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This report contains summary information and conclusions from the pilot workshops, focus groups, and the NEI (NASA Explorer Institutes) Planning and Evaluation Conference which united representatives of the workshops, focus groups, and NASA education. The culmination of these NEI pilot initiatives resulted in the identification of strategies that could be used to increase collaboration between NASA and the informal education community. Based on that information, the Informal Education Division plans to support projects in four categories in FY05. The four categories of NEI projects that will be considered for funding in FY05 include Professional Development Workshop Opportunities, STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) Teaching Tools and Products, Infrastructure Development Projects, and Partnerships for Sustainability. All NEI projects will be conducted by NASA Field Centers in partnership with members of the informal education community (IEC). NASA will continue to support the IEC through funding initiatives sponsored by the Informal Education Division and program support by informal education points of contact at the NASA Field Centers. Appended are: NEI Pilot Workshops: List of participating institutions; and NEI Focus Groups: List of participating institutions.

This study examined the effects of an informal parental support network on parents' perceptions of child behavior, discipline style, and satisfaction in parenting. The parent support group consisted of 38 parents (mostly mothers) who met regularly and had an opportunity to discuss parenting concerns and compare experiences with their children; however, the primary purpose of these meetings was not explicit provision of parental support. The control group of 37 parents (mostly mothers) did not participate in any formal parent education programs and were not affiliated with one another. It was hypothesized that regular informal supportive contact among parents of children of similar ages would have a positive effect on perception of children's problems, discipline style, and parenting satisfaction. Twice over a 5-week period, participants anonymously completed the Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory, the Cleminshaw-Guidubaldi Parent Satisfaction Scale, and the project-created Parenting Self Appraisal Scale and Daily Behavioral Responses. The findings indicated that parents in informal support networks were not significantly different from control parents on most pretest and posttest measures of their perceptions of their children's problems, parent satisfaction, and disciplinary strategies. However, the informal support network members perceived their parenting as more permissive than control group parents on the posttest. Almost all parents were moderately confident in their parenting abilities and all valued firm limit setting. The majority did not believe that parents' admission of mistakes scared or confused children. About 20 percent believed that spanking could increase children's respect for parents. (Author/KDFB)

This study examined the effects of an informal parental support network on parents' perceptions of child behavior, discipline style, and satisfaction in parenting. The parent support group consisted of 38 parents (mostly mothers) who met regularly and had an opportunity to discuss parenting concerns and compare experiences with their children; however, the primary purpose of these meetings was not explicit provision of parental support. The control group of 37 parents (mostly mothers) did not participate in any formal parent education programs and were not affiliated with one another. It was hypothesized that regular informal supportive contact among parents of children of similar ages would have a positive effect on perception of children's problems, discipline style, and parenting satisfaction. Twice over a 5-week period, participants anonymously completed the Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory, the Cleminshaw-Guidubaldi Parent Satisfaction Scale, and the project-created Parenting Self Appraisal Scale and Daily Behavioral Responses. The findings indicated that parents in informal support networks were not significantly different from control parents on most pretest and posttest measures of their perceptions of their children's problems, parent satisfaction, and disciplinary strategies. However, the informal support network members perceived their parenting as more permissive than control group parents on the posttest. Almost all parents were moderately confident in their parenting abilities and all valued firm limit setting. The majority did not believe that parents' admission of mistakes scared or confused children. About 20 percent believed that spanking could increase children's respect for parents. (Author/KDFB)

This study examined the effects of an informal parental support network on parents' perceptions of child behavior, discipline style, and satisfaction in parenting. The parent support group consisted of 38 parents (mostly mothers) who met regularly and had an opportunity to discuss parenting concerns and compare experiences with their children; however, the primary purpose of these meetings was not explicit provision of parental support. The control group of 37 parents (mostly mothers) did not participate in any formal parent education programs and were not affiliated with one another. It was hypothesized that regular informal supportive contact among parents of children of similar ages would have a positive effect on perception of children's problems, discipline style, and parenting satisfaction. Twice over a 5-week period, participants anonymously completed the Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory, the Cleminshaw-Guidubaldi Parent Satisfaction Scale, and the project-created Parenting Self Appraisal Scale and Daily Behavioral Responses. The findings indicated that parents in informal support networks were not significantly different from control parents on most pretest and posttest measures of their perceptions of their children's problems, parent satisfaction, and disciplinary strategies. However, the informal support network members perceived their parenting as more permissive than control group parents on the posttest. Almost all parents were moderately confident in their parenting abilities and all valued firm limit setting. The majority did not believe that parents' admission of mistakes scared or confused children. About 20 percent believed that spanking could increase children's respect for parents. (Author/KDFB)

