Home–school differences in beliefs,support, and control during public pre-kindergarten and their link to children's kindergarten readiness

This study examines the prevalence of home–school match in childrearing beliefs and socialization practices (control and support) and their relation to ethnicity and readiness skills of children (n = 310) making the transition from publicly sponsored Pre-k to kindergarten. Home–school match was operationalized both as a continuous absolute measure and as categories of match or mismatch. Overall, home–school match was more prevalent than mismatch. However, the results corroborate previous ethnographic studies showing higher rates of home–school mismatch among African Americans and Latinos than Euro Americans. Controlling for race and socio-economic status, parents’ beliefs and practices predicted readiness but teachers’ did not. Absolute indicators of home–school differences were not related to kindergarten readiness. Directional indicators revealed that children attained greater skills when parents and teachers matched on child-centered beliefs, low control, and high support. Contrary to the cultural match hypothesis, home–school mismatch was associated with better outcomes than match in the case of adult-centered beliefs, control, and low support.     

Young Children's Differentiation of Hypothetical Beliefs from Evidence

The claim that preadolescent children fail to differentiate between hypothetical beliefs and evidence is investigated in 2 studies. First-and second-grade children were presented with 2 conflicting hypotheses and asked to choose an empirical test to decide between them. In Study 1, the majority of first graders and almost all second graders correctly chose a conclusive test. They elaborated the logic of such a test and distinguished it from an inconclusive test. There was no evidence that children of this age misinterpret the task of hypothesis testing as one of generating a desirable effect. Study 2 replicated and extended these findings; in a task that posed a genuine scientific problem, first and second graders spontaneously generated empirical procedures for gathering indirect evidence to decide between alternative hypotheses. Our results indicate that young elementary school children distinguish between the notions of "hypothetical belief" and "evidence." These findings are discussed in light of their failure on other scientific thinking tasks.     

Using importance‐performance analysis to evaluate training

The importance‐performance analysis (IPA) is a tool that can provide timely and usable feedback to improve training. IPA measures the gaps between the importance and how “good” (performance) a class is perceived by a student and is presented on a 2x2 matrix. The quadrant in which data land in this matrix aids in determining potential future action. This article focuses on integrating IPA into Kirkpatrick's (1959) four‐level framework of evaluation. Examples and suggestions for improving training are discussed.     

The Impact of Access on Perceptions and Attitudes Towards Computers: An International Study

This international and interdisciplinary study investigated and compared computer access, attitudes and perceptions towards computers, and preferred settings for computer learning among college freshmen in Australia, China, Ghana, Puerto Rico and the US. The authors discuss implications for computer training in teacher preparation and international business management education. This paper also presents conclusions regarding the development of technological competency within the framework of the computer culture and socio-political circumstances. L'impact de 1'accès sur les perceptions et attitudes envers les ordinateurs: une étude internationale. Cette étude internationale et interdisciplinaire a recherché et comparé les possibilités d'accès À l'ordinateur, les perceptions et attitudes envers les ordinateurs et les environnements préférés pour l'apprentissage par ordinateur parmi les étudiants de première année de collège en Australie, Chine, Ghana, Puerto Rico et USA. Les auteurs discutent les implications de la formation par ordinateur pour la préparation des enseignants et l'éducation dans le management du business international. Cet article présente aussi des conclusions concernant le développement des compétences en matière de technologie dans le cadre d'une culture de l'ordinateur et de circonstances socio-politiques. Die Möglichkeit des Informationszugangs und ihr Einfluss auf Wahrnehmung und Einstellung zu Computern: eine internationale Studie. Diese internationale und interdisziplinäre Studie untersucht and vergleicht die Zugangsmöglichkeiten zu Computern, sowie die Einstellung zu ihnen and Umgang mit ihnen and bevorzugte Plätze für Computer gestütztes Lernen bei College Studenten des Erstsemesters in Australien, China, Ghana, Puerto Rico und den USA. Die Autoren besprechen Implikationen für die Computerausbildang bei Lehrern und die Ausbildang im internationalen Business Management. Die Studie veröffentlicht Ergebnisse and Beschlüsse zur Erlangung technologischer Kompetenz im Rahmen der Computerkultur und der soziopolitischen Umstände.     

Using Charter Schools to Alleviate Racial Exclusion in Rural America: An Innovative Idea or a Trojan Horse?

ABSTRACT

Racial segregation has remained a lasting legacy of rural schools in southern states. Our article explains a case where community leaders created a diverse charter school to change its historical practice of an isolated White private school and isolated African American public schools. We scan documents and literature related to this integration strategy to surface key themes when using rural charter schools to alter patterns of school segregation. First, we explain pressing issues in rural schools. Second, we describe how segregation and inequality have evolved in the South. Third, we explain research showing how charter schools maintain patterns of school segregation, but with exceptions and nuances in certain contexts. Fourth, we consider the benefits and tensions surrounding one rural charter school that offers an integrated educational program. Benefits range from societal to individual as the school fosters an environment where students are exposed to diverse educational experiences. Tensions include shifting power and funding dynamics and the possibility of using a good example to shepherd in less effective charter models elsewhere.     

Stability of Attachment Style in Adolescence: An Empirical Test of Alternative Developmental Processes

Few studies have examined stability and change in attachment during adolescence. This 5‐year longitudinal study (a) examined whether prototype or revisionist developmental dynamics better characterized patterns of stability and change in adolescent attachment (at T1, N = 176; M_age = 14.0 years, SD = 0.9), (b) tested potential moderators of prototype‐like attachment stability, and (c) compared attachment stability in adolescence to stability in adulthood. The results supported the prototype model, which assumes that there is a stable, enduring factor underlying stability and change in attachment. Exploratory moderation analyses revealed that family conflict, parental separation or divorce, minority status, and male sex might undermine the prototype‐like stability of adolescent attachment. Stability of attachment was lower in adolescence relative to adulthood.     

Optimizing Conditions for Learning: Situating Refutations in Epistemic Cognition

A refutation text is designed to promote conceptual change by explicitly acknowledging commonly held misconceptions about a topic, directly refuting them, and providing an accurate explanation. In this study, we determined the impact of different types of refutation texts on adolescent readers’ conceptual change learning in science. Specifically, we manipulated the way the correct conception was justified and explained following work in epistemic cognition. Three different types of justification were compared to a control condition: justification by authority, justification by multiple sources, and justification by personal opinion. The findings showed that learning effects were optimized when the correct conceptions were presented in terms of a corroborated consensus among multiple sources.     

Structural Models for Binary Repeated Measures: Linking Modern Longitudinal Structural Equation Models to Conventional Categorical Data Analysis for Matched Pairs

The current widespread availability of software packages with estimation features for testing structural equation models with binary indicators makes it possible to investigate many hypotheses about differences in proportions over time that are typically only tested with conventional categorical data analyses for matched pairs or repeated measures, such as McNemar’s chi-square. The connection between these conventional tests and simple longitudinal structural equation models is described. The equivalence of several conventional analyses and structural equation models reveals some foundational concepts underlying common longitudinal modeling strategies and brings to light a number of possible modeling extensions that will allow investigators to pursue more complex research questions involving multiple repeated proportion contrasts, mixed between-subjects × within-subjects interactions, and comparisons of estimated membership proportions using latent class factors with multiple indicators. Several models are illustrated, and the implications for using structural equation models for comparing binary repeated measures or matched pairs are discussed.