Contemporary Scientists Discuss the Need for Openness and Open-Mindedness in Science and Society

We report on findings from a qualitative study of Australian scientists whose work brings them into contact with the public. This research sought to understand how a school science curriculum could better represent the work of scientists today. We discuss the views expressed by our participant scientists about the importance of openness and open-mindedness in their work, including their engagement with the public. They described openness as an important characteristic of science. Our participants also see open-mindedness on the part of both scientists and members of the public as important for productive relationships. They see the development of such relationships as an essential facet of their work. The views expressed by these scientists provide a provocative insight into the ways in which contemporary scientists see their work and relationships with their communities. Their perspectives have important implications for approaches to teaching science in schools.     

Comparing teachers’ views on morality and moral education, a comparative study in Turkey and the United States

In this study, the researchers examined how K-8 teachers approach morality, moral education, and the moral development of children in Turkey and in the United States. Both countries have diverse cultures and long histories with secular education systems. Surveys were sent to teachers in nine cities in both countries. Results suggest that Turkish teachers emphasized societal values and global values, which have implications for the sustainability of the Turkish nation-state. American teachers emphasized moral action and morality in context (cultural relativity) rather than global values. Our findings emphasize the importance of inter-cultural awareness and tolerance.     

Building National Capacity for Research Mentor Training: An Evidence-Based Approach to Training the Trainers

Research mentor training (RMT), based on the published Entering Mentoring curricula series, has been shown to improve the knowledge and skills of research mentors across career stages, as self-reported by both the mentors engaged in training and their mentees. To promote widespread dissemination and empower others to implement this evidence-based training at their home institutions, we developed an extensive, interactive, multifaceted train-the-trainer workshop. The specific goals of these workshops are to 1) increase facilitator knowledge of an RMT curriculum, 2) increase facilitator confidence in implementing the curriculum, 3) provide a safe environment to practice facilitation of curricular activities, and 4) review implementation strategies and evaluation tools. Data indicate that our approach results in high satisfaction and significant confidence gains among attendees. Of the 195 diverse attendees trained in our workshops since Fall 2010, 44% report implementation at 39 different institutions, collectively training more than 500 mentors. Further, mentors who participated in the RMT sessions led by our trained facilitators report high facilitator effectiveness in guiding discussion. Implications and challenges to building the national capacity needed for improved research mentoring relationships are discussed.     

Short skirts and breast juts: cheerleading,eroticism and schools

Cheerleading, an American invention, has 3.8 million participants in the United States, 97% of whom are female. It is an adult‐sanctioned and typically school‐affiliated activity that remains popular in spite of the increase in sports' opportunities for girls in schools. Drawing from popular culture and a middle school ethnography, the authors document the enduring popularity of cheerleading and how it is a vehicle through which adolescent girls may try out various facets of what it means to be a contemporary American woman. The cheerleader represents both the ‘good’ girl as well as the sexy tease. Understanding the sexual tensions embedded in cheerleading in its nation of origin may provide educators in different national contexts ideas of how to use cheerleading as an educational tool.     

Deceit,distrust and the social milieu: Application of deception research in a troubled world

This essay draws together deception detection research and explains its relevance to decision‐making in today's social milieu. Major areas of research focus are described including the differential effects of observational conditions, the correspondence between perceived and actual signs of deception, training observers to detect deception, and communicating with suspected deceivers. Communicator relationships, observer characteristics and observer professions are considered in relation to accurate deception detection, as is overall confidence in the ability to detect deception. Implications are drawn for legal, organizational, sales, medical and relational settings.     

Institutional Support for Handheld Computing: Clinical and Educational Lessons Learned

Handheld computing devices, or personal digital assistants (PDAs), are used often in the health care setting. They provide a convenient way to store and carry either personal or reference information and can be used to accomplish other tasks associated with patient care. This article reports clinical and educational lessons learned from a longitudinal institutional initiative designed to provide medical students with PDAs to facilitate patient care and assist with clinical learning.     

Research in communication education: Directional needs

Future Research in communication education should concentrate on (1) identifying and applying the communication functions necessary for one to participate successfully in interpersonal contexts, (2) examining communication in different learning environments, and (3) improving teacher competencies     

Factors influencing the accuracy of verbal reports of conversational behavior

Subjects interacted with a confederate in video taped dyads and were later asked to: (a) recognize whether certain specific communication behaviors had occurred during the conversation and (b) estimate the frequency with which certain behaviors occurred in it. Subjects consulted memory for conversational behavior more than they relied upon implicit theories to provide verbal reports. Subjects were better at recognizing the gist of a remark than its verbatim content. As Ericsson and Simon's theory predicts, subjects were better able to recognize verbal than nonverbal behaviors (when elicited in verbal form) and were better able to recognize specific behaviors than to generate frequency counts. Subjects were better at recognizing their own than other's behavior.     

Radio and Television

Ralph M. Jennings and Pamela Richard's How to Protect Your Rights in Television and Radio (Office of Communication, United Church of Christ, 289 Park Ave. South, New York 10010—price not given, paper)

Ted C. Smythe and George A. Mastroianni's Issues in Broadcasting: Radio, Television, and Cable (Palo Alto, Calif.: Mayfield Publishing Co., 1975—price not given but around $7.00 we learned from editors, paper)

James D. Secrest's Electronic Industries Association: The First 50 Years (Washington: EIA, 1974—price not given)

Ann M. Velia's KOB: Goddard's Magic Mast, Fifty Years of Pioneer Broadcasting (Las Cruces, N.M.: New Mexico State University Press, 1972—$6.95)

Harold Niven's Broadcast Education 1975: 14th Report (Washington: National Association of Broadcasters, 1975—$5.00, paper)

Broadcast Programming and Production (bimonthly/$7.00 per year, with first three issues free on request)

Joel L. Efrein, Cablecasting Production Handbook (Blue Ridge Summit, Pa.: TAB Books, 1975—$12.95)

NCTA is Over the Cable (Washington: National Cable Television Association, 1975—free on request, paper)

Community Antenna Television Journal (4209 N.W. 23rd St., Suite 106, Oklahoma City 73107)