A Case Study of Participatory Action Research in a Public New England Middle School: Empowerment, Constraints and Challenges

PAR recognizes teachers and students as co-creators in a learning process that builds self-efficacy essential to long-term educational success. In enabling contexts, PAR projects also allow teachers to critically deconstruct societal power, examine how these dynamics are reproduced in the classroom, and work against the silencing of student voices. This case study describes the process of implementing an inquiry-based PAR model into a formal urban middle school program intended to reduce drop out rates. The anthropologist/researchers employed participant observation, interviews, and review of student work to explore the dynamics, challenges, and constraints confronted during the process. The intervention demonstrated the gap between practice and theory in a middle school environment marked by well-defined hierarchies and roles as well as high-stakes testing.     

Mindfulness,anxiety, and high-stakes mathematics performance in the laboratory and classroom

Mindfulness enhances emotion regulation and cognitive performance. A mindful approach may be especially beneficial in high-stakes academic testing environments, in which anxious thoughts disrupt cognitive control. The current studies examined whether mindfulness improves the emotional response to anxiety-producing testing situations, freeing working memory resources, and improving performance. In Study 1, we examined performance in a high-pressure laboratory setting. Mindfulness indirectly benefited math performance by reducing the experience of state anxiety. This benefit occurred selectively for problems that required greater working memory resources. Study 2 extended these findings to a calculus course taken by undergraduate engineering majors. Mindfulness indirectly benefited students’ performance on high-stakes quizzes and exams by reducing their cognitive test anxiety. Mindfulness did not impact performance on lower-stakes homework assignments. These findings reveal an important mechanism by which mindfulness benefits academic performance, and suggest that mindfulness may help attenuate the negative effects of test anxiety.     

学习方式的变革:提取促进学习

提取练习效应是指在学习与最终测验之间,等长时间的提取练习与重复学习相比,前者更能促进长时记忆的保持,也称为测试效应。大量研究表明提取测试是一种高效的学习策略,师生却对此认识不足,认为测试只是检测学习效果的评估工具,并不能改变或促进学习。本文主要从提取练习促进学习的认知神经加工机制、提取练习在实践应用中的特点、提高提取练习效应的方法及其在教学实践中的局限四方面梳理了相关研究,为提取练习广泛应用于教学实践提供支持,同时也为师生正确高效利用这一策略提供了参考,使学生获得更高效和持久的学习。     

The benefits of empathy: When empathy may sustain cooperation in social dilemmas

Cooperation in social dilemmas is often challenged by negative noise, or unintended errors, such that the actual behavior is less cooperative than intended—for example, arriving later than intended for a meeting due to an unusual traffic jam. The present research was inspired by the notion that doing a little more for one's interaction partner, which may be movitvated by empathetic feelings, can effectively reduce the detrimental effects of “negative noise,” or unintended incidents of noncooperation. Consistent with hypotheses, negative noise exhibited detrimental effects on cooperation, but such effects were absent when empathy‐motivated cooperation was present. We conclude that empathy has broad benefits for social interaction, in that it can be an effective tool for coping with misinterpreted behaviors, thereby maintaining or enhancing cooperation. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Creating Safer and More Nurturing Schools: Expanding the Capacity of Schools in the Era of Future National Reform

ABSTRACT

Positive academic performance is a strong indicator of subsequent positive life course outcomes (e.g., employment) as well as underrepresentation in psychiatric populations, drug use, school dropout, and subsequent legal trouble (A. Farn & J. Adams, 2016). As such, helping all children to be successful in school is a top priority for parents, educators, and politicians alike. However, schools are challenged by an increasing demand to meet children's health and metal health needs in order for them to benefit from, and progress in, their educational experience. Public concerns regarding violent acts on school property have highlighted the need to address student and teacher safety. The authors provide recommendations for school psychologists regarding promising practices that respond to national initiatives to prevent school violence, increase access to health and mental health care, and enhance equity among students.     

