Research assistantship experiences and subsequent research productivity

This paper is an examination of one component of research training programs, the research assistantship. Data are presented from a national study of the topic. Results of a survey with 3,963 respondents showed that genuine research assistantship experience is positively related to subsequent research involvement and productivity. More intensive data collection from the 50 most productive researchers and 50 nonproductive respondents resulted in identification of 35 variables that discriminate between the two groups (4 structural, 19 experiential, 4 supervisor-assistant interactions, and 8 perceptual). Clusters of variables resulting from factor analysis are presented and nondiscriminating variables are discussed. Recommendations are offered for designers and directors of programs in colleges and universities for use in training educational research personnel.     

Burnout in Teachers of Young Children

The purpose of thi\s study was to identify variables or combinations of variables that are related to burnout in teachers of young children. The 353 participants were teachers who worked with young children more than 20 hours a week. The Maslach Burnout Inventory, a 22-item semantic differential measuring burnout, and a questionnaire about personal and job characteristics were administered to the subjects. A factor analysis, one-way analyses of variance, and maximum regression were used to analyze data. The factor analysis showed that the Maslach Burnout Inventory measures burnout and competence of teachers. The variables which account for burnout and competence are discussed.     

Production Risk in a Subsistence Agriculture

Abstract

Purpose: In this article we illustrate the importance of understanding the risk profiles of new technologies, in addition to the changes in productivity, to be able to determine strategies for agricultural development.

Design/methodology/approach: The analysis is based on data obtained from a 2002 survey of subsistence farmers in the Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania, and a Just and Pope (1978) framework is used for modeling risk.

Findings: We find that even if extension services do not increase the mean production, it may reduce production risk.

Practical implication and originality/value: During the past decades, agricultural extension and subsidized conventional inputs such as high-yielding seed varieties, fertilizer and pesticides, have become important components of agricultural aid programs in developing countries. However, outcomes of this type of aid are somewhat ambiguous, and many donor countries have reduced their support in response. For the most part, evaluation of these programs employs total factor productivity analysis to estimate the changes in productivity resulting from investment in aid programs. However, risk-averse, small-scale farmers will consider both the variance in output and the expected mean. They may therefore choose input levels that differ from the optimal input levels of risk-neutral producers, who consider only the expected mean. Programs can therefore have a positive effect because they reduce risk, even if the direct impact on production is limited.     

在困顿与沮丧中艰难前行:电大辍学生的学习体验

高辍学率在远程开放教育领域备受关注,解决好这一问题时今后远程开放教育的健康发展意义重大.为进一步梳理远程开放教育中高辍学率现象背后的原因,本研究采用定量研究和质性研究相结合的方法,以某省级电大2010年春季学期24名辍学生及相关教学人员和班主任为研究对象,通过在线问卷调查、深度访谈和集体访谈的方式收集相关研究数据,并使用统计描述法与内容分析法对研究数据进行分析以寻找具体的辍学原因.本研究的具体研究过程在"远程教育辍学归因框架"指导下围绕四个方面进行,包括辍学生入学前的个人特征与基本能力、外部因素表现、内部因素表现以及在学经历及心理体验.研究结果表明,辍学生与远程教学机构在学术上的低融合、辍学生对在线学习资源的低利用、辍学生对时间管理的无意识等因素对他们终止学习产生了较为重要的影响.研究同时指出,在导致学生辍学的内部因素上,远程办学机构也确有值得反思的责任与进行完善的可作为空间.     

Burnout in Teachers of Young Children

The purpose of this study was to identify variables or combinations of variables that are related to burnout in teachers of young children. The 353 participants were teachers who worked with young children more than 20 hours a week. The Maslach Burnout Inventory, a 22-item semantic differential measuring burnout, and a questionnaire about personal and job characteristics were administered to the subjects. A factor analysis, one-way analyses of variance, and maximum regression were used to analyze data. The factor analysis showed that the Maslach Burnout Inventory measures burnout and competence of teachers. The variables which account for burnout and competence are discussed.     

New Study Programs and Specializations: The Effect of Governmental Funding and Paradigmatic Development

Studies on the emergence of scientific fields and disciplines produce a number of factors influencing these processes. The present study investigates whether these factors are also relevant in the teaching domain: the emergence of new study programs and specializations within programs. The classification of internal and external factors is applied to such processes of programmatic differentiation. Drawing on social exchange and resource dependency theory, the effects of the governmental funding mechanism of educational provisions (an external factor) and the level of paradigmatic development (an internal factor) are analyzed, using a large data set on processes of differentiation in the Dutch university sector between 1974 and 1993. The two factors proved to be relevant in explaining the emergence of new programs and specializations. In the final section some anomalies and suggestions for further research are discussed.     

