Considering Efficacy of an Outdoor Environmental Education Program: Facilitating Elementary Students’ Environmental Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviours

Various sources have sought to consider the educational interventions that foster changes in perception of and attitudes toward nature, with the ultimate intent of understanding how education can be used to encourage environmentally responsible behaviours. With these in mind, the current study identified an outdoor environmental education program incorporating these empirically supported interventions, and assessed its ability to influence environmental knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours. Specifically, this study considered the following research questions: 1) To what degree can participation in this outdoor education program foster environmental knowledge and encourage pro-environmental attitudes and self-reported pro-environmental behaviours? 2) How is this effect different among students of different genders, and those who have different prior experiences in nature? Two motivational frameworks guided inquiry in the current study: the Value-Belief-Norm Model of Environmentalism (VBN) and the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). The study employed a quantitative survey methodology, combining contemporary data measuring knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours with archived data collected by program staff, reflecting frequency of environmentally responsible behaviour. Further, a single qualitative item was included for which students provided “the first three words that [came] to mind when [they] think of the word nature.” Terms provided before and after the program were compared for differences in theme to detect subtle or underlying changes. Quantitative results indicated no significant change in student knowledge or attitudes through the outdoor environmental education program. However, a significant change in self-reported behaviour was identified from both the contemporary and archived data. This agreement in positive findings across the two data sets, collected using different measures and different participants, lends evidence of the program’s ability to encourage self-reported pro-environmental behaviour. Further, qualitative results showed some change in students’ perceptions of nature through the program, providing direction for future research. These findings suggest that this particular outdoor education program was successful in encouraging students’ self-reported environmentally responsible behaviour. This change was achieved without significant change in knowledge or environmental attitudes, suggesting that external factors not measured in this study might have played a role in affecting behaviour.

The Family Model - A transgenerational approach to mental health in families: personal, clinical, educational, research, systems and policy perspectives

The Family Model – A transgenerational approach to mental health in families This workshop will provide an overview on The Family Model (TFM) and its use in promoting and facilitating a trans­generational family focus in Mental Health services, over the past 10­ - 15 years. Each of the speakers will address a different perspective, including service user/consumer, clinical practice, education & training, research and policy. Adrian Falkov (chair) will provide an overview of TFM to set the scene and a ‘policy to practice’ perspective, based on use of TFM in Australia. Author: Heide Lloyd. The Family Model ­ A personal (consumer/patient) perspective | United Kingdom Heide will provide a description of her experiences as a child, adult, parent & grandparent, using TFM as the structure around which to ‘weave’ her story and demonstrate how TFM has assisted her in understanding the impact of symptoms on her & family and how she has used it in her management of symptoms and recovery (personal perspective). The Family Model ­ Education & training perspective ­ Marie Diggins | United Kingdom PhD Bente Weimand | Norway Authors: ­ Marie Diggins | United Kingdom PhD Bente Weimand | Norway This combined (UK & Norwegian) presentation will cover historical background to TFM and its use in eLearning (the Social Care Institute for Excellence)and a number of other UK initiatives, together with a description of the postgraduate masters course at the University Oslo/Akershus, using TFM. The Family Model ­ A research perspective PhD Anne Grant | Northern Ireland Author: PhD Anne Grant | Ireland Anne Grant will describe how she used TFM as the theoretical framework for her PhD looking at family focused (nursing) practice in Ireland. The Family Model ­ A service systems perspective ­ Mary Donaghy | Northern Ireland Authors: PhD Adrian Falkov | Australia ­ Mary Donaghy | N Ireland Mary Donaghy will discuss how TFM has been used to support & facilitate a cross service ‘whole of system’ change program in Belfast (NI) to achieve improved family focused practice. She will demonstrate its utility in achieving a broader approach to service design, delivery and evaluation.

A randomized controlled trial of an early-intervention, computer-based literacy program to boost phonological skills in 4- to 6-year-old children

