Equitable Written Assessments for English Language Learners: How Scaffolding Helps

This study investigated the effects of the use of scaffolds in written classroom assessments through the voices of both native English speakers and English language learners from two middle schools. Students responded to assessment tasks in writing, by speaking aloud using think aloud protocols, and by reflecting in a post-assessment interview. The classroom assessment tasks were designed to engage students in scientific sense making and multifaceted language use, as recommended by the Next Generation Science Standards. Data analyses showed that both groups benefitted from the use of scaffolds. The findings revealed specific ways that modifications were supportive in helping students to comprehend, visualize and organize thinking, and elicit responses. This study offers a model for both sensitizing teachers and strengthening their strategies for scaffolding assessments equitably.     

Constructing a system of covariational relationships: two contrasting cases

Educational Studies in Mathematics - Although there is much research exploring students’ covariational reasoning, there is less research exploring the ways students can leverage such...     

The developmental costs of high self-esteem for antisocial children

Two hypotheses--high self-esteem leads children to act on antisocial cognitions (disposition-activating hypothesis) and high self-esteem leads children to rationalize antisocial conduct (disposition-rationalizing hypothesis)--were investigated in two longitudinal studies. In Study 1 (N= 189; mean age = 11.1 years), antisocial behavior was aggression; in Study 2 (N= 407; mean age = 10.8 years) it was avoidance of the mother. In both studies, there was little evidence for the disposition-activating hypothesis but considerable support for the disposition-rationalizing hypothesis. Over time, aggressive children with high self-esteem increasingly valued the rewards that aggression offers and belittled their victims, and avoidant children with high self-esteem increasingly viewed their mother as harassing and uninvolved. For antisocial children, high self-esteem carries costs.     

The economic benefits of higher education in Cyprus: The expectations of prospective students

The paper investigates the economic benefits and costs of higher education as these are perceived by higher education candidates and labour market entrants in Cyprus. It provides further evidence on the topic after a similar study which preceded the present project by 10 years. Perceived rates of return to education are presented for two points in time, namely, 1993 and 2003. The findings point to an increasing awareness of the link between education and earnings on the part of young people, which can be linked to the country's economic development. The main influences on the respondents’ expected lifetime earnings are examined through multiple regression analysis. Gender and ability are found to be significantly related to expected earnings.     

Students’ expectations about earnings and employment and the experience of recent university graduates: Evidence from Cyprus

The employability of university graduates constitutes a major policy concern in both developed and developing nations. In this context, the present study uses self-reported data to compare the earnings and employment expectations of university students, and the realised earnings and employment paths of recent graduates. The sample consisted of 476 individuals (243 students and 233 graduates of the University of Cyprus). The analysis points to both differences and similarities in the effect of different variables on (a) the probability of employment for graduates and the probability of expected employment for students, and (b) the conditional salary of graduates and the conditional expected salary of students. The completion of postgraduate studies, the area of family residence and the department of study are the key factors affecting the graduates’ employment probability, while the students’ probability of expected employment is determined differently, namely by characteristics such as secondary education performance and studies in the business administration department. Gender and family income are among the main determinants of both the graduates’ actual earnings and the students’ expected earnings, with women earning or expecting to earn less than men, and graduates/students with higher family incomes earning or anticipating to earn more than their lower income counterparts. The findings are compared to those of similar studies in other countries.     

Managing the link between higher education and the labour market: perceptions of graduates in Greece and Cyprus

Abstract

The paper investigates the experience of employed higher education graduates in two countries with high rates of graduate unemployment. It examines the employment experience of graduates and their perceptions regarding the contribution of higher education to their employment and career prospects. Qualitative research was used to collect information from 58 university graduates in two Southern European countries, Greece and Cyprus. Respondents provided information on the skills and competencies acquired through higher education and utilised in the world of work. In both countries, modest links were reported between jobs and graduates’ field of study, as well as between knowledge and non-knowledge-based competencies acquired through higher education, and the requirements of the graduates’ jobs. The findings are used as the basis for suggestions that can enhance graduate employability and contribute to the management of the link between higher education and the labour market.     

Om： One tool for many （Indian） languages

INTRODUCTION India is a nation with pluralistic culture, a large number of cultures, ethnicities, languages and relig- ions coexisting with each other. While the culture and faith unify the country under one umbrella either by similarity or by tolerance, the language is what separates them. In the 1951 census, the first census after India attained independence, 845 languages (dialects) were identified, of which 60 were spoken by at least 100000 people each. The Indian constitu- tion iden…     

Perceived rates of return to higher education in Cyprus

The paper estimates perceived rates of return to higher education in Cyprus and uses them in logistic regression analysis in order to study the effect of economic considerations on the decision of secondary school pupils to pursue higher education. Unlike earlier studies, the data used in the computation of these rates are based wholly on the pupils' subjective estimates. The results are supportive of human capital theory: The mean rate of return to higher education estimated by higher education candidates is considerably higher than that perceived by labour market entrants. Logistic regression analysis shows the percieved rate of return to higher education, as estimated by both the elaborate and the short-cut methods, to have a significant effect on the pupils' educational intentions.     

Protective role of N-acetylcysteine against alcohol and paracetamol induced toxicity

The effect of administration of N-acetylcysteine on ethanol and paracetamol induced hepatotoxicity was studied both biochemically and histopathologically in experimental rats. The liver samples taken after twentyfour hours from the paracetamol administered normal and alcoholic animals showed high degree of necrosis and related pathological changes. In the N-acetylcysteine treated alcoholic rats and in the N-acetylcysteine pretreated paracetamol administered rats, the liver cells showed very little change and appeared almost normal as evidenced by the histopathological studies. The activities of serum transaminases and phosphatases were also high both in the alcohol treated and in the paracetamol administered animals. N-acetylcysteine treated animals partly restored the serum transaminase and phosphatase activities, and the activities of the antiperoxidative enzymes. There was also significant change in the serum and tissue lipid levels, and in the concentration of the tissue lipid peroxidation product-malondialdehyde in both the alcohol treated and in the paracetamol administered groups. N-acetylcysteine treatment brought the serum and tissue lipid levels, and the tissue malondialdehyde content towards normal.     

The Impact of Teacher Study Groups in Vocabulary on Teaching Practice,Teacher Knowledge,and Student Vocabulary Knowledge: A Large-Scale Replication Study

The purpose of this replication study was to examine the impact of the Teacher Study Group (TSG) professional development in vocabulary on first-grade teachers' knowledge of vocabulary instruction and observed teaching practice, and on students' vocabulary knowledge. Sixty-two schools from 16 districts in four states were randomly assigned to treatment and control conditions. A total of 182 first-grade teachers and their 1,811 students formed the sample. Treatment teachers received the TSG professional development from October to March. Teachers in the business-as-usual control condition received school/district professional development. A multilevel analysis was conducted to detect impacts. Significant impacts were found for teacher knowledge and observed teaching practice. No impacts were found at the student level.