This study examined the effects of an informal parental support network on parents' perceptions of child behavior, discipline style, and satisfaction in parenting. The parent support group consisted of 38 parents (mostly mothers) who met regularly and had an opportunity to discuss parenting concerns and compare experiences with their children; however, the primary purpose of these meetings was not explicit provision of parental support. The control group of 37 parents (mostly mothers) did not participate in any formal parent education programs and were not affiliated with one another. It was hypothesized that regular informal supportive contact among parents of children of similar ages would have a positive effect on perception of children's problems, discipline style, and parenting satisfaction. Twice over a 5-week period, participants anonymously completed the Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory, the Cleminshaw-Guidubaldi Parent Satisfaction Scale, and the project-created Parenting Self Appraisal Scale and Daily Behavioral Responses. The findings indicated that parents in informal support networks were not significantly different from control parents on most pretest and posttest measures of their perceptions of their children's problems, parent satisfaction, and disciplinary strategies. However, the informal support network members perceived their parenting as more permissive than control group parents on the posttest. Almost all parents were moderately confident in their parenting abilities and all valued firm limit setting. The majority did not believe that parents' admission of mistakes scared or confused children. About 20 percent believed that spanking could increase children's respect for parents. (Author/KDFB)

This study examined the effects of an informal parental support network on parents' perceptions of child behavior, discipline style, and satisfaction in parenting. The parent support group consisted of 38 parents (mostly mothers) who met regularly and had an opportunity to discuss parenting concerns and compare experiences with their children; however, the primary purpose of these meetings was not explicit provision of parental support. The control group of 37 parents (mostly mothers) did not participate in any formal parent education programs and were not affiliated with one another. It was hypothesized that regular informal supportive contact among parents of children of similar ages would have a positive effect on perception of children's problems, discipline style, and parenting satisfaction. Twice over a 5-week period, participants anonymously completed the Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory, the Cleminshaw-Guidubaldi Parent Satisfaction Scale, and the project-created Parenting Self Appraisal Scale and Daily Behavioral Responses. The findings indicated that parents in informal support networks were not significantly different from control parents on most pretest and posttest measures of their perceptions of their children's problems, parent satisfaction, and disciplinary strategies. However, the informal support network members perceived their parenting as more permissive than control group parents on the posttest. Almost all parents were moderately confident in their parenting abilities and all valued firm limit setting. The majority did not believe that parents' admission of mistakes scared or confused children. About 20 percent believed that spanking could increase children's respect for parents. (Author/KDFB)

This study examined the effects of an informal parental support network on parents' perceptions of child behavior, discipline style, and satisfaction in parenting. The parent support group consisted of 38 parents (mostly mothers) who met regularly and had an opportunity to discuss parenting concerns and compare experiences with their children; however, the primary purpose of these meetings was not explicit provision of parental support. The control group of 37 parents (mostly mothers) did not participate in any formal parent education programs and were not affiliated with one another. It was hypothesized that regular informal supportive contact among parents of children of similar ages would have a positive effect on perception of children's problems, discipline style, and parenting satisfaction. Twice over a 5-week period, participants anonymously completed the Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory, the Cleminshaw-Guidubaldi Parent Satisfaction Scale, and the project-created Parenting Self Appraisal Scale and Daily Behavioral Responses. The findings indicated that parents in informal support networks were not significantly different from control parents on most pretest and posttest measures of their perceptions of their children's problems, parent satisfaction, and disciplinary strategies. However, the informal support network members perceived their parenting as more permissive than control group parents on the posttest. Almost all parents were moderately confident in their parenting abilities and all valued firm limit setting. The majority did not believe that parents' admission of mistakes scared or confused children. About 20 percent believed that spanking could increase children's respect for parents. (Author/KDFB)

