Book Reviews

Ted Goodhew, T.R.I.S.T. Advisory Teacher, Berkshire County Council, ‘New Directions in Pastoral Care’, Edited by Peter Lang & Michael Marland, 1985 Blackwell —

Professor R. F. Dearden, University of Birmingham, Profiles and Records of Achievement, Patricia Broadfoot (ed) 1986 Holt, Rinehart and Winston £6.50 paperback

Pat Salder, Education for Capability, Ed Tyrrell Burgess N. F. E. K./Nelson 1986 £10.95

John Alcock, University of Warwick, Solo Monologues for Drama,John Goodwin and Bill Taylor 1985 Edward Arnold Ltd £2.15

Caroline Lodge, White Hart Lane School, London, Sharing,Beryl Heather FPA Education Unit 1984 52pp £3.50     

Second order change: Impact of a college renewal program over time

A structured faculty professional development program which deliberately seeks to bring about change can yield lasting benefits for both the individual and the institution. Ten individuals who entered a program for the professional renewal of faculty between 1983 and 1987 were interviewed to discover what impact the program had on their professional development and on their contributions to the institution. Their experiences exhibit external and internal changes, with individuals being able to reflect upon their gains, contributions, and future directions. A basic model for support needed to bring about lasting change includes the elements ofpower, vision, structure, andresources.Joyce P. Lunde received her Ph.D. in English from the University of Minnesota. She is an educational development specialist and associate professor of agricultural education at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. She is currently co-director of New Partnerships in Agriculture and Education (NUPAGE), a curriculum project funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.     

The influence of activity-based elementary science programs on classroom practices: A quantitative synthesis

The results of 11 studies of classroom practices used with the activity-based elementary science programs, ESS, SCIS, and SAPA, were combined quantitatively. All studies included control groups and employed techniques for coding lesson events. A composite category system was developed for combining study results. It was found that teachers using activity-based programs spent about 10% more time on student activity and 10% less time on talk than teachers using traditional methods. More direction giving, more higher level questions, and less lecturing were also reported. Teachers trained in program use spent less time giving directions, more time on activities, and less time on talk than untrained teachers using the programs. On the average, researchers coded slightly less student talk and slightly less student-initiated talk in activity-based classrooms.     

A new approach to assessing the technological complexity of different categories of R&D (with examples from Singapore)

This paper attempts to develop a set of generic questions the answers to which allow any given R&D activity to be correctly classified in one or another conventional R&D box—basic, applied, development, etc. Such systematic pigeon-holing allows latecomer countries to gauge the distance of their R&D activity from the world frontier, and how policies may be designed to overcome the hurdle that divides applied research and developmental research.     

COLLABORATION FOR EXCELLENCE: ENGAGED SCHOLARSHIP AT COLLIN COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE

American democracy depends on civic involvement. However, many Americans are increasingly withdrawing from civic responsibility and community involvement. In his best-selling book Bowling Alone , Harvard sociologist Robert D. Putnam presents data showing that Americans have become increasingly unwilling to engage in ways that make American democracy successful. Collin County Community College (CCCC) is addressing civic disengagement through engaged scholarship collaboration between service learning and learning communities programs. Although college students are politically disengaged, most report being or having been involved in some form of community service in the previous year and say they are motivated by giving back to the community and making a difference. Engaged scholarship at CCCC draws on this interest in community service to enhance learning communities, create deeper learning for students, and instill values of citizenship and civic engagement. Learning communities classes blend courses from 2 or more disciplines into a single course with a common theme, enabling students to understand the connection between disciplines. Most integrate a service learning component into that theme, often in the form of a class project promoting civic involvement. Institutional research data reflect increased student retention and success in these classes and a climate of increased communication and objectivity, practical experience in community organizations, and a deeper understanding of democratic ideals. Faculty member focus groups indicate increased satisfaction with teaching, enhanced interdisciplinary knowledge, and feelings of being innovative in the classroom. Engaged scholarship at CCCC enhances student learning, helps develop a unified vision among faculty members, and benefits the community.     

Toddlers’ Self-Recognition and Progression From Goal- to Emotion-Based Helping: A Longitudinal Study

Research has typically used cross-sectional designs to draw conclusions on the development of helping. This study aimed to examine the development of instrumental and empathic helping behaviors as they emerge, and assess how self-recognition might moderate this progression. Seventy-two children (14- to 25-months at T1) were assessed over four monthly sessions. Participants’ individual response patterns showed instrumental helping to be a necessary precursor to empathic helping for 55.77%–67.92% of children who helped during the study. Self-recognition emerged before empathic but not instrumental helping, yet did not directly influence helping behavior.     

Literature and poetry

On native ground: memoirs and impressions. Jim Barnes, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1997, 279 pages, $27.95 (hardcover). ISBN 0–8061–2898–4.

Caucasia. Danzy Senna, New York: Putnam Publishing Group, 1998, 353 pages, $24.95 (hardcover). ISBN 1–5732–2091–4.

Boyhood, Growing Up Male: A Multicultural Anthology (2nd ed.). Franklin Abbott (Ed.), Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1998, 279 pages, $15.95 (softcover). ISBN 0–2991–5754–7.

Readings in African Popular Culture. Karin Barber (Ed.), Bloomington, IN: International African Institute in association with Indiana University Press, 1997, 192 pages plus index, $18.95 (soft‐cover), $45.00 (clothcover). ISBN 0–2532–1140–9 (softcover); 0–2533–3294‐X (clothcover). For orders, phone 1–800–842–6796.