I had promised to suggest to you from time to time research readings which are worth knowing and discussing. This will be the case this time.
Here are four articles whose reading is strongly recommended.
Mental health and social media
I suspect that we are all now well aware that social media has had, and continues to have, many effects, some undoubtedly desirable, but also some deplorable others, both on our lives and on the conversation. democratic. The polarization of debates and the spread of fake news are among those harmful effects that have become difficult to overlook.
The first research I want to tell you about, which appeared on SSRN this summer, looked at the effects of social media on the mental health of young academics in the United States. More precisely, we used a particular statistical technique (DID, for close friends) to try to identify the effects of the advent of Facebook on, precisely, the mental health of young people.
It is not pretty. We are talking about poor mental health, depression, increased use of specialized mental health services, not to mention this worrying drop in school results.
The article seeks to understand what, by Facebook, contributes to these effects. He also wisely calls for caution in reading and interpreting these results, especially given the complexity of the subject and the methodology used.
But here we will find plenty of material to feed a healthy concern in front of Facebook and the new media.
Implicit biases and racism
I have already mentioned in these pages the many criticisms addressed to the famous test on implicit biases which claims to bring to light these biases that we would have without knowing it, and therefore our hidden and shameful racism.
It has often been argued, in particular, that it is far from clear that this test measures what it claims to measure, and it has been argued that it is not a good predictor of the behaviors it claims to predict.
Posted last month on SAGE Journals, an interesting article looks at the presentation of this controversial test in 17 introductory psychology textbooks. The least we can say is that in their presentation of this test, several of these manuals are… biased.
In fact, considering the lack of reminder of the criticisms relating to the methodological and other limits addressed to this test, the authors classify the vast majority of the textbooks examined (82%) as biased or partially biased. This is not without having worrying repercussions on the perception that students have of these questions, who are, it must be remembered, future citizens. I would be curious to know what is happening with us …
Research on educational research
This article, which dates from last month on Springer, examines best practices in science education and suggests that science education faces an “evidence crisis.” One of its authors is Paul A. Kirschner, a name known to those who care about educational evidence.
Basically, it shows that a lot of credible research, at least if we classify it according to the scientific and methodological criteria which are necessary to judge, are not taken into account, are ignored, even excluded in the determination of the programs and science teaching methods.
In this case, and one can presume it elsewhere, there is thus a gap between what research and educational psychology teach and the recommended practice.
Support for positive behavior
One of the Quebec academics in education who has evidence at heart and who has done a lot to make it known is Steve Bissonnette, from TÉLUQ. He is one of the signatories of an article you must read (taalecole.ca) if you work in education, and more particularly if the position you occupy requires you to make decisions about the management of classes and the school.
From a perspective called “results-based management”, the authors describe here what is called “positive behavior support”.
This generic term describes “a set of strategies and procedures aimed at improving the behavior of young people by using systematic, non-punitive and proactive techniques to do so”, strategies and procedures inspired by behavior analysis and theory of behavior. social learning.
How exactly do we do it? With what effects? The article will tell you about the example of French-language schools belonging to two Quebec school service centers.
I will come back shortly to this fascinating subject that I would like to help publicize. In fact, I will do it as soon as I discuss this promising avenue with Steve Bissonnette, who kindly agreed to talk to me about it …
Happy reading!