Internet Use Among Middle School Students in School and at Home: What Can We Learn From a U.S.–China Comparison?

Based on data collected from middle school students in a U.S. school (N = 159) and a Chinese school (N = 183), this study compared Internet use in school and at home between American students and Chinese students, explored what affected students’ use of the Internet, and examined how students’ Internet use related to their learning. Results reveal that (a) significant differences in online activities between American students and Chinese students were found in school, but not at home. Further analysis suggests that different pedagogical practices in these two cultural contexts led to the different uses of the Internet in school between American students and Chinese students. (b) There were significant school/home differences in Internet use for American students, but not much school/home difference was found for Chinese students. (c) There were salient similarities between American students and Chinese students in terms of the most popular activities they engaged in online. (d) Internet use in teaching and learning in school had some influence on students’ interest in learning specific subjects.     

Student planners in school and out of school: who is managing whom?

This paper examines the use of student planners (agendas) with elementary school students. It asks how teachers, students and parents in two classrooms engage in the literacy practice of using student planners. A literacy object originally introduced to manage schoolwork in and out of school for students with learning difficulties, planners are now used widely in school districts across North America. In this cross‐case analysis, planners are shown to be used for a number of functions beyond organising students’ schoolwork. The student planners were tools through which teachers, parents and publishers extended their spheres of influence – objects used to manage others when an individual was not physically present to do so and objects used to gain entry to the classrooms and homes for particular purposes.     

Strategies in Home and School Collaboration among Early Education Teachers

In this study, the strategies teachers use in home and school collaboration were surveyed. The subjects were early education teachers in Helsinki, Finland. Questionnaires were used for the data collection. Factor analysis resulted in the extraction of six strategy types. Strategies representing parents as the recipients of information were most frequently used. Strategies representing two‐way communication were also quite often in evidence. The most rarely used strategies included parents as decision makers, volunteers, or resources in the elaboration of learning. Teachers who had children who were approximately the same age as their pupils were more active in using strategies involving teachers as supporters of parenting and parents as a resource for the elaboration of learning. The strategies found and the implications of the Finnish data are discussed.     

A pilot evaluation of the reading intervention ‘Own‐voice Intensive Phonics’

This paper describes the mixed methodology evaluation of the Own‐Voice Intensive Phonics (OVIP) programme with 33 secondary students with persistent literacy difficulties. The evaluation involved a quasi‐experimental evaluation in which 33 students in years 7–9 in four schools used OVIP over an 8 week period and were monitored at three times for their word reading, phonic decoding and phonological skills. Students, teaching assistants and teachers involved were also interviewed about the use of OVIP, the perceived processes and outcomes. Assessment results showed that OVIP was associated with greater gains in word reading than these students' usual teaching/intervention approaches. Those interviewed also experienced benefits associated with using OVIP. It was further found that word reading gains were not related to a measure of being at risk of significant literacy difficulties. Participants identified the use of their own voice, the student's agency and working at their own pace as key factors relevant to how OVIP worked. These factors aligned with a working OVIP programme theory. The findings are discussed in terms of further development and research related to an own voice approach to addressing persistent literacy difficulties.     

Using Social Stories to Enhance Behaviour in Children with Autistic Spectrum Difficulties

This paper describes teachers, parents and educational psychologists working together to meet the needs of children and young people with autistic spectrum difficulties in mainstream and special schools. It examines the impact on children's social behaviour of a two-session workshop for groups of parents/carers, teachers and learning support assistants about 'Social Stories' (Gray, 1994). It highlights the contribution that Social Stories can make to the management of a wide range of social behaviours, including inappropriate sexual behaviour, unsafe behaviour and obsessional behaviour. Issues raised by the use of Social Stories and their benefits for children with autistic spectrum difficulties are considered. The paper concludes by describing the developing diversity in the use of Social Stories and invites those working in the field to contribute to the body of information about their strengths and limitations.     

Mental health difficulties among young people on the autistic spectrum in mainstream secondary schools: a comparative study

Young people on the autistic spectrum (AS) may be at an increased risk of developing mental health difficulties, but to date research evidence has been equivocal and/or inadequate. The aim of the current study was to document the mental health profiles of adolescents on the AS, and to identify factors that contribute to difficulties in this area. Mental health profiles of a group of adolescents on the AS (N = 22) were compared with age, gender and special educational needs (SEN)‐provision‐matched control groups of adolescents with dyslexia (N = 21) and with no SEN (N = 23) using the Beck Youth Inventories. Additionally, five participants on the AS participated in semi‐structured interviews about their experience of school. Quantitative analysis demonstrated that adolescents on the AS experienced significantly greater anxiety, depression, anger and lower self‐concept than those with no SEN. They also experienced significantly greater anxiety and anger than those with dyslexia. Qualitative analysis revealed that problems in social relationships, understanding the nature of the AS and disruptions to routine were common contributory factors to the mental health difficulties of participants. However, interview data also revealed key coping strategies implemented by participants to help them overcome their difficulties. The implications of these findings are discussed, and methodological limitations are noted.     

