Gender Fairness in Self-Efficacy? A Rasch-Based Validity Study of the General Academic Self-Efficacy Scale (GASE)

Studies have reported gender differences in academic self-efficacy. However, how and if academic self-efficacy questionnaires are gender-biased has not been psychometrically investigated. The psychometric properties of a general version of The Physics Self-Efficacy Questionnaire – the General Academic Self-Efficacy Scale (GASE) – were analyzed using Rasch measurement models, with data from 1018 Danish university students (psychology and technical), focusing on gender invariance and the sufficiency of the score. The short 4-item GASE scale was found to be essentially objective and construct valid and satisfactorily reliable, though differential item functioning was found relative to gender and academic discipline, and can be used to assess students’ general academic self-efficacy. Research on gender and self-efficacy needs to take gender into account and equate scores appropriately for unbiased analysis within academic disciplines.     

大学教育“德育为先”学、思录

本文通过重温教育经典,重温\"育人为本,德育为先\"的指导思想,指出:要有先进的、世界一流的科学技术,首先要有人,要有道德的现代人。这是包括大学教育发展在内的整个社会可持续、协调、有序和健康发展,即科学发展的前提。有实效的道德教育,也是将大学争取诺贝尔奖的热情、出大师的期望,奠基于\"明德\"、\"至善\"的\"新民\"成长、成熟之上的最根本举措之一。     

学术自由视野下的大学发展

大学学术自由的发展体现在大学\"自由学术精神\"的发展和大学\"学术人\"的自由发展两个方面。以学术自由来观照大学的发展,就是强调应以学术自由为大学发展的基本原则和最高价值取向,要将学术自由作为一个综合的、全面的价值标准体系,以学术自由为根基来运作和引导大学的改革与实践,统整大学的规模、效益、速度、结构、质量等全面协调发展。     

Factors that contribute to the educational success of Haitian‐American women

The purpose of this study was to explore the factors that contributed to the academic success of Haitian‐American women. This study was also conducted to determine if factors attributed to by academically successful Haitian women are related to selected demographic characteristics. Two hundred and thirteen Haitian women selected from the National Haitian Student Alliance, with at least a Bachelor’s degree, participated. They completed an online survey designed to elicit demographic information and their perception of the factors. Our results indicate that self‐motivation, financial assistance, access to resources, self‐perception and time management are among the most important factors that contributed to their academic success. Less important are community support and knowledge of a second language. Statistically significant relationships were found between a linear combination of the 16 success factors and only the following demographic characteristics: birthplace, years taken to complete college, father’s level of education and participant’s residence region.     

Some prerequisites for access programmes that contribute to academic success in higher education

Abstract

The balance between the cost and value of access programmes is a concern in higher education. The function of access programmes is to provide support and additional time for under-prepared students to cope with the academic workload during the first year. This article aims to indicate the value students place on participation in an access programme. In this qualitative study, group interviews were conducted and the findings indicate that Engineering students attribute their success in the mainstream to the way in which participation in an access programme had integrated them academically into the university and exposed them to discipline related experiences in a non-threatening environment. The findings of this study indicate what aspects of the access programme students considered helpful for perseverance in mainstream studies. It is recommended that institutions that offer access programmes should not only be aware of the reciprocal influence of the cognitive and non-cognitive factors that affect students' success, but also purposefully combine these factors in the design of their access programmes.     

Who Benefits From a Foundational Logic Course? Effects on Undergraduate Course Performance

Being able to understand and evaluate arguments in different modalities and in different disciplines is thought to be a key component of students’ academic success in college. However, many students do not receive explicit instruction in the basic concepts and rules of argumentation. Using a difference-in-differences approach with a multicohort longitudinal data set of almost 15,000 undergraduates beginning in health and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)-related fields at a research university, we examined changes in relative performance of students after enrolling in an introductory logic course. We find that students improved their grade point average (GPA) after taking the course, especially if they begin college with low academic achievement (Cohen’s d?=?0.18). Our results are consistent with the idea that acquiring foundational skills, in particular general skills in argumentation, prepares STEM students for future learning.     

