The Significance of Practical Training in Linking Theoretical Studies with Practice

Today’s experts must continuously reconstruct their expertise and be able to apply their theoretical knowledge in actual work. The development of expertise is a long process, during which theoretical, practical and metacognitive elements of expert knowledge are integrated into a coherent whole. It is important to foster student’s learning and integration of theoretical knowledge in practice during tertiary education. One tool for this is to pay more attention to practical knowledge in the theoretical part of the curriculum. The aim of this study was to evaluate the significance of early practical training as a part of the pharmacy curriculum and to find out to what extent the students felt their practical training fostered their learning. A total of 47 pharmacy students were interviewed during the three-month practice period. Content analyses of the interviews showed that the practical training increased students’ understanding of theoretical knowledge and their motivation to study. The students acquired practical skills and knowledge in a working community of professionals. The results also showed that the students should be able to rehearse their reflective skills during the theoretical studies as well, because the practice period was too short to permit adequate development of reflective skills.     

英语写作训练之问题及解决策略

本文从英语写作现存问题入手分析其原因,并在综合考虑学生母语表达水平、中英思维习惯差异、词汇知识、文化差异等诸方面影响因素的基础上,对英语写作的教与学提出一些解决策略。     

The Relation Between Walking and Language in Infant Siblings of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

In typical development, walk onset is accompanied by increased language growth (e.g., Walle & Campos, 2014). The present study explored whether this relation may be disrupted in the infant siblings of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD; heightened risk of receiving an ASD diagnosis; HR), a population exhibiting substantial variability in motor and language development (e.g., Gamliel, Yirmiya, & Sigman, 2007; Landa & Garrett-Mayer, 2006). Receptive and expressive language were examined across the transition to walking in three groups of HR infants (no diagnosis, language delay, and ASD; N = 91, 8–18 months) and in infants with no family history of ASD (N = 25; 9–15 months). Only infants with an eventual ASD diagnosis did not show increased language growth following walk onset.     

Analysis of the Latin Square Task with linear logistic test models

The Latin Square Task (LST) was developed by Birney, Halford, and Andrews [Birney, D. P., Halford, G. S., & Andrews, G. (2006). Measuring the influence of cognitive complexity on relational reasoning: The development of the Latin Square Task. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 66, 146–171.] and represents a non-domain specific, language-free operationalization of Relational Complexity (RC-)Theory. The current study investigates the basic cognitive parameters and structure of LST as defined by RC-Theory, using IRT-based linear logistic test models (LLTM). 850 German school students completed 26 systematically designed LST items. Results support the notion of Rasch-scalability. LLTM analyses reveal that both operation complexity and number of operations affect item difficulty. It is shown how LLTM and its variants can provide substantial insights into cognitive solution processes and composition of item difficulty in relational reasoning in order to make item construction more efficient.     

Comparison of students’ perceptions of their teaching–learning environments in three professional academic disciplines: A valuable tool for quality enhancement

The present study explored differences in students’ perceptions of their teaching–learning environments in three professional academic disciplines at the University of Helsinki, using a modified version of the Experiences of Teaching & Learning Questionnaire. A total of 426 first-year students from the Faculties of Law, Pharmacy and Veterinary Medicine participated in the study. When six scales measuring students’ perceptions of their teaching–learning environments were devised, veterinary and pharmacy students experienced their teaching–learning environment more positively than law students. Significant differences in students’ perceptions were found between disciplines on the four scales of Alignment, Staff Enthusiasm and Support, Constructive Feedback and Support from Other Students. Comparisons between the disciplines helped in recognising special features of each discipline from novice students’ points of view. The questionnaire was found to provide valuable information about the quality of teaching and learning.     

Languages of higher education in contemporary Israel

In Israel as elsewhere, English has become the de facto second language of academic life 1 Spolsky B. and Shohamy, E. The Languages of Israel. Policy, Ideology and Practice. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters, 1999, 165 [emphasis added]. View all notes     

‘Education is as important for me as water is to sustaining life’: perspectives on the higher education of women in Afghanistan

Progress in education in Afghanistan since the fall of the Taliban has been described as ‘fragile, limited in reach, depth and uncertainty of sustainability' [UNICEF. 2013 UNICEF. 2013. Annual Report – Afghanistan. United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund. http://www.unicef.org/about/annualreport/files/Afghanistan_COAR_2013.pdf. [Google Scholar]. Basic Education and Gender Equality: Afghanistan. United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund. http://www.unicef.org/afghanistan/education_2206.htm]. This is particularly true for Afghan women participating in higher education, within a culture that remains resistant to women's education. This article documents the views and attitudes of Afghan women who have sought to gain a higher education, within a context where only 5% of the Afghan population attends university, and less than 20% of university students are female [The World Bank. 2013. World Development Indicators: Poverty Headcount Ratio at National Poverty Lines. The World Bank Group. http://data.worldbank.org/country/afghanistan]. It is an attempt to listen to the voices of Afghan women to ascertain what they see as the best ways to improve their educational outcomes. Findings illustrate that while progress has been made in enabling a small percentage of women to pursue higher education, there are still significant and enduring obstacles for Afghan women seeking such a path.     

Nontraditional Students' Service Needs and Social Support Resources: A Pilot Study

In response to a mail survey, 53 nontraditional undergraduates provided information about their reasons for reentering college, the likelihood of using services for nontraditional students, and sources of social support. Participants reported career, self‐improvement, and family issues as primary reasons for reentry. They reported they would be likely or very likely to use campus services, especially career counseling. More than 60% reported strong social support from family and friends.     

Do you want your child to have a certified teacher?

This study examines how the teaching staff composition with respect to certification affects student achievement in compulsory Swedish schools. We apply an instrumental variable to estimate the effect of the share of non-certified teachers on student achievement (measured by grade point average, GPA). We find statistically significant negative effects on the GPA. The effect is stronger for students with highly educated parents. A one percentage point increase in the share of non-certified teachers is expected to decrease student's GPA by, on average, 1.8 standard deviations per year. This is a substantial effect considering the large differences in the shares of non-certified teachers across schools and municipalities.