TEACHING RESEARCH IN GERONTOLOGY: TOWARD A CUMULATIVE MODEL

In this article, we consider different approaches to teaching research methods in gerontology across a continuum of educational program levels. Our goal is to offer a conceptual framework and stimulate productive discussion of key issues and challenges in teaching research in gerontology. It is our belief that education in gerontology should include some level of training in research methodologies across all levels of gerontology instruction. Therefore, we have sought to identify those components of research training most appropriate for each level of gerontological education. Thus, basic understanding of research methods is appropriate at the associate's degree level and introductory exposure to basic issues involved in conducting research with elders provides a necessary backdrop to undergraduate programs. More in-depth understanding of gerontological research methods, particularly those involved in applied research, is a component of quality master's level programs. Finally, in-depth knowledge and the ability to apply distinctively gerontological research methods are necessary for conducting advanced original research at the doctoral level.     

Integrating Education on Addressing Health Disparities into the Graduate Social Work Curriculum

The purpose of this article is to propose an elective social work course as a means of better preparing social workers entering practice in healthcare to meet the challenges of promoting health and reducing health disparities in minority and underserved communities. Course offerings specifically targeting health or medical social work training vary widely. The additional training provided at places of employment and through continuing education after the master's degree is often inadequate for competently addressing the issues clinicians face in practice.     

Socialization of Doctoral Students: Implications for Social Work Education

Recent discussions on social work education increasingly have drawn attention to doctoral education. The purpose of this article is to consider these discussions that debated some of the ways of improving doctoral student education and professional development, using professional socialization as a conceptual framework. Issues such as research, teaching, and research assistantship, and conferences are considered as key components of the process of preparing doctoral students for knowledge building through teaching and research. Finally, the paper discusses some implications for social work education.     

The Success of Schools in Implementing Eight Restructuring Designs: A Synthesis of First‐Year Evaluation Outcomes

In the UK there has been strong governmental pressure on schools to adopt a technicist‐rational approach to management. This paper reports an investigation of the relationship between the efficiency of resource management and school effectiveness using data from 117 secondary school inspection reports undertaken by the Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED). School effectiveness is assessed in terms of qualitative and quantitative measures of the quality of learning and teaching reported by inspectors. Quantitative indicators of the extent to which schools are assessed as ‘efficient’ in managing resources were derived. Statistical analysis suggests a positive association between school effectiveness and rational management practice.     

Filmed in Front of a Live Studio Audience: Laughter and Aggression in Political Entertainment Programming

Shows blending humor and information are on the rise, and many such shows incorporate live studio audiences. Using two separate experimental studies, we test whether audience laughter on humorous political talk shows affects audience perceptions. We find that the effects of audience laughter depend on context, boosting perceptions of host and program credibility when a host is unknown, while reminding viewers of the comedic intentions and appeal of a known comedic host. If humor allows the hosts of comedic political talk shows more freedom to pointedly question their guests without turning off viewers, it may better engage and inform audiences.     

Contractualism,Committalism, and Covenantalism: A Worldview Dimensional Analysis of Human Relating

Throughout the literature much of the research on political campaign debates has focused on presidential debates and has largely ignored non‐presidential debates, particularly those featuring candidates competing in mixed‐gender races. The purpose of this study is to draw attention to these non‐presidential debates and particularly those in which gender may play a pivotal role. Through our analysis of four debates—two gubernatorial and two U.S. Senate debates—we advance the notion of debatestyle as a useful analytic scheme to examine the verbal content of female and male candidate debate dialogue. While few differences in female and male debatestyles ultimately emerged, results of the current study indicate that female and male political candidates, when engaged in debate, adopt a strategy of gendered adaptiveness that offers important contributions to both research on political debates as well as research on gender and politics.     

Getting the actor to act

The hypothesis that a self‐contradictory communication is less persuasive than a non‐contradictory one was tested. The data supported the hypothesis only for those subjects who perceived the contradiction; neither open and closed‐mindedness nor initial attitude toward the policy advocated in the communication accurately distinguished the perceivers of the contradiction from the non‐perceivers.     

Facilitator,director or critical friend?: contradiction and congruence in doctoral supervision styles

This paper explores the current issues relating to doctoral research supervision and candidature, set within the context of the neo-liberal and consumerist agendas and the pressures of the Research Assessment Exercise. The paper opens up discussion about the extent to which the discourse of performativity may be having an influence on supervision styles, and explores some of the barriers that may prevent the realisation of effective supervisor/student relationships. The paper highlights the evidence arising from a critical review of literature into current supervision styles and candidate needs, explores the way in which these issues may be applied to education and provides illustrative examples of the way in which principles are currently being translated into practice in the Faculty of Education of one Scottish university.     

Diversity and intergroup contact in higher education: exploring possibilities for democratization through social justice education

This study contributes to research linking diversity and higher education teaching to democratic learning outcomes. It explores processes and outcomes associated with the intergroup contact of Black and White students enrolled in two sections of a diversity education course at a public university in the southeastern United States. The goals of this study were: (1) to explore the intergroup dynamics that emerged when students interacted in both sections of the course; and (2) to identify student support for intergroup cooperation as a result of their experiences in the course. While one section of the course experienced a high degree of intergroup conflict, students in both sections reported support for intergroup cooperation at the end of the course.     

Preschool Children’s Prosocial Responsiveness to Their Siblings’ Needs in Naturalistic Interactions: A Longitudinal Study

Research Findings: Siblings’ interactions in early childhood may provide a unique context for understanding others’ needs and fostering prosociality. This 2-year longitudinal study examined children’s prosocial responsiveness to their siblings’ needs during naturalistic interactions. European-Canadian sibling dyads (N = 39) were observed in their homes for a total of 18 hours – when they were age 2 and 4 years and 2 years later. Prosocial opportunities were identified from children’s manifestations of need and coded for types of responses to such needs. Analyses indicated that younger siblings manifested more cues indicating a need. Siblings often expressed their needs explicitly through direct verbal or nonverbal requests. Alongside situational cues and parental intervention, direct verbal requests were particularly likely to elicit prosociality. Children engaged in helping more than sharing, followed by comforting and protecting. Opportunities to share were rejected more than other types of prosocial behaviors. With age, children were more likely to help, and less likely to refuse to share. With regards to birth order, 4-year-old firstborns engaged in helping, comforting, and protecting (but not sharing) more than 4-year-old secondborns. Practice or Policy: Findings have implications for parents by suggesting ways in which prosociality can be fostered within the sibling relationship in early childhood, and for researchers by extending recent theories of early prosociality from experimental settings to naturalistic interactions.