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For most graduate writers, acclimating to doctoral-level inquiry is fraught with numerous tensions, whether regarding the development of scholarly identity (Gardner et al., 2014), navigating graduate school's newly decentralized sources for support (Simpson, 2012), or mastering the writing and research conventions that govern disciplinary practice. Using a Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) framework, this case study analyzes the first-term experiences of Miranda, a first-year PhD student from the field of gerontology (who is also a co-author), and the tensions she feels around the drafting and revision of a single paper. Drawing from Engeström (1987), we theorize Miranda's challenges around motive, authority, and expert feedback as comprising three "contradictions" engendered by the contemporary activity system of doctoral-level learning-to-write, contradictions that at once challenge the writer's going presumptions about writing even while they enable new concepts and solutions to emerge. This analysis finally encourages researchers to take a wide, cultural-historical view of the many contexts in which doctoral students write during their first terms, including the instructor-led classroom, the larger culture of the program and institution, and the current high-pressure realities of doctoral-level academic study in the United States.

Background: Virtual mindfulness may be helpful for individuals with intellectual disabilities in the context of COVID-related disruptions of in-person programming, such as Special Olympics (SO). This study examined the feasibility of a virtual mindfulness intervention for SO athletes and their caregivers. Method: SO athletes (n = 44) and their caregivers (n = 29) participated in a 6-week adapted virtual mindfulness intervention. Athletes completed mindfulness and well-being questionnaires prior to, immediately following, and 3-months post-intervention. Caregivers completed questionnaires assessing their own stress, mindfulness, and well-being, as well as athlete mental health. Exit interviews were conducted immediately following the intervention. Results: The intervention was feasible in terms of demand, implementation, acceptability, and limited testing efficacy. There were significant improvements in athlete well-being and mental health, and caregiver stress and mindfulness post-intervention. Conclusions: Adapted virtual mindfulness groups may be an effective intervention in improving the well-being of adults with intellectual disabilities and their caregivers.

Especially in the wake of the recent pandemic, asynchronous consulting has become increasingly central to writing center work. Yet writing center scholarship has little attended to the significant impact writer input can have on asynchronous writer-consultant exchanges. Drawing on asynchronous consultation data collected before and after our 2019 redesign of our writing center's asynchronous system, this comparative study examines the specific effect of the writer appointment form on the nature of both writers' requests for feedback (RFFs) and consultants' resulting comments. Our findings suggest that differently designed appointments forms can scaffold significantly different kinds of asynchronous writer-consultant exchanges, especially visible in the different emphases writers and consultants put on issues of correctness, clarity, organization, and the writer's rhetorical situation. We argue that, particularly in the case of asynchronous consulting--which can easily devolve to a "fix-it" model of consulting--it is important for writing center administrators to design asynchronous platforms that encourage both writers and consultants to more explicitly consider how the specific rhetorical features of a writing task can shape revising goals.

Academic libraries are fundamental in promoting equitable access to education but are often overlooked and underfunded. The COVID-19 pandemic amplified these inequities. This study investigates how 39 library deans and directors perceived decision-making by university administration during COVID-19's onset. Open-ended survey questions were sent to deans and directors asking them to describe their experiences working with university administration to adjust library services during the crisis. Some library leaders reported that working closely with other departments strengthened their campus connections. Others commented that disagreement between library personnel and university administration caused discord. Some deans and directors were forced to cut staff funding or felt pressured to reopen, while others were trusted to choose their budget and service priorities. The authors recommend that library leaders be more consistently relied upon for their expertise during university decision-making.

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore four K-12 public school music educators' lived experiences with teacher-student relationships. Research questions were the following: (a) How do music educators describe teacher-student relationships in their classrooms? (b) What strategies do music educators use to encourage positive, caring relationships with their students? and (c) What benefits and challenges exist for educators in relationship-focused classrooms? Participant selection was purposive; all participants were known to prioritize teacher-student relationships in their teaching. Interview data, coded in multiple phases, revealed six themes that influenced teacher-student relationships: structure; time; family and community connections; choice, voice, and ownership; authenticity; and enthusiasm. The essence of participants' experiences involved moments of caring connection facilitated by awareness, empathy, and attention to individuals. Implications for music teacher educators include the intentional design of curriculum and instruction, approaches to classroom interactions, and focus on students' experiences.

