How Pop Culture Increases Student Engagement and Reading Comprehension

In this chapter, teachers will learn the importance of tapping into a child's prior experiences or background knowledge to help students gain the full understanding of a topic or subject matter. These practices help teachers recognize the background knowledge a student has on a subject matter; this information can assist them in their planning of a unit or specific learning objectives. This chapter provides elementary educators with practical ideas and a solid template or structure to help teachers brainstorm the countless ideas to weave pop culture into their instructional practices. Teachers should use these pages as a springboard to initiate the creative planning process to meet the needs of the students in their own classrooms. It is divided into sections of pop culture that are present in our 21st century society. As pop culture continues to change, teachers can use its appeal to get students excited about learning.

Taking stock of the past: A psychometric evaluation of the Autobiographical Interview

Autobiographical memory (AM) involves a rich phenomenological re-experiencing of a spatio-temporal event from the past, which is challenging to objectively quantify. The Autobiographical Interview (AI; Levine et al., 2002, Psychology & Aging) is a manualized performance-based assessment designed to quantify episodic (internal) and semantic (external) features of recalled and verbally conveyed prior experiences. The AI has been widely adopted yet has not undergone a comprehensive psychometric validation. We investigated the reliability, validity, association to individual differences measures, and factor structure in healthy younger and older adults (N=352). Evidence for the AI's reliability was strong: the subjective scoring protocol showed high inter-rater reliability and previously identified age effects were replicated. Internal consistency across timepoints was robust, suggesting stability in recollection. Central to our validation, internal AI scores were positively correlated with standard, performance-based measures of episodic memory, demonstrating convergent validity. The two-factor structure for the AI was not well-supported by confirmatory factor analysis. Adjusting internal and external detail scores for the number of words spoken (detail density) improved trait estimation of AM performance. Overall, the AI demonstrated sound psychometric properties for inquiry into the qualities of autobiographical remembering.

Theory Model for the Integration

<p>This article develops a theory integrating psychological safety and psychological availability within the context of human resource development (HRD) objectives. While research on psychological safety, a willingness to take an interpersonal risk, has blossomed over the past two decades, no theoretical modeling has been offered with links to psychological availability as originally proposed by Kahn (1990). Through the employment of Dubin's (1969) theory-building method, this article develops the integration of psychological safety and psychological availability with a systems framework. A literature review is conducted to define and assess the proposed operational units within the theoretical model focused on inputs, mediating processes, outputs, and feedback input. Implicit voice is proposed as a feedback input that attempts to assess the role of an individual’s prior experiences in the system process. Dubin's (1969) remaining steps for theory construction are completed, up to the point of empirical research. Finally, implications of research, theory, and practice within the field of HRD are examined.</p>

Theory Model for the Integration

<p>This article develops a theory integrating psychological safety and psychological availability within the context of human resource development (HRD) objectives. While research on psychological safety, a willingness to take an interpersonal risk, has blossomed over the past two decades, no theoretical modeling has been offered with links to psychological availability as originally proposed by Kahn (1990). Through the employment of Dubin's (1969) theory-building method, this article develops the integration of psychological safety and psychological availability with a systems framework. A literature review is conducted to define and assess the proposed operational units within the theoretical model focused on inputs, mediating processes, outputs, and feedback input. Implicit voice is proposed as a feedback input that attempts to assess the role of an individual’s prior experiences in the system process. Dubin's (1969) remaining steps for theory construction are completed, up to the point of empirical research. Finally, implications of research, theory, and practice within the field of HRD are examined.</p>

Influence of Control Precision and Prior Collaboration Experience on Trust and Cooperation in Inter-organizational Relationships

We investigate whether prior collaboration experience affects a focal partner’s response to the precision of monitoring controls adopted by a new partner, with consequences for their goodwill trust in, and subsequent cooperation with, the new partner. We expect the partner to interpret their new partner’s adoption of precise monitoring controls as either an effort to limit their autonomy or to reduce information asymmetry. The partner’s experience with past partners is posited to determine which interpretation is salient, with negative (positive) experiences favoring the former (latter). We find that partners with an uncooperative (cooperative) experience exhibit lower (higher) goodwill trust in the new partner when controls are more precise. Further, prior experience moderates the indirect relation between the precision of monitoring controls and partner cooperation acting through goodwill trust. The results demonstrate the importance of prior experiences in the design of interfirm controls for current partner relationships.

