bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Multi-Platform In Situ Kinematic and Microphysical Analysis of a Hybrid Parallel–Trailing Stratiform Mesoscale Convective System
Authors: Skow Andrea , Poellot Michael , Delene David , Askelson Mark , North Kirk , Oue Mariko
Published: February 2022

Parallel stratiform–type mesoscale convective systems (MCS) have been found to comprise less than 20% of the central U.S. MCSs, but parallel stratiform MCSs have been reviewed by few studies and only a handful have been sampled using airborne platforms. This study conducts a detailed review of the 11 May 2011 MCS that was observed during the Midlatitude Continental Convective Clouds Experiment. In situ data from the University of North Dakota Cessna Citation II Weather Research Aircraft and the Oklahoma Mesonet are used in conjunction with radar reflectivity data and a multiple-Doppler wind retrieval to present an in-depth analysis of the kinematic and microphysical processes within this hybrid parallel–trailing stratiform MCS. Results suggest the MCS started with parallel stratiform characteristics and then developed trailing stratiform features over the course of a couple of hours such as leading line convection and the presence of rear inflow, which is a feature not observed in previous studies of parallel stratiform MCSs. Based on surface observations and multi-Doppler wind field retrievals, the cold pool influenced the 11 May 2011 MCS and may have helped it to transition toward the trailing stratiform mode. Within the stratiform region, in situ measurements show hydrometeor aggregation and sublimation occurring above the melting layer via a faster rate of decline in total hydrometer concentration compared to the total water content, the presence of a bimodal droplet size spectra, and increasing dispersion and decreasing slope, with respect to increasing temperature in both the unimodal and bimodal gamma distributions.

Significance Statement

The purpose of this study is to investigate the wind pattern of a nontypical type of thunderstorm complex. The wind pattern is found to be a combination of features from both a common type of thunderstorm complex and another less common type. The behavior of snowflakes as they fall through this thunderstorm was also investigated. The snowflakes in this storm grew bigger by linking up with other snowflakes as they fell down, and then melted before they reached the ground. It is hoped that results from this study are useful to future work to improve weather prediction.
Data Assimilation of Nowcasted Observations
Authors: Potthast Roland , Vobig Klaus , Blahak Ulrich , Simmer Clemens
Published: February 2022

We investigate the assimilation of nowcasted information into a classical data assimilation cycle. As a reference setup, we employ the assimilation of standard observations such as direct observations of particular variables into a forecasting system. The pure advective movement extrapolation of observations as a simple nowcasting (NWC) is usually much better for the first minutes to hours, until outperformed by numerical weather prediction (NWP) based on data assimilation. Can nowcasted information be used in the data assimilation cycle? We study both an oscillator model and the Lorenz 63 model with assimilation based on the localized ensemble transform Kalman filter (LETKF). We investigate and provide a mathematical framework for the assimilation of nowcasted information, approximated as a local tendency, into the LETKF in each assimilation step. In particular, we derive and discuss adequate observation error and background uncertainty covariance matrices and interpret the assimilation of nowcasted information as assimilation with an H1-type metric in observation space. Further, we show numerical results that prove that nowcasted information in data assimilation has the potential to significantly improve model based forecasting.
A One-Step Blended Soundproof-Compressible Model with Balanced Data Assimilation: Theory and Idealized Tests
Authors: Chew Ray , Benacchio Tommaso , Hastermann Gottfried , Klein Rupert
Published: February 2022

A challenge arising from the local Bayesian assimilation of data in an atmospheric flow simulation is the imbalances it may introduce. Acoustic fast-mode imbalances of the order of the slower dynamics can be negated by employing a blended numerical model with seamless access to the compressible and the soundproof pseudo-incompressible dynamics. Here, the blended modeling strategy by Benacchio et al. is upgraded in an advanced numerical framework and extended with a Bayesian local ensemble data assimilation method. Upon assimilation of data, the model configuration is switched to the pseudo-incompressible regime for one time step. After that, the model configuration is switched back to the compressible model for the duration of the assimilation window. The switching between model regimes is repeated for each subsequent assimilation window. An improved blending strategy for the numerical model ensures that a single time step in the pseudo-incompressible regime is sufficient to suppress imbalances coming from the initialization and data assimilation. This improvement is based on three innovations: (i) the association of pressure fields computed at different stages of the numerical integration with actual time levels, (ii) a conversion of pressure-related variables between the model regimes derived from low Mach number asymptotics, and (iii) a judicious selection of the pressure variables used in converting numerical model states when a switch of models occurs. Idealized two-dimensional traveling vortex and buoyancy-driven bubble convection experiments show that acoustic imbalances arising from data assimilation can be eliminated by using this blended model, thereby achieving balanced analysis fields.

