数学深造班:数学是被发明的还是被发现的

在面向年轻人的数学教育中，人们几乎将全部的关注放在概念学习和技能发展上，很少为他们提供表达数学信念的机会。然而只要环境适宜，他们能够通过辩论提出极好的见解。本文描述了在提供住宿的环境下涉及10年级学生的一套7节训练课。     

Reviews

Chapman, L. John and Czerniewska Pam (Editors) (1978) Reading: from Process to Practice PUGH, A. K. (1978). Silent Reading – An Introduction to its Study and Teaching.     

A blended approach to learning: added value and lessons learnt from students' use of computer-based materials for neurological analysis

This paper examines BSc Physiotherapy students’ experiences of developing their neurological observational and analytical skills using a blend of traditional classroom activities and computer‐based materials at the University of Birmingham. New teaching and learning resources were developed and supported in the School of Health Sciences using Web Course Tools combined with a wide range of video clips of patients with neurological disorders on CD‐ROM. These resources provided students with the opportunity to observe “real patients” prior to clinical placements, thus bridging the gap between their theoretical understanding of these disorders and their practical experience of evaluating abnormal movement in the clinical setting. This paper considers how this blended approach to learning enhanced students’ experiences of developing their neurological skills and of preparing for their clinical placements. This paper also discusses the lessons that have been gained from students’ experiences to provide future or similar projects with the opportunity to learn from these experiences.     

Geographies of elite higher education participation: An urban ‘escalator’ effect

Based on analysis of an administrative dataset, which includes granular detail on 800,000 English students over a 10-year period, this article identifies an urban ‘escalator’ effect in entry to elite universities, with disadvantaged youth in the urban centres of England having higher rates of entry than similarly disadvantaged youth located rurally. Using multilevel modelling, as well as Geographic Information System (GIS) methods, the analyses show that while place in itself is not a major contributory factor in entry to elite universities overall, there is a distinct urban–rural patterning to progression. When raw progression rates by area alone are observed, rural areas typically have higher progression rates to elite universities. However, when the full range of individual differences are accounted for, including attainment, socio-economic status, ethnicity and accessibility to elite universities, the converse is true—localities within and surrounding major urban centres are those with the highest progression rates. A ‘vortex of influences’ is likely to favour urban disadvantaged youth, including the geography of social class and ethnic identities, a legacy of concerted policy interventions within urban areas, as well as the proliferation of widening participation activity in urban centres.     

Eliciting student feedback for course development: the application of a qualitative course evaluation tool among business research students

Student evaluations of teaching and learning are playing an increasingly important role in the delivery of high-quality, student-centred education. Insights into student perceptions of their learning experience provide important information that can be used to inform course design and development. The majority of course evaluations take the form of quantitative surveys, but research suggests that a reliance on survey data alone can be problematic from a teaching and learning perspective. Qualitative course evaluations have been cited as a viable alternative to quantitative evaluations, but less research has been conducted into their efficacy when compared to quantitative evaluations. The study on which this article reports attempted to contribute to addressing this shortcoming by describing and assessing a novel approach to eliciting qualitative feedback from students in a research methodology course at a higher education institution in South Africa. Conventional content analysis was used to analyse the qualitative feedback received from students. The qualitative course evaluation approach was then appraised in terms of the degree to which it has the potential to overcome the shortcomings associated with quantitative course evaluations and the extent to which the information gathered could be used to improve the design and delivery of the academic programme.     

Measuring sports class learning climates: The development of the Sports Class Environment Scale

The development and validation of a new and unique learning climate instrument, the Sports Class Environment Scale (SCES), was the focus of this study. We began with a consolidation of the dimensions and items of the Perceived Motivational Climate in Sport Questionnaire–2 and the Classroom Environment Scale. Field-testing of the SCES involved 204 competitive gymnasts from six metropolitan and four regional competitive gymnastics clubs in Queensland, Australia. Exploratory factor analysis provided a revised SCES with five scales labelled Task Involvement & Improvement, Ego Involvement & Mistakes, Coach–Athlete Communication, Effort, Order & Organisation, and Affiliation. Using scales of the revised SCES as dependent variables, multivariate analyses of variance were conducted to compare club types, genders and competitive levels. Effective measurement of sports class learning climates using the SCES could lead to a greater understanding of effective sports classes, and of coach and athlete behaviours in those classes, and provide a first step in monitoring sports class learning climates.     

CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION AND CHARACTER EDUCATION: SIMILARITIES AND CONTRASTS

ABSTRACT:  We suggest that there is a need for those who seek to explore issues associated with the implementation of citizenship education in England to clarify its specific nature. This can be done, at least in part, through a process of comparison. To that end we review some of the connections and disjunctions between 'character education' and 'citizenship education'. We argue, drawing from US and UK literature but focusing our attention on contexts and issues in England, that there are indeed some broad areas of overlap between these two fields. Citizens should be of 'good' character and the educational initiatives that we consider both emerge from a concern about current trends in society. However, we suggest that the overlaps with citizenship education principally apply when character education is drawn very broadly. When we examine a particular approach to character education that is often US-based, and titled as 'citizenship', we note many contrasts with citizenship education as formulated in the National Curriculum for England. We suggest that citizenship educators in England need to interpret claims about the similarity between these two fields with caution, or meanings that apply to both character education and citizenship education will be distorted.     

The Second Mathematics Standard Assessment Tasks at Key Stage 1: issues of reliability raised by a five school study

This paper assesses the value that can be put on the mathematical Standard Assessment Task (SAT) score as an indicator of how children are doing compared to others. The results of a study of a sample of 171 Year 2 children from five randomly selected primary schools within one Local Education Authority (LEA) are presented. Pupils’ scores on Mathematics 7, a standardised mathematics test for 7 year‐olds are compared to the mathematics SAT score elicited by them in the previous half‐term. Results show that children with the same Mathematics 7 score may be designated Level 1, 2 or 3 on the mathematics SAT. Conclusions, based on such a small study, are tentative. There is a need to be aware that finding out how a child is doing may be more complicated than simply looking at the SAT results. It may be hypothesised that the 10 point assessment scale is too crude a summative device to measure children's mathematical standards accurately.     

A longitudinal study of upper secondary school students’ values and beliefs regarding policy responses to climate change

Abstract

This article explores changes of environmental values and beliefs among secondary school business and economics students regarding government and market solutions to climate change. The quantitative study is longitudinal and a survey was administrated to students at two occasions including 212 participants in the first measurement. Results show a small significant increase in importance for altruistic, biospheric and egoistic value orientations at average. At an individual level, there are substantial movements over time. Nearly two-thirds of the students changed the strength of their value orientations over time. Taxes and legislation were regarded as the most effective solutions to climate change, however there was a decrease in seeing market prices as important mechanisms for change. Analysis suggested no direct relationship between change in environmental value orientation and change in norms. However indirect associations were mediated by changing beliefs in the efficacy of education and information and the efficacy of tax policies. For example, students who became more egoistic and more convinced about the efficacy of tax were less likely than others to be willing to take personal actions.     

Chronic pain and health care utilization in women with a history of childhood sexual abuse

OBJECTIVE: This cross-sectional controlled study investigated the association between chronic pain, health care utilization and a history of childhood sexual abuse. SUBJECTS: Three groups, constituting 80 women in total, were studied (1) attendees at group therapy for individuals who had experienced childhood sexual abuse (n = 26); (2) Two control groups consisting of nonabused (a) psychiatric outpatients (n = 33); and (b) nurses (n = 21). SETTING: The setting was a university affiliated community and tertiary care hospital in London. Ontario. OUTCOME MEASURES: Each subject voluntarily completed questionnaires documenting history of childhood abuse, pain, psychological symptomatology and medical and surgical history. RESULTS: Sixty-nine percent of the women who had experienced childhood sexual abuse reported a chronic painful condition lasting more than three months, compared to 43% of the combined control groups (p = .026). Women who had experienced childhood sexual abuse reported a greater number of painful body areas (p = .003), more diffuse pain and more diagnoses of fibromyalgia (p = .013). They had more surgeries (p = .037), hospitalizations (p = .0004) and family physician visits (p = .046). CONCLUSIONS: Women with a history of childhood sexual abuse reported more chronic pain symptoms and utilized more health care resources compared to nonabused control subjects. Identification of such a history in the patient experiencing persisting pain may be the first step toward a successful combination of medical and psychosocial interventions.