Be Prepared! How Pre-lab Modules Affect Students’ Understanding of Gene Mapping

Journal of Science Education and Technology - Lab activities are characteristic of life science education. In the current study, we investigate whether pre-lab modules can improve students’...     

Working memory capacity and reading skill moderate the effectiveness of strategy training in learning from hypertext

Cognitive and metacognitive strategies are particularly important for learning with hypertext. The effectiveness of strategy training, however, depends on available working memory resources. Thus, especially learners high on working memory capacity can profit from strategy training, while learners low on working memory capacity might easily be overtaxed. In addition, efficient basic reading comprehension processes are important for strategy training to be successful: When both the newly acquired strategies and poorly routinized basic reading comprehension processes compete for working memory resources, navigation within the hypertext and learning might deteriorate rather than improve. In an experiment, 64 undergraduates learned with a comprehensive expository hypertext after receiving either a cognitive or a metacognitive or no strategy training. In line with the predictions, learners high on working memory capacity or reading skill could profit from learning strategy training in terms of learning outcomes and the quality of their navigational behavior. Learners low on working memory capacity or reading skill, in contrast, performed worse in both training conditions compared to the control condition. The improvement in learning outcomes for skilled learners as well as the impairment in learning outcomes for unskilled learners could be shown to be indirect effects mediated by the quality of navigational behavior.     

Measuring Chinese teacher professional competence: adapting and validating a German framework in China

ABSTRACT

The study presented in the paper has the following goals. The first is to review and compare teacher competence frameworks developed in Eastern (Chinese) and Western (German) contexts, exemplified for the domain of mathematics. Major similarities of the two contexts could be reconstructed in the conceptualization of teacher competence as a multidimensional construct comprising knowledge, teaching-related skills and beliefs. Distinct differences could be identified as well, with the Chinese frameworks including a wider range of teacher-competence facets and emphasizing more teaching-related competencies than the Western (German) frameworks. The second purpose is to adapt and validate a German framework of the measurement of mathematics teacher competence in a Chinese context. This adaptation and validation uses exemplarily mathematics teacher, in detail follow-up-studies of the international Teacher Education and Development Study: Learning to Teach Mathematics (TEDS-M). With the integration of a qualitative approach (e.g. elemental validity) and a quantitative approach (e.g. construct validity) to validate the framework, the results of both approaches suggest a satisfactory validity for the adaptation. Overall, the results point out that the examined teacher competence framework and its instruments can be used for comparative analyses in Germany and China.     

Effectiveness of the Additional Early Mathematics program for teaching children early mathematics

This paper presents the results of a study of the development of early mathematical competence among young poor arithmetic achievers in the 4–7 year age group. Research has shown that arithmetic difficulties later in life can be explained by an insufficient development of early mathematical competence: i.e. different aspects of early mathematical competence. The different aspects of early mathematical competence are derived from cognitive psychology and from a didactical point of view with an emphasis on (the various phases of) counting. The Piagetian operations (seriation, correspondence and classification) are used, however, as much as possible embedded in a counting context.After selection by way of an early mathematical competence test, children with a score below a criterium are presented with an additional program. This program consists of activities, embedded in real (daily) life themes, in which attention is paid to the different aspects of early mathematical competence. The program is given to the children with a guiding or a structuring instruction form. The results of the study show that it is possible to stimulate the development of early mathematical competence among young poor arithmetic achievers. The way in which instruction is offered has no influence on achievement.     

The relationship between Marcia's ego identity statuses and selected personality variables in an African context

Marcia's operationalization of Erikson's identity construct, the four identity statuses, was used in a study on late adolescent males in an African cultural context. Identity statuses were determined for 110 first-year university students in relation to global identity, as well as occupation, religion and politics, the content areas of Marcia's original Identity Status Interview. Personality dimensions were measured by the High School Personality Questionnaire and the IPAT Anxiety Scale. Contrary to findings obtained in Western settings, adolescents in the foreclosure status (global identity) displayed lower intelligence and concrete thinking patterns. Identity statuses relating to the individual content areas were both supportive and in conflict with findings obtained in Western studies, indicating possibly qualitative differences in an African situation.     