Significance Statement

Weather forecasting models use a combination of physics-based algorithms and meteorological measurements. A problem with combining outputs from the model with measurements of the atmosphere is that insignificant signals may generate noise and compromise the physical soundness of weather-relevant processes. By selecting atmospheric processes through the toggling of parameters in a mixed model, we propose to suppress the undesirable signals in an efficient way and retain the physical features of solutions produced by the model. The approach is validated here for acoustic imbalances using a compressible/pseudo-incompressible model pair. This development has the potential to improve the techniques used to bring observations into models and with them the quality of atmospheric model output.
Effect of Coronary Thrombus Aspiration in Non ST Elevation Acute Coronary Syndrome Patients on Three-Year Survival- Does it add any Benefit?
Authors: Yildiz Bekir S. , Cetin Nurullah , Gunduz Ramazan , Bilge Adnan , Ozgur Su , Orman Mehmet N.
Published: February 2022

We assessed the effect of thrombus aspiration (TA) during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) on in-hospital and 3-year mortality in consecutive non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (n = 189) and unstable angina pectoris (n = 148) patients (n = 337) between 2011 and 2016. In total, 153 patients (45.4%) underwent TA. The number of patients with postoperative thrombolysis in terms of myocardial infarction grade 3 blood flow ( P < .001) and myocardial blush grade 3 ( P < .001) were significantly higher in all TA groups. At 6-, 12- and 24-month post-PCI, the mean left ventricular ejection fraction was significantly higher in the all TA groups versus the stand alone PCI group ( P < .001). Thrombus aspiration was associated with a significant improvement both in epicardial flow, myocardial perfusion and left ventricular ejection fraction. Thrombus aspiration during PCI in all acute coronary syndrome (except ST segment elevation) patients was associated with better survival compared with stand alone PCI group at 3-year follow-up ( P = .019).
The Issue of Consumer Welfare in the Government Complaints against Google & Facebook
Authors: Comanor William S. , Baker Donald I.
Published: February 2022

Although the Consumer Welfare doctrine has served as an important feature of antitrust liability since the 1980s, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have downplayed this factor in their respective Google and amended Facebook complaints. Each complaint makes a general reference to this issue, but with few detailed factual allegations. A complicating factor is that the defendants have gained dominant market positions by providing valuable digital services at little or no direct charge to consumers. In this paper, we emphasize that the services offered by the two platforms embody quality as well as price dimensions, both of which can affect consumers positively. Indeed, quality product dimensions may become even more important to consumers in a zero price environment. We construct a simple economic model using privacy as a significant quality attribute through which these issues can be explored, and then draw some appropriate policy conclusions.
Wellbeing, psychiatric morbidity and psychological distress amongst medical students in Denmark
Authors: Kjær Jesper Nørgaard , Molodynski Andrew , Bhugra Dinesh , Lewis Thomas
Published: February 2022

Background:

Medical students in Denmark undertake a demanding 6-year course which is generally during a critical age for the development of psychiatric disorder and harmful substance or alcohol use behaviours. Previous literature has highlighted significant rates of distress in Danish students.

Aims:

We surveyed medical students in Denmark to better understand wellbeing, psychiatric morbidity, sources of stress, substance and alcohol use, psychological distress and burnout.

Methods:

Medical students were invited to participate in a single survey via email and social media which was completed through an online form, available for a 6-month period. The survey used a mixture of pre-defined answer options alongside free-text responses. Embedded within the survey were standardised and reliable specific instruments related to alcohol use (the CAGE questionnaire), overall psychological wellbeing and burnout.

Results:

There were 647 respondents, with a quite even year-group distribution, representing just over 16% of total number of students attending medical school in Denmark. Prior to medical school 35% had visited a professional regarding their mental health. While at medical school 16% reported a diagnosis of a mental health condition. 83% reported significant stress from study. Around 7 in 10 met case criteria using instruments designed to test for minor psychiatric morbidity and burnout. 13% tested CAGE positive, whilst 4% reported concerns from themselves or others about their substance use.

