Implicit theories of intelligence,goal orientation,cognitive engagement,and achievement: A test of Dweck’s model with returning to school adults

This study tested and extended Dweck’s social-cognitive theory of motivation with adults who deliberately chose to face the challenge of returning to school. We examined the relationships among beliefs (implicit theories) on the nature of intelligence, goal orientation, cognitive engagement in learning, and achievement using path analyses. Findings were generally consistent with Dweck’s theoretical predictions. Striving for competence improvement (mastery goals) had a positive impact on learning activities and outcomes, while striving to demonstrate competence (performance goals) or to avoid effort (work avoidance) had a negative influence on learning and achievement. Additionally, data suggested that mastery goals had a positive influence on academic achievement through the mediation of effort expenditure. The predicted effects of implicit theories of intelligence on goal orientation and cognitive engagement in learning, however, failed to emerge. Results are discussed in relation to their general theoretical implications and with regard to the specific characteristics of returning to school adults.     

Beyond critical thinking skills: Investigating the relationship between critical thinking skills and dispositions through different online instructional strategies

The purpose of this study was to investigate (1) the relationship between critical thinking skills (CTS) and critical thinking dispositions (CTD), and (2) the effectiveness of different levels of instructional strategy (asynchronous online discussions (AODs), CTS instruction via AODs, and CTS instruction with CTD cultivation via AODs) in improving students' CTS and CTD. A pretest and posttest quasi-experimental design was employed to achieve this purpose. The participants in this study were 220 students enrolled in a general education course at a large university in Taiwan. The findings of this study were as follows: (1) the overall relationship between CTS and CTD was positive. However, further analysis of the relationship between the different levels of CTS and CTD showed that only the students with high CTS and medium CTD showed a significant correlation; (2) the enhancement in CTS reinforced CTD, but the improvement in CTD did not increase the level of CTS. In addition, it is recommended that to improve the CTS and CTD of all students (including the students with a high level of CTS), the instructional strategy, CTS instruction with CTD cultivation, be employed.     

中小学生思想道德评价指标体系构建的理性思考

中小学生思想道德评价指标体系的构建,具有提高德育决策和管理的科学水平和促进德育工作和学生思想道德发展的意义。指标体系研制的依据：中共中央、国务院及各级教委发布的法律法规及相关文件;当前中国社会对学生思想道德发展的要求;基础教育目标和中小学生身心发展水平;思想政治教育的传统及时代探索;学生思想道德发展的需求等方面。发展性及科学性原则、适度导向及前瞻性原则、务实及可行性原则、稳定及适应性原则和底线原则是评价指标体系构建的基本原则。     

Gamers and gaming context: Relationships to critical thinking

Gaming is purported to hold promise for education, in part, because it is thought to develop 21st century skills such as critical thinking. To date, there has been a dearth of generalisable research investigating the relationship between gaming and critical thinking. Results of a survey of 121 adults found that gamers and non‐gamers do not differ significantly on critical thinking dispositions. However, gamers who play strategy games scored higher on actively open‐minded thinking than did other types of gamers. In addition, low compared with high involvement in the gaming community was associated with higher open‐minded thinking. Implications for educators and for further research are discussed.     

Liberal Studies in Hong Kong: A new perspective on critical thinking through group work

This article reports research that is contextualised within reforms of secondary education in Hong Kong and the reintroduction of Liberal Studies, which jointly emphasise the need for a learning environment that facilitates the practice of group work and the development of critical thinking. A study is described that explores the relevance of group work for fostering critical thinking, looking in particular at the participation of teachers in small group activity. While attention is paid to the results of critical thinking tests and excerpts extracted from the students’ dialogues, the research also seeks to highlight the role of the teacher in breaking stalemates in discussion with appropriate interventions. In sum, this article concludes by illustrating the importance of collaborative group work in the development of students’ critical thinking skills.     

The relationship between perceived learning and satisfaction with college: An alternative view

Student and alumni reports of learning and development during college play an important role in research on educational outcomes. An intriguing finding of this research is the positive relationship between perceived learning and satisfaction with college. While studies have documented an association between perceptions of learning and satisfaction, the nature of the relationship is not clearly defined. This study evaluates two competing models of perceived learning and satisfaction. The first model represents a true relationship between learning and satisfaction, while the second treats the relationship as an artifact of a halo effect. Data came from subjects who completed learning and satisfaction questions as seniors and again two years after graduation. Analyses revealed that treating the learning-satisfaction relationship as an artifact of a halo effect provided the best representation of the data. Although not conclusive, results suggested that educational researchers and assessment practitioners should be careful in interpreting self-reports of learning and development, particularly as they relate to satisfaction with college.Presented at the Annual Forum of the Association for Institutional Research, Atlanta, Georgia, May 10–13, 1992.     

