Suchergebnisse

This study is one segment of a research project initiated by the Bureau of General Research, Kansas State University, Manhattan, to examine work attitudes and work experience of school personnel and their implications for career education. This article deals with the work‐experience portion of that project. Data were obtained through the use of Work Attitude Inventory of Teachers (WAIT), a survey instrument that included a work‐experience questionnaire. The instrument was administered independently to school administrators, vocational educators, secondary teachers other than vocational, elementary school teachers, and guidance and counseling personnel. Respondents recorded work experience outside teaching as well as teaching experience. The responses were categorized according to length of employment (full, part time, summer) and according to the U.S. Office of Education's 15 career clusters. The combined sample of 831 respondents to the work‐experience element showed an average of 14.5 years of teaching experience and one out of five persons with no work experience outside education. Most work experience recorded was of a temporary nature and usually in a low‐level or menial category.

Abstract. Background: Gatekeeper suicide prevention programs train staff to increase the identification and referral of suicidal individuals to the appropriate resources. Aims: We evaluated Act on FACTS: Making Educators Partners in Youth Suicide Prevention (MEP), which is an online training program designed to enhance the knowledge of suicide risk factors and warning signs as well as improve participants' attitudes and self-efficacy/confidence. Method: School personnel (N = 700) completed a survey administered before and immediately after the training to assess gains in training outcomes and to evaluate participants' satisfaction with the training. Results: Results indicated that MEP participants demonstrated significant increases in suicide knowledge, attitudes, and self-efficacy. Moreover, exploratory analyses revealed moderating effects of professional role on pre-/posttest changes in self-efficacy, but not suicide knowledge or attitudes. Specifically, guidance counselors demonstrated significantly smaller increases in self-efficacy/confidence compared with teachers and classroom aids, whereas teachers demonstrated significantly larger increases in self-efficacy/confidence compared with administrators. The majority of school personnel who completed the MEP program were satisfied with the training content and experience. Conclusion: Although the current findings are promising, more rigorous evaluations employing randomized controlled research designs are warranted to adequately determine the effectiveness of the MEP program.

School is a privileged context to prevent specific behavior problems. Parental involvement in school activities is crucial to promote social functioning. This study aimed to access the Portuguese school personnel perception of parental involvement and students' behavior problems. A study with 333 school personnel, aged between 29 and 66 ( M = 50.84, SD = 7.54), was developed. School personnel's participants rated parental involvement as low and nearly one in five professionals rated student's general behavior as bad. A significant association between parental involvement and the perception of students' general behavior was found. 80% of the professionals rating student's general behavior as bad also rating parental involvement as poor. Additional research into implications of parental involvement in school activities and school students' behavior problems is necessary aiming assessment, prevention, and intervention strategies in this area.