The Use of Bibliometrics to Measure Research Performance in Education Sciences

This paper investigates the fitness-for-purpose and soundness of bibliometric parameters for measuring and elucidating the research performance of individual researchers in the field of education sciences in Switzerland. In order to take into account the specificities of publication practices of researchers in education sciences, the analyses are based on two separate databases: Web of Science and Google Scholar. Both databases show a very unequal distribution of the individual research output, and the indicators used to measure research performance (quantity of publications and citation impact) from the two data sources are highly positively correlated. However, individual characteristics of the researchers, such as age, gender and academic position, that serve to explain the great variance in research performance, can only be identified if the Web of Science is used as a benchmark of research performance. The results indicate that Google Scholar is so inclusive that it impedes a meaningful interpretation of the data. However, the Web of Science inclusion policy for journals is also associated with certain shortcomings that put some researchers at an unjustified disadvantage. Therefore, problems currently exist in regard to both citation databases when used to benchmark individual research performance.     

The Role of Knowledge,Social Norms,and Attitudes Toward Organic Products and Shopping Behavior: Survey Results from High School Students in Vienna

In 2005 a survey was used to investigate social norms and attitudes of Viennese high school students (14–20 years, n = 340) toward organic products. Young people, who already participate in household decisions and consume organic products, have not yet been recognized sufficiently in research. The Theory of Reasoned Action and discriminant analysis are used to explore relations of a number of variables and the complex field of factors influencing Viennese high school students’ shopping behavior when shopping for organic products. Key findings include the importance of primary socialization in forming social norms and shaping behavior. Surprisingly, knowledge of organic products does not explain students’ self-reported shopping behavior when shopping for organic products. Cultural patterns seem to be far more useful to predict behavior and attitudes toward organic products.     

Combining cognitive and affective support in order to promote learning

The present study investigated the impact of cognitive and affective support intervention on the learning outcomes of learners working with a simulation in economics. Cognitive support was given by statements in order to increase reflection and self-explanation in learners. Affective support was given by a goal-based scenario. Participants were 104 students of social science classes who were randomly allocated to a variant with cognitive and/or affective support as well as a basal variant without affective and cognitive support. Perceived germane cognitive load was increased by cognitive support but not by affective support. Understanding, as measured by posttest performance, was significantly increased by a combination of affective and cognitive support as compared to the basal variant without any support, while a single support intervention had no significant impact. The need for an augmented Cognitive Load Theory by the inclusion of affective factors is applied.     

Learning from multimedia presentations: Facilitation function of animations and spatial abilities

Animations may facilitate learning by providing external support for visual–spatial mental processing. Facilitation is challenged by findings that demonstrate involvement of spatial abilities in learning from animations, because this involvement indicates active internal visual–spatial processing. In the present study, learners attended to a system-paced multimedia presentation in which a verbal–auditory explanation was concurrently synchronized either with animation, with static core pictures, or with enriched static pictures that showed additional intermediate steps and arrows indicating motion. Results demonstrated better learning success with animations and with enriched static pictures than with static pictures. Spatial abilities were not substantively related to learning success with animations or with static pictures, but they played a crucial role for learning success with enriched static pictures. It is concluded that active visual–spatial processing was recruited with enriched static pictures. With animations, learning was truly facilitated by external support for visual–spatial mental processing.     

Value orientations and studying in school–leisure conflict: A study with samples from five countries

The relations between students' value orientations and experiences of motivational interference during studying following conflicts between learning and leisure activities were investigated in a self-report study. Overall, 1075 adolescents, mostly from Catholic schools, in Bosnia–Herzegovina (n = 203), India (n = 200), Paraguay (n = 96), Spain (n = 442), and the US (n = 134), participated. The samples varied substantially in terms of modern and postmodern value orientations, experience of motivational interference during studying, and time invested in studying. By controlling for age, gender, and economic capital, postmodern value orientation was positively related to conflict frequency and experience of motivational interference during learning, and negatively related to time investment. For modern value orientation, the relations were almost reversed. Despite the considerable differences between the sample means, the study revealed some consistency in the relations between the variables across the samples, which indicates that most of the relations can be generalized.     

Let the context become your ally: school principalship in two cases from low performing schools in Cyprus

Context has a considerable effect on the role and responsibilities of school principals. The aim of this paper is to provide a holistic perspective of the effects of school principals’ involvement in two low performing schools with different contexts. A qualitative research approach was employed, with individual and focus groups interviews under a multi-actor perspective. Our results suggest that school leaders differ in the way they relate to the inner and outer environment of the school. We suggest that they have to acquire new skills that address entrepreneurial as well as pedagogical tasks, thus exercising edupreneurial leadership.     

Across institutional boundaries?: Research collaboration in German public sector nanoscience

Research collaboration is a key mechanism for linking distributed knowledge and competencies into novel ideas and research venues. The need for effective inter-institutional knowledge flows is of particular importance in emerging domains of research, and also a challenge for public research systems with a high degree of institutional differentiation. Motivated by concerns about favorable institutional conditions for the conduct of scientific research, we analyze research collaboration in the emergent domain of nanoscience within the highly segmented German public research system. Drawing on multiple data sources, such as co-publications, macro research statistics, and in-depth interviews, we identify governance structures that support or hinder scientists’ efforts to engage in collaborative work relations across institutional boundaries.     

Die Messung aktuellen Wohlbefindens im Gesundheitssport

There is a growing body of evidence that physical activity has under certain circumstances a positive influence on actual well-being. Actors in health sports should hence be able to investigate their actions regarding the influence on the well-being of the participants. The purpose of this review is to give an overview of the existing methods of measurement concerning actual well-being and to publish recommendations for the practical application. Therefore the search was narrowed down to multidimensional questionnaires, measuring the actual well-being. Five instruments, e. g. Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), “Befindlichkeitsskalen” (BFS), Profile of Mood States (POMS) are finally reviewed after an introduction which outlines the categories of well-being and reviews the mechanisms which have been suggested to explain the beneficial effects of exercise. The questionnaires vary sizably concerning the theoretical background, the psychometric properties and their structure. The suitability for various domains can be verified regarding these differences. The POMS for example can be recommended because of the international comparability, the PANAS because of the time-efficient use and the BFS because of their extensive use in the German-speaking world.     

Das soziale Rekrutierungsfeld der Lehrer

Fragen der sozialen Selektivit?t im Schulsystem werden gegenw?rtig sehr einseitig, bezogen auf die soziale Herkunft der Lernenden, diskutiert. Die soziale Rekrutierung der Lehrkr?fte und ihre Auswirkungen auf den Umgang mit Schülerinnen und Schülern waren dagegen in jüngster Zeit kaum Gegenstand in der Bildungsforschung. Auf der Basis der ALLBUS-Kumulation 1980–2002 liefert der Beitrag empirisch fundierte Erkenntnisse darüber, wie die Zugangschancen zu akademischen Berufspositionen in Abh?ngigkeit von der sozialen Herkunft variieren. Für den Lehrernachwuchs wird ein soziales Herkunftsprofil nachgewiesen, welches die Lehrerprofession im Gegensatz zu anderen Akademikern st?rker als Beruf des sozialen Aufstiegs kennzeichnet. Die Befunde werfen die Frage auf, ob die sozialen Mobilit?tschancen der Lehramtskarriere die schichtspezifische Selektivit?t im deutschen Schulsystem nicht sogar im Sinne eines kumulativen Effektes verst?rken.