Christian Education AS A THEOLOGICAL DISCIPLINE AND METHOD1

These seven articles, which are on the same theme as the forthcoming National Convention, are presented here to provide background “thinking of the Convention.”

We are indebted to the authors for their informative and helpful statements.

The papers and seminar reports of the National Convention will be published in the March‐April 1958 issue of RELIGIOUS EDUCATION.

—The Editorial Committee     

Analytic considerations in distance education research

Abstract

All articles submitted to The American Journal of Distance Education are subjected to a multi‐stage review process. One of the stages of review is an evaluation of methodology, including the appropriateness of any analytic procedures that are used. For this article, a number of empirical research reports submitted over the past several years were reviewed to identify common analytic problems and errors often overlooked by distance education researchers.     

HPT roots and branches: Analyzing over 45 years of the field's own citations. Part 1: Journal citations

This article is the first of a series of three that reviews the citation patterns of references cited in the entire collection of International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI) journal articles (1962–2007) and all chapters published in the three editions of Handbook of Human Performance Technology (1992, 1999, and 2006). It includes an analysis of journal articles cited and lists which journals and particular articles are cited most frequently, both overall and by decade. Part 2 in this series will present an analysis of books cited in the entire ISPI literature collection, and part 3 will report on the most cited authors, both overall and by type of reference (e.g., journal articles, books, sections of books, reports, conference papers, dissertations).     

SEBD inclusion research synthesis: a content analysis of research themes and methods in empirical studies published in the journal Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties from 1996–2014

The present paper reports on findings from a systematic journal review study exploring research strategies to investigate inclusive education for pupils with social, emotional, and behavioural difficulties. From a total of 384 articles, published in 19 volumes of the journal Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties between 1996 and 2014, 39 research reports matched inclusion criteria. The sample consists of 22 qualitative, 8 mixed-method, and 9 quantitative studies analysed in terms of research designs, methodological issues, and content-related themes. The findings are discussed with a focus on perspectives for future research strategies.     

Access to Education

The emergence of many new types of school in post-Soviet Russia raises issues of inequalities in access to quality education. The performance of schools is very uneven, many are failing to provide adequate education, and those that admit their students from the poorer parts of the population need special help and extra resources if they are to improve.     

A Meta‐Study of Journal of College Counseling (JCC) Author and Article Publication Characteristics From 1998 to 2009

Patterns of articles accepted for publication in the Journal of College Counseling from the past 12 years were reviewed in this metastudy. Results were described and statistically analyzed to identify trends over time in characteristics of authors, including sex, institutional classifications, employment setting, and domicile, and characteristics of articles, including article type, research design, sample size, types of participants, and statistical procedures.     

A history of learning difficulties Australia: Part five‐the journal (continued)

Abstract

Part Five in this series on the history of Learning Difficulties Australia continues the history, begun in Part Three, of the association's journal. During this time the quality of articles in the journal came under scrutiny, and refereeing, at first only of research reports, later of all contributions, came into practice. Editorial policy continued to embrace reports of new teaching methods and therapies as a means of informing readers, but contributions also reflected changes taking place in special education and in teacher training. Articles about reading continued to dominate as the debate between whole language and phonics approaches heated up. In 1996 the name of the journal was changed to reflect the broader interests of the association in learning difficulties.     

Acculturation and teacher ratings of hispanic and Anglo‐American students∗

Robert Albert examined key conceptual shifts in the pertinent professional literature language over the first part of the 20th century in his 1969 American Psychologist article, “Genius: Present‐Day Status of the Concept and Its Implications for the Study of Creativity and Giftedness. “ His findings indicated profound changes in pertinent terminology in the professional knowledge base after 1945 from an emphasis on concepts such as genius, eminence, fame, and distinction to giftedness, talent, and creativity.

