Stability of Observed Maternal Behavior Across Tasks,Time, and Siblings

Objective. To further understanding of the stability and variability in maternal behavior across tasks, time, and sibling pairs. Design. Mothers (a total of 451) were observed separately in interactions with two of their children across two tasks and three time points. Independent observers rated responsive and negative maternal behaviors. Results. Moderate to large correlations across tasks (responsivity = .51; negativity = .41), time points (responsivity = .40; negativity = .38), and siblings (responsivity = .56; negativity = .49) were found. Although these correlations indicate significant stability (i.e., consistency) of maternal behavior, they also indicate variability, with unexplained variance ranging from 69–84% for responsivity and 75–86% for negativity. Conclusions. Proportions of maternal behavior across tasks, time, and siblings can and cannot be accurately predicted given examination of maternal behavior in a comparable task, later time point, or sibling. The current study underscores the importance of considering both stability and variability as equally critical components for understanding maternal behavior.     

The risk of delayed school entry in relation to migration background in different institutional settings

In Germany, children of immigrants are faced with delayed school entry about twice as often as children of native-born parents because they are more often diagnosed not being ready for school. We investigate these early educational inequalities, focusing on the interplay of individual competencies and the institutional context in terms of the school enrollment procedure. We compare the conventional procedure, where school enrollment is supposed to be bound on school readiness, with reformed procedures where school enrollment is not supposed to be bound on school readiness. Data of school entry examinations from Hesse, Germany from 2008–2012 are analyzed (N = 50,717). The results show that children of immigrants from all origin groups have a substantially higher risk of obtaining a recommendation for delayed school entry than children of native-born parents. However, these ethnic differences are strongly reduced in the reformed procedures as compared to the conventional school enrollment procedure, indicating that these procedures could be an effective measure to reduce ethnic educational inequalities at school start.     

A European research on women and Engineering Education (2001-2002)

Preoccupied by the fact that the number of women involved in Engineering in Europe is increasing too slowly, a consortium (teams from seven countries) was created in 2001 with the aims to understand why is this the case, and to study means which exist and are effective in attracting women into Engineering training. In particular, an hypothesis was tested: does a significant percentage of Human and Social Sciences included in the training make a difference? Case studies in the different countries involved in the project and in four different technical fields were chosen. Interviews and questionnaires were used in order to have the point of view of academics and employers about women engineers, their training and their career. The report was presented to the EU in September 2002. Based on the study, conclusions and recommendations have been written, and are presented in the paper.     

Learning at the nanoscale: The impact of students' use of remote microscopy on concepts of viruses,scale, and microscopy

The rapid pace of development is bringing advanced technologies to the World Wide Web (WWW), and, as a result, schools have access to new tools for science investigations. In this exploratory study, we investigated how an educational experience organized around students' use of a WWW‐controllable atomic force microscope (AFM) influenced students' understandings of viruses. The context for the study was a weeklong unit on viruses for two high school biology classes which incorporated student use of the WWW controllable AFM. We also investigated how the haptic (involving kinesthetics and touch) experiences afforded by this tool might influence students' knowledge of viruses, microscopy, and nanometer scale. Fifty students from two high school biology classes participated in a series of instructional activities and pre‐ and postassessments (knowledge test, opinion questionnaire, and interviews). Results showed that students' understandings of microscale, virus morphology, and dimensionality changed as a result of the experiences. Students' conceptions moved from a two‐dimensional textbook‐like image of a virus to a three‐dimensional image of an adenovirus. The results of this preliminary study suggest that the use of the technology as a tool for learning about morphology of materials too small to see may be beneficial. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 40: 303–322, 2003     

Educational psychology and the reform of teacher education

Benton and Hoyt (1989) perform a service for educational psychology by obtaining empirical evidence about educational psychologists' reactions to changes in teacher education proposed by the Holmes Group and the Carnegie Commission. Their paper should serve to stimulate debate about the proper role of educational psychology in teacher education. In this paper, we challenge the empirical findings reported by Benton and Hoyt and suggest reasons why the findings may misrepresent educational psychologists' interest in teacher education. We argue that some of the Holmes and Carnegie recommendations contradict the emerging consensus among cognitive psychologists about the contextually bound nature of knowledge. Benton and Hoyt conceptualize educational psychology according to the traditional middleperson viewpoint and make recommendations with respect to educational psychology that presume this conceptualization. We counter that the middleperson viewpoint is being made obsolete by changes in psychology, and describe an alternative conception of educational psychology. This alternative conception leads to a set of alternative recommendations about the appropriate role of educational psychology in the reform of teacher education.     