In Jamaica, schools are placed in six regions which involve one to three parishes, but in one instance, two regions are partially located in one parish. While schools in any jurisdiction should perform in accordance with stated standards and established criteria, there are many factors which seem to mitigate against this expectation. This failure usually results in weaker schools located in some regions whose performance differ based on factors such as location-urban versus rural, the levels and types of schools, the overall population of these schools, and quality of human resources, including teachers and principals, among others. In Jamaica, Region 1 comprises three adjoining parishes, Kingston, St. Andrew and St. Thomas. Five of the regions are essentially in rural Jamaica, except region 1 and even then substantial parts of St. Andrew are rural and St. Thomas is fully rural. The fact that schools are located in mainly rural settings means that the leadership displayed by the principal will be influenced by the given context and his/her ability to use personal abilities and characteristics to influence change. This study seeks to determine if school constituents' ratings of the leadership dimensions of high-performing principals based on the regional location of schools. A knowledge of the ratings of high-performing principals is important because the leadership provided by the principal is central to school performance generally. This paper locates the study of high-performing principal in the Jamaican school context and provides a review of the relevant literature with emphasis on the phases of leadership development and the four dimensions related to the performance of high-performing principals. The overview of the methodology presents the sample, procedures and statistical tests which were used and the findings presented and discussed in regards to the four dimensions related to the performance of high-performing principals. The conclusion makes specific suggestions and recommendations regarding strategies and approaches to address some of the problems related to the differences in the ratings of the performance dimensions of high-performing principals based on school regions.

Impact evaluation and measurement are highly complex and can pose challenges for both social impact providers and funders. Measuring the impact of social interventions requires the continuous exploration and improvement of evaluation approaches and tools. This article explores the available evidence on meta-evaluation--the "evaluation of evaluations"--as an analytical tool for improving impact evaluation and analysis in practice. It presents a systematic review of 15 meta-evaluations with an impact evaluation/analysis component. These studies, taken from both the scholarly and gray literature, were analyzed thematically, yielding insights about the potential contribution of meta-evaluation in improving the methodological rigor of impact evaluation and organizational learning among practitioners. To conclude, we suggest that meta-evaluation is a viable way of examining impact evaluations used in the broader social sector, particularly market-based social interventions.

Best practices for integrated STEM courses work well when teachers are adept at implementing them and when students are in a learning environment where they can communicate and collaborate while simultaneously working with and investigating manipulatives with their hands. When the COVID-19 Pandemic forced many K-12 schools to close in March of 2020, many teachers were forced to try to adapt best practices in STEM, and the communication norms that are necessary for best practices, to virtual environments. This article explores a variety of professional practices used in a midwestern middle school classroom to transition from live STEM classrooms to virtual STEM classrooms without compromising the rigor or quality of education. The core of successful implementation was communication. Communication between the teacher and students and communication among students.

Developing an online learning community can help to improve student success. This presents a challenge as the student cohort is often time-limited and shifting in composition before a module starts. The continued evaluation and development of an online preparatory website for the new, year one module S112 -- "Science: concepts and practice" is reported. Evaluation of the site in 2017-18 showed high levels of student satisfaction with the resources, though very little engagement with the asynchronous forum. Therefore, improvements before the October 2018 module start centred on increasing student engagement on the forum: Firstly, tutors moderating the forums were tasked with developing several optional scientific tasks for staged release to generate student discussion. Secondly, volunteer peer mentors from the 2017-18 presentation were recruited and trained as "student buddies" to provide non-academic advice and support. Student engagement increased markedly prior to the October 2018 module. The clearest emergent theme from tutors who moderated the forums was that students were seeking to establish a study community, rather than obtain subject-specific advice. Student response to the buddies was positive, with students more willing to ask questions of the buddies than of the tutor moderators. Data for S112 show that registrations at module start increased by 23.5% from 2017 to 2018, and early withdrawals (14 days after module start) dropped by 2%. Our results provide ideas for building online student engagement, particularly in scenarios where students may come and go, and have little available time: for example, bridging gaps in time or academic readiness, whether by blended or distance learning.

