Academic dishonesty among Hong Kong secondary school students: application of theory of planned behaviour

The theory of planned behaviour was used to examine academic dishonesty among secondary school students in Hong Kong. Participants were 386 students in Forms 1–3 (Grades 7–9). Attitudes toward cheating, perceived behavioural control, and moral obligation were positively related to the intention to cheat, but only the subjective norm against cheating was significantly related to self-reported cheating behaviour. The subjective norm was both a predictor of self-reported cheating and a moderator of the relationship between the intention to cheat and self-reported cheating: the intention predicted the behaviour only when the subjective norm against cheating was perceived to be weak.     

Understanding aspirations and expectations of international students in Australian higher education

The aspirations and expectations of the growing international student cohort in Australia are implicitly incorporated into recruitment and internationalization strategies but have received little academic analysis. To address this gap in the literature, this paper develops a conceptual model built upon earlier research by Tim Mazzarol and Geoffrey Soutar, which focuses on the push and pull factors relating to home country and country of destination, respectively, in relation to students' decisions to seek international study. Focusing predominantly on Chinese and Indian students, we conceptualise, extend and place the push and pull factors within a social psychological framework in relation to students' aspirations and expectations of international education, indicating factors that can be influenced by higher education (HE) institutions and their programmes, and those which cannot. We then interrogate the model and its applicability in Australian HE through the case study of an Indian international Study Tour conducted in our Australian HE institution in 2009. In the present context of decreased international student enrolments in Australia in 2010, where we seek to better understand our international students, the proposed model provides a basis for identifying international students' expectations and aspirations and developing prospective international relations.     

Evaluating the effectiveness of university widening participation activities in rural Australia

This article explores the effect university widening participation activities have had in improving access to university of students from rural government-run schools in New South Wales, Australia. An effective effort to evaluate the success of widening participation programs in rural Australia, specifically New South Wales, has not been achieved to date. This article addresses this issue in three distinct ways. First, previous efforts to evaluate widening participation effectiveness are explored and their successes and failings are described. Second, a method to rigorously evaluate university-run outreach programs in Australia’s unique socio-cultural context is constructed and explained. Third, this method is employed using a sample of Australian rural schools to evaluate outreach effectiveness. A mixed-method design combining multilevel growth models and in-depth interviews of careers advisors revealed teacher support of university outreach presence in schools did not necessarily translate to an opinion of outreach effectivity in raising university access levels. This was supported by quantitative analyses showing widening participation efforts in rural New South Wales have had little to no effect on the progression of rural students to university between 2010 and 2016.     

Measuring Student Choice Criteria Using the Theory of Planned Behaviour: The Case of Taiwan,Australia, UK,and USA

ABSTRACT

The international marketing of higher education is a global phenomenon in which more than 50 countries compete. USA enjoys the largest market share. However, the market place is highly competitive with many players seeking a place in the international club. Increasing competitive practices calls for increasing market research especially in the area of consumer behaviour and student motivations. In this research area this paper explores the differences in behavioural motivations of international students choosing an overseas university in which to study. The method used in the research is Fishbein's and Ajzen's multi-attribute Theory of Planned Behaviour model. From a sample of Taiwanese students, representing the Chinese Diaspora countries, the intentions of students to study in USA, UK and Australia are examined. Three research questions are explored and the outcome demonstrates the usefulness and the insights that can be gained from the application of the model of Theory of Planned Behaviour in a higher education marketing context.     

Unpacking the career aspirations of Australian school students: towards an evidence base for university equity initiatives in schools

Demand for higher education in Australia has doubled since 1989, increasing the number of students from diverse social, economic and academic backgrounds. Equity targets have seen a proliferation of programs and interventions aimed at encouraging school students, particularly those from low socio-economic status backgrounds, to participate in higher education. However, little is known about the specific occupational interests of school students upon which targeted strategies might effectively be designed and implemented. This paper examines school students’ aspirations for specific careers that require a university education, in relation to student background and school-related variables. The analysis draws from a study of 6492 students from Years 3 to 12 in 64 New South Wales public schools. We found a complex array of factors relating to interest in different careers. Year level at school, gender and prior achievement were stronger predictors across many careers than factors such as SES, Indigenous status and school location. We argue that rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach to encouraging participation in higher education, outreach activities should be targeted to take account of student diversity and inequalities that foster differing aspirations.     

The provision of sexual health education in Australia: primary school teachers' perspectives in rural Victoria

In Australian schools, one significant component of whole-school learning in sexuality education is to provide students with developmentally appropriate curriculum and learning opportunities, with the intention of influencing positive health and well-being. In the situation where the usual classroom teacher is under-prepared or unwilling to teach sexuality education to their students, the use of external providers who are experts in puberty and sexual health is crucial. While the provider is a key influential factor in any sexual health programme, reliance on external providers for the provision of sexuality education in regional Australian cities is not well documented. This mixed-method study aims to address this gap in the literature with a specific focus on Ballarat, where the provision of sexuality education, particularly in primary schools, is heavily reliant on several external providers. Participant schools highlight the need for further positive synergies between the classroom teachers, external agencies and the accessibility of a rigorous curriculum to sustain the delivery of an effective programme to young people in schools.     

