New developments in battery technology

It is well over half a century since a new type of rechargeable battery had a commercial success. Nevertheless, there is a large potential market—notably in electric vehicles and load levelling in electricity distribution systems—for a battery with improved characteristics at the right price. This article reviews the principal contenders, with special reference to the beta battery.     

Collecting student feedback: a comparison of questionnaire and other methods

A study was conducted comparing the feedback received from students about teaching obtained using different instruments. Twelve first‐ and second‐year undergraduate modules were selected from seven different schools within a single university. Students studying each module were allocated to ‘questionnaire’ and ‘comparator’ groups. ‘Questionnaire’ students completed the standard end‐of‐module questionnaire, whilst ‘comparator’ groups evaluated the modules using ‘rapid feedback’, ‘H form’, focus group and reflective diary methods. The responses of 335 students to questionnaires were compared with those of 160 using the other methods; no results were obtained from the reflective diary students. Only a minority of the issues raised by students using the comparator methods were covered by the questionnaire, and the comparator methods showed different rankings of the issues in common. The key difference between questionnaire and comparator methods was the use of closed and open questions respectively, with comparator methods being more appropriate for formative evaluation.     

Lay therapy intervention with families at risk for parenting difficulties: The Kempe Community Caring Program.

OBJECTIVE: To determine which areas of family functioning lay therapy intervention can improve in a home visitation program for first time mothers at high risk for parenting difficulties, including the potential for child abuse and neglect. METHODS: Families were assessed for risk of parenting difficulties using the Parent Readiness and Risk Assessment Checklists. Lay therapists completed the Scale of Family Functioning pre- and postintervention with 108 high risk families for whom they provided support, education, and referrals. RESULTS: Paired t tests were done to determine whether the eight categories of the Scale of Family Functioning improved from baseline to termination of the service. Four categories showed statistically significant improvement: social support (p = .001), self-esteem (p < .001), confidence as a parent (p < .001), and affective relationships (p = .003). CONCLUSIONS: Statistically significant improvement occurred in four of the eight categories on the Scale of Family Functioning indicating that home intervention programs can improve some categories of family functioning. Longer intervention and an increased focus on improving parent/infant interactions may be able to increase parental sensitivity and expectations. In this study, the categories of family conflict and stability/meeting basic needs were not amenable to change with lay therapy intervention.     

Comparing key dimensions of schooling: towards a typology of European school systems

‘Institutional context’ has come to play an important role in the explanation of differences in ‘effectiveness’ between schools. But what is meant by such a concept differs from system to system. In this study we typify education systems based on indicators of institutional contexts such as: the financial base of public‐private education/schools, differences in their governance structure, locus of control, and the degrees of freedom of (parental) school choice available in countries. We develop configurations of education systems based on these institutional context characteristics and establish the relationships between quality and equity of West European education systems and certain institutional characteristics.     

In their own words: a qualitative study of the reasons Australian university students plagiarize

The ways in which universities and individual academics attempt to deter and respond to student plagiarism may be based on untested assumptions about particular or primary reasons for this behaviour. Using a series of group interviews, this qualitative study gathered the views of 56 Australian university students on the possible reasons for plagiarism within their institution. The results indicate a wide and disparate range of possible contributing reasons for plagiarism, including: institutional admission criteria; student understanding of plagiarism; poor academic skills; a range of teaching and learning factors; personality factors; and external pressures. These findings are compared with other findings about reasons for student plagiarism in Australasia. The implications of these findings are considered for universities and individual academics seeking to better engage with their students to minimize or marginalize plagiarism.     

Reactions to Inspection: a study of three variants

Individual interviews were conducted with inspectors and teaching staff involved with three primary school inspections in three different LEAs. The interviews took place some time after the end of each inspection when the findings were generally known amongst the teaching staff. The inspections differed according to the degree of negotiation allowed to staff, the extent of inspection coverage, and degree of conformity to a full inspection model. Teacher reactions appeared to vary according to the extent and nature of any ‘surprises’ in the inspection reports and their findings. Some general issues emerged which were concerned with the contextualisation of judgements and the influence of time on the credibility of inspection methods. These issues and those relating to the resourcing of inspections are discussed in the light of the national arrangements for inspection inaugurated by the 1992 Education (Schools) Act and overseen by the Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED).     

Examining the Impact of School Type on Physical Activity Participation in High School Students

Changing education philosophies and technological advancement have altered the way educational content can be delivered to students. One format growing in popularity is virtual institutions which allow students to complete their secondary education completely online. While the format has been in existence for two decades, little information has been presented regarding how the shift from a traditional brick and mortar environment to a virtual one impacts the physical activity of the students. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of school type on physical activity participation. One hundred fifteen high school age students attending brick and mortar and virtual institutions completed a survey regarding their physical activity participation. Results indicate students who attend virtual institutions are more likely to be physically active than their brick and mortar counterparts.     

Cause and Event: Supporting Causal Claims through Logistic Models

Efforts to identify and support credible causal claims have received intense interest in the research community, particularly over the past few decades. In this paper, we focus on the use of statistical procedures designed to support causal claims for a treatment or intervention when the response variable of interest is dichotomous. We identify seven key features of logistic regression studies that should play a critical role in estimating a causal effect and discuss their implications for causal inference. These include elaboration of research design, clarification of link function, model specification, challenges and limitations of sample size, interpretation of treatment effect through odds ratios, statistical tests and examination of model fit, and the potential for multilevel logistic models in pursuit of causal claims. Our recommendations are intended to guide researchers in the critical evaluation of logistic regression models for analyses culminating in causal claims and to promote stronger design and modeling strategies for reliable causal inference.