The goal of the current project was to investigate empirically changes in conceptions of exceptional ability and performance, as reflected in the professional literature published since 1969. Over 28,000 articles were culled from three data bases: Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC), PsycINFO and Exceptional Children Educational Resources (ECER). Conceptual themes and types of research were analyzed for a sample of the articles, drawn from the midpoint year of each decade.

Significant results include: an increase in the number of articles relating to creativity; a rise in the number of practice‐oriented articles; and a small but steady increase in the number of articles employing qualitative research methods. Articles were also analyzed for evidence of a “paradigm shift” also discussed in the literature; however, the paradigm shift was not significantly reflected in practice. Implications are addressed relative to the conceptual trends in the literature and qualities of the knowledge base.     

On personal and collective dimensions of agency in doctoral training: medicine and natural science programs

The purpose of the present study was to investigate knowledge-creating agency by examining doctoral students' accounts of their pursuits, using structured interviews. We examined all of the talk apparently related to agency of 13 doctoral students taking part in collective doctoral training in two, highly regarded Finnish research communities (natural science and medicine). The doctoral process involved the participants pursuing article-based theses based on collectively shared research problems and journal articles co-authored with the supervisor and other senior researchers. Based on the qualitative analysis of the interviews, three categories of agentic talk were identified, respectively, for three proposed types of knowledge-creating agency: personal, distributed, and ‘object-related’. Personal agency involved participants' reflection on their academic competence, self-efficacy, and personal strengths and weaknesses. Distributed agency played an important role in assisting these participants overcoming challenges; this includes sharing of expertise, receiving social support, and having a sense of collective efficacy. Object-related agency, in turn, represented integration of a doctoral student's efforts with those of her immediate research community while pursuing shared research objects (e.g., co-authored articles). Apart from issues of agency which, the authors propose, are raised in the interviews, the data provide content-rich accounts of the collective nature of doctoral experiences.     

Korean media discourse on international education

ABSTRACT

This paper analyses the representation of international education in the Korean print media, by comparing texts produced by the leading conservative (Chosun) and progressive (Hankyoreh) newspapers in 1997 and 2014 (N?=?271 articles). We find a major expansion and diversification of media articles on international education, including rising numbers of articles mentioning non-traditional destinations (beyond USA and UK), written or shaped by non-traditional media producers (i.e., educational agents), and including individual-utilitarian and positive themes. We quantify, and find statistically significant correlations among, three key variables (destination, media producer, discourse theme). Articles mentioning non-traditional destinations are more likely to be written or shaped by agents than by journalists only. Articles mentioning non-traditional destinations and articles written or shaped by agents include relatively more positive and individual-utilitarian themes (but not more individual-expressive themes) than do articles not mentioning non-traditional destinations and articles written by journalists only. Theoretically, we link the evolution of media discourse to neo-liberal structural and ideological changes that encourage market competition and consumer choice.     

高中生写作中的英语冠词错误研究

本研究以高中生课堂写作语料为基础,分析了高中生写作中冠词的错误类型和倾向,发现学生的冠词掌握较差,冠词缺失是其最主要的错误,定冠词的习得是其冠词习得的难点。在高中生冠词习得中,产生错误的原因主要有母语的负迁移、对相关名词（短语）可数性的错误判断、中介语输入量不够导致冠词使用意识的缺失和对冠词的用法掌握不牢等,合理的教学方法和学习策略会促进其习得。     

Review by (non)peers as an opportunity for learning: a case study on the editorial process of papers by junior researchers / La revisión por (im)pares como instancia de aprendizaje: un estudio de casos del proceso editorial de artículos de investigadoras noveles

Abstract

We analysed the editorial process of the four articles authored by junior researchers published in the special issue The peer review process as an opportunity for learning. Our aims were to study the unfolding of the main critiques and suggestions made by reviewers in the different review rounds, as well as to explore how both authors and reviewers experienced and valued the review process. Data sources include all review reports and letters where the authors explained the changes made, and questionnaires completed by all the authors and some reviewers. The most commonly identified critiques in the reports were related to content selection and elaboration (coherence and relevance), the own author’s voice (critical positioning and caution) and attention to the reader (precision and consistency in terms and concepts, methodological clarity, writing style, legibility and formal adequacy). All four authors stated that being part of this process was rewarding and educational, highlighting the development of academic writing skills. Some reviewers emphasized the importance of reading other reviewers’ reports. We conclude by emphasizing the importance of providing junior researchers with resources that support them in communicating their research to the academic community.     

