The assessment of meta-cognition in different contexts: individualized vs. peer assisted learning

This study investigated the effectiveness of assessing young children’s meta-cognition in different contexts (i.e., individual learning (IL), peer assisted learning (PAL) and self-reports). Additionally, the contributions of declarative and procedural meta-cognition in IL and PAL, TOM and language ability on children’s cognitive performance (recalling a series of pictures) were examined. Sixty-four 4–5-year-old children (M = 5.14; SD = 0.72), randomly selected from two Israeli kindergartens, participated in the study. Children were first asked in an individualized setting to recall a series of nine pictures; they were then asked (self-report) to tell the interviewer how they tried to recall the pictures. Finally, they were asked to assist a peer in recalling the pictures in a PAL situation. All the children’s verbal and non-verbal behaviors were coded and analyzed. In addition, the children’s language ability and Theory of Mind (TOM) were assessed. The findings indicated significant differences between children’s declarative (self-report) and procedural meta-cognitive behavior in IL and PAL. Procedural meta-cognition in PAL and TOM predicted cognitive performance even when procedural meta-cognition in IL, declarative meta-cognition and language ability were controlled for. The findings are discussed in light of recent research on meta-cognition in young children.     

社会公正与大学角色

Social justice is not only a vital ethical principle of the human society but also the all-important value of the entire social system. As a public sphere, the university undertakes the purpose to achieve public interest. It plays a significant role in reflecting, defending, and fostering social justice. Nurturing people with social justice awareness is a key mission of the university; it communicates and advocates the ideas of social justice, which helps to foster social justice consciousness of the public; and, for its own part, it must strive to embody and defend procedural justice. __________ Translated from Gaodeng Jiaoyu Yanjiu 高等教育研究 (Journal of Higher Education), 2007, 28(1): 13–19, revised by Zha Qiang, Faculty of Education, York University     

Individuals and Leadership in an Australian Secondary Science Department: A Qualitative Study

In this article, we consider the complex and dynamic inter-relationships between individual science teachers, the social space of their work and their dispositions towards teacher leadership. Research into the representation of school science departments through individual science teachers is scarce. We explore the representations of four individual teachers to the assertions of teacher leadership proposed by Silva et al. (Teach Coll Rec, 102(4):779–804, 2000). These representations, expressed during regular science department meetings, occur in the social space of Bourdieu’s “field” and are a reflection of the “game” of science education being played within the department. This departmentally centred space suggests an important implication when considering the relationship between subject departments and their schools. The development of an individual’s representation of teacher leadership and the wider “field” of science education appears to shape the individual towards promoting their own sense of identity as a teacher of science, rather than as a teacher within a school. Our work suggests that for these individuals, the important “game” is science education, not school improvement. Consequently, the subject department may be a missing link between efforts to improve schools and current organizational practices.     

中国东中西部高等教育差异变迁的实证分析

Based on the quantitative research and comparative study method, this paper attempts to make a systematic study and analysis of regional differences which have existed since 1949 in higher education among East, Middle and West China. The study is intended to explore the causes, regional differences, social changes, and their co-related interactions. It is concluded that the beneficent social and educational development in various regions will determine the substantial development of Chinese higher education. __________ Translated from Hebei Shifan Daxue Xuebao (Jiaoyu Kexue Ban) 河北师范大学学报(教育科 学版) (Journal of Hebei Normal University (Educational Science Edition)), 2007, 9(2): 5–18     

Knowledge building and vocabulary growth over two years, Grades 3 and 4

Productive knowledge work and high-level literacy are essential for engagement in a Knowledge society. In the research reported in this article, students were engaged in sustained collaborative knowledge building in science and social studies. The vocabulary growth of 22 students over Grades 3 and 4 was traced, based on their entries to Knowledge Forum—a knowledge building environment used as an integral part of classroom work. It is the communal space where knowledge work–ideas, reference material, results of experiments, and so forth–is entered and continually improved. Analysis of lexical frequency profiles indicated significant growth in productive written vocabulary, including academic words. In a Grade 4 inquiry, students incorporated almost all the domain-specific terms at and below their current grade level, and most of those expected for upper grade levels (5–8) based on the curriculum guidelines. Domain-specific and academic words were correlated with depth of understanding. High correlations between student engagement in knowledge building and vocabulary growth suggest that productive vocabulary can be developed through sustained knowledge building in subject areas.     

