Search Results for
"Students"

This article investigates the views of the students of the University of Cyprus concerning the aims and character of the university, in general, and the Department of Education, in particular. Moreover, it examines the extent to which the students’ preparation for the labour market is considered satisfactory. Data were collected from 135 students of the Education Department of the University of Cyprus through both fixedalternative and open-ended questions. According to the findings, respondents appear to reject a purely instrumental or vocational approach to the formulation of higher education aims. At the same time, they believe that both their university and their department exhibit a vocational orientation in the provision of skills and knowledge to their students. Respondents consider the professional preparation they receive at the university and the department to be satisfactory even though they point out several areas for improvement. The article suggests that universities ought to address the students’ desire for personal development in the context of the humanistic mission of higher education. It also points to the need for improvements in the students’ professional training. © 2002 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

The research reported in this work concerned access to experiential learning offered in the form of work-based learning in a science and technology degree programme. The work-based learning comprises work placements within science and technology institutions relevant to the student’s discipline of academic study. Access to work placements was enhanced by improving student performance in pre-placement interviews and the study comprised the administration of an intervention, namely the use of trial interviews, to improve performance in pre-placement interviews. The study resulted in the development of a model for trial interviews based on models of competency identified in the literature and by examination of documentation from a variety of multi-national organisations. The data suggests that the students perceive trial interviews enhance performance during pre-placement interviews. © 2002 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

This article investigates a tension in mentoring in secondary Initial Teacher Training (ITT) in England and Wales. Neither the ITT Standards nor the literature clarify which mentor strategies can be effective in the particular domain of the post-16 classroom. A case study was conducted on a sample of distance learning Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) students and their mentors as the former learned to teach post-16. Five research instruments were developed and used iteratively to generate qualitative data. This revealed that ITT mentoring is inconsistent in relation to post-16 teaching. While some mentor support was given, opportunities presented for challenge were not taken up. The results illuminate the need for more effective models of post-16 mentoring in ITT, including the use of challenge alongside support. The conclusions have implications for mentors in secondary ITT, and will be a source of help for student teachers. © 2002, Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Marriage and family therapy programs need to go beyond the typical practices of recruiting and retaining students of color. Marriage and family therapy educators must assume positions of leadership by transforming graduate programs to reflect a deep, active, systemic commitment to both diversity and social justice. In this article, we argue that it is through this type of transformation that programs become truly ready to support students of color and to prepare all therapists to advocate for equity in a diverse, often unfair society. This article offers a model that addresses readiness, recruitment, retention, assessment, and professional development from this perspective.

This phenomenological research study investigated experiences and concerns that music therapy students have during their preclinical or practicum experiences. Interviews with students were intended to lead to an understanding of these experiences as the students perceived them. Eight students enrolled in undergraduate music therapy practica participated in open-ended interviews over the period of a year, with most students being interviewed 3 times. Six areas of interest emerged from the analysis: challenges encountered by students, means of dealing with challenges, involvement with clients, areas of learning, supervision issues, and structure of practicum. These areas and subcategories under them are presented along with transcriptions from the interviews to illustrate the points. Implications of the research for education and clinical training are discussed.

This study sought to identify those factors that facilitate readiness for the transition from high school to work. Using an open-ended interview, the authors obtained narrative data from 17 high school juniors from two diverse school systems. A systematic, discovery-oriented, qualitative analysis strategy revealed that the availability of work-based learning, supportive adults, and an active orientation to the adult world were associated with objective aspects of readiness (work-related skills and planning). In addition, new hypotheses were generated suggesting that becoming "ready" may occur via multiple pathways. Furthermore, the use of resources, whether motivated by anxiety or interest, was associated with clearer transitional plans. Less clearly evident in these findings were those factors that might lead to psychological readiness in terms of optimism and resilience. Implications of these findings are discussed in relation to theory, research, and practice. © 2002 Elsevier Science (USA).

Objective: To examine pre-service teachers' perceived confidence in teaching violence prevention and the potential effect of violence-prevention training on preservice teachers' confidence in teaching violence prevention. Methods: Six Ohio universities participated in the study. More than 800 undergraduate and graduate students completed surveys. Results: Violence-prevention training, area of certification, and location of student-teaching placement significantly influenced preservice teachers' perceived confidence in teaching violence prevention. Conclusion: Violence-prevention training positively influences preservice teachers' confidence in teaching violence prevention. The results suggest that such training should be considered as a requirement for teacher preparation programs.

An important skill in solving problems, especially ill-structured problems, is the production of coherent arguments to justify solutions and actions. Because direct instruction in argumentation has produced inconsistent results and cannot effectively support online learning, we examined the use of online argumentation scaffolds to engage and support coherent argumentation. In this study, we showed that providing a constraint-based argumentation scaffold during group problem-solving activities increased the generation of coherent arguments. The same scaffold further resulted in significantly more problem-solving actions during collaborative group discussions. The effects of the scaffold varied for problem type. Groups that solved ill-structured problems produced more extensive arguments. When solving ill-structured problems, students need more argumentation support because of the importance of generating and supporting alternative solutions. The close relationship between argumentation and problem solving, especially ill-structured problem solving, is significant. The effects of the argument scaffold consistently transferred to the production of arguments during individual problem solving. students used the familiar argumentation scripts while solving problems individually.

Despite the historical trend in all Western societies to increase educational participation irrespective of students' social origin, the correlation between parents' education and socioeconomic status and the educational outcomes of their offspring remains a rather universal phenomenon. Although comparative studies have consistently found this association in various nations which differ in many ways in their educational systems, little is known about the mechanism behind this effect. Drawing on the assumption that career decision points are the major gateway for social background influences, we assume that similarities, as well as differences in the structure of the correlation between parents' socioeconomic background and students' school success, can be explained. Using two longitudinal data sets from the United States (N = 1425) and Germany (N = 1755) covering the school careers from Grade 7 to Grade 10, the analyses supported the hypothesis that (a) achievement information is the best predictor of career relevant decisions in both nations, (b) parents' background variables are independent additional predictors of career decision but not for actual learning progress, and (c) the assumed accumulation process of social background influences is more pronounced in the German than in the U.S. school system. © 2002 Elsevier Science (USA).

The paper relates to separate initiatives based on a common philosophy that higher education needs to be more relevant and responsive to the real learning needs of individual students and their employers. In particular, the authors describe how the learning paradigms facilitate the alignment of the career aspirations of the learner with the strategic Human Resources needs of employers, how pre-existing learning is evaluated as a foundation for further learning, how learners are made more aware of their own learning, and how the cultural changes in both academia and business impact on an improved overall approach to learning and development of people. To achieve real quality of learning, it is argued, it is necessary to address both specific learning objectives and the nature of the relationship between the learner, business and academia. © 2001 Taylor & Francis Ltd.