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The goal of this report is to show how low-income Mexican-American and European-American children's and adolescents' everyday learning activities in the home and parents' aspirations for their children's future are key elements in home-school linkages. After reviewing two models of home-school linkages, we apply the ecocultural approach to analyzing third-,fifth-, and seventh-grade students' participation in chore and homework activities and their parents' aspirations for their personal/moral, educational, and vocational future. Drawing on interviews with these students' parents, we illustrate personnel (parents, siblings, relatives, friends) available to guide children's and adolescents' mastery of homework and chores, parents' direct and indirect instructional scripts, and how parents' future goals and aspirations might shape their present goals and guidance. In reporting our findings, we pay special attention to 1) similarities and differences between the ecology of learning, resources, and vulnerabilities of Mexican-American and European-American families, 2) within-cultural-group variation in families' resources and vulnerabilities, and 3) how families' resources and vulnerabilities, guidance scripts, and aspirations change as children enter adolescence. We conclude with suggestions for how to apply our findings to the design of parent-school partnerships.

Understanding the reason(s) for Differential Item Functioning (DIF) in the context of measurement is difficult. Although identifying potential DIF items is typically a statistical endeavor, understanding the reasons for DIF (and item repair or replacement) might require investigations that can be informed by qualitative work. Such work is consistent with investigating DIF via expert (or panel) review and cognitive interviews (or think alouds), but there is little guidance for mixing qualitative and statistical techniques. This methodological article articulates a mixed methods research framework that can be used to understand DIF by reviewing how qualitative techniques can be applied after DIF detection so as to yield a better understanding of the measurement scenario. The article does not focus on statistical DIF methods but rather on ideas for how qualitative work can be used to understand DIF once it is detected.

Polymerase chain reaction and restriction endonuclease digest are important techniques that should be included in all Biochemistry and Molecular Biology laboratory curriculums. These techniques are frequently taught at an advanced level, requiring many hours of student and faculty time. Here we present two inquiry-based experiments that are designed for introductory laboratory courses and combine both techniques. In both approaches, students must determine the identity of an unknown DNA sequence, either a gene sequence or a primer sequence, based on a combination of PCR product size and restriction digest pattern. The experimental design is flexible, and can be adapted based on available instructor preparation time and resources, and both approaches can accommodate large numbers of students. We implemented these experiments in our courses with a combined total of 584 students and have an 85% success rate. Overall, students demonstrated an increase in their understanding of the experimental topics, ability to interpret the resulting data, and proficiency in general laboratory skills.

While governments and communities across the globe are faced with the challenge of providing their citizens with good-quality education, there is lack of consensus on how education quality should be defined. Whereas a great deal has been written about the human capital and human rights approaches, which currently dominate the debate, the potential value of the capabilities approach to the field of education quality policy and practice is yet to be fully explored. This article aims to advance discussions on education quality, through critical engagement with discourses on the capabilities approach and its implications for education quality thinking, and offer an example of what implementation of this approach might mean in a South African teacher education context. The article outlines the core concepts underpinning the capabilities approach to education quality against the background of critiques of the human capital and human rights approaches. It then critically explores what a capabilities approach has to offer to education quality thinking, and describes how these concepts and principles are being interpreted within the new Rhodes B.Ed. (Foundation Phase) programme, currently being developed.

Children's overextensions of spatial language are often taken to reveal spatial biases. However, it is unclear whether extension patterns should be attributed to children's overly general spatial concepts or to a narrower notion of conceptual similarity allowing metaphor-like extensions. We describe a previously unnoticed extension of spatial expressions and use a novel method to determine its origins. English- and Greek-speaking 4- and 5-year-olds used containment expressions (e.g., English "into", Greek "mesa") for events where an object moved into another object but extended such expressions to events where the object moved behind or under another object. The pattern emerged in adult speakers of both languages and also in speakers of 10 additional languages. We conclude that learners do not have an overly general concept of Containment. Nevertheless, children (and adults) perceive similarities across Containment and other types of spatial scenes, even when these similarities are obscured by the conventional forms of the language.