The labors of organizational and behavioral science researchers have resulted in a literature robust in the study of leadership and social networks. Empirical examination of both topics has shown significant organizational outcomes, but breadth is lacking both within and between the disciplines. Studies of leadership have seen the preponderance of the effort focused on formal leaders, while most social network studies examine only one informal structure. Moreover, there exists a paucity of studies, which have sought to examine the interrelationships between leadership and social networks. In an effort to address these voids, this thesis investigated: 1) The concurrent existence of multiple social networks, 2) How leaders, both formal and informal, are positioned within the networks, 3) How leader positions in the network change over time, 4) How network positioning affects group members' perceptions of formal leader performance, and 5) How a member's position in the network relates to peer selection as an informal leader. The Expressive-Instrumental Leadership Model, based on behavioral science theory and past empirical studies, was proposed as a means of investigation. A population of 431 military students and instructors was surveyed seven times over a period of eight weeks to gather longitudinally-based social networks data. Additionally, both instructors and students were peer-rated on their leadership performance. The results were statistically analyzed and compared to outcomes predicted by the model. The results showed partial support for the proposed model as three of six hypotheses were supported. Partial support was found for remaining hypotheses, with unique environmental factors possible impacting study results. The author proposed further study of the model to gain additional insight.

The labors of organizational and behavioral science researchers have resulted in a literature robust in the study of leadership and social networks. Empirical examination of both topics has shown significant organizational outcomes, but breadth is lacking both within and between the disciplines. Studies of leadership have seen the preponderance of the effort focused on formal leaders, while most social network studies examine only one informal structure. Moreover, there exists a paucity of studies, which have sought to examine the interrelationships between leadership and social networks. In an effort to address these voids, this thesis investigated: 1) The concurrent existence of multiple social networks, 2) How leaders, both formal and informal, are positioned within the networks, 3) How leader positions in the network change over time, 4) How network positioning affects group members' perceptions of formal leader performance, and 5) How a member's position in the network relates to peer selection as an informal leader. The Expressive-Instrumental Leadership Model, based on behavioral science theory and past empirical studies, was proposed as a means of investigation. A population of 431 military students and instructors was surveyed seven times over a period of eight weeks to gather longitudinally-based social networks data. Additionally, both instructors and students were peer-rated on their leadership performance. The results were statistically analyzed and compared to outcomes predicted by the model. The results showed partial support for the proposed model as three of six hypotheses were supported. Partial support was found for remaining hypotheses, with unique environmental factors possible impacting study results. The author proposed further study of the model to gain additional insight.

The labors of organizational and behavioral science researchers have resulted in a literature robust in the study of leadership and social networks. Empirical examination of both topics has shown significant organizational outcomes, but breadth is lacking both within and between the disciplines. Studies of leadership have seen the preponderance of the effort focused on formal leaders, while most social network studies examine only one informal structure. Moreover, there exists a paucity of studies, which have sought to examine the interrelationships between leadership and social networks. In an effort to address these voids, this thesis investigated: 1) The concurrent existence of multiple social networks, 2) How leaders, both formal and informal, are positioned within the networks, 3) How leader positions in the network change over time, 4) How network positioning affects group members' perceptions of formal leader performance, and 5) How a member's position in the network relates to peer selection as an informal leader. The Expressive-Instrumental Leadership Model, based on behavioral science theory and past empirical studies, was proposed as a means of investigation. A population of 431 military students and instructors was surveyed seven times over a period of eight weeks to gather longitudinally-based social networks data. Additionally, both instructors and students were peer-rated on their leadership performance. The results were statistically analyzed and compared to outcomes predicted by the model. The results showed partial support for the proposed model as three of six hypotheses were supported. Partial support was found for remaining hypotheses, with unique environmental factors possible impacting study results. The author proposed further study of the model to gain additional insight.

The labors of organizational and behavioral science researchers have resulted in a literature robust in the study of leadership and social networks. Empirical examination of both topics has shown significant organizational outcomes, but breadth is lacking both within and between the disciplines. Studies of leadership have seen the preponderance of the effort focused on formal leaders, while most social network studies examine only one informal structure. Moreover, there exists a paucity of studies, which have sought to examine the interrelationships between leadership and social networks. In an effort to address these voids, this thesis investigated: 1) The concurrent existence of multiple social networks, 2) How leaders, both formal and informal, are positioned within the networks, 3) How leader positions in the network change over time, 4) How network positioning affects group members' perceptions of formal leader performance, and 5) How a member's position in the network relates to peer selection as an informal leader. The Expressive-Instrumental Leadership Model, based on behavioral science theory and past empirical studies, was proposed as a means of investigation. A population of 431 military students and instructors was surveyed seven times over a period of eight weeks to gather longitudinally-based social networks data. Additionally, both instructors and students were peer-rated on their leadership performance. The results were statistically analyzed and compared to outcomes predicted by the model. The results showed partial support for the proposed model as three of six hypotheses were supported. Partial support was found for remaining hypotheses, with unique environmental factors possible impacting study results. The author proposed further study of the model to gain additional insight.