高中苗族学生英语词汇学习策略研究———以黔东南苗族侗族自治州为例

以词汇学习策略理论为基础,通过对贵州省黔东南苗族侗族自治州6所民族高级中学525名高中苗族学生英语词汇学习策略使用情况进行问卷和深度访谈调查.结果显示,在问卷中所涉及的4类策略中,认知策略的使用频率最高,而翻译策略的使用频率最低;在78项单个策略的使用上,认知策略中的“查词典”策略使用频率最高,而社会/情感策略中的“交际策略”使用频率最低;学生词汇学习策略的使用在男女性别和文理专业上没有明显差别;同时,苗族高中生也有与他们本民族语言和文化紧密相关的一些词汇学习策略.     

自闭症儿童情境情绪理解的研究综述

情境情绪理解是人际沟通与社会交往的必要条件,通过对国内外有关自闭症儿童情境情绪理解的文献进行整理,分析自闭症儿童情境情绪理解的发展特点、影响因素、干预材料以及干预方法,提出制定标准化的材料、进行复杂情境情绪的研究以及进行情境情绪干预的比较研究等研究建议;运用多样化的教学材料、遵循情境情绪的发展规律以及尽量在自然情境中进行教学等干预建议。     

The social and emotional functioning of students with an autistic spectrum disorder during the transition between primary and secondary schools

The transition from the primary to the secondary phase in education can be a pivotal moment for many students, but for students who have autism, their difficulties with socialisation and emotional regulation can make this time period especially challenging. This article explores the experiences of key stakeholders regarding the issue of students with an autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) transitioning from primary to secondary school. Five students with an ASD who were about to transfer to mainstream secondary schools, their parents and members of their primary and secondary school staff were invited to participate in the study. Using mixed methods of data collection, a complex picture of student experiences was discovered. The article highlights the need for further research in the field of school transitions for the student with ASD.     

Follow‐up study of ex‐students of a residential school for children with emotional and behavioural difficulties in New Zealand

A follow‐up study was conducted on ex‐students of a residential special school for children with emotional and behavioural difficulties in New Zealand. Previous research on post‐school outcomes for students with emotional and behavioural difficulties has found low levels on quality of life indicators such as education, employment and community adjustment. Twenty‐nine ex‐students and/or their parents or caregivers were located and interviewed 10–14 years after they had left residential school. Interviews focused on their educational achievement, employment record and community adjustment. Findings indicated low levels of achievement in terms of educational qualifications and employment records, high rates of involvement with the criminal justice system and low levels of community adjustment. Implications of the study findings suggest that key factors in improving student outcomes are establishing effective procedures for transition, providing ongoing support for ex‐students, and better special needs training for teachers in mainstream schools.     

A preliminary assessment of Buddhism’s contextualisation to the English RE classroom

In a preliminary study, 20 ‘migrant’ Buddhist parents and children from England participated in semi‐structured interviews to compare their home nurture with classroom presentation of Buddhism. In the home Buddhism received more time allocation and was presented mainly by the mother and monks – the content being that of ‘perpetuating structures’, often in an ethnic mother tongue and with ethos permeating all aspects of life. In school, by contrast, Buddhism was allocated little or no time, was presented mostly by the teacher – the content being meditation, Precepts and the more material aspects of the tradition – in English and with little in terms of amenable ethos. Dissonance apparent between home and school presentation of Buddhism is compared to similar findings for the Hindu and Sikh communities in Britain, and the need is highlighted for more attention to avoidance of assumptions in content, better use of allocated time and increased involvement of the ‘migrant’ Buddhist faith community. To this end, recommendations are made for further research.     

家校共育现状及可能的改变:来自家长的声音

家校共育为孩子的健康成长提供了必需的合力,然而在实践中存在许多困境。家长作为家校共育中的核心人物,对学校开展的家校共育工作有重要话语权。研究采用实证研究方法,以北京市某区的120名小学家长为访谈对象,研究结果显示家长对家校共育现状基本满意。他们认为学校对孩子的培养起了关键作用,但是孩子在学习行为与习惯、合作与交往等方面发展不尽人意。为了更好地促进家校共育,应提高家长参与家校共育活动的有效性,同时增强家长的自我反思意识。     

Quantifying social skill deficits and strengths profiles in autistic youth

While social difficulties in autism are well-established, questions remain regarding whether these represent challenges in acquiring or performing such skills, reduced social strengths, or a unique distribution across these domains (i.e., social profile). This study empirically derived social profiles of 211 autistic and non-autistic youth (M_age = 13.50; Autistic N = 150; Male N = 151; 85.3% White). Assessments occurred between 2016 and 2020. Results showed that autistic youth exhibit significantly more social acquisition and performance deficits and fewer strengths than nonautistic youth (ds = −.44 to .65). Performance deficits were most—and acquisition deficits least—prominent within autistic profiles, potentially implicating longstanding theoretical models of social difficulties in autism, and supporting new, idiographic approaches for conceptualizing, assessing, and treating social challenges.     

