Online Instruction Self-Efficacy Beliefs Among College Students Who Utilized Web-Enhanced Instruction

The main purpose of the study was to investigate online instruction self-efficacy beliefs among college students and the demographic influence of gender, classification rank, age, academic major, computer access, computer experience, online instruction experience, Internet experience, and the use of an online learning system. The population of approximately 1000 students enrolled at Maryville College during Fall 2003 and Spring 2004 semesters was used to conduct the study. Students were asked to complete the Tennessee Online Instruction Scale (TOIS), which consisted of items related to forty online instruction tasks and background information. Findings revealed that online instruction self-efficacy beliefs of students were not significantly different for academic major and classification rank. However, computer experience was significant for online instruction self-efficacy beliefs. As a result students with more computer experience developed a higher self-efficacy and those with less computer experience had lower self-efficacy beliefs. Self-efficacy beliefs were also found to be higher for students who experience more online instruction, using the Interned and an online learning system when compared to students who had less experience in inline instruction, the Internet and an online learning system,. These findings have implications for instructional technologies, educators and designers who are primarily responsible for developing online instructional technology courses. Future research should consider the investigation of online instruction self-efficacy beliefs among a diverse population reflecting various academic majors, age, and classification rank

Black Female Students: Issues and Considerations for Teachers of Teachers

. . . it is revealing that few recommendations are offered to educators for the enhancement of the educational well-being of Black females

A survey of music education in the smaller high schools of California and a program of music courses

It was the author\u27s privilege to begin teaching in a small secondary school. There, it is his firm belief, is the place for most beginning teachers to commence their life\u27s work. It is here that one finds problems in curricula and procedures that he would probably never dream of during his theoretical training. There one would be asked to teach many subjects other than the one he has chosen in his major field. This should not prove to be a hardship but a blessing in that one would have develop initiative and in many other ways round out his personality. Here it was that the author became interested in the curricular problems of the small high school. Teacher load, pupil hours, and the lack of sufficient time for certain subjects were problems in which he first became acquainted. Music, which was his field in college, proved to be taking a secondary place in many instances; consequently he began to search for reasons and remedies for the situation. It is the author\u27s earnest desire that this beginning will help other prospective teachers of music with some of the problems they will undoubtedly face

Using Technology and Traditional Instruction to Teach Expository Text in the Sixth Grade Reading Classroom: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Students struggle with the transition of reading and writing narrative text in the early grades to reading and writing expository text in the upper grades. It is imperative that students be taught how to understand expository language in order for them to gain comprehension of the different types of informational text. By using traditional instruction and technology, teachers can use scaffolding activities to improve students’ comprehension, reading, and writing of expository text

The influence of business ownership and selected demographic characteristics on the perceived effectiveness of an entrepreneurship training program among female participants

Small businesses are the backbone of the American economy, and entrepreneurship is of critical importance to women because it provides a means to becoming self-sufficient, in charge of one’s own career path, and as a way to rise about the “glass ceiling” of the corporate world. Women who perceive themselves as having the necessary skills and knowledge to start their own companies have a higher likelihood of starting a business than those who do not. Therefore, it is important to understand the training needs and perceptions regarding the efficacy of entrepreneurship training programs specifically targeted to women. The primary purpose of this study was to determine the influence of selected demographic characteristics and business related variables on perceptions of entrepreneurship training effectiveness among women and to compare the perceptions of training effectiveness by whether or not the participants were business owners. This study was conducted through an analysis of archival data collected from participants in the Women in Business workshops offered by an entrepreneurship institute in a College of Business at a large research institution located in the southeastern portion of the United States. Findings revealed there were very positive perceptions regarding the effectiveness of the program on the part of most participants, both business owners and non-business owners. However, analysis of qualitative data collected in the study identified issues and important factors not found in the quantitative data. Some of those factors included importance of familial support and the role of a female mentor. Based on the findings, the researcher concluded that having a female mentor is important to all Women in Business attendees as is support from family members. The researcher recommended that mentoring, both in terms of finding a female mentor and becoming a mentor for other women preparing to become entrepreneurs, become a central component of the Women in Business training program

Empathy as a crucial skill for instructional coaches: Can it be taught?

When a coach empathetically listens to another person\u27s ideas, thoughts, and concerns, the coach communicates that the other person\u27s life is important and meaningful. This may be the most important service that a coach can provide. (Knight, 2007, p.43).;This study explored whether instructional coaches that completed the 20-hour Evocative Coaching model training program, which included specific training in empathy, significantly improved their emotional intelligence (EI). A mixed method design was employed. Quantitative analysis examined gain scores in an identical pretest and posttest measure of EI, using the EQmentor (Justice, 2010). The qualitative portion of the study addressed changes participants perceived to their level of EI as a result of the training and their perception of how it affected their performance as instructional coaches.;of nearly 200 people in seven cohorts, who completed the training between January 2011 and May 2012, 90 participants elected to participant in the study. The treatment group consisted of administrators, teachers, coaches, and personnel in instructional support positions from eight states within the United States and two countries outside of the United States. Nine participants were interviewed for the qualitative portion of the research study, four whose EI scores increased and five whose EI scores decreased.;Results from the EQmentor (Justice, 2010) revealed that the overall emotional quotient (EQ) score and interpersonal composite score showed a statistically significant increase as did the subscales of motivation, empathy, and social skills. The subscales of self-awareness, self-regulation, and the intrapersonal composite score did not show a significant change in the full sample, but did for those participants who had volunteered to take the training (as opposed to those who were directed to do so).;Themes emerging from the participants interviewed included increased awareness, improved listening, expressing empathy, Nonviolent Communication, emotional intelligence, observation tools, and instructional leadership. Overall, the participants felt the Evocative Coaching model training was a positive influence on their practice as instructional leaders. Specifically, the instructional coaches felt the training helped them to grow in the following areas: a) by using the observational tools for observing and not evaluating the teachers; b) by increasing awareness of their coaching presence and laying the groundwork for their coaching conversation; c) by using mindful listening to stop whatever else was going on and just listen; and d) by using authentic empathy coaches were able to appreciate the experience of the other person and foster new change possibilities and therefore improve the instructional practices of those they were coaching.;INDEX WORDS: Instructional coaches, Emotional intelligence, Empathy

Online Prenatal Nutrition Education: Helping Pregnant Women Eat Healthfully Using MyPyramid.gov

The web-based MyPyramid developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture is a nutrition education program. Care providers can use the MyPyramid to enhance nutrition information delivery and foster healthy eating behaviors in their patients. Three interactive tools are available in the MyPyramid for pregnant women, including the “MyPyramid plan for Moms,” the “MyPyramid Menu Planner for Moms,” and the “MyPyramid Tracker.” These tools help pregnant women learn about nutritional needs for pregnancy, menu planning, and dietary monitoring

Role of HIV-1 Gag domains in viral assembly

AbstractAfter entry of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) into T cells and the subsequent synthesis of viral products, viral proteins and RNA must somehow find each other in the host cells and assemble on the plasma membrane to form the budding viral particle. In this general review of HIV-1 assembly, we present a brief overview of the HIV life cycle and then discuss assembly of the HIV Gag polyprotein on RNA and membrane substrates from a biochemical perspective. The role of the domains of Gag in targeting to the plasma membrane and the role of the cellular host protein cyclophilin are also reviewed