Looking for a Family Man? Norms for Men Are Toppling in Heterosexual Relationships

Gender norms indicate that men should be agentic and work-oriented rather than communal and family-oriented. Yet, this traditional expectation conflicts with findings that communion is highly valued in romantic partners. Moreover, because more women in industrialized countries are pursuing careers, they may increasingly seek family-oriented partners to share the second shift of family tasks. Investigating the attractiveness of communal, family-oriented men, we show that 87 female college students in Belgium evaluate more family-oriented men as generally more attractive (Study 1) and that especially college women in Belgium with high work ambitions seek communion and family orientation in ideal partners (Study 2, n?=?224). Lastly, women in 198 Belgian heterosexual dual-earning couples are more satisfied with their lives and experience less work and family conflict the more their partner indicates that he is oriented toward his close family (Study 3). Together, our findings outline the contextualized nature of norms and add to knowledge on norm change, showing how gender equality may be fed through romantic relationships. Moreover, our findings suggest the importance of exploring men’s family orientations in couples therapy, and they call for counselors, as well as policymakers and Human Resources practitioners, to guide men in times of norm change to enable men to be family-oriented and to offer family-friendly work policies.

     

The school psychologist in evaluating educational programs

A discussion of school psychology practice is presented, with emphasis on school programs rather than on individuals. While pressures exist to continue emphasizing the individual as the unit of study, current literature in evaluation theory and community psychology suggest a more viable model for the practice of school psychology. The learning process as it occurs in school programming is discussed, illustrating potential sources of involvement for school psychologists in effecting change in education. It is suggested that school psychologists, operating from a framework of evaluation theory, are well suited to be evaluators of school programs.     

Natural mentors and adolescent resiliency: a study with urban youth

Natural mentors may play an important role in the lives of adolescents. We interviewed 770 adolescents from a large Midwestern city. Fifty-two percent reported having a natural mentor. Those with natural mentors were less likely to smoke marijuana or be involved in nonviolent delinquency, and had more positive attitudes toward school. Natural mentors had no apparent effect on anxiety or depression. Using the resiliency theory framework, natural mentors were found to have compensatory but not protective effects on problem behaviors, and both compensatory and protective effects on school attitudes. Direct and indirect (mediated) effects of natural mentors are explored for problem behaviors and school attitudes. The potential importance of natural mentors is supported, and implications for future research are considered.     

Promoting teachers’ agency: reflective practice as transformative disposition

Reflective practice has been criticised for having become a standardised method in teacher education and on-the-job training, oftentimes following routines that more likely turn out to be self-affirming than to actually foster change. Also, reflective practice is still widely understood as an individual process. Both aspects are considered problematic and are addressed by employing an activity-theoretical approach that is suggested to be essentially compatible with an existentialist perspective on reflective practice as offered by Thompson and Pascal. Utilising the theory of expansive learning, formative interventionist methodology is proposed to provide a robust framework for developing collaborative and critical reflective practice, which in turn reveals the transformative potential of teachers’ agency, as illustrated by a study accompanying and supporting the development of an Austrian secondary school.     

Involvement,Collaboration, and Empowerment: A Model for Consultation with Human-Service Agencies and the Development of Family-Oriented Care

Systems consultation to provider agencies can contribute considerably to the development of a collaborative, family-oriented approach in these agencies. The possibilities for such an undertaking depend on the establishment of working relationships at two interfaces: between the system consultant and the agency, and between the agency and its client families. A framework for developing these relationships in three sequential phases is proposed: involvement, collaboration, and empowerment (ICE). Each phase is characterized by a dominant issue that is processed at the time. It is possible for relationships to begin at a more advanced phase and to work through two or more phases simultaneously. However, premature attempts to do so, which often occur in agencies’ work with involuntary clients and “difficult to engage” families, generate resistance and lead to an impasse. The applicability and usefulness of the ICE model is demonstrated by presenting the 6-year development of a family involvement and partnership program in Israel's juvenile correction system.     

