Perceptions of High School Biology Teachers in Christian Schools on Relationships Between Religious Beliefs and Teaching Evolution

This mixed method study explored Christian teachers’ beliefs in religious schools on evolution, their attitudes toward evolution, and their perceptions on the effect of those beliefs on the teaching of evolutionary content. Teachers (N?=?52) from Association for Christian Schools International (ACSI) accredited schools in California and Hawaii participated in the quantitative component of the study. Path analysis revealed that teacher beliefs had a significant effect on attitude, and attitude a significant effect on evolution teaching. Biology teachers were further interviewed from the sample. Results showed that teachers’ beliefs regarding evolution and their Christian faith were mixed and complex.     

Assessment of Selected CACREP Standards by Accredited and Nonaccredited Programs

This study surveyed both accredited and nonaccredited counselor education program professionals to investigate their perceptions of whether a select group of standards was a hindrance to seeking and achieving accreditation.     

The Impact of CACREP Accreditation: A Multiway Frequency Analysis of Ethics Violations and Sanctions

The impact of CACREP accreditation on counselor competency has received little empirical investigation. Differences in the frequency and type of ethical misconduct between graduates of CACREP‐accredited and non‐CACREP‐accredited counselor education programs were investigated. Results of a multiway frequency analysis indicated that fully licensed graduates of CACREP‐accredited programs were sanctioned for ethical misconduct significantly less frequently than were graduates of non‐CACREP‐accredited programs. Additionally, the accreditation factor was among the highest‐ranking parameter estimates of expected cell frequencies.     

Social Interdependence and Orientation Toward Life and Work1

The relationship between social interdependence and orientation toward life and work was investigated in this study. Participants were 135 dyads of Chinese employees from 4 companies. Cooperativeness was significantly related to positive indexes of orientation toward life and work, competitiveness was related to a positive orientation toward life, and a predisposition to act individualistically was related to general measures but very few of the work‐specific measures. Coworkers' ratings indicate that cooperators were perceived as being very positive and productive employees, while competitors and individualists were perceived negatively in terms of work productivity and relationships with others. The discrepancy between self‐perceptions and perceptions of coworkers indicate that competitors especially may have a self‐beneficial delusion about the effectiveness of their behavior.     

Textbooks in Accredited Marriage and Family Therapy Programs

Although choices of required textbooks are important decisions in developing a course curriculum, faculty in marriage and family therapy training programs have few convenient resources to guide curriculum development. This article presents results of a survey of textbook selections of accredited marriage and family therapy programs within a regional affiliate of AAMFT. The five programs surveyed listed 108 different titles used in their curriculum. Only 12 texts were used by two programs, and only one text was used by more than two programs. This article presents the textbook selections by the six curricular areas of COAMFTE accreditation standards. The wide variety of textbooks used by programs leads us to conclude that no consensus exists about what textbooks best represent the core knowledge of marriage and family therapy. The body of knowledge taught in accredited marriage and family training programs reflects a distinct and autonomous body of knowledge.     

The effect of an integration program on teacher and student attitudes to mentally-handicapped children

This study examines the effect of contact with autistic children on teacher and peer attitudes to mentally-handicapped children in general. Children were interviewed and teachers completed questionnaires about their attitudes toward mentally-handicapped children in five schools attended by autistic boys and five schools not attended by any mentally-handicapped children. Children who had contact with autistic boys had more positive and realistic attitudes. Teachers' attitudes were generally positive and did not vary across settings, but those with experience in teaching mentally-handicapped children were found to have more positive attitudes than those with no experience. The implications for the integration of mentally-handicapped children are briefly discussed.     

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.     

Supportive school climate and student willingness to seek help for bullying and threats of violence

This study investigated the relations between student perceptions of support and student willingness to seek help for bullying and threats of violence in a sample of 7318 ninth-grade students from 291 high schools who participated in the Virginia High School Safety Study. Hierarchical linear modeling indicated that students who perceived their teachers and other school staff to be supportive were more likely to endorse positive attitudes toward seeking help for bullying and threats of violence. In schools with more perceived support, there was less of a discrepancy in help-seeking attitudes between girls and boys. Findings suggest that efforts by school staff to provide a supportive climate are a potentially valuable strategy for engaging students in the prevention of bullying and threats of violence.     

Students' Perceptions of Class Management and Reports of Their Own Misbehavior

This study examines relationships between students' perceptions of class management and their self-reported misbehavior. Findings are based on a national representative sample of 3834 students from 227 classes in grades 6 and 9 who were attending Norwegian schools. Students' perceptions of class management accounted for significant amounts of variance in self-reported misbehavior. Perceived class management was more strongly associated with off-task orientation and opposition toward teachers than with bullying. Explained variance in misbehavior was markedly higher on the individual than on the class level. Student misbehavior seems only moderately related to general differences in the class management a class encounters. The relatively high variance in off-task orientation and opposition toward teachers accounted for by perceived class management at the individual student level might indicate that the extent of such misbehaviors is more closely linked to how teachers adapt management to particular students or to how students are favored by teachers. Perceived emotional support from teachers showed the strongest positive associations with desired student behavior.     

