Effective classroom practice: a mixed-method study of influences and outcomes: a research paper

This brief paper reports findings from a two-year research project, funded by the ESRC, which identified, described and analyzed variation in effective primary and secondary school teachers’ classroom practice. The study also explored these practices in relation to different school contexts and teachers’ professional life phases in order to draw out relevant implications for policy and practice

Differences in Treatment Utilization Between Fee Paying and Non-Fee Paying Clients in a Counseling Training Clinic

Freud’s writings and cognitive dissonance theories assume that paying a fee for mental health services is necessary for client motivation to progress through treatment; however, empirical study has failed to support this assertion. Regular client utilization (as measured by total number of sessions, number of cancellations, and persistence through a planned termination session) is correlated with improved client treatment outcome and is essential for providing counselors-in-training with the opportunity to practice and demonstrate counseling skills. Prior literature illustrates that counseling training clinics may experience premature termination at a greater rate than other outpatient settings due to two primary issues: (a) counselor competence; and (b) uninformed fee policies. Very little counseling-specific research exists to guide counselor educators in setting fee policies that promote regular client treatment utilization. Further study was needed to provide counselor educators with information to make evidenced-based practice decisions regarding fee payment in counseling training clinics. This study examined whether fee paying and non-fee paying clients differed in measures of treatment utilization when controlling for counselor competence. Records of 269 fee paying and non-fee paying clients of the training clinic were examined for the number of sessions attended, the number of cancellations, and persistence through a termination session. The final scores of counselors-in-training who served the selected clients were entered into the model to control for counselor competence. A MANCOVA was run to determine whether differences exist between fee paying and non-fee paying clients in the number of cancellations and the overall number of sessions when controlling for counselor competence. Violations of the independence of errors assumption prevented a determination regarding the null hypothesis. A logistic regression was run to determine if the amount of payment predicts attendance at a termination session when controlling for counselor competence. Fee payment was found to have a significant relationship with attendance at a termination session however, the underpowered nature of the Logistic Regression and the effect size indicate that the findings should be interpreted with extreme caution. The implications of this study include the importance of consistent record keeping and accounting for the complex nature of the relationship of fee payment in treatment utilization in future study. Development and standardized use of instruments with known psychometric properties for the evaluation of counselors in training is also discussed as a needed development in the field of Counselor Education and Supervision for the facilitation of research into the relationship of fee payment and treatment utilization in training clinics

Longitudinal research and early years policy development in the UK

Interest in early years issues such as early childhood education and care (ECEC) and early intervention has increased in recent decades internationally. Partly this reflects interest in facilitating the social and educational development of children, both for deprived children and the general population, and partly interest in increasing parental, particularly maternal, employment. Concern for such issues has led to substantial policy change in the UK in recent decades. For the general population, prior to 1998 there was no statutory obligation for the state to provide any early childhood services for children under the statutory school age of 5 years. However, there were provisions for ‘at risk’ children, as well as in some nursery education for 3- and 4-year olds, typically in more disadvantaged areas, but availability was haphazard around the country. Research evidence and social and political factors have resulted in radical change to the whole early years services system in the UK. The findings of two longitudinal research studies, the national evaluation of Sure Start and the effective provision of pre-school education projects were important factors in policy change and this paper discusses how the interplay of research and policy occurred. Initially changes were introduced by the Labour government, but more recent policy changes have been introduced by the Conservative government. The need for state involvement in early years services has become accepted by all political parties. There is substantially greater government investment in the early years, so that government-funded ECEC is now part of the infrastructure supporting family life for the whole population. This article discusses how research evidence has contributed to the substantial policy change in the last two decades

Prescribing and Primary Care Psychology: Complementary Paths for Professional Psychology

