Integrating Religion and Spirituality Into Counselor Education: Barriers and Strategies

Despite a professionally recognized need for training in religion/spirituality, literature indicates that religious and spirituality issues continue to be inconsistently addressed in counselor education. Ten experts were asked to identify potential barriers to integrating religion and spirituality into counselor education and indicate strategies for overcoming these obstacles. Barriers included a lack of information and a lack of personal interest or relevance, and strategies included continuing education, heightened awareness of self and others, and curriculum‐specific recommendations. Implications for counselor training and recommendations for future research are discussed.     

Do teachers’ conflicting testimonies influence children’s decisions about unconventional rules of counting?

This study addresses the influence of schoolteachers’ testimonies on children’s conceptions about unconventional correct counts or pseudoerrors. A total of 158 kindergarteners and second graders were individually interviewed: Fifty children participated in the baseline group (to determine their judgments about pseudoerrors without the presence of informants), and 108 children participated in the experimental group. There were two sessions—2 weeks apart—for the experimental group: in session 1, children faced the conflicting claims provided by three teachers vs. a dissident teacher about the correctness of different pseudoerrors made by the characters of a computer game. The participants had to decide which of the informants was right, providing a rationale for their choice. In session 2, children evaluated the same types of pseudoerrors but in absence of informants (similar to the baseline group procedure). We assessed the relative influence of the majority, and whether the presentation of teachers’ controversial judgments improved children’s understanding of counting. The findings revealed that children’s own ideas prevailed over the pressure of the majority: at both ages, children tended to endorse claims that considered pseudoerrors as incorrect counts, regardless of the source of information (majority or dissenter), and their tendency to reject pseudoerrors remained firm in session 2. Overall, results from the experimental and the baseline groups suggest that children’s adherence to the conventional rules of counting is strong and little susceptible to influence and revision. We discuss the educational implications of these findings as well as the limitations of the experimental paradigm used in this and other studies in the field of testimony.     

Empathy and critical thinking: primary students solving local environmental problems through outdoor learning

The present study explores the outcomes of teaching empathy and critical thinking to solve environmental problems. This investigation was done throughout the duration of an environmental education course within a primary school located in central Chile. A community-based research methodology was used to understand the formation of empathy and critical thinking. The findings reveal a significant benefit in using empathy strategies to engage students regarding the thinking processes involved with solving environmental problems. Using these elements as teaching techniques for environmental education courses can be very helpful in reaching the aims of creating a sustainable citizenry.     

Aerobic plus resistance training was more effective in improving the visceral adiposity,metabolic profile and inflammatory markers than aerobic training in obese adolescents

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine whether aerobic plus resistance training (AT + RT) is more effective than aerobic training (AT) at reducing inflammatory markers and cardiovascular risk in obese adolescents. A total of 139 obese adolescents were enrolled, aged 15–19 years, body mass index (BMI) ≥ 95th percentile and participated in 1 year of interdisciplinary intervention. They were randomised into two groups: AT (n = 55), AT + RT (n = 61). Blood samples were collected to analyse glycaemia, insulin, the lipid profile, leptin and adiponectin concentrations. Insulin resistance was measured by homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR). The AT + RT group showed better results with regard to decreased body fat mass, low-density lipoprotein concentration (LDL-c) levels, subcutaneous and visceral fat and increased body lean mass. Indeed, a reduction of hyperleptinaemia and an increase in adiponectin concentrations, promoting an improvement in the leptin/adiponectin ratio, was observed. Important clinical parameters were improved in both types of exercise; however, AT + RT was more effective in improving the visceral adiposity, metabolic profile and inflammatory markers than AT alone, suggesting clinical applications for the control of intra-abdominal obesity and cardiovascular risk in the paediatric population.