Profiles of attitudes toward inclusive education among Chinese in-service teachers: their relationships with demographic factors and organizational commitment.

Introduction: The increased diversity of students (e.g., students with special educational needs) has presented teachers with unprecedented challenges. Teachers' attitudes toward inclusive education play a crucial role in teachers' organizational well-being. However, existing studies mostly explored attitudes toward inclusive education based on a variable-centered approach. This study used a person-centered approach to identify teachers' attitude profile membership and explored the relationships of attitude profiles with demographic factors (i.e., gender, years of teaching experience, subject taught, and in-service training) and organizational commitment. Methods: Nine hundred and seventy-two in-service teachers from forty-nine inclusive education schools in Beijing responded to the Revised Multidimensional Attitudes toward Inclusive Education Scale and the Organizational Commitment Inventory. Latent profile analyses, multinomial logistic regression, and univariate analysis of variance were used to analyze data. Results and discussion: The results revealed four attitude profiles: involuntary participation, behavior avoidance, neutral, and proactive involvement. Years of teaching experience and in-service training were significant predictors of teachers' latent profile membership. Teachers belonging to the involuntary participation profile showed the highest levels of maladaptive commitments to inclusive education schools. Teachers belonging to the proactive involvement and the behavior avoidance profiles showed higher levels of adaptive commitments. However, teachers belonging to the neutral profile had the lowest levels of adaptive commitments. The theoretical contributions, practical implications, and limitations are discussed.

Acceptance of disability, attitudes toward disability, and coping in adolescents with visual impairments: A cross-lagged study.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE: This study aims to understand the reciprocal relationships among acceptance of disability, attitudes toward disability, and coping among Chinese adolescents with visual impairments. RESEARCH DESIGN: Adolescents with visual impairments (NT1 = 311, NT2 = 170) from four Chinese special education schools completed three questionnaires twice over 1 year. Cross-lagged panel modeling was carried out to analyze the questionnaire data. RESULTS: The findings revealed that attitudes toward disability and self-directed coping at Time 1 (T1) positively predicted acceptance of disability at Time 2 (T2). Self-directed coping at T1 positively predicted attitudes toward disability at T2, and attitudes toward disability at T1 negatively predicted relinquished-control coping at T2. CONCLUSION/IMPLICATIONS: Visually impaired adolescents' attitudes toward disability and coping serve as antecedents of their acceptance of disability. There is a positive reciprocal relationship between coping and attitudes toward disability. Psychological interventions aimed at optimizing psychosocial adjustment among students with visual impairments may benefit from targeting coping strategies and attitudes toward disability. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Subjective well-being among PhD students in mainland China: the roles of psychological capital and academic engagement.

The mental well-being of PhD students is a major concern in higher education. However, very few studies have investigated the influencing factors of PhD students' subjective well-being (SWB) - an important indicator of mental well-being. Even no study on the influencing factors of PhD students' SWB has been undertaken in mainland China. Based on job demands-resources theory, the present study pioneers the investigation of the relationship between PhD students' psychological capital (PsyCap; comprising self-efficacy, hope, resilience, and optimism) and SWB (comprising positive affect, negative affect, and life satisfaction) in mainland China. It further examined the mediating role of academic engagement (comprising vigor, dedication, and absorption) in this relationship. PhD students (n = 376) from two comprehensive universities in Jiangsu province responded to an online survey. The results showed that (1) self-efficacy was positively associated with life satisfaction, hope was positively associated with positive affect, optimism was significantly associated with all three dimensions of SWB, but resilience was not significantly associated with any of the three SWB dimensions; and (2) dedication mediated the relationship between hope and life satisfaction and that between optimism and negative affect and life satisfaction, but vigor and absorption did not mediate any of the PsyCap-SWB relationships. Limitations and practical implications of this study are discussed.

Work motivation and organisational commitment among inclusive education teachers in China: the mediating role of job crafting.

