Cognitive processes related to counting in students with special educational needs

This study is aimed at the mechanisms used by students with an intellectual disability in the counting process. The assessment of the counting process is carried out through experimental tests inspired by the basic principles of Gelman and Gallistel, namely one‐to‐one, stable order, cardinality, abstraction and order irrelevance. This is a comparative study of participants with a developmental age of between 4 and 5 years, in two populations: a group of students with intellectual disability attending special education (SEN) schools, with chronological ages of between 8 and 12 years,whose developmental age was determined by the Cambrodí Dimensional Method, and another group of students without intellectual disability attending mainstream schools (MS). The data do not show significant differences between the one‐to‐one and stable order principles with respect to the variables MS and SEN, while significant differences are demonstrated for the principles of cardinality, abstraction and order irrelevance.     

Improving Mathematics Teaching in Kindergarten with Realistic Mathematical Education

The present study investigates and compares the influence of teaching Realistic Mathematics on the development of mathematical competence in kindergarten. The sample consisted of 231 Greek kindergarten students. For the implementation of the survey, we conducted an intervention, which included one experimental and one control group. Children in the experimental group were taught Realistic Mathematics according to the principles of Realistic Mathematics Education. The control group was taught mathematics following the basic pedagogical principles of curriculum for kindergarten students. In order to evaluate the mathematical performance of children we used the Test of Early Mathematics Ability (TEMA-3). The results showed that the teaching technique with the use of Realistic Mathematic Education contributed significantly to the development of mathematical competence of young children. Moreover, factors such as gender, age and nonverbal cognitive ability, did not seem to differentiate the development of mathematical competence of children.     

高职青年教师科研现状的调查与分析

青年教师的科研能力是促进高职院校内涵发展的重要动力之一。采用文献法与问卷调查法相结合的方法,对温州职业技术学院35周岁以下青年教师科研现状进行调查,结果表明,青年教师发表论文数量不多、级别不高,投入科研时间不足,参与课题研究少,没有处理好教学与科研的时间分配等。为此,高职院校应深化以人为本的科研管理理念,帮助和引导青年教师尽早确立科研方向、开展“立地式”研发,同时青年教师自身应提高科研素质。     

How Europe Shapes Academic Research: insights from participation in European Union Framework Programmes

This article describes the effects of participating in European Union Framework Programmes (EUFPs) at the level of research units and researchers. We consider EUFPs as policy instruments that contribute to the Europeanisation of academic research and study the changes they produce with respect to: 1) the organisation and activities of Departments, 2) the type of knowledge produced, and 3) the ways of doing research. The analysis is based on a case study of the Sapienza University in Rome. We also discuss the extent to which EUFPs produce different effects at the level of scientific fields. This pilot study analyses changes driven by EUFPs from an institutional perspective and uses the concept of institutionalisation to explain how these changes are translated into rules and practices by research units and researchers. Our preliminary investigation supports the idea that EUFPs do not trigger a process of Europeanisation and lead, within academic institutions, to highly diversified institutional responses by scientific fields rather than to undifferentiated ones. They strengthen leading research groups and Departments, already competitive at the EU level, by enhancing existing international behaviours and practices. However, they do not support and, at times, even decrease competition opportunities for less experienced participants and they do not promote the participation of new groups. Moreover, the absence of relevant organisational changes at the University level and the lack of incentives for EUFP participation seem to strengthen these trends. What emerges is the need for decisions at the University level, taking into account differences across scientific groups.     

Influences on intercultural relations: Counseling implications for American adolescents in Germany

A comparison of the relative importance of variables shown to influence the outcome of interracial contact was made in an intercultural contact situation. Implications of the findings for counseling applications were discussed. The variables studied were: amount of contact, length of time living in the country, norms, personal association, initial attitudes toward the country (expectations and first impressions), and attitudes toward people in general. The subjects were 199 American adolescents living in Germany and enrolled in on-base American schools for military dependents. The data were collected by questionnaires administered by faculty members at the schools during regular class time. Attitudes toward Germans, attitudes toward Germany and social distance toward German adolescents were utilized as the dependant variables. The analyses controlled for past intercultural experience and the age, sex, and ethnic group of the subjects. Three variables affected subjects' attitudes toward Germany: norms, first impressions, and sex of subject. The same three variables plus attitudes toward people affected attitudes toward Germans. Three different variables affected the social distance scale: age, sex, and expectations. Age and sex were control variables and appear to be artifacts of the particular social climate of the situation under study. Thus, norms, first impressions, expectations, and attitudes toward people appear to be the major influences on attitudes toward members of another culture. Amount of contact, length of time living in the country and personal association do not appear to be important in intercultural interaction. Suggestions were made for the preparation of educational programs and for family, group and individual counseling for families with adolescents who are transferred to new cultural environments.     