The placement of secondary school students with Statements of special educational needs in the more diversified system of English secondary schooling

This article examines the pattern of placement of students with significant special educational needs at Statement and School Action Plus levels in English secondary schools, comparing sponsored and converter academies, maintained schools and the newly created free schools, studio schools and university technical colleges for 2013 and 2014. The analysis shows a clear pattern of differences: converter academies (which are governed by their own governing body) had significantly lower proportions of students with significant special educational needs overall than maintained (those remaining under local authority management) and sponsored academies (those considered to be weak/failing schools forced to become academies with outside sponsors that oversee the schools). There was a similar pattern of findings for most areas of special educational needs, except visual impairment and autistic spectrum disorder. The pattern of placement of students with Statements in the newly created free schools also showed that some free schools have unusually high proportions of students with special educational needs. These findings are discussed in terms of the increasing stratification of English secondary schools and the potential of small secondary schools to be more inclusive.     

Considerations in Assessment of Children with Severe Disabilities including Deaf‐Blindness and Autism

This paper will discuss the difficulties in assessment of autistic and deaf‐blind children with such severe difficulties in communication that they are often labelled as untestable and subsequently misdiagnosed as severely to profoundly mentally retarded. It will go on to make the case for nonintrusive assessment and appropriate intervention as the most relevant procedures for helping this population advance educationally and in life skills. While this paper will focus on children, the points made apply to individuals of all ages.     

自闭症儿童同理心表达的教学成效研究

自闭症儿童在社会交往中存在障碍,其中一个表现就是他们无法正确反应别人的情绪,在社交场合中缺乏同理心的表达,无法建立友谊。文章采用单一受试研究法中多基线跨被试的实验设计,针对3名自闭症儿童,采用故事脚本,运用娃娃或木偶通过假扮难过或疼痛引发同理的情境,并采用故事脚本及口语提示系统和强化方式结合的包裹式干预方法教导自闭症儿童的同理心表达。研究结果表明此教学方法对自闭症儿童同理心表达的教学成效显著,且有较好的维持和泛化效果。     

图片交换沟通系统对自闭症儿童干预有效性研究综述

众多自闭谱系障碍个体在沟通方面面临不同程度的困难,功能性语言的缺失是其中的突出问题,这严重阻碍了自闭症儿童的发展和社会融入。图片交换沟通系统通过逐步递进的六个阶段,改善儿童的沟通能力。随着图片交换沟通系统的广泛使用,众多研究者开始关注该方法的有效性。研究表明,图片交换沟通系统可以作为改善自闭症儿童功能性沟通能力的有效方法,虽然其同言语产生关系的研究尚未取得一致性结论,但它并不会阻碍言语的产生。     

‘Technological me’: young children’s use of technology across their home and school contexts

Research into children’s learning with digital technologies is represented by a growing body of literature examining the relationship between home–school technological practices. A focus of this work is on the notion of a ‘digital-disconnect’ between home and school. This argument suggests that children are such native users of technologies they struggle to connect with commonly used technologies in school. This paper examines how the ‘digital-disconnect’ is experienced in children’s lives. Drawing on a data set investigating the digital experiences of 12 children aged 2–12 years, we consider the experiences of one family attending the same school. Three siblings aged 5–12 years recorded their home and school technology use for one week. The findings suggested some difference in use across both settings, but also similarities associated with information retrieval, rote learning and entertainment. We use Bulfin and North’s and Dyson’s ideas about the permeability of social boundaries to explain why technology use might be more similar than disconnected in each context. We consider the extent to which each setting influences the other as the basis for moving away from binary conceptualisations of the digital-disconnect informed by generational assumptions about children and technologies.     

英语阅读策略使用之定量研究

本研究调查中专学生英语学习策略。主要探讨阅读策略是否有最高的使用频率;高分组和低分组之间及男女生之间在阅读策略使用上的差异。结果显示,阅读策略的使用频率不是最高,但明显高于听的策略和词汇策略的使用频率;高分组与低分组学生之间及男女生之间在阅读策略使用的频率上存在显著差异。最后,建议英语教师应引导和训练学生使用更主动的阅读策略。     

Autistic Children''s Talk about Psychological States: Deficits in the Early Acquisition of a Theory of Mind

Spontaneous speech samples collected from 6 autistic and 6 age- and language-matched Down syndrome controls over the course of 1-2 years were analyzed for the presence of language referring to different psychological states. Utterances containing lexical terms for desire, perception, emotion, and cognition were functionally coded to distinguish conversation uses of such terms from actual reference to mental states, and for perception terms to distinguish reference to perception from calls for joint attention. The main findings were that autistic children were comparable to the Down syndrome control subjects in their talk about desire, perception and emotion. However, they used significantly less language to call for attention and to refer to cognitive mental states. These results are discussed in relation to current theories about the nature of the psychological deficit in autism.