Relational aggression among boys: blind spots and hidden dramas

Although boys too are involved in relational aggression, their experiences are overshadowed by the focus on relational aggression among girls. This paradox mirrors the empirical puzzle that forms the starting point for this article: while teachers saw relational aggression as a ‘girl problem’, we found a vast undercurrent of relational aggression among boys. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork and interviews with staff and students in Norwegian schools, we ask how boys’ relational aggression can be left unnoticed by school staff. We demonstrate that there is a gap between the experiences boys have of being victims of relational aggression and their expression of this, in terms of both their inability to talk about it and its undramatic form. We argue that this represents a blind spot for school staff and for the boys themselves, and suggest that gendered knowledge production contributes to reproducing the invisibility of relational aggression among boys.     

Parents’ expectations,perceptions and concerns when schools implement a 1:1 program

Implementing successful one-to-one computer programs where all students have access to mobile devices throughout the school day requires major stakeholders such as students, teachers and parents to support the initiative. However, parents are often the silent stakeholder when 1:1 programs are initiated and there is limited literature that explores their expectations, perceptions and concerns. In this longitudinal study, based at one school, 121 parents were surveyed across four years using a mixed methodology. The data collected consisted of qualitative interview data and questionnaires to provide quantitative responses. This enabled an exploration of the effect of the 1:1 program as reported by parents themselves as well as the examination of a range of related issues, such as the use of the devices and issues about the implementation of the program. The findings provided insight, through the lens of the parents, into how the 1:1 program was deployed. Three trends emerged from the study: a lack of understanding by parents of how their child would learn with the device, their belief that the mobile devices did not assist the child to be motivated, and that the devices were a distraction both at school and at home. The paper concludes with recommendations for the successful implementation of a 1:1 program to alleviate parental concerns and ensure that they are an equal stakeholder in these program. Further research needs to be undertaken about parental perspectives, expectations and concerns of 1:1 programs.     

The tasks of early childhood — Part I: The will to try

One of the important tasks of early childhood educators is to encourage young children to learn to strive and strive to learn. Caregivers are crucial in motivating children to persist at and take pleasure in learning tasks. Some children learn that their feelings are important and their actions are effective. They anticipate success. Their attitude is I can do it; When I try to do something, I can succeed. They are motivated to become competent. These youngsters are likely to become adults who find pleasure in doing something well, in working and achieving. Alice Sterling Honig teaches at Syracuse University in the Department of Child and Family Studies, College for Human Development, in Syracuse, NY. She is an editorial board member of Day Care & Early Education.Therese W. Lansburgh is Chair of the Maryland Committee for Children and an advocate for families and children at the state and national levels.     

A qualitative investigation of student engagement in a flipped classroom

The flipped classroom is gaining acceptance in higher education as an alternative to more traditional methods of teaching. In the current study, twelve students in a Norwegian higher education institution were in-depth interviewed about their learning experiences in a two-semester long mathematics course. The first semester was taught using flipped classroom and the second semester using lectures, where both teaching modes contained a substantial amount of active learning. Overall, students report a more positive learning experience and higher engagement in the flipped classroom. The analysis revealed seven categories that the students highlight as especially conducive to their learning; commitment to peers, being recognized, feeling safe, instructor relationship, physical learning environment, learning with peers and using videos to learn new content. The results indicate that the affective dimension of student engagement is particularly prominent when students reflect upon learning in the flipped classroom.     

The tasks of early childhood: The development of self-control — Part II

Four-year-old Tommy felt mad that Jonah was hogging the big building blocks. He stood nearby, feeling more and more disgruntled. Just a week ago, his teachers had carried out a group discussion about hitting and hurting. No one was supposed to hit, even if you were mad. The group had discussed other ways to express their feelings. They had talked about telling a child what you wanted, or getting a teacher to help you out. Alice Sterling Honig teaches at Syracuse University in the Department of Child and Family Studies, College for Human Development, in Syracuse, NY. She is an editorial board member of Day Care & Early Education.Therese Lansburgh is Chair of the Maryland Committee for Children and an advocate for families and children at the state and national levels.     

To do or not to do with feedback. A study of undergraduate students’ engagement and use of feedback within a portfolio assessment design

Feedback is important for student learning; however, research shows that students can have a number of difficulties when attempting to learn from feedback. Based on an in-depth analysis of undergraduate students’ self-reported reflection logs, we present findings about students’ experiences with oral and written feedback and how they act upon this feedback when a portfolio is the main assessment and learning tool. Our findings indicate that, within our context, students’ overall experiences with receiving feedback are positive. Oral feedback was perceived as particularly valuable to the students while written feedback challenged their understanding. We identified four specific actions the students engaged in to create meaning from the feedback: internal feedback, using oral feedback, initiating dialogue and interacting with peers. The findings indicate that the students take responsibility in the feedback process. The findings are discussed in relation to current perspectives on feedback in higher education.     

Influence of Mindfulness,Emotion Regulation,and Perceived Social Support on Burnout

We used canonical correlation analysis to examine the predictive nature of three facets of wellness (mindfulness, emotion regulation, and perceived social support) on burnout in counselors-in-training (N = 136). The cognitive reappraisal construct made a significant contribution to the wellness predictor variate. Implications for counselor training programs are discussed.