Linda Bakken

Collaborative Teaching: Many Joys, Some Surprises, and a Few Worms

Historically, the United States has been faced with the challenge of providing an appropriate educa tion to a diverse population. As the ethnic tapestry of American culture becomes more interwoven and complex, the de mands of providing such an education have become more difficult. Professional development schools (PDS) represent one attempt to improve upon the standard fragmented, short-term teacher prepara tion programs. Darling-Hammond (1994) suggests that preservice teachers should be placed in programs similar to the tested medical models of teaching hospitals, learning communities that can provide rigorous study, dialogue with master teacher edu cators, and in-depth interactions with children, families, and colleagues. These clinical experiences would engage preser vice teachers in problem solving, obser vations, and studies of student learning, which would enable them to develop into reflective practitioners (Holmes Group 1990). In the 1995-1996 school year, the fac ulty of a college of education at a state university in a mid-sized midwestern city and educators from the public schools

Adolescent Female Identify Development

The purpose of this study was to (a) add to the current literature on female identity development and (b) determine whether a gender specific pattern of identity formation is evident in females during their early and middle adolescent years. The Measures of Psychosocial Development (MPD) was administered by graduate students to 317 males and 332 females in sixth, eighth, tenth, and twelfth grades from schools in a small and a mid-sized mid-western city. The schools were selected because they were representative of the racial/ethnic status of the cities (African American, 12%, Asian American, 4%, European, 63%, Latino, 10%, and Native American, 6%; 5% did not state their ethnicity). The results of the two by four analyses of variance (gender by grade) indicated that females blend interpersonal and intrapersonal identity development, whereas males appear to develop only intrapersonal identity. Limitations and recommendations for future research are also included.

Gifted High School Students' Attitudes toward Careers and Sex Roles.

The purpose of this study was to identify age and gender differences in the attitudes of gifted high school students toward career plans and sex roles. The Attitudes Toward Women Scale (AWS) and the Occupational Check List (OCL) were administered to 24 gifted 11th and 12th graders and to 36 gifted 9th graders. A two‐by‐two ANOVA (age x gender) showed a non‐significant interaction on both the AWS and the OCL; however, significant main effects for age and gender were found on both the AWS and the OCL, with the 12th graders scoring significantly higher than the 9th graders and the females scoring significantly higher than the males. It was concluded that males have more traditional attitudes about careers and sex roles than females, and the younger students, especially younger males, have more traditional attitudes than older students.

Interpersonal needs in middle adolescents: companionship, leadership and intimacy

Recent research suggests that, along with identity, intimacy is an important developmental construct during adolescence. Are there gender differences in current society regarding intimacy development? Two hundred and seven middle adolescents (70 males and 137 females) were measured using Schutzs (1958) Fundamental Interpersonal Relationship Inventory (FIRO). The FIRO is a self-report survey which assesses the subjects perceived expressions and perceived desires in three categories of interpersonal relationships: Inclusion (companionship), control (leadership), and affection (intimacy). Results indicated that there were differences in expression of inclusion, control, and affection, and desire for inclusion and affection. A second analysis addressed the perceived ranking in importance of the three interpersonal categories measured. Males ranked control expressed highest and affection desired lowest; females ranked affection desired as highest and control expressed lowest. Both groups ranked inclusion desired and expressed as moderate. The current research suggests that gender differences in the development of intimacy may occur as early as middle adolescence.

Making Conservationists and Classifiers of Preoperational Fifth-Grade Children

Abstract Fifth-grade students (N = 103) from 4 classrooms were administered a multiple-choice test of Piaget tasks (B. J. Wadsworth, 1996). Fifty of the students were identified as preoperational in their cognitive understanding. Two of the classrooms served as the experimental group for 24 identified students; 26 students were in 2 classrooms that served as the control group. The experimental group received special lessons and activities designed to increase abilities in concrete and abstract thinking. The school had a large Hispanic population; therefore, the students received the instruction in the language in which they demonstrated mastery. Students in the experimental group showed a significantly greater increase in concrete operations than did the control group. All the students in the 2 experimental classrooms indicated greater use of concrete operations than did the students in the 2 control classrooms.

