Direct and indirect measures of writing for nonlearning disabled and learning disabled college students

Direct and indirect measures were used to compare the written language abilities of three groups of college students: two with learning disabilities and one without learning disabilities. Main effects were found for group, but not gender. Differences between nonlearning disabled students (NLD) and those with learning disabilities (LD) in writing were evident on both types of measures. Performance by LD students with disabilities in an area other than writing differed depending on the type of measure and often was no different from either of the other two groups. The combined use of direct and indirect measures appeared most effective for examining the complexities of writing produced by all groups.     

“I learn for a job promotion!”: the role of outcome-focused career goals in motivating distance learners to learn

Outcome-focused career goals are concerned about studying for tangible career benefits. To what extent do these goals motivate distance learners to learn? Using a mixed-method design, Study 1 found that career-focused learners, when compared with noncareer-focused counterparts, had a propensity to endorse outcome-focused career goals, use surface strategies, value their learning, and achieve better course results. Interview findings showed that career-focused learners used a strategic approach to ensure the timely completion of tasks and examination preparation. Study 2 located two groups of career-focused learners (autonomous and controlled) who endorsed outcome-focused career goals, alongside a noncareer-focused group. MANOVA analyses found that autonomous and noncareer-focused learners had engaged learning patterns. Although controlled learners were less engaged in learning, they achieved better results. It was concluded that outcome-focused career goals are significant sources of motivation for distance learners, despite being extrinsic to learning.     

Interactive Effects Between Maternal Parenting and Negative Emotionality on Social Functioning Among Very Young Chinese Children

Research Findings: This study examined how child negative emotionality interacted with mothers’ self-reported parenting in predicting different aspects of social functioning among very young Chinese children. A total of 109 Chinese nursery children in Hong Kong participated with their parents. Maternal supportive and aversive parenting practices were reported by mothers, and child negative emotionality and social functioning were reported by both mothers and fathers. The results revealed interaction effects between child negative emotionality and mothers’ self-reported parenting on children’s internalizing problems, externalizing problems, and social-emotional skill deficiency. Specifically, children with high negative emotionality were more susceptible to the negative effects of aversive parenting (i.e., showing more internalizing and externalizing problems when exposed to aversive parenting) than their peers with low negative emotionality. Negative emotionality also placed young children at risk for social-emotional skill deficiency, especially when they received less support from their mothers compared to their peers. Practice or Policy: Special attention should be paid to the social functioning of Chinese children with higher levels of negative emotionality, because these children are more vulnerable to poor-quality parenting at a very young age.     

Teachers’ professional selves and motivation for continuous professional learning amid education reforms

Promoting in-service teachers’ continuous professional learning is indispensable to educational reforms that demand knowledge acquisition and practice innovation. Addressing this issue, this mixed-method study examined the relationship between teachers’ professional selves and continuous professional learning. Two hundred and nighty-one practicing teachers completed a questionnaire that assessed their current and future professional selves, learning motives, strategy use, self-efficacy, control beliefs, learning interests and intentions. Cluster analyses found that strongly-committed teachers who held strong professional selves had the most engaged patterns of learning followed by teachers who had moderate and weak levels of professional selves. Study two was a follow-up interview study with eight selected teachers who held contrasting professional selves. Strongly-committed teachers discussed their hoped-for selves while weakly-committed teachers expressed concerns about heavy workload and the selves that they feared. These two groups of interviewees differed in the strategies they employed to complete course assignments.     

Sample duration and type of stimuli in delayed matching-to-sample in rhesus monkeys

Two experiments were performed to determine the effect of sample duration (0.1, 2, and 4 sec), delay interval (.03, 4, 8, 16, and 32 sec), and type of stimulus (color and shape) on the matching performance of rhesus monkeys. In Experiment 1, the 15 possible delay-duration combinations were randomly presented in blocks of 15 trials. In Experiment 2, each duration was held constant and the five delays randomly presented. Then each delay interval was held constant with the three durations randomly varied. Matching performance increased as sample duration increased (ps < .01 and .005), while length of delay did not significantly affect performance. The type of stimuli paired in the matching test significantly affected performance (ps < .05 and .10) with the shape/shape choices leading to the poorest performance. Stimulus discriminability and amount of training with brief sample durations were implicated as significant determinants of matching performance.     

Innovation and Enterprise in Singapore Schools

Schools in Singapore are now tasked to develop the spirit of innovation and enterprise in their students. This is in line with the national vision of ‘Thinking Schools, Learning Nation’. This policy initiative, which began in 2004, is set to change the fundamental nature of education in Singapore. This article discusses the innovation and enterprise (I&E) initiative, its major implications for schools in Singapore and the areas still to be addressed in the implementation of the policy. In particular, the article discusses the issues of teachers and school leaders as role models of I&E, I&E as an organic part of school business, the influence of the wider societal culture and values system, and the measurement of success of I&E. The challenge for schools is to go beyond the form of the initiative to bring real substantial and sustainable change through this movement.     

The data collection matrix model: A tool for functional area and program evaluation

The management and utilization of collected data is crucial in evaluating programs and functional area effectiveness. Various assessment instruments may address similar functional areas of the college, yet we often fail to compile these data for comprehensive evaluation. The data collection matrix makes possible the integration of functional area data from numerous assessment sources and presentation of the information in a unified composite report. The matrix model will be discussed in relation to the various assessment instruments and the evaluation of functional areas and programs. This paper is directed toward institutional researchers who may wish to adapt the model to their own institution.Presented at the Annual Forum of the Association for Institutional Research, Louisville, KY, May 13–16, 1990.