美国私立高校董事会制度探析

美国私立大学不管是在教育、科研、社会服务,还是文化传播等各方面都取得了令世人瞩目的成就。长久以来,众多的美国私立大学都在社会和学术各个领域拥有至高的声誉。值得我们注意的是,这些大学无一例外地选择了董事会管理制度作为其内部核心管理制度。因此,研究美国私立大学董事会制度对当前我国大学的发展,尤其是对于我国正处于探索阶段的民办学院具有很重要的意义和价值。     

德国大学对美国“大学化”运动影响探析

19世纪中后期,美国高等教育开始步入“大学化”时代。在德国大学理念影响下,留德归美学者将“教学科研相结合”以及“教学自由”原则引入美国,形成了新的大学思想。吉尔曼成功创建了美国第一所研究型大学——约翰·霍普金斯大学,哈佛和耶鲁等殖民地学院也开始了由“学院”向“大学”转型的改革。美国“大学化”运动不是对德国大学的简单模仿和复制,而是德国大学理念与美国精神文化的融合,体现了文化上的独立、选择和修正。     

美国研究型大学本科生科研能力培养体系——北卡莱罗纳州立大学个案分析

从北卡莱罗纳州立大学的个案分析透视出,美国研究型大学重视本科生科研能力的培养,通过设置专门的组织机构、多种类型的计划和活动形成了本科生科研能力培养的层级、网状体系。具体为,一年级的习明纳(seminar)及参与科研前的前期培训、中高年级的科研活动和顶点计划组成的层级培养系统;大学、大学之间、州以及联邦范围内重视与共同参与、资助的网状系统。[关键词]美国;研究型大学;本科生科研能力;培养体系     

Evaluation of the science enrichment activities (SEA) program: A decision oriented model

This study examined three questions of interest to decision-makers. Results revealed that subjects made some cognitive gains and chose different types of activities. The most striking finding relates to the third question. Groups who chose different activities made similar gains in learning. Older subjects perform fewer activities but make gains similar to those made by younger subjects. These results suggest that either eighth graders learn in less time or more activities are not proportionately more instructive. A question for future studies is whether subjects who choose more challenging activities make proportionately greater gains in understanding how to control variables. Of particular importance, it was found that subjects who are more sophisticated on the basis of age or ability to control variables choose proportionately more difficult activities (those with larger numbers of variables or with unfamiliar variables). This supports Hunt's (1965) suggestion that the learner is able to select experiences which help him to learn. The decision-makers concluded that open education programs might succeed, in part, because students are able to choose experiences which help them learn. These results do not, however, imply that student selection of educational activities is the most appropriate form of instruction.This study combined with earlier studies (Linn, Chen & Thier, 1977) strongly suggests that the most one can expect students to learn in the SEA program is to criticize experiments. Even for eighth graders who are presumably more likely to learn to control variables, the SEA is not sufficient to teach controlling variables. A different approach is needed to teach this (e.g., Linn, in press).Several research and evaluation studies are consistent with the findings of this evaluation (e.g., Shann et al., 1975; Atkinson, 1976). Many educators interested in “open” education have suggested that interactive learning experiences teach children to be autonomous, curious, and able to plan investigations. These questions were suggested by the evaluators as meriting further study.The decision-making model employed in this evaluation succeeded in influencing decision-makers and also in suggesting some implications for future studies. Rather than focusing on program objectives the evaluation focused on program decisions. Setting priorities in evaluation studies is a multivariate process not fully discussed in this paper. Greater emphasis needs to be placed on the potential benifit of an evaluation plan rather than on a set of program objectives.     

