What is a p‐value?

An in‐class activity is described that can be used not only to motivate hypothesis testing, but also to understand and compute the p‐value and power in a statistical test.     

Exploring the relationship between physics-related epistemological beliefs and physics understanding

Three studies are reported that investigated the relationship between secondary school students’ physics-related epistemological beliefs and physics conceptual understanding. Study 1 involved the development of a Greek Epistemological Beliefs Evaluation Instrument for Physics (GEBEP) which was administered to 394 students (10th graders). Study 2 investigated the hypothesis that physics epistemological sophistication as measured by the GEBEP is a good predictor of physics understanding. The participants were selected from the 394 students who participated in Study 1. More specifically we selected the 10% (38) students with the highest scores in the GEBEP (high epistemological sophistication group, HES) and the 10% (38) students with the lowest GEBEP scores (low epistemological sophistication group, LES) and measured their understanding of Newton’s three laws using the Force and Motion Conceptual Evaluation instrument (FMCE) developed by Thornton and Sokoloff (1998). The results showed that the HES group had significantly higher scores in the FMCE than the LES group. Regression analysis showed that beliefs regarding the Construction and Stability of physics knowledge and the Structure of physics knowledge were good predictors of physics understanding. Study 3 re-examined the same hypothesis on a new independent sample of students. The results based on the entire sample, showed again that beliefs regarding the Construction and Stability of physics knowledge predicted physics understanding. Overall, the results suggest that sophisticated physics-related epistemological beliefs are necessary but not sufficient for physics understanding and point to the importance of taking them into consideration in physics education.     

输入输出理论下大学英语视听说的教学实践

该文从分析克拉申的“输入假设”和斯万的“输出假设”理论入手,探讨了了两种假设理论的意义,以及二者在目标语言的学习过程中是密不可分、相辅相成的关系。继而探索如何有效地运用这两种理论来指导大学英语“视听说”教学的具体实践,成功地提高学生英语语言综合能力。     

高职高专英语分级教学的语言输人假说分析

从高职高专学生不均衡英语水平现状,依据语言输入假说理论框架,进行高职英语分级教学课改研究。结合实例,报告分级教学中分级测试、分班的实施方法,及快慢班分级教学内容等。分级教学教学效果表明输入假说对于高职高专英语分级教学改革具积极指导意义,也说明分级教学更符合因材施教的教育思想,有益于提高学生英语水平与应用能力。     

“输出驱动假设”研究对驱动我国英语教学的启示

文章从英语技能课程改革提出的“输出驱动假设”研究入手,探讨了“输出驱动假设”的意蕴;分析了“输出假设”的含义;指出了“输出驱动假设”与“输出假设”的异同;浅谈了更新理念,凸显输出,增强英语教学创新力;坚持课改,搞好互动,增强课堂教学驱动力;学用结合,以用促学,增强求职就业竞争力和认清形势,审时度势,增强英语学习影响力的教学启示。     

高职日语专业听力教学改革探索

听力一直是中国的外语学习者的短板。日语专业作为大学开设的零起点语言专业,学生如何在短时间内保证听力水平不掉队是困扰广大日语教师的难题之一。尤其在高职院校,学生缺乏主动性、持续性,如何使这样的学生学好听力显得更加困难。因此,本文从探讨学生听力水平低下的原因着手,试图从听力内容的甄选、课堂教学方法的多样化、语言的输入与输出相结合等方面寻求提高学生听力水平的途径。     

Student Use of Scaffolding Software: Relationships with Motivation and Conceptual Understanding

This study was designed to theoretically articulate and empirically assess the role of computer scaffolds. In this project, several examples of educational software were developed to scaffold the learning of students performing high level cognitive activities. The software used in this study, Artemis, focused on scaffolding the learning of students as they performed information seeking activities. As 5th grade students traveled through a project-based science unit on photosynthesis, researchers used a pre-post design to test for both student motivation and student conceptual understanding of photosynthesis. To measure both variables, a motivation survey and three methods of concept map analysis were used. The student use of the scaffolding features was determined using a database that tracked students’ movement between scaffolding tools. The gain scores of each dependent variable was then correlated to the students’ feature use (time and hits) embedded in the Artemis Interface. This provided the researchers with significant relationships between the scaffolding features represented in the software and student motivation and conceptual understanding of photosynthesis. There were a total of three significant correlations in comparing the scaffolding use by hits (clicked on) with the dependent variables and only one significant correlation when comparing the scaffold use in time. The first significant correlation (r = .499, p < .05) was between the saving/viewing features hits and the students’ task value. This correlation supports the assumption that there is a positive relationship between the student use of the saving/viewing features and the students’ perception of how interesting, how important, and how useful the task is. The second significant correlation (r = 0.553, p < 0.01) was between the searching features hits and the students’ self-efficacy for learning and performance. This correlation supports the assumption that there is a positive relationship between the student use of the searching features and the students’ perception of their ability to accomplish a task as well as their confidence in their skills to perform that task. The third significant correlation (r = 0.519, p < 0.05) was between the collaborative features hits and the students’ essay performance scores. This correlation supports the assumption that there is a positive relationship between the student use of the collaborative features and the students’ ability to perform high cognitive tasks. Finally, the last significant correlation (r = 0.576, p < 0.01) was between the maintenance features time and the qualitative analysis of the concept maps. This correlation supports the assumption that there is a positive relationship between the student use of the maintenance features and student conceptual understanding of photosynthesis. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation (REC9980055). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.