Cross-university dialogues to support multicultural school consultation training

There is a growing need for school psychologists to build multicultural knowledge, skills, values, and dispositions to serve increasingly diverse student, teacher, and caregiver populations in schools. The purpose of this study was to investigate the process and outcomes of a cross-university dialogue (CUD) activity for 88 school psychologist trainees enrolled in consultation courses, across three school psychology training programs, over three years. The CUD involved partnering with a peer or peers from another training program, individually and then collaboratively completing a case study activity, and writing a guided reflection exercise. It was intended to support trainees' development of multicultural school consultation (MSC) competency and their application of a MSC framework. Constructivist grounded theory methodology and methods, including several features to enhance trustworthiness, guided the investigation. Four themes emerged from the data: (a) trainees established increased self-awareness and professional identity, (b) trainees made sense of multiple perspectives during CUD interactions, (c) trainees learned from their partners and considered future relevance of MSC, and (d) trainees' learning reflected cross-cutting ecological perspectives, influencing the CUD interaction and learning process at multiple levels. A grounded theory based on the data is described, and implications are drawn for the training and development of MSC competence.     

An “Ideology in Pieces” Approach to Studying Change in Teachers’ Sensemaking About Race,Racism, and Racial Justice

This article makes a unique contribution to the literature on teachers’ racialized sensemaking by proposing a framework of “ideology in pieces” that synthesizes Hall's (1982, 1996) theory of ideology and diSessa's (1993) theory of conceptual change. Hall's theory of ideology enables an examination of teachers’ sensemaking as situated within a structured society and diSessa's research on conceptual change provides an analytical lens to understand the elements of ideological sensemaking and the processes of ideological transformation. I use the framework of ideology in pieces to analyze and interpret the ideological sensemaking and transformation of a teacher engaged in a collaborative teacher research group in which participants explored issues of social justice in their high school math and science classrooms. The framework and analysis presented in the article offer a more comprehensive theory of teachers’ ideological sensemaking and transformation that includes their cognitive, social, and structural dimensions.     

School Counselors as Social Capital: The Effects of High School College Counseling on College Application Rates

Using social capital theory as a framework, the authors examined data from the Educational Longitudinal Study of 2002 (Ingels, Pratt, Rogers, Siegel, & Stutts, 2004) to investigate how student contact with high school counselors about college information and other college‐related variables influence students' college application rates. In addition to some college‐related variables, the number of school counselors and student contacts were significant predictors of college application rates. Implications for school counselors and counselor training are included.     

Involving Family in Psychosocial Interventions for Chronic Illness

ABSTRACT— Interactions with close family members have consequences for the emotional and physical well-being of individuals who are dealing with a chronic physical illness. Therefore, inclusion of a close family member in psychosocial interventions for chronic illnesses is a logical treatment approach that has the potential to boost the effects of intervention on the patient and also benefit the family member. However, randomized, controlled studies indicate that such family-oriented interventions generally have small effects. The efficacy of these treatment approaches might be enhanced by targeting specific interactions that emerging research identifies as promoting or derailing healthy behaviors and by better incorporating strategies from family caregiver interventions. In addition, family-oriented interventions should be more fully evaluated, by assessing the benefits for both patients and family members. Future research in this area can tell us much about how and when to involve family in treatment of specific chronic illnesses and, in turn, may inform conceptual models of the impact of family interactions on health.     

