Chinese middle school teachers’ preferences regarding performance evaluation measures

Teacher performance evaluation currently is receiving unprecedented attention from policy makers, scholars, and practitioners worldwide. This study is one of the few studies of teacher perceptions regarding teacher performance measures that focus on China. We employed a quantitative dominant mixed research design to investigate Chinese teachers’ preferences for teacher performance measures and the possible reasons for their preferences. Considering the quantitative results, the surveyed Chinese teachers identified fulfillment of additional roles, collaboration with faculty and staff, and students’ test scores as the most important measures for performance evaluation. Qualitatively, the most important measures that the surveyed teachers reported were the teacher’s morality, workload, and students’ test scores.     

粉煤灰碎石作路面基层疲劳性能试验分析

为了研究粉煤灰碎石材料的疲劳性能.分别对石灰粉煤灰碎石、水泥粉煤灰碎石、水泥稳定碎石材料进行疲劳试验.结果表明,石灰粉煤灰碎石的抗疲劳性能最好,其次是水泥粉煤灰,水泥稳定碎石抗疲劳性能较差.在施工中,建议在满足强度的情况下,尽量使用石灰粉煤灰碎石.     

Assessing ethics education through national tests—an advantage or not?

The purpose of this study is to describe, critically analyse and discuss the Swedish system of assessing ethics education in compulsory school through national tests. The publicly available tests from 2013 for grades six and nine have been studied as have the assessment instructions for teachers. Staff responsible for the test construction have been interviewed. The aims, core content and knowledge requirements of the curriculum were also studied. The concept ‘ethical competence’ was used as an analytical tool in the qualitative content analyses. Through the design of this study, the actual test, its process of construction and the curriculum were examined. The results suggest that ethics education, given (a) the curricular construction of what ability to assess, (b) complexities of test construction in ethics and (c) possible teach-to-the-test effects, runs the risk of being limited to an argumentative, conceptual competence, with ethics education being emptied of crucial content. However, being included in national testing can strengthen the position of a school subject. Is it then an advantage for ethics education to be tested in this way? The critical problems the study raises make the author conclude it to be a disadvantage for ethics education to be tested through national tests.     

Measuring teachers' pedagogical content knowledge in primary technology education

Pedagogical content knowledge is found to be a crucial part of the knowledge base for teaching. Studies in the field of primary technology education showed that this domain of teacher knowledge is related to pupils' increased learning, motivation, and interest. The common methods to investigate teachers' pedagogical content knowledge are often complicated, and time and labour consuming. Hence, a challenge in measuring teachers' pedagogical content knowledge is to construct an instrument that is time and labour‐efficient, and makes it possible to investigate large sample sizes. This paper illustrates how a multiple‐choice test to measure teachers' pedagogical content knowledge in primary technology education was designed and validated. The procedure of test construction and the first results are presented. It is concluded that the systematic procedure that was followed is effective for the construction of a valid test. In addition, statistical analyses showed that test/re‐test reliability is moderate. Data collection with larger samples is needed in order to find more statistical support for the psychometric properties of the test.     

Testing Inequality Constrained Hypotheses in SEM Models

Researchers often have expectations that can be expressed in the form of inequality constraints among the parameters of a structural equation model. It is currently not possible to test these so-called informative hypotheses in structural equation modeling software. We offer a solution to this problem using Mplus. The hypotheses are evaluated using plug-in p values with a calibrated alpha level. The method is introduced and its utility is illustrated by means of an example.     

The evaluation of selection tests for educational upgrading programmes in Botswana and Swaziland

This paper deals with the development of selection tests for admission to educational upgrading programmes in science and mathematics which are currently being carried out in southern African countries. Conceptual and methodological considerations plead for the use of several types of test in order to meet as well as possible the selection aims: maximal predictive validity and sufficient chances for students who have had less opportunity to develop their potential capabilities. This is discussed with respect to the development of a specific type of test and examined with regard to results obtained in a pilot study and in actual selections in Botswana and Swaziland. Although findings support the propositions made, more extensive psychometric research is needed to evaluate the tests properly. With respect to this, comments are made on the possibilities for gaining access to the information needed to evaluate the tests.     

