Who has a Problem,the Student or the Teacher? Differences in Teachers' Beliefs About Their Work with At‐risk and Integrated Exceptional Students

In this study, teachers' assumptions and beliefs are explored about the needs of at‐risk and exceptional students, and about their roles and responsibilities in meeting such needs. Teachers appear to hold consistent and coherent belief systems which differ along an ordinal scale. At one end, ‘restorative’ beliefs assume that problems reside largely within the pupil, and therefore the teacher's duty is to refer the pupil for confirmatory assessment as soon as possible. At the other ‘preventive’ end, teachers assume that the environment, including instruction, plays a part in a student's problems. The teacher therefore attempts prereferral interventions, and requests assessment to identify instructional alternatives. This study provides evidence for the validity of the restorative‐preventive construct, reporting the results of both quantitative and qualitative analyses of interviews with 27 regular class elementary teachers. Teachers' ratings on the construct correlated significantly with their self‐ratings of teaching efficacy (Gibson & Dembo, 1984). Teachers with preventive beliefs had higher self‐efficacy scores than those with a restorative profile. Further, teachers with restorative beliefs rated the withdrawal of problem pupils from the classroom as a more desirable resource service than preventive teachers, who preferred in‐class consultative support.     

Muscle activity and spine load during anterior chain whole body linkage exercises: the body saw,hanging leg raise and walkout from a push-up

This study examined anterior chain whole body linkage exercises, namely the body saw, hanging leg raise and walkout from a push-up. Investigation of these exercises focused on which particular muscles were challenged and the magnitude of the resulting spine load. Fourteen males performed the exercises while muscle activity, external force and 3D body segment motion were recorded. A sophisticated and anatomically detailed 3D model used muscle activity and body segment kinematics to estimate muscle force, and thus sensitivity to each individual's choice of motor control for each task. Gradations of muscle activity and spine load characteristics were observed across tasks. On average, the hanging straight leg raise created approximately 3000 N of spine compression while the body saw created less than 2500 N. The hanging straight leg raise created the highest challenge to the abdominal wall (>130% MVC in rectus abdominis, 88% MVC in external oblique). The body saw resulted in almost 140% MVC activation of the serratus anterior. All other exercises produced substantial abdominal challenge, although the body saw did so in the most spine conserving way. These findings, along with consideration of an individual's injury history, training goals and current fitness level, should assist in exercise choice and programme design.     

Internalizing and Externalizing Behaviors of Children with Writing Disabilities

Students with specific learning disabilities (SLDs) are more likely to exhibit internalizing and externalizing behaviors than typically developing peers. Virtually none of the literature, however, reports on the behaviors of students at-risk for writing disabilities (AR-WD). We compared the behaviors of writers who are AR-WD and typically developing writers (TDW) from first through fourth grade (N = 138). We found that students who are AR-WD were only significantly different from TDW on Externalizing and Total Behaviors at Grade 2. These findings illustrate the benefits of studying behavior across different forms of SLD, as it appears that students ARWD do not consistently manifest significant behaviors, although interventions that simultaneously target writing and behavior may be warranted and mutually beneficial.     

ETHICAL DILEMMAS IN TEACHING ETHICAL ISSUES IN AGING

Discussed are dilemmas faced by instructors who teach a course on ethics and aging. Decisions need to be made as to whether the course should utilize scientific objectivity or advocacy, relative or absolute standards, a theoretical/ intellectual or applied/personal orientation, and an age‐specific or age‐irrelevant view. Recommendations are provided for educational gerontologists who teach such a course.     

A review and evaluation of the internal structure and consistency of the Approaches to Teaching Inventory

ABSTRACT

This study presents a review from 39 studies that provide evidence for the structural validity and internal consistency of the Approaches to Teaching Inventory (ATI). In addition to this review, we evaluate many alternative factor structures on a sample of 267 first- and second-year chemistry faculty members participating in a professional development, a sample of instructors for which the ATI was originally designed. A total of 26 unique factor structures were evaluated. Through robust checking of assumptions, compilations of existing evidence, and new exploratory and confirmatory analyses, we found that there is greater evidence for the structural validity and internal consistency for the 22-item ATI than the 16-item ATI. Additionally, evidence supporting the original two-factor and four-factor structures proposed by the ATI authors (focusing on information transmission and conceptual change) were not reproducible and while alternative models were empirically viable, more theoretical justification is warranted. Recommendations for ATI use and general comments regarding best practices of reporting psychometrics in educational research contexts are discussed.     

Increases in Cognitive and Linguistic Processing Primarily Account for Increases in Speaking Rate With Age

Age‐related increases of speaking rate are not fully understood, but have been attributed to gains in biologic factors and learned skills that support speech production. This study investigated developmental changes in speaking rate and articulatory kinematics of participants aged 4 (N = 7), 7 (N = 10), 10 (N = 9), 13 (N = 7), 16 (N = 9) years, and young adults (N = 11) in speaking tasks varying in task demands. Speaking rate increased with age, with decreases in pauses and articulator displacements but not increases in articulator movement speed. Movement speed did not appear to constrain the speaking. Rather, age‐related increases in speaking rate are due to gains in cognitive and linguistic processing and speech motor control.     

Perceptions of Communication With Gay and Lesbian Family Members: Predictors of Relational Satisfaction and Implications for Outgroup Attitudes

This study investigates perceptions of family communication among members with different sexual identities. Specifically, from the perspective of heterosexual family members (N = 129), the study takes an intergroup perspective to determine how accommodative and non-accommodative communication and attitudes toward homosexuality predict intergroup anxiety and relational satisfaction with gay or lesbian family members. Further, the manner in which family communication influences attitudes toward homosexuality is examined. Results are discussed in terms of implications for research on heterosexual–homosexual interaction, family communication, and intergroup communication, in general.     

BOOK REVIEWS

The relationship between components of emotional intelligence (EI) (interpersonal ability, intrapersonal ability, adaptability and stress management) and academic performance in English, maths and science was examined in a sample of 86 children (49 males and 37 females) aged 11–12 years during the primary–secondary school transition period. Results indicated that for both males and females, intrapersonal ability had little relationship with academic achievement, while adaptability had the strongest relationship with achievement in all subjects. Gender differences were particularly pronounced for science, for which stronger relationships were observed with all EI components for males. In addition, apparent only for males was a negative relationship between stress management and science. These findings offer support for the current inclusion of a personal and emotional element in the primary school curriculum, and indicate that such training is likely to help males more than females to make a successful transition from primary to secondary school.