The preparation of school psychologists for crisis intervention

School psychologists (N = 276, 81% return rate) were surveyed regarding the following aspects of crisis intervention: (a) university preparation, (b) continuing professional development, and (c) current involvement with school crisis plans and crisis teams. Of those receiving university training, 58% believed they were minimally prepared or not at all prepared to deal with school crises. Only 2% reported being well prepared or very well prepared. Data analyses indicated increased university training in recent years, particularly with practicum/internship experiences related to crisis intervention. Approximately 81% of school psychologists participated in local training for crisis intervention as part of continuing professional development. Although 91% of school psychologists worked in districts with crisis plans in place, only 53% participated on crisis teams. Suicide, violence, and school district crisis plans were recommended as high priority topics for future academic training. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Correction to: Biology Undergraduate Students’ Graphing Practice in Digital Versus Pen and Paper Graphing Environments

Journal of Science Education and Technology - The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake. The name of “Susan Maruca” is now corrected in the author group.     

An Integrative Review: The Role of the Doula in Breastfeeding Initiation and Duration

The objective of this integrative review was to assess birth and postpartum doulas'' roles in supporting breastfeeding initiation and duration. The electronic databases Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Embase, PubMed, and Scopus were searched using the key terms doula and breastfeeding. Fourteen articles met inclusion criteria. Six key themes were identified. Doulas may acquire only modest amounts of lactation-specific education; however, doula care still enhances the breastfeeding care provided by health-care professionals. Doulas offer prenatal and intrapartum support that encourages breastfeeding initiation in the hospital, as well as providing breastfeeding support in the community and home settings. This reinforces the unique role of the doula in bolstering maternal–infant health. The effect of doulas on breastfeeding duration is less clear.     

Children's Teaching Skills: The Role of Theory of Mind and Executive Function

ABSTRACT— Teaching others effectively may rely on knowledge about the mind as well as self-control processes. The goal of this investigation was to explore the role of theory of mind (ToM) and executive function (EF) in children's developing teaching skills. Children 3.5–5.5 years of age ( N = 82) were asked to teach a confederate learner how to play a board game and were administered multitask batteries of ToM and EF with mental age, sex, and memory capacity as controls. There was a developmental increase in children's teaching skills (e.g., older children taught longer, explained more rules, and used more strategies when teaching). Examined separately, both ToM and EF explained unique variance in teaching skills over and above controls. Taken together, EF was a significant predictor of teaching efficacy over and above ToM and controls, whereas the same did not hold true for ToM. These results suggest that ToM may be a necessary prerequisite for teaching to occur; however, EF skills appear to play a vital role in children's teaching efficacy.     

Dissociation of the blocking of conditioned eyeblink and conditioned fear following a shift in US locus

Two experiments with rabbits investigated the concordance of two measures of conditioning, eyeblink and potentiated startle, during a blocking sequence with paraorbital shock reinforcement. In both, a shift in the locus of shock from one eye to the other between the conditioning of an element and a compound of that element and a new cue had differential effects on the two measures of conditioning to the new cue. When the shock was unchanged, diminished conditioning in relation to controls (i.e., blocking) was observed on both measures. When the shock was changed, little conditioning was observed in startle, but control-equivalent amounts were observed in eyeblink (i.e., blocking occurred on the former but not the latter). The results are interpreted as showing a dissociation of the associative learning involving the emotive features of Pavlovian reinforcers and that involving the remaining sensory-perceptual features, and more compatible with a diminished US-processing, than with a CSprocessing, view of blocking.     

WHOSE DEVELOPMENT? SALVAGING THE CONCEPT OF DEVELOPMENT WITHIN A SOCIOCULTURAL APPROACH TO EDUCATION

A bstract .  The concept of development is currently under revision in education and psychology. In this essay, Eugene Matusov, Renée DePalma, and Stephanie Drye examine a traditional notion of development and provide an alternative sociocultural view. As educators working within a sociocultural approach to learning, development, and education, the authors see psychological phenomena as rooted in participation in sociocultural activities, practices, and communities. They critique how the traditional notion of development essentializes this process, assuming development to be independent of the observer. Using a case where a child of color develops a "sitting disability" within the institutional context of schooling, they illustrate the need for introducing a sociocultural notion of development, arguing that development is a social construction emerging in communities of practice and that it is necessary to consider the role of the observer in both defining and guiding this process in a professional discourse of cases.     

Designing Personalized Online Teaching Professional Development through Self-Assessment

Many institutions use a one-size-fits-all approach to faculty development for online teaching, which does not meet the needs of faculty who often have different levels of experience, skill, and self-efficacy in online teaching and learning. To address these issues, the [university name removed] [center name removed] designed and implemented an online teaching readiness self-assessment. The instrument was developed based on key attributes and skills needed for proficiency in online teaching, in three areas: online teaching experience and attitudes, learning management system proficiency, and access to technology. The self-assessment was distributed through a web-based survey tool to faculty who were identified to develop new online courses. Individual results were used to create personalized frameworks of professional development offerings (workshops, institutes, videos, and consultations) and just-in-time resources to support faculty in their development process.     

Nontraditional Students' Service Needs and Social Support Resources: A Pilot Study

In response to a mail survey, 53 nontraditional undergraduates provided information about their reasons for reentering college, the likelihood of using services for nontraditional students, and sources of social support. Participants reported career, self‐improvement, and family issues as primary reasons for reentry. They reported they would be likely or very likely to use campus services, especially career counseling. More than 60% reported strong social support from family and friends.     

Assessing teachers' perceptions for school‐based aggression prevention programs: Applying a cognitive‐ecological framework

This article describes qualitative and quantitative assessment based on responses of 221 teachers from nine elementary schools in two districts (urban and suburban) to inform plans for reducing and preventing student aggression. Teachers' perceptions of students' aggressive behavior and beliefs were validated against students' self‐reports and archival disciplinary data. Using a brief survey, we found district‐ and grade‐level differences in teachers' perceptions of students' aggressive behavior and aggression supporting cognitions. Teacher reports on these two constructs each uniquely predicted teacher perceptions of the degree to which student aggression interferes with their jobs. Focus‐group interviews with teachers were used to elaborate on individual‐cognitive and ecological school factors related to student aggression, including procedures for handling aggression. The importance of teacher reports is highlighted, and implications for school program development are considered. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 43: 331–344, 2006.