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That the manifestation of cheating varies between disciplines is rarely discussed, an unspoken assumption being that assessment takes the form of written prose supported by a bibliography. Students and academics from disciplines, such as mathematics, not fitting this model can feel that their work is regarded as an aberration. 'Plagiarism' is not an adequate term to indicate collusion on an individual task, copying a classmate's calculation by hand, or substitution of a computational tool for one's own competence when it is being tested. Signature pedagogies give rise to signature assessments and hence signature misconduct. Our analysis provides insight into the nature and rationale of mathematics assessment for the broader academic integrity community, and we suggest that other disciplines, particularly the non-text disciplines, may wish to similarly examine their own forms of misconduct. Our cheating is not your cheating; therein lies a challenge for all of us.

In this case study, we explore how principal candidates made sense of their internship by analyzing their weekly reflections during a school year. We found that candidates' views of leadership developed from viewing leadership solely through the lens of making decisions and providing direction, to recognizing that much of the work of a school leader came from building relationships and delegating leadership responsibilities. Candidates' experiences managing student discipline, conducting classroom walkthroughs and teacher evaluations, and leading professional development and professional learning communities (PLCs) were especially developmental. We conclude with implications for preservice training programs and future research.

We examined the state of Arkansas, empirically testing how focusing on high-achieving students using state tests might expand the pool of gifted identified students. From a broader sample of 173,133 students, we compared the degree to which students who were academically talented in the top 5% on third-grade state literacy and math assessments were identified as gifted in Arkansas. Across five independent cohorts, we replicated the finding that roughly 30% of the students in the top 5% on both third-grade literacy and math were not identified as gifted. Logistic regression (N = 3992) indicated that high-achieving students participating in the federal Free/Reduced Lunch program were 50% less likely to be identified. These findings suggest that using state math and literacy assessments as universal screening tools could improve gifted identification of high-achieving students, many from low-income or other disadvantaged backgrounds.

While some tertiary mathematics educators approximated the familiar invigilated, closed-book assessment regime in the online environment forced upon us all by a pandemic, others either by choice or necessity needed to devise a new way to assess their students' learning. This Classroom Note both synthesizes advice from the literature about what might comprise 'internet resistant' question design and provides practical, specific examples to demonstrate how such advice can be put into everyday practice. The examples are annotated, and the potential long-term utility of such question design is discussed, whatever the future of assessment may be.

Capillary electrophoresis is a powerful separation tool with a wide range of analytes for diverse applications and is compatible with various detection methods. While some more established separation techniques like gas or liquid chromatography are utilized heavily in analytical chemistry laboratory courses, newer commercial capillary electrophoresis instrumentation remains underrepresented in undergraduate laboratories, with the concepts being largely in the realm of lecture alone in analytical chemistry curricula. Despite its proven power and wide application, an undergraduate laboratory experiment utilizing capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection(CE-LIF) has yet to be published. Here, we present an experiment for third- and fourth-year undergraduate analytical chemistry courses in which the students use CE-LIF to optimize system parameters, analyze the amino acid profile of a mock "patient sample", and use calibration standards coupled with statistical analysis to provide a phenylketonuria (PKU) diagnosis. This experiment is easily adaptable to a dry lab, making this technique available to laboratories without the resources needed to acquire a CE-LIF system. We also demonstrate that the dry lab analysis can be accomplished in an online format, requiring no student presence in the laboratory, which is especially relevant due to recent events concerning the COVID-19 pandemic.

Neighborhood social processes may have important implications for parenting processes and ethnic-racial identity (ERI) processes and content in adolescence. Past research suggests that adolescents whose parents engaged in more cultural socialization, an important aspect of parental racial socialization, had higher levels of ERI processes and content. Parenting, however, is also situated within neighborhood contexts and can be influenced by resources available in neighborhoods. For example, having neighbors who share mutual values, trust one another, and appreciate/celebrate one's heritage culture may be a resource that promotes parents' efforts to engage in cultural socialization. We prospectively examined (from [x-bar][subscript age] = 10.9-15.8 years) a model in which U.S. Mexican parents' perceptions of neighborhood social and cultural cohesion supported parents' engagement in higher levels of cultural socialization and in turn promoted adolescents' ethnic-racial identity processes and content. We tested a longitudinal mediation model with a sample of 749 U.S. Mexican adolescents (30% Mexico born; 48.9% female) and their parents. Mother-adolescent models suggest mothers' perception of neighborhood social and cultural cohesion in late childhood promoted middle adolescents' ERI affirmation via intermediate increases in maternal cultural socialization. Similar patterns were observed for ERI resolution, but only for adolescents whose mothers were born in the United States. We did not find evidence for mediation in the father-adolescent models. Findings are discussed in the context of the promoting nature of socially and culturally supportive neighborhood environments for U.S. Mexican families and adolescents.

