Student Teachers in Primary Schools: the views of mentors and headteachers

Four year initial teacher education courses have recently undergone radical reform, in particular in relation to the time that students spend in schools. Through the introduction of mentorship programmes, teachers have become very much more involved in training the students whilst they are in school. How do teachers view the changes that have been introduced? Do they agree with the principles and models that guided the developments? Headteachers and class teachers who acted as mentors for students from the University of Reading have supplied some answers. They are very committed to the model of student learning upon which the mentorship programme is built, the belief that schools and the university must work in partnership to implement and further develop the mentorship programme and the view that schools need to adopt a whole school approach to their involvement in initial teacher education. These findings indicate that the teachers agree with the underlying principles that guided the development of the mentorship programme in which they are involved and they are supportive of the resulting changes to school experience.     

Role of proactive interference in infantile forgetting

Ontogenetic changes in the role of proactive interference in augmenting forgetting were tested with 444 rats as subjects. In Experiment 1, Phase 1 (the source of proactive interference) included events that were contingent or not contingent on responding in the context of either the Phase 2 training apparatus or a distinctly different apparatus. After learning a spatial discrimination for Phase 2, retention tests were given after intervals of 2 min, 1 day, 7 days, 30 days, or 65 days. The results indicated: (1) infantile amnesia, and (2) proactive interference for infant rats but not for adults, in spite of substantial simple forgetting among adults. Experiment 2 extended the test to a go/no-go avoidance task. The results of Experiment 2 gave some indication that infants were more susceptible than were adults to proactive interference over short intervals, but the generality of this relationship was sufficiently ambiguous as to suggest different mechanisms of interference for the discrimination and go/no-go tasks. These data indicate multiple mechanisms of infantile forgetting that may vary with certain characteristics of the task.     

Using Simulation Techniques in the Counseling Practicum

To help meet the need to educate school counselors in the broader aspects of their work, the application of simulation techniques is suggested. A rationale is provided with discussion centering on the following points: (a) simulation offers an opportunity to provide specific training emphases, and (b) simulation offers a way of providing a wide range of counseling and guidance experiences not easily obtainable under regular practicum conditions. Specific examples of simulation are described, including a case study, a PTA speech, a teachers' meeting, a counselor's day, and a school board presentation. Benefits for counselor education programs which can be realized from simulation experiences also are discussed. Rather than choosing actors to play roles it is suggested that practicing counselors, state department personnel, doctoral students, and counselor education faculty should participate in simulation activities. As role players, they will gain an appreciation of current trends in the education of counselors.     

The influence of olfactory context on Pavlovian conditioning and its expression in preweanling (16-day-old) and adult rats

In a series of experiments, we tested the responses of preweanling (16 days postpartum) and adult rats to a specific olfactory context that was present during conditioning and testing of a brightness-location aversion. The first set of experiments established that (1) contrary to previously published effects with other distinctive contexts during conditioning and testing, a novel olfactory context impaired conditioning and its expression in preweanlings; (2) if the preweanlings were previously familiarized with the olfactory context, its presence impaired neither conditioning nor its expression; and (3) although conditioning in the absence of the olfactory context was equivalent for adults and preweanlings, the novel olfactory context had no effect on conditioning or its expression in adults. In the next set of experiments, we tested whether a conditioned aversion had been formed to the olfactory context. It was determined that although preweanlings acquired a substantial aversion to the olfactory context, whether novel or familiar, adults gave no indication of conditioning to the novel olfactory context. A final set of experiments established that preweanlings acquired an association between (or unitized) the CS + and the context. These results add to previous indications that preweanlings may be especially sensitive to redundant or irrelevant features of the conditioning episode.     

Comparability and reliability of paper- and computer-based measures of psychosocial constructs for adolescent physical activity and sedentary behaviors

This study assessed the comparability and reliability of paper-based and computer-based administration of psychosocial construct measures related to adolescents engaging in physical activity and sedentary behaviors. Adolescents (n = 76; 55% girls, 49% Hispanic, 18% non-Hispanic-white; M age = 13 years) completed measures of behavior change strategies, self-efficacy, decisional balance, family and peer influences, enjoyment, activity choices, and environmental influences. Overall, the adolescents provided equivalent responses on paper and computer formats. Reliability estimates were generally good for the multiple-item constructs, but single-item measures tended to demonstrate low reliability. Average scale internal consistency was significantly higher for measures administered with the computer format compared to the paper format, but test-rest reliability estimates were not significantly different between formats.     

