate significant differences in all areas in favor of females. Females had higher factor scores in perception measures for Frequency of Computer Use, Perceived ICT Skills, and Attitudes toward Computers. In addition, female students had significantly higher scores on all six sections from the Student Tool for Technology Literacy, a performance-based assessment. These results counter many empirical research studies that show males generally perform better with ICT skills and have overall better attitudes toward computers than their female counterparts. However, when adding predictors to the model and using multilevel modeling statistical methods, findings indicate that gender was no longer significant. These findings question the importance of the gender differences related to ICT skills that were found with previous statistical examinations. Using more advanced statistical methods to answer research questions pertaining to ICT skills is important in order to determine which factors have the greatest potential for intervention programs that focus on developing equitable ICT skills and career choices for all students.     

The Mentoring Profile Inventory: an online professional development resource for cooperating teachers

We report on the origins, development and refinement of an online inventory to help cooperating teachers focus on selected dimensions of their practice. The Mentoring Profile Inventory (MPI) helps quantify important features of both the motivating and challenging aspects of mentoring student teachers and provides results to respondents in a graphic, easy-to-understand and immediate feedback report (14 sub-scales and 3 summary charts). Psychometric properties of the MPI are shown to be robust. Results can be used individually or collectively to facilitate cooperating teacher professional development by providing the opportunity for dialog around a set of common issues.     

The pedagogical use of internships in criminal justice programs: A nationwide study

Internships have been viewed as an important component of many disciplines, including criminal justice. Most studies on the use of internships in criminal justice, however, have been program-specific discussions and have not focused on how they are used in general. This study uses a nationwide survey of 99 programs to ascertain the organization, application, implementation, and evaluation of internships in criminal justice. The data reveal that although there are some differences in how programs use these internships, there are also a number of similarities. Implications for changes based on these results are addressed.     

Learning in higher education – how cognitive and learning styles matter

The cognitive and learning styles research domain is a highly complex one which has recently been the focus of rigour–relevance debates (Coffield et al. 2004; Evans and Sadler-Smith 2006; Rayner 2006). There is considerable support for the existence and value of style as a construct (Sternberg 1996) even though further work is needed to evidence greater impact on practice. This paper shares the work and experiences of one international research community – the European Learning Styles Information Network (ELSIN) and its attempts to advance understanding of the theory and application of cognitive and learning styles in higher education and other contexts. In so doing it highlights the principles around the development, collation and integration of research as exemplified by the ELSIN experience and considered by other research domains in higher education. Future directions for cognitive and learning styles research within the context of higher education are outlined along with the role of ELSIN in highlighting and leading on these.     

The apprenticeship of observation in career contexts: a typology for the role of modeling in teachers’ career paths

This article extends the literature on teachers’ career paths by attending to the experiences of educators when they were students in secondary classrooms. Grounded in the perspective that biography is central to teaching, we investigate undergraduate pre-service teachers’ educational experiences, views on teaching and learning, and professional plans. We draw upon life history interviews with 40 prospective teachers at three institutions across Pennsylvania, USA. We find that past educational experiences are intricately connected with career choice, intended professional path, and pedagogical focus. This paper identifies and discusses three forms of modeling – disciplinary, mentoring, and empowering – which influence pre-service teachers in powerful and enduring ways. These forms of modeling expand our understanding of teachers’ career intentions and apply the apprenticeship of observation to planned career paths.     

Beginning teachers reflect on inclusive practices – ‘I didn't realize that he only had half a hand’

Learning to value difference and diversity is a central goal of Initial Teacher Education (ITE) professional practice programmes in New Zealand. Yet the authors have continued to struggle to work with their ITE students to move them as a group towards such valuing in both theory and practice. In this article events that lead up to the changes initiated in an ITE inclusive education module in response to tensions arising during tutorial sessions in this paper in three previous years are outlined. A new pedagogical approach consisting of changes to curriculum material, the format of discussions and the tutorial environment itself is introduced. Four examples from participants’ discussions are discursively analysed, uncovering key teaching moments-of-transformation possibilities inherent in the talk. What is revealed is that less confrontational, more productive conversations became possible through the changes initiated. Theorisation of the authors’ experiences of the changes is then provided, drawing on postmodern notions of difference, normalisation, intra-action and affective climates. Finally we suggest that it is important for tutors of such papers to interrogate their practices and where possible to prioritise pedagogies that support an openness to difference and being affected by others as a foundational pedagogical element.