A comparative assessment of Greek universities’ efficiency using quantitative analysis

In part due to the increased demand for higher education, typical evaluation frameworks for universities often address the key issue of available resource utilisation. This study seeks to estimate the efficiency of 20 public universities in Greece through quantitative analysis (including performance indicators, data envelopment analysis (DEA) and econometric procedures). The findings show inefficiency in terms of human resources management while also identifying a clear opportunity to increase research activity and hence research income.In addition to the immediate findings, this paper more broadly discusses the methodology behind the evaluation process used in this investigation and its potential to more consistently and reliably evaluate the efficiency of resource management by public universities.This paper is set against, and hopes to contribute to, the broader debate on reforming the management and administration system of Greek universities.     

The determinants of research performance: A study of Australian university economists

In this article, the relationship between individual productivity in research, as measured by an index of publications produced, and their preferences and perceptions about research-related issues is explored. A sample of 134 Australian university economists were classified as low, average and high in respect of their publication performance using cluster analysis. Discriminant analysis was then used to see whether membership of these groups was associated with items representing individuals' preferred research approach, their involvement in a range of research-related activities, the things which they felt constrained their research and their perceptions of the benefits of their position which might be conducive to research.Our results show that there was a relationship between these items and group membership, and therefore productivity. Highly productive researchers made deliberate choices about the type of research they undertook in order to enhance their career advancement; they were heavily involved in a number of areas of research activity; they felt relatively few constraints on their research by comparison with low producers; and they enjoyed the freedom and challenge of their positions. These results imply that research performance is more a function of individual motivation than resource support.The authors would like to acknowledge the helpful comments of two anonymous referees.     

因子分析和聚类分析在市场研究中的应用

随着我国经济的快速稳健发展,人们对市场问题的研究与探索也逐渐加深,消费者的购买习惯和态度、品牌形象和特性、产品服务质量和市场细分等问题都是重点关注的趋向。由于一些市场问题在研究过程中存在变量个数多、分析机理复杂和数据含量大等问题,因此,因子分析和聚类分析作为两种比较科学和实用的技术就应运而生了,并且在市场研究中得到了广泛的关注和利用。本文叙述了因子分析和聚类分析的概念以及它们在市场研究中的意义,并且详细介绍了因子分析和聚类分析在市场细分中的应用。     

Socio-economic status has major effects on math achievement,educational aspirations and future job expectations of elementary school children in Thailand

This study was designed to investigate the effects of specific variables on the math achievement of 5th-grade children. It involved a random sample of 373 families (parents and children) from a larger pool of 685 families residing in Bangkok, Thailand. We utilized Walberg's productivity model by analyzing the interconnections among a diverse set of family prcesse, family structure, and SES variables within the home environment section of the model. Campbell's differential socialization paradigm was used to analyze the gender differences. The results of the study show that certain family processes (support and intellectual resources) had positive effects on math achievement, while other processes (excessive pressure and help) had negtive effects. Another key finding is that Walberg's home environment factor was found to contain a mix of SES, family structure variables, and family processes. These variables have strong effects on children's overall academic achievement, academic self-concepts, and math achievement. The SES variables were found to be especially important in Thailand. The authors propose the establishment of parent training programs, particularly for low SES families, as a way to increase children's math achievement, aspirations, and future job expectations.     

Factor Retention in Exploratory Factor Analysis With Missing Data

Determining the number of factors in exploratory factor analysis is arguably the most crucial decision a researcher faces when conducting the analysis. While several simulation studies exist that compare various so-called factor retention criteria under different data conditions, little is known about the impact of missing data on this process. Hence, in this study, we evaluated the performance of different factor retention criteria—the Factor Forest, parallel analysis based on a principal component analysis as well as parallel analysis based on the common factor model and the comparison data approach—in combination with different missing data methods, namely an expectation-maximization algorithm called Amelia, predictive mean matching, and random forest imputation within the multiple imputations by chained equations (MICE) framework as well as pairwise deletion with regard to their accuracy in determining the number of factors when data are missing. Data were simulated for different sample sizes, numbers of factors, numbers of manifest variables (indicators), between-factor correlations, missing data mechanisms and proportions of missing values. In the majority of conditions and for all factor retention criteria except the comparison data approach, the missing data mechanism had little impact on the accuracy and pairwise deletion performed comparably well as the more sophisticated imputation methods. In some conditions, especially small-sample cases and when comparison data were used to determine the number of factors, random forest imputation was preferable to other missing data methods, though. Accordingly, depending on data characteristics and the selected factor retention criterion, choosing an appropriate missing data method is crucial to obtain a valid estimate of the number of factors to extract.     

Modeling the development of written language

Alternative models of the structure of individual and developmental differences of written composition and handwriting fluency were tested using confirmatory factor analysis of writing samples provided by first- and fourth-grade students. For both groups, a five-factor model provided the best fit to the data. Four of the factors represented aspects of written composition: macro-organization (use of top sentence and number and ordering of ideas), productivity (number and diversity of words used), complexity (mean length of T-unit and syntactic density), and spelling and punctuation. The fifth factor represented handwriting fluency. Handwriting fluency was correlated with written composition factors at both grades. The magnitude of developmental differences between first grade and fourth grade expressed as effect sizes varied for variables representing the five constructs: large effect sizes were found for productivity and handwriting fluency variables; moderate effect sizes were found for complexity and macro-organization variables; and minimal effect sizes were found for spelling and punctuation variables.     