Effects of Visual and Phonological Distinctness on Visual–verbal Paired Associate Learning in Dutch Dyslexic and Normal Readers

In three studies, the effects of visual and phonological distinctness on the visual–verbal paired associate learning of dyslexic and normal readers at the age of 10–12 were examined. We hypothesized that both groups would be equally affected by the visual distinctness of the pictures, whereas the learning performance of the dyslexic children would be more susceptible to the phonological distinctness of the verbal stimuli (words). As expected, in Study 1 we found that the visual distinctness of pictures had a similar effect on both groups. However, the results of Studies 2 and 3 on the effect of phonological distinctness did not support the hypothesis. Both reader groups were equally affected by the phonological distinctness of the words. In addition, we found that, although not consistently, dyslexic children tended to be worse in verbal learning, which could to a large extent be explained by their problems with phonological processing.     

The Tacit-explicit Dimension of the Learning of Mathematics: An Investigation Report**

This paper reports on study that investigated the tacit-explicit dimension of the learning of mathematics. The study was carried out in a secondary school and consisted of an episode analysis related to a class discussion about the difference between plane figures and spatial figures. The data analysis was based on integration between some aspects of Polanyi’s theory on tacit knowledge and Ernest’s model of mathematical knowledge, with reference to its mainly explicit and mainly tacit components. This integration has involved not only the types of knowledge – mainly explicit or mainly tacit – the students used in a psychological way to perform a mathematical task involving conversation, but also and particularly how much the projection of those types of knowledge on the task were manifest tacitly or formalized by the students. Among the results of the research, a strong finding was that the lack of correspondence between the students’ utterances and their original understandings is directly related to the manner in which the tacit co-operates with the explicit in the process of articulation.This paper is a development of three short papers presented at ICME-10, Copenhagen, Denmark, 4–11 July 2004, and PME-28, Bergen, Norway, 14–18 July 2004.     

The Contribution of Naming Speed to the Simple View of Reading

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether naming speed makes a contribution to the prediction of reading comprehension, after taking into account the product of word decoding and listening comprehension (i.e., the Simple View of Reading; [Gough, P.B. & Tunmer, W.E. (1986). Remedial and Special Education 7, 6–10]), and phonological awareness. In grade 3, word decoding was measured with the Woodcock [(1998). Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests – Revised. Circle Pines, MN: American Guidance Services]. Word Identification and Word Attack subtests, listening comprehension with the Woodcock (1991) [Woodcock Language Proficiency Battery – Revised. Chicago: Riverside Publishing Company] test of Listening Comprehension, naming speed with a picture naming task, and 4 measures assessed phonological awareness. Reading comprehension was assessed in grades 3, 4, and 5 with the Woodcock (1998) Passage Comprehension subtest and in grade 5 with the Gates–MacGinitie reading test. The Simple View was evaluated twice: first, with a pseudoword measure for decoding (Grapheme–Phoneme-conversion product) and, second, with a word identification measure for decoding (word recognition product). Hierarchical regression and commonality analyses indicated that the decoding and listening comprehension products accounted for considerable variance in reading comprehension. Naming speed had a small but significant effect after accounting for the Grapheme–Phoneme-conversion product (2–3%), but little effect after accounting for the word-recognition product (0–2%). Subgroup analyses indicated that naming speed had its primary effect for less able readers. Commonality analyses supported the interpretation that naming speed contributes after the Grapheme–Phoneme-conversion product but not after the word recognition product because naming speed has already had its effect upon word recognition. These results indicate that it is important how the Simple View decoding term is defined, and that the Simple View may be incomplete, especially for less able readers.     

Educational equity and institutional safeguards

The educational inequity of rural workers’ children is a unique social problem in the transition stage of China. Based on the specific survey in such provinces as Hubei, Henan, Anhui, and other provinces, a conclusion can be drawn that the reasons for the educational inequity of rural worker’s children are very complicated, among which the system is the most essential factor. Therefore, institutional safeguards should be provided to realize the education equity of rural worker’s children. __________ Translated from Jiaoyu Fazhan Yanjiu 教育发展研究 (Research in Educational Development), 2007(12A): 5–9     

Mexican immigrant transnational social capital and class transformation: examining the role of peer mediation in insurgent science

In this article, I return to the interactions of Augusto and his teacher in an “English Learner Science” classroom in a demographically-transitioning US Midwest community (Richardson Bruna and Vann in Cult Stud Sci Educ 2:19–59, 2007) and further engage a class-first perspective to achieve two main conceptual objectives. First, I examine Augusto’s science education experience as a way of understanding processes Rouse (Towards a transnational perspective on migration: Race, class, ethnicity, and nationalism reconsidered. The New York Academy of Sciences, New York, 1992) refers to as “the disciplinary production of class-specific subjects” (p. 31). Coming from a subsistence farming community in rural Mexico to an industrialized meatpacking community in semi-rural Iowa, I describe how Augusto undergoes a change in his class identity (experiences a Class Transformation) that is not just reflected but, in fact, produced in his science class. Second, I examine the work Augusto does to resist these processes of disciplinary production as he reshapes his teacher’s instruction (promotes a class transformation) through specific transnational social capital he leverages as peer mediation. My overall goals in the article are to demonstrate the immediate relevance of a socio-historical, situated perspective to science teaching and learning and to outline domains of action for an insurgent, class-cognizant, science education practice informed by transnational social capital, like Augusto’s.     