A test of self‐determination theory in school physical education

Background. Contemporary research conducted in the context of school physical education (PE) has increasingly embraced various tenets of self‐determination theory ( Deci & Ryan, 1985 , 1991 ). Despite this increase in research attention, some postulates of the framework remain unexplored (e.g. impact of a need‐supportive climate). As such, the present study sought to provide a more comprehensive test of self‐determination theory. The present work also examined Deci and Ryan's claim that the motivational sequence embraced by their framework is invariant across gender. Aims. (i) To examine a model of motivation based on the tenets of self‐determination theory, and (ii) explore the invariance of the model across gender. Sample. Participants were 950 British secondary school students (443 male, 490 female, 17 gender not specified) Method. Participants completed a questionnaire that included measures of need support, need satisfaction, motivation, positive and negative affect, task challenge, and concentration. Results. Structural equation modelling (SEM) analysis revealed that students who perceived a need‐supporting environment experienced greater levels of need satisfaction. Need satisfaction predicted intrinsic motivation, which, in turn, linked to adaptive PE‐related outcomes. In contrast, need satisfaction negatively predicted amotivation, which, in turn, was positively predictive of feelings of unhappiness. Multi‐sample SEM invariance testing revealed the model to be largely invariant for male and female students. Conclusions. The results of the study provide support for self‐determination theory and corroborate the application of the framework to the context of school PE. Further, we largely found support for the invariance of the motivational processes embraced by self‐determination theory across gender.     

A Multidisciplinary Approach to Sexual Behavior Profiles: The SEX360 Model

The diversity of sexual behaviors is driven by multiple determinants, including physiological, cultural, educational, and sociological factors. However, the definition of sexual behavior profiles has been barely addressed from a comprehensive point of view. We aimed to develop a multidisciplinary questionnaire for defining individual sexual behavior profiles. The questionnaire was developed by a panel of experts with research experience in the fields of urology, gynecology, psychology, anthropology, and sexology. The list of items was defined in a focus group session and was based on four categories—family-oriented, loving, recreational, and functional—resulting from the combination of two axes: traditional versus non-traditional and sexual benefit versus extra-sexual benefit. Real-time Delphi dynamics was used to assign a weight to each question and a bias to the corresponding responses. The final questionnaire included 50 items considered relevant for describing sexual profiles; the final questionnaire was named SEX360. Of the 50 items included in SEX360, 14 were considered essential for computing the final score; 9 of them were associated with 2 categories, 4 of them with 4 categories, and 1 of them with 3. Nine items referred to the category “family-oriented”, 10 to “loving”, 8 to “recreational”, and 9 to “functional”. The weights assigned to each question ranged from 3.00 to 4.33, and the centers of gravity ranged from 1 to 4. The questionnaire proposed shows the existence of a vast diversity of sexual behavior profiles and may serve as a tool for sexual behavior research.     

中学校风因素结构的探索性分析

本研究结合国内外相关研究,探索了校风的内涵、外延,并在此基础上,通过开放式调查、深度访谈、问卷初测和正式施测,使用探索性因素分析和验证性因素分析等方法探索了校风的因素结构。本研究认为校风的因素结构包括学生风气、教师风气和组织风气三个二阶因子和十三个一阶因子,本问卷具有良好的信度和效度,可以作为评定中学校风的工具。     

Measurement Issues in High Stakes Testing

SUMMARY

Validity and reliability of the new high stakes testing systems initiated in school systems across the United States in recent years in response to the accountability features mandated in the No Child Left Behind Legislation largely depend on item response theory and new rules of measurement. Reliability and validity in item response theory and classical test theory are reviewed. Additionally, practices in the states are considered. The conclusion of the paper is that the new test technology is theoretically better suited to assess achievement than classical test theory, but has not been shown to be valid and reliable enough for use as the sole criterion for determination of what was learned in school. Further, there is no evidence that they will ever be found to be valid and reliable enough for that purpose. Areas of additional needed research are considered.     

Whose reading matters? Rereading Exodus 1 in the context of African (South African) women

The narrative of the interaction of African (South African) women and the Bible is first situated within the framework of the folktale of the Lion and the Rabbit. The theme of the multiplication of (male) babies as featured in Exodus 1 is then re-read through the hermeneutical lenses of African (South African) women's experiences. If Exodus 1 is read in family-oriented cultures like that of ancient Israel and Africa, what insights may be gleaned? Which reading(s) may emerge? Will the resultant readings matter especially to African (South) African women? The preceding questions, will be engaged with in this essay.     

