Testing the usability of a portable DVD player and tailored photo instructions with older adult veterans     

Christine E. Gould  Aimee Marie L. Zapata  Deanna N. Shinsky  Mary K. Goldstein 《Educational gerontology》2018,44(1):64-73

DVD-delivered behavioral skills training may help disseminate efficacious treatments to older adults independent of internet access. The present study examined the usability of a portable DVD player alongside iterative revisions of accompanying instructions to be used by older adults in a DVD-delivered behavioral skills treatment study. The sample comprised 20 older adults with a mean age of 69.5 years (SD = 7.3). Behavior observations revealed that three of five steps to play the DVD were completed by more than 90% of participants. Quantitative ratings revealed that 75% could play the DVD easily. Qualitative content analysis further elucidated the usability of the player and the clarity of the instructions. Findings suggest user-centered design of instructional support in DVD-delivered treatments for older adults may be critical to minimizing user error and frustration and increase user experience.  相似文献   

Investigating Chinese preschool teachers’ beliefs in mathematics teaching from a cross-cultural perspective     

Xia Li  Song Liu  Mary DeBey  Karen McFadden  Yue-Juan Pan 《Early Years: An International Journal of Research and Development》2018,38(1):86-101

In China, preschool curriculum has undergone reform and profound changes. Much remains unknown, however, regarding preschool teachers’ teaching beliefs after 30 years of curriculum reform and adaptation. This study aimed to address the issue and investigate teachers’ beliefs concerning teaching mathematics. Twelve preschool teachers in China participated in the study: they watched videos of mathematics lessons conducted in the US and were interviewed with questions regarding the lessons. Qualitative analysis was then applied; themes were searched from the participants’ responses. The study revealed that Chinese preschool teachers acknowledged the features of (a) active learning, (b) involving every child, and (c) connecting lessons with everyday activities. However, they believed that their own teaching would be more purposeful: they would choose a specific content focus, use a series of steps, and make explicit summary at the end. The study also revealed Chinese preschool teachers’ solid specialized content knowledge in mathematics.  相似文献   

Perceptions of gender in early years     

Mary Wingrave 《Gender and education》2018,30(5):587-606

This article presents an exploration of a group of Early Years Practitioners’ (EYPs) perceptions of gender that may provide some insight into the growing divide between boys’ and girls’ educational performance [Burusic, J., T. Babarovic, and M. Seric. 2012. “Differences in Elementary School Achievement between Girls and Boys: Does the Teacher’s Gender Play a Role?” European Journal of Psychology of Education 27 (4): 523–538]. I argue that the current media and educational interest in the gendered brain [Sax, L. 2005. Why Gender Matters: What Parents and Teachers Need to Know About the Emerging Science of Sex Differences. New York: Broadway Books] and the influences that surround the child [Eckert, P., and G. S. McConnell. 2013. Language and Gender. 2nd ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press], can result in children acquiring social expectations and attitudes to learning that are different for both sexes. The frequent dimorphic treatment of boys and girls is often based on assumed biological differences [Baron-Cohen, S., S. Lutchmaya, and R. Knickmeyer. 2004. Prenatal Testosterone in Mind: Amniotic Fluids Studies. Massachusetts Institute of Technology] that suggest that the sexes learn differently. This can result in the approaches to the care and education of children being established on their sex categories rather than their individual needs. My focus here is to explore practitioners’ expectations and understanding of children’s behaviour and learning in the nursery environment. The study is premised on the belief that practitioners’ perceptions of gender could, as argued by [Eliot, L. 2009. Pink Brain, Blue Brain: How Small Differences Grow into Troublesome Gaps – And what we can do About It. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company], result in self-fulfilling prophecies being (re)produced and (re)created. The deployment of stereotypical assumptions and practices could, I suggest, limit children’s opportunities. The data used here are drawn from my doctoral study of the nature of gender as was understood by eight EYPs who took part in five discussion group sessions. An interpretative paradigm was adopted, where the EYPs’ discussed their experiences and understanding of gender from their practice. Following [Holloway, I., and S. Wheeler. 2013. Qualitative Research in Nursing and Healthcare. 3rd ed. West Sussex: John Wiley &; Sons Limited], the study explored experiences and perceptions in order to illuminate meaning and understanding. The findings indicated that there is a belief amongst the group of practitioners with whom I worked that gender is either innate or learned and that EYPs play no role in its development. The tentative conclusions suggest that changes to the education and training of EYPs are required in order to raise awareness of gender issues in nurseries. I suggest that there is a need to place gender back on the education and training agenda for EYP in order to support changes to practice that could, in turn, provide children with more equitable teaching and learning experiences.  相似文献   

Young children’s impressionable use of teleology: the influence of question wording and questioned topic on teleological explanations for natural phenomena     

Jonathan Grant Halls  Shaaron Elizabeth Ainsworth  Mary Collette Oliver 《International Journal of Science Education》2018,40(7):808-826