This paper considers alternative ways of teaching Romantic poetry to post-sixteen English Literature pupils in England. It explores how practitioners can value tangents developed by pupils' independent thinking when pupils are given the freedom to develop their own ideas. It reflects on a lesson planned to respond to a tangent developed by the class in a previous session; that William Blake's "The Tyger", to a contemporary reader, explores the 21st century preoccupation of climate change. The lesson outlined in this report built upon these ideas further, valuing the pupils' tangential thinking. Approaches like these are particularly important now as the performativity agenda in schools, promoted by league tables as a measure of effectiveness, can result in some schools teaching to the test, at the exclusion of encouraging personal and creative responses to texts.

Mindfulness-based approaches have been shown to be effective in improving the mental health of parents of youth and adults with autism and other developmental disabilities, but prior work suggests that geography and caregiving demands can make in-person attendance challenging. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability and preliminary outcomes of a mindfulness-based group intervention delivered to parents virtually. It was feasible to deliver this manualized intervention. Twenty-one of 39 parents completed the intervention and completers reported high satisfaction ratings. Parents reported reduced levels of distress, maintained at 3-month follow-up, and increased mindfulness. Changes reported following intervention were similar to changes reported in a prior study of parents competing an in person mindfulness group.

Strategy and research are essential parts of strategic enrollment management (SEM), yet little information exists regarding how to use research and predictive analytics for effective strategy. It is often easier to react to what is happening in the moment, rather than be proactive in predicting the future or developing long-term plans. This article demonstrates how to integrate enrollment research into effective strategy. In enrollment management, statistics and research are the keys to unlocking effective change and leveraging potential. Conversion rates, yield rates, graduation rates, and more are based soundly in statistics. While basic training in statistics is important for every enrollment manager, it is not necessary to be an expert to use them effectively in leadership. An effective and efficient operation comes from having the right tools and people in place to get needed information. This article intends to provide guidance on how to put those people and tools in place.

The research funding patterns at ten doctorate-granting universities across the country were investigated. These universities were classified by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education as R2: Higher Research Activity institutions. Findings pointed to patterns in funding and research growth and the relationship between research administrators and funded projects. In this mixed-methods study, quantitative and qualitative data were used to examine each of these universities' total award dollars received in FY2017, compare the top three departments funded, and look at how funding may relate to the research administration missions of each research office. Further, the source of research dollars was analyzed, including federal and other external sponsors, and the percentage of proposals submitted versus those awarded. Overall, this paper conceptualizes the complicated, competitive grant process at the university level: in order for administrators to increase access to research dollars, they should understand the funding climate, stay connected to their institutions' community of scholars, and encourage scholars to conduct scholarship that drives opportunity, innovation, and change.

Spatial thinking skills positively relate to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) outcomes, but spatial training is largely absent in elementary school. Elementary school is a time when children develop foundational cognitive skills that will support STEM learning throughout their education. Spatial thinking should be considered a foundational cognitive skill. The present research examined the impact of an embodied spatial training program on elementary students' spatial and mathematical thinking. Students in rural elementary schools completed spatial and math assessments prior to and after participating in an origami and pop-up paper engineering-based program, called Think3d!. Think3d! uses embodied tasks, such as folding and cutting paper, to train two-dimensional to three-dimensional spatial thinking. Analyses explored spatial thinking gains, mathematics gains--specifically for problem types expected to show gains from spatial training--and factors predicting mathematics gains. Results showed spatial thinking gains in two assessments. Using a math categorization to target problems more and less likely to be impacted by spatial training, we found that all students improved on real-world math problems and older students improved on visual and spatial math problems. Further, the results are suggestive of developmental time points for implementing embodied spatial training related to applying spatial thinking to math. Finally, the spatial thinking assessment that was most highly related to training activities also predicted math performance gains. Future research should explore developmental issues related to how embodied spatial training might support STEM learning and outcomes.

The purpose of the current study was to analyse both the general school constituents' and male and females school constituents' ratings of the performance of male and female high-performing principals in the Jamaican public schools. With a sample of 2384 respondents representing school constituents from 125 schools, the returns were 1523 (64%). The data were collected using a 69-item Likert scale and analysed using Principals Component Analysis (PCA) and t-test. The results of the analysis revealed four dimensions of leadership performance: philosophy and abilities, leadership and management, student support systems, and community support and relationships. The findings showed that there were significant differences in how the general school constituents rated high-performing principals on three of the four dimensions of performance. There were no differences in male respondents' ratings of male and female principals; however, there were significant differences in the ratings of female respondents of the four dimensions.

