Variation in children's classroom engagement throughout a day in preschool: Relations to classroom and child factors

This study examined sources of variability in preschool children's positive and negative engagement with teachers, peers, and tasks, and how that variability was related to both classroom activity settings (e.g., teacher-structured time, outdoor time, transitions) and child factors (age, gender). Participants were 283 socioeconomically and linguistically diverse children drawn from 84 classrooms, 34–63 months old (M = 50.8, SD = 6.5). Each child's engagement was observed and rated multiple times within a single day. Results suggested that children's engagement varied significantly across the preschool day. Activity settings that provided children with a greater degree of choice (free choice and outdoor time) were associated with more positive engagement with peers and tasks, while teacher-structured activities were associated with more positive engagement with teachers. Transitions emerged as a difficult part of the day, associated with less positive engagement with teachers and tasks. Older children were rated higher on peer and task engagement. These findings, together with previous research, suggest that both characteristics of the classroom setting and child factors are associated with children's classroom engagement throughout a day in preschool.     

Money, sex, and drugs: a case study to teach the genetics of antibiotic resistance

The goal of the work reported here was to help students expand their understanding of antibiotic resistance, the Central Dogma, and evolution. We developed a unit entitled "Ciprofloxacin Resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae," which was constructed according to the principles of scientific teaching by a team of graduate students, science faculty, and instructors. A variety of activities and assessments were used, including a case study, short lectures, and group problem-solving. Implementation of "Ciprofloxacin Resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae" in a college freshman seminar suggests these materials are useful in increasing understanding of complex biological topics and improving problem-solving abilities.     

Daisaku Ikeda and the Soka movement for global citizenship

ABSTRACT

This article examines contributions to the ethic and practice of cosmopolitanism by Japanese educators Makiguchi Tsunesaburo, Toda Josei and, most significantly, Ikeda Daisaku. Collectively, they are “the philosophers of the Soka movement” that Rizvi and Choo refer to in their call for a special issue on “Asian cosmopolitanism.” The article advances understanding about the Soka movement for cosmopolitanism in two ways. First, it traces the genealogy and thought informing the Soka movement and then examines the substance of each progenitor’s contributions to cosmopolitanism from historical and linguistic perspectives. The author pays particular attention to the inclusion of courage and faith in Ikeda’s framework and also addresses important translational insights invisible to those not fluent in Japanese. Second, the author analyzes today’s Soka movement for cosmopolitanism in education and in the Soka Gakkai International. This section draws on Sato Masaru’s views of the Soka movement and presents concrete examples of how Ikeda’s perspective of global citizenship is understood and actualized curricularly in the U.S. context.     

Parody Humor's Process of Influence: The Roles of Sympathy and Enjoyment in Shaping Political Perceptions

This exploratory research examines processes pertaining to how parody humor can influence perceptions of political figures in terms of credibility and, more broadly, general political trust. An online experiment was conducted in which select participants were exposed to a parody of former New York governor David Paterson. The results demonstrate that, in tandem with parody-induced sympathy, humor enjoyment can influence perceptions of a parody target's credibility and general political trust. In addition, a sympathetic predisposition is shown to positively predict responses of sympathy to a parody message. Furthermore, serial mediation analyses highlight how a sympathetic predisposition can indirectly influence various perceptions of a parody target, as sequentially mediated by responses of sympathy and enjoyment. In sum, this research is valuable for illuminating how individual differences and affective responses to political parody representations can affect various political perceptions.     

Building an assessment of community-defined social-emotional competencies from the ground up in Tanzania

Two studies were conducted in 2017 to investigate children's competencies seen as important by communities in Mtwara, Tanzania. Qualitative data from 95 parents (34 women) and 27 teachers (11 women) in Study 1 indicated that dimensions of social responsibility, such as obedience, were valued highly. In Study 2, the competencies of 477 children (245 girls), aged 4–13 years, were rated by teachers and parents. Factor analysis found the obedient factor explained the most variance in parent rating. In line with predictions, urban residence, parental socioeconomic status (SES), and parental education were all positively associated with ratings of curiosity, and parental SES was negatively associated with obedience and emotional regulation. Findings illustrate the need for culturally specific frameworks of social-emotional learning.     

Two sides of the same coin: video annotations and in-video questions for active learning

Educational technology research and development - Video in education has become pervasive. Globally, educators are recording instructional videos to augment their students’ learning and, in...     

Productive Uncertainty: The Pedagogical Benefits of Co‐Creating Research in the Design Studio

Balancing the competing demands of research and teaching has long been lamented by academics. The challenges associated with Covid‐19 will make this increasingly difficult. An integrated approach to research and teaching, where students are directly engaged in the production of research, may provide a useful strategy to support ongoing research within the design disciplines whilst befitting student learning. The production of original research requires a willingness to engage in – and manage –uncertainty. Contemporary higher education acknowledges that global challenges are increasing in complexity and, thus, students require opportunities to learn to productively manage this complexity. Utilising teacher observations and student feedback, this article reflects critically on a studio model, iteratively refined over two semesters, with the deliberate intent of exacerbating the complexity already present within studio pedagogy for the production of new knowledge. It outlines a set of strategies for making manageable this uncertainty for students to ensure it is beneficial for their learning. It also identifies a number of challenges educators can face when assuming a duel role as teacher and research partner; and provides advice for negotiating these challenges.     

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.     

Examining Prediction Models of Giving Up within a Resource-based Framework of Coping in Primary School Students with and without Learning Disabilities

This study tests a proposed model of coping outcomes for 290 primary school students in Years 5 and 6 (mean age = 11.50 years) with and without learning disabilities (LDs) within a resource-based framework of coping. Group-administered educational and intelligence tests were used to screen students for LDs. Students also completed a questionnaire measuring coping resources, namely student engagement and internal control as well as outcome measures of coping styles and inability to cope. Structural equation modelling revealed that student engagement promoted the use of productive coping strategies for both groups and that this relationship was partially mediated by internal control. Internal control also partially mediated the relationship between student engagement and non-productive coping for students without LDs. Furthermore, less reliance on productive and greater reliance on non-productive coping strategies, respectively, predicted more of a tendency to not cope or give up in both groups.     

What is a ‘good’ principal? Perspectives of aspiring principals in Singapore

This paper presents the findings of an exploratory research project that examines what aspiring principals in Singapore think a good principal is, based on a framework of personal, interpersonal, and organizational dimensions of school leadership. According to the findings, a good principal has a moral purpose centered on personal values, a humble disposition, and exudes wisdom. He or she exhibits excellent relational skills, engages in people development, and develops trust among staff. He or she also develops a positive school culture for teaching and learning, builds fruitful relationships with stakeholders, and manages complex issues competently. The findings also suggest that the idea of a good principal is more about who the person is and what he or she stands for, rather than what he or she is capable of. Moreover, while Singapore principals are capable of making hard-nosed decisions and delivering results, they are actually motivated by the ideals of education. This study offers some empirical evidence of the attributes of a ‘good’ principal in the Singapore context.