英语教学中的英美文化教学

在英语教学中,教学既要以传授语言技能为基础,又要走出纯语言技能的教学,注重对每一技能中所涉及英美文化内容进行同等教学,以提高学生的跨文化交际及对文化的敏锐性。处理好语言教学与文化教学的关系,在实际教学中,课堂教师应对语言共核及文化的进行讲解、介绍,并结合课外举办英语演讲、讲座、英语角、播放影片等各种语言文化活动,让学生产生兴趣,提高英语语言交际能力,增加交际文化知识。     

The Effects of School Gardens on Children's Science Knowledge: A randomized controlled trial of low-income elementary schools

This randomized controlled trial or ‘true experiment' examines the effects of a school garden intervention on the science knowledge of elementary school children. Schools were randomly assigned to a group that received the garden intervention (n?=?25) or to a waitlist control group that received the garden intervention at the end of the study (n?=?24). The garden intervention consisted of both raised-bed garden kits and a series of 19 lessons. Schools, located in the US states of Arkansas, Iowa, Washington, and New York, were all low-income as defined by having 50% or more children qualifying for the federal school lunch program. Participants were students in second, fourth, and fifth grade (ages 6–12) at baseline (n?=?3,061). Science knowledge was measured using a 7-item questionnaire focused on nutritional science and plant science. The survey was administered at baseline (Fall 2011) and at three time points during the intervention (Spring 2012, Fall 2012, and Spring 2013). Garden intervention fidelity (GIF) captured the robustness or fidelity of the intervention delivered in each classroom based on both lessons delivered and garden activities. Analyses were conducted using general linear mixed models. Survey data indicated that among children in the garden intervention, science knowledge increased from baseline to follow-up more than among control group children. However, science knowledge scores were uniformly poor and gains were very modest. GIF, which takes into account the robustness of the intervention, revealed a dose–response relation with science knowledge: more robust or substantial intervention implementations corresponded to stronger treatment effects.     

Nested backward compensation of unmatched perturbations via HOSM observation

This paper tackles the compensation problem of linear time invariant systems affected by unmatched perturbations. The proposed methodology exploits a high order sliding mode observer, guaranteeing theoretically exact state and perturbation estimation. A compensation based strategy is proposed to cope with the unmatched perturbations. The compensation of the desired coordinate is carried through a nested backward sliding surface design, which compensates some of the non-actuated state components, while the remaining states are maintained to be bounded. The feasibility of the technique was tested in an active suspension vehicle system.¹     

A survey on evaluation practices in teaching and learning centres

There is general consensus that teaching and learning centres have a positive impact on promoting and supporting a culture that values teaching and learning, yet there is limited evidence on how centres evaluate their work. For this purpose, a survey was developed and administered to the directors of 88 Canadian centres; 46 of which completed the survey. In this paper, we share centres’ approaches to evaluation that emerged from the survey findings and the artifact analysis. By raising awareness of evaluation approaches, we are better positioned to identify further opportunities to develop a more systematic and coherent approach to evaluation.     

Adolescents’ developing awareness of inequality: Racial and ethnic differences in trajectories

To advance knowledge of critical consciousness development, this study examined age-related change in awareness of inequality by race and ethnicity, gender, parent education, generation status, and their interactions. With longitudinal data (2013–2017) from 5019 adolescents in grades 6–12 (55.0% female) from California, Minnesota, and West Virginia, multigroup second-order latent growth curves were estimated for Black (13.7%), Latinx (37.0%), Asian (8.1%), and white (41.3%) youth. Black, Latinx, and Asian adolescents increased awareness of inequality longitudinally; white youth showed no change. Multiracial youth accelerated awareness of inequality in mid-adolescence; changes in race and ethnicity predicted decline, followed by increases. Girls with more educated, immigrant-origin parents started out more aware of inequality. Results signal the need for race-specific and intersectional approaches to studying critical consciousness development.     

Evangelical Christian parents’ attitudes towards abstinence-based sex education: ‘I want my kids to have great sex!’

While an overwhelming majority of people in the USA support some form of school-based sexual education, the specific content and context for that instruction varies widely, making it difficult to assess support for particular types of programmes. This is particularly the case for evangelical Christians, about whom there is a lack of scholarly consensus concerning support for sexual education. This paper addresses this gap, and examines the assumption that evangelical Christians uniformly support abstinence-only sexual education, using qualitative analysis among a group of evangelical Christians in a medium-sized Texas city. Respondents were asked during interviews to identify the types of sex education-related content they support, and where and how they believe these messages should be taught. Respondents were also asked to identify their rationales for supporting (or opposing) certain elements of sexual education. Interviews revealed a group of evangelical Christian parents who verbalised their explicit opposition to abstinence-based sex education in schools, lamenting the sex-negative messages they believe to be associated with it. It additionally became apparent that these parents believe that their opposition to abstinence-based sexual education aligns with a silent majority of evangelical Christians.