UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ VIEWS OF THE ROLE OF MATHEMATICS IN THEIR FUTURE

We report on an international study about mathematics students’ ideas of how they will use mathematics in their future study and careers. This builds on our previous research into students’ conceptions of mathematics. In this paper, we use data from two groups of students studying mathematics: those who participated in an in-depth interview and those who completed an open-ended questionnaire. We found that their responses could be grouped into four categories: don’t know; procedural skills; conceptual skills; and professional skills. Although some students held clear ideas about the role of mathematics, many were not able to articulate how it would be used in their future. This has implications for their approach to learning and our approach to teaching.     

UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ UNDERSTANDING OF THERMAL PHYSICS IN EVERYDAY CONTEXTS

Thermal physics is in the realm of everyday experience, underlies current environmental concerns, and underpins studies in sciences, health and engineering. In the state of NSW in Australia, the coverage of thermal topics in high school is minimal, and, hence, so is the conceptual understanding of students. This study takes a new approach at exploring conceptions of students with a qualitative analysis facilitated by NVivo complemented with reference to sociocultural ideas of learning. A 2-part pen and paper question was given to 598 first year university students of different educational backgrounds (and therefore physics expertise). ‘The Question’ was based on 2 familiar scenarios and required the selection of a concept first, followed by an explanation. The results showed that concepts were favoured based on a student’s everyday experience and their curriculum through high school, and some were more effective than others in making scientifically congruent responses. The reported thermal physics alternative conceptions were also examined in our sample, and students’ reasoning behind such conceptions indicate that some conceptions do not inhibit scientifically congruent responses whilst others do. The results implicate language and the everyday experiences of the student in the teaching and learning of thermal physics.     

THE SOCIO‐ECONOMIC BACKGROUND OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN FINLAND SINCE THE SECOND WORLD WAR 1

The socio‐economic background of new university students in Finland is analyzed at three levels: first, the overall change in the socio‐economic background of Finnish students in higher education since the Second World War; then with regard to changes in two regions: southern and southwestern Finland; and finally, with regard to disciplines studied. New students in medicine, law, economics, and technology are consistently found to come from upper socio‐economic classes. In the humanities and in education, on the other hand, the distribution according to socio‐economic background corresponds better to that of the whole population. In the near future, Finnish higher education will face new challenges. From the viewpoint of the economy, the golden years are now over. At the same time, equality has fallen out of fashion.

     

DETERMINING OUTCOMES OF COLLECTIVE BARGAINING IN TWO‐YEAR INSTITUTIONS‐PART 1

This research is presented in a two part series. The first article sets forth the objectives of the study and the research methodology and design. Basic demographic and institutional data are also presented. The second article in this series discusses interrelations among research data and presents conclusions and implications for practice.

An attempt is made to assess the extent to which faculty associations have penetrated certain management functions or rights. A related and second objective was to determine the impact of faculty unions on the traditional professional prerogatives of the faculty. The sample studied was approximately 63 percent of all collective bargaining agreements in existence at two‐year institutions. The authors also sought to develop predictors (institutional and demographic variables) of contractual language. In part 1, characteristics of institutions where contracts are in existence are discussed. A statistically significant relationship was found to exist between the demographic and institutional variables and the relative strength of contractual clauses in the areas of appointment, promotion, nonrenewal, tenure, long range planning, retrenchment and management rights. A complete breakdown of all variables utilized in this study can be found in the appendices     

EFFECTS OF TRANSFER ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS AT THE FOUR‐YEAR INSTITUTION

This study presents an in‐depth meta‐analysis of transfer shock, the grade point average (GPA) drop experienced by many community college transfer students. The purpose of the study was to identify all possible studies dealing with transfer shock and to report the magnitude of GPA change from the last quarter or semester at the community college to the end of the first quarter or semester at the senior institution. The study also researched the amount of recovery of GPA obtained by the community college transfer students at the 4‐year institution.

The search revealed 62 studies that reported the magnitude of GPA change. The studies showed that although community college transfer students in 79% of the studies experienced transfer shock, the majority of the magnitude of GPA change was one half of a grade point or less.

Of the studies that showed that community college transfer students experienced transfer shock, 67% reported that students recover from transfer shock, usually within the first year after transfer. Significantly, 34% of these studies showed community college transfer students recovered completely from transfer shock, 34% showed nearly complete recovery, and 32% showed partial recovery.

Because admission criteria for community college transfer students are based almost solely on academic performance, it is important for admissions personnel to consider the GPA recovery phenomenon in the decision process, not just the transfer‐shock phenomenon.     

