MODELING RELATIONSHIPS AMONG LEARNING,ATTITUDE, SELF-PERCEPTION,AND SCIENCE ACHIEVEMENT FOR GRADE 8 SAUDI STUDENTS

The purpose of the present study was to examine the validity of modeling science achievement in terms of 3 social psychological variables (school connectedness, science attitude, and active learning) and 2 self-perception variables (self-confidence and science value). Two models were tested: full mediation and partial mediation. In the full-mediation model, effects of the 3 social psychological variables upon science achievement were hypothesized to be completely mediated through science value and self-confidence. In the partial-mediation model, however, those 3 variables were hypothesized to affect achievement directly as well as indirectly through the mediating roles of science value and self-confidence. Data were obtained from Grade 8 Saudi students (N = 4,099) who participated in TIMSS 2007. The relationships among constructs were examined with the use of structural equation modeling software Mplus7. Results indicated that both models performed adequately in terms of fit indices, but the partial-mediation model was retained due to its superiority over the full-mediation model in representing the sample covariance matrix as tested through chi-square difference test. The mediating role of self-confidence in the relationships of science attitude and active learning to achievement was substantiated, but the mediating role of science value was not supported.     

Statistical learning for OCR error correction

Modern OCR engines incorporate some form of error correction, typically based on dictionaries. However, there are still residual errors that decrease performance of natural language processing algorithms applied to OCR text. In this paper, we present a statistical learning model for post-processing OCR errors, either in a fully automatic manner or followed by minimal user interaction to further reduce error rate. Our model employs web-scale corpora and integrates a rich set of linguistic features. Through an interdependent learning pipeline, our model produces and continuously refines the error detection and suggestion of candidate corrections. Evaluated on a historical biology book with complex error patterns, our model outperforms various baseline methods in the automatic mode and shows an even greater advantage when involving minimal user interaction. Quantitative analysis of each computational step further suggests that our proposed model is well-suited for handling volatile and complex OCR error patterns, which are beyond the capabilities of error correction incorporated in OCR engines.     

Exploring the theory-practice gap in initial teacher education: moving beyond questions of relevance to issues of power and authority

The ‘theory-practice divide’ in teacher education can be viewed not simply as an acceptance of a body of knowledge but instead an acceptance of the teacher educator’s authority to determine what is relevant educational theory. This research aimed to explore student teachers’ views of ‘educational theory’ and how it was discursively positioned relative to their practice in an attempt to examine whether their acceptance or rejection of it was also related to accepting the authority of the teacher educator. Using one-to-one interviews with 23 student teachers and employing a discourse analysis, four categories of students emerged. The paper describes these four categories and discusses the implications of these findings for initial teacher education and our understanding of the ‘theory-practice’ gap.     

Serious leisure: the sport of target shooting and leisure satisfaction

This study is designed to identify the underlying satisfaction dimensions gained through engagement in target shooting as a serious leisure pastime. The instrument design was based on the Leisure Satisfaction Scale. A total of 5502 useable surveys were collected through the Internet and a website related to target shooting and gun ownership. The results revealed eight dimensions: self-actualization, social interaction, location aesthetic, respite, physical benefit, connection and hedonic pleasure, which supplied the primary satisfiers of engaging in target shooting as a serious leisure activity. The demographic profile and dimensions of satisfaction may serve to dispel commonly held stereotypes of shooting hobbyists and those involved in gun ownership. The findings have important implications for leisure researchers and practitioners, to industry, both leisure and firearm related, and the target shooting community at large. This study adds to the literature of both target shooting and serious leisure.     

Evaluation of soccer players under the Moneyball concept

ABSTRACT

The recruitment of athletes with limited resources is a global problem in professional sports. In US Major League Baseball, the experience of the Oakland Athletics’ general manager in the last decade turned his “Moneyball” model into a synonym of quantitative analysis in the transfer market of baseball players. His strategy focused on hiring players with outstanding technical skills but relatively low market value. This study adapted this model to the framework of a multiple criteria decision aid (MCDA), by selecting undervalued players who have complementary abilities. The novelty here refers to the joint use of four algorithms explored by the composition of probabilistic preferences (CPP) (i.e., ranking, classification, dynamic evaluation and regularity analysis) and their application to soccer player performance evaluation. The new model analysed the recent transfer of a left-back soccer player to Europe. The results indicated 12 opportunities for better investment, among 32 left and right-back players considered. Two years later, the value of the same player was considerably lower. He played only five matches in the 2018–2019 season, without scoring or providing any assists. On the other hand, the players better classified by the CPP-MB model presented higher performances and market values.