Proformative evaluation--first introduced in Scriven's (2006) "The great enigma: An evaluation design puzzle"--"is motivated, like formative evaluation, by the intention to improve something that is still developing, but unlike formative, the improvement is only possible by taking action, hence proactive instead of reactive, hence both, hence…

Students have different learning style strengths and preferences in the ways that they take in and process information. Some students tend to focus on facts, data, and algorithms; others are more comfortable with theories and mathematical models. Related to all of this and situated as the focus of this article is the fact that mathematics…

The images of fat professors encountered in popular culture are few in number and negative in depiction. In this article, the author discusses on how will the professorial body affect the way in which students perceive the professor's teaching abilities. The author concludes that bias against fat professors, professors of color, and other…

This article describes how to use and valuate "thought bubble pictures" to uncover students' feelings about mathematics. (Contains 6 figures and 2 tables.)

This experiential exercise is designed to explore the effects of positive and negative group environments on creativity. It asks students to undertake a creative activity (i.e., draw a picture) in groups with a member predesignated to offer either positive or negative comments. Students in the two different types of group environment produced…

Religious attitudes about blindness such as viewing blindness as a punishment for sins or viewing blind persons as helpless present extremely difficult attitudinal barriers. The article explores the relationship between religion, religious attitudes, and blindness and describes a seminar training program for ministerial students. (Author/CB)

The relationship between contraceptive education and teenage male contraceptive behavior was investigated. Findings indicated that brief or moderately in-depth contraceptive education had little effect on contraceptive behavior. The teenage pregnancy and other sex-related problems may make parents and schools more amenable to comprehensive…

We hypothesized that women who dress in a sexy versus business-like manner evoke negative emotions and perceptions of lesser competence if employed in high-(but not low-) status jobs. Male and female undergraduates evaluated a videotaped female target whose physical attractiveness was held constant, but who was (a) dressed in sexy or business-like…

Approximately 5% of people in most countries have deafness or significant hearing loss. This significant minority is underrepresented in mainstream universities across the world. Background information about deafness, relevant technology and its drawbacks, and the use of interpreters are discussed. The barriers to equitable representation of…

The early years of school provide opportunities for active learning, including developing habits of resiliency and perceptions of self-worth. Girls in particular may be at risk for developing negative self-perceptions. This article presents a pilot group (psychoeducational and counseling) designed to educate members about pre-adolescent…

Recruitment onto pre-registration learning disability nursing courses has decreased considerably over the last decade. This paper reports the findings of the first stage of a longitudinal study that investigated the factors that influence students to train as learning disability nurses, and those that influence their decision to continue or leave…

This article reports concerns among disability community members that the implications of genetic research will be driven by mistaken beliefs about genetics and negative attitudes toward disability as identified in a qualitative study funded by the National Human Genome Research Institute. In addition to reporting the nature and the context of…

Superintendent offers several practical suggestions for dealing more effectively with negative school personnel and situations: Visualize success, know the realities, appreciate humor, surround negative people with positive staff members, be an absolute role model, understand psychology, reframe negative into positive energy, and use your…

As educators and practitioners continue to seek effective interventions to prevent dropout, they must focus on identifying, monitoring, and addressing risk factors that are influenced by teachers (e.g., academic performance, peer and adult interactions, attendance, and behavior). As a result, teachers' roles in dropout prevention are critical.…

This paper presents a lifespan perspective of sexuality issues for individuals with developmental disabilities. Individuals with developmental disabilities are human beings who have historically been denied the right to express their sexuality or engage in sexual relationships due to misconceptions or negative attitudes. Using a hypothetical case…