Beginning teachers’ self-efficacy and stress and the supposed effects of induction arrangements

Induction arrangements are implemented in schools all over the world to support beginning teachers (BTs) (novices) in gradually growing into their profession. The aim of this study is to gain more insight into two key psychological processes involved in the work of a qualified beginning teacher, namely perceived stress and self-efficacy. This unfolding is necessary to find a path of influence to lead the way to meaningful support interventions. Support in the form of induction arrangements is hypothesised to decrease perceived stress and to increase self-efficacy and, thus, decrease stress outcomes. To test our hypotheses 30 BTs and their school-based educators, working in 13 different schools, were surveyed. The analyses revealed that stress causes and stress outcomes are indeed interrelated and that self-efficacy affects this relationship in a mediating way. However, besides decreasing a beginning teachers’ perceived lack of learning opportunities, no other influences of induction arrangements were obtained. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.     

Student-life stress in Education and Health Service majors

In order to better understand the effects of student-life stress on Education and Health Service majors (n?=?195) at a private, religious, Midwestern university in the USA, we assessed student perception of overall stress level and physical stress level using the Student-life Stress Inventory. The targeted sample consisted of students with declared majors that lead to careers involving interaction with vulnerable populations (i.e., children, individuals with disabilities, patients). Women in this study experienced a significantly higher (F?=?7.092 [1195], p?=?.008) overall stress level than their male counterparts. When the physical stress reaction scores were isolated, women still experienced significantly higher stress levels (F?=?7.758 [1195], p?=?.01). Regardless of gender, seniors and graduate students had an overall stress difference that was 11 points below that of freshman students in overall stress scores. There was a significant difference in the overall stress score (F?=?6.484 [2181], p?=?.001) between students who took 18 or more credit hours and those who took less. Students who worked more than four hours per week had a significantly higher overall stress level. Students in the age category 23+ had significantly less physical stress. There was a significant difference between students who prayed at least daily and students who never pray (F?=?1.114 [3188], p?=?.03). This study provides a valuable insight into the characteristics of individuals more likely to have difficulties adjusting to the demands of college life and the inherent stress of a profession in Education or Health Service.     

Buffering boys and boosting girls: The protective and promotive effects of Early Head Start for children's expressive language in the context of parenting stress

Children's characteristics, including gender, influence their development by eliciting differential responses from their environments, and by influencing differential responses to their environments. Parenting-related stress, associated with poverty environments, negatively influences children's language, likely through its impact on parent–child interactions, but may impact boys’ and girls’ development differently. Early intervention represents one tool for supporting development in at-risk toddlers, but gender-differences in effects of intervention are rarely described. The current studies assessed the effects of Early Head Start (EHS) on children's productive vocabulary in the context of parenting stress and examined gender differences in program effects on vocbulary. Data were from the national EHS Research and Evaluation (EHSRE) study (Study 1, N = 3001), and from a dataset associated with one EHSRE site (Study 2, N = 146) where additional data on productive vocabulary were collected. Study 1 found that at 24 months of age, the EHS program protected girls’ productive vocabulary from the negative effects of parenting stress, but had little impact on boys’ vocabulary. In Study 2, the local EHS site promoted girls’ vocabulary development over time from 14 to 36 months despite the negative effects of parenting stress, and protected boys’ vocabulary from the negative parenting stress effects. These results suggest differential ways in which at-risk toddlers are affected by early intervention.     

Mothers’ stress,resilience and early intervention

The aim of the study was to examine factors that predict maternal stress, reported by mothers whose infants were diagnosed as having developmental disabilities at the beginning of participating in an early intervention programme ‘Me and My Mommy’ and after one year. A second goal was to identify and to portray a subgroup of resilient mothers. The sample consisted of 70 mothers from intact families, whose infants were diagnosed mostly with Down’s syndrome. All mothers were receiving early intervention services. The mothers were presented questionnaires—Sense of coherence (SOC); Family adaptability and cohesion evaluation (FACES III); Coping scale of parenting stress index (PSI‐SF), at the beginning and at the end of the year. They were also interviewed at the end of the intervention regarding their satisfaction with the programme. The results showed that at the beginning of the year, the mothers’ sense of coherence had predicted the stress experience. After a year of participation in the intervention, in addition to the contributions of the initial stress and the mothers’ satisfaction with the intervention programme, the following variables: the mothers’ sense of coherence, coping style and family cohesion, assessed at the beginning of the intervention, were considered. A group of resilient mothers was identified and they revealed following intervention a higher sense of coherence, lower stress, an increased family cohesion and decreased family adaptation measures. The results have implications for the planning of effective intervention programmes.     