Purpose: Competency-based education and creation of profession-based entrustable professional activities are current trends in physical therapist (PT) education. The purpose of this project is to determine the current entry-level PT competencies for cardiovascular & pulmonary (CVP) physical therapy. Methods: The Academy of Cardiovascular & Pulmonary Physical Therapy Competency Task Force was established to update and expand previous competencies. A mixed method approach of Subject Matter Expert (SME) consensus (modified Delphi process) and a broader survey process was used to develop these entry-level competencies. With SME guidance, a modified version of the levels of competence, None-to-Proficient, was adopted based on previous competency work by the American Council of Academic Physical Therapy. Results: Twenty-nine SME members engaged in the consensus process, and 268, 194, 305, and 222 respondents completed the 4 surveys, respectively. Six hundred fifty-one competency items were rated across most Commission on the Accreditation of Physical Therapy Education Standard 7 Curriculum areas, following the patient-client management model. Conclusions: These competencies establish specific expected levels of knowledge, skills, and behaviors essential for entry-level CVP PT practice. Adopting these competencies will help lay the groundwork for future competency-based PT education and aid in the development of the physical therapy profession's core entrustable professional activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose.: Competency-based education (CBE) is an emerging topic within physical therapy (PT). It has emerged to assure all stakeholders that physical therapist education program graduates are proficient in the requisite knowledge, skills, and behaviors (KSBs) essential for entry-level practice. Competencies have existed within cardiovascular and pulmonary (CVP) PT since 1980, updated in 2008, and most recently updated in 2022. This article discusses how individuals should apply the 2022 CVP competencies to clinical practice and education. Position and Rationale.: The 2022 CVP competencies were developed using a modified mixed-method Delphi approach. These competencies set a level of proficiency for KSBs used within entry-level CVP PT practice following the patient–client management model. The position put forward in this article describes how and why multiple stakeholder groups should apply these entry-level competencies specifically for graduates of physical therapist education programs who are entering practice (entry level). The competencies provide a more detailed description of expected proficiency for entry-level CVP PT practice than currently available documents. These competencies may form the basis for developing entrustable professional activities (EPAs). Discussion and Conclusion.: The establishment of entry-level competencies is essential for use by multiple stakeholders to inform physical therapist curriculum, provide clinical instructors with a reference for expected levels of proficiency during final student clinical experiences, guide content on the Federation of State Boards of PT national licensure examination, and prepare employers to provide needed continued professional development, based on the clinical environment. These competencies lend themselves to the future development of EPAs in the PT profession for CVP PT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Moral injury involves distress from exposure to traumatic events • Nurses are vulnerable to moral injury which has largely been under-addressed • The concept of moral injury can be integrated into nursing education to help prepare nurses for the potential • Educational strategies include use of recognition and support, ethics education, and promotion of self-care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Providing a project-based experience in an undergraduate biochemistry laboratory class can be complex with large class sizes and limited resources. We have designed a 6-week curriculum during which students purify and characterize the enzymes invertase and phosphatase from bakers yeast. Purification is performed in two stages via ethanol precipitation and anion exchange chromatography, and students perform both direct and coupled enzyme assays. By completion of the experimental series, students are able to identify which enzymes they have purified and have obtained kinetic parameters for one. This experimental series requires minimal instructor preparation time, is cost effective, and works with multiple sections of large groups of students. Students participating in this sequence showed increases in conceptual understanding of biochemical concepts as measured through in-class assessments and anonymous surveys. (Contains 3 tables and 4 figures.)

Anxiety is known to be common among young adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), yet little is known about the nature of their experiences or the strategies they use to live and cope with their reported anxiety. In this qualitative study, we began to address this issue through two focus groups involving 11 young adults with ASD, and 10 parents and professionals. Participants in each group were asked to discuss the triggers for anxiety, the consequences of anxiety, and strategies they have used, would like to use, or have seen individuals with ASD use to manage their anxiety. The participants identified multiple personal and environmental sources of anxiety, noting the substantial impact they have on their everyday lives at home, work, university, and in the community. Their individual experiences and strategies for living and coping with anxiety are presented. (Contains 1 table and 1 figure.)

In 2009, DeMars stated that when impact exists there will be Type I error inflation, especially with larger sample sizes and larger discrimination parameters for items. One purpose of this study is to present the patterns of Type I error rates using Mantel-Haenszel (MH) and logistic regression (LR) procedures when the mean ability between the focal and reference groups varies from zero to one standard deviation. The findings can be used as guides for alpha adjustment when using MH or LR methods when impact exists. A second purpose is to better understand the conditions that cause Type I error rates to inflate. The results indicate that inflation can be controlled even in the presence of large ability differences and with large samples. (Contains 4 tables and 6 figures.)

Recent simulation research has demonstrated that using simple raw score to operationalize a latent construct can result in inflated Type I error rates for the interaction term of a moderated statistical model when the interaction (or lack thereof) is proposed at the latent variable level. Rescaling the scores using an appropriate item response theory (IRT) model can mitigate this effect under similar conditions. However, this work has thus far been limited to dichotomous data. The purpose of this study was to extend this investigation to multicategory (polytomous) data using the graded response model (GRM). Consistent with previous studies, inflated Type I error rates were observed under some conditions when polytomous number-correct scores were used, and were mitigated when the data were rescaled with the GRM. These results support the proposition that IRT-derived scores are more robust to spurious interaction effects in moderated statistical models than simple raw scores under certain conditions. (Contains 5 figures, 5 tables and 3 notes.)

