Who uses a means-tested scholarship,and what do they choose?

This paper provides detailed evidence regarding the nature of selection into a school voucher system. We use micro-data on scholarship applications matched with state student-level records on test scores, schools attended, and demographic background characteristics to describe the attributes of students who choose to participate in Florida's Corporate Tax Credit Scholarship Program, a means-tested scholarship program that is the largest of its type in the United States. We find evidence that those who choose to participate in the program tend to be lower-performing students from poorly performing schools, and that students of different backgrounds tend to choose different types of private schools. Students participating in the program tend to select schools that have more white students and fewer minority students, regardless of student race.     

Do parents choose and value quality child care in New Zealand?

The mechanism of parent choice is sometimes viewed as a way of improving the quality of child care centres. This study looks at whether parent choice is constrained by family variables such as socio‐economic status, education and family income and to what extent parents do select quality. The sample for the present study included 100 child care centres catering for under two year old children from around New Zealand. The quality of each centre was assessed using two measures, a checklist (the Abbott‐Shim Assessment Profile) and an interval observational procedure focusing on child‐staff interactions (the Howes/Melhuish Observational Schedule). Two under two year‐olds from each centre were observed for 100 minutes and their parents filled in a questionnaire about their satisfaction with the child care centre. The study showed modest correlations (‐.18 to .27) between socio‐economic status, education and family income and the Abbott‐Shim Assessment Profile but none with observations of child/staff interactions. Eighty‐six per cent of parents in the study said that this centre was their first choice and ratings of quality were highly positive. Yet for most measures there were zero correlations between research‐based measures of quality and parent satisfaction. Qualitative data showed that there was some overlap between the criteria which parents mentioned as the ‘best’ or ‘worst’ things and criteria incorporated into research methods. Parents, however, were concerned about cost, location and convenience which were not part of the research measures. Comments on centres which were of high quality and low quality made by parents and early childhood trained researchers were compared.

Parents were much more positive and uncritical in their comments than researchers. It was concluded that many parents make passive choices of centres rather than actively choosing between alternatives and that many do not have knowledge or awareness of specific aspects of quality to look for. It was concluded that parent choice is not currently a viable means of controlling quality and that policy makers need to look to other mechanisms.     

How would they choose? Online student preferences for advance course information

Information technology (IT) has become a common component in the process of designing and delivering distance-learning courses of study. Many researchers have addressed the technical and pedagogical issues surrounding IT-enabled or IT-enhanced distance-learning systems. However, studies of the management of the student's learning experience as it is influenced by the emerging virtual organization would assist practitioners and researchers as they seek to understand the important challenges of current practice in distance-learning systems. This paper reports on the operation of a one-window approach to serving students, using the organizational structure and technological innovation of a call centre. Before the call centre was established, it was hypothesized that the call-centre approach would be well suited to routine tasks of supporting student learning. In practice, it was found that most student inquiries were indeed in the category of routine tasks and that only a small proportion of student inquiries could be categorised as uncertain events that required the specialised knowledge of the professor or other academic expert. Implications for the management of other distance learning systems are considered.     

unit7 Teenagers should be allowed to choose their own clothes课外拓展

链接一：英语对话和短文（一）对话Mother：Good morning,Jack!Jack：Good morning,mum!Mother（kindly）：Jack,what are you doing？Jack：I am watching TV.You also want to watch TV？Mother：I don’t think I’d like to watch TV.It’s bad for eyes and study.Jack：But TV brings us happiness!TV can also bring us the learning program!Mother：No,I think TV is bad.Father：Jack,what are you doing？Mother：He is watching TV so much.Father：Is watching TV harmful？     

《Teenagers should be allowed to choose their own clothes》教学设计

教材分析：本单元所涉及的内容是含有情态动词的被动语态,是本书中比较重要的一部分。另外本课所涉及的情感教育于现实十分有用,对于激发和培养学生学习英语的兴趣,形成积极的学习态度,促进语言实际运用能力的提高具有重要意义。     

Collaborative learning and positive experiences: does letting students choose their own groups matter?

This study used self‐determination theory as a framework to examine the relationship between choice regarding group membership and student motivation within classrooms that use collaborative learning as an instructional tool. Data were collected from over 500 students across seven classrooms from a large university in the Midwestern United States. In three of the seven classrooms, students were allowed to choose with whom they worked; in the remaining four classes the professor formed the groups. Using hierarchical linear modelling, the choice condition was a positive and significant predictor of students’ intrinsic motivation and classroom community, even when accounting for autonomy support and class size. The practical implications of affording choice during collaborative learning are discussed.     

Unit 3"Teenagers should be allowed to choose their own clothes"教学设计及点评

一、教材分析 本单元是人教版新目标英语九年级第三单元.本单元主要语言功能项目是be allowed to…学生通过听、说、读、写综合训练,扩大词汇量,拓展英语知识,树立正确的是非观念,培养合作意识.     

