Transition from high school to higher education and work in Korea, from the competency-based education perspective

We examined how much Korean high school education helps students to build up the competencies needed for their college education and the world of work. We surveyed 227 high school graduates. They particularly emphasized communication skills, a cooperative attitude, computer skills, making friends and maintaining friendships, adaptability, self-directed learning and creative problem solving skills for their future life. However, they think high school education generally does not help students to build up the needed skills. In fact, they want more extracurricular activities, laboratory classes, practical training, career guidance, and diverse pedagogies than are currently given.     

Once Attained, Can Quality Child Care Be Maintained?

Research Findings: This study was designed to assess whether investments in child care quality were maintained 3 years after public funding for these centers was significantly reduced. An earlier evaluation documented significant improvements in classroom environments, teachers' sensitivity, and teachers' child-centered beliefs following a 15-month state intervention in 24 early care and education programs serving high numbers of children from low-income families. The current study used a quasi-experimental design, with pre- and postdata collected through direct observations and questionnaires in nonrandom treatment and comparison groups. Practice or Policy: Results at the 3-year follow-up showed that the majority (92%) of centers in the intervention group were accredited and that significant improvements in classroom environments were maintained after funding was significantly reduced. However, erosion in more sensitive measures (i.e., teacher sensitivity and child-centered beliefs) during the period of reduced funding suggested some concern that programs serving high concentrations of children from low-income families may require some consistent state support if they are to yield the positive life outcomes desired by economists and policymakers.     

Pedagogical Agents as Learning Companions: The Role of Agent Competency and Type of Interaction

This study was designed to examine the effects of the competency (low vs. high) and interaction type (proactive vs. responsive) of pedagogical agents as learning companions (PALs) on learning, self-efficacy, and attitudes. Participants were 72 undergraduates in an introductory computer-literacy course who were randomly assigned to one of four treatments: Low-Proactive, Low-Responsive, High-Proactive, and High-Responsive. Results indicated a main effect for PAL competency. Students who worked with the high-competency PAL in both proactive and responsive conditions achieved higher scores in applying what they had learned and showed more positive attitudes toward the PAL. However, students who worked with the low-competency PAL reported significantly enhanced self-efficacy beliefs in the learning tasks. Also, there was a main effect far PAL interaction type. A proactive PAL had a significantly positive impact on recall. These different results on learning and motivational outcomes suggest that the competency and interaction type of a PAL should be designed according to the desired learning and motivational goals.     

THE IMPACT OF HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES ON THE ACADEMIC SUCCESS OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDENTS

Anchored in national longitudinal data analyzed through hierarchical linear and non-linear modeling, this study found that African-American students have a similar probability of obtaining a BA degree whether they attended a historically Black college or university (HBCU) or a historically White college or university (HWCU). Among African-Americans, females are more likely to obtain a baccalaureate degree than males. Especially given that HBCUs are significantly underfunded relative to HWCUs, the findings of this study lend support to the proposition that HBCUs contribute significantly to higher education in this country and merit strong support from both the public and private sectors. This paper was presented at the American Education Research Association Conference in April 2005.     

Using the Distractor Categories of Multiple-Choice Items to Improve IRT Linking

Simulation and real data studies are used to investigate the value of modeling multiple-choice distractors on item response theory linking. Using the characteristic curve linking procedure for Bock's (1972) nominal response model presented by Kim and Hanson (2002) , all-category linking (i.e., a linking based on all category characteristic curves of the linking items) is compared against correct-only (CO) linking (i.e., linking based on the correct category characteristic curves only) using a common-item nonequivalent groups design. The CO linking is shown to represent an approximation to what occurs when using a traditional correct/incorrect item response model for linking. Results suggest that the number of linking items needed to achieve an equivalent level of linking precision declines substantially when incorporating the distractor categories.     

Minority parental involvement and school barriers: Moving the focus away from deficiencies of parents

There has been an alarming imbalance in recent research on minority parental involvement because it has focused on parents’ variables to identify groups for effective interventions without searching for broader contextual variables. This literature review provides available research findings on the school barriers that prevent minority parents’ participation in their children's school in the United States. The following school barriers were identified: (a) teachers’ perception about the efficacy of minority parents, (b) teachers’ perception concerning the capacity of minority parents, (c) teachers’ beliefs in the effectiveness of parental involvement and developmental philosophy, (d) teachers’ self-efficacy in teaching effectiveness, (e) school friendliness and positive communication, (f) diversity of parental involvement programs, (g) school policies, and (h) school leadership. Increased understanding about the nature of minority parental involvement in their children's school will lead to a more collaborative home–school partnership and ensure the long-term success of parental involvement.     

Nonquadratic stabilization conditions for nonhomogeneous Markovian jump fuzzy systems with higher-level operation modes

This paper is concerned with the problem of designing a dissipative control for generalized nonhomogeneous Markovian jump fuzzy systems (MJFSs) that can cover both piecewise-homogeneous MJFSs and nonhomogeneous MJFSs through the use of dual modes, i.e., plant and higher-level modes. Based on a dual-mode-dependent fuzzy control law within a nonparallel distributed compensation (non-PDC) scheme, the nonquadratic stabilization conditions are first formulated in terms of multi-parameterized linear matrix inequalities (M-PLMIs), and then be transformed into a finite set of solvable LMIs without reducing M-PLMIs to PLMIs. Further, since the proposed relaxation technique can address the transition probabilities of plant and higher-level modes at once, the characteristics on mutual dependence between dual modes are fully incorporated into the nonquadratic stabilization conditions. Two illustrative examples are given to show the validity of the proposed approach.     

Analysis of student’s responses to contradictory results obtained by simple observation or controlling variables

This study investigated students’ responses to presentations of experimental results that conflicted with their preconceptions regarding electric circuits, and how those responses varied according to the type of inquiry skills required to obtain the results. One hundred and twenty students of both sexes were randomly selected from a science high school in Korea. They were questioned about their preconceptions regarding an electric circuit and forty-two students with relevant misconceptions were selected. The students were randomly assigned to two groups, and presented with one of two sheets of paper presenting results obtained by a fictional investigator. The first group was presented with results that were obtained by simple observation and asked for their evaluation of them. The second group was presented with a set of results that were obtained by controlling variables, and asked to draw a conclusion and to evaluate it. Students’ responses were classified into two categories. Some students rejected their own preconceptions and introduced a new explanatory model when contradictory results were presented, and others denied the results for the simple reason that they conflicted with their preconceptions, or only modified a protective belt without changing their core of preconceptions. We found that this distribution of responses varied considerably by inquiry skill type. For the results obtained by controlling variables, almost all students accepted them and changed their preconceptions, but for the results obtained by simple observation, fifty-five percent of students preserved their own preconceptions by denying the contradictory results or modifying the protective belt.