Teacher evaluation and school improvement: An analysis of the evidence

In recent years, substantial investments have been made in reengineering systems of teacher evaluation. The new generation models of teacher evaluation typically adopt a standards-based view of teaching quality and include a value-added measure of growth in student learning. With more than a decade of experience and research, it is timely to assess empirical evidence bearing on the efficacy of this school improvement strategy. This paper examines the new generation of teacher evaluation along three lines of analysis: evidence on the magnitude, consistency, and stability of teacher effects on student learning, evidence on the impact of teacher evaluation on growth in student learning, and literature from the sociology of organizations on how schools function. Although the trend towards focusing on teacher evaluation is increasingly evident internationally, most of the empirical research evaluated in this paper is from the USA. This critical evaluation of the empirical literature yields two key conclusions. First, we conclude that the policy logic supporting this reform remains considerably stronger than the empirical evidence. Second, we suggest that alternative improvement strategies may yield more positive results and at a lower cost in terms of staff time and district funds.     

The advising system: An alternative model related to the evaluation of self-directed learning

The proposed advising model focuses on creative learning. To operationalize such a model, there must be not only structural but behavioral changes in the existing system. This requires that professional educators have special concern for the quality of relationships between faculty and students. In a program which focuses on creative learning, most students need assistance in developing the understanding and skill necessary for creative learning. An alternative advising model is proposed, therefore, which enhances the behavioral requirements. The alternative model views the advising function as a teaching-consulting function with a priority goal of helping the student learn the art of self-evaluation as a prerequisite to life-long learning.     

成人高等师范化学实验课研究性教学的尝试

中学化学实验研究课研究性教学的实践 ,改变了过去以教师为主体的教学模式 ,充分发挥了学生的学习积极性 ,使学生在教学研究能力、撰写科研论文能力上有较大提高。     

Classroom learning environment,critical thinking and achievement in an interdisciplinary subject: a study of Hong Kong secondary school graduates

Although the relationship between the classroom learning environment and academic achievement has been explored in subject-free and disciplinary subject contexts, research into this relationship is still lacking in the context of interdisciplinary subjects. This study investigated the relationship between the classroom learning environment and student achievement in an interdisciplinary subject (i.e. liberal studies) in Hong Kong secondary schools. The mediating role of critical thinking was also explored. The participants were 410 Hong Kong secondary school graduates. The structural equation modelling analyses indicated that (1) the Content aspect of the classroom learning environment had an effect on the achievement in liberal studies, and this effect was not mediated by critical thinking; (2) the Pedagogy aspect predicted critical thinking skills, which in turn predicted the achievement in liberal studies; (3) the Relation aspect had no significant effects on critical thinking skills and student achievement in liberal studies. Suggestions on enhancing students’ high-order thinking skills and achievement in interdisciplinary subjects were provided.     

Consultation in school psychology: Changes from 1981 to 1984

In order to assess changes in consultation activities by practicing school psychologists, questionnaires were sent to a nationwide sample of practitioners engaging in consultation on a regular basis. Responses were received from 225 school psychologists, for a return rate of 58%. These responses were compared to their previous responses in 181-82 and revealed a significant increase in both the actual amount of time spent in consultation and the amount of time desired for consultation. School psychologist to student ratio was significantly lower, as was overall satisfaction with the profession, compared to the 1981-82 results. Sex differences were found for perceived competency in teacher consultation. The results and their implications for the field of school psychology are discussed.     

Learning to improve: using writing to increase critical thinking performance in general education biology

Increasingly, national stakeholders express concern that U.S. college graduates cannot adequately solve problems and think critically. As a set of cognitive abilities, critical thinking skills provide students with tangible academic, personal, and professional benefits that may ultimately address these concerns. As an instructional method, writing has long been perceived as a way to improve critical thinking. In the current study, the researchers compared critical thinking performance of students who experienced a laboratory writing treatment with those who experienced traditional quiz-based laboratory in a general education biology course. The effects of writing were determined within the context of multiple covariables. Results indicated that the writing group significantly improved critical thinking skills whereas the nonwriting group did not. Specifically, analysis and inference skills increased significantly in the writing group but not the nonwriting group. Writing students also showed greater gains in evaluation skills; however, these were not significant. In addition to writing, prior critical thinking skill and instructor significantly affected critical thinking performance, whereas other covariables such as gender, ethnicity, and age were not significant. With improved critical thinking skill, general education biology students will be better prepared to solve problems as engaged and productive citizens.     