麦迪逊威斯康星大学战略控制的特点与启示

战略控制的优劣是战略能否成功实施的关键.麦迪逊威斯康星大学20世纪80年代末为解决办学资金短缺、管理效率低下、竞争能力不强等问题,相继出台三部战略规划,以鲜明的目标系统、缜密的组织系统、多维的评估系统、完善的规划系统、精致的信息系统为特色在控制中强力实施,有效保障了战略目标的实现,一跃跻身于美国研究型大学前列.麦迪逊威斯康星大学战略控制的经验值得高校尤其研究型大学研究和借鉴.     

Determinants of Research Productivity in Spanish Academia

This article aims to widen the empirical evidence about the determinants of Spanish academics’ publication productivity across fields of study. We use the Spanish Survey on Human Resources in Science and Technology addressed to Spanish resident PhDs employed in Spanish universities as academics. Productivity is measured as the total number of publications in a three‐year period. We show how personal and academic variables explain differences in productivity within universities and fields of studies and across fields of research. Female workers report lower productivity than their male counterparts, but family responsibilities do not explain this gender gap. The type of contract and tenure or rank do not seem to have any influence on productivity. Researchers seeking professional promotion rather than altruism or personal satisfaction are more productive and young scholars publish more than their older counterparts. Additionally, we find a certain research‐teaching trade‐off and some nuances in the predictors of publication productivity across birth cohorts and fields of study. Finally, international cooperation is one of the most relevant determinants of the number of publications, regardless of the birth cohort. The institutional context in the Spanish research system as regards requirements for promotion and the assessment of research outcomes may contribute to the understanding and interpretation of our results.     

UNDERSTANDING THE OTHER/UNDERSTANDING OURSELVES: TOWARD A CONSTRUCTIVE DIALOGUE ABOUT "PRINCIPLES' IN EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH

The recent federal interest in advancing "scientifically based research," along with the National Research Council's 2002 report Scientific Research in Education ( SRE ), have provided space and impetus for a more general dialogue across discourse boundaries within the field of educational research. The goal of this article is to develop and illustrate principles for an educative dialogue across research discourses. I have turned to Gadamer's philosophical hermeneutics and the critical dialogue that surrounds it to seek guidance about how we might better understand one another's perspectives and learn more about ourselves through the encounter. To illustrate these principles, I consider the dialogue between SRE authors and critics that was published in Educational Researcher shortly after the release of the report. I focus in particular on one of the many issues about which misunderstandings seem to arise — the nature, status, and role of generalizations — and point to some instructive challenges that each of the articles seems to raise for the others. Finally, I propose what I argue is a more prudent aspiration for general principles in educational research: developing the principles through which open critique and debate across differences might occur and through which sound decisions about particular programs for research might be made.     

Cognitive performance and mental ability: Implications for learning in the later years

Both cross sectional and longitudinal studies of change with age in mental ability and cross sectional studies of change with age in cognitive performance indicate that the ability to learn generally does not decline in adulthood but continues at a stable and responsive level well into the later years. This conclusion is not only supported by psychological research but also confirmed by the rapidly growing numbers of older persons who are returning to and succeeding in the pursuit of educational activities. If and when decline does occur, it is usually modest, often reversible, rarely extreme, and rarely if ever great enough to preclude the possibility of learning that may be highly meaningful to the older learner.Howard Y. McClusky is the charter President of the Adult Education Association of the U.S.A. and a Fellow of the American Psychological Association. He is currently active as an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Adult and Continuing Education and Faculty Associate in the Institute of Gerontology at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109.     

Educational technology professionals worldwide: A compass to international understanding

An International Review section within this special international issue may seem redundant. This regular department usually features articles on research and/or development in countries outside of North America. This “review”, however, does not highlight any one country or program but views the entire world as an appropriate domain for educational technology practitioners. The purpose of this paper is to outline some of the many opportunities available for competent educational technology professionals to contribute their knowledge and skills in international settings beyond the North American borders. He was Founding Director, ERIC Clearinghouse on Information and Technology; Fulbright Professor in Chile, Peru and in the American Republics; has taught and consulted in Indonesia, iran, South africa, the Philippines and The Netherlands. He is currently Visiting Professor, University of Twente, The Netherlands and Florida State University. A post president of AECT, be is the recipient of the International Division's Exemplary International Contribution Award.     