Parental expectations and school relationships as contributors to adolescents’ positive outcomes

Researchers examined associations of parental expectations and parental school relationships with school outcomes among U.S. middle and high school students. Nationally representative data involving families from the National Household Education Surveys were analyzed with structural equation modeling. Measures included interview responses about parent expectations for their children’s long term educational attainment (ranging from dropping out of high school to obtaining a JD/PhD/MD) and how much parents feel welcomed at school, trust and have positive interactions with educators. The latter three variables formed a latent variable called parent school relationship. Analyses controlled for SES (parents’ educational attainment and household income), family structure, gender, and ethnicity. The school outcomes variable was derived from parental report of students’ grades, retention in any grade and behavior problems at school. Parental expectations were positively related (standardized path coefficient = .44, $p<.01$ ) to positive school outcomes and had a stronger effect than SES (standardized path coefficient = .24). Parent school relationships were also positively related to school outcomes. These findings suggest that psychologists and educators should be aware of the potential for parents to play a significant role (e.g., via expectations and developing supportive relationships with educators) in children’s education, even in middle and high school.     

学校正念干预的应用与特点

“学校正念干预”(School-Based Mindfulness Intervention)是将正念理论及技术应用到教育领域而形成的非医疗健康干预新策略。一方面,学校正念干预能有效帮助学生改善身心行为问题,提高认知能力;另一方面,它能够增强教师压力管理能力和幸福感。总的来说,学校正念干预是以“大健康”为目标、以“非评判接纳”为视角、以校园为干预情境、以传统学校项目为基础的校园非医疗健康干预,是学校心理健康工作者、学校专业社工可采取的策略。未来研究应注重其成效评估和测量、理论机制及应用问题的研究。     

校园氛围与青少年问题行为的关系:同伴侵害的中介作用

许多研究表明,青少年感知的校园氛围对其问题行为有重要影响。但是,校园氛围起作用的中介机制仍有待进一步探讨。本研究旨在考察青少年感知的校园氛围与其问题行为(行为不良、抑郁)的关系,以及同伴侵害在其中的中介作用。采用分层整群抽样的方法,选取广东省10所学校2758名初中生作为被试,匿名填写社会经济地位问卷、家庭功能问卷、校园氛围感知问卷、青少年同伴侵害问卷、儿童抑郁调查表、青少年行为不良指数问卷。结果表明:(1)在控制了性别、年龄、社会经济地位和家庭功能后,积极的校园氛围显著负向预测青少年的行为不良和抑郁。(2)同伴侵害在校园氛围与青少年行为不良和抑郁之间具有中介作用。     

Adolescents' knowledge and beliefs about pregnancy: the impact of "ENABL"

Finding effective ways to prevent adolescent pregnancy is a concern of public health officials, educators, social workers, parents, and legislators. Numerous programs exist, but there is debate as to whether it is the specific program itself or other factors that are responsible for participants' successful outcomes. Using a quasi-experimental design, this study sought to determine which factors predicted changes in knowledge and beliefs among middle school students (N = 1,450) after exposure to Postponing Sexual Involvement (PSI), the curricular component of Education Now and Babies Later (ENABL), a pregnancy prevention program. It was found that the single most important predictor of improvement in knowledge and beliefs about pregnancy prevention was PSI itself, not background variables. The findings contradict some of the previous studies on factors impacting teenage pregnancy and lend support for the continued examination of ENABL as a promising component of pregnancy prevention efforts.     