Inclusive education: teachers' intentions and behaviour analysed from the viewpoint of the theory of planned behaviour

The theory of planned behaviour (TPB) claims that behaviour can be predicted by behavioural intention and perceived behavioural control, while behavioural intention is a function of attitude towards the behaviour, subjective norm, and perceived behavioural control. This study aims at providing explanation and prediction of teachers' inclusive education intentions and behaviour under TPB. The main components of TPB were implemented in a survey of 841 teachers from Hong Kong schools in the context of inclusive education. The structural equation modelling results show that TPB fitted the data well (χ²/df?=?2.84; RMSEA?=?0.054; GFI?=?0.92; CFI?=?0.92; and TLI?=?0.91). Identified attributes, including teachers' attitude towards inclusive education, feeling social pressure from important others to carry out inclusive education, and confidence on professional training for involved staff, were found to exert significant predictive power on teachers' intention to implement inclusive education. This intention, together with the confidence on professional training for involved staff, predicts their actual inclusive practice. Teachers' perception of social pressure and adequacy of professional training greatly contribute to predict their intention and behaviour towards inclusive education, respectively. TPB appears to be a sound theoretical framework for understanding teachers' inclusive practice. The results have strong implications for teacher empowerment and professional training in inclusive education.     

论职校生健全人格的塑造与完善

人格完善是指个体有自觉的自我认识，维持身心相对平衡的状态，促使自己向着能充分发挥自身潜能的方向发展，为人类作出一定贡献的过程，是伴随一个人终身的过程。我国的职业教育不仅应重视学生职业知识与技能的学习训练，而且更应重视其健康职业心理与职业伦理道德的形成，重视健全人格的塑造与完善，最终把他们培养成为21世纪成功的劳动或创业。     

Approaches to studying and perceptions of the academic environment among university students in China

It has been claimed that students from “Confucian-heritage” cultures approach studying in higher education differently from Western students. This study investigated the experiences and the approaches to studying of students at a university in China. A total of 356 students completed both the Course Experience Questionnaire (CEQ) and the Revised Approaches to Studying Inventory (RASI). Their responses to the CEQ yielded two factors concerned with student support and course demands. Their responses to the RASI yielded two factors: a deep/strategic approach and a surface approach. Students who rated their courses positively in terms of student support were more likely to adopt a deep/strategic approach. Students who rated their courses positively in terms of course demands were less likely to adopt a surface approach. In broad terms, the students' perceptions and approaches to studying were similar to those of Western students, though with some specific differences. The findings add to the literature on Chinese students' approaches to learning and also have practical implications for teachers seeking to promote more desirable forms of studying in their students.     

Perceptions of behaviour and patterns of exclusion: Gypsy Traveller students in English secondary schools

This paper draws on a recent and unique longitudinal study of Gypsy Traveller students in fifteen local education authorities in England. Gypsy Traveller students are less likely to complete secondary education than any other minority ethnic group and it is estimated that up to 12 000 young Travellers in England are not registered at any secondary school. The study tracked a sample of 44 students over a three-year period, using a multi-perspective, phenomenological design to explore the complex interplay of attitudes, expectations and relationships that might impact on secondary school engagement and retention. Findings indicate that, although the students' behaviour was perceived to be good by their primary school teachers, problems began to emerge during the first year at secondary school and twenty-four pupils had self-excluded by the age of fourteen. Furthermore, almost one in three of the students in the study were temporarily excluded by their schools on at least one occasion during the study. The research suggests that patterns of resistance to secondary schooling should not be solely attributed to cultural influences. In many cases, parents expressed positive perceptions of their child's school until relationships broke down. Above all, parents and students want assurance that racism will be challenged and dealt with effectively.     

根据中职生的心理特点改革课堂教学的一点体会

中职生由于以往在学习上的不算成功的经历,对于学习普遍带有缺乏信心、厌学等不良情绪。本文试图从分析中职生的心理特点入手,针对这些特点改革课堂教学方法,以期达到提升教学效果的目的。     

中职生学校生活质量评定量表的编制

参照澳大利亚教育研究评议会《学校生活质量量表（QSLS）（中学版）》,结合中职生学校生活现状,编制《中职生学校生活质量评定量表》,对426名中职生进行测试,并对测试结果进行了探索性因素分析.研究结果表明：中职生学校生活质量包含学校认同感、校园环境、自我认知、同伴关系、师生关系、成就感、积极情感和消极情感8个因子.利用新量表进一步对468名中职生进行测试,对测试结果进行验证性因素分析,发现模型拟合度较好.量表具有良好的信度与效度,可以作为中职生学校生活质量评定的工具.     

