Preliminary Investigation of the Sources of Self-Efficacy Among Teachers of Students with Autism

Teacher self-efficacy refers to the beliefs teachers hold regarding their capability to bring about desired instructional outcomes and may be helpful for understanding and addressing critical issues such as teacher attrition and teacher use of research-supported practices. Educating students with autism likely presents teachers with some of the most significant instructional challenges. The self-efficacy of 35 special education teachers of students with autism between the ages of 3 to 9 years was evaluated. Teachers completed rating scales that represented self-efficacy and aspects of the following 3 of Bandura's 4 sources of self-efficacy: (1) sense of mastery, (2) social persuasions, and (3) physiological/affective states. Significant associations were observed between physiological/affective states and self-efficacy, but no associations were observed for the other sources.     

The parental experiences of mothers of adolescents with hearing impairments

Adolescence is a difficult time in the life of any youth. In the hearing-impaired child it can be an especially stressful period. The mother, who in many families is the primary care giver, has probably put more of her time and energy into helping the child than any other individual. Familiarity with the thoughts and feelings of the mothers, then, should contribute to our understanding of the hearing-impaired adolescent. Yet, few studies have examined the experiences of mothers during this stage. In this study, five hearing mothers of hearing-impaired adolescents were interviewed on their experiences in rearing a hearing-impaired child. The information culled from these interviews and the subsequent analysis should help fill the void of knowledge on this aspect of the hearing-impaired child. Using qualitative analysis of the mothers' experiences the researchers identified six major themes from the data collected in the interviews: (1) the mothers' personal growth, (2) the mother-child relationship, (3) parent-professional relationships, (4) concerns about educational programming, (5) the importance of fluent communications, and (6) support systems available to the mothers. Suggestions are made for parents and to help improve parent-professional relationships and the programs that serve the hearing impaired and their families. Areas for further research on the subject of rearing hearing-impaired adolescents are identified.     

Attitudinal Survey Characteristics Impacting Participant Responses

Abstract

Research suggests that certain characteristics of survey items may impact participants’ responses. In this study we investigated the impact of several of these characteristics: vague wording, question-versus-statement phrasing, and full-versus-partial labeling of response options. We manipulated survey items per these characteristics and randomly administered the manipulated and nonmanipulated items to two groups of respondents. We examined differences in responses via multiple groups confirmatory factor analysis (MGCFA) and found differences in factor means, slopes (indicating differing discrimination), and/or intercepts (indicating differing response extremity) for all conditions. Implications for survey construction are discussed.     

Addressing the Need for Management Processes for Higher Education Accreditation

The accreditation standards of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International) ask business schools to describe consistent processes that provide for operational consistency and continuous improvement in support of the schools' stated missions. Such practices are beneficial to all institutions of higher education seeking accreditation or reaffirmation. This article addresses the identification of requisite processes, describes an approach for defining them, and suggests a format for documenting their essential elements. We discuss the value of quality management practices to higher education and present caveats and considerations for successfully implementing this methodology.     

An International Call for Democratizing the Academic Journal Culture From a Community of Editors

In our reflective essay from our multiple perspectives as journal editors, peer reviewers, and published authors, we present ideas about editorial support, democracy, and innovation in the publishing process. As four tenured professors who work in universities in the states of Illinois, Virginia, Texas, and Kentucky, we are a community of editors who are committed to a transparent, service-oriented support process. Our collective experience has allowed us to shape numerous academic bodies of work, culminating in an experiential point of view that reflects a political take on the support role of editors. We include lengthy, databased statements from journal editors in the form of vignettes that underscore the importance of community-based, democratic editorial practices that are themselves simultaneously personal testimonials and political statements. Our call is intended to foster large-scale social change within the academic editorial culture through global understanding about the sensibilities of editors and reviewers as well as authors and publishers engaged in the complex work of publication review. Our academic goal is to enhance fair practices and inclusive opportunities, worldwide, through more relational, equitable, and supportive editorial practices.