How can history of science matter to scientists?

History of science has developed into a methodologically diverse discipline, adding greatly to our understanding of the interplay between science, society, and culture. Along the way, one original impetus for the then newly emerging discipline--what George Sarton called the perspective "from the point of view of the scientist"--dropped out of fashion. This essay shows, by means of several examples, that reclaiming this interaction between science and history of science yields interesting perspectives and new insights for both science and history of science. The authors consequently suggest that historians of science also adopt this perspective as part of their methodological repertoire.     

Identifying High-Quality Preschool Programs: New Evidence on the Validity of the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale–Revised (ECERS-R) in Relation to School Readiness Goals

Research Findings: The Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale–Revised (ECERS-R) is widely used, often to evaluate whether preschool programs are of sufficient quality to improve children’s school readiness. We examined the validity of the measure for this purpose. Item response theory (IRT) analyses revealed that many items did not fit together to measure single dimensions, particularly when rated by consultants as indicating aspects of quality relevant for multiple domains of child development. IRT results also conflicted with the scale developers’ expectations in terms of whether markers that they attached to higher response categories represented higher quality empirically. When reanalyzed based on experts’ ratings, IRT results also showed that relatively few indicators captured the moderate to high range of quality. Practice or Policy: Our results suggest that policymakers should carefully consider whether measures designed for specific purposes are appropriate for other high-stakes uses. We encourage continued refinement of existing quality measures, development of new measures, and the accumulation of evidence for their various uses.     

Rechtsfragen zur Studienbeitragspflicht an Universitäten

Die Neuregelung der Studienbeitragspflicht durch die Novelle zum Universitätsgesetz 2002 aus 2008 und die aus dem Jahr 2009 stammende Änderung der Studienbeitragsverordnung 2004 wirft eine Reihe offener Rechtsfragen auf. Die auf eine Begünstigung gegenüber der bisherigen Rechtslage angelegten Regelungen lassen in mehrfacher Hinsicht die erforderliche Eindeutigkeit vermissen und entbehren in ihrem Zusammenspiel unter sich und mit anderen diesbezüglich belangvollen Regelungen einer entsprechenden Regelungsharmonie. Sie machen dadurch mitunter diffizile interpretative Erwägungen erforderlich. Diese Umstände erschweren die Anwendung und damit die praktische Umsetzung der vom Gesetzgeber intendierten finanziellen Erleichterung gegenüber den Studierenden.     

The relationship of value orientations,self-control,frequency of school–leisure conflicts,and life-balance in adolescence

The aim of this self-report study is to analyze proposed interrelations between value orientations, self-control, frequency of school–leisure conflicts, and life-balance in adolescence. Life-balance is defined as satisfying time investment in different life areas. The tested model posits that self-control is negatively related to conflict frequency and that the latter is negatively related to life-balance. Achievement and well-being value orientations, in turn, should be connected to the degree of self-control and the frequency of goal conflicts. In the study, 817 German 8th-graders with a mean age of 13.4 years participated. Results from structural equation modeling supported the proposed model. The results suggest that fostering self-control can be a promising approach to decrease the frequency of goal conflicts, and thus increase students' experience of life-balance.     

Personal Epistemology Research: Implications for Learning and Teaching

The ideas that individuals hold about knowledge and knowing have been the target of research programs with disparate names, such as epistemological beliefs, reflective judgment, ways of knowing, and epistemological reflection, all of which appear to be a part of a larger body of work on “personal epistemology.” Epistemological perspectives are salient in numerous academic experiences, have been shown to be related to learning in various ways, influence reasoning and judgment throughout our lives, and have implications for teaching. Yet this work has remained outside the mainstream of educational psychology and cognitive development. This paper addresses three main questions: (1) What is personal epistemology research and how is it conceptualized? (2) How are individuals' conceptions of epistemology related to learning and instruction? (3) Given what we know about personal epistemology, what might educators do? Suggestions are also provided for future research and theoretical development.     

Rechtliche Rahmenbedingungen für die Gestaltung universit?rer Curricula

Die bereits im Zuge der Autonomie-St?rkung der Universit?ten durch das UOG 1993 im Rahmen der Erlassung des UniStG 1997 vorgenommene Aufwertung der Selbstregelungskompetenzen der Universit?ten bei der Gestaltung des Studienrechts, findet in der Fassung der studienrechtlichen Vorgaben des UnivG 2002 seine konsequente Fortsetzung. Diese Ausweitung der Selbstregelungskompetenzen geht im rechtsstaatlichen Sinne typischerweise (als Gegengewicht) mit besonderen Anforderungen an Rechtsschutz und Rechtssicherheit einher. Insofern hat der universit?re Verordnungsgeber auch auf die in den Gesetzesgrundlagen zum Ausdruck kommenden Wertungen und Grunds?tze eingehend Bedacht zu nehmen.