Moving on (part 1): The physics of power and curriculum history

This is the first of two papers that map (dis)continuities in notions of power from Aristotle to Newton to Foucault. They trace the ways in which bio-physical conceptions of power became paraphrased in social science and deployed in educational discourse on the child and curriculum from post-Newtonian times to the present. The analyses suggest that, amid ruptures in the definition, role, location and meaning given 'power' historically in various 'physical' and 'social' cosmologies, the naming of 'power' has been dependent on 'physics', on the theorization of motion across 'Western' sciences. This first paper examines some (dis)continuities in regard to histories of motion and power from Aristotelian 'natural science' to Newtonian mechanics.     

Stereotypes of Aging: Their Effects on the Health of Seniors in North American Society

Seniors are routinely subjected to negative stereotypes regarding their physical and cognitive abilities. The power and prevalence of cultural stereotypes of aging essentially results in a “double-whammy” to seniors. First, they influence the way that seniors are treated by society. Second, cultural stereotypes affect how seniors see themselves. The ramifications here are important, for research suggests that stereotypes influence decisions to engage in cognitive and physical activity, the ability to recover from disease and, ultimately, the length and quality of life. Considering the demographic trends in North America, finding ways to effectively minimize and counteract the most negative stereotypes remains a pressing social concern.     

PUSH(ing) Limits: Using Fiction in the Classroom for Human Behavior and the Social Environment

The use of fiction and autobiography in social science course work has been shown to enhance students' learning experience. Using the novel PUSH, by Sapphire, we designed a curriculum supplement for the social work course, human behavior and the social environment (HBSE) that encourages students to integrate course content in an innovative way and enables them to apply the material to life-like situations. The HBSE supplement allows students to explore poignant and problematic issues that push them past intrapersonal and interpersonal limits. Classes are infused with energy and the critical consciousness of the students. Final projects are a systematic case study of a chosen character (or characters) in the book and are a testament to student critical thinking and creativity. Methods, assignments, and student experiences in an introductory BSW course are described.     

Dribble files: Methodologies to evaluate learning and performance in complex environments

Research in the area of technology learning environments is tremendously complex. Tasks performed in these contexts are highly cognitive and mostly invisible to the observer. The nature of performance in these contexts is explained not only by the outcome but also by the process. However, evaluating the learning process with respect to tasks involving technology is difficult to measure objectively. As a result, audit trails (also called log or dribble files) are becoming extremely valuable tools in evaluating learning and performance in complex environments. This article reviews efforts of researchers in various areas, describes the nature of research using dribble files, and provides a framework on which investigators might build evaluations.     

Counsellor supervision In Zimbabwe: A new direction

This paper examines theneed for a new paradigm of counsellor supervision in Zimbabwe andprovides components for a new paradigm. The article identifiesissues that need to be considered in order to develop counsellorsupervision practice in an appropriate cultural and social contextfor the country. The issues that are examined are: counsellortraining in Zimbabwe; sociohistoric and present racial themes inZimbabwe; the impact of Eurocentric counselling theory, research andpractice in Zimbabwe; and the basic tenets of indigenous culture inZimbabwe that impact on the counsellor supervision process.     

Maternal Negativity and Children's Externalizing Behavior

Maternal negativity in parent-child interactions related to both the presence and persistence of child externalizing behavior problems. We examined how behavior of 120 mothers and their children in an interaction task at preschool related to assessments of child behavior problems at preschool, first grade, and third grade. At preschool and first-grade, children were assigned to three groups: comparison, moderate externalizing, and pervasive externalizing; at both timepoints the pervasive externalizing group had greater maternal negativity assessed at preschool. Maternal negativity was predicted, beyond the child's disruptive behavior in the task, by two variables: mother's perception of low spousal agreement and support related to child problems and depression. At third grade, child symptoms and diagnoses of ADHD and ODD were predicted by mothers' commands and repeat commands, though not negativity, in the preschool interaction task. Implications of these findings for early family intervention are discussed.     

Extending validity evidence for multidimensional measures of coaching competency

This study extended validity evidence for multidimensional measures of coaching competency derived from the Coaching Competency Scale (CCS; Myers, Feltz, Maier, Wolfe, & Reckase, 2006) by examining use of the original rating scale structure and testing how measures related to satisfaction with the head coach within teams and between teams. Motivation, game strategy, technique, and character building comprised the dimensions of coaching competency. Data were collected from athletes (N = 585) nested within intercollegiate men's (g = 8) and women's (g = 13) soccer and women's ice hockey (g = 11) teams (G = 32). Validity concerns were observed for the original rating scale structure and the predicted positive relationship between motivation competency and satisfaction with the coach between teams. Validity evidence was offered for a condensed post hoc rating scale and the predicted relationship between motivation competency and satisfaction with the coach within teams.