Science education research and cognitive science

Cognitive science has the potential for offering explanatory models for many of the findings of empirical research in science education. In this paper, I use recent editions of international journals of science education to produce a categorisation of types of science education research, and what possible contributions each might make to cognitive science or the potential of results from cognitive science for enriching the science education research accounts. In a short, final section, the relationship of our own cognitive work to cognitive science is explored.     

Changes in education in the U.K. and Australia: Common imperatives,predictable outcomes

This paper draws comparisons between the U.K. and Australia (with particular reference to New South Wales) with regard to proposals to a changed school curriculum together with proposed changes in Higher Education. The authors note that the content of the proposed common core curriculum in U.K. schools is very similar to the New South Wales proposal. Further there seems to be little change in the U.K. at least from what was offered there in 1904. In looking at the parallels between the two education systems it is suggested by the authors that there is a hidden agenda particularly in the U.K. Does this hold for Australia as well? The implication is that Australia is following this path. The authors conclude that a divided society is too high a price for us to pay in Australia.     

U.K. research into school costs and resources

Detailed research into school costs and resources at the level of individual schools has been carried out in the areas of four English Local Education Authorities, and statistical relationships investigated. Inequalities in funding and resource allocation between individual secondary schools are shown to be a matter for continuing and serious concern.     

The importance of mature,part-time students to higher education in the U.K.

This paper assesses the contribution made by mature part-time students to the statistics on higher education. It shows that part-time numbers currently account for approximately 40% of total student numbers in the UK, 33% of university students, (mostly in the Open University) and 43% of the total in polytechnics and colleges, (1989–90 figures). The majority are mature people, over 25 years of age, who combine both education and employment. The principal change over the past ten years has been the increasing proportion of women, who now form more than 44% of the total number of students and 42% of the part-time total. A theoretical analysis is carried out, using the Human Capital model, which shows that part-time higher education might produce significant rates of return, both to the individual and society. It is noted that most of the research efforts in the UK, into the benefits of higher education, have concentrated on young, 18–21 year olds, who study full-time, and that current government policy is primarily concerned with improving the participation rate of this age group. This paper concludes that there is sufficient evidence to warrant a more thorough investigation of the costs and benefits of part-time study and suggests that there is considerable potential for expansion in this area.     

Resources,models, and theory in the improvement of research in science education

Research in science education is an interdisciplinary effort, fully meriting the allocation of university resources and the serious effort of able scholars.     

Mastering cognitive development theory in computer science education

To design an effective computer science curriculum, educators require a systematic method of classifying the difficulty level of learning activities and assessment tasks. This is important for curriculum design and implementation and for communication between educators. Different educators must be able to use the method consistently, so that classified activities and assessments are comparable across the subjects of a degree, and, ideally, comparable across institutions. One widespread approach to supporting this is to write learning objects in terms of Bloom’s Taxonomy. This, or other such classifications, is likely to be more effective if educators can use them consistently, in the way experts would use them. To this end, we present the design and evaluation of our online interactive web-based tutorial system, which can be configured and used to offer training in different classification schemes. We report on results from three evaluations. First, 17 computer science educators complete a tutorial on using Bloom’s Taxonomy to classify programming examination questions. Second, 20 computer science educators complete a Neo-Piagetian tutorial. Third evaluation was a comparison of inter-rater reliability scores of computer science educators classifying programming questions using Bloom’s Taxonomy, before and after taking our tutorial. Based on the results from these evaluations, we discuss the effectiveness of our tutorial system design for teaching computer science educators how to systematically and consistently classify programming examination questions. We also discuss the suitability of Bloom’s Taxonomy and Neo-Piagetian theory for achieving this goal. The Bloom’s and Neo-Piagetian tutorials are made available as a community resource. The contributions of this paper are the following: the tutorial system for learning classification schemes for the purpose of coding the difficulty of computing learning materials; its evaluation; new insights into the consistency that computing educators can achieve using Bloom; and first insights into the use of Neo-Piagetian theory by a group of classifiers.     

Science teaching based on cognitive load theory: Engaged students,but cognitive deficiencies

To improve science learning under demanding conditions, we designed an out-of-school lesson in compliance with cognitive load theory (CLT). We extracted student clusters based on individual effectiveness, and compared instructional efficiency, mental effort, and persistence of learning. The present study analyses students’ engagement. 50.0% of our sample (n = 250, 5th–8th graders) showed satisfying results, 11.2% were not motivated; 38.8% had difficulties to cope with the learning situation. Presumably, most of them had problems in identifying relevant contents, some were precarious about their capabilities. We suppose that those students may have improved performance with extended active support. We may advance future research on guidance in CLT, and its integration in the field of science education.     