The sexual abuse of young people with disabilities: Treatment considerations

Research has indicated that sexual abuse of individuals with disabilities is frequently repeated and chronic, and often results in significant harm to the victim. Furthermore, while abusers are most often family members or acquaintances, many offenses are committed by paid service providers and occur in disability service settings. Findings indicate that victims with disabilities often experience difficulty in obtaining treatment services that are accessible and appropriately adapted to their needs. Based on the necessity of appropriate treatment, considerations and strategies are discussed for therapy adaptations to meet the special needs of sexually abused young people with developmental disabilities.     

Gender,prior knowledge,interest, and experience in electricity and conceptual change text manipulations in learning about direct current

The present study investigated relationships between gender, interest and experience in electricity, and conceptual change text manipulations on learning fundamental direct current concepts. Conceptual change text has been shown to lead to better conceptual understanding of electrical concepts than traditional didactic text, but previous research suggested that the effect interacted with the gender of the participants. We hypothesized that interest moderated this interaction. In this study, men and women who had higher or lower interest in electricity and greater or lessor experience with electricity read conceptual change or traditional text. When interest level, experience, and prior knowledge were not included in the analysis, both gender and text type produced significant main effects. When interest level, experience, and prior knowledge were included in the analysis, conceptual change text led to better understanding of electricity concepts than did the traditional text, and the effect of gender was eliminated. This finding supports the hypothesis that prior interest level, experience, and knowledge mediate apparent gender differences in learning about electricity. It suggests that conceptual change text manipulations are likely to be effective for both men and women. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 34: 107–123, 1997.     

Competency beliefs,positive affect,and gender stereotypes of elementary students and their parents about science versus other school subjects

Iowa students and parents completed related attitude and belief questionnaires about school subjects. Grade K–3 students received simpler questionnaires than did Grade 4–6 students or parents. Among Grade 4–6 children, girls perceived higher competence in reading than did boys, but boys perceived higher competence in physical science. All children perceived physical science competence lower than reading or math competence. Parents perceived boys as more competent in science. Girls like reading more than boys did; boys and girls did not differ in liking of science. Grade 4–6 children also expected lower grades in and attached lower importance to physical science than to reading. Parents perceived science as more important for boys and expected higher performance of boys. Jobs related to math or science were seen as more male dominated. These results provided a more comprehensive picture of attitudes and beliefs about science in the elementary school than had existed and suggested that attitudinal gender differences related to physical science begin to develop by the earliest elementary school years. Policy implications are that intervention programs designed to promote gender equity should be extended to the early elementary school years and also should address parental attitudes. Additional implications for policy and research are discussed. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 36: 719–747, 1999     

The validity of reading comprehension rate: Reading speed,comprehension, and comprehension rates

This article describes a secondary analysis of a brief reading comprehension rate measure, percent comprehension questions correct per minute spent reading (%C/M). This measure includes reading speed (seconds to read) in the denominator and percentage of comprehension questions answered correctly in the numerator. Participants were 22 4th‐, 29 5th‐, and 37 10th‐grade students. Results showed that reading speed accounted for much of the variance in Broad Reading Cluster scores and subtest scores of the Woodcock–Johnson III Tests of Achievement across all grade levels. Converting reading speed to the rate measure %C/M increased Broad Reading Cluster variance accounted for in the 4th‐ and 5th‐grade sample, but decreased the Broad Reading Cluster variance accounted for in the 10th‐grade sample. Discussion focuses on the importance of reading speed and the failure to enhance validity of a brief rate measure in more skilled readers by incorporating a direct measure of comprehension. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Sport mega-events and security: the 2018 World Cup as an extraordinarily securitized event

Following 9/11, the security at sport mega-events (SMEs) has become increasingly central. Yet, this is an area where numerous scholars have called for further academic attention. The FIFA World Cups are commonly seen as the largest SME in the world, and will in 2018, be held in Russia. However, the existing trends of spectator violence and terrorism, in addition to the political situation in Russia, and concerns over a violent, racist, football culture in the host-country, makes the securitization of the 2018 World Cup extraordinary. Here, an analysis of the most prominent security threats ahead of Russia 2018 is provided. Further, it is argued that the extent of these threats – not the mere existence – makes Russia a unique case. Following calls for further academic attention dedicated security and SMEs – Russia should be utilized ‘for all it is worth’ – to gather spectators’ perceptions of SME security.