The phonological awareness relation to early reading in English for three groups of simultaneous bilingual children

Reading and Writing - Phonological awareness is critical for early reading acquisition across alphabetic as well as non-alphabetic languages. The grain size of phonological awareness varies with...     

1997年中国成年人体质监测公报

监测未用随机整群取样方法,监测对象是 19个省、区、市的年龄为 18～60岁(女 55岁)的公民,最终参加运算的样本为 105 328人,获得 3 007 142个有效数据。主要结果为:男子平均身高为169.2 cm,女子为 158.6 cm;男子平均体重为 66.5 kg,女子为 56.8 kg。50岁前体重、相对体重随年龄增大,50岁后略减;北方人身材高大,南方人身材瘦小;东部地区人群体质好于中、西部。中国成年人体质方面存在的问题主要是有28.6％的人未达测定合格标准、开始向肥胖型发展等。提出改善中国成年人体质状况的主要措施主要有加强宣传,提高认识,扩大监测,吸引成年人参加体育活动等。     

Using an interactive ubiquitous learning system to enhance authentic learning experiences in a cultural heritage course

This paper proposes a novel interactive ubiquitous learning system (IULS) for authentically teaching a cultural heritage course and imparting relevant concepts to students. Experimental results demonstrated that learning performance was significantly improved after students used the IULS. This study also demonstrated that students using the IULS achieved superior results to those achieved using conventional teaching models. No gender bias affecting the performance of students in the experimental group was observed because each student consistently performed to a higher standard on the learning tasks compared with students in the control group, particularly in learning comprehension-related content. The IULS was more effective in enhancing the overall learning performance of students exhibiting different cognitive styles in liberal arts education courses. Furthermore, the results of a survey on Instructional Materials Motivation Survey revealed that Relevance was the most highly rated motivational factor among students who used the IULS, suggesting that students were motivated to use the IULS. Thus, we believe that a liberal arts education supplemented with the IULS yields a significant learning advantage for students by improving overall learning performance and motivation.     

Taiwanese Junior High School Students’ Understanding about the Validity of Conditional Statements

This research was designed to study Taiwanese junior high school students understanding about the validity of conditional statements. Distinguishing between validity and truth is a crucial topic in mathematical reasoning and argumentation but has been always neglected in the mathematics curriculum at junior high school level of schooling. The aims of the survey were (1) to find out the methods Taiwanese junior high school students used when conducting mathematical justification on conditional statements; (2) to examine whether the students could distinguish between a statement and its converse statement; (3) to analyse whether the correctness of a conditional statement influenced the students to conduct mathematical reasoning and argumentation. Approaching the three aims of the survey is expected to give some insights into the issue of whether the students could distinguish between the validity of conditional statements and the truth of assertions. Several thousand students from different schools which were randomly sampled from within six geographically diverse (regions of Taiwan) were administered a test on either algebra/number-pattern or geometry corresponding to their respective grades. The main results were (1) the methods the students used when conducting mathematical justifications on conditional statements were called producing (supporting- or counter-) example(s), analytical narrative, and analytical formal; (2) over a third of those students, who considered the given conditional statement to be valid or invalid, proposed supporting- or counter-example(s), respectively; (3) over half the students considered the statement and its converse to be the same; (4) students reasoning performance was influenced by their opinions of the correctness of the conditional statements. These results seem to lead to the conclusion that most of these students could not distinguish between the validity of conditional statements and the truth of assertions.     

Determinants of recovery from a 161-km ultramarathon

The primary study objective was to identify determinants of short-term recovery from a 161-km ultramarathon. Participants completed 400 m runs at maximum speed before the race and on days 3 and 5 post-race, provided a post-race blood sample for plasma creatine kinase (CK) concentration, and provided lower body muscle pain and soreness ratings (soreness, 10-point scale) and overall muscular fatigue scores (fatigue, 100-point scale) pre-race and for 7 days post-race. Among 72 race finishers, soreness and fatigue had statistically returned to pre-race levels by 5 days post-race; and 400 m times at days 3 and 5 remained 26% (P = 0.001) and 12% (P = 0.01) slower compared with pre-race, respectively. CK best modelled soreness, fatigue and per cent change in post-race 400 m time. Runners with the highest CKs had 1.5 points higher (P < 0.001) soreness and 11.2 points higher (P = 0.006) fatigue than runners with the lowest CKs. For the model of 400 m time, a significant interaction of time with CK (P < 0.001) indicates that higher CKs were linked with a slower rate of return to pre-race 400 m time. Since post-race CK was the main modifiable determinant of recovery following the ultramarathon, appropriate training appears to be the optimal approach to enhance ultramarathon recovery.     

