Genome-Wide Polygenic Scores Predict Reading Performance Throughout the School Years

It is now possible to create individual-specific genetic scores, called genome-wide polygenic scores (GPS). We used a GPS for years of education (EduYears) to predict reading performance assessed at UK National Curriculum Key Stages 1 (age 7), 2 (age 12) and 3 (age 14) and on reading tests administered at ages 7 and 12 in a UK sample of 5,825 unrelated individuals. EduYears GPS accounts for up to 5% of the variance in reading performance at age 14. GPS predictions remained significant after accounting for general cognitive ability and family socioeconomic status. Reading performance of children in the lowest and highest 12.5% of the EduYears GPS distribution differed by a mean growth in reading ability of approximately two school years. It seems certain that polygenic scores will be used to predict strengths and weaknesses in education.     

On Explaining Change in School Subjects

Drawing on a recent empirical study of curriculum change in English secondary school mathematics, an attempt is made to develop a model for analysing how and why changes occur in the legitimacy of particular definitions of secondary school mathematics and science subjects. Specifically, the author seeks to articulate various insights from the work of Kuhn, Bucher & Strauss, Archer and Bhaskar in a manner which allows structural and interactional perspectives to be simultaneously brought to bear on the phenomenon of subject redefinition. Material from the empirical study is used, where appropriate, both to illustrate and support the arguments presented in favour of the model.     

School-Wide Educator Evaluation for Improving School Capacity and Student Achievement in High-Poverty Schools: Year 1 of the School System Improvement Project

The United States is in an era of high-stakes evaluation of educators (i.e., teachers and principals), the results of which are used to inform human capital decision making (i.e., recruitment, hiring, retention, and dismissal), which in turn impacts school capacity and student learning. The present article describes the School System Improvement (SSI) Project, a school-wide educator evaluation initiative that includes 22 high-poverty schools. The primary goal is to present the Year 1 planning for implementation of educator evaluation, highlighting the use of system consultation for planning. The SSI Project team includes researchers in school psychology and special education, school administrators, and teachers. The project aims to implement a multimethod educator evaluation system that generates scores for informing targeted, evidence-based professional development. Project goals are to increase educator competencies that lead to improved student achievement. Finally, directions for training and recommendations for future school reform are presented.     

Stress in Year 11 School Children

In this article David Lambert argues in support of the humanities in the secondary school curriculum and underlines the contribution that they can make to citizenship education. He emphasizes but does not restrict his arguments to geography and offers a wide view encompassing the humanities as a whole. He explores the links between the humanities, moral education and citizenship and argues against the citizenship-as-subject approach.     

研究性学习与学科课程的整合

根据教育部的要求,2000年以来,研究性学习作为高中综合实践活动的重要组成部分,已经在广大地区开展起来。研究性学习通常有作为课程的与作为学习方式的两种形式;研究性课程的意义在于应用、强化研究性学习方式,以弥补接受性学习方式的不足,并帮助基础教育完成从一味研究“如何教”,到关注学生“如何学”的教育思想的转变。作为一种学习方式的研究性学习,只有进一步地向学科教学中渗透,才能找到自身存在的意义。把研究性学习与学科教学有机地整合在一起,就是要以研究性学习方法为核心,重新构建常规学科教学。具体地说,学校和教师主动引进研究…     

网络课程开发的策略

网络课程是网络学习的重要资源。要开发出优秀的网络课程,应当从搞好教学设计、加强艺术设计、搞好交互设计、进行全程评价和修改、利用协作开发这5个方面狠下功夫。搞好教学设计是网络课程开发的基础,加强艺术设计是网络课程开发的关键,搞好交互设计是提高网络课程应用效果的重要措施,进行全程评价和修改是网络课程开发的质量保证,开展网络环境下的协作开发是网络课程开发的有效途径。     

Methods of History Teaching in the Ninth School Year

In the following article, a classroom teacher in a Bavarian Hauptschule writes about his thoughts and experiences. The Hauptschule, established during the early 1960s, comprises the upper section (grades five through nine) of the traditional Volksschule. Although it serves those 50 percent of the children who are not enrolled by their parents in either the Realschule (ten-year school for general education) or a Gymnasium (thirteen years), the Hauptschule has also been given a secondary-school character. The curriculum and teaching methods had to be revised accordingly. The ninth year is a fairly recent addition to compulsory full-time schooling. Most teachers were not prepared for this level and had to learn to adjust their practices from elementary teaching styles to new approaches suitable to today's young adolescents and to the more substantial aims and programs designed for the Hauptschule as compared to the traditional Volksschule.     

关于我院精品课程建设的思考

阐明了精品课程内涵、基本要求及精品课程建设对我院专业建设、教学改革、人才培养的现实意义,提出了逐步推动我院精品课程建设工作的一些思路.     

Interests in School Subjects and Vocational Preference 1

Sjöberg, L. & Drottz, B.‐M. 1983. Interests in School Subject and Vocational Preference. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research 27, 165‐182. A group of Swedish high school students rated their interests in school subject areas. Interests were related to perceived effort, ability as regards grades and vocational preferences as well as to perceived job market prospects in the vocations. It was found that interests could be well accounted for by the logical appeal of the subject areas and, to some extent, by their practical value. Interests were related to perceived ability and to perceived effort in structural model analyses applied to intercorrelations. Vocational preferences were only weakly related to interests in subject areas, though most students stated that their choices were based on ‘interest’. Preferences among vocations were correlated especially with individual job market prospects.

     

The Ecology of School Improvement: Notes on the School Improvement Industry in the United States

This paper explains how organizations otherthan schools and governing agencies affect thescope and pace of change in American education.In particular, the paper discusses a set oforganizations operating in what can be calledthe school improvement ``industry' in the UnitedStates, that is, a group of organizationsproviding schools and governing agencies withinformation, training, materials, andprogrammatic resources relevant to problems ofinstructional improvement. The paper shows howthe structure and functioning of theseorganizations explain patterns of change inAmerican education – including why schools inthe United States experience wave after wave ofinnovation and reform while at the same timemaintaining a stable core of instructionalpractices.     

Teacher Stress over a School Year

Abstract: Mäkinen, R. & Kinnunen, U. 1986. Teacher Stress over a School Year. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research 30, 55‐70. The accumulation of and recovery from stress among teachers was studied longitudinally over a period of 14 months. Variables related to psychological state and health together with hours of work, free time and night time rest, and the quality of interpersonal relations were measured repeatedly (17 times) in a group of 187 teachers. The results indicate accumulation of stress during the autumn term with the result that weekend recovery disappears in November‐December. The Christmas, mid‐winter and Easter holidays seem to prevent stress accumulation during the spring term. As to inter‐individual differences in stress indicators, moderate concurrent correlations with time budget variables (up to .40) as well as with social relations (up to .59) were revealed. True predictive correlations from the autumn term to the spring term, however, were shown only by the quality of teacher/pupil relations.     

关于学科教学的思考

学科教学是新课程实施的基本途径。学科教学研究与改革，一方面应着眼于研究范式的转变；另一方面应着眼于教师课程意识的生成、增强和提高，以及教师课程观念的提升。新课程的学科教学应具有直面学生及社会现实生活的实践品格、创新特性，充满学科科学理性和人文精神，用学科课程精神滋润学生成长。     

基础教育课程改革的几点思考

面对汹涌而来的课改浪潮 ,身为新课程的实施者应认清使命 ,更新观念 ,提升能力 ,从而以崭新的教育观念、积极的工作态度、稳定的心理素质、良好的知识素养、扎实的业务功底迎接基础教育课程改革。