Two paths have been suggested for the future evolution of professional psychology. Prescribing psychology has already been legally authorized in two states, the military, and the Indian Health Service. Primary care psychology does not require legal recognition and has been slowly growing as a career option for psychologists across the nation. Both paths have their obstacles and limitations, but both are also associated with great potential. This article provides a brief summary of the strengths and weaknesses of each path and suggests an integrated perspective for planning the future of the profession. Each is seen as complementary to the other and providing a basis for pursuing the other. Keywords: primary care, integrated primary care, prescriptive authority, healthcare systems Doctoral-level healthcare psychology faces several serious threats to its status quo and perhaps even its survival. The first comes from the pressures all healthcare professions are experiencing from managed care and other third-party reimbursement systems. Involvement in managed care has been associated in psychologists with longer working hours, larger caseloads, less participation in supervision, greater stress, higher rates of premature termination, reduced flexibility, and greater pressure to com

Establishing the Effects of Quality in Early Childhood: Comparing Evidence from England

This is the final version. Available from Early Education via the URL in this record.This occasional paper examines the robustness of a paper published by Blanden, Hansen and McNally in February 2017 which sought to investigate the effects of quality within early education and care settings in England (Quality in Early Years Settings and Children's School Achievement, CEP Discussion Paper 1468, The London School of Economics). The authors question the validity of the conclusions reached by Blanden et al about the impact of quality in early childhood education in England

The role of pre-school quality in promoting resilience in the cognitive development of young children

The study reported here investigates the role of pre-school education as a protective factor in the development of children who are at risk due to environmental and individual factors. This investigation builds upon earlier research by examining different kinds of 'quality' in early education and tests the hypothesis that pre-schools of high quality can moderate the impacts of risks upon cognitive development. Cognitive development was measured in 2857 English pre-schoolers at 36 and 58 months of age, together with 22 individual risks to children's development, and assessments were made of the quality of their pre-school provision. Multilevel Structural Equation Modelling revealed that: the global quality of pre-school can moderate the effects of familial risk (such as poverty); the relationships between staff and children can moderate the effects of child level risk (such as low birth weight); and the specific quality of curricular provision can moderate the effects of both. Policy makers need to take quality into account in their efforts to promote resilience in young 'at risk' children through early childhood services

Evaluating the Concurrent Validity of Three Web-based IQ Tests and the Reynolds Intellectual Assessment Scales (RIAS)

In a double-blind study, 60 General Psychology students, selected in low, average, and high ACT ranges, were administered the Reynolds Intellectual Assessment Scales (RIAS). On a separate occasion, the students also completed web-based internet IQ tests from tickle.com, queendom.com, and iqtest.com. MANOVA results showed that ACT level had a significant effect on all four IQ scores combined (Wilk’s Lambda = .451,

Young children's cognitive achievement: home learning environment, language and ethnic background

For decades, research has shown differences in cognitive assessment scores between White and minority ethnic group(s) learners as well as differences across different minority ethnic groups. More recent data have indicated that the home learning environment and languages spoken can impact cognitive assessment and other corollary outcomes. This study uses the Millennium Cohort Study to jointly assess how minority ethnic group, home learning environment and home languages predict child cognitive assessment scores. Regression analyses were conducted using two assessment measures. The following is hypothesised: (1) cognitive achievement scores vary by minority ethnic group, (2) more home learning environment in early childhood leads to higher cognitive development scores and (3) English only in the home yields the highest cognitive scores while no English in the home yields the lowest. Findings reveal that there are differences in cognitive scores along ethnic group categories although there are also some unexpected findings. Home learning environment does not play as large a role as was predicted in raising the assessment scores overall for learners while speaking English in the home does, irrespective of ethnic background

An inside story: tracking experiences, challenges and successes in a joint specialist performing arts college

In England the government’s specialist schools initiative is transforming the nature of secondary education. A three-year longitudinal case study tracked the effects of specialist performing arts college status on two schools. The sites were a mainstream school drawing pupils from an area of high social deprivation and disadvantage, and a special school catering for pupils with profound and \ud multiple learning difficulties, which were awarded joint performing arts college status. The government’s \ud preferred criterion for judging the success of specialist schools is improvement in whole-school examination results. The authors argue that this is a crude and inappropriate measure for these case study schools and probably others. Using questionnaires, interviews and documentation they tell an ‘inside story’ of experiences, challenges and achievements, from the perspectives of the schools’ mangers, staff and pupils. Alternative ‘value-added’ features emerged that were positive indicators of enrichment and success in both schools