Pupils' perceptions of self and of labels: Moderate learning difficulties in mainstream and special schools

Background: The study is set in the context of international moves towards more inclusion of children with disabilities into mainstream schools and the greater importance attached to the child's voice in decision making in education. Aims: To examine how children with moderate learning difficulties (MLD) in mainstream and special schools see themselves; to investigate their positive, negative and mixed self‐perceptions; to explore their evaluations of the terms and labels used by others to describe them; and to examine whether their perceptions vary according to special educational placement, age or gender. Sample: One hundred and one children; 50 in special and 51 in mainstream schools, of whom 51 were age 10–12 and 50 13–14 years; within each age group half were boys and half were girls. Method: Semi‐structured in‐depth interviews based on a common framework derived from the research questions. Results: Most pupils were aware of their learning difficulties and felt mainly negative about their difficulties. Pupils in special schools had more positive self‐perceptions of educational abilities than those in mainstream schools. Self‐perceptions of general characteristics were mainly a mixture of positive and negative with no differences by placement. ‘Stupid’ and ‘thick’ were perceived as the most negative labels, while ‘has help’ was the most positive label. The SEN term was infrequently recognized. Conclusions: The findings are discussed within the context of a multi‐dimensional, complex and contrary framework of self‐perceptions, and reference groups as the bases for self‐perceptions and as an active and interpretive process in the formation of self‐perceptions.     

Relationship quality influences attitudes toward and perceptions of infidelity

Do attitudes toward and perceptions of infidelity depend on perceived relationship quality? A prediction was made that there should be a positive correlation between perceived relationship quality and negative attitudes and perceptions of infidelity, and that these correlations should be stronger for males than for females. These predictions were confirmed. More specifically, strongly negative evaluations of infidelity were reported by females regardless of relationship quality, and for males with high relationship quality. Negative attitudes toward infidelity increased for both males and females in high‐quality committed relationships, but males who reported lower relationship quality had the most favorable attitudes toward infidelity. These results are consistent with an evolutionary rationale, which suggests that males' attitudes and perceptions of infidelity depend on their perceived risk of cuckoldry.     

Enhancing children's attitudes toward disabled peers using a multi-media intervention

Interventions are being developed to enhance children's attitudes toward disabled peers and thereby facilitate mainstreaming in schools. This study evaluates the impact of Feeling Free, a multi-media program of disability-related films, activities, discussions, and books. Participants were children from 16 classrooms, grades 3 through 6. Two classes at each grade level (N = 8) were randomly assigned to the six-session program and were compared on five outcome measures to the eight remaining classrooms. Treatment children demonstrated increased knowledge about disabilities, more positive perceptions of disabled persons, and greater awareness of appropriate behavioral responses to disabled peers. There were no long-lasting treatment effects on two measures of children's acknowledged willingness to interact with disabled peers, although treatment girls demonstrated short-term gains on one measure. Suggestions are made for increasing program impact and providing services to other participants in the mainstreaming process.     

How school climate relates to chronic absence: A multi–level latent profile analysis

Chronic absence is a significant problem in schools. School climate may play an important role in influencing chronic absence rates among schools, yet little research has evaluated how school climate constructs relate to chronic absence. Using multilevel latent profile analysis, we evaluated how profiles of student perceptions of school climate at both the student and school level differentiated school–level rates of chronic absence. Participants included 25,776 middle and high school students from 106 schools who completed a district administered school climate survey. Students attended schools in a large urban school district where 89% of 6th through 12th grade students were African-American and 61% were eligible for the federally subsidized school meals program. Three student–level profiles of perceptions of school climate emerged that corresponded to “positive,” “moderate,” and “negative” climate. Two predominant patterns regarding the distribution of these profiles within schools emerged that corresponded to the two school–level profiles of “marginal climate” and “climate challenged” schools. Students reporting “moderate” and “negative” climate in their schools were more likely to attend schools with higher chronic absence rates than students reporting that their school had “positive” climate. Likewise, “climate challenged” schools had significantly higher chronic absence rates than “marginal climate” schools. These results suggest that school climate shares an important relation with chronic absence among adolescent students attending urban schools. Implications for prevention and intervention programs are discussed.     

