The effect of multiple change processes on quality and completion rate of theses: a longitudinal study

Improving the quality of Bachelor’s and Master’s theses while at the same time increasing the number of theses without expanding the existing resources proportionately is a huge challenge faced by higher educational institutions. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of multiple change processes on Bachelors and Masters level thesis work in a selected higher educational institution. The following research questions were studied: (1) How has the thesis quality changed? (2) How has the number of completed theses changed? and, (3) How has the ratio of completed theses per supervisor changed? The change processes were introduced into the thesis process in the Department of Computer and Systems Sciences (DSV), Stockholm University during 2008–2014. The results show that the quality and the number of completed theses have significantly increased. The multiple change processes including a purpose built ICT system named SciPro, which was introduced and improved incrementally during 2010–2014 are discussed and evaluated in relation to these results.     

Assertion strategies and aggression during early childhood: A short-term longitudinal study

Although research on assertion has made important advances in our understanding of young children's behavior within their peer group, there has been a significant limitation in that prior studies have generally not given attention to the gender specific social goals of girls. To advance the literature, this short-term longitudinal study uses a naturalistic observational measure of assertion, which includes assessments of relationally assertive behaviors. This multi-method study uses naturalistic observations of aggression and assertion (i.e., over 8, 860 min or 148 h of total observation) and teacher reports of assertion and sociometric status. Findings from the preschool sample (M = 49.68 months old; S.D. = 7.66) indicate that aggression subtypes and assertion strategies are related but conceptually unique constructs with differential predictions to indices of sociometric status. Ways in which these findings extend the developmental and early childhood literature are discussed.     

Training teachers for a small island system: short-term and long-term outcomes

Ten years ago the Seychelles Polytechnic initiated a joint teacher-training scheme with Sussex University and in five years trained 100 new Seychellois teachers for the secondary school system. This scheme achieved a numerical balance in favour of Seychellois teachers for the first time. The influx of Seychellois teachers produced a number of immediate advantages: there was a saving in the salary budget, the new teachers were able to supplement their lessons conducted in English with explanations in Kreol, and they also used a wider variety of teaching methods. They were more committed to teaching and were much preferred by the secondary school students. This paper presents findings from evaluations of the scheme. It describes the situation produced by the returnees, and follows this up with an analysis of the major developments since the scheme came to an end and since the four-year government bonding period for teachers ended. The final section of the paper discusses in more general terms the sustainability of education development projects and the implications for the progressive improvement of schemes.     

Attention problems,phonological short-term memory,and visuospatial short-term memory: Differential effects on near- and long-term scholastic achievement

The current study examined individual differences in children's phonological and visuospatial short-term memory as potential mediators of the relationship among attention problems and near- and long-term scholastic achievement. Nested structural equation models revealed that teacher-reported attention problems were associated negatively with composite scholastic achievement (reading, math, language), both initially and at 4-year follow-up in an ethnically diverse sample of children (N = 317). Much of this influence, however, was attenuated by phonological short-term memory's contribution to near-term achievement and visuospatial short-term memory's contribution to long-term achievement. Domain-specific reading and math models showed similar results with some exceptions. In all models, measured intelligence made no contribution to later achievement beyond its initial influence on early achievement. The results contribute to our understanding of the mechanisms associated with individual differences in children's scholastic achievement, and have potential implications for identifying early predictors of children at risk for academic failure, and developing remedial programs targeting phonological and visuospatial short-term memory deficits in children with attention problems.     

Rates of meaningful change in the mental health of children in long-term out-of-home care: A seven- to nine-year prospective study

Children residing in long-term out-of-home care have high rates of clinical-level mental health difficulties. However, the stability of these children’s difficulties throughout their time in care is uncertain. This paper reports estimates of the seven- to nine-year stability of carer-reported scores on the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and Assessment Checklists for Children (ACC) and Adolescents (ACA) for 85 children in long-term foster or kinship care. Prospective score changes on the CBCL total problems and ACC-ACA shared-item scales were assigned to one of four change groups: ‘sustained mental health’; ‘meaningful improvement’; ‘no meaningful change’; and ‘meaningful deterioration’. On each of the two measures, more than 60% of children manifested either sustained mental health or meaningful improvement in their mental health, while less than a quarter showed meaningful deterioration. Mean mental health scores for the aggregate sample did not change over the 7–9 year period. Findings discount the presence of a uniform, population-wide effect—suggesting instead, that children’s mental health follows several distinct trajectories. Rather than asking whether long-term care is generally therapeutic or harmful for the development of previously maltreated children, future investigations should focus on the questions “…what are the systemic and interpersonal characteristics of care that promote and sustain children’s psychological development throughout childhood, and what characteristics are developmentally harmful?” and “…for which children is care therapeutic, and for which children is it not?”     

