On the relationship between solution strategies in two mental rotation tasks

Individual differences in solution strategies have frequently been reported for different measures of mental rotation (MR) ability. In the present study (N = 346 German students), we investigated the relationship between solution strategies on two tests commonly used to identify different patterns of strategies: the Mental Rotations Test (MRT; Vandenberg & Kuse, 1978; Peters, Laeng, Lathan, Jackson, Zaiouna, & Richardson, 1995) and the Cube Comparison Test (CCT; Amthauer, 1953; Amthauer, Brocke, Liepmann, & Beauducel, 2001). The results revealed high convergent validity of the solution strategy assignment. Individuals using analytic (holistic) strategies on the MRT tended to use analytic (holistic) strategies also on the CCT. More females than males were identified as users of analytic solution strategies on the MRT. In addition, males tended to generally show a faster performance than did females. Our findings suggest that solution strategies in MR generalize across different tasks and are not an artifact of a particular test.     

学习者在线学习倾向的研究

病因的Margaret Martinez等人在1997-1999的研究中,提出了在线学习倾向这一概念,并将它分成了四种类型:变通型、实干型、顺应型和逆反型。Martinez等人认为在线学习者的学习倾向是引起个体学习差异的主要因素,它是影响学习差异的最外层,正因为学习倾向不同,才使得人们的学习偏好、学习风格、学习能力和认知等方面的不同。本研究旨在通过本地化问卷调查,从心理纬度调查我国在线学习者的在线学习情感投入度、在线学习策略及自治力等方面的情况,并以此求证Martinez等人的在线学习倾向模型是否符合我国在线学习者的实际情况,用以指导网络学习环境的分析、设计、开发、实施和评估工作,为建立“以学习者为主体”的个性化的在线学习环境提供理论依据和实践指导。     

PROBING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PROCESS OF SPATIAL PROBLEMS SOLVING AND SCIENCE LEARNING: AN EYE TRACKING APPROACH

There were two purposes in the study. One was to explore the cognitive activities during spatial problem solving and the other to probe the relationship between spatial ability and science concept learning. Twenty university students participated in the study. The Purdue Visualization of Rotations Test (PVRT) was used to assess the spatial ability, whose items were divided into different types of problems with respect to the rotation angles and levels of plane invisibility. The eye tracking technology and the interview technique were employed to analyze subjects’ the online cognitive processes and problem solving strategies. Students’ concept gains were examined by content analysis after reading a science report. The result shows that, first, the interview analysis shows that students of different PVRT performances employed different problem solving strategies. Second, rotation angles as well as levels of plane invisibility inserted significant effects on the online processes and performances of the spatial problem solving. Third, the accuracy performance of PVRT was correlated with eye movement patterns. At last, it was found that concept performance was not correlated with PVRT performance but associated with spatial memory and problem solving strategies.     

Cultural cognition and climate change education in the U.S.: why consensus is not enough

Abstract

Integrating climate change into environmental education programs and formal science classrooms can be difficult, as the issue remains controversial and highly politicized among the American public. This study proposes that the same cultural values that shape worldview differences and divide public opinion on anthropogenic climate change will influence if and how science educators support education on the topic. An online survey with quantitative and qualitative measures was distributed among science educators in the southeastern United States to test what, if any, impact cultural cognition has on their opinions about climate change education. The results suggest that respondents’ cultural values have a significant influence on their intentions to support climate change education and preferences for curricula content. The findings also suggest potential avenues for the field of environmental education to develop climate change materials that may help decrease unintentional biases among science educators and more effectively engage their support in teaching its causes and potential solutions regardless of worldview differences.     

Teacher autonomy and responsibility variation and association with student performance in Didaktik and curriculum traditions

The primary objective of the study was to empirically test theoretical claims made about differences between Didaktik and curriculum traditions concerning teacher autonomy (TA) and teacher responsibility (TR). It tests the hypothesis that TA and TR are higher among Didaktik than curriculum countries. The second objective was to explore associations of TA and responsibility measures with students’ science performance? Nationally representative data from 2009 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), collected through a two-step random selection process were used. For TA individual items Mann–Whitney rank-sum test was employed, while a difference of proportion test was used for TR items to examine the differences. Hierarchical linear modelling (HLM) was used to examine association of TA and TR items with students’ science performance in PISA 2009. Overall and contrary to the initial hypothesis, teachers in curriculum countries enjoy both more autonomy and responsibility than teachers in Didaktik countries, but differences were substantively weak. Furthermore, within-country associations of autonomy and responsibility measures with students’ science performance were found in a few countries. Further research is recommended to address TA and responsibility and complexities that accompany them in current stakeholder-crowded school contexts.     

