Teacher and child variables as predictors of academic engagement among low‐income African American children

A causal model for understanding the complex interplay between student‐reported teacher behaviors, student self‐systems, and student engagement was tested. One hundred seventeen African American students in grades 1 through 12 completed a comprehensive questionnaire regarding teacher context, self, and engagement variables. A series of hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to test the hypothesized mediation models and to construct a path model. Most hypotheses were supported. Student self‐system variables (perceived competency and autonomy) mediated relations between teacher context (structure and autonomy support), and engagement. Contrary to predictions, however, teacher involvement exerted a strong and direct effect on student engagement even when controlling for grade level and self‐system variables. Given existing research showing that African American students are at risk for low teacher involvement and that engagement is critical for academic success, research and intervention strategies are urgently needed to promote teacher involvement with these students. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Summer sun brings ice cream fun

Conclusion When everything tastes like ice cream in the classroom, what a fantastic experience is in store for the children. The many valuable opportunities afforded in this play center help expand the child's world. Interraction between children sorting (the flavors or colors of pom poms), creative use of imaginations, and thought process opportunities are all a part of the learning that is taking place. This center naturally lends itself to role playing. The combination of props and materials encourages complex levels of dramatic play to evolve among the children. The play can range from simple dramatic play such as dipping ice cream and filling cups and cones to a more sophisticated level of dramatic play when children begin role play as ice cream attendants and customers. The ice cream parlor center is enjoyed by both boys and girls and is developmentally appropriate for children ranging in age from two to six years old. The ease in developing this center, the simple set up, the low cost, and the opportunities for child-initiated play make this center appealing to teachers who continually search for enriching experiences to offer their children. The reward the center brings the children far exceeds the efforts required by the teacher. Carolyn Bond is Director of 12 years, and Kay Gregory is Associate Director of 8 years at the children's Discovery Center in Plano, Texas.     

Systematic botany: Science to develop language facility

Classification is a fundamental skill that impacts on our abilities to read and to write text. The structure and sequence inherent in the science of taxonomy can be used as the basis for instruction in reading comprehension and in writing. The use of concrete, readily manipulated materials enhances vocabulary development by allowing the teacher to label objects and processes as the student experiences them. There are numerous activities which can be employed to enrich experiential learning; these can be directly related to reading and writing exercises. Processes learned with simple materials can be generalized to more abstract content as the students’ proficiency improves. The instructor can control the level of difficulty of the class by writing or selecting materials appropriate to the skills levels of the students involved. Language facility is developed as students progress from the known to the less well known in a series of carefully constructed steps.     

Comparative analyses of discourse in specialized STEM school classes

ABSTRACT

The authors detail the discourse patterns observed within mathematics and science classes at specialized STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) high schools. Analyses reveal that teachers in mathematics classes tended to engage their students in authoritative discourse while teachers in science classes tended to engage students in dialogic discourse. The authors examined variations in the type of discourse in relationship to the discipline being taught, the educational level of the teacher, and course requirements were also explored.     

Responsive Parenting Buffers the Impact of Maternal PTSD on Young Children

SYNOPSIS

Objective. This study investigates maternal responsive parenting behaviors as a theorized buffer to the detrimental impact of maternal PTSD symptoms on young children’s depression and anxiety symptoms, disruptive behavior, and stress-related symptoms. Design. A multi-ethnic sample of 242 trauma-exposed mothers and their preschool-aged children was assessed. Maternal responsive parenting behaviors were observed during standardized parent-child interactions. Maternal and child mental health symptoms were reported by mothers. Results. Maternal PTSD symptoms were associated with their responsive parenting behaviors and predicted children’s mental health symptoms. Responsive parenting was inversely associated with children’s depression and stress-related symptoms. Moderation analyses revealed an interactive effect of maternal symptoms and responsive parenting on preschool children’s disruptive behavior and stress-related symptoms. Conclusions. Responsive parenting behaviors can mitigate the ill effects of maternal PTSD symptoms. Nurturing relationships buffer the impact of maternal PTSD. Helping parents’ to sensitively respond to their young children’s distress can support positive outcomes in children.     