A comparison of scholarly productivity among current professors who obtained terminal degrees

ABSTRACT

Although scholarship is important in higher education and faculty productivity expectations are continually increasing, we still do not understand the holistic view of faculty productivity. This study takes a different viewpoint on faculty productivity examining differences by university classification and by discipline. Most importantly, we sought to obtain the effects of the delivery mode of terminal degree on later faculty productivity. The mode of terminal degree via Internet delivery looks attractive to students, but this study found that this has implications for future research productivity. These three elements illustrate a different scope that has important implications for administrative leaders looking to hire future faculty as well as students thinking about becoming a future faculty member. To capture this view, 600 faculty members from 59 American universities were surveyed. From this survey, five different variables emerged to create an overall faculty scholarly productivity factor. This factor was then compared against university classification, discipline, and mode of terminal degree. Results showed surprising significant differences between university classifications and disciplines as compared to scholarly productivity. One of the most noteworthy findings was that there is a significant difference in faculty productivity based on the mode of terminal degree. Furthermore, no difference in later faculty scholarly productivity exists between that of a hybridized, online degree and a purely online degree. Again, these results indicate significant finds which have a high influence on faculty scholarly productivity, which holds important implications for the future of the university.     

A discriminant analytic test of Biglan's theoretical distinction between biology and English department chairpersons

Discriminant function analysis was used to compare the structural variables of department size, type of institution, and highest degree awarded with academic discipline to determine which accounts for more variance in the responses of chairpersons from biology and English departments to questions concerning their perceived influence. In most cases, the structural variables accounted for more of the variance than did discipline. The data are presented graphically by plotting the group centroids against the discriminant functions. The implications of these findings for administrators in institutions of higher education are discussed.     

Nursing scholars,writing dimensions,and productivity

The purposes of this study were to describe cognitive, affective, and behavioral dimensions associated with writing among doctorally prepared nurses, and to determine relationships between writing dimensions and journal article publication. The 343 respondents were predominantly female, and most were employed as faculty or administrators in schools of nursing. Respondents reported a mean of 2.34 research and 2.25 nonresearch articles published in the preceding three years. The mean number of hours spent writing each week was 3.2. Multiple regression analysis showed that five variables accounted for 18% of the variance in research article productivity: time spent writing, a low level of writer's block, not awaiting inspiration before writing, not using writing references, and obtaining feedback from colleagues. Four variables accounted for 12.9% of the variance in nonresearch article productivity: time, low levels of writer's block and writing apprehension, and not writing according to a schedule.     

Rotation of Canonical Variates in Multivariate Analysis of Variance

A general discussion is undertaken to show how the rotation techniques of factor analysis can be used to clarify and interpret the results of multivariate analysis of variance and discriminant analysis. Two general methods of rotating are explained; direct rotation, where the variance of the canonical variates is attached to the canonical variate scores, and indirect rotation where the variance of the canonical variates is attached to the principal components of the hypothesis. Two reasons for rotating are discussed, one giving rise to a taxonomy of groups or levels of a multivariate analysis of variance, the other giving rise to a taxonomy of variables involved in a multivariate analysis of variance. Two examples are given: one, a particular variety of taxonomy of groups and the other, a taxonomy of variables or battery reduction scheme.     

基于SVM-Kd-tree的树型粗分类方法

为提高大数据集粗分类识别率,提出一种基于聚类分析的SVM-Kd-tree树型粗分类方法。首先根据数据集特征分布进行k-means两簇聚类,对聚类后的数据集进行类别分析,同时将属于两簇的同一类别样本划分出来;然后使用两簇中剩余样本训练SVM二分类器并作为树型结构根节点,将两簇数据分别合并,将划分出来的样本作为左右子孩子迭代构建子节点,直到满足终止条件后,叶子节点开始训练Kd-tree。实验结果表明,迭代构建树型粗分类方法使训练单一SVM平均时间减少了61.977 4%,比Kd-tree同近邻数量的准确率提高了0.03%。在进行大规模数据集粗分类时,使用聚类分析迭代构建组合分类器时间更短、准确率更高。     

Early childhood and elementary preservice teachers’ beliefs

Abstract

In this study we examined 382 preservice teachers’ perceived efficacy, their beliefs regarding teaching and learning, and the relationship between these two variables by analyzing quantitative and qualitative data using a modified version of the Gibson and Dembo Teacher Efficacy Scale and six open‐ended questions. A general linear model analysis revealed that several factors differ across certain preparation programs. Preservice teachers’ efficacy beliefs increased at the end of these two different teacher education programs. Qualitative analyzes revealed variance in preservice teachers’ beliefs about teaching and learning between the two majors and in the two locations which they were studying. Most ending‐level preservice teachers had adopted the views of the way teachers are supposed to teach promoted by the particular teacher education program. The internal program coherence, program structural contexts, program's goals, and learning experiences in the program may act as important factors on preservice teachers’ beliefs. © 2001 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.