A Conceptual Framework of How Meeting Mindsets Shape and Are Shaped by Leader–Follower Interactions in Meetings

In this conceptual paper, we define a person's meeting mindset as the individual belief that meetings represent opportunities to realize goals falling into one of three categories: personal, relational, and collective. We propose that in alignment with their respective meeting mindsets, managers use specific leadership claiming behaviors in team meetings and express these behaviors in alignment with the meeting setting (virtual or face-to-face) and their prior experiences with their employees. Employees’ responses, however, are also influenced by their meeting mindsets, the meeting setting, and prior experiences with their managers. The interplay between managers’ leadership claiming behavior and their employees’ responses shapes leader–follower relations. Embedded in the team context, the emerging leader–follower relations impact the meaning of meetings. We outline match/mismatch combinations of manager–employee meeting mindsets and discuss the influence that a manager and employee can have on each other's meeting mindset through their behavior in a meeting. Plain Language Summary Have you ever had the experience of entering a team meeting and quickly realizing that your idea of how the meeting conversation should be approached did not align with your boss's understanding of the meeting purpose? This is indeed a common experience in meetings between managers and their employees. While we understand much about the communication dynamics that occur in meetings, we know less about what motivates people to communicate in certain ways in meetings. In this conceptual paper, we classify people's understanding of meetings as being driven by one of three purposes: [1] to strategically position and promote themselves (which reflects a personal meeting mindset), [2] to shape collaborations and to ensure reciprocation (which reflects a relational meeting mindset), or [3] to strengthen the team identity and increase the willingness to go the extra mile for the team (which reflects a collective meeting mindset). Meeting mindsets shape how people enact their leader or follower role in meetings—that is, how a manager exhibits leadership and how employees react. However, managers’ and employees’ meeting mindsets may not necessarily match, which can trigger tensions and may ultimately change the way in which managers or employees define the meaning of meetings. Our research helps managers to comprehend the reasoning behind their own and other people's meeting behavior and may promote reflection on one's leadership approach, particularly in a team meeting context. It can also help employees to grasp the power they can have in terms of actively shaping their managers’ meeting mindsets.

Implementing a Culture of Thinking in Lao EFL Pre-Service Teacher Education: A Case of Reading

<p>This study has two phases. Phase 1 aimed at: (1) investigating pre-service teachers’ prior experiences of reading and learning to read in English, (2a) exploring the current state of reading instruction, and (2b) finding out the extent to which a culture of thinking (CoT) was practiced when teaching reading in the Lao EFL pre-service teacher education context. A CoT is defined as “a place where a group’s collective as well as individual thinking is valued, visible, and actively promoted as the regular, day-to-day experience of all group members” (Ritchhart, Church, & Morrison, 2011, p. 219). In other words, a CoT is a place where a group of teachers, students, or people come together to conduct learning that benefits all group members and every member of the group is encouraged to interact, share ideas, and think about what is learned. To achieve Phase 1’s aims, an exploratory study was employed and a qualitative method was utilized to collect and analyze the data. Phase 1’s findings revealed that the Lao EFL pre-service teachers’ prior experiences of reading and learning to read were mostly a matter of learning discrete language features as opposed to meaning construction. The results also found that teachers paid considerable attention to discrete language items in the course of reading instruction rather than language proficiency and critical reading development. The findings also revealed that the CoT practice was not in place for teaching reading in Lao EFL pre-service education although it was acknowledged and recognized in the education and curriculum policy. The results of Phase 1 were used as baseline data for Phase 2, a classroom-based intervention. Phase 2 aimed at determining the extent to which the CoT implementation improved reading comprehension development, fostered learning engagement, and shaped perceptions of learning reading in Lao EFL pre-service teacher education. In order to accomplish the objectives of this phase, a quasi-experimental design was adopted, meaning that two intact classes of intermediate EFL pre-service teachers were recruited to participate in this phase. One of the classes was assigned to an experimental group while the other class was a comparison group. In terms of the intervention, thinking routines (e.g., Chalk Talk, Claim-Support-Question, and Connect-Extend-Challenge) were integrated into the three stages of reading instruction (pre-reading, while-reading, and post-reading). The data were collected through a pre-test, immediate post-test, delayed-test, direct classroom observations, a pre-post perception survey, and focus group interviews. They were analyzed using both quantitative and qualitative methods. An effect size analysis was also performed to supplement the t tests used in this phase. The findings revealed that the CoT implementation had a strong effect (d = 1.01) on reading comprehension development and there was a statistical significance between the two groups, t(59) = 3.894, p = .00 < .05. It also fostered interactive and meaningful learning engagement, and changed students’ perceptions towards learning reading. Drawing from the findings, it has been suggested that a CoT can be an option for EFL teachers to consider integrating into their classroom practices in order to foster deep and meaningful learning and shape students and teachers’ experiences of and attitudes toward learning and teaching English.</p>

