Students in Higher Education and their Mental Health

Theme: Nursing students and their mental health needs, focus on practice placement support

Shifts in Teacher Talk in a Participatory Action Research Professional Learning Community

Most teachers take part in professional development of some kind at some point in their careers. However, many teachers report that professional development neither supports their practice nor improves results. Thus, more work needs to be done on how professional development can meet those needs and what helps to support effective professional learning. A key factor in teacher professional learning is talk. In this study, a group of educators created a professional learning community using concepts from participatory action research to support their interactions and focus their work on achieving their goals. The purpose of this learning community was to discuss and improve writing instruction practices. This study focused on the language used by teachers and the ways in which that language changed over the course of time. The use of case study methods provided a vehicle to tell the story of this learning community through the teacher talk that took place. Findings indicated that teacher talk changed in this learning community in positive ways as a result of the collaboration and orientations of the teachers involved

“Your Writing, Not My Writing”: Discourse Analysis of Student Talk About Writing

Student voice is a difficult concept to capture in research. This study attempts to provide a vehicle for understanding student perceptions about writing and writing instruction through a case study supported by discourse analysis of student talk. The high school students in this study participated in interviews and focus groups about their experiences with writing. The findings reveal deep seeded notions about writing enculturated through their schooling. Students were not likely to take ownership of their writing, rather considering it a teacher construct, and could not typically describe the application of writing skills. Students were optimistic and provided multiple suggestions for improvements to writing instruction with an emphasis on making writing relevant. The implications of this study, while highly contextual, do reveal the significance of systemic conceptualizations born in students through the process of schooling and how language can unpack those schemas

Analyzing Student Language on Writing to Inform Instruction: A Discourse Analysis

o better understand those students who are taught each day, it is necessary to hold conversation with them to better understand their frames of mind. This case study of 19 students at a rural, innovative high school in the southeastern United States sought to understand through discourse analysis the perspectives, positioning, and situated meanings at play in the participants‘ language. Findings suggest that students at the research site had trouble denoting their own writing growth, the value of writing, and ownership of writing produced at school. Implications of this speak toward how teachers can motivate and re-value writing for students. While the results are unique to this research site, the hope of this study is to generate conversation about the nature of writing instruction in public schools

Information and Communication Technologies and You: Multimedia Relationship Maintenance

The way we think about relationships today has evolved significantly from the way we thought about relationships many years ago. Relationships that were once maintained primarily via face-to-face interactions have become maintainable through information and communication technologies (ICTs) like instant messenger, text messaging, email, social networking sites, video conferencing and the like. As ICTs continue to develop and relational maintenance behaviors and processes shift, it becomes increasingly important that the impact of ICTs on maintaining relationships be explored. Yes, computer-mediated communication has transformed the dynamic of interpersonal relationships and the way they are maintained - but why? and to what degree? How does the way an individual uses ICTs influence the path his/her relationship travels? These are a few questions this study aims to address through interview and survey data analysis. Ultimately, this study will provide a deeper understanding of how ICTs are being utilized to achieve relational maintenance goals

High impact activities in parks: best management practice and future research

Off-road driving, horseriding, rock climbing and similar activities can be lucrative for tour operators and important for local recreational groups, but contentious for management of national parks and protected areas, both because of safety and liability and because of potentially high environmental impacts. These include spreading weeds and pathogens, starting fires and crushing bird nests on beaches, amongst many others. In Australia as elsewhere, off-road vehicles and horses are allowed only in some places in some parks, and often only under permit. We have very little reliable scientific information to-date on just how serious these impacts may be, and on how well they might be managed through minimal-impact practices such as vehicle washdowns, stockfeed processing and seasonal closures. Such information can only be obtained through site specific ecological studies of the plants, animals and watercourses likely to be affected, differentiating tourism impacts from natural causes and fluctuations. This report examines management strategies for these activities worldwide and in Australia. Suggestions for best management practice and future research agendas are set

Secondary Teacher Education Program Redesign as a Community of Practice

A recurring problem in university teacher education programs is the lack of connection between what teacher candidates do in coursework and what they practice in classroom field placements. This article describes the efforts of the secondary teacher education program (STEP) faculty in the College of Education and Human Sciences at South Dakota State University to redesign their coursework and field experiences into a residency program to better address the development of teacher candidates and needs of school districts. The authors reflect upon their efforts using a Communities of Practice framework. There are implications in the redesign process for teacher education programs hoping to address similar situations for the benefit of the teacher candidate, the universities, and the school districts