EPISTEMOLOGICAL BELIEFS IN SCIENCE: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY OF LEBANESE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ EPISTEMOLOGIES

Beliefs about the nature of knowledge and knowing have been investigated extensively in educational and developmental psychology research. Hofer??s framework on personal epistemology is adopted in the present study for assessing Lebanese university students?? epistemologies of science. Participants were 213 students in their first year of science-related studies at a private university in Beirut. Two instruments were used for data collection: The science-focused epistemological beliefs questionnaire (Hofer, 2000) and an 8-item instrument adapted from the modified version of the ??Views on Science?CTechnology?CSociety?? (Dogan & Abd-El-Khalick, 2008), and an additional item developed by the authors. Thirty students were purposively selected for completing the second instrument followed by a semi-structured interview. Data analysis yielded the following assertions regarding students?? epistemologies of science: (1) Scientific knowledge is liable to change; (2) the source of scientists?? knowledge is inherent to human??s construction, whereas the source of personal knowledge is independent from human subjectivity and based on external authority; (3) scientific knowledge is proven and validated through the concerted effort of scientists; and (4) absolute truth cannot be attained because of the lack of means to access knowledge. Findings highlighted the need to foster an academic culture that promotes students?? epistemologies and explicitly addresses the nature and processes of science in curricula and instruction.     

JOB DUTIES OF INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCHERS IN SOUTHERN TWO‐YEAR COLLEGES

The objective of this study was to determine the types of duties being performed by institutional researchers in Southern two‐year colleges. Research was based on a mail survey submitted to all two‐year colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Of 326 colleges surveyed, a total of 301 (92 percent) responded. Respondents completed a survey designed with the assistance of a panel of experts. This included a section posing statements about institutional research tasks in a discrepancy model, and a second section consisting of statements about the overall research function organized in a five‐part, Likert‐type scale

The survey found that less than half of Southern two‐year colleges employed an institutional researcher on a half‐time or greater basis. It also identified a number of discrepancies in the job duties now being performed by institutional researchers and the duties those individuals felt they should be performing

Among those duties which should not be performed were external reporting, program supervision, grant development, and clerical functions. Tasks identified as needing to be performed included increased research project completion, academic program evaluation, planning studies, outcomes assessment, financial analysis, and policy development     

KNOWLEDGE OF AND ATTITUDES TOWARD AGING IN YOUNG,MIDDLE‐AGED,AND OLDER COLLEGE STUDENTS: A COMPARISON OF TWO MEASURES OF KNOWLEDGE OF AGING

Scores on two measures of knowledge of aging were compared and correlated with direct and indirect measures of attitudes toward aging. Knowledge scores were not strongly related (r = .2‐.3) to either indirect or direct measures of attitudes toward older adults, and scores on the knowledge tests were not strongly correlated with each other (r = .25). In general, older subjects had higher knowledge scores and more positive attitude scores than did younger subjects. The age effect for knowledge remained after attitude was controlled. Suggestions for improving tests of general knowledge of aging are offered.     

COLLEGE ALGEBRA STUDENTS�� ATTITUDES TOWARD MATHEMATICS IN THEIR CAREERS

The purpose of this study was to identify the degree to which college algebra students’ value mathematical skills in their prospective careers. A survey was administered to N = 144 students in 6 college algebra classes at a mid-sized doctoral granting university. Students in half the classes completed a data analysis project, and half of the students planned to major in a business-related degree. Logistic regression suggested that students held mostly positive attitudes about the value of mathematics in their career, with business students expressing more positive attitudes than those reported by non-business students. Unexpectedly, those who completed the data analysis project expressed less positive attitudes on 6 of the 20 survey items.     

ATTITUDES TOWARD MATHEMATICS,LEVEL OF MATHEMATICAL COMPETENCY,AND RELATIVE GAINS IN COMPETENCY IN TWO‐ AND FOUR‐YEAR COLLEGES: A COMPARISON

An attitude toward mathematics questionnaire indicated no real difference in attitudes between two‐ and four‐year colleges. No differences in mathematical competencies, as measured by the Beckmann‐Beal Mathematical Competencies Test for Enlightened Citizens, existed between two‐ and four‐year colleges. The gain in mathematical competency due to taking one precalculus mathematics course was only 1.48 questions, or an increase of only 4.1%.     

