Writing to learn ecology: a study of three populations of college students

Being an ecologically literate citizen involves making decisions that are based on ecological knowledge and accepting responsibility for personal actions. Using writing-to-learn activities in college science courses, we asked students to consider personal dilemmas that they or others might have in response to how human choices can impact coastal dead zones around the world. We explored how undergraduate students (42 biology and 47 elementary education majors at a 4-year college and eight Native studies majors at a tribal college in the United States) identified their ecological dilemmas after reading about aquatic hypoxia. About 30% of the 4-year college students’s essays demonstrated a more ecologically literate understanding of hypoxia by the end of the study. The tribal college students improved their ecological literacy by 50%, albeit with a small sample size. Biology majors made more human-centered comments than the education majors. The Native American students often discussed trade-offs between quality of life and ecological consequences, and were classified as both human-centered and ecosystem-centered.     

Factors related to rural school administrators’ satisfaction with distance education

The purpose of this study was to examine rural school district administrators’ satisfaction with distance education in the United States and to identify factors that may contribute to their satisfaction. Telephone interviews were conducted with administrators in randomly selected rural districts across the country. Analyses revealed that students’ preparation in their study and computer skills as well as the use of synchronous delivery formats were related to administrators’ satisfaction with distance education. Results imply that students’ study and computer skills should be addressed as needed and, when feasible, synchronous delivery formats used in order to possibly bolster districts’ satisfaction with and effective use of distance education.     

康梁保皇派与美国华侨的认同问题

1882年美国通过华侨华人历史上第一个排华法案后,美国华侨陷入认同危机。康梁保皇派适时在美国华侨社会中宣传其救国思想,其活动客观上推动了华侨认同的改变和爱国主义思想的形成。     

Reply to Glazier: “Comment on ‘Influence of shaft length on golf driving performance’”

Abstract

In this study we compared the kinematic features of the throwing motion between young baseball players of different age groups. Forty‐four Japanese baseball players aged 6.1 to 12.3 years who regularly played baseball, including pitchers and position players, had their throwing actions analyzed three‐dimensionally using high speed videography. Of this sample, 26 players aged above 9 years of age were categorized as the senior group, while the remaining 18 were categorized as the junior group. Senior group throwers had greater height and body mass, and produced a greater ball speed than junior group throwers. The throwing arm movement of senior group throwers was similar to that of adult skilled players. However, in the junior group throwers, the shoulder horizontal adduction angle was larger during the arm acceleration phase, and the maximum angular velocities of elbow extension and shoulder internal rotation occurred later than in senior group throwers. These results indicate that players aged above 9 years can acquire a mature throwing arm movement, while players younger than that will use an immature motion. A possible reason why these differences were shown is that the official baseball is relatively heavy for junior group throwers; they would be better advised to use a lighter ball in throwing practice.     

The reign of the commonplace in education

The mass media contribution to education politics is explored through the application of a pluralistic theoretical framework to evidence connected with the making of an episode of a U.K. current affairs television program. The episode addressed a politically contentious educational issue but proved controversial in itself. Several sources complained that the program team had failed to operate with “due accuracy and impartiality” required in law and subsequently confronted them in a televised audience feedback program. The pluralistic theoretical framework is used to highlight contrasting interactions between the television program team and different sources in creating the episode that was transmitted. Frequent sources tended to be “media-wise” and so better able to realize their interest in positive portrayal than those occasional sources who were more “media-naive.” It is suggested that this case has wider implications for understanding the superficiality of much media output dealing with the politics of education.     

Exploring and Interpreting Leadership Stories

This article considers why central government policies are often insensitive to the range of contexts in which they are to be implemented. It reports on small-scale research into one instance of such 'policy insensitivity' associated with the low take-up of candidature for the National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH) among teachers in small primary schools during the early years of the original NPQH assessment and training scheme in Wales. Findings are reported on perceptions of LEA advisers, aspiring headteachers and their headteachers about the under-recruitment problem. It is noted how the revised NPQH policy appears to be addressing some of the problems identified. The wider significance of policy insensitivity for centralised policy making is highlighted.