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.     

A program for psychological education: Some preliminary issues

The recent interest in personal and/or psychological education as an objective for school programs has created the necessity for the development of a careful theoretical framework. This paper examines the current status of theory vis à vis personal education and suggests a number of major issues for consideration. A toxonomy for personal education has yet to be developed. Concepts of emotions as “bad”, pathological, and private need revision. Also, it is suggested that adolescence as a stage of development comprehends a special set of theoretical questions which cannot be begged. Particular attention is directed at implications derived from a developmental framework suggested by Piaget in cognitive areas and by Kohlberg in moral growth. Such a framework connotes educational goals as objectives which avoid the problems inherent in other current theoretical frameworks.     

The School Assessment for Environmental Typology (SAfETy): An Observational Measure of the School Environment

School safety is of great concern for prevention researchers, school officials, parents, and students, yet there are a dearth of assessments that have operationalized school safety from an organizational framework using objective tools and measures. Such a tool would be important for deriving unbiased assessments of the school environment, which in turn could be used as an evaluative tool for school violence prevention efforts. The current paper presents a framework for conceptualizing school safety consistent with Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) model and social disorganization theory, both of which highlight the importance of context as a driver for adolescents’ risk for involvement in substance use and violence. This paper describes the development of a novel observational measure, called the School Assessment for Environmental Typology (SAfETy), which applies CPTED and social disorganizational frameworks to schools to measure eight indicators of school physical and social environment (i.e., disorder, trash, graffiti/vandalism, appearance, illumination, surveillance, ownership, and positive behavioral expectations). Drawing upon data from 58 high schools, we provide preliminary data regarding the validity and reliability of the SAfETy and describe patterns of the school safety indicators. Findings demonstrate the reliability and validity of the SAfETy and are discussed with regard to the prevention of violence in schools.     

Transfer of Learning Across Cultural Practices

Although Baranes, Perry, and Stigler (this issue) address important aspects of the interplay between learning in school and out-of-school settings, I found the more intriguing issues linked to some unanalyzed presuppositions about the character of children's out-of-school mathematics and transfer of learning between settings. In the following commentary, I sketch some interpretive problems that arise when these issues are considered, and I point to the need for embedding the study in a larger conceptual framework.     

Teachers' reasoning about school fights,contexts, and gender: an expanded cognitive developmental domain approach

Teachers' moral reasoning about intervening in school fights in violence-prone subcontexts is an under-studied topic. The authors propose that concepts from cognitive developmental domain theory (CDD), public health, and environmental psychology be used conjointly to explore teachers' judgments about intervention in violence-prone subcontexts such as hallways, playgrounds, and cafeterias. It is argued that teachers (along with other members of the school community) have different preformed informational assumptions about violence-prone school subcontexts that systematically influence their judgments and interpretation of events in those locations. Two important informational assumptions are (1) the individuals' or groups' estimation of risk for physical harm or potential provocation in specific locations within the school and (2) the individuals' or groups' beliefs about the school staff's professional role or responsibility to monitor and intervene in violence-prone areas. In addition, the authors present evidence concerning teachers' informational assumptions about the gender of the intervening teachers and fighting students. Applications of this conceptual framework and future directions for research are explored.     

Peer Victimization in School: Exploring the Ethnic Context

ABSTRACT— This article provides an overview of recent research on peer victimization in school that highlights the role of the ethnic context—specifically, classrooms' and schools' ethnic composition. Two important findings emerge from this research. First, greater ethnic diversity in classrooms and schools reduces students' feelings of victimization and vulnerability, because there is more balance of power among different ethnic groups. Second, in nondiverse classrooms where one ethnic group enjoys a numerical majority, victimized students who are members of the ethnic group that is in the majority may be particularly vulnerable to self-blaming attributions. The usefulness of attribution theory as a conceptual framework and ethnicity as a context variable in studies of peer victimization are discussed.