BETTER COLLEGE INFORMATION FOR STUDENTS: THE ROLE OF THE STATE TWO‐YEAR COLLEGE AGENCY

Prospective two‐year college students often lack adequate information on the range of educational alternatives available to them. Increasingly, state level agencies are playing a role in responding to that need. This article reports on a. national study of state two‐year college agencies to determine the extent and comprehensiveness of the postsecondary educational information they provide to students. Results indicate that most states have information they send to prospective students, but it varies widely in quality and often overlooks information students say they want to know. States with model information are identified.     

REALIZATION OF EDUCATIONAL ASPIRATIONS AMONG BLACKS AND WHITES IN TWO‐AND FOUR‐YEAR COLLEGES

This paper looks at an aspect of the two‐year college: that it is the logical system for achieving educational equality in higher education. The authors find that low aptitude blacks are overrepresented at four‐year colleges, that blacks are less likely than whites to meet aspirations of attending four‐year colleges, and that attending a two‐year college is related to reduced probability that four‐year education will be realized.     

COURSE DROP PRACTICES IN TWO‐YEAR COLLEGES

Course drop practices among two‐year colleges were surveyed. Examined were deadlines by which courses were dropped, grades received when classes were dropped, who initiates drop procedures, and the extent to which policies related to the above stated practices have been recently changed. One fourth of the institutions reported a drop deadline of between four and six weeks from the end of the term. Almost that many (21.98 percent) used 10 days prior to the final exam as a deadline. More than two‐thirds of the colleges allowed students to drop prior to the deadline with a non‐punitive “W” grade. In the majority of instances, the official drop procedures may be initiated by either the student or the instructor. Community college administrators need to examine course drop policies in light of institutional statements of mission, philosophy, and objectives. Based upon dialogue among the staff, appropriate policy revisions should be developed in order to coordinate the rhetoric and the regulations of the college.     

A HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STATE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA 1915‐1958

The subject of this paper is the evolution of the Theobgical Faculty in Pavia from the late Middle Ages to the end of the 18th Century. At the down of the Modem Age, the Medieval educational model underwent a deep crisis, mainly for extemal reasons. The educational model promoted by the University, based on open access and ment, no longer fulfilled the expectations of an increasingly closed society, jealous of its privileges. At the same time, internally coherent educational programmes were offered by the schools and colleges of the new religions orders, which were both rigorous in moral education and open to the new cultural orientations of Humanism and the Renaissance. As a conseequence, the University lost its central place to become an element within a complex System of educational institutions. It was only during the last decades of the 18th Century, under Austrian rule, that the University regained its central role: with the closing of the religious schools, the University became the only institution allowed to grant legal degrees.     

PRINTED INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS USED IN TWO‐YEAR COLLEGES

The data for this report came from nationwide surveys sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Science Foundation. The questionnaires dealt with the instructional materials used by full‐ and part‐time instructors on the two‐year college level. First, cross‐tabulations of highest degree of full‐ and part‐time instructors and their amount of participation in the selection of textbooks revealed five correlations. In all three categories of humanities instructors, more full‐ than part‐time faculty selected texts, p < .05. In the category of science instructors holding a master's degree or a doctorate, the same correlation occurred. Second, humanities teachers with either a bachelor's degree or a doctorate assigned significantly more reading,p < .05, than did their part‐time counterparts in three different types of instructional materials. Science teachers with doctorates were also found to assign a greater number of pages of reading than did their part‐time counterparts but in two additional types of instructional materials. Last, data analysis indicated that overall, with increased years of experience, full‐time humanities instructors assign more extensive reading than do their part‐time counterparts.     

STUDENT COMPARISONS OF EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES AT THE TWO‐YEAR COLLEGE AND THE UNIVERSITY: A PRELIMINARY STUDY

Student evaluations of instruction were obtained from two groups. Students in the first group were “reverse transfer” students (N = 97) who completed their freshman year at a university and then transferred to a two‐year college for their sophomore year. Students in the second group were “early transfer” students (N = 78) who completed their freshman year at a two‐year college and then transferred to a university. All students had one year of attendance at a two‐year college and one year at a university. The purpose of the study was to analyze the ratings of both groups of students with regard to their academic experiences at the university and at the two‐year college. An adaptation of the Student Instructional Report (SIR) was used to obtain ratings on overall college experiences from all students at the end of their sophomore year. The findings revealed: (1) considerable similarity of ratings given to the two‐year college and the university, (2) differences between ratings of early transfer and reverse transfer students, and (3) generally high ratings for both the two‐year college and the university.