The effect of self-explanation and prediction on the development of principled understanding of chess in novices

The present study was designed to test the effect of self-explanation and prediction on the development of principled understanding of novices learning to play chess. First-year psychology students, who had no chess experience, first learned the basic rules of chess and were afterwards divided in three conditions. They either observed (control condition), predicted, or predicted and self-explained the moves of the computer playing a chess endgame of King and Rook against King. Finally, in the test phase, participants had to play the endgame against the computer and were required to checkmate the opponent King. Apart from their test performance, the conditions were compared on quality of move predictions in the learning phase. The self-explanation condition showed better understanding of the endgame principles than the two other conditions, as indicated by the move predictions in the learning phase that more often exemplified correct application of chess principles. Moreover, participants in the self-explanation condition more often checkmated the black King in the test phase than participants in the two other conditions. However, no differences emerged between the prediction and observation condition. This study showed that, even for novices, providing self-explanations stimulates the discovery of domain principles of chess.     

The myth of contextual interference learning benefit in sports practice: A systematic review and meta-analysis

The contextual interference (CI) model hypothesizes random practice (high CI) leads to inferior acquisition, but superior retention and transfer capabilities compared to blocked practice (low CI). These phenomena are well established in laboratory settings. However, the transfer to applied settings, particularly in sports practice is still under discussion. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to evaluate the possible generalisability of the CI phenomenon in sports-based contexts with regard to performance outcomes. Up to April 16th, 2022, five electronic databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Taylor & Francis, and SciELO) were used to search for relevant studies investigating differences between blocked and random schedules at post-acquisition, retention, and/or transfer tests. Using the PICOS criteria, a total of 933 records were screened. Outcomes evaluating the acquisition, retention, and/or transfer performances in sports skills in healthy participants were included. The quality of the selected studies was scored using the PEDro scale. Thirty-seven studies were selected, of which twenty-seven were of good quality and the remaining ten were rated as fair quality. Out of 205 overall pooled outcomes, only 43 performance outcomes (21%) agreed with the CI phenomenon after the acquisition (18 out of 103), retention (19 out of 84), and/or transfer (6 out of 36) phases. No statistically significant overall difference between blocked and random practice was detected at post-acquisition (effect size (ES) = 0.1, p = 0.154), retention (ES = −0.159, p = 0.141) or transfer testing (ES = −0.243, p = 0.071). The subgroup analysis showed inferior acquisition and superior retention following random practice only in individuals aged 20–24 years (ES = 0.282, p = 0.030 during the acquisition, and ES = −0.405, p = 0.011 during retention), with no difference at transfer testing for this specific age group. No similar significant effects have been concurrently identified during both acquisition and retention phases in any of the remaining subgroups (e.g., examined based on experience level, sports, skills, and testing protocol categories). The present results suggest CI effects can only be confirmed under very limited conditions, which seriously challenges the extension of CI effects to the sport context in general. Problematic conclusions for children's learning are discussed, as well as future research strategies to better understand counterintuitive learning approaches.     

Spelling in adults: The role of reading skills and experience

One hundred university students completed tests of spellingproduction, vocabulary, reading comprehension, readingexperience, and reading accuracy (ability to distinguish apreviously read word from a similar distractor). Readingexperience, as measured by an adaptation of the AuthorRecognition Test, and reading accuracy contributed to theprediction of spelling beyond the joint contribution of readingcomprehension and vocabulary. The results are more consistentwith a uni-process model of spelling based on the quality ofword-specific orthographic learning, rather than with a dual-process account relying on both word-specific knowledge andrules.     

The role of dynamic spatial ability in geoscience text comprehension

The current experiment investigated the effects of a dynamic spatial ability on comprehension of a geoscience text on plate tectonics and the causes of volcanic activity. 162 undergraduates (54% female) from a large public university who had little prior knowledge of this science content area were asked to learn about plate tectonics. Measures of spatial ability and working memory capacity were used to predict comprehension from a text that contained either no images, static images, or animated versions of the static images. Only the dynamic spatial ability measure interacted with the type of illustrations contained in the text, and was shown to be especially relevant for comprehension when readers did not receive animations. These results demonstrate a novel influence of individual differences in dynamic spatial ability on comprehension of text describing dynamic spatial phenomena.     

