Interpersonal interaction within the violin teaching studio: the influence of interpersonal dynamics on outcomes for teachers

The overall aims of this study were to identify qualities of interpersonal interaction within teacher- parent-pupil learning partnerships and to explore whether these characteristics were predictors of learning and teaching outcomes for teachers, parents and pupils participating in pursuit of expertise on musical instruments. This article presents the findings relating to how teachers' beliefs relating to interpersonal interaction with pupils and parents impacted on their professional satisfaction, self-efficacy, and involvement with pupils and parents. Two hundred and sixty-three violin teachers were surveyed, each completing a questionnaire that included measures of the interpersonal constructs of control and responsiveness as well as measures for outcomes that included professional satisfaction, teacher self-efficacy, and involvement with pupils and parents. The scales for control and responsiveness were subjected to a principal component analysis, revealing several underlying dimensions of these constructs. Multiple regressions revealed that facets of control bore significant correlations with all of the specified teacher outcomes, while the interpersonal factor that had the greatest influence overall was teacher sensitivity (a responsiveness component). At the heart of this finding is a model of a 'responsive leader', providing authoritative direction but also compelled to respond to the individual pupil needs and parental wishes or circumstances. © The Author(s) 2010

Behavioral Economics and Developmental Science: A New Framework to Support Early Childhood Interventions

Public policies have actively responded to an emergent social and neuroscientific evidence base documenting the benefits of targeting services to children during the earliest period of their development. But problems of low utilization, inconsistent participation, and low retention continue to present themselves as challenges. Although most interventions recognize and address structural and psycho-social barriers to parent’s engagement, few take seriously the decision making roles of parents. Using insights from the behavioral sciences, we revisit assumptions about the presumed behavior of parents in a developmental context. We then describe ways in which this framework informs features of interventions that can be designed to augment the intended impacts of early development, education and care initiatives by improving parent engagement

Navigation Paths to Adoption Through the Alaska Foster Care System: A Resource Guide for Potential Adoptive Parents

Project Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE in Project ManagementAlaska has a higher than national average rate of adoption from foster care. While just over 20% of children in foster care nationally are discharged from state custody through adoption Alaska has nearly 30% of foster children discharged from state custody through adoption. There are a number of programs and resources available for foster parents and families interested in adopting through foster care in Alaska. However, there lacks a comprehensive single-point reference guide to explore the various paths. This research was conducted to identify resources available for families interested in learning about paths to adopt from foster care in Alaska as well as what gaps are perceived by families who have begun the process of adopting through foster care. A literature review was conducted and specific adoption program information was reduced to a synopsis or flowchart to generally outline each path to adoption through foster care. The final outcome of the project was a resource guide that outlines basic requirements to adopt through foster care and a number of programs to do so. The paths covered by this guide are the ACRF Adoption Learning Path, Legal-Risk Adoptions, OCS Recruitment of Legally Free Children, Wendy’s Wonderful Kids, ACRF PARKA Program, Alaska Adoption Exchange, and Tribal and ICWA Adoption.Title Page / Table of Contents / List of Exhibits / List of Appendices / Abstract / Introduction / Planning, Executing and Controlling / Research Methods / Literature Review / Path 1: ACRF Adoption Learning Path / Path 2: Foster/Adoption (Legal-Risk) / Path 3: OCS Recruitment for Adoption of Legally Free Children / Path 4: Wendy's Wonderful Kids (Legally Free Children) / Path 5: ACRF PARKA Program / Path 6: Northwest Adoption Exchange / Path 7: Tribal and ICWA Adoption / Conclusions / References / Appendice

Young children learning with mobile devices: Research on design and implementation

The increasing growth and usage of mobile devices, such as tablets and iPads, by young children has not yet been accompanied by systematic research about the effects they have on children's learning and the conditions that facilitate or hinder learning and engagement. As a result, only few empirically-based guidelines exist to guide parents, educators, and application (app) designers when choosing or designing apps for young children, often leading to non-evidence-based decisions, or the design of apps with little educational value. This symposium aims to bring together researchers from Australia, the UK and USA to discuss what evidence exist about the learning potential of mobile devices and apps for young children and how it could be used to inform relevant stakeholders

Parenting Young Children: Comparison of a Psychoeducational Program in Mexico and the United States

The purpose of this study was to compare the cross-cultural effectiveness of a psychoeducational program with 82 Mexican and 63 American mothers with very young children. The 10-hour program was presented by trained facilitators in Mexico and the United States to small groups of mothers. Results showed that the both groups of mothers significantly increased their expectations and use of nurturing strategies and reduced their use of verbal and corporal punishment with their young children following the program. In addition, the reported frequency of child behavior problems decreased significantly at post-test. The similar results obtained across cultures were explained based on research finding similar parenting practices with young children between Mexican and American parents

The third voice: Do enhanced e-books enhance the benefits of shared story reading with preschoolers?

This study from which this paper draws examined the benefits of reading plain e-books (with parental instruction) compared to enhanced e-books (with limited parental direction) with 3- to 5-year-old children. Interaction was measured through parent-child verbal communication and eye contact. Engagement was measured through time spent visually focused on the story, and retention was measured through open-ended story event recall questions and multiple-choice story vocabulary questions. There were no differences between the enhanced and plain e-book conditions in children’s qualitative engagement with the story, or in the amounts of vocabulary or story events they retained. While enhanced e-books resulted in more time spent gazing at the device, parents and children were significantly more interactive when reading plain e-books. These findings suggest that while both plain and enhanced e-books are effective in aiding children’s retention of words and story events, plain e-books read by a caregiver are better at promoting meaningful conversation

UNLV College of Education Multicultural & Diversity Newsletter

A newsletter discussing a variety of topics dealing with multicultural topics and diversity in education