Purpose: The aim of the study is to explore the experience of eating disorder support group participants. The research question is "What is the experience of adults recovering from an eating disorder in a professionally-led monthly support group?" Design/methodology/approach: This qualitative study explored the experience of adults recovering from an eating disorder in a professionally-led monthly support group. Participants were 18 adults recovering from an eating disorder who attended a monthly support group. The data were collected using an online anonymous survey and then analysed using a thematic analysis. Findings: The main themes that emerged were: (1) sharing the pain and promise, (2) cautions and concerns and (3) facilitators have influence. The findings indicate that the support group provided a safe space to share their lived experience, that it reduced stigma and isolation, and improved participants' motivation and engagement. Moreover, the results revealed some challenges to the functioning of the group. These included management of discussions and dominant members, need for psycho-educational information and managing intense feelings, relating to body-related comparison and other mental disorder comorbidities. Originality/value: This is the first study highlighting the valuable role of the facilitator in balancing content with compassion, in ensuring safety in the group, and potentially fulfilling a valuable education function in supporting participants in their eating disorder recovery journey.

Prenatal exposure to alcohol causes a pattern of brain-based deficits and is associated with behavioral challenges (Wozniak et al., 2019). Understanding the neurocognitive behaviors common among individuals with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) can increase teachers' effectiveness (Tremblay et al., 2017). Environmental changes, such as modifying the classroom, providing high levels of structure, and increasing adult supervision, have been shown to improve the behavior of individuals with FASD (Bohjanen et al., 2009). There is also emerging evidence that explicit instruction in metacognitive strategies is effective with this population (Makela et al., 2019. Students with FASD can benefit from being explicitly taught to stop and think before acting and to use rehearsal, memory aids, and positive self-talk.

It is no secret that particular populations of Americans, specifically minorities, women, and students from high-poverty schools and districts, are underrepresented in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) jobs (Presidents' Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, 2010). In the 21st century, technology drives innovation and invention, and STEM is critical for American economic competitiveness, national security, and quality of life for all citizens (Dasgupta & Stout, 2014). The American workforce needs every capable STEM worker to keep America in a global leadership position. Research indicates that the underrepresentation of particular demographic groups in STEM careers contributes to the shortage of STEM workforce candidates and limits the extent to which members of the underrepresented groups can participate in lucrative, fast-growing careers (Malcom-Piqueux & Malcom, 2013). Even if students do not intend to pursue a STEM career, they still need to be STEM literate to participate in the 21st century economy and workforce. American jobs require multidisciplinary problem-solving approaches that include technology in industries such as manufacturing, defense, health care, finance, government, weather forecasting, and even digital arts and music (Machi, 2009; Baron, 2015). Students will need role models to show them how to use technology to learn, how to use technology to meet a need, and how to use technology responsibly.

The article presents the evaluation of the training programme for secondary school principals conducted in the period between 2006 and 2009. A mixed method approach was used to conduct the summative evaluation with 28 graduate participants. For the impact evaluation, 15 of the graduates were interviewed three years after the programme was completed. The quantitative data was analyzed using means and standard deviation. The findings revealed that participants gained technical and relational skills but responses were less favourable in relation to cognitive or conceptual skills, while the support from lecturers and workplaces was strong but less favourable from the central ministry. There was a positive impact on participants' performance during the period of training, especially in the areas of confidence, collegiality and overall leadership. For the impact evaluation, graduates credited the programme for their promotion to become principals, vice principals, senior teachers or give added responsibilities. They identified areas to be enhanced for any further programme to include school law, financial management, policy development and interpretation, and conflict management and relational skills. The main recommendation is that for any further programme for the training of principals should be guided by the findings of the evaluation. (Contains 7 tables and 1 figure.)

Historical pageants were important sites of popular engagement with the past in twentieth-century Britain. They took place in many places and sometimes on a large scale, in settings ranging from small villages to industrial cities. They were staged by schools, churches, professional organisations, women's groups and political parties, among others. This article draws on contemporary studies of heritage and performance to explore the blend of history, myth and fiction that characterised pageants, and the ways in which they both shaped and reflected the self-image of local communities. Pageants were important channels of popular education as well as entertainment and, although they are sometimes seen as backward-looking and conservative spectacles, this article argues that pageants could be an effective means of enlisting the past in the service of the present and future.