The European Journal of Science Education: Its Aims and Structure

Summaries

English

There are doubts as to whether minor, but nevertheless creative, curriculum projects and programmes in developing countries get a fair chance of being studied for their intrinsic value. Existing directories of science education curricula supply valuable information, but not always in sufficient detail. This is true especially for analysis of the curricula's content areas, the education approaches and the degree of integration. This article describes a co‐operative effort made to create a representative, international network of centres for integrated science education and an instrument to describe integrated science education programmes so that they can become availableto more potential users and adaptators. Some of the problems encountered in the development of the instrument are discussed. In the appendix the Integrated Science CurriculumInformation Form (ISCIF) is given in full. The authors suggest that ISCIF should be tested under varying conditions and that feedback shouldbe used to improvethe instrument further.

     

The social practice of learning: a craft for the 21st century

This article argues that the social practice of learning (SPL), involving life-long learning, meta-learning, deep reflection, and dialogue in a community, should be the distinguishing knowledge base of schools in the twenty-first century. This article also analyses the strategies and challenges of the recent education reforms in Singapore through the lens of an SPL education paradigm. Although the Singapore government has done much to train teachers, trim syllabi and introduce new ways of teaching and learning, such as project work, the real challenge is to go beyond the provision of structural changes to the substance of the epistemological reform.     

Resilience to bullying victimization: The role of individual,family and peer characteristics

Little research attention has been paid to bullied students who function better than expected and are therefore defined as “resilient”. The present longitudinal study aimed to identify individual, family and peer factors that predict fewer than expected levels of depression and delinquency following experiences of bullying victimization. The sample consisted 3,136 adolescents. Self-report data were used to measure bullying victimization at age 13 and 14 and depression and delinquency at age 14. We examined the effects of gender, self-esteem, social alienation, parental conflict, sibling victimization and number of close friends on levels of emotional and behavioral resilience following bullying victimization. The resilience measures were derived by regressing depression and delinquency scores at age 14 on levels of bullying victimization at age 13 and 14, respectively. The adolescents who reported low depression despite frequently experiencing bullying tended to be male, had higher self-esteem, were feeling less socially alienated, were experiencing low levels of conflict with parents and were not victimized by siblings. On the other hand, the adolescents who reported low delinquency despite frequently experiencing bullying tended to be female, had higher self-esteem, were experiencing low levels of conflict with parents, were not victimized by siblings and had less close friends. Relationships with parents and siblings continue to play some role in promoting emotional and behavioral adjustment among victims of bullying and, therefore, interventions are more likely to be successful if they target both the psychosocial skills of adolescents and their relationships with their family.     

Adaptation to physically and emotionally demanding conditions: the role of deliberate practice

The current study elucidated the reasons for athletic performance differences between individuals who (1) engage in similar workloads, and (2) develop in similar environments. 8 elite and 11 sub‐elite swimmers, with confirming data provided by 17 of their parents and 6 of their coaches, participated in this investigation. Findings revealed that (1) a variety of different practice regimens can result in attaining expertise, and (2) highly analogous developmental experiences may not differentiate between elite and sub‐elite performers. Results provide support for a 4‐factor model of expert athletic development: high effort, supportive environment, facilitative coping strategies, and physical and psychological predispositions. Each is likely required to achieve elite athletic performance, and all must be present in such a manner that they are systematically and idiosyncratically functional.     

Burnout in Irish teachers: Investigating the role of individual differences,work environment and coping factors

The purpose of the current study is to examine the relative contributions of individual difference, work environment and coping factors to teacher burnout in an integrative predictive model. The study is situated in the Irish context, where no previous such research has been carried out. A cross-sectional survey-based study with a sample of 192 second level teachers was conducted. Results suggest that individual difference, environmental and coping factors to a lesser extent play a significant role in predicting burnout. Each dimension was predicted by varied combinations of these factors, suggesting the need for a broad-based approach to tackling burnout.     

The development of learning patterns of student teachers: a cross-sectional and longitudinal study

Research on learning pattern development during pre-service teacher education is scarce. In a cross-sectional (study 1) and longitudinal study (study 2) the development of learning patterns of student teachers is analysed. Participants in study 1 were 646 first-year and 350 third-year student teachers enrolled in an initial pre-service teacher education programme. 236 student teachers participated in study 2. Vermunt’s’ Inventory of Learning Styles was used to assess differences in learning patterns. By examining intra-individual changes in learning patterns we expected to find developmental trends within learning patterns. Results show that meaning oriented learning increases over time and undirected learning decreases. Some learning patterns are however more subject to change than others. The development of learning patterns was found to be relative and dependent on the learning pattern which students have already mastered in the first-year of a teacher education programme.     