Background: Many school-based interventions are being delivered in the absence of evidence of effectiveness (Snowling & Hulme, 2011, Br. J. Educ. Psychol., 81, 1).Aim: This study sought to address this oversight by evaluating the effectiveness of the commonly used the Lexia Reading Core5 intervention, with 4- to 6-year-old pupils in Northern Ireland.Sample: A total of 126 primary school pupils in year 1 and year 2 were screened on the Phonological Assessment Battery 2nd Edition (PhAB-2). Children were recruited from the equivalent year groups to Reception and Year 1 in England and Wales, and Pre-kindergarten and Kindergarten in North America.
Methods: A total of 98 below-average pupils were randomized (T0) to either an 8-week block (inline image = 647.51 min, SD = 158.21) of daily access to Lexia Reading Core5 (n = 49) or a waiting-list control group (n = 49). Assessment of phonological skills was completed at post-intervention (T1) and at 2-month follow-up (T2) for the intervention group only.
Results: Analysis of covariance which controlled for baseline scores found that the Lexia Reading Core5 intervention group made significantly greater gains in blending, F(1, 95) = 6.50, p = .012, partial η2 = .064 (small effect size) and non-word reading, F(1, 95) = 7.20, p = .009, partial η2 = .070 (small effect size). Analysis of the 2-month follow-up of the intervention group found that all group treatment gains were maintained. However, improvements were not uniform among the intervention group with 35% failing to make progress despite access to support. Post-hoc analysis revealed that higher T0 phonological working memory scores predicted improvements made in phonological skills.
Conclusions: An early-intervention, computer-based literacy program can be effective in boosting the phonological skills of 4- to 6-year-olds, particularly if these literacy difficulties are not linked to phonological working memory deficits.

Identity Text: an educational intervention to foster cultural interaction

Background: Sociocultural theories state that learning results from people participating in contexts where social interaction is facilitated. There is a need to create such facilitated pedagogical spaces where participants share their ways of knowing and doing. The aim of this exploratory study was to introduce pedagogical space for sociocultural interaction using ‘Identity Text’.
Methods: Identity texts are sociocultural artifacts produced by participants, which can be written, spoken, visual, musical, or multimodal. In 2013, participants of an international medical education fellowship program were asked to create their own Identity Texts to promote discussion about participants’ cultural backgrounds. Thematic analysis was used to make the analysis relevant to studying the pedagogical utility of the intervention.
Result: The Identity Text intervention created two spaces: a ‘reflective space’ helped
participants reflect on sensitive topics like institutional environments, roles in
interdisciplinary teams, and gender discrimination. A ‘narrative space’ allowed
participants to tell powerful stories that provided cultural insights and challenged cultural hegemony; they described the conscious and subconscious transformation in identity that evolved secondary to struggles with local power dynamics and social demands involving the impact of family, peers and country of origin.
Conclusion: Whilst the impact of providing pedagogical space using Identity Text on
cognitive engagement and enhanced learning requires further research, the findings of
this study suggest that it is a useful pedagogical strategy to support cross-cultural
education.

Key Organizational Resources and the Sustainable Competitive Advantage of Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration: Suggestions for Tourism & Educational Programs in China

Tourism and hospitality scholars and educational institutions in developing countries can benefit from systematic analysis of their counterparts in developed countries. Using the framework of sustainable competitive advantage, this paper explores the key organizational resources of the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University that have assured its position as the leading hospitality program worldwide. The paper analyses key resources Cornell Hotel School uses to leverage and sustain its competitive advantage. Suggestions for positioning and enhancing future Chinese tourism and hospitality programs are provided. [Abstract in Chinese] 中国旅游发展起步较晚,在旅游教育的多数领域落后于西方发达国家。选择西方优秀旅游院系进行系统研究并总结其成功经验,对于提高我国旅游教育水平有着重要的意义。本文以持续竞争优势理论为框架,以全球旅游接待业教育的典范——康乃尔酒店管理学院为对象,详细分析了这所著名酒店学院的核心资源和确保其长期保持领袖地位的持续竞争优势,并提出可供中国旅游教育界参考借鉴的措施建议

An Investigation of the Impact of an Aspiring Principals Preparation Program on Principal Leadership Effectiveness

School districts need to “build the bench” to ensure that their schools will have effective principals when vacancies arise (Johnson-Taylor & Martin, 2007). Assistant principals represent a potential pool of new school leaders who are prepared to move confidently into the principalship (Oliver, 2005). Although a critical leader in schools, the assistant principal position is underutilized and under-researched (Oleszewski, Shoho, & Barnett, 2012). This lack of focus on assistant principals is concerning because they are part of the school leadership team and often advance to the position of school principal. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of Bay City Public Schools’ (a pseudonym) Aspiring Principals Preparation Program (AP3; also a pseudonym) on assistant principals’ learning-centered leadership behaviors, as assessed by the Vanderbilt Assessment of Leadership in Education (Val-Ed) survey. The study compared the Val-Ed scores of assistant principals who had participated in one of three cohorts of AP3 training to the scores of assistant principals who did not participate. The results indicated that participation in the AP3 had no significant impact on respondents’ learning-centered leadership behaviors, as assessed on the VAL-ED instrument. This study may be useful as the district seeks to validate the effectiveness of AP3 and identify potential refinements and program modifications.

