Using National Education Longitudinal Data Sets in School Counseling Research

National longitudinal databases hold much promise for school counseling researchers. Several of the more frequently used data sets, possible professional implications, and strategies for acquiring training in the use of large‐scale national data sets are described. A 6‐step process for conducting research with the data sets is explicated: determining research questions, accessing the data set, understanding the study's sample design, determining an analytic sample, considering pertinent data analysis issues, and understanding the limitations of using the data sets. Suggestions for preparing school counseling researchers and potential themes for future research are outlined.     

Using video vignettes to evaluate children's personal safety knowledge: methodological and ethical issues

OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to assess children's personal safety knowledge by seeking their responses to video-delivered simulations of child maltreatment. METHOD: In seeking to do this, methodological and ethical difficulties were encountered. These arose during several phases of consultation, the refinement of an interview protocol to be used with the vignettes, and during discussions over the ethical integrity of the research. RESULTS: Using visually graphic vignettes to probe children's personal safety knowledge proved to be methodologically difficult and ethically problematic and controversial. The main objections to the approach were that it could harm participants, and that parents needed extensive information about the study to exercise "informed consent." CONCLUSIONS: The study demonstrated the nature and extent of negotiations that were needed to "push the boundaries" of evaluation research to develop more valid, authentic and complex ways of accessing children's thinking about personal safety concepts and strategies.     

基于交流采样技术的发电机组电气性能测试系统的实现

提出了一种基于CAN总线的多级分布式发电机组电气性能测试系统。利用数字信号处理器（DSP）及三菱M16C/6N系列单片机实现了对电气参数的采集和控制,设计了一种基于AT89S52单片机的智能负载,可自动根据测试需要调节负载大小,利用工控机和组态控制软件,实现了对发电机组多个电气参数的远程实时监测和综合分析。提出了一种基于离散傅里叶变换（DFT）的同步交流采样算法,通过＂三点＂法实现了频率的跟踪,提高了采样精度。实际应用表明,系统组态灵活、测试精度高、可靠性高。     

基于模糊等价关系的粗糙集方法

在对研究信息系统中知识不完全、不确定问题的两种重要理论粗糙集和模糊集进行比较分析的基础上,结合模糊集和粗糙集各自的优点,针对信息系统中数据量庞大且属性值大多是连续的、很多数据对象具有相同或相似性质的情况,提出一种基于模糊等价关系的粗糙集方法,实现了粗糙集理论与模糊集理论的有机结合;并通过一个应用实例,证明了此方法的有效性．     

《左传》源于史官“传闻”制度考

《春秋》经、传各有自己的材料来源。古代史官通过“承告”和“传闻”两种方式获得信息 ,所谓“承告”是指别国史官的正式通报 ,构成官方史录 ,它遵守巫史传统的表达方式 ,所以隐约难懂 ;而所谓“传闻” ,则是史官私下交流的信息 ,其内容涉及事件发生的原因、过程等 ,以补充前者的不足。“承告”记载于正式的“典策” ,而“传闻”则记录于“简牍”。后者成为史官个人的或内部的文献。“传闻”和“承告”的内容相差很大 ,所以古人有“所见异辞 ,所闻异辞 ,所传闻异辞”的说法。孔子所谓“质胜文则野 ,文胜质则史”的话 ,也反映了这一历史事实。“传闻”之史是《左传》的源头。     

The career paths of primary school principals in Ireland

The key purpose of this paper is to offer an exploration of the career paths of a number of Irish school principals. The information presented is part of a comparative study in the area, involving three island states: Cyprus, Malta and Ireland. The study provides an insight into how individuals become principals and how they perceive themselves in the role. The information is sourced through personal narrative. Qualitative in-depth interviewing is employed as the primary method of data gathering. Participants are posed a range of open-ended questions about their personal lives and about their initiation into their professional responsibilities. The results show that participants offer a variety of reasons for becoming teachers initially and a variety of reasons for seeking and achieving promotion to the post of school principal after a time. Family members and family experiences have an important function in influencing the lives of prospective leaders. With no formal training to prepare newly appointed principals for their roles, most report significant difficulties initially, particularly with managerial tasks and bureaucracy. In spite of these difficulties nonetheless, all participating principals report that they enjoy their roles. The results of the study demonstrate that the Irish principals interviewed in this research, experience similar challenges and rewards to those interviewed in earlier and concurrent studies internationally.     

Evaluation of a Handheld Data Collection Interface for Science Learning

Despite a rise in the use of handheld computers in classrooms, meaningful learning with personal digital assistant (PDA) technology remains poorly studied. We report results from an evaluation of customized handheld data collection software, the BioKIDS Sequence, which was used during an 8-week biodiversity curriculum unit by 5th and 6th grade students in southeastern Michigan. We provide new information on design decisions and usability of our customized software; discuss learner use and preferences; and report rates of data accuracy. Most students were able to enter simple animal observations using an icon-driven, largely linear interface. The interface helped expand the types of data students were aware of, and allowed them to view and review their entries and flag them as uncertain, factors important in supporting accurate data collection. Other BioKIDS research indicates students were subsequently able to see simple patterns in their data to guide the formulation of future hypotheses, questions, or conclusions. The BioKIDS Sequence and PDA technology therefore represent a meaningful use of technology to support scientific reasoning.     

