The Transcendental Empiricism of Georges Bataille: The Incommensurable Object

Abstract

The frequently assumed premise that Georges Bataille engaged solely in a primarily subject‐centred critique is not here disputed; rather, our contention is that in spite of this, we may look beyond and push Bataille to his own limits to ground a kind of object‐centred critique. If this textual experiment is successful, we come to see a nascent version of transcendental empiricism at work in Bataille’s work, effectively functioning as an unacknowledged precursor to the more sophisticated and explicit version of transcendental empiricism that Gilles Deleuze engages. Our aim is to focus on Bataille’s Inner Experience as a pivotal moment wherein his critique of transcendence could go either way, and to determine whether a ‘Bataillean transcendental empiricism’ would result in different outcomes than Deleuze’s version.     

A Model of Factors Contributing to STEM Learning and Career Orientation

The purpose of this research was to develop and test a model of factors contributing to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning and career orientation, examining the complex paths and relationships among social, motivational, and instructional factors underlying these outcomes for middle school youth. Social cognitive career theory provided the foundation for the research because of its emphasis on explaining mechanisms which influence both career orientations and academic performance. Key constructs investigated were youth STEM interest, self-efficacy, and career outcome expectancy (consequences of particular actions). The study also investigated the effects of prior knowledge, use of problem-solving learning strategies, and the support and influence of informal educators, family members, and peers. A structural equation model was developed, and structural equation modeling procedures were used to test proposed relationships between these constructs. Results showed that educators, peers, and family-influenced youth STEM interest, which in turn predicted their STEM self-efficacy and career outcome expectancy. STEM career orientation was fostered by youth-expected outcomes for such careers. Results suggest that students’ pathways to STEM careers and learning can be largely explained by these constructs, and underscore the importance of youth STEM interest.     

Chapter 4 Overachievers and Underachievers

The ability of a congruity model to predict composite sign meaning as defined by responses to a semantic differential (SD) questionnaire was examined. The composite signs, component signs, and Ss were associated with the field of education. In most instances, obtained measures of factor scores were systematically lower than predicted measures. However, the addition of a constant c, such that - 0. 3 ≤ c ≤ - 0. 2, to the predicted measures generally removes this difference. Obtained and predicted factor scores were correlated to indicate their relationship independent of a systematic error. After accounting for the reliability of SD factor scores the correlations indicate that the congruity model does predict meanings of composite signs from meanings of component signs.     

Teaching second-grade students to write sequential text

With the adoption of the English Language Arts Common Core State Standards, writing has become an increasingly important area of instruction. Moreover, there has been an increased sophistication in the types of writing required of young children and the use of textual evidence expected in student writing. Historically, children have not been routinely taught explicit strategies for writing, but have been exposed to less rigid writing instruction such as Writer's Workshop. The current study examined an explicit writing strategy, the Read-to-Write Strategy, to determine its effectiveness in teaching young children how to write sequential text. A single subject design (N = 40) was used to compare the writing of second graders before and after instruction. Results indicated that the Read-to-Write Strategy significantly increased the quality of sequential text from the pre- to post-instruction with a large effect size reported. Implications and recommendations for educators and researchers are provided.     

Informational cultures: Facing challenges of institutional research within cross-continental settings

This article offers a modified conceptual framework to help classify and describe the array of challenges faced by higher education institutions when performing institutional research (IR) functions in cross-continental settings. This study is based on the experiences of IR offices at two universities: one with an undergraduate program of 1,000 students in Madrid, Spain; and the other with campuses in Austria, England, Switzerland, and the Netherlands, serving 1,000 students. An earlier version of this article was presented at the 14th Annual EAIR Forum, European Higher Education Society, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium, September 6–9, 1992.     

Validating High-Stakes Testing Programs

Cronbach made the point that for validity arguments to be convincing to diverse stakeholders, they need to be based on assumptions that are credible to these stakeholders. The interpretations and uses of high-stakes test scores rely on a number of policy assumptions about what should be taught in schools, and more specifically, about the content standards and performance standards that should be applied to students and schools. For example, a high-school graduation test can be developed as a measure of readiness for the world of work, for college, or for citizenship and the activities of daily life. The assumptions built into the assessment need to be subjected to scrutiny and criticism if a strong case is to be made for the validity of the proposed interpretation and use.     

A reflexive model for teaching instructional design

Although there are numerous models to practive instructional design (ID), few instructional models to teach instructional design have been documented. This article documents a five-year study of two instructors who collaborated on formally studying their teaching of a master's level instructional design course. A reflexive instructional approach was used, in which the teachers examined their teaching while students were being prompted to reflect on their learning of instructional design through a course-long ID project. In this article we summarize our views on learning, teaching, and instructional design. A design and development framework from developmental research (Richey & Nelson, 1996) was used to describe our teaching in terms of the design decisions, model implementation, and model evaluation across six deliveries of the ID course from 1994–1998.     

A systematic review of the teacher expectation literature over the past 30 years

ABSTRACT

This review aimed to illustrate the development in the teacher expectation literature and discuss the major avenues of research in the teacher expectation field from 1989 to 2018. Four analytical themes emerged from a narrative synthesis based on a systematic literature search: (1) influential factors on teacher expectations; (2) mediation mechanism of teacher expectations; (3) moderating factors of teacher expectation effects; (4) teacher expectation effects on student socio-psychological, behavioural, and achievement outcomes. On the whole, most studies confirmed earlier research findings regarding the 4 themes, although there were some studies that found results contradicting earlier work. In addition, new research topics and directions raised in the past 3 decades were identified in this review, especially regarding the mediation of teacher expectations and the socio-psychological and behavioural outcomes of the expectation effects. The review concludes with a set of recommendations for future research directions on teacher expectations.