2004 NATIONAL SCHOLARS PROGRAM ANNUAL REPORT

The National Scholars Program at the Clemson University provides a select number of freshmen with an extraordinary educational experience that includes the following: a competitive four-year scholarship, summer study abroad, academic seminars that explore critical thinking and leadership, and ongoing enrichment opportunities throughout the year. The National Scholars Program publishes an annual report with information about the program and profiles of the senior scholars.

NATIONAL SCHOLARS PROGRAM 2005 ANNUAL REPORT

The National Scholars Program at the Clemson University provides a select number of freshmen with an extraordinary educational experience that includes the following: a competitive four-year scholarship, summer study abroad, academic seminars that explore critical thinking and leadership, and ongoing enrichment opportunities throughout the year. The National Scholars Program publishes an annual report with information about the program and profiles of the senior scholars.

National Scholars Program 2006-2007 Annual Report

The National Scholars Program at the Clemson University provides a select number of freshmen with an extraordinary educational experience that includes the following: a competitive four-year scholarship, summer study abroad, academic seminars that explore critical thinking and leadership, and ongoing enrichment opportunities throughout the year. The National Scholars Program publishes an annual report with information about the program and profiles of the senior scholars.

National Scholars Program 2007-2008 Annual Report

The National Scholars Program at the Clemson University provides a select number of freshmen with an extraordinary educational experience that includes the following: a competitive four-year scholarship, summer study abroad, academic seminars that explore critical thinking and leadership, and ongoing enrichment opportunities throughout the year. The National Scholars Program publishes an annual report with information about the program and profiles of the senior scholars.

National Scholars Program 2008-2009 Annual Report

The National Scholars Program at the Clemson University provides a select number of freshmen with an extraordinary educational experience that includes the following: a competitive four-year scholarship, summer study abroad, academic seminars that explore critical thinking and leadership, and ongoing enrichment opportunities throughout the year. The National Scholars Program publishes an annual report with information about the program and profiles of the senior scholars.

Evidence in promoting positive parenting through the Program-Guide to Develop Emotional Competences

This study aims at providing evidence of the effectiveness of the Program-Guide to Develop Emotional Competences in promoting positive parenting. Contextual, institutional, methodological and professional issues were taken into account to develop a social innovation experience to support parenting as a preventive measure to family conflicts. The study describes both the contents of the Program-Guide and the methodological and evaluation issues that trained professionals need to consider when delivering the Program-Guide to families in natural contexts. Information was gathered and analyzed from 259 parents with children of ages 1-18 who participated in 26 parent training groups. A pre- and post-test design showed that after finishing the sessions parents perceived themselves more competent as parents according to the five dimensions of parenting competences considered: (1) emotional self-regulation abilities; (2) self-esteem and assertiveness; (3) communication strategies; (4) strategies to solve conflicts and to negotiate; and (5) strategies to establish coherent norms, limits and consequences to promote positive discipline. The study presents a discussion on these results from evidence-based parenting programs, as well as some strengths and limitations of the study, together with some suggestions for further research.

National Scholars Program 2009-2010 Annual Report

The National Scholars Program at the Clemson University provides a select number of freshmen with an extraordinary educational experience that includes the following: a competitive four-year scholarship, summer study abroad, academic seminars that explore critical thinking and leadership, and ongoing enrichment opportunities throughout the year. The National Scholars Program publishes an annual report with information about the program and profiles of the senior scholars.

The Spanish online program "Educar en Positivo" ("The Positive Parent"): whom does it benefit the most?

This study evaluated the Spanish online program 'Educar en Positivo' ("The Positive Parent") (http://educarenpositivo.es). Eighty-five users were surveyed to examine changes in views of online parenting support and satisfaction with the module completed, as a function of their sociodemographic profile, their level of experience with the Internet, and their general and educational use of Internet resources. Results showed that parents changed their views of online support, the benefits thereof, and their parenting skills. Participants reported high satisfaction with the program's usability, the module content, and their perception of parental self-efficacy. These findings are moderated by level of Internet experience and educational use of web-based resources, suggesting that improving parents' digital literacy and promoting Internet use may be an effective avenue for improving access to prevention resources. In sum, this program offers a space for Spanish-speaking parents to learn and exchange experiences, thereby filling a gap in ensuring the promotion of positive parenting in this large community of potential users.

National Scholars Program 2010-2011 Annual Report

The National Scholars Program at the Clemson University provides a select number of freshmen with an extraordinary educational experience that includes the following: a competitive four-year scholarship, summer study abroad, academic seminars that explore critical thinking and leadership, and ongoing enrichment opportunities throughout the year. The National Scholars Program publishes an annual report with information about the program and profiles of the senior scholars.