Learner self-efficacy,goal orientation,and academic achievement: exploring mediating and moderating relationships

ABSTRACT

Within the context of Pintrich’s self-regulated learning model, recent reviews of the literature show that motivational factors are the strongest predictors of academic performance. Even so, gaps remain in terms of which goal orientation constructs area most strongly related to performance, and whether academic self-efficacy is involved in such relationships, either as mediator or moderator. This study addresses these gaps using a sample of 478 university students; 409 females aged 17–62 (M?=?23.28, SD?=?7.22) and 69 males, aged 18–47 (M?=?22.5, SD?=?6.31). Analyses revealed that academic self-efficacy (ASE) mediated relationships between both mastery and performance-approach goal orientation with achievement, though the mediation effect was larger for the relationship involving mastery approach goal orientation. ASE did not moderate the relationship between performance-approach goal orientation and achievement. Findings suggest teaching programmes should foster learning environments that encourage persistence and effort when learning, and consider how course delivery and feedback can enhance academic self-efficacy, regardless of the goal orientation adopted by students.     

以企业精神改造高等教育:企业化大学的国际经验与启示

在来自于国家的公共经费日益紧缩的背景下,西方各国的高等教育机构之间在各项资源的争夺上也更为激烈,各种类型的高等教育机构开始尝试向企业组织借鉴和学习能有效提高组织效率和竞争力的经验,企业化大学应运而生。这类既保持了大学的学术传统,又整合了企业精神的新型高等教育机构在市场化生存中所展示出的活力和教训,将会为大学在全新生存环境中的组织转型提供有益的经验。     

The nature and implications of the growing importance of research grants to Canadian universities and academics

This paper analyzes a significant but virtually unexplored recent development within Canadian higher education, namely the growing importance of research grants to universities and academics. It addresses three main questions. First, the paper examines why and how research grants are becoming more important to Canadian universities and academics, focusing in particular on the role played by federal higher education policy. Next, it explores how the growing importance of research grants is transforming relations between and among the key players in Canadian higher education and academic research, including university administrators, academics, government, and the broader community. The paper’s final section takes up some of the actual and potential implications of these changes and raises concerns about detrimental effects on Canada’s universities and citizens. Prospects and possibilities for reform are also addressed.     

高水平大学建设背景下研究型大学成人高等教育问题研究——以华南理工大学为例

我国研究型大学成人高等教育的资源投入十分有限,普遍以学历教育为主,教学内容实用性不强,学生工学矛盾突出,各种学习形式融合度低,教学站点布局缺乏市场化。在高水平大学的建设进程中,研究型大学要正确定位成人高等教育与普通高等教育的关系,全方位开展非学历继续教育培训,树立顾客导向意识,确保教育教学质量,真正把全面提高人的综合素质作为成人高等教育办学的根本宗旨。     

论高校大学学术英语课程的建构

本文就学术英语课程在我国高校的设置、开发、建构以及推广意义进行论证,包括其课程设置的主要依据、开发的必要性、构建的基本原则、对高校大学生作为国家高端人才培养和高校外语教师专业发展的双重意义等。文章从高等教育本科教学质量工程建设的视角,强调大学英语课程体系增设学术英语是适应我国高等教育与基础教育接轨的需要、高校办学与国际接轨的需要、高校外语教育改革深化与推进的需要,符合高等教育内涵发展和人才培养的需求。     

德国高等职业教育发达原因分析

德国高等职业教育发达的原因有三个方面:重视高等职业教育体制建设,表现在完善的法律法规、教育模式先进、政府和社会广泛参与;完善的高等职业教育内容体系,表现在培养目标层次分明、定位准确,专业设置合理、实用,灵活的课程体系;高等职业教育的质量保障机制健全,表现在技能培养途径多样化和高素质的师资队伍.