The Development of the Motivation for Critical Reasoning in Online Discussions Inventory (MCRODI)

Abstract

This study was conducted to develop an inventory that measures students' motivation to engage in critical reasoning in online discussions. Inventory items were developed based on theoretical frameworks and then tested on 168 participants. Using exploratory factor analysis, test–retest reliability, and internal consistency, twenty-two items were selected for the Motivation for Critical Reasoning in Online Discussions Inventory. Six motivational constructs were supported: Interest and Enjoyment, Normative Goals, Outcome Goals, Implicit Theories, Self-Efficacy Perception, and Finishing Requirements. The inventory can be used by other researchers or online instructors to collect students' motivational data to investigate strategies to promote student motivation in online discussions.     

Index of science reading awareness: An interactive-constructive model,test verification,and grades 4–8 results

The purpose of this study was to develop and verify the Index of Science Reading Awareness (ISRA) based on a model of an efficient, successful interactive-constructive science reader and three independent metacognitive awareness domains. Several researchers have noted the need for efficient, reliable, and valid measures of metacognition. ISRA data collected on 532 students (Grades 4–8) were analyzed using factor analyses, linear structural modeling, and analyses of variance (ANOVAs) to help verify the model and the test. The factor analyses and linear structural modeling indicated that these data did not support the assumption about the three independent metacognitive awareness domains, but suggested that the model and the test were structured around the design features of science reading, science text, and science reading strategies. One-way ANOVAs indicated significant, predicted reading ability and gender differences but unexpected grade-level differences. The composite metacognitive awareness data indicated that most Grade 4–8 students have surface knowledge about science reading, science text, and science reading strategies, and indicated specific targets for explicit science reading instruction. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 35: 27-51, 1998.     

Motivation and strategy use in science: Individual differences and classroom effects

This study examines individual and classroom-level differences in motivation and strategy usage in sixth- and seventh-grade middle school science. Results suggest that students who experience academic difficulties differ from both high achieving and special education students on measures of self-efficacy, goal orientation, expectancy, value, and self-concept of ability in science, with students who experience academic difficulties occasionally demonstrating less adaptive patterns of motivation and cognition than special education students in science. We used hierarchical linear modeling to examine between-classroom differences in learning-focused goal orientation. Findings indicate that students who have science teachers that use ability-focused instructional practices (e.g., pointing out the best students as an example to others) are less learning focused, and exhibit a diminished relation between self-concept of ability and being learning focused in science. Implications for science education reform are discussed.     

The Effect of Including Pretest Items in an Operational Computerized Adaptive Test: Do Different Ability Examinees Spend Different Amounts of Time on Embedded Pretest Items?

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of pretest items on response time in an operational, fixed-length, time-limited computerized adaptive test (CAT). These pretest items are embedded within the CAT, but unlike the operational items, are not tailored to the examinee's ability level. If examinees with higher ability levels need less time to complete these items than do their counterparts with lower ability levels, they will have more time to devote to the operational test questions. Data were from a graduate admissions test that was administered worldwide. Data from both quantitative and verbal sections of the test were considered. For the verbal section, examinees in the lower ability groups spent systematically more time on their pretest items than did those in the higher ability groups, though for the quantitative section the differences were less clear.     

Measuring Graph Comprehension,Critique, and Construction in Science

Interpreting and creating graphs plays a critical role in scientific practice. The K-12 Next Generation Science Standards call for students to use graphs for scientific modeling, reasoning, and communication. To measure progress on this dimension, we need valid and reliable measures of graph understanding in science. In this research, we designed items to measure graph comprehension, critique, and construction and developed scoring rubrics based on the knowledge integration (KI) framework. We administered the items to over 460 middle school students. We found that the items formed a coherent scale and had good reliability using both item response theory and classical test theory. The KI scoring rubric showed that most students had difficulty linking graphs features to science concepts, especially when asked to critique or construct graphs. In addition, students with limited access to computers as well as those who speak a language other than English at home have less integrated understanding than others. These findings point to the need to increase the integration of graphing into science instruction. The results suggest directions for further research leading to comprehensive assessments of graph understanding.     

