The effect of systematic academic instruction on behavioural and academic outcomes of students with EBD

This study aims to assess the impact of systematic academic instruction on academic progress and behavioural problems of students with emotional and/or behavioural disorders (EBD) in special education. Earlier studies have noted the importance of a systematic approach as well as the significance of focusing on academic instruction instead of on behaviour. On the basis of these studies, it was hypothesised that the amount of teachers’ systematic academic instruction positively influences the academic progress of students with EBD as well as their behaviour. The amount of systematic academic instruction by teachers in daily teaching (N = 88) and the behaviour and academic progress of a sample of their students (N = 234) were measured and analysed by means of multilevel analyses. The results show a significant relationship between systematic academic instruction and academic outcomes. However, academic outcomes taking into account previous academic performance and behavioural outcomes could not be related to systematic academic instruction. Implications for research on the daily practice of special education are discussed.     

从教师角度谈新时期和谐师生关系的构建

和谐师生关系的构建有利于教学效果的优化和教学目标的完善。其中教师在和谐师生关系的构建中起到极其重要的作用。在新时期,构建和谐师生关系要从提升教师素养及转换其自身角色、树立以学生为本的教育观念两方面入手。随着教师整体素养的提高和教育观念的转变与新时期素质教育的逐步适应,和谐师生关系就会得到有效构建。     

学术分工视野中的大学教师角色分析

现代大学制度建立以后，大学教师作为知识分子的代表被认为是真理的化身、道德的榜样和社会的良心，而学术自由理念及其制度是大学教师形塑其角色行为的基础。随着学术分工制度的发展，大学教师的传统角色受到质疑，并正在发生角色的转换。     

Content-area teachers and scaffolded instruction for English language learners

Scaffolding provides content-area teachers (CATs) with an effective means to integrate language instruction into content-area instruction for English language learners (ELLs). Data for this study were derived from 33 CAT discussions while they were pursuing professional development in an American university classroom over 32 weeks. The discussions yielded 408 scaffolding statements that were coded and analyzed. The findings identified linguistic, conceptual, social and cultural scaffolding as part of the CATs’ personal practical knowledge. Also, the findings demonstrated that CATs’ knowledge of cultural scaffolding is limited in comparison to other scaffolding strategies. The findings have an impact on the nature of ELL instruction and its effectiveness.     

Why teachers find it difficult to include students with EBD in mainstream classes

In Sweden, teachers in mainstream schools show frustration and insecurity about how to organise education for inclusion and diversity. This article contributes to the understanding of how they articulate their view of the advantages and disadvantages of including students with EBD in mainstream classes. To study teachers’ understanding, an approach of discourse theory which takes inspiration from Laclau and Mouffe (1985. Hegemony and Socialist Strategy. London: Verso) was applied. The empirical material consisted of 6 focus group interviews and 37 individual interviews based on stimulus texts. According to the results, the prevailing discourses focused on the disadvantages of it. However, they were articulated differently and filled with meaning mainly by three recurring nodal points: (1) problems, (2) dilemmas and (3) impossibility. The advantages of including students with EBD in mainstream classes were only to be found in the antagonistic discourses. They were articulated in different ways but were overpowered by others and therefore failed to fix the meaning. The overall conclusion is that teachers base their understanding on both their experiences and on the policy of the Educational Act, but the pragmatic discourse of the disadvantages was hegemonic to the ideological antagonistic discourse of the advantages.     

重庆市“双师型”高职教师队伍建设问题与对策

目前重庆市“双师型”高职教师队伍建设主要存在数量紧缺、缺乏实践能力培训平台、职称评定制度不完善等问题。只有不断扩大高职院校教师来源渠道,为专任教师教学实践能力培养提供支持,同时应努力完善高职教师职称评审制度等,才能有效促进我市高职教师队伍的建设与发展。     

Examining interactive whiteboard-based instruction on the academic self-efficacy,academic press and achievement of college students*

Abstract

The study reported here examined college students’ academic self-efficacy, ‘academic press’ and learning achievement, as well as the association between these three variables within learning contexts using interactive whiteboard-based instruction. A quasi-experimental study was conducted using a sample (n = 103) of first-year college students in China. Participants were taught English by either an interactive whiteboard-based or traditional lecture-based instructional approach for three months. The results showed that the interactive whiteboard-based instructional intervention cultivated higher levels of academic press and academic self-efficacy among students and a significant, positive correlation was identified between these two variables. Students’ learning achievement was not affected by the instructional intervention. These results indicate that interactive whiteboard-based instruction offers some distinct benefits. In future work, additional research is needed to clarify how the instructional model relates to understanding learning achievement.     

