A Comparative Study of Information Literacy Skill Performance of Students in Agricultural Sciences

The aim was to assess the information literacy (IL) of 310 first- and second-year students enrolled in nine different study programs at the School of Agriculture (Faculty of Agriculture), Novi Sad, Serbia, using an adapted version of a validated IL test (ILT) in an e-environment. Because the school does not provide systematic IL education, another purpose was to raise awareness of the importance of such instruction. ILT results were assessed according to five ACRL (Association of College & Research Libraries) standards, as well as three cognitive levels adapted from Bloom's taxonomy. The mean ILT score was 46.35%. Students were most successful in information evaluation and information need identification, and least successful in legal/ethical issues and information use. As expected, IL skills increase from the first to second year of study. Cognitive skills also increase, except for the highest level (applying knowledge), where all student groups are weak. Different study programs attract students with disparate knowledge/skill levels gained during secondary education, where some groups of first-year students may outperform second-year students in both IL and cognitive abilities. It is thus important to offer IL education to all students in order to provide a basis for more balanced academic progress.     

Exploring French adolescents’ and adults’ comprehension of the greenhouse effect

The aim of the present study was to gain an insight into French young people’s conceptual development regarding the greenhouse effect. Because this effect cannot be directly manipulated, we can assume that its conceptualization is mainly shaped through the sharing of information. Eighty French students from Grade Seven through to adulthood responded to statements in a questionnaire on the greenhouse effect’s causes, consequences and solutions. Unlike in previous studies, participants were asked to justify their choices, as some of the statements were quite complex. Results showed that performances improved with grade, mainly between Grade Nine and adulthood, although participants continued to have a weaker grasp of the causes of the greenhouse effect than of its consequences and solutions. Participants’ justifications also showed that they misunderstood some of the statements.     

Educational reforms — Women's life patterns: A Swedish case study

This article focuses on reforms in Swedish higher education since the 1970s. It asks whether and, if so, how, these reforms affected women. Though the reform movement succeeded in bringing more of them into the university, women are still segregated into predominantly female fields. This segregation in higher education translates into occupational segregation in the workforce. The second half of the study asks why the reforms have failed to equalize men's and women's education and life-chances. Through the life history approach, the author finds that Swedish reforms proceeded on the basis of rational efficiency models which have little to do with how women make educational and work decisions. The author argues that in order for equalization to occur, the task will be to reform higher education in a way that matches rational efficiency with human sensibility.     

Children’s Orthographic Knowledge and Their Word Reading Skill: Testing Bidirectional Relations

Prominent models of word reading concur that the development of efficient word reading depends on the establishment of lexical orthographic representations in memory. In turn, word reading skills are conceptualised as supporting the development of these orthographic representations. As such, models of word reading development make clear predictions of bidirectional relations between lexical orthographic knowledge and word reading skill. We test these predictions in a longitudinal study of 112 English-speaking children in Grades 2 and 3. At two time points, we assessed lexical orthographic knowledge and three aspects of word reading skill: word reading accuracy, word reading efficiency, and phonological decoding. Consistent with theoretical predictions, we found that earlier word reading accuracy, word reading efficiency, and phonological decoding predicted gains in lexical orthographic knowledge. Contrary to theoretical predictions, lexical orthographic knowledge did not predict gains in any of our measured word reading skills.     

Probing into Pupils’ Moral Judgement in Environmental Dilemmas: a basis for ‘teaching values‘

In the frame of the international project ‘Environment and School Initiatives’ (ESIP), a pilot study has been carried out with the aim to elucidate existing levels of moral reasoning in environmental dilemmas (in analogy to Kohlberg) in a group of 11‐ and 15‐year‐old students. Beside the age‐related differences, also indications for differences between boys and girls were found. The content analysis of students’ justifications show different images about the relationship humans‐nature (humans as users, preservers, admirers, respecters). The main aim was to give teachers a better insight into pupils’ moral reasoning in environmental dilemmas and thus a basis for guiding discussions in the sense of moral discourse. These discussions, embedded in other experientially based activities, can hopefully contribute to the clarification and development of environmental values.