performance improvement

The Board of Directors of the International Society for Performance Improvement has identified top managers and executives as one of the population groups that are or should be represented in ISPI membership. In an effort to research these professionals, Performance Improvement is introducing a new feature — Executive Summaries. These are synopses of the feature articles in each issue. They will appear together on pages that can be copied and distributed to members of your organization who might not have time to read PI, but may benefit from the content of its articles. We encourage you to share summaries with managers and executives, as well as clients, team members, students, and other performance improvement professionals. Also — look for the summaries to appear on ISPI's Web Site soon.     

Performance Improvement

The Board of Directors of the International Society for Performance Improvement has identified top managers and executives as one of the population groups that are or should be represented in ISPI membership. In an effort to research these professionals, Performance Improvement is introducing a new feature — Executive Summaries. These are synopses of the feature articles in each issue. They will appear together on pages that can be copied and distributed to members of your organization who might not have time to read PI, but may benefit from the content of its articles. We encourage you to share summaries with managers and executives, as well as clients, team members, students, and other performance improvement professionals. Also — look for the summaries to appear on ISPI's Web Site soon.     

Revisiting the 1990 special issue on minority children: an editorial perspective 15 years later

The 2006 Special Issue on Race, Ethnicity, and Culture in Child Development occurs 15 years after the 1990 Special Issue on Minority Children and marks roughly 50 years since the historic 1954 Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision. This issue provides an assessment of how researchers have represented development of America's diverse youth. This commentary provides a perspective of the progress and needs inferred from the 1990 special issue. A consistent theme is the necessity to link research and developmental theorizing with the intentions of the Brown v. Board of Education decision, as the relevant integration is often left to legal scholars, Whiteness studies theorists, and a few child-development-focused researchers (e.g., Cross, 1991; Spencer, 2005).     

The New Inter-Disciplinary University Research Centres: Avenue of Expansion or Road to Retrenchment?

This paper considers the background to the proposals of the Advisory Board for the Research Councils (ABRC) to channel the bulk of university science research allocations through new inter-disciplinary University Research Centres (URCs) in research areas of potential strategic economic exploitability, for the most part in selected research universities within a proposed three-tier university system. The proposals are set against the background of Britain's declining economic competitiveness, higher education's present need to justify itself to government in increasingly utilitarian terms, and the ABRC's plans for stretching limited resources by further concentrating university science and scientific research in fewer departments and centres. The origins of the URC model are examined and related to similar centres now being introduced in America. Mobility between the URCs and university departments is seen as a key issue, as is the question of whether a balance of resources can be maintained between the two. The relations between URCs, industry, and the new Centre for Exploitation of Science and Technology is also seen as important. A sensitive issue is whether or not the sort of concentration and redirection of research resources envisioned by the ABRC will result in long-term distortions of scientific development - and of the overall intellectual directions, shape and standing of British universities.     

Announcements: New Editorial Board Members and Earlier Publication: ONLINE FIRST?!!

The following announcement of an Associate Editor, new editorial board members and their prestigious credentials is only pre-empted by our new procedures for earlier publication. Now as papers are accepted and final version approved by the Journal of Science Education and Technology, they are available on-line, at the Journal’s website where date of issue or publication (DOI) is the date they appear on-line. Later they are numbered and placed in print issues of the Journal. Other important information about reprints and hard copies appears at the end of the announcements. The Journal is pleased to announce the appointment of several new Editorial Board Members, earlier publication through ONLINE FIRST™, and information about reprints and hard copies.     

New Labour and higher education

This paper is the first part of an edited version of a Keynote Presentation delivered at the AUA Annual Conference, Queen's University Belfast, on 11 April 2006. The second part will appear in the next issue of perspectives.     

The Research Community Philosophy and History of the Discipline of Education: A Retrospect of Collaborative Research over Two Decades

The Research Community ‘Philosophy and History of the Discipline of Education’ was established in 1999. The academics involved in this worldwide network share the belief that there is a place within the discipline of education for so-called foundationalist approaches. This is not, however, to answer a need for a (new) foundation, but to systematically study a particular area from a discipline-oriented stance. This paper details the reasons for establishing this collaborative research, develops the rationale behind the various topics that were addressed, and pays particular attention to ‘method’, to Wittgenstein's ‘picture’ metaphor, and to Ankersmit's ‘intertextuality in history’. For two decades annual meetings provided the opportunity to enable a deeper understanding of the many kinds of educational research. The ‘output’ can be found in articles and special issues of journals and in twelve edited collections. Finally, the suite of papers appearing in this issue is introduced. Another suite will appear in issue 5 of the 2020 volume of this journal.     

Introduction: Refugee Teacher Consultation in Malaysia

ABSTRACT

This is the introductory article to a journal theme issue on Refugee Teacher Collaboration in Malaysia. The origins of this issue are described, as well as the Editor’s hope that these articles will inspire additional consultation research using participatory approaches. A brief synopsis of the issue is provided.     

Effects of resource concentration on research performance

This paper reports the results of a study commissioned by the Australian National Board of Employment, Education and Training, which examines in detail the effect of resource concentration on research performance, and the basis for critical mass, economies of scale, critical time and risk strategy hypotheses. The widespread introduction of policies of resource concentration around the world are found to have been based on little examined assumptions, and in operation to be at times counter-productive. In general relationships between group size and productivity are found to be linear, though there does appear to be evidence for an optimal size of 5–8. Detailed results and policy implications of these findings are presented.     