Holocaust education in Jewish schools in Israel: Goals, dilemmas, challenges

Research has shown the Holocaust to be the primary component of Jewish identity (Farago in Yahadut Zmanenu 5:259–285, 1989; Gross in Influence of the trip to Poland within the framework of the Ministry of Education on the working through of the Holocaust. Unpublished M.A. thesis, Ben-Gurion University, Beer Sheva, 2000; Herman in Jewish identity: A socio-psychological perspective, Sage, Beverly Hills, 1977; Levy et al. in Beliefs, observations and social interaction among Israeli Jews. Louis Guttman Israel Institute of Applied Social Research (Hebrew), Jerusalem, 1993; Ofer in Jews in Israel: Contemporary social and cultural patterns. Brandeis University Press, Hanover and London, pp. 394–417, 2004a) and to contribute significantly to Jewish Israelis’ sense of belonging to the Jewish people. Though the Holocaust is a central event in Jewish history, Holocaust education is mandatory in the state education system in Israel, and some research has investigated the impact of this education, the field has not been conceptualized systematically (Blatman in Bishvilei haZikaron 7:15–16, 1995; Feldman in Bishvilei haZikaron 7:8–11, 1995; Ofer in Jewish Educ 10:87–108, 2004b; Schatzker in Int J Polit Educ 5(1): 75–82, 1982). This article attempts to organize the existing knowledge on the subject through a meta-analysis of the foundations and basic premises of Holocaust education in Israel, using the most important literature in the area. It first suggests a conceptual framework, organizing by period the changing attitudes toward the Holocaust in general and Holocaust education in particular. It then describes Holocaust education over the years, and finally analyzes the goals of Holocaust education, along with its major dilemmas and challenges.     

Interpersonal conflict resolution strategies in children: A father-child co-construction

The interpersonal conflict gives an opportunity to learn living together and to accept differences. We consider the interpersonal conflict resolution strategies as an indicator of the socialization and as such of the autonomisation and social integration. If, at the earliest age, the child has the advantage of a differentiated and early paternal involvement, he would use a larger variety of adjustment mechanisms when he will be in conflitual situations. Indeed, the father facilitates and stimulates the subjectivation process which integrates the appearing premises of self-consciousness, around 3–4 year old, in the conducts of initiative and self affirmation; the father introduces and consolidates the process which integrates the opening to wider interpersonal relations, which notably appears in collaboration conducts and more especially resolution interpersonal conflict.     

Teaching Physics to In-Service Primary School Teachers in the Context of the History of Science: The Case of Falling Bodies

Our paper presents an in-service primary school teachers’ training program which is based on the idea that the history of science can play a vital role in promoting the learning of physics. This training program has been developed in the context of Comenius 2.1 which is a European Union program. This program that we have developed in the University of Athens is based on socioconstructivist and sociocultural learning principles with the intention of helping teachers to appropriate the basic knowledge on the issue of falling bodies. Moreover, it has the aim to make explicit through the exploitation of authentic historical science events, on the above topic (Aristotle’s, Galileo’s and Newton’s theories on falling bodies) the Nature of Science (NoS), the Nature of Learning (NoL) and the Nature of Teaching (NoT). During the implementation of the program we have used a variety of teaching strategies (e.g. group work, making of posters, making of concept maps, simulations) that utilize historical scientific materials on the issue of falling bodies.

