A System at Risk: College Outreach Programs and the Educational Neglect of Underachieving Latino High School Students

This literature review examines the ways in which college and university outreach programs impact Latino (and other minorities) high school students. This article demonstrates that the outreach programs outlined do aid in closing the gap of college enrollment for Latinos. However, a review of three representative programs—AVID, the University of California's Early Academic Outreach Program, and Upward Bound—reveals that the Latino students who exhibit the most need are summarily excluded from participating in the programs, thus leaving them on the margins of the educational system. One of the conclusions of this study is that the problem lies with the political nature of the programs, which causes them to have stringent eligibility criteria.     

The research-teaching nexus in nurse and teacher education: contributions of an ecological approach to academic identities in professional fields

In developing graduates for the knowledge society lecturers in higher education may seek to strengthen links between research and teaching. Much of the previous work on the research-teaching nexus is within traditional universities and subject disciplines. In aiming to deepen understanding of the research and teaching nexus this paper focuses on the academic identities of higher education lecturers working in newer higher education institutions and in the professional fields of nursing and of teacher education. A qualitative study, informed by professional identity construction as an ecological concept, was conducted. The findings align with previous studies concerning similarities between lecturers in nurse and teacher education, but they contrast with previous studies concerning differences between these two groups of lecturers. Similarities include the priority given by professional educators to their responsibility for preparing new clinical practitioners; the research-led model as the lecturers’ main approach to the research-teaching nexus; and their difficulties in coping with current demands in academic work. Differences between the two groups of lecturers include the way that ‘practitioner identity’ is positioned within their current academic identities and the way that they position initial education within the wider professional field. These differences indicate different kinds of connections between teaching and research. The paper proposes an ecological approach to understanding the research-teaching nexus.     

The ‘Isle of Vice’? Youth,class and the post-war holiday on the Isle of Man

This article broadens our knowledge of post-war holidaymaking (c. 1950–80) by adopting the Isle of Man as a case study. A popular holiday resort from the late nineteenth century, the Isle of Man experienced considerable political turbulence during the 1950s and 1960s about how best to stay competitive as a seaside resort, where authorities employed uniquely stringent methods to contain rowdiness and protect the island’s ‘respectable’ atmosphere. The first two sections examine the leisure habits of the young and working class in a holiday context, integrating this analysis with perceptions of their behaviour gleaned from oral interviews with local residents. The concluding section explores how the presence of holidaymakers on the Isle of Man – uniquely among seaside resorts in the British Isles – informed (and in some cases emboldened) a sense of national identity. Oral history, complemented by the Hansard reports of the Isle of Man parliament and local press coverage, sheds light on the activities of the post-war working class at play, and how the presence of holidaymakers fortified Manx national consciousness.     

Vogt,W Paul et al (2014) Selecting the right analyses for your data Guilford Press (New York, & Routledge,London) isbn 978‐1‐4625‐1576‐9 500 pp £36.99 http://www.guilfordpress.co.uk/books/details/9781462515769/

This is a highly recommended book, as it comprehensively covers coding and analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data. It is useful for novice and experienced researchers developing skills and as a reference book. If it's something you're likely to need often, I recommend you buy a copy. Pete Cannel     

Broekman,Pauline van Mourik et al (2014) Open education Rowman & Littlefield (Lanham MD & Plymouth UK) isbn 978‐1‐78348‐209‐2 112 pp £16.95 https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781783482108

This short book is a result of a collaborative effort between staff at Mute Publishing and the Media Department at Coventry School of Art and Design (both based in Britain). One could describe it as notes towards a critique of open education. From the perspective of cultural studies, it provides rich material for reflection and further investigation. If the content of this book is likely to be relevant to you, I recommend that you buy a copy for your own use. Pete Cannell     

When the chips are down: effects of attributional feedback on self-efficacy and task performance following initial and repeated failure

In two experiments, we manipulated the controllability and stability of causes of failure and explored the impact of these factors on self-efficacy and performance. In Experiment 1, participants (N=80; mean age 20.0 years, s=1.0) were provided with false negative feedback following performance on a blindfolded dart-throwing task. Consistent with theory and recent research, an induced belief that failure was beyond control and unlikely to change led to lower self-efficacy and poorer performance (all F1,754>5.49, all P<0.05, all η2=0.01). A second experiment (N=80; mean age 22.0 years, s=2.1) demonstrated that following an induced belief that failure was beyond control and unlikely to change, only new perceptions that a repeated failure was within one's control and likely to change resulted in higher self-efficacy and improved performance (all F1,75>4.53, all P<0.05, all η2>0.004). All effects were mediated by self-efficacy: Sobel's (1982) test, all z>1.97 (in absolute magnitude), all P<0.05, all r>0.22 (in absolute magnitude). These findings suggest that in novel circumstances individuals believe in the best for themselves unless possibilities to self-enhance are explicitly precluded, and only reinvest efforts when opportunities for self-enhancement become clearly admissible.