Understanding and measuring student engagement in school: The results of an international study from 12 countries

The objective of the present study was to develop a scale that is appropriate for use internationally to measure affective, behavioral, and cognitive dimensions of student engagement. Psychometric properties of this scale were examined with data of 3,420 students (7th, 8th, and 9th grade) from 12 countries (Austria, Canada, China, Cyprus, Estonia, Greece, Malta, Portugal, Romania, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States). The intraclass correlation of the full-scale scores of student engagement between countries revealed that it was appropriate to aggregate the data from the 12 countries for further analyses. Coefficient alphas revealed good internal consistency. Test-retest reliability coefficients were also acceptable. Confirmatory factor analyses indicated that the data fit well to a second-order model with affective, behavioral, and cognitive engagement as the first-order factors and student engagement as the second-order factor. The results support the use of this scale to measure student engagement as a metaconstruct. Furthermore, the significant correlations of the scale with instructional practices, teacher support, peer support, parent support, emotions, academic performance, and school conduct indicated good concurrent validity of the scale. Considerations and implications regarding the international use of this student engagement in school measure are discussed. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.postprin

The international school psychology survey: Data from Australia, China, Germany, Italy and Russia

Using the International School Psychology Survey (ISPS) this study aims to advance our knowledge of the characteristics, training, roles and responsibilities, challenges and research interests of school psychologists around the world. Data are presented from five countries; Australia, China (Hong Kong), Germany, Italy and Russia. The ISPS contributes valuable information regarding the profession of school psychology in each of these countries. Building upon the ISPS data previously gathered in Albania, Cyprus, Estonia, Greece and Northern England, this study yields additional information regarding the training, roles, responsibilities and contexts of school psychologists. Information from international colleagues provides unique insights regarding similarities, differences and diversity among school psychologists in different countries. © 2006 SAGE Publications.postprin

Archival ethics: The truth of the matter

This essay explores the question of whether records professionals are as aware of the ethical dimensions of their work as they should be. It consider first the historical and professional context of archival ethics, then examines a recent case about business archives involving the author that suggests the need for renewed attention to professional ethics, and concludes with a discussion about how archivists might reconsider the ethical dimensions of their work

Rural Research Brief: Special Challenges of the “No Child Left Behind” Act for Rural Schools and Districts

Across the country, states are concentrating efforts to meet the requirements and the spirit of No Child Left Behind (NCLB). The implementation provisions and timelines are demanding and challenging for all districts. NCLB is particularly daunting, however, for rural and small districts. This paper outlines the characteristics of rural schools and districts that create special problems in implementing the legislation and summarizes the major challenges of the NCLB for these districts. Reprinted with permission from the Rural School and Community Trust (www.ruraledu.org). Lorna Jimerson is the Program Coordinator for the Policy Program of the Rural Trust

Reaching a Compromise Between Left and Right-Wing Parties

With each new headline that emerges, America becomes more and more politically polarized, and compromise between the two extremes seems more and more impossible. Adding to this struggle is the fading spirit for reaching this compromise. Unfortunately, however, with each headline that emerges, the need for respect and compromise also becomes ever more urgent. The foremost issues of our time -- immigration, health care, gun control, and social justice, to name a few -- will remain issues if there is no leeway from either side. This paper will serve as an attempt at two things. First, it will look at the current opinion among Americans on what common ground they find with those on the other end of the political spectrum. In doing so, this paper will seek to unearth lesser-acknowledged similarities among the different parties and highlight how those realizations can be used to promote greater levels of acceptance going forward. Secondly, this paper will attempt to find places in political ideologies where reaching a common ground is a possibility in the future. Through the analysis of existing surveys of the American public, as well as a closer look at the point from which specific political stances may stem, this paper will seek to provide a level of clarity surrounding the current status of American compromise, and what the future may hold

(Re)painting Self: Art Therapy and Ontological Security in Refugee Children

To be a refugee is to know loss intimately. The refugee experience can be characterized by the multidimensional loss the loss of loved ones, support networks, economic security, culture, safety, and home.1 2 The compounding of traumatic experience can have a profound effect on belief systems and identity. This paper will explore the relationship between trauma and ontological state in resettled refugee children. The philosophical concept of ontological security considers the ability create consistent expectations about the way the world operates to a stable mental state.3 The three states of ontology security and shock will be useful in exploring the impact of trauma on both social and psychological states. Art therapy can be an effective method in aiding refugee children in overcoming trauma because it addresses their ontological security. Lastly, this paper reports on two art therapy programs the Creative Workshops and the Devon Behavioral Support Team. 1 Canefe, Nicholas. 2010. To Feel at Home Abroad or No Place Like Home: Meanings of Displacement in Refugee Studies. Refuge 27 (2): 147. 2 McLellan, Janet. 2015. Religious Responses to Bereavement, Grief, and Loss Among. Journal of Loss and Trauma 20 (2): 133. 3 Jackson, R.L. 2010. Ontological Insecurity. Vol. 2. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications, Inc. 511-512

Personality correlates of romantic relationship satisfaction

Research has shown that the quality and quantity of one\u27s relationships are often related to personality processes (Jones, 1991). Indeed there is a long tradition in psychology of studying the interplay between relationships and personality. Most research in the area of personality and romantic relationship satisfaction has tested the effects of complementarity and/or similarity on relationship development, adjustment, and satisfaction. As a result, the empirical examinations of the associations between personality and romantic relationship satisfaction have primarily focused on how the personalities of the two participants combine or mix. The present research sought to explore the connection between personality and romantic relationship satisfaction by examining the direct statistical correlations between the personality traits of one spouse and the marital satisfaction of his or her partner. Ninety-one married couples completed the revised NEO Personality Inventory and a selection of questionnaires designed to measure variables that are related to relationship satisfaction and success. Data analyses revealed associations between one\u27s personality and one\u27s relationship satisfaction. Connections between the personality of one\u27s spouse and his or her relationship satisfaction were also found. In addition, differences were found between men and women on the personality traits that influence their relationship satisfaction and the degree to which personality traits affect their marital happiness

The Checkerboard Rag

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Archival Priorities: Ten Critical Issues for the Profession

The most striking feature of the American archival profession in recent years is its ongoing search for identity and for public acceptance as a socially significant profession. Many of the important developments in the field since the early 1980s have either derived from or eventually contributed to this quest for professional identity and recognition. At times this has stirred passionate debates over the nature of American archives, the role of archivists in society, the relationship between archives and other professions, and the education necessary for archivists, among other topics