Prekindergarten screening: How well does it predict readiness for first grade?

Construction of different predictive models for readiness for first grade, using data from prekindergarten screening, was examined. Instruments included Hainsworth Preschool Screening System, parent and teacher questionnaires, and Quincy Observation Scale. Readiness for first grade was rated by teachers at end of kindergarten for 601 students. Predictor variables included information processing, verbal reasoning, mother's education, ratings of motor activity, and parental ratings of attention, aggression, and speech development. From 45.6% to 75.9% of the children were correctly classified. Results indicate that less emphasis should be given to collecting historical screening data. Additionally, many social/emotional problems may go undetected or be mislabeled.     

How does the “PACE Maths” approach impact on the practice of school staff?

Mathematical skills are essential for young people to attain academic results needed for further study and employment. Recent changes to the English National Curriculum have put an increased emphasis on pupils explaining the reasoning behind answers in maths. This is a skill that can be developed by improving metacognitive skills. The authors report on an in-class programme for small group work, based on prior studies that utilised metacognition to support maths. An evaluation was conducted including a focus group interview and observation, modelling and feedback sessions over approximately 10 weeks. Results from interview analysis showed a positive impact both on staff practice and pupils’ independent problem solving. Adaptations based on research findings were made to the programme and handbook. This programme represents a flexible, inclusive and low resource option for schools to address new challenges posed by the National Curriculum in times of budget cuts and increased time pressure.     

How prepared are transition-age deaf and hard of hearing students for adult living? Results of the transition competence battery

One result of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act and related legislation is that most deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) students attend local public schools. Although such placements may provide greater access to general education classrooms and curriculum, DHH students' specialized needs are less likely to be addressed. Using the Transition Competence Battery (TCB; Reiman, Bullis, & Davis, 1993), the researchers examined the transition strengths and needs of 53 middle and high school DHH students attending public schools. It was found that the students had substantial transition competence deficits and that none reached the recommended competence levels on more than 4 of the 6 subtests. The TCB is an important transition tool that fulfills requirements under the 2004 Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act Amendments to use age-appropriate and results-oriented transition assessments that document program and intervention outcomes.     

How does validating activity contribute to the modeling process?

Contemporary scholars describe mathematical modeling as a transformation of a real-world problem to a mathematical problem and back again. This paper treats a critical issue in the modeling process: how modelers determine if the transformation from the real world to mathematics was carried out well. I present an empirically derived typology of validating activities explaining how validating functions to ensure a mathematical model will yield a reasonably accurate prediction. The typology arose from analysis of four engineering undergraduates’ production of 276 instances of validating. The nuances of validating suggest that creating and maintaining relationships between reality and mathematics is more complex than a transformation and that we should afford a more prominent role to validation in the modeling process.     

How does a STEM Access module prepare adult learners to succeed in undergraduate science?

ABSTRACT

This article explores the impact of a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) Access module on the progression of students to undergraduate Science. Drawing on the Widening Participation (WP) literature, this research investigated the experience of adult learners from disadvantaged backgrounds taking their first steps into higher education (HE). A mixed methods institutional case study was conducted, drawing on extensive survey data and interviews with students and tutors. Key findings included: enhanced student understanding of how to use tutor support; improvement in the skills and confidence of students in relation to maths, as a result of an embedded interdisciplinary curriculum; and an uplift in student study skills. This study was undertaken in a distance learning context, addressing issues in entry-level STEM, but the conclusions are applicable to other HE settings.     

How does rocket propulsion work?

The most common answer to the above question is — hot jet of gas comes out of the nozzle of the rocket engine at high speeds and as a reaction the rocket moves (is propelled) in the opposite direction [1]. But is this answer right? Let us explore what goes on inside a rocket engine and arrive at the right answer.     