Comparison of measures of organisational effectiveness in U.K. higher education

This paper is part of a program to study organisational effectiveness in higher educational institutions in the UK and Australia, and to compare the results with work conducted by Cameron (1981, 1986) in the USA. Cameron's work empirically derived and confirmed nine effectiveness dimensions and offered a typology of four institutional groups. In the UK, following surveys of the perceptions of senior academics and administrators concerning their own institutions, Lysons and Hatherly (1992, 1996) obtained results highly consistent with those of Cameron, and their analysis also supported a typology of four groups, namely classical redbrick universities, former polytechnics, former colleges of technology and 60's greenfield universities.An important further issue is the external validity of such effectiveness research particularly when discriminating between various categories of institutions. This paper uses data derived independently of the perceptual survey data to predict and confirm the taxonomy of four institutional groups already established in the prior UK research. These data come from the research ratings of the Universities Funding Council (UFC) and the Times Good University Guide. The Times data includes objective statistical data about each institution whilst the UFC ratings are based on the expert judgements of research assessment panels with representation from a range of institutions.The typology of four institutional groupings confirmed by the data analysed in this paper is consistent with the competing values explanations for organisational taxonomies (Quinn and Rohrbaugh 1983; Lysons 1993).     

Catastrophe theory in higher education research

The purpose of this research is to consider the applicability of catastrophe theory to research in higher education. The review of the literature concentrates on those efforts in which the variables and their use have an analogy to higher education. Several problems which typically appear in the literature are presented in a theoretical framework, and a catastrophe theory model is attempted for each. In this way the researchers were able to consider the fundamental assumptions about a given problem and its variables and to assess, at a theoretical level, whether catastrophe theory might be an appropriate tool for analysis.Presented at the Twenty-First Annual Forum of The Association for Institutional Research, Minneapolis, May 1981.     

From expectancy-value theory to situated expectancy-value theory: A developmental,social cognitive,and sociocultural perspective on motivation

Eccles and colleagues’ expectancy-value theory of achievement choice has guided much research over the last 40+ years. In this article, we discuss five “macro” level issues concerning the theory. Our broad purposes in taking this approach are to clarify some issues regarding the current status of the theory, make suggestions for next steps for research based in the theory, and justify our decision to call the theory Situated Expectancy-Value Theory (SEVT). First, we note how visual representations of the model make it appear static, linear, and monolithic, something that was not intended from its inception. Second, we discuss definitions of the major psychological constructs in the model, focusing on our and others’ elaboration of the task value component, particularly the “cost” component. In this section we also discuss research on the development of expectancies and values. Third, we discuss the often-neglected middle part of the model focused on how individuals understand and interpret their own performance as well as the many messages they receive from different socializers regarding their activity participation and performance. In the fourth section we discuss the situative and culturally-focused aspects of the model, stressing the impact of the situation and cultural background on children’s developing expectancy and value hierarchies. The fifth issue (one that we mention in several of the previous sections) concerns the importance of understanding the development of individuals’ hierarchies of expectancies of success and subjective task values and how they relate to performance, choice, and engagement.     

美、澳、英专业博士教育模式浅论

通过介绍美国、澳大利亚和英国现代专业博士教育模式,揭示三个国家在专业博士教育模式方面的特色,提出这三个国家专业博士教育模式对我国开展专业博士教育的启示。     

Signs in the U.K

同学们都知道,"Keep off the grass!"是一种sign,在这里,sign的意思是"告示,牌示",其英文释义是:anotice or mark to give information,instructions or a warning.平时同学们如果能注意收集各种signs,那是一件很有意义的事情。下面我就把在英国伦敦和剑桥收集到的各类signs介绍如下。(划横线的可看注解)一、In the underground 1.Way out→ 2.Emergency exit 3.Emergency stairs 4.This staircase has 125 steps.Don't,use the stairsexcept in an emergency. 5.If you see fire or smoke ①Operate the fire alarm.No sound will be heardbut the Fire Brigade will be called. ②Tell any staff member the location of fire or smoke     

Ethnography,case study,grounded theory,and distance education research

The purpose of the paper is to encourage researchers in distance education to utilize, when appropriate, methodologies successfully used by sociologists and anthropologists. Specifically, the main strengths and weaknesses of ethnography, case study, and grounded theory are discussed. It is argued that these methods can improve the quality of conceptualization and theoretical development in research, thus contributing to the development of distance education as an academic discipline.