Assessing Enhancement of Learning, Personal Learning Environment, and Student Efficacy: Alternatives to Traditional Faculty Evaluation in Higher Education

This study was informed by three bodies of important literature: (1) research on faculty teaching performance and course evaluation in higher education, (2) research on students' personal (constructivist-based) views of characteristics of teaching and learning environments, and (3) human efficacy. The article describes the development and validation of a new measure designed to assess students' perceptions of the extent to which higher education learning environment characteristics enhance students' personal learning. Results of factor analyses of the Student Assessment of Teaching and Learning (SATL) and criterion-related validity analyses are reported for 2,190 students in 145 separate classes. Criteria used for analysis are (1) measures of students' perceptions of constructivist-based, personal learning environments and students' self-efficacy beliefs, (2) course emphasis on higher-order thinking skills and personal and applied knowledge, and (3) two summative judgments of overall course quality. Implications of the findings are discussed in light of using student rating information for formative evaluation purposes and using students' reflections on personal learning as an element of assessing the quality of teaching and learning in higher education settings. This latter view is contrasted to procedures that are more traditionally used to evaluate faculty, teaching, and course characteristics.     

Data Mining and Visualization of Grid-Based City Emergency System

A cluster analyzing algorithm based on grids is introduced in this paper,which is applied to data mining in the city emergency system. In the previous applications, data mining was based on the method of analyzing points and lines, which was not efficient enough in dealing with the geographic information in units of police areas. The proposed algorithm maps an event set stored as a point set to a grid unit set, utilizes the cluster algorithm based on grids to find out all the clusters, and shows the results in the method of visualization. The algorithm performs well when dealing with high dimensional data sets and immense data. It is suitable for the data mining based on geographic information system and is supportive to decision-makings in the city emergency system.     

A research method using microcomputers to assess conceptual understanding and problem solving

Important goals in science education include the elucidation of how students develop a world view, reason about new information, and solve problems. This paper focuses on a research strategy using microcomputers that is directed towards elucidating conceptual understanding and problem solving strategies used by subjects interacting with an open-ended genetics simulation. The field method employed in this study is termed “structured observations”. The use of this method facilitated the generation of data during problem solving sessions by subjects in a think aloud protocol. Three sets of synchronized information of subjects’ interactions with the software were obtained: a video image which provided the sequence and duration of computer screen displays, a video image of subjects, and an audio track of verbal commentaries. The verbal protocol data, complemented by synchronized visual data, were analyzed using software tools for qualitative analysis. The use of these kinds of software programs aided researchers in the analysis of complex, qualitative data. The data were subjected to codings as text files, searches for patterns, and retrievals of patterns among coded variables. Frequency tables of the codes and patterns were generated for further interpretation. By these means, patterns of operations can be identified and inferences made about problem solvers’ conceptual understanding. Specializations: computer-based problem solving secondary teacher education. Specializations: computer-based problem solving, software design and development.     

Strength,Sharing and Service: Restorying and the legitimation of research texts

This article uses data from a longitudinal qualitative research project exploring the experiences of elementary teachers as they both learnt and taught science in the transition from a pre‐service to an in‐service situation. Interviews, journal entries and observations were the original data sources from which case studies were derived by narrative analysis. The material used in this article concerns a single participant. The purpose is to examine a narrative device, restorying, and explore its usefulness as a way of enhancing legitimation in narrative inquiry. Three sets of criteria for legitimation of qualitative studies are suggested; a set that requires research to be conducted in ways that provide evidence of thoroughness and fairness; a set that allows the reader to experience vicariously the world of the participants; and a set concerned with the ways in which education is enhanced for researcher, participants and reader. The authors suggest that a single text cannot fully satisfy all of these criteria sets but that by using multiple tellings or restorying, the legitimation of findings in qualitative research can be enhanced.     

Gender differences in student performance in large lecture classrooms using personal response systems (‘clickers’) with narrative case studies

This study investigated gender differences in science learning between two pedagogical approaches: traditional lecture and narrative case studies using personal response systems (‘clickers’). Thirteen instructors of introductory biology classes at 12 different institutions across the USA and Canada used two types of pedagogy (Clicker Cases and traditional lecture) to teach eight topic areas. Three different sets of multiple regression analysis were conducted for three separate dependent variables: posttest score, change in score from posttest to final, and transfer score. Interactions between gender and pedagogical approach were found across the three analyses. Women either performed better with Clicker Cases, or about the same with either instructional method, but men performed markedly better with lectures in most topic areas. Our results suggest that men and women experience two pedagogical approaches—Clicker Cases and lectures—differently, and that Clicker Cases are more favorable for women than for men.     

How do tutors use data to support their students?

ABSTRACT

Despite widespread enthusiasm, evidence of the effectiveness of learning analytics remains mixed. One possible explanation for this is that insufficient attention has been paid to the contexts in which it is introduced. We report here on a small-scale study into the prior use of data and communications technologies by tutors, who comprise a key user group in The Open University’s tuition model. Tutors interviewed reported using a complex set of data sources and information tools, and creating local/personal tools and methods for keeping track of students and their interactions with them.     

