Comparing beliefs about appropriate practice among early childhood education and care professionals from the U.S., China, Taiwan, Korea and Turkey

The purpose of this study was to examine what, if anything, caregivers and teachers of 3- to 5-year-old children from the U.S. (n = 412), China (n = 244), Taiwan (n = 222), Korea (n = 574), and Turkey (n = 214), had in common in terms of self-reported beliefs and self-reported practices related to the National Association for the Education of Young Children's (NAEYC) policy statement for developmentally appropriate practices (DAP). DAP is widely endorsed by early childhood education and care professionals in the U.S. and is assumed to have far reaching impact on curricular beliefs and practices throughout the world. Pearson correlations and one-way ANOVA were used to compare overall mean scores for beliefs measured by the Teachers Beliefs Scale (TBS) to those of practices measured by the Instructional Activities Scale (IAS) [Charlesworth, R., Hart, C. H., Burts, D. C., & Hernandez, S. (1991). Kindergarten teachers’ beliefs and practices. Early Child Development and Care, 70, 17–35]. Item-by-item analyses were conducted using factor analysis and χ² analyses within and across countries. Similarities emerged related to, in particular, those beliefs and teaching practices associated with integrating across the curriculum, promoting social/emotional development, providing concrete/hands-on materials, and allowing play/choice in the curriculum.     

The distracting effects of music on the cognitive test performance of creative and non-creative individuals

This study examined the effect of background music upon performance of creative and non-creative individuals on a reading comprehension task. In the presence of musical distraction and silence, 54 individuals (27 creative) carried out reading comprehension tasks in a repeated measures design. An interaction was predicted, such that musical distraction would have a greater negative effect on the performance of non-creative individuals compared to creative individuals. Further, it was predicted that creative individuals would be more inclined to study with music playing, and less distracted by it. No significant interactions were found although trends indicated that creative individuals performed better than did non-creative individuals in the music distraction condition. Correlations indicate that creative individuals tend to listen to more music while studying and they reported lower distraction levels. No main effect was found on performance for the mood of the participant and the perceived mood of the music. Methodological problems are discussed along with further suggestions for future research.     

Critical considerations for planning and implementing a CALL program

The field of Computer Assisted Language Learning （CALL） has transformed dramatically--from the days of the behaviourist approach that dominated CALL in the 1970s to the dynamism of Interactive approach in the 1990s under the immense influence of information communication technology （ICT）. Regardless of these periodic changes and improvements, successful implementation of CALL programs in schools decisively hinges on critical assessment and decisions that are undertaken by schools. As such, the responsibility of the technology adopters in this respect must reflect school＇s aspirations and understandably, students＇ abilities, interests and needs This paper attempts to clarify these issues through a case study of implementation of CALL in an urban secondary school in Malaysia. The outcome of the case study establishes critical considerations that need to be arbitrated to successfully implement CALL programs for English language teaching （ELT） at the school level.     

The impact of a prejudice-prevention television program on young children’s ideas about race

Two studies investigated whether children’s television programs that were produced to decrease racial prejudice had the intended positive effect on young children. Study 1 measured 60 White 5- and 6-year-old children’s attitudes toward Asian, Black, and White stimuli prior to, and immediately following, a brief, one-time anti-prejudice television program. No significant change was observed. Study 2 assessed the attitudes of 30 White 3–6-year-old children toward Asian, Black, Hispanic, and White stimuli at the beginning and end of a 3-week intervention period. During the intervention period children watched a pro-diversity television program four times. Plot and anti-prejudice message comprehension was assessed at three time-points during the testing period. Participants improved on plot and message comprehension over time, but no change in ideas about race was evidenced (children indicated a strong pro-White bias at both pre- and post-test). Possible reasons for, and implications of, this lack of change are discussed.     

《淮南子》《乐记》音乐观点比较

本文探讨了儒教与道教音乐思想的异同,对比了《淮南子》、《乐记》两部儒道著作中所主张的音乐观点,分析了儒教与道教在音乐的作用、音乐技巧、音乐欣赏所持的对立观点,以及二者在音乐的表现、音乐的属性方面观点的融合。     

Improving early phoneme skills with a computer program: Differential effects of regulatory skills

Research findingsThe study focused on 90 five-year-olds from fifteen Dutch schools. The children scored among the 30% lowest on literacy tests. Half were randomly assigned to a phonological skills program on the computer, the other half to a book program. Both programs consisted of 15 ten-minute sessions. During the phonological skills program children's mouse behavior was registered every tenth of a second. Intelligence, phoneme skills, and regulatory skills were tested. Children scoring average on regulatory skills benefited from teacher-free encounters with the phonological skills program, children scoring low or high did not. Typically, the lowest-scoring children showed more meaningless mouse activity and more random clicking.Practice or policyComputer programs can be used to stimulate early phoneme skills of poorly performing kindergarten children, but not for all children. Children with poor regulatory skills did not benefit from the intervention program.     