---

德育如何看待"利己"

One of the main reasons of the fact that Chinese moral education could hardly get out of its predicament is that “self-regard” has been simply and unilaterally interpreted as the absolute opposite to morality, where “self-regard” is merely regarded as the source of “everything evil”, and the fact that it is also the source of “everything good” is neglected. Actually, “self-regard” is the nature of human beings who go for benefit and avoid harm, which is inevitable and reasonable. It is not naturally opposite to altruism, for there is no problem concerning morality in self-regard itself, though there might be some in the means adopted. Therefore, the aim of moral education is not to deprive a person of his/her intention of self-regard, but to normalize the means he/she might adopt, so that he/she could suitably benefit himself/herself as he/she benefits others. It is proven by the past experience and the present situation that the key premise for the Chinese moral education to get out of its predicament is to set up a correct understanding over self-regard. Translated from Xueshu Yanjiu 学术研究 (Academic Research), 2005, (6): 117–120     

On the bankruptcy of private higher education institutions in China

In recent years, closing down private higher education institutions (HEIs) has become a serious problem in China. It seems that doubt is cast on the rationality of private HEIs and severe competition contributes a lot to their development. Many problems in the process of self-development are caused by both internal and external factors. From the perspective of sustainable development and the healthy development of students, priority should be given to the evolution of an idea to provide a positive environment for the development of private HEIs. This paper is an effort to deal with the statement that higher education in China is a seller's market and aims to do an objective estimate of the development space for private HEIs. In addition, it shows a clear understanding of establishing the prediction system for relevant issues of private higher education to guarantee the sound development of private HEIs. Translated from Gaodeng Jiaoyu Yanjiu 高等教育研究 (Journal of Higher Education), 2006, (5): 46–53     

商丘市初中教师工作倦怠状况及其社会支持的关系研究

This study surveyed the current situation of teacher burnout in a sample of 400 teachers from urban junior high school in Shangqiu of Henan Province with scales, and examined the relationship between dimensions of teacher burnout and sources and types of social support they received. The results show that Shangqiu urban junior high school teachers’ emotional exhaustion is serious; gender does not affect the score of burnout significantly; teachers with 1 year job experience recorded significantly lower scores of burnout than others, and teachers who have worked for 6–10 years is second; urban junior high school level affects the score of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization significantly, but does not affect reduced personal accomplishment; social support is most important to enhance feelings of the teacher’s personal accomplishment; among all the sources, supervisor and principal support is the most significant predictor of teacher burnout; emotional support is more significant predictor of teacher burnout than practical support; peer support increases the teacher’s emotional exhaustion. __________ Translated from Jiaoshi Jiaoyu Yanjiu 教师教育研究(Teacher Education Research), 2007, 19(3): 65–71     

New dimensions in the classroom climate

The focus of this study was the classroom climate for Grades 4, 5 and 6 students during mathematics classes in elementary schools in the Arab sector in Israel. The study included 3,786 Arab students. The use of a questionnaire indicated that five major factors related to classroom climate were Satisfaction and Enjoyment, Teacher–Student Relationships, Gender Inequality and Tension, Student–Student Relationships, and Competitiveness. Students were found to be happy, satisfied and to have a sense of unity. Discipline was a ‘sacred’ value that could not be disregarded. Rules and regulations, obedience and respect were integral components of satisfaction and enjoyment. The teacher–student relationship was positive, warm and supportive. The student–student relationship was fairly satisfactory. A feeling of social cohesion and belonging, mutual help and consideration pervaded the classroom. Students were polite to each other and disputes were rare. Low levels were perceived for Competitiveness and the desire for students to be first, achieve high marks and compete for teacher attention.     

The Relations Between Children’s Reading Comprehension, Working Memory, Language Skills and Components of Reading Decoding in a Normal Sample

The primary aim of the current study was to identify the strongest independent predictors of reading comprehension using word reading, language and memory variables in a normal sample of 180 children in grades 3–5, with a range of word reading skills. It was hypothesized that orthographic processing, receptive vocabulary and verbal working memory would all make independent contributions to reading comprehension. The contributions of reading speed, receptive grammatical skills, exposure to print, visuospatial working memory and verbal learning and retrieval (a measure of longer-term retention) were also investigated. Working memory tasks that required the processing and storage of numerical and spatial material were used. One of the numerical working memory tasks was based on the number span task developed by Yuill, Oakhill, and Parkin British Journal of Psychology, 1989, 80, 351–361. A visuospatial equivalent of that task was developed from the forward Corsi block task [Corsi, Abstracts International, 1973, 34, 891]. The results revealed that, after controlling for age and general intellectual ability, the word reading and the language variables had a much stronger relation with reading comprehension than the memory variables. The strongest independent predictor of reading comprehension was orthographic processing since it captured variance in both word reading, language skills and verbal working memory. The forward Corsi task and performance on a measure of verbal learning and retrieval each made small independent contributions to reading comprehension but the contribution of verbal working memory was not significant. It was concluded that tasks measuring the interplay between short-term and long-term memory, in which new information is combined with information already stored in long-term memory, may better predict reading comprehension measured with the text available than working memory tasks which only have a short-term memory component.