Inclusive education teachers' psychological commitment to their schools plays an important role in improving high-quality education for students with special educational needs. This study aimed to examine the effect of inclusive education teachers' work motivation on their organisational commitment and the mediating role of job crafting in this relationship. A total of 534 inclusive education teachers in Beijing, China, participated in this study. The results suggested that after controlling for demographic factors (i.e. age, years of experience teaching students with special educational needs (SEN), subject taught, and training), controlled motivation positively predicted maladaptive commitments, while autonomous motivation positively predicted adaptive commitments and negatively predicted maladaptive commitments. Furthermore, skill, task, and role crafting were the main mediators in the relationship between work motivation and organisational commitment. This study argues that the effect of teachers' motivation to be engaged in inclusive education on their commitment to schools could be explained by the internalisation of the value of inclusive education; such internalisation could be facilitated by improving teachers' competence in meeting the needs of students with SEN. The theoretical contribution, practical implications, and limitations are discussed.

Spring is not yet here: raising a child with ASD in rural southwest China.

PURPOSE: This study aims to reveal the parenting experiences of parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in rural southwest China under the framework of ecological systems theory. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 parents of children with ASD from rural southwest China and the interview data were analyzed using the three coding steps of the grounded theory method, namely open, axial, and selective coding. RESULTS: The results showed four themes: challenges from within the family; relationships between parents, the school, and the community; scarcity and low accessibility of available resources and services; the culture of discriminating against people with disabilities and the loss of eligibility for welfare. The mismatch between the needs of families of children with ASD and the resources available in social-environmental systems is the major issue faced by parents. CONCLUSIONS: Raising a child with ASD in rural southwest China is affected by the interactions between the families and the internal structures in different environmental systems. The culture of discriminating against people with disabilities formed in the macrosystem could be the essential factor that affects the smoothness of the parenting process of children with ASD.

The diagnosis of a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a difficult and stressful experience for the parents of the child and the whole family.This study highlights the mismatch between parent/family needs, and the resources in different environmental systems of rural southwest China, which may have a limiting effect on the rehabilitation of children with ASD.Emphasis on effective collaboration between social systems to help families with ASD children develop more supportive social conditions should be included in the discussion of rehabilitation projects.The educational and psychological interventions for parents of ASD children should be included in the rehabilitation, which enhance their scientific understanding of self-identity, family and social environment and parenting style.

Research agendas and organizational commitment among academics in mainland China.

This research pioneered the investigation of the statistically predictive power of academics' research agendas for their organizational commitment-beyond age, gender, academic rank, and academic discipline. Three hundred and thirty-two academics from nine research-oriented comprehensive universities in Zhejiang province and Shanghai, mainland China, responded to the Multi-Dimensional Research Agendas Inventory-12 Items (MDRAI-12) and the Organizational Commitment Inventory. Three main findings were obtained. First, the MDRAI-12 was confirmed to be a valid and reliable instrument for assessing the research agendas of academics in mainland China. Second, both academics' research agendas and their organizational commitment varied as a function of demographics. Third and most importantly, when age, gender, academic rank, and academic discipline were put under control, three of the four trailblazing research agendas (scientific ambition, collaboration, and discovery) predicted the three adaptive organizational commitments (affective, normative, and ideal), whereas the two cohesive research agendas (convergence and conservative) chiefly contributed to the two maladaptive organizational commitments (economic and choice). These findings have shed new light on the literature concerning research agendas and that on organizational commitment. At the same time, the findings have practical implications for university academics and senior managers in their respective efforts to promote innovative research and adaptive organizational commitment among academics.

Small RNA sequencing reveals sex-related miRNAs in Collichthys lucidus.

Collichthys lucidus (C. lucidus) is an economically important fish species, exhibiting sexual dimorphism in its growth rate. However, there is a lack of research on its underlying sex-related mechanisms. Therefore, small RNA sequencing was performed to better comprehend these sex-related molecular mechanisms. In total, 171 differentially expressed miRNAs (DE-miRNAs) were identified between the ovaries and testes. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that the target genes of DE-miRNAs were considerably enriched in the p53 signaling, PI3K-Akt signaling, and TGF-beta signaling pathways. In addition, sex-related miRNAs were identified, and the expression of miR-430c-3p and miR-430f-3p was specifically observed in the gonads compared with other organs and their expression was markedly upregulated in the testes relative to the ovaries. Bmp15 was a target of miR-430c-3p and was greatly expressed in the ovaries compared with the testes. Importantly, miR-430c-3p and bmp15 co-expressed in the ovaries and testes. This research provides the first detailed miRNA profiles for C. lucidus concerning sex, likely laying the basis for further studies on sex differentiation in C. lucidus.