This paper reports on a study designed to investigate how white college students' naive beliefs about affirmative action admission policies might negatively influence the likelihood of their interacting with their black student peers. It was noted that many institutions are not open about exactly how their affirmative action admissions policies work with the consequence that white students do not understand and make incorrect assumptions about how affirmative action students were admitted. Using a program of experimental research for testing variants of the social distance hypothesis, two studies were carried out. The first study measured white students' beliefs about student racial ambivalence and found that students who believed that affirmative action students were underqualified showed reluctance to associate with black students. In the second experiment students were organized by levels of racial ambivalence and by beliefs about beneficiaries' qualifications with results showing that white students chose to associate with black students more if they believed that they were qualified. Overall, the findings indicated that the formation of informal groups was influenced by procedure-based beliefs about the extent to which affirmative action leads to the selection of qualified or unqualified black students. Included are 4 tables and 29 references. (JB)

A survey of informal learning among 318 teachers and HRD professionals was conducted. Analysis of the data found that teachers rely to a greater extent on interactive informal learning activities while HRD professionals rely to a greater extent on independent learning activities. Data analysis also found that six environmental factors inhibit engagement in informal learning and seven personal characteristics enhance motivation to participate in informal learning. Implications for HRD theory, research, and practice are discussed. (Contains 1 table.)

A survey of informal learning among 318 teachers and HRD professionals was conducted. Analysis of the data found that teachers rely to a greater extent on interactive informal learning activities while HRD professionals rely to a greater extent on independent learning activities. Data analysis also found that six environmental factors inhibit engagement in informal learning and seven personal characteristics enhance motivation to participate in informal learning. Implications for HRD theory, research, and practice are discussed. (Contains 1 table.)

A survey of informal learning among 318 teachers and HRD professionals was conducted. Analysis of the data found that teachers rely to a greater extent on interactive informal learning activities while HRD professionals rely to a greater extent on independent learning activities. Data analysis also found that six environmental factors inhibit engagement in informal learning and seven personal characteristics enhance motivation to participate in informal learning. Implications for HRD theory, research, and practice are discussed. (Contains 1 table.)

The principles of group development, formation of group structure, and functioning of informal, natural groups as a background and context for the study of the behavior of formal organizations are reviewed. It is the first of five literature reviews of scientific investigations of group behavior, isolation, and stress, focused on the problems of organization, management, supervision, and human relations at AC+W sites in the Alaskan Air Command. Emphasis is placed here on the basic processes of group formation, development of group structure, social power (and leadership), communication of information, and group norms as regulators of behavior. Implications for military commanders are discussed from the view-point that the military commander, at every level, is an appointed leader who must exploit principles of human behavior effectively in order fully to realize his role and accomplish his mission.

This paper presents a methodological discussion of the potential and challenges of involving mobile eye tracking technology in studies of knowledge generation and learning in a science centre context. The methodological exploration is based on eye-tracking studies of audience interaction and knowledge generation in the technology-enhanced health promotion exhibition PULSE at a science centre in Copenhagen, Denmark. The current study is part of the larger PULSE project, which aims to develop innovative health promotion activities where a science centre exhibition is a key setting. The primary target groups were families with children age 6-12 years and school classes with students from 4th to 6th grade. The main purpose of the study was to understand the methodological potential and challenges mobile eye tracking comprises during the different stages of research on informal e-learning in a science centre context utilising digital platforms to enhance informal learning and interaction. The paper presents how eye-tracking methods influence research on: 1) an interventional level: what role eye tracking and eye-tracking equipment plays in interventions; 2) a data level: what new types of data eye-tracking methods specifically contribute; and 3) an analytical level: how analysis of eye tracking can supplement and contribute to other analytical approaches. Finally, the article discusses how the methodological approach presented invites consideration of other ways of understanding how users experience technology-enhanced exhibitions.

A survey was conducted to compare the informal workplace learning (IWL) experiences of three professional groups (information technologists, school teachers, and HRD professionals). Data analysis found that the three groups use interactive more than independent IWL activities. Five environmental factors inhibited engagement and nine personal characteristics enhanced engagement in IWL. Implications of these findings for theory, practice, and research in IWL are discussed. (Contains 4 tables.)