Self-regulated learning in Singaporean context: a congeneric approach of confirmatory factor analysis

The motivated strategies for learning questionnaire (MSLQ) is widely used as a self-report instrument to assess students’ motivation and self-regulation. This study utilized the MSLQ Junior High to examine the motivational beliefs and self-regulation of secondary school students (Grades 8 and 9) from Singapore. The instrument was slightly modified and administered to students (N?=?610) in mathematics and science classes. In the first sample, 314 students completed the MSLQ Junior High while a second sample of 296 students completed the revised MSLQ Junior High. Using a congeneric approach of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), the five-factor measurement model was determined with the first sample. This measurement model was further supported using a second sample and its goodness-of-fit indices were compared with other CFA models. Statistical findings showed that the five-factor structure of the revised MSLQ Junior High had a good model fit. The present study contributes a novel methodological approach by investigating the parsimony confirmatory factor structure of the revised MSLQ Junior High in local academic contexts.     

Using multi-group confirmatory factor analysis to evaluate cross-cultural research: identifying and understanding non-invariance

Multi-group confirmatory factor analysis (MGCFA) allows researchers to determine whether a research inventory elicits similar response patterns across samples. If statistical equivalence in responding is found, then scale score comparisons become possible and samples can be said to be from the same population. This paper illustrates the use of MGCFA by examining survey results relating to practising teachers' conceptions of feedback in two very different jurisdictions (Louisiana, USA, n?=?308; New Zealand, n?=?518), highlighting challenges which can occur when conducting this kind of cross-cultural research. As the two contexts had very different policies and practices around educational assessment, it was considered possible that a common research inventory may elicit non-equivalent responding, leading to non-invariance. Independent models for each group and a joint model for all participants were tested for invariance using MGCFA and all were inadmissible for one of the two groups. Inspection of joint model differences in item loadings, scale reliabilities, and scale inter-correlations established the extent of non-invariance. This paper discusses the implications of non-invariance within this particular study and identifies difficulties in using an inventory in cross-cultural settings. It also provides suggestions about how to increase the likelihood that a common factor structure can be recovered.     

Socioeconomic and gender group differences in early literacy skills: a multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis approach

Socioeconomic status and gender are important demographic variables that strongly relate to academic achievement. This study examined the early literacy skills differences between 4 sociodemographic groups, namely, boys ineligible for free or reduced-price lunch (FRL), girls ineligible for FRL, boys eligible for FRL, and girls eligible for FRL. Data on kindergarteners (N = 462) were analysed using multiple-group confirmatory factory analysis. Early literacy skill differences between boys and girls are more nuanced than previously reported; subsidy status and gender interact. Both boys and girls from high-poverty households performed significantly lower than the girls from low-poverty households in alphabet knowledge, phonological awareness, and spelling. There were gender gaps, with a female advantage, among children from high-poverty households in alphabet knowledge and spelling and among children from low-poverty households in alphabet knowledge. These results highlight the importance of employing methodologically sound techniques to ascertain group differences in componential early literacy skills.     

Validation of the child sex abuse attitude scale through confirmatory factor analysis

A validation study was conducted on the Child Sex Abuse Attitude Scale (CSAAS) using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to examine factor structure. The CSAAS was developed based on Festinger's (1957) theory of attitude development resulting in a 4‐factor first‐order structure (cognition, value, affect, and behavior) and a single‐factor 2nd‐order structure (attitude). A sample of 215 school psychologists, members of the National Association of School Psychologists, responded to the CSAAS survey. CFA results supported the hypothesized factor structure of the CSAAS, thus indicating the plausibility of a 4‐factor 1st‐order and a single‐factor higher order structure of the CSAAS.     