A cross-lagged study of psychosocial adaptation among students with visual impairments: Coping, self-esteem, and social integration.

BACKGROUND: As three key indicators of psychosocial adaptation, coping, self-esteem, and social integration are vital for students with visual impairments. AIMS: This study aimed to examine the reciprocal relationships among visually impaired students' coping, self-esteem, and social integration. METHODS: Students with visual impairments (NTime1 = 311, NTime2 = 170) from four special schools in mainland China responded to three inventories at two timepoints over one year. Cross-lagged panel modelling was performed to analyse the data. RESULTS: After controlling for gender, self-esteem positively predicted self-directed coping and negatively predicted relinquished-control coping. An inverse path was found in the prediction of relinquished-control coping to self-esteem. Social integration positively predicted self-esteem. Furthermore, gender did not moderate the relationships in the cross-lagged model. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Evidence is provided for a negative loop between self-esteem and relinquished-control coping. Social integration could be a precursor of self-esteem, and self-esteem could be a precursor of self-directed coping. Moreover, the study has practical implications for special schools, teachers, parents, and students on enhancing visually impaired students' psychosocial adaptation.

Linking perceived social support to self-esteem and social integration among adolescents with visual impairment: A cross-lagged study.

This study examines the relationship between perceived social support and self-esteem and between perceived social support and social integration among adolescents with visual impairments. Adolescents with visual impairments (N time1 = 311, N time2 = 170) from four special education schools in eastern China participated in this study within a 1-year interval. The Child and Adolescent Social Support Scale, Rosenberg Self-esteem Questionnaire, and Interpersonal Adaptation Scale were used to collect data. The results from cross-lagged panel modeling showed reciprocal positive relationships between parental support and self-esteem. Self-esteem at T1 positively predicted three other sources of perceived social support at T2: teacher support, classmate support, and close-friend support. Social integration at T1 positively predicted close-friend support at T2. This study extends understanding of the relationships among perceived social support, self-esteem, and social integration, and provides practical implications for parents, schools, and communities to improve psychosocial outcomes in adolescents with visual impairment.

Behavioral migration diversity of the Yangtze River Japanese Eel, Anguilla japonica, based on otolith Sr/Ca ratios.

The Yangtze River estuary is the main production area of Anguilla japonica in China, as well as the only existing fishery area for adult eels. Japanese eels are distributed in the main rivers and many tributaries from the Yangtze River estuary to the upper Jinsha River, which extend to nearly 3 000 km. However, their migration behaviors remain relatively unknown. We analyzed the biological characteristics of 153 specimens of silver eels collected from the Jingjiang section of Yangtze River (31(o)30'N, 120(o)42'E) between September and November, 2008, and tested the sagittal Sr/Ca ratios of 27 specimens. Among the 153 specimens examined, 85 were female and 68 were male, which translated to a female-male ratio of 1 : 0.8. The ages of the female specimens ranged from 3 to 7 a (average 5.52) with an average total length (TL) of (669 ± 80) mm, average body weight (BW) of (555 ± 229)g, average condition factor of 1.77 ± 0.22, and average gonad somatic index (GSI) of 1.32 ± 0.31. The ages of the males ranged from 3 to 5 a (average:4.38) with an average TL of (518 ± 51) mm, average BW of (234 ± 76) g, average condition factor of 1.62 ± 0.18, and average GSI of 0.21 ± 0.11. All biological parameters of females were significantly larger than those of the male specimens (P<0.05). According to the average Sr/Ca ratio (7.99 ± 1.05) × 10(-3) of the elver mark of sagitta, 17 individuals (62.96%) were river eels and 10 individuals (37.04%) were estuarine eels. Of 16 females, 13 individuals (81.25%) were river eels and 3 were estuarine eels, while of 11 males, 36.36% were river eels and 63.64% were estuarine eels. The analysis on Sr/Ca ratios for every growth layer group (GLG) indicated there were no significant differences between second-age males and females. However, significant differences were observed between the third-age, fourth-age, and migration-age male and female specimens. This was likely related to the fact that second-age eels of both sexes stay in the same inhabitation waters; however, as they grow older, they move to different areas.