动态参照系及其在系统内质量移动问题中的应用

提出了动态参照系的概念，介绍一种分析解决有关动量问题的新方法。     

高校羽毛球运动的发展现状与对策探讨

羽毛球运动是一项深受大学生喜爱的体育运动项目,在全国高等院校里非常普及。羽毛球运动在我国高校开展情况到底如何?我们对参加第16届全国大学生羽毛球的高等院校进行了问卷调查,希望通过对目前我国高校羽毛球运动开展的现状进行调查,分析其主客观方面存在的利弊因素,并对羽毛球运动今后在高校开展针对性地提出相关发展策略。     

论近现代通俗文学传统的继承与弘扬

上海曾是中国通俗文学的大本营,都市的繁华、市民的激增、报章的兴办、文人的加盟等,使通俗文学在上海不断得到繁盛与发展。鸳鸯蝴蝶派成为中国近现代通俗文学的滥觞。新中国建立后通俗文学创作一蹶不振,中国的通俗文学让港台作家占据了大半江山。必须打破长期以来通俗文学卑下的观念,继承中外通俗文学创作的优秀传统,注重通俗文学寓教于乐的艺术品位,加强通俗文学创作的批评与研究,开拓通俗文学创作的新境界。     

The effects of the Primary Movement programme on the academic performance of children attending ordinary primary school

The present study investigated the prevalence of a primary reflex (the Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex) in children attending ordinary primary school and how this related to attainments in a number of academic areas. The effectiveness of a specific movement intervention programme in reducing primary reflex persistence and improving academic attainment was also evaluated.
A comparative study of the progress of 683 children over a two-year period from Years 3 and 5, who completed an intervention programme known as Primary Movement, was carried out using the relative attainments of children at the same schools and standardised scores as baseline and follow-up measures. A second, quasi-experimental study followed the progress of four parallel groups in each of two large schools with the experimental side completing the movement intervention programme while the other side acted as the control.
It was found that ATNR persistence was significantly associated with level of attainments in reading, spelling and mathematics and that boys were more at risk than girls for ATNR persistence. In both studies, it was found that the movement intervention programme had a very significant impact on reducing the levels of ATNR persistence in children and that this was associated with very significant improvements in reading and mathematics, in particular.
This research provides further evidence of a link between the attainment of core educational skills and the interference that may result from an underlying developmental deficit. The effectiveness of the intervention programme in reducing ATNR persistence and in increasing academic attainments suggests that this programme could be used to complement other strategies that have been shown to have a positive effect on children's learning.     

幼儿园大中小班幼儿游戏的差异性研究--基于徐州市10所幼儿园的调查和分析

游戏对于儿童的身心发展具有不可替代的作用,对于学前儿童的影响尤为重要。幼儿园大中小班的学前儿童由于心理特点不同,所喜爱或者适合的游戏也不同。幼儿园应该完善自己的游戏设施,平衡好游戏与教学的关系,另外,幼儿教师要掌握各年龄段儿童的心理需求以及科学的游戏指导方式。     

Fundamental movement skills and their relationship with measures of health-related physical fitness of primary school children prior to secondary school transition: a Welsh perspective

ABSTRACT

The aims of this study were to investigate levels of fundamental movement skills (FMS) proficiency and their relationship with measures of health-related physical fitness of primary school children prior to their transition to high school in Wales. The results demonstrated that overall levels of FMS proficiency with these children were low with significant differences existing between the genders. In addition, the measures of health-related physical fitness significantly correlated with FMS proficiency in both genders. In summary, these findings suggest that primary school children lack the foundational elements to support their transition to high school physical education.     

中国高校龙狮运动的发展特点及未来走向

龙狮运动是中国民族传统体育项目,具有独特的民族特色和风格,越来越受到大学生的喜爱和高校领导的重视.采用文献资料法,调查法等多种研究方法,对中国高校龙狮运动的发展特点进行研究,分析了中国高校龙狮运动的未来走向.     

中小学音乐教师:新课程实施的调适

音乐基础课程改革对中小学音乐教师提出了全新的要求。本文从教师理念的更新、教师自身知识技能的调适、教学模式的转换三方面，论述了中小学音乐教师在新课程实施过程中应进行的调整与适应。     

Understanding student/alumni satisfaction from a consumer's perspective: The effects of institutional performance and program outcomes

The benefits of understanding and promoting student/alumni satisfaction are numerous. While this article draws on previous studies of the determinants of satisfaction in higher education, it has a different research focus. The study investigates the student/alumni satisfaction phenomenon in a consumer satisfaction framework. Results indicate that the formation of satisfaction judgments is a multidimensional process, and that the process is dependent on the degree of goal development that a student has for a particular aspect of his or her educational experience. If students have poorly formed goals for an aspect of education, they are likely to base their satisfaction judgments on institutional performance. If their goals are well formed, they are likely to base satisfaction judgments on the outcomes of the institutional performance. In general, however, student/alumni assessments of satisfaction with higher education are influenced by both the perceived quality of the service provider's performance and the perceived outcomes of that performance.The authors' names are ordered alphabetically to reflect equal contributions.     

加拿大化运动及其对加拿大高等教育体制的影响

加拿大化运动是20世纪60年代末由加拿大学术界所倡导的学术与文化民族主义运动。从1968年在卡尔顿大学兴起,到70年代意义深远的教育改革和1981年一项新的国家移民政策的制定,加拿大化运动经历了曲折的历程。它对加拿大高等教育的发展,特别是对加拿大大学的课程设置、聘任制度及其实施,以及加拿大民族主义的构建都产生了深远的影响。     

The Effects of a Coping Skills Training Program on the Coping Skills, Hopelessness, and Stress Levels of Mothers of Children with Autism

The aim of this study is to explore the effects of a coping skills training program on stress, and hopelessness levels and coping skills of mothers of children with autism the age range of children was 12–19 for the experimental group and 11–17 for the control group. Twenty mothers of children with autism were assigned to a treatment group and a no treatment control group. A pre-test- post-test no-treatment control group design was undertaken. After completion of the program, interviews were conducted with the mothers in the experimental group to get some qualitative data about the effectiveness of the program. The results revealed differences in hopelessness levels and the use of social support as a coping strategy; however, there was no significant difference in the use of avoidance and problem solving as a coping strategy and stress levels of mothers. Moreover, the interviews conducted with mothers indicated a positive effect of the program on the mothers of children with autism. The generalization of the results is limited as the sample consisted of ten mothers and long-term follow-up data were not collected.