Conclusions:

Our study demonstrates high levels of psychiatric morbidity and worrying levels of burnout in this population. The striking 13% CAGE positive rate suggests this demographic is at risk of harm from alcohol. Our results suggest a high level of need to support this population – with further study required to demonstrate which interventions would be of most benefit for this population in light of our findings.
Does Descriptive Representation Narrow the Immigrant Gap in Turnout? A Comparative Study across 11 Western European Democracies
Authors: Geese Lucas
Published: February 2022

The political representation of citizens of immigrant origin in Western Europe has received much attention in recent years’ political science research. While existing research has advanced our understanding of the drivers of citizens of immigrant origins’ descriptive representation, a lot less is known about its consequences for citizens of immigrant origins’ electoral participation. This article intends to address this gap in the literature by conducting the first cross-country comparative study of whether migrant-specific descriptive representation can attenuate turnout gaps between citizens of immigrant origin and native-origin citizens in 11 Western European democracies. Linking data on migrant-specific descriptive representation in national parliaments with survey data provided by the European Social Survey, results suggest that turnout gaps tend to be lower in countries where descriptive representation is high. However, this relationship is contingent upon citizens of immigrant origin who consider themselves to be in an ethnic minority position, in which they frequently experience discrimination. By contrast, there is no evidence that descriptive representation matters for turnout levels of non-marginalised citizens of immigrant origin. The study sheds light on the widely overlooked link between descriptive representation and the immigrant gap in turnout levels and opens up several avenues for future research.
Dynamic characteristics of convection heat and radiation heat on building surfaces under cyclic heat flow
Authors: Lv Liugen , Xiang Yi , Gu Zhipan , Huang Chen
Published: February 2022

The dynamic heat transfer of building surfaces has thermal conduction, convection and radiation at the same time. It is the basis of building thermal environment simulation, air conditioning load calculation, building energy analysis and air conditioning system conservation operation. Under cyclic heat flow, the convection and radiation separating method was used to calculate the radiation heat and convection heat of building surfaces, and dynamic characteristics of convection heat and radiation heat on building surfaces was provided in this paper. For the dynamic heat transfer of building surfaces under cyclic heat flow, three indexes of peak error, mean error and average relative error were used to analyze dynamic heat transfer. The temperature distribution and dynamic heat transfer of convection heat and radiation heat of building surfaces were studied systematically. The separating cooling load and the room cooling load were basically consistent with each other, the convection and radiation separating method was reliable and available. The peak value of convection heat corresponded to the foot value of the radiation heat, and the relative error of them was 1.9%-2.2%. The dynamic characteristics of radiation heat and convection heat had important reference for the study of dynamic heat transfer of building surfaces under cyclic heat flow.
MXene-containing pressure sensor based on nanofiber film and spacer fabric with ultrahigh sensitivity and Joule heating effect
Authors: Li Han , Cao Jiqiang , Chen Junli , Li Yonggui , Liu Jinkang , Du Zhaoqun
Published: February 2022

As an important branch of wearable electronics, pressure sensors have the properties of stability, accurate signal transmission and strong durability, and can quickly respond to the compression deformation of the human body, which is essential to intelligent wearable textiles. Here, we fabricated a smart wearable textile called the MXene-containing pressure sensor with both sensing and electrothermal properties, in which the MXene nanofiber film is used as the electric heating layer, and the spacer fabric coated with MXene is used as the pressure layer. After electrospinning, MXene was successfully adhered to the surface of the pressure layer by polyacrylonitrile as a nanofiber film, which shows excellent Joule heating properties. The novel structure enables high sensitivity (508.79 kPa−1, from 1 to 5 kPa; 29,397.97 kPa−1, from 12 to 35 kPa), good electric heating (over 70°C under 18 V), high breathability (mesh structure) and shock absorption because of the reticulated spacer fabric. There are many potential applications, such as smart insoles, cushions and mattresses, and in this work smart insoles were fabricated for monitoring human motions whether in walking or running. Another applied device is a numeric keyboard, which can recognize finger presses as different numbers. Overall, we provide a new strategy for the fabrication of a multifunctional MXene/spacer fabric-based pressure sensor, and may encourage the innovation of intelligent tactile textiles, which have potential applications in modern medicine and robot protection.
Teacher Education and Multiple Intelligences: A Case Study of Multiple Intelligences and Teacher Efficacy in Two Teacher Preparation Courses
Authors: Shore Jane R.
Published: February 2022

This instrumental collective case study provides an in-depth description of the change that transpired in two multiple intelligence (MI)–based graduate-level teacher preparation courses. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected and analyzed. Implications for MI in teacher education are discussed.
Neural Systems and Individual Differences
Authors: Posner Michael I.
Published: February 2022