大学教学的学术性及其强化策略

学术是专门的系统性学问,大学是学术生成与传播的主要场所,大学教学与科研是内在统一的,都优先服务于专门人才培养。从大学教师专业发展与教学活动来说,大学教学应以研究为基础,使教学成果呈现出创新性、专门化与可交流性等特征,体现出学术性。目前需要通过更新观念,确立大学教学学术性地位;通过加强制度建设,促进教师潜心教学;通过深化大学教学研究,增强大学教学学术性。     

浅析高校青年教师科研现状及对策

高校青年教师作为高校的主体力量和后备军,其科研水平直接关系到高校的生存与发展水平。本文通过阐述分析目前我国高校青年教师的科研现状及存在的问题,提出了三点建议。     

Personality traits of expert teachers of students with EBD: clarifying a teacher's X-factor

Teaching students with emotional and behavioural difficulties (EBD) is a challenge for many teachers in inclusive education. Much research has been done to find out what differentiates expert teachers from their less skilled colleagues. Recent evidence points to personality as an underlying core factor influencing teacher performance. In this study, the predictive value of teacher personality for teacher quality in teaching students with EBD was examined among a sample of Dutch primary school teachers. Personality was measured using a self-report questionnaire based on the personality dimensions of the Five Factor Model of personality: Extraversion; Agreeableness; Conscientiousness; Neuroticism; and Openness to Experience. Different dimensions of teacher quality in teaching students with EBD were measured using an observation instrument, a self-efficacy questionnaire, and a nomination procedure. The dimensions of Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Openness to Experience were found to predict teacher quality in teaching students with EBD measured by the self-efficacy questionnaire. Altogether, personality explained 35% of the variance in teacher quality in teaching students with EBD measured by the self-efficacy questionnaire. The results relate to issues about teacher education and employment. Directions for future research are discussed.     

浅谈加强高校研究生学术道德建设

研究生是高等学校科学研究的有生力量,切实加强其学术道德建设是不断提升研究生培养质量的重要保障。近年来,随着研究生群体中学术道德缺失现象的不断上升,加强研究生学术道德建设已经成为了高校人才培养的重要内容。通过分析研究生学术道德缺失的表现与成因,结合加强研究生学术道德建设的现实意义,提出了形成学术道德诚信的“自律”氛围与构建三全育人视野下的“他律”体系相结合的研究生学术道德建设策略,为高校研究生学术道德建设提供借鉴。     

Teachers interacting with students: an important (and potentially overlooked) domain for academic development during times of impact

ABSTRACT

This article is situated in the context of an intensified discourse within which academic developers are being asked to provide evidence of impact, and argues that theoretical models currently used are imprecise and fail to capture the variation in outcomes from professional development activities. Through reference to previous research on how teachers' thinking can be described in relation to various thinking-zones, and how teachers notice and respond to signs of student learning, we suggest a more fine-grained perspective. Furthermore, we argue that improved models for design and evaluation of professional development might prove crucial for academic development as a profession.     

Support teachers' beliefs about the academic achievement of students with special educational needs

José Castro Silva, lecturer in sciences of education, and José Morgado, assistant professor, both work at the Instituto Superior de Psicologica Aplicada in Lisboa, Portugal. In this article, they describe their study of support teachers' beliefs about the academic achievement of school students with special educational needs. The 'support teachers' who were the subject of this study work in mainstream schools where the majority of pupils with special educational needs are educated in mainstream classes run by 'general teachers'. The work of the support teachers is supervised and supported by 'special education team co-ordinators'. The study reported here set out to elicit the support teachers' beliefs about the factors that contribute to success at school for pupils with special educational needs. Results suggest that the support teachers consider that factors including 'school climate', 'curriculum design' and 'teaching approach' contribute significantly to achievements among these pupils. On the other hand, analysis reveals that the support teachers attribute difficulties and lack of achievement significantly to 'out-of-school' contextual variables. These findings are related to a detailed review of the literature and the authors discuss the implications for policy, practice and professional development.     

