Real or Imagined Women? Staff representations of international women postgraduate students 1

In Australia's globalising universities many support staff and teaching staff now work with international women postgraduate students. But are they aware of the issues facing these women, and is their understanding of them adequate? Indeed, how do they represent them? In this paper we draw on a small-scale pilot study involving key university personnel. We argue that the ways in which such staff represent this group of students is problematic. Focusing primarily on academic issues and on the literature on learning styles, we analyse these staff members' representations of international women postgraduate students from a postcolonial perspective. We explore the extent to which such representations, and the learning styles literature that reflects and informs them, are what Edward Said calls 'Orientalist'. In so doing, we point to both the constitution of the international woman student as postcolonial female subject and show how this situates her in relation to the prevalent learning styles discourse. Further we argue that such representations of the students differ in crucial ways from the students' self-representations, suggesting that in certain subtle ways such staff members are engaging with 'imagined' rather than 'real' women.     

National Cultural Values and Their Role in Learning: A comparative ethnographic study of state primary schooling in England and France

This ethnographic study attempts to define English and French cultural and educational values in primary school. It is maintained that pupil attitudes to education are derived from pupils' sociocultural backgrounds and that pupil attitudes predispose pupils to learning. Pupils interpret both what and how they learn through the medium of the culture to which they belong. English and French educational values are identified through classroom observation, teacher discourse and pupil perceptions. The comparative approach allows the contrastive characteristics inherent in each country's culture to emerge. It is argued that pupil understanding of such educational values as authority, thought or 'la pensee', control over learning and educational goals and how to achieve them are related to national culture and that they have an effect on pupil motivation. The paper is both an example of and an exploration into how culture may affect learning. It suggests that cultural values are more significant for learning than pedagogical styles as it argues that underlying educational values give meaning to styles of pedagogy.     

解读趣味广告词的修辞效果

广告运用修辞最重要的目的并不是使广告本身变得精彩,而是希望通过所设计的广告＂招揽＂顾客,促销商品。在广告营销中,语言文字起到了举足轻重的作用,除宣传商品,介绍商品,同时在画面中起到装饰作用之外,广告词作为广告设计的最重要的语言表达方式,其语言修辞所产生的效果还为广告的审美效应注入了独特的魅力。文章从不同类别的广告入手,分别解读趣味性广告中的修辞如何适应特定的题旨情境,运用恰当的语言手段,以追求理想的表达效果及其精妙之处对广告产品的宣传作用。     

Positive and Negative Styles of Humor in Communication: Evidence for the Importance of Considering Both Styles

The potential usefulness of assessing both positive and negative humor styles in communication was considered by comparing 2 instruments designed to assess stable individual differences in uses of humor. One instrument assesses humor style as a single dimension, and the other distinguishes between and separately assesses the positive and negative humor styles assumed to be theoretically important. The results indicate that the multidimensional measure does capture the variety of uses of humor that have been empirically and theoretically described, and that the additional differences identified have important implications for how people's uses of humor are perceived and how humor styles may affect social relationships.     

俄语广告语篇的民族文化特征

广告受众的民族文化背景是广告商在制作广告时要考虑的一个重要因素。以俄语广告语篇为语料,通过分析说明,广告制作者为宣传其广告产品,吸引受众,在广告制作中经常使用著名人物的名字、地名等,以求得名人效应。而要正确解读这些广告,必须了解其后隐藏的民族文化背景。     

Television and Primary Schoolchildren in Northern Ireland 2. The Impact of Advertising

This study sought to establish children's interest in TV ads, what credence they gave to claims made, and to what extent ad preferences had a bearing on presents bought for children. A sample of over 200 9‐ and 10‐year‐olds in the Belfast area completed a 10‐item questionnaire shortly before Christmas 1988. Findings showed that ads highlighting action and humour were popular with children, that they were sceptical about claims made in the ads, and that there was little relationship between TV ads and presents bought for children. This article relates to Chris Crouch's “Television and Primary Schoolchildren in Northern Ireland. 1. Television Programme Preferences” in the last issue of this Journal. While the research samples used are different, both articles follow a similar format in exploring the views of children in Northern Ireland and the television they watch.     

Which self-presentation style is more effective? A comparison of instructors' self-enhancing and self-effacing styles across the culture

Many studies have investigated how people perceive others' self-presentation styles (such as enhancement and effacement) in forming first impressions and how culture influences the process. Most of those studies have, however, investigated self-presentation styles in the context of informal and intimate interpersonal relations. Few studies have examined the perceptions of self-presentation styles in formal communication contexts such as instruction in classrooms. This study examines how college students from different cultures perceive professors' self-presentation styles in terms of competence and likability with the samples from the Mainland USA, Hawaii, and South Korea. The results from the latent mean analyses showed that professors with self-enhancement were perceived as more competent but less favorable in the Mainland USA and Hawaii, but not in South Korea – self-promoter's paradox was not found, while trade-offs between competence perception and likability seemed to exist. Structural equation models showed that, in explaining the variances of self-presentation perceptions, self-construals were significant variables in the Mainland USA and Hawaii, but not in South Korea. Academic motivations, on the contrary, appeared as significant variables in South Korea only. The implications of the findings are discussed in terms of cultural differences through self-construals in perceiving others' self-presentation styles.     

