How teacher education students cope with practicum concerns

Abstract

Student teacher stress during practicum experiences has generated interest across teacher education programs. However, there is very little research on the sources of support students draw on to help them cope with practicum stresses. This study sought data directly from the students to represent the student perspective. Students ranked their five most important sources of support for coping, and they noted the strategies they used to cope with practicum stresses. Students consistently reported that seeking support from the teacher was their primary coping strategy. This finding suggests that an effective student‐supervising teacher relationship is critical for student practicum success. Differences emerged between the most and least stressed students in terms of their reported use of coping strategies. Implications of the findings for teacher education programs are addressed.     

A Technique for Determining the Relative Difficulty of Word Meanings among Elementary School Children

Numerous studies have documented the robustness of t and F to heterogeneous variances under the restricted condition of equal n’s. Likewise, the distortion of α in the presence of unequal n’s and variances has been demonstrated in both mathematical and empirical studies. Several investigations, however, have shown the Welch technique to be robust to this disturbing situation in the two group case. The present study was addressed to the k group AOV situation. Monte Carlo methods were employed to contrast several procedures with respect to a.) control over Type I errors and b.) power. Results indicate that the generalized Welch technique may be substituted for the AOV when variances are heterogeneous and n’s are unequal.     

Pre-service physical education teachers' beliefs about competition in physical education

The discourse of competitive sport is, and has been, a defining feature of physical education for many years. Given the privileged and dominant position competition holds in physical education curricula, it is concerning that competitive physical education remains steeped in traditional pedagogies and that these pedagogies are constrained by teachers' everyday philosophies rather than any explicit understanding of pedagogy or the needs of pupils. This in turn affects pupils' experiences of physical education and specifically the type and form of activities that are offered to pupils. Physical education teachers' biographies generally show a profound attachment to sport, and in particular competitive sport, and the value of competitive sport is significant in the lives and identities of physical education recruits. However, there is a paucity of research specifically in relation to in-service and pre-service physical education teacher's beliefs about competition and its place in physical education. It is well documented that the implicit theories that pre-service, beginning and experienced teachers hold influence their reactions to teacher education and their teaching practice, with their beliefs acting as a filter through which a host of instructional judgements and decisions are made. Thus, it is important to understand pre-service physical education teachers' (PSTs') beliefs about competition. Thirty five (16 men, 15 women, 4 unknown) PSTs completed a reflective journal alongside their participation in a University-based module focused on models-based practice. The data generated were analysed using the procedures and techniques of grounded theory which revealed five major themes grouped in the discussion under the sub-categories of: (1) defining competition; (2) learning through competition; (3) competitive physical education and the sporting pathway; (4) competition needs to be got out of children; and (5) a little competition. The discussion challenges how we transform traditional views of competition and the competitive practices that alienate some young people from physical education.     

African American and European American Mothers' Beliefs about Negative Emotions and Emotion Socialization Practices

OBJECTIVE: Mothers' beliefs about their children's negative emotions and their emotion socialization practices were examined. DESIGN: Sixty-five African American and 137 European American mothers of 5-year-old children reported their beliefs and typical responses to children's negative emotions, and mothers' emotion teaching practices were observed. RESULTS: African American mothers reported that the display of negative emotions was less acceptable than European American mothers, and African American mothers of boys perceived the most negative social consequences for the display of negative emotions. African American mothers reported fewer supportive responses to children's negative emotions than European Americans and more nonsupportive responses to children's anger. African American mothers of boys also reported more nonsupportive responses to submissive negative emotions than African American mothers of girls. However, no differences were found by ethnicity or child gender in observed teaching about emotions. Group differences in mothers' responses to negative emotions were explained, in part, by mothers' beliefs about emotions. CONCLUSIONS: Differences in beliefs and practices may reflect African American mothers' efforts to protect their children from discrimination.     

Municipal overburden: an empirical analysis

The municipal overburden hypothesis asserts the existence of a causal relationship between high levels of non-school municipal expenditure or tax rates and low levels of school spending. We estimate demand for expenditure on education using a median voter model. The hypothesis is tested by including in the estimating equation several versions of a variable representing municipal overburden. We find no evidence in support of the hypothesis.