皮特拉城的探索和保护

皮特拉是约旦的一座著名古城,它是古代阿拉伯国家间的交通要塞,现今则是世界上最著名的考古遗址之一,1985年被联合国教科文组织公布为世界文化遗产地段.文章简要阐述了皮特拉城的历史和文化价值,着重介绍了对文化遗址的保护,尤其是对皮特拉神庙遗址的加固保护研究,对人们了解不同地域古建筑的保护有着借鉴意义.对皮特拉的探索不仅是一种对遗址保护,当地政府还在努力寻找从物质及经济方面的改善,用规划的手段,使这座古城的城市活力再现.     

Provision of public educational services and access to higher education among the Negev Bedouin Arabs in Israel

This paper deals with the provision of educational services and access to higher education of the Negev Bedouin Arabs in Israel, in the context of the social change this community is undergoing. The Negev Bedouin have been transformed from semi‐nomads and agriculturists to urban town dwellers. Education in general, and higher education in particular, are crucial to their adjustment and development. As members of the Arab minority in Israel, they face a number of inequities in the provision of educational services, access to higher education and access to job opportunities. The Negev Bedouin schools face additional problems related to the lack of qualified teachers and proper facilities. These schools have the highest drop‐out rates and the poorest success rates on the matriculation exams in the country. As of the 1993‐94 academic year, there were only 135 Bedouin Arab university graduates and 163 university students. Their higher education ratio is 2 per 1000, which is far below the Israeli national average of 80 per 1000. Recommendations are offered for improving the access of Negev Bedouin Arabs to higher education and their subsequent absorption into the Israeli labour market.     

The concurrent validity of the Cognitive Levels Test with the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised for a sample of referred children and youth

The present investigation compared the Cognitive Levels Test (CLT) and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) scores for 55 children who were referred for remedial educational services. A comparison of the correlations for each of the criterion measures from the WISC-R showed a consistent significant positive relationship with the CLT. A repeated measures analysis of variance that compared standard scores for the CLT with those of the WISC-R indicated that significant differences existed between WISC-R IQs and the CLT Cognitive Index. Implications concerning the validity of the Cognitive Levels Test are discussed.     

Chip morphology predictions while machining hardened tool steel using finite element and smoothed particles hydrodynamics methods

Chip morphology predictions in metal cutting have always been challenging because of the complexity of the various multiphysical phenomena that occur across the tool-chip interface. An accurate prediction of chip morphology is a key factor in the assessment of a particular machining operation with regard to both tool performance and workpiece quality. Although finite element (FE) models are being developed over the last two decades, their capabilities in modeling correct material flow around the tool tip with shear localization are very limited. FE models with an arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian (ALE) approach are able to simulate correct material flow around the tool tip. However, these models are unable to predict any shear localization based on material flow criteria. On the other hand, FE models with a Lagrangian formulation can simulate shear localization in the chip segments; they need to make use of a mesh-based chip separation criterion that significantly affects material flow around the tool tip. In this study a mesh-free method viz. smoothed particles hydrodynamics (SPH) is implemented to simulate shear localization in the chip while machining hardened steel. Unlike other SPH models developed by some researchers, this model is based on a renormalized formulation that can consider frictional stresses along the tool-chip interface giving a realistic chip shape and material flow. SPH models with different cutting parameters are compared with the traditional FE models and it has been found that the SPH models are good for predicting shear localized chips and do not need any geometric or mesh-based chip separation criteria.     