取消报纸形象广告:利耶弊耶?

针对《人民日报》等中央级报纸作出的“不再刊登形象广告”的决定。本文简要介绍了形象广告的变异过程及其在传媒中大行其道的原因，并着重指出“一刀切”的做法并不适合所有类型的形象广告，也不是最终的解决之道。而应将其纳入正规的广告经营中，按照《广告法》的有关规定，规范经营。对有偿形象广告应坚决取缔，对合法的形象广告应积极创造条件。让其健康发展。     

Bullying, ‘cussing’ and ‘mucking about’: complexities in tackling homophobia in three secondary schools in south London,UK

In countries such as the UK, schools have a responsibility to prevent all forms of bullying, including those related to sexual orientation. However, relatively little is known about how schools go about this work successfully. This study aimed to identify how three secondary schools in south London, England, were addressing homophobia. Three different kinds of schools – a co-educational, boys' and girls' school – were selected, each known to have conducted work to counter homophobic bullying. In each school, interviews were conducted with staff and pupils. Work on homophobia and homophobic bullying was said by most staff respondents to be part of a general commitment to countering bullying. Pupils stated that they were keen that homophobic bullying should be tackled – and distinguished bullying from ‘cussing’, ‘taking the mick’ and ‘mucking about’. Work carried out in schools had influenced pupils to consider homophobia and its effects – although the media as well as personal and family relationships were also important in this respect. Findings are discussed with regard to ways in which schools might better align what they do with regard to pupils' own values and understandings about how best to address homophobia and bullying.     

Mining students' learning patterns and performance in Web-based instruction: a cognitive style approach

Personalization has been widely used in Web-based instruction (WBI). To deliver effective personalization, there is a need to understand different preferences of each student. Cognitive style has been identified as one of the most pertinent factors that affect students' learning preferences. Therefore, it is essential to investigate how learners with different cognitive styles interact with WBI programs. This paper presents an empirical study, which examines the effects of cognitive styles on students' learning patterns and the effects of learning patterns on their learning performances. Riding's cognitive style analysis was used to identify the students' cognitive styles. Data mining, especially a clustering technique, was used to analyze the results. It was found that field independent students frequently used an alphabetical index whereas field dependent students often chose a hierarchical map. Such learning patterns also have great effects on their performance, especially for field dependent students.     

Coping with mismatched courses: students’ behaviour and performance in courses mismatched to their learning styles

Although learning styles are considered as an important factor in education, students often have to learn in courses that do not support their learning styles. A challenge for technology facilitated learning is therefore to assist and help students to cope with courses that do not match their learning styles by training and developing their less preferred skills. In this paper, the interactions between students’ learning styles, their behaviour, and their performance in an online course that is mismatched regarding their learning styles were analysed. The results show which learners need more help in mastering mismatched courses, help in getting a better understanding about how students with good performance record and poor performance record learn with respect to their learning styles, and provide information about how to identify learners who might have difficulties in learning based on their behaviour.     

The “1984” Macintosh Ad: Cinematic Icons and Constitutive Rhetoric in the Launch of a New Machine

The “1984” Macintosh ad was broadcast only once in 1984 to launch a personal computer that could easily be used by non‐expert consumers, but the ad has remained in the public eye via numerous television and advertising award ceremonies. Applying a theory of constitutive rhetoric with analysis of the ideological codes and cinematic narratives that construct the ad, this essay explores the integral role ads play in the cultural discourse of new technologies. Ultimately, the ad's rhetoric of freedom and revolution is used to constitute consumers, not rebels, leaving intact capitalism's ideological investment in the technological realization of social progress.     

Pedagogical Pleasures: Augustine in the Feminist Classroom

Many feminist philosophers of education have argued that the teacher's pleasure plays an important role in the classroom. However, accessing such pleasure is often easier said than done. Given our current academic climate, how might teachers develop pedagogical practices that cultivate these delights? This article investigates the (rather surprising) response to this question offered in Augustine's De catechizandis rudibus. Despite his reputation as a pleasure‐hater, Augustine spends the majority of his text defending the delights of teaching. In particular, Augustine argues that if teachers wish to find pleasure in teaching, they would do well to study the pleasures of mothers. To this end, I analyse the nature of Augustine's maternal appeal. What insight does Augustine find in the experiences of mothers? In what way does he hope his colleagues will allow these experiences to shape their pedagogies? I conclude by exploring the benefits and the risks of Augustine's claim for those who teach in the contemporary feminist classroom. Augustine's defence of pedagogical pleasure suggests that he shares a common interest with feminist philosophers. But, the social/political limits of his account highlight the value of submitting such pleasures to the terms of feminist critique.     