This study used Control-Value Theory to examine the extent to which appraisals of control and value predicted students' intentions to complete their studies and whether the effects of these appraisals on completion intentions are mediated by the achievement emotions of enjoyment, frustration, anger and boredom. A sample of 158 Australian vocational education students completed a survey measuring control, value, achievement emotions and intentions to complete. Structural Equation Modelling revealed that both higher levels of control and higher levels of value predicted intentions to complete, though no support was found for an interaction between control and value in predicting completion intentions. Contrary to expectations, no support was found for achievement emotions mediating the relationships between both control and value and intentions to complete. It was concluded that subjective control and value may act as protective resources for students in maintaining their intentions to complete their studies.

Educational administrative practitioners evaluate theories, implement practices, and refine leadership strategies daily. The exploration of the leadership gap between theory and praxis is a quantum undertaking. Leadership from the educational perspective takes many forms and presents many challenges. This document examines leadership from several diverse perspectives in the following essays: (1) Leadership: A Practitioner's Bridge from Theory to Practice (Foreword); (2) Emotional Intelligence and Effective Leadership: Implications for School Leaders; (3) Leading in Rural Appalachia; (4) Spiritual and Ethical Leadership; (5) Synergistic Leadership Theory; (6) Transformational Leadership and Servant Leadership: Is There a Difference?; (7) Leading from Below the Surface: A Non-Traditional Approach to School Leadership; and (8) Technology in Leadership. This collection of essays is authored by Virginia Tech Doctoral students as part of their requirements for the course, Theories of Educational Administration, Summer 2009. The authors posit that much of the "formal and traditional" theory is not especially applicable in today's complex and fast-paced school environments. Individual chapters contain references.

The career of educational administrator does not lend itself well to allowing new principals to practice their skills. Because of the element of responsibility for administrators, most principals are reluctant to relinquish power to interns in fear of their failure. As a result, educational leadership programs struggle to find appropriate methods of instruction to fill the gaps in the practice field. New administrators need to be prepared to delegate appropriately and find ways for everyone to work toward a common goal. Principal preparation programs at many universities have established the foundation of making this process a learned behavior; however, there is much more work needed to achieve competence in delegating. An ongoing practice must occur for future administrators to learn the skills necessary to delegate. All activities and discussions should revolve around the practice of deciding who the leader is, what each person's responsibility should be, and how can the team works.

This study examines the association between high school teachers' collegial networks and their own familiarity with, and practices related to, supporting students' admission to college. Using survey data collected at two time points from 163 teachers in four mid-Michigan high schools in 2011-2012, this study (a) employs cluster analysis to map collegial networks by school, and (b) uses social network influence modeling to examine how teachers may be influenced by their closest colleagues. Results of the cluster analysis find that all four high schools surveyed show evidence of distinct clustering by subgroups. Results from influence modeling show that while positive in almost all cases, the impact of teachers' exposure to colleagues is not significantly associated with a change in familiarity or practices related to college-going. However, interaction with program staff from a college-advising program is found to be related to a small positive change in some teacher practices.

Developing simpler, more accessible, and more affordable methods for the determination of the boiling point of microscale amounts of liquid may lead to increased utilization in research and teaching laboratories as an analytical technique. Our efforts toward that goal have revealed that digital hot plates can be used as the heat source. One option is to simply use a test tube and a digital thermometer, requiring 300 µL of liquid that accurately determines boiling points that range from 35 to 150 °C. An alternative method, requiring as little as 30 µL of liquid, utilizes a modified aluminum block and a temperature control probe coupled to the digital hot plate that results in the accurate determination of boiling points that range from 35 to 205 °C. Both modifications to the Siwoloboff-Wiegand method provide consistent, reliable, and accurate boiling points for a variety of liquids with a wide range of boiling points.

In this article, the author contends that there is confusion among the general public about what defines a liberal arts college and liberal arts education. This confusion over what is liberal and what is professional, over what is a liberal arts college and what is not, provides an interesting backdrop to the question about the conflation of liberal and professional education. Progress has been made in bringing liberal arts and professional programs together, although the professions have reached farther across the aisle to bridge the old divisions. The challenge is to achieve an authentic mutual integration of liberal and professional learning objectives.