How well centrality measures capture student achievement in computer-supported collaborative learning? – A systematic review and meta-analysis

Research has shown the value of social collaboration and the benefits it brings to learners. In this study, we investigate the worth of Social Network Analysis (SNA) in translating students' interactions in computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) into proxy indicators of achievement. Previous research has tested the correlation between SNA centrality measures and achievement. Some results indicate a positive association, while others do not. To synthesize research efforts, investigate which measures are of value, and how strong of an association exists, this article presents a systematic review and meta-analysis of 19 studies that included 33 cohorts and 16 centrality measures. Achievement was operationalized in most of the reviewed studies as final course or task grade. All studies reported that one or more centrality measures had a positive and significant correlation with, or a potential for predicting, achievement. Every centrality measure in the reviewed sample has shown a positive correlation with achievement in at least one study. In all the reviewed studies, degree centralities correlated with achievement in terms of final course grades or other achievement measure with the highest magnitude. Eigenvector-based centralities (Eigenvector, PageRank, hub, and authority values) were also positively correlated and mostly statistically significant in all the reviewed studies. These findings emphasize the robustness and reliability of degree- and eigenvector-based centrality measures in understanding students’ interactions in relation to achievement. In contrast, betweenness and closeness centralities have shown mixed or weak correlations with achievement. Taken together, our findings support the use of centrality measures as valid proxy indicators of academic achievement and their utility for monitoring interactions in collaborative learning settings.     

How does the Curriculum Change? 2. Systems and Strategies

An earlier article in this journal ^{1 1}E. Hoyle, “How does the curriculum change? I. A proposal for enquiries,” J. Curr. Studies, Vol. I, No. 2, 1969. Based on course work for the degree of M.Ed., University of Liverpool. discussed two aspects of curriculum change: the relationship between social change and educational change, and the diffusion of innovation in education. The present article focusses upon two further aspects of curriculum change: the innovativeness of schools and strategies of planned curriculum change.

     

Anatomy practical examinations: How does student performance on computerized evaluation compare with the traditional format?

Practical examinations in anatomy are usually conducted on specimens in the anatomy laboratory (referred to here as the “traditional” method). Recently, we have started to administer similar examinations online using the quiz facility in Moodle?. In this study, we compare student scores between two assessment environments viz. online and traditional environments. We hypothesized that regardless of the examination medium (traditional or online) overall student performance would not be significantly different. For the online medium, radiological images, prosected specimens, and short video clips demonstrating muscle action were first acquired from resources used for teaching during anatomy practical classes. These were optimized for online viewing and then uploaded onto Moodle learning management software. With regards to the traditional format, actual specimens were usually laid out in a circular stream. Identification tags were then attached to specific spots on the specimens and questions asked regarding those identified spots. A cohort of students taking practical examinations in six courses was studied. The courses were divided into three pairs with each pair credit‐weight matched. Each pair consisted of a course where the practical examination was conducted online and the other in the traditional format. There was no significant difference in the mean scores within each course pair. In addition, a significant positive correlation between score in traditional and online formats was found. We conclude that mean grades in anatomy practical examination conducted either online or in the traditional format were comparable. These findings should reassure teachers intending to use either format for their practical examinations. Anat Sci Educ. © 2011 American Association of Anatomists.     

Italian students’ results in the PISA mathematics test: does reading competence matter?

In Italy, from the 2003 reports to the present, the National Institute for the Educational Evaluation of Instruction and Training (INVALSI) has conducted research on Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) results in order to understand Italian students’ low achievement in mathematics. In the present paper, data from a representative sample of 15-year-old Italian students who participated in PISA 2012 were analysed. This study’s primary aim is to verify how students’ linguistic competences are associated with their performance in mathematics. For the evaluation of the impact of item reading demand on students’ performance, we selected 24 mathematics items with a high reading demand and 31 mathematics items with a low reading demand, as classified by Italian language and methodology experts. Repeated measure variance analyses were conducted. The results showed differences in function of gender: females are advantaged in mathematics items with a high reading demand, independent of their level of reading literacy. In contrast, males are advantaged in mathematics items with a low reading demand, independent of their level of reading literacy. Possible policy implications are discussed.     

Why does it rain on the road,too?

A small boy and his father were having a walk in the country when it began to rain. They did not have raincoats(雨衣)or umbrellas(伞)with them and there was not any place to hide(躲藏) from the rain, so they had to walk home. Soon they were all wet.     