中学英语教学中学生的主体性及其强化

受传统教育体制与观念束缚,学生的主体性往往停留在理论与口头上,呈现弱化乃至被遗忘状态。因此,有必要讨论在英语教学中如何以新课标为指南,采取措施,强化学生主体,构建崭新而又高效的英语课堂教学模式。     

中师心须重视和加强教育类课程的教学和实践

“百年大计，教学为本。”，在目前大力提介素质教育的形势下，中等师范学校更是面临着前所未有的挑战和压力，要在激烈中，市场竞争中生存下去，中等师范学校就得确实加强教育类课程和实践，使之名副其实。     

教学交往实践：现代教学的本质

交往实践是时代哲学的主题,教学交往实践具有教学主体多极性、教学主体与教学客体对立统一性、师生主体与自身客体对立统一性、社体性与教学主体间性对立统一性等特征。现代教学的本质就是教学交往实践,它突破了传统的教学交往和教学本质观,对现代教学理论建设和教学实践的发展在有重要意义。     

关于中职幼师专业英语教学的思考与实践

伴随我国学前教育幼儿英语课程的广泛开设,如何更好地进行幼师英语教学,培养出符合时代要求的复合型优秀幼儿英语教师,如何变革才能使中职幼师专业的毕业生顺应我国学前教育的发展,胜任具有启蒙意义的学前教育,是中职幼师专业英语教学中应思考和总结的问题。     

语言顺应对“以人为本”的中学英语教学的影响

在党的十七大报告中提出,科学发展观的核心是"以人为本",而作为重中之重的教育也是一项以人为本的工程,特别是作为教育链上的最重要的一环——英语教学也必须贯彻以人为本的精神,建立起以学生为本、以学生发展为中心的教育理念,让学生在英语教学过程中得到全面、协调的发展。基于当前中学英语教学存在的问题,本文从顺应理论出发,揭示了顺应理论对"以人为本"中学英语教学的影响。     

Assessing the validity and reliability of a quick scan for student's evaluation of teaching. Results from confirmatory factor analysis and G Theory

Using confirmatory factor analysis and G Theory analysis, this article explores the reliability and the validity of a short version of the SET37 questionnaire for students’ evaluation of teaching (SET). The results show that this instrument can be used as a valuable diagnostic instrument for gathering student feedback in internal practices and procedures aimed at both monitoring and improving the quality of instruction in higher education.     

Physics Metacognition Inventory Part II: Confirmatory factor analysis and Rasch analysis

The Physics Metacognition Inventory was developed to measure physics students’ metacognition for problem solving. In one of our earlier studies, an exploratory factor analysis provided evidence of preliminary construct validity, revealing six components of students’ metacognition when solving physics problems including knowledge of cognition, planning, monitoring, evaluation, debugging, and information management. The college students’ scores on the inventory were found to be reliable and related to students’ physics motivation and physics grade. However, the results of the exploratory factor analysis indicated that the questionnaire could be revised to improve its construct validity. The goal of this study was to revise the questionnaire and establish its construct validity through a confirmatory factor analysis. In addition, a Rasch analysis was applied to the data to better understand the psychometric properties of the inventory and to further evaluate the construct validity. Results indicated that the final, revised inventory is a valid, reliable, and efficient tool for assessing student metacognition for physics problem solving.     

Psychometric quality of a student evaluation of teaching survey in higher education

Student evaluations of teaching (SET) are used globally by higher education institutions for performance assessment of academic staff and evaluation of course quality. Higher education institutions commonly develop their own SETs to measure variables deemed relevant to them. However, ‘home-grown’ SETs are rarely assessed psychometrically. One potential consequence of this limitation is that an invalidated instrument may not provide accurate information for the intended purposes. Moreover, in the absence of psychometric assessment, the students’ voices collected by the SETs often fail to provide insight relative to their intended purpose. The present study evaluates a ‘home-grown’ SET using a Rasch model and confirmatory factor analysis. Our results identified weaknesses in two areas: the rating categories and the number of items used to measure the intended constructs. Suggestions are provided to address these weaknesses. This work provides an additional tool set for critical analysis of SET that is generally applicable for a variety of institutions, including those in Asia.     

Students' perception of university teaching behaviours

The purpose of the paper is to explore Students' perception of university teaching behaviours in Pakistan. Three hundred and fifty students from the six public sector Pakistani universities returned questionnaires. Assessment framework, learning activities and instructional strategies emerged from factor analysis as common factors. Students' views on five conceptual variables were also analysed: instructional design, active teaching, learning activities, questioning styles; and assessment framework. University teaching in Pakistan was found to be driven by assessment. This is a matter of concern for all stake holders, including the administration of the universities, teachers, students and the Higher Education Commission. A teaching behaviour paradigm shift is required, switching from knowledge-oriented teaching behaviour focused on successful passage through assessment, to teaching behaviour focused upon the development of transferable skills demanded by external markets.     

