What do children think as they plan their writing?

This study followed from a previous investigation into the impact of guidance given in writing tasks when six hundred eleven year olds completed writing tasks with varying content and structural support. The aim was to find if the support facilitated better writing and if the nature of the support had differing effects. The findings suggested that the support provided in the stimuli did not significantly affect performance. A qualitative study investigated the reasons why the support did not have a significant effect and explored the factors which affected children as they faced a writing task. ‘Think aloud’ strategies were used to encourage them to verbalise their thoughts as they planned a piece of writing from a given stimulus. The children were then interviewed according to a semi‐structured interview schedule and their planning sheets were also considered.     

Student self-assessment: why do they do it?

Abstract

This study explores factors that predict students’ self-assessment intentions and practices using a framework based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). A total of 1425 Hong Kong students (Primary 4 to Secondary 3) participated in this study. Students’ intentions and practices pertaining to self-assessment and the predictors of their intentions and practices were assessed with 11 self-report scales aligned to the TPB constructs. The psychometric properties of scales were examined with Rasch analysis and the relations among the variables were investigated with path analysis based on Rasch-calibrated person measures. The results showed that attitude, subjective norms, self-efficacy, and perceived controllability were statistically significant predictors on intention to self-assess, while self-efficacy and intention had significant influence on self-assessment practice. Psychological safety was also found to have relatively weak but significant impact on both self-assessment intention and practice. This study lays a foundation for future investigations on how to promote meaningful self-assessment behaviour which is crucial for self-regulated and life-long learning.     

What do special educational needs coordinators think they do?

In this article, Elizabeth Cowne presents the results of research which began as an investigation into the organisational contexts in which special educational needs coordinators (SENCOs) work, and continued as an evaluation of the outreach SENCO training accredited with the London Institute of Education. Questionnaire data was collected from course members over a three‐year period. Further research used focus groups in four London boroughs to explore SENCOs' views of their constant and emerging roles. Interviews with local education authority (LEA) officers from the same London boroughs enquired how SENCOs and their schools were supported. Findings confirmed earlier research showing the importance of management support. Where SENCOs had sufficient non‐contact time and status, they felt efficient. Taking part in the long courses enhanced confidence, skills and knowledge. The focus groups uncovered the wide variety and expanding roles held by SENCOs: the majority requiring work with pupils, parents, teachers, teaching assistants (TAs) and outside agencies. LEA support was seen as essential in maintaining this ever‐changing development.     

Mathematical problem solving by pre-school children

In this article we provide new evidence for mathematical problem-solving abilities of pre-school children. These problem-solving behaviours occurred in a study of sharing of discrete items by dealing, in which we examined the abilities of three categories of counters to solve a discrete re-distribution problem. We detail the problem solving strategies used in the context of sharing by dealing as a common action scheme of pre-school children in clinical interviews.     

党的组织部门与党的先进性建设

党的先进性是党的建设核心问题,要通过广大党员模范行动来体现.因此,党的组织部门要运用政党管理的功能对党员进行教育引导和行为约束;要通过健全的制度建设形成党的肌体的自我纯结机制,建设好一支能够适应新形势、新任务要求的高素质领导干部队伍;要不断探索改进党员教育的内容和形式,保证党员先进性教育活动的针对性和长效性,严格把好党员的“入口关”和“出口关”,从根本上提高基层党员队伍的整体素质.     

Video self-modelling: an intervention for children with behavioural difficulties

There has recently been a growth in interest in the use of video technology in the practice of educational psychologists. This research explores the effects of a video self-modelling (VSM) intervention on the behaviours of a child in mainstream education using a single case study design set within a behaviourist paradigm. VSM is a behavioural intervention that requires the participant, in this instance a six year old boy, to view a short video of himself engaging in target behaviours. Baseline and post-intervention data were collected through classroom-based observations by the researcher in order to monitor the frequencies of the target behaviours and to evaluate the effectiveness of the VSM intervention. The participant demonstrated higher frequencies of target behaviours following the intervention. The results suggest that VSM is a promising method for educational psychologists to use as a proactive approach with pupils in educational settings to improve target behaviours.     