There is a significant body of research on children’s preconceptions concerning scientific concepts and the impact this has upon their science education. One active issue concerns the extent to which young children’s explanations for the existence of natural kinds rely on a teleological rationale: for example, rain is for watering the grass, or tigers’ stripes are for camouflage. It has been argued that this teleological tendency hampers children’s ability to learn about causality in the natural world. This paper investigates two factors (question wording and topic) which it is argued have led to a misestimation of children’s teleological tendencies within the area natural phenomena: i.e. those that are time-constrained, natural events or process such as snow, clouds or night. Sixty-six (5–8 years old) children took part in a repeated-measures experiment, answering both open and leading questions across 10 topics of natural phenomena. The findings indicate that children’s teleological reasoning may have been overestimated as open-question forms significantly reduced their tendency to answer teleologically. Moreover, the concept of teleology is more nuanced than often suggested. Consequently, young children may be more able to learn about causal explanations for the existence of natural phenomena than the literature implies.  相似文献   

Thinking about technology: Applying a cognitive lens to technical change     

Sarah Kaplan  Mary Tripsas 《Research Policy》2008,37(5):790-805

We apply a cognitive lens to understanding technology trajectories across the life cycle by developing a co-evolutionary model of technological frames and technology. Applying that model to each stage of the technology life cycle, we identify conditions under which a cognitive lens might change the expected technological outcome predicted by purely economic or organizational models. We also show that interactions of producers, users and institutions shape the development of collective frames around the meaning of new technologies. We thus deepen our understanding of sources of variation in the era of ferment, conditions under which a dominant design may be achieved, the underlying architecture of the era of incremental change and the dynamics associated with discontinuities.  相似文献   

Improving Support Service Decision-Making: Consumer feedback regarding updates to VISTA     

Michael F. Giangreco  Susan W. Edelman  Catherine Nelson  Mary Rose Young  Richard Kiefer-O'Donnell 《International Journal of Disability, Development & Education》1999,46(4):463-473

This study provides data from 73 educational team members who used an updated version of the Vermont Interdependent Services Team Approach (VISTA) to assist them in planning educationally necessary support services for 11 students with multiple disabilities in general education classes. These data provide evaluative consumer feedback about changes in VISTA based on limitations identified through previous research. The results indicated that the changes were perceived positively by consumers, particularly related to overall quality, practicality, and more substantive involvement of parents and general education teachers in support service decision-making. Study respondents also identified areas in need of continued improvement in VISTA. Implications for future research, development, and practice are discussed.  相似文献   

Developing a Preschool Play-based Curriculum     

Mary Frances Hanline 《International Journal of Disability, Development & Education》1999,46(3):289-305

The importance of play on a young child's development cannot be understated. Play gives children opportunities to understand the world, interact with others, express and control emotions, develop symbolic capabilities, attempt novel or challenging tasks, solve problems, and practice skills. Play may contribute to the development of posture, movement, and self-sufficiency. There also appears to be a positive relationships between the frequency and complexity of young children's play and IQ, problem-solving, creativity, language and literacy, and social competence. This paper provides a review of the literature and describes the development of a preschool play-based curriculum for children with disabilities.  相似文献   

The Influence of Children's Literature on Gender Role Perceptions: A Reexamination     

Mary L. Trepanier-Street  Jane A. Romatowski 《Early Childhood Education Journal》1999,26(3):155-159

This project reexamined young children's gender attitudes regarding occupational roles. The results of this study suggested that young children's atitudes, while still generally stereotypic, were more flexible regarding occupational roles. The reading of carefully selected books and book related activities positively influenced gender attitudes.  相似文献   

Internships as Commencement: Mathematics and Science Research Experiences as Catalysts for Preservice Teacher Professional Development     

Karen Langford  Mary Ann Huntley 《Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education》1999,2(3):277-299

Among the initiatives of the Maryland Collaborative for Teacher Preparation (MCTP) is a summer research internship program that places preservice middle grades teachers in extended collaboration with professional mathematicians, scientists, and educators engaged in research and curriculum development activities. We describe the MCTP internship program including the rationale for and structural features of the program. We also highlight the effects of the internship experience on preservice teachers' conceptions of and beliefs about the nature and processes of mathematics and science, and the teaching of mathematics and science. Our findings suggest that the internship experience is a fundamentally significant life experience for preservice teachers. Furthermore, internships have the potential for realizing reform in mathematics and science education; that is, preservice teachers who have participated in MCTP internships intend to bring a holistic, conceptually oriented view of mathematics and science to their classrooms. The paper concludes with a summary of ongoing programmatic and logistical challenges of the MCTP internship program. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.  相似文献   

Editorial: On Behalf of Children “How We Respond to the Artistry of Children: Ten Barriers to Overcome”     

Mary Renck Jalongo 《Early Childhood Education Journal》1999,26(4):205-208

  相似文献