Gifted Sixth-Grade Girls: Similarities and Differences in Attitudes among Gifted Girls, Non-Gifted Peers, and Their Mothers.

This study examined the attitudes, attributes, and preferences of preadolescent girls and their mothers to study issues regarding choices in gender‐based matters and careers. The subjects were sixth‐grade girls, 36 in a gifted program, and 34 in the regular education program, and their mothers. The four inventories used with the daughter‐mother pairs indicated statistically significant findings between non‐gifted and gifted daughters on the AWS, between daughters and their mothers on the FOS, among all four groups on the OCL might choose section, and between daughters and mothers on the OCL would not choose section.

Teens at risk for pregnancy: the role of ego development and family processes

Family-of-origin rigidity may be a relevant background variable in adolescent pregnancy. A sentence completion test aimed at measuring ego developing and the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scales were administered to 99 adolescents. 46 of the teenagers were pregnant at the time of the interviews or had given birth in the previous 6 months. The remaining 53 had never been pregnant. The average age of females in both groups was 16 years; rural and urban communities were represented. There were no significant differences between the groups in terms of socioeconomic background or religiosity. Ego development was categorized into 3 levels; pre-conformist conformist and post-conformist. 75% of the total sample fell into the conformist category and there were not significant differences in ego development between non-pregnant pregnant and parenting teens. Although family cohesion was not a significant variable presently pregnant adolescents perceived their families as more rigid than the other 2 groups. Before causality is assumed however it should be ascertained whether some families become more rigid specifically in response to the crisis of pregnancy. The lack of impact of the family cohesion measure on pregnancy status contradicts assumptions that pregnant teens come from families with low levels of emotional bonding.

Creating Synergy: Collaborative Research Within a Professional Development School Partnership.

Abstract Professional Development Schools involve developing a partnership that creates a community of learners. One outcome of this community is collaborative research in which both public school teachers and university faculty participate equally. When both groups are cooperatively involved in research, they realize significant gains. A collaborative research effort between a public school and a university that resulted in synergy is described. This article discusses the process of the collaboration from its incubation through the development of the study, and provides perspectives on the learning from the university faculty, the classroom teachers, and the preservice teacher. This collaboration between university faculty, classroom teachers, and preservice teachers resulted in translating research into practice to promote learning for all—students, teachers, and university faculty.

The Relationship of Perceived Family Dynamics to Adolescents' Principled Moral Reasoning.

There is limited research that addresses the importance offamily factors in the development of principled moral reasoning. To determine whether a relationship indeed existed between family adaptability and cohesion and principled moral reasoning, a sample of 131 middle adolescents was measured on moral reasoning level (using the Defining Issues Test) and levels of perceived family adaptability and cohesion (using Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales). No significant relationships were found between adaptability and the use of principled moral reasoning; however, family cohesion did correlate (but only with males) with percentages of principled moral reasoning. Satisfaction with levels offamily cohesion andfamily adaptability also was significantly related to moral development in males. In addition, there were interaction effects of cohesion and adaptability, suggesting that moderate levels of cohesion, in combination with either high or low levels of adaptability, were related to higher levels of principled moral reasoning.

Gifted adolescent females' attitudes toward gender equality in educational and inter‐gender relationships

Gifted adolescent females in a seminar which focused on careers and intellectual opportunities for bright women responded to the short form of Spences Attitudes toward Women Scale. Most agreed that there should be gender equality in areas of educational, professional, and intellectual pursuits, but there was greater variabil‐ity in their belief of gender equality in dating and marital relationships, and in the area of social etiquette. While 75% of the sample strongly agreed that women should expect equality in professional and educational areas, only 34% of the subjects strongly agreed that there ingender equality in dating relationships and etiquette.