This project consisted of a meta-analysis of U.S. research published from 1980 to 2004 on the effect of specific science teaching strategies on student achievement. The six phases of the project included study acquisition, study coding, determination of intercoder objectivity, establishing criteria for inclusion of studies, computation of effect sizes for statistical analysis, and conducting the analyses. Studies were required to have been carried out in the United States, been experimental or quasi-experimental, and must have included effect size or the statistics necessary to calculate effect size. Sixty-one studies met the criteria for inclusion in the meta-analysis. The following eight categories of teaching strategies were revealed during analysis of the studies (effect sizes in parentheses): Questioning Strategies (0.74); Manipulation Strategies (0.57); Enhanced Material Strategies (0.29); Assessment Strategies (0.51); Inquiry Strategies (0.65); Enhanced Context Strategies (1.48); Instructional Technology (IT) Strategies (0.48); and Collaborative Learning Strategies (0.95). All these effect sizes were judged to be significant. Regression analysis revealed that internal validity was influenced by Publication Type, Type of Study, and Test Type. External validity was not influenced by Publication Year, Grade Level, Test Content, or Treatment Categories. The major implication of this research is that we have generated empirical evidence supporting the effectiveness of alternative teaching strategies in science. ß

Purpose:The goal of this first-of-its-kind qualitative study was to examine the awareness, attitudes, and experiences among parents of autistic children regarding autism genetic testing. Methods:We conducted in-depth, individual, and semistructured interviews with 42 parents of autistic children with diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds. All interviews were audio-taped, transcribed, and coded into major themes and subthemes.Results: Approximately one-quarter of participants had two or more autistic children, and about half of them were ethnic/racial minorities. The majority of participants postulated favorable attitudes toward autism genetic testing for three main reasons: early intervention and treatment, identifying the etiology of autism, and informed family planning. Nevertheless, among parents who had taken their children for genetic testing, some expressed frustration and questioned the competency of their providers in interpreting test results. Asian parents and those with a low socioeconomic status expressed lower awareness and tended to have more limited access to autism genetic testing. Conclusion:As health-care providers play a vital role in providing genetic services and education, these professionals should be educated and be sensitive to the needs of parents with autistic children. Further quantitative research is required to examine the effects of socio-demographic factors on parents' awareness, attitudes, and experiences regarding autism genetic testing. Genet Med 2013:15(4):274-281

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In Taiwan, autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are an emerging public health concern. The ongoing scientific progress for understanding the genetic etiology of ASD makes it increasingly important to examine how parents of children with ASD perceive the causes and recurrence risk of having another child with ASD. These perceptions may influence their family planning, attitudes toward genetic services, and willingness to take their children for ASD genetic testing. However, previous studies addressing this issue were conducted primarily in Western countries. As culture might shape an individual's views of genetic/genomic disorders, this first-of-its-kind study examined the perceptions of the genetic etiology for ASD and the recurrence risk among Taiwanese parents of children affected with ASD. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted among 39 parents having at least one child with ASD. Although the majority of participants believed that ASD has a genetic link, less than half perceived genetic factors as the cause of their own child's ASD. Moreover, most participants articulated their recurrence risk incorrectly. Some parents were concerned about their doctors' limited genomic competencies. To provide parents with better education, counseling, and support for making reproductive decisions, ASD-related genomic education among Taiwanese physicians is needed.

Background: Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) represent a complex group of neurodevelopment and mental disorders. Currently, the etiologies for ASDs are unclear. Consequently, it is important to assess the perceptions of ASDs among parents of affected children, as their perceptions can impact parent-child bonding, disease prognosis and treatment, subsequent education and living environment of the affected child, and interactions with health professionals. The majority of available research regarding parental perceptions of ASDs has been conducted in the Western countries. Given that culture plays an important role in parents' views regarding the causes of ASDs, this study aims to examine perceptions of the etiology of ASDs among parents in Taiwan -an Asian country strongly influenced by the Chinese culture.Methods: Participants were recruitment through ASDs organizations in Taiwan. In-depth interviews were performed with 31 mothers and 8 fathers who had at least one child diagnosed with ASDs. All interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and subsequently analyzed via content analysis.Results: The themes of ASDs etiologies identified by participants from the highest to the lowest frequencies were: genetics (n=30; 76.9%), problems during mother's pregnancy (n=18; 46.2%), complications/situations during delivery (n=13; 33.3%), vaccination (n=11; 28.2%), environmental pollutions (n=10; 25.6%), children's non-ASDs related health problems and unintended injuries (n=9; 23.1%), parenting style (n=7; 17.9%), parents' occupation (n=7; 17.9%), spiritual or religious factors (n=6; 15.4%), children's diet (n=2; 5.1%), maternal age at the time of pregnancy (n=1; 2.6%), and children's use of traditional Chinese medicine (n=1; 2.6%).Discussion: Taiwanese parents held diverse views on the causes of ASDs. Overall, parental beliefs were based on culture, scientific evidence/research and uninformed non-scientific views. Our results may help health professionals and researchers identify gaps in parents' knowledge of ASDs and understand commonly held misperceptions about the causes of ASDs. Further, findings generated from this qualitative research may serve as the foundation for a research instrument to survey beliefs regarding the causes of ASDs among larger samples of Taiwanese parents who have children affected by ASDs.