Howard Garner's book Multiple Intelligences was important in psychology because it sought to relate a neuropsychological theory of common mental processes with a view of individual differences implicit in the term intelligences. New developments in imaging and genetics may make these connections more realistic.
A Year in the Life of an Elementary School: One School's Experiences in Meeting New Mathematics Standards
Authors: Dorgan Karen
Published: February 2022

This qualitative research project studied the efforts of a small public elementary school over the course of 1 academic year to meet higher standards imposed by the state. The state's department of education defined school success in terms of the percentage of students passing a set of multiple-choice, standardized tests in four core areas of the curriculum. The study looked particularly at strategies the school applied in an attempt to raise students’ mathematics test scores. Interviews, classroom observations, and document analysis were used to analyze the effects of new standards and the accompanying testing program on teachers. The project showed the effects of the state testing program on classroom practices, both positive and negative, and it raised questions for further study.
The Dragon in School Backyards: The Influence of Mandated Testing on School Contexts and Educators’ Narrative Knowing
Authors: Craig Cheryl J.
Published: February 2022

Researched in the narrative inquiry tradition, this article examines the influence of state-mandated accountability testing on Eagle High School's dramatically shifting context and the embodied knowledge held and expressed by principal, Henry Richards, and the Eagle teachers. Through carefully unpacking Richards's “dragon in school backyards” metaphor, the way the prevailing state accountability system shaped and continues to shape the school's development becomes revealed. The inquiry raises serious questions about the relationships between and among curriculum, instruction, and standardized testing for accountability purposes and what educators are asked and required to do in the pursuit of educational excellence as defined by policy makers.
Introduction to the Special Issue Work Habits and Work Styles: Volition in Education
Authors: Corno Lyn
Published: February 2022

This introduction to the special issue describes concepts and research principles from modern psychological theories of self-regulation that are relevant to the subject of work habits and work styles in school. Modern systems-based and situated views of volitional functioning are applicable to practice in clinical settings as well as education, but practitioners are not well acquainted with this body of work. The article discusses the assessment and development of volitional competence in students, showing teachers and policy makers how attention to the psychology of volition in education may be used to enhance academic work habits and work styles.
The Interplay of Aspirations, Enjoyment, and Work Habits in Academic Endeavors: Why is it So Hard to Keep Long-Term Commitments?
Authors: Schallert Diane Lemonnier , Reed Joylynn Hailey , Turner Jeannine E.
Published: February 2022

This article describes our interest in bringing together students’ emotions and their motivation for academic work as these play out across the school year. We explore three main issues. First, we consider what some view as an incompatibility between students’ use of established work habits (volitional strategies) and real enjoyment of academic tasks (what we call involvement). Rather than seeing these two approaches as diametrically opposed, we show how volitional control can be useful in getting a student to experience involvement in a task. Conversely, we consider how involvement itself can be an incentive to students’ use of volitional strategies. A second issue has to do with students realizing that long-term goals may require different volitional strategies than short-term goals. Finally, we discuss the need to encourage students to develop the habit of seeking enjoyment in academic tasks because the goal of enjoyment focuses them on the rewards of deep concentration rather than on the elation of having finished a task.
Inequality and the Right to Learn: Access to Qualified Teachers in California's Public Schools
Authors: Darling-Hammond Linda
Published: February 2022

As new standards for students are taking effect, large disparities continue to exist in the educational opportunities available to rich and poor students in most states. These disparities are especially pronounced in California, where thousands of students attend school in dilapidated buildings, without textbooks, materials, or qualified teachers. This article focuses on inequalities in children's access to qualified teachers, documenting the disproportionate assignment of untrained and uncredentialed teachers to students in high-minority, low-income schools and the effects that large concentrations of such teachers have on students’ opportunities to learn. Given the importance of teacher expertise to student achievement, and the existence of new standards to which students are held accountable, these inequalities threaten students’ basic rights to an education. The article outlines the legal rationale for insisting on access to qualified teachers for all students, analyzes the reasons for the current shortfalls in California, and proposes a set of remedies based on research and policy outcomes elsewhere.
The Unending Search for Equity: California Policy, the “Improved School Finance,” and the Williams Case
Authors: Grubb W. Norton , Goe Laura , Huerta Luis A.
Published: February 2022

