R&D strategies and entrepreneurial spawning

This paper analyzes how different R&D strategies of incumbent firms affect the quantity and quality of their entrepreneurial spawning. When examining entrepreneurial ventures of ex-employees of firms with different R&D strategies, three things emerge: First, firms with persistent R&D investments and a general superiority in sales, exports, productivity, profitability and wages are less likely to generate entrepreneurs than firms with temporary or no R&D investments. Second, start-ups from knowledge intensive business service (KIBS) firms with persistent R&D investments have a significantly increased probability of survival. No corresponding association between the R&D strategies of incumbents and survival of entrepreneurial spawns is found for incumbents in manufacturing sectors. Third, spin-outs from KIBS-firms are more likely to survive if they start in the same sector, indicating the importance of inherited knowledge. These findings suggest that R&D intensive firms are less likely to generate employee start-ups, but their entrepreneurial spawns tend to be of higher quality.     

Emerging collaborative and cooperative practices in 1:1 schools

In this article, the authors explored how laptops used in 1:1 classrooms affect cooperation and collaboration practices. Based on an observational time study, the authors found that the most common activity in 1:1 classrooms is group work using the computer. They also found that, despite what the concept 1:1 alludes to about one student working with one computer, most laptop use takes on other forms such as two students working with one computer (1:2) or two students working together using two laptops (2:2). The findings reported in this article about the various different collaboration arrangements have implications for both research and practice. For practice, because teachers can arrange activities based on an awareness of the different student–laptop constellations that emerge when students are given a laptop. Research is likewise informed about the various group work constellations and can build on this knowledge for further analysis of the pros and cons with the different collaborative forms.     

Chafing borderlands: obstacles for science teaching and learning in preschool teacher education

Cultural Studies of Science Education - This study examines preservice preschool teachers’ university science education experience. The empirical data are from a research and intervention...     

Vibrotactile speech tracking support: cognitive prerequisites

Fourteen postlingually hearing-impaired participants took part in an intervention study on the potential benefit of three types of tactile aids (i.e., the Tactilator, Minivib 3, and the Tactaid 7). Although training by means of computerized tracking had substantial effects on speech tracking rate, no differential effects of type of aid emerged. However, a cognitive test battery revealed that training efficacy is directly dependent on the cognitive prerequisites of the individual speechreader. The speed with which an individual can make phonological judgments (i.e., rhyme judgments) and visual word decoding from lipreading proved to be critical cognitive skills. We conclude that these skills must be further assessed and taken into account when rehabilitation/training programs are launched.     

Asymptotic Standard Errors of Observed‐Score Equating With Polytomous IRT Models

In observed‐score equipercentile equating, the goal is to make scores on two scales or tests measuring the same construct comparable by matching the percentiles of the respective score distributions. If the tests consist of different items with multiple categories for each item, a suitable model for the responses is a polytomous item response theory (IRT) model. The parameters from such a model can be utilized to derive the score probabilities for the tests and these score probabilities may then be used in observed‐score equating. In this study, the asymptotic standard errors of observed‐score equating using score probability vectors from polytomous IRT models are derived using the delta method. The results are applied to the equivalent groups design and the nonequivalent groups design with either chain equating or poststratification equating within the framework of kernel equating. The derivations are presented in a general form and specific formulas for the graded response model and the generalized partial credit model are provided. The asymptotic standard errors are accurate under several simulation conditions relating to sample size, distributional misspecification and, for the nonequivalent groups design, anchor test length.     

Are adolescents given a relevant preparation for the adult role? A swedish perspective

The youth period in modern societies has gradually been extended and today includes major parts of the 20’s. During this period young people are kept in a state of dependency and irresponsibility within the educational system. After school, many of them find that society has no need for them and in many countries they experience long periods of unemployment. The paper discusses how school and society — taking Sweden as an example — in general fail to give adolescents adequate preparation for the role as an active and independent citizen. Data taken from several major research projects — one following young people up to the age of 23 and another studying students’ social development in school including age groups from 10 to 16 — show that many young people in their early 20’s do not perceive themselves as grown-ups. Data also show that students in school are not trained to become independent or to achieve a sense of competency.     

The extent of ability grouping in Swedish upper secondary schools: a national survey

Differentiation among students according to ability has been a topic of interest in educational systems all over the world for a long period of time. This study focuses on the extent of ability grouping in Swedish upper secondary schools, using a total population survey that covers all upper secondary schools. Previous research on the effects of ability grouping on students and groups of students gives a quite clear picture and the relation between ability grouping and issues of inequity and undemocratic values is an often-raised issue, where low-achieving students are especially adversely affected. Results from this study show that many (43%) upper secondary schools use ability grouping as a way to differentiate students in educational settings. It is found that it is more frequently used within the foundation subjects and especially in mathematics. No particular group of schools reports using ability grouping at a significantly higher rate, but the schools that reported using it to a very large extent differ on many school-level variables. These schools are focused on specifically. The extent of ability grouping is discussed in relation to previous research and issues of equity.     

Efforts to Address the Aging Academic Workforce: Assessing Progress Through a Three-Stage Model of Institutional Change

The aging of the academic workforce is becoming more relevant to policy discussions in higher education. Yet there has been no formal, large-scale analysis of institutional efforts to develop policies and programs for aging employees. We fielded a representative survey of human resource specialists at 187 colleges and universities across the United States and found that most institutions did not identify the aging workforce as a primary concern. Still, three out of every eight campuses had made some effort to implement age-targeted policies and programs; and these efforts were more likely to occur at institutions with a greater number of employees and with human resources staff who had training in issues related to an aging workforce.