Bryan Hiebert

Affective Influences on Learning Disabled Adolescents.

This study investigated: (a) differences between learning disabled and normally achieving adolescents regarding academic self-concept and academic expectations; (b) teacher perception of and academic expectation for learning disabled and normally achieving adolescents; (c) parent academic expectations for learning disabled and normally achieving adolescents; and (d) parental stress. Results indicated that learning disabled adolescents had substantially lower academic self-concepts and academic expectations than normally achieving adolescents. Similarly, teachers had negative perceptions of and low academic expectations for learning disabled adolescents. Finally, parents of learning disabled adolescents had lower academic expectations for their children than did parents of normally achieving adolescents for theirs. Reported stress levels, however, did not differentiate between parents of learning disabled and normally achieving adolescents. The research and the practical implications of the results are discussed.

Self-instructed relaxation: A therapeutic alternative

A self-instructed relaxation program was compared with therapist-instructed relaxation and waiting list controls. Self-report anxiety measures (IPAT and STAI) and a psychophysiological stress profile (frontal EMG, GSR, heart rate, finger temperature monitored under relaxation and stressor conditions) were utilized pre- and posttreatment to determine efficacy. Self-monitored heart rate, respiration rate, and finger temperature were used to monitor home practice sessions. Subjects reported increased ability to relax and control stress; however, frontal EMG measured under stressor conditions was the only dependent measure to confirm this perception. No between-group differences on any other dependent measures were observed. Reliable changes on all self-monitored home practice measures were observed, suggesting that this procedure is a useful gauge of home practice.

A comparison of EMG feedback and alternative anxiety treatment programs

Four cohorts of 40 subjects each were randomly assigned to 1 of 10 treatment conditions utilizing EMG feedback, cognitive monitoring training, systematic desensitization, high expectancy discussion group, or waiting list controls either in isolation or in various combinations. A three-way ANOVA for repeated measures indicated that significant anxiety reductions were experienced in all noncontrol treatment conditions. Treatment groups employing EMG feedback demonstrated significantly greater anxiety decrements on Cattells IPAT Self-Analysis Form, and baseline frontalis EMG. Adding desensitization or cognitive monitoring to EMG feedback did not produce a more powerful effect than using EMG feedback alone. Sex and age differences were also observed. Some implications are discussed.

Career Development of First-Year University Students: A Test of Astin's Career Development Model

This study examined how the four constructs in Astin’s (1984) career development model operate in the choice of college major career goals with a selected sample of 253 first-year university students. The results of 2x2 MANOVAs indicated significant gender and language differences on some of Astin’s four factors. The results of Pearson product-moment correlations indicated that the four factors in Astin’s model operate quite differently for students whose language of origin is not English. The results are discussed in terms of the developmental and cultural issues these students were facing. Implications for future research and interventions are also discussed.

Canadian Innovation A Brief History of Canada’s First Online School Psychology Graduate Program

This article presents a brief historical review and survey of the current landscape of online graduate psychology programs within the Canadian context. Specific focus is given to outlining the establishment and evolution of the first Canadian online professional specialization program in school psychology. The article argues that given the virtual absence of online graduate school psychology programs until recently, there have been limited opportunities to critically examine such approaches to teaching professional psychology. With the establishment in 2007 of the University of Calgary’s online graduate school psychology program, among the first in the world, a critically significant analysis is now possible. The purpose of this article is to document both the history of the program and to highlight the possible significance of this event to the profession. The article is intended to foster much-needed discussion at the national level concerning the future development and implementation of online graduate programs.

Demonstrating the Impact of Career Guidance

In international symposia and other professional meetings a prominent theme has emerged in response to the challenge “prove it works.” Much of the research surrounding career guidance has focused on factors that influence people’s career choices, for example, the role of significant others, career decisiveness, personality variables contributing to career satisfaction. In order to “prove it works,” approaches are needed that make it possible to create a link between the services being offered and the effects of those services on the lives of clients and on larger societal and economic impacts. In this chapter we provide background information on the factors contributing to the emphasis on demonstrating the value of career guidance services so that readers may understand the importance of attempting to address this issue. We also outline some alternative approaches for documenting the impact of career guidance services that embrace the current emphasis on evidence-based practice and outcome-focused intervention. To illustrate some potential ways to address the “prove it works” challenge, we provide examples of two approaches to dealing with this situation. One example comes from work being done in Canada to demonstrate the types of client outcomes that can be attributed to the services that clients receive. The Canadian work is focused on field testing interventions in existing settings where services are provided and documenting the impact of the interventions on the lives of clients. A second example comes from work being done in Europe to develop a Quality Assurance Framework that would create a set of common indicators of success for career guidance services. The approach in Europe is earmarked by collaboration among countries to create a Quality Assurance Matrix and high-level endorsement of the resulting matrix by senior government policymakers. The examples are offered in the spirit of proving an overview of some approaches that have been launched that could be used in other countries wanting to address the “prove it works” challenge. The chapter ends by outlining some future directions that can advance efforts to demonstrate the impact of career guidance services.

Career Counselor Competencies and Standards: Differences and Similarities across Countries

Raising the profile of career guidance involves developing ways of identifying and acknowledging the competencies required to deliver quality career services. To date, several national and international initiatives have been developed to provide a mechanism for this acknowledgement and/or to offer professional preservice or inservice training and qualifications for those who want to expand their areas of expertise. In this chapter we review some of the background that will help readers become aware of key factors that have contributed to different approaches for developing competency systems and we provide some examples of competency frameworks that have already been implemented.

State of the Art of School Psychology in Alberta: A Reply to Janzen and Carter

An article by Henry Janzen and Steve Carter (2001) entitled State of the art of school psychology in Alberta was published in the Canadian Journal of School Psychology, 2001, 16{2), 81-86. Janzen and Carter overviewed (1) the history and development of school psychological services in Alberta and noted that the focus of these services has been on addressing the needs of exceptional children (particularly children with behavioral disorders), (2) the role of school psychologists in which they noted that the primary focus of school

Orienting Educators to Contemporary Ideas for Career Counseling: An Illustrative Example

The context in which career decision-making is being conducted is radically different from what it was in 1911 when Frank Parsons began his work with youth in the United States. The current context of evolving and escalating social and economic change in many countries of the world presents a challenge to educators regarding how best to prepare young people to move forward with their lives in a positive way. Studies involving young people in developing and developed countries have identified their needs pertaining to career guidance and counseling, along with the types of assistance that they would find helpful. The challenge across all countries is that as educators we are often in the situation of preparing young people with current educational programs for jobs that have not yet been created using technologies that have yet to be developed.

A look at the present — A step to the future: An analysis of career and employment counselling in Canada

This paper reports the findings from a major survey of career and employment counselling in Canada. It describes the current state of career and employment counselling in Canada and outlines several emerging issues for future consideration.