Ascertaining the wishes and feelings of young children: social workers' perspectives on skills and training

The research was undertaken in the context of the ongoing debate about child care social work training and children's participation. Its aim was to explore the views of qualified child care social workers about their skills in eliciting the wishes and feelings of younger children and the relevance of social work training for this task. Questionnaires, focusing on their skills and training, were completed by 70 UK child care practitioners from the Children and Families Court Advisory and Support Service, voluntary agencies and local authorities. On average, practitioners felt able to ascertain the feelings and wishes of children as young as 4 years old. Nevertheless, at qualifying level, only 30% had training in communicating with young children, 16% in ascertaining children's feelings and wishes, and 66% in child development. Many had subsequently relied on in‐service training and their own initiatives to acquire further skills and understanding. In conclusion, most participants were experienced practitioners working in supportive organizations and had developed considerable communication skills. However, concerns remain because they identified deficits in child care social work qualifying and post‐qualifying training. Consequently, more effective training at all levels is required if social workers are to engage younger children successfully and facilitate their participation.     

Family Mediation: A Guide for Family Therapists

Family therapists often see separating parents who need to agree on co‐parenting arrangements. This article provides a guide to current research and practice in family mediation. The limited available research suggests mediation is a useful approach for some separated parents and their children, but often is not successful with highly conflicted parents, parents with mental health problems, parents struggling to accept the separation from their partner, or parents with unrealistic co‐parenting expectations. We analyse ways in which mediation might be enhanced, and discuss the potential roles of family therapists to support separating families to negotiate positive co‐parenting.     

新媒体时代视频网站的品牌建构与营销策略

视频网站作为新媒体时代互联网的产物,在经历一段坎坷的发展历程后已经逐步走向成熟。目前,网络视频业拥有无限的商业前景。但当务之急是如何提升视频网站的版权意识,如何构建先进的经营理念和管理方式以打造视频网站的品牌,其解决途径是视频网站应不断推出网络新产品;鼓励支持原创视频;倡导与传统媒体合作等营销策略来打造行业品牌,提升品牌忠诚度,进而实现行业盈利。     

视频工作坊中研训者支持行为及其对幼儿园新教师观察立场的影响

笔者以幼儿园新教师视频工作坊中围绕23个视频开展的研讨为样本,采用混合研究的范式,探索视频工作坊中研训者 支持行为及其对新教师观察立场的影响。研究发现：新教师在视频讨论中主要表现出低水平观察立场,较少主动运用证据解 释幼儿行为,更难以将幼儿行为同教与学的一般性原理相联系;研训者需要反复通过“保持探究立场”类别的支持行为引发新 教师高水平观察立场;其中,“明晰信息”“引导详细阐释”“引导思考讨论”能够显著影响视频工作坊中新教师的低水平观察立 场,“关注证据”“鼓励发言”则能够显著影响高水平观察立场;开放的共同体文化、充分互动的同伴关系有助于激发新教师的高 水平观察立场。在研究发现的基础上,笔者构建了新教师视频工作坊“5R”模型,通过话语赋权和理论赋能,不断推动新教师 在开展反思性实践和实践性反思的循环中实现知能重构,提升观察能力,发展实践性知识和智慧。     

我国视频网站发展态势与前瞻

网络视频在我国经历了七年多的竞合发展。与国外的差异化发展模式不同,我国的视频网站呈现内容多样、各有侧重的特点。目前视频网站既有"旧病"又有"近忧",用户粘性不强成为其面临的核心问题。未来视频网站发展应在内容和技术两个层面着力。在内容层面,应建立内容生态圈,发展网络院线;在技术层面,应实现情境化播放,利用好大数据挖掘技术。     

Assessing Observer Effects on the Fidelity of Implementation of Functional Analysis Procedures

Instructing and training others to implement functional analysis (FA) procedures can be a cumbersome and time-consuming task. Students and practitioners are required to learn all of the various components to establish conditions and analyze results while also learning to conduct the sessions. The current study assessed the fidelity of individuals implementing FA conditions after observing and rating the fidelity of videos models, using a multiple-baseline design across FA conditions. Video models of each condition were provided throughout; however, participants were only asked to provide fidelity ratings for one video. Results demonstrated the intervention was successful in increasing participant performance above baseline levels for 16 of 17 participants, with 7 participants requiring an additional intervention in which they were asked to observe their own performance. Further research should evaluate the degree to which this procedure may effectively prepare individuals working with non-confederate children and carry over to other responses and settings.     

Overcoming the challenges of researching ‘young offenders’: using assisted questionnaires – a research note

This short research note discusses some of the challenges involved when undertaking qualitative research with ‘young offenders’, a neglected area within the methodological literature. By drawing on previous research with ‘young offenders’, the author discusses how the use of traditional face‐to‐face interviews produced a number of research challenges which are specific to the psychosocial, biographical and institutional contexts of this particular population. In attempting to overcome some of these challenges in her current research, the author developed a specific research tool – the assisted questionnaire (AQ) – and the remainder of this article describes how its use with ‘young offenders’ helped to overcome some of the methodological challenges which had earlier been identified.     

Using peer‐interviewing methods to explore place‐based disadvantage: dissolving the distance between suits and civilians

Collaborative and participatory research methods reflect ideals to undertake research in consultation and partnership with communities and to advance community empowerment and capacity. They offer ethical and practical approaches for conducting research addressing socioeconomic and health disparities particularly in marginalised or vulnerable communities. Peer‐interviewing is one such participatory strategy employed in studies involving hard‐to‐reach populations. However, while the value of peer‐interviewing for researchers is noted in the methodological literature, there are few discussions that critically examine the benefits and challenges of using peer‐researcher approaches, either for the interviewers themselves or the communities they represent. This study reports the findings from a qualitative study that explored the experiences of peer‐interviewers who were involved in undertaking community surveys of residents in the socioeconomically disadvantaged neighbourhoods in which they lived. We discuss the benefits and challenges that participants reported from their involvement.     

Propensity to consent to data linkage: experimental evidence on the role of three survey design features in a UK longitudinal panel

When performing data linkage, survey respondents need to provide their informed consent. Since not all respondents agree to this request, the linked data-set will have fewer observations than the survey data-set alone and bias may be introduced. By focusing on the role that survey design features play in gaining respondents’ consent, this paper provides an innovative contribution to the studies in this field. Analysing experimental data collected in a nationally representative household panel survey of the British population, we find that interview features such as question format (dependent/independent questions) and placement of the consent question within the questionnaire have an impact on consent rates.     

An Initial Comparison of Live Instruction and Immersive Video Modes of Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) is an established treatment for the reduction of anxiety, and has been delivered via live instruction, audiotape, videotape, and immersive video. Although previous research has compared some of these modes of PMR delivery, this is the first study to compare live instruction with immersive video. Participants completed one session of either live instruction or immersive video PMR, and outcome data was obtained for affect, satisfaction, and heart rate. Results indicate the comparability of live instruction and immersive video PMR conditions, as well as the overall effectiveness of a single session of PMR. Moreover, results suggest the potential superiority of immersive video over live instruction in terms of perceived value.