Inclusion discourses in contemporary Slovak education policy – From the individual to the community and from right to performance

The study on which this article reports sought to explain the complexity of the relationship between inclusion policies and practices in education in Slovakia. Education policy in Slovakia is characterised by an enduring resistance to inclusion practices, despite the presence of humanist inclusion discourses. Accordingly, education policy and practices in Slovakia manifest a conflicting or parallel application of humanist and neoliberal discourses on inclusion. The analysis presented identifies three types of inclusion discourses in Slovak education policy today: (1) general individualised, (2) specified individualised, and (3) neoliberal discourses. Concrete examples are provided of each of the three types of discourses in Slovak education policy, to illustrate specific educational policies in different education sectors. Specific national challenges related to notions of inclusion and the associated paradoxes and differing perceptions of inclusion are discussed. The conclusion highlights the question of whether a truly democratic society can exist without humanistic and inclusive ideals.     

Counselor Education and Supervision Golden Anniversary Publication Pattern Review: Author and Article Characteristics From 1985 to 2009

Patterns of articles accepted for publication in Counselor Education and Supervision from the past 25 years were reviewed in this meta‐study. Results were described and statistically analyzed to identify trends over time in author characteristics (sex, institutional classifications, employment setting, domicile) and article characteristics (article type, research design, sample, sample size, types of participants, and statistical procedures and sophistication).     

Citations of ETR&D and related journals, 1990–2004

Scientific communication in the field of educational technology was examined by analyzing references from and citations to articles published in Educational Technology Research and Development (ETR&D) for the period 1990–2004 with particular emphasis on other journals found in the citation record. Data were collected on the 369 core articles found in the 60 issues published during that time period, their reference lists (containing over 14,805 individual items), and citations of those articles in other journals (1,896 entries). The top cited and citing journals during that time period are listed. Nine symbiotic journals (i.e. those that are most cited by ETR&D and frequently cite it) were identified: Contemporary Educational Psychology, Educational Psychologist, Instructional Science, Journal of Computer-Based Instruction (no longer published), Journal of Educational Computing Research, Journal of Educational Psychology, Journal of Educational Research, Journal of Research in Science Teaching, and the Review of Educational Research. The results provide an in-depth, quantitative view of informal connections within the field via the citation record. Implications for further research and the potential influence of new technologies on scientific communication are also discussed.     

Teaching the Bible in a Time of Emphasis upon Democratic Ideals

Since 1953 there have been three symposia and also various articles on the topic “Religion and the Public Schools” which have appeared in this Journal.

But the subject is still warmly and broadly controversial.

The present symposium of nine articles is presented to assist in the definition of terms and also to furnish data on what is actually being done.

We believe this symposium is a constructive contribution to the subject and we are indebted to the authors for their cooperation.

—The Editorial Committee     

Empirical Research on Performance Improvement

In 2002, James Klein published a study based on a content analysis of research articles in PIQ from 1997 through 2000. That study was aimed at determining how much empirical research was being reported in HPT and what the focus of that research was. Klein found that only about one third of the articles published in PIQ represented empirical research. The current study replicates Klein's research for the years of 2001 through 2005. Results indicate that there has been a significant increase in empirical research published in PIQ in the last five years with empirical research now accounting for more than one half of all PIQ articles. Further clarification of the levels of evaluation for non‐instructional interventions and the refinement of research questions in the field are suggested as ongoing needs. An analysis detailing the comparison of the two studies is provided.