The role of need for cognition and reader beliefs in text comprehension and interest development

This study was an attempt to integrate motivation into reading comprehension, with active knowledge construction as a linkage. The study examined two motivational constructs, need for cognition and reader’s beliefs, in terms of their role in text comprehension and interest development. The results of the study provided empirical evidence for the independent contributions of the two variables to reading comprehension. Furthermore, the results suggested that effects of these variables on comprehension cut across expository and narrative genres. The study further explored direct and mediated effects of need for cognition and transaction belief on topic interest and the possible mediational role of comprehension. Strong effect sizes of relations found between these variables support the notion of motivational processes as an integral part of effective text comprehension, and suggest the dynamic interplay of reader characteristics, comprehension activity, and interest development.     

Personal capacity building for the human services: The roles of curriculum and individual differences in predicting self-concept in college/university students

While much research has outlined the importance of intra-psychic factors in predicting workplace success, it is rare that attention is given to the development of these factors in training for human service professions (e.g. psychology, clergy, nursing). Accordingly, the present study explores differences in self-concept, a key intra-psychic factor, between two institutions that train human service professionals. One institution provides a self-concept program as part of its curriculum while the other provides no such program. Structural equation modeling showed that students from the former institution evinced higher scores on 10 of the 13 measured self-concept factors. However, when personality dimensions were included in modeling, only four of the original 10 self-concept differences remained. Taken together, this study demonstrates: (a) some support for the role of curriculum in self-concept development, (b) the predictive utility of personality on self-concept, and (c) the importance of controlling for such individual differences when evaluating institutional effects.     

The role of derivational morphology in the reading comprehension of Spanish-speaking English language learners

This study examined the relationship between morphological awareness and reading comprehension in English among Spanish-speaking English language learners (ELLs) followed from fourth through fifth grade. Students’ ability to decompose derived words while reading was assessed using an experimental task. Multiple regression analyses were used to investigate the contribution of performance on this task to reading comprehension above and beyond word reading skills, phonological awareness, and breadth of vocabulary knowledge. The relationship between morphological awareness and reading comprehension was found to strengthen between fourth and fifth grade, and in fifth grade, morphological awareness was found to be a significant predictor of reading comprehension. The findings were robust across two measures of reading comprehension and two methods of scoring the experimental task of morphological awareness, and thus support the inclusion of derivational morphology in a model of the English reading comprehension of Spanish-speaking ELLs.

A comparative study of learning patterns of secondary school,high school and college students

The main aim of the current research was to identify the similarities and differences in learning patterns used by secondary school, high school and college students. There were 8,072 participants and they responded to the Chinese version of Inventory of Learning Styles (ILS) online. Findings show that the three groups of students were significantly different in their adoption of learning patterns; the dimensionalities of learning patterns observed in secondary school and high school students were similar, but were different from those of college students; these students’ learning patterns differed from each other in relation to personal characteristics (i.e. gender and age), but tended to have similar strong relationships with parents’ education level and parents’ jobs. This study contributes to the understanding of the learning patterns characterized by school and college students. By acknowledging this, educators can help to develop better support for students in adapting to new study environments.     

The epistemological role of language use in learning: A phenomenographic intentional-expressive approach

In research on learning, one of the fundamental questions concerns issues of language and thought. A number of empirical studies have revealed the interplay between understanding of subject matter and meanings of language expressions to be more dynamic and ambiguous than is commonly acknowledged. The aim of this article is to outline an alternative intentional-expressive approach to the interplay between use of language and understanding of subject matter as a contribution to the theoretical development in research on learning. The approach is based on a conception of language that focuses on the function of learners’ language use in relation to subject matter in developing and expressing understanding. The learner is seen as an agent, and the focus is on the use of language from the learner's perspective. Four aspects of the relation between learners and subject matter are described and discussed. Conclusions concern the value of this approach as a complement and alternative to the dominant communicative and cognitive approaches to the role of language in learning.     