Teachers’ Perceptions of Students’ Creativity in China’s Classrooms: The Role of Students’ Academic Achievement and Misbehaviors

Teachers can be biased, especially toward low achievers and students with behavioral issues. However, creative students often appear to be disruptive in the classroom, and many of them struggle academically. The purpose of the present study was to examine the extent to which teachers’ perceptions of students’ creativity is associated with students’ academic achievement and classroom (mis)behaviors, as well as to examine the interaction between these two factors. Three hundred and fifty‐four eighth‐grade students selected from five middle schools in China participated in this study. Using achievement scores, peer nominations, a divergent thinking test, a self‐rated ideational behavior scale, and teacher ratings, the present study found that, whereas creativity has no significant relationship with teachers’ perceptions, academic achievements and misbehavior are significantly associated within structors’ perceptions. The achievement bias resulted in the underestimation of low achievers’ creativity, even when the low achievers were highly creative. More nuances emerged when student misbehaviors were considered. Specifically, misbehaving low achievers’ originality was further underestimated even when they were highly original. In contrast, teachers overestimated well‐behaved high achievers’ creativity, even when the students comprised the lowest creativity group. The results are further discussed from a socio‐cultural perspective.     

A dyadic assessment of forgiveness in intimate relationships

This study investigated forgiveness by examining couples’ recollections and perceptions of specific incidents of transgressions in their relationships. The results replicated previous research but also produced some novel findings. Results showed that more positive attributions and relationship quality independently predicted higher internal forgiveness, whereas expressed forgiveness was related only to relationship quality. Overall, the sample was negatively biased in their perceptions of their partner's forgiveness, but those participants who tended toward a positive bias were happier with their relationships as were their partners. Results are discussed in terms of prior research and theories of forgiveness and related social judgments in intimate relationships.     

The Context and Shape of Theological Education in Mozambique with Special Reference to Women

In Mozambique, a marked increase in evangelical churches was recorded in the 1980s. This brought the need for pastoral training into sharp focus, and many new Bible schools were founded in the 1980s and 1990s. Yet, the shape and context of theological education remains rather different from other African countries, as Bible schools are mostly not accredited by the government and most schools train part‐time in the evening. As of 2017, religious studies cannot be found at universities, leaving theological training firmly in the hands of the churches and mission organizations. The training of women has become increasingly important, but they also face many challenges. To shed light on these challenges, I present the results of 52 interviews with female students at various Bible schools in Mozambique, ranging from lack of family support to the fact that theological training is perceived to be only for men and full‐time/ordained ministry.     

Accredited internship and postdoctoral programs for training in psychology: 2011

Presents the official listing of accredited internship and postdoctoral residency programs. It reflects all Commission on Accreditation decisions through July 17, 2011. This list also is provided by electronic means (http://www.apa.org/ed/accreditation/programs/index.aspx), but that listing is for informational purposes only and should not be used for official credential review.     

Differences in Student Perceptions of Secondary Vocational Education: Implications for Multicultural Career Counseling

Comparative analysis of 204 African-American and White students' perceptions toward secondary vocational education revealed that students formed perceptions toward these programs from a multidimensional perspective. Generally, African-American female students held positive perceptions whereas African-American male students held negative perceptions toward vocational education programs.     

Family factors of internet addiction and substance use experience in Taiwanese adolescents.

The aim of the study is to examine the differences in the diversity of family factors between adolescents with and without Internet addiction and substance use experience. A total of 3662 students (2328 boys and 1334 girls) were recruited from seven junior high schools, six senior high schools, and four vocational high schools in southern Taiwan. Internet addiction and substance experience were classified according to the score of Chen Internet Addiction Scale Questionnaires for Experience of Substance use. The family factors assessed included perceived family satisfaction, family economic status, parents' marriage status, care-givers, the frequency of intra-family conflict, families' habitual alcohol use, and perceived parents' or care givers' attitude toward adolescents' substance use. This study demonstrated that the characteristics of higher parent-adolescent conflict, habitual alcohol use of siblings, perceived parents' positive attitude to adolescent substance use, and lower family function could be used develop a predictive model for Internet addiction in the multiple logistic regression analysis. The former three family factors were also sufficient in themselves to develop a predictive model for substance use experience. The results revealed that adolescent Internet addiction and substance use experience shared similar family factors, which indicate that Internet addiction and substance use should be considered in the group of behavioral problem syndromes. A family-based preventive approach for Internet addiction and substance use should be introduced for adolescents with negative family factors.     

Accredited doctoral programs in professional psychology: 2011

Presents the official listing of accredited doctoral programs. It reflects all Commission on Accreditation decisions through July 17, 2011. This list also is provided by electronic means (http://www.apa.org/ed/accreditation/programs/index.aspx), but that listing is for informational purposes only and should not be used for official credential review.