Plants have a chance: outdoor educational programmes alter students' knowledge and attitudes towards plants

Outdoor educational programmes are generally believed to be a suitable alternative to conventional biology settings that improve participants' environmental attitudes and knowledge. Here we examine whether outdoor educational programmes focused solely on practical work with plants influence participants' knowledge of and attitudes towards plants. It was found that mean scores of participants' attitudes towards and knowledge of plants significantly increased after the outdoor programme. These effects remained significant even after three months' post‐testing. No similar patterns were found in the control group. Interestingly, the proportion of participants who liked biology as a school subject also significantly increased after the outdoor programme in the experimental group. Females showed better knowledge of plants than males, but attitudes towards plants were similar between genders. Having a garden at home was not associated with better knowledge or attitudes towards plants. Our results reveal that outdoor programmes significantly relieve ‘plant blindness’ and make biology more attractive to pupils.     

Education policymaking in Serbia through the eyes of teachers,counselors, and principals

Numerous educational reforms have been initiated in Serbia since 2000. The aim of this study was to examine education policymaking in Serbia in order to provide policymakers and stakeholders with recommendations on how to minimize pitfalls and increase success of future educational endeavors. In the study, we utilized the education policy cycle heuristic to analyze formation, implementation, and evaluation of three major education policies in Serbia: in-service training of teachers (INSET), school development planning (SDP), and inclusive education (IE). Examining three reforms simultaneously enabled us to identify major characteristics of Serbian policymaking, regardless of the reform content. We also relied on educational change literature, so that we could assess complex contexts of reforms. Finally, considering the importance of school staff during implementation, we examined education policymaking in Serbia through the eyes of over 1,800 teachers, counselors, and principals. The results point out to dissatisfaction of school staff with all aspects of the policymaking in Serbia and with the social and education context. Reforms appear to be undertaken in a similar pattern across different reforms. The findings imply that a thorough examination of both the policymaking in Serbia and communication, organization, and administration within the education system itself is in order.     

我国高职毕业生内部就业优势的经济计量分析

本文利用经济计量分析方法,探讨了预测和评判我国高等职业教育内部就业优势领域的新思路。研究发现,多元经济计量模型预测出同一专业或行业毕业生的收入和就业率随着其他背景因素取值的不同而不同,预测更贴近毕业生实际的专业就业率和专业与行业的收入。该模型还显示在相同背景因素条件下,不同专业或行业预测值的排序与背景因素取值无关。比较计量方法和通常使用的描述统计方法,在专业与行业预测值的优势排序方面,两种方法的结论高度一致,事后预测结果则表明计量方法具有较大的优势。本文的计量模型可以用来精细地预测特定群体的收入均值和就业率,甄选优势专业和行业。     

中国知名体育用品品牌形象的结构模型

以国内外品牌形象测评理论模型为依据,提出从“产品或服务自身形象、公司形象、使用者形象、符号形象”4个维度来构建我国体育用品品牌形象结构模型,并选取53项测试题目作为测度指标,以此作为体育用品品牌形象的原始量表.选择国内5大知名体育用品品牌(李宁、安踏、匹克、特步、361°)作为实证对象,通过测试题项的T检验和项目纯化,原始量表的53个测试题目缩减至36个,由此得出我国体育用品品牌形象的初步量表.对该量表进行主成分探索性因素分析,结果表明中国体育用品品牌形象结构模型包括5个维度:使用者形象、产品或服务自身形象、公司或企业形象、符号形象与鲜明特征形象,共计36个测试题项.     

Dubious Early Medieval Jewels from Matzhausen (Bavaria): New Material and Technological Investigations

ABSTRACT

A controversial set of elite jewels assumed to be of early medieval period, recovered in 1937–1938 from a burial site in Matzhausen (northeastern Bavaria) was investigated to determine their technological coherency as well as their authenticity. The discovery of these jewels was exploited by German nationalists to argue that the material culture observed in Bohemia and Moravia in the ninth century had Germanic roots. The circumstances of their discovery, however, remain unclear. Research in archives demonstrated the involvement of the SS Ahnenerbe organisation in the recovery of the jewels. Are these jewels authentic or are they forgeries manufactured or modified by a modern craftsman to serve German expansionist nationalism? Three jewels recovered in the grave – a gombik (hollow spherical pendant), an earring with chainlet, and a zoomorphic figurine – were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-radiography, and stereomicroscopy. The investigation revealed a very heterogeneous set of objects with respect to technology and state of preservation. It also uncovered repairs and past invasive interventions involving modern metal and solder. Comparison with similar types of jewels from Bohemia and Moravia points to important differences in construction and technology, which confirms the uniqueness of this set of objects and casts suspicion on their authenticity.     

影响体育消费者购买行为的经济学分析

运用文献资料、逻辑推理、归纳演绎等方法,从体育消费者自身角度出发,对影响体育消费者购买行为的经济学因素进行深入分析,旨在探明制约我国体育消费水平的主要原因,以期为相关体育产业部门制定营销计划和战略选择提供理论参考,进而推动我国体育消费水平的不断提高。