Biology teachers' perceptions of subject matter structure and its relationship to classroom practice

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the nature of biology teachers' global content understandings (herein called subject matter structure-SMS), the sources and formation of SMSs, and the variables that differentially affected teachers' abilities to translate SMSs into classroom practice. Case studies of 5 experienced biology teachers were constructed through interviews, classroom observations, and analysis of instructional materials. The data were qualitatively analyzed to describe the SMS exhibited by the teacher in the classroom and compared to SMSs provided by the teachers in postobservation interviews. The teachers' SMSs for biology were based on discrete content topics rather than conceptually integrated themes. Though most teachers recognized the integrated nature of biology, few used such conceptions to guide practice purposefully. The initial formation of SMSs were typically credited to college content courses and modified by the act of teaching. Opportunities for reflection and reinforcement seemed critical for the formation of coherent SMSs. The relationship of SMSs to classroom practice was complex and varied. The most direct form of translation occurred in the scope of course content. Variables that differentially affected SMS translation (typically through mitigation) included teacher intentions, content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, students, teacher autonomy, and time.     

Assessing the Personal-Social Development of Hong Kong Chinese Adolescents

A 60-item measure, the Personal-Social Development Self-Efficacy Inventory (PSD-SEI) was developed to assess personal-social development self-efficacy among adolescents in Hong Kong. The PSD-SEI was administered to 6,776 Grade 10–13 students in Hong Kong. Principal components analysis with varimax solutions yielded seven meaningful factors: 1. Self-Realization, 2. Leadership and Teamwork, 3. Emotional, Physical and Social Wellness, 4. Interests and Life Goals 5. Relationships, 6. Avoiding Drugs, Excessive Drinking and Smoking, and 7. Finance and Self-Care. Reliability analyses showed that the total scale and subscales were internally consistent. The data suggested that Hong Kong adolescents had some but not strong confidence in their personal-social development. Boys were more confident in self-realization and maintaining wellness; girls were more confident in leadership and teamwork, relationship with the opposite sex, and avoiding drugs, excessive drinking, and smoking. This study is the first attempt to develop and validate a personal-social development self-efficacy measure for Chinese adolescents. Further research and applications of the PSD-SEI for the quality enhancement of personal-social development programmes in schools are discussed.     

Classroom factors related to changes in students' conceptions of the nature of science

Scientific literacy implies an adequate understanding of the nature of scientific knowledge. However, little is known about classroom factors that can influence students' conceptions of the nature of science. In the present study, classroom variables that were related to changes in students' conceptions of science were identified. Particular attention was directed toward students' overall conceptions of scientific knowledge and their views of its tentative nature. Twenty-five classroom variables were found to be significantly related to both overall and tentative conceptions, while 12 variables were found to be scale-specific. A comparison between teacher and student conceptions of science did not support the prevalent assumption that a teacher's conception of science is significantly related to changes in students' conceptions of science. “Successful” classes were defined as those exhibiting the greatest student conceptual changes toward the viewpoint held by the teacher, irrespective of the “adequacy” of the teacher's viewpoint. In general, these classes were typified by frequent inquiry-oriented questioning with little emphasis on rote memory. Implicit references to the nature of science were commonly observed. Furthermore, where greatest changes in student conceptions of science were observed, the teachers were pleasant, supportive, and frequently used anecdotes to promote instruction and establish rapport. Emphasis on the depth, breadth, and accuracy of content statistically differentiated between “successful” and “unsuccessful” classes with respect to students' overall conceptions. However, this emphasis on content presentation did not differentiate classes with respect to students' conceptions of the tentative nature of science.     

Relationship Among Students’ Problem-Solving Attitude,Perceived Value,Behavioral Attitude,and Intention to Participate in a Science and Technology Contest

The strong humanistic and ethics-oriented philosophy of Confucianism tends to lead people influenced by these principles to undervalue the importance of hands-on practice and creativity in education. GreenMech, a science and technology contest, was implemented to encourage real-world, hands-on problem solving in an attempt to mitigate this effect. The self-reported attitudes, values, and intentions of 684 GreenMech participants from elementary, junior high, and senior high schools in Taiwan were subjected to confirmatory analysis with structural equation modeling to test the hypothesized model. The research findings revealed that the students’ problem-solving attitude is positively correlated to their perception of their own knowledge enrichment and thinking-skill enhancement as a result of participating in GreenMech. The findings also suggest that these perceived advantages positively influenced the intention to participate in future contests. This indicates that a highly competitive contest can be used to promote awareness of opportunities, which may enhance thinking skills and enrich knowledge.