Clinical supervision in school counselling and career counselling: Is it time to develop a new story?

Supervision provides benefits for school counsellors and career counsellors such as support, an opportunity to gain new ideas and strategies, and personal and professional development. Despite this, studies have also shown that school counsellors perceive that the amount of time they participate in supervision is inadequate. In career counselling, there is little evidence that supervision has even been established as a mainstream professional practice. The reasons for this curious situation, whereby little time is spent on a potentially beneficial activity, are uncertain. The present study investigated the supervisory experiences of a group of school counsellors and career counsellors for a six month period following their completion of an intensive supervision training program. Participants recorded their supervisory experiences in a structured diary. Even though the participants were well informed about supervision, the findings of the present study are consistent with those of previous studies. This history of repeatedly similar findings suggests that it may be timely to ask some fundamental questions about supervision in these two professions. Such questions in turn suggest possible new research directions.

Distortion product otoacoustic emissions in school children: Effects to gender, ear asymmetry and handedness

Accurate interpretation of distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) data cannot be made without realizing the effects of non-pathological factors on DPOAEs. The present study aimed to examine the effects of ear asymmetry, gender and handedness on DPOAEs obtained from school children. One thousand and three children (528 boys and 475 girls) with a mean age of 6.2 years (SD = 0.4, range = 5.2 7.9 years) were tested in a quiet room at their schools using the GSI-60 DPOAE system. The stimuli consisted of two pure tones of different frequencies f1 and f2 presented at 65 and 55dB SPL respectively. A DP-gram was obtained for each ear with f2 varying from 1.1 to 6.0 kHz and the ratio of f2/f1 being kept at 1.21. The signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) (DPOAE amplitude minus the mean noise floor) at the tested frequencies 1.1, 1.5, 1.9, 2.4, 3.0, 3.8, 4.8, and 6.0 kHz were measured. The results revealed a small, but significant difference in SNR between ears, with right ears showing a higher mean SNR than left ears at 1.9, 3.0, 3.8 and 6.0 kHz. At these frequencies, the difference in mean SNR between ears was less than 1 dB. A significant gender effect was also found, with girls exhibiting a higher SNR than boys at 3.8, 4.8 and 6.0 kHz. The difference in mean SNR, as a result of the gender effect, was about 1 to 2 dB at these frequencies. The results from the present study indicated no significant difference in mean SNR between left-handed and right-handed children for all tested frequencies. In conclusion, these non-pathological characteristics of DPOAEs should be considered in the interpretation of DPOAE results for school children.

Refractive error and visual impairment in school children in Northern Ireland

To describe the prevalence of refractive error (myopia and hyperopia) and visual impairment in a representative sample of white school children.

Teacher participation in school management : an analysis of some major issues, background factors, and the use of an attitude scale to study and compare teacher attitudes to participation

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Computer Mathematics with MuPAD in School Years 6. To 9

Report published in the Proceedings of the National Conference on "Education and Research in the Information Society", Plovdiv, May, 2014

Neuropsychiatric manifestations in inflammatory neuropathies:a systematic review

We conducted a systematic literature review on psychological and behavioral comorbidities in patients with inflammatory neuropathies. In Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), psychotic symptoms are reported during early stages in 30% of patients. Typical associations include mechanical ventilation, autonomic dysfunction, inability to communicate, and severe weakness. Anxiety and depression are frequent comorbidities. Anxiety may increase post-hospital admissions and be a predictor of mechanical ventilation. Post-traumatic stress disorder may affect up to 20% of ventilated patients. Sleep disturbances are common in early-stage GBS, affecting up to 50% of patients. In chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy, memory and quality of sleep may be impaired. An independent link between depression and pre-treatment upper limb disability and ascites was reported in POEMS (Polyneuropathy, Organomegaly, Endocrinopathy, M-protein, Skin) syndrome, with an association with early death. Hematological treatment of POEMS appears effective on depression. Published literature on psychological/behavioral manifestations in inflammatory neuropathies remains scarce, and further research is needed. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Factors that motivate RNs to return to school for the BSN and to remain in school to complete the degree

