Student Survey Response Rates across Institutions: Why Do they Vary?

While many studies have examined nonresponse in student surveys, little research investigates why some schools achieve higher student survey response rates than other schools. Using hierarchical linear modeling, we analyze survey data from 321 institutions that participated in the 2003 National Survey of Student Engagement to understand how characteristics of colleges and universities relate to student survey response rates. We find that the makeup of the student body, as well as institutional characteristics such public/private status and urban location affects response rates, and that the number of computers per undergraduate has a strong positive effect for web survey response rates.     

Governmentality and My School: School Principals in Societies of Control

Abstract

The introduction of new accountabilities and techniques of government for the purposes of educational reform have created new complexities and tensions for school leadership. Policies such as the publishing of league tables in the UK, high stakes testing in the US and the introduction of the My School website in Australia are particularly significant for school principals. In this article I appeal to the work of Foucault and Deleuze to provide an alternate approach to understanding how principals are constituted as subjects through a range of practices and discourses associated with the introduction of the My School website. I specifically draw upon Foucault’s notion of governmentality and Deleuze’s notion of societies of control to provoke new lines of thought into these government practices. I argue that it is through the performative in the education system that school principals are becoming perpetually assessable subjects.     

中小学校长教育科研能力现状与对策建议

依据研究能力的内涵界定,采用自编问卷,以294位参加北京教育学院校长培训项目的中小学校长为样本,调查了当前中小学校长的教育科研能力。调查结果表明:整体上,校长对教育科研的价值和目的有着较为清楚的认识,具备一定的研究能力,但对研究文献的收集和利用相对薄弱;没有研究时间、知识与能力不足,是制约校长进行研究的最主要因素;来自城区学校、乡镇学校和农村学校的校长,在研究能力上有较为明显的差距。基于此,建议加强学习和培训,增强校长对研究的知识积累和实践能力;加强行政支持,给校长从事自主研究的时间和空间;正视城乡差异,增强对农村校长的培养和支持力度。     

价值、场域与愿景——论中小学校长的课程领导能力

随着我国基础教育阶段三级课程管理体制的建立与运行,中小学校长的课程领导能力日益成为一个重要的现实问题。在课程决策、实施、评鉴、运作机制构建等方面,校长要扮演好“首席教师”和课程领导的角色,承担领导课程改革的职责。教育行政部门应在评价、培训等方面为校长课程领导能力的提升提供外在支持;校长自身要通过自主学习、专家合作、同伴互助、校际联系等多种方法与途径,努力提高课程领导能力,这不仅是有效推进基础教育课程改革的重要保障,而且也是校长专业发展的重要向度。     

A Comparison of Response Rate,Response Time,and Costs of Mail and Electronic Surveys

Response rates, response time, and costs of mail and electronic surveys were compared. The survey sample consisted of college faculty in the southeastern United States. Mail surveys yielded a higher response rate and a lower rate of unde-liverable surveys. However, receipt of responses was significantly quicker for those delivered electronically, with over 80% of initial responses arriving before receipt of the 1st returned mail survey. The costs associated with distribution of surveys and preparation of data for analysis were much lower with the electronically delivered surveys.     

中学校长压力的归因与对策浅探

随着教育改革的不断推进，中学校长所面临的来自升学率、校园伤害事故以及学校经济效益等各方面压力与日俱增。要减轻中学校长的压力必须切实推进素质教育，必须注重教育评价体制建设和不断完善相关的法规，以便使校长把精力从过多地关注创收回归到聚精会神抓教学，还他们一个宽松的教育管理氛围。     

项目反应理论在中考命题质量评价中的应用

应用项目反应理论对中考命题质量进行分析,可以排除抽样干扰,准确评估试题的难度,客观精细地描述试题的区分度,评估整套试卷和各试题对学生能力估计的精度,查找赋分标准和阅卷过程中存在的问题。     

美国择校研究的理论与方法述评

本文从理论基础和研究方法两个角度对美国择校研究进行梳理与简要评论,通过综述研究发现,美国择校研究具备多学科理论基础和较为科学、严谨的实证研究方法.受新自由主义思潮的影响,美国择校研究具备公共选择理论、民营化理论、教育选择理论等不同学科的理论基础;在研究方法上,美国择校研究注重研究方法与过程的科学性,而非研究结论的普适性.这些可以为我国今后的择校研究提供知识和方法上的参考与借鉴.     