This article applies the logic of the “improved” school finance, arguing the need to understand how resources are used at the school and classroom levels. While California policies and most court cases have been seriously inadequate from this perspective, the recent case of Williams v. California provides new opportunities for equity since it follows the logic of the “improved” school finance.
“How to be Thankful for Being Free”: Searching for a Convergence of Discourses on Teaching Patriotism, Citizenship, and United States History
Authors: Nash Margaret A.
Published: February 2022

Immediately after the events of September 11, 2001, there was a dramatic upsurge in exhibitions of patriotism, most generally in the form of flags prominently displayed on houses, storefronts, and automobiles. There also was a renewed zeal for inculcating patriotic feelings in children at public schools across the country. This paper, based on a study of teacher credential candidates at a large urban midwestern university, suggests that there may be a need to create a new discourse of patriotism. Such a project might integrate patriotism, the discourse on citizenship education, and the discourse of multicultural education, into a coherent whole. This new discourse on patriotism might, then, ground the emotionalism of patriotism in the responsibility of citizenship, employing the critical thought generated in discourses of multiculturalism.
Dear Zora: A Letter to Zora Neale Hurston 50 Years after Brown
Authors: Fine Michelle , Bloom Janice , Burns April , Chajet Lori , Guishard Monique , Payne Yasser , Perkins-Munn Tiffany , Torre Maria Elena
Published: February 2022

This article reports on the extensive qualitative and quantitative findings of a multi-method participatory study designed to assess urban and suburban youths’ experiences of racial/class justice or injustice in their schools and throughout the nation. Constructed as a letter to Zora Neale Hurston, who was immediately critical of the Brown decision in 1955, the article lays out the victories of Brown and the ongoing struggles, what we call “six degrees of segregation” that identify systematic policies that ensure an opportunity gap.

The article theorizes the academic, social and psychological consequences of persistent inequity on youth of color and White American youth—all adversely affected by systematic educational inequities that persist 50 years after Brown.
Infusing English Language Learner Issues Throughout Professional Educator Curricula: The Training All Teachers Project
Authors: Meskill Carla
Published: February 2022

The federally funded Training All Teachers (TAT) project is an innovative program of curricular enhancement for preservice and inservice educators across disciplines. The project focuses on English language learners (ELLs) in U.S. schools and the fact that the training of school personnel in issues related to these learners’ needs has not kept pace with the growing numbers of these learners. The goal of the TAT project is to increase opportunities for all pre-/inservice teachers, pupil services personnel, administrators, and other education personnel to learn about issues specific to ELLs. To these ends, School of Education faculty across departments and disciplines participated in a variety of activities designed to support integration of ELL issues into their teacher/professional graduate courses. The goals and structure of these faculty development activities and their outcomes are discussed, as well as the implications of such training.
National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Assessor Training: Impact of Bias Reduction Exercises
Authors: Szpara Michelle Y. , Wylie E. Caroline
Published: February 2022

This study is an in-depth investigation of the NBPTS bias reduction training from the perspective of assessors. The research examined how successful the bias training was in guiding assessors to recognize their biases and to identify actions to be used to reduce the impact of bias. The study focused on portfolio video entries to allow for a greater exploration of bias, since assessors are provided with a visual and aural depiction of the candidates and their students. Valuable confirmation of the efficacy of the bias awareness exercises was obtained. Results also indicated that further work could be done to guide assessors in specifically examining societal biases and to emphasize the importance of assessors taking conscious action to minimize their biases during scoring.
Fix it and They Might Stay: School Facility Quality and Teacher Retention in Washington, D.C.
Authors: Buckley Jack , Schneider Mark , Shang Yi
Published: February 2022

The attrition of both new and experienced teachers is a challenge for schools and school administrators throughout the United States, particularly in large urban districts. Because of the importance of this issue, there is a large empirical literature that investigates why teachers quit and how they might be induced to stay. Here we build upon this literature by suggesting another important factor in the teacher decision to stay or leave: the quality of school facilities. We investigate the importance of facility quality using data from a survey of K–12 public school teachers in Washington, D.C. We find in our sample that facility quality is an important predictor of the decision of teachers to leave their current position, even after controlling for other contributing factors.
What Makes a Lifelong Learner?
Authors: Gorard Stephen , Selwyn Neil
Published: February 2022

