THE AFFECTIVE ESTABLISHMENT AND MAINTENANCE OF VYGOTSKY'S ZONE OF PROXIMAL DEVELOPMENT

A bstract .  Many recent articles, research papers, and conference presentations about Lev Vygotsky's zone of proximal development (ZPD) emphasize the "extended" version of the ZPD that reflects human emotions and desires. In this essay, Michael G. Levykh expands on the extant literature on the ZPD through developing several new ideas. First, he maintains that there is no need to expand ZPD to include emotions, as its more "conservative" dimensions (cognitive, social, cultural, and historical) already encompass affective features. Second, Levykh emphasizes that an emotionally positive collaboration between teachers and students in a caring and nurturing environment must be created from the outset. Finally, he asserts that culturally developed emotions must mediate successful establishment and maintenance of the ZPD in order to be effective. According to Levykh, Vygotsky's notion that learning can lead development represents a crucial contribution to our understanding of teaching and learning by clearly showing that emotions are vital to human learning and development.     

A META‐ANALYSIS OF THE PREDICTORS OF CYBERBULLYING PERPETRATION AND VICTIMIZATION

Previous studies so far have investigated various aspects of cyberbullying. Using meta‐analytic approaches, the study was primarily to determine the target factors predicting individuals’ perpetration and victimization in cyberbullying. A meta‐analysis of 77 studies containing 418 primary effect sizes was conducted to exam the relative magnitude of demographic, individual, and contextual predictors. Several study characteristics (i.e., sample age, sample gender, study location, publication status, and publication year) were further analyzed as moderators. The results showed the average effect size of each predictor for both cyberbully and cybervictim groups. Several significant shared and unique predictors were identified as important factors for designing effective prevention and intervention programs. The implications of the findings for future research were discussed in relation to interventions on cyberbullying.     

A NEGLECTED COMPONENT OF NURTURING GIFTEDNESS: AFFECTIVE DEVELOPMENT

Research on giftedness and programs for fostering its development often neglect the affective component: the social, emotional and personal components which release (or block) a person's abilities. One problem of gifted children is that their accelerated intellectual development may outstrip affective development. Nonetheless, available research findings paint a positive picture of the social‐emotional characteristics of such children. Among other things they tend to be highly motivated, have a positive self‐concept and be particularly sensitive to social and ethical issues. This suggests that designers of learning experiences should pay greater attention to the affective aspects of instruction. All subject areas offer opportunities for stressing the affective dimension, science as much as literature. This involves creating a classroom climate which offers an “invitational” environment. The highly developed social values of gifted children suggest that they can be encouraged to apply their talents to the solution of the myriad problems with which contemporary society is afflicted.     

CHILD‐CENTERED PLAY THERAPY IN THE SCHOOLS: REVIEW AND META‐ANALYSIS

The authors conducted a meta‐analysis and systematic review that examined 23 studies evaluating the effectiveness of child centered play therapy (CCPT) conducted in elementary schools. Meta‐analysis results were explored using a random effects model for mean difference and mean gain effect size estimates. Results revealed statistically significant effects for outcome constructs, including externalizing problems (d = 0.34), internalizing problems (d = 0.21), total problems (d = 0.34), self‐efficacy (d = 0.29), academic (d = 0.36), and other behaviors (d = 0.38). Further, a systematic review was conducted on all studies compared with Outcome Research Coding Protocol criteria. Results indicated that CCPT studies provided quantitative support and qualitatively promising to strong evidence in support of its use in the schools.     

THE DEVELOPMENT OF A COMPETENCE SCALE FOR LEARNING SCIENCE: INQUIRY AND COMMUNICATION

The objective of this study was to develop an instrument to measure school students’ competence in learning science as part of a large research project in Taiwan. The instrument consisted of 29 self-report, Likert-type items divided into 2 scales: Competence in Scientific Inquiry and Competence in Communication. The Competence in Scientific Inquiry scale contained 4 subscales: presenting questions and hypothesis, planning, experimenting and data gathering, and data analyzing, interpreting, and concluding. The Competence in Communication scale contained 4 subscales: expressing, evaluating, responding, and negotiating. Students were recruited randomly from primary, junior, and senior high schools in different regions of Taiwan to validate the instrument and establish its reliability and validity. The results of the analyses indicate that the instrument, scales, and subscales have reasonable internal consistency; that the theoretical structure was supported by empirical data; and that the subscales are homogeneous. These results indicate that it is an appropriate tool for measuring students’ competence in learning science. Implications and suggestions for further studies are included.     

THE INQUIRY SCIENCE IMPLEMENTATION SCALE: DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATIONS

Instruments for evaluating the implementation of inquiry science in K-12 classrooms are necessary if evaluators and researchers are to know the extent to which programs are implemented as intended and the extent to which inquiry science teaching accounts for student learning. For evaluators and researchers to be confident about the quality of these instruments, information about their development and validation—particularly about teacher self-report instruments—must be available. In this article, we present the Inquiry Science Implementation Scale, describe the instrument’s development and the results of analyses of the validity and reliability of data collected with it, and discuss the possible uses of the instrument.     

THE AFFECTIVE LEARNING PROCESS AND GIFTEDNESS

Learning for mastery is a time and energy consuming process that involves different types of cognitive processes and, above all, goal directed behaviour. The cognitive system is designed for knowledge and skill acquisition, but, as several researchers have pointed out, learning is also facilitated or hampered by emotions, moods and feelings. The emotion system is conceptualized as a more primitive processing system that uses gross discriminators to identify quickly problematic and nonproblematic situations. In the last few decades, students’ goal directed behaviour, their emotions and moods, their appraisals and attitudes have been studied extensively, and it has become clear that most students have a strong desire to control their environment, but also to increase their resources and to conserve energy. A framework for studying affective learning processes is outlined, and three key findings to help readers organize their reading on the affective learning process are presented.     

THE RELATION OF SCALE FINENESS TO GRADE ACCURACY

The use of broad categories in grading is likely to increase the relative amount of error present in the measures on which the grades are based. This is true regardless of the degree of inaccuracy of those measures. An example to illustrate this generalization and an explanation of its basis in psychometric theory are presented.     

A SCALE FOR THE MEASUREMENT OF LATERAL DOMINANCE

A 36 item performance test which assesses the degree of lateral dominance in each of four individual modes is described.     

TOWARD AN AFFECTIVE OUTCOME OF HIGHER EDUCATION

A test was developed for measuring the ability of college students to analyze emotional and nonemotional subject matter. The rationale for the test was that students should become able to analyze material more objectively as they pass through the 4 years of college. Results of convergent and discriminant validation indicated that subject responses to "emotional" items appeared to change at an increasing rate with years in college, while responses to nonemotional items did not. Lack of correlation of the test with cognitive materials, adequate internal reliability, and performance consistent with expectations gave support to the construct, labeled "analytical objectivity." Initial structuring of a nomological net for support of the validity of the construct was achieved.     

梯度折射率光学的发展现状

阐述了梯度折射率光学的发展历史以及目前的应用状况。     

FACILITATING THE DEVELOPMENT OF TALENTS

World class pioneering achievements are a nation's most valuable asset. They arise from the efforts of talents‐people of extraordinary ability. The vital task of fostering the emergence of such talents requires a concentrated effort covering the entire lifespan. Significant factors are parents, contemporaries and teachers as well as media, the societal atmosphere and contact with great social and scientific issues. These must act together to produce talents with not only the ability but also the dedication to achieve.