Editorial board page for “Jewish Education”, Volume 56, Number 4

Abstract

This is a scanned image of the original Editorial Board page(s) for this issue     

Editorial board page for “Jewish Education”, Volume 53, Number 1

Abstract

This is a scanned image of the original Editorial Board page(s) for this issue     

Editorial board page for “Jewish Education”, Volume 52, Number 3

Abstract

This is a scanned image of the original Editorial Board page(s) for this issue     

Editorial board page for “Jewish Education”, Volume 53, Number 4

Abstract

This is a scanned image of the original Editorial Board page(s) for this issue     

论"人本教育"时代的英语教学研究的发展趋势

在提倡教育应“以人为本“的时代背景下,英语教学研究方式将出现新的发展趋向:以教材教法为中心的文本研究转向以师生共同发展为中心的人本研究;以灌输为主的指导性研究转向以互动探究为主的反思性研究:单一封闭的个人研究模式转向多维互动的群体研究模式.     

An Exploratory Study of the Effect a Self-Regulated Learning Environment Has on Pre-Service Primary Teachers' Perceptions of Teaching Science and Technology

The effects of a Self Regulated Learning (SRL) environment on pre-service primary teachers of Science and Technology were investigated in this exploratory study. A representative sample of teachers was interviewed about their experience and how it impacted on them pedagogically, affectively, conceptually and metacognitively. The preliminary results suggest that students' understanding of how to implement activity-based learning was enhanced by the SRL environment. Additionally they claimed to be more confident about their ability to teach. However, conceptual understanding did not appear to improve. These findings will inform a larger study involving SRL that will also address the issue of subject content knowledge and attempt to develop overall teaching competence in primary Science and Technology.     

2014 Australian Association for Research in Education Presidential Address

The 2014, 41st Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE) presidential address is both inspired and guided by the discursive genres of presidential addresses and the role of the president in a member association such as AARE. In the address, typically the president speaks to the members on an issue or issues that are to shape or conclude their term of office, as it is in my case. Like many of the 40 AARE presidents who have gone before me, I will embed some things that are professional, personal and political—not in the interests of advancing my research agenda, but to add “to the weave and pattern of the association’s history” (Reid 2010, p. v). Threads of my research since completing my PhD in 2000 will appear to support the broad argument. Also, I will draw on the outcomes of the 2014 Australian Research Council Discovery round (see Australian Research Council: ARC archives 2016) to encapsulate my key argument that educational research and its (ex)changes are being reshaped: in a post human digital age, the tree of knowledge is mutating. To make my argument, I will review how the thinking and doing of educational research mid-way through the second decade of the twenty-first century is constructed and ask what research endeavours might be created to make the best possible worlds for our member community and the aspirations of the association.     

评胡适与杭立武对英庚款管理的讨论

20世纪20年代始,国内掀起了对英庚款退赔、管理、使用的讨论;尤其到30年代初,著名学者胡适与英庚款董事会干事长杭立武也参与了相关的讨论,两者对英庚款管理有一些争论。分析两人观点的异同,有助于了解当时学界对这个问题的思考深度,也可以分析当时学界参与政治的特点。     

Mega‐planning in Population

ABSTRACT Clark and Murray examine the six Critical Performance Factors for Mega planning in an example drawn from the five‐year history of the population program of a major west coast philanthropy. In this article, the authors describe the salience and scope of the population issue as it is relates to other global trends; the steps the foundation took to “scope” the program and establish measurable impacts. It rates performance against the critical factors, then looks at some specific country impacts five years later. This analysis will be incorporated into the plan revision. Summary and What Next Indications are that our funding and the work of the grantees are having good impact in the country programs. Systematic, comprehensive reviews involving outside/inside experts, quantitative and qualitative data will be completed in all five country programs by mid‐2005. Also in 2005, the Board will work with staff and outside experts to examine the results of grant making and review and discuss our long term, overall approach. Much has changed since 1998. We will review those changes and see if any longer term shifts in funding emphasis will be appropriate. This effort to refresh our strategic thinking will allow us to revise, as appropriate, the stated missions of the population work, its assumptions, and how it fits into the overall work and goals of the Foundation.     

Reliability and Validity of Bookmark‐Based Methods for Standard Setting: Comparisons to Angoff‐Based Methods in the National Assessment of Educational Progress

Historically, Angoff‐based methods were used to establish cut scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). In 2005, the National Assessment Governing Board oversaw multiple studies aimed at evaluating the reliability and validity of Bookmark‐based methods via a comparison to Angoff‐based methods. As the Board considered adoption of Bookmark‐based methods, it considered several criteria, including reliability of the cut scores, validity of the cut scores as evidenced by comparability of results to those from Angoff, and procedural validity as evidenced by panelist understanding of the method tasks and instructions and confidence in the results. As a result of their review, a Bookmark‐based method was adopted for NAEP, and has been used since that time. This article goes beyond the Governing Board's initial evaluations to conduct a systematic review of 27 studies in NAEP research conducted over 15 years. This research is used to evaluate Bookmark‐based methods on key criteria originally considered by the Governing Board. Findings suggest that Bookmark‐based methods have comparable reliability, resulting cut scores, and panelist evaluations to Angoff. Given that Bookmark‐based methods are shorter in duration and less costly, Bookmark‐based methods may be preferable to Angoff for NAEP standard setting.