Rethinking the ownership of information in the 21st century: Ethical implications

This paper discusses basic concepts and recentdevelopments in intellectual property ownership in theUnited States. Various philosophical arguments havepreviously been put forward to support the creation andmaintenance of intellectual property systems. However, in an age of information, access toinformation is a critical need and should beguaranteed for every citizen. Any right of controlover the information, adopted as an incentive toencourage creation and distribution of intellectualproperty, should be subservient to an overriding needto ensure access to the information. The principlesunderlying intellectual property regimes in the UnitedStates recognize and embody this. In addition, thephilosophical/ethical dimensions of this debate couldalso be structured to support this attitude as well. Intellectual property is fast becoming digitalproperty. New technologies allow owners to extendtheir control of both legitimate uses and misuses ofthe intellectual property. Recent trends demonstratethat the access principle has not always beenparamount in judicial or legislative applications. Thetrend rather is to allow a proprietarianism factor todominate the analysis. Finally, several principles areforwarded which would assist adjudicators and policymakers in reaffirming the basic purpose of theintellectual property law, which is to benefit thepublic at large.     

Preventing injuries among recreational adult volleyball players: Results of a prospective randomised controlled trial

ABSTRACT

The objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of an exercise-based warm-up programme (“VolleyVeilig”) on the one-season occurrence of musculoskeletal injuries among recreational adult volleyball players. A prospective randomised controlled trial was conducted over the 2017–2018 volleyball season. Recreational adult volleyball players were allocated either to an intervention or control group. The Dutch version of the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Centre questionnaire was used to register and monitor acute and overuse injuries. A total of 672 volleyball players were enrolled: 348 in the intervention group (mean age: 30) and 324 in the control group (mean age: 27). The incidence rate of acute injury was 21% lower in the intervention group, namely 8.9 versus 11.3 per 1,000 h in the control group (Cox mixed effects crude model: hazard ratio = 0.82 [95%CI: 0.69–0.98]; Cox mixed effects adjusted model: 0.85 [95%CI: 0.71–1.02]). No significant difference in mean prevalence of overuse injury was found between the intervention (4.8%) and control (4.2%) groups. The severity of injuries was not significantly different between groups, while injury burden was slightly lower in the intervention group. The exercise-based warm-up programme led to a trend in less acute injuries among recreational adult volleyball players.     

Effects of aerobic exercise and cognitively engaging exercise on cardiorespiratory fitness and motor skills in primary school children: A cluster randomized controlled trial

ABSTRACT

This paper examined effects of two interventions on cardiorespiratory fitness and motor skills, and whether these effects are influenced by baseline levels, and dose of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) during the intervention. A cluster randomized controlled trial was implemented in 22 schools (n = 891; 9.2 ± 07 years). Intervention groups received aerobic or cognitively engaging exercise (14-weeks, four lessons per week). Control groups followed their regular physical education programme. Cardiorespiratory fitness, motor skills and MVPA were assessed. Multilevel analysis showed no main effects on cardiorespiratory fitness and motor skills although the amount of MVPA was higher in the aerobic than in the cognitively engaging and control group. Intervention effects did not depend on baseline cardiorespiratory fitness and motor skills. Children with a higher dose of MVPA within the intervention groups had better cardiorespiratory fitness after both interventions and better motor skills after the cognitively engaging intervention. In conclusion, the interventions were not effective to enhance cardiorespiratory fitness and motor skills at a group level, possibly due to large individual differences and to a total dose of MVPA too low to find effects. However, the amount of MVPA is an important factor that influence the effectiveness of interventions.     

‘Girls just want to have fun?’ Sex differences in motives of watching the FIFA World Cup and the UEFA European Championship

With global media attention and a global reach, mega-sporting events play a crucial role in sports communication. Although the audience of these events has traditionally been overwhelmingly male, in recent years they have attracted an increasing number of women. The present paper therefore explores women’s and men’s motives for watching three mega-sporting events – FIFA World Cup 2006, the UEFA European Championship 2008 and FIFA World Cup 2010 – and compares the intensities of the three central motives of thrill, entertainment and information, especially as they relate to participants’ levels of general interest in sport. The results indicate that as their interest in sport increases, the differences between the motives of women and men decrease. This finding provides valuable initial insights into the increasing popularity of mega-sporting events among women.