Health benefits of Kung Fu: a systematic review

The Chinese martial arts (Kung Fu) have existed for centuries and are generally accepted as being beneficial for health without much empirical data. The aim of this systematic review was to assess the health effects of "hard" Kung Fu styles by performing electronic and manual searches of the literature. The aspects of health and the Kung Fu style examined varied between most studies; in some cases, the martial art group consisted of practitioners of other martial art styles also. Of 2103 references identified, only nine papers were eligible and reviewed. All were observational studies, observing a range of health aspects possibly related to Kung Fu training or performance. Our findings suggest that there is no evidence that Kung Fu practice is associated with the prevention or treatment of any health condition. However, as a moderate- to high-intensity form of aerobic exercise, it may confer benefits similar to those attributed to other aerobic training modalities. However, this hypothesis remains to be tested in clinical trials. Physiological benefits (e.g., aerobic capacity and bone density) may be associated with long-term Kung Fu practice. Future research in this area should adopt experimental designs, clearly identifying eligibility criteria, testing and training protocols, and include health-related outcomes and documentation of adverse events, to advance knowledge in this field.     

Limit cycle analysis of nonlinear sampled-data systems by gain-phase margin approach

This work analyzes the limit cycle phenomena of nonlinear sampled-data systems by applying the methods of gain-phase margin testing, the M-locus and the parameter plane. First, a sampled-data control system with nonlinear elements is linearized by the classical method of describing functions. The stability of the equivalent linearized system is then analyzed using the stability equations and the parameter plane method, with adjustable parameters. After the gain-phase margin tester has been added to the forward open-loop system, exactly how the gain-phase margin and the characteristics of the limit cycle are related can be elicited by determining the intersections of the M-locus and the constant gain and phase boundaries. A concise method is presented to solve this problem. The minimum gain-phase margin of the nonlinear sampled-data system at which a limit cycle can occur is investigated. This work indicates that the procedure can be easily extended to analyze the limit cycles of a sampled-data system from a continuous-data system cases considered in the literature. Finally, a sampled-data system with multiple nonlinearities is illustrated to verify the validity of the procedure.     

Investigating the Influence of Motivational Factors on Conceptual Change in a Digital Learning Context Using the Dual‐Situated Learning Model

This study examines the relationship between the learning motivation and conceptual change of 127 eighth graders, after they have learned the acid, base, and salt concept in a digital learning context, designed according to the dual‐situated learning model (DSLM). Two instruments—the students’ motivation towards science learning (SMTSL) questionnaire and the acid‐base‐salt concept diagnostic test (CDT)—were used in the study. The questionnaire and the test were given to students in pre‐test, post‐test, and delayed post‐test. Based on their motivation questionnaire scores, 18 students were selected from various scoring ranges for semi‐structural interviews. Results showed that, after experiencing DSLM digital learning, students’ post‐CDT and delay‐CDT scores were significantly higher than pre‐CDT scores (p < 0.001, p < 0.01). Furthermore, Pearson correlation analysis indicated that students’ conceptual change (ΔCDT) was significantly correlated with motivational factors such as self‐efficacy (SE), active learning strategy (ALS), science learning value (SLV), achievement goal (AG), and learning environment stimulation (LES) (p < 0.05). Interviews also supported students’ motivational correlation to ΔCDT, particularly for SE, ALS, and AG.     

Meta-analysis of transformational school leadership effects on school outcomes in Taiwan and the USA

Researchers have suggested that transformational leadership is an important aspect of effective schools; however, whether the effects vary across related studies and the robustness of the overall effect size remain unclear. A meta-analysis technique was used to synthesize the results of 28 independent studies and to investigate the overall relationship between transformational school leadership and three measures of school outcomes. The study found that, in terms of the mean effect sizes, transformational school leadership does have positive effects on teacher job satisfaction, school effectiveness perceived by teachers, and student achievement. Support for this paper was funded in part by the Taiwan’s National Science Council. The author is especially grateful to the two reviewers for their valuable comments and Dr. Jin-Fu Wu for his helps of statistical analysis.