Rationale: In Scotland, two-thirds of children have faced at least one adverse childhood experience. Research demonstrates a graded relationship between adversity and mental health outcomes. As adolescents spend a large amount of time in school, it is no surprise that schools are vital when supporting and delivering mental health interventions. Aim: The research aims were two-fold--to gather a clear understanding of mental health and wellbeing supports within a secondary school in Scotland; and to explore the use of Appreciative Inquiry as an approach for organisational change. Method: Semi-structured interviews were conducted, using an Appreciative Inquiry approach. A purposive sampling method was employed to select 55 secondary school stakeholders. Findings: Results highlighted several targeted supports in place within the secondary school, with the adoption of more consistent and visible universal systems needed. Key themes identified included: the importance of relationships, ensuring mental health literacy is core to the curriculum and encouraging an open conversation about mental health. The use of Appreciate Inquiry led to a clear action plan for the secondary school, building upon strengths already identified within the organisation. Limitations: One secondary school took part in this research, therefore, results cannot be generalised. Participants were school-based, future research should consider the role of external agencies. Conclusions: This research provides an insight into the current mechanisms in place within a secondary school in Scotland to support mental health and wellbeing. The use of Appreciative Inquiry was an effective approach for creating a plan intended to impact organisational change.

The North Carolina Opportunity Scholarship Program awarded private school vouchers to over 7,000 low-income students in 2017-18, yet only 61% of the state's private schools registered to participate in the Opportunity Scholarship Program and just over half of schools (54%) actually enrolled voucher recipients. Given that the program is anticipated to grow by $10 million per year for 10 years, private school supply will be an important consideration as student participation rises. Using rich focus group and survey data collected from private school leaders between 2014 and 2017, this analysis probes the participation decisions of private school leaders.

This paper examines how pre-service teachers were able to explore their own beliefs and build meaningful relationships with elementary school students in an after-school context. After school programs provide an opportunity for teachers and students to get to know one another in a way that is not typically possible during the regular school day. Through observations and review of pre-service teacher journals, insights about the value of after-school programs as a sight for self-appraisal, challenging biases, and confirming (or reconsidering) the choice to become a teacher are revealed. Results suggest that combining the after-school practicum experience with selective readings and class discussions allowed preservice teachers to take a critical look at their choice to become a teacher and their disposition toward typically marginalized children and schools.

We evaluated STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) coursework selection by women and men (representative longitudinal sample, 10,370 Australians) in senior high school and university, controlling achievement and expectancy-value variables. A near-zero total effect of gender on high school STEM enrollment reflected pathways favoring boys through achievement and expectancy-value variables, but a counteracting direct effect of gender favoring girls. In contrast, subsequent university STEM enrollment favored boys. In both high school and university, enrollments favored girls in life sciences and boys in physical sciences, but at university there was a leaky pipeline in which girls who qualified to pursue physical sciences opted for non-STEM subjects. Qualitative analysis not only supported quantitative results but also highlighted alternative mechanisms of STEM engagement/disengagement, and mostly supported gender similarities rather than differences.

This article describes the need for, and the structure and contents of, a reading program to help support children disadvantaged by reading difficulties. The program, delivered by trained and supported volunteers, lasts for 15 weeks. It uses a novel dual approach which aims to improve students' reading skills and simultaneously enhance their reading-related self-concepts. As there is scant literature available on how to implement such a program, this article aims to address that limitation by demonstrating to educators how such a dual approach to enhancing reading skills and reading self-concept can be operationalized.

Research on volunteer mentor programs has demonstrated mostly positive outcomes for mentees. As a result, many schools seek to attract and retain volunteers to assist children in need of support. The researchers interviewed 26 adult volunteers (from Australian companies) who help children with reading difficulties and examined intervention effects on the "mentors" as well as their motives for participating. The researchers found three significant factors that motivated corporate volunteers to engage in mentoring activities: values, understanding, and enhancement. In working individually with children in need of help, the mentors recognized the significance of their mentor role (values). For successful implementation of the program, mentors needed to learn new skills and use them with the mentees (understanding). The interaction between the adult and the child facilitated growth and development for both mentor and mentee (enhancement). To benefit both mentors and mentees, these critical factors should be considered by schools to successfully attract and engage volunteers in mentor programs with a specific educational focus.