A study of migrant mothers: Return home and role change

For migrant groups moving from one place to another usually means dealing with contradictions between home and host countries and with different cultural norms. Taking into consideration migrant women's previous status in the village and their new one in the host country, it can be said that migration is a turning point in women's lives. Research findings show that increased employability of women in the host country increases their independence and leads to sex role changes and changes within the family.Return migration is the last stage in the migration cycle and it is a rather neglected and little researched topic as yet. The purpose of this paper is to report on research on role changes within the family.Three groups of migrant mothers (two groups living in West Germany and one group repatriated) were compared with a control group in the District of Drama, Macedonia, on work employment and types of responsibilities concerning their children's upbringing.Results showed that mothers who live in West Germany are equally responsible with fathers for the child's social behavior, school performance and expenses and were significantly different from the control group. Return mothers were as much as fathers responsible for the child's school performance in contrast to the control group. More mothers than fathers, however, were responsible for the child's relationships and fewer mothers than fathers were responsible for the child's expenses; in this respect both parents resembled those of the control group. It seems therefore, that migrant mothers take over different roles in the host country than those of the controls, whereas return mothers adopt to a large extent the stereotyped role of control mothers.     

User design: A case study on corporate change

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of implementing user design strategies within the corporate culture. Using a case study design approach, this article explores the change process within a Fortune 100 company in which users were given significant decision‐making powers. The main focus is on the unique nature of user design in a corporate environment where users become stakeholders in the process, a very different approach from the more typical top‐down management style. The study found that allowing users to design their own day‐to‐day processes gave them a sense of empowerment in their jobs because they could manage how they worked as long as they were meeting company goals. As a result, users were better able to manage their jobs, solve process‐related problems, and increase efficiency.     

美国社区学院与日本短期大学的比较研究

美国社区学院和日本的短期大学都属于地方性短期高等教育机构,都以其收费低廉、开放武录取、办学方式灵活多样赢得了当地民众的支持和欢迎,在各自国家的经济建设和社会发展中发挥着重要的作用。但美国社区学院与日本的短期大学在办学规模、管理模式及学生性别比例等方面存在着较大的差异。深入系统地研究美国社区学院和日本短期大学的历史和现状,比较其异同,揭示其发展规律对于加快我国高等教育改革的步伐具有十分重要的借鉴意义。     

A study of student completion strategies in a Likert-type course evaluation survey

This article investigates the motivations and strategies employed by respondents to a Likert-style course evaluation at a UK university. These attitude surveys, generating large amounts of quantitative data, are commonly used in quality assurance procedures across UK higher education institutions. Similar student survey results are now scrutinised by regulatory bodies undertaking external inspections, and by prospective students when making choices about their course and university of study. For respondents, I argue that the ubiquity of such evaluations has led to complacency, misunderstanding and apathy, with the adoption of completion strategies that lack deep engagement. This research also reveals that the recollection of specific key events and the existence of personal relationships are the strongest influencers in respondents allocating an attitude score. I conclude that the distinction between formative and summative evaluation could be articulated more explicitly to respondents, and that to genuinely inform future teaching and enhance satisfaction for respondents, substantive qualitative comments should be sought alongside attitudinal scoring.     

Corporal punishment and children's externalizing problems: A cross-sectional study of Tanzanian primary school aged children

The adverse effect of harsh corporal punishment on mental health and psychosocial functioning in children has been repeatedly suggested by studies in industrialized countries. Nevertheless, corporal punishment has remained common practice not only in many homes, but is also regularly practiced in schools, particularly in low-income countries, as a measure to maintain discipline. Proponents of corporal punishment have argued that the differences in culture and industrial development might also be reflected in a positive relationship between the use of corporal punishment and improving behavioral problems in low-income nations. In the present study we assessed the occurrence of corporal punishment at home and in school in Tanzanian primary school students. We also examined the association between corporal punishment and externalizing problems. The 409 children (52% boys) from grade 2 to 7 had a mean age of 10.49 (SD = 1.89) years. Nearly all children had experienced corporal punishment at some point during their lifetime both in family and school contexts. Half of the respondents reported having experienced corporal punishment within the last year from a family member. A multiple sequential regression analysis revealed that corporal punishment by parents or by caregivers was positively related to children's externalizing problems. The present study provides evidence that Tanzanian children of primary school age are frequently exposed to extreme levels of corporal punishment, with detrimental consequences for externalizing behavior. Our findings emphasize the need to inform parents, teachers and governmental organizations, especially in low-income countries, about the adverse consequences of using corporal punishment be it at home or at school.     