How accurately can students evaluate the quality of self-generated examples of declarative concepts? Not well,and feedback does not help

Students are commonly asked to learn declarative concepts in many courses. One strategy students report using involves generating concrete examples of abstract concepts. If students have difficulties evaluating the quality of their generated examples, then instructors will need to provide students with appropriate scaffolds or feedback to improve judgmentaccuracy. No prior research has investigated if students can accurately evaluate the quality of the examples they generate, which was the first aim of the current research. The second aim of this research was to investigate the extent to which providing feedback while students evaluate their generated examples can improve the accuracy of their example-quality judgments. In two experiments, students generated examples for declarative concepts from social psychology and then judged the quality of their examples. When making judgments, students received no feedback (in which they were only given the key term), full definition feedback (in which they were shown the definition of the declarative concept) or idea unit feedback (in which they first evaluated if they represented each idea unit of the definition within their example). Outcomes showed that students were overconfident when judging the quality of their examples, specifically for commission errors (i.e., examples that were entirely incorrect). Surprisingly, full definition and idea unit feedback did not help students improve the accuracy of their example-quality judgments. Thus, until scaffolds are discovered to reduce student overconfidence, instructors will need to assist in evaluating generated examples as students use this strategy to learn declarative concepts.     

How well do you know about your hands?

想想看,好像我们做每件事情都少不了手,那么,你对自己的手了解多少呢?一只手有五个手指,每个手指都有自己的名字!你都知道这些名字吗?快快抢答啰!如果你不知道,也没关系,让我来给你讲一讲吧!我们的大拇指就叫thum b,竖大拇指就是thum bsup,表示“好,赞成”的意思。注意是thum bs,可不要把s丢了!我们食指叫做forefinger,还有个别名是index finger。中指叫做m iddle finger,顾名思义,中指就是居中的嘛!无名指的英文名字是ring finger。戴戒指的手指?没错,结婚戒指就是戴在左手的无名指上的,所以它才会被叫做ring finger。大家可以去看看爸爸妈…     

Ways of knowing in doctoral examination: How well is the doctoral regime?

The article draws on findings from the PhD Examination Project at the SORTI Research Centre of The University of Newcastle, Australia. It focuses on an analysis of the roles of examiner and supervisor, in relation to the candidate, as seen through the lens of Habermas's ‘Ways of Knowing’ theory. On the basis of this, it has been postulated that the dominant text in the PhD examination process may work to constrain the generation of new knowledge rather than encourage it. The paper explores practical implications for research training and questions the current well being of the doctoral regime.     

Interpersonal problem solving and children's social competence: Are current measures valid?

Ninety-four first- and second-grade students participated in a study designed to determine whether a measure of interpersonal problem-solving skill would predict the social competence of children with no clinical history. The social competence measures used in the study included peer ratings (sociometric scores) and teacher ratings. The interpersonal problem-solving measure used yielded three separate scores obtained from ratings of open-ended responses to hypothetical peer problems. To enable control of other variables known to affect social competence, measures of IQ, academic achievement, and SES also were included. Results did not confirm a prior expectation that problem-solving scores would correlate well with competence measures. Correlations between the three problem-solving scores and both peer and teacher ratings all were in the range between .04 and .20. On the other hand, intelligence, achievement, and SES had moderate to high correlations with competence measures (range = .04–.77). In stepwise multiple regressions, only achievement and SES predicted peer and teacher ratings when other variables were controlled.     

Counting and accounting for social justice in the devolved school: How do indigenous students fare?

Abstract

How does a self‐managing school meet the needs and aspirations of the most disenfranchised members of its community? What responsibilities should reside with the state and the education system in the quest for more equitable schooling outcomes? In the neo‐liberal state, responsibility for addressing educational disadvantage has largely been devolved to schools within centrally determined curriculum frameworks and accountability mechanisms. But there are disturbing signs that these new arrangements are not working in the interests of the most marginalised students and their families. This article explores the nexus between school‐based management and educational equality with particular reference to Indigenous students in a disadvantaged Australian school community. It reaffirms the need for well‐resourced and vibrant education bureaucracies as an integral component of a responsible approach to school‐based management.     

How does the change of a single data point affect the variance,and why?

In this paper, we investigate an interesting question that came up when reading a problem in a school textbook: What happens to the variance of a dataset in the case of changing one single data point, and why? Some of the answers are not surprising but here we find the full answer and demonstrate the understanding of it suitable for school students.