智能时代课堂变革图景:智慧课堂及其构建策略

智能时代对课堂变革提出新要求,澄明智能技术“何以能”及“如何能”促进学生智慧发展的逻辑理路是开展智慧课堂实践的认识论前提。文章在分析智慧课堂内涵的基础上,首先,提出了课堂学习的物质实践观,即学习可以理解为是一种学习者以物质技术手段为中介的认知性实践,学习者使用物质技术手段的水平能反映其学习实践水平;其次,通过剖析智慧课堂学习方式、场域要素构成,揭示了课堂场域支持学生智慧发展的微观逻辑,构建了反映“智慧生成”及“技术优化”逻辑的智慧课堂模型;最后,提出了智慧课堂构建策略,包括聚焦学生智慧的多元高阶发展、建立问题解决的智慧生成效应、发挥智能技术的优化调节效应。以此,为智慧课堂教学实践提供理论借鉴及实践参照。     

Relative age effects in a cognitive task: A case study of youth chess

The relative age effect (RAE) has been demonstrated in many youth and professional sports. In this study, we hypothesized that there would also be a RAE among youth chess players who are typically involved in a complex cognitive task without significant physical requirements. While typical RAEs have been observed in adult chess players, in this paper we wanted to focus primarily on youth chess players. In addition, we also examined RAEs in both participation rates and performance levels in a national chess championship. Therefore, the RAE was examined in a complex cognitive task that has no significant physical requirements, more specifically among youth chess players. Data were analyzed (1) for all registered Belgian youth chess players over a 5-year period (2009–2013) and (2) for participants of the Belgian youth championship 2013. Results indicated an overall RAE among all Belgian youth chess players over the last 5 years. The likelihood of participation was significantly greater for players born in the first birth-date quartile (χ² = 10.21, p < .05; r = ?.77, p < .01; w = .07) and the likelihood of participation decreased when youth chess players were born in the last quartile of the year. These effects were most prominent in the under-8 and under-10 year olds. There also appeared to be a performance-related RAE. Kolmogorov–Smirnov tests (p < .05) showed that players born in the first months of the selection year were significantly more often in the top 10 players for each age level of the Belgian Youth Championship 2013.     

丝绸之路河西地区魏晋墓彩绘砖画——六博新考

对我国河西地区汉魏墓出土的多幅六博砖画和木俑博戏,作者以图像和文献相参照,重新确认砖画表现的形态应该是樗蒲和博塞而非六博。这一考证,不仅发现了弥足珍贵的樗蒲和博塞图像,而且也为人们研究河西地区博戏的演变和古人的游艺活动方式提供了实证。     

Changes in self-regulated learning profiles during an undergraduate peer-based intervention: A latent profile transition analysis

University students often have insufficient strategies to regulate their own learning independently, suggesting the need for adequate support. This study examined developmental changes in students’ self-regulated learning (SRL) profiles during their participation in Supplemental Instruction, a peer-based intervention, over the course of a semester and predictive variables of these changes. Latent profile transition analysis of a sample of 352 undergraduates revealed three distinct SRL profiles which emerged identically across time points: competent regulators, self-confident regulators, and goal-oriented regulators. Students in the competent regulators profile were most stable over time, while those in the goal-oriented regulators profile were most malleable, but in a positive sense. Results also indicate that students who attributed SI attendance to mastery goals were more likely to transition beneficially between SRL profiles. The observed predictors of transitions between profiles also highlighted the relative importance of motivational variables as opposed to cognitive-metacognitive variables in accounting for SRL development.     

The Transferability of Sport Coaching Research: A Critical Commentary

ABSTRACT

The utility and applicability of research in sport coaching is widely reported to be problematic. This article offers a critical commentary on the factors impacting the potential transferability of research findings into coaches’ practice and into coach education, arguing that a more nuanced appreciation of these factors is necessary. The issue is conceptualized as one of knowledge transfer, and the article examines the roles of the researcher and the practitioner in facilitating research-informed practice. Single-focus disciplinary research, an absence of application research and the paucity of studies on coaching interventions are identified as limiting factors. A more realistic appreciation of the particularity of role, domain, and context is required, along with a recognition of their influence on coaches’ perceptions of the relevance of research findings. It is suggested that the inertia of academic publishing practice may continue to constrain more pragmatic and interdisciplinary research in this field.