Assessment policy and practice effects on New Zealand and Queensland teachers' conceptions of teaching

Teachers' thinking about four conceptions of teaching (i.e., apprenticeship‐developmental, nurturing, social reform, and transmission) were captured using the Teaching Perspectives Inventory (TPI). New Zealand and Queensland have very similar teaching‐related policies and practices but differences around assessment policies and practices are expected to influence teachers' conceptions of teaching. Results from two surveys (New Zealand primary (n = 241) and Queensland primary (n = 784) and secondary (n = 614) teachers) found acceptably fitting models. TPI models were not invariant between primary and secondary teachers in Queensland while the models for primary teachers in Queensland and New Zealand were partially invariant. There were only small differences in mean perspectives scores, except for transmission, which elicited large differences.     

Feedback on feedback practice: perceptions of students and academics

While feedback is widely considered central to student learning, students across the higher education sector commonly report dissatisfaction with the feedback they receive. In contrast, academics often feel they provide quality and informative feedback. This article explores and compares the perceptions of students and academics with regard to feedback practice. The paper presents the results of questionnaire surveys conducted with academics and students at the School of the Built Environment, Liverpool John Moores University. It highlights the perceptions of academics and students with regard to preferences for different types of feedback, timeliness of feedback, students’ engagement and interest in feedback, quality feedback and satisfaction with current practice. The findings indicate a significant discord between staff and students in relation to certain aspects of feedback practice, namely opinions on students’ engagement and interest in feedback, satisfaction with current practice and feedback preference. Similarities in viewpoints were also found in relation to quality feedback.     

基于英语学习活动观的高中英语课堂教学实践

目前教育形势不断发展、变化,高中英语教学中,新课标对学生的英语学科核心素养培养提出了更高的要求,因此高中英语教师应当不断创新课堂教学方法,优化课堂教学内容,将理论和实践相结合,对英语学习活动观有透彻的解读,引导学生将所学的理论知识应用到实际生活中,促进学生语言技能和英语思维的发展,最终达成高中生英语学科核心素养培养目标。     

Confirmatory factor analysis of achieving the beginning teacher standards inventory

The purpose of this study was to examine the factorial validity and reliability of the Achieving the NASPE Standards Inventory (ANSI) that assesses pre-service physical education teachers' perceptions of achieving the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) beginning teacher standards (2003). Four hundred fifty-two pre-service teachers from 15 Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE) programs voluntarily and anonymously completed the inventory. The hypothesized measurement models were analyzed by means of a confirmatory factor analysis. The Goodness-of-fit statistics indicated that the modified 3-factor model with 38 items represented a best fitting model with the data. The scores generated by the total and the 3 subscales of the 38-item ANSI demonstrated a high level of internal consistency.     

简化英语课堂教学：回归符号实跬——读《教育激扬生命》有感兼评一堂生本英语课

在生本教育理念的指引下,英语课堂教学应由以往注重语言符号研究回归符号实践。符号实践简化课堂教学——一方面,教学过程得到简化,学生拥有更多时间自主学习;另一方面,教学内容得到浓缩,学生拥有更广阔的思维空间。     

浅析农村中学英语口语教学的培养途径

英语在国际经济与贸易的发展中占据着十分重要的地位,学生要想掌握好英语,就必须切实提高自己的口语表达能力,本文就英语口语教学的培养途径进行了一些分析。     

基于因子分析法的福州市职业中专学生体育消费影响因素研究

采用问卷调查法与数理统计法对十三所福州市市属中等职业学校的学生进行调查,在福州市职专学生体育消费影响因素的14项指标中提取了三个影响因子,即个人因子、体育消费产品因子和学校因子,这3个因子累计方差贡献率达到67.364%。研究提示:三个因子可全面反映福州市职业中专学生体育消费的特征。