This article proposes a funded school-based allowance and savings program targeted at economically disadvantaged students with poor educational outcomes to help poor children develop less present-biased time preference patterns so as to increase student effort and skills acquisition, avoid the pitfalls that pave the path of adolescence and move from poverty to middle class status as adults. Time orientation is associated with low educational investments, poor educational outcomes, out-of wedlock and teenage childbirth, criminality, and poverty, and nothing better characterizes the role of time preferences in distinguishing socioeconomic classes than attitudes and behavior with respect to money income. In poverty, money income is to be spent whereas in the middle class and the wealthy, money is to be managed and invested and children are taught the value of self-control and delayed gratification through the accumulation, savings and investment of regular allowances. We propose a model program parameterized in a way that children, given complete freedom of choice, should develop more future oriented preferences resulting in greater effort and skills acquisition in school, and the habits of conduct necessary for productive work life. Program cost, which cannot exceed program design, can be reasonably anticipated and is directly related to the benefit--the more that a child saves, the higher the cost, but the more likely that the child has acquired a future time orientation. We present evidence that even if the estimated maximum disbursements occurred and only a minimal percent of participating students changed their lives, the estimated benefits should out-weigh disbursement costs. (Contains 2 tables and 13 footnotes.)

The study explored critical factors that explain leadership performance of high-performing principals and examined the relationship between these factors based on the ratings of school constituents in the public school system. The principal component analysis with the use of Varimax Rotation revealed that four components explain 51.1% of the variance in the correlation matrix. Correlations among the four components range from strong to moderate with the relationship between components 1 and 22 (personal philosophy and abilities and leadership) demonstrating the only strong, positive correlation within the matrix. This study showed that two of the dimensions identified were in keeping with the leadership-related categories of personal philosophy and abilities (combined), and leadership itself obtained from the qualitative study. The strength of the relationship suggests that personal philosophy, personal abilities and leadership are interrelated and must be integrated for greatest performance effect. The findings should have practical benefits for principals, especially in the areas of training, education and development; performance evaluation; and recruitment. Further research on a regional basis would assist in determining if leadership practices are consistent across the territories, bearing in mind the contextual basis which obtains and the differences and similarities in how public schools are led.

The article presents a conceptual model of effective school leadership which is based on the experience and knowledge gained from research work done with high-performing principals in the Jamaican school system. The basic and underlying premise is that to understand how leadership works, it is essential to explore the dimensions, components, and elements which shape and inform the behavior of the leaders. The article also presents the conceptual framework for the model and elaborates on the six dimensions which are the basis for analyzing and synthesizing leadership practice. The model would be useful as a diagnostic tool, and a guide for recruiting and developing training programs for principals.

Purpose: Alcohol-related accidents and injuries occur disproportionately within young people--especially when gathering at social events. This study represents a partnership between a faith-based group of volunteers specifically trained to counsel and support young people to reduce their risk of alcohol-related harm, Adelaide City Council, and the South Australian Police Force aimed at reducing risk-related alcohol consumption in a metropolitan nightclub district area. It posits that supporting young people to party safely, alongside positive community engagement, may deter unsafe consumption practices--such as pre-loading and binge-drinking. Methods: Retrospective online survey evaluated the impact on attitudes of young people who received the intervention. Results: Findings suggest volunteers were perceived as positive role models who demonstrated a genuine sense of care and ability to support. As a result, one-third of respondents identified potentially more carefully pre-plan their drinking behaviour on their next night out. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that young people are responsive to positive interventions and that future pre-planning may become a more natural part of their party routine--resulting in less likelihood of alcohol-related risk. The outcome measure, that young people's intentions to moderate their drinking as a result of positive encounters, is an important one.

This study evaluated two community based interventions for parents of adults with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities. Parents in the mindfulness group reported significant reductions in psychological distress, while parents in the support and information group did not. Reduced levels of distress in the mindfulness group were maintained at 20 weeks follow-up. Mindfulness scores and mindful parenting scores and related constructs (e.g., self-compassion) did not differ between the two groups. Results suggest the psychological components of the mindfulness based group intervention were effective over and above the non-specific effects of group processes and informal support.

Details of the London pilot of the "Discovery Project" are presented, where university-based astronomers were given the chance to pass on some real and applied knowledge of astronomy to a group of selected secondary school pupils. It was aimed at students in Key Stage 3 of their education, allowing them to be involved in real astronomical research at an early stage of their education, the chance to become the official discoverer of a new variable star, and to be listed in the International Variable Star Index database (The International Variable Star Index, Version 1.1, American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO), 2016, http://aavso.org/vsx), all while learning and practising research-level skills. Future plans are discussed.