Interpersonal Social Work Skills for Community Practice,by Donna Hardina

The social work profession has struggled with an uncertain identity since its beginning. The split between clinical practitioners and those who engage primarily in social action and social policy analysis is particularly diversive. The author proposes that "Community Education" could be an integrative framework for the profession. Direct practice could shift from an obsolescent allegiance to a therapeutic model, to a less stigmatizing educational model which could include psychodynamic practice. Those professionals concerned with macro-issues can be conceptualized as educating the community regarding their clients' needs. Such a change of identity would have implications for professional training.     

Higher Education Institutions: Satisfaction and Loyalty among International Students

This study empirically investigates the relationship between satisfaction with educational service augmenters and consumer loyalty within the context of the international student market. An enhanced state of consumer satisfaction, also labeled as delight, is captured by focusing on service augmenters that fall outside the domain of the core educational service. The results indicate that while satisfaction with the augmenters does determine consumer loyalty, the augmenters that enhance the delivery of the core seem to have the strongest impact on consumer loyalty. Apart from research implications, the findings have interesting managerial implications, especially for administrators in educational institutions and policy makers associated with U.S. higher education.     

A typology of school science models

Modelling is the essence of thinking and working scientifically. But how do secondary students view science models? Usually as toys or miniatures of real-life objects with few students actually understanding why scientists use multiple models to explain concepts. A conceptual typology of models is presented and explained to help teachers select models that are appropriate to the conceptual ability of their students. The article concludes by recommending that teachers model scientific modelling to their students, encourage the use of multiple models in science lessons, progressively introduce sophisticated models, systematically present in-class models using the Focus, Action and Reflection (FAR) guide and socially negotiate all model meanings.     

Comparing Models of Nature of Science Dimensionality Based on the Next Generation Science Standards

Instruments measuring understanding of the nature of science (NOS) are required if educational institutions intend to use benchmarks or examine the effects of interventions targeting students’ NOS development. Compared to other constructs, NOS understanding is complex, having been the subject of debate among scholars in both its substance and its dimensionality. This complexity invites challenges in defining what is to be measured. Drawing from the perspective that policy reform documents provide pragmatic consensus-based definitions of NOS, this study investigated how well the dimensionality described in the NOS component of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) framework matched the empirical structure of data collected from a set of secondary-school students’ responses to an NOS instrument comprising multiple-choice and Likert-scale items. Using multidimensional item response modeling to compare structures of NOS dimensionality, we found that treating NOS as comprising multiple dimensions—as defined by the themes in the NGSS NOS framework—resulted in a better fitting model than when treating NOS as a single dimension. The multidimensional model also had fewer poorly functioning items and revealed NOS profiles that otherwise would have been masked in a model treating NOS as a single dimension. These results provide support for the NOS NGSS framework and contribute to the ongoing discussion about the dimensionality of NOS.     

Cross Cultural Differences in Online Learning Motivation

Globalization and technology are two of the many drivers that impact today’s education, locally and internationally. The purpose of the research study was to identify how online learners in Korea and the US perceived online learning motivation differently and what learner characteristics and cultural orientation affected the online learners’ learning motivation. Major findings revealed that there was a significant difference in learning motivation between the US and Korean online learners. The study also discusses how cultural orientation and learner characteristics affected the learning motivation of online learners for each country.

Différences interculturelles de la motivation de formation en ligne. La globalisation et la technologie représentent deux conducteurs qui ont l’impact sur l’éducation d’aujourd’hui localement et internationalement. Le but de cette étude de recherche était d’identifier comment les étudiants en Corée et aux Etats‐Unis perçoivent la motivation de formation en ligne différemment et comment les caractéristiques des étudiants et leur orientation culturelle affectent leur motivation de formation en ligne. Les conclusions principales révèlent qu’il y a une différence significante concernant la motivation de formation entre les étudiants en ligne des Etats‐Unis et de Corée. L’étude explique également comment l’orientation culturelle et les caractéristiques des étudiants affectent la motivation de formation des étudiants en ligne pour chaque pays.

Unterschiede zwischen verschiedenen Kulturen bei Online‐Lernmotivation. Globalisierung und Technik sind zwei der vielen Antriebe, die die heutige Bildung am Ort und international betreffen. Der Zweck der Forschungsstudie war, herauszufinden, wie Online‐Anfänger in Korea und den USA Online‐Lernmotivation unterschiedlich wahrnehmen, und wie die Anfängermerkmale und die kulturelle Orientierung die Lernmotivation der Online‐Anfänger beeinflussten. Die hauptsächlichen Befunde ergaben, dass es einen signifikanten Unterschied bei der Lernmotivation zwischen den US‐amerikanischen und koreanischen Online‐Anfängern gab. Die Studie erörtert auch, wie kulturelle Orientierung und Persönlichkeitsmerkmale die Lernmotivation von Online‐Lernern in jedem Land beeinflussen.     

Supporting teacher responsiveness in assessment for learning through disciplined noticing

Abstract

Assessment for learning (AfL) practices are commonly recommended as effective classroom strategies for providing teachers with information about student understanding. For teachers, the substantive potential of these AfL practices to inform student learning actions depends on what teachers notice and select as a focus and how they interpret and act on the information they have. This paper suggests research on teacher professional noticing has something to offer in understanding how teacher AfL attention and actions are framed in the moment. It explains noticing as a responsive act that invites action that is an inclusive, dynamic and purposeful response to evidence of student ideas. Noticing is what enables a teacher to act on the fly because it informs and underpins possible actions. Three frames of noticing are introduced to guide noticing and action – curriculum connoisseurship, cultural and community connectedness, and collaborative ways of working. Through consideration of classroom events using these frames, teachers become better prepared to choose to respond in the moment creatively. The three frames provide teachers and researchers with a conceptual language to articulate and sharpen their AfL practices as part of a flexible and rigorous responsiveness to their students’ learning.     

Using action research to address the mental health needs of older people: a reflection and discussion of real‐world problems

Action research provides an opportunity to implement and understand the process of change in practice settings, as well as develop theoretical insights into complex social situations. The provision of mental healthcare for older people within the general hospital is one such situation, and this paper presents a discussion and reflection on the use of action research in this setting. The background to the project is described, followed by a discussion of three major issues that emerged for us: the extent to which we were able to promote democracy and maintain and demonstrate democratic behaviour, the problems and pitfalls of operationalising grounded theory methodology within an action research approach, and the challenges of developing an authentic and credible account of the care of older people with mental health needs. This paper aims to add to a discourse regarding action research and will be of value to researchers using this approach across a range of health, social care and educational settings.     

Understanding Students' Motivation in Sport and Physical Education: From the Expectancy-Value Model and Self-Efficacy Theory Perspectives

In this article, the roles of individuals' expectancy beliefs and incentives (i.e., task value, outcome expectancy) in sport and physical education are examined from expectancy-value model and self-efficacy theory perspectives. Overviews of the two theoretical frameworks and the conceptual and measurement issues are provided, followed by a review of developmental and gender/racial differences and the influences of sport and physical education on children's motivational beliefs.