Confusion about collusion: working together and academic integrity

An increasing emphasis on developing students' transferable skills, such as group working and IT, is creating challenges in ensuring the academic integrity of individually assessed coursework. This study investigated the frequency with which students engaged in a range of study behaviours for individual assignments, with a focus on the extent to which they exchanged information or worked in informal study groups. Over 1000 responses were gathered from students at pre‐ and post‐92 universities engaged in either business or psychology degrees. Four behavioural factors emerged from the data: trust, cooperation, use of IT and conscientious practices. Results indicated that students engage in practices relying on trust and cooperation less often than other practices, implying a concern with avoiding issues of academic misconduct. This was supported by focus group discussions where students described their strategies for working together whilst ensuring the quality and integrity of their own work. Comparisons between academic disciplines revealed that business students were more likely to engage in sharing and group‐work behaviours than psychology students, as were students at the post‐92 university. Comparisons between years found no significant differences. Recommendations are made for improving student understanding of collusion whilst still encouraging the development of skills important to employability.     

Understanding community in synchronous online learning: do perceptions match behaviours?

ABSTRACT

The community of inquiry (CoI) framework is becoming increasingly popular in online learning. The relationships among CoI constructs (cognitive, teaching and social presences) were generally investigated through surveys. However, some methodological challenges were noticed in CoI studies such as the limitations in data diversity or data verification. Hypothesising that learners’ perceptions about CoI constructs may not reflect their actual behaviours, this study matches students’ perceptions and actual behaviours reflecting the CoI constructs in an online learning setting in a synchronous online undergraduate programme. Data from CoI surveys, online discussion records and observations were comparatively discussed. The results indicated that relationships between the behaviours and perceptions about CoI constructs were quite positive and students’ perceptions about CoI constructs almost matches with their actual behaviours. Thus, the study confirmed the power of determining the interactions reflecting CoI constructs in online learning within CoI surveys. It is hoped that the study may shed a light with its contribution in providing some evidence for the question of whether conventional data collection techniques in CoI studies is required to be revisited or not.     

What do they do all day? Comprehensive evaluation of a full-day kindergarten

A comprehensive evaluation of a newly-implemented full-day kindergarten program was carried out over a 2-year period. The evaluation included documentation of program processes and outcomes, viewed from multiple perspectives, using both quantitative and qualitative methods. When compared with children in half-day kindergarten classrooms, children in full-day classrooms spent more time (in absolute and relative terms) engaged in child-initiated activities (especially learning centers), more time in teacher-directed individual work, and relatively less time in teacher-directed large groups. Parents of full-day children expressed higher levels of satisfaction with program schedule and curriculum, citing benefits similar to those expressed by teachers: more flexibility; more time for child-initiated, in-depth, and creative activities; and less stress and frustration. Kindergarten report card progress and readiness for first grade were rated significantly higher for full-day children. This study illustrates the converging validity and richness of evaluation results which are possible when a comprehensive, ecological approach is used.     

American Students’ Perspectives on Alternative Assessment: do they know it's different?

This study used the 1993 California Learning Assessment System (CLAS) Middle Grades Mathematics Performance Assessment as a platform to examine alternative assessment in actual practice in the United States. Reported here is information gathered using the CLAS regarding student attitudes and approaches toward this new type of assessment. At issue is whether students find alternative assessments to be more motivating and interesting than traditional types of tests, and whether they appreciate the difference between traditional and alternative tasks. Data were collected in 13 schools across the state of California, involving more than 800 students. Instrumentation used in data collection included student surveys as well as in‐depth student retrospective interviews. Findings suggest that students do indeed understand the differences in approaches necessitated by novel, open‐ended versus more familiar multiple‐choice tasks. In addition, student attitudes toward these two types of tasks are discussed in detail.     

农民工子女进城读书，给城市师生带来了什么

近年来大量农民工子女涌入城市学校就读,给城市师生带来了一系列影响。对教师来说,主要是带来了超负荷的教学工作负担,带来了超负荷的管理工作负担;对学生来说,主要是带来了学习质量的下降,带来了身体健康素质的下降;对于教师和学生来说,主要是带来了很大的安全隐患。推进城乡基础教育均衡发展,实现教育公平,是唯一有效的应对之道。     

Attentional and executive function behaviours in children with poor working memory

The purpose of this study was to explore the profiles of classroom behaviour relating to attention and executive functions in children with very poor working memory, and to test the hypothesis that inattentive behaviour and working memory problems co-occur. Teachers rated problem behaviours of 52 children with low working memory scores aged 5/6 and 9/10 years on teacher rating measures of attention and executive function behaviours. The majority of children with low working memory scores obtained atypically high ratings of cognitive problems/ inattentive symptoms, and were judged to have short attention spans, high levels of distractibility, problems in monitoring the quality of their work, and difficulties in generating new solutions to problems. These results extend previous findings that working memory problems and inattentive behaviour co-occur to a non-clinical sample. It is suggested that reduced working memory capacity may play a causal role in the problem behaviours of these children.     