This study identified factors associated with instructor engagement in online courses. We believe that this topic deserves attention because quality of instruction is one of the strongest predictors of a successful online course. As researchers, our hope is that, by understanding the factors which influence perceptions of success by online instructors, policies and/or programs can be implemented to support online instructors, which, in turn, will result in higher quality online courses. This research was an exploratory case study in which the experiences of twelve online instructors were examined over one year. The identified themes based on the participants' experiences will inform the direction of a larger quantitative study. Participant interviews were analyzed for evidence of positive and negative experiences and how frequently each occurred. We expected that participants who were less engaged in teaching would describe more negative experiences than other participants. Specific barriers to online engagement included lack of social presence, an increase in workload, and technological issues. Research priorities were determined to influence the instructors' ability to cope with these barriers. Instructors who were hired to teach and conduct research held mixed and often negative feelings about teaching in online environments.

Does learner participation vary depending on the learning context? Are there characteristic features of participation evident in formal, non-formal, and informal online learning environments? Six online learning environments were chosen as epitomes of formal, non-formal, and informal learning contexts and compared. Transcripts of online discussions were analyzed and compared employing Transcript Analysis Tools for measures of density, intensity, and reciprocity of participation (Fahy, Crawford, & Ally, 2001), and mean reply depth (Wiley, n.d.). This paper provides an initial description and comparison of participation patterns in a formal, non-formal, and informal learning environment, and discusses the significance of differences observed. (Contains 2 tables and 2 figures.)

"Circuits and Electronics" (6.002x), which began in March 2012, was the first MOOC developed by edX, the consortium led by MIT and Harvard. Over 155,000 students initially registered for 6.002x, which was composed of video lectures, interactive problems, online laboratories, and a discussion forum. As the course ended in June 2012, researchers began to analyze the rich sources of data it generated. This article describes both the first stage of this research, which examined the students' use of resources by time spent on each, and a second stage that is producing an in-depth picture of who the 6.002x students were, how their own background and capabilities related to their achievement and persistence, and how their interactions with 6.002x's curricular and pedagogical components contributed to their level of success in the course.

Classroom incivility is any action that interferes with a harmonious and cooperative learning atmosphere in the classroom (Feldman, 2001). We compared the perceptions of accounting faculty to the perceptions of cross-disciplinary faculty relating to both the definition of student actions as incivility and the occurrence of incivility. We also compared faculty and business administrator perceptions to investigate the level of administrator awareness of accounting classroom incivility. Our results indicate that accounting faculty are more likely to define potentially disruptive student behaviors as incivility and reported higher levels of classroom incivility than cross-disciplinary faculty. We find general agreement between accounting faculty and business administrators relating to both the definition and occurrence of incivility.

To date, the way that academic misconduct is manifested in undergraduate mathematics coursework has been unexamined in the literature, with the consequence that policy and preventive education can fail to address it appropriately. This paper describes the particular features of the responses expected in mathematical tasks and provides concrete examples of what lapses of integrity look like in this context. The intent is to lay groundwork for discussion and a response to this issue from within our discipline.

For many Black adolescents, racial discrimination increases the risk of developing adverse psychological outcomes. The purpose of this study is to investigate the interrelationships among religious involvement, racial discrimination, and psychological outcomes among a nationally representative sample of African American adolescents and Caribbean Black adolescents from the National Survey of American Life. "Multiple regression" models were used to determine the interactive effects of religious involvement and racial discrimination experiences on Black adolescents' psychological outcomes. Findings indicate that religious involvement was a protective factor for Caribbean Black adolescents but not African American youth. The implications of these findings underscore the varied roles of religious involvement for African American and Caribbean Black adolescents.

The goal of this article is to move beyond the more traditional question, "Does business have a role in public education?" A historical overview of education suggests that the involvement of the private sector is not a new phenomenon and is not likely to end in the near future. Here, the authors argue that a much more fruitful line of inquiry is to examine how the characteristics of public education and privately managed education meet (or not) the unique needs of a highly vulnerable group--urban youth. They begin by providing a brief overview of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation. Considering the impact of NCLB is critical, as it has facilitated the growth of education management organizations (EMOs) by introducing the notion of school choice in response to poor school test performance. Secondly, they discuss how privatization has been implemented and evaluated in Philadelphia under a diverse provider model. Next, they make a theoretically grounded case for reframing public and private education to focus more centrally on the affective development of teacher and students. With a parallel conceptual rationale, the authors conclude by making theoretically grounded recommendations for teacher preparation.