中学教师焦虑情绪、心理压力和应对方式的比较研究

目的探究中学教师在焦虑情绪、心理压力、应对方式三方面的差异,以指导教师进行有效的情绪管理和压力应对。方法采用Zung焦虑自评量表、心理压力问卷、简易应对方式问卷对716名中学教师进行了问卷调查。结果（1）不同教龄的中学教师,市、县、乡中学教师在焦虑情绪、心理压力、积极应对或消极应对几个方面差异显著（P〈0．05）。（2）普通班与重点班的教师之间在焦虑情绪、心理压力上差异显著（P〈0．01）。结论教龄较长的中学教师,市、乡中学教师以及各中学重点班的教师焦虑情绪和心理压力较重;普通中学、城市中学的教师更多地采用消极应对模式。     

高师生创造潜能开发意识的调查与培养

作为师范院校，如何培养能开发学生创造潜能的新型教师，是当前师范教育的重要任务。在对一年级大学生进行了连续4年的创造性思维调查的结果和分析的基础上，从给学生一个自由的心理空间，正确认识智力与创造能力的关系，消除偏见、创造教育面前无差生等6个方面，提出了如何培养高师生开发学生创造潜能的正确的教育理念和科学的教育方法。     

Relationship between Students' Perceptions of School Environment,Their Satisfaction with School and Perceived Academic Achievement: An International Study

During the last decades numerous studies have been conducted with the aim of finding predictors of an effective school measured in terms of the average level of the students' academic achievement. Few of these studies have examined how the students' perception of their work environment at school influences their academic achievement. The present article applies theory and findings from research on the adult work environment to the daily school life of children and adolescents. The analyses are based on self-reported data from the "Health Behaviour in School-aged Children Survey" (the HBSC study), using data from countries in both Eastern and Western Europe. Data from 11, 13 and 15 year old students in Finland, Latvia, Norway and Slovakia are used. The findings suggest that the most important psychosocial school setting predictors of students' perception of their academic achievement are that they feel satisfied with school, that they feel the teachers do not expect too much of them, and that they have a good relationship with their fellow students. The findings imply that interventions which enhance the students' satisfaction with school are likely to improve their achievement as well.     

Supplying Choice: An Analysis of School Participation Decisions in Voucher Programs in Washington,DC, Indiana,and Louisiana

Since school voucher funds are public, policymakers fiercely debate how those funds should be spent. A goal of many decision-makers is to ensure that every private school option is “high-quality” through program accountability regulations. Private schools, however, decide whether to participate in a private school choice program and likely factor the amount of state regulations into that decision. This paper estimates the program participation decisions of the private schools in D.C., Indiana, and Louisiana. We specifically examine the impacts of voucher regulations on the supply-side of voucher programs. We employ a linear probability model to examine how school quality, as measured by revenue, tuition, enrollment, and Great School Review scores, is associated with program participation for schools. Results indicate that higher tuition-levels and larger cohort enrollments, conditions normally associated with high quality schools, identify schools that are less likely to participate in voucher programs. We also find a consistent negative relationship between Great Schools Review score and the school participation decision in all three locations; however, these coefficients are not statistically significant. State fixed effects reveal that private schools in D.C. and Louisiana, the two states that have higher regulatory burdens, are less likely to participate in voucher programs.     

学校文化认同、组织文化氛围与教师满意度对学校效能的影响效应:基于结构方程模型(SEM)的实证研究

基于结构方程模型的研究在回顾相关文献的基础上建立了学校文化认同、组织文化氛围与教师满意度对学校效能影响效应的假设理论模型,运用结构方程模型对假设模型进行了实证分析,结果发现:第一,学校文化认同、人本导向的组织文化氛围对学校效能具有显著影响效应;第二,学校文化认同、人本导向的组织文化氛围对教师的内在满意度具有显著影响效应;第三,教师满意度在学校文化认同、人本导向的组织文化氛围到学校效能之间未发现起中介作用.这一研究从实证的角度验证了学校文化对于学校效能的影响效应,对提高学校的文化领导力具有较好的参考价值.     

