The effects of cultural and historical information and contribution threshold on public contributions: an experimental study on the conservation of heritage houses in Penang,Malaysia

Budget constraints at the local government level towards the provision of public goods have fuelled interest in the voluntary contribution and provision point mechanisms. However, due to their public nature, these mechanisms are not without problems. The literature shows the presence of free riding and socially inefficient contribution levels. This paper experimentally tests the effect of cultural and historical information pertaining to heritage houses in Penang, Malaysia, on public contributions for their conservation. This paper considers a standard linear one-shot four-person public good game and the decision of the subjects being to contribute either to a private or to a public account. We devise 4 treatments: a Control treatment, a treatment where subjects are provided with cultural and historical information pertaining to the heritage houses, a treatment that includes a contribution threshold, and finally a treatment that combines the use of cultural and historical information with the contribution threshold. The main finding shows that 60–75 % of the subjects contributed more than what they believed others in the same group would contribute when they were provided with the pertinent cultural and historical information. Most of the subjects contributed less than their belief, while 75–77 % cooperated ‘selfishly’ in treatments without the information. These findings are in agreement with the literature, namely that contributions are higher in treatments with a contribution threshold. Moreover, the combination of a contribution threshold and cultural information could encourage more pro-social behaviours.     

High School Teachers' Motivational Perceptions and Strategies in an East Asian Nation

This study investigated the relationships between teachers' self‐reported classroom goal structures, instructional self‐perceptions, teaching efficacy, and perceptions of students' motivation in a developing East Asian nation. This study's participants were 404 teachers, across subject areas, in 14 high schools in an East Asian nation. Similar studies have been conducted in western nations, but these cannot be generalised to the East Asian cultural context without direct research. The following teacher perceptions correlated strongly with perceptions of student motivation: learning goal orientations; student ability; instrumentality of instruction; and high teaching self‐efficacy. Among these related factors, learning goals and ability emerged as the strongest predictors of perceived student motivation. Teachers interviewed reported that their students' motivation is primarily extrinsic and performance‐oriented, influenced by external factors, predominantly exam pressure and social expectations. These findings have important implications for teacher education and practice, and for school policy and educational reform.     

法斗观音座莲——一个假定的属间杂交种

  Angiopteris sparsisora Ching, sp. nov.      Species nova ab omnibus affinibus adhuc cognitis recedit rhizomate repente, dorsi- ventrali, habitu minore stipite tenui, levi, paleis  brunneis  lineari-lanceolatis  margine irregulariter fimbriatis peltati-fixis, pinnulis basi cuneatis vel late cuneatis, distincte breviterque petiolulatis, soris longitudine variis, inter se separatis a margine magis re- motis, paraphysibus rudimentalibus brevibus sparse praesentibus.      Tota planta 1—1.2 m alata, rhizomate repente, carnoso, cylindrico, dorsiventrali, 5— 6 cm diametro, radicoso, apice frondes 2—3 emittente, stipite 35—70 cm longo, 4—8 mm crasso, levi viridi, supra medium uni-geniculato (in frondibus pinnatis usque subbipin- natis), paleis brunneis lineari-lanceolatis basi rotunda peltati-fixis margine varie fimb- riatis sparse vestito; lamina stipite longiore, bipinnata aut subb ipinnata raro superne simpliciter pinnata; pinnis 2—3(—7)-jugis, ,alternis vel suboppositis, oblongis, 45— 55 cm longis, 18—23 cm latis, petiolo 4—16 cm longo suffultis, basi tumidis, pinnatis vel interdum simplicibus vel basi pinnatifidis; pinnulis plerumque 8—12-jugis, alternis vel suboppositis, patentibus, 8—18 cm longis, medio 1.5—3cm latis, lanceolatis, acuminatis, basin versus cuneatis vel late cuneatis, breviter petiolatis, pinnula terminali confomi paulo majore, petiolulata, hasi baud in alas decurrente, margine serrulatis; venis utrin- quo distinctis, patentibus, simplicibus vel furcatis, prope marginem curvatis; pagina frondis textura in sicco virescente, chartacea, rachi, costis, costulis venisque subtus sparsim minuteque paleaceis.  Soris breviter linearibus, 2—4 mm longis,  10—32-spo- rangiatis, inter se separatis, a margine 2—3 mm, remotis; paraphysibus sparsis brevibusrudimentalibus.  Sporis globulosis, suparficie dense tubuculatis.       Yunnan austro-orientalis:  Xichou Xian, Fadou, S. K. Wu 4203 (typus, PE), 4198, 8, October, 1962; ibidem, Z. R. Wang 566-1, 566-2, 566-3, 566-4, 566-5, 15, January, 1978; ibidem V. M. Chu 8212, 15, January, 1978. in valley under evergreen broad- leaved forests, alt. 1500—1550m.       In the tropical rain forest in southeastern Yunnan, China, the members of Angiopte- ris Hoffm. and Archangiopteris Christ et Gies. are often growing side by side in great abundance.  In January 1978 the second writer made a botantical trip there and col- lected in one locality ample herbarium material of an Angiopteris, which is identical with A. sparsisora Ching (ined.), based upon type specimens gathered by Mr. S. K. Wu from the same locality in 1962.  To our great surprise, however, this distinct taxon reveals a number of important morphological characteristics intermediate between An- giopteris and Archangiopteris as diagnosed above.       The present species resembles Archangiopteris in small build with creeping dorsi- ventral rhizome, unigeniculate, thin, smooth stipe in pinnate to bipinnatifid fronds, spa- ringly clad in linear-lanceolate peltately affixed scales with variously fimbriate margin, lamina 1—2 pinnate or subbipinnate, pinnules distinctly and shortly stipitate, base cuneate or broadly cuneate, sori of different length separated from each other by broad spaces, and rather far away (2—3 mm) from the margin, paraphyses few, rudimentary and short, but, on the other hand, it also similar to Angiopteris in usually bipinnate fronds, the petiole of pinnae with swollen base (blackish upon drying), short (2—4 mm long) linear sori consisting of 5—16 pairs of sporangia and globulax spores with densely tubucular sporoderms.  All the above characteristics combined clearly indicate the spe- cies is in all likelihood a natural hybrid between  Angiopteris  and Archangiopteris, pending cytological investigation and the reason for presently placing it in Angiopteris rather than in Archangiopteris is because of the fact that in overall impression the newtaxon appears more like the former than the latter.     