文化心理与叙事

文化心理学有三个主要学派：符号取向、个人取向、活动理论。它们的交汇点是“文化符号活动”。自我是通过文化符号活动而社会地发生的个人建构。作为文化符号活动的叙事和认同相互构成,不可分离。它们通过人造物、情感、自我反思、活动、时间5个维度而发生作用。叙事既可作为干预变量考虑,也可以作为搜集分析资料的方法而成为文化心理研究的重要方式。     

Student Recruitment into Postsecondary Educational Program

The recruitment of students into educational programs is an area that is underexplored in the literature. This piece capitalizes on two unique features to provide insights. First, the sample comes from a larger experimental evaluation of a summer bridge program that required the eight participating institutions to significantly increase—even more than double—their recruitment from the previous year. Second, because the program was designed for recent high school graduates, the institutions were required to work across educational sectors to recruit students while they were in the spring of their senior year of high school. Using both qualitative and quantitative data, I report that the most successful methods of recruitment involved two components: a personal aspect and multiple exposures to the information. Implications for research and practice are discussed.     

大数据时代个人信息的法律保护

随着大数据时代的来临和信息技术的快速发展,个人信息时刻处于泄漏的边缘。分析大数据时代个人信息的特征和国外个人信息保护的法律体系,结合我国个人信息保护的立法现状,建议尽早制定统一的个人信息保护法,明确个人信息收集的原则、个人信息权,设立监督机构,以实现大数据时代公民个人信息保护的理想状态。     

A descriptive survey of Swedish child health nurses' awareness of abuse and neglect. I. Characteristics of the nurses

OBJECTIVE: The objectives were to assess: (1) child health nurses' identification of abuse/neglect of children of preschool age in their districts; (2) overall prevalence of abuse/neglect according to the nurses; (3) determinants of nurse identification; (4) determinants of nurse-reported district prevalences; and (5) determinants of reporting to the child protection services (CPS). METHOD: Questionnaires were mailed to about 3,000 child health centers. RESULTS: Fifty-five percent responded. Of these, 22% identified no case and 33% at least one (mostly five or fewer). The overall prevalence was 1.4%. Identification correlated with general participation rate in the county. Other determinants of identification were acquaintance with the district, large district populations, and three variables assumed to reflect a personal interest. Determinants of prevalences were small district populations, regular contacts with the social services, and two personal interest variables. With large district populations, identification increased, whereas prevalences decreased. Only 30.3% had made a report to the CPS. Regular contacts with the social services correlated with reporting. Personal interest was a determinant of the decision to report, and acquaintance with the district a determinant of reporting rate. CONCLUSIONS: Abuse and neglect did not appear as priorities for the Child Health Services. The method probably led to an underestimation of the true prevalence. Personal interest and social services contacts emerged as important determinants. However, the assumed criteria of "interest" were not validated. For effective identification, no nurse should be responsible for more than 400 to 500 children. Implications for practice and research are discussed.     

Annual Research Update

Each year, the Journal of Jewish Education will publish an annotated bibliography of research in Jewish education that has been produced in the past year. (The first update includes research produced from 2003–2005.) Criteria for listing in the annual update include that the research contains data relevant to Jewish education and that a report on the research is available to scholars, either online or through the author and/or sponsoring agency. Researchers and institutions wishing to have research reports included in future Research Updates may submit information about how to access the research reports to JournalofJEd@aol.com.     

The Nature and Causes of Regressive Movements in Reading

Ninety-six Wisconsin school district administrators and sixty-six AERA members responded to a tripart survey instrument on the question of access to public schools to do research. The three topics were: (1) a critical incident report form, (2) a Likert-type attitudinal scale, and (3) three separate rank-order questions. Administrators appear to make decisions on access requests on a personal basis. Other considerations in access granting appeared to be the value of the research to the district, the amount of upset the research would cause to district routines, tacit policies on district accessibility, the extent of local control possible in the research, and the financial implications for the district. Researchers agree with administrators on academic questions concerning research access but appear to be misperceiving salient signals concerning research access granting.     

A tale of two mailing lists

This paper serves to report a research study on the use made of two separate mailing lists or listservs, for professional development—Oz-Teachers and UK-Schools. Both lists were, and still are, used by teachers in Australia and the United Kingdom, as well as by teachers across the globe, to communicate electronically with each other. The practice of this communication is typically characterised by text messages that pose questions or offer answers; by threads of discussion based around single or combined themes; and by statements of information. In this context, two windows are opened in this study: one shows a dynamic picture of teachers at work and play in the technology of listservs, developing skills and practices in asynchronous communications. The other looks into the content of many of the postings, demonstrating the practices, views, ideas and concerns teachers have with using technology in traditional school and classroom environments. Whilst this paper provides a detailed overview of the study, the full report of the research programme, of which this study constitutes one part, can be found elsewhere, in Lankshear et al. (1997) and Wild (1999).