Research evidences the benefit of students holding a growth mindset. There is also increasing recognition of the influence of teachers' beliefs on how students perceive their own abilities. Teacher and student beliefs are linked: despite this, there is sparse research investigating teacher mindsets. This research sought to evaluate training aimed at influencing teachers' mindsets and effecting practice change. A mixed methods design was employed. Six training sessions were conducted across two phases. Phase one consisted of an initial training session to 37 participants. Phase two consisted of five sessions attended by 17 participants. Results found a statistically significant shift between pre- and post-measures of mindset which was maintained after three months. Evaluation indicated increased participants' knowledge base and confidence. Key themes identified evidenced the impact of the training on sustained change to teacher mindset and practice. Limitations and implications for practice are considered.

The developmental significance of youths' racial identities during adolescence is well established. It is less clear how puberty, a normative process, influences the relationship between racial identity and adjustment outcomes during adolescence. This study examined whether puberty moderates the relationship between racial identity dimensions and internalizing and externalizing outcomes, and whether the effects of puberty and racial identity on internalizing and externalizing outcomes vary by child sex. Data are drawn from African American families (N = 176; 48% female) who participated in Waves 4 and 5 of Phase III of the NICHD SECCYD. Results indicated that fifth-grade boys who felt more positively about being African American and were less advanced in their pubertal development evidenced less internalizing problems 1 year later, after adjusting for previous internalizing levels; however, for boys further in their pubertal development, having higher private regard was associated with more, rather than less, internalizing problems. Additionally, fifth-grade boys and girls who were less advanced in their pubertal development and believed that society views African Americans in a more positive light (higher public regard levels) engaged in more externalizing behaviors 1 year later, after adjusting for previous externalizing levels. Findings offer new insights into the independent and synergistic linkages between racial identity and pubertal development in their relation to internalizing and externalizing outcomes among African American youth.

The advent of new educational technologies has stimulated interest in using online videos to deliver content in university courses. We examined student engagement with 78 online videos that we created and were incorporated into a one-semester flipped introductory mechanics course at the Georgia Institute of Technology. We found that students were more engaged with videos that supported laboratory activities than with videos that presented lecture content. In particular, the percentage of students accessing laboratory videos was consistently greater than 80% throughout the semester. On the other hand, the percentage of students accessing lecture videos dropped to less than 40% by the end of the term. Moreover, the fraction of students accessing the entirety of a video decreases when videos become longer in length, and this trend is more prominent for the lecture videos than the laboratory videos. The results suggest that students may access videos based on perceived value: students appear to consider the laboratory videos as essential for successfully completing the laboratories while they appear to consider the lecture videos as something more akin to supplemental material. In this study, we also found that there was little correlation between student engagement with the videos and their incoming background. There was also little correlation found between student engagement with the videos and their performance in the course. An examination of the in-video content suggests that students engaged more with concrete information that is explicitly required for assignment completion (e.g., actions required to complete laboratory work, or formulas or mathematical expressions needed to solve particular problems) and less with content that is considered more conceptual in nature. It was also found that students' in-video accesses usually increased toward the embedded interaction points. However, students did not necessarily access the follow-up discussion of these interaction points. The results of the study suggest ways in which instructors may revise courses to better support student learning. For example, external intervention that helps students see the value of accessing videos may be required in order for this resource to be put to more effective use. In addition, students may benefit more from a clicker question that reiterates important concepts within the question itself, rather than a clicker question that leaves some important concepts to be addressed only in the discussion afterwards.

