A tale of two worlds: the interstate system and world society in social science textbooks, 1950–2011

There is a great and longstanding divide in visions of the international arena. Some assert that states are the most relevant actors in international politics, and others emphasise the importance of non-state actors as vehicles through which shared ideas and identities are enacted. Typically, cross-national scholarship adopts one of these positions and seeks to support the attendant theoretical claims; our approach is entirely different. We treat these varied conceptions of the international arena not as antecedent explanatory frameworks, but rather as outcomes to be explained in their own right. To this end, we draw on data consisting of 539 high-school social science textbooks (history, civics, social studies, and geography) from 73 countries published between 1950 and 2011, coded to shed light on how the international arena is discussed in national education systems. We use multilevel modelling to determine how characteristics of textbooks and countries are linked to different visions of the international arena. Stronger national emphases in books promote a vision of the interstate system, as does a country’s level of democracy. Emphases on world society emerge particularly in recent decades and in books and countries most exposed to educational and social globalisation. Our findings provide initial support for arguments that world society and the interstate system are distinct, leading to multiple forms of inequality in the international arena.     

1970-2001年间发表的训练科学英文文献的分析

尽管关于运动训练方面的科技文献越来越多,但是很少有人对这方面的文献进行总结,即使有也只是在有限的时间范围内或主要针对运动训练行为方面的.由于该方面的资料缺乏系统性和连贯性,所以,笔者在进行此项研究的过程中也受到诸多限制.     

Bayesian hierarchical modelling of basketball tracking data - a case study of spatial entropy and spatial effectiveness

ABSTRACT

Spatio-temporal data in sport is increasing rapidly, however suitable statistical methods for analysing this data are underdeveloped. The current study establishes the need for spatial statistical methods, propose a Bayesian hierarchical model as an appropriate method for comparing spatial variables, and test this model across three spatial scales. The need for spatial statistical methods was established through the identification of spatial autocorrelation. This necessitated the use of a Bayesian hierarchical model to test for an association between spatial ball movement entropy and spatial effectiveness. Posterior distribution results showed a generally positive association such that increases in entropy were associated with increases in effectiveness. The strength and confidence of the associations were impacted by the spatial scale, with the 6 × 6 grid showing the most conclusive evidence of a positive relationship; the 4 × 4 grid was mostly positive, however with a large variation; and finally, the basket-centric scale results were less conclusive. The results of the current study demonstrate the suitability of a Bayesian hierarchical model for testing for associations or differences between spatial variables. With the increase in spatial analyses in sport, this study presents an appropriate statistical method for dealing with complex problems associated with spatial analyses.     

Sensitivity to linguistic stress,phonological awareness and early reading ability in preschoolers

Recent research has found that sensitivity to linguistic stress is related to phonological awareness and reading development. This study investigated the roles of two types of linguistic stress sensitivity (lexical and metrical stress) in the phonological awareness and reading development of young children. Forty‐five kindergarten children were tested on a battery of tasks that examined linguistic stress sensitivity and early reading ability. Results indicated that lexical stress, but not metrical stress sensitivity, is significantly related to phonological awareness and early reading ability. However, lexical stress is not able to predict unique variance in early reading ability once phonological awareness is controlled for. The relationships of both lexical and metrical stress sensitivity with phonological awareness and early reading development are discussed.     

The Practice and Perceptions of School Counsellors: A View from Urban China

The profession of school counselling in China is in relative infancy. A qualitative analysis of in-person interviews with fourteen high school counsellors sought to identify salient factors currently facing the profession in two urban Chinese schools. The counsellors described the development and practice of school counselling as well as their own view of the profession. Results are discussed in the context of relevant literature in China and compared to the current and historical development of school counselling around the world.     

The <Emphasis Type="Italic">Teachergarten</Emphasis>: Creating an Environment Conducive to Meaningful Teacher Growth

This editorial provides discussion of conditions and actions needed to create and sustain a context and environment that is nurturing and conducive to meaningful professional teacher growth. The authors are a program director and master (lead) teacher from a university demonstration/laboratory program that is both state licensed and accredited through the National Association for the Education of Young Children. They frame the dialogue to address issues of (a) commitment to professional development as a long-term investment in program quality, (b) intellectual safety and challenge, (c) creative use of available resources, (d) respect for all stakeholders in the program, and (e) intentional modeling.     

Rhythm and reading development in school‐age children: a longitudinal study

Rhythm production in 53 children in grade 1 was investigated as a predictor of reading ability in the same children in grades 1–5. This paper reports the results of correlations and hierarchical regression analyses, controlling for shared variance between phonological awareness and naming speed. Rhythm was correlated significantly with both phonological awareness and naming speed. Rhythm predicted significant variance in reading ability at each grade level. Once phonological awareness was controlled, however, rhythm was a significant predictor only in grade 5. When naming speed was controlled, rhythm predicted unique variance in reading ability in grades 2, 3 and 5. Implications for the relationship between rhythm and the development of reading skills are discussed.     

Are interpersonal relationships necessary for developing trust in online group projects?

Trust between group members has been suggested as an important part of small group work in online classrooms. Developing interpersonal relationships with group members may promote a sense of trust among them; however, research shows mixed results. The current study explored how students’ perceptions of the importance of interpersonal relationships in online groups affected their perceptions of trust and experiences within the group. Students enrolled in online classes that incorporated a group project were surveyed about their experiences with online group projects. Participants did not find interpersonal relationships as necessary in trust development. However, student gender and type (i.e., distance versus on-campus) were important factors in determining the type of experiences students had within their online groups. Males reported more negative experiences than females, and distance education students desired relationships with group members more than on-campus students.     

Teaching Cases in a Virtual Environment: When the Traditional Case Classroom is Problematic

The rise in interactive digital media has catapulted faculty‐student contact abilities from the traditional Web 1.0 model to a post‐Web 2.0 world where students and faculty can have much more interaction in classroom exchanges. Since business cases have long been a pedagogy of choice among professors concerned with training the next generation of decision makers, the intent of this exploratory teaching execution was to gain insight into the case teaching experience in Second Life (SL). SL is a virtual world developed by Linden Lab that enables its users to interact with each other through avatars (virtual representations of the self). While online classrooms in SL are not new (a number of universities throughout the world have set up virtual campuses), business education scholarship is lacking as related to the use of virtual worlds for educational purposes. The aim of the execution was not to suggest that SL case teaching should displace the traditional case classroom interactions. Rather, the exercise found that a case‐based class can be held and attended independent of time, distance, and location should the need arise. Case teaching in SL offers an availability alternative or supplement to the traditional case teaching and learning approach.