Using a Computer-Based Error Analysis Approach to Improve Basic Subtraction Skills in the Third Grade

Abstract

With the national move toward competency testing, publishers and educators have become increasingly concerned about test validity, item construction, and item readability. While a major effort is usually made by test developers to control the readability level of the test items, there is currently no validated measure of individual item readability.

It is commonly assumed that oral reading of test items by the teacher would ameliorate the readability problem for poor readers. Over 4,000 fifth-grade students were involved in this study aimed at determining the effect of teacher oral reading of test items to good and poor readers. The findings suggested that having teachers read test items aloud during the administration of standardized examinations yielded, overall, higher scores than having students read the items for themselves. However, this intervention did not benefit poor readers more than good readers. Both of these groups reflected similar gains under the influence of this intervention.     

高校传统文化教学改革的探索和思考

中国传统文化在大学中的缺失已经成为一个令人忧虑的现象,引起了有识之士的普遍关注.而目前大学的传统文化教学存在不少问题,难以适应人才培养目标的要求.必须从转变教育理念、改革课程体系、加快教材建设和师资队伍建设等方面入手,充分发挥传统文化教学对提高大学生人文素质的作用.     

基于遗传算法的智能组卷系统的研究

随着计算机技术的日益发展,在组卷过程中运用计算机技术已成为可能和现实.它能帮助教师手动或者自动出卷,从而减轻教师的工作压力,可代替教师的大部分手工劳动,提高工作效率.并对考试情况客观、准确、快速分析评价.本文针对智能组卷的目标要求,建立了智能组卷系统的数学模型,并给出了改进的遗传算法求解智能组卷问题.实验结果表明,该改进的遗传算法能很好地解决试题库中智能组卷问题,使组卷的成功率高,组卷速度快,具有较好的性能和实用性.     

Proposal of the State Education Commission Concerning the Organization and Implementation of the Prairie Fire Plan (Abridged) (1988)

The Thirteenth Congress of the CCP and the Seventh National People's Congress have both laid special emphasis on agriculture—a vital issue that concerns the overall situation of construction and reform in China. An outstanding problem that is currently affecting China's advance in agriculture is the low cultural and technical quality of agricultural laborers, as well as their poor ability to absorb and utilize science and technology or apply managerial skills. According to data released by the Ministry of Agriculture, 70 percent of the readily available achievements ofagricultural science and technology cannot be popularized; two-thirds of the cultivated land in China still produces medium to low yields; and as much as 10 percent of the livestock in China sickens and dies every year because of poor disease prevention. Hence adopting measures as soon as possible to effectively improve the quality of agricultural laborers is one of the keys to further advances in agriculture.     

A sequential Scheffé‐type respecification procedure for controlling type I error in exploratory structural equation model modification

Regarding post hoc structural equation modeling modification, Kaplan (1990) noted in his response to Steiger (1990), “As there is currently no analogous Scheffé test, the best we can do is to free those restrictions that have the highest probability of being wrong” (p. 201). This article proposes just such an analog to the Scheffé test to be applied to the exploratory model‐modification scenario. This method is a sequential finite‐intersection multiple comparison procedure, controlling the Type I error rate to a desired alpha level across the set of all possible post hoc model modifications.     

关于新形势下加强社区党建工作的思考

社区作为新形势下城市党建的基层单位，有着复杂的组成和全新的特点。加强社区党建工作已成为新形势下坚持和深化党的先进性、巩固党的领导地位的重要课题。着重分析了城市社区党的建设的必要性，并根据理论分析和工作实际提出了社区党建工作的思路及应遵循的原则。     

数字化校园建设与应用

本文从介绍数字化校园建设的现状出发,阐述了目前建设数字化校园的重点任务和方向,提出了数字化校园建设的一般技术实现方法,以及目前建设中要重点注意的问题。     

A bridge between seminar and university: the English Department at Oranim College, 1971–2001

The issue of the ‘best’ type of teacher education currently under discussion led us towards a historic‐ethnographic study dealing with the teacher education approach of the English Department which existed at Oranim Academic College of Education in the years 1971–2001. Seven teachers and former Heads of Department were interviewed, as well as the college president, and written material was collected from different sources. The data were analysed using the grounded theory approach. The findings show that this teacher education program was unique in that it was built on a balanced integration of the seminar‐based and the university‐based approaches to teacher education. This allowed the department to place the process of construction of pedagogical content knowledge in the centre, together with the acquisition of discipline‐based knowledge. This combination of academic and professional‐based approaches within a university framework was proven to be not only possible, but very successful.     

