Classroom engagement dynamics: examining the potency of reflective teaching approach among some selected universities in Ghana

The purpose of this research was to investigate the effectiveness of the use of reflective teaching approach by university lecturers in Ghana to achieve improved student learning outcomes. The research utilised a quantitative survey design involving 180 lecturers who were accidentally or haphazardly selected from four universities in Ghana to complete a reflective teaching survey (RTS) questionnaire. The results showed that participants frequently engaged in varied reflective teaching activities, and were successful in evaluating the effectiveness of their pedagogies. The research concluded that the approach should be an essential component of the teacher performance appraisal system.     

Effectiveness of a need supportive teaching training program on the developmental change process of graduate teaching assistants' created motivational climate

ObjectivesThere is a common trend to train physical education teachers and coaches in need supportive teaching behaviors, however, little research has been done with graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) in college and university physical activity programs. The purpose of this study was to test the effects of a need supportive teaching training program on GTAs' ability to promote need support in college and university physical activity courses.DesignLongitudinal and correlational.MethodParticipants were twelve GTAs from a midsized southeastern university in the United States, trained to deliver instruction in a positive motivational climate via in-person meetings, self-study materials, and tri-weekly meetings with researchers.ResultsMulti-level modeling revealed that the learning environment created by the GTAs improved across the duration of the study, with most of the growth between baseline and the first four intervention data points. Partial correlations seemed to indicate that these changes were influential among students, as evidenced through measurement of perceived autonomy support and motivational regulations.ConclusionsResults revealed that the behavioral change process was carried out quickly (from the beginning of the training), suddenly (rather than gradually), and then leveled off until the end of the semester. These results provide some promise in being able to effectively train GTAs to be need supportive in a relatively short amount of time.     

Supporting and Thwarting Autonomy in the High School Science Classroom

This investigation examined relations between adolescent students' daily and cumulative perceptions of teachers' practice and their experience of autonomy. Two-hundred and eighteen high school science students in 43 classes participated in a 6-week diary study. Multilevel modeling results suggested that perceptions of 8 out of 9 practices predicted a change in students' daily autonomy. Results also revealed that autonomy-relevant practices interacted with time, each other, and characteristics of students and classrooms. Implications are discussed.     

A Cross-Sectional Examination of International Competency Standards

The evaluation of competency in the field of psychology has gained international attention in recent years. Focusing on international competencies can promote high standards of care and identify common values of the profession. However, there is little research regarding international perceptions of competency. Examining ethics codes from different countries can highlight international standards of competent practice, as ethics codes outline professional expectations of the field. The current study compared the ethics standards found in 47 codes of ethics representing 51 countries. Seventeen competency standards emerged after ethics codes were analyzed. Implications for the international practice of psychology are discussed.     

Eyes on the prize: The longitudinal benefits of goal focus on progress toward a weight loss goal

Past research suggests that focusing on what has not yet been accomplished (goal focus) signals a lack of progress towards one's high commitment goals and inspires greater motivation than does focusing on what has already been accomplished (accomplishment focus). The present investigation extends this research to a longitudinal, important domain by exploring the consequences of focusing on one's goals versus accomplishments when pursuing a weight loss goal. Participants were tracked over the course of a 12-week weight loss program that utilized weekly group discussions and a companion website to direct participants' focus toward their end weight loss goal or toward what they had already achieved. Goal-focused participants reported higher levels of commitment to their goal and, ultimately, lost more weight than did accomplishment-focused and no focus control participants. Accomplishment-focused participants did not differ from controls on any measure.     

A resource on behavioral terminology: an annotated bibliography of on terms articles in the behavior analyst

An annotated bibliography that summarizes the On Terms articles on behavior-analytic terminology from The Behavior Analyst is provided. Thirty-five articles published between 1979 and 2010 were identified, annotated, and classified using common behavior analysis course-content frameworks.     

不同教学方法激发与调节大学生学业情绪的教育实验

对天津某高校大二3个教学班77名被试,采用教育实验法探讨了传统教学法、归因训练干预、活动教学法在大学生英语课堂教学中学业情绪的激发与调节情况。结果表明:传统教学法无显著影响;归因训练干预后,学生的焦虑、气愤、放松、自豪、厌烦、失望和兴趣等学业情绪有显著改变;活动教学后,学生的焦虑、羞愧、厌烦、愉快和兴趣等学业情绪有显著改变。实施后两种教学法后,正性情绪得分均有所提高,负性情绪得分均有所下降。两种教学法在激发与调节学业情绪的效果上各有侧重。     

Gliding across the liminal space between counsellor and counselling researcher: Using collective biography practices in the teaching of counselling research methodologies

Aims: Drawing on their engagement in a specific collective biography research project, the co-authors aim to demonstrate how the weaving together of creative story-telling and the theory underlining collective biography practices resulted in an understanding of rhizomatic research methodologies from within the process. This paper aims to demonstrate one way in which research methodologies training can become more firmly embedded within counsellor training courses. Method: A collective of counselling students and a session tutor colleague used collective biography practices to research their memories of traversing the liminal space between ‘counsellor’ and ‘counselling researcher’. Alongside the resulting collective stories, a collaborative review of the research process examined our chosen ways of working within the project. Outcomes: Engaging in collective biography practices resulted in an experiential shift from ‘learning to do counselling research’ to ‘becoming counselling researchers’. Weaving together research processes and researcher reflexivity generated personal and professional learning. Ways in which these research methodologies complement core components of counselling training, within and beyond the teaching of research, were identified. Conclusions: Collective biography practices offer a way of introducing non-arboreal creative research methodologies into counsellor training. Careful consideration of potential challenges surrounding the introduction of these practices is required.     

Les compétences des enseignants du technique au lycée professionnel

Vocational school teachers face a problem of acceptance. On arrival in a school, they find themselves put under pressure by families, students, the educational establishment and businesses. This paper deals with the gaps and ambiguities that exist between the educational, vocational and professional areas of teaching. In particular, it shows how, during training, teachers refer to their professional experience in order to connect the two areas, and to centre their activities on student training. The gap between professional experience and the pedagogic framework acts as a motor for training and can be seen as an attempt to gain acceptance. It brings into question the views of training and vocationnal psychologist counsellors (COP) in an analysis of vocational counselling related to whether students complete their diploma course or drop out of school.