This exploratory descriptive study examined the factors that influence Registered Nurses (RNs) to return to school to pursue a Baccalaureate of Science in Nursing degree (BSN) and the factors that contribute to the decision to remain in school to complete the degree. Students (N = 226) enrolled in RN-BSN programs in three different universities in southeast Florida participated in the study by completing researcher developed questionnaires. The study group included 140 students who were newly enrolled in an RN-BSN program and 86 students who were preparing to graduate from an RN-BSN program. The instruments used in this study were two researcher developed questionnaires, the Corbett Nursing Educational Motivational Inventory - Form A (CNEMI-A), administered to the newly enrolled students, and the Corbett Nursing Educational Motivational Inventory - Form B (CNEMI-B), administered to the graduating students. The questionnaires included researcher-developed items in addition to items derived from a modified form of the Educational Participation Scale used by other researchers. Demographic data were also collected. Findings indicated that changes in health care, career goals, personal satisfaction, and flexible curriculum patterns are the major reasons why RNs return to school for the BSN. Less significant factors were social support, salary increase, and employer expectations. The factors considered most significant in the decision to remain in school to complete the degree were ranked in the following order: personal achievement, changes in health care, career change/advancement, enrollment options, faculty support, social support, and employer support. Implications for nurse educators related to the changing roles of RNs and the need to continue to assist RNs to adapt to new roles in health care. Recommendations for future research on RN-BSN nursing education included studies to identify the courses considered most useful by RN-BSN students as compared to courses considered repetitive of basic nursing programs. Studies were also recommended to examine the differences between the needs of RNs related to experience as an RN and recency of education. Additional studies were recommended to determine the feasibility of dual-enrollment ADN/BSN programs for last semester ADN students. ^

A historical study of selected documents from the period 1890--1920 with implications for understanding success in school

During the years 1890–1920, the public school education system established itself as the medium to transmit American values, knowledge and culture. This study described and explained why some individuals were destined to fail, and others succeed in America's public schools. The exploratory questions guiding this study were: What elements constitute society's perspective of whom it should educate during the years 1890–1920? What variables influenced society's perspective of whom it should educate during the years 1890–1920? ^ After explaining these issues, educators will then have a better understanding and awareness of why certain educational practices are currently implemented and will be able to critically evaluate which ones should be continued. The methodology chosen was historical. The approach for analyzing the data was coding. The information was coded in order to determine themes, concepts and ideas amongst the documents and as portrayed in the literature. The first step was to seek out patterns and then to write out words and phrases to represent these topics. Then, these phrases were attributed to networks. ^ The data indicated that public schools during this era were designed to conform and assimilate the new immigrants and factory workers in an efficient and standardized manner. Efficiency and standardization in production became the American way for government, commerce, personal, lives and the school. Many different approaches to education emerged during this time period, specifically those, which emphasized individuality; but only those, which paralleled the ideology of efficiency, standardization and conformity were adopted. Those students who were unable to conform to society's criteria for success were penalized in the classroom, on IQ examinations and national standardized exams. ^ This study was illuminative in that it explained the root cause as to why some individuals are meant to succeed while others are penalized in the classroom. Future studies connecting standardized assessments and learning styles are suggested. ^

Commitment language as a predictor of alcohol and marijuana use outcomes among adolescents in school -based group treatment

Despite widespread recognition of the problem of adolescent alcohol and other drug (AOD) abuse, research on its most common treatment modality, group work, is lacking. This research gap is alarming given that outcomes range from positive to potentially iatrogenic. This study sought to identify change mechanisms and/or treatment factors that are observable within group treatment sessions and that may predict AOD use outcomes. This NIH (F31 DA 020233-01A1) study evaluated 108, 10-19 year olds and the 19 school-based treatment groups to which they were previously assigned (R01 AA10246; PI: Wagner). Associations between motivational interviewing (MI) based change talk variables, group leader MI skills, and alcohol and marijuana use outcomes up to 12-months following treatment were evaluated. Treatment session audio recordings and transcripts (1R21AA015679-01; PI: Macgowan) were coded using a new discourse analysis coding scheme for measuring group member change talk (Amrhein, 2003). Therapist MI skills were similarly measured using the Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity instrument. Group member responses to commitment predicted group marijuana use at the 1-month follow up. Also, group leader empathy was significantly associated with group commitment for marijuana use at the middle and ending stages of treatment. Both of the above process measures were applied in a group setting for the first time. Building upon MI and social learning theory principles, group commitment and group member responses to commitment are new observable, in-session, process constructs that may predict positive and negative adolescent group treatment outcomes. These constructs, as well as the discourse analysis method and instruments used to measure them, raise many possibilities for future group work process research and practice.