The literature speaks of a "deluge" of scientific and research data and the importance of capturing and managing it for use beyond its original creating community, purpose, and time. Data value increases as it is interconnected, networked, shared, used, and re-used. This paper extends the conversation about data sharing to "wild data": that is, data generated and held outside of "academic" or "professional" science, as in the case of environmental voluntary groups (EVGs). Currently, important data generated by these groups are likely to be inaccessible to the academic community, or any community or body outside those often-small EVGs. Although large quantities of data are often generated by EVGs, management of these data may be poor or non-existent; and quality control of data may be haphazard and spasmodic. This article reports on a pilot project which explored the data sought, generated, stored, and shared by members of EVGs. The project also investigated members' views about data management and sharing for the future. Finally, as Australian university libraries are at the forefront of research and practice to promote the better management of data created by research, the paper also explores whether there might be a collaborative role for university libraries in the management of wild data. (Contains 1 figure and 2 tables.)

This article describes the pilot of a school-based creative group-counseling program for children called ArtBreak, a choice-based studio art experience based on the restorative possibilities of art making delineated in the expressive therapies continuum (ETC; Kagin & Lusebrink, 1978). The ETC features a developmental hierarchy in relation to how art is created and the therapeutic properties of associated media. Learning from the pilot suggests the ETC is a valuable framework for supporting groups of children in kinesthetic, affective, and cognitive ways. The article also includes suggestions regarding logistics, community, and future documentation and research. (Contains 1 table and 3 figures.)

Background: Children in Appalachia are experiencing high levels of obesity, in large measure because of inferior diets. This study screened the dietary intake of third graders residing in 3 rural Appalachian counties in Ohio and determined whether the Food, Math, and Science Teaching Enhancement Resource Initiative (FoodMASTER) curriculum improved their dietary intake. Methods: Dietary intake was measured for 238 third graders at the beginning of the 2007 to 2008 school year and for 224 third graders at the end of that year. The FoodMASTER curriculum was delivered to 204 students (test group). Intake was measured using the Block Food Frequency Questionnaire 2004. The final analysis included 138 students. Results: The FoodMASTER curriculum did not significantly affect the diets of the students in the test group, as no significant differences in intake of macronutrients, specific nutrients, or food groups were found between the test and control groups. Majorities of students did not meet the Recommended Dietary Allowance or Adequate Intakes for fiber, calcium, iron, vitamin A, and vitamin E. The students as a whole did not meet the MyPyramid recommendations for any food group, and nearly one fifth of their calories came from sweets. Significant differences in percentages of kilocalories from protein and sweets and in servings of fats, oils, and sweets were seen between groups of higher and lower socioeconomic status. Conclusions: Energy-dense foods are replacing healthy foods in the diets of Ohio children living in rural Appalachia. The prevalence of poor dietary intake in Appalachia warrants further nutrition interventions involving programming for nutrition, such as future FoodMASTER curricula. (Contains 3 tables and 2 figures.)

Pilot studies are often recommended by scholars and consultants to address a variety of issues, including preliminary scale or instrument development. Specific concerns such as item difficulty, item discrimination, internal consistency, response rates, and parameter estimation in general are all relevant. Unfortunately, there is little discussion in the extant literature of how to determine appropriate sample sizes for these types of pilot studies. This article investigates the choice of sample size for pilot studies from a perspective particularly related to instrument development. Specific recommendations are made for researchers regarding how many participants they should use in a pilot study for initial scale development. (Contains 3 figures.)

The Food, Math, and Science Teaching Enhancement Resource (FoodMASTER) Initiative is a compilation of programs aimed at using food as a tool to teach mathematics and science. In 2007 to 2008, a foods curriculum developed by professionals in nutrition and education was implemented in 10 3rd-grade classrooms in Appalachian Ohio; teachers in these classrooms implemented 45 hands-on foods activities that covered 10 food topics. Subjects included measurement; food safety; vegetables; fruits; milk and cheese; meat, poultry, and fish; eggs; fats; grains; and meal management. Students in 4 other classrooms served as the control group. Mainstream 3rd-grade students were targeted because of their receptiveness to the subject matter, science standards for upper elementary grades, and testing that the students would undergo in 4th grade. Teachers and students alike reported that the hands-on FoodMASTER curriculum experience was worthwhile and enjoyable. Our initial classroom observation indicated that the majority of students, girls and boys included, were very excited about the activities, became increasingly interested in the subject matter of food, and were able to conduct scientific observations. (Contains 1 table and 5 figures.)