对B类题库建设中若干问题的思考

所谓B类题库,是指多套已组好的平行试卷的集合,其实质是"卷库",且试卷中的题目一般不标明属性和参数。在A类题库之外建设B类题库有其必要性。它不仅建设周期短、发挥攻效快、建设成本少,而且在难度控制、考试安全等方面也具有一定优势。同时,B类题库可以为最终建成A类库奠定良好的基础。B类题库可以有"试卷库"、"模块库"等多种形式,而模块则可根据需要以多种方法进行拆分。当然,B类题库也存在一些缺陷和问题,比如试卷等值、题目查(?)、试题更新等。为有效解决这些问题,我们已经研究出一些办法,并且还将继续进行探索,使B类题库在考试命题工作中发挥更大的效益和作用。     

从木桶理论批判反思我国一流大学建设

目前,我国创世界一流大学建设正在如火如荼进行中.借鉴"木桶原理",可以为一流大学建设提供查漏补缺(认识偏差和建设误区)、扬长攻短(学科建设和学术卓越)、分清主要矛盾和矛盾的主要方面(现代大学管理制度建设)等方面的建议.     

以德治国与道德及其教育的价值

:“以德治国”的重要思想提出后 ,道德教育与建设必将倍受关注。本文从道德是文化的灵魂 ,道德是经济领域一只看不见的手 ,道德与法制互补 ,吏德是巩固政权的支点 ,道德是社会稳定的基石等视角阐述了道德的价值 ;从中国自古重教化的历史经验与智慧中 ,认识当今加强学校的道德教育和全社会的道德建设 ,对于实现“以德治国”思想具有重要意义     

Computer based simulation of laboratory experiments

The author is currently developing computer based simulations of practical laboratory experiments in engineering. He takes the view that the aim of computer based simulations is to provide a learning experience as close to that of the lab as possible. This requires that the learning outcomes and methodology of practical work be established.
The paper starts with a review of published opinions on the intended learning outcomes of practical work. The views of staff and students of the School were established by conducting an internal survey. The paper then outlines the types of simulations possible on the computer before concentrating on the development of the operational simulations being used in the present context. The approach to obtaining fidelity in operation forms the main part of the paper.
The author is currently engaged in evaluating the effectiveness of one of the packages. He discusses the approach being taken and his views on the advantages and disadvantages of simulation. It is hoped that a subsequent paper will publish the results of the evaluation.     

中国学习化社会的现实思考

21世纪,建立学习化社会已成为人类文明不断进步的一个重要标志。而我国作为发展中国家和人口大国,建立学习化社会的现实基础尚比较薄弱,这就要求我们在建立学习化社会的实践中务必引起重视。     

国家公园保护地役权制度的国际经验启示

建立国家公园体制是我国生态文明制度建设的重要内容,对于推进自然资源的科学保护与合理利用具有重要意义。当前我国国家公园体制建设过程中存在人地关系矛盾突出、专项财政资金不足以及流转补偿标准较低等现实困境。而保护地役权作为一种相对灵活的制度设计,可以同时兼顾国家公园生态环境的科学保护与自然资源的合理利用,能够更好地满足国家公园的管理需求。通过对法国、俄罗斯、美国、英国等国家的相关地役权制度实践进行比较考察得出我国国家公园保护地役权制度建构可资借鉴的经验：通过立法明确保护地役权的基本内容、加强保护地役权相关立法的衔接、实现保护地役权协议内容的相对统一、强化对保护地役权实施的全方位监管。