A cognitive diagnostic analysis of the Social Issues Advocacy Scale (SIAS)

‘What would an ideal social justice advocate look like, and how do our graduates compare?’ is asked by training programs in the helping/health professions (e.g. counselling and psychology, nursing, and education) that have social justice advocacy (SJA) as a core competency. We demonstrate a method for answering this question empirically – cognitive diagnostic modelling (CDM). We used the four dimensions of the Social Issues Advocacy Scale (SIAS; Nilsson, Marszalek, Linnemeyer, Bahner, &; Hanson Misialek, 2011 Nilsson, J. E., Marszalek, J. M., Linnemeyer, R. M., Bahner, A. E., &; Hanson Misialek, L. (2011). Development and assessment of the Social Issues Advocacy Scale. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 71(1), 258–275. doi:10.1177/0013164410391581[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) as attributes of SJA, and fit SIAS responses to a CDM of 16 attribute mastery profiles. One-quarter of the sample had a profile suggesting SJA attitudes without action; one-fifth, a profile suggesting monitoring SJA in politics without participation; and one-eighth, a profile suggesting individuals rarely engage in action without SJA attitudes. We also found significant relationships between mastery profiles and degree pursued, degree field, and political affiliation. These results demonstrated the utility of CDM for training program assessment of SJA.     

The role of sensory preconditioning in memory retrieval by preverbal infants

Infants’ memories are highly specific to their training stimuli; they rarely transfer learned responding. In two experiments, we asked whether sensory preconditioning facilitates the transfer of deferred imitation. In Experiments 1A and 1B, 6-month-olds were simultaneously preexposed to Puppets A and B and then saw target actions modeled on Puppet A. The infants associated the paired puppets and imitated the actions on Puppet B. In Experiment 2, the preexposure procedure was repeated, but the actions were modeled on Puppet A with a toy train in view. The infants also associated Puppet A and the train: Either object effectively reactivated both forgotten memories; thereafter, the infants again imitated the actions on Puppet B. These findings reveal that infants form specific and enduring associations between stimuli they have merely seen together. These associations facilitate the transfer of deferred imitation, both directly and indirectly, through connections to other associations.     

Selective habituation of defensive behavior: Evidence for predator-prey synchrony

The selective nocturnal persistence of death feigning, an antipredator behavior, was assessed in four studies involving single daily trials. In Experiments 1 and 2, White Leghorn chicks exhibited a progressive decline in death feigning durations in both the light and the dark phases of their photoperiods over 8 days, but resistance to habituation was greater at night. When nocturnal death feigning was induced to a habituation criterion (Experiment 3), it was extremely persistent and was not completely abolished in some chicks, even after 25 consecutive test days. Because nocturnal response durations of chicks tested cross-sectionally increased over the same developmental period (Experiment 4), a shifting developmental baseline was excluded as the basis for the declining response durations observed in the first three studies. The differential plasticity of death feigning at two times of day is consistent with the argument that predatorprey synchrony confers a selective advantage, and suggests an additional biological constraint on learning.     

Market Forces and Strategic Adaptation: The Influence of Private Scholarships on Planning in Urban School Systems

While the current debate about the effects of vouchers focuses on the effects of private schools on achievement, it is also important to examine how the introduction of need-based scholarships influences change in school systems. This study uses a qualitative method to examine the influence of a privately funded scholarship program on strategic adaptations within urban public and private schools in a major metropolitan area. The study revealed that senior administrators in public and private schools rapidly adapted their strategies to contend with the new program: suburban public schools prevented scholarship students from enrolling; urban public schools increased choices for public school students; and private schools actively recruited students. However, the scholarships had little influence on the ways these administrators viewed school choice.     

The Effects of Conjoint Behavioral Consultation in Early Childhood Settings

Conjoint behavioral consultation (CBC) is an ecological model of service delivery that brings together parents and educators to collaboratively address shared concerns for a child. This study provides exploratory data investigating the effects of CBC on home and school concerns for 48 children aged 6 and younger. Single-subject methods were used to evaluate the effects of CBC on individual children. Effect sizes across cases yielded large median effect sizes (0.97 at home and 1.06 at school). Results of paired sample t tests suggested significant improvements in parents' perceptions of communication with their child's teacher and in the overall parent-teacher relationship. In addition, parents and teachers reported high levels of acceptability of CBC and satisfaction with the consultant. Implications and limitations of the study and future research needs are presented.