Problem-Based Learning in Social Work Education: Students’ Experiences in Denmark

Problem-based learning (PBL) constitutes a promising way of integrating academia and social work practice because PBL fosters engagement with real-life problems and enhances important skills needed in social work practice. However, little attention has been given to social work students’ experiences of PBL. In this article we address this gap by exploring experiences of learning and learning preferences among master’s-level students in a Danish social work education setting where extensive problem-based project work is used. We find a discrepancy between students’ preferred learning and when they experience learning the most. Possible reasons for this discrepancy, and implications for teaching, are discussed.     

The ‘Learning in Regular Classrooms’ initiative for inclusive education in China

The purpose of this article is to understand the Learning in Regular Classrooms (LRC) initiative for inclusive education in China. First, the paper reviews the policy, legislation, and practice in relation to the LRC. It then goes on to explore the specific social–political context of the LRC, and compares the Chinese LRC with the Western approaches to inclusion and integration. The authors then discuss the challenges posed by the attempt to further promote the LRC or inclusive education in the collectivist culture and socialist political context of modern China.     

Moving Beyond “It worked”: The Ongoing Evolution of Research on Problem-Based Learning in Medical Education

Research on Problem-Based Learning in medical education has undergone an evolutionary process from initial proof of concept studies through critiques of the original methods and beyond. Initial studies focused on whether or not the instructional method was effective for medical students and the goals of medical education. Despite much movement back and forth between results demonstrating effectiveness and ineffectiveness, not much forward progress was made in reaching a decisive conclusion. Recently, however, the adoption of different theoretical perspectives, research methods, research targets and technological supports has begun to move the studies along. Current research in the area is focusing not on whether the students learn, but rather what goes on during learning that helps or hinders their learning. As such the group process and its cognitive components has become a more fruitful target of researchers. An erratum to this article can be found at     

The First Watch in Switzerland

Switzerland is famous for its watches. However, it was not this country that made the first watch in the world. It was the Britain who did it. Here is a story of how the watch was brought to Switzerland. Many years ago, an Englishman was traveling to Ital…     

Problem-Based Learning in 9th Grade Chemistry Class: ‘Intermolecular Forces’

This research study aims to examine the effectiveness of a problem-based learning (PBL) on 9th grade students’ understanding of intermolecular forces (dipole–dipole forces, London dispersion forces and hydrogen bonding). The student’s alternate conceptions about intermolecular bonding and their beliefs about PBL were also measured. Seventy-eight 9th grade students were stratified by cognitive levels and then randomly assigned to experimental (PBL, 40 students) and control (lecture-style teaching, 38 students) groups. Following a preparatory lesson where activation and remediation of existing knowledge occur, a pre-test was given, and no significant difference was found between the two groups of students (p > .05). After the instruction was completed, a post-test and also a questionnaire related to the quality of the problem, the teacher’s role and group functioning were administered. Results from the post-test of both groups (p < .05) and questionnaire showed that PBL is affective on students’ achievement, remedying formation of alternate conceptions and also social skills.     

The Impact of Learning Communities on First Year Students’ Growth and Development in College

This study investigated the direct and indirect relationships between participating in a learning community, student engagement, and self-reported learning outcomes. Using a sample of 241 freshmen at a single urban research university who took the College Student Experiences Questionnaire, the results indicate that after controlling for demographic characteristics and entering composite ACT score, the relationship between learning community participation and learning outcomes are mediated by students’ levels of engagement. Learning community participation was not directly related to educational gains but was indirectly related to educational gains through student engagement. Student engagement in turn was strongly related to educational gains.     

Conceptions of ‘Ideal’ Leadership in Accepted and Rejected Principal Training Candidates

Abstract

Process of acquisition of grammar was studied with 320 children randomly selected from 2nd, 4th, and 6th graders in three schools representing different socioeconomic backgrounds. Ss were individually presented 6 nonsense sentences and asked to guess the meaning of a stimulus word planted in each sentence. Two types of cues, grammatical \"signal\" and \"signal plus syntactic position,\" were provided to suggest three parts-of-speech (noun, verb, and modifier). Responses were classified either as homogeneous (proper grammatical identification) or heterogeneous.

No difference was found in frequency of homogeneous responses with regard to children's socio-economic background. Significant differences were associated with increase in cue information and with increase in age.     

A Pilot Study in the Field of Professional Further Education — Cooperative Learning in a Multimedia Learning Environment

ABSTRACT

Based on cooperative learning models, the present study investigated the specific effects of performance, interpersonal relations and affective variables in a computer‐based cooperative learning environment. Subjects were male and female adults who studied a multimedia learning program as a professional training task. After randomization 50 subjects worked in cooperative settings, while 25 subjects worked individually as a control group. In keeping with our assumptions, the subjects benefited from being paired. Further advantages for cooperative learning seem likely if instructions are modified and cooperative strategies used.     