We describe three iterations of a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) developed from online preparation materials for a reformed introductory physics classroom at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in which the teaching staff interact with small groups of students doing problems using an expert problem-solving pedagogy. The MOOC contains an e-text, simple checkpoint problems and homework. We show how certain course design aspects affect student behaviour: (a) frequent quizzes correlated with students reading a large fraction of the e-text, and (b) When homework sets are arranged by increasing (instructor-estimated) difficulty, we found strong correlations between difficulty and time to solution, but weak correlations with percent correct. Modifications to the second offering of the course resulted in higher retention. These modifications included targeting physics teachers and posting materials well in advance. We define retention as certificates earned relative to participants who make a significant effort on the second assignment. Retention measured this way varied between 44% and 72%, being highest in the course aimed at teachers. We show that there is significant learning among MOOC participants. Applying item response theory to common homework problems showed that the MOOC participants had significantly higher ability than students in a Massachusetts Institute of Technology course and that they maintained this advantage over the duration of the MOOC.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to ground contemporary sustainability education in John Dewey's democratic pedagogy. Specifically, the authors argue that Dewey's thought anticipates, and theoretically informs, the sustainability skill set required of contemporary citizens in a complex and changing world. Design/methodology/approach: For illustrative purposes, the authors consider how these skills are at work in current approaches to the adaptive co-management of ecosystems, and they argue that these same skills are at work across professional and cultural contexts, toward the achievement of sustainable societies. In turn, the authors situate Dewey's relevance to contemporary sustainability education in his writing on interdependence, fallibilism and experimentalism. Findings: Dewey's writings provide both a historical antecedent and still valid moral and practical justification for sustainability education's emphasis on integrated and adaptive learning. Practical implications: Grounding sustainability education in Dewey's democratic pedagogy underlines its capacity and obligation to develop critical thinking and systems thinking skills, communication skills and collaboration skills in students. Originality/value: The paper acknowledges the many ways Dewey has been incorporated into environmental philosophy, experiential pedagogy and sustainability theory. But Dewey's role in the historical development of skills-based pedagogy and, more specifically, his continuing contribution to contemporary practices of sustainability education has yet to be explored. By grounding sustainability education in Dewey's democratic pedagogy, the authors underline its civic mandate to empower citizens to become lifelong learners and skillful stewards.

The reciprocal effects model (REM) predicts a reciprocal relation between academic self-concept and academic achievement, whereby prior academic self-concept is associated with future gains in achievement, and prior achievement is related to subsequent academic self-concept. Although research in this area has been extensive, there has been a paucity of research specifically examining the REM from the standpoint of students who attend academically selective schools. The present research aimed to rectify this gap in the literature by testing the equivalence of the REM across a sample of high school students who attend both academically selective (n = 738) and mixed-ability comprehensive (n = 2,048) schools. Multigroup analyses revealed that the REM existed for both groups and that there were no differences between the groups in either the size or the direction of the paths that constitute the REM. Implications for REM theory and teaching practice are discussed.

Background: The Internal-External frame of reference (IE) model suggests that as self-concept in one domain goes up (e.g., English) self-concept in other domains (e.g., mathematics) should go down (ipsative self-concept hypothesis). Aims: To our knowledge this assumption has not been tested. Testing this effect also provides a context for illustrating different approaches to the study of growth with longitudinal data. Sample We use cohort sequential data from 2,781 of Year 7 to Year 11 Australian high school students followed across a total of 10 time waves 6 months apart. Method: Three different approaches to testing the ipsative self-concept hypothesis were used: Autoregressive cross-lagged models, latent growth curve models, and autoregressive latent trajectory models (ALT); using achievement as a time varying covariate. Results: Cross-lagged and growth curve models provided little evidence of ipsative relationships between English and math self-concept. However, ALT models suggested that a rise above trend in one self-concept domain resulted in a decline from trend in self-concept in another domain. Conclusion: Implications for self-concept theory, interventions, and statistical methods for the study of growth are discussed.

This study examined a moderated mediation model among 314 Black adolescents aged 13-18. The model included general coping strategies (e.g., active, distracting, avoidant, and support-seeking strategies) as mediators and racial identity dimensions (racial centrality, private regard, public regard, minority, assimilationist, and humanist ideologies) as moderators of the relation between perceived racial discrimination and depressive symptoms. Moderated mediation examined if the relation between perceived racial discrimination and depressive symptoms varied by the mediators and moderators. Results revealed that avoidant coping strategies mediated the relation between perceptions of racial discrimination and depressive symptoms. The results indicated that avoidant coping strategies mediated the relation between perceived racial discrimination and depressive symptoms among youth with high levels of the minority/oppressive ideology.