父母学业参与和高中生消极情绪的关系：亲子关系的中介作用以及父母心理控制的调节作用

目的：本研究旨在探究父母学业参与和学生消极情绪的关系及作用机制。方法：本研究对1569名上海高中生进行问卷调查,学生填写学业参与量表、心理控制量表、亲子关系量表和消极情绪评估量表。结果：（1）父母学业参与和学生的消极情绪负相关;（2）父母学业参与可通过提高亲子关系质量从而减少学生的消极情绪;（3）父母心理控制调节父母学业参与和亲子关系质量、父母学业参与和消极情绪之间的关系。结论：父母积极参与子女学业并减少对子女的心理控制,将更有利于形成良好的亲子关系和减少消极情绪。     

Evaluating sermons: The function of grades in teaching preaching

What are grades doing in a homiletics classroom? This article traces the function of grades through the broader history of the educational system in the United States and then makes suggestions for how grades can be used more effectively in teaching preaching. Beginning in the nineteenth century, teachers used grades to rank and motivate students, as well as communicate across institutions. With the more recent assessment movement, educators have conceptualized grading as the larger process of evaluating the success of learning objectives. The commission on accreditation for the Association of Theological Schools does not view grades as part of its assessment, but it evaluates theological schools on whether they achieve intended learning outcomes. Theological educators need to be able to evaluate whether their teaching fulfills their schools' mission and learning objectives. For homiletics, the author measures learning through pre‐ and post‐preaching feedback and incorporates professor‐ and student‐crafted rubrics.     

The Transformational Efficacy of Postgraduate Courses

Abstract

Considerable literature exists pertaining to transformative education and academics seek to provide a transformative educational experience for students. The purpose of this research was to examine the perceptions of graduates from postgraduate teacher education courses concerning transformative efficacy with regard to the stated outcomes of the courses. The participants were Christian teachers and school principals from Christian schools across Australia who had graduated from accredited Master of Education or Master of Education (Leadership) courses. Data collection was by way of an online survey containing Likert scales and explanatory statements. The research found that most of the graduates identified transformation at a personal level, particularly in the theological and philosophical understandings that underpin classroom or school leadership practice in Christian schools. This enabled them to be able to critique the cultural artifacts with which educators must deal in their practice.     

Halpern Critical Thinking Assessment Predicts Real‐World Outcomes of Critical Thinking

Although educators and employers agree that it is important to assess the critical thinking skills of students and prospective employees, few assessments have been externally validated with real‐world outcomes of critical thinking. The Halpern Critical Thinking Assessment (HCTA) is a reliable measure of critical thinking skills and has been validated with multiple populations and measures of academic success. This study explored whether scores on the HCTA predicted real‐world outcomes in a wide range of domains, such as education, health, law, finance, and interpersonal relationships. Community adults (n = 50), state university students (n = 48), and community college students (n = 35) in the USA completed the HCTA and a behavioral inventory of life events. Overall, those with higher critical thinking scores reported fewer negative life events than those with lower critical thinking scores, r (131) = ?.38, p < .001. Implications for education are discussed. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

To Be or Not to Be: Exploring the Nature of Positively and Negatively Keyed Personality Items in High-Stakes Testing

Including equal numbers of positively and negatively keyed items is common in Five-Factor Model (FFM) personality measures. Much literature has demonstrated the presence of positive and negative keying factors in low-stakes testing situations, but there is a dearth of research investigating these factors in high-stakes testing. To address this gap, we investigated whether an FFM measure used in high-stakes testing was influenced by positive and negative keying factors. We also examined the overlap of the positive and negative keying factors with social desirability, rule-consciousness, acquiescence, and cognitive ability. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the inclusion of distinct factors associated with positively and negatively keyed items and suggested that the keying factors accounted for a substantial portion of variation in responses to FFM items. Social desirability and rule-consciousness were found to have significant relations with both keying factors, whereas acquiescence was only related to the negative keying factor. Implications for the construct validity of FFM measures used in high-stakes testing and directions for future research are discussed.     

Sexism and Education: A Workshop to Increase Awareness

Project ASPIRE, a federally funded program, was designed to increase educators' awareness of sexual prejudice. It consisted of 64 hours of training for 32 educators, parents, and students. The training activities focused on self-awareness, the effects of sex-role stereotyping on students, the development of procedures to assess biases in instructional and counseling practices and materials, and a consideration of methods to reduce sex-role stereotyping within the school setting. A number of positive outcomes are reported. Dennis Sparks is co-director of Alternative Learning Program for the High School Age (ALPHA) for the Livonia Public Schools in Michigan. Barbara Mullally is an associate with Organizational Leadership, Inc., of East Lansing, Michigan.     