Unit 3 "Teenagers should be allowed to choose their own clothes"——Section A教学设计

(本课选自人教版义务教育课程标准实验教科书<英语>(新目标)九年级第三单元Section A.) 一、教材分析: 本单元的语言结构涉及到了被动语态,是英语中两种语态之一,是重要的语言结构,是谈话中经常使用的内容.另外本单元内容对学生的德育渗透方面也起到很大作用.通过对本单元内容的学习,使学生增强遵守规定的意识,做一名遵规守纪,勤奋学习的优秀中学生.     

Unit3“Teenagers should be allowed to choose their own clothes”——Section A教学设计

(本课选自人教版义务教育课程标准实验教科书《英语》(新目标)九年级第三单元Section A.)一、教材分析:本单元的语言结构涉及到了被动语态,是英语中两种语态之一,是重要的语言结构,是谈话中经常使用的内容。另外本单元内容对学生的德育渗透方面也起到很大     

Student performance–university preference model: a framework for helping students choose the right A‐level subjects

Every year, many students in the UK fail to achieve a place at their preferred university because they take the wrong A‐level subjects. This study aims to suggest a framework for helping students choose the right subjects. Data on student achievement in A‐level examinations were obtained from a UK sixth form college over a four‐year period. Statistical techniques were employed to support our hypothesis that a student’s choice of A‐level subjects should be based on both the student’s ability and a university’s preference for particular subjects and grades. Despite the limitation of small sample size, a model has been created that will maximise a student’s chance of achieving a place at his/her university of choice. The model presented could easily be extended in future to incorporate more levels in each of the attributes considered, and in this way it could provide the optimal choice of subjects for each individual student given his/her particular aspirations.     

Assignment choice, effort, and assignment completion: Does work ethic predict those who choose higher-effort assignments?

After completing the Multidimensional Work-Ethic Profile (MWEP), 98 college students were given a 20-problem math computation assignment and instructed to stop working on the assignment after completing 10 problems. Next, they were allowed to choose to finish either the partially completed assignment that had 10 problems remaining or a new assignment that contained 9 matched problems and therefore required 10% less effort to complete. Significantly more students chose the new, lower-effort assignment. Logistic regression showed that MWEP scores were significantly related to choice, with Leisure being the most significant factor. These results supported earlier research on the partial-assignment completion effect, effort, and choice and extended this research by showing that the MWEP could account for a significant amount of assignment choice variance. The discussion focuses on the validity of the MWEP, theoretical implications related to work ethic, assignment completion, and future educational research.     

Access or quality? Why do families living in slums choose low-cost private schools in Lagos,Nigeria?

Lagos is home to 12,098 private schools catering to 57% of the state's enrolled children, from ultra-rich to relatively poor households, with many schools targeting those of lower socio-economic status. Government schools were intended to provide a just and equitable option for all; however, they have not kept pace with demand in terms of both capacity and quality, causing concerned parents to look elsewhere. This paper draws on original household survey data to investigate why parents living in slums would put considerable strain on their household budgets to access fee-paying primary education for their children, and discusses the equity implications of this situation. Context is provided through data from the first comprehensive private school census in Lagos during the school year 2010–2011. It is found that parents choose private schools because government schools are perceived to be failing (or too far from home), but also that they have higher expectations than can be provided by private schools run on incredibly tight budgets with often untrained teachers. It is highly questionable then how under such circumstances social justice can be served through this scenario.     

The dilemmas of school choice: do parents really ‘choose’ low-fee private schools in Delhi,India?

The growing number of private schools in India, especially those accepting children from underprivileged households, has been considered demand driven. In contrast to this understanding, this paper argues that low-income parents in Okhla and Badarpur in Delhi, India, are compelled to send their children to private unaided recognised and unrecognised schools. These schools are used as interim schools during primary or elementary grades because of the perceived danger of sending younger children to distant government schools. Our findings show that parents encounter school choice dilemmas in three stages. Parents prefer sending their children to government schools, but being Muslim, they also prefer faith-based teaching in an Islamic environment, which they expect from government schools but not from private schools. Moreover, they prefer schools that offer all grades, do not charge fees, and have honest teachers who teach effectively, are dedicated and affectionate, and will instil discipline in their children.     

