The path of history: narrative analysis of history textbooks – a case study of Belgian history textbooks (1945–2004)

The philosophical background of the subject history in secondary education has been mainly addressed through research based on ‘obvious’ source types (curricula, discussions in committees or journals, …). This article proposes a narrative method of analysing history textbooks in order to study the underlining historical philosophy of history education.     

MICROCOMPUTERS AND THE ELDERLY: NEW DIRECTIONS FOR SELF‐SUFFICIENCY AND LIFE‐LONG LEARNING

Since the development of the microcomputer in the early 70's, computer technology has expanded into the eductional lives of increasing numbers of persons. Computers, once seen only in wealthy industries, are now nearly as common as pencils and paper in our nations' schools. In addition to the rapid development of computer training programs at the post secondary level, the proliferation of such programs is now manifest at the secondary, elementary, and even preschool levels. While computers appear to offer a great deal of educational potential for our youth, their benefits have not as yet been explored among older adults.     

Towards a knowledge‐rich learning environment in preparatory secondary education

In this case study a novel educational programme for students in preparatory vocational education was studied. The research questions were: (1) Which teaching/learning processes occur in a simulated workplace using the concept of a knowledge‐rich workplace? (2) What is the role of models and modelling in the teaching/learning processes? The curriculum project consisted of design and construction tasks. The students were collaboratively involved in the process of designing a tricycle for a real customer. This real‐life activity creates opportunities for students to develop and use models, which can be used in more than in one context. The case study explored how the teachers deal with the students’ explicit and implicit need for knowledge and skills. The main findings are that teachers more often provide this knowledge, rather than guide the students in reconstructing it, and towards the end of the project, knowledge tended to remain situated.     

Listening to grandmothers

In this column, three proud grandmothers share their unique stories and eloquently describe the transforming experience of becoming a grandmother and the joy associated with witnessing their daughters giving birth.     

PHYSIOLOGICAL INDICATORS OF STRESS AND INTELLECTUAL PERFORMANCE AMONG ANXIOUS OLDER ADULTS

The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of the relationship between anxiety and cognitive performance in older adults. We asked 27 older adults, self‐selected on the basis of their concerns about decrements in intellectual functioning, to perform a series of cognitive tasks to assess crystallized (Gc) and fluid (Gf) intellectual abilities. Volunteers also completed questionnaires concerning their beliefs about their task performance specific to each ability, as well as measures of both generalized and intellectual self‐efficacy, everyday cognitive failures, and concerns about illness and aging. Cortisol was measured as an indicator of anxiety and Epstein‐Barr virus levels were assessed to determine nonspecific physiological changes. Results indicated that in the self‐selected “anxious” sample, there was a significant negative correlation between cortisol and self‐efficacy related to the most difficult measure of Gf. The only other significant (negative) correlation was between cortisol and generalized self‐efficacy. As expected, EBV levels were not correlated with any of the performance or self‐efficacy measures taken. Possible explanations of these findings are discussed as they relate to varying levels of performance and concerns about the loss of skills among older adults.     

开放式创新网络形成及演化的探索性案例研究

企业如何在战略阶段演进中构建与战略网络与商业生态系统相互融合与共同演化的开放式创新网络,已成为开放式创新能否取得成效的关键。本文揭示了开放式创新网络与战略网络、商业生态系统的关联性及内在逻辑,运用探索性案例研究方法,以"每20分钟产生一项专利"的荷兰埃因霍芬高科技园区为研究对象,将园区开放式创新网络形成及演化3阶段的开放式创新网络概括为"1+0"、"1+N"、"N+N"3种形式,得出开放式创新网络的形成及演化取决于战略网络的类型和动态变化趋势以及商业生态系统中核心物种的生态位进化。     

A practitioner's comparison: The 1972 Stanford-Binet and the WISC-R

This paper compares the 1972 Norms Edition of the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale, Form LM, and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Revised (1974), from a practitioner's viewpoint The strengths and weaknesses of each instrument are explored in relation to (a) standardization data given in the manuals, (b) ease of administration and interpretation, (c) age-range limitations and finally, (d) the utility of both instruments as aids in prediction of academic success.