This article uses the reports from 1,001 home-based interviews, with adults living in the United Kingdom, to describe their varying patterns of participation in lifelong, learning. It finds that 37% of all adults report no further education or training of any kind after reaching compulsory school-leaving age. This proportion declines in each age cohort but is largely replaced by a pattern of lengthening initial education and still reporting no further education or training of any kind after leaving. The actual patterns of participation are predictable to a large extent from regression analysis using a life order model of determining variables. The key variables are age, ethnicity, sex, family background, and initial schooling, all of which are set very early in life. This suggests that universal theories to describe participation, such as simple human capital theory, are incorrect in several respects. Where individuals create, for themselves and through their early experiences, a “learner identity” inimical to further study, then the prospect of learning can become a burden rather than an investment. This has implications for the notion of overcoming barriers to access, such as those involving technology.
Adult Learning and the Generation of New Knowledge and Meaning: Creating Liberating Spaces for Fostering Adult Learning through Practitioner-Based Collaborative Action Inquiry
Authors: Yorks Lyle
Published: February 2022

Practitioner research is a topic of growing interest and scholarly writing in the field of education in general and adult education in particular. This article describes a particular form of practitioner research that rests on a participatory worldview and draws heavily from theory and practice in adult learning and action research. Practitioner-based collaborative action inquiry strives to create social space in organizations and other social institutions for generative learning. It is argued that this form of adult education practice is critical in the implementation of emergent forms of knowledge creation and meaning making that have been described as Mode 2 knowledge creation. A robust example of this form of inquiry and the role of adult-learning theory and practice in facilitating it is described in detail as a practice-based example.
Learning to Work in China's Leading Metropolis
Authors: Lo Leslie N. K. , Lai Manhong , Xiao Jin
Published: February 2022

This article examines the skills development needs and learning opportunities of the workforce in the city of Shanghai in the People's Republic of China. It attempts to elucidate the factors that influence employees’ participation in workplace training and adult education activities. By tapping the views of firm executives and employees, this article discusses the combined efficacy of three types of education and training activities for vocational learning: informal learning, nonformal training, and formal adult education. The major findings of this article suggest that working adults in Shanghai are willing to participate in a variety of adult education and training activities so long as they can see the utility of these activities. Their willingness is especially apparent when adult education and training can yield widely recognized qualifications that enhance their marketability. As the leading metropolis of China, Shanghai has great aspirations for its own role in national development as well as on the world stage. Its endeavor in providing skills development for a large workforce during a period of economic transformation should afford conceptual and policy insights into the implementation of adult education and training in changing societal contexts.
Modeling Sociocultural Pedagogy in Distance Education
Authors: Teemant Annela , Smith Marvin E. , Pinnegar Stefinee , Egan M. Winston
Published: February 2022

Increasing numbers of English as a second language (ESL) learners throughout the United States have created an urgent need for professional development for millions of teachers. Distance education offers an opportunity for high-quality professional development to be delivered to collaborative teams of teachers at local school sites. However, research has shown that effectively meeting the needs of second language learners requires sociocultural pedagogy. The challenge has been to develop an approach to distance education that attends to sociocultural perspectives of learning and models sociocultural pedagogy. In developing a bilingual/ESL endorsement program, teacher educators at Brigham Young University have met this challenge with the ProfessorsPlus model for sociocultural pedagogy in distance education. This article describes this innovative approach to distance education.
The Development of Effective Evaluation Methods for E-Learning: A Concept Paper and Action Plan
Authors: Mandinach Ellen B.
Published: February 2022

E-learning is an emerging field as a promising instructional medium as well as a ripe arena in which to conduct research on its impact on teaching and learning activities. The fundamental nature of e-learning as an instructional medium differs substantially from face-to-face delivery, thereby requiring new and hybrid methods for evaluating its impact. This article examines the characteristics of e-learning that make it unique and traces some of the emerging trends in the field. The article then discusses evaluation methodologies that might be potentially informative in the examination of how e-learning is beginning to affect teaching and learning processes.
Confirmatory Program Evaluation: Applications to Early Childhood Interventions
Authors: Reynolds Arthur J.
Published: February 2022

Confirmatory program evaluation is discussed as a method for conducting theorydriven evaluations. It is an impact assessment that emphasizes the explication and testing of a priori program theories within a broad assessment of program effectiveness. Greater emphasis is given to identifying the causal mechanisms or active ingredients of intervention effects. Confirmatory evaluation approaches are applied to the field of early childhood intervention. Although significant progress in understanding the effects of early childhood interventions has occurred over the last four decades, questions remain about the causal mechanisms of change, who benefits most from which program components, and the reliability of effects for large-scale programs. Examples from the Chicago Longitudinal Study are highlighted to show how confirmatory evaluation can help validate the effects of social interventions. Studies of the Chicago Child-Parent Centers are described to emphasize how the causal criteria of coherence, specificity, and within- and between-study consistency can strengthen causal inference and generalizability.
High-Stakes Testing: Can Rapid Assessment Reduce the Pressure?
Authors: Yeh Stuart S.
Published: February 2022