The mediating effects of needs satisfaction on the relationships between prior knowledge and self-regulated learning through artificial intelligence chatbot

The anthropomorphic characteristics of artificial intelligence (AI) can provide a positive environment for self-regulated learning (SRL). The factors affecting adolescents' SRL through AI technologies remain unclear. Limited AI and disciplinary knowledge may affect the students' motivations, as explained by self-determination theory (SDT). In this study, we examine the mediating effects of needs satisfaction in SDT on the relationship between students' previous technical (AI) and disciplinary (English) knowledge and SRL, using an AI conversational chatbot. Data were collected from 323 9th Grade students through a questionnaire and a test. The students completed an AI basic unit and then learned English with a conversational chatbot for 5 days. Confidence intervals were calculated to investigate the mediating effects. We found that students' previous knowledge of English but not their AI knowledge directly affected their SRL with the chatbot, and that satisfying the need for autonomy and competence mediated the relationships between both knowledge (AI and English) and SRL, but relatedness did not. The self-directed nature of SRL requires heavy cognitive learning and satisfying the need for autonomy and competence may more effectively engage young children in this type of learning. The findings also revealed that current chatbot technologies may not benefit students with relatively lower levels of English proficiency. We suggest that teachers can use conversational chatbots for knowledge consolidation purposes, but not in SRL explorations.

Practitioner notes

What is already known about this topic

• Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies can potentially support students' self-regulated learning (SRL) of disciplinary knowledge through chatbots.
• Needs satisfaction in Self-determination theory (SDT) can explain the directive process required for SRL.
• Technical and disciplinary knowledge would affect SRL with technologies.

What this paper adds

• This study examines the mediating effects of needs satisfaction in SDT on the relationship between students' previous AI (technical) and English (disciplinary) knowledge and SRL, using an AI conversational chatbot.
• Students' previous knowledge of English but not their AI knowledge directly affected their SRL with the chatbot.
• Autonomy and competence were mediators, but relatedness was not.

Implications for practice and/or policy

• Teachers should use chatbots for knowledge consolidation rather than exploration.
• Teachers should support students' competence and autonomy, as these were found to be the factors that directly predicted SRL.
• School leaders and teacher educators should include the mediating effects of needs satisfaction in professional development programmes for digital education.