Homework Stress: Construct Validation of a Measure

This article presents 2 studies aimed at validating a measure of stress experienced by children and parents around the issue of homework, applying Benson's program of validation (Benson, 1998 Benson, J. 1998. Developing a strong program of construct validation: A test anxiety example. Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice, 17: 10–17. doi: 10.1111/j.1745–3992.1998.tb00616.x[Crossref] , [Google Scholar]). Study 1 provides external validity of the measure by supporting hypothesized relations between stress around homework and students’ and parents’ positive and negative affect, students’ sense of competence, and students’ type of motivation. In Study 2, the measure was administered to students with and without learning disability—2 groups assumed to differ in the level of stress experienced while doing homework. Results of both studies support the validity of the measure.     

青少年足球运动员左室肥厚的生理极限研究

目的:确定青少年足球运动员左室肥厚的生理极限值,预防运动员运动性猝死的发生风险。方法:采用超声心动仪检测60名优秀青少年足球运动员和60名年龄、性别类似的健康对照者及40名其他项目运动员的左心室厚度。结果:与对照组相比,青少年足球运动员的左心室壁厚度(LVWT)较大,为9.5±1.7mm,对照组为8.4±1.4mm。其中5名运动员(8.3%)的最大LVWT超过了预测值的上限;只有1名男运动员的绝对LVWT值大于12mm(1.7%)。5名运动员的LVWT超过了预测限度,提示左心腔扩大(54.4±2.1mm;范围为52~60mm)。而女运动员LVWT值均小于11 mm。结论:与非运动员相比,有训练的青少年足球运动员的LVWT值更大。只有一小部分运动员的LVWT超过了上限,但少有大于12mm,而腔室一般都有扩大现象。提示,当有训练的青少年足球运动员男子LVWT>12mm,女子>11mm,极有可能属于肥厚性心肌病。     

Emotional intelligence and negative feelings: a gender specific moderated mediation model

This study aims to clarify the effect of emotional intelligence (EI) on negative feelings (stress, anxiety, burnout and depression) in a gender specific model. Four hundred and twenty-five primary school teachers (326 males, 99 females) completed the measures of EI, stress, anxiety, burnout and depression. The multi-group analysis was performed using a structural equation approach. The moderated mediation results show that there are gender related differences in the relationships of age, emotional intelligence, stress, anxiety, burnout and depression. The results imply that school managers should take into consideration the teachers’ personal variables such as gender and age in order to assess the use of emotional intelligence in coping with negative feelings at the place of work effectively.     

冬季和夏季PM10和PM2.5 对人肺上皮细胞A549毒性的比较

采集并检测北京市玉泉路地区2008年冬季和夏季大气颗粒物PM₁₀和PM_2.5中过渡金属元素的含量,测定A549细胞暴露于颗粒物后的细胞活力及活性氧(ROS)生成. 用线性回归统计分析颗粒物中过渡金属元素含量与其细胞毒性的相关性. 结果表明,冬季和夏季PM₁₀和PM_2.5均明显抑制A549细胞的细胞活力,导致ROS生成升高. 颗粒物细胞毒性夏季大于冬季;除Cr、Ni外,各金属元素与颗粒物导致的细胞毒性正相关. 冬季和夏季颗粒物中金属元素含量的差异是导致其细胞毒性不同的原因之一.     

不锈钢基体激光熔覆Ni60A的残余应力研究

选择激光功率、扫描速度、送粉量为影响因素,用正交试验方法研究了不锈钢基体激光熔覆Ni60A的残余应力;结果表明:影响残余应力的关键因素为扫描速度,其次是激光功率,最后为送粉量;扫描速度180 mm/min、激光功率1.5 kW、送粉量3 g/s产生最小残余应力;此时熔覆材料Ni60A与基体形成良好的冶金结合,熔覆层组织均匀,无微裂纹等明显缺陷。研究结果为叶轮和螺杆的激光熔覆再制造提供了实验依据。