This article presents findings about the implementation of a system for rapidly assessing student progress in math and reading in grades K-12—a system that potentially could reduce pressure on teachers resulting from high-stakes testing and the implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act. Interviews with 49 teachers and administrators in one Texas school district suggest that the assessments allowed teachers to individualize and target instruction; provide more tutoring; reduce drill and practice; and improve student readiness for, and spend more time on, critical thinking activities, resulting in a more balanced curriculum. Teachers reported that the assessments provided a common point for discussion, increased collaboration among teachers to improve instruction and resolve instructional problems, and supported both new and experienced teachers in implementing sound teaching practices. The individualized curriculum and rapid feedback on progress reportedly gave students the feeling that they were successful and in control of their own learning, engaging students who previously disliked reading and math—including dyslexic children and children in special education—reducing stress, and improving student achievement. These findings are interpreted through Corbett and Wilson's framework for understanding why high-stakes testing often has negative effects and why the implementation of rapid assessment systems could reduce unintended negative consequences of testing.
On Becoming College Prep: Examining the Challenges Charter School Staff Members Face While Executing a School's Mission
Authors: Farmer-Hinton Raquel L.
Published: February 2022

This article draws from a case study investigating the organizational characteristics of a college preparatory charter high school and the impact of that college preparatory climate on the postsecondary plans of the school's graduating classes. Although charters provide local communities with alternatives to existing educational institutions, many recently chartered schools face organizational trials that can limit their effectiveness. This article reports findings from the base-year data collection of a multiyear case study of a recently chartered college preparatory high school. The findings show how logistical constraints and staff turnover affected the implementation of the school's mission, which is to prepare educationally and socially disadvantaged students for college.
Teacher Learning in a School-University Partnership: Exploring the Role of Social Trust and Teaching Efficacy Beliefs
Authors: Fisler Jennifer L. , Firestone William A.
Published: February 2022

Teacher learning has been studied in numerous contexts using a variety of theoretical frameworks. Our research examines variation in teacher learning in a school-university partnership. We explore the personal characteristics of social trust and teaching efficacy beliefs in relation to teachers’ levels of learning. We classify teachers in the partnership into three categories based on their demonstrated affective and pedagogical learning and discuss how differences among these teachers in terms of social trust and efficacy beliefs may have influenced their learning. Our research demonstrates that although school-university partnerships may hold promise for school improvement efforts, individual teacher factors can mediate the influence of these partnerships on teacher learning and pedagogical change.
Paul Goodman, 30 Years Later: Growing Up Absurd; Compulsory Mis-education, and The Community of Scholars; and The New Reformation—A Retrospective
Authors: Kaminsky James S.
Published: February 2022

This article is a retrospective account of the legacy of Paul Goodman's major educational works: Growing Up Absurd; Compulsory Mis-education, and The Community of Scholars; and The New Reformation. It is argued here that what remains of interest in Goodman's work is to be found in the tropes and the anarchic Zeitgeist of his work. The legacy of Goodman's educational writing is its art and the nostalgic romantic humanism that holds together its various educational tropes. Goodman's contribution to educational thought was the awakening that he brought to some elements of America's mythology—that is, freedom, liberty, individuality, and human rights. Although many of the recommendations for education in his books seem more than somewhat out of touch with today's educational issues, Goodman's texts still assert a romantic anarchic humanism coloring an educational counterstory that is a refreshing alternative to the politically correct educational agendas of conservatives and liberals alike.
The Fruit of Silence
Authors: Nelson Marilyn
Published: February 2022

This presentation explores how contemplative practices, especially those anchored in an active listening to silence, are integrated into creative writing courses. It pays particular attention to a course taught at the United States Military Academy at West Point and to a course on the poetry of war and peace taught at the University of Connecticut. The presentation includes not only excerpts from student writing during the courses but also ongoing correspondence with students as they have maintained meditation practices during their military service in Iraq.
A Case Study of Conflict in an Educational Workplace: Managing Personal and Cultural Differences
Authors: Torpey Michael John
Published: February 2022