Raising the graduation bar for the schools: expectations vs outcomes.

Educational reform is an ongoing concern of parents, educators, policy makers, and the public at large. The past 50 years have ushered in a new era of reform, whose major objective was to improve students' performance based on the use of statewide standardized testing and changes in graduation requirements. This study examined one such reform movement, initially developed during the late 1970s, which developed minimum competency testing standards as well as increased course demands to specify graduation requirements for public high school students. The outcomes for this reform model, both in terms of students' achievement and failure, did not meet expectations.     

生活事件对初中生抑郁的影响:自尊和反刍思维的链式中介作用

为了探讨生活事件、自尊、反刍思维和初中生抑郁之间的关系,研究采用青少年生活事件量表、自尊量表、反刍思维量表和儿童抑郁量表对684名初中生进行调查。结果显示：（1）生活事件与初中生抑郁呈显著正相关;（2）自尊和反刍思维在生活事件和初中生抑郁间起链式中介作用。生活事件不仅是触发初中生抑郁的重要外部因素,而且生活事件还会通过影响自尊和经由反刍思维对初中生抑郁产生间接作用。因此,减少和避免生活事件对初中生心理的冲击,增强其自尊水平,调整其负性认知方式是改善和预防初中生抑郁的重要途径。     

Classroom effects on student motivation: Goal structures, social relationships, and competence beliefs

Psychologists and educators have often conceptualized motivation as an individual difference variable, something that some students simply have more of than other students. This view of motivation can underestimate contextual influences. In this article we consider how characteristics of the school and classroom may influence student motivation, as well as the role of educators in shaping school and classroom climate. We describe three motivational perspectives: achievement goal theory, self-determination theory, and social-cognitive theory. The effects on motivation of social relationships with teachers and peers are also considered.     

The unfolding meaning of intentionality and horizon in phenomenology

After a brief review of recent federal education legislation, in particular the No Child Left Behind Act, we present a model for educational assessment that does more than focus upon high-stakes testing. This model of educational assessment represents a mixed methods approach that school districts can adopt to assist them in becoming more proactive with respect to assessment. It utilizes both qualitative and quantitative research methods, is an example of participatory action research, and demonstrates the value of this mixed methods approach to assessment. Utilizing this model gives a district a sense of empowerment and control and, most important, provides a better understanding of the real issues and challenges that a school district faces. It provides school districts with an accurate assessment of the quality their schools by utilizing a comprehensive and longitudinal perspective that accurately reflects how successful the district is in educating its students.     

Academic Hardiness as a Moderator between Evaluative Concerns Perfectionism and Academic Procrastination in Students

Abstract

Academic procrastination is a common phenomenon in students that can have a negative impact on effective learning, academic achievement, self-esteem, and quality of life. This study examined the associations among the two dimensions of perfectionism (personal standards perfectionism and evaluative concerns perfectionism), academic hardiness, and academic procrastination, as well as the moderating role of academic hardiness in the relationship between the two dimensions of perfectionism and academic procrastination. Participants of this study included 410 high school students in grades 9 to 12 from six schools in Tehran, Iran who completed the Almost Perfect Scale-Revised, the Academic Hardiness Scale, and the Procrastination Assessment Scale. The results indicated that personal standards perfectionism and academic hardiness had negative relationships with academic procrastination, whereas evaluative concerns perfectionism had a positive relationship with academic procrastination. Interaction-moderation analysis demonstrated that academic hardiness only played a buffering role in the relationship between evaluative concerns perfectionism and academic procrastination. The results of this study elucidate the experience of academic procrastination in students and highlight the role of academic hardiness and personal standards perfectionism. Implications for educators and psychologists are discussed.