学风建设:大学可持续发展的永恒主题

加强学风建设,是大学落实科学发展观、实现可持续发展的永恒主题。追求真理、强化学术自由与学术责任、服务社会发展和张扬个性,是大学学风建设的题中应有之义。加强大学学风建设,应该用大学精神去激励,用道德教育去引导,用大学制度去规范,用校园文化去陶冶,并注重把握好大学学风建设的学、思、用、创四个关键环节。     

EGP教师与ESP学生学习共同体的构建策略之管见

随着外语+专业的复合型英语人才培养模式的确定,如何理顺ESP与EGP的教学关系成了热议的话题之一,其中,在如何处理EGP教师和ESP学生的关系上,学习共同体教学组织形式不但可为EGP教师自身的发展找到新的突破口,还可为ESP学生的专业方向学习奠定知识基础、储备获取知识的能力、思维能力和创新能力,同时也使得ESP课程与EGP课程的衔接变得不再生硬,而是更加顺理成章。     

The experiences of Chinese mainland students with English-medium instruction in a Macau University

While research on English-medium instruction (EMI) has proliferated in the past decades, little research has examined how students from a monolingual background actually experience EMI, or the learning processes involved in such experiences. Drawing upon in-depth interviews and student reflection journals, this study examines the experiences of Chinese university students currently studying in an EMI university in Macau. The findings show that while the students were satisfied with their learning in the EMI context, and they all expressed a perceived necessity for EMI, EMI presented major challenges to their learning and increased their study burden, and the students had experienced numerous frustrations, difficulties and challenges in the transition from the CMI context to the EMI context. The findings also indicate that the students took various measures to address these difficulties and frustrations. This study can provide a better understanding of the real learning needs of Chinese students in an EMI context, and the strategies used by them to address the difficulties and challenges experienced in the transition from the CMI context to the EMI context.     

Those who can,teach: the academic quality of preservice students in teacher education programmes in Taiwan

Difficulty in recruiting high-calibre individuals into teaching is a perennial issue in the field of teacher education. In some countries, students in teacher programmes are in general found to be lower in academic standing than their counterparts in other fields, which might lead to belief in the old saying that “those who cannot, teach.” In contrast to such discouraging phenomenon, based on analysis of a nationally representative data set, preservice students in Taiwan are found to be academically more outstanding than their nonteaching peers. Underlying policy and sociocultural contexts of such a positive phenomenon of “those who can, teach” are explained and implications for educators are discussed.     

Resource use and academic performance among first year psychology students

Multiple questionnaires completed over the semester by 514 students enrolled in a first year psychology course reveal that no single pattern of reliance on print, online, or in-person resources guarantees a high mark. Analyses of the reported and measured frequency of use of various resources correlated against students’, performance on both individual assessments and their final marks suggests that students employ a range of strategies in their use of class resources. They tend to rely on their textbooks, Web-based lecture notes, and online quizzes, but their final marks are more strongly determined by their university entrance scores than by their resource use strategy, their sex, or whether or not English is their first language. The data suggest that students adapt their learning strategies to the resources available, with an apparent emphasis on learning what will be assessed rather than exploring for understanding. Importantly, the results argue that investment in development of educational technologies – and students’, use of educational technologies – must be informed by empirical data concerning its impact on the efficiency and quality of learning.     

Influence of instruction in mathematics for low performing students on strategy use

Effects of two subtraction instruction types for low achieving children were compared. The first was based on constructivist ideas. The second was more or less traditional but did include interaction opportunities comparable to those in constructivist classrooms. Sixteen students (eight in each condition) with an average age of 10.5 years were trained during 34 lessons. Results showed no performance differences between the two groups on the subtraction problems instructed. There was a performance advantage for the traditional group on transfer problems without regrouping. The constructivist group used more different strategies but was not able to use this bigger repertory in a flexible way; instead, they used their strategies rather randomly. These findings pose questions on the usefulness of constructivist teaching in mathematics for low performers.