Academic self-concept: A cross-sectional study of grade and gender differences in a Singapore secondary school

Many studies support the existence of a significant decline in students’ academic self-concept from early to midadolescence. In comparison, the findings on gender effect are less conclusive. This study aimed to determine whether there is any grade or gender effect on adolescents’ academic self-concept in the Singapore context. Specifically, the cross-sectional study was conducted with Secondary 1, 2 and 3 students (N = 656) in a government co-educational school. The results established a significant main effect according to grade, with Secondary 3 students having significantly lower academic self-concept (scale and subscales) than Secondary 1 and 2 students. In addition, there was a significant main effect for gender, with female students having significantly higher perceived academic effort (academic self-concept subscale) than their male counterparts.     

Intelligence quotient,short-term memory and study habits as academic achievement predictors of elementary school: A follow-up study

Few studies have explored the differential contribution of general intelligence, short-term memory and study habits has on academic achievement during elementary school, especially during a two-year follow-up. The aim of this study is to determine whether there is a relationship between intelligence quotient (IQ), short-term memory and study habits and their ability to predict the academic achievement of children in elementary school (74 pupils aged 8–9 years old). The instruments used are the General and Factorial Intelligence Test (GFI-3 revised), the Yuste Memory Test (MY), the Study Habits and Techniques Questionnaire (SHTQ) and the average score obtained in the final exams in both 3rd and 4th grade. IQ, short-term memory and study habits are significantly related to academic achievement. These variables can predict 56–59 % (p < .001) of the variability of academic achievement. The study concludes that IQ and study habits are two significant predictor variables of academic achievement.     

Physical maltreatment of children with autism in Henan province in China: A cross-sectional study

The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of child physical maltreatment (CPM) in children with autism aged 2–5 years in Henan province (China), and to explore the risk factors for severe CPM in these children. This cross-sectional study was performed at the Psychology Clinic of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University between September 2012 and September 2013 with 180 parents of children with autism. Children and parents had no history of any cognitive therapy. The childhood autism rating scale (CARS) was used to evaluate the severity of autism in children. Data on parental CPM during the past 3 months were collected from parental self-reporting. Logistic regression was used to investigate the risk factors of severe CPM. CPM was self-reported by 88% of the parents of children with autism. One hundred and fifty four of these cases were in the minor CPM group (86%) and 64 in the severe CPM group (36%). Most cases of severe CPM were unlikely to have caused injury. Univariate analyses showed that child's age (p = .018), age started to speak (p = .043) and CARS score (p = .048) were associated with severe CPM. Child's age (p = .011) and CARS score (p = .041) were independently associated with severe CPM. The risk of severe CPM increased with age and CARS score. Our findings showed that CPM is widespread in families of children with autism in Central China and more knowledge should be provided to parents of children with autism, particularly in cases of severe autism (those with high CARS scores).     

The impact of orthographic connectivity on visual word recognition in Arabic: A cross-sectional study

This study aimed at assessing the effects of letters’ connectivity in Arabic on visual word recognition. For this purpose, reaction times (RTs) and accuracy scores were collected from ninety-third, sixth and ninth grade native Arabic speakers during a lexical decision task, using fully connected (Cw), partially connected (PCw) and nonconnected (NCw) Arabic words and pseudowords. Effects of grade on word recognition (in RTs and accuracy) and word superiority were predicted to occur. Also, in the third grade, recognition of NCw was predicted to be faster and more accurate than recognition of Cw, because in previous studies NCw were assumed to be visually less complex. In sixth and ninth grades, due to the frequent exposure to connected forms, the recognition of Cw was predicted to be as fast as or faster and more accurate than NCw. The findings largely supported the first and the second hypotheses. As for the third graders, a mixed pattern was obtained, suggesting that the participants were probably in a transitional phase. The results from sixth graders clearly showed that NCw yielded the slowest response times and the lowest accuracy scores across connectivity conditions. Finally, for ninth graders, the absence of connectivity effects on the speed of processing was attributed to the use of very frequent and highly automatized words.