Fifth Graders’ Learning About Simple Machines Through Engineering Design-Based Instruction Using LEGO™ Materials

This study is part of a 5-year National Science Foundation-funded project, Transforming Elementary Science Learning Through LEGO? Engineering Design. In this study, we report on the successes and challenges of implementing an engineering design-based and LEGO?-oriented unit in an urban classroom setting and we focus on the impact of the unit on students’ content understanding of simple machines. The LEGO? engineering-based simple machines module, which was developed for fifth graders by our research team, was implemented in an urban school in a large city in the Northeastern region of the USA. Thirty-three fifth grade students participated in the study, and they showed significant growth in content understanding. We measured students’ content knowledge by using identical paper tests and semistructured interviews before and after instruction. Our paired t test analysis results showed that students significantly improved their test and interview scores (t?=??3.62, p?<?0.001 for multiple-choice items and t?=??9.06, p?<?0.000 for the open-ended items in the test and t?=??12.11, p?<?0.000 for the items in interviews). We also identified several alternative conceptions that are held by students on simple machines.     

Popular pedagogy and the changing political landscape: a case study of a women's housing movement in South Africa

This paper sets out to explore the relationship between popular education and the changing South African political landscape through case study research of the Victoria Mxenge Housing Development Association. The research took place over an extended period of time from 1992–2003 and discusses how popular education was advocated by the South African Homeless People's Federation and its parent NGO (People's Dialogue); how it was implemented, how an increasing disjuncture between teaching and learning occurred, and how pedagogy was shaped by both political and personal factors. The paper discusses the interactions between social movements and NGOs and the limitations of social movements and popular education. It argues for a more nuanced conceptual understanding of learning in social movements within development contexts.     

Body Composition Relative to Motor Aptitude for Preadolescent Boys

Abstract

The data for 40 variables were obtained from 81 Purdue University faculty sons between 10 and 12 years of age inclusive. Among the 40 variables, 680 correlation coefficients were obtained. Factor analysis was used to identify the factors which could explain the items measuring body composition and motor aptitude. As a result, eight factors were isolated and given names. The factors underlying the 40 variables seemed to permit the following names: growth and maturity factor, “body fitness” factor, body balance on object factor, coordination of the lower extremities factor, general kinesthetic sense factor, general static balance factor, directionality factor, and laterality factor. Observing the factor loadings in Factor I, it may be concluded that the measurement of lean body weight by liquid scintillation counting technique is significant in the assessment of growth and maturity in preadolescent boys. Furthermore, in the assessment of “body fitness” pertaining to preadolescent boys, it is revealed that the percent lean body weight is the most important item as indicated by the value of factor loading presented in Factor II.     

The design and development of a dyscalculia checklist based on a focus group interview

This article aims to explore the symptoms and characteristics of dyscalculia. This is a qualitative study. Five experts in the field of special education took part in a focus group interview. Each expert had more than ten years of experience in their area of expertise. To determine the content validity of the protocol, three experts in special education, language and qualitative research evaluated each of the eight items. Cohen's kappa analysis was used to assess inter-rater reliability. The findings of this study indicate that 59 items have been developed, based on six constructs in the dyscalculia checklist. The six constructs were subitising, estimating, Arabic numerals, verbal numbers, arithmetic facts and calculating processes. Following the focus group interview, a new construct emerged: math anxiety. The study implies that teachers might utilise this checklist to carry out early detection of students with dyscalculia in primary schools. This will enable appropriate intervention, resulting in significant benefits for the Ministry of Education, for educators and teachers, and for the students themselves. Although this study was based in Malaysia, the results have wider implications because dyscalculia is present everywhere.     

Optimal control of a distributed parameter system with applications to beam vibrations using piezoelectric actuators

This paper addresses the issue of the active vibration control of the transverse modes in a flexible elastic systems. The control is implemented by discrete sets of piezoelectric actuators that apply the optimal forces. The performance index is a time-dependent quadratic functional of state variables and their time derivatives, and control forces which are determined by minimizing the objective functional subject to a penalty term on the control functions. A combination of Galerkin and variational approaches are employed to determine the control forces in the time domain explicitly in terms of coupled amplitudes and velocities. The effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated by applying it to a physical problem controlled by piezoelectric patch actuators.     

Teachers’ Perceptions of the Use of Computer Assisted Language Learning to Develop Children’s Reading Skills in English as a Second Language in the United Arab Emirates

This study investigated ESL teachers’ perceptions regarding the use of Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) in teaching reading to children. A random sample of 145 teachers participated in the study by completing a survey developed by the researchers. To explore the situation in depth, 16 teachers were later interviewed. Results indicated that the main purpose of using CALL with children is to help them develop reading strategies and increase their motivation. The most common strategies teachers reported using were computers to: enhance children's reading skills, support children's reading, listen to stories read aloud, recognize letter/sound relationships, and identify letters and beginning sounds of words. Teachers reported that CALL has some benefits, such as providing opportunities for active interaction and differentiated instruction. The main barriers of using CALL are the lack of resources and suitable software and hardware. The study ended with recommendations for further research and instructional improvements.     

Eye movements of university students with and without reading difficulties during naming speed tasks

Although naming speed (NS) has been shown to predict reading into adulthood and differentiate between adult dyslexics and controls, the question remains why NS is related to reading. To address this question, eye movement methodology was combined with three letter NS tasks (the original letter NS task by Denckla & Rudel, Cortex 10:186–202, 1974, and two more developed by Compton, The Journal of Special Education 37:81–94, 2003, with increased phonological or visual similarity of the letters). Twenty undergraduate students with reading difficulties (RD) and 27 without (NRD) were tested on letter NS tasks (eye movements were recorded during the NS tasks), phonological processing, and reading fluency. The results indicated first that the RD group was slower than the NRD group on all NS tasks with no differences between the NS tasks. In addition, the NRD group had shorter fixation durations, longer saccades, and fewer saccades and fixations than the RD group. Fixation duration and fixation count were significant predictors of reading fluency even after controlling for phonological processing measures. Taken together, these findings suggest that the NS–reading relationship is due to two factors: less able readers require more time to acquire stimulus information during fixation and they make more saccades.     

Multidimensional model to assess the readiness of Saudi Arabia to implement evidence based child maltreatment prevention programs at a large scale

There has been increased awareness of child maltreatment in Saudi Arabia recently. This study assessed the readiness for implementing large-scale evidence-based child maltreatment prevention programs in Saudi Arabia. Key informants, who were key decision makers and senior managers in the field of child maltreatment, were invited to participate in the study. A multidimensional tool, developed by WHO and collaborators from several middle and low income countries, was used to assess 10 dimensions of readiness. A group of experts also gave an objective assessment of the 10 dimensions and key informants’ and experts’ scores were compared. On a scale of 100, the key informants gave a readiness score of 43% for Saudi Arabia to implement large-scale, evidence-based CM prevention programs, and experts gave an overall readiness score of 40%. Both the key informants and experts agreed that 4 of the dimensions (attitudes toward child maltreatment prevention, institutional links and resources, material resources, and human and technical resources) had low readiness scores (<5) each and three dimensions (knowledge of child maltreatment prevention, scientific data on child maltreatment prevention, and will to address child maltreatment problem) had high readiness scores (≥5) each. There was significant disagreement between key informants and experts on the remaining 3 dimensions. Overall, Saudi Arabia has a moderate/fair readiness to implement large-scale child maltreatment prevention programs. Capacity building; strengthening of material resources; and improving institutional links, collaborations, and attitudes toward the child maltreatment problem are required to improve the country's readiness to implement such programs.