Educational Television Evaluation: the impact of methodology on validity and learning

This paper provides an analysis of the process of educational television evaluation. The effect of the actual evaluation methodology on data gathered is examined, using the recently developed Programme Evaluation Analysis Computer system as an example. Problems and possible solutions in issues of internal and external validity are presented. Three main factors form the essential variables in the evaluation design model: the nature of the evaluation question; the nature of the programme; and the attention of the learner. The model emphasises the need for producers, teachers, and learners to define and agree on overall objectives and the criteria for assessment. A distinction is made between cognitive and affective objectives as well as between general broadcast educational television and more specific instructional programming. The electronic evaluation system discussed appears useful for assessing affective but not cognitive objectives.     

Conflicting values and their impact on learning

Based on Inglehart’s (1997) idea that the importance of modern values is challenged by a growing importance of postmodern values in postindustrialised sociaties, we analyse the consequences of students’ attempts to integrate (modern) achievement values and (postmodern) well-being values. Since opportunities for value integration are limited, students should frequently experience conflicts, whether to work for school or to engage in free time activities. In a questionnaire study, students (n=184) showed mostly high scores in both, achievement and well-being values. Value conflict — measured by a specific conflict formula — was related to the frequency of action conflicts as well as to the reported difficulty to decide which action to pursue. Values predicted the students’ school-related decisions. Furthermore, students with high achievement values reported better performance in school-related tasks than students with high well-being values. Finally, values were systematically related to time investment and grades.     

Effectiveness of a Short,Intense Bridging Course for Scaffolding Students Commencing University-level Study of Chemistry

Bridging courses designed to support students commencing tertiary education are widespread, and some evidence for the value of semester-length courses has been reported; however, little attention has been paid to short-but-intense bridging courses, and empirical evidence of their effectiveness is particularly sparse. The current study followed the academic performance of a cohort of students enrolled in a first-year chemistry unit of study designed for those with little or no background knowledge of chemistry. The aims of this study are two-fold: first to determine the strength of the linkage between prior knowledge in chemistry and performance on the end of semester exam, and secondly, to explore the reasons for any differences observed. In particular, the value of the week-long intensive-mode bridging course offered by the University of Sydney was analysed. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected. The research has shown that participation in the chemistry bridging course is associated with ‘bridging the gap’ in academic performance between students with No Prior Chemistry background and those with a Strong Background. While the content of the bridging course is a significant contributor to academic success, so too is the confidence in their own learning that the course engenders among participants.     

Designing a Moodle course with the CADMOS learning design tool

CADMOS is a graphical learning design (LD) authoring tool that helps a teacher design a unit of learning in two layers: (i) the conceptual layer, which seems like a concept map and contains the learning activities with their associated learning resources and (ii) the flow layer, which contains the orchestration of these activities. One of CADMOS’ main innovative features is that it can bridge the gap between the design of a unit of learning and its enactment into Moodle. This paper presents how one can create a LD using CADMOS and deploy it into Moodle. Also, the paper shows the findings from a case study which was organized in order to evaluate the usability of the tool, its pedagogical flexibility and the usefulness of its innovative feature of deploying a LD into Moodle. CADMOS seems to be an easy-to-use tool, which offers guidance and flexibility during the design process.     

Too emotional to be capable? The changing nature of emotion work in definitions of ‘capable teaching’

This article uses the concept of emotional labour to understand some of the changes that are ongoing in the teaching profession. While research has explored the impact of the new performance culture upon teachers’ work and identified a marginalisation of the caring and emotional aspects of teaching, the concept of emotional labour allows us to extend this argument. Using interviews with teachers who have had their capability questioned, in the majority of cases through the threat or implementation of capability procedures, this article draws upon newer conceptualisations of emotional labour to analyse some of the changes teachers are experiencing with the introduction of new accountability and performance systems. Utilising Bolton’s typology of different forms of emotion management in the workplace, we argue it is possible to recognise the distinctiveness of the emotion work carried out by teachers and identify why teachers’ emotion work is particularly vulnerable to the educational reforms associated with the standards agenda. We suggest that not only is there a shift away from the caring aspects of teaching, but also the emotional work teachers are expected to perform is becoming increasingly prescribed in ways that mirror the management of emotional labour carried out in the service sector. This is particularly the case in the primary sector where the majority of teachers in the study were working.     

Value orientations and studying in school–leisure conflict: A study with samples from five countries

The relations between students' value orientations and experiences of motivational interference during studying following conflicts between learning and leisure activities were investigated in a self-report study. Overall, 1075 adolescents, mostly from Catholic schools, in Bosnia–Herzegovina (n = 203), India (n = 200), Paraguay (n = 96), Spain (n = 442), and the US (n = 134), participated. The samples varied substantially in terms of modern and postmodern value orientations, experience of motivational interference during studying, and time invested in studying. By controlling for age, gender, and economic capital, postmodern value orientation was positively related to conflict frequency and experience of motivational interference during learning, and negatively related to time investment. For modern value orientation, the relations were almost reversed. Despite the considerable differences between the sample means, the study revealed some consistency in the relations between the variables across the samples, which indicates that most of the relations can be generalized.     

Escalation vs. non-escalation of fan violence in football? Narratives from ultra fans,police officers and security employees

Despite a large body of literature about fan violence issues, research investigating perceptions and dynamics in potentially violent situations, called critical incidents (CIs), is missing. This qualitative study examined the perceptions and dynamics of CIs involving ultra football fans. Fifty-nine semi-structured interviews with individuals (fans, police officers or security employees) involved in eight CIs were conducted and analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. The assessment of legitimacy of an out-group’s actions strongly influenced the perception of a CI, which is in line with the Elaborated Social Identity Model. Informative intergroup communication about the own intentions seemed to increase perception of legitimacy, while arrests of fans due to pyrotechnics were perceived by fans as illegitimate. The local fan culture, e.g. the fans’ use of pyrotechnics for their support, is relevant for the understanding of this assessment of legitimacy.     

Mindfulness and situational interest

In an attempt to exploit the concept of mindfulness for educational contexts, we investigated the role of dispositional mindfulness as an internal resource for the development of situational interest. Using an online questionnaire, we assessed participants’ (N?=?161, mean age?=?30.4 years, 74% female, 66% university students) mindfulness, presented them with a text on bionics, and asked them to indicate their situational interest regarding the material (t1). One week later, they indicated their maintained situational interest (t2). Findings reveal a positive relationship between mindfulness and situational interest at t1, especially with regard to participants’ ability to be momentarily ‘present’ and affective aspects of situational interest. Furthermore, we found an indirect effect of mindfulness on maintained situational interest at t2 via participants’ interest at t1. These findings were independent from participants’ initial interest and knowledge. Contrary to our expectation, we did not find a moderation effect for mindfulness on the relation between situational interest at t1 and t2. We discuss these findings in terms of implications for formal learning contexts.     

Value orientations and action conflicts in students’ everyday life: An interview study

The assumption that today’s German students are able to successfully combine synthesis achievement values and well-being values appears to be overly optimistic when regarded from the perspective of motivational psychology. The results of a qualitative-quantitative interview study with 25 students indicate that achievement and well-being values may come into conflict in everyday life. Incentives for achievement and well-being rarely co-occur in the same action domains. Whereas the school context is dominated by achievement incentives, leisure time is dominated by well-being incentives. Since both achievement and well-being are appreciated by most students, they should be prone to experience frequent everyday action conflicts. The motivational characteristics of postdecisional action conflicts are described on the phenomenal level and their possible impairing effects for learning processes are pointed out. Finally, alternative forms of value synthesis, which might be realized more successfully, are discussed.