A gender comparison of contextualised study behaviour in higher education

The present study examines the manifestation of structural differences in the manner in which men and women students perceive and engage the content and context of learning. These differences are explored, and shown to be consistent, within a hierarchy of progressively more complex conceptual models of student learning. Conclusions are that structural gender variation differences emerge in terms of deep/strategic rather than surface, forms of learning behaviour: men students distinctively manifest and qualify deep/strategic learning behaviour in terms of operation and comprehension learning styles, while women students integrate these styles in a manifestation of style versatility that is clearly organised and not achievement motivated. An apparently separate female trait is distinguishable in terms of comprehension learning style and achievement motivation. It is argued that gender differences constitute a potentially important and neglected source of variation in student learning which, when detected in context, can and should be explicitly managed by academic practitioners.     

When Topics are Controversial: Is it Better to Discuss Them Face-to-Face or Online?

Ten students in a graduate-level course on Historical and Policy Perspectives in Higher Education held face-to-face and online discussions on five controversial topics: diversity, academic freedom, political tolerance, affirmative action, and gender. Upon completion of each discussion, they assessed their comfort, honesty, concern for others’ feelings, similarity of feelings to others, and willingness to disagree and then compared the face-to-face and online discussions on these measures. Students’ assessments are complex and indicate that some topics did elicit feelings of discomfort, concern for others’ feelings, and willingness to disagree in the face-to-face discussions. However, despite these feelings, the majority of students continued to prefer the face-to-face discussions. Online discussions were valued to a lesser extent, but a consistent minority of students were more comfortable in that setting. The age and race of the student also created differences in responses. Dr. Katrina Meyer is an associate professor of Higher and Adult Education at The University of Memphis. Her Ph.D. is from the University of Washington, and her research interests include online learning and virtual universities.     

The scientometric world of Keith Pavitt: A tribute to his contributions to research policy and patent analysis

Keith Pavitt has made pioneering contributions to the study of science, technology and innovation. This paper aims to examine some of them on the basis of a bibliometric analysis of Keith Pavitt's work and the impact that he has had. First the paper follows how Pavitt's publication profile develops over time. Then we trace his most cited works and explore the sets of references in his papers. Author and journal co-citation maps illustrate the intellectual environment associated with Pavitt and the central role Research Policy played in this context. An analysis of the most frequently cited authors in Research Policy and Scientometrics underlines Keith Pavitt's role as both a shaper of, and a bridge between, science and technology policy and bibliometric analysis.     

Problems in the summative evaluation of experimental science curricula in developing countries

Conclusion The simple techniques described in this paper can be applied rapidly and inexpensively by personnel previously untrained in techniques of curriculum evaluation. They are unrefined and open to much serious methodological criticism. Nevertheless they work. They are a way of giving those who must make value judgements about the implementation of new curricula some systematic information on which to base opinions. By using such methods for example, the author was able to show that the experimental course in biology in Malawi had a very high chance of success (90 per cent probability) when implemented in all schools in Malawi. Similar studies of current experimental programmes in Kenya and Zambia have provided interesting comparisons. In Kenya the Secondary Science Project in Biology was shown to have an 80 per cent chance of succeeding when spread from trial schools to all schools. In Zambia by contrast the Secondary School Science Pilot Project of the Science Education School of the University was shown to have only a 20 per cent chance of success. These indices provided valuable guidance to the Ministries concerned (Meyer, 1971). The use of such simple techniques has not been previously employed in developing countries and changes of policy have been based invariably on unsystematic opinion. The methods reported in this paper, therefore, appear justified in the absence of practicable alternatives.     

A Five-Year Follow-Up: Teachers�� Perceptions of the Benefits of Home Visits for Early Elementary Children

The purpose of this study was to replicate previous research about teachers?? perceived benefits of home visits to determine if they remained stable. Furthermore, the investigation sought to find out whether home visits impacted variables often associated with improved school success (i.e., school attendance, academic performance, parent engagement). Participants were 29 kindergarten through second grade teachers in a rural, Midwestern school district who conducted home visits at the beginning of the school year. Seventeen of the teachers participated in the earlier study. Revised surveys were completed. Results are consistent with those of the previous study. Specifically, teachers reported these positive effects: beneficial relationships and better communication with parents, more appreciation of the influence of the child??s home environment related to school performance, and a better understanding the child??s behavior in school. In addition, teachers identified a connection between the home visits and variables related to school success. Thus, teachers?? perceptions reinforced the importance of conducting home visits.     

Keyword: Didactics in Europe

Despite seeing great diversity in the European didactic landscape, the author searches for ground that is common to this diversity. He looks back to the ??Pampaedia?? of the founding father of didactics, Jan Amos Comenius, and attempts a constructive new start with the so-called didactic triangle in order to satisfy the scientific quest for certainty and security. Yet neither approach is convincing. The author therefore searches for elements that can be used in the construction of a future systematic approach by taking Gérard Sensevy??s Joint Action Theory in Didactics as an example. Application of this theory to the analysis and evaluation of four national reports on didactics, i.e. on Sweden, the UK, Spain, and Russia, runs into difficulties, although the reports yield interesting information for the delineation of comparative didactics. The Joint Action Theory is compared with the dialectical didactic theory of Lothar Klingberg, opening up further perspectives for comparative didactics in Europe. The four national reports, the systematic didactics of Sensevy and the example of dialectical analysis help identify the common ground for the future of European didactics.     

The development of students’ achievement emotions after transition to secondary school: a multilevel growth curve modelling approach

This empirical study focuses on students’ development of positive and negative achievement emotions during the first year and the beginning of the second year of secondary school. Using multilevel growth curve modelling, the development of the achievement emotions enjoyment, pride, anxiety, hopelessness and boredom during class in general was investigated. Data from 584 students (taken at three different time points during the first year and the beginning of the second year of secondary school in Germany) was analysed by controlling for gender and the type of school. The results confirm the main assumption: positive achievement emotions decline, whereas negative achievement emotions increase after transition to secondary school. The assumption regarding the effects of type of school was also confirmed: students entering a higher track school (German Gymnasium) experience more positive achievement emotions than students in middle track schools (German Realschule) do. However, the decline in these achievement emotions in higher track schools is comparatively worse than for students in middle track schools. The results are discussed with regard to students’ further studies, as well as the wider educational implications.

     

The summer learning effect in writing in New Zealand

Reading and Writing - The summer learning effect has been identified as a major barrier in creating equitable outcomes in the United States, especially in reading and mathematics. Less is known...     

Out of the toolbox: toddlers differentiate wobbly and wooden handrails

This study examined whether 16-month-old walking infants take the material composition of a handrail into account when assessing its effectiveness as a tool to augment balance. Infants were encouraged to cross from one platform to another via bridges of various widths (10, 20, 40 cm) with either a "wobbly" (foam or latex) or a wooden handrail available for assistance. Infants attempted to walk over wider bridges more often than narrow ones, and attempts were more frequent when the sturdy wooden handrail was available. Infants tailored their exploratory behaviors, bridge-crossing strategies, and handrail-use strategies to the material properties of the rail.