A summary of research in elementary school social studies (1951-1955).

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston Universit

The Adams Image in American History

John Adams was an American Revolutionary leader, political theorist, diplomat, constitutionalist, vice-president, and president. His historical image, however, has not been consistent with his importance in American history. Controversial throughout his lifetime, the Adams image, since his death has been at times obscure, often negative, and seldom positive. Adams had a fear of posterity\u27s perception of his life. Until recent years this fear was confirmed by his historical treatment. This thesis considers the divergence in the historical treatment of John Adams by analyzing historians who represented five periods in American historiography. It is, therefore, a study of what history made of John Adams. The thesis centers around the belief that by looking at the different phases of the historical interpretation of John Adams, the misunderstanding and confusion which surrounded his image can be lessened to such an extent that John Adams can be seen as a vital part of the American heritage

Scandal and Democracy

After a nation has transitioned from authoritarianism to democracy, how are democratic norms most effectively fostered and maintained? This book uses as its case study Indonesia after the fall of the dictator Suharto to reveal that a contentious, even scandal-obsessed press can actually prove extremely useful for an emergent democracy. A society that can tolerate and protect journalists willing to expose corruption and scandal among elites is one, the author finds, in which ordinary citizens are willing to believe in and support other democratic institutions. Based on extensive interviews and research in Indonesia, this book offers a new and surprising perspective on the role of the press and the nature of scandal-driven journalism in fledgling democracies

Are classroom internet use and academic performance higher after government broadband subsidies to primary schools?

This paper combines data from a government programme providing broadband access to primary schools in Ireland with survey microdata on schools’, teachers’ and pupils use of the internet to examine the links between public subsidies, classroom use of the internet and educational performance. Provision of broadband service under a government scheme was associated with more than a doubling of teachers’ use of the internet in class after about a two year lag. Better computing facilities in schools were also associated with higher internet use, but advertised download speed was not statistically significant. A second set of models show that use of the internet in class was associated with significantly higher average mathematics scores on standardised tests. There was also a less robust positive association with reading scores. A set of confounding factors is included, with results broadly in line with previous literature

El Arte como Medio para Facilitar el Bilingüismo y Biculturalismo: Sugerencias desde una Revisión de la Literatura

This review of the literature critically explores the avenues to learning that visual art offers teachers and especially those with second language learners in their classrooms. The article is divided into seven sections in which the authors present research findings supporting the premise that learners’ cognitive processes are facilitated by images. Research cited strongly suggests visual art in instructional design helps students learn about world cultures, is an effective pre-writing activity, facilitates second language acquisition, and promotes biliteracy.Esta revisión de la literatura explora críticamente los caminos al aprendizaje que el arte visual provee a  los maestros,  especialmente a  los que tienen estudiantes que están aprendiendo  un segundo idioma en sus aulas. El artículo está dividido en siete secciones, en las cuales el autor presenta resultados de investigaciones previas que apoyan la premisa de que las imágenes visuales facilitan los procesos cognitivos de los estudiantes.  Las investigaciones citadas indican claramente que a los estudiantes les beneficia  dibujar e involucrarse en actividades visuales antes de redactar,  lo cual facilita la adquisición de un segundo idioma y  promueve  la alfabetización en la primera y segunda lengua

Effects of 4 X 4 Block Scheduling on Student Discipline, Faculty Collegiality, and Obstacles to Teaching in Louisiana High Schools.

During the last decade, the allocation of time emerged as an important reform initiative in secondary schools. For nearly a century, secondary school students attended approximately six to seven classes daily. In the early 1990s, more flexible scheduling configurations were proposed, including block scheduling. One block scheduling format, known as 4 x 4, allows students to attend four classes daily for 90-minute blocks of time. Block scheduling advocates claimed benefits for students, teachers, instructional innovation, and school climate, but provided little empirical base for these claims. The present study examined the effects of 4 x 4 block scheduling on four school climate variables: student discipline, faculty collegiality, time-related obstacles, and student-related obstacles. There were 21 high schools in the sample, evenly divided into three groups. One group had 3 or more years experience with block scheduling; the second group had 2 years experience with block scheduling; and the third group used the traditional six- to seven-period a day schedule. The study utilized a mixed methodology. Survey, observational, and interview data were collected in 21 schools during Phase I of the study. Phase II utilized teacher interviews, observations, and archival data in a case study of two schools within the same group. Five main findings emerged. First, the main effect for group type on overall climate was significant. Second, the groups differed significantly on time-related obstacles to teaching, providing empirical evidence for time management claims in the literature. Third, groups did not significantly differ on student discipline, faculty collegiality, and student-related obstacles. Fourth, leadership emerged from interviews as a significant factor in shaping high school climate. Finally, there were important differences among schools within groups, indicating that school contexts are unique. Ancillary findings pointed to absenteeism and tardiness as the most pervasive student discipline concerns across groups, and to a linkage of faculty collegiality with communications and staff development. Teachers reported that excessive paperwork, student apathy, and poor student work ethic were impediments to teaching. The effectiveness of block scheduling was boosted by strong leadership, instructional focus, staff development, communications, and the elimination of barriers to goal attainment

NASA Astronaut Occupational Surveillance Program and Lifetime Surveillance of Astronaut Health, LSAH, Astronaut Exposures and Risk in the Terrestrial and Spaceflight Environment

United States Astronauts have a very unique occupational exposure profile. In order to understand these risks and properly address them, the National Aeronautics and Atmospheric Administration, NASA, originally created the Longitudinal Study of Astronaut Health, LSAH. The first LSAH was designed to address a variety of needs regarding astronaut health and included a 3 to 1 terrestrial control population in order to compare United States "earth normal" disease and aging to that of a microgravity exposed astronaut. Over the years that program has been modified, now termed Lifetime Surveillance of Astronaut Health, still LSAH. Astronaut spaceflight exposures have also changed, with the move from short duration shuttle flights to long duration stays on international space station and considerable terrestrial training activities. This new LSAH incorporates more of an occupational health and medicine model to the study of occupationally exposed astronauts. The presentation outlines the baseline exposures and monitoring of the astronaut population to exposures, both terrestrial, and in space

Understanding Perceptions of Child Maltreatment Risk: A Qualitative Study of Early Head Start Home Visitors

Infants and toddlers enrolled in Early Head Start are at increased risk for child maltreatment. Within Early Head Start, home visitors are in a unique position to identify the families most likely to experience maltreatment by identifying characteristics and behaviors of children, caregivers, families, and environments that are of concern. However, research has demonstrated that home visitors are often ill-equipped to identify and address risk factors such as parental mental health concerns, substance abuse, and domestic violence. Further, little is known about how home visitors understand and perceive risk for maltreatment and identify vulnerable families. The study sought to identify how Early Head Start home visitors understand maltreatment, perceive risk for maltreatment, and work with families identified as at-risk. Qualitative interviews exploring identification of risk for maltreatment were conducted with fourteen Early Head Start home visitors and supervisors. Results indicate variable understanding of maltreatment. Home visitors identified numerous factors they believe suggest elevated risk for maltreatment and described variable approaches to working with families at risk. Findings provide rich information about the role that home visitors play in maltreatment prevention within Early Head Start. Directions for effectively training home visitors to engage families and deliver program and community-based services in a manner that reduces risk for and prevents maltreatment are discussed