The purpose of this study was to examine programmatic factors that positively impact changes in elementary preservice teachers' teaching self‐efficacy beliefs. Specifically, it examined the impact of science methods courses, student teaching, and science content courses on elementary preservice teachers' science teaching self‐efficacy. The Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument Form B was administered, using a pre/post design, to undergraduate elementary education majors in specific education and science content courses. A total of 399 responses were collected, of which 172 had matching pre/post surveys suitable for analysis. Students in the science content courses and student teaching seminar showed no significant change in either the Personal Science Teaching Efficacy (PSTE) or the Science Teaching Outcome Expectancy scales during the time they were enrolled in the classes. Significant gains in PSTE were found for students enrolled in the science methods course. The specific design of the education program and methods course may be responsible for these changes.

This article presents the preliminary findings of an interview study which examined the attitudes of 248 professionals working with intravenous drug abusers in Wcst/Central Scotland.

This article presents some findings from an interview study which examined the attitudes of 82 healthcare professionals towards drug misuse and drug misusers. They represented a sub-sample of a larger study of 248 professionals working with intravenous drug misusers in west Scotland. It was thought that nurses' attitudes could affect their emotional responses and the subsequent care they gave to patients. The results suggested that staff have judgmental and punitive attitudes to drug misusers. Most respondents felt that drugs corrupt the young and that drug misusers should only be cared for in specialised units. Nearly half of all respondents regarded drug misusers as a threat to society due to HIV/AIDS and agreed that drug misusers should be compulsorily tested for HIV infection.

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This chapter describes characteristics of department chairs and identifies various tasks and challenges that they face during their time in office.