Evaluating the Consistency of Test Content Across Two Successive Administrations of a State-Mandated Science Assessment

Educational tests used for accountability purposes must represent the content domains they purport to measure. When such tests are used to monitor progress over time, the consistency of the test content across years is important for ensuring that observed changes in test scores are due to student achievement rather than to changes in what the test is measuring. In this study, expert science teachers evaluated the content and cognitive characteristics of the items from 2 consecutive annual administrations of a 10th-grade science assessment. The results indicated the content area representation was fairly consistent across years and the proportion of items measuring the different cognitive skill areas was also consistent. However, the experts identified important cognitive distinctions among the test items that were not captured in the test specifications. The implications of this research for the design of science assessments and for appraising the content validity of state-mandated assessments are discussed.     

An evaluation of two approaches for teaching reading comprehension strategies in the primary years using science information texts

There are few research studies on the effects of teaching comprehension strategies to young children in the primary grades. Using a Dominant–Less Dominant Mixed Model design employing both qualitative and quantitative data collection, we evaluated two approaches for teaching comprehension strategies to 7- and 8-year-old children in four second-grade classrooms using science information texts. The first approach focused upon explicitly teaching a series of single comprehension strategies, one-at-a-time (SSI). The second approach focused on teaching a “set” or “family” of transacted comprehension strategies within a collaborative, interactive and engaging routine (TSI). Results showed no difference between teaching young children a “set” of comprehension strategies and teaching comprehension strategies explicitly, one-at-a-time on their reading comprehension performance as measured by a standardized test of reading comprehension, recall of main ideas from reading two 200 word passages from information texts, a reading motivation survey and a strategy use survey. Results showed significant differences between students taught a set of comprehension strategies on measures of elaborated knowledge acquisition from reading science books (detail idea units recalled), retention of science content knowledge, and significantly improved criterion or curriculum-based reading comprehension test scores. These benefits favoring TSI over SSI are important because the learning curve is relatively steep for teachers to develop the ability to teach and for young children to develop the ability to coordinate a “set” of transacted comprehension strategies.     

Monitoring variability and change in children’s spelling strategies

This study examined the role of variability and change in children’s strategy performance within the context of spelling. The spelling ability of 34 eight‐ to nine‐year‐olds was examined using an experimental spelling task comprising 45 items, which varied with regard to rime unit frequency. The spelling task incorporated a series of consistent, unique, and exception word items. Children were tested on the same spelling task on three separate occasions over a period of three months. Performance was examined using immediately retrospective verbal self‐reports after the presentation of every word. The findings showed that children spelt words strategically and were adaptive in their strategy selection, showing a general change from using less efficient backup strategies to using more efficient direct retrieval methods over time. Finally, while those less skilled in spelling showed a greater reliance on less efficient backup strategies, the skilled spellers mainly retrieved the correct spellings from memory. However, accuracy only improved across time intervals for each skill group when spelling unique word items. Overall, the findings illustrate the benefits of using a detailed microgenetic approach to assess the progress children make in learning to spell.     

The effect of test expectations on study strategies and test performance: a metacognitive perspective

The aim of the present study was to investigate whether university students can adjust their study strategies to meet the cognitive demands of testing; a metacognitive self‐regulatory skill. One hundred and fifty undergraduates attended three lectures as part of a course on the psychology of individual differences. These participants were then assigned randomly to each of two groups. In the first group, the participants were instructed to study for a test that required deep‐level cognitive processing. In the second group, the participants were instructed to study for a test that required surface‐level cognitive processing. Results of the study showed that university students do adjust their study strategies so that they are in line with the cognitive processing demands of testing. It was also found that study strategies mediated the relationship between the type of test items expected and the test performance.     