Attitudes and Cultural Background and Their Relationship to English in a Multicultural Social Context: the case of male and female Arab immigrants in Canada [1]

This study investigated the relationship between attitudes and cultural background of 52 eighth‐grade Arab students in Canada and their reading comprehension of texts with English and Arabic content. An attitudes questionnaire, semi‐structured interviews and stories with cultural content in Arabic and English were used. Contrary to predictions made by schema theory, students scored higher whenever they read texts in English, their second language, regardless of cultural content. The multicultural reality of Canada seems to have provided students from different ethnic background with wide‐ranging cultural knowledge to cope successfully with unfamiliar cultural stories presented to them in the English language. Furthermore, gender differences were found among the Canadian Arab students with regard to the type of attitudes that motivated them to study English: male students showed predominantly instrumental attitudes, while females showed predominantly integrative attitudes towards learning English and becoming integrated into Canadian society. It is concluded that sociopsychological models of second‐language (L2) learning should be expanded to take into consideration gender differences and the gains that females coming from conservative societies start to achieve by learning the language of the host country and by integrating into its society.

     

Teachers' Role,Learners' Gender Differences,and FL Anxiety Among Seventh‐Grade Students Studying English as a FL

This study investigated the relationship between foreign language (FL) anxiety and achievement in that language. The role of the FL teacher as perceived by the learners was also tested. Participants were 67 seventh‐grade students. They were administered an anxiety questionnaire, a Hebrew reading comprehension test, an English reading comprehension test, an English creative writing task, and an English spelling test. The results indicated that anxiety was negatively and significantly correlated to FL achievement on all FL tests. Gender and teachers' attitudes were the only significant predictors of FL anxiety among these seventh‐grade students. The results are discussed in light of findings in the literature. Some recommendations are suggested to ease anxiety in FL students.     

The development and implementation of a sixth grade geology unit through collabrative action research

In March 2000, a researcher from the Al-Qattan Centre for Research and Educational Development, five pre-service teachers from the UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency) Educational Science Faculty (ESF), and one in-service teacher collaborated through action research to implement the curriculum inquiry cycle to a sixth grade geology unit for the purpose of improving both the teaching and learning processes. The team considered the teachers' perceptions of their role, the proposed curriculum and the existing pedagogical problems in Palestine. The team collected data through recorded interviews, and videotaped teaching sessions. Supplementary data was gathered from diaries, worksheets, lesson plans, and written tests. The team then analysed the data qualitatively. The whole process consisted of a two-month preparation phase and a three-week implementation phase. Despite the time constraints, in the preparation and implementation of this case study and the previous passive teacher training, the team observed significant improvement in classroom climate, teaching methods, and students' motivation. Both the teachers and the researcher acquired effective means for unit development and teaching practices throughout the whole process     

Technology and school leadership

As the demand for schools to become more effective and efficient learning communities increases, the need for principals to cultivate broad‐based, skilful participation in the work of leadership is essential. It is important for educational leaders to recognise the significance of their role in technology implementation and utilisation. They should be proficient in the use of technology and then provide leadership in the use of technology for administrative, instructional, and learning functions. Relatively few studies have empirically examined the level of computer use by principals, their perceived computer competence and their leadership style. This paper will report on these issues from an initial analysis of baseline data gathered from 30 secondary school principals in Tehran, a large province in Iran. Findings indicate that school principals spent a few times a week working on their computers and they had moderate levels of information technology competency. This paper also suggests that transformational leadership can help school leaders increase successful use of technology in schools. Hence, policy makers must design professional development programmes, such as leadership studies, in order to teach the components of transformational leadership: idealised influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation and individual consideration to future administrators.     

Using a student‐centred learning approach to teach a discrete information technology course: the effects on Malaysian pre‐service teachers’ attitudes toward information technology

The purpose of this study was to measure pre‐service teachers’ attitudes toward information technology (IT) after completing a discrete IT course taught in a student centred‐learning (SCL) environment during laboratory sessions. Evidence from this study suggests that there was a positive shift in the participants’ attitudes toward IT. Pre‐test results showed that IT‐competent participants who regarded IT as useful had more confidence and less aversion toward IT. Post‐test results showed increased mean scores on all three dependent variables with no differences between IT‐competent and low IT‐competent participants. The results were supported by interviews which indicate that after completing the IT course, participants were more independent, more creative and possessed collaborative learning skills. The results suggest that infusing SCL into a discrete IT course can help promote and enhance positive attitudes toward IT and enable students to be active participants in their own learning process.