Using a Multidimensional Differential Item Functioning Framework to Determine if Reading Ability Affects Student Performance in Mathematics

Many teachers and curriculum specialists claim that the reading demand of many mathematics items is so great that students do not perform well on mathematics tests, even though they have a good understanding of mathematics. The purpose of this research was to test this claim empirically. This analysis was accomplished by considering examinees that differed in reading ability within the context of a multidimensional DIF framework. Results indicated that student performance on some mathematics items was influenced by their level of reading ability so that examinees with lower proficiency classifications in reading were less likely to obtain correct answers to these items. This finding suggests that incorrect proficiency classifications may have occurred for some examinees. However, it is argued that rather than eliminating these mathematics items from the test, which would seem to decrease the construct validity of the test, attempts should be made to control the confounding effect of reading that is measured by some of the mathematics items.     

Constructive,collaborative, contextual,and self‐directed learning in surface anatomy education

Anatomy education often consists of a combination of lectures and laboratory sessions, the latter frequently including surface anatomy. Studying surface anatomy enables students to elaborate on their knowledge of the cadaver's static anatomy by enabling the visualization of structures, especially those of the musculoskeletal system, move and function in a living human being. A recent development in teaching methods for surface anatomy is body painting, which several studies suggest increases both student motivation and knowledge acquisition. This article focuses on a teaching approach and is a translational contribution to existing literature. In line with best evidence medical education, the aim of this article is twofold: to briefly inform teachers about constructivist learning theory and elaborate on the principles of constructive, collaborative, contextual, and self‐directed learning; and to provide teachers with an example of how to implement these learning principles to change the approach to teaching surface anatomy. Student evaluations of this new approach demonstrate that the application of these learning principles leads to higher student satisfaction. However, research suggests that even better results could be achieved by further adjustments in the application of contextual and self‐directed learning principles. Successful implementation and guidance of peer physical examination is crucial for the described approach, but research shows that other options, like using life models, seem to work equally well. Future research on surface anatomy should focus on increasing the students' ability to apply anatomical knowledge and defining the setting in which certain teaching methods and approaches have a positive effect. Anat Sci Educ 6: 114–124. © 2012 American Association of Anatomists.     

Conceptions of Ability and Achievement Goals in Physical Education: Comparisons of American and Chinese Students

This study focused on comparisons of American and Chinese students in conceptions of ability and achievement goals in physical education. Three hundred eight American students and 371 Chinese students in 4th, 8th, and 11th grades completed questionnaires assessing their conceptions of ability and achievement goals. Results indicated that for both American and Chinese students, as they progressed through the grades they tended to develop a differentiated conception of ability and to become more ego-oriented. Achievement goals were related to conceptions of ability. Cultural differences were found in the two variables. The findings offer additional empirical support to the view that goal theory is relevant to physical education settings and that achievement-related cognitions vary as a function of children's age and cultural background.     

Critical emancipatory research and academic identity

Abstract

This paper documents the development and manifestation of academic identity among seven master's and six PhD students as they read towards their respective qualifications at the Central University of Technology, Free State. According to these students, this development occurred in the context of their carrying out research couched in the theoretical framework of critical emancipatory research (CER). The reported transformations seem to be characterised by newly acquired abilities to talk back, to stand up for one's chosen position and to thoroughly interrogate sources of information, including what is presented as self-evident. Using Fairclough's (2004) textually oriented discourse analysis (TODA) and Ineke Meulenberg-Buskens’ free attitude interview technique, the thirteen students produce narratives confirming how doing CER research has created opportunities for them to be passionate about what they do. This study reports on these reflections by the students and no claim of any causal relationship between CER and the formation of academic identity is made.     

RELATIONSHIP OF PSYCHOLOGICAL THEORY TO INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES 1

In this paper, factors affecting achievement in the University of Cambridge GCE A‐level geography examination, for a sample of 470 students, are analysed in terms of 17 variables grouped into the four factors of family background, cognitive ability, study orientation and school influence. Path analysis established a composite factor of study orientation to have the major causal association with achievement; this effect was direct, and there were no significant indirect effects from the family background or cognitive factors. Family background was generally not found to be associated with achievement, but an important association between ‘disembedding’ spatial ability and practical geography was suggested. A teacher's profile and amount of fieldwork undertaken were also found to correlate significantly with achievement. The main association with attainment was, however, achievement at O‐level, both in terms of O‐level achievement generally and in geography specifically. Five predictor variables were presented which accounted for a greater percentage of variation than has previously been explained. The consequences of the research for teachers and students are briefly addressed in a number of concluding remarks.