Challenging the Science Curriculum Paradigm: Teaching Primary Children Atomic-Molecular Theory

Research in Science Education - Solutions to global issues demand the involvement of scientists, yet concern exists about retention rates in science as students pass through school into University....     

Validation of the 12-minute swim as a field test of peak aerobic power in young women.

The purposes of this study were to validate the 12-min swim as a field test of VO2 peak in female recreational swimmers and to compare its validity with that of the 12-min run. The results are contrasted with those previously reported on a comparable group of male recreational swimmers. Thirty-four young women completed 12-min swim, 12-min run, tethered swimming VO2 peak, and treadmill running VO2 peak tests within 3 weeks. Mean (+/- SD) 12-min swim and run distances were 597 +/- 82 and 2,313 +/- 317 m, and mean tethered swim and treadmill run VO2 peak values were 39.2 +/- 4.9 and 45.4 +/- 6.3 ml.kg BW-1.min-1, respectively. Correlation coefficients and standard errors of estimate for predictions of swimming VO2 peak from the 12-min swim (.42 and 4.5 ml.kg BW-1.min-1) and run (.58 and 4.1 ml.kg BW-1.min-1) and for predictions of treadmill run VO2 peak from the 12-min swim (.34 and 6.0 ml.kg BW-1.min-1) and run (.87 and 3.2 ml.kg BW-1.min-1) indicated that the 12-min run was a more accurate predictor of tethered swim or treadmill run VO2 peak than the 12-min swim. These data are in close agreement with our previous study on young male recreational swimmers. We conclude that the 12-min swim has relatively low validity as a field test of peak aerobic power and that it is not an equally valid alternative to the 12-min run in young adult female recreational swimmers.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Digital Citizenship in K-12: It Takes a Village

Digital citizenship encompasses a wide range of behaviors with varying degrees of risk and possible negative consequences. Lack of digital citizenship awareness and education can, and has, led to problematic, even dangerous student conduct. If our educational village does not address these issues, the digital culture establishes its own direction, potentially pushing a productive, long-term solution further out of reach. By tapping into the experience of various practitioners and experts in the field this article provides the reader with a number of suggestions that can help the professional to help their students become better digital citizens.     

Trauma‐Informed Response in the Age of Title IX: Considerations for College Counselors Working With Survivors of Power‐Based Personal Violence

Intimate partner violence, sexual violence, and stalking are pervasive in the United States, and college women are disproportionately affected by this power‐based personal violence (PBPV). Title IX mandates that colleges and universities offer support services to trauma survivors, and college counselors should be prepared to meet this need. Therefore, this article serves to explore a diverse assortment of trauma‐informed counseling techniques, based in feminist theory, for college counselors working with PBPV survivors.     

Path analysis of a theoretical model of persistence in higher education among low-income black youth

Path analysis is used to examine the process of persistence in higher education among a sample of 403 low-income black youth attending a variety of institutions throughout the United States. The model explores the role of college experiences — academic and social integration and academic achievement. Although social integration was misspecified, the model expiains 32% of persistence variance when academic integration is specified prior to academic achievement. The direct effect of college grades is strongest, accounting for half of the explained variance. Academic integration is actually more important than previously believed, exerting an indirect influence through grades. Since college experiences are more important than background characteristics, persistence among low-income minority youth could be improved by program interventions.     

Supporting the Professional Development of Science Teacher Educators Through Shadowing

Despite calls for more attention to the preparation of those who prepare teachers, there have been few examples of institutionally sanctioned and structured learning opportunities created to equip faculty with the knowledge and skills necessary to become effective teacher educators. In this paper, we describe a cross-disciplinary and collaborative initiative that involves shadowing of colleagues as a means of supporting the professional learning of science teacher educators. We illustrate the unique affordance of this model and highlight our professional learning across multiple dimensions: cognitive, practical, relational, and emotional. We illustrate how shadowing can support the learning of faculty at different career stages and from different disciplinary backgrounds and entry points to teacher education through a series of vignettes of shadowing in a variety of course contexts. Finally, we offer considerations for the transferability of our model to other institutions and contexts, and how further research conducted in the context of shadowing could help deepen our understanding of the knowledge base of science teacher educators and how this knowledge is developed.

     

What Matters to Whom: Predictors of Teacher Satisfaction in a Career Development Plan

This article examines several workplace predictors of career satisfaction for teachers involved in a career development plan. Furthermore, it examines whether different aspects of the work environment, including intrinsic job characteristics and positive personnel evaluation, are predictors of career satisfaction for teachers in different groups. The predictors of career satisfaction vary according to divergent work roles and career phases. Among the independent variables emerging as important are informational resources and hierarchy of authority for entry-level teachers, rationality of promotion for career-level teachers, and positive evaluation by the principal for experienced teachers who are not participating in the career development plan.     

Validation ROI: An HPT case study from the medical device industry

Validation is both a process and a function within Company ABC. Using the human performance technology (HPT) process, interventions were prescribed to address identified performance gaps. Forecasting an annual return on investment (ROI) based on goals yielded a ROI of 168%. Data collected for the first quarter of 2009 yielded a calculated ROI of 326%. This study discusses the HPT process and what was done to achieve the results.