中职生如何增强法制观念

依法治国是我国的基本国策,而法制教育则是依法治国的一项重要内容。应当说,在中职学生中强化法制教育,增强其法制意识与法制观念,则是实施依法治国战略的根本性工作。根据当前中职生法律观念现状,提出了增强中职生法制观念的主要途径。     

Predicting teachers' intentions to implement school-based assessment using the theory of planned behaviour

The theory of planned behaviour (TPB) was used to explore the Hong Kong teachers' intentions to implement school-based assessment (SBA) and the predictors of those intentions. A total of 280 teachers from Hong Kong secondary schools who had been involved in SBA were surveyed. Rasch-calibrated teacher measures were calculated for each of the 6 variables – affective and instrumental attitude, subjective norm, self-efficacy, knowledge, and intention – regarding SBA. The results of hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed that instrumental attitude and self-efficacy made significant contributions to predicting intentions to implement SBA. These 2 predictors explained 55.2% of the variance in intentions. The other 3 variables, that is, affective attitude, subject norm, and knowledge, did not have significant predictive power on the formation of intentions to implement SBA. Possible explanations and implications of the findings are discussed.     

澳大利亚职业教育与高等教育“学生双向流动”研究述评

从20世纪80年代开始,澳大利亚许多学生在接受完职业教育后,选择继续进入大学深造,也有一些学生选择从高等教育机构向职业教育机构反向流动。研究显示,对职业的关注是学生选择跨部门流动的一个明显驱动力;学生双向流动有利于教育资源的优化配置和效益最大化,但也存在学分转换困难、课程衔接不畅等问题。     

Effects of academic dishonesty on dimensions of spiritual well-being and satisfaction: a comparative study of secondary school and university students

Recent research has shown an increase in academic dishonesty in different educational systems and levels, and negative effects on the academic institution, society and the students themselves. In order to describe the differential perception of academic dishonesty by Spanish secondary school and university students, and to study its consequences on psychological well-being, comparisons between two groups of students from secondary education and university were carried out, using measures of the perception and execution by others of dishonest behaviour, as well as psychological well-being and satisfaction with life and learning. University students revealed greater laxity of conscience, considering dishonest behaviour to be less serious and more common than secondary school students, and indulging in more dishonest behaviour themselves. They also showed greater spiritual, personal, community and environmental well-being, and greater satisfaction with learning. However, transcendental spiritual well-being was greater in the group of secondary education students. Academic dishonesty was associated with satisfaction with learning in both groups, and with satisfaction with life in secondary education. Its link with measures of spiritual well-being was greater in the group of secondary education students, being linked to transcendental well-being only in the group of university students. No gender differences were observed in any of the variables.     

在中职体育教学中如何把握健康教育

鉴于健康教育对中职体育教学的重要性,本文首先介绍了中职学校体育健康的教育现状,根据现状及健康教育的重要性,简要地探讨了如何在中职体育教学中把握健康教育,并提出了具体的措施。     

Working with schools in identifying and overcoming emotional barriers to learning

This paper reports a case study on working closely with a secondary school, to enhance understanding of disruptive behaviour, through the use of bespoke Continuing Professional Development (CPD) materials. This project evolved from the researchers’ previous research on the extent to which teachers believe disruptive pupils can control their behaviour. A notable finding was the sizeable minority of teachers in both primary and secondary schools who appear to be unaware of the psychological underpinnings of disruptive behaviour. That is, that such behaviour frequently communicates unresolved emotional needs, rather than wilful defiance. The current project aims to develop, implement and evaluate CPD resources developed by the researchers, for a one-day staff training day at a secondary school in north England. Prior to training, school staff completed a questionnaire to “audit” their perceptions of disruptive behaviour in school. Following evaluation, the CPD materials will be made available to other schools. It is anticipated that the materials will enable greater mutual understanding and respect for the ways in which disruptive behaviour is perceived by practitioners and school staff. Moreover, they will provide an urgently needed means of facilitating a shared knowledge base and a shared language for addressing emotional barriers to learning.     

我国农村中小学布局调整的总体评价

通过对中西部地区的湖北、河南、广西、云南、陕西和内蒙古等6个省(自治区)38个县市177个乡镇实地调研所收集的资料和现有文献对我国农村中小学布局调整进行总体性评价,以大量的事实证明农村中小学布局调整的力度较大,中小学的服务人口和服务范围都有显著增加和扩大,学校规模的扩大更加明显,以前存在的学校规模过小、布局分散、资源利用效率低的问题得到了相当程度的改善,布局调整取得了良好的成效。