This article is about conflict in an educational workplace setting. It reports on a case study investigating the emergence, development, and management of conflict among diverse native English speakers working as language instructors within a Japanese university. The example of conflict presented, which deals with divergent assumptions about the nature and management of collaborative research projects, illustrates how communication is inextricably tied to culture, out of whose interplay conflict may arise. This example also highlights one of the most important challenges facing educators the world over: how to encourage people to cooperatively address and manage conflicts. This challenge requires us as educators, in both our individual and institutional capacities, to become more conversant with practices in the field of conflict resolution and management. Such familiarity is a prerequisite to us becoming exemplary models of its practices for our students, our colleagues, our organizations, and our society.
Education for the Community: Exploring the Culturally Relevant Practices of Black Male Teachers
Authors: Lynn Marvin
Published: February 2022

Black men have remained largely absent from the educational discourse on teachers and teaching. Even more important, their perspectives have not been fully considered in the debates over what constitutes culturally relevant classroom practice. In this article, portraits of the teaching lives of three Black men who worked as full-time teachers in urban schools in California are drawn. The portraits outline the teachers’ entree into teaching, their views on pedagogy, and their culturally and racially sensitive pedagogical practice.
Rethinking Terrestrial Pedagogy: Nature, Cultures, and Ethics
Authors: Li Huey-Li
Published: February 2022

In this article, I offer a clarification of the ambiguities surrounding the pivotal concepts that have shaped and will continue to shape environmental education movement in the United States and beyond: nature, conservation, sustainable development, and environmental justice. I point out that dualistic frameworks not only polarize environmental educators’ ethical, political, and pedagogical values but also oversimplify complicated ecological issues. It is critical to generate inclusive and collective pedagogical efforts that recognize the interactions between the natural and the cultural, the possibility of integrating ecocentric and technocentric conservation education movements, and the need to foster humility for ongoing dialogues concerning sustainable development and environmental justice.
Professional Development for Teachers on Gender Equity in the Sciences: Initiating the Conversation
Authors: Battey Daniel , Kafai Yasmin , Nixon Althea Scott , Kao Linda
Published: February 2022

We face more subtle and complex issues in gender equity in the sciences than ever before. Although researchers have proposed various interventions and solutions, one area that has received little attention is professional development for teachers. We synthesized 170 projects, sponsored by NSF and AAUW, which included professional development on gender equity in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). We examined the projects on three effects: 1) student engagement in inquiry; 2) sustainability over the long-term; and 3) integration of professional development and the classroom. Our results indicate that most gender equity professional development in STEM lacks essential elements to effectively promote and implement gender equity in the classroom. Half of the projects did not address science and mathematics content and 84 percent did not include inquiry, an integral component of quality professional development. We discuss implications given the current state of gender equity in the sciences.
Insights into Alternative Certification: Initial Findings from a National Study
Authors: Humphrey Daniel C. , Wechsler Marjorie E.
Published: February 2022

Background

Alternative teacher certification has become an increasingly popular strategy for addressing both teacher quality and teacher shortages. However, there is little agreement about what constitutes alternative certification, and there is little known about the types of programs that prepare highly qualified teachers. The debate over alternative certification has fueled a variety of assumptions about participants and programs that are based on opinion or the limited research base.

Focus of Study

Our research describes in detail seven programs to understand who participates in these programs and what learning opportunities the programs provide. We test proponents’ and opponents’ assumptions about alternative certification against national data and data from the seven programs.

Research Design

We employed multiple data collection activities at both the program and participant levels. We conducted case studies of seven alternative certification programs, including multiple interviews with key personnel and document reviews. We surveyed program participants twice—once at the beginning of their participation in the program, and again at the end of their first year of teaching. We also observed a sample of participants teaching and interviewed them both at the beginning and end of their first year of teaching.

Findings

We find that both sides of the debate fail to capture the variation in participants’ characteristics and their experience in the programs. Alternative certification program participants are a diverse group of individuals who defy generalization. In addition, we find a great deal of variation between and within alternative certification programs. In contrast to simplistic characterizations, we find teacher development in alternative certification to be a function of the interaction between the program as implemented, the school context in which participants are placed, and the participants’ backgrounds and previous teaching experiences.

Conclusions

We conclude by questioning the usefulness of comparing different alternative certification programs and instead suggest that a better unit of analysis would be a subgroup of individuals with similar backgrounds, school placements, and learning opportunities.