Dyslexic,delayed, precocious or just normal? Word reading skills of children with autism spectrum disorders

Word reading skills and reading‐related language and cognitive correlates were examined in Swedish 10–15‐year‐olds with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The full group with ASD did not differ statistically from an age‐matched comparison group in word reading, but a poor‐readers subgroup was identified who displayed severe difficulties. Normal readers with ASD did not differ from the comparison group in nonverbal ability, phonological processing, rapid naming or receptive vocabulary. The poor subgroup performed, however, below on all measures except nonverbal ability. When poor readers with ASD were matched for reading level with younger controls, no difference was found on any reading‐related skill. No significant correlation was furthermore found between autistic symptomatology and word reading within the ASD group. It is concluded that the pattern of individual differences in word reading among children with ASD conforms well to that seen in children without ASD of normal or delayed reading abilities.     

The impact of foreign policy on educational exchange: the Swedish state scholarship programme 1938–1990

Programmes of international educational exchange are not only carried out for educational purposes, but form an important part of modern-day public diplomacy. Through exchange programmes education and research are linked with foreign policy interests, which then in turn should affect the international contacts of universities and research facilities. The present article applies a long-term perspective on the scholarship programme of the Swedish state in order to show how the shifts in Swedish foreign policy during the period 1938–1990 have affected the number and composition of scholars incoming to Sweden over time.     

Measurement Invariance of Socioeconomic Status Across Migrational Background

Socioeconomic status (SES) is often used as control variable when relations between academic outcomes and students' migrational background are investigated. When measuring SES, indicators used must have the same meaning across groups. This study aims to examine the measurement invariance of SES, using data from TIMSS, 2003. The study shows that a latent SES variable has the same meaning across sub-populations with Swedish and non-Swedish background. However, the assumption of scalar invariance was rejected, which is essential for estimation of differences in latent means between groups. Comparisons between models assuming different degrees of scalar invariance indicated that models allowing partial scalar invariance should not be used when comparing latent variable means across groups of students with different migrational backgrounds.     

Life skills for ‘real life’: How critical thinking is contextualised across vocational programmes

Background: This article presents an analysis of how critical thinking is contextualised in everyday teaching in three vocational education and training (VET) programmes: Vehicle and transport, Restaurant and management, and Health and social care.

Purpose: The main question addressed is: What knowledge discourses permeate different VET-contexts, and hence what kinds of opportunities for critical thinking do they offer students?

Method: The qualitative analysis draws on data from a four-year ethnographic project exploring learning processes that can be characterised as civic education in Swedish vocational education. The analysis presented here used data collected during 85 days of observations of teaching in six VET classes, interviews with 81 students and 10 teachers, and collected teaching material. To explore why some contextualisations provided more opportunities and encouragement for critical thinking than others, we applied Bernsteinian concepts of ‘horizontal and vertical knowledge discourses’ and ‘discursive gaps’.

Findings and conclusions: Overall, teaching that was observed focused primarily on ‘doing’. However, in all three programmes, the analysis identified that there were also situations that touched upon critical thinking. Three major themes were identified: critical thinking related to ‘Personal experiences’, ‘The other(s)’ and ‘Wider perspectives’. It appeared that the frequency and nature of such situations varied with the knowledge discourses permeating the programme. Furthermore, we discuss the manifestations of critical thinking in relation to the wider context of what Bernstein refers to as pedagogic rights; individual enhancement, social inclusion and development of the competence and confidence to participate in political processes.     

“十五”期间吉林省科技人才存量与变化趋势

本文通过对科技人才的几个重要指标的阐述,对比并分析了"十五"以来吉林省科技人才存量现状与变化趋势.     

Factors affecting departmental peer collaboration for faculty development: Two cases in context

This paper extends current research on departmentalpeer collaboration as a means of faculty development. Given the potential advantages of such situateddevelopmental activities, the need for furtherresearch is pressing. The study reported hereexamines two different cases of department-based,practice-centered peer inquiry projects; one set in adepartment of history and one in a department ofmechanical engineering. Both departmental projectswere part of a larger initiative on the peer review ofteaching coordinated by the American Association forHigher Education.The aim of this study is to illuminate factors thatcan influence the nature, development and impact ofsuch collaborative activities. The leadership,structure and outcomes of each department's projectare compared and contrasted. The role of departmentalculture is considered, through an investigation ofpotential influences from the discipline andinstitution, as well as from departmental history. Factors such as the norms of scholarly collaboration,standard work patterns, the presence or absence ofexternal curricular standards, university status,faculty autonomy and morale are discussed.     

魏晋南北朝时期史传文学的嬗变轨迹

魏晋南北朝时期史传文学的嬗变轨迹表现在：(一)人物范围逐步缩小;(二)由性格化向叙事化转变;(三)思想感情由浓而淡;(四)语言向骈俪发展。     

一种可并行逆向工程处理的设计模式

建立一种可并行逆向工程处理的抽象机设计模式,并通过测试说明使用该模式可以减少处理时间。     

问题与对策:当代大学生的可持续发展

现代化的本质是人的现代化。面对现代化的要求，当代大学生在个体素质方面还存在缺陷或者弱项。在分析当代大学生个体素质的基础上，提出了我国现代化进程和背景下大学生如何全面提高自身素质、实现可持续发展的对策。