Modeling the Etiology of Individual Differences in Early Reading Development: Evidence for Strong Genetic Influences

We explored the etiology of individual differences in reading development from post-kindergarten to post–4th grade by analyzing data from 487 twin pairs tested in Colorado. Data from three reading measures and one spelling measure were fit to biometric latent growth curve models, allowing us to extend previous behavioral genetic studies of the etiology of early reading development at specific time points. We found primarily genetic influences on individual differences at post–1st grade for all measures. Genetic influences on variance in growth rates were also found, with evidence of small, nonsignificant, shared environmental influences for two measures. We discuss our results, including their implications for educational policy.     

Training International Social Change Agents: Transcending a U.S. Counseling Paradigm

Recommendations are offered for training counseling students to address international issues. The authors discuss, for instance, the importance of learning about cultures outside the United States, the role of bias in international work, the dangers of implementing mental health delivery systems based on models derived in the United States, how to broaden one's research methodology, and the role of social change. Through this article, the authors hope to inspire counseling social change agents to consider the practice of counseling beyond the borders of the United States.     

Interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research and practice: Balancing expectations of the ‘old’ academy with the future model of universities as ‘problem solvers’

Academics are increasingly required to balance the expectations of the ‘old’ academy with a future model of universities as interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary ‘problem solvers’. This paper highlights changing expectations of academics in producing alternative research outcomes in collaborative, practice‐based research. Through a series of workshops with 20 researchers, preferred research outcomes and tensions in achieving these outcomes were identified. The tensions identified are presented as three dichotomies comprising the tension between: (a) ‘I versus We’ ‐ individual versus team expectations & outcomes. (b) Disciplinary outcomes versus inter‐/transdisciplinary outcomes. (c) Learning versus research objectives for the students and academics involved. These tensions reflect the authors' experiences of working in three international sustainability projects, drawing on lessons learned from these projects, with recommendations for universities seeking to implement interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary doctoral and postdoctoral programmes. Recommendations include the need for formal and informal leadership models, strong communication skills, empathy and willingness to learn from each other. A need for more systemic changes within university administration to better reward and value the breadth and depth of collaborative work, while facilitating open learning cultures and practice‐oriented learning opportunities and curricula across faculties was also identified.     

The impact of environmental factors on components of reading and dyslexia

Data from 123 male adults were analyzed to estimate environmental influences on components of literacy skills and to explore the impact of environmental factors in different approaches to define reading difficulty. Literacy skills were decomposed into general cognitive function, reading comprehension, spelling, word reading, and phonological ability. Environmental factors examined were related to home conditions, school conditions, and literacy environment. Results suggest that there is a substantial social-cultural bias in the delineation of literacy skills and in the definitions of reading disabilities. Results also suggest that phonological ability constitutes the only measure relatively unaffected by environmental influences. This study has brought forward a new argument for emphasizing phonological deficits as the core component in defining dyslexia.     

Gestalt and Functionality as Independent Dimensions of Mental Models in Science

Research in Science Education - In teaching sciences, models are often used to introduce, elaborate or simplify real-world phenomena or concepts. It is, however, often the case that misconceptions...