Implementing a Culture of Thinking in Lao EFL Pre-Service Teacher Education: A Case of Reading

<p>This study has two phases. Phase 1 aimed at: (1) investigating pre-service teachers’ prior experiences of reading and learning to read in English, (2a) exploring the current state of reading instruction, and (2b) finding out the extent to which a culture of thinking (CoT) was practiced when teaching reading in the Lao EFL pre-service teacher education context. A CoT is defined as “a place where a group’s collective as well as individual thinking is valued, visible, and actively promoted as the regular, day-to-day experience of all group members” (Ritchhart, Church, & Morrison, 2011, p. 219). In other words, a CoT is a place where a group of teachers, students, or people come together to conduct learning that benefits all group members and every member of the group is encouraged to interact, share ideas, and think about what is learned. To achieve Phase 1’s aims, an exploratory study was employed and a qualitative method was utilized to collect and analyze the data. Phase 1’s findings revealed that the Lao EFL pre-service teachers’ prior experiences of reading and learning to read were mostly a matter of learning discrete language features as opposed to meaning construction. The results also found that teachers paid considerable attention to discrete language items in the course of reading instruction rather than language proficiency and critical reading development. The findings also revealed that the CoT practice was not in place for teaching reading in Lao EFL pre-service education although it was acknowledged and recognized in the education and curriculum policy. The results of Phase 1 were used as baseline data for Phase 2, a classroom-based intervention. Phase 2 aimed at determining the extent to which the CoT implementation improved reading comprehension development, fostered learning engagement, and shaped perceptions of learning reading in Lao EFL pre-service teacher education. In order to accomplish the objectives of this phase, a quasi-experimental design was adopted, meaning that two intact classes of intermediate EFL pre-service teachers were recruited to participate in this phase. One of the classes was assigned to an experimental group while the other class was a comparison group. In terms of the intervention, thinking routines (e.g., Chalk Talk, Claim-Support-Question, and Connect-Extend-Challenge) were integrated into the three stages of reading instruction (pre-reading, while-reading, and post-reading). The data were collected through a pre-test, immediate post-test, delayed-test, direct classroom observations, a pre-post perception survey, and focus group interviews. They were analyzed using both quantitative and qualitative methods. An effect size analysis was also performed to supplement the t tests used in this phase. The findings revealed that the CoT implementation had a strong effect (d = 1.01) on reading comprehension development and there was a statistical significance between the two groups, t(59) = 3.894, p = .00 < .05. It also fostered interactive and meaningful learning engagement, and changed students’ perceptions towards learning reading. Drawing from the findings, it has been suggested that a CoT can be an option for EFL teachers to consider integrating into their classroom practices in order to foster deep and meaningful learning and shape students and teachers’ experiences of and attitudes toward learning and teaching English.</p>

Visualizing Metaphor: Teaching Metaphor to Conceptualize Personal Experiences

Language power lies behind the iconicity of metaphor, which evokes sensory perceptions and integrates them into meaningful constellations selectively. This selective process makes it possible to conceptualize experiences and also to link new and prior experiences. Thus, the power of metaphor calls for great attention from teachers to focus on figurative language when teaching English language learners so that they achieve the uppermost goal of teaching the target language. This study aims at investigating forms of metaphor, specifically visual ones, and how to teach them in order to help students discover the connection between those constructions and the way of communicating the intended meaning.

Verification of educational effect for innovation practice on electrical technology

There is a need to develop human resources who can play an active role in the intense competition of international society. We created a practice in which students acquire fundamental competency by working on electrical technologies in a virtual company. By starting a mock company on their own, the first aim for students is to learn basic company management, the second aim is for them to acquire the skills required as a member of society, and the third aim is for them to gain knowledge about the latest technology in the field of electrical technology. Students learn about company management systems through participation in administrative procedures such as manufacturing, sales, personnel and accounting practices. In order to establish a company related to electrical technology, it is necessary to analyze cutting-edge technologies in each field (electric power, electronics, robots, AI, IoT, entertainment, etc.), and second-year students can begin their investigation, which is the same as learning about research backgrounds previously conducted primarily in graduation research. The mock company requires a collection of capital and performs all costs related to the business using a virtual currency called ANET Coins. Teachers make investments as shareholders or request proposals from the students' company as virtual currency holders. All information related to this practice is managed on the LMS (Learning Management System). This practice is a chance to recognize and act in various situations and will become an opportunity for reflection. The results of the student surveys regarding the improvement of competency, which working adults are required to have, showed that this practice is more effective than any prior experiences. In this paper, we show the contents of the innovation practice on electrical technologies and describe the verification of the educational effect from student surveys. This practice can be widely applied in the field of Education.