The center for executive development and my experiences

Since there is an increasing need for learning and relearning on the part of managers and executives, several business schools around the country have developed a program for offering seminars and workshops to the adult community for improving their level of supervisory, managerial, and executive performance. The purpose of this article is to lend assistance to those who are planning to embark upon this alternative higher education endeavor by sharing experiences from one institution.     

THE SWISS SYSTEM OF HIGHER EDUCATION

We have received numerous requests to present in “Higher Education in Europe”, in relatively short form, the main features of higher education systems in the different countries of the Unesco European Region.

As partial response to these requests, we present below a survey on the Swiss system of higher education, written for “Higher Education in Europe” by Dr. Esther C. Garke from the Swiss Federal Office for Education and Science, and CEPES Liaison Officer in Switzerland.

We also take this opportunity to invite our readers to provide us with papers or documents for similar presentations.     

‘The helping,the fixtures,the kits,the gear,the gum shields,the food,the snacks,the waiting,the rain,the car rides … ’: social class,parenting and children's organised activities

ABSTRACT

Class-related parenting cultures and ideologies have been of considerable interest to academics over the last two decades. Much of the research thus far has focused on exploring Annette Lareau's conceptualisations of ‘natural growth’ and ‘concerted cultivation’ and the implications for outcomes in relation to education. The focus of the present article is organised activities, which are a central but as yet relatively under-researched feature of middle-class parenting. The findings are based upon 73 semi-structured interviews with parents and children from 48 middle-class families living in and around a small city in northern England. The article reveals that initiating and facilitating children's organised activities is considered a central aspect of ‘good’ parenting in middle-class social networks. It is shown how this is a consequence of several developments within society over the past three decades or so, including the rising levels of maternal employment, the growing competitiveness of the labour market and the increasing concerns related to children's health and safety. It is argued that these developments have heightened middle-class parents’ predisposition to not only be involved with and invest in their children's leisure biographies, but to do so in a more deliberate, rigorous and rational manner.     

How We Used to Build the Future: 30 Years of Collection Development Trends

This session highlighted trends in continuing resource collections and collection management throughout the 30-year period from 1985 through 2015. Electronic resources became available in the 1990s and grew in prevalence from the 2000s through the present, changing the make-up of library collections and also how libraries measure collections and collection usage. Two librarians and two vendors shared their perspectives on these changes in collection development, describing how library collections now contain a combination of older formats and older ways of collecting data, and new, electronic content and automated ways of collecting and disseminating data about collections.     

A case study of scientific reasoning

Concern is increasingly being expressed about the teaching of higher order thinking skills in schools and the levels of understanding of scientific concepts by students. Metaphors for the improvement of science education have included science as exploration and science as process skills for experimentation. As a result of a series of studies on how children relate evidence to their theories or beliefs, Kuhn (1993a) has suggested that changing the metaphor to science as argument may be a fruitful way to increase the development of higher order thinking skills and understanding in science instruction. This report is of a case study into the coordination of evidence and theories by a grade 7 primary school student. This student was not able to coordinate these elements in a way that would enable her to rationally consider evidence in relation to her theories. It appeared that the thinking skills associated with science as argument were similar for her in different domains of knowledge and context. Specializations: science learning, scientific reasoning, learning environments, science teacher education. Specializations: cognition, reasoning in science and mathermatics.     

A program for excellence in physics and physical science teaching

Conclusion It seems reasonable to conclude that the impact of these projects has been extensive and that we have met our basic objectives regarding the improvement of science education for the target teachers and students. The long-term goal of improved scientific literacy of at least a part of the citizens of this country and world can only be assessed by some form of longitudinal study that is beyond the scope and funding for these projects. But our assessment of what has been accomplished in the short term efforts seems to indicate very positive gains in those areas of knowledge, confidence, and pedagogical capability that we believe will enable the participants to make contributions to the improvement of scientific literacy for the students with whom they work. In short, we believe we have had two successful and worthwhile programs that have been useful and effective.     

A follow-up study of students using portable computers at a secondary school

This paper reports on the findings of a 1999 study that set out to investigate the current perceptions of students and teachers towards the use of portable computers at a secondary school. The aim was to compare these with the findings of a 1995 study carried out by the researcher at the same school. Data were collected from 102 Year Twelve students (17 year old), 104 Year Eight students (13 year old) and 40 teachers. The results indicated that for the Year Twelve students the computers had been of limited value while the Year Eight students appeared to be divided with about a quarter indicating negative attitudes. For the younger students the computers appeared to be used more often and for a greater range of tasks. Many teachers indicated concerns about the management of computers in the classroom and linking computer use to learning outcomes. These perceptions underline the need for targeted professional development, systematic support for the development of student computer-related skills, and changes in the curriculum towards more learner-centred approaches.     

Entwicklungsförderung im außerschulischen Kinder- und Jugendsport

The concept “Psychosocial Resources in Sport” (Sygusch, Ein sportartenorientiertes Förderkonzept für Schule und Verein. Schorndorf: Hofmann, 2007) substantiates methodical measures to systematically promote resources such as self-concept, self-efficacy, group cohesion, and social competence. In the PRimus-study this concept was implemented in handball and apparatus gymnastics over 7 months in 29 training groups (age: 12–16 years). The aim, amongst others, was to evaluate whether the concept is effective in child and youth sport. For this purpose a mixed-method design was chosen. The development of resources were measured through qualitative trainer interviews (n?=?39) as well as quantitative surveys of athletes (IG: n?=?374; KG: n?=?270) over three measurement times. The trainer statements show that the intervention initiated resource strengthening processes which indicate a promotion of resources. The quantitative measurements, however, do not reveal substantial changes throughout the intervention period. The change in behavior of coaches and athletes – regardless of the intervention measures – influences the development of resources. Overall, it must be noted that broad-based intervention concepts, which are also feasible, had difficulty proving the effects and the effectiveness.     

终身体育视域下高校课余体育竞赛的改革与发展

对终身体育视域下我国高校课余体育竞赛进行分析,认为通过对我国高校课余体育竞赛的组织手段、内容设置、竞赛形式等进行改革,可有效培养大学生终身体育意识,激发大学生参与体育锻炼的兴趣.