When Is Reading Also Writing: Sources of Individual Differences on the New Reading Performance Assessments

This research examined component processes that contribute to performance on one of the new, standards-based reading tests that have become a staple in many states. Participants were 60 Grade 4 students randomly sampled from 7 classrooms in a rural school district. The particular test we studied employed a mixture of traditional (multiple-choice) and performance assessment approaches (constructed-response items that required written responses). Our findings indicated that multiple-choice and constructed-response items enlisted different cognitive skills. Writing ability emerged as an important source of individual differences in explaining overall reading ability, but its influence was limited to performance on constructed-response items. After controlling for word identification and listening, writing ability accounted for no variance in multiple-choice reading scores. By contrast, writing ability accounted for unique variance in reading ability, even after controlling for word identification and listening skill, and explained more variance in constructed-response reading scores than did either word identification or listening skill. In addition, performance on the multiple-choice reading measure along with writing ability accounted for nearly all of the reliable variance in performance on the constructed-response reading measure.     

Using Restricted Latent Class Models to Map the Skill Structure of Achievement Items

This paper presents a new method for using certain restricted latent class models, referred to as binary skills models, to determine the skills required by a set o f test items. The method is applied to reading achievement data from a nationally representative sample o f fourth-grade students and offers useful perspectives on test structure and examinee ability, distinct from those provided by other methods o f analysis. Models fitted to small, overlapping sets o f items are integrated into a common skill map, and the nature o f each skill is then inferred from the characteristics o f the items for which it is required. The reading comprehension items examined conform closely to a unidimensional scale with six discrete skill levels that range from an inability to comprehend or match isolated words in a reading passage to the abilities required to integrate passage content with general knowledge and to recognize the main ideas o f the most difficult passages on the test.     

Item-Level Comparative Analysis of Online and Paper Administrations of the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills

This article describes a comparative study conducted at the item level for paper and online administrations of a statewide high stakes assessment. The goal was to identify characteristics of items that may have contributed to mode effects. Item-level analyses compared two modes of the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) for up to four subjects at two grade levels. The analyses included significance tests of p-value differences, DIF, and response distributions for each item. Additional analyses investigated item position effects and objective-level mode differences. No evidence of item position effects emerged, but significant differences were found for several items and objectives in all subjects at grade 8 and in mathematics and English language arts (ELA) at grade 11. Differences generally favored the paper group. ELA items that were longer in passage length and math items that required graphing and geometric manipulations or involved scrolling in the online administration tended to be the items showing mode differences.     

Classroom Discussions with Student‐Led Feedback: a Useful Activity to Enhance Development of Critical Thinking Skills

ABSTRACT: Critical thinking skills (CTS) are the core learning outcome measures for higher education. Generally, CTS are not extensively developed or practiced during primary and secondary education. As such, early cultivation of CTS is essential for mastery prior to collegiate matriculation. Weekly engagement in 50 min of classroom discussion with student feedback (CDSF) was utilized to develop the CTS of students in an introductory food science course at Purdue Univ. Students' critical thinking ability was assessed longitudinally over a 16‐wk semester using the ACT‐CAAP? (Collegiate Assessment of Academic Proficiency) critical thinking test. The ACT‐CAAP measures the students' ability to analyze, evaluate, and extend an argument described in a short passage. We hypothesized that the implementation of CDSF for 16 wk would expedite development of CTS for students enrolled in the course. The CDSF intervention significantly increased critical thinking ability for non‐native English speaking students as compared to native English speaking students. Students who were classified as sophomore status or above when compared to freshmen and students enrolled as food science majors when compared to other majors also demonstrated increased critical thinking ability. Recitation size also significantly influenced critical thinking ability where students enrolled in a relatively small recitation section had elevated critical thinking when compared to the abilities of those students enrolled in a large recitation. These observations suggest that engaging students in classroom discussions with student‐led feedback is a useful instructional technique for developing CTS. Further, the data suggest the development of critical thinking skill among food science majors can be augmented when classroom discussions with student‐led feedback are conducted in smaller sized recitations.     

基于职业能力的技能人才知识、技能、素质系统化模型建模与研究

以技能人才职业能力分析为基础,提出以企业职位簇为线条,从划分工作域和工作要项入手,按等级对工作要项的知识、技能、素质要素进行分级分析,确定应掌握的知识、技能及职业素养,构建技能人才的KSA模型的策略,并以技能人才职业生涯发展为主轴设计结构化、清晰、完整的学习地图,给中职、高职及技能人才培养及职后培训提供系统化解决方案。