Previous research has established a close link between students' conceptions of learning and approaches to learning. Until recently, only a few quantitative studies have investigated the relationship between high school students' conceptions of learning science and the approaches they adopt to learning science. This study sought to address this gap in the literature by assessing these possible relationships empirically through the development of two questionnaires: The Conceptions of Learning Science (COLS) questionnaire and the Approaches to Learning Science (ALS) questionnaire. Four hundred and seventy-four Taiwanese high school students were administered the COLS questionnaire and the ALS questionnaire. Results were entered into a structural equation model to elicit structural relations between students' conceptions of and their approaches to learning science. Overall, findings revealed that students holding constructivist conceptions of learning science tended to employ deep approaches to learning science. Conceptions of learning science such as "testing" and "calculate and practice" were also found to have effects on the surface approaches to learning science; the conceptions of learning science as "applying" and "understanding and seeing in a new way" had noticeable effects on deep approaches to learning science. This study employed quantitative methods to confirm further the structural relations existing between conceptions of learning science and the motives and strategies employed in learning science. Implications for implementing the study's findings into the context of the real-world classroom are discussed. (Contains 7 tables, 3 figures and 5 footnotes.)

This paper reports on the implementation of "My Language Portal" in the City of Greater Dandenong Libraries (CGDL), Melbourne, Victoria, through the development of a "My Language Portal Project Plan" in 2006. It discusses how the aims of the designers of My Language Portal (MLP) are fulfilled in the exceptional, changing demographics of Dandenong. It provides a rationale for the adoption of MLP, by evaluating census and library statistics, and through local assessment of usability features. Wide consultation led to the creation of a user guide in the form of a fact sheet for users of CGD Libraries, and collaborations with IT and marketing staff are strongly recommended to facilitate smooth implementation. MLP offers a powerful online multilingual resource that bridges the inevitable gap in collections caused by an inability to immediately provide in-house appropriate resources for recently-arrived and diverse migrant communities. Analysis of service provision in Dandenong highlights the need for extra resources, for improved information literacy training, and marketing, and for increasing the number of public access terminals. (Contains 7 figures and 6 tables.)

The Stoplight Task, a procedure involving a computer analog of a stoplight, was evaluated for assessing risk taking in humans. Seventeen participants earned points later exchangeable for money by completing a response requirement before the red light appeared on a simulated traffic light. The green light signaled to start responding; it changed to yellow at different points into the response requirement. The yellow light, which varied unpredictably in duration, was eventually replaced with a red light. Participants could stop or continue responding when the yellow light appeared. Stopping protected earnings; completing the response requirement before the red light earned money; continuing but failing to complete the response requirement before the red light appeared could result in money loss with 12.5% or 100% probability. The probability of risk taking (running the yellow) was lower when the probability of monetary loss was 100% and when the yellow light appeared early in the completion of the response requirement. Participants scoring higher on risk-taking and impulsivity personality rating scales behaved "riskier" in the stoplight task. Potential applications of the Stoplight Task are suggested. (Contains 2 tables and 3 figures.)

Effective management of disruptive behaviors in schools is a national concern. While substantial resources are often allocated toward individual students who exhibit challenging behavior, less emphasis is placed on preventative interventions in common areas such as hallways, cafeterias and playgrounds. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a multi-component Positive Behavior Support (PBS) intervention consisting of positive practice, pre-correction, verbal praise, reinforcement, correction of inappropriate behavior, active supervision, discussion of behavior with students and on-time dismissal could improve middle school students' problematic hallway behaviors. The 5-week intervention phase resulted in a very large reduction between baseline and treatment phases of 42.36% across 950 students. This study provides evidence that readily available and cost-effective techniques can be used to make school common areas safer and more orderly. Implications for the use of school-based PBS practices are discussed.

A study abroad course adds to the academic experience of nursing students by offering exposure to other cultures, service opportunities, and an introduction to international healthcare systems. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceived impact of a student study abroad experience on the subsequent career of the professional nurse. The phenomenological qualitative study approach revealed three themes: changed personal perspectives in practice, appreciation and service orientation, and insights on the healthcare system. Nurses reported that the study abroad experience helped to shape their views as professional nurses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acquiescence, or acquiescent responding, is reviewed. A detection method using the concept of differential person functioning is illustrated with two data sets. The effects of acquiescence are shown to be different for each example. Implications for questionnaire and attitudinal scale development are discussed and an operational definition for acquiescent responding is suggested. (Contains 2 figures and 1 table.)

Analyzed and classified items that display sex-related differential item functioning (DIF) in attitude assessment. Analyzed 982 items, from 23 real data sets, that measure attitudes. Found that sex DIF is common in attitude scales: more than 27 percent of items showed DIF related to sex, 15 percent of the items exhibited moderate to large DIF, and the magnitudes of DIF against males and females were not equal. (EV)

The Early Childhood Comprehensive Technology System (ECCTS) was a 3-year collaborative project designed to implement and maintain a comprehensive technology system through on-going training, follow-up and technical support for teachers, team-based technology assessment for children with moderate to severe disabilities, technology integration into the classroom curriculum, and transition into kindergarten. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)