The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning: Theory–Practice Integration in a Faculty Certificate Program

There is growing recognition of the complexity of academic work and the need for university and college faculty members to develop scholarly approaches to teaching and learning. While structured programs of study have been initiated for faculty to address these issues in various higher education contexts, very little research has investigated the theory–practice relationship of the scholarship of teaching and learning within a faculty certificate program context. This article presents a program development and evaluation framework to enhance the theory–practice integration of the scholarship of teaching and learning in such a program. Data suggest that a broad range of institutional and programmatic strategies can enhance the scholarship of teaching and learning in a faculty certificate program. A scholarly approach to teaching and learning is viewed as both an individual and social contextual process.Dr Harry Hubball and Dr Helen Burt are faculty members at the University of British Columbia, BC, Canada. Harry Hubball's research focuses on curriculum and pedagogy in university settings. He coordinates the UBC Faculty Certificate Program on Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. Helen Burt is the Associate Dean of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Her research interests include the development of novel polymer-based drug delivery systems.     

The Success of Schools in Implementing Eight Restructuring Designs: A Synthesis of First‐Year Evaluation Outcomes

In the UK there has been strong governmental pressure on schools to adopt a technicist‐rational approach to management. This paper reports an investigation of the relationship between the efficiency of resource management and school effectiveness using data from 117 secondary school inspection reports undertaken by the Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED). School effectiveness is assessed in terms of qualitative and quantitative measures of the quality of learning and teaching reported by inspectors. Quantitative indicators of the extent to which schools are assessed as ‘efficient’ in managing resources were derived. Statistical analysis suggests a positive association between school effectiveness and rational management practice.     

Evaluating an Experiential Learning Program: The GLCA – Philadelphia Urban Semester

Abstract

Hie present study is an evaluation of the GLCA-Philadeiphia Urban Semester, a program of off-campus experiential learning for college students. The goals of the program were to help students understand the city, to develop self-understanding, and to learn about a field of work related to the occupational goals. Data were gathered from 315 students who had attended the program during the period 1968-1973 on how positively or negatively they evaluated selected aspects of their experiences. These overall evaluations were related to a series of independent variables by means of a regression analysis. The findings of this study show that an overwhelming majority of students evaluated the urban semester extremely positively. Secondly, it was found that students who developed a positive self-concept and held a positive attitude toward work during the urban semester ranked the program significantly higher than those students who did not develop positive self-concepts and positive attitudes towards work. Further research comparing this program to more traditional types of campus programs is suggested.     

Special Education Teachers’ Self-Efficacy in Implementing Social–Emotional Learning to Support Students with Learning Disabilities

This study was designed to determine how special education teachers (SETs) in Saudi Arabia perceive their self-efficacy in implementing social–emotional learning (SEL) practices to support students with learning disabilities (LD). The data were collected by surveying 109 SETs of students with LD who teach at elementary and middle schools in Riyadh. The findings demonstrate that SETs had low to moderate self-efficacy in putting SEL into practice, and the participants highlighted the importance of receiving support that can enhance their self-efficacy in SEL. Moreover, the study's findings show some statistically significant variations in the responses of the teachers, as those who attended more professional development programs reported higher levels of self-efficacy. Additionally, middle school teachers and teachers with fewer years of experience showed a higher need for receiving support to enhance their implementation of SEL. Recommendations for future studies and practices are provided.     

The Importance of Informal Learning in EFL

除了课堂上的正规学习,在日常生活中老师应如何抓住时机丰富学生的英语知识呢?您不妨一试以下作者的建议。     

Cooperative Learning in China’s College English Teaching

With the elaboration on the theoretical bases and significance of the cooperative learning and the practical situation of college English teaching as well,this article probes into potentially applicable strategies in college English teaching in light of existing research.     

The Learning Consortium: A School‐University Partnership Program. An Introduction

ABSTRACT

Induction experiences of beginning teachers in schools that were classified as more effective or less effective on the basis of student achievement are compared. Classroom observations, interviews, and a “Beginning Teacher Questionnaire” were used to obtain information from teachers in the two groups. Three areas of socialization were examined: assistance, monitoring, and team‐building. Results indicate that historically more effective schools were more supportive of their beginning teachers. In addition, outcome data regarding teacher performance provides evidence of more effective teaching among teachers in more supportive schools, even though initial teacher effectiveness, levels of experience, and educational attainment were not different for the two groups.     

China’S First World Cup in 17 Years

1.教室的前面有一张讲桌。【误】There is a teacher’s desk in front of the classroom.【正】There is a teacher’s desk in the front of the classroom.【析】in front of指在某物或某个范围之外的前面;in the front of指在某物或某个范围之内的前部。“讲桌”应在教室内,故用in the front of。