Research suggests that motivated students and those with high academic self-concepts perform better academically. Although substantial evidence supports a reciprocal relation between academic self-concept and achievement, there is less evidence supporting a similar relation between achievement goal orientations and achievement. There is also a paucity of research testing the longitudinal relations between achievement goal orientations and academic self-concept with achievement. The present investigation aimed to contribute to addressing these limitations. The sample consisted of 2786 Australian high school students (ages 11-17) measured at four time waves six months apart. Separate models indicated reciprocal relations between mathematics self-concept and achievement and mathematics performance approach goal orientation and achievement. There was little evidence of reciprocal relations between a mastery approach goal orientation and achievement. Juxtaposing the variables, when all were included in a single model, only self-concept had significant reciprocal relationships with achievement.

Perceptions of racial discrimination constitute significant risks to the psychological adjustment of minority youth. The present study examined the relationship between perceived racial discrimination and peer nominations of victimization among 173 (55% female) African American, European American and Latino youth. All respondents completed peer nominations of victimization status whereas the African American and Latino youth completed subjective measures of racial discrimination. The results indicated that African American and Latino's subjective perceptions of racial discrimination were linked to nominations of overt and relational victimization when rated by their European American peers. The results suggest that there is consistency between African American and Latino youth's perceptions of racial discrimination and nominations of peer victimization by their European American peers.

Big-fish-little-pond effect (BFLPE) research has demonstrated that academic self-concept is negatively affected by attending high-ability schools. This article examines data from large, representative samples of 15-year-olds from each Australian state, based on the three Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) databases that focus on different subject domains: reading (2000), mathematics (2003) and science (2006). The overarching research question is whether the size or direction of the BFLPE is moderated by any of a total of 67 moderators (for example ability, study methods, motive, social constructs and Australian states) that were considered. The data showed consistent support for the BFLPE across all Australian states for all three databases. None of the constructs examined moderated the BFLPE and this finding was consistent across states. In conclusion, the BFLPE is remarkably robust in Australia and the study findings generalised well across Australian states and across all moderators investigated. (Contains 6 tables.)

Tragically, for many schools, the possibility of a crisis such as a natural disaster, extreme violence or a potentially traumatising threat has become a reality. Specialist input from a local psychology service is often sought at such a time. To help one service within the United Kingdom (UK) learn from the experience of other psychologists a survey was constructed and subsequently completed by 277 psychologists from around the world including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Scandinavia, Slovakia, Switzerland, Turkey, UK, and USA. The survey provides insight into the experience of psychologists in responding to crises, for example, the nature of the crises, the extent of collaboration with others, the level of training undertaken, and the level of confidence psychologists have in this area of work. Of particular interest are the models, resources, and theories that psychologists have used and the advice that they have found helpful. A number of international comparisons are made. The survey findings suggest that collaboration is seen as highly important to effective practice. Attention is also drawn to the important work that the International Crisis Response Network of the International School Psychology Association (ISPA) is undertaking in promoting an integrated model of practice. (Contains 15 tables.)

This study examined the influence of racial identity in the longitudinal relation between perceptions of racial discrimination and psychological well-being for approximately 560 African American youth. Latent curve modeling (LCM) and parallel process multiple-indicator LCMs with latent moderators were used to assess whether perceptions of racial discrimination predicted the intercept (initial levels) and the slope (rate of change) of psychological well-being over time, and whether racial identity moderates these relations. The results indicated that African American adolescents who reported higher psychological responses to discrimination frequency levels at the first time point had lower initial levels of well-being. Regressing the slope factor for psychological well-being on the frequency of discrimination also revealed a nonsignificant result for subsequent well-being levels.

Mainstream cultural studies, it seems, is unwilling to take art of any kind seriously, whether popular or classic. Richard Posner is not far wrong in suggesting that the aim of cultural studies "is to knock literature off its pedestal and find vehicles easier than literary works for making political points." To respond fully to literature and art requires the recognition that there is more to life than politics. The best popular art, like the great classics, demands a response beyond what the impoverished vocabulary of cultural studies--transgressive, progressive, reactionary, oppositional, hegemonic, etc.--can offer. In this article, the author examines how cultural studies has distorted the academic study of popular culture. He concludes that it is the division between those who remain true to the traditional humanistic belief that art and literature at their best make available insights into human life that cannot be found elsewhere and those who are certain that literature and art, whether popular or classic, provide nothing that cannot be explained, or explained away, by Theory. (Contains 36 footnotes.)

The present study examined whether combinations of ethnicity, gender, and age moderated the association between perceived discrimination and psychological well-being indicators (depressive symptoms, self-esteem, and life satisfaction) in a nationally representative sample of Black youth. The data were from the National Survey of American Life, which includes 810 African American and 360 Caribbean Black adolescents. The results indicated main effects such that perceived discrimination was linked to increased depressive symptoms and decreased self-esteem and life satisfaction. Additionally, there were significant interactions for ethnicity, gender, and race. Specifically, older Caribbean Black female adolescents exhibited higher depressive symptoms and lower life satisfaction in the context of high levels of perceived discrimination compared with older African American male adolescents. (Contains 4 tables and 2 figures.)

The present study examined discrimination attributions in the psychological well-being of Black adolescents. Findings are based on a representative sample of 810 African American and 360 Caribbean Black youth, aged 13-17, who participated in the National Survey of American Life. Youth completed measures of perceived discrimination, discrimination attributions, depressive symptoms, self-esteem, and life satisfaction. Approximately half the youth attributed discrimination to race/ethnicity (43%), followed by age (17%), physical appearance (16.5%), and gender (7.5%), and there were no ethnic, gender, or age differences regarding discrimination attributions. Key findings suggest that the association between perceived discrimination and psychological well-being did not vary according to discrimination attribution, which implies that discrimination is harmful for Black youth regardless of the attribution.

The present study examined the influence of cognitive development in the relationship between multiple types of racial discrimination and psychological well-being. A sample of 322 African American adolescents (53% female), aged 13-18, completed measures of cognitive development, racial discrimination, self-esteem and depressive symptoms. Based on the cognitive development measure, youth were categorized as having pre-formal or formal reasoning abilities. The results indicate no significant differences in perceptions of individual, cultural or collective/institutional racism between pre-formal reasoning and formal reasoning adolescents. However, the results do suggest that perceptions of collective/institutional racism were more harmful for the self-esteem of pre-formal reasoning youth than the self-esteem of formal reasoning youth. The implications for the racial discrimination literature among African American adolescents are discussed.

Among 224 African American adolescents (mean age = 14), the associations between interracial and intraracial contact and school-level diversity on changes in racial identity over a 3-year period were examined. Youths were determined to be diffused, foreclosed, moratorium, or achieved, and change or stability in identity status was examined. Contact with Black students, Black friends, and White friends predicted change in identity status. Furthermore, in racially diverse schools, having more Black friends was associated with identity stability. Students reporting low contact with Black students in racially diverse schools were more likely to report identity change if they had few Black friends. In students reporting high contact with Blacks in predominantly White schools, their identity was less likely to change for students with fewer White friends.

Research evidence for the big-fish-little-pond effect (BFLPE) has demonstrated that attending high-ability schools has a negative effect on academic self-concept. Utilizing multilevel modeling with the 2003 Program for International Student Assessment database, the present investigation evaluated the generalizability and robustness of the BFLPE across 16 individual student characteristics. The constructs examined covered two broad areas: academic self-regulation based on a theoretical framework proposed by Zimmerman and socioeconomic status. Statistically significant moderating effects emerged in both areas; however, in relation to the large sample (N = 265,180), many were considered small. It was concluded that the BFLPE was an extremely robust effect given that it was reasonably consistent across the specific constructs examined. (Contains 5 tables and 5 figures.)

This study examines underlying mechanisms in the relationship between an Africentric worldview and depressive symptoms. Participants were 112 African American young adults. An Africentric worldview buffered the association between perceived stress and depressive symptoms. The relationship between an Africentric worldview and depressive symptoms was mediated by perceived stress and emotion-focused coping. These findings highlight the protective function of an Africentric worldview in the context of African Americans' stress experiences and psychological health and offer promise for enhancing African American mental health service delivery and treatment interventions. (Contains 2 tables and 3 figures.)

For more than 2 decades, big-fish-little-pond effect (BFLPE) research has demonstrated that students in high-ability classes and schools have lower academic self-concepts than their equally able counterparts in mixed-ability schools. However, cross-cultural BFLPE research has been limited to mostly developed and individualist countries. Using the Program for International Student Assessment database (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2005a, 2005b), the present investigation assessed the BFLPE in 41 culturally and economically diverse countries. In support of the BFLPE, the effect of school-average self-concept was negative for the total sample (effect size = -0.49), negative for each of the 41 countries considered separately, and statistically significant in 38 countries. In this large, culturally diverse sample of countries, the BFLPE was evident in both collectivist and individualist cultures and in economically developing and developed nations. Implications for BFLPE theory and educational practice are discussed. (Contains 4 tables and 4 figures.)