小学教师转岗到幼儿园工作存在的问题及对策——以安徽省淮北市某镇为例

小学教师转岗到幼儿园工作是当前我国为应对基础教育发展新需要所采用的一种有效策略。但在具体实施过程中,转岗教师普遍存在角色定位模糊、教育观念转换困难、自我价值感下降、不适应工作制度等问题。转岗教师要发挥主观能动性,尽快适应幼儿园工作。主管部门应选择合适的教师转岗,力求人尽其才。幼儿园要创设良好的工作氛围,进行人性化管理,并加强培训,以促使转岗教师尽快适应新的工作。     

学区学校质量管理的一种有效尝试:标准、理论与实践——以美国得克萨斯州布拉索斯伯特独立学区为例

公立学校的质量问题一直困扰着美国历届联邦、州政府以及基础教育界。作为对学校质量最具效率、最直接的学区来讲,如何领导区内学校走出困境、减少科层制的弊端、提高管理效率是摆在学区领导面前的一个难题。这不仅需要政策的支持,更需现代管理理论的指导以及相应的国家级学校质量评价标准的驱动,当然,还需要学区学校领导与教师的智慧与勇气。在日益强调学校管理权下移的今天,关注并做好学区层面学校管理的规划和实施将是一个研究亮点或是焦点。而美国得州BISD的成功实践已经为我们做出了很好的示范。     

School psychologists’ interprofessional collaboration with medical providers: An initial examination of training,preparedness, and current practices

Research has pointed to the importance of interprofessional collaboration (IPC) between school psychologists and medical providers in the provision of quality mental health care for youth with chronic health conditions. However, little is known about current IPC practices among school psychologists. This study examined school psychology trainees’ and professionals’ perceptions of training, preparedness, and current practices related to IPC with medical providers. Survey results indicated that participants (N = 317) endorse relatively low levels of training and preparedness and limited practice of IPC with medical providers. Additionally, results indicated that perceptions of training and preparedness were associated with current practices in IPC with medical providers. Findings demonstrated the impact of training and preparedness on subsequent engagement in IPC and have implications for the future training of school psychologists as they seek to address the needs of youth with chronic health conditions.     

Factors Influencing Word-of-Mouth Recommendations by MBA Students: An Examination of School Quality,Educational Outcomes,and Value of the MBA

Word-of-mouth recommendations from current students are an important source of influence when prospective MBA students are selecting a school. Based on a sample of 16,297 graduating MBA students, this paper uses multiple regression analysis to identify the factors that affect a school recommendation and to assess their relative importance. Separate models are developed based on prior research on service quality, educational outcomes, and perceived equity; then, variables from the separate models are combined into an overall model. Implications are discussed for school administrators and the marketing professionals who support them.     

The Role of Knowledge,Social Norms,and Attitudes Toward Organic Products and Shopping Behavior: Survey Results from High School Students in Vienna

In 2005 a survey was used to investigate social norms and attitudes of Viennese high school students (14–20 years, n = 340) toward organic products. Young people, who already participate in household decisions and consume organic products, have not yet been recognized sufficiently in research. The Theory of Reasoned Action and discriminant analysis are used to explore relations of a number of variables and the complex field of factors influencing Viennese high school students’ shopping behavior when shopping for organic products. Key findings include the importance of primary socialization in forming social norms and shaping behavior. Surprisingly, knowledge of organic products does not explain students’ self-reported shopping behavior when shopping for organic products. Cultural patterns seem to be far more useful to predict behavior and attitudes toward organic products.     

School Health Promotion to Increase Empowerment,Gender Equality and Pupil Participation: A Focus Group Study of a Swedish Elementary School Initiative

A school health promotion project was carried out in an elementary school in Sweden where active participation, gender equality, and empowerment were leading principles. The objective of the study was to understand challenges and to identify social processes of importance for such a project. Focus group interviews were conducted with 6 single-sex groups (7–12 year olds) in grade 1–2, grade 3–4, and grade 5–6 on 2 occasions. The analysis used a grounded theory approach. The analysis identified the core category “normalization processes of violence and harassment.” It is argued that school health promotion initiatives need to be aware of normalization processes of violence and, which may be counter-productive to the increase of empowerment and participation among all pupils.