A systematic review： How to choose appropriate health-related quality of life （HRQOL） measures in routine general practice？

INTRODUCTION The ultimate goal of health care is to maintain or improve the quality of life of people. Health is an important determinant of a person’s quality of life although it is not the only one. Other factors such as culture, religion, environment, education and finance can also affect quality of life but they are often be- yond the scope of health care. Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is the main concern of health care professionals and is becoming an important health out…     

Why choose teaching? An international review of empirical studies exploring student teachers’ career motivations and levels of commitment to teaching

Why do individuals all over the world choose to become school teachers? What motivates them to become educators of young people, and how committed are they to this cause when they enter their teacher education courses? Considering that teacher motivation and commitment have been identified as crucial factors for the future success of education and schools (Huberman, 1993 Huberman, M. (1993). The lives of teachers (J. Neufeld, Trans.). London: Cassell Villiers House. [Google Scholar]; Manning & Patterson, 2005 Manning, M., & Patterson, J. (2005). Special publications. Childhood Education, 81, 249–251. doi: 10.1080/00094056.2005.10522284[Taylor & Francis Online] , [Google Scholar]; Rikard, 1999 Rikard, G. L. (1999). Promoting teacher commitment in pre-service teachers. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 70(9), 53–56. doi: 10.1080/07303084.1999.10605969[Taylor & Francis Online] , [Google Scholar]), these are important questions for policy makers and societies to address. This paper provides a systematic and conceptual review of empirical research studies exploring student teachers’ career motivations and commitment in 23 countries from 5 continents. A variety of motivating factors are explored, their relative importance in student teachers’ career decisions is discussed, and differences between various subgroups and cultural contexts are highlighted. Attention is drawn to methodological limitations as well as recent developments in this important area of research.     

Teachers’ views of mathematics textbook series in Flanders: Does it (not) matter which mathematics textbook series schools choose?

The debate on the differential effects of mathematics textbook series is a recurrent topic in the research literature. Research results remain inconclusive, pointing to a lack of evidence to decide on the relevance of the selection by schools of a mathematics textbook series. Studies also point to difficulties in comparing textbooks. Recently, in order to examine the influence of mathematics textbook series on student learning, the need to take into account mediating variables between the mathematics textbook series and the enacted curriculum is stressed. This paper focuses on one such mediating variable: teachers’ views of mathematics textbook series. Views of a mathematics textbook series of 814 teachers and mathematics performance results of 1579 students were analysed. The results point out that, with regard to teachers’ views of mathematics textbook series, the question ‘Does it really matter which mathematics textbook series schools choose’ has to be answered positively. Implications of the findings are discussed.     

Nursery schools or nursery classes? Choosing and failing to choose between policy alternatives in nursery education in England, 1918–1972

This article analyses early years education policy in England from 1918 to 1972, applying the theoretical ideas of John Kingdon. Throughout this period, the educational needs of young children were a low political priority, but they did occasionally rise on the agenda. When the issue gained prominence, politicians considered two key policy alternatives for potential investment: the expensive, self-governing nursery school, orientated towards promoting children’s physical health, and the cheaper nursery class, attached to an infant school, perhaps better at easing transition to formal education. After an initial period of damaging indecisiveness, the choice fell first on nursery schools and then on nursery classes. The reason that such fundamental changes in approach were possible was that an underlying lack of political commitment meant policies were only ever partially implemented. This chaotic pattern of development has had a damaging effect on the coherence of early years services offered today.     

‘Complete freedom to choose within limits’ – teachers’ views of curricular autonomy,agency and control in Estonia,Finland and Germany

ABSTRACT

To examine different approaches to teacher autonomy in nation-states, three countries were selected for a comparative study: Estonia, Finland and Germany. The emphasis of the study lies on the subjective perceptions of upper secondary school teachers (n = 33 semi-structured interviews) regarding their curricular autonomy and experiences of being controlled by the system. The article discusses different concepts of teacher autonomy and agency theoretically and concludes that they are partly overlapping, but not the same. Agency can be understood as the realistic actualization of autonomy within the constraints of the teaching profession, while autonomy is, in theory, more liberating, focusing on self-directedness, capacity for autonomous action and freedom from control. The data analysis showed that the expectations of teachers as to the amount of desired autonomy varied greatly. While the Finnish teachers in the study perceived control over teachers’ work to be unnecessary, due to their high professionalism, the Estonian and German teachers did not advocate absence of control, instead preferring to ‘have complete freedom to choose within limits.’     

Parents,quality, and school choice: why parents in Nairobi choose low-cost private schools over public schools in Kenya’s free primary education era

Low-cost private schools (LCPS) are widespread in Kenya, particularly in urban areas. This study examines the reasons that parents send children to fee-charging schools in a context of free public primary education. Drawing on parent survey and interview data, as well as interviews with national policy makers, we found that parents who chose LCPS for their children were more driven by quality concerns than were public school parents. We also present data on the costs of the school types, compared to household income. Despite being termed ‘low cost’, the fees charged by schools primarily serving the poor were often a heavy burden on families. We conclude with recommendations for maximising the impact of LCPS on educational access and quality.