Learning and Thinking Styles: An analysis of their interrelationship and influence on academic achievement

This study examined whether college students' learning styles (LS) and thinking styles (TS) were interrelated, and if these could predict academic achievement. A total of 210 college students completed two inventories, one of LS (LSQ, Kolb), and the other of TS (MSG, Sternberg). The results of canonical correlation analysis revealed the presence of a moderate relationship between both types of styles. The results of regression analysis indicated that students' academic achievement was related to students' thinking styles. Students that prefer to work individually (Internal), that do not enjoy creating, formulating, and planning for problem solution (Legislative in a negative sense) and those that have adherence to existing rules and procedures (Executive) were those which obtained higher academic achievement. The implications of these findings for educational psychologists, which include assessment of LS and TS and the need to encourage thinking as an important part of the learning process, are discussed.     

Investigation of multiple human factors in personalized learning

In the past decade, a number of personalized learning systems have been developed and they mainly focus on learners' prior knowledge. On the other hand, previous research suggested that gender differences and cognitive styles have great effects on student learning. To this end, this study examines how human factors, especially gender differences and cognitive styles, affect learners' reactions to a personalized and non-personalized learning systems based on learners' prior knowledge. Forty-four university students participated in this study. The results show that females and Serialists show positive reactions to the personalized learning system, while males and Holists demonstrate similar reactions to the personalized learning system and the non-personalized learning system. The implications of these results for the design of personalized learning systems are discussed.     

Learning styles fray: Brilliant or batty?

Many school educators, instructional designers, and corporate training specialists believe that learning styles are important and that much of training success relies on the craft of incorporating learning styles into learning materials. But how do common views and popular wisdom on learning styles align with what the psychological sciences tell us today? Does matching instructional design to learning styles really result in learning enhancement? This article seeks to examine such questions based on current research in psychological sciences.     

Opportunities to develop adaptive teaching expertise during supervisory conferences

Adaptive teaching expertise is a critical component of quality teaching. University-based supervisors should employ specific supervision styles and discourse types during post-lesson observation conferences to help student teachers develop adaptive competencies such as, justifying decision-making, balancing experimentation and risk to pupils, and discussing instructional adaptations to address pupils' contextualized-needs. Findings from a sixteen-week, multiple-case study suggest that student teachers and supervisors (N = 6) do not use critical discourse to capitalize on opportunities to develop adaptive teaching expertise. If student teachers are expected to become adaptive experts, teacher educators must learn how to leverage discourse to promote development of adaptive teaching expertise.     

The Psychology of Effective College Governance,Part 1 — The Management Skills

Summary

This is the first of two articles discussing how the thinking styles of FE college governors might affect dramatically the managerial effectiveness of the governing bodies on which they serve. In Part 1 we focus upon the topic of management skill, and in Part 2 (to be published in JFHE Spring 1993) we go on to demonstrate how every identifiable management skill depends upon a set of psychological skills to support it. This is a phenomenon which needs to be clearly understood by all those involved with FE's ongoing drive for better management standards. The position of the new ‘employment interest’ governors is found to be particularly problem‐ridden. Indeed, it is still far from guaranteed that they will be able to provide FE with the skills, energy, and flair we were once assured they would be bringing. The detailed reasoning behind this gloomy assessment is given and some practical suggestions for improvement made.     

Thinking while studying: A process tracing study of distance learners

Significant progress has been made in understanding the study orientations of tertiary learners, their processing styles and strategies, and the links between learning approaches and outcomes. Break‐throughs in this area have resulted mainly from research into students' self‐perceptions about how they study. What is not clear is whether, in actual study sessions, students do what they say they do. In other words, the extent to which mere is congruence between their espoused theories about how they study and their theories‐in‐use is not known. In fact, very little is known at all about the actual thought processes of students during study sessions. This paper reports an attempt to trace the moment‐by‐moment thinking of 17 tertiary students as they interact with textual materials in private study settings. All students were enrolled in undergraduate programmes offered in the distance education mode.     

History of mathematics: illuminating understanding of school mathematics concepts for prospective mathematics teachers

The use of the history of mathematics in teaching has long been considered a tool for enriching students’ mathematical learning. However, in the USA few, if any, research efforts have investigated how the study of history of mathematics contributes to a person's mathematical knowledge for teaching. In this article, I present the results of research conducted over four semesters in which I sought to characterize what prospective mathematics teachers (PMTs) understand about the topics that they will be called upon to teach in the future and how that teaching might include an historical component. In particular, I focus on how the study and application of the history of solving quadratic equations illuminates what PMTs know (or do not know) about this essential secondary school algebraic topic. Additionally, I discuss how the results signal important considerations for mathematics teacher preparation programs with regard to connecting PMTs' mathematical and pedagogical knowledge, and their ability to engage in historical perspectives to improve their own and their future students' understanding of solving quadratic equations.