The Fukuyama Profile in Germany: A valuable contribution to vocational orientation in school

Conclusion The few references to a possible increase of scholastic effort in furthering the development of a student's ability to choose methodically among occupations through working with the Fukuyama Profile are concentrated on the dimension of vocational knowledge which, in distinction to attitudes and intrinsic values, can probably be influenced directly and at short notice. Also the respect and intensively planned use of the Fukuyama Profile could be primarily of use in the area of cognitive factors in the methodical choice among occupations. This limitation however is valid for almost all efforts made during lessons to promote the methodical choice among occupations.The objective and contents of the Fukuyama Profile correspond extensively with the plan of teaching for the Secondary General Schools and Intermediate Schools, or at least it proposed a useful supplement.The range and content of the four page summary sheet could be a source of problems. The results should be shown in a way which would be easier for the students to understand and which would give more information in a more attractive way. Nevertheless, it must be stressed that both teachers and students welcomed the use of the Fukuyama Profile in connection with the other media and materials used during lessons in vocational guidance. The way of handling and dealing with the Program was described by teachers and students as being pleasant and easy. The style of the Fukuyama Profile on the screen of the personal computer and its way of use were not subject to criticism.The results of the student questionnaires show a whole series of allusions to promoting and working with the Fukuyama Profile within the schools to increase students' abilities to choose methodically among professions.     

The constructivist classroom learning environment and its associations with critical thinking ability of secondary school students in Liberal Studies

In this study, we investigated-secondary school students’ perceptions of their constructivist learning environment in Liberal Studies, and whether their perceptions were related to their critical thinking ability. A convenience sample of Secondary Three students (N = 967) studying Liberal Studies in Hong Kong participated in this research by completing a self-administered questionnaire which included the Constructivist Learning Environment Survey (CLES), Cornell Critical Thinking Test Level X, and demographic information on age and gender. Students perceived their learning environment to be moderately constructivist in nature. Both age and school banding differences were identified in that younger students and students in band 1 schools tended to perceive a higher degree of constructivist characteristics in their learning environment. Multiple regression analyses indicated that three of the five scales of CLES were predictors of critical thinking ability. Shared Control was the strongest predictor and negatively associated with critical thinking ability, while Personal Relevance and Critical Voice were positively related to critical thinking ability. Findings of the study are discussed with reference to developing students’ critical thinking ability in Liberal Studies classrooms.     

Mother-child mutually responsive orientation and conscience development: from toddler to early school age

We examined whether positive implications of mother-child mutually responsive orientation, demonstrated earlier at toddler and preschool age, extend longitudinally into early school age. The focus of the present study was on the long-term consequences of mutually responsive orientation for the development of conscience. Mutually responsive orientation encompassed shared cooperation and shared positive affect between mother and child. It was measured as a composite of those qualities observed in dyadic naturalistic interactions and reported by mothers, at toddler and preschool age. Children's conscience was assessed at early school age (N = 83) using multiple measures, including observations of moral behavior, alone and in the peer context, and moral cognition. Mother-child mutually responsive orientation at toddler and preschool ages predicted children's future conscience, even after controlling for the developmental continuity of conscience. Model-fitting analyses revealed that mutually responsive orientation at toddler age had a direct effect on future conscience, not mediated by such orientation at preschool age. The findings extend those of earlier work that revealed the importance of mother-child mutually responsive orientation for socialization, and they confirm the value of the relationship approach to social development, including long-term outcomes.     

Broadening access to the curriculum through using technology to link home and school: a critical analysis of reforms intended to improve students' educational attainment

This article reports on a UK study identifying innovative practice in the use of ICT to link home and school and its potential for enhancing learning. It is set in the context of recent political tensions and the mismatch between ICT use in the home and traditional educational systems. The theoretical framework draws upon curriculum theories and reviews what is already known about home use of ICT. A survey was administered to schools identified for innovative models of practice in both teaching and learning, and management and administration. From the 115 responses, eight contrasting case-study schools were selected. Three exemplars highlight a shift in practices: a move towards self-directed learning; greater flexibility and autonomy for students; and improved communication between home and school. We argue that technology could support a broader access to the curriculum, but that policy-makers should be aware of the digital divide issues. Young people's home use of technology suggests a rich experience involving exploratory activities, access to knowledge and the opportunity to publish their views. Curriculum reform is essential in order to maximize the potential of technology. It demands a shift away from current curriculum and pedagogy towards critical thinking and knowledge construction.     

Online professional development for environmental educators: strategies to foster critical thinking and social interactions

Abstract

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) offer opportunities for professional development of environmental educators globally, yet we lack understanding of participants? cognitive and social learning processes and of how instructors can enhance these processes. Based on the Community of Inquiry framework, we used a survey and coded participant discussion board and Facebook posts to examine the cognitive, social, and teaching presence in the Environmental Education: Transdisciplinary Approaches to Addressing Wicked Problems MOOC, offered by Cornell University. Rather than train educators in a specific curriculum, the goal of the MOOC is to expand educators? critical and transdisciplinary thinking about the field of environmental education and to enhance social interactions to support learning, educators, and knowledge co-creation. Results indicate that cognitive presence is higher on the discussion board whereas social presence is higher on Facebook. Over half of cognitive posts focused on exploration, a lower level of learning, whereas just less than a fifth reflected higher level integration, suggesting room for enhancing cognitive learning. Our results suggest strategies to encourage higher levels of thinking and more meaningful social interactions to foster learning, educator support, and co-creation of knowledge, thereby improving online professional development.