PREDICTING TEST--RETEST RELIABILITY FROM BEHAVIOR CODING

In attempting to move questionnaire design from art to science,researchers use different evaluation techniques to help determinehow well questions are working. Techniques such as behaviorcoding, respondent debriefing, interviewer debriefing, cognitiveinterviewing, and nonresponse analysis all provide informationto help the questionnaire designer assess whether respondentsunderstand questions as intended and whether they are able toprovide adequate answers to them. However, these techniquesdo not actually measure question reliability. It is assumedthat questions that pass the screen of the questionnaire evaluationtechniques described above are also more likely to produce datathat are reliable and valid. In this paper, we use behaviorcoding data to predict test–retest reliability. Respondentbehavior codes significantly predict such reliability whereasinterviewer codes—at least in this survey—do not.We also report the results of sensitivity testing to determinewhat percentage of adequate respondent answers best predictstest—retest reliability.     

Navigating puberty,identity, and race among transnationally,transracially adopted Korean American adolescents

This exploratory study examined the relation between pubertal timing and dimensions of ethnic-racial identity among adopted Korean Americans raised transracially in White families. The study also examined whether internalized racism moderated the association between pubertal timing and ethnic-racial identity. Adopted Korean American adolescents (N = 202; 108 females; ages 13–19 years) completed measures of pubertal development, ethnic-racial identity, and internalized racism in 2007. There was no significant main effect of pubertal timing for either male or female adolescents. Internalized racism moderated the relation between pubertal timing and ethnic-racial identity clarity (B = −.16, p = .015) among male adolescents. Specifically, earlier pubertal timing was significantly associated with lower ethnic-racial identity clarity for male adolescents with higher levels of internalized racism.     

Mainstream teachers’ concerns about inclusive education for children with special educational needs and disability in England under pre-pandemic conditions

A survey-based investigation of teachers’ concerns was conducted the following adaptation of Sharma and Desai’s ‘Concerns about Integrated Education (CIE) Scale’ two decades ago. The terminology was adjusted and ‘integrated’ became ‘inclusive’, and ‘Special Educational Needs and / or Disability (SEND)’ replaced ‘disability’ in a novel ‘Concerns about Inclusive Education Scale’. A purposive sample included the public and private education sectors. An online questionnaire was completed in April 2020 (n = 93) by teachers (66: state mainstream, 18: independent, 5: UK-based international schools, 3: SEND specialists, 1: alternative provision). Statistical analysis of closed questions aimed to identify teachers’ concerns about IE for children with SEND and was complemented by qualitative analysis of data generated through open-ended questions. Varied understandings of what IE means and longstanding concerns were identified. The highest level of concern was evidenced around resources, specifically, funding for specialist and support staff, resources, and appropriate infrastructure. Qualitative data analysis suggested that children with SEND risk being perceived as an onerous adjunct to an already stressful ‘regular’ teaching role. Few respondents mentioned national performance monitoring and accountability regimes in this context and, instead, viewed additional paraprofessional and external support as self-evident solutions to excessive workloads, neglecting the implications for equity in education.     

Counseling in the area of child sexual abuse within the family

This paper considers the recent recognition in Ireland of the problem of child sexual abuse. In 1983, the Government Department of Health, for the first time, allocated a separate category for it in its statistics. Treatment to date has been one of localised and ad hoc arrangements.Counseling approaches follow broadly the divisions that exist in the theoretical models that seek to explain the aetiology of abuse. These can be characterised as (1) those programs that derive from the family systems model and that emphasise dysfunctional family dynamics and (2) programs established for the counseling of a wide range of sex offenders, including intrafamily abusers, and which emphasise traits or aspects of individual perpetrator functioning. Both approaches, however, share fundamental prerequisites. These prerequisites are considered.Three issues are of particular relevance during counseling. The first relates to the child victim at the time of the discovery or disclosure of the abuse, and prior to entry into a family counseling program. The second looks at counseling programs that emphasise the family dimension. The third deals with counseling approaches for perpetrators of abuse. Each of these three topics will be discussed.     

Student’s social interaction in inquiry-based science education: how experiences of flow can increase motivation and achievement

This research investigated how student social interactions within two approaches to an inquiry-based science curriculum could be related to student motivation and achievement outcomes. This qualitative case study consisted of two cases, Off-Campus and On-Campus, and used ethnographic techniques of participant observation. Research participants included eight eighth grade girls, aged 13–14 years old. Data sources included formal and informal participant interviews, participant journal reflections, curriculum artifacts including quizzes, worksheets, and student-generated research posters, digital video and audio recordings, photographs, and researcher field notes. Data were transcribed verbatim and coded, then collapsed into emergent themes using NVIVO 9. The results of this research illustrate how setting conditions that promote focused concentration and communicative interactions can be positively related to student motivation and achievement outcomes in inquiry-based science. Participants in the Off-Campus case experienced more frequent states of focused concentration and out performed their peers in the On-Campus case on 46 % of classroom assignments. Off-Campus participants also designed and implemented a more cognitively complex research project, provided more in-depth analyses of their research results, and expanded their perceptions of what it means to act like a scientist to a greater extent than participants in the On-Campus case. These results can be understood in relation to Flow Theory. Student interactions that promoted the criteria necessary for initiating flow, which included having clearly defined goals, receiving immediate feedback, and maintaining a balance between challenges and skills, fostered enhanced student motivation and achievement outcomes. Implications for science teaching and future research include shifting the current focus in inquiry-based science from a continuum that progresses from teacher-directed to open inquiry experiences to a continuum that also deliberately includes and promotes the necessary criteria for establishing flow. Attending to Flow Theory and incorporating student experiences with flow into inquiry-based science lessons will enhance student motivation and achievement outcomes in science and bolster the success of inquiry-based science.     

Gender matters in transition to adulthood: A survey study of adolescents with disabilities and their families

This survey study explored gender differences in transition imperatives and opportunities for youth with disabilities (N = 521). Results indicated that males and females differ in terms of the adult outcomes they hope to achieve, transition training opportunities they have received, and their access to teachers and other nonfamilial adults to assist them. Youth and parents who responded to the survey indicated that gender stereotypes continue to exist and that these stereotypes result in lowered expectations for girls. Gender stereotypes were found to vary by ethnicity. Access to health insurance and a good doctor were rated as top priorities for all youth transitioning to adulthood. Implications for educators, psychologists, and counselors are discussed. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Realizing the Value of Non-Purchased Content

This presentation summarized a May 2013 white paper published by Taylor & Francis Group, Facilitating access to free online resources: challenges and opportunities for the library community (www.tandf.co.uk/libsite/pdf/TF-whitepaper-free-resources.pdf). Taylor & Francis staff conducted research aimed at exploring free content discoverability from the perspective of librarians. Study focus groups were held in London and Seattle, Washington in early 2013. Research also included telephone interviews, surveys, and literature searching to identify relevant studies and commentary articles.