How Russian teachers,mothers and school psychologists perceive internalising and externalising behaviours in children

This study examined the perception of children’s internalising and externalising behaviours by Russian teachers, mothers and school psychologists. The participants rated their agreement about the causes, seriousness and recommended interventions for the problem behaviour of a fictitious girl/boy described in two vignettes. Mixed ANOVAs indicated that all the respondents attributed externalising behaviours to social causes to a greater degree than internalising behaviours. Compared to mothers and psychologists, teachers perceived both types of behaviours as more serious; however, they downplayed their own role in the child’s problems. Psychological help was more popular among school psychologists than among mothers. Correlational analyses demonstrated problem- and respondent-specific associations between casual attributions and recommended interventions. Implications for educational practice are discussed.     

Using aromatherapy massage to increase shared attention behaviours in children with autistic spectrum disorders and severe learning difficulties

Children with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) characteristically display a lack of shared attention behaviours and the lack of these behaviours impacts on their ability to develop social interactions and relationships with others. Steve Solomons, assistant headteacher at Rectory Paddock School and Research Unit in the London Borough of Bromley, set out to explore these issues as an aspect of practice when he was working at St. Ann's School in the London Borough of Merton. He carried out this research as part of his MEd in special education at the University of Birmingham, for which he received the prestigious Annie Deakins prize in 2003. The aim of his study was to investigate whether aromatherapy massage could increase shared attention behaviours in a sample of four children with autistic spectrum disorders and severe learning difficulties (SLD). Aromatherapy massage was introduced into the daily timetable and children's responses were observed. The results indicate that children's shared attention behaviours increased during aromatherapy massage and that other aspects of their behaviour also changed over the course of the research. Family involvement in the study enabled these changes to be transferred from school to home. In this article, Steve Solomons explores the implications of his research for new teaching and learning opportunities for children with autistic spectrum disorders and severe learning difficulties.     

富人、名人拥有超生的特权吗？

人们似乎已经形成了这样的生育思维定势：对于80后出生的人，往往被归类为独生子女部落；对于农村80后出生的有哥哥和姐姐的人，被注入到了“超生游击队”一族；而对于城市中80后出生的有弟弟和妹妹的人，则往往被认为是富人、名人特权的产物。[第一段]     

CD-ROM talking books: what do they promise?

This study describes one teacher's use of multimedia, specifically CD-ROM talking books, in the classroom. The goal of the investigation was to reveal and analyse how a primary (Grade 3) teacher integrated CD-ROM books into her curriculum. Issues emerging from the study included how features of the software interact with features of classrooms, how patterns of instruction are affected by the infusion of technology, and how students interact with the software, and each other, while reading the CD- ROM books     

Classroom interaction patterns among teachers and emotionally disturbed children

Observational procedures were used to investigate classroom interaction patterns among direct and indirect teachers and emotionally disturbed children who were classified as conduct problems or personality problems. It was expected that initiated and respondent interaction dyads, classified as dominant, non‐direct, and nurturant modes, would be the same (reciprocal), thus creating an interaction “cycle”. The cycle concept was only partially supported; instead, initiated dominance by teachers and conduct problem children was the most influential interaction characteristic affecting the classroom environment. A discussion of teacher managerial/instructional behaviours, the impact of student behaviours, and implications for additional research are included.     

An exploration of teachers' current perceptions of children with emotional and behavioural difficulties

Difficulties exist in identifying and providing services for children with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties (SEBD). As teacher referral is an essential link in service delivery this study investigated teachers' current perceptions of SEBD by examining characteristics of children nominated by their teachers as having SEBD. While the majority of children were nominated for externalizing behaviours, teachers rated girls as having more severe externalizing difficulties than boys. In contrast, there was no significant difference between teachers' internalizing ratings of boys and girls, despite the fact that girls reported more severe depressive symptomatology. Moreover, teachers rated gender‐contrary behaviours more severely than gender‐consistent behaviours. Consistent with achievement results, teachers rated the majority of children as having moderate to severe academic difficulties. Little agreement was found between characteristics reported by teachers and children. Implications are discussed within the context of the school psychologist's role in working with teachers to increase awareness of the profile of these children.