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This mixed-methods study compared teacher candidates' (TCs) perceived preparedness in a clinically oriented teacher education model, Clinical Experiences and Practices in Teaching (CEPT), to a traditional model. Eighteen TCs participating in the CEPT model and 22 non-CEPT TCs were surveyed and interviewed after 1 year of the program. Clinical Experiences and Practices in Teaching teacher candidates reported more frequent participation in collaboration, networking, and mentoring than the non-CEPT teacher candidates. No group difference in TCs' perceived preparedness to meet teaching standards was found. Interview data revealed that CEPT TCs experienced "reality shock" initially and developed greater teaching confidence and self-efficacy over two semesters.

Despite clarion calls about the need for more research related to social work licensing and education, few studies have examined this area. This exploratory study investigated faculty (N=170) knowledge about social work licensing. Participants identified as a full or part-time faculty member at a CSWE accredited institution in one southeastern state. Researchers examined actual, perceived, and discrepancies in knowledge about licensing. Results indicate that participants tended to overestimate their knowledge about licensing. Findings also show that participants with tenure, and employed full-time tended to overestimate their knowledge to a greater degree, when compared to non-tenured faculty and those employed part-time, respectively. Regression tree methodology showed that being a full-time faculty member was the strongest predictor of knowledge discrepancy.

Critics against the inclusion of dispositions as part of the teacher education accreditation focus on the dearth of empirical literature on reliably and validly accessing dispositions (Borko, Liston, & Whitcomb, 2007). In this study, a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed to test the factorial validity of a teacher dispositions form (3 factors and 12 indicators) employed by a southern American university to assess teacher candidates from 2006 to 2016. The initial CFA results revealed highly unsatisfactory model fit statistics. Further model modifications were then implemented to remove two less relevant indicators (Diversity and Collaboration) which significantly improved the model fit.

With increasing use of robots in social life, individuals need to interact with robots more frequently, and user-anxiety about robots has attracted an extensive research attention. However, this topic has not been explored as much in China. To provide a scale for research on robot anxiety in China, this study translated and examined the reliability and validity of the Robot Anxiety Scale (RAS). The results showed that the Chinese version of RAS had an acceptable content validity. The exploratory factor analysis (EFA) showed that only one factor was extracted in this study, and the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) verified the factor structure, with the model-fitting index reaching an acceptable standard: χ2/df = 3.26, SRMR =.02, CFI =.99, GFI =.96, TLI =.98, RMSEA =.06. These findings were cross validated using Rasch measurement, in addition to further investigation of other RAS psychometric properties under the Rasch framework. Moreover, criterion validity analysis results also showed that robot anxiety was significantly positively correlated with state anxiety, trait anxiety, and negative emotions, while robot anxiety was significantly negatively correlated with trust in automation and positive emotions. In conclusion, the Chinese version of RAS is an effective tool for measuring robot anxiety in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a growing need for a more diverse teacher workforce in the United States to close the racial and ethnic gap between students and teachers. Due to the significant gap in the literature and the practical relevance of the topic, we propose a conceptual framework to apply artificial intelligence (AI) to address inequities in recruiting, hiring, and retention of Teachers of Color (ToCs) in K-12 education. The model aims to increase access, opportunity, and support for ToCs across their careers using data-driven AI systems. It assists human decision-makers who play the central role in recruitment, hiring, and retention processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The assistant principal plays a key role in school success but research suggests there are differences between principals and assistant principals in their perceptions of their roles. The 2011 Teaching, Empowering, Leading, and Learning Kentucky survey responses of educator perceptions were statistically analyzed for the statewide sample of principals and assistant principals. Results indicate that principals and assistant principals reported significantly different perceptions regarding teacher leadership and school leadership. Differences in principal and assistant principal responses were not related to student achievement, however. Implications for collaborative engagement between principals and assistant principals as they focus on increasing school leadership and teacher effectiveness are discussed.

Previous research suggests that Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) can reduce student disciplinary office referrals and out-of-school suspensions, especially when implemented with fidelity. Existing research is mixed as to whether PBIS also contributes to improvements in student achievement, but at least one study has found that PBIS leads to improvements in teachers' perceptions of overall organizational health, an effect that may help facilitate improvements in student learning. This study uses the TELL (Teaching, Empowering, Leading, and Learning) Kentucky survey to analyze teacher perceptions of their working conditions between PBIS and non-PBIS schools, and among schools varying in level of PBIS implementation fidelity. Furthermore, because the TELL Kentucky survey has been shown to predict increases in student achievement, this study examined the relationship between PBIS implementation and student test score outcomes. Teachers in PBIS schools reported higher levels of student and faculty understanding of behavioral expectations and a stronger atmosphere of professional trust and respect. Although there were no significant differences in student achievement levels between PBIS and non-PBIS schools, analysis did reveal that student academic outcomes were significantly higher at high- and medium-fidelity PBIS schools than low-fidelity PBIS schools. Significance, limitations, and implications for practice are discussed.

This mixed-methods study compared teacher candidates' (TCs) perceived preparedness in a clinically oriented teacher education model, Clinical Experiences and Practices in Teaching (CEPT), to a traditional model. Eighteen TCs participating in the CEPT model and 22 non-CEPT TCs were surveyed and interviewed after 1 year of the program. Clinical Experiences and Practices in Teaching teacher candidates reported more frequent participation in collaboration, networking, and mentoring than the non-CEPT teacher candidates. No group difference in TCs' perceived preparedness to meet teaching standards was found. Interview data revealed that CEPT TCs experienced "reality shock" initially and developed greater teaching confidence and self-efficacy over two semesters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite clarion calls about the need for more research related to social work licensing and education, few studies have examined this area. This exploratory study investigated faculty (N=170) knowledge about social work licensing. Participants identified as a full or part-time faculty member at a CSWE accredited institution in one southeastern state. Researchers examined actual, perceived, and discrepancies in knowledge about licensing. Results indicate that participants tended to overestimate their knowledge about licensing. Findings also show that participants with tenure, and employed full-time tended to overestimate their knowledge to a greater degree, when compared to non-tenured faculty and those employed part-time, respectively. Regression tree methodology showed that being a full-time faculty member was the strongest predictor of knowledge discrepancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of self-care among social work practitioners notwithstanding, research literature is in the nascent stages of examining this area inquiry. This exploratory study examined the frequency of self-care practices among social work practitioners in Czech Republic, Finland, Poland, and Slovakia. Utilising data collected as part of Wave I of the Global Self-Care Initiative, a large-scale exploratory study designed to examine self-care practices among diverse practitioner groups, researchers sought to investigate differences in practitioners, by country. Analyses revealed significant cross-country differences. Both hierarchical regression and regression tree analyses showed country to have significantly explanatory effect. Practitioners from Finland reported engaging in self-care significantly more frequently than did practitioners in the other countries. Implications derived from contextual practice environments and areas for apposite research inquiry are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]