The Lack of Fidelity Between Cognitively Complex Constructs and Conventional Test Development Practice

Do current test development practices align well with the cognitively complex constructs being called for in the educational reform movement? What types of test development practices are needed to develop measures of cognitively complex constructs?     

Physical and sexual abuse in orphaned compared to non-orphaned children in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis

This systematic review assessed the quantitative literature to determine whether orphans are more likely to experience physical and/or sexual abuse compared to non-orphans in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). It also evaluated the quality of evidence and identified research gaps. Our search identified 10 studies, all published after 2005, from Zimbabwe, South Africa, Kenya and Uganda. The studies consisted of a total 17,336 participants (51% female and 58% non-orphans). Of those classified as orphans (n = 7,315), 73% were single orphans, and 27% were double orphans. The majority of single orphans were paternal orphans (74%). Quality assessment revealed significant variability in the quality of the studies, although most scored higher for general design than dimensions specific to the domain of orphans and abuse. Combined estimates of data suggested that, compared to non-orphans, orphans are not more likely to experience physical abuse (combined OR = 0.96, 95% CI [0.79, 1.16]) or sexual abuse (combined OR = 1.25, 95% CI [0.88, 1.78]). These data suggest that orphans are not systematically at higher risk of experiencing physical or sexual abuse compared to non-orphans in sub-Saharan Africa. However, because of inconsistent quality of data and reporting, these findings should be interpreted with caution. Several recommendations are made for improving data quality and reporting consistency on this important issue.     

Music teaches children about themselves and others

Young children can learn about their own feelings and moods through listening to music, by singing songs, and by expressively moving to music. Music and song provide an enjoyable way to introduce young children to the songs and tales of other cultures as well as familiarizing children with words in other languages. A listing of folk songs suitable for early childhood classrooms is provided to support teachers' use of music with children's singing and moving.     

Implementing a national policy initiative to support education for sustainable development: lessons from Taiwan’s Environmental Education Act

Educational Research for Policy and Practice - This policy ethnography focuses on a nationwide environmental and sustainability education policy that was developed and enacted in response to United...     

Institutional perspectives: The challenges of e-learning diffusion

There has been significant recent interest in the dynamics of institutional change and e-learning. This paper reports on the findings from a series of discussions about e-learning diffusion held with institutional e-learning representatives from across the globe. In the course of discussion it became clear that in some institutions e-learning was an accepted part of everyday activity, while in others it struggled to gain traction. There were identifiable common elements in those institutions that had appeared to have successfully engaged with e-learning across their teaching and learning functions. The findings of this exploratory study indicate that institutions have either achieved a state of sustainable embedding for e-learning, or else need to. Unless a state of institutional sustainability is achieved, it is likely that e-learning activity will in the long term be limited to enthusiasts.     

Reconstructing science teacher education within communities of learners

This article is based on a paper which received the “Innovation in Teaching Science Teachers” Award at the 1993 annual meeting of the Association for the Education of Teachers in Science.     

Writing in the library: Exploring tighter integration of digital library use with the writing process

Information provision via digital libraries often separates the writing process from that of information searching. In this paper we investigate the potential of a tighter integration between searching for information in digital libraries and using those results in academic writing. We consider whether it may sometimes be advantageous to encourage searching while writing instead of the more conventional approach of searching first and then writing. The provision of ambient search is explored, taking the user’s ongoing writing as a source for the generation of search terms used to provide possibly useful results. A rapid prototyping approach exploiting web services was used as a way to explore the design space and to have working demonstrations that can provoke reactions, design suggestions and discussions about desirable functionalities and interfaces. This design process and some preliminary user studies are described. The results of these studies lead to a consideration of issues arising in exploring this design space, including handling irrelevant results and the particular challenges of evaluation.     

Views of effective college faculty: a mixed analysis

A mixed analysis of the perceived characteristics of effective college faculty members was conducted through surveying 615 students, predominantly Hispanic, enrolled in courses at two southwest Hispanic‐serving universities. Beliefs were identified that led to 29 prevailing themes: Knowledgeable; Understanding; Communication; Teaches Well; Caring; Organised; Flexibility; Positive Attitude; Patience; Experience in the Classroom; Fair; Helping; Respectful; Open‐minded; Builds Relationships; Passion for the Job; Service; Makes Learning Interesting; Uses Different Modalities; Fun; Motivating; Intelligent; Involving Students; Being Available; Friendly; Connects with the Real World; Listening; Creativity; and Challenges Student. Of these themes, knowledgeable, Understanding, Communication and Teaches Well received the highest endorsements and are congruent with student evaluations that are components of promotion and tenure decisions.     

Engagement in Academic Work: The Role of Learning Goals, Future Consequences, Pleasing Others, and Perceived Ability

Engagement in academic work was viewed from a multiple goals perspective. Two studies were conducted in which high school math students completed an instrument measuring five goals students might have for doing academic work (learning goals, performance goals, obtaining future consequences, pleasing the teacher, and pleasing the family), perceived math ability, self-regulatory activities, strategies (deep or shallow) used when studying for math, and the amount of effort and persistence expended on the class. Factor analysis indicated that the five goals scales and the perceived ability scale represented unique factors. The correlations among the variables revealed theoretically consistent interrelationships. Multiple regression analyses indicated that various goals (e.g., learning goals, obtaining future consequences, and pleasing the teacher), perceived ability, and some interactions accounted for significant amounts of variance in the task engagement measures (self-regulation, strategy use, effort, and persistence) and achievement. Results are discussed in relation to current theory and their practical implications.     

A historical‐sketch of intercollegiate debating: III

LANGUAGE AND PHILOSOPHY. Studies in Method. By Max Black. Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press, 1949; pp. xiii+264.

ELEMENTE DER LITERARISCHEN RHET‐ORIK. Eine Einführung für Studierende der romanischen Philologie. Von Heinrich Lausberg. München: Max Hueber Verlag, 1949: pp. 93.

AFRICANISMS IN THE GULLAH DIALECT. By Lorenzo Dow Turner. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1949; pp. xi+317. $7.50.

A WORD GEOGRAPHY OF THE EASTERN UNITED STATES. By Hans Kurath. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, Studies in American English, No. 1, 1949; pp. xi+88+163 maps. $4.00.

THE GOLDEN NIGHTINGALE; Essays on Some Principles of Poetry in the Lyrics of William ButlerYeats. By Donald A. Stauffer New York: The Macmillan’ Company, 1949; pp. 165‐$3.00.

STUDIES IN POETRY. An Introduction to the Critical Reading of Poems. By Neal Frank Doubleday.’ New York: Harper and Brothers, 1949; pp. xxiii+380. 52.25.

TRAVELLING TONGUES. By Kenneth Harris. London: John Murray, 1949; pp. 215. 8s 6d.

STAGE TO SCREEN. Theatrical Method from Garrick to Griffith. By A. Nicholas Vardac. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1949; pp. xxvi+283. 56.00.

ACTORS ON ACTING. Edited with Introductions and Biographical Notes by Toby Cole and Helen Krich Chinoy. New York: Crown Publishers, 1949; pp. xiv+596. $5.00.

THE IDEA OF A THEATER. By Francis Fergusson. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1949; pp. xiv+240. $3.75.

STAGE MAKE‐UP. By Richard Corson. (Revised edition). New York: Appleton‐Century‐Crofts, Inc., 1949; pp. vii+211. $3.50.

CHILDREN WITH MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HANDICAPS. By J. E. Wallace Wallin. New York: Prentice‐Hall Inc., 1919; pp. xxii+ 549. $5.00.

PUBLIC SCHOOL AUDIOMETRY. Principles and Methods. By Loraine Anson Dahl. Danville, Illinois: The Interstate Printers and Publishers, Inc., 1919; pp. 290. $3.00.

CLINICAL AUDIOLOGY. By Maurice Saltzman, M.D. New York: Grune and Stratton, 1919; pp. xiii+195. $5.00.

ACUTE LARYNGOTRACHEOBRONCHITIS. By A. Harry Neffson, M.D. New York: Grune and Stratton, 1949; pp. vii+197. $5.00.

YOUR CHILD'S SPEECH AND HOW TO IMPROVE IT. By Amy Bishop Chapin and Ruth Lundin. Cleveland: The Press of Western Reserve University, 1949; pp. 30. 75c.

THE COMMAND OF WORDS. By S. Stephen‐son Smith. (Second edition). New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Company, 1949; pp. xii+ 305. $3.50.

PORTFOLIO OF TEACHING TECHNIQUES. New Facts and Techniques to Invigorate Classroom Teaching—Including Tested Practices in Group Dynamics for the Classroom Teacher. Edited by the Staff of the Educator's Washington Dispatch. New York, New London, and Washington: Educator's Washington Dispatch, 1949; pp. 31. 75c.

TWO LESSONS OF GROUP DYNAMICS. So You Appointed a Committee. When a Schoolman Runs a Conference. By the Staff of the Educator's Washington Dispatch. New York, New London, and Washington: Educator's Washington Dispatch, 1948; pp. 10. 25c.

WEBSTER'S GEOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY. John P. Bethel, General Editor. Springfield, Massachusetts: G. &; C. Merriam Company, 1949; pp. xxx+1293. §8.50.

DIPHTHONGS IN AMERICAN SPEECH. By George Whiting Hibbitt. New York: Columbia University Bookstore, 1948; pp. 86. $2.50.

GENERAL SPEECH. An Introduction. By